#22 Vanderbilt vs. #17 Arkansas Picks and Predictions: SEC Championship
Written by: Nate Hornung
Last Update: Sun Mar 15, 2026, 12:58 am ET
Read Time: 5 minutes
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The SEC Championship game takes place in Music City on Sunday afternoon. The three and four seeds in this conference meet in the title as the Vanderbilt Commodores knocked off top ranked Florida, and Arkansas successfully ended Ole Miss' Cinderella run in the semifinals. Now, the Hogs and Dores meet for the second time this season, and we have some very interesting odds in place. Let's check out our CBB expert's favorite picks in this contest.
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Best Bet: Vanderbilt Team Total Over 84 (-120) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook
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#22 Vanderbilt Commodores vs. #17 Arkansas Razorbacks NCAA Basketball Insights
Coach Cal and Arkansas take on Vanderbilt in the SEC Championship
Both teams have now won four straight games dating back to the end of the regular season, but one must lose in this game. The Hogs have had plenty of close calls, winning their last three by a combined 10 points, and needing overtime to get the job done in two of those as well. Vandy squeaked out wins by seven total against Ole Miss and Tennessee on the road, needing overtime to beat the Rebels, but their SEC tournament games have been much easier.
Plus the Commodores will be seeking revenge. They lost by 23 in Fayetteville as 1.5 point underdogs earlier this season. The Hogs shot 58% from the field and 41% from deep as they put up 93 points on Vandy's defense. Analytically speaking, it was Vanderbilt's third worst offensive performance of the year, while also being their worst showing on defense. Certainly they can turn things around on a neutral site in their own city.
Matchup Information – Vanderbilt vs. Arkansas – March 15
- Venue & Location: Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, TN)
- Date: Sunday, March 15, 2026
- Kick Off: 1:00 p.m. Eastern
- Broadcast: ESPN
Vanderbilt vs. Arkansas Betting Odds
Odds are courtesy of Lucky Rebel, one of our favorite online sportsbooks, as of March 14, 2026 at 11:32 p.m. eastern. Sign up today with and get a $1,250 deposit bonus, as well as 50 slot spins immediately. Lucky Rebel Sportsbook offers a wide variety of unique markets across nearly every sport imaginable.
Spread
- Vanderbilt -2.5 (-115)
- Arkansas +2.5 (-105)
Moneyline
- Vanderbilt -145
- Arkansas +125
Total
- Over 166.5 (-110)
- Under 166.5 (-110)
#22 Vanderbilt vs. #17 Arkansas NCAA Basketball Picks and Predictions
Duke Miles is back on the court for the Commodores and has made an impact on both ends of the floor
Vanderbilt vs. Arkansas Prediction: Vanderbilt Wins and Covers, Over 166.5
Best Bet: Vanderbilt Team Total Over 84 (-120) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook
I'll be honest, I was a bit surprised at this opening line. I did not expect Vanderbilt to be the favorite. They didn't show up at Bud Walton Arena, but after knocking off Florida the books are clearly buying into the Commodores' postseason run. Duke Miles is back on the floor, immediately making an impact on both sides of the ball. I'm going to lean in on this line being a little telling, but instead of backing the Commodores to cover, I'll just take them to score.
We should see plenty of pace in this game, which will give the Vanderbilt sharp shooters plenty of opportunities to put the ball in the hoop. I am more than willing to bet that Arkansas does not shoot nearly 60% from the field again. That game was statistically their third best offensive performance of the year, and one of their best defensively as well. Let's hope for some return to normalcy.
The Commodores do a much better job of getting to the hoop than the Hogs and drawing contact, leading to more trips to the free throw line. Plus they have been playing out of their minds. They just had two of their best offensive outputs of the season in terms of adjusted efficiency in two games at Bridgestone Arena, and I see them keeping it up. This game will be close, fast, and very entertaining, which in my mind, will translate to plenty of Vandy points.
Give me the Commodores to win their third SEC Title in history, and their first since 2012.
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Nate has been a recreational sports bettor for about 5 years. In that time, he has grown to love the pursuit of winners and sticking it to The Man. Nate loves data and uses his understanding of numbers to help him be a more profitable sports gambler, however he will be the first to tell you this game is about more than just stats.
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