Vanderbilt vs Arkansas: 3 Player Prop Predictions and Best Bet for January 20

The SEC’s basketball strength will be on full display Tuesday as the No. 15-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores (16-2, 3-2 SEC) head south to take on the No. 20-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks (13-5, 3-2 SEC).

Vandy won their first 16 games, sweeping through a weak early-season slate that featured only three Power 4 conference teams. Since a 3-0 start to SEC play – including an impressive 96-90 win over Alabama – the Commodores have dropped back-to-back games to Texas and Florida.

The Razorbacks faced an extremely tough slate to start the season, playing five teams that were ranked heading into their matchup. Arkansas went 2-3 in those games, finishing with wins over Louisville and Texas Tech.

Arkansas has split a pair of ranked SEC games, earning a win over Tennessee before dropping to Georgia last weekend. Can the Razorbacks continue to build on their unblemished 10-0 home record? We’ll cover that and our three favorite player props for the Tuesday tilt.

Vanderbilt Commodores’ Tyler Tanner OVER 17.5 Points

Sophomore Tyler Tanner is a big reason why the Commodores jumped out to a 16-0 start. The six-footer is averaging 17.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 2.5 steals for Vanderbilt.

He has continued his torrid start in SEC play, averaging 21 points against stronger competition in his first five outings. Expect him to continue that on Tuesday against Arkansas as he covers his scoring prop bet total.

Arkansas Razorbacks’ Meleek Thomas To Record 3+ 3PT Field Goals

Although Darius Acuff Jr. is the team’s leading scorer, he’s not alone as an offensive threat in the Razorbacks’ front court. Joining Acuff is freshman phenom Meleek Thomas, a highly touted athlete who is scoring 15.3 points per game in his collegiate debut.

The 6-foot-5 guard is a threat from behind the three-point line, too. He’s shooting nearly seven trifectas each night, averaging more than 2.5 makes from that distance. Vandy has allowed at least one player during SEC play to finish with three treys. On Tuesday, bettors should expect Thomas to become the sixth straight player to do so.

Arkansas Razorbacks’ Trevon Brazile OVER 19.5 Pts + Reb

Senior Trevon Brazile is looking to wrap up his collegiate career with a deep postseason run. The 6-foot-10 forward is leading the team with 6.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, and he’s third on the Razorbacks’ roster with 13.1 points per night.

Tuesday’s matchup against Vanderbilt should help Brazile get back on track. After finishing with 18 combined points and rebounds in his team’s past three games, expect the 6-foot-10 senior to have a big game against the Commodores. Take him to cover this player prop bet total.

Best Bet: OVER 173.5 Points

Fans looking for two offensive-minded teams will be in for a treat on Tuesday. Arkansas and Vanderbilt are among the top 16 teams in the nation at finding the bottom of the net. The Commodores are 10th, averaging 91.4 points per game. Not to be outdone, the Razorbacks are 16th by averaging 89.7 points per night.

While I believe that Arkansas – a team favored by 1.5 points – should cover their narrow spread, the best bet is that these two teams will finish above their lofty 173.5-point combined total score. Expect a high-octane matchup to finish with both teams above 85 points on Tuesday.