The SEC’s lone team remaining in the 2023 NIT, Vanderbilt is now set to host a talented UAB team in the quarterfinal round Wednesday night. This is only the sixth meeting between the two teams all-time, with Vanderbilt having won most recently back in 1997.
Beginning with a look at Vanderbilt, the Commodores are coming off a 66-65 win over Michigan in the second round, which followed a 71-62 win over Yale in the first round. Led by SEC Co-Coach of the Year Jerry Stackhouse, the Commodores now sit at 22-14 overall for the year as a result.
The Commodores are currently averaging 72.3 PPG offensively, while also allowing 71.6 PPG, and were one of the SEC’s top shot blocking teams this season averaging 4.4 BPG. Vanderbilt also has three others averaging in double figures with Tyrin Lawrence, Jordan Wright, and Ezra Manjon, as well as Quentin Millora-Brown, Trey Thomas, and Colin Smith also being key playmakers for the Commodores.
As for UAB, the Blazers are coming off a 77-59 win over Morehead State in the second round, which followed an 88-60 victory over Southern Miss in the first round. The Blazers are led by a familiar name to SEC fans in head coach Andy Kennedy, and now sit at 27-10 overall for the year.
The Blazers are one of the nation’s top offensive teams ranking No. 10 nationally with 81.6 PPG, while also ranking prominently on a national level in rebounding at No. 2 with 40.8 RPG, as well offensive rebounding at No. 5 with 13.5 ORPG. UAB also allows 70.8 PPG to opponents, and are led by First Team All-CUSA selection Jordan Walker at 22.6 PPG, while others such as Eric Gaines, KJ Buffen, Trey Jemison, Tyron Brewer, Ledarrius Brewer, and Javian Davis all make key impacts.
Vanderbilt vs UAB Line, Spread, Over/Under
According to FanDuel, Vanderbilt is a 1.5-point favorite over UAB in the quarterfinal round of the 2023 NIT, with the over/under at 153.5. As of Tuesday afternoon, both the Commodores and Blazers are -110.
Vanderbilt vs UAB 2023 NIT Prediction
While the Commodores did squeak by against Michigan in the second round, this will certainly be another tough matchup for Vanderbilt on both ends of the floor. Because of this, I’ll say that UAB wins by a close margin Wednesday night, but a Vanderbilt win would not surprise me either, especially with this game being played in Nashville. Prediction: Vanderbilt 74, UAB 76
What Channel is the Vanderbilt vs UAB Game On?
A quarterfinal matchup in the 2023 NIT, Vanderbilt will host UAB inside Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, TN on Wednesday, March 22. The game will begin at 7:00 PM ET on both ESPN2 and ESPN+.
Vanderbilt vs UAB Live Stream
A live stream of Vanderbilt vs UAB can be found here on fuboTV.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change