Richmond (4-1) at Vanderbilt (2-0)
Series
The series is locked 2-2 as Richmond edged Vanderbilt, 93-92, in overtime last November. Jacob Gilyard led four Spiders in double figures with 26 points while Blake Francis had 24 and Nathan Cayo had 20. Richmond scored 34 points off 19 Vanderbilt turnovers.
Vs. The Spread
The Spiders like to kick up the tempo as eight of Richmond’s last ten games have gone OVER. However the UNDER has been the play in eight of Richmond’s last 11 games against SEC opponents. The total has gone OVER in five of Vanderbilt’s last six games and the Commodores are 5-1 SU vs. the Atlantic 10 in their last six.
| Teams | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | -6 (-118) | -280 | O 146 (-110) |
| Notre Dame | +6 (-102) | +235 | U 146 (-110) |
Last Time Out
Richmond gave up 52 first half points as West Virginia shot 58 percent from the field en route to an 87-71 win over the Spiders. The loss ended an 8-game Richmond winning streak that dated back to last season. Tyler Burton and Nathan Cayo scored 14 points apiece as the Spiders made only 6-of-26 three-point shots in suffering their first defeat.
The Commodores rolled to a predictably easy 84-41 win over Mississippi Valley State as they outscored the Delta Devils, 50-19, in the second half. Dylan Disu had 17 points and 13 rebounds to lead Vanderbilt to it’s second win in as many games. The Delta Devils, who are 357th out of the nation’s 357 teams – per KenPom, made 15 of 80 shots from the floor.
Weaving the Web
Coach Chris Mooney is 6-5 vs. the SEC with two of those wins coming against Vanderbilt. Richmond’s five starters average between 14.4 and 11.2 points per game as the balance between the inside-outside game plus the experience create issues. Nathan Cayo has one of the top effective field goal efficiency ratings in the nation as he has shot 69 percent from the floor in leading UR with 14.4 points per game.
Grant Golden is one of the better passing big men in the nation, but has turned into even more of a scorer as he has made 56 percent of his shots. The Spiders are a tough matchup with their skill and precision inside of their offense although they have made a surprisingly low 30.4 percent of their 3-pointers. Jacob Gilyard is still defending at a high clip and he has 34 assists to go with 21 steals.
Anchor Down
Vanderbilt is once again picked last in the SEC as the jury is still out on how good this team is as it lost 16 days to COVID-19 positive tests within the program. The Commodores are now in the midst of playing four games in 10 days between Dec. 13 and Dec. 22. Scotty Pippen, Jr., leads the Commodores in scoring with 18 points per game while Dylan Disu averages 11.5 points and 12 rebounds in his first two games. Vanderbilt is currently looking for it’s identity due to the interruptions.
Winner: Richmond (-6) 76 Vanderbilt 64
Over-Under: Take UNDER 146
