Vanderbilt Commodores vs. Wichita State Shockers Betting, March Madness Odds

Boosted by that run to the Final Four three seasons ago, Wichita State is 7-3 both straight up and against the spread over its last 10 NCAA tournament games. Near the other end of the scales, Vanderbilt is just 1-4 both SU and ATS over its last five tournament outings.

The Shockers hope to begin another March run when they clash with the Commodores in an NCAA tournament First Four matchup Tuesday night in Dayton, Ohio.

Point spread: The Shockers opened as 2.5-point favorites; the total was 136, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark (line updates and matchup report).

March Madness pick, via Odds Shark computer: 73.7-62.8 Shockers

Why pick Vanderbilt to cover the spread

Vandy opened its SEC slate with three straight close defeats and then won 11 of its last 16 games, topping Texas A&M and Kentucky in the process, to finish in a tie for third place—good enough to garner its first invitation to the Big Dance since 2012.

Sophomore point guard Wade Baldwin ran the show, leading the team in scoring and assists, while 7-footers Damian Jones and Luke Kornet helped the Commodores rank seventh in the country in field-goal defense, holding foes to just 39 percent shooting from the field.

With three future NBA picks, Vanderbilt has the talent to hang with just about anyone.

Why pick Wichita State to cover the spread

The Shockers started a bit slowly this season, as senior point guard Fred VanVleet missed time with an injury, but since his return, they're 16-3 SU and 14-5 ATS. Along the way, Wichita State won 12 games in a row, ultimately claiming another Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title, before getting upset by eventual champion Northern Iowa in overtime in The Valley tournament semifinals.

So, the Shockers are making their fifth NCAA tournament appearance in a row. Wichita State ranked No. 1 in the country in scoring defense, allowing just 59 points per game, and sixth in field-goal defense, limiting opponents to just 38 percent shooting. This is a tough, experienced outfit that just knows how to win games.

Smart betting pick

Wichita State starts three seniors, led by the backcourt pairing of VanVleet and Ron Baker, who both know a little about late-March basketball. Meanwhile, Vandy starts three sophomores, with no holdovers from its most recent NCAA tournament experience four years ago.

And as we all know, veteran guard play goes a long way toward winning games and covering spreads at the Big Dance. The smart money here sides with the Shockers.

March Madness betting trends

Wichita State is 19-3 SU and 16-5-1 ATS in its last 22 games.

Vanderbilt is 2-5 ATS in its last seven games as underdogs.

Vanderbilt is 1-5 SU in its past six tournament games.

The over is 8-2 in the past 10 Wichita State tournament games.

All point spread and lines data courtesy of Odds Shark, and all quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates, and get the free odds tracker app for iOS or Android.