Schedule, Sportsbooks Unkind To Vanderbilt Football Odds In 2019

Posted on September 3, 2019 - Last Updated on March 9, 2020

There’s no better correlation between the 2020 Vanderbilt College Football Playoff odds and the schedule than the Commodores’ first game.  Vandy started out its season by hosting third-ranked Georgia, a game it lost 30-6.

The schedule gets easier, but not easy, from there. The Commodores blazing a trail to SEC dominance and the playoff would require stellar play and make any bets pay off very handsomely.

2020 Vanderbilt College Football Playoff odds: offseason recap

While Vandy might have its best set of offensive weapons assembled in years, there are questions significant enough to temper that excitement.

The Commodores will field three new starters on the offensive line this year. The loss of LaDarius Wiley and Joejuan Williams in the secondary heightens doubts about an already-beguiled defense, as well.

To improve a defense that ranked in the bottom of the SEC in many statistical categories, the Commodores bring better depth and size. If they can pair that with staying healthy, 2019 could be an improvement.

Sportsbooks aren’t sold on a drastic improvement, however. Vanderbilt is among the longest shots in the country to win a national title. And not doing much against Georgia didn’t help matters.

2020 Vanderbilt College Football Playoff odds broken down

Even with the likes of senior tailback Ke’Shawn Vaughn on the roster, the Commodores claiming a national championship in 2020 would be a shocker.

While Tennessee sports betting is legal, books in the Volunteer State aren’t operating yet. Procedures and rules are still in question.

It’s possible that legal sports betting in Tennessee could be live in time for a potential Vandy playoff run, however. The Commodores could make some people a lot of money.

Vegas has Vanderbilt 5000/1 to win the 2020 playoff. Other books, some of which will likely operate in Tennessee eventually, have similar long odds on the same:

  • DraftKings +50000
  • FanDuel +50000
  • PointsBet +50000

DraftKings and SugarHouse have odds available on whether the Commodores will be selected for the playoff. The line on that happening at both books is +12500.

Because of a daunting conference schedule that only begins with Georgia, books aren’t any more optimistic about Vandy’s chances in the SEC.

Other Vanderbilt futures: SEC title and win total

DraftKings and PointsBet currently have the best line on the Commodores winning the SEC championship game. Both books slot Vandy at +50000.

It’s difficult to find a book that has action on Vanderbilt winning the SEC East. None of the aforementioned books offer such a bet right now.

That’s largely because most of the states that SEC East teams are from don’t yet offer legal sports betting. Thus far, Tennessee is the only state to legalize sports betting in the group.

Several books do have lines on the Commodores’ win expectancy, however. The consensus among them is five wins.

Vanderbilt could get to bowl eligibility and surpass that win total if it can maximize the impact of its strengths. Going any further than that, however, would be one of the biggest sports betting storylines of the year.

Derek Helling Avatar
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Derek Helling

Derek Helling is a lead writer for PlayUSA and the manager of BetHer. He is a 2013 graduate of the University of Iowa and covers the intersections of sports with business and the law.

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