The staff’s Week 5 didn’t quite match the shine of Week 4, but it still landed in the solid range. The current and former crew finished 21-21 overall, and nobody cratered below 3-4 for the week.
Cole, Tom, Andrew, and Import all went 3-4, while I finished one game better at 4-3. Christian topped the group at 5-2, a mark you hoodlums matched.
The biggest spread call of the week was Vanderbilt getting 24.5 points against Georgia, and everyone except my weirdly negative self expected the Commodores to cover by losing by 24. Andrew stood alone on South Carolina as a 2.5-point favorite over Kentucky, and Kentucky punished that faith by taking the game to overtime before winning on a 2-point conversion for a one-point victory.
Mississippi State and Auburn each burned four staffers. And nobody saw Missouri hanging within 5.5 points of Florida, let alone rolling to a 28-point win.
Week 6 brings a shorter board, with seven SEC-on-SEC games and two SEC teams off. The dealer’s choice this time is UCLA at Oregon, a very classic B1G matchup.
The staff is lining up more closely than usual, which is a relief to me after being in the minority three times in six games where the room leaned one way or the other. There are no unanimous picks this week, though three games feature just one dissenting pick.
Five more are split 4-2. Only two games don’t have a favorite among our selections.
The rules stay the same: these picks are against the spread, with one dealer’s choice added in so we’re not just grinding through the SEC slate. The lines come from FanDuel, which means the numbers can shift from what’s listed here by the time the article runs. And yes, this also doubles as a reminder that sports gambling is not a hobby you should be eager to dive into, especially now that it’s legal in Tennessee.
Ole Miss is a 10.5-point favorite at Vanderbilt. Texas A&M is getting 3.5 points at Missouri.
South Carolina is a 13.5-point underdog at Florida. Texas is laying 7.5 at Oklahoma.
Tennessee is favored by 13.5 against Arkansas. LSU is getting 10.5 at Kentucky.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Faces A Tough Prep Twist Before Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt is heading into its matchup with Ole Miss with a familiar layer of uncertainty at quarterback. Jared Curtis was unavailable for the Week 5 game against Georgia, and head coach Clark Lea said he is now questionable for the upcoming game against the Rebels as he works his way through recovery. The Commodores are preparing to host Ole Miss with Curtis still listed day-to-day.
For Vanderbilt, the timing adds an obvious wrinkle to a game already carrying plenty of weight. Curtis is progressing, but the staff still does not know whether it can count on him when Ole Miss arrives, leaving the offense to keep grinding through a week in which the quarterback picture remains unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilt May Get One Unexpected Edge Against Ole Miss
Ole Miss and Vanderbilt are set to meet in Nashville with weather now threatening to become part of the story. Tropical Storm Isaias, currently a category 1 hurricane that is forecast to strengthen before weakening, is expected to move north through Alabama into Tennessee by the weekend, raising the possibility of a wet, windy afternoon around the Commodores home field.
Forecasts call for rain and wind to accompany the game, which could tilt the environment toward the kind of messy, possession-by-possession football that often scrambles a favorites rhythm. The outlook is still fluid as the weekend nears, though, so both teams will be watching the skies closely before the 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilt Basketballs TV Slate Just Raised The Stakes For 2026-27
Vanderbilt basketballs 2026-27 schedule already has a national spotlight built in. The Commodores will appear 21 times on the ESPN family of networks, with as many as 14 games slated for ESPN or ESPN2, and every one of their 18 Southeastern Conference regular-season games is set to air on ESPN platforms as well. Add in additional dates on SEC Network and Peacock/NBCSN, and it is clear the program will have plenty of chances to be seen far beyond Nashville.
For a team trying to keep building momentum, that kind of exposure matters just as much as the competition itself. It also gives fans a clearer look at when to circle the calendar, especially with season tickets and single-game tickets already available and specific sale dates on the books. The bigger question, of course, is how Vanderbilt will handle a schedule that comes with this much visibility attached. [Read more 🡒]