The NIT is here, and it's a good time to bet on college basketball while waiting for the real thing — the NCAA tournament.
At this point, the NIT is a test run for potential future NCAA rules.
Here's some of the new rules:
- Extra timeouts in the second half
- Wider lane on the floor
Also, several teams opted out of the NIT, many citing the transfer portal. Those teams include Indiana, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh, Memphis, St John's and Oklahoma.
Three of the first four teams left out of the NCAA tournament won't play in the NIT, which shakes up the betting odds.
NIT Betting Odds
| Top 10 Teams | Odds (Via FanDuel) |
|---|---|
| Wake Forest | +600 |
| Ohio State | +700 |
| Villanova | +750 |
| Indiana State | +900 |
| Cincinnati | +900 |
| Butler | +1200 |
| Utah | +1400 |
| Iowa | +1600 |
| Virginia Tech | +2000 |
| Providence | +2600 |
NIT Bracket
My Bets Bets
Indiana State Sycamores
The Sycamores didn't reach the NCAA tournament out of the Missouri Valley Conference and will now have a chance to prove the NCAA Selection Committee wrong.
The extended lane benefits Indiana State as much as any other NIT participant. The Sycamores play five out, shoot 3s on 49% of field goals and have the best 2-point field goal percentage in college hoops.
Robbie Avila, the star who didn't see the light of the Big Dance, can become the new beloved prince of the NIT.
Not for nothing, the rumors of Josh Schertz potentially leaving for Saint Louis are swirling heavily. We'll see if that impacts the Sycamores' mindset.
Ohio State Buckeyes
Motivation is the biggest factor in the NIT. Who actually wants to be there and won't let the disappointment of missing the ultimate goal outweigh playing in the actual games?
The Buckeyes just promoted interim head coach Jake Diebler, and he could lead the Buckeyes to a tourney title.
Ohio State finished the season strong, winning seven of its final 10 guards under Diebler. That bodes well for winning NIT games.
If you're looking to bet on the hottest team, you won't find a squad playing better than the Buckeyes.
The Buckeyes' defense is the main reason for their improvement, as they rank 60th in Defensive Efficiency (up from the 90s earlier in the season). Interior defense is Ohio State's bread and butter, as it limits opponents to 46% shooting from 2 (31st nationally).
I love the Buckeyes' chances if the defense remains strong and the scoring trio of Bruce Thornton, Jamison Battle and Roddy Gayle Jr. reaches its season average. Battle is one of the best shooters in America, while Thornton and Gayle can explode for 20+ points.
Kansas State Wildcats
Kansas State won five games against top-30 KenPom teams in the past month. The Wildcats are my best deep-cut, NIT-winning pick, as the odds have Iowa beating Kansas State in the first round.
It won't be an easy road to Indy for the championship, but Tylor Perry is ready to claim back-to-back NIT titles.
Jerome Tang leads a top-20 defense in the country, with top-40 rankings in effective field goal percentage, 2-point field goal percentage and 3-point percentage.
We're talking about a truly elite defense that's beaten several outstanding teams this season, such as Iowa State, Baylor, BYU and Kansas. You won't face teams of that caliber in the NIT.
The rigors of Big 12 play have the Cats battle-tested for this postseason run.
For Kansas State to win the NIT title, Arthur Kaluma and Perry must score consistently. Perry's ability to get hot and hit a bunch of 3s in a row is huge and Kaluma's versatility could lead to some major advantages in the NIT.
First-Round Upset to Love: Saint Joe's Over Seton Hall
There's always at least one major upset in the first round of the NIT. It's almost a guarantee that one of the top seeds will bow out right away — last year, Clemson and Rutgers dipped out early.
This year, I'm looking at Seton Hall as the top seed that won't last long. The Pirates' motivation is questionable after Oregon stole their bid late on Saturday.
I love Saint Joe's potential in the NIT, and I hope this team sticks around for another season. The Hawks live and die by 3-pointers, attempting treys on 47% of their shots. Saint Joe's connects on 35.6% of its shots from deep, led by dynamic point guard Lynn Greer III and sharpshooter Erik Reynolds II.
Greer loves sneaking into the lane and dishing to shooters for clean looks, while Reynolds is an NBA talent and the best scorer on the court.
Plus, the Hawks already took down one NIT foe — Villanova — earlier in the season, so don't sleep on their chances of making a run.
It's not like Seton Hall's length will overwhelm the Hawks; Billy Lange starts the extra-lengthy Rasheer Fleming at the four and seven-footer Christ Essandoko at the five. Saint Joe's matches everything Seton Hall excels at and shoots it way better.
I love the Hawks here. Take the ML.
