2023 NIT Tournament Picks, Predictions, and Projections

2023 NIT Picks, Predictions and Projections For Round 3

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NIT Picks For Round 3

Oregon Ducks vs Wisconsin Badgers

Pick: Oregon -4.5

I am backing the Oregon Ducks -4 here against a middling Wisconsin team. At this point in the NIT the top seeds are still playing home games and Wisconsin hasn't played great on the road. The Badgers are 6-7 on the road this season both against the spread and straight up. The Ducks on the other hand are 17-6 straight up and 13-10 against the spread. KenPom ranks Oregon's home court advantage as the 28th best in the nation and I think it will have a big impact on this game.

Oregon has advanced to Round 3 after picking up wins against UC Irvine and UCF; both of these games were a breeze for the Ducks and were never in question. They will be tested more against a Power 5 Wisconsin team, but I still think they come away with an easy victory that covers the spread.

Wisconsin has advanced to the third round of the NIT tournament after collecting wins against Bradley and Liberty. Both these wins came fairly easy for the Badgers, although they were unable to cover the spread against Liberty. Both of these teams matched up fairly poorly with Wisconsin, which is a "slow down and play defense"-type of team.

The tables will turn when they travel to Eugene on Tuesday night. Oregon is a much more efficient offensive team than the Badgers have played so far. This will also be the Badgers first NIT game away from home. Wisconsin's strength has been their defense this season and Oregon even tops them on those metrics. Overall Wisconsin will be out manned and out gunned in this game.

I am backing the Ducks here and I think they can come away with an easy win. The Badgers have won six games since January and not played well against high level Big 10 competition. Oregon is hitting their stride and will have the motivation to try and win the whole NIT tournament.

Vanderbilt Commodores vs UAB Blazers
Pick: UAB ML +120

I am taking a risk here and betting the plucky underdog on the moneyline against a favored SEC team. In terms of the history of the NIT Tournament this pick may not historically hit, but UAB isn't a normal NIT team.

UAB has one of the most high powered offenses in college basketball, especially when Jordan "Jelly" Walker is firing on all cylinders. The Blazers haven't been tested so far in the NIT as they have had a great draw in opponents so far. Facing both Southern Miss and Morehead State at home wasn't much a challenge for this team. They will be tested when they head to Nashville to play Vandy.

Vanderbilt on the other hand has played high level talent in Yale and Michigan, two teams who were thought to be NCAA Tournament locks in the preseason. Although these teams are much better than UAB, there does have to be a bit of a question around the motivation levels of Yale and Michigan. Two teams that may not be all that interested in playing in the NIT, while Vandy, who will take any type of championship they can get is highly motived.

On the year Vanderbilt has played a lot of high talent teams, they have wins against Pitt, Arkansas, Tennessee, Auburn, and Kentucky. There are some really impressive conference wins plus a win against an NCAA Tournament team in Pitt, but this team also has some ugly loss. This season Vandy has dropped games to Southern Miss, Grambling State, and LSU, one of those teams UAB just handled easily in the NIT.

UAB's resume is not nearly as impressive as their two best wins were in conference against FAU and North Texas.

Luckily this game isn't played on paper and we are more than willing to risk a bet on the offensive explosiveness of UAB. Vanderbilt may be home and may have the better resume, but the best player in this game is on UAB.

More NIT Picks For Round 3

: UAB ML vs. Vanderbilt. UAB has been absolutely dominant so far in the NIT, beating Southern Miss 88-60 and then Morehead State 77-59 to advance to this point. Vanderbilt beat Yale 71-62 and then squeaked by Michigan 66-65 to find themselves here. UAB ranks 50th in KenPom’s overall rankings while Vanderbilt ranks 80th and there’s a pretty noticeable disparity on the defensive end of the floor. UAB ranks 61st in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency while Vandy ranks 149th in that regard. Blazers guard Jordan Walker (23.2 points per game) will be the best player on the floor and I expect UAB to move on.

: Wisconsin-Oregon u134.5. I’m shocked that his number is as high as it is being these are two of the slowest teams in all of college basketball. The Badgers rank 348 in average possession length while the Ducks rank 222. Both teams like to walk the ball up the court and neither gets out in transition a whole lot. Oregon is the better offensive team thanks to its size, but both teams are extremely solid defensively and rely on their performance on that side of the ball to win games. The Badgers also lead the country in offensive turnover percentage, so they won’t be handing the Ducks too many extra possessions. Plus, our model has this as a five-star play!

: North Texas +5.5 vs. Oklahoma State. My favorite bet to win the NIT going into it was North Texas, as I thought they presented the most value at the number. They have been dominating their opponents so far, but now will take on Big 12 team Oklahoma State. While that is a step up in weight class for them, I think they are certainly capable of winning this game and moving on. I’ll take them here to cover.

: Eastern Kentucky ML vs. Charlotte (+185, DraftKings). Eastern Kentucky has won five of their last six games and Charlotte has only won three of their last six, so with Eastern Kentucky at plus-money, there is some serious value here. The best price is at DraftKings, the only place I found these odds as long as +185 and new users can pair this with the welcome offer to bet $5 and get $200 in bonus bets instantly! With this kind of value, don’t wait to get in on this!

2023 NIT Odds and NIT Predictions

Check out the NIT Odds to win the Championship and our NIT predictions on who will take home the trophy this year below. All of the odds are thanks to FanDuel and you can sign up for a new account below to bet our NIT picks risk free.

NIT Predictions to Win

Oklahoma State +420

It is hard not to back the #1 overall team in the bracket. A Power 5 team has won the last five NIT Championships in a row. The remaining Power 5 teams are
- Oklahoma State
- Oregon
- Wisconsin
- Vanderbilt

Out of these four teams. OK State is by far the best team. They have dropped some easy wins this year, but they may want to prove that they really were an NCAA Tournament snub. Oklahoma State is on the tougher side of the bracket but you know what they say, iron sharpens iron.

Oregon Ducks +500

This pick may be a bit under the radar but we love the way this Oregon team is playing right now. You may be scratching your head because Oregon will have to take on Oklahoma State at some point on that side of the bracket, but Oregon is the second best team still in the NIT and it isn't very close.

Trust the Power 5 team data, they win this tournament year in and year out.

The smart bet is to bet the same amount on both Oregon and Oklahoma State, this way you are sure to profit if either team wins.

2023 NIT Projections

Find out from our own staff experts on how we think the NIT Tournament will pan out this year. Above are our 2023 NIT projections where we try and let you know where the best action is for every night on the NIT tournament.

Keep checking back every day to see our new NIT Projections and Predictions. Don't forget NIT betting slips cash just as good as the NCAA tournament, so don't skip over our NIT predictions and projections because there is a lot of money to be made this March!

2023 NIT Picks for Tonight

The NIT is where the teams that just miss out on the NCAA Tournament get invited to play each other for the title of "best team to miss the NCAA Tournament." Some teams don't accept their invite to this event, but many do just to keep playing and have their season end with some type of recognition. Not only will BetQL have you covered through the entire NCAA Tournament, but will will also have all of our favorite picks for the NIT as well, so you will never miss a valuable bet no matter what sport you are betting on.

You can count on us to recognize the mistakes that books will make when posting odds for the NIT, as their best oddsmakers will be focused on the NCAA Tournament, which leaves some value to be found here. Using our star-scale, you will always be able to find all of our best bets of the day rated 1 to 5 stars, with 5 stars being our very best bet. We recommend betting on 3-star and higher bets in the NIT, with smaller bets on 3-star plays and larger bets on 5-star plays.

March Madness Picks For NCAA Tournament

Outside of our NIT bets, we also have star-rated picks on the side, first half, and player props for almost every major sport! It would take days for a human to handicap every side, total, and prop for every game during a day. Instead, our model is able to simulate every game 10,000 times and give you the most likely outcome for each bet. It's amazing what technology can do in 2023, and with the BetQL model getting better and better every season by adapting and learning, the books soon won't be able to keep up.

With the sportsbook rolling out all of their very best oddsmakers for March Madness, now is the time to have all the best info to make the best bets possible. With our game pages, you will have all the info you need at your fingertips for the entire NCAA Tournament. Best bets, statistics, ATS records, and all kinds of useful trends to make sure you make the best bet for every game to give you the biggest edge.

Understanding NIT Picks For March Madness

If you are new to betting, you may be asking yourself all kinds of questions about how to bet on the NIT and tail some of these picks from BetQL. First of all, you have come to the right place. One of the most important things you can do in sports betting is getting the best of every number, as it is critical to your long-term success in making money in this business. BetQL can help you do that, as at the top of every game page, we show you what sportsbooks have the best number on every game and every bet.

Example: If you are looking to bet Illinois facing Purdue, one book may have them listed as +6.5 underdogs in the game while another has them at +7. This is extremely important, as even that little .5 of a number can make or break your bet. Illinois falls to Purdue 78-71, and if you bet the +6.5 number instead of the +7, you just lost all your money on that bet. If you were smart and took the better number at the other book at +7, you pushed, and you get the money back that you wagered on the bet.

Now do you see how important getting the best number is? When you take a look at our NIT picks for March Madness, always try to find the best number available to you on that bet. It can mean all the difference between a win and a loss.

What is the NIT Tournament?

The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) is a postseason college basketball tournament in the United States that takes place annually in March and April. It was first held in 1938 and is currently organized by the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Basketball Association (MIBA).

The NIT is typically considered the second-most prestigious tournament in college basketball after the NCAA Tournament. It features teams that were not selected to participate in the NCAA Tournament, either because they did not receive an at-large bid or because they were not conference champions.

The tournament typically consists of 32 teams, with 16 teams receiving automatic bids by winning their conference regular season title but failing to win their conference tournament, and the remaining 16 teams being selected by the NIT Selection Committee. The tournament is single-elimination and is played at campus sites until the semifinals and championship game, which are held at a neutral site.

What is the Difference Between the NIT and the NCAA Tournament?

The NCAA Tournament and the NIT Tournament are both post-season college basketball tournaments in the United States, but there are some key differences between the two.

1. Selection Criteria: The NCAA Tournament consists of 68 teams, with 32 teams receiving automatic bids by winning their conference tournament and the remaining 36 teams being selected by the NCAA Selection Committee based on a variety of factors such as team record, strength of schedule, and quality of wins. In contrast, the NIT typically features teams that did not receive an invitation to the NCAA Tournament, either because they did not receive an at-large bid or because they were not conference champions.
2. Prestige: The NCAA Tournament is considered the most prestigious post-season tournament in college basketball, with the champion being crowned the national champion of college basketball. The NIT is generally considered to be the second-most prestigious tournament, but it does not carry the same level of prestige or recognition as the NCAA Tournament.
3. Tournament Format: The NCAA Tournament is a single-elimination tournament consisting of six rounds, with games played at predetermined neutral sites across the country. In contrast, the NIT is also a single-elimination tournament, but games are typically played at the home court of the higher-seeded team until the semifinals and championship game, which are held at a neutral site.
4. Size of the Tournament: The NCAA Tournament features 68 teams, while the NIT features 32 teams.
5. Timing: The NCAA Tournament typically takes place in March and early April, while the NIT typically takes place during the same time period, but with games starting a few days after the NCAA Tournament begins.

How Does the NIT Tournament Pick their Teams?

The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) selects its teams in a similar manner to the NCAA Tournament, but with some differences.

The NIT typically invites teams that did not receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament, either because they did not receive an at-large bid or because they were not conference champions. However, there are some automatic bids awarded to regular-season conference champions who did not receive an invitation to the NCAA Tournament.

The NIT Selection Committee, which is composed of athletic directors and conference commissioners, uses a variety of criteria to select and seed the teams. These criteria include:

1. Overall record: The Selection Committee looks at each team's overall record, including their win-loss record and strength of schedule.
2. Conference record: The Selection Committee also considers a team's record in their conference and the strength of their conference.
3. Quality wins: The Selection Committee looks at a team's quality wins against other highly ranked teams.
4. Recent performance: The Selection Committee considers a team's recent performance over the final 10 games of the season, as well as any significant injuries or other factors that may have affected their performance.
5. Other factors: The Selection Committee may also consider other factors, such as geography, to help balance the bracket and reduce travel for teams.

Once the Selection Committee has selected the 32 teams, they are seeded based on their overall strength and placed into a bracket for the single-elimination tournament. The higher-seeded team hosts the game in the early rounds of the tournament, and the semifinals and championship game are played at a neutral site.

Which Team has Won the Most NIT Championships?

The St. John's Red Storm men's basketball team has won the most National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championships, with a total of six titles. St. John's won its first NIT championship in 1943, and subsequently won titles in 1944, 1959, 1965, 1971, and 1989.

In addition to St. John's, several other college basketball teams have won multiple NIT championships. The City College of New York (CCNY) won the first two NIT tournaments in 1938 and 1939, and also won a third championship in 1950. The Bradley Braves have also won three NIT titles, in 1957, 1960, and 1982. The Michigan Wolverines, Minnesota Golden Gophers, and Virginia Cavaliers have each won two NIT championships.

Need more March Madness Picks?

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