2023 NIT Tournament Picks, Predictions, and Projections

2023 NIT Picks, Predictions and Projections For Final 4

Stay a step ahead and grab some early lines for the NIT action in the Final 4. Sign up for new sportsbooks to bet our NIT picks risk-free, or sign up for a BetQL subscription to get our model's best bets for every NCAA Tournament game plus the NIT!

Check out our best bets for both NIT games below.

Wisconsin vs. North Texas Prediction

Wisconsin (20-14 SU, 15-17-2 ATS, 17-17 O/U) will take on North Texas (29-7 SU, 19-14-1 ATS, 17-16-3 O/U) for a place in the NIT Championship. At the time of this writing, UNT is a two-point favorite and the over/under is 115.5 points.

Wisconsin has gone 6-0 ATS on the road after a non-conference game this season and under Greg Gard, the Badgers have gone 13-7 SU after forcing their opponents to commit 11 or fewer turnovers for three straight games and 48-24 SU after having won three of their last four games.

Under Grant McCasland, North Texas has gone 9-3 SU in postseason tournament games, 16-2 SU after four straight games forcing opponents to commit 14 or less turnovers, 20-5 SU after allowing 60 or less points, 25-7 SU after a win by six points or less and 56-22 SU after two or more straight wins.

My Pick - Under 115.5: North Texas ranks dead-last (363rd) in Adjusted Tempo per KenPom while Wisconsin ranks 342nd. This game is going to play extremely slow and while 115.5 is a small number, it clearly stands out as the best bet in my opinion. Check out if the BetQL model is aligned with me above!

UAB vs. Utah Valley Prediction

UAB (28-9 SU, 18-18 ATS, 23-13 O/U) and Utah Valley (27-8 SU, 24-9 ATS, 17-16 O/U) will match up for the other spot in the NIT Championship. UAB is a three-point favorite and the total is 151.5 points at the time of this writing.

Utah Valley has gone 10-0 ATS on the road against teams that force 14 or fewer turnovers per game this season, 7-1 SU versus teams who are called for 17 or less fouls per game and 16-5 SU when playing against teams with winning records.

Under Andy Kennedy, UAB has gone 11-2 ATS against teams that average 77-plus points per game.

My Pick - Utah Valley +3: Utah Valley has gone a dominant 24-9 ATS and a perfect 10-0 ATS on the road against teams that force 14 or fewer turnovers per game this season. I'm going to side with them in this matchup because I can't ignore the undefeated trend and that dominant overall record. See if the model is aligned with our best bet above!

That's it for our Final 4 picks, but you can always check out our previous picks below!

Previous Picks: 2023 NIT Picks, Predictions and Projections For Round 3

Stay a step ahead and grab some early lines for the NIT action in Round 3. Sign up for a new sportsbook to bet our NIT picks risk-free, or sign up for a BetQL subscription to get our model's best bets for every NCAA Tournament game plus the NIT!

NIT Picks For Round 3

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

Dan Karpuc: 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.

Kate Constable: Cincinnati ML vs. Utah Valley (+100, WynnBet). Cincinnati is the deeper team between the two with three players averaging double figures and two other players averaging nine. The Bearcats offense is high-powered, scoring 80 or more points in three of their last four games. They have the 46th-best adjusted offensive rating, compared to No. 112 for Utah Valley. Cincinnati also takes great care of the basketball, which will be important when facing the Wolverines defense ranks fourth in the country in opponents' effective field-goal percentage. In what should be a close game, rake the better team to win at even money on WynnBet.

Lucy Burdge: 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!

Brad Pinkerton: UAB ML & o153.5 points (+300, Bet365). It's Jelly Walker time! I like our picks above for UAB to win and the BetQL model is leaning heavily toward the over on 152.5, so I don't mind reaching for o153.5 in this parlay boosted from +275 to +300 at Bet365. Jelly Walker can help get UAB a win and get us the over in what should be a slugfest between UAB & Vandy. Sign up for Bet365 to take advantage of this boost with your bonus bets from their amazing welcome offer below!

Kate Constable: 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!

Matt Horner: 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.

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.

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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March Madness fans we have everything you need with our college basketball expert picks; you can find out where the experts are putting down their cash for every game and every bet type this month.

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Don’t forge that NIT tickets cash just the same as NCAA Tournament do, so check out our 2023 NIT Picks for every single night of tournament.

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