Men’s NIT Tournament Odds and Predictions

The stage is finally set. The men’s NIT tournament field is ready to go. Now, it’s a matter of which teams really want to be here. There are a handful of teams in the NIT who truly believe they were snubbed by the NCAA men’s championship only to settle for a consolation trip to the NIT.

Then, there are some teams excited for the opportunity presented by playing in a postseason tournament, regardless of its prestige. North Texas (24-8) and UAB (22-12) both had great seasons in the American Athletic Conference. The Mean Green have one of the best defenses in the country.

The Blazers are a top 20 offense. UAB beat North Texas in the AAC tournament then turned around and lost to eventual champion Memphis. Neither team got the call for the NCAA tournament. Do they want to be here? North Texas did a couple years ago as they won the 2023 NIT.

UC-Irvine (28-6), CSUN (22-10) and UC-Riverside (21-12) all made it from the Big West Conference. All three teams had great seasons in a very competitive mid-major conference. The opportunity to win a postseason tournament could do wonders for any one of the three programs.

UC-Riverside and CSUN will play in the first round on Tuesday, March 18. UC-Irvine gets underway on Wednesday, March 19. Scores & Stats will have all of the best College basketball picks for these NIT games as well as for the NCAA tournament games.

What Is the NIT Tournament?

The NIT, or National Invitation Tournament, is actually the oldest major college basketball tournament in the U.S. Founded in 1938, it began one year ahead of the NCAA tournament. Unlike the NCAA tournament, preliminary round NIT games are played on the campus or home arena of the higher seeded team. The semifinals and finals of the NIT are held annually at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Over the years, the NIT expanded from its original six teams to its current 32-team format. In the early years, college basketball teams could compete in both tournaments. City College of New York (CCNY) is the only college basketball program to have ever won the NIT and NCAA championships in the same year (1950). Ironically, CCNY defeated Bradley University in both championship games.

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NIT Tournament Schedule

• First round: Tuesday, March 18
• First round: Wednesday, March 19
• Second round: Saturday, March 22
• Second round: Sunday, March 23
• Quarterfinal round: Tuesday, March 25
• Quarterfinal round: Wednesday, March 26
• NIT Semifinals: Tuesday, April 1
• NIT Championship: Thursday, April 3

NIT Tournament Odds

Check out the latest men’s NIT Tournament odds courtesy of the best sports betting sites:

SMU appears to be the team to beat in this year’s NIT. The Mustangs are rated No. 47 in the latest KenPom rankings, the highest of any team that made this year’s NIT. Santa Clara went 20-12 and pulled one of the bigger upsets of the season when they went to Gonzaga and beat the Bulldogs 103-99. The Broncos like to push the pace and they rank 26th in the nation in scoring (81.3 ppg). Santa Clara is the next-highest rated NIT team in the KenPom rankings.

The Mustangs and Stanford are the only major conference teams – unless you’re counting North Texas of the American Athletic – in the top 10 NIT favorites. San Francisco, which finished one spot ahead of Santa Clara in the West Coast Conference, is third on the board at +650. The Dons had one Quadrant 1 win over Saint Mary’s and finished 24-9 on the season.

UC-Riverside, Furman, and San Jose State are the longshots to win the NIT. All three teams are listed at +25000. All three teams are ranked between No. 137 (Furman) and No. 165 (San Jose State) in the KenPom rankings.

If you are looking for NIT picks for this year’s tournament, check out Scores & Stats’ best handicappers for college basketball. Our guys provide in-depth analysis, predictions, and picks for all the 2025 NIT tournament games.

Men’s NIT Favorites

The following Men’s College Basketball teams are considered the favorites to win the 2025 NIT tournament:

SMU Mustangs

The Mustangs played their first season in the ACC in 2024-25. They finished 13-7 in conference play and 23-10 overall. SMU had zero Quadrant 1 wins. The Mustangs went 0-4 against the top three teams in the ACC – Duke, Clemson, and Louisville. That’s why they didn’t make the NCAA tournament, but that level of competition makes them a favorite in the NIT.

SMU does have two very good wins over a pair of seeded NIT teams. They beat Georgia Tech (17-16), the No. 4 in its bracket, 93-71, back in early January. The Yellow Jackets pulled a pair of massive ACC upsets with wins over Clemson and Louisville. The Mustangs also beat Stanford, the No. 2 seed in its bracket. SMU won 85-61 at home against the Cardinal on Feb. 1.

The Mustangs rely on their offense and they like to push the pace. They rank in the top 125 as far as possessions per game. SMU is 31st in the nation in scoring and 35th in Offensive Efficiency which is why they are rated 47th in the latest KenPom rankings.

Dayton Flyers

Dayton blew its chances at the Big Dance with a loss to Saint Joseph’s in the first round of the Atlantic-10 tournament. The Flyers had wins over UConn, Northwestern, and Marquette, as well as a win over A-10 champion and NCAA tournament qualifier VCU. Dayton also lost to North Carolina by two and to Iowa State by just five. Still, it wasn’t enough to get the Flyers in the NCAA tourney.

That is the NIT’s gain. Dayton has played in the NIT 27 times. They have an overall record of 41-25 and won the tournament three times. The most recent win was in 2010. The Flyers will play in the NIT for the fourth time in the last six seasons. Last year was the only time in those four trips that the Flyers won a first round game. They lost to Vanderbilt in the second round.

The Flyers are led by senior Nate Santos who averages 14.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Dayton is experienced and plays good defense though their starting lineup isn’t very big. They are scrappy and can be dangerous when they get hot.

San Francisco Dons

The Dons had themselves a year. They scored a huge win over Saint Mary’s in the regular season, beating the Gaels 65-64 at home at midseason. San Francisco had just nine losses all season. Three of them were to Gonzaga.

Senior guards Malik Thomas (19.3 ppg) and Marcus Williams (15.1) lead the Dons in scoring. The Dons are a very strong defensive team too. They held opponents to 68.2 points per game and they have one of the best three-point defenses in the nation. San Francisco held opponents to just 28.4 percent from behind the arc. That ranks fifth-best in the nation.

As a result of their 24-9 season, the Dons are the top seed in their region. They will get Utah Valley (24-7) in the first round. A second-round opponent would be the winner of San Jose State and Loyola-Chicago.

Santa Clara Broncos

If it wasn’t for Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s, San Francisco and Santa Clara would be the two best teams in the West Coast Conference. The Broncos, like the Dons, had a signature win when they went to Gonzaga and beat the Bulldogs 103-99 on their home floor. Unfortunately, Santa Clara was upset by Pepperdine in the WCC tournament.

The Broncos also have a senior-laden lineup led by 6-7 senior Adama-Alpha Bal who scores 12.7 points per game. He’s one of five starters that averages in double figures for Santa Clara. The Broncos like to play fast. They are a top 75 team in possessions per game and they rank 26th in scoring averaging 81.5 points per game.

Santa Clara is a No. 2 seed in the same bracket as No. 1 UC-Irvine. That would make for an interesting quarterfinal should it happen. The Broncos open the tournament at home against UC-Riverside. Santa Clara beat UC-Riverside way back in November. The Broncos won 96-54 behind 7-footer Christoph Tilly’s 20 points.

Men’s NIT Betting Value

The following Men’s College Basketball teams offer betting value based on their current NIT odds:

North Texas Mean Green (+1300)

The Mean Green actually won the NIT just two years ago. North Texas has been and remains one of the best defensive teams in the nation. They are currently third in scoring defense allowing opponents 60.2 points per game. The Mean Green won eight of their last ten games of the season and didn’t give up more than 66 points. They held 13 of their 32 opponents under 60 and only gave up more than 70 points twice. 75 to UAB and 76 to High Point. UAB ranks 16th and High Point 17th in the nation in scoring.

Head coach Ross Hodge’s team is deep and experienced. Eight players play at least 20 minutes a game. Six are seniors and two are juniors. Senior G Atin Hill is the leading scorer averaging 15.2 points per game. This team gets it done with defense though and defense travels. The Mean Green get a home game first though. They will host Furman in the first round of the NIT.

Bradley Braves (+2900)

There is a ton of value on Bradley for one big reason. The Braves are the best three-point shooting team in the country. Bradley will live and die by the three. When they live, they are good. KenPom has them ranked inside the top 100 for the third straight season, but the Braves lost to Missouri Valley Conference nemesis Drake in the tournament championship game.

Bradley also plays pretty good defense, ranking in the top 100 in scoring defense (69.3 ppg). On offense, the Braves shoot 40.1 percent from three and they rank No. 8 in eFG% shooting 57.4 percent. Bradley starts four seniors and gets the luxury of a home game in the first round of the tournament. They will face North Alabama.

Men’s NIT Longshot

If there’s a longshot to back to win the NIT championship, it’s the Arkansas State Red Wolves. They lost to Troy in the Sun Belt Conference championship to finish 24-10 on the season. What gives the Red Wolves value is its defense. They apply pressure with the best of them and, as a result, they rank in the top 20 in the nation in Opponent 2PT, 3PT, overall FG, and eFG percentage. Arkansas State allows an eFG percentage of 45.2%, which is 10th in the nation.

The Red Wolves have an experienced backcourt and they can score too. Arkansas State went 5-1 SU over its final six games and averaged 84 points per game. Senior G Taryn Todd leads the Red Wolves in scoring averaging 14.3 points per game. Arkansas State will have a tough road ahead though. They do get a home game to start the tournament, but they would run into North Texas and potentially SMU to get to the NIT final.

Men’s NIT Predictions

The old saying that defense wins championships is true in basketball too. In end-of-season tournaments, the things that matter are typically defense, experience, backcourt play, and a little bit of luck. North Texas has all those things.

The Mean Green are definitely experienced and experienced in the NIT. This is their fourth straight trip to the tourney. The defense we mentioned earlier. They are elite and can defend anyone. They have proven that time again this season.

Like they were in 2023, North Texas is a No. 2 seed. They get a first-round home game and would play at home again in the second round. In the quarterfinals, they would have to travel to face No. 1 SMU should they take care of business in the upper half of the bracket. Once they get to Hinkle Fieldhouse for the semifinals and championship, that experience helps even more. Three players from that 2023 team – Moulaye Sissoko, Matthew Stone, and Grayson Allo – are on this year’s Mean Green.

Not making the NCAA tournament leaves North Texas with something to prove too. There’s no better way to say they belonged in the NCAA tournament than by winning the NIT.

Bet: North Texas +1300

NIT Tournament Winners

The following is a list of the most recent Men’s NIT Tournament winners: