Great College Basketball Betting Picks for NIT's Semifinals

Basketball bettors don’t have to wait until this weekend’s NCAA Tournament Final Four to get their fix as the semifinals of the NIT tip off from Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on Tuesday night. Las Vegas won the bidding to host after New York had hosted for several decades. Let’s look the NIT odds for your NCAA basketball betting.

Tuesday NIT Semifinal Picks: Back Wisconsin, UAB

North Texas vs. Wisconsin (+1.5)

When: Tuesday, March 28, at 7:00 pm ET
Where: Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV
TV / Streaming: ESPN, ESPN+

North Texas is a Conference USA team but will be moving to the AAC next year. The Mean Green (29-7) advanced with a 65-59 OT win at Oklahoma State last Tuesday. Tylor Perry led all scorers with 23 points and was 6-for-6 from the free throw line. He added five rebounds and one assist in a team-high 43 minutes. Perry hit a deep three-pointer with 1:49 remaining in overtime to give North Texas a 61-58 lead.

Perry became the 25th player in UNT history to hit the 1000 career point mark. Moulaye Sissoko recorded his first career double-double with a personal-best mark of 12 points and 15 rebounds. He finished 6-for-9 from the field and added a steal. UNT captured its 10th NCAA postseason victory under Grant McCasland. Prior to McCasland’s arrival in 2017, the Mean Green had never won an NCAA postseason tournament game. McCasland is expected to leave this job for Texas Tech.

UNT features the nation’s No. 1 scoring defense as they enter Tuesday holding opponents to just 55.7 ppg. Last year they had the nation’s best and C-USA’s greatest ever scoring defense also at 55.7 ppg. UNT has won 13 away/neutral site games, which was tied with Houston for the most in the nation. North Texas has the nation’s most deliberate offense, averaging 21.3 seconds per possession and 58.9 possessions per 40 minutes.

Wisconsin (20-14) beat Oregon 61-58 to advance. Max Klesmit scored 18 points, and Chucky Hepburn made a 3-pointer with 55.4 seconds remaining. Klesmit was 5 of 11 shooting, including 2 for 5 from 3-point range, and went 6 for 7 from the line for the Badgers. Hepburn scored 12 points. Steven Crowl had nine points and 10 rebounds. Trailing 54-48 with 3:28 left, Wisconsin closed on a 13-4 run to rally back and win.

“I think it just shows the perseverance this group has and the ability to stick together when times may not go your way during the game, and be one whole group,” Klesmit said. “And that pays dividends at the end.”

Wisconsin has strung together 3-straight wins for the first-time since going on a 6-game win streak back in December-January of this season. Through three NIT games, Wisconsin has shot 55-for-65 (84.6%) at the free throw line.

Tuesday will be the first ever meeting between North Texas and Wisconsin. The Mean Green are 2-11 all-time versus teams currently in the Big Ten.

Bet North Texas vs Wisconsin to Win Today
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Game

Utah Valley vs. UAB (-2.5)

When: Tuesday, March 28, at 9:30 pm ET
Where: Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV
TV / Streaming: ESPN2, ESPN+

WAC regular-season champion Utah Valley (28-8) beat Cincinnati 74-68 to advance to the semifinals. Trey Woodbury and Justin Harmon each scored 17 points and Aziz Bandaogo recorded a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double. In his three NIT games, Woodbury is averaging 17.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game. Harmon is averaging 22.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game.

Bandaogo has been named one of 15 finalists for the 2023 Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year Award. He ranks in the top-10 nationally in six statistical categories. He ranks third in blocks (105), fourth in blocks per game (2.92), fifth in rebounds (367), 11th in rebounds per game (10.2), 10th in defensive rebounds per game (7.42), and 10th double-doubles (16). Bandaogo’s 105 swats are the most blocks in UVU single season history, surpassing Emanuel Olojakpoke’s record of 81 blocks set during the 2019-20 season.

Utah Valley’s 28 wins are the most in program history, breaking the previous record of 25 set during the 2018-19 season. UVU’s 12 road wins are the most road wins in the nation and the most in UVU history. Utah Valley is the top shot blocking team in the nation with 237 blocks and a 6.6 blocks per game average.

UAB (28-9) beat Vanderbilt 67-59 to advance. UAB found itself behind at the end of the first half after shooting a dismal .258 (8-31) from the field. Leading scorer Jordan Walker shot only 1-for-10 in the first half and 0-for-5 from behind the three-point line. Despite the struggles on the offensive end, UAB trailed only 27-24 at the half.

Walker hit his first three of the night early in the second half to give UAB a 30-29 lead. He scored seven points in under three minutes to give the Blazers a needed spark on the offensive end. Jelly scored 19 points and dished out five assists in the second half alone. Trey Jemison was a force inside in the second half. Jemison scored 13 of his 17 points over the final 20 minutes. He dominated on the boards, grabbing a game high 12 rebounds. The Blazers picked up their first road win against an SEC foe since 2010 against Arkansas.

Jemison, who leads the Blazers in total rebounds (315), rebounds per game (8.4), blocks (67, 9th in UAB history), and blocks per game (1.9) in 2021-22. The 7-foot center teams with transfers Javian Davis and Ty Brewer, along with returners Rongie Gordon and KJ Buffen, to form one of the best frontcourts in Conference USA. Twice UAB has reached the NIT semifinals, winning the third-place game each time.

Utah Valley has been one of the better teams in the country against the number this year, posting a 24-9 ATS record on the season. UAB has been right at .500 for bettors, going 17-17-2 ATS.

Bet Utah Valley vs. UAB to Win Today
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Game