Daily Dunk: Best NIT Bets Today (VCU is Strong Upset Candidate vs. Villanova)
I'm going to be honest, yesterday's edition of the Daily Dunk wasn't my best showing. A reverse sweep is not how you want to start the NIT Tournament, but as bettors all we can do is brush ourselves off and try again today, so that's exactly what I'm going to do.
Once again, if you want to get some picks for tonight's First Four games, you can read Shelby Dermer's betting preview for Montana State vs. Grambling here, and you can check out Reed Wallach's betting preview for Boise State vs. Colorado here.
Now it's time to dive into my three best bets for Wednesday night's NIT action.
If you want to tail (or fade) my picks tonight, be sure to click the link below to sign up for an account at Caesars Sportsbook. If you do so, Caesars will cover your first bet up to $1,000!
Best College Basketball Bets Today
- St. Joseph's +7.5 vs. Seton Hall
- SMU +7 vs. Indiana State
- VCU +7 vs. Villanova
St. Joseph's vs. Seton Hall prediction
I wasn't as high on Seton Hall in the regular season as some other people were. They struggled offensively at times and currently rank just 226th in the country in effective field goal percentage. The Pirates also rank 42nd in two-point shot rate with the majority of their shots coming from the interior, but that's the strength of St. Joes' defense, ranking 95th in opponent two-point FG%.
Seton Hall also coughs up the ball too much for a team that's laying 7.5 points, ranking 295th in turnovers per possession. If that keeps up tonight, St. Joes can keep this game close. I'll take the points.
SMU vs. Indiana State prediction
I love Indiana State and wish the Sycamores got into the NCAA Tournament, but this is a terrible matchup for them. They're success comes from some of the best shooting in the nation but the Mustangs have one of the best shooting defenses in the nation as well.
Indiana State enters tonight's game ranking sixth in three-point shot rate but the Mustangs rank 58th in opponent three-point field goal percentage, keeping teams to shooting just 31.8% from beyond the arc.
I think Indiana State will win this game, but I feel much comfortable taking the points with the Mustangs.
VCU vs. Villanova prediction
Both Villanova and VCU shoot the three ball a ton, ranking inside the top 37th in three point shot rate, but VCU is both the better three point shooting team and the better perimeter defense. The Rams rank 79th in three point field goal percentage and 42nd in opponent three point field goal percentage. The Wildcats rank 178th and 105th in those two categories.
I'll take the points with VCU and back the underdog once again.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
You can check out all of Iain's bets here!