Daily Dunk: Best NIT Bets Today (Providence Will Trounce Boston College)
Strap in folks, the Madness officially begins tonight! Not only do we have two of the First Four games set to take place, but the NIT also begins.
In this article, I'm going to break down my best bets for Tuesday night's NIT slate. If you want some picks for the two First Four games, have no fear, we have you covered there as well. You can check out Reed Wallach's preview for Virginia and Colorado State here, and Shelby Dermer's preview for Howard vs. Wagner here.
Now, if you're a sicko like me and want to bet on tonight's NIT games, you've come to the right place. Let's jump into them.
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Best college basketball bets today
- Providence -3 v. Boston College
- Richmond +5.5 vs. Virginia Tech
- UC Irvine +7.5 vs. Utah
Boston College vs. Providence prediction
There was a lot of conversation about the ACC getting five NCAA Tournament bids while the Big East only got three and now tonight we have a game between two teams from the conference who didn't receive one.
Defense should give the Friars a significant advantage in this interconference matchup. They enter the game ranking 41st in opponent effective field goal percentage and 37th in defense efficiency. Meanwhile, the Eagles are 183rd and 194th in those two metrics.
Providence should also be able to attack the weak perimeter defense of Boston College. The Friars rank 34th in three point shot rate while the Eagles are just 235th in opponent three point field goal percentage, allowing teams to shoot 34.6% from beyond the arc.
I'll lay the points with Providence.
Richmond vs. Virginia Tech prediction
We're going to fade the ACC once again by backing Richmond as an underdog. Virginia Tech is a three-point shooting team, ranking 57th in three point shot rate, but now the Hokies have to take on a Spiders team with a strong perimeter defense, ranking 37th in opponent 3-point field goal percentage, keeping teams to shooting just 31.3% from beyond the arc.
I also love the way Richmond plays basketball, protecting the ball at all costs. They turn the ball over on just 12.6% of possessions, the third lowest rate in the country. That should be enough to keep this game close against Virginia Tech.
UC Irvine vs. Utah prediction
UC Irvine is the mid-major team I was disappointed in the most in conference tournament week. As heavy favorites to come out of the Big West, I was excited to watch them in the NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately, I'll have to settle for the NIT.
The Anteaters are one of the best defensive teams in the country, ranking 21st in defensive efficiency. They also do a great job of grabbing offensive boards, ranking 105th in the country in offensive rebounding, giving them plenty of second-chance scoring opportunities.
UC Irvine has already played tough in some out of conference games, beating USC and falling to San Diego State by just a single points. The Ant Eaters have the talent to keep this game close.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
You can check out all of Iain's bets here!