Point Spreads - NCAA, Final Four, College Basketball, NBA, MLB, World Series, NFL, College Football, BCS & Super Bowl Point Spreads

While the talk around the water cooler seems to be all about the NCAA Tournament, its brackets and matchups, the Master Card National Invitational Tournament (NIT) sort of goes unnoticed. That is unless your team missed the NCAA cut and has to settle for the lesser tournament, or as some people call it….the “Not Invited Tournament.” To gamblers, more is always better and the NIT provides additional opportunities to cash in on this thing we call "March Madness." 

Tuesday at 6 p.m. EDT, the Florida State Seminoles will host the Toledo Rockets in the first game of the 32 team tournament. Then at 7 p.m. two more games get underway with Utah State visiting Michigan and West Virginia hosting Delaware State. At 8 p.m. North Carolina State tips off at Drexel while Mississippi Valley State hits the court at Mississippi State. Alabama and UMass get going at 9:30 p.m. followed by Marist playing at Oklahoma State at 10 p.m.

The rule I follow when betting the NIT is; “When in doubt, go with the home team.” Of course that’s not always the case but with the first three rounds played on the home schools campus, this rule pays off more often than not.

Let’s take a look at the Tuesday lineup of games beginning with Toledo at Florida State 20-12). The Seminoles, members of the ACC are favored in their game with Toledo by an -11 ½ point chalk with a 138 ½ point total at most offshore sportsbooks. Toledo (20-11) won the regular season MAC championship but lost in its conference tournament semifinals to Miami of Ohio. Toledo was then passed over for an at large bid. The Rockets are a team that should be happy to be playing in the NIT but the trip to Tallahassee will not be a rewarding trip. The pick: FSU -11 ½, ESPNU. 

Michigan Wolverines (21-12) vs. Utah State Aggies (23-11), 7 p.m., Line Michigan -7 ½ with 126 total TV ESPN2. The Aggies claim to fame this season came in the WAC semifinals when they knocked off nationally ranked Nevada. Other than that, the only good results on their resume are a win over Big Sky champion Weber State twice. USU had a difficult time on the road against almost any quality opposition. Point-Spreads pick: Michigan -7 ½. 

West Virginia Mountaineers (22-9) vs. Delaware State Hornets (21-12), 7 p.m., Line WV -17 ½ with 117 total, TV None. Delaware State is the best team in the MEAC but lost out on an NCAA bid by losing in their conference tournament. The Hornets lost at BIG EAST member Marquette by 18 and at BIG 12 member Baylor by three during the regular season. This line seems to be right where it should be. West Virginia is capable of beating DSU by 20-plus but will they? Point-Spreads pick: OVER 117. 

Drexel Dragons (23-8) vs. North Carolina State Wolfpack (18-15), 8 p.m., Line DU -5 ½ with 129 total, TV ESPNU. Drexel should be the team crying foul about their NCAA Tournament at-large snub. Regular season winners at BIG EAST powers Villanova and Syracuse, the Dragons will not be intimidated by the Wolf Pack coming to town. Point-Spreads pick: Drexel – 5 ½. 

Mississippi State Bulldogs (18-13) vs. Miss. Valley State Delta Devils (18-15), 8 p.m., Line MSU -23 with a 131 point total, TV none. SEC West member MSU will have no problem with MVSU but -23 is a little risky. We think the Bulldogs might have a little mercy on their home state opponent. Point-Spreads pick: MVSU +23. 

UMass Minutemen (23-8) vs. Alabama Crimson Tide (20-11), 9:30 p.m., Line UMass -6 ½ with a 145 total, TV ESPN. Dixie visits Amherst; Does Bama really want to be here? We don’t think so either; Minuteman program on the way up. Point-Spreads pick: UMass -6 ½. 

Oklahoma State Cowboys (22-12) vs. Marist Red Foxes (24-8), 10 p.m., Line OSU -10 with 141 ½ total, TV ESPNU. Marist, a good team from an underrated conference, lost in their league tournament to Niagara. Marist could give OSU trouble in Iba-Gallagher Arena if Sean Sutton doesn’t get his team motivated. During the regular season, Marist lost to NCAA bound Arkansas by nine and defeated a very good Old Dominion team by 13. Point-Spreads pick: Marist +10.

---