A few good reasons to bet on the NIT

With much of the media and fan attention on the NCAA Tournament, there is a lot of opportunity for profits in March for college basketball bettors that are willing to take a chance on the NIT Tournament.

And if they are willing, here are a few god reasons to wager on the NIT.

Number one, unlike the NCAA Tournament, there is home court advantage for those early round games, which are played on the home court of the higher seeded team. But often times a team’s fan base isn’t really excited about their team only being able to make it to the NIT, and they may not show up in large numbers to the game. And while the sportsbooks will shade the home team anyway, the reality is that home court advantage may not necessarily be all that much of an advantage. That can create a nice opportunity for bettors on the visiting teams.
Second, bettors need to look for teams that are sulking about being in the NIT.

These are usually the top seeds who are here because they just missed out on making the NCAA Tournament field.

Some of these teams may handle the disappointment and get on with playing and winning basketball games, others will usually play their way out of the tournament altogether. Handicappers need to recognize the difference, and look for opportunities to bet on an underdog that could cover or even win outright.

Next, bettors need to look for the teams that are really happy to be playing in the NIT.

These are usually teams that began the year with very low expectations or teams that didn’t win their conference tournament, but perhaps won their conference. To earn a berth in any tournament may be a very big deal for these types of teams, especially if they are matched up with an opponent that is less than fully excited.

Another thing college basketball bettors need to look for are in the NIT are teams that were peaking towards the end of the season. These could be teams that were on a winning streak when the season ended or just playing good ball. That play may have earned them a spot in the NIT, and could mean that they present value.

Bettors beware however of big name teams, that were slumping down the stretch, and barley missed the NCAA Tournament. Often these teams will be ranked higher than what their seeding suggests. Again, look at the underdogs here.

Finally, the best thing about the NIT is that the public betting volume is considerably lower than the NCAA Tournament, so there is a better chance that bettors will get a fair line that reflects the game and not what the public will be looking for.