The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have rolled through all four opponents they have seen in the NIT behind a suffocating defense. Now they have made it to the championship game, where they will face off against the TCU Horned Frogs for the title.
Georgia Tech is the lower seed but has been so impressive that it may be a slight favorite. Either way, this game could be very competitive. The neutral site won’t lend the advantage to either side, although Georgia Tech is closer to New York so that could help its traveling contingent.
Both teams have looked great in the NIT and one will emerge from this as the tournament titlists.
At 8 p.m. ET, tune into ESPN for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Thursday, March 30, 2017, at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, New York.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds available for this and every game on the college basketball Thursday schedule.
College Basketball Odds
Georgia Tech is 21-15 straight up and 20-11 against the spread. The Yellow Jackets have played in a pair of neutral site games this season, including an easy cover last time out when they dispatched Cal State Bakersfield by 15 points in the semifinals. Georgia Tech has gone 6-2 against the spread as the favorite and 14-9 against the spread as the favorite.
TCU is 23-15 straight up and 18-18 against the spread. The Horned Frogs have played in six neutral site games on the season and have covered in four of them. TCU is 11-9 against the spread as the favorite and has covered in seven of 16 attempts as the underdog.
Matchup to Watch
Vladimir Brodziansky vs Georgia Tech’s defense. Georgia Tech only allows 62 points per game on the season which is one of the best marks in the nation.
The Yellow Jackets average 5.9 blocks per game as well as 6.7 steals. They have not allowed more than 66 points in a game during the NIT Tournament and will look to shut down TCU’s leading scorer.
After a slow start in the tournament, Brodziansky has combined for 57 points per game over the last three. He finished with 18 points and nine rebounds in TCU’s win over UCF in the semifinals and went 7-of-13 from the field.
Player to Watch
Josh Okogie -- Georgia Tech’s leading scorer has elevated his game in the tournament, averaging 21.8 points per game over the first four matchups. He had 26 points and seven rebounds in the Yellow Jackets’ win over Ole Miss in the quarterfinals and finished with 22 points and nine rebounds against CSU Bakersfield in the semifinals.
The freshman guard is averaging 16.1 points per game on the year. Now, the team will be looking for one more big game out of its go-to player to help Georgia Tech win the NIT title.
Okogie leads an offense that is averaging 67.5 points per game this season and one that is putting up 74 points per game in this tournament. He gets some help from teammates Ben Lammers and Tadric Jackson who combine for another 26.3 points per game.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
TCU has been no slouch in the NIT, knocking off four tough foes to make it to the championship game. The Horned Frogs only need one more victory to finish as the champs, but Georgia Tech isn’t going to let that happen.
The Yellow Jackets’ defense is playing at an elite level and will shut down TCU to win the NIT. Consider the “under” on the scoring total if the oddsmakers don’t think the Yellow Jackets can do it again defensively.
College Basketball Odds: GeorgiaTech 70, TCU 64
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