The Utah Utes and Penn State Nittany Lions may have fallen short of making the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, but they are two of the last teams remaining still playing at this point in the season. Utah and Penn State have advanced to the finals of the NIT and will be ready to face off for the title.
The Nittany Lions seem to be the stronger team, and since this game is on a neutral court, they could be deemed the favorite to finish with the championship. Both teams are playing well but only one can come away victorious.
Even though March Madness wasn’t in the cards for these teams an NIT tournament title would be a great consolation prize in NCAA basketball betting.
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Odds Analysis
Utah is 22-11 straight up and 18-11-2 against the spread. The Utes have gone 2-1-1 against the spread on a neutral court. Utah is 5-6-2 against the spread as the underdog.
Penn State is 24-13 straight up and 19-13-1 against the spread. The Nittany Lions have done a nice job on a neutral site this season, covering in four of five attempts. Penn State is 12-8-1 against the spread as the favorite.
Player To Watch
Tony Carr —Penn State’s sophomore guard is among the Nittany Lions biggest threats on offense. He leads the team in scoring, averaging 19.7 points a game and is averaging 23.3 over the last three games.
Carr had a rocky start to the NIT Tournament, going 1-of-12 from the field against Temple in the first round and finishing with just two points. It was his worst game of the season, statistically.
He has much sharper in the the later rounds, however, putting up 24 points against top-ranked Notre Dame, 25 points against No. 2 Maquette and 21 points in a win over No. 4 Mississippi State in the semifinals. Carr will be looking for another big performance in this title game for Penn State.
Last Time Out
Utah made it here with a 69-64 victory over Western Kentucky in the NIT semifinals. The Utes turned the ball over seven more times than Western Kentucky but shot much better from the field to come away with the victory. The game was tied going into the fourth quarter and Utah finished the game strong to pick up the win.
Penn State is here after dominating Mississippi State by a score of 75-60 in the semifinals. The Nittany Lions shot a sparkling 55 percent from three-point range, building up a 19-point lead at halftime and cruising to the win. Penn State was dominant in the semifinals and hope to keep it rolling.
Free NCAA ATS Picks
Penn State may be the lower seed but it is the better team. If the spread is close, the Nittany Lions are the easy choice. They should be able to claim this victory as well as cover the spread.
Penn State didn’t have a great record in the tough Big Ten this season but has been great against non-conference foes in the NIT. Utah has made a nice run but it will fall short in the NIT Championship game in NCAA basketball wagering.
NCAA Odds: Penn State 73, Utah 67
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