Just because the NCAA Tournament is done until Thursday, it doesn’t mean college basketball is on hiatus. Two NIT quarterfinal matchups are part of Tuesday’s slate of games that also include a trio of contests as part of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. Two No. 1 seeds in the NIT hit the hardwood with a trip to Madison Square Garden on the line. Unlike the NCAA Tournament, the NIT hosts games on campus sites until its version of the final four is complete. The Hoosiers host Wichita State while the TCU Horned Frogs entertain Creighton.
Marshall looks to get a head start on the CIT field with a quarterfinal tilt against Presbyterian. Two other games in the CIT are second-round affairs. Charleston Southern visits Hampton while Florida International travels to Wisconsin-Green Bay. A quirk in the CIT schedule has the top three seeds advancing to the quarterfinals following the first round. Marshall hasn’t played a game in seven days.
BookMaker.eu will have college basketball odds and live betting options for every game on the Tuesday schedule.
College Basketball Schedule for Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Wichita State at Indiana ( -5.5, 138.5 ), 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Creighton at TCU ( -4, 151), 9 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Presbyterian at Marshall ( -4.5, 168 ), 7 p.m. ET
Charleston Southern at Hampton ( -1, 157 ), 7 p.m. ET
Florida International at Green Bay ( -3.5, 177.5 ), 8 p.m. ET
Tuesday Best Bets
Wichita State at Indiana ( -5.5, 138.5 ), 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
The Shockers are used to pulling off upsets in postseason tournaments and this NIT has been no different. The No. 6 seed has already knocked off No. 3 Furman and No. 2 Clemson on the road and can become the first team in NIT history to beat the top three seeds in bracket play. Wichita State put it all together after a slow start winning 13 of its last 16 games. Jaime Echenique has played his best basketball in this tournament scoring 34 points in two games.
It’s always difficult to play the Hoosiers in their building, but the Shockers have been road warriors and won’t be fazed by the atmosphere. IU could be without Romeo Langford, who hasn’t played since hurting his back in the Big Ten tournament, seriously impacting the offense against a good Shockers defense. I think WSU might win this game outright and I’ll take the Shockers and the points as one of Tuesday’s best bets.
Creighton at TCU ( -4, 151), 9 p.m. ET (ESPN)
We might as well call TCU the kings of the NIT. Two years ago the Frogs rolled through the competition to claim their first postseason title and they are 8-0 in this tournament under coach Jamie Dixon. They secured a pair of double-digit victories by knocking off Sam Houston State and Nebraska as part of their 14 home wins this season.
The Horned Frogs have a veteran squad with several players still on campus from the NIT victory two years ago. Desmond Bane tallied 30 points against Nebraska and averages 15.6 for the season. Alex Robinson leads the Big 12 with 7.1 assists per game and is averaging 10 with 11 points in this tournament. Creighton needed a second-half rally to put away Memphis in its last game, but the Bluejays lack the offensive firepower to keep up, especially in a hostile environment. TCU pulls away in the second half this time to cover the line.
Presbyterian at Marshall ( -4.5, 168 ), 7 p.m. ET
Marshall was given a top-three seed in the CIT and thus didn’t have to play a second round game. While it’s nice to have some time off, it could also be detrimental to the club. The Herd hasn’t played in a week and their win over IUPUI in the first round is their only action in nearly two weeks. It might take a half to chisel off the rust, but Marshall is the superior team and should win this game.
The Blue Hose did hit the 20-win mark, but they needed a pair of wins in the CIT to get there. They can score with an average of nearly 79 points per game and they rely on the three-pointer, which is a great equalizer in the game of basketball. Adam Flagler and Francois Lewis do most of the work on the offensive end, so expect the Herd to pay close attention to those two. Limit their buckets and Marshall covers the 4.5-point spread.
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