If you think the NCAA Tournament is crazy, you should check out the NIT. With teams jetting across the country and opponents not set until 48 hours before games in many cases, the action is fast and furious.
The action continues in mid-week, but we are about to see a little bit of stability. The St. Mary’s Gaels and Utah Utes will square off in California with a spot in the NIT Final Four at Madison Square Garden on the line. Both teams played late into the night on Monday, so fatigue could be a factor.
This war on the floor will go down Wednesday, March 21, 2018, at 10 p.m. ET at the McKeon Pavilion in Moraga, California. The game will be televised live on ESPN2. We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game throughout the NIT.
Opening NCAAB Basketball Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
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Utah has looked great at home thus far in the NIT. The Utes took care of business against UC Davis, beating the Aggies by 10 in the first round. Then, they followed that up with a massive win over LSU, hammering the Tigers by 24 and easily covering the CBB betting odds in the process on Monday night.
The Gaels were pretty big favorites according to the NCAAB betting line in their last game, but just barely held on to beat Washington. St. Mary’s had a tough time stopping Washington’s offense, allowing more than 80 points for just the third time all season. That came just a few days after St. Mary’s absolutely laid the wood to Southeastern Louisiana by 44 points.
It’s important to remember that there are two big rule changes and two small rule changes for the NIT. First, games will be played in four 10-minute quarters instead of two 20-minute halves. Second, the three-point line will be pushed out by about 20 inches to match the one used in international competition. Third, the free throw lane will be widened by four feet, matching the width used in the NBA. Finally, the shot clock will reset to only 20 seconds as opposed to the usual 30 seconds, after an offensive rebound.
Key Stat
We all know that St. Mary’s has one of the best defenses in the nation. However, the Gaels offense has been fantastic too. Somewhat surprisingly, St. Mary’s is actually first in the nation in offensive efficiency, sinking 51.8 percent of their shots. The Gaels are also in the top five in three-point percentage too, connecting on 41.3 percent.
You might say that this is a reflection of their conference. The West Coast Conference isn’t great, with Gonzaga the only other good team in the WCC, but the advanced metrics say that this offense is fantastic too. Ken Pomeroy ranks St. Mary’s as having the seventh-best offense in the country.
Matchup to Watch
For Utah to be able to pull off the upset on the road, Tyler Rawson is going to have to do a good job of defending Jock Landale. Rawson has been a solid big man for Utah this season, showing off his range and defending the rim relatively well too.
Landale has been a double-double machine this season. The big man from the Land Down Under has been unconscious from the floor, hitting 64.3 percent of his shots on the year. Rawson has the size and decent agility for a big man. He should be able to do a decent job of bodying up against Landale.
Free NIT Quarterfinals ATS Picks
Any time St. Mary’s steps on the court, you have to love the under. The Gaels have seen 22 of their 31 games go under the total this season, and 13 of 16 games at McKeon Pavilion have gone under on the year.
For a side, I think there is some value in Utah as an underdog. The Gaels’ struggles against an athletic team like Washington were something we saw earlier in the year too. That kept St. Mary’s out of the tournament, and will send them out of the NIT too.
NIT Quarterfinals Betting Odds: Utah 79, St. Mary’s 74
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