As the consolation tournament for March Madness nears, the 2025 NIT Tournament odds are ready for your attention! With strong value on the board, we highly recommend checking out the futures markets for the NIT.
Below, I explore the latest winner odds, analyze the top favorites, and release my top NIT Tournament predictions along with best bets!
NIT Tournament 2025 Betting Odds
The following NIT odds are courtesy of Bovada:
| TEAM | ODDS |
|---|---|
| SMU Mustangs | +350 |
| San Francisco Dons | +600 |
| Santa Clara Broncos | +600 |
| Cal Irvine Anteaters | +750 |
| George Mason Patriots | +950 |
| Dayton Flyers | +1100 |
| Stanford Cardinal | +1100 |
| North Texas Mean Green | +1200 |
| Saint Joseph’s Hawks | +2200 |
| Bradley Braves | +2800 |
As the betting favorite, March Madness betting sites have the SMU Mustangs (+350) as the most likely team to win the 2025 NIT Tournament. SMU holds a 22.2% implied probability of winning the NIT crown this season.
That number falls off to the San Francisco Dons (+600) and Santa Clara Broncos, who have a 14.3% chance. The tournament is expected to be competitive, and as such, there are four teams with 2025 NIT odds between +600 and +950 after SMU.
You can find up-to-date NIT Tournament betting odds at Bovada by navigating to Basketball > College Basketball Futures > NCAA – NIT.
NIT Tournament 2025 Bracket and Key Info
Several teams decided to opt out of their invite to the NIT Tournament, so the power conference schools aren’t well-represented this year. Notably, teams passing on the NIT are Indiana, Wake Forest, USC, South Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Rutgers.
Motivation is a key factor for the NIT Tournament. It’s better for schools that aren’t interested to opt out and give up a spot to a mid-major who will be happy to play. The NIT Tournament consists of 32 schools, with the A10 Conference the most represented with six schools.
Here’s a look at the NIT Bracket!
Very solid Mid Majors, should be very competitive and fun to watch!
Who is your winner? pic.twitter.com/fM8JgokRuo
— SSN – College Basketball (@SSN_CBB) March 17, 2025
The tournament differs from the NCAA Tournament in that the higher seed gets a home matchup before the NIT Final Four in Indianapolis. SMU, UC Irvine, Dayton, and San Francisco will enjoy home-court advantage through the first three rounds. The NIT Tournament is scheduled to run from Tuesday, March 18, to Thursday, April 3.
NIT Tournament Betting Favorites
Let’s take a quick snapshot of the top favorites to win the NIT Tournament in 2025. Before revealing my NIT Tournament picks, find my analysis of the most likely winners below:
SMU Mustangs (+350)
SMU is one of three ACC programs that accepted their invitation to the NIT Tournament. They are regarded as the team to beat heading into the opening round.
The Mustangs are coming off a solid effort in the ACC this season. Despite faltering in the ACC Tournament, SMU posted a respectable record of 23-10. Andy Enfield’s squad went down to the wire with an experienced Clemson squad. The game was in their hands before failing to finish the Tigers off late.
SMU’s defense swarmed all over Clemson to hold them to 57 points but just missed out in a 57-54 loss. They were on the heels of a dominant performance over Syracuse, for a 73-53 win in the opening round.
Strength of schedule plays in SMU’s favor in this tournament. The Mustangs had the highest strength of schedule of any team in the NIT. Additionally, SMU’s NET rating of 46th is the top out of the 32 schools.
BOOPIE MILLER GAME-WINNER 🚨@SMUBasketball gets the W in Charlottesville‼️ pic.twitter.com/AJtBZFicRW
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) January 16, 2025
This squad possesses a potent offense led by a well-balanced attack. SMU has five players scoring in the double digits! They also have a standout facilitator with Boopie Miller averaging 5.5 assists per game.
SMU is an all-around stout team and has a favorable draw on their side of the bracket. I’d be surprised if the Mustangs didn’t book their ticket to Indianapolis!
San Francisco Dons (+600)
Another team with their eyes set on Indianapolis is the San Francisco Dons. Representing the West Coast Conference, San Francisco had a productive campaign for a record of 24-9.
The Dons put up a big fight against Gonzaga in the WCC Tournament but ultimately denied in an 85-76 loss. Two games earlier, San Francisco concluded the regular season with a 95-75 defeat versus the same opposition.
They’ve been hemorrhaging points on defense as of late. The Dons have yielded 81.75 points per game over the last four games. Two of those games were against a quality Gonzaga team, but they also conceded 72+ points versus Oregon State and Washington State.
San Francisco’s offense has been steady, with 76.2 points per game, for 92nd in the NCAA. Opponents must be aware of where guards Malik Thomas and Marcus Williams are on the floor at all times. Thomas has averaged 19.3 points per game, while Williams is up to 15.1 points this season.
Can't give Malik Thomas many second chances 🤝 @USFDonsMBB @MyCreditUnion1 #WCChoops Championship on ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/uXCoaEawMj
— WCC Basketball (@WCChoops) March 10, 2025
The Dons, however, trail behind SMU’s NET rating. San Francisco is 64th in NET, which puts them 18 positions behind SMU. Additionally, Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga were the only true threats they faced in the WCC, and the team came short every time.
San Francisco had the 90th toughest schedule this season, but in a tournament largely consisting of mid-majors, they should have plenty of success.
Santa Clara Broncos (+600)
The WCC is well-represented at the top of the board at college basketball betting sites. Along with San Francisco, Santa Clara is among the teams with the shortest NIT 2025 odds to win.
If you want to compare resumes, the Broncos defeated San Francisco earlier in the season, 77-54, on Jan. 11. They were both also recently dropped by Gonzaga, with Santa Clara coming up short by a score of 95-76 on Feb. 25.
Santa Clara exited the WCC Tournament following an upset versus Pepperdine, 78-76. The Broncos were the No. 3 seed against the No. 6 seed in that matchup, but they couldn’t deliver. How will Santa Clara react after that tough loss?
𝑪𝑨𝑴 𝑻💥𝑵𝑮𝑼𝑬@Bball_Tongue #StampedeAhead pic.twitter.com/XWv6VKCNhf
— Santa Clara Men's Basketball (@SantaClaraHoops) March 10, 2025
It could be difficult for Santa Clara to get excited about the NIT Tournament after crashing out in an upset. Nevertheless, there are some things to like about Santa Clara. For one, their NET rating is superior to San Francisco, as they are 57th in the nation. Strength of schedule was nearly the same this season, though.
Santa Clara is propelled by an offense averaging 81.3 points per game, for 26th in the NCAA. Like SMU, Santa Clara spreads out their scoring, with five players in the double digits per game. However, I question if they are going to be the most motivated squad after the loss to Pepperdine.
Best NIT Tournament Sleepers
Before locking in your NIT Tournament best bet, consider adding a couple of long shots to your card! I’ve identified two teams with great value to think about wagering on for the 2025 tournament:
NIT Tournament 2025 Predictions and Betting Pick
With teams not interested in the NIT opting out this year, we should have a fun tournament of squads who want to win. I expect SMU to come firing out of the gates in the NIT Tournament.
They are the most complete team in the tournament and enter with some confidence. I anticipate we’re going to witness Miller take this tournament over as a scorer and passer. He certainly has the ability to put the Mustangs on his back and lead them to a NIT title. But, best of all, SMU has multiple scorers who can do the same in any given game.
While they missed out on the NCAA Tournament this season, expect SMU to continue to grow. The field in this tournament is very beatable, so I expect the favorites to pull away in the opening rounds and cruise to the Final Four in Indianapolis.
From there, look for SMU to win a couple of close games to put away their championship for the NIT! The Mustangs should be closer to +275, so there is value on SMU at +350 for your NIT predictions and picks!
Where to Bet on the NIT Tournament?
Wagering on the NIT Tournament in recent years has become very popular! However, many bettors don’t know where to find NIT odds, as the NCAA Tournament takes precedence.
If you are interested in NIT Tournament betting, consider checking out what Bovada offers for this year’s event. With winner odds, live betting, and even prop bets, Bovada is your top choice for the NIT.
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