The NIT Semifinals are set to take place on Tuesday night, and the first matchup of the night should be an absolute battle. This game will feature the Utah Utes taking on the Indiana State Sycamores for the right to get to the title game.
Utah is coming into this game with an overall record of 22-14, and they have been dominant throughout their entire NIT Tournament run. The Utes fell apart at the end of the regular season, but they have gotten things back on track in the postseason.
Indiana State was one of the last teams left out of the NCAA Tournament, and they are showing that they should have gotten in. The Sycamores are now sitting at 31-6 on the year, and they have beaten some great teams so far in this tournament.
The Indiana State Sycamores are slim 2.5 point betting favorites in this game, and the over/under line is set at 163.5 total points.
Utes Can Get Some Stops
The Utah Utes have been playing some great defense throughout the NIT, and just looking at their most recent game is a great example of that. Utah just held VCU to 54 points in their last win, and they will try to do the same to Indiana State.
The Utes also have a dominant center in Branden Carlson, and they tend to play through their big man on offense. Utah is still scoring 78.1 points per game this season, and they do have the potential to make a ton of shots.
This team has been playing with some newfound freedom on both ends of the floor, and that will allow them to play loose and try to pull off this upset.
Sycamores Want to Score
The Indiana State Sycamores are scoring 84.4 points per game this season, and they have five different players scoring at least 10.7 per game. Indiana State plays some great team basketball, but they tend to play through center Robbie Avila.
Avila is scoring 17.3 points per game this season, and he is also averaging 4.1 assists per game. Indiana State will shoot a ton of shots from deep, and they can be a nightmare to defend for opponents.
The Sycamores do have a tough time getting stops at times this season, and that could be something to watch in this game on Tuesday night.
Indiana State Continues to Roll
Utah has really started to play well so far in the NIT, but this team was struggling to end the regular season. The Utes have been getting it done on defense during this run, but they just haven’t been able to consistently score the ball.
Indiana State is a team that has a number of stars, and they are also playing some inspired basketball throughout this tournament. The Sycamores have been able to score points when needed, and that trend will continue in this matchup.
Bet the Indiana State Sycamores in this game at -2.5 and also betting the under 163.5 total points is another bet to make.
