Editor’s Note: Joe Stunardi is our resident bracketologist, as well as our all-around numbers guy. He’d say that you shouldn’t read too much into it, since the sample size is only 78 bets, but his picks published here and back at All Things NIT have had an average return on investment of 20% when weighted by confidence (1 for low, 2 for medium, 3 for high), meaning he’s about as successful as a bettor who wins 63% of their straight bets.
As always, use these picks at your own risk. Only you are responsible for any money you lose following Joe’s picks. At the same time, though, you’re also responsible for any money you win.
Similarly, if you have a gambling problem, or even think you might have a gambling problem, get help. If you need help getting help, reach out to us at allthingsnit@gmail.com.
As you likely know, if you’re on this website, the NIT starts tonight. So, too, do the NCAA Tournament and the CBI. The CIT actually snuck in a game last night, but it isn’t finished. Basketball is in the air.
Here are a collection of picks, the assortment of which should, statistically speaking, do moderately well. The NIT is experimenting with some new rules, most significantly a slightly longer three-point line and a new foul counting structure in which the bonus is always a double bonus (and is set lower), but team fouls reset halfway through each half. On the whole, I’d guess the changes will slightly reduce scoring, but I treated these games the same as I’d treat any other.
As always, the lines were taken from the Vegas consensus as of when I wrote this up.
Hofstra @ North Carolina State – NIT First Round
Pick: Under 163.5 (-110). Low confidence.
Lipscomb @ Davidson – NIT First Round
Pick: Under 149 (-110). Low confidence.
IUPUI @ Marshall – CIT First Round
Pick: Under 166.5 (-110). Low confidence.
Pick: IUPUI +7.5 (-110). Low confidence.
Cornell @ Robert Morris – CIT First Round
Pick: Under 135 (-110). Medium confidence.
St. Francis (PA) @ Indiana – NIT First Round
Pick: Under 152 (-110). Medium confidence.
San Diego @ Memphis – NIT First Round
Pick: Under 156 (-110). Medium confidence.
South Dakota State @ Texas – NIT First Round
Pick: Under 153.5 (-110). Low confidence.
Cal State-Northridge @ Utah Valley – CBI First Round
Pick: Utah Valley -11.5 (-110). Medium confidence.
Pick: Under 160.5 (-110). Low confidence.
