The NIT semifinal games will take place on Tuesday, April 2 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Utah Utes face the Indiana State Sycamores in the first game of the evening, and the Seton Hall Pirates take on the Georgia Bulldogs afterwards. The two winners will go on to face each other on Thursday. Here are our picks and predictions for Tuesday’s games.
Utah vs. Indiana State, 7:00 p.m. ET
The No. 2 Utah Utes take on the No. 1 Indiana State Sycamores in the first semifinal matchup of the NIT. Utah put together a dominant 20-point win over VCU in the quarterfinal. Gabe Madsen and Branden Carlson combined for 35 points in the victory. The Cincy defense was the team’s strong suit this season, limiting opponents to 68.2 points per game and grabbing 39.5 rebounds per game.
Indiana State pulled out a close win over Cincinnati in the quarterfinals to advance. Center Robbie Avila led the team with 22 points in the win. The Sycamores are one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country, averaging 38.2% from the perimeter. They put up 84.5 points per game this season, ranking sixth in the nation, and averaged 17.5 assists per game, ranking ninth in the nation.
Spread: Indiana State -3
Total: 163.5
Moneyline: Indiana State -155, Utah +130
Pick: Indiana State -3
Seton Hall vs. Georgia, 9:30 p.m. ET
The No. 4 Georgia Bulldogs enter as underdogs as they take on the No. 1 Seton Hall Pirates. Georgia defeated Ohio State in a two-point victory to advance to the semifinals after taking down No. 1 Wake Forest in an earlier round. Guard Noah Thomasson led the Bulldogs in the 79-77 win with 21 points, and center Frank Anselem-Ibe had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Seton Hall dominated UNLV in the quarterfinal in a 91-68 win. Guard Al-Amir Dawes put up 21 points, and guard Kadary Richmond added 16 points and 10 assists. The Pirates rank 44th in adjusted defensive efficiency at KenPom, and have kept opponents to an average of 66 points per game throughout the NIT.
Spread: Seton Hall -4
Total: 145
Moneyline: Seton Hall – 175, Georgia +145
Pick: Seton Hall -4
All odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.