NIT Odds 2026: Auburn, New Mexico favorite in semifinal matchups

Long before March Madness reigned, the National Invitation Tournament was the largest basketball competition in the United States.

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Established in 1938 by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association, the NIT routinely drew the country’s best basketball teams to Madison Square Garden for a high-octane, winner-take-all tournament.

More than eight decades later, the NIT continues to capture some of that past glory with its annual 32-team single-elimination showdown. This year’s field features a dazzling selection of top programs, including No. 1 seeds Auburn, Wake Forest, New Mexico and Tulsa.

Let’s take a look at the latest odds ahead of next week’s semifinal matchups.

NIT 2026 Fees

Odds move

03/18: tulsaThe odds went from +1000 to +800 after dispatching Stephen F. Austin 89-85 on the opening night of the tournament. Ade Popoola led the way with 18 points on 6-12 shooting.

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03/18: Wichita State made a big move from +2500 to +1800 after toppling Wyoming 74-70. TJ Williams led all scorers with 17 points off the bench as the Shockers carried a balanced attack to victory.

03/19: SnowfallThe odds went from +1200 to +900 after a walk in the park against Murray State. The Wolf Pack committed just five turnovers in the 89-75 victory.

03/19: dayton took care of business against Bradley, defeating the Braves 80-66 in their first game. The lopsided victory had a seismic impact on his odds, taking them from +1800 to +1000.

03/19: George Washington He made the Top 10 after posting a 79-78 victory over Utah Valley. Point guard Rafael Castro led the Revolutionaries with 22 points and 11 rebounds in 32 minutes.

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03/22: Snowfall broke into the Top 3 after their second round victory over Liberty. Corey Camper led the way for the Wolf Pack with a rare college triple-double.

03/23: dayton He’s up to third in the tournament at +500 odds after opening at 18/1. The Flyers earned another dominant victory over UNCW in Round 2 and will face Illinois State in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

03/26: Chestnut and New Mexico Both held serve in their quarterfinal matchups, with the Tigers close to being the favorites. tulsaThe odds went from +550 to +375 and are in third place on the board after Dayton’s quarterfinal loss.

2026 NIT Favorites

Chestnut (+110)

Arguably the biggest snub of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, the Tigers enter the NIT with a heavy grudge. Despite a 17-16 record, Steven Pearl’s team boasts a top-5 schedule and high-caliber wins over Florida and St. John’s.

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The Tigers boast the nation’s 14th-ranked tight offense, fueled by guard Kevin Overton and senior forward KeShawn Murphy. Their elite scoring depth makes them the most dangerous team on the field.

New Mexico (+200)

New Mexico enters the 2026 NIT as a massive threat due to its high-efficiency backcourt and interior dominance. Despite a heartbreaking two-point loss in the Mountain West semifinals, the Lobos (23-10) are a statistical juggernaut.

They are powered by Jake Hall, an excellent freshman shooter who led the team with 16.0 points per game on 44.4% shooting from deep. He is complemented by Tomislav Buljan, whose nationally leading 16 games with 5+ offensive rebounds provide New Mexico with relentless second chance opportunities.

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This combination of perimeter gravity and glass-cleaning sand makes for a nightmare matchup on neutral courts.

NIT 2026 Opening Dues

NIT 2026 Prediction

Only one team in this tournament can boast victories over Florida, St. John’s and Arkansas. A late-season collapse ultimately ended Auburn’s March Madness dreams, but the Tigers have the talent and depth to claw their way to an NIT title.

NIT Calendar 2026

NIT opt-out

Sometimes the teams that make the biggest NIT headlines are the ones that don’t even make it. These are the programs that declined an invitation to this year’s tournament:

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Many of the teams on the list, such as Indiana and Seton Hall, announced they had no desire to play in postseason tournaments after failing to qualify for March Madness. Others may still be waiting for a spot in the College Basketball Crown, which resumes in April and is set to attract top talent with its attractive Las Vegas location.

Where can I bet on the NIT?

March is one of the busiest times of year for online sportsbooks thanks to March Madness and the NIT. All betting sites will offer NIT odds, but the best sites are safe, offer a wide range of banking options and give you a large number of markets for each game. look at the The best college basketball betting sites in your region.

What is the NIT?

The National Invitation Tournament is a men’s college basketball tournament held annually in the United States. It was founded in 1938 and is one year before the NCAA Tournament. The NIT was originally considered college basketball’s premier postseason tournament, but its status has diminished somewhat over the years with the growth of March Madness.

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The NIT typically invites teams that did not receive bids to the NCAA Tournament, although there have been cases where NCAA Tournament teams that were considered on the bubble or from major mid-major conferences have participated. The tournament is organized by the NCAA and is played at several neutral venues, with the semifinals and championship usually held at Madison Square Garden in the heart of New York City.

While the NCAA Tournament determines the national champion, the NIT provides an opportunity for teams to continue their seasons and potentially win a postseason title. Winning the NIT can still be a major accomplishment for college basketball programs, particularly those that weren’t as successful in the regular season or missed the NCAA tournament.

NIT Odds Explained

Sportsbooks release odds for the NIT immediately after Selection Sunday on March 17. These odds are constantly adjusted due to a number of factors including ranking, team performance and player injuries. Bookmakers also adjust future NIT odds based on the handling and liability of certain teams.

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NIT futures odds will typically look like this:

This means that with a $100 bet, you can win $550 if the Demon Deacons win the title. If it’s near the end of the regular season or even during the tournament and college basketball has a very dominant team, you may see a team have a minus (-) sign ahead of their odds.

This means you would need to bet $120 to win $100 on an Auburn championship.

Above we have posted the US odds for NIT futures. However, they are easy to convert to decimal or fractional probabilities with our probability conversion tool.

Popular College Basketball Markets

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How to Bet College Basketball Futures

Learning how to bet successfully on the National Invitational Tournament is one of the hardest things to do in sports betting. The single-elimination format of the NCAA Finals and the fact that a school needs to win four consecutive games against quality opponents means that the favorites don’t always take home the title.

Another factor that comes into play is that the tournament classification is not set until Selection Sunday. As the college basketball season comes to a close, you can be pretty sure that the heavy favorites will move into the mix as top favorites. But for the teams in the middle of the pack, nothing is certain.

As always, when betting futures odds, be sure to take college basketball injuries and suspensions into account. He might find some current value on a team hoping to get a key player back before the NIT begins.

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Where can I find NIT spreads?

Check out our college basketball scores and matchups page daily for the latest college basketball lines. In addition to NIT spreads, totals, and moneyline information, you’ll also find game previews, betting trends, line movement history, and ATS and O/U consensus data for every National Invitation Tournament game. We won’t sleep until they cut the nets.

Previous NIT winners

Schools with the highest winning percentages in NIT history

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and check out our best betting sites or check out our top sports betting promotions.