NIT 2022: Betting Odds, Over-Under Predictions for Round 1 Bracket

The Texas A&M Aggies were one win away from landing a spot in the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

Buzz Williams' squad was left on the outside of the field of 68 after losing in the SEC tournament final. The selection committee had the Aggies as the Fourth Team Out.

Texas A&M will play in the postseason, but it will be as one of the four No. 1 seeds in the 2022 men's NIT. The Aggies are one of the best teams in the bracket, but they need to have the right motivation to make a run to New York.

Motivation is the biggest question for each of the 32 teams involved in the NIT. The field possesses a mix of failed bubble teams and No. 1 seeds from mid-major conference tournaments that did not secure automatic bids to the Big Dance.

The North Texas Mean Green fall into the latter category. North Texas won the Conference USA regular-season title, but it could not complete the double with a tournament victory. North Texas takes on Sun Belt regular-season champion Texas State on Tuesday in what could be the lowest-scoring game of the entire men's college basketball postseason.

2022 NIT Bracket

Tuesday Schedule and Odds

Missouri State at Oklahoma (-6) (Over/Under: 138) (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) 

Belmont at Vanderbilt (-4) (O/U: 144) (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

Princeton at VCU (-7) (O/U: 138) (7 p.m. ET, ESPNU) 

Texas State at North Texas (-9) (O/U: 117.5) (8 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

Oregon at Utah State (-4.5) (O/U: 144.5) (9 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Alcorn State at Texas A&M (-20) (O/U: 137.5) (9 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

Cleveland State at Xavier (-12.5) (O/U: 146.5) (9 p.m. ET, ESPNU) 

St. Bonaventure at Colorado (-4) (O/U: 138) (11 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

Santa Clara at Washington State (-3.5) (O/U: 150) (11 p.m. ET, ESPNU)

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Predictions

Alcorn State at Texas A&M (-20) 

Texas A&M got off to a 15-2 start thanks to a fairly easy nonconference schedule that featured plenty of teams ranked 250th or worse in the overall KenPom.com rankings.

The Aggies produced an average margin of victory of 25.4 points against five opponents that ended up below 250th on KenPom.

The Alcorn State Braves out of the SWAC are 268th in KenPom, and they had loads of trouble dealing with the power-conference squads on their schedule in November and December.

Alcorn State suffered six losses by 20 points or more and another two defeats by 19 points against the likes of the Gonzaga Bulldogs, Houston Cougars and Oklahoma Sooners.

All of that suggests Texas A&M should open the NIT with a substantial victory in College Station, Texas.

The Aggies could channel their frustration from not making the NCAA tournament into a deep run to Madison Square Garden in the NIT.

If the Aggies continue to play the way they did at the SEC tournament, during which they reached the final, they should easily win their NIT opener and make a push toward New York with two more home games potentially on their radar.

Texas State at North Texas (Under 117.5) 

If you like points, stay away from the Texas State-North Texas game.

Texas State ranks 337th in adjusted tempo on KenPom, and the Mean Green check in at 358th in that category.

North Texas earned the Conference USA regular-season title by limiting opponents to 60 points on a regular basis.

The Mean Green allowed two of their past 11 opponents to reach the 60-point mark. And hey earned four of their final five regular-season victories with a point total below 60.

Texas State sealed the Sun Belt regular-season crown by holding three opponents below 55 points and another to 61 points.

The Bobcats and Mean Green are expected to play at a snail's pace Tuesday, and it may be hard for both teams to find motivation right away since they were both expected to reach the NCAA tournament.

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