NIT 2022: Odds Advice, Over-Under Score Predictions for Saturday's Bracket

The Oregon Ducks are used to making deep runs in March under Dana Altman, but not in the NIT.

Oregon's rough regular season led it to the NIT this year. The Ducks have been forced to play on the road because they did not get a seed designation in their bracket.

The Pac-12 squad beat the Utah State Aggies in the first round, and it has a chance to down the Texas A&M Aggies in second-round play on Saturday.

Texas A&M cruised through its opening-round matchup with the Alcorn State Braves, but Oregon poses a much more difficult threat to the top-seeded Aggies. 

The Oregon-Texas A&M winner will find out its quarterfinal opponent later on Saturday when the VCU Rams visit the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. 

Wake Forest, like Texas A&M, handled its drop from NCAA men's basketball tournament bubble team to NIT seed in stride with a first-round win over Towson.

VCU poses a more difficult threat to the Demon Deacons, and that may lead to a close game in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  

Saturday Schedule and Odds

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Oregon at Texas A&M (-5) (Over/Under: 144.5) (noon ET, ESPN)

VCU at Wake Forest (-5) (O/U: 144.5) (4 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

Northern Iowa at BYU (-6) (O/U: 150) (9 p.m. ET, ESPN+) 

Predictions

Oregon (+5) at Texas A&M 

Oregon made it to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament in each of the last four seasons.

Altman knows how to prepare his squad for postseason games, and that should benefit the Ducks on their trip to College Station, Texas. 

Oregon had three players reach double figures in its 83-point outburst in the first round on the road at Utah State. The Ducks had three other players score nine points. 

The Pac-12 side produced those numbers without leading scorer Will Richardson. That is a promising sign for the Ducks going into Reed Arena.

Texas A&M is likely playing with more motivation than most NIT sides because it believes it should have been in the NCAA tournament. 

The Aggies needed a trip to the SEC tournament final just to get within reach of the Big Dance bubble, and they ultimately fell short. 

Texas A&M handled its opening-round game against Alcorn State with ease, but it could struggle with Oregon's scoring depth.

Buzz Williams' side could be susceptible to an upset since four of its eight wins since February 15 came by five points or fewer.

Oregon's postseason experience will help it at least keep the contest close in SEC country. 

VCU (+5) at Wake Forest 

VCU is typically known for its defensive play, but its offense caught the headlines over the last month.

The Rams eclipsed the 70-point mark in eight of their last nine victories. They have two defeats since February 5. 

Wake Forest allowed over 70 points in three of its last four victories. It held Towson to 64 points in the first round, but its last three ACC wins were earned in high-scoring affairs. 

VCU's recent offensive success should help it remain within five points of the host Demon Deacons. 

Wake Forest also owns worse defensive numbers across the board than VCU, who ranks in the top 10 in five defensive metrics on KenPom.

As long as VCU keeps up its offensive form and continues to play well on defense, it has a chance of springing the upset over the ACC squad. 

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