NIT 2022: Odds Advice, Over-Under Score Predictions for Quarterfinal Bracket

The St. Bonaventure Bonnies entered the 2021-22 men's college basketball season with aspirations of making a deep run in the NCAA basketball tournament.

The Bonnies dealt with some struggles throughout Atlantic 10 play, and their experienced roster had to settle for a spot in the NIT. But on Tuesday, the Bonnies can lock down a spot in the NIT Final Four at Madison Square Garden with a road win over the Virginia Cavaliers.

St. Bonaventure already has a pair of road wins over power-conference teams from the first two rounds, and it has a chance to earn a third inside John Paul Jones Arena.

The Xavier Musketeers and Vanderbilt Commodores square off in Tuesday's other quarterfinal. Xavier will be at home, but it could be at a disadvantage after Paul Scruggs suffered an injury in the second round.

NIT Tuesday Schedule

St. Bonaventure at Virginia (-3.5) (Over/Under: 125) (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) 

Vanderbilt at Xavier (-3.5) (O/U: 141.5) (9 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Predictions

St. Bonaventure (+3.5) at Virginia

St. Bonaventure's senior-laden lineup has played well over the past month-and-a-half.

The Bonnies have two losses dating back to February 8, and they started the postseason with a pair of victories over power-conference teams. The Atlantic 10 side downed the Oklahoma Sooners and Colorado Buffaloes on their respective home courts to set up Tuesday's showdown against the Cavaliers in Virginia.

St. Bonaventure carries the motivation of wanting to finish the season and the college careers of their seniors on a high note.

Virginia is as tough as they come in terms of an opponent to game-plan against because of its slow pace and sturdy defense.

The Cavaliers have not been dominant in their two NIT wins. They went to overtime with the North Texas Mean Green in the second round and beat the Mississippi State Bulldogs by three points in the opening round.

Tony Bennett's team has no problem winning a game in the low 60s, but its defense could get stretched out by the Bonnies' experience and length. Osun Osunniyi's length in the paint and the guard duo of Kyle Lofton and Jaren Holmes could break down the Virginia defense and create an advantage in favor of the A-10 side.

St. Bonaventure's seniors have played together for quite some time, and that chemistry could help them deal with Virginia's tricky defense. As long as the Bonnies do not get into foul trouble with their thin rotation, they should be competitive in Charlottesville.

Vanderbilt at Xavier (Under 141.5) 

Xavier comes into Tuesday with an unknown on its roster.

Interim head coach Jonas Hayes told reporters Monday that he is not sure of Scruggs' status, per Adam Baum of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Scruggs was seen on crutches at the end of the second-round victory over the Florida Gators, but he has not been given an injury designation.

Even if Scruggs plays, he will likely not be at 100 percent, which will hurt Xavier's scoring potential. The Musketeers may have to play a grind-it-out style of game in the 60s to handle the Vanderbilt offense.

Xavier held both Florida and the Cleveland State Vikings under 70 points in the first two rounds, and it needs a similar defensive performance to keep its SEC foe from stealing a road win.

Vanderbilt limited the Dayton Flyers to 68 points in an overtime victory in the second round. That result proved the Commodores could win a defensive battle.

Both teams rank in the top 75 in defensive adjusted efficiency and three-point defense on KenPom.com, so it is possible that both offenses come to a halt during stretches of Tuesday's contests.

Xavier may take some time to deal with Scruggs' absence or limited status, which should force it to play a more defensive game at home to land a spot in New York.

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