NIT Odds 2026: Auburn Still Favored, Dayton Also Flying High

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Long before March Madness reigned supreme, the National Invitational Tournament was the preeminent basketball competition in America.

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Established in 1938 by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association, the NIT routinely drew the top hoops teams in the nation to Madison Square Garden for a high-octane winner-take-all tourney.

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 this week’s quarterfinal matchups.

2026 NIT odds

Odds movement

3/18: Tulsa‘s odds moved from +1000 to +800 after dispatching Stephen F. Austin 89-85 on the tournament’s opening night. Ade Popoola led the way with 18 points on 6-12 shooting.

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3/18: 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 rode a balanced attack to victory.

3/19: Nevada‘s odds moved from +1200 to +900 after a walk in the park against Murray State. The Wolf Pack committed just five turnovers in the 89-75 win.

3/19: Dayton took care of business against Bradley, downing the Braves 80-66 in their opener. The lopsided victory had a seismic impact on their odds, moving them from +1800 to +1000.

3/19: George Washington cracked the Top 10 after squeaking out a 79-78 win over Utah Valley. Senior guard Rafael Castro paced the Revolutionaries with 22 points and 11 boards in 32 minutes.

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3/22: Nevada broke into the Top 3 following its second-round win over Liberty. Corey Camper led the way for the Wolf Pack with a rare college triple-double.

3/23: Dayton is up to a tournament-high third place in the odds at +500 after opening at 18/1. The Flyers scored another dominant win over UNCW in Round 2 and take on Illinois State in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

2026 NIT favorites

Auburn (+200)

Arguably the biggest snub of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, the Tigers enter the NIT with a serious chip on their shoulders. Despite a 17–16 record, Steven Pearl’s team boasts a Top 5 strength of schedule and high-caliber wins over Florida and St. John’s.

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The Tigers feature the nation’s No. 14 adjusted offense, powered by breakout guard Kevin Overton and veteran forward KeShawn Murphy. Their elite scoring depth makes them the most dangerous team in the field.

New Mexico (+275)

New Mexico enters the 2026 NIT as a massive threat because of its high-efficiency backcourt and interior dominance. Despite a heart-wrenching two-point loss in the Mountain West semifinals, the 23–10 Lobos are a statistical juggernaut.

They’re fueled by Jake Hall, a sharpshooting freshman who led the team with 16.0 PPG on 44.4% shooting from deep. Complementing him is Tomislav Buljan, whose nation-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 grit makes them a nightmare matchup on neutral courts.

2026 NIT opening odds

2026 NIT prediction

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

2026 NIT schedule

NIT opt-outs

Sometimes, the teams that make the biggest headlines at the NIT are the ones that don’t even show up. Here are the programs that declined an invitation to this year’s tournament:

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

Where can I bet on the NIT?

March is one of the busiest times of the year for online sportsbooks thanks to March Madness and the NIT. Every betting site will offer NIT odds, but the best sites are safe and secure, offer a wide range of banking options, and give you a ton of markets for each game. Check out 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 predates the NCAA Tournament by one year. The NIT was originally considered the premier postseason tournament in college basketball, 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 instances where NCAA Tournament teams that were considered on the bubble or from mid-major conferences have participated. The tournament is organized by the NCAA and is played at various neutral-site locations, with the semifinals and championship game typically 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 significant achievement for college basketball programs, particularly those that may not have had as much success in the regular season or missed out on the NCAA Tournament.

NIT odds explained

Sportsbooks post odds for the NIT immediately following Selection Sunday on March 17. These odds are constantly adjusted due to a number of factors including seeding, team performance, and player injuries. Sportsbooks also adjust NIT futures odds based on handle and liability to certain teams.

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NIT futures odds will usually look like this:

This means that on a $100 bet, you’ll stand to win $550 if the Demon Deacons win the title. If it’s close to the end of the regular season or even during the tournament and college basketball has a very dominant team, you might see that a team has a minus sign (-) ahead of its odds.

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

Above we have posted the American odds for NIT futures. However, these are easy to convert to decimal odds or fractional odds with our odds converter tool.

Popular college basketball markets

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How to bet college basketball futures

Learning how to successfully bet 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 straight 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 bracket isn’t set until Selection Sunday. As the college basketball season winds down, you can be pretty sure that the big favorites will slide into the bracket as top seeds. But for teams in the middle of the pack, nothing is certain.

As always when betting futures odds, be sure to look into college basketball injuries and suspensions. You might find some current value in a team that is expecting 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 to see the latest college basketball lines. In addition to NIT spreads, total, and moneyline info, you’ll also find game previews, betting trends, line movement history, and ATS and O/U consensus data for every National Invitational Tournament game. We don’t sleep until the nets are cut down. 

Past NIT winners

Schools with the highest winning percentages in NIT history

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