[magaman]

Of course we all love the NCAA tourney and it sucks up all of the media attention. But I have also equally loved the NIT tournament. I have noticed that most sports fans, and many that wager dismiss it's relevance and entertainment value.

1) Many say the winner of the NIT is the 65th best team. Not true at all. I would argue that the final four of the NIT are on par with the sweet 16 of the NCAA. The winner of the NIT is at least a top-10 team when all is said and done.

2) Played on home courts. Now some would say NCAA is more fair on a neutral court, but we all know these brackets are drawn up with loads of bias, and there are winners and losers. The NIT plays on home courts based on seeding, and that is the same way it is done in many sports and we don't blink an eye knowing the regular season means something and they earned that home court. Having a home crowd intensifies the electricity in the air, which means a better game.

3) NIT plays on nights the NCAA teams are travelling or resting. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday - we got games. Love it.

4) Capping advantage. Bubble teams that don't make it to NCAA can be initially discounted in the NIT due to the disappointment factor. Same as bowl teams that don't get the bowl they want.

I could also write a shit-ton about conference tournaments. They seem to be downgraded as everybody is focused on the NCAA in early March. I love the conference tournaments. I hear that the B1G tourny will be a week earlier so teams can rest... this will be interesting to see if it starts a trend, and if the B1G teams do well with that rest.

So as we head towards March please enjoy every minute of the conference tournaments and the NIT. You get paid the same amount for picking the correct side. And for entertainment value, you cannot beat these games in terms of drama.

[El Nino]

Stopped reading after winner of the NIT is a top 10 team. That is just moronic.

[jjgold]

plenty of NIT teams can win in the ncaa tourney

Parity running rampant

[DOM_Toretto]

“4) Capping advantage. Bubble teams that don't make it to NCAA can be initially discounted in the NIT due to the disappointment factor. Same as bowl teams that don't get the bowl they want.”

Didn’t Texas Tech - a snubbed bubble team - win the NIT last year?

so maybe your point is true, except for snubbed teams the opposite is true?

[magaman]

“4) Capping advantage. Bubble teams that don't make it to NCAA can be initially discounted in the NIT due to the disappointment factor. Same as bowl teams that don't get the bowl they want.”

Didn’t Texas Tech - a snubbed bubble team - win the NIT last year?

so maybe your point is true, except for snubbed teams the opposite is true?

I don't recall to be honest... it is also possible they won the NIT while never covering a single game. I just know that fading a disappointed chalk is always a good idea.

[magaman]

actually it was TCU... they failed to cover first NIT game, then went on a good roll

[CappinTerp]

For me,I find better games to cap,in the Conf. turny,than in the Dance. One could be an astute follower of college hoops,for the whole season.But when the Big Dance comes around....it is very,very hard to cap and win !!

[magaman]

For me,I find better games to cap,in the Conf. turny,than in the Dance. One could be an astute follower of college hoops,for the whole season.But when the Big Dance comes around....it is very,very hard to cap and win !!

I agree. Those games in the first week are crazy. Some huge blowouts, and some low seeds taking it to the wire. Hard to predict

[DOM_Toretto]

For me,I find better games to cap,in the Conf. turny,than in the Dance. One could be an astute follower of college hoops,for the whole season.But when the Big Dance comes around....it is very,very hard to cap and win !!

Love me some conference tournaments, but I also love the Big Dance! Tons of money to be made. Probably my favorite betting experience ever was last year going 9-0 on opening day watching games all day long, drinking, having friends over, and making shit ton of money in the process.