Who Will Win the NIT Bracket? Favorites, Sleepers & Long Shots to Win Tournament
The NIT has a different look this year, as the College Basketball Crown poached many power conference teams that would otherwise have participated in the longstanding tournament. But there are still plenty of high-quality teams capable of capturing the NIT title.
As we examine the 2025 National Invitational Tournament bracket as part of our March Madness predictions, we use the best NIT odds to determine who will win the NIT Bracket, with favorites, sleepers, and long shots.
📊 2025 NIT odds & betting favorites
Here are the odds for every team to win the 2025 National Invitational Tournament via FanDuel, along with the profit on a winning $10 bet.
| 🏀 Team (seed) | 🏆 Odds to win NIT | 💰 Profit ($10 bet) |
|---|---|---|
| SMU (1) | +350 | $35 |
| Santa Clara (2) | +600 | $60 |
| San Francisco (1) | +650 | $65 |
| UC Irvine (1) | +800 | $80 |
| George Mason (2) | +1000 | $100 |
| Stanford (2) | +1100 | $110 |
| Dayton (1) | +1100 | $110 |
| North Texas (2) | +1300 | $130 |
| Saint Joseph’s (3) | +2300 | $230 |
| Bradley (3) | +2900 | $290 |
| St. Bonaventure (3) | +3700 | $370 |
| Arkansas State (3) | +3700 | $370 |
| Oklahoma State (4) | +4500 | $450 |
| Loyola Chicago (5) | +4600 | $460 |
| Georgia Tech (4) | +4700 | $470 |
| North Alabama (6) | +5000 | $500 |
| Florida Atlantic (8) | +7500 | $750 |
| Middle Tennessee (4) | +8500 | $850 |
| UAB (6) | +9500 | $950 |
| Chattanooga (5) | +10000 | $1000 |
| CSU Northridge (7) | +11000 | $1100 |
| Saint Louis (6) | +11000 | $1100 |
| Northern Iowa (8) | +12000 | $1200 |
| Samford (7) | +14000 | $1400 |
| Utah Valley (8) | +14000 | $1400 |
| Northern Colorado (8) | +15000 | $1500 |
| Jacksonville State (5) | +15000 | $1500 |
| Kent State (6) | +18000 | $1800 |
| Wichita State (5) | +20000 | $2000 |
| UC Riverside (7) | +25000 | $2500 |
| Furman (7) | +25000 | $2500 |
| San Jose State (4) | +25000 | $2500 |
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🏀 2025 NIT bracket picks, predictions & preview
The NIT first round action gets underway on March 18 and 19, culminating in the championship round on April 3 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
In this ever-changing college landscape with NIL deals and the transfer portal, it will be interesting to see which teams stay intact throughout their entire NIT run, as the portal opens on March 24. There is no shortage of power conference teams in the field, highlighted by three ACC schools and one Big 12 member (Oklahoma State).
A power conference team has won five of the last seven NITs, with Big East members Seton Hall and Xavier winning two of the previous three.
💪 Who is the favorite to win the NIT?
SMU is the favorite to win the NIT, the only team with odds shorter than +600. The Mustangs enter with a 23-10 record, including a 13-7 mark in regular-season ACC play in their first year in the conference.
SMU was last a No. 1 seed in the NIT in 2022. That year, it won its first round game against Nicholls State but lost in the second round to Washington State.
📊 Best odds to win NIT: +350 via FanDuel ($10 to win $35)
👠 Which Cinderella sleeper can make a deep run?
Although I picked against North Texas covering its first-round game against Furman, the Mean Green have what it takes to make a deep run, just like when they won the NIT in 2023. North Texas challenged itself in the non-conference with three games against NCAA Tournament teams and secured a road win against a Big Ten foe in Minnesota.
Every team North Texas faces will be tasked with playing at the Mean Green’s tempo, as they rank 362nd across D-I in adjusted tempo.
North Texas only lost by four points at AAC champion Memphis despite scoring only 0.98 points per possession. That is a testament to its defense and the fact that it can overcome a poor offensive effort by dictating the pace.
📊 Best odds to win in first round: +1300 via FanDuel ($10 to win $130)
🚨 What is the best NIT upset pick?
North Alabama over Bradley is my best upset pick of the first round. The Lions are 9-2 in their last 11 games, with the only two losses in that span coming against ASUN champion Lipscomb.
North Alabama beat Lipscomb at home in the first matchup, scoring 1.04 points per possession while employing a heavy drive-and-kick offensive philosophy.
The Lions should be able to exploit Bradley’s compact defense that allows opponents to shoot 3-pointers at a top-60 percentage of their field goal attempts.
📊 Best odds to win in first round: +142 via DraftKings ($10 to win $14.20)
👀 Which NIT matchup is the most intriguing?
The most intriguing first round matchup is between Dayton and Florida Atlantic, two teams that were No. 8 seeds or better in last year’s NCAA Tournament.
The top two seeds in this region are A-10 teams, and if seeding holds, the Flyers would match up with No. 2 seed George Mason. But first, they must get by the Owls, who are 4-1 this season in games decided by three or fewer points.
📊 Dayton best odds to beat Florida Atlantic: +100 via FanDuel ($10 to win $10)
⛹️ Who are the best players in the NIT?
⭐ Maxime Raynaud, C (Stanford) - Raynaud was an All-ACC First Team player in Stanford’s first year with the conference. The 7-foot-1 center ranked second in the conference in scoring (20.1 points) and led the league in rebounds (10.6). He is a projected late first-round pick in many NBA mock drafts.
⭐ Gibson Jimerson, G (Saint Louis) - Jimerson ranked third in the A-10 in scoring, averaging 18 points per game. He has shot 36% or better from 3-point range in five of his six seasons in Saint Louis and hardly ever comes out of a game, ranking third in percentage of his team’s minutes played in the country.
⭐ Yaxel Lendeborg, F (UAB) - Lendeborg was one of five unanimous All-AAC First Team selections. He won the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award for the second straight year and led the conference in rebounding (10.5 per game) and blocks (1.8).
🏆 Who will win the NIT?
I am picking UC Irvine to win the NIT at +800 odds. The Anteaters make their free throws at an 81% clip (second-best in the country) and are one of the best defensive teams in this field (second in D-I in 2-point percentage allowed).
UC Irvine could face Georgia Tech in the second round, but I love the way the bracket would open up for the Anteaters after that. They were one of two teams to beat 30-win UC San Diego on its home court, and shouldn’t suffer from a lack of motivation over the next few weeks.
📊 Best odds to win NIT: +800 via FanDuel ($10 to win $80)
💰 NIT best bets & expert predictions
Our NEW college basketball player prop odds tool can help you find the best odds for any March Madness market across legal sportsbooks in your area!
| Bet | Team | Odds | Profit ($10 bet) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🏆 Pick to win | TEAM | +XXX | $XX |
| 🎯 Best sleeper | TEAM | +XXX | $XX |
| 🚨 Best upset pick | TEAM over TEAM | +XXX | $XX |
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