Most college basketball bettors are preparing for Saturday's Final Four, but first, the NIT Championship will be settled Thursday when Lipscomb and Texas meet for the title.
Here's what you need to know before getting some action on the game.
Tale of the tape
Venue: Madison Square Garden, N.Y.
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Opening odds: Texas -1.5, 146.5
Current odds: Texas -1.5, 143
KenPom Rank: Texas No. 25; Lipscomb No. 39
There hasn't been much movement on the spread since it opened. The Longhorns briefly dipped to -1 in some shops, but most places have held firm at -1.5 as of Thursday afternoon. The total, however, has been gradually dropping since the odds were first released.
Offensive styles
Lipscomb loves to get up and down the floor, ranking No. 13 in the entire country in adjusted tempo and No. 25 in possessions per game (75.5).
Texas, on the other hand, is patient offensively. The offense clocks in at No. 322 in tempo, averaging just 68.3 possessions per contest.
Meanwhile, the Bisons rank No. 40 in the country at shooting from deep and have converted 40.3 percent of their shots from downtown so far in the tournament. That could provide a big edge, as the Longhorns have been vulnerable at guarding the perimeter this season - allowing opponents to make 35.5 percent of triples - despite ranking No. 52 overall in scoring defense.
Trends and angles
- Lipscomb is top 20 in the country in first-half scoring margin at +6.3 points per game. If you're expecting a hot start before Texas adjusts, you can get the Bisons at +0.5 on the first-half spread.
- The Longhorns have gone under the total in six of their previous seven games. The lone "over" came during the second round of the tournament against Xavier, which required overtime. The last time Texas went over the total in regulation was March 2 against Iowa State.
- Lipscomb is 4-0 both straight up and against the spread in its previous four games as an underdog. If you're keen on the Bisons, it might be wiser to grab them +105 on the moneyline rather than taking the 1.5 points.
- Texas went under the total in seven of the eight contests played against mid-major teams this season, with the game totals averaging roughly 135 points.
Alex Kolodziej is theScore's betting writer. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 11 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AlexKoIodziej.
