UC Irvine vs. North Texas Prediction, Odds & Preview Tonight: Best Picks for NIT Final Four
The No. 1 seed UC Irvine Anteaters (31-6) look to punch their ticket to the NIT final when they meet the No. 2 seed North Texas Mean Green (27-8) in the NIT Final Four later today. Tipoff from Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis is at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN).
Despite being the lower seed, the Mean Green are the 1.5-point favorites to advance to the championship game. We discuss why both of these teams hold a legitimate chance to win in our UC Irvine vs. North Texas prediction, odds, and preview based on the best NIT odds.
We also analyzed this matchup in our North Texas vs. UC Irvine player props.
🏀 UC Irvine vs. North Texas prediction & picks for today
Here are my best UC Irvine vs. North Texas predictions for the Final Four of the National Invitational Tournament; use our parlay calculator to get the best odds for any same-game parlay:
✅ Against the spread pick: UC Irvine +1.5 (-108 via FanDuel) vs. North Texas ⭐⭐⭐
🔥 Over/Under pick: Over 128 (-110 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🎯 Exact score prediction: UC Irvine 71, North Texas 67 (+19000 via DraftKings)
👉 Want more picks? Check out our latest college basketball picks and the rest of our March Madness predictions.
UC Irvine vs. North Texas betting insights
- There's nearly dead-even action on the spread, with UC Irvine getting the narrow advantage at 51% while sitting at +1.5
- We see an identical scenario with the total, with the Over on 128.5 getting 51% of the action
- The spread hasn't budged since the market opened, sitting at -1.5 in favor of North Texas the entire time
🏆 Best UC Irvine vs. North Texas pick & score prediction
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!
✅ UC Irvine to cover the spread: +1.5 ⭐⭐⭐
Both the Anteaters and Mean Green have been involved in tight contests throughout this tournament. The Mean Green have recorded consecutive two-point victories, while the Anteaters needed overtime to survive their quarterfinal game against the UAB Blazers.
I expect another close contest, as both of these teams play efficiently on offense and defense.
The Mean Green are allowing the third-fewest points in the country, but their work is cut out for them against an offense averaging 75.8 points per game. The Mean Green hold the advantage if they can slow this game down. But they can’t let the Anteaters get near their season average, as the Mean Green are only averaging 67.5 points per game.
While the Anteaters aren’t as good as the Mean Green defensively, they’re still sitting 32nd in the nation while allowing 66.9 points per game. The Anteaters should probably be favored in this matchup as the more well-rounded team. Therefore, I’ll take them to win outright.
📊 Best odds: -108 via FanDuel ($10 to win $9.26)
New customers only. Deposit min. $5. Place first bet of $5+ and win $250 in Bonus Bets, if your bet wins. (within 72 hours).
🔥 Over/Under pick: Over 128 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
If I’m backing the Anteaters, I need to back the Over too. The Anteaters don’t play fast, but they've scored 81-plus points in three of their last five games. Only one of their games had gone Under 128 points during the NIT, and that game finished at 127.
The Mean Green just held the Oklahoma State Cowboys to 59 points, and no team has scored more than 66 against them since Jan. 22. Despite that impressive streak, the Anteaters will score at least 70 in this game. After all, they boast one of the most complete offensive teams the Mean Green have faced in a long time.
This total is 128.5 at three of our best March Madness betting sites. If any were offering the Over for +100 or better, it’d be worth playing there. But with where the prices sit now, take the extra half-point for -110 at Caesars.
📊 Best odds: -110 via Caesars ($10 to win $9.09)
New users only. Must use promo code. Min. $10 deposit. Max. bonus is ten 100% Profit Boost tokens. Profit Boost tokens expire in 14 days. Void where prohibited. Full terms.
🎯 Score prediction: UC Irvine 71, North Texas 67
This game will be a slugfest, but the Anteaters will ultimately use their offensive ability to make enough shots late and advance to the championship game. Remember, this team has won nine of its last 10 outings. The only loss during that stretch was to the UC San Diego Tritons, a team that suffered only a three-point defeat to the Big Ten champion Michigan Wolverines in the NCAA Tournament.
The Mean Green rely a little too much on their defense. It will be difficult for the Mean Green to mount a comeback if the Anteaters can build a lead early. The Anteaters will cover, and the total easily goes Over.
📊 Best odds: +19000 via DraftKings ($10 to win $1,900)
Terms and conditions apply.
🤖 UC Irvine vs. North Texas AI prediction
For entertainment purposes, we asked ChatGPT to analyze historical trends and live NIT Tournament stats before predicting the winner and exact score for UC Irvine vs. North Texas. Our AI prediction projects a final score of UC Irvine 74, North Texas 70.
🖥️ AI score prediction: UC Irvine 74, North Texas 70
- The Mean Green have built a reputation for strong defensive play and strategic execution.
- The Mean Green have established a history of success in postseason play. They clinched the NIT championship in 2023, showcasing their capability on the national stage.
- Considering the Anteaters’ strong offensive capabilities, highlighted by their significant scoring in the paint and efficient shooting, they boast the tools to challenge the Mean Green’s defensive strengths.
🤔 Betting takeaway: ChatGPT's AI prediction would mean UC Irvine covering the spread (+1.5) and a total of Over 128 points. ChatGPT is not a dedicated sports betting model, but it can identify data that NIT bettors might overlook.
📊 Live UC Irvine vs. North Texas odds
Follow the latest live NIT college basketball odds and real-time college basketball scores.
🔢 UC Irvine vs. North Texas opening odds
- Spread: UC Irvine +1.5 (-105) | North Texas -1.5 (-115)
- Moneyline: UC Irvine +105 | North Texas -125
- Over/Under: Over 129.5 (-115) | Under 129.5 (-105)
UC Irvine vs. North Texas line movement
All line movement in the hours before UC Irvine vs. North Texas tipoff via BetMGM.
Spread
The spread has stayed stagnant, with North Texas as the -1.5 favorite throughout.
Total
The total opened at 130 before tumbling down to 127.5 by yesterday morning ET. It's since gone back and forth a bit and now sits at 128.5.
Moneyline
There's been only modest moneyline movement, as it opened with North Texas as the -130 favorite and has arrived back at that point now. But it did lengthen to -118 previously.
📺 How to watch UC Irvine vs. North Texas: NIT Final Four
📅 Date: Tuesday, April 1
🕗 Time: 7 p.m. ET
📍 Location: Hinkle Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)
📺 TV: ESPN
💻 Streaming: ESPN+
💰 March Madness betting odds pages
| March Madness odds | March Madness MVP odds |
| Women's March Madness odds | March Madness MVP predictions |
| Final Four odds | March Madness prop bets |
👑 Best March Madness betting sites
Ready to place your March Madness bets? Check out the best March Madness betting promos from the best March Madness betting sites as determined by our expert team at Sportsbook Review.
- Caesars Promo Code: SBRBONUSDYW | Read our Caesars Review
- BetMGM Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our BetMGM Review
- bet365 Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our bet365 Review
- FanDuel Promo Code | Read our FanDuel Review
- DraftKings Promo Code | Read our DraftKings Review
(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)
* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.
Not intended for use in MA.
Each betting site featured on SBR has been meticulously researched and selected by our team of experts. If you sign up through our links, we may get a commission
Related Articles
