Wisconsin vs North Texas Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for March 28 NIT Tournament Game (Mean Green D Dominates)

Wisconsin vs North Texas Game Info

• 2022-23 NIT Tournament Game
• Wisconsin (20-14) vs. North Texas (29-7)
• Date: Tuesday, March 28, 2023
• Time: 7 p.m. ET
• Venue: Orleans Arena -- Las Vegas, Nevada
• Coverage: ESPN, ESPN+

The 2022-23 NIT Tournament's semifinals are set for Tuesday, March 28. In the first game of the night, the Wisconsin Badgers go one-on-one with the always-tough North Texas Mean Green.

Wisconsin's paint presence was on point in its 61-58 win over Oregon, outrebounding the Ducks 44-35 en route to victory. Meanwhile, North Texas was lifted to a 65-59 overtime victory against Oklahoma State with help from Tylor Perry's game-high 23 points.

So, which team is the better bet to make it to the NIT finals?

Wisconsin vs North Texas Odds & Spread

• All college basketball betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: WISC: (TBD) | UNT: (TBD)
• Spread: WISC: +1.5 (-118) | UNT: -1.5 (-104)
• Total: TBD -- Over: (TBD) | Under: (TBD)

North Texas enters this contest as a slim favorite on the spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. The moneyline and over/under haven't been posted by the time of writing, so check back for updates when they become available.

Wisconsin vs North Texas Betting Trends

• Wisconsin is 4-1 straight up in its last five games.
• North Texas is 6-1 straight up in its last seven games played in March.
• Wisconsin is 1-5 against the spread (ATS) in its last six games against the C-USA.
• North Texas is 11-3 ATS in its last 14 games.
• The total has hit the under in six of Wisconsin's last nine games played in March.
• The total has hit the over in five of North Texas' last seven games on a Tuesday.

Wisconsin vs North Texas Prediction & Pick

Both Wisconsin and North Texas rely on defense to win games, but it's the latter that does it a bit better. The Mean Green allow an NCAA-low 56.3 PPG on 39.4% shooting (No. 9), whereas the Badgers surrender 63.8 PPG (No. 27) on a 44.4% clip (No. 185). That isn't even to mention how UNT has Wisconsin beat when it comes to both field-goal and three-point percentages allowed.

North Texas has also kept each of its first NIT Tournament opponents to 55 or fewer points in regulation. Wisconsin's defense has been solid, too, but did surrender 71 points on 47.3% shooting to Liberty in the second round. To me, that proves the Badgers can be solved if the Mean Green can start rolling early on.

Just like the odds imply, I fully expect a close game. However, North Texas' superior defensive play will take it to the final round.

Final Score Prediction: North Texas: 66 | Wisconsin: 62

Wisconsin vs North Texas Best Bet

With just the spread being available, backing North Texas at -1.5 is the only real option. Fortunately for them, the Mean Green are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 contests, whereas the Badgers have failed to cover against five of their last six C-USA opponents.

Though North Texas has struggled in recent years against the Big Ten, it will right those wrongs by capitalizing on its status as the favorite.

Bet: North Texas -1.5 (-104)

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.