The 2021 NIT begins on Wednesday with a 16-team field, down from the usual 32. All 15 games are scheduled to be played in the Dallas suburbs of Frisco and Denton. Before you make any NIT or college basketball picks, you need to see what red-hot SportsLine expert Matt Severance has to say. (See up-to-date odds for every game this week on our college basketball odds page.) 

A well-connected writer and handicapper who has worked in the industry since 2005, Severance enters the NIT on a stunning run: He is on a blistering 109-74 roll on college basketball spread picks, returning $2,742 to $100 bettors during that span. Anyone who has followed him is WAY up.

Now, Severance has locked in three confident best bets for the first round of the NIT. If you parlay his picks, you could be looking at a 6-1 payout!

We can tell you that he loves the Colorado State Rams (-1.5) to cover against the Buffalo Bulls on Friday. "The Bulls are 2-5-1 ATS in their past eight neutral-site games," he says.

Severance also jumped on two other sides, including an underdog who has a key advantage. You ABSOLUTELY need to see his picks before entering any of your own.

So what are Severance's best bets for the first round of the NIT? ... Join SportsLine right now to see Matt Severance's three NIT best bets, all from the handicapper on a 109-74 run!