The final game of the NIT takes place on Sunday evening in a battle of SEC and American squads.
According to PrizePicks Team Picks, Auburn (21-16) is listed as a 5.5-point favorite on the spread vs. Tulsa (30-7) at 8:00 p.m. ET, televised by ESPN2.
The Tigers (21-16) have used motivation from their NCAA Tournament snub to win four consecutive games to reach the NIT title game. The Golden Hurricane (30-7) held off New Mexico in the NIT Semifinals, 74-69. Tulsa won only 34 games in head coach Eric Konkol’s first three seasons but reached 30 wins this season for the first time since the 1999-2000 campaign.
Let’s look at our Tulsa vs. Auburn prediction on the spread for Sunday’s championship at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Make your CBB NIT Championship PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real money if you’re right, including on game winners, spreads, and totals!
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Tulsa vs. Auburn Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
The Golden Hurricane seek their first NIT championship since defeating Auburn’s chief rival, Alabama, in the 2001 installment.
Auburn makes its first NIT title game in school history, as the Tigers look for their first-ever championship of any sort in men’s basketball.
These squads last played in 2014 as the Golden Hurricane knocked off the Tigers, 53-35.
Tulsa vs. Auburn Spread, Over/Under
The Tigers enter this matchup as 5.5-point favorites, returning a 1.4x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
The Golden Hurricane are underdogs with a 2.94x payout if they win, where you can earn money with your picks in 35 states.
- Spread: Auburn -5.5 (1.92x)
- Over/Under: 159.5
- Game Winner Payout: Tulsa 2.94x | Auburn 1.4x
Team Picks data is live as of writing and is subject to change.
Tulsa vs. Auburn Prediction on Spread for NIT Championship – 4/5/26
Here are some key stats to know before locking in your Tulsa vs. Auburn NIT Championship prediction on spread for Sunday, April 5, on PrizePicks.
- Auburn topped the 75-point mark in all four NIT wins, including an 88-66 win over Illinois State in the semifinal round.
- Tulsa could look to flourish from downtown. The Golden Hurricane rank fifth in 3-point shooting (38.9%), facing a Tigers’ defense allowing 37.1% from deep (344th nationally).
- Four of Auburn’s losses came to top 10 teams in KenPom, including NCAA Tournament national semifinal participants Michigan and Arizona.
- Since the end of January, the Tigers defeated one team ranked higher than Tulsa (56) at KenPom, which was Kentucky at home, 75-74 on February 21.
- After knocking off New Mexico, 74-69, in the semifinals, Tulsa improved to 5-2 against the spread (ATS) in the underdog role.
- Auburn failed to cover the spread in its first three NIT outings before blowing out Illinois State as 7.5-point favorites.
- The Tigers posted a scorching 71.4% effective field goal (EFG) percentage vs. Illinois State.
- Auburn is 0-5 in its last five games following an EFG% of at least 60.0%.
- Tulsa has won eight of its past nine games. In the eight victories, the Golden Hurricane limited its opponent to less than 32.0% shooting from 3-point range.
- Auburn knocked down 12 3-pointers vs. Illinois State in the semifinals. The Tigers have not hit at least 10 treys in consecutive games this season.
Tulsa vs. Auburn Picks for PrizePicks Today: 4/5/26
Here are three top Tulsa vs. Auburn picks to target on Sunday. Key PrizePicks player projections are headlined by three players: Auburn F Keyshawn Hall, Tulsa F David Green, and Tigers G Tahaad Pettiford.
Auburn F Keyshawn Hall vs. Tulsa Projection: 20.5 Points
- The senior wraps up his four-year odyssey with four different schools, averaging a career-high 19.5 points per game (PPG).
- Hall posted inconsistent scoring numbers through Auburn’s 4-0 run to the NIT Championship. He topped the 20-point mark twice but also scored 14 or fewer points in two other wins.
- Since the start of March, Hall has finished below this scoring projection in six of eight games.
- In the last 11 games, Hall converted 30.0% of his 3-point attempts. Tulsa limited its last three opponents to 19.2% shooting from downtown (15 of 78).
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Tulsa F David Green vs. Auburn Projection: 18.5 Pts + Rebs
- After averaging a shade above 14.0 PPG at Rhode Island each of his first two seasons, Green is putting up 15.7 PPG in his first campaign at Tulsa.
- Green missed the first two games of the NIT due to a wrist injury. In the last two contests, he shot 5 of 16 from the floor and failed to hit a 3-pointer in 7 tries.
- Before his injury, the senior averaged 18.1 PPG and 4.2 rebounds per game over 19 conference outings.
- In the last four games, Green is shooting 33.0% from the floor and 3 of 18 from deep (16.7%).
Auburn G Tahaad Pettiford vs. Tulsa Projection: 17.5 Points
- After starting only one game in his freshman season, Pettiford exploded to average 15.2 PPG during his sophomore campaign.
- In the final two months of SEC play, Pettiford topped the 20-point mark seven times, including a 28-point performance in the conference tournament loss to Tennessee.
- Pettiford has been held to 12.0 PPG in Auburn’s four NIT wins, with his highest output being 16 points in the quarterfinal victory over Nevada.
- Tulsa ranks 124th in adjusted defensive efficiency this season.
- Pettiford finished below 17 points in seven of 10 games against teams owning an adjusted defensive efficiency of 100th or below.
Make Tulsa vs. Auburn Picks on PrizePicks
The Tigers and Golden Hurricane look to close the season on a high note with a victory in Sunday’s NIT title game in Indianapolis.
You can make your Tulsa vs. Auburn NIT Championship picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 35 states.
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