This year’s Maui Invitational field may be the most loaded preseason tournament in NCAA history. It sounds crazy, but it’s really true — four of the top seven teams in the AP Poll will be participating.
Kansas, Purdue, Marquette and Tennessee will all be fighting for preseason supremacy, and the early returns are that all four teams have legitimate national championship aspirations.
Outside of the top four, the rest of the teams are no slouches.
Gonzaga (ranked seventh on KenPom) could make a loud statement by winning a handful of games. Syracuse enters this event undefeated, with a superstar of its own in Judah Mintz. UCLA does too, sitting at 3-0 with freshman sensation Aday Mara stepping into a bigger role already.
Here’s how to bet the Maui Invitational, including a bracket, full team-by-team preview, betting picks, odds and predictions.
Maui Invitational Bracket
Maui Invitational Odds
| Team Name | Odds (Via FanDuel) |
| Kansas | +175 |
| Tennessee | +320 |
| Purdue | +340 |
| Marquette | +500 |
| Gonzaga | +950 |
| UCLA | +2000 |
| Syracuse | +5000 |
Maui Invitational Team-By-Team Previews
Gonzaga Bulldogs
Gonzaga is 2-0 coming into the Maui Invitational, with a 15-point win over Yale as its best result.
The Bulldogs boast the third-best Adjusted Offensive Efficiency in the country. They play fast, led by Nolan Hickman and Ryan Nembhard in the backcourt.
They're the favorite to win the WCC.
Kansas Jayhawks
Many experts are picking Kansas to win it all, and the Jayhawks have backed up the offseason hype with strong results early, including a comeback victory over Kentucky in the Champions Classic.
Hunter Dickinson may be the best offensive player in this field, and we can only hope we see a rematch against Zach Edey.
Marquette Golden Eagles
Marquette could have the best backcourt in the country, with Tyler Kolek and Kam Jones.
Kolek is banged up, but it didn’t matter in the Golden Eagles' road win over Illinois.
Marquette ranks in the top 25 in both Offensive and Defensive Efficiency, and it has the balance to win this tournament.
Purdue Boilermakers
Much was made of Purdue’s limitations after its upset loss last March, but don’t forget that these Boilermakers were undefeated in non-conference play last season.
Edey is the best player in the country, and Braden Smith appears to have taken a large leap already for the highest-ranked team in this field, according to KenPom (2nd).
Syracuse Orange
Syracuse has fallen all the way down to 120th in KenPom, which is about as low as a 3-0 team can go.
The Orange have flirted with disaster, but narrowly avoided losses to Colgate and Canisius thus far.
Syracuse plays fast and doesn’t turn the ball over, but it hasn't shot it well yet. The Orange will need to see some shots go in, especially from Mintz and JJ Starling.
Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee has the highest-rated defense of any team in this field (2nd on KenPom) and an offense that looks more promising than versions in recent years.
Northern Colorado transfer Dalton Knecht has emerged as the team’s best offensive player, and that’s a great development with the defensive toughness and physicality that surrounds him.
The Vols can definitely rock fight their way to a Maui title.
UCLA Bruins
UCLA also enters this tournament 3-0, but it has some interesting betting trends.
After narrowly covering a large spread in their first game, the Bruins haven't covered in two straight matchups. Also, all three of their games have hit the under.
Mick Cronin is still trying to integrate his talented freshman class with veterans like Adem Bona.
They're a bit behind the top teams in this field, but this tournament is a great chance to prove their worth.
Chaminade Silverswords
The home team Silverswords are 1-2 this season at a lower level.
Chaminade hasn't won a game in this tournament since beating Cal in 2017.
Maui Invitational Betting Picks
Kansas has the easiest draw, getting an auto-win against Chaminade to open.
But as the favorite at +175 odds, there isn’t much value on the Jayhawks. That's especially true considering they'll likely have to play Marquette and then another top-10 team in the country in the final.
The best values on the board are Purdue to win at +340 — given the Boilers' recent dominance out of conference — and Marquette at +500.
The Golden Eagles are playing great ball right now and should skate by UCLA in their first game. Guards win in college hoops and Marquette has two great ones.
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