College Basketball Best Bets: 2023 Maui Invitational

2023 Maui Invitational

The Maui Invitational is one of the premier early-season college basketball tournaments. It has a very rich history and tradition of exciting games and matchups dating back decades, making it a highly anticipated event.

The tournament was first held in 1984 and is traditionally hosted on the beautiful island of Maui, Hawaii. But this year the tournament will be held in Honolulu on the island of O'ahu due to the Lahaina Civic Center being used as a hub for the Maui Wildfire recovery efforts. Either way, it certainly provides a unique location for any basketball tournament.

Over the years, the Maui Invitational has attracted some of the top college basketball programs in the nation, and that will be no different this season. No. 1 Kansas, No. 2 Purdue, No. 4 Marquette, No. 7 Tennessee and No. 11 Gonzaga are all participating as teams come from various conferences across the country. That makes the tournament a quite diverse and competitive showcase of talent.

When is the 2023 Maui Invitational?

The 2023 Maui Invitational will take place over a three-day span, from Nov. 20-22.

Where will the 2023 Maui Invitational take place?

The 2023 Maui Invitational will be played at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, HI. This differs from the usual location on Maui, of course, but the tournament will be relocated this year due to the island's wildfire crisis.

Which teams are playing in the 2023 Maui Invitational?

The 2023 Maui Invitational will feature several very prominent men's college basketball programs: Kansas, Purdue, Marquette, Tennessee, Gonzaga, Syracuse, UCLA and Chaminade.

2023 Maui Invitational: Third-Round Matchups (Nov. 22)

• No. 7 Tennessee vs. No. 1 Kansas (2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
• No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 4 Marquette (5:00 p.m., ESPN)
• Syracuse vs. Chaminade (9:30 p.m., ESPNU)
• No. 11 Gonzaga vs. UCLA (11:59 p.m., ESPN2)

Today's Maui Invitational Best Bets

No. 7 Tennessee vs. No. 1 Kansas Pick

PICK: Kansas -1 (-110, BetRivers)

We picked Purdue over this Tennessee team yesterday and got a big win, so I'm going to take Kansas here to bounce back after their loss to Marquette yesterday for much of the same reason. The Vols are their weakest on the inside, as they don't have a lot of size to compete with guys like Zach Edey, who crushed them yesterday. Now, they have to deal with Hunter Dickinson, who is even more talented offensively than Edey.

No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 4 Marquette Pick

PICK: Purdue -3.5 (-110, BetMGM)

Over 84% of the bets are on the Golden Eagles after their upset victory over the No. 1-ranked Kansas Jayhawks yesterday. Yet, this line has moved from -3 to -3.5 at most places, showing some clear sharp movement to the Boilermakers. I'll fade the public here.

Syracuse vs. Chaminade

PICK: Chaminade +22 (-110, DraftKings)

DraftKings is the only book willing to put a spread up for this game as of this writing, and I'm going to back the Silverswords. Honestly, they haven't been all that terrible against far better competition. They played hard against both Kansas and UCLA, and while they were beaten, it was not for a lack of trying. Syracuse can't say the same, as they seem to give up in the second half when things don't go their way. They will probably win this game, but I'm not laying 22 points with them.

No. 11 Gonzaga vs. UCLA Pick

PICK: UCLA +5 (-110, BetRivers)

Gonzaga is not the team that it has been over the last few seasons, and they simply don't have as much talent as they used to. Couple that with a lack of depth as well, and you get a team that should be pretty tired after playing for three straight days. UCLA is very young, but they do have depth, which I think will help them quite a lot here.