The Maui Invitational is one of the most prestigious tournaments in college basketball. One of the first tournaments that was played in a tropical getaway destination, we have now seen this tournament in 34 straight seasons. This tournament has always attracted top teams from throughout the country and this year’s edition is going to be no different.
These games will take place at the Lahaina Civic Center in Maui, Hawaii. The Maui Invitational will take place from Monday, November 20 through Wednesday, November 22, 2017. We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game in the Maui Invitational.
Opening College Basketball Odds at BookMaker.eu
One of the most interesting storylines of the tournament will be whether or not LSU plays VCU. Will Wade followed up Shaka Smart’s successful stint at VCU with a solid three-year run of his own and used that to springboard himself into the job in Baton Rouge. These two teams are on opposite sides of the bracket, but there’s still a chance it could happen if things fall a certain way.
Marquette vs. VCU
The Golden Eagles are sitting at 1-1 after a home loss to Purdue earlier this week. The Boilermakers’ size killed Marquette down low as the Golden Eagles four guard lineup was unable to hang. Other teams in the tournament saw how much Marquette struggled in this spot and will undoubtedly try to go big against this team.
VCU has a new coach for the third time in five years. The Rams are 2-0 so far this season, but will be tested for the first time on Friday when they take on Virginia. The Havoc defense we saw under Smart and Wade has yet to show up under new coach Mike Rhoades, but it will need to if the Rams are going to make some noise in Maui.
Wichita State vs. California
There are a lot of people who are high on the Shockers chances this year. Wichita State was able to keep Gregg Marshall in town and the Shockers are ranked No. 6 in the polls currently. They cruised to wins over Missouri-Kansas City and College of Charleston and go as deep as any team in the country. Marshall like to have fresh guys on the floor constantly and that’s a luxury many teams don’t have.
Cal is one of those teams. The Golden Bears are heavily dependent on their starters, especially after super recruiter Cuonzo Martin took his talents to Mizzou. Nine players that were on the roster left last year and this team is perilously thin. Cal already suffered an embarrassing slip up in its home opener against UC Riverside, and it might be a long year for the Golden Bears.
Notre Dame vs. Chaminade
It’s always cool to see tiny Chaminade in this tournament. Although the Silverswords typically get blown out, they have been known to pull off the upset against a much bigger school. Chaminade last knocked off a team in the Maui Invitational in 2012, when the Silverswords beat Texas.
Notre Dame is going to be the other favorite in this tournament aside from Wichita State. The Irish have the terrific Bonzie Colson back for one more season and guards like Matt Farrell and Rex Pflueger to help run things. The emergence of Temple Gibbs has really boosted this team and now gives them three solid guards that it can rely on.
Michigan vs. LSU
The Tigers are looking to be competitive once again. The Johnny Jones era turned out to be a disaster as LSU was only decent with No.1 pick Ben Simmons on the roster and bottomed out without Simmons last season. Will Wade is here to turn the program around and has some very talented freshmen and transfers coming in. It will take some time to mold them together though.
Michigan lost a lot of its talent this offseason, but John Beilein has the Wolverines off to a hot start. They are 3-0 and should be favored against the Tigers in this one.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Notre Dame and Wichita State are going to be your favorites in this one, but don’t be surprised if Chaminade gives the loser of Michigan-LSU a game. Both teams are relatively inexperienced and may struggle.
College Basketball Odds: Ride the chalk in the Maui Invitational
BookMaker.eu offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker.eu!
