Maui Invitational: Best Bets, Picks and Predictions

Second-ranked and two-time defending national champion UConn Huskies, winners of 17 straight games, leads a talented eight-team field at this week’s Maui Invitational.

The 40th anniversary of the tournament features the Huskies, as well as No. 4 Auburn, No. 5 Iowa State, and No. 10 North Carolina. The eight teams involved currently boast a combined 31-2 record, with both losses coming to top-ranked Kansas.

Seven of the eight teams in this year’s field qualified for the NCAA Tournament in March. Three schools reached the round of 16, and coach Danny Hurley and UConn cut down the nets for the second straight season.

The Huskies have won the Maui Invitational twice before, in 2005 and 2010. North Carolina has won the holiday tournament four times, finished runner-up three times, and compiled a 22-4 record overall.  

The tournament kicks off from the Lahaina Civic Center on Monday when UConn plays Memphis at 2:30 PM ET. 

2024 Maui Invitational first-round betting picks and predictions

Memphis vs. Connecticut: Connecticut -9.0 (-110)

The Huskies appear ready for a third straight national title run. After two years as a solid peripheral contributor, Alex Karaban steps into the star role for the Huskies, with All-American expectations. He leads the team with 16.3 points and 3.2 blocks per game.

Returning contributors Solo Ball (13.5 ppg), Jayden Ross (9.3 ppg) and Hassan Diarra (team-high 4.5 apg) have stepped up their games, while freshman Liam McNeeley (13.5 ppg, 7 rpg) and transfers Tarris Reed Jr. (Michigan) and Aidan Mahaney (St. Mary’s) round out a roster that looks able to go 9-or-10 deep.

The Huskies have outscored four overmatched foes by an average of nearly 38 points a game. 

Memphis, which like UConn is currently 4-0, is paced by a talented group of transfers, led by PJ Haggerty averaging 22.5 points per game. Tyrese Hunter (13.3 ppg), Colby Rogers (11 ppg) and Dain Dainja (10 ppg, 7 rpg) are all averaging in double figures for the Tigers, who have enjoyed solid wins over Missouri and San Francisco already.

The Huskies, who finished 37-3 last season, don’t have an off button. That’s not how Hurley works. They won’t look past a tough Tigers squad.

Look for UConn to apply the pressure early and often and cover the -9.0 spread as favorites in their tournament opener.

Dayton vs. North Carolina: North Carolina -7.5 (-110)

The Connecticut-Memphis contest opens the first day of tournament action on Monday. The Dayton Flyers' matchup with the No. 10 North Carolina Tar Heels closes it. 

The Flyers, who finished 25-8 before losing to Arizona in the second round of the NCAA tournament, are normally good for an upset or two, but it has been a while since the team knocked off a ranked non-conference opponent.

Dayton has looked impressive in its 5-0 start, averaging 77 points a game and handing New Mexico State and Northwestern their only losses to date. Enoch Cheeks (15 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 5.6 apg, 3.2 spg) directs the Flyers at both ends of the floor.

The Tar Heels had 29 wins and a Sweet 16 appearance last year, and RJ Davis (17.8 ppg, 4.5 apg) again commands the team. The preseason ACC Player of the Year is joined by veterans Elliot Cadeau, (16 ppg, 6.8 apg), Seth Trimble (15 ppg) and Jalen Washington (10.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg).

The Tar Heels took Kansas to the wire before falling 92-89 two weeks ago. Three different players – Davis, Trimble, and Cadeau – have already led the team in scoring just four games into the season.

UNC has too much firepower for the Flyers. Look for the Tar Heels to pull away in the second half and cover the -7.5 spread.

2024 Maui Invitational outright picks

Connecticut (+150)

With four ranked teams in the tournament and UConn’s new nucleus yet to be tested, this field appears wide open.

But the Huskies will get their feet wet with Memphis, followed by the winner of Michigan State vs. Colorado before having to matchup with either Auburn, Iowa State, or North Carolina. 

This team may lose sometime in this tournament, but the odds favor Hurley cutting down nets yet again. Our experts are expecting another strong multi-day performance by the Huskies. 

Auburn (+300)

Connecticut is the deserved favorite, but it's fourth-ranked Auburn that possesses the most impressive win of the season so far. After annihilating traditional America East power Vermont by 51 points to open the season, the Tigers traveled to Texas and knocked off then-No. 4 Houston, 74-69.

Johni Broome has picked up where he left off last season when he was named to the SEC’s first team. He leads the Tigers with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks per game. That includes a 20-point, nine-rebound performance in the win over Houston.

This is a tough group of players - led by veteran coach Bruce Pearl - who are still miffed about their first-round exit from last year’s NCAA Tournament. They have the talent and depth to potentially knock off three ranked squads (Iowa State, North Carolina, Connecticut) in a row in Maui.

Read more betting picks and predictions for College Basketball on site.

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.