CBB Feast Week tournaments betting preview

Feast Week is one of the most anticipated weeks of the season among college basketball fans. Tournaments featuring epic non-conference contests are taking place throughout the country, giving people a chance to see how some of the contenders match up. It also allows other teams a chance to earn wins that could prove crucial when the bracket is revealed in March.

Let's get to the odds and previews for some of the top-tier tournaments.

Maui Invitational odds

Semifinal matchups:

• Marquette vs. Kansas, (-4.5, O/U 157.5) Tuesday at 10:30 p.m. ET
• Tennessee vs. Purdue, (-2.5, O/U 134.5) Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET

• Syracuse vs. Gonzaga, (-12.5, O/U 160.5) Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. ET
• Chaminade vs. UCLA, (No line available) Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET

• Teams TBD, Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET

The Maui Invitational is celebrating its 40th anniversary this season. To honor the prestigious event, the field is packed with premier programs.

In Monday night's quarterfinals, Marquette overcame a second-half deficit to defeat UCLA and Purdue handled Gonzaga.

The semifinals will showcase some of the best non-conference games fans will see all season. Kansas, Marquette, Tennessee, and Purdue are all ranked in the top seven of the AP Poll.

Both Kansas and Marquette have already been battle-tested this season. Kansas narrowly defeated Kentucky last week, while Marquette bested a UCLA squad destined to compete for a Pac-12 title.

Kansas struggled against Kentucky's athleticism: The Wildcats grabbed 21 offensive rebounds against the Jayhawks. Look for Marquette to try to exploit that.

Tennessee defends at a high level - the team boasts the best adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom - but it doesn't have the frontcourt depth to stop Purdue's Zach Edey.

Best bets: Purdue -2.5 and Marquette +4.5

Battle 4 Atlantis odds

Opening matchups:

• Northern Iowa vs. North Carolina, Wednesday at 12 p.m. ET
• Texas Tech vs. Villanova, Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. ET
• Michigan vs. Memphis, Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET
• Stanford vs. Arkansas, Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET

The Battle 4 Atlantis is filled with marquee programs expected to have middling seasons in their respective conferences.

North Carolina hasn't gone up against any legitimate competition this season after missing the NCAA Tournament last year. This tournament will be their first true test and should be a great chance to see how their new-look roster fares against solid opponents. Despite being the favorite and keeping Armando Bacot and RJ Davis in the fold, it's hard to trust a team that relies on a bunch of transfers.

Memphis and Michigan are two long shots to keep an eye on. The winner of that opening night matchup has a good shot at winning this tournament. Memphis was one of my long shots to make the Final Four.

Many expected a down year for Michigan after the program lost key pieces to the draft and transfer portal. However, the team beat St. John's as underdogs in an impressive manner last week and followed that performance with an upset loss to Long Beach State. This contest will serve as a barometer for where these two teams stand before conference play opens up next month.

Villanova's the best pick to win this event. The Wildcats are deep and athletic. They have shooters all over the floor and defend at a high level. Sure, they lost to Big 5 opponent Penn last week, but they dismantled Maryland last Friday. Returners Justin Moore and Eric Dixon are surrounded by complementary pieces, which creates a Villanova roster primed for a great season. This is the tournament to prove that.

Best bet: Villanova +450

NIT Season Tip-Off odds

Opening matchups:

• Oregon State vs. Baylor, Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET
• Pittsburgh vs. Florida, Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. ET

Baylor is the favorite for a reason: With an impressive win over Auburn to open the season, they boast a 4-0 record. They're also ranked 10th in the country, according to KenPom.

Baylor's suffocating defense has become a staple in the Big 12, but its offense has been carrying the team so far this season. The Bears have the sixth-best adjusted offensive efficiency rating.

This is also a pretty weak field. Florida should compete in the SEC, although it lost a close contest to Virginia in its second game of the year.

Pittsburgh and Oregon State, however, won't be particularly competitive in their respective conferences.

Florida and Baylor should meet in the championship on Friday.

Best bet: Baylor -165

ESPN Invitational odds

Opening matchups:

• Penn State vs. Texas A&M, Thursday at 12 p.m. ET
• Butler vs. Florida Atlantic, Thursday at 2:30 p.m ET
• Iowa State vs. VCU, Thursday at 5:30 p.m. ET
• Boise State vs. Virginia Tech, Thursday at 8 p.m. ET

Florida Atlantic likely would've been the favorite heading into the ESPN Invitational if the team didn't lose to Bryant while scoring 52 points last week. FAU returned the core pieces from that magical Final Four run last March, but the program was still overhyped entering this season.

FAU entered a tougher conference, and although conference play hasn't begun, roadblocks have already arrived. With sleepers Penn State and Virginia Tech - along with the favorite Texas A&M - lurking, I wouldn't bet on the Owls.

Texas A&M has the third-best odds to win the SEC. The Aggies haven't played a cupcake schedule to open the season. They beat Ohio State on the road, followed by home victories over SMU and Oral Roberts. This event will feature some of their toughest tests yet - but there's no doubt they're the best team in Orlando this year.

Best bet: Texas A&M +225

Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @soshtry for more betting coverage.