CBB Feast Week: Players Era Festival, Maui Invitational picks

Welcome to Feast Week. Aside from conference tournaments and March Madness, this is the most exciting time in the college basketball calendar, as teams travel all over the country to compete in holiday tournaments against nonconference opponents. We're focusing on three of the major tournaments: the Players Era Festival, the Maui Invitational, and the Battle 4 Atlantis. We've picked winners for each one to provide a rooting interest as you inhale college basketball over the next few days.

👉 You can find the full tournament odds on ESPN BET and theScore Bet here

🏀 Players Era Festival odds

🏆 Winner: Alabama (+1500)

The Players Era Festival has become the premier holiday tournament as 18 marquee programs gather in Las Vegas to compete for the crown and, more importantly, a $1-million NIL prize for the winner.

This field is loaded with national title contenders. Houston, Gonzaga, Alabama, St. John's, Michigan, Tennessee, and others could easily earn Final Four trips in March. For now, bank on Alabama.

The Crimson Tide are as battle-tested as any team in the country. They've already played three top-15 opponents, defeating St. John's and Illinois but losing to current No. 1 Purdue.

Labaron Philon Jr. and Aden Holloway lead a prolific offense that features seven players averaging at least nine points. While they haven't shot particularly well from three, Alabama's fast-paced attack puts pressure on opposing defenses. The Crimson Tide own the nation's seventh-best offensive rating, per KenPom. When the defense falls behind, Alabama can score with any team in the country. Depth is key in tournaments like these, and Alabama could be the deepest team in the field.

Alabama's odds are longer because it plays Gonzaga in the opener Monday night. The loser will almost certainly be eliminated from championship contention in a group-play format. If Alabama can get past Gonzaga, those odds will shorten dramatically.

😴 Sleeper: Auburn (+3000)

Auburn suffered a scare in its opener, needing overtime to defeat Bethune-Cookman. While the Tigers have mostly played inferior competition, their most impressive performance came in a one-point loss to No. 2 Houston. They have a top-20 offense nationally and a deep roster of scoring guards. Auburn also has a manageable group-play schedule: It's a favorite over Oregon in its opening game Monday night and then faces Michigan on Tuesday, potentially setting up a championship trip.

🏀 Maui Invitational odds

🏆 Winner: USC (+275)

The Maui Invitational was once the main event of Feast Week, but it's lost its luster as event organizers have failed to assemble an NIL prize to compete with other tournaments. None of the nation's top programs are competing in Hawaii, but some noteworthy schools are making the trip.

NC State is undergoing a resurgence under Will Wade. While the Wolfpack hasn't played any stiff competition this season, they should compete for the ACC title. However, they're the obvious choice among the Maui field. USC is our pick for the week.

The Trojans have the nation's 24th-best net rating and one of the top backcourts, with Auburn transfer Chad Baker-Mazara and Maryland transfer Rodney Rice each averaging at least 20 points per game. Ezra Ausar and Jacob Cofie are a reliable forward duo. USC is an underrated group and has a backcourt that can power it to three wins in three days.

🏀 Battle 4 Atlantis odds

🏆 Winner: Saint Mary's (+260)

Saint Mary's is on the same tier as Vanderbilt and easily capable of knocking off the Commodores. Although Saint Mary's has played weak competition in its 6-0 start, it's annihilated its opponents and looked like a cohesive unit.

The Gaels have guard depth with Mikey Lewis, Joshua Dent, and Liam Campbell. They also have an imposing frontcourt that's helped produce a top-20 defense in the country. They're no strangers to playing high-major teams in a tournament setting. Without any daunting opponents in the field, Saint Mary's should feel confident it can come out on top.

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Sam Oshtry is a sports writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more basketball coverage.