Sportsbook.com offers NIT odds

NEW YORK –- (PRESS RELEASE) -- College hoops are back and what a way to start off the season! Four top 25 teams, including last year's March Madness finalists UCLA, are in action in the annual Maui Invitational while one of the biggest favorites for this year's national title, North Carolina, tips off in the pre-season NIT. Sportsbook.com, the world's largest online sportsbook and casino, has odds on all the teams.

The NIT starts on November 13 when Butler plays Notre Dame in the opening game. North Carolina, ranked number two in the AP polls, is a 1-2 bet to take the title, followed by everyone's favorite underdog, Gonzaga at 9-2. # 25 Tennessee and Indiana, with new coach Kelvin Sampson at the helm, are both 6-1 bets. Sacred Heart appears to be the sacrificial lamb, taking on the Tar Heels in their opening game. They have been saddled with 1,000-1 odds. The final will be played on November 24 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

The field in the Maui Invitational is stacked with quality teams and intriguing match-ups. It all gets going on November 20 with # 14 ranked Memphis battling Oklahoma. Purdue meets # 23 Georgia Tech with # 22 Kentucky facing DePaul. The home team, Chaminade University, hosts # 6 UCLA. Chaminade has an all-time 4-60 record in the tournament.

The Bruins are the favorites at 3-2 followed by Memphis at 9-5 and Georgia Tech at 4-1. This year's Kentucky team is not as highly ranked as most seasons and face a senior laden Blue Demons squad that many are touting as the potential surprise team in the Big East. A DePaul win against the Wildcats could signal the start of a return to prominence for a once powerhouse program. The Maui Invitational final will be played on November 22.

Everybody bets on college basketball and after George Mason's improbable run to the Final Four last year at the March Madness tournament, bettors will be more than willing to place their money on a long shot.