Sports Picks & Predictions

We played on Syracuse and Virginia to go under the total last Saturday and it was one of the worst total beats you will see. It went over the total by 31 points which may not seem like a bad beat at all but consider the fact that after scoreless first quarter, 35 fourth quarter points were scored including two defensive touchdowns. Then the game was sent into overtime on a field goal as time expired and then 34 overtime points were scored. That made it six straight games that have gone over the total to start the season after closing last season with six straight unders. Pittsburgh meanwhile is coming off a high scoring game against Georgia Tech which is also playing into this total. The number this week is slightly higher than it was last week despite playing a Syracuse offense that is ranked 110th in the nation in total offense compared to the Yellow Jackets being ranked 61st in total offense. Georgia Tech does have a better defense but not much as it is ranked 52nd compared to 69th for Syracuse. This has been a very low scoring series of late, averaging 32.3 ppg with all three of those staying well below the total. Going back, Syracuse is 25-11 to the under in its last 36 games after allowing 37 points or more last game and 17-6 to the under in its last 23 games after three or more consecutive straight up losses. Meanwhile, the under is 5-2 in the Panthers last seven games after allowing more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game. 10* Under (325) Pittsburgh Panthers/(326) Syracuse Orange

Probably one of the biggest surprises this season has been the Cleveland offense as the Browns are averaging 377.4 ypg and 23.6 ppg after coming into the season which looked like a hapless quarterback situation. They are ranked eighth in total offense and 13th in scoring offense but now they face a big test in the Broncos defense which leads the league in fewest yards allowed and is second in scoring defense. Even with Demarcus Ware sitting this one out and Aqib Talib hurting with an ankle injury, Cleveland should have a difficult time consistently moving the ball here. While the Browns defense has been very poor, don't expect Denver to fare too well. The Broncos are averaging 302 ypg which is 30th overall while their seven interceptions, all on Peyton Manning, sits 31st. Manning's 79 pass attempts against the blitz rank second most in the NFL, according to STATS, LLC. He's on pace to throw 212 passes against blitzes, more than any quarterback last season while his 12 passing plays of more than 20 yards ranks 26th and he has completed only five of 19 passes of at least 21 yards. The running game is not helping out as Denver is averaging just 71. 6 ypg which is 30th in the league. Cleveland has gone over the total in all five of its games which is adding value to this total. The Browns are 6-0 to the under in their last six games against winning teams and both teams fall into the same situation where we play the under involving teams where the total is between 42.5 and 49 points in conference games, off a division game. This situation is 169-111 ATS (60.4 percent) the last five seasons. 10* Under (251) Denver Broncos/(252) Cleveland Browns

Kansas City has lost four straight games following a season opening win and now has to move forward without the services of running back Jamaal Charles. While that seems to hurt the offense, it could very do the opposite at least early on as it should open things up. The Chiefs are coming off a very low scoring games against the Bears but it needs to be noted that the first four games of the season all went over the total. The real issue is the defense as the Chiefs went through a stretch of allowing 31, 38 and 36 points three consecutive games and while the Vikings offense isn't perceived as a strong one, they should have great success here. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has learned to slide and move up in the pocket when his edge blockers don't hold and he can exploit the lack of depth in the Chiefs secondary by working out of three-wide sets. And of course there is Adrian Peterson who is averaging 113.7 ypg and is capable of breaking a long one every time he touches the ball. Minnesota has gone under the total in all four of its games so we are bucking that trend in what looks to be a good matchup on both sides for the offense. Kansas City is 22-9 to the over in its last 31 games after three or more consecutive losses against the spread since 1992 while Minnesota is 18-7 to the over in its last 25 games off a cover where it lost as an underdog. Additionally, Kansas City falls into a situation favoring a high scoring game where we play the over involving road teams that are coming off a loss as a home favorite, in the first half of the season. This situation is 78-41 (65.5 percent) to the over the last 10 seasons. 10* Over (255) Kansas City Chiefs/(256) Minnesota Vikings

The Steelers are back home following a win Monday night on the west coast over San Diego as time ran out which brought it to 3-2 on the season as it looks to keep pace with the Bengals until Ben Roethlisberger gets back. While the defense has been getting some bad pub, it has actually been holding its own as the Steelers have allowed 16.8 ppg over their last four games. They will be challenged here against the Cardinals that are averaging 38 ppg which is the highest in the NFL but they have been fortunate to square off against some very bad defenses. The one defense that held them in check was the Rams and expect another inconsistent effort here. On the other side, the Steelers offense has been pretty bad with Michael Vick at quarterback. He did nothing against Baltimore as Pittsburgh put up just 263 yards and against the Chargers, it posted just 349 yards with the majority of that being in the final two scoring drives in the fourth quarter. Arizona has a very strong defense as it is ranked eighth in total defense and fifth in scoring defense, allowing 332.4 ypg and 18.0 ppg respectively. The Cardinals have gone over in all five games so we are again bucking a season opening trend with the value sitting on the other side. Additionally, the Cardinals fall into a situation favoring a low scoring game as we play the under involving teams with a winning percentage of .750 or better where the total is between 42.5 and 49 points after having won three out of their last four games, playing a team with a winning percentage between .501 and .600. This situation is 33-11 (75 percent) to the under since 1983. 10* Under (263) Arizona Cardinals/(264) Pittsburgh Steelers

Georgia last lost two straight games to fall from out of playoff consideration and this feels like the game that the offense is going to explode. The Bulldogs are averaging 37.3 ppg on the season while putting up 451.3 ypg and with the absence of running back Nick Chubb, we should see the Bulldogs air the ball out more. Georgia now is seeing its smallest total of the season and one that is close to two touchdowns lower than that of last week. Part of that is due to the opponent as Missouri has struggled on offense in half of its games but the potential is there against a defense that has been gashed the last two games. The total is low as expected because of the inconsistent offense with another reason being the Tigers going under the total in all six of their games this season. Quarterback Maty Mauk will not be in uniform against and freshman Drew Lock will be making his third start which is typically the time quarterbacks start becoming more comfortable. His first start came against South Carolina and Georgia's defense is more in line with the Gamecocks defense as opposed to Florida who he faced last week and struggled. The Gatos defense is ranked 16th in the nation in total defense. Missouri falls into a great situation for a high scoring game as we play the over involving teams where the total is between 42.5 and 49 coming off three or more consecutive unders, and averaging between 16.5 and 21 ppg going up against teams averaging 21 and 28 ppg. This situation is 32-10 (76.2 percent) to the over since 1992. 10* Over (165) Missouri Tigers/(166) Georgia Bulldogs

Appalachian St. is coming off its first conference win over Georgia St. as it hung 37 points on the Panthers as the offense remains explosive. The Mountaineers played a game against Clemson and its 13th ranked defense so take that game out and they are averaging 41.5 ppg and surpassing that number this week should be no issue. They face a ULM defense that is allowing 412.8 ypg and 34 ppg, 87th and 101st in the nation respectively so there will once again be little resistance. Surprisingly, Appalachian St. has stayed under the total in all five of its games but the matchups have had a lot to do with that and this one screams over. The Warhawks offense has been pretty solid against like opposition as take out games against Georgia and Alabama and they are averaging 34 ppg in their other three games. They will be facing a tough defense so it is not going to be easy for ULM but playing at home certainly helps and we are not asking them to even come close to that 34 ppg average as most of the points will be coming from the other side. The Warhawks have gone under the total in three of their last four which is also because of matchups. This week, the Mountaineers are seeing their lowest posted total and ULM is seeing its second lowest. The over is 28-13-1 in the Warhawks last 42 games against teams with a winning record including a 4-0 over run in their four home games vs. a team with a winning road record. This one should fly over the number. 10* Over (185) Appalachian St. Mountaineers/(186) ULM Warhawks

Virginia opened the season with an under against UCLA with the closing total being 53. Since then, the Cavaliers have had no games go under the total and all of those closed in the 40's. On the other side, Syracuse is a perfect 5-0 to the over on the season and like Virginia, all of those totals closed in the 40's. Because of the high scoring games (Syracuse is averaging 55.6 ppg and Virginia is averaging 58 ppg) the total this week is the highest both teams have seen. Granted the total is still below what each team is averaging in its games but because the number is way above what they are accustomed with, the value is big. The defenses of both sides are not great but the offenses do not have much going for them and will still find it tough going. Syracuse is 108th in total offense while Virginia is 99th in total offense and typically when a poor offense goes up against a poor defense, the latter succeeds more the majority of the time. Syracuse offensive coordinator Tim Lester has struggled to establish the run early in the last couple games, but don't expect him to abandon course with freshman Eric Dungey at quarterback. Running back Jordan Fredericks should test a Virginia defense that's allowed more than 4.5 ypc this season and of course, more running the better as it eats more clock. Syracuse is 31-12 to the under in its last 43 games after being outgained by 17 or more total yards in its previous game while Virginia has gone 8-1-1 to the under in its last 10 ACC games. 10* Under (137) Syracuse Orange/(138) Virginia Cavaliers

Last week we saw a massive number of game going under the total in college football with 45 of 57 games falling below the number and while the percentage in the NFL was not as big, 10 of 15 games stayed under the total. While we aren't seeing quite the same value shift this week across the board, this is one game that could feasibly turn into a shootout. The Eagles came into the season ready to put up some big offensive displays but we have yet to see that as all four of their games have stayed under the total. Philadelphia averaged 29.6 ppg last season and this year, it is averaging just 19.5 ppg and is ranked 29th in total offense. This unit is bound to turn things around at some point and this could very well be the breakout game. The Saints are allowing 381.5 ypg and 26 ppg, both of which are 24th in the league. They also are coming off an under last week despite going into overtime and while that was their best defensive effort of the season, going back to see them allow 27 points to Carolina and 26 points to Tampa Bay shows this defense is not very good. On the other side, the Eagles have been solid on defense while New Orleans has been average on offense but we should see a fast paced game here which can no doubt help Drew Brees and the offense. The Saints are 6-0 to the over in their last six games in the first half of the season while going 8-0 ATS in their last eight games against teams averaging 70 or fewer rushing ypg. Meanwhile, the over is 5-1 in the Eagles last six games against teams with a losing record while the over is 10-4 in their last 14 games after allowing more than 350 total yards in their previous game. 10* Over (461) New Orleans Saints/(462) Philadelphia Eagles

Last week was an almost unprecedented week where the under came in 45 of 57 lined games in college football and that has affected the totals for many of this week's games, especially for those teams that are on under runs. We will be using both of these to our advantage for the three games we are playing the over in. This is a situation where both teams have seen a huge majority of their games go under the number. Colorado is coming off its third straight under and fourth in fifth games as 65 points were scored against Oregon but that was still not enough to push it over. In five games, the posted closing total wax in the 60's while the other was at 56.5 so the Buffaloes are facing their lowest total of the season. Colorado is ranked 38th in total offense so it has the ability to move the ball. Arizona St. meanwhile has seen all five of its games stay below the number which is also part of the reason of the huge overadjustment this week. Both offense and defense have been up and down and overall, the Sun Devils are ranked 44th in total offense and 60th in total defense. All five of the Sun Devils games have had closing totals in the 60's so there is huge value in their side of this total as well. While the teams are a combined 9-1 to the under, that would go to 5-5 had the total be what they are using this week. Colorado is 11-3 to the over in its last 14 games when playing against a team with a winning record and 21-5 to the over in its last 26 games after scoring 20 points or more in the first half in two straight games while Arizona St. is 10-2 to the over in its last 12 games after failing to cover the spread in two out of its last three games. Over (369) Colorado Buffaloes/(370) Arizona St. Sun Devils

Last week was an almost unprecedented week where the under came in 45 of 57 lined games in college football and that has affected the totals for many of this week's games, especially for those teams that are on under runs. We will be using both of these to our advantage for the three games we are playing the over in. This is the biggest contrarian situation of all three and we are catching an unheard of number in the college game. Michigan and Northwestern bring in two of the best defenses in the country as the Wolverines are ranked 2nd in total defense and 2nd in scoring defense while the Wildcats are ranked 5th in total defense and 1st in scoring defense. Those are obviously some incredible rankings but we have to take a look at the opposition. Of the nine FBS teams that they have faced, the total offense rankings are 112th, 64th, 63rd, 31st, 114th, 81st, 87th, 111th and 76th. So the schedules have been very favorable. Because of the stout defenses, both teams have stayed below the number in all five of their games and because of that, we are getting great value on this adjusted total. Rarely do you see a college game with an over/under in the mid-30's but that is the case here. While the defenses could still control the game, it will not take a lot for this one to go over. Michigan has a great situation on its side to go high as we play the over involving teams that are averaging 4.8 or more ypc going up against a team averaging between 3.5 to 4.3 ypc, after allowing 1.5 or less ypc last game. This situation is 36-9 (80 percent) to the over the last five seasons. Additionally, Northwestern is 17-6 to the over in its last 23 games against teams who allow 14 or fewer ppg. Over (373) Northwestern Wildcats/(374) Michigan Wolverines

Last week was an almost unprecedented week where the under came in 45 of 57 lined games in college football and that has affected the totals for many of this week's games, especially for those teams that are on under runs. We will be using both of these to our advantage for the three games we are playing the over in. Toledo is expected to win the MAC West behind an offense that averaged close to 500 ypg and 36.6 ppg a season ago. While only five starters are back, the quarterback, leading rusher and leading receiver are three of those. The Rockets are averaging 26.8 ppg which is a significant decline but they have scored 30 or more points two times. Because of the offense not hitting its potential and a defense that has overachieved, Toledo has gone under the total in all four games. Kent St. meanwhile is coming off a low scoring game against Miami Ohio which was its second under in four games. The total against the RedHawks closed at 43 and we are seeing a very light increase here despite playing an offense that is significantly better. As for Toledo, this is the lowest over/under it has seen this season by over 10 points so it is a massive overadjustment. It should be noted that Kent St.'s two best defensive efforts came against teams ranked 105th and 112th in total offense and 121st and 126th in scoring offense. The over is 5-1 in the Golden Flashes last six games after allowing more than 280 yards passing in their previous game while the over is 20-7 in Toledo's last 27 home games when playing against a team with a losing record and the over is 15-3 in its last 18 home games after outgaining opponent by 125 or more total yards in its previous game. Over (333) Kent St. Golden Flashes/(334) Toledo Rockets

Both Washington and USC are coming off an under in their last games which is providing some value heading into this one. The Huskies have gone under the total in three of four games with the lone game going over by just 2.5 points while USC is 2-2 with totals with one of those games going over by just 1.5 points. The USC defense is not as good as it may look as far as points allowed, which sits at 17.5 ppg. The Trojans are allowing 410 ypg on the season which is 90th in the country and that includes holding Idaho to 311 total yards. In the last game against Arizona St., USC allowed just 14 points but gave up 454 total yards and was the beneficiary of four Sun Devils turnovers. Washington meanwhile is allowing just 15.8 ppg and 321 ypg which is 17th and 29th in the nation but those numbers and rankings are skewed because of a game against Sacramento St. of the FCS where they pitched a shutout and gave up 212 total yards. Take that game out of the equation and the numbers are much more average. Washington allowed 481 yards to California in its last game and while that offense is great, the Trojans offense is even better. The Trojans fall into a solid situation favoring a high scoring game as we play the over involving teams off a win by 10 points or more over a conference rival going up against opponent off an upset loss as a home favorite. This situation is 63-28 (69.2 percent) over the last five seasons. Additionally, Washington is 18-5 to the over in its last 23 road games teams averaging 37 or more ppg while USC is 12-2 to the over in its last 14 home games after scoring 31 points or more in four straight games. 10* Over (305) Washington Huskies/(306)USC Trojans

We are basing this on contrarian theory as we have seen some low scoring games between these two teams. Connecticut has seen all four of its games go under the total as the offense has really struggled to move the ball and to score as the Huskies are ranked 120th in total offense and 125th in scoring offense. Something says they get it going this week however as BYU has allowed at least 24 points in each game. The Cougars have gone under in each of their last two games as the offense is coming off a pair of bad efforts. They will be facing another tough defense but returning home will make a big difference as they tallied 35 points in their lone home game this season against Boise St. and the Broncos have a better defense than Connecticut. BYU is ranked 107th in total offense as the running game has held it back but it is tied for first in the nation in redzone offense. These teams played last season and while that game stayed below the total, it closed over a touchdown higher than what the number is this year. The Cougars have not seen a total this low since 2012 which represents a big overreaction to what has transpired early in the season. 10* Over (109) Connecticut Huskies/(110) BYU Cougars

We played on Cincinnati last week as it lost but was able to cover in its shootout with Memphis. That was the fourth straight game to go over the total for the Bearcats and because of that, we are seeing a ridiculously high number this week. Miami meanwhile has gone over the total in two of three games including the last two with the lone game staying under being a game against FCS Bethune Cookman. This is the highest total the Hurricanes have seen this season so we are definitely getting value going the other way. Both offenses have been leading the way but the defenses should be able to have success here. Cincinnati had to tangle with one of the best offenses in the nation last week and it takes a step down here. Miami meanwhile is ranked 27th in total defense while sitting 13th in passing efficiency defense. The Bearcats will be without Gunner Kiel at quarterback after suffering a scary head injury last week and while backup Hayden Moore was sensational, there will be a lot more resistance here. Miami 6-0 to the under in its last six games after gaining 6.25 or more yppl in three consecutive games over the last three seasons while Cincinnati is 19-8 to the under in its last 27 games after scoring 42 points or more last game. 10* Under (103) Miami Hurricanes/(104) Cincinnati Bearcats

Tennessee has put together two high scoring games but the last one can be discounted against Western Carolina of the FCS. The first came against Bowling Green but the Falcons have no defense to speak of and the Volunteers will be facing its toughest defensive test of the season. In their game against Oklahoma, they were shutout in the second half and 12 points in overtime skewed the final score that still remained under the total. Florida has also been involved in two high scoring games but is coming off a defensive game against Kentucky last week. The Gators will also be facing its toughest defense so far so do not expect results like the ones from their first two games. Both teams fall into great low scoring situations. For Tennessee, we play the under involving teams where the total is between 42.5 and 49 in a game involving two teams outscoring opponents by 10 or more ppg, after scoring 24 points or more in the first half last game. This situation is 58-25 (70 percent) to the under the last 10 seasons. For Florida, we play the under involving teams where the total is between 42.5 and 49 in a game involving two teams outscoring opponents by 10 or more ppg, after allowing three points or less in the first half last game. This situation is 42-15 (73.7 percent) to the under the last 10 seasons. 10* Under (357) Tennessee Volunteers/(358) Florida Gators

The first two games of this playoff series have gone over the total but I expect a reversal of that for this series finale. They have gone over by a fairly large margin as well sl we should see public backing on another high scoring game but I believe those were flukes more than anything else. The Mystics and Liberty had four regular season meetings with three of those going under the total, all by significant amounts, and the only reason the fourth meeting went over the total was because of overtime. We have to remember these are two of the top three shooting defenses in the WNBA and the top two defenses in the league as far as points allowed. Both teams have solid situations favoring a low scoring game. First we play the under involving home teams where the total is greater than or equal to 140 off a win by 10 points or more over a division rival, in August or September games. This situation is 63-25 (71.6 percent) to the under the last five seasons. Second we play the under involving road teams where the total is greater than or equal to 140 revenging a home loss against opponent off a win by 10 points or more over a division rival. This situation is 42-16 (72.4 percent) the last five seasons. Additionally, New York is 20-5 to the under after scoring 80 points or more in two straight games while Washington is 15-4 to the under after allowing 80 points or more the last two seasons. 10* Under (621) Washington Mystics/(622) New York Liberty

Quarterback is a huge area of concern for Northwestern as senior Zack Oliver, sophomore Matt Alviti and redshirt freshman Clayton Thorson competed closely throughout the spring but no one broke away. Thorson has been named the starter so we cannot expect to see a lot of explosiveness from the Wildcats. There are a ton of unknowns around him as well as the running backs and wide receivers lack experience. Stanford lost a lot on defense as well so that unit will be rather green but there is a lot of potential and when comparing the Northwestern offense and the Stanford defense, the latter has the biggest upside. Stanford ranked 3rd nationally last year in defensive rushing S&P+, and 4th in passing S&P+, while Northwestern ranked 111th out of 129 teams in offensive S&P+. The Wildcats defense was not very good last season as they were riddled with injuries but the players that were forced into action gained valuable experience. They are not going to be an elite unit but they will be good enough to keep Stanford from going off. The Cardinal offense brings back four of five starters from the offensive line and the running game will be at the forefront after last season, they failed to produce a 1,000-yard rusher for the first time since 2007. Under head coach David Shaw, Stanford is 18-4 to the under in its 22 road games while under head coach Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern is 13-4 to the under in its 17 non-conference home games. 10* Under (171) Stanford Cardinal/(172) Northwestern Wildcats

*Note 3:35 PM ET start* Washington and Phoenix had their first meeting of the season just five days ago and that resulted in an eight-point Washington victory. The game also went under the total and we will be going opposite of that today. It was the second straight under for Washington which was expended to three straight unders following its most recent game at Seattle on Sunday. Phoenix meanwhile has gone under in its last two games and the recent trends from both sides along with the recent meeting are keeping today's total way down. As a matter of fact, it is the second lowest total the Mystics have seen and it is the lowest total for the Mercury on the season. the total from Friday's meeting closed at 143.5 so you can see the value in this one that is taking place less than a week later. Even though both defenses are two of the best in the league, Phoenix and Washington allow 68.7 and 67.2 shots per game respectively which are second and third most in the WNBA. 10* Over (651) Washington Mystics/(652) Phoenix Mercury

This is a big game in the Western Conference between Minnesota and Phoenix as the Lynx hold on to a two-game lead over the Mercury with just four games remaining after this so the conference could pretty much be decided after tonight with a home win. We are concentrating on the total tonight however as everything is lining up for a high scoring game which has been a rarity of late for both teams as well as in the season series. Phoenix has gone under the total in three straight games but the last two over/unders have closed at 163.5 while the other one stayed below the number by just a half point. Minnesota meanwhile has gone under the total in four straight games with three of those coming very close to the final total. As far as the season series, the first four games have all stayed under the number with all four of those closing number being lower than the last and tonight marks the lowest of them all. This is where the value comes into play. This is just the second time all season that Minnesota has had a total of less than 145.5 and that first game went over. Meanwhile, Phoenix has had three prior totals of 145 or less and all three of those went over as well. So for Sunday we are catching a great number and great situations for a big offensive game. 10* Over (653) Phoenix Mercury/(654) Minnesota Lynx

We played on the Los Angeles/Indiana under on Wednesday and a 46-point first quarter doomed us right from the start. We are coming back with the under again here though as the Sparks have gone over the total in each of their last three games to open this roadtrip and the value is again on the other side. Tulsa is coming off a high scoring game last time out but it took overtime for that one to eclipse the total. And the Shock are in a good spot for a lower scoring game because of it. The defense was a big issue during its 10-game losing skid but the stop unit has been solid during the last two contests as they have allowed opponents to shoot just 39 percent from the floor. They could catch another break tonight as the Sparks second-leading scorer Nneka Ogwumike has missed the past four games due to concussion-like symptoms and could be out again tonight. Los Angeles is 9-5 to the over when the total is less than 150 while going 8-5 to the under when it is 150 or more. Recent games is also helping as the Sparks are 19-5 to the under in their last 24 games after scoring 75 points or more in three straight games while Tulsa is 16-6 to the under in its last 22 home games after scoring 80 points or more. 10* Under (657) Los Angeles Sparks/(658) Tulsa Shock

We took advantage of an overinflated total yesterday which didn't even come into play and we will do so again here. Los Angeles heads to Indiana riding a two-game winning streak, both coming on the road and both games going over the total. They barely went over however as they eclipsed the number by a combined two and a half points but because they surpassed the over/under, we are seeing a number higher tonight than either of those two previous games. Indiana meanwhile has won six straight and nine of its last 10 games to keep pace with New York in the Eastern Conference as it trails the Liberty by just one game. The Fever are coming off an over in their most recent win which came after a string of four straight unders. These teams met in Los Angeles just over a week ago and that game stayed under the total. Los Angeles and Indiana are a combined 14-5 to the over when the total is less than 150 and 19-14 to the under when the total is 150 or higher. We have two solid situations on our side as well. First, we play the under involving road teams where the total is greater than or equal to 140 that are revenging a same season loss and coming off two consecutive conference wins. This situation is 24-6 (80%) to the under over the last five seasons. Additionally, we play the under involving home teams where the total is greater than or equal to 140 coming off a conference win going up against an opponent off a road win by 10 points or more. This situation is 52-23 (69.3%) to the under since 1997. 10* Under (651) Los Angeles Sparks/(652) Indiana Fever

*Note 11:30 AM ET Start* This is the third meeting in four games for Atlanta and Connecticut so they certainly know each other pretty well at this point and that favors the defense even though there was none in the last two matchups. Both meetings since last Sunday flew over the total including the last game this past Sunday that went over the number by a whopping 37.5 points and because of that, we are catching a total that is 3.5 points higher than that close. The Sun have gone over in seven straight games and during their four-game losing streak, they have allowed 91.5 ppg compared to giving up 77 ppg on the entire season. While the defense is surely to blame, Atlanta has been unconscious from the floor, shooting 53.2 percent in the two wins over Connecticut including going 16-25 (64 percent) from long range. The Dream have gone over the total in five of their last six games and nine of their last 11 but now we are catching an over/under rarely seen as it is close or at 160 which is just the second time all season that either team has seen it this high. Atlanta went over in the first one but that was against the WNBA's top offense in Chicago. Overall, neither team shoots particularly well and they are also two of the bottom four free throw shooting teams in the league. 10* Under (601) Connecticut Sun/(602) Atlanta Dream

After winning four straight games, the Sparks have dropped three of their last four games but more importantly for our purposes, they have gone under the total in five of their last six contests which sets up a great value opportunity here. On the other side, Phoenix has gone under the number is its last five games and because of that, we are getting some value also. That is evidenced by the fact that this is the lowest total Los Angeles has seen in since July 15th, a span of 13 games and the lowest total Phoenix has seen since July 10th, a span of 14 games. These two converging runs puts us in a great spot to cash a high scoring ticket. Additionally, when the total is 150 or higher, these teams have gone a combined 19-8 to the under but the results have not been nearly as skewed with the lower numbers are they are 11-11 when the total is less than 150. The last meeting stayed under the total back on July 21st but we are seeing this over/under come in four points lower as the recent results are pushing it down and we take advantage. 10* Over (611) Los Angeles Sparks/(612) Phoenix Mercury

Both Connecticut and Atlanta are coming off losses on Friday at home so each will be out to get into the win column today but with each team sitting on the outside of the playoff picture, we will be concentrating on the total here. The Sun were thumped by New York as the defense allowed 90 points which pushed the total over the number for the fourth straight game but the value comes into play because of it. The Sun have not seen a total this high all season as the biggest number previous to this was 157 and while that went over, it was against Chicago, the highest scoring offense in the WNBA. Atlanta nearly pulled off the upset at home against Minnesota but fell a bucket short, its sixth loss in its last seventh game. That game surpassed the total which was the third straight over for the Dream as well as the seventh over their last eight games. That is a big reason the total is set where it is today but with this matchup it is going to show it is way too high. Atlanta has an atrocious defense but Connecticut does not have the consistent offense to take advantage which has been its problem this season. The trends say we see another high scoring game but the contrarian side with the under will be the play today. 10* Under (651) Connecticut Sun/(652) Atlanta Dream

We won with the Vikings/Steelers under in the Hall of Fame Game but we will go the opposite way this week based on that low scoring game and the bounce angle. Offense was hard to come by last Sunday night with just 17 total points scored but I like the chances of the Minnesota offense to show more life this week with that one game under its belt. The starters are expected to play more and they will be able take advantage of a weak Tampa Bay secondary. The Buccaneers are playing their first preseason game and are in a similar situation as both Pittsburgh and Minnesota last week but that offense has steadily been improving since camp opened. Jameis Winston has already shown improvement in practice, throwing 14 touchdowns and just two interceptions over a two-day period. Facing a real defense for the first time may show signs of growing pains but he has lack of confidence. We saw a similar scenario last season where Minnesota went under in its first game of the preseason against Oakland and the following week flew over the total against Arizona with 58 total points being scored. This is a very common trend in the preseason for many teams. Many will point to the fact that Tampa Bay went 4-0 to the under during the preseason last year but that is meaningless here and if anything, helps with the contrarian value. Fluke plays such as interception or fumble returns for touchdowns are prevalent during the preseason and all it can take is one of those to push a game over although that may not be needed here. 10* Over (275) Tampa Bay Buccaneers/(276) Minnesota Vikings

We won with the Washington under last night and we are going under in this game based on some of the same reasons. Connecticut is coming off a split with the Mystics with both of those games going over the total but now the value turns the other way. The Sun have seen the over/under jump up considerably from those two games as it is eight points higher now. A lot of has to do with the opponent as Tulsa is coming off a huge offensive games on both sides as 188 points were scored against Atlanta and that surpassed the total by close to 30 points. Defense has been the issue of late for the Shock as they have allowed at least 84 points in each of their last four games but I don't see that happening here. Connecticut has been extremely inconsistent on offense and its 42.2 percent shooting from the floor is fifth lowest in the WNBA. Another big factor that can keep the total under should it be coming close is that the Sun possess the worst free throw shooting team in the league as they are hitting just 73.9 percent. From a pace standpoints, both teams allow opponents to attempt just 63.3 shots per game which is tied for second lowest in the league. On the season, the teams are a combined 15-9 to the under when the total is in the 150's. 10* Under (601) Tulsa Shock/(602) Connecticut Sun

Two teams looking to move up in the Eastern Conference standings square off tonight as Indiana heads to Washington. The Mystics are currently in second place while the Fever are a game behind them but neither team is safe with Connecticut sitting in fifth place, just three and a half games out of first place. Both teams have been involved in some high scoring games of late but I expect that to change tonight with the importance of this one as defense should come to the forefront. Indiana has played four straight games that have gone over the total and the last one it matched a franchise record with 59 second-half points and the 106 points scored was the first time they have hit the century mark in close to five years. Washington is coming off a split with Connecticut but both games easily went over the total but we are getting value here tonight. The Mystics have had five previous games with totals in the 150's and four stayed under with last four staying below the posted number. The last two meetings this season between Indiana and Washington have stayed under the total by a combined 65.5 points and we look for that to continue tonight. 10* Under (653) Indiana Fever/(654) Washington Mystics

The Hall of Fame Game is typically a very low scoring game as in this stage of the preseason, the defenses are a step ahead of the offense. Six of the last eight Hall of Fame games have stayed under the total, including three of the last four and while those past outcomes do not predict future results, it does show how defenses are more in sync early in the preseason. Going back to 1984, only seven of the 30 HOF games have eclipsed 40 points and a lot of that is due to fluke plays. This includes an inception return for a touchdown taking place in each of the last five games that have gone over 40 points so simply avoiding that gives us a great opportunity to cash in a low scoring game. The 30 games have seen an average of just over 32 ppg and 13 of the 30 have seem totals of 27 of less points scored. The big news out of Pittsburgh is how potent the offense is expected to be this season but don't expect to see that from the Steelers here as a vanilla offense will be on the field for the majority of this game. The same can be expected from Minnesota and there has not been a lot of prep time for either team as according to the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and its players association, teams can't hold training-camp practices more than two weeks before their first preseason game. It may be boring to watch but the NFL is here and we should see yet another very low scoring game right out of the gates. 10* Under (241) Pittsburgh Steelers/(242) Minnesota Vikings

Both Washington and Connecticut are coming off wins in their most recent games over San Antonio and we will be taking a look at the over for tonight as we are getting some excellent value based on recent results. Washington has gone under the total in three straight games and on the season, the Mystics are 1-8 to the under when playing on the road so we will be going against that run here. The Sun stayed below the number in their last game against the Stars as they held San Antonio to just 51 points, easily the lowest point total allowed this season. Connecticut has held only one other team to fewer than 60 points before that and in the next game it flew above the total by over 30 points. The Sun have stayed under the number in three straight games at home but those over/unders were all higher than what is posted tonight. On the season, Connecticut home games are averaging 148 points and going back, the Sun are 5-1 to the over following a win in their previous game. The first meeting last month went over the total by close to 30 points and I expect another high scoring affair tonight. 10* Over (601) Washington Mystics/(602) Connecticut Sun

Indiana is playing the second of a back-to-back set after having a game that was postponed last week due to airport issues rescheduled for last night. The Fever ended up beating Connecticut but it took overtime and that along with the travel back home could have them fatigued and in a tough spot defensively. It was the third straight games that went under the total for Indiana but all of those were on the road and it is riding a three-game over streak at home. The offense was the story in those home contests as the Fever scored 83, 83 and 88 points and overall they are averaging 77.4 ppg at home. New York brings in one of the top defenses in the league but it struggled to stop Indiana in the first meeting this season at home as the Liberty allowed 80 points. They went under the total in their last game prior to the break and have gone under in three of four. They went over in five straight games previous to that as their own offense put together an average of 81.4 ppg during that run. I expect to see something similar here against a tired Indiana defense. The over is 8-3 in the Liberty's last 11 games against teams with a winning record while the over is 8-3 in the Fever's last 11 games playing on no rest. 10* Over (603) New York Liberty/(604) Indiana Fever

We are getting some significant value in this total based on recent results. These teams played here just over two weeks ago and the over/under closed at 156 but now we are seeing a drop by close to four points despite it going over by nearly 30 points. Phoenix had its six-game winning streak snapped at home against New York on Saturday which was its third straight game that stayed below the number albeit not by much. That game stayed under by just a point while the previous game stayed under by only a bucket. Los Angeles meanwhile has lost five straight games dating back to that most recent meeting with the Mercury with the last four contests staying below the number. The offense has been hit or miss but the defense remain the problem as the Sparks are allowing opponents to shoot 44.8 percent from the floor, the second highest percentage in the WNBA. This is something that Phoenix can take advantage of again as it is averaging 82.2 ppg over its last five games. The last four meetings in this series taking place in Los Angeles have all gone over the total and by a significant margin as the average final has seen just under 174 ppg scored and tonight we are catching the lowest posted number of them all. 10* Over (657) Phoenix Mercury/(658) Los Angeles Sparks

Both Atlanta and Seattle are coming off wins as small underdogs over Los Angeles earlier in the week and meet here for the second and final time this season. While the Storm will be out for revenge from the first meeting earlier this month, we are concentrating on the total in this second matchup. Both teams have seen the majority of their games go under the total this season and in Atlanta's case, it is not overly surprising as eight of its 15 games has seen totals in the 150's with the under coming in five times in those. The Dream have gone under the total in their last two games but not by a lot as they stayed below the number by just 2.5 and 4.5 points. Seattle has also stayed under the total in its last two games but by a much wider margin, 17 and 19.5 points and that is creating the most value for Saturday. Additionally, the first meeting's total closed at 147.5 and that stayed under by a double-digit margin. Expect a much higher scoring game in this rematch. 10* Over (653) Atlanta Dream/(654) Seattle Storm

Connecticut is in desperate need of a victory and the only way for that to happen is to shore up the defense. After a 7-1 start, the Sun are in danger of their first five-game losing streak since dropping seven in a row in August 2013. The problem has been stopping their opponents as Connecticut has given up 87.5 ppg during the losing streak including 90.5 ppg the last two games. To no surprise, both of those games have gone over the total and going back further, the Sun have gone 6-1 to the over their last eight games. This after not going over once in their first five games. New York meanwhile has won four of its last five games and most important for us, all five of those games have gone over the total with an average of just over 157 ppg scored. We are now seeing a bigger than expected total because of it and one that has been driven up after opening at 145.5. The fact the last five games have gone over is surprising considering the Liberty have the best shooting defense and the second best scoring defense in the WNBA. Connecticut meanwhile is fifth in points allowed so we have two defenses capable of a very low scoring game. Pace is also a factor as both teams allow fewer attempts than the league average. Look for the over streaks to come to an end tonight. 10* Under (653) Connecticut Sun/(654) New York Liberty

Minnesota and Seattle square off for the third time this season and we will be taking a look at this total for tonight. The Lynx have been off since Saturday after defeating Phoenix 71-56 in a game that stayed well below the total. They held the Mercury to 33.3 percent shooting including 25 percent from three-point range while forcing 20 turnovers. Seattle is coming off its first win since June 14th after beating Tulsa at home on Tuesday. It too is coming off a great defensive effort, allowing just 35.4 percent shooting but that was a rarity. In their previous five games, the Storm allowed 81 ppg on 43.9 percent shooting and tonight they face the best shooting team in the league as Minnesota is shooting 46.2 percent on the season. In the most recent meeting, Minnesota held Seattle to 13 points in the final 17 minutes last week but that game still went over the total, the second time in two meetings that the total was surpassed. This is a good number for Seattle as it is 3-1 to the over this season on the road when the total is 150 or less. The time off is a big thing involving Minnesota as it has gone 10-4 to the over in its last 14 games when playing with three or more days rest. 10* Over (651) Seattle Storm/(652) Minnesota Lynx

We are opening the CFL season with a total on Thursday. It is difficult for linesmakers to come up with numbers for opening week as there is nothing current to go off of so it is largely based on last season. That is definitely the case with this total between Ottawa and Montreal as this is a number that should prove to be much too low. It was a tough inaugural year for the RedBlacks as they won just two games and the offense managed a mere 15.4 ppg. They scored more than 20 points only five times so Ottawa had a busy offseason in improving the offense. A new offensive coordinator and many new additions will help get the offense going. The RedBlacks did score only 19 points in two preseason but like the NFL, the offenses are run very generically and quarterback Henry Burris even pointed out that they did not gameplan for either game. Defensively, they did not do much and Montreal can take advantage as the Alouettes bring back a good amount of their offense that finished the season strong last year. All three meeting last season stayed below the total which is another reason this number is low and in the range of what they were in those three meetings a season ago. Look for a much higher than expected scoring game here. 10* Over (121) Ottawa RedBlacks/(122) Montreal Alouettes

We lost with the Washington and Atlanta over last Friday and while we were tempted to take the over again on Sunday, the situation was not very favorable and it is a good thing we stayed off. The Mystics and Liberty stayed under by 8.5 points which made it four straight unders for Washington as the defense has been outstanding during this stretch. The Mystics face a tough test tonight however as Tulsa is ranked second in the WNBA in points scored with 81 ppg and pace is a big part of that as the Shock average a league high 73.4 attempts per game. Tulsa has been involved in three straight unders which is also keeping this number lower than expected. The offense has done its part while the defense has certainly overachieved during this stretch as they have allowed just 56 ppg after giving up 83 and 93 points in their first two games. Additionally, this has been a lower scoring series with eight of the last 10 meetings going below the total but tonight's number is the lowest of all of those so that history means little. Look for a high scoring game tonight as we buck the recent low scoring trends. 10* Over (601) Tulsa Shock/(602) Washington Mystics

The total has been killing us in this series but now is not the time to lay off as we will come back with the over in Game Five. Golden St. was able to regain home court advantage with a commanding win in Cleveland in Game Four. Now that the Warriors are back home, they can carry the momentum from that game as the offense got back on track. They managed 103 points on 46.8 percent shooting including 40 percent from long range, huge improvements from the previous two games. Cleveland was the problem in Game Four as it shot just 33 percent including a horrid 14.8 percent from long range, missing 23 of 27 attempts. Scoring only 12 points in the fourth quarter was the difference in that one staying under and even though the Cavaliers are now on the road, we will see a better performance offensively. The rest factor should come into play as well as the extra day will benefit both sides, especially Cleveland as fatigue has been a big issue. Going back, the Cavaliers are 38-16 to the over in their last 54 games playing with two days rest and that includes a 60 percent clip this season. 10* Over (709) Cleveland Cavaliers/(710) Golden St. Warriors

We are playing another total in the WNBA today for a lot of the same reasons that we played the Indiana/New York Over on Tuesday and the Seattle/Minnesota Over last night. Washington has won its first two games of the season with both games going under the total. The last game stayed below the total by close to 20 points and while the number tonight is actually slightly higher than the first two, we are getting value because of the other side. Atlanta has also gone under the total in its last two games with neither game surpassing the over/under that is posted for tonight. The difference though is tonight's number is lower than those last two closing totals which is where the value comes into play. The Mystics have been getting it done on defense as Washington leads the WNBA in shooting defense at 35 percent and has limited each of its first two opponents to one field goal during the final six minutes of regulation. Atlanta is not shooting great but it possesses two-time WNBA scoring champion Angel McCoughtry so the offensive threat is there. Atlanta played last night and going back, the over is 10-4 in the Dream's last 14 games playing on no rest. 10* Over (653) Atlanta Dream/(654) Washington Mystics

The zig didn't zag in Game Three for the total as even a 60-point fourth quarter could not keep the game from staying under the total. We will go against the grain again and look for the bounce theory to hold true for Game Four to send this game over the total. The first two games of this series went into overtime and despite that, Game Two stayed well below the total. In Game One, the under would have come in if not for the extra time as it snuck over by a few points. Because of those regulation results, we have seen the over/under go from 203.5 to 199 to 194 to 193 so we are getting over a 10-point swing in a matter of just four games. That is some incredible value and while it was roughly the same last game and did not come through, I expect a different story on Thursday. For one, this Golden St. offense has now been held in check in two straight games and Tuesday represented only the second time all season that the Warriors are under 60 points after three quarters and the first time it happened it was in Game Two. Give Cleveland credit for great defense and Matt Dellavedova has been the key. The problem is he is not 100 perfect and head coach David Blatt said he will limit his minutes because of the cramps and fatigue. Now it's time to see some points. 10* Over (707) Golden St. Warriors/(708) Cleveland Cavaliers

We are playing another total in the WNBA today for a lot of the same reasons that we played the Indiana/New York Over on Tuesday. Seattle is coming off a loss at Tulsa on Tuesday where it managed to score just 45 points on a horrid 23.8 percent shooting. The total for that game closed at 161.5 and stayed under that number by close to 50 points so we are seeing an adjustment tonight because of that. The Storm had just 15 first half points and they committed 20 turnover but bouncing back is more than possible as they shot 51.6 percent in their first game while scoring 86 points against Los Angeles. Minnesota is off to a 2-0 start as the defense has been solid while the offense has been inconsistent. Both of those games stayed under the total but not by a whole lot as the first game missed by five points and the second game missed by 6.5 points. This is now the lowest total the Lynx have had through the early season and the value is there. Additionally, seven of the last eight meetings have stayed under the total so the contrarian series angle is also coming into play. 10* Over (607) Seattle Storm/(608) Minnesota Lynx

The NBA Finals shifts back to Cleveland where the Cavaliers have obtained home court advantage as they were able to split in Golden St. they come in as a short home underdog but we will be looking at the total tonight where we are getting a very strong number to work with. The first two games of this series have gone into overtime and despite that, the last games stayed well below the total. In Game One, the under would have come in if not for the extra time as it snuck over by a few points. Because of those regulation results, we have seen the over/under go from 203.5 to 199 to 194 so we are getting close to a 10-point swing in a matter of just three games. Both teams have gone under the total in the majority of their games this season but those have come with some high totals as they are a combined 11-7 to the over when the over/under is less than 195. While defense has been the story so far, I expect the shooting to improve tonight and namely, that comes from Stephen Curry where he was just 5-23 from the floor including just 2-15 from long range. The Warriors have scored fewer than 100 points 19 other times this season and they have eclipsed the century mark all but three times in the next game. Meanwhile, the over is 4-0 in Cavaliers last four home games against teams with a winning road record. 10* Over (705) Golden St. Warriors/(706) Cleveland Cavaliers

After both New York and Indiana opened the season with high scoring games that went over the total, they both struggled offensively on Saturday and hope to turn that around tonight. The Fever are averaging 70.5 ppg on 40.9 percent shooting after losses to Chicago and Minnesota so that is clearly an issue. The absence of Tamika Catchings has been a big reason for that as she has yet to play due to a knee injury suffered prior to training camp. She is listed as questionable tonight and while we likely won't see her, this play is based on the that so if she does return, it is a bonus. New York went just 22-60 in its last game against Washington after shooting close to 50 percent in its opening win against Atlanta. To the Liberty's credit, the defense has been rock solid by allowing just 36.2 percent shooting in the two games and while that has been great, I don't think it is sustainable and we are getting a good number because of it. We do not have a lot of stats to pour through for this game as the season is young but tonight marks the lowest total that either teams has seen and I think it will prove to be too low for tonight. 10* Over (651) Indiana Fever/(652) New York Liberty

We are betting a rare total this afternoon as the situation is a rare one that we will be taking advantage of. This is the third and final game of this three-game set following the first two games that both finished with 1-0 finals so we should see the bats come alive today in this matinee. The Brewers bats have been a disappointment all season but to their credit, they are getting healthier on offense and I expect a touch more of offense today. The Cardinals are hitting .266 on the season which is fifth best in baseball and third best in the National League which includes second best at home at .277. Being held to one run over the last two games is certainly a rarity and they take on Jimmy Nelson today who has been up and down this season. He has allowed four runs in three of his last five starts and he had a rough time facing the Cardinals last season as in two starts, he posted a 9.64 ERA. John Lackey has been dominant for St. Louis but he also falls into part of the contrarian situation as he has allowed three runs or less in seven straight starts, all of which stayed under the total. He blanked Milwaukee for seven innings in his first start against them this season but the second time is always an edge for the offense. 10* Over (901) Milwaukee Brewers/(902) St. Louis Cardinals

The under came through in the first three games of this series before Game Four easily went over the number by 29 points. Because of that result, we are seeing the total rise back up slightly for Game Five which goes back to Golden St. where the Warriors look to finish off Houston. Like Cleveland last night, they want to end it here to avoid another game and get as much rest as possible. The Cavaliers did it with defense to close out Atlanta and I expect Golden St. to turn up the defense after allowing 128 points on Monday which was the most amount of points they have given up all season. The Warriors have allowed 100 or more points in the playoffs only three times and the first two times they clamped down in the next game. While many take Golden St. as an explosive team that often plays high-scoring games, that couldn't be further from the truth as 42 of their 95 games have stayed below the total. The under is 6-0-1 in the Warriors last seven home games while the under is 9-4 in the Rockets last 13 games against winning teams. Look for Golden St. to regroup on defense which will be the key for a low scoring game tonight. 10* Under (517) Houston Rockets/(518) Golden St. Warriors

After losing this total the last two games, we are jumping on again party to the law of averages but also because we are now really seeing some value and a lot of the same jargon goes along with it. We have now seen the first five games of this series all stay under the number which sets up a great opportunity tonight to see the highest scoring game through the first six contests. The over/under has now moved 4-4.5 points from the last game due the low scoring games that have stayed below the number by close to double-digits each time. Tonight is the lowest of the bunch by over a bucket and the linesmakers are well aware that if they move this number too much, the over could get hammered which would set up a big liability for them. This is only the second time all season that Golden St. has had a total of less than 195 and that game ended up going over the number. While the Memphis defense can be considered a key reason, the Grizzlies are allowing opponents to shooting over 44.1 percent on the season including 45.9 percent at home, both of which are higher than what Golden St. allows. The Warriors offense just has not been in synch this series due to the pace but this is certainly the game to get it going and while the trends for the under are numerous, we will go against all of those and cash in a high scoring ticket. 10* Over (747) Golden St. Warriors/(748) Memphis Grizzlies

We lost with this total Monday but will come back with it tonight with the change of venue probably playing a big role. We have seen the first four games of this series all stay under the number which sets up a great opportunity tonight to see the highest scoring game through the first five contests. The over/under has not moved much despite the low scoring games that have stayed below the number by close to double-digits each time. Tonight is the lowest of the bunch and even though not by much, the linesmakers are well aware that if they move this number too much, the over could get hammered which would set up a big liability for them. The Warriors offense played their best game since the opener and while the Memphis defense will likely try and slow it down, this Golden St. offense is due to bust out at home where it has averaged 112 ppg on 49.3 percent shooting. Obviously, the under is on a role and the trends favor those once again but we will again go contrarian and look for the first shootout in this series. 10* Over (739) Memphis Grizzlies/(740) Golden St. Warriors

The top seeds from each conference are down 2-1 in their series and both need to win on the road tonight to avoid a 3-1 deficit which will makes things extremely tough going forward. Memphis has taken the last two games in this series and to no surprise, it is again a home underdog in what is pretty much a must win for the Warriors. We are concentrating on the total tonight however as we have seen the first three games of this series all stay under the number which sets up a great opportunity tonight to see the highest scoring game through the first four. The over/under has not moved much despite the low scoring games that have stayed below the number by close to double-digits each time. While the Memphis defense can be considered a key reason, the Grizzlies are allowing opponents to shooting over 44 percent on the season including 45.8 percent at home, both of which are higher than what Golden St. allows. The Warriors offense just has not been in synch the last two games but this is certainly the game to get it going and while the trends for the under are numerous, we will go against all of those and cash in a high scoring ticket. 10* Over (731) Golden St. Warriors/(732) Memphis Grizzlies

We have seen the last two games of this series fly over the total but with a lot at stake tonight, I see a much lower scoring game and we are getting value on top of it. Game Four closed with a 202.5 total and Game Five closed only slightly higher at 203 but now we are seeing a three-point shift from Tuesday to now and a lot of that is based upon the results of the last two games. We talk about the bounce angle in the playoffs and while it is typically used for the pointspread, the shifts in the over/unders make it a valuable totals tool as well. The most recent example came in the Atlanta/Brooklyn series where the first three games all stayed under the total but Game Four easily eclipsed the number and even though there were three straight games that went under, the likelihood of three straight games going over here is a lot less. While both Los Angeles and San Antonio are considered high scoring teams, and that is a fact, the linesmakers know what they are doing which is a reason that both teams have seen the under cash at a high clip this season. The under is 7-2 in the Clippers last nine games coming off a loss and 11-5 in their last 16 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. Meanwhile, the Spurs have been a higher scoring team when playing poor opposition and they are 9-17 to the under this season when favored by fewer than six points. 10* Under (535) Los Angeles Clippers/(536) San Antonio Spurs

After dropping the over in this one Saturday, we are coming back with it again for all of the same reasons and we are seeing even greater value now. We have seen the first three games of this series go under the total but I expect that to change tonight. While the over was never even in jeopardy during the first three games, we are seeing a shift in the total which we can take advantage of. Game One closed at 205, Game Two closed at 202.5 and Game Three closed at 199 and we are seeing a similar shift into Game Four. It is also interesting to note that these two teams played in April during the regular season and those totals were also higher that what we are seeing tonight and those gamers resulted in easy overs, posting 230 and 225 points. Atlanta has a combined offensive and defensive shooting percentage of 90.2 percent while Brooklyn has a combined shooting percentage of 90.3 percent with offense and defense and anytime you can get two teams that are both over 90 percent, as long as the pace is in our favor, we have a great chance to surpass the total. Going back, the over is 7-3 in the Hawks last 10 road games while the over is 12-4 in the Nets last 16 games following a win. 10* Over (509) Atlanta Hawks/(510) Brooklyn Nets

We have seen the first two games of this series go under the total but I expect that to change this afternoon and we are getting value on top of it. While the over was never even in jeopardy during the first two games, we are seeing a shift in the total which we can take advantage of. Game One closed at 205 and Game Two closed at 202.5 and we are seeing a similar shift into Game Three. It is also interesting to note that these two teams played in April during the regular season and those totals were also higher that what we are seeing tonight and those gamers resulted in easy overs, posting 230 and 225 points. Atlanta has a combined offensive and defensive shooting percentage of 90.4 percent while Brooklyn has a combined shooting percentage of 90.6 percent with offense and defense and anytime you can get two teams that are both over 90 percent, as long as the pace is in our favor, we have a great chance to surpass the total. Going back, the over is 4-1 in the Hawks last five road games against teams with a losing home record while the over is 5-1 in the Nets last six home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* Over (745) Atlanta Hawks/(746) Brooklyn Nets

Ottawa was the hottest team in the NHL over the last two months of the season as the Senators went 21-6 over their last 27 games to secure a come-from-behind playoff spot. A big reason for that was the play of goalie Andrew Hammons who was sensational as he posted a 1.79 GAA, a .941 save percentage and a 20-1-2 record including 10-0-2 on the road with three shutouts. On the other side, Canadiens goalie Carey Price led the NHL or shared the lead in each of the four major categories: wins, goals-against average and save percentage. He put up those numbers despite facing a steady barrage of shots and playing on a team with below-average possession metrics, one that had a tendency to get pinned in its defensive zone. He led the NHL in goals-against average (1.96), save percentage (.933) and wins, setting a new Canadiens record with 44 victories. The penalty kill and power play matchup also favors not many scoring chances as both teams struggled on the power play, Ottawa ranking 22nd overall at 16.8 percent and Montreal finishing 23rd at 16.5 percent. On the penalty kill, the Canadiens were seventh overall (83.7 percent) and the Senators finishing 11th at 82.9 percent. With this being the first game of this series, it is a feel out type of game with teams not taking many chances early on. 10* Under (1) Ottawa Senators/(2) Montreal Canadiens

This total continues to drop with a reason due to the fact that Memphis has stayed under the total in six straight games. The last game against New Orleans stayed below the total by just a half point as the defense once again came to the forefront by holding the Pelicans to 74 points on 35 percent shooting. It was the fourth straight games that the Grizzlies have held their opponent to 92 points or less but the challenge will be more difficult tonight. Utah has won two straight games with the offense putting up 101 and 103 points and while those games were both against Sacramento, the Jazz have been shooting the ball very well over the short-term. This number has dipped to the point of it being a very rare low number as this is just the second time this season Utah has had a total of less than 180 points and this is the first time it has occurred in a game for Memphis. The over is 4-1 in the Grizzlies last five road games while the over is 7-3 in Utah's last 10 home games against teams with a winning road record. Look for a higher scoring game than anticipated tonight. 10* Over (721) Memphis Grizzlies/(722) Utah Jazz

This total came out late due to the uncertain status of Zach Randolph for the Grizzlies. Whether he plays or not, while it will certainly effect Memphis as a whole, it will not be a big factor in the total as his offense and defense would be a wash. New Orleans is coming off a win last night against Golden St. and coupled with the Oklahoma City loss, the Pelicans moved into eighth place in the Western Conference. They held Golden St. to 100 points which was just the third time in the last 23 games that the Warriors have been held to 100 or fewer points so that was an impressive defensive performance last night. They have picked up the defense of late but overall, they are still allowing 45.5 percent shooting and that jumps even higher on the road. New Orleans has gone under in three straight games and the low total is reflecting that. The Pelicans have not seen an over/under of less than 190 in 13 games. Memphis has gone under in five straight games and it has been a mix of offense and defense along the way. The Grizzlies have been off since Saturday and going back, they are 13-6 to the over in their last 19 games playing on three or more days rest. Meanwhile, the over is 5-2 in the Pelicans last seven games following an ATS win. 10* Over (715) New Orleans Pelicans/(716) Memphis Grizzlies

The Lakers and Clippers just met on Sunday and it resulted in a Clippers blowout victory by 28 points. The fourth and final meeting takes place tonight and while the Lakers will be out to avoid a four-game season series sweep, their defense cannot be trusted to think about victory and even coming within this big number. We are concentrating on the total here and based on that recent game, we are getting a great deal of value as this over/under is currently five points less than what it was just two nights ago. While the Lakers offense has stumbled of late, we can bank on the defense not showing any resistance as the stop unit has allowed 106.7 ppg on the road this season and 108.8 ppg over their last five games. I do expect the offense to improve as well as scoring fewer than 80 points in three straight games is a rarity in this league. The Clippers offense is perforating on a very high level right now as they have averaged 113 ppg over their last 10 games and don't expect it to slow down here. Both teams have stayed under in two straight games which both came after some runs on the over. The over is 6-2 in the Clippers last eight games following a double-digit win while the over is 9-3-1 in the Lakers last 13 games against the NBA Pacific. 10* Over (661) Los Angeles Lakers/(662)/Los Angeles Clippers

We are going with the value in this one based on recent history on both sides as well as the season series to date. The Suns offense has been poor during their four-game winning streak as they have scored no more than 99 points while averaging a mere 90.8 ppg which is considerably below their 103.5 ppg on the season. To no surprise, all four of those games have stayed below the total and the under has come in five straight games for Phoenix. While the Suns are 24-15 to the under at home, they are 20-16 to the over on the road. The Warriors meanwhile are on a similar run as they have stayed under the total in three straight games as the defense has led the charge by allowing just 95 ppg. While the defense has been good all season, this is below the season average 99 ppg and they will be facing an opponent that will run with them. These are the two fastest teams in the NBA as Golden St. averages 101.6 possessions per game while the Suns average 101 possessions per game. Additionally, the Warriors lead in possessions at home while Phoenix leads in possessions on the road. Golden St. is home after a four-game road trip and the over is 5-1 in the Warriors last six home games. 10* Over (705) Phoenix Suns/(706) Golden St. Warriors

Both Indiana and Brooklyn are going after the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference as the Pacers are a half-game out while the Nets are now tied with Boston after the Celtics win last night. While there is no real edge either way as both teams come in with some momentum, we are looking at a great spot for a low scoring game based on recent play and series games. Indiana has gone over the total in five straight games thanks to an offense that has averaged 105 ppg and a defense that has allowed close to 109 ppg. These averages are a complete aberration of the numbers from the entire season and I think we see things get back to normal tonight. The same goes for Brooklyn. While it has not been as consistent in scoring and allowing a big number of points of late, the Nets have scored 106 and 107 points the last two games, well above their season average. These teams played just over a week ago and they put on an offensive show with 234 points scored which made it two overs in two meetings this season and four straight going back to last season. Because of that last result, it is no surprise that this total is four points higher and it is also shaded higher because of the recent run for the Pacers. The under is 7-3 in the Pacers last 10 games following a win while the under is 5-2 in the Nets last seven home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. 10* Under (763) Indiana Pacers/(764) Brooklyn Nets

Atlanta has lost three straight games for the first time this season and while the offense has been erratic, the defense can take full responsibility. The Hawks have allowed 114, 123 and 114 points in those losses which followed up giving away 103 points which marks the first time this season they have allowed 100 or more points in four straight games. Prior to this recent stretch, Atlanta had allowed 110 or more points only seven times and followed those games up by allowing just 95.2 ppg. Orlando meanwhile has scored 100 or more points in three straight games for only the second time all season and after the first instance, the Magic put up 86 points which happened to be just a couple weeks ago. To no surprise, the last three games have gone over the total and we are catching a good number here with Atlanta having gone over the total in four straight games. Also, this is the highest total in this series on the season by five points. The under is 7-0 in the Hawks last seven games against Eastern Conference teams while the under is 4-1 in their last five road games against teams with a home winning percentage of less than .400. Meanwhile, Orlando is 24-4 to the under in its last 28 games against winning teams. 10* Under (757) Atlanta Hawks/(758) Orlando Magic

It has been another long season for the Kings but they are not giving up as they have won two straight games and both of those were done by the defense, allowing 91 and 86 points. Whether it was actually solid defense or plain bad offense on the other side or a mixture of the two, it provides us with a great opportunity for a high scoring game here. This is the first time the Kings have allowed fewer than 100 points in consecutive games since the first three games of the season but don't expect it again. Sacramento has allowed 90 points or less just eight times all season long and in the previous seven instances, it has allowed 100 or more points in all of those follow up games, allowing an average of 107.4 ppg. The Sixers have gone under the total in three straight games which is the biggest under run since late January. Since then Philadelphia is 5-1 to the over following consecutive unders and while its offense has been hit or miss, it scored 114 points against the Kings which was its last time it surpassed the century mark. The over is 6-2 in the 76ers last eight road games while the over is 4-1 in the Kings last five home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. 10* Over (659) Philadelphia 76ers/(660) Sacramento Kings

A horrible call on the over in the Phoenix/New Orleans game on Thursday sets us up for a bounceback here and the total is in our favor. The last two meetings in this series had back ends of 220.5 and 217.5 and both went over without a problem and now we are catching a number that is 10 points less than that second one. Phoenix is in the midst of its second significant run of unders as after going eight straight games in January of staying under the total, it has now gone under in its last seven games. With the exception of Thursday, it has not been anything consistent however which is the key as one game of bad offense has been followed by one game of good defense and neither have intertwined. The Suns matched a franchise low for points in a victory in that game against New Orleans. It was their third-worst shooting performance of the season for a team that had scored at least 70 in a half twice this season. Houston has won three straight games and went over the number in the last one on Thursday and I expect that to continue here with this favorable number. The over is 5-2 in the Suns last seven games after allowing less than 75 points in their previous game while the over is 4-1 in the Rockets last games against teams with a winning record. 10* Over (507) Phoenix Suns/(508) Houston Rockets

Injuries are the story here as neither team is at full strength which of course caused a delay in the release of the line at most places and the total everywhere. The Hawks defense which has been very solid this season, did not perform well against Golden St. in their last game and will look to bounce back against a Thunder offense that has been on high octane despite the absence of Kevin Durant. Atlanta allowed 114 points on 52.4 percent shooting against the Warriors and that was just the eighth time they have allowed 110 or more points. In the previous seven times, the defense allowed fewer than 100 points six times whole allowing an average of 95.3 ppg. The Thunder have gone over the total in their last three games and the last two were not even close with 234 and 240 points being scored. Those were against two of the faster teams in the NBA however as they were both up and down games and the Hawks are not that team and do not want to get involved in a shootout knowing defense is the best cure for a bounce back. The under is 7-3 in the Hawks last 10 games following a loss while the under is 17-7 in the Thunder's last 24 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* Under (811) Atlanta Hawks/(812) Oklahoma City Thunder

This total came out late due to injuries for Anthony Davis and Brandon Knight for New Orleans and Phoenix respectively. The total is the play tonight as we are getting a very attainable number that is being aided by recent lack of success of the over. Phoenix is in the midst of its second significant run of unders as after going eight straight games in January of staying under the total, it has now gone under in its last six games. It has not been anything consistent however which is the key as one game of bad offense has been followed by one game of good defense and neither have intertwined. New Orleans is coming off a game against Milwaukee where 169 points were scored, its second lowest scoring game of the season. The Pelicans have had 11 previous games where fewer than 180 points were scored and in the follow up game, the over has come in 8 of those 11 times. Phoenix has been off since Sunday which is a good thing as the over is 5-1 in its last six games playing on three or more days rest while the over is 10-3 in the Pelicans last 13 games playing on one day of rest. Additionally, we play on the over involving a home team coming off a home win by 10 points or more, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .501 and .600. This situation is 63-29 (68.5 percent) to the over the last five seasons. 10* Over (705) New Orleans Pelicans/(706) Phoenix Suns

These are two of the top defenses in the AAC and because of significant over runs that have taken place lately, we are getting a higher than expected total. Temple has gone over in three straight games and six of its last eight while the Mustangs have also surpassed the total in three straight games while going over in eight of their last nine. Both games from yesterday cleared the total with ease but those had a lot to do with the matchups and there is a dramatic difference today. The first meeting saw just 115 points scored while the second meeting finished with 125 points as late free throws inflated that one. We should see a slower paced game as Temple is ranked 183rd in the country in possessions per game while SMU is ranked 282nd and the defenses are even better. The Owls are 14th in the country in effective field goal percentage defense while SMU comes in ranked 83rd in that category. Temple scored 80 points yesterday which was just the fifth time is has scored 80 or more but it has failed to capitalize in its next game including putting up just 55 points last time it occurred. On the other side, the Mustangs have scored 70 or more points 12 times but have been held to an average of just 63 ppg in the following contest. 10* Under (531) Temple Owls/(532) SMU Mustangs

Sometimes streaks come together with no particular rhyme nor reason and that is the case with the Dallas over/under run. The Mavericks have stayed under the total 11 straight games and it is not due to the defense being strong throughout or the offense struggling every game. It has been a mix of both but rarely has there been consistency as well as both occurring the same night. There has been at least 99 points score by one side in eight of those games and it is a mix of both sides as Dallas has tallied that on offense four times while allowing at least a century mark five times. Meanwhile Cleveland has stayed below the total in two straight games as it has scored 97 and 89 points over that stretch which is the first time since early January the Cavaliers have failed to score 100 points at least once in consecutive games and that was when LeBron James was out. Now we are catching a smaller than anticipated total with two of the highest scoring teams in the NBA as Cleveland is eighth and Dallas is fourth. While no over trends favor Dallas because of the recent run, the over is 5-1 in the Cavaliers last six road games against teams with a winning home record. 10* Over (657) Cleveland Cavaliers/(658) Dallas Mavericks

Two of the three highest scoring teams in the NBA square off tonight and while this total may seem high, we are getting a bargain. One look at the last meeting will show you the value as just over a month ago, a 225 over/under was posted so we are seeing a significantly lower number. That game stayed under by 32 points which was the second under in two meetings this season and that is helping with the value as is the recent runs on both sides. Golden St. has stayed under the total in its last three games while Phoenix has stayed under the total in its last two contests. The Warriors defense has been the reason of late as they have allowed just 93.3 ppg over the three-game stretch but those games were all at home where the defense has been a lot better than on the road. Phoenix allows the second most points in the NBA at home while it averages the third most points on offense at home. The over is 12-4 in the Suns last 16 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600 while the over is 17-9 in the Warriors 26 games this season as a single-digit favorite. 10* Over (713) Golden St. Warriors/(714) Phoenix Suns

Indiana and New York meet for the second time in four days and while New York will out to seek revenge following a 23-point loss in Indiana, we see some excellent value with the total as the situation is heavily in our favor. The Pacers have played a game in-between the two meetings as they faced the Bulls last night and came away with a big home victory as the defense once again put forth an outstanding effort. The Pacers allowed an average of 81.5 ppg during their four-game homestand, all of which resulted in wins and the under cashing. Now Indiana hits the road where the over has been cashing plenty of tickets, 22 of 31 to be exact, the highest road over percentage in the NBA. Playing with no rest also helps the cause as the defense is unit that gets fatigued. The Knick have been off since that last meeting but even with the rest, the defense will not be any better off as they are allowing 111.4 ppg over their last five games. The offense has been hot and cold but playing a tired Pacers defense will help. New York had gone over in its previous four games before Wednesday and on the other side, the over is 9-4 in the Pacers last 13 games playing on no days rest. 10* Over (507) Indiana Pacers/(508) New York Knicks

We played on Boston Wednesday and while that resulted in a push, the low scoring outcome sent the Celtics into their third straight game that has gone under the total. This is definitely a rarity as Boston has not had many long streaks of low scoring games and on the season, this is just the third three-game under run and overall, the Celtics are 7-3 to the over following two or more consecutive unders. Boston is one of only four teams in the NBA that are averaging 100 or more possessions in their games and the lone team from the Eastern Conference to do so. That gives them more opportunities on both ends of the floor. New Orleans is also riding a three-game under streak following four consecutive overs. The offense have been held in check for the most part during this recent run but should get going again against a poor Boston defense. While the Pelicans are not a fast paced team, they are one of only seven teams in the league whose offensive and defensive combined shooting percentages are more than 91 percent. The over is 7-2 in the Celtics last nine games following a win while the over is 17-4 in the Pelicans last 21 home games against teams with a losing road record. 10* Over (819) Boston Celtics/(820) New Orleans Pelicans

Over half of Wednesday's NBA games were off the board until late morning with this being one of those. Goran Dragic is questionable for Miami tonight with a back injury while Nick young is questionable for Los Angeles as he continues to nurse a knee injury and he will likely be out. Despite his absence over the last four games, the Lakers have gone over the total extending their streak to six games of surpassing the total. Four of these games have been at home however and the road has much more of a place where lower scoring games have occurred as prior to the most recent two, the Lakers were 11-2-1 to the under in their previous 14 games on the highway. Miami went over the total in its last game as it put up 115 points against Phoenix but it has been rare for the Heat to put together consecutive strong offensive games as after scoring 100 or more points, they have failed to reach the century mark in the next game 10 straight times, averaging just 88 ppg. Going back, the under is 14-4 in the Heat's last 18 games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game. Meanwhile, the under is 4-0 in the Lakers last four games playing on 0 days rest. 10* Under (715) Los Angeles Lakers/(716) Miami Heat

This number was released late due the injuries on the Chicago side but we already knew the status of the players involved so withholding it made no sense. The Bulls are without a lot of offense and its recent history is giving us a lot of value with the over tonight. Chicago has stayed under the total in four straight games and only one of those even came close to the posted number as the offense has struggled while the defense has held its own. This is the first game that Jimmy Butler will not start since being diagnosed with a sprained elbow and while his offense will be missed, so will his defense and there is plenty around to make up for his missing offense. Washington meanwhile has gone under the total in three straight games but the offense has been more productive going forward. Overall, the Wizards are averaging 98.7 ppg on 46.6 percent shooting, the latter being tied for third best in the NBA. The over is 7-1 in the Wizards last eight games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. I expect their offense to continue to improve while the Bulls will find a way to fill the pieces and send this one over. 10* Over (509) Washington Wizards/(510) Chicago Bulls

This line came out late due to the injury report on the Cleveland side but there are no questionable statuses for key players. We played the Cavaliers/Pacers over on Friday but we got dealt some unfortunate luck as both LeBron James and Kyrie Irvine were late scratches and while Irvine will not play here, James is back. The offense managed only 86 points without them which broke a four-game streak of scoring at least 100 points. While the defense did hold Indiana to 93 points, the Cavaliers are allowing 100 ppg on the road on 46.2 percent shooting, the latter being the fourth highest in the NBA. While Cleveland has gone under the total in four straight games, Houston has stayed below the number in its last two games and five of its last six. The offense has done its part though on this homestand, averaging 105.8 ppg through the first four games and I expect the success to continue. The first meeting this season stayed under the total but that was by just a half-point and going back, the over is 5-2 in the Cavaliers last seven road games against teams with a winning home record while the over is 8-3 in the Rockets last 11 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* Over (813) Cleveland Cavaliers/(814) Houston Rockets

We played the Grizzlies/Clippers over last night and a 33-point first quarter pretty much killed that call. Memphis ended up with just 79 points as it shot a mere 37.9 percent from the floor including 25 percent from long range but I expect a huge turnaround tonight. The Grizzlies have gone under the total in eight straight games which is affecting the number tonight not mention the fact that it is five points less than the total posted in the last meeting in Memphis three weeks ago. The Timberwolves are coming off a loss last night in Chicago as they were held to just 89 points but they were held to just 77 shot attempts and with both teams coming off a game last night, I expect the offense to be able to muster more. Minnesota has gone under in two straight games which is an anomaly from the defense that has allowed only 173 points combined in those two games. Overall, the Timberwolves are allowing 105.6 ppg on 48.5 percent shooting on the season, both of which are worst in the NBA. 10* Over (507) Memphis Grizzlies/(508) Minnesota Timberwolves

The Clippers and Grizzlies met just four days ago and played a low scoring game that finished with just 177 points. That was the seventh straight under for Memphis while it was the second straight under for Los Angeles and all of this put together is giving us some great value on the over tonight as the total is four points or more less that what it was in that previous meeting. While these aren't two of the fastest teams in the NBA as far as pace goes, they make up for it in efficiency with the Clippers being number one and the Grizzlies number nine. This is a rare number for Los Angeles as this is the first time it has seen a total of less than 200 in close to a month, a span of 11 games. Memphis has seen more lower totals for sure and it has taken advantage by eclipsing the number more often than not when the total is below 200. we can call that last meeting an anomaly as in the eight previous meetings, at least one team has scored 100 points and I expect both to do it tonight. 10* Over (813) Los Angeles Clippers/(814) Memphis Grizzlies

The Spurs are coming off a dismal offensive performance at Utah on Monday as they scored just 81 points on 40.5 percent shooting including going only 5-19 from long range. San Antonio has been held to 85 points or fewer on four other occasions this season and is has come back with much better efficiency in its next game, averaging 101 ppg. The Spurs have gone under the total in two straight games and six of their last seven which is keeping this number down lower than it should be. Portland meanwhile has stayed below the number in its last three games but two of those games were against Utah and Memphis, two of the seven slowest teams in the NBA averaging 93.6 and 96.6 possessions per game respectively. The offense will get a big boost with LaMarcus Aldridge back in the lineup after missing the last game. The over is 6-2 in the Spurs last eight games against teams with a winning record while the over is also 6-2 in the Blazers last eight games against teams with a winning record. 10* Over (723) San Antonio Spurs/(724) Portland Trailblazers

After opening the season by staying under the total in 32 of its first 50 games, Miami has played five straight games with the over coming in. The total tonight has been adjusted because of it as the Heat are seeing their biggest total in over a month, a span of 15 games. They put up 119 points last time out against the Sixers which is by far a season high and this was just the 15th times they have scored 100 or more points since early November. They followed that up with another 100-point performance only once while averaging a mere 85.5 ppg in those 14 games next time out. Orlando is coming off an over as well which coincidentally also came against the Sixers. That snapped a stretch of five straight unders with the offense going over 100 points only once and that took overtime to do so. The under is 12-4 in the Heat's last 16 games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game while the under is 11-5 in the Magic's last 16 games following a win. 10* Under (701) Miami Heat/(702) Orlando Magic

Cleveland had gone over the total in five straight games prior to Sunday as it stayed below the number against the Knicks. Now the Cavaliers close out their four-game roadtrip in Detroit with another great opportunity for a high scoring game. The Cleveland offense is playing at a high level right now as it is averaging 108.6 ppg since suffering a six-game losing streak in mid-January, a span of 18 games. In those games, the Cavaliers failed to hit the century mark only four times but still managed 97, 98 and 99 points twice. The Pistons won't be considered to have the most efficient offense in the league but since scoring a mere 69 points against the Sixers to end January, they are averaging 103.2 ppg in February over nine games. They are 3-0-1 to the under over their last four games which is keeping this total lower than it should be. The over is 5-2 in the Pistons last seven home games against teams with a winning road record while the over is 5-1 in Cleveland's last six games overall. 10* Over (503) Cleveland Cavaliers/(504) Detroit Pistons

Miami has gone over the total in four straight games which is certainly a rarity as the Heat had gone under the total in 32 of their first 50 games. It has been the mix of a poor defense and a potent offense over this recent stretch but keep in mind that Miami remains the slowest team in the NBA, averaging just 93 possessions per game so it takes hot shooting from either side to surpass the number. Philadelphia meanwhile has gone over the total in its two games since the break and now it is seeing its highest number of these three games overall. The Sixers are another team that has seen a majority of unders come in as they are 35-20 to the under with that 63.6 percent being the biggest percentage in the league. The numbers go up on both sides as Miami and Philadelphia are a combined 54-26 (67.5 percent) to the over when the total is 190 or higher. Additionally, the under is 21-7 in the Sixers last 28 games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game while the under is 18-7 in the Heat's last 25 games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game. 10* Under (701) Philadelphia 76ers/(702) Miami Heat

We played the under in the Clippers last game before the All-Star break but we will go the opposite Thursday as we are seeing a good amount of value in the over. Los Angeles had gone over the total in three straight games prior to that and all of those were some big numbers. As a matter of fact, this is the lowest total the Clippers have seen in eight straight games. The Spurs went under the total in their final four games before the break as their defense really rose to the occasion. They will find the going a lot tougher here against a Los Angeles team averaging 107.1 ppg on 47.6 percent shooting at home. Last year, the over was 13-6-1 the first two days after the break after going 12-8 to the over two years ago and this has been a pretty common theme as the time off has helped the offenses. The over is 6-1 in the Spurs last seven games against teams with a winning record while the over is 6-1 in the Clippers last seven games against teams with a winning record. 10* Over (503) San Antonio Spurs/Los Angeles Clippers

The Rockets are coming off a win last night in Phoenix, but more importantly, it was the third straight game that went over the total which provides us with some contrarian value for tonight. Houston has been a team that has gone over the total on the road in seven of its last nine games but two of those games were against Phoenix and the other against Golden St., the top fastest teams in the NBA with 101.2 and 102.5 possessions per game respectively. The Clippers are no where near that as they average 97.3 possessions per game which is 18th in the league and they are finally back home following a lengthy roadtrip of eight games covering 14 days. They too have gone over the total is three straight games following a 6-1 under run and at home. Los Angeles has stayed below the number in nine of its last 13 games. In those, the Clippers have had a total of 210 or higher seven times with six of those staying under. Additionally, the under is 11-5-1 in Clippers last 17 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* Under (723) Houston Rockets/(724) Los Angeles Clippers

We lost with the Clippers/Cavaliers over last night as a 42-point fourth quarter did us in not to mention the fact it took Los Angeles over three quarters to get its offense going. It has been a rough five-game stretch as the Clippers have averaged just 99.2 ppg on 44.6 percent shooting and the last two games have been big reasons for losing. They have shot just 44.4 percent against Brooklyn and Cleveland but they now get to face a Raptors defense that has allowed 106.2 ppg on 46.9 percent shooting the last five games. Toronto has stayed under the total in its last two games as the offense has really fallen off, averaging just 84 ppg on 38.2 percent shooting. Last night we mentioned it is a good angle to play the over when teams have a combined shooting percentage of over 90 percent and that is the case again for both teams as the Clippers are at 92.3 percent while the Raptors are at 91.7 percent. The Clippers have gone over the total in eight of 12 games when playing with no rest including five of six in the second of back-to-back road games while the over is 10-2 in the Raptors last 12 games following a loss of more than 10 points. 10* Over (807) Los Angeles Clippers/(808) Toronto Raptors

We have a great situation tonight in what has the potential to be a very high scoring game. We saw it in the first meeting this season between the Clippers and Cavaliers as 247 points scored in Los Angeles less than three weeks ago. The situation is even better this time around as both teams have been by under runs but the home and road splits dictate a lot of offense. The combined field goal percentage for the Clippers on the road is 93.1 percent while the combined field goal percentage for the Cavaliers at home is 93.9 percent and anytime you can get two teams over a combined 90 percent, it is great for points and even more so in this case. Los Angeles has stayed under in two straight games as well as five of six while Cleveland has stayed under the total in six straight games as the defense has really picked things up. The last time they allows 100 points was the game against the Clippers as they have played some weak offenses since then. Los Angeles is 6-2 to the over this season when playing with two days rest while Cleveland is 4-2 to the over this season when playing with two days rest. 10* Over (503) Los Angeles Clippers/(504) Cleveland Cavaliers

We have seen some high scoring Super Bowls in recent years as five of the last six have seen 48 points or more being scored. With the scoring going up even more this season, people are expecting to see another high scoring game but I do not think that is going to be the case this season. We have two offenses capable of putting up points but we also have two defenses that are capable of at least slowing the opposing offense down. Seattle brings in the top ranked defense into the Super Bowl in both points allowed and yardage allowed. That being said, I still think the Patriots offense is going to be able to have success, albeit not to the extent of the success that New England has had the first two games of the playoffs. As mentioned in the side report, the Seattle defense gets a lot of credit as it should but it has allowed 23.6 ppg, compared to 13.5 ppg in the other games, when facing the well above average quarterbacks this season and it is again facing someone from that group. Typically, that would mean a high scoring game but I firmly believe the other side will have a huge impact in this game and one that probably many are not expecting. The Patriots defense has been average this season, ranked 13th in total defense but a much more potent eighth in points allowed. They did give up 31 against Baltimore but since Week 12, they have allowed 17 points or less six times and have allowed an average of 16.6 ppg over their last eight games. There were some fluke games early in the season but when facing top notch quarterbacks, they have done exceptional. Against Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck (twice), Matthew Stafford, Aaron Rodgers and Philip Rivers, they allowed an average of just 16.2 ppg. They came up huge in the AFC Championship against the Colts and overall, New England finished ninth in the NFL in rushing yards allowed and rushing ypc allowed which will be important against the Seahawks for obvious reasons. This is the highest total that Seattle has encountered all season long and it is even higher than last year's Super Bowl total. That one went over because of 14 points scored from defense and special teams and as long as we don't see that again, this one should stay under the number comfortably. 10* Under (101) New England Patriots/(102) Seattle Seahawks

The questionable status of Anthony Davis delayed this total and while he is a gametime decision, whether he goes or not is not a huge factor in the over/under. If he plays, he obviously helps the Pelicans offense but if he doesn't, it hurts the defense so it can be considered a wash. New Orleans had its four-game winning streak snapped with a loss against Denver on Wednesday and in the process, stayed under the total for a second straight game and eighth in its last nine contests. From a pace standpoint, the game against the Nuggets was not any slower than normal, it is just that the Pelicans could not buy many baskets as they shot just 39 percent from the floor including going only 3-15 from long range. The Clippers meanwhile have won six straight games with the last three staying under the total. The last game against Utah stayed well below no thanks to horrible long range shooting as the teams combined for 50 three-point shots with just 14 being made (28 percent). Both teams have been involved in some very high totals this season, especially the Clippers, and we are getting some decent value with this number tonight. This has been a high scoring series including the first meeting this season with 220 points being scored and I expect both teams to bounce back from their poor offensive efforts last time out. 10* Over (811) Los Angeles Clippers/(812) New Orleans Pelicans

The Clippers have won five straight games and are now six games behind Golden St. in the Pacific Division. While they look to have an easy matchup tonight, we are more concerned about the total as this is the lowest number that Los Angeles has seen in a while. Since November 28th, only two games have had a total of 200 or less and those were against Miami and Indiana and while both did stay under the total, they stayed under by a combined 5.5 points so even those were close to hitting the number. The Clippers are 11-6-1 to the over in their 18 road games which is a much higher percentage than their 16-11 to the under record at home. Additionally, the over is 5-1 in the Clippers last six road games against teams with a home winning percentage of less than .400. Utah is the reason this number is so low. The Jazz are also on a two-game under streak and going back, 14 of their last 18 games have stayed below the total. This is where the value comes into play as the majority of those games during the low scoring streak have come against poor offensive teams and the last time Utah had a total of at least 200, it was seven games back against Golden St. and that number easily went over. The over is 4-1 in Utah's last five home games against teams with a winning road record. This is the fourth and final meeting this season and we have seen the total drop each time with this being the lowest of the four games. 10* Over (719) Los Angeles Clippers/(720) Utah Jazz

We lost the Toronto over in its last game as a 32-point first quarter killed any chance of surpassing the total. The Raptors lost that game which was their third loss in four games with all five of those games staying below the total. The main reason has been the offense which has cooled off considerably, averaging just 92 ppg on 40.6 percent shooting. Those averages are way down from their season numbers and if there is an opponent that can jump start that offense, it is the Sixers. Philadelphia is allowing close to 103 ppg on the season so it should show very little resistance against the Raptors and Toronto is going to be gunning to get out of its offense struggles. The Sixers offense has been pretty bad of late as well as they have gone 19 straight games without scoring 100 points. Don't be surprised to see that streak get broken here as Toronto is allowing the fifth most points on the road in the NBA at 106.2 ppg. The Raptors have allowed at least 100 points in 13 of their 19 road games this season and while the defense has been better the last two games, it has been a pace issue as Memphis and Milwaukee has taken just 74 and 76 shots respectively. The Sixers average 81 shots per game and they are the sixth fasted team in the NBA with 99.9 possessions per game. These teams played just over a week ago with a closing total of 202.5 which shows how much value we are getting in this total on Friday. 10* Over (801) Toronto Raptors/(802) Philadelphia 76ers

We lost with the Toronto over on Monday as a 33-point third quarter did us in. Guard DeMar DeRozan went over 20 points in each of his first three games back from a groin injury but was held scoreless on 0-of-9 shooting in 26 minutes by the Bucks so don't expect to see that again We are playing the over for much of the same reasons as Toronto has lost seven of its last 10 and the reason has been defense. The Raptors have allowed an average of 110.7 ppg in those seven losses and while they allowed just 84, 96 and 89 points in the wins, those were against the Sixers, Celtics and Bucks. The defense has been bad all season as they have allowed 46.3 percent shooting, sixth worst in the league and they are allowing 106.9 ppg on the road, which is third highest trailing only Lakers and Timberwolves. While Toronto has gone under in four straight games, Memphis went under in its last game against Dallas after a run of five straight games going over the total. The Grizzlies play a pretty solid defense but they are actually better on the road than at home while the offense is really the catalyst. They average 105.1 ppg at home which is seventh highest in the NBA which plays right into the hands of the porous Toronto defense The over is 19-8 in the Grizzlies last 27 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600 while the over is 13-5 in the Raptors road games this season. 10* Over (711) Toronto Raptors/(712) Memphis Grizzlies

Milwaukee returns home from its game in London against the Knicks which was an easy winner and it also resulted in an easy under, the 11th straight game that has stayed under the total for the Bucks. Bad offense, strong defense or a combination of both? It has been a mix as Milwaukee has gone over 100 points only twice but has scored 95 or more points eight times so it hasn't been no where near shutdown. You will see that the Bucks have allowed 79, 95, 84 and 77 points their last four games but those three lowest point totals given up were against the three worst teams in the NBA and three pretty putrid offenses. Toronto has lost two straight games and seven of its last nine and the reason has been defense. The Raptors have allowed an average of 110.7 ppg in those seven losses and while they allowed just 84 and 96 points in the wins, those were against the lowly Sixers and Celtics. The defense has been bad all season as they have allowed 46.3 percent shooting, fifth worst in the league and they are allowing 108 ppg on the road, which is third highest trailing only Lakers and Timberwolves. Yet, Toronto has gone under in its last three games so we are getting exceptional contrarian value with a team that is 13-4 to the over in its 17 road games and is 17-5 to the over its last 22 games playing with no rest. 10* Over (719) Toronto Raptors/(720) Milwaukee Bucks

Oklahoma City is coming off one of its highest scoring games of the season as it took care of Golden St. 127-115 in a game that featured two very potent offenses. At least for the Thunder, that is the case since the return of Westbrook and Durant. Now they will be facing the fourth lowest scoring team in the NBA and the seventh slowest team as far as pace as Orlando is averaging just 94.9 ppg while their games are averaging only 96.5 possessions per game. While the Orlando defense has struggled the three games, overall it is not a bad unit that allows 100.1 ppg which is right in the middle of the pack. The Magic have gone over the total in four straight games which has been a mix of offense and defense but now they are getting some great value. They have gone under in six of their last nine games with a total of 200 or higher and tonight presents the biggest over/under they have seen all season. A lot of that has to do with Oklahoma City, which has gone over in two straight against two of the fastest teams in the league. The Thunder have had six games with a total of 210 or higher, three of those against Golden St. and the other three against teams ranked 3rd, 5th and 8th in pace. The under is 11-1 in the Thunder's last 12 games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game while the under is 10-3 in the Magic's last 13 games following a double-digit loss at home. 10* Under (803) Oklahoma City Thunder/(804) Orlando Magic

We had the Sixers over last night and while their offense improved from previous games as expected, it was the New Orleans offense that let us down as the Pelicans managed to shoot just 38.7 percent from the floor including 23.5 percent from long range. And it isn't because the Sixers defense is any good because it isn't and we will see that tonight. Playing with no rest will hurt the defense as the Sixers have allowed 102.3 ppg in their previous nine games playing with no rest, six of those going over the total. Additionally, Philadelphia has allowed fewer than 90 points seven other times and has allowed an average of 106 ppg in the next game. Detroit is coming off a dramatic win last night against the Pacers as it bounced back from a loss against New Orleans on Wednesday. It was the second straight under for the Pistons but the offense still managed a good game and I expect it to be even better tonight. Since the resurgence of this team, the offense has been outstanding by averaging 103.6 ppg in 18 games compared to 92.8 ppg in its first 22 games. The over is 6-1 in the Sixers last seven games against teams with a losing record while the over is 5-1 in the Pistons last six games against teams with a losing record. 10* Over (503) Philadelphia 76ers/(504) Detroit Pistons

Here we have two teams that have stayed under the total in the majority of their games on the season but that has not been the case recently. I think we come back to the norm on Friday. Orlando has won two straight games thanks to an offense that has put up 121 and 120 points but that is more of an anomaly than the norm. the Magic eclipsed 100 points in two straight games only one other time the entire season and they followed that up with an 86-point effort next time out. Memphis has also picked the offense during its two-game winning streak, scoring 122 and 103 points the last two games but 21 points came in overtime in the former, which would have stayed under had overtime not taken place. Both teams shoot the ball above average but these are two of the slower teams in the NBA as Memphis averages 97.2 possessions in its games while Orlando averages 96.4 possessions in its games, good for 21st and 24th in the NBA respectively. The under is 4-1-1 in the Grizzlies last six games against teams with a losing record while the under is 8-2 in the Magic's last 10 games against teams with a winning record. 10* Under (807) Memphis Grizzlies/(808) Orlando Magic

This isn't the most exciting matchup to watch with Cleveland on a six-game losing streak and the Lakers having dropped two straight, four of five and sitting 15 games under .500 for the season. But what it does do is give us a fantastic spot to cash a total as both teams have been riding significant under streaks in which case we should see a high scoring game going tonight. The Cavaliers had posted seven straight unders with LeBron James out of the lineup as the offense could do nothing, averaging just 89.1 ppg over those seven games. James returned against Phoenix and while the offense put up 100 points, the game still went under because the total was inflated at 212.5 but now it has come down for tonight. As for the Lakers, they have stayed under the total in their last six games including putting up a mere 153 points in their last game against Miami but that was just a horrible shooting night as they shot 31.5 percent including 17.4 percent from long range with the Heat not doing much better. Cleveland is 11-2 to the over in its last 13 road games after three or more consecutive unders while Los Angeles is 23-5 to the over in its last 28 home games after scoring 80 points or less. 10* Over (505) Cleveland Cavaliers/(506) Los Angeles Lakers

Milwaukee is coming off a win last night against Minnesota which was its second straight victory but more importantly, it was the Bucks ninth straight game that stayed under the total. That sets up a great opportunity tonight for a high scoring game as we are getting value with the total based on the recent under run as well as the fact this is Milwaukee's fourth game in five nights with there being travel between every game. A busy schedule like that tends to affect the defense more than anything else and while the Bucks have allowed point totals of 82, 77 and 84 points, those games were against New York, Philadelphia and Minnesota, the three worst teams in the NBA and three of the 10 lowest scoring teams in the league. Chicago is also coming off an under last night in Washington which was its second straight game to stay below the total. The offense has been the reason as the Bulls managed only 77 and 86 points in those games but they catch Milwaukee at the perfect time. The Bucks are 22-8 to the over in their last 30 road games as an underdog of 6.5 to 12 points while Chicago is 13-5 to the over in home games this season. 10* Over (511) Milwaukee Bucks/(512) Chicago Bulls

Charlotte won its third consecutive game last night and while doing so, also went over for the third straight game. Those totals were all less than what the Hornets are seeing tonight and all of that is due to the opposition but we are still presented with some awesome value. While the over is 16-5 in Charlotte's 21 games where the total is less than 195, the under is 11-5 when the total is 195 or greater including 5-2 at 200 or higher. Additionally, Charlotte is 21-10 to the under after successfully covering the spread in two or more consecutive games while the under is 5-2 in the Hornets last seven road games against teams with a winning home record. Toronto has gone over the total in two straight games and on the season, the over is 21-13 however 13 of those overs came on the road as the Raptors defense stiffens up considerable at home where they allow 95.4 ppg compared to 108 ppg on the road. Toronto is 19-7 to the under in its last 26 home games after allowing 110 points or more two straight games while the under is 5-2 in the Raptors last seven home games following a road trip of seven or more days. As far as pace goes, both are slower than average as Toronto is 16th with 97.9 possessions per game while Charlotte is 20th with 97.3 possessions per game. 10* Under (501) Charlotte Hornets/(502) Toronto Raptors

Milwaukee is coming off another low scoring game last night as it has now gone under the total in seven straight games. Tonight presents a great opportunity to break that streak as this one sets up good for a high scoring affair. The Bucks offense has been stuck in neutral the last four games, scoring no more than 96 points but now they face a Sixers defense that is allowing 104 ppg and has given up at least 112 points in four of their last six games. They are coming off a solid defensive effort last time out against the Cavaliers as they allowed just 92 points but putting together back-to-back strong efforts on defense has been a rarity. Philadelphia is coming off an under in that game against Cleveland but it has gone 9-3 to the over in its last 12 games following a game that went under the total. The Sixers offense has not reached 100 points since December 13th but that could change here as Milwaukee is allowing 99.5 ppg on the road and the over is 10-4 in the Bucks last 14 road games against teams with a losing home record. Meanwhile, the over is 5-1 in the Sixers last six home games against teams with a winning road record. As far as pace goes, the Sixers and Bucks are averaging 100.7 and 98.8 possessions per game respectively, 4th and 11th most in the league. 10* Over (705) Milwaukee Bucks/(706) Philadelphia 76ers

Detroit has won five straight games, all being covers as well as the offense has hit its stride, averaging 108.4 ppg and the defense is not far behind as it has improved as well, allowing just 90.2 ppg. Facing a majority of bad teams will do that however and while I expect the offense to keep going, the defense will be in for a tough time on Tuesday. Because of the stifling defense of late, the Pistons have stayed under the total in their last four games. The Spurs meanwhile have stayed under the total in three straight games as the defense has been playing well while the offense has been below its season averages leading up to it. This line came out late due to the uncertainty of Tony Parker and while he likely will not go, the possibility is only a added benefit. As mentioned, Detroit has not played many good teams during its run and it is 8-1 to the over in its last nine games against teams with a winning record. Meanwhile the Spurs have played three solid teams during their under run and going back, they are 10-1 to the over in their last 11 games against teams with a losing record while the over is 10-2 in the Spurs last 12 home games. 10* Over (503) Detroit Pistons/(504) San Antonio Spurs

We are definitely going against the grain in this one as everyone sees a trackmeet between Oklahoma City and Golden St. but the value here is too hard to pass up going the other way. These teams met just over two weeks ago and while that game in Golden St. surpassed the total, it would not have if tonight's number was in place as the over/under has gone from 211.5 to 218 in a span of 17 days, which is too big of an adjustment. A lot of that is due to recent games as Oklahoma Coty has gone over in three straight and five of six while Golden St. has gone over in two straight and five of seven. The Warriors falls into a great totals spot as we play the under where the total is greater than or equal to 210 involving a team that is averaging 102 or more ppg going up against teams allowing between 92 and 98 ppg, after a combined score of 205 points or more two straight games. This situation is 31-9 (77.5 percent) to the under the last five seasons. Additionally, Golden St. is 20-9 to the under in its last 29 games after scoring 100 points or more three straight games while the under is 21-7 in Oklahoma City's last 28 games playing on two days rest. 10* Under (721) Oklahoma City Thunder/(722) Golden St. Warriors

This total continues to climb which is what we were hoping for and expected and it could reach 70 by gametime which would be the highest total either team has seen all season long. We saw a low scoring game yesterday in Birmingham, or lower than we have seen of late, and while that total went down from opening, a lot of that was weather related. Prior to yesterday, the over was 11-3-1 over the last 15 bowl games so it is to a point where the linesmakers have to overadjust these numbers based on heavy public action. This is another example of that as we have two potent offenses taking the field in Mobile. The big factor here is preparation time which I feel is a big edge for the defenses as well as the makeup of both offenses. While they both like to run a faced paced attack, both rely heavily on the run as Arkansas St. averages 12.7 more runs than passes while Toledo averages 10.5 more runs than passes. Those are significant differentials and we all know how much rushing can effect a total with the clock running as much as it should be. The defenses are nothing special but both have been decent against the run which could help limit the number of really big plays. Toledo is 9-0 to the under in its last nine games against teams averaging 31 or more ppg while Arkansas St. is 7-0 to the under in its last seven games away from home after allowing 31 points or more in two straight games. 10* Under (275) Toledo Rockets/(276) Arkansas St. Red Wolves

After winning the first two games of this current roadtrip against Orlando and Miami, the Sixers have lost the last four games all by at least 16 points. The defense has been to blame as they have allowed 112, 114 and 126 points in three of those losses and I expect another high scoring affair tonight. The Clippers have won three of their last four games including two straight on this current homestand and all four of these games have stayed under the total. The defense has played well the last two games but this is the type of game the Clippers may not put a full effort into and while they are an average pace team, the Sixers are the third fastest by averaging 101 possessions per game. So it would not be surprising to see Los Angeles go along with that. The last meeting here a season ago had a total of 219.5 so we are seeing a big difference this time around. The Clippers are 8-0 to the over in their last eight games after a game forcing opponent to commit eight or less turnovers while the over is 7-1 in the Sixers last eight games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. 10* Over (515) Philadelphia 76ers/(516) Los Angeles Clippers

We have been waiting on this one primarily due to trying to get further information on the status of Le'Veon Bell but the news has not changed as his still has not practiced and will be a gametime decision tomorrow night. Offensive coordinator Todd Haley said Bell could play against the Ravens even if he does not practice this week. This is a big deal as far as the total goes as if he does not play or if he is limited, the passing game will become more critical which certainly favors the over. This series has gone over seven of the last nine meetings but if you look at the previous closing totals, the total for this week is more than a field goal higher than eight of those which draws some questions. Since 2008, there have been 15 meetings between these two teams and only two of those final scores would have been over the 45 posted here. The last meeting was one of those that went over the number and this one sets up as another high scoring game. This total could be placed higher but the recent runs is keeping it in check as Baltimore has stayed under the total in four straight games while the Steelers have stayed under in three straight games. When it comes to Steelers playoff football, you think defense but in reality, they have gone over the total in 21 of 29 playoff games since 1992 and while that has no bearing here, it shows that defense is not necessarily the strength in the playoffs. Here, we play the over involving road teams where the total is between 42.5 and 49 points that are outscoring opponents by four or more ppg, after allowing three points or less in the first half last game. This situation is 44-15 (74.6 percent) to the over the last five seasons. 10* Over (103) Baltimore Ravens/(104) Pittsburgh Steelers

The first year of the College Football Playoffs definitely came with some controversy but in the end, we have four very capable teams of taking home the National Championship. The second matchup is the Sugar Bowl between Ohio St. and Alabama. The Buckeyes snuck into the final four thanks to a 59-0 win over Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship as they leapfrogged TCU and now face another stiff test. Alabama had no issues with Missouri in the SEC Championship and it is a big favorite to make it to the championship game on January 12th. We will be looking at the total here however as I feel it is too big of a number with two outstanding defenses. Sure, both offenses can score a bunch and we have seen that of late with Ohio St. going over the total in three straight games and Alabama going over the total in its last two games. Those five games were basically surpassed by the offense that rolled to at least 42 points in each game. But taking a look at the defenses faced tells the story with the exception of Wisconsin which decided no to show up. Now the offenses will be facing the 10th ranked Crimson Tide defense and the 15th ranked Buckeyes defense. And I think these defenses can dictate the game and we are getting a very favorable number to work with. Both teams fall into a similar situation where we play the under in the second half of the season in a game involving two teams averaging 8.3 or more ypa, in non-conference games. This situation is 26-8 (76.5 percent) to the under the last five seasons. 10* Under (263) Ohio St. Buckeyes/(264) Alabama Crimson Tide

The possibility of a DeMarcus Cousins suspension caused this line to come out late but whether or not he plays, this game should turn into a trackmeet. Sacramento has lost two straight games and has allowed at least 101 points in eight straight games but is coming off a poor offensive effort yesterday against Boston which will reverse out here. Sacramento managed just 36.8 percent shooting including going 2-15 from long range against a bad Celtics defense but now it faces an even worse stop unit. Minnesota has allowed at least 100 points in nine straight games, all of which have been losses but the last three have stayed under the total which helps add value today. Both offenses should rise to the occasion today against these poor defenses that allow 108.7 ppg and 104.1 ppg. From a pace standpoint, both teams are fast as they are two of just nine teams in the NBA that average 99 or more possessions per game. The over is 14-6 in the Kings last 20 games against teams with a winning percentage below .400 while the over is 13-6 in the Timberwolves last 19 games playing on one day rest. 10* Over (503) Sacramento Kings/(504) Minnesota Timberwolves

This is the highest total of the three New Year's Eve games and we will take advantage of that by playing the under. While this game features two offenses that can move the ball and score a ton of points, it also features two underrated defenses. While Boise St. and Arizona are ranked 39th and 103rd respectively in total defense, it seems like the Broncos have the far better defense when looking at yppl, Boise St. remains around the same ranking while the Wildcats jump up to 68th which is a better indication of where they stand. As far as the matchup, Boise St. is expected to run the ball a lot behind Jay Ajayi and for Arizona, with quarterback Anu Solomon struggling against Oregon and eventually getting benched, it is unlikely the Wildcats are going to set him free. The Broncos had a stretch of seven straight unders prior to their MWC Championship and one look at the opposition will tell you why. Both teams fall into a phenomenal late season bowl game situation that favors a low scoring game as we play the under in the second half of the season on a neutral field where the total is between 63.5 and 70 in a game involving two teams allowing between 21 and 28 ppg, in non-conference games. This situation is 24-4 (85.7 percent) to the under the last 10 seasons with the average score being just 51.3 ppg. The under is 7-2-1 in the Broncos last 10 games in December while the under is 6-1 in the Wildcats last seven games against teams with a winning record. 10* Under (251) Boise St. Broncos/(252) Arizona Wildcats