Sports Picks & Predictions

*3 Star Play Under* NJIT and Stetson played two games that finished under this posted total during the regular season. In general, conference tournament games are slightly lower scoring because the pace slows down when the game means more. This game means a bunch to both teams since they are going home for the season if they lose. I think this one should stay around 150. Take the under here. 

*4 Star Play Over* The Eastern Michigan Eagles and Northern Illinois Huskies got to 143 in their first meeting despite playing slower than expected and shooting slightly worse than their season averages. If things normalize in this game, I think a game up around 150 is likely. Both teams make a living at the line, and both teams foul a bunch. Expect trips to the charity stripe to push this one over the total. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Over* The over is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings between these two. Virginia Tech has had a difficult time speeding up the tempo against some of their recent opponents, but that won't be the case here against Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons aren't a good team, but they are always looking to play fast. The first meeting between these two teams went to 184 points. Look for this one to get at least into the mid 150's. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Over* The first meeting between these two was 103-95. This one won't be like that one, but I still like it to go over the posted total. Belmont is locked in as the top seed in the OVC Tournament, and there's no reason for them to be too terribly interested in this game. That usually means less defense and a lot of scoring. 

Belmont always loves to push the tempo and Tennessee State has gradually played much quicker throughout the course of the season. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Hidden GEM Total* The Wisconsin Green Bay Phoenix shoot the ball quicker than any other team in the country. They only use 13.3 seconds on average of the 30 second shot clock. Green Bay is going to try to push the tempo in every game they play.

Valparaiso is one of the best mid-majors in the country. The Crusaders have an excellent defense, but I don't see them being too interested in this game. Valpo has clinched the top seed in the Horizon League Tournament, and that one gets underway this coming week. The Crusaders are more likely to get into a fast paced battle with Green Bay than they normally would have been.

Add to that the fact that Valpo's offense has been much better this year, and I think we have a total that is several points too low. I had this number at 155 points. Take the over. 

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Play Totals CRUSHER* The UConn Huskies have the best defense in the American Athletic Conference. Their defense is much better than the second best defense in the league. Houston has been lighting up most of the defenses in this conference, but I don't expect them to do that to UConn.

Looking back, Houston has struggled on offense against both Cincinnati and Tulsa on the road. Interestingly, Cincinnati has the 2nd ranked defense in the AAC and Tulsa has the 3rd ranked defense. Now, Houston goes on the road to take on the top ranked defense of the Huskies. Additionally, Houston scored only 57 points at home against UConn earlier this year.

Both of these teams slow the game down a lot. The tempo here should be very slow. I think this total is 5 or 6 points too high. Take the under. TOP RATED Play. 

*3 Star Play Over* This one plays into a system that has done well in recent years for me. These are two teams with almost nothing to play for in the regular season finale. That generally means higher scoring. Mercer's defense has been awful in the last few games. The normally good defense of the Bears has allowed 79, 85, 72, 77, and 91 points in their last five games. Most of those haven't even had a fast pace either. UNC Greensboro has been very efficient on offense down the stretch. Neither defense is good. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Over* The first game between these two teams went to 172 points and this one should be very similar. Both of these teams are excellent on the offensive end and they are great at getting to the line and converting. Both shoot about 75 percent from the stripe. Eastern Kentucky is a very fast paced team, and Tennessee Tech will run with them. I had this one at 169 points. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* This game will decide the Big Sky Conference title. Weber State and Montana are the two best defensive teams in the Big Sky. Joel Bolomboy is out for this game for Weber State and that should hurt them on both ends of the floor. I think the defenses will be ready here and the tempo will be slow because of the importance of the game. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Utah State Aggies and San Jose State Spartans both prefer to play at a slow tempo when they can. San Jose State has slowed down drastically in recent weeks and the Spartans offense is very inefficient. Utah State has a great home court advantage, and most road teams shoot a poor percentage when playing there. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* These two teams are two of the faster paced teams in the MVC. Most teams in this league slow the game down, but these are two that like to play quickly when they can. The first game between these two went to 145 points and with this being their last game of the regular season I see this one being played at a slightly faster pace with neither side being too interested defensively. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Over* Here's a game that means little to either team with the conference tourney starting up in the middle of the week. Both teams prefer to play quickly and have next to no defense. Austin Peay should put up a big number against this hapless SEMO State defense. The pace should be enough to get this one above 150. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Over* The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and Rice Owls played to a 168 final in their first meeting this year. The pace in that game was very fast (77 possessions). Rice is one of the worst defenses in the country, and LA Tech's offense should get easy transition looks. Both of these teams get to the line a bunch and that's a big help also. I had this one at 162. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Charlotte 49ers have shot the ball extremely well this year. Charlotte has put up more than 100 points in their last 3 home games. UTEP is one of the fastest paced teams in Conference USA, and the Miners have been much better offensively late in the year than earlier. This line dipped just enough for this to be a play. With a 6 point spread- a foul fest late is certainly a possibility. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Boise State Broncos are likely to be without James Webb in this game. He's a do everything type of player, and they will badly miss him in this game. Webb injured his knee late in the team's win over UNLV. Boise State's offense struggled badly at home against this SD State defense, and there is no reason to expect them to be good without Webb and on the road. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Over* The Duquesne Dukes definitely know how to push the tempo. Duquesne is a high scoring team who doesn't play much defense. Richmond has picked up their pace a great deal this year, and I think this should be a competitive game. Both teams have the ability to score in bunches. Duquesne often shoots excellent percentages on their home floor, and Richmond's offense is very efficient. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* The under is 41-16 in C of C's last 57 games. The under is 8-0 in their 8 vs. a team with a winning record. Hofstra has plenty to play for here with the CAA title on the line for them, so expect them to be working hard on the defensive end as well. A low scoring game. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Ohio Bobcats like to play quickly when they get the chance and Buffalo will give them the chance here. Buffalo plays at the quickest pace of any team in the MAC. The first game between these two finished at 169 points. I think this one reaches 160. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* Two of the very worst defenses in the country. In fact, both of these defenses rank in the bottom 5 teams out of 351 in the country in defensive efficiency. Yuck. While neither offense is particularly strong, they should look better when up against these defenses. Take the over here. 

*4 Star Play Over* The first meeting between these two went to 160 points. Neither team here has anything to play for and more often than not that means a higher scoring game because neither team works hard on defense. I think both of these offenses will be efficient in this game. I had this one at 149. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Miami Hurricanes have gone back to slowing the tempo down of late, and they have been playing quite well. Louisville has the number one ranked defense in terms of efficiency in the entire country. These two have played some very low scoring games in the past couple years. I think this should be a close game where both teams value each possession quite a bit. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Over* In doing my preparation for the card I always have several games I have highlighted as likely plays. This was not one of them. Having said that, I simply can't pass up this kind of number on an over in today's game. Neither of these teams has much of anything to play for here. The conference tournament starts next week. Final regular season game for both teams. Cleveland State has a terrible defense. In today's college basketball environment, this number is just too low. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Georgetown Hoyas and Butler Bulldogs both shot the ball incredibly well in the first meeting between these two teams. It's unlikely these teams will shoot the ball as well as they did in that game. Butler and Georgetown have both been slowing the tempo down when they can in the Big East. These two would prefer to play a halfcourt type of game, and that's what I expect here. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Over* Fort Wayne has been the most consistent offense in the Summit League. They have four guys who are tremendous long range shooters. The Mastadons torched this Western Illinois defense the first time they played, and I see no reason to expect anything different in this one. Western Illinois' defense is awful against the three-ball, and that is the specialty of Fort Wayne's offense. An elite offense and a bad defense should equal plenty of scoring. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Under* I thought this line would rise, and it has, so I'm grabbing the under. Arizona State is a 12 point dog here, and I think Utah will win comfortably here. Utah is slowing the tempo down more than any other team in the Pac 12 right now. The Utes are good at taking the air out of the ball when they have a significant lead. Arizona State's offensive efficiency numbers are much worse away from home. 

Against two speed demons in UCLA and USC, Utah slowed the tempo down to 66 and 64 possessions. They should slow this one down enough as well. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* These are two very good defenses. Arkansas Little Rock is the best team in the conference and it starts with defense. Little Rock has been excellent at slowing down the tempo of the game and I look for them to do a good job controlling the pace on their home floor here. UT Arlington tries to run, but they are without their best scorer and could only muster 62 points against Little Rock in the first meeting. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The South Dakota State Jackrabbits are probably the best team in the Summit League. North Dakota State has been playing without star Paul Miller lately. Miller is listed as questionable for this one. He will likely either miss this game or be far less than 100 percent. Without Miller in the lineup, North Dakota State has been playing much slower. The Bison will try to win with their strong defense here. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Penn State Nittany Lions have been consistently controlling the tempo of the game late in the season. Nebraska tends to play to the pace of their opponent, which should benefit the under in this contest. Penn State's offense isn't good at all but their defense is typically strong at home. The first meeting between these two stayed well under the posted total. Take the under.

*5 Star TOP Play Under* The College of Charleston Cougars have been a tremendous under team this season. Since their leading scorer went down, the Cougars have slowed the tempo down in a big way. Northeastern is another team who prefers to play at a slow tempo. The first meeting between these two was only 58-58 before overtime. The College of Charleston defense is the best in the conference. Charleston played the fastest paced team in the conference in UNC Wilmington last game. Despite that game going to overtime, the final was 59-55. Look for a very low scoring game. Take the under. TOP Rated Play. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Furman Paladins have been a very low scoring team this year. Their offense is much less efficient on the road. Furman and E Tennessee State played a game that finished 74-70 earlier this year, but the offensive efficiency numbers for both teams were far above normal. With a similar pace and lower shooting numbers I see this one staying under the posted total. 

*3 Star Late Night BAILOUT* The Air Force Falcons have picked up some nice wins at home in conference play but this team has been terrible on the road. Fresno State's tempo has slowed considerably in Mountain West play. The Bulldogs are using their strong defense to win games. Look for Fresno State to get an early lead and slow the tempo down late to keep this one under the posted total. Take the under.

*4 Star Play Over* Two really bad defenses and Missouri State prefers to push the tempo. The first game between these two went to 149 despite below average shooting performances. The shooting numbers should improve in this one. Neither team has much to play for, and more often than not that means higher scoring games. Take the over. 

*4 Star NBA Total DOMINATION* The Golden State Warriors are in the middle of a stretch where they play six games in nine days in three different time zones. Miami knows that if they want a chance to win this game, they have to slow down the pace. While Golden State plays very fast, the Warriors also have an excellent defense. Golden State ranks third in defense efficiency. Miami is sixth in the league in defense efficiency. The under is 5-2 in Golden State's last 7 road games. The under is 5-2 in Miami's last 7 home games. Take the under.

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Texas A&M Aggies have turned down the pace a lot in conference play. Texas A&M is winning with defense of late. Mississippi State likes to play relatively quickly, but Texas A&M stalled the game out in the first meeting between these two, and they'll likely do the same here. I like the under even more here because A&M is likely to win this game, and the Aggies have shown a great ability to take the air out of the ball once they build up a good lead. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* These two teams are in for a great game tonight, and I expect both defenses to bring it. Villanova has the best defense in the conference by a wide margin and Xavier's is third in the conference. The Wildcats will slow the tempo down in this one. Take the under here. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Late Night MONEY* The Boise State Broncos have the most efficient offense in the Mountain West. Boise State averages 1.096 points per possession. They also play at the second fastest tempo in the Mountain West. The single fastest team in the Mountain West is UNLV.

The Rebels aren't changing the way they are playing despite a myriad of injuries. In fact, most of their injuries are in the frontcourt, so they are looking to push pace and score with their guards in transition. 

Boise State's James Webb will have a big advantage down low, and the Broncos offense is tremendous at home. UNLV should get transition chances against a Boise State defense that is subpar.

The over is 5-0 in UNLV's last 5 Tuesday games. The over is 5-0 in Boise's last 5 home games vs. a team with a losing road record. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 home games vs. a team with a road win percentage of 40% or lower. The over is 5-0 in the last 5 games between these two in Boise. A 19-0 angle. I had this number at 155. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Texas Tech Red Raiders have shown to be very good at controlling the tempo once they grab a lead. Tubby Smith's team is exceeding all expectations this year, and he deserves a lot of credit for the job he has done here. 

TCU is the bottom of the barrel in the Big 12. They catch people napping sometimes, but the Horned Frogs don't have the talent to compete with the better teams in the league. TCU's offense is averaging less than 0.90 points per possession inside conference play which is terrible. I don't see them putting up many points in this one. 

The under is 4-1 in TCU's last 5 games. I had this one at 130. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Georgia State Panthers have seen 7 of their last 8 games finish at 132 points or less in regulation. Georgia State slows the game down and plays solid defense. They also have a very poor offense. Georgia Southern prefers to play fast, but many teams have been able to slow them down, including Georgia State in the first meeting.

The first game went to only 135 after overtime. At the end of regulation, the score was 55-55. The shooting numbers weren't good, but they also weren't awful. It was a game played in the halfcourt. I think this one stays right around 130. Take the under. 

*4 Star NBA Best Bet of the Day* The Indiana Pacers now rank second in the NBA in defensive efficiency. The Miami Heat are sixth. To get a game between two teams ranked so highly in defense with a total this high is certainly rare. 

The over is 20-8 in the last 28 NBA games, and bettors are blindly betting up the overs and this has given us value here. 

Eric Dalen is one of the refs in this game, and he's one of the best under referees in the game. Dalen is 25-13 to the under this year. The under was 20-11 in his games last year. Two years ago it was 33-26 to the under. Three years ago the under was 33-22 in his games. Clearly a major under referee.

I think this one is several points too high. Take the under. 

*4 Star NBA Total Value Play* The New York Knicks aren't going to play fast under Kurt Rambis. The Toronto Raptors have played slowly all year. In fact, these two teams rank 25th and 26th out of 30 teams in the NBA in terms of pace of play. Toronto's defense is also much improved from last year.

The over has been red hot in the NBA, with the over going 20-8 in the last 28 NBA games played. That has caused this and other NBA totals to shoot upward today. This line is up 4.5 points, and that's just not indicative of what the true line should be. Looks like an overreaction to me.

Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Wisconsin Badgers have been tremendous at controlling the pace for a long time, and they are playing as slow as ever right now. Wisconsin is using up a little more than 21 seconds of the 30 second shot clock in Big Ten play. They are going to dictate the tempo here. Their game at Illinois was 63-55. The Badgers are likely to score more here, but this number is too high.

The under is 38-15 in Illinois' last 53 road games. I had this number at 131. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Houston Cougars are playing at a slow tempo this year. In recent games they have been shooting a ridiculously high percentage from the floor. I expect that number to come down some with a good Temple defense coming to town.

Temple likes to slow the game down, and Temple is out for revenge here after losing 77-50 at home to Houston earlier this year. It will take some good shooting numbers from these teams to eclipse this number. I expect a close game where the defenses are strong. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Brooklyn Nets are abysmal on the defensive end. Brooklyn has been a very good over team at home, because they are much better on offense on their home floor. Charlotte just lost their best defensive player when Kidd-Gilchrist went down for the season. The Hornets offense has been good in recent meetings with Brooklyn.

The over is 19-11 in Brooklyn's 30 games as a home underdog this year. The over is 11-1 in their last 12 home games. The over is 6-1-2 in the last 9 meetings between these two teams. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* The San Jose State Spartans have been slowing things down a bunch, especially on their home court. San Diego State always likes to play at a slow tempo. The Aztecs offense isn't good at all. On the defensive side though, San Diego State is one of the best in the country. In the first meeting between these two, both teams shot far better than their averages for the season. Look for those numbers to come down to earth in a very low scoring game. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Missouri State Bears have been playing some higher scoring games of late, which has bumped this total up. Loyola Chicago is great at slowing the game down though, and both of these teams are very poor on offense. The first game between these two finished at 56-54. I had this one at 130. Neither team gets to the line often, and that's a big help. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Hawaii Warriors and UC Irvine Anteaters are the two best teams in this conference in my opinion. They also have the best defenses in the conference. UC Irvine was thumped 74-52 last week in Hawaii, but I expect their defense to be much better tonight. Hawaii made 14 3 pointers in that game last week. Aaron Valdes is Hawaii's second leading scorer and he is questionable with the flu. The defenses should be good enough here. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Long Beach State 49ers are playing way faster than anyone else in the Big West. Long Beach State has several guys who can heat it up from long range. Cal State Fullerton prefers to play quickly, and their defense is awful. I expect Long Beach State to put up a big number and Fullerton to put up enough for the win. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* This is a bigtime rivalry game and Montana won the first won 80-72 as both teams shot extremely well from the floor. I expect the defenses to be better in this one and the pace to stay slow. This is a rivalry that has had a bunch of low scoring games in the past few years, and I think this projects as another one of those. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Over* The Southern Utah Thunderbirds get back their best player (Kennedy) tonight. He has been suspended the last few games. That's important for the bet as Kennedy is their main man on offense. Southern Utah will push the tempo more with him in the game. Idaho State has a star in Ethan Telfair. Idaho State put up 87 points on Southern Utah the first time around. This S. Utah defense is the worst out of 351 in the country in terms of efficiency. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Louisiana Monroe Warhawks have been really good on offense inside the Sun Belt. UT Arlington pushes the pace more than any other team in the league. The first game between these two featured great shooting and a 99-88 score. We won't get that again, but I do think the offenses will both have a lot of success. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* In this spot, I'm simply betting a number that I believe is too low. It's not exciting to bet an over with Bradley and their awful offense or with Drake's slow tempo, but there are several signs that point to an over. The Drake defense is so bad that they have made everyone look good. Bradley sends opponents to the line a lot and Drake is shooting 73% there. With today's rules, this is a very low number. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Florida atlantic Owls have picked up their tempo and they are also being much more efficient on offense of late. Accounting for recency, I had this number at 150 points. Both defenses are awful, so I see these teams getting a lot of open looks. Take the over here. 

*4 Star Play Under* The College of Charleston Cougars have played 12 straight games under this total. UNC Wilmington normally pushes the pace, but I don't think C of C lets them do it here. The first game between these two was low the whole way and finished 65-55. I think this one stays below 130 points. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Chattanooga Mocs are the much better team in this game, and their defense should keep this game under. The first meeting was 73-60 at Greensboro. Chattanooga isn't generally the type of team that pushes the tempo when they have the lead. I expect them to grab a lead and then let their defense do the rest of the work. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* The first meeting between these two finished well under this total despite going into an extra session. Mercer is without their leading scorer in this one. The Bears have been slowing the pace down even more since they have been without him. East Tennessee State is one of those teams that simply plays to the pace of their opponent. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Cleveland State Vikings and Wisconsin Milwaukee Panthers played one of the slowest paced games in the entire season so far earlier this year. It was just 52 possessions. That is extremely slow with the new rule. Many teams are at 70 possessions or higher. The shooting was good in the game, but it stayed under solely because of the ridiculously slow tempo. Since both teams aren't very good on defense, I'm avoiding making this a top rated play, but I do like this one with the tempo numbers in our favor. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Over* The San Francisco Dons have been pushing the pace a bunch of late. They should get the tempo they want in this game. Loyola Marymount has been playing to the pace of their opponent this year. The Lions and Dons met earlier this year in a 87-83 final. I had this number at 157. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* These two teams don't play all that fast, but both of them are poor on defense and good on offense. We should see good shooting numbers from these two squads. The first meeting was 83-76. A big key here is both teams are great at getting to the line and both of them shoot a very good percentage from the stripe. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Villanova Wildcats have been a good under team this year because they are elite defensively and they are slowing the tempo down a lot more than they have in past years. Villanova and Butler played to a 60-55 final earlier this year. While this one shouldn't be that low, I do think this total is too high. The Bulldogs have slowed down drastically in conference play in terms of tempo. These two teams have a long history of playing tight low scoring games. Take the under here. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Georgia State Panthers and Arkansas State Red Wolves played to a 57-57 score at the end of regulation earlier this year. Both teams are solid on defense and neither one is good on the offensive end. The Panthers should control the tempo at home and I had this number at 133. Look for a halfcourt battle. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Davidson Wildcats have three key players sick and they are a gametime decision for this game. St. Joe's is excellent on defense and only 2 of their last 14 games have gone over this total. Davidson has been stalling of late, and with one team slowing the game down a lot it is hard to get to 160. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Over* The Rice Owls have been an over machine of late. Why? Because they play zero defense and they are pushing the pace in a big way. FIU is an efficient offense that should shoot the ball very well in this one. Rice is making everything a high scoring game, and I had this number at 154. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* The first time these two met the score was 196 points, and I see another very high scoring game here. The Green Bay Phoenix shoot the ball quicker than any other team in the country. Youngstown State will be glad to play fast as well. Shootout! Take the over here. 

*5 Star NCAA BB TGIF TOP Play SMASHER* The Monmouth Hawks and Iona Gaels played to a 110-102 game in their first meeting. That was no fluke either. The pace of the game calculated to 93 possessions. That's absurdly quick, and I see no reason to believe this one won't be very quick as well.

Monmouth hasn't played a game at less than 71 possessions all month despite playing some teams that try to slow things down. Iona has always been the fastest team in the conference under Coach Tim Cluess. 

I see neither team wanting to change their plans for this game. While Deon Jones is out for this game for Monmouth, he is actually one of the team's best defensive players as well, so his absence isn't likely to hurt scoring overall. 

These teams hate each other, and this is going to be a game where the officials will have a quick whistle. They can't let it get out of hand. Look for a lot of trips to the charity stripe. Monmouth shoots 77.3% from the line. Iona shoots a solid 70.8% from the stripe.

I've had this game circled as one where I would play the over since the first meeting. Take the over big. TOP RATED Play. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Washington Huskies are pushing the pace far more than any other team in the Pac 12. Cal hasn't played anyone this year that runs like Washington does. The Golden Bears have shown the ability to play in the open floor at times, and I think Cal's offense will be very successful here. Cal will get a bunch of second chances on offense because of their edge on the glass. High scoring close game. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* The first meeting between these two was 98-84. While the shooting numbers were good in that one, this posted total is far lower and I see this going over. Pepperdine should light up this awful San Francisco defense. San Francisco has decided to play extremely quickly down the stretch this year, and the Dons should get enough possessions to put up a big enough number. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Under* The under is 8-0 in the last 8 meetings between these two teams at Cal Poly. The under is 38-17-1 in UC Davis' last 56 road games. UC Davis has an underrated defense, but their offense is just awful. Cal Poly is playing faster than they did in the past, but teams who stall relentlessly have been able to slow down the Mustangs. UC Davis is stalling this year, and the first game was played to a snail's pace of just 59 possessions. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The first game between these two saw Belmont shoot only 14/42 from 3 point range. The total got to 166 and this one should be higher than that first meeting. Belmont and Eastern Kentucky are both excellent on offense and poor on defense. This one should have a lot of free throws and solid shooting numbers. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB 100% Angle CRUSHER* It's the Owls vs. the Owls here. The Florida Atlantic Owls have been playing at a much quicker pace in their last few games. The Owls offense has also improved since their backcourt has gotten healthier. 

Rice has been pushing the tempo a lot all year, but they are playing their fastest of late. They have a former VCU assistant at head coach here, and he is preaching uptempo offense. Rice's defense is awful, and Florida Atlantic's isn't much better. 

The over is 7-0 in Florida Atlantic's last 7. The over is 7-0 in their last 7 league games. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 following a loss. The over is 7-0 in their last 7 following an ATS loss. A 25-0 angle. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Maryland Terrapins defense is excellent, and I think they'll crank up the defensive intensity tonight on a bad Minnesota team. The Terps were beaten at home by Wisconsin on Saturday, and I suspect they'll be much sharper in this game. Minnesota won't want to run, and they can control the tempo pretty well on their home floor. I see this one in the mid 130's. Take the under. 

*5 Star TOP Play Totals MONEY* The Delaware Blue Hens and College of Charleston Cougars played to a 59-58 final earlier this year. Delaware is a team that plays slowly when they can, and Charleston is all about slowing the game down and trying to win with defense. Charleston is short on scorers with Berry out with an injury for the rest of the year. 

The under is 38-16 in C of C's last 54 games. The under is 20-8 in their last 28 road games. The under is 9-4 in Delaware's last 13 home games. I had this number at 124. Take the under big. TOP Rated Play. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Total PERFECTION* The Marshall Thundering Herd have been money in the bank on overs of late. Charlotte has been the same way. Look at some of their recent scores. Marshall's last 3 scores have been: 112-108, 109-91, and 96-93. Charlotte's last two games have been 102-73 and 103-79. The first meeting between these two finished 103-95. This is a very high total, but it's high for good reason. Two great shooting teams who don't play much defense and love to push the tempo.

The over is 7-0 in Marshall's last 7 after scoring 90 points or more last game. The over is 5-0 in their last 5 after scoring 90 points or more. The over is 4-0 in Charlotte's last 4 after scoring 90 points or more. The over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these two. A 20-0 angle. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Under* These two teams never get to play on television, but they have a nationally televised game tonight. The first meeting between these two finished at 127 with some bad shooting numbers. Both offense are bad, and I don't think we'll see good shooting numbers with both teams being a little extra jittery tonight being on TV for the first time this year. This number has been bet up, but I'll fade that move. I had 140. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Over* The Morehead State Eagles foul more than any other team in the Ohio Valley Conference. Tennessee State is great at getting to the line and converting those opportunities. Tennessee State has picked up the pace in a big way during the conference season. The Tigers are really pushing the tempo of late. This is a low total for two teams who live at the line. I had this one at 139. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Over* The St. John's Red Storm are a horrible team, but they are good at forcing the tempo of the game. St. John's is playing faster than anyone else in the conference, and it isn't even close. DePaul and St. John's have very bad defenses, so I think it's likely that these offenses have more success than they normally do against other opponents. I had this one at 147. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* Memphis' offense has been good at home lately. The Tigers play a UCF defense that gave up 97 points to them earlier this year in Florida. UCF is playing to the pace of the opponent in the last month or two, and that should mean this one will be a high scoring affair. Take the over here. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Fordham Rams have had only one of their last 13 games go over this posted total. They are slowing the game down and turning almost every game into a slop fest. UMass isn't good on offense, and the Minutemen are actually underdogs here. I'll take the under in this one. 

*4 Star Play Under* The under is 7-2-1 in the last 10 meetings between these two teams. Both of these coaches are excellent and both teams rank very highly in defensive efficiency. I expect to see a very good game here. The Flyers have proven very good on the road and both teams have a lot on the line here. Tough to get open looks here. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Over* The over is 12-1 in Rutgers' last 13 games. Why are they going consistently over the number? This Rutgers defense is just atrocious. They are allowing almost 1.23 points per possession inside the conference. Illinois likes to play quickly when they can, and Rutgers is playing very quickly. The tempo should be there, and with two bad defenses, I have to take the over here. The first meeting was 150 before overtime. I had this number at 146. Take the over. 

*5 Star TOP Play 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Northern Illinois Huskies have changed the way they play this year. Northern Illinois is pushing the tempo much more this year, and they have sped up drastically since the beginning of conference play. The oddsmakers are having a hard time catching up to this team, because they have been a slow it down type of team for many years prior to this season. 

Northern Illinois ranks in the top 15% of teams in the country in trips to the free throw line. Bowling Green ranks in the top 20% of all teams in the country in trips to the free throw line. Both teams foul far more than the average team. 

A total this low with two teams who get to the line consistently and push the tempo makes little sense to me. I had this one at 142.

The over is 6-0 in Northern Illinois' last 6 games. The over is 4-0-1 in Bowling Green's last 5 Tuesday games. A 10-0 angle. Take the over big. TOP RATED Play. 

*3 Star Play Under* The first time these two got together the score was 66-58. I'm not expecting that low of a game here because there weren't many free throws in the first meeting. What I am expecting though is a relatively slow tempo. Troy has changed the way they play throughout the year. The Trojans have been slowing things down consistently of late, and South Alabama's defense is much improved. I think this line is several points too high. Take the under. 

*5 Star TOP Play Under* The Davidson Wildcats have surprised me by slowing their pace down in recent weeks. Davidson is using 1.2 seconds more per possession than they were in non-conference action. That may not sound like a lot, but that is a big difference and it adds up in a big way. 

Richmond tried playing quicker earlier this year, but as they move through the season they have been playing much slower as they did in the past. 

The first meeting between these two teams was only 78-70 despite good shooting numbers from both teams. I had this line at 154 points. Take the under big. TOP RATED Play

*5 Star TOP Play Total PERFECTION* The Butler Bulldogs have slowed their tempo down in a big way in conference play. The Creighton Blue Jays have done the same thing. These two teams aren't playing even close to the same style of basketball they were playing at the start of the season.

It's also important to note the defensive improvement for Creighton. The Blue Jays were 151st in the nation in defensive efficiency last year. This year they are 42nd. These two teams are both struggling a bit on offense in their last few games. The earlier meeting this year finished 72-64 despite 53 free throws in all. 

I think we see a close game where the winner fails to reach 75. 

The under is 8-0-1 in Creighton's last 9 vs. a team with a 60% or better win percentage. The under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these two. A 12-0 angle. Take the under big. 

*3 Star Play Under*  The Texas Longhorns have a blueprint for beating this West Virginia team. Texas did it earlier this year in Morgantown. Texas slowed that game down to a snail's pace. The game played at only 58 possessions, which is by far West Virginia's slowest of the year. Texas has the ball handlers to handle the press far better than most teams. It also helps that Shaka Smart knows this type of press so well. Both of these teams are far better at defense than offense. Take the under here. 

*4 Star Play Over* These two teams have both consistently played games that finish over this posted total. Kent State is without Pollard, but they have missed him for several games in a row now, and they are still scoring plenty of points. The first meeting between these two teams finished at 156 points before overtime. This one likely won't be that high, but it should be in the mid 140's at least. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Kansas Jayhawks defense is much better than most people realize this year. Kansas has been really clamping down on defense lately, and Buddy Hield found that out the hard way on Saturday. Kansas' defensive effort against Oklahoma was tremendous. 

Kansas will definitely be plenty motivated for this one after Oklahoma State blew them out in stunning fashion 86-67 in Stillwater earlier this year. I see Oklahoma State struggling to get past 60 in this one. 

Oklahoma State has been playing good defense this year, and they have had some very low scoring games. The Cowboys haven't had a game finish above 137 points in their last six contests.

The under is 6-0 in Oklahoma State's last six games. The under is 5-0 in their last 5 Big 12 games. The under is 6-0 in Kansas' last 6 Big 12 games. The under is 5-0 in their last 5 following a win. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 overall. A 26-0 angle. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The first meeting between these two sailed over the posted total. The over is 23-8 in Wofford's last 31 games. The over is 11-3 in Greensboro's last 14 games. Neither of these teams play really fast, but both teams are much better on offense than they are on defense. Wofford is lighting it up from long range this year, and Greensboro is among the worst in the nation on three point defense. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Iowa Hawkeyes offense can pile up the points against just about anyone in the Big Ten, and that should be especially true against a Minnesota team that is woeful on defense this year. Minnesota is second to last in the Big Ten in defensive efficiency. Only Rutgers has been worse.

Minnesota has given up 82 points to Northwestern and 82 points to Michigan in their last two games. Those two teams don't push the tempo like Iowa does, and I expect Iowa to get a bunch of easy looks. 

Iowa's defense is good, but they have given up a decent amount of second half points in their blowouts this year. This one should be a blowout.

The over is 19-8 in Minnesota's last 27. The over is 5-1 in Iowa's last 6 home games. Take the over. 

*5 Star Big Game Hunter TOP Total of Week* Jacksonville State continues to be without their top two scorers and just a week ago these two played to a 68-58 final. Jacksonville State has clearly decided to slow the game down even more lately with their two best players out of the lineup. Tennessee Tech has actually slowed down their tempo in the last few games as well. I don't think Jacksonville State scores very many here, so it will take a really big number from Tennessee Tech to beat us. 

I had this one set at 141.5 points. Take the under big. TOP RATED Play.

*3 Star Play Over* UT Arlington has been tremendous on offense at home this year. Appalachian State's defense is really bad. Arlington has shown that they are more than willing to run up the score and they should do that here. I think this game gets to 160 or higher. The tempo should be enough. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Marshall Thundering Herd have one of the most prolific offenses in the country. Marshall is playing faster and faster as the year moves along, and Western Kentucky has been much better on offense at home. The first meeting finished at 170 despite Western Kentucky making only 2/19 from 3 point range. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* St. Joe's has been doing a great job pushing the tempo of late. The question is whether LaSalle can score enough to get us to the over. I think St. Joe's runs away with this one and LaSalle gets us enough. St. Joe's will be anxious to beat down a intra-city rival. I'll take the over here. 

*4 Star Play Under* College of Charleston has played 12 of their last 13 games under this posted total. This is a team that is stalling in a big way and trying to win games with their defense. These two teams met and it finished at 129 points earlier this year. I see this one being very similar. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Over* This is an interesting game between two teams who play absolutely no defense. The first game between these two finished at 186 points despite the tempo being only 70 possessions. Eastern Washington is prolific on offense at home, and them putting up 95 or 100 points isn't out of the question at all. Northern Colorado is the single worst defense in the country in terms of efficiency. Northern Colorado is a pretty good shooting team. I had this one at 167. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Central Michigan Chippewas and the Ball State Cardinals both like to play at a slow pace. Central Michigan is very good on offense, and that's why this number is relatively high. Ball State is much improved defensively though, and the Cardinals have been slowing the tempo down even more in recent weeks. I see this one staying in the 130's. Take the under. 

*5 Star NCAA BB Hidden GEM TOP Play* The Montana State Bobcats burned me on Thursday night. I had under 156.5 and their game got to 159 points. They scored 101 points by themselves because they shot a whopping 25/43 on 3 pointers! That is insane, and it isn't likely to repeat itself. Southern Utah's defense isn't good, but it's hard to imagine a team doing that again. Southern Utah and Montana State have both been stalling a lot in conference play. It's extremely hard to get past a total this high with two teams playing slowly. Southern Utah's two best scorers are out for this game as well. Take the under big. TOP RATED play. 

*4 Star Play Over* The Rutgers Scarlet Knights have been giving up points by the bunches lately. Every offense that has gone against them in the Big Ten has been getting open looks consistently. Ohio State torched the nets on Rutgers in their first meeting, and I expect the same here. Rutgers' offense is improving with Corey Sanders showing how good he can be. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Charlotte 49ers are really shooting the ball well at home this year. This is a tremendous 3 point shooting team. North Texas is terrible on defense, but the Mean Green like to push the tempo. The pace here should be quick throughout. Charlotte's defense ranks among the worst ten teams in the country (351 teams overall) so North Texas should get enough. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Over* Few teams are as good at pushing the tempo as BYU. The Cougars can really score with a ton of three point shooters all over the floor at all times. Kyle Collinsworth is one of the most underrated players in the country, and he is tremendous at hitting the open man. Santa Clara is a streaky offensive team, and I think they'll put up enough at home to get this one over the total. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Over* Drake has the worst defense in the Missouri Valley Conference, and it isn't even close. Southern Illinois likes to play quickly when they can, and they should be able to get easy shots quickly against a defense like Drake. Drake is a decent three point shooting team, and Southern Illinois fouls a lot so we should see plenty of free throws also. The first game between these two sailed over this total. I had 150 here. Take the over.