Sports Picks & Predictions

*4 Star Play Under* The North Dakota State Bison have really picked up the intensity on the defensive end as the season has moved along. The first game between these two went into overtime, but it was well below this total before overtime. IUPUI was terrible last year, but by focusing on the defensive end they have improved a great deal this year. Slow tempo and good defense in this one. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Rice Owls are great at controlling the tempo. They slow the game down because they simply don't have enough athletes to win in a fast paced game. FIU is a team that generally plays to the pace of their opponent. FIU is much better on the defensive end than they are on offense. Look for a lot of shots with the shot clock about to run out. I had this one at 119. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The UIC Flames and Wisconsin Milwaukee Panthers are relatively similar teams this year. These two teams don't do many things well, and it's been a long year for both of them. They do both get to the line a lot normally, and they knock down their free throws. The first meeting between these two finished at 136, but there weren't many free throws. Look for more free throws and a little higher scoring game here. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Eastern Illinois Panthers were crushed by Tennessee Martin the last time they played. Look for a much better effort from Eastern Illinois in this one. Martin hit 11 out of 20 three pointers last time, and Eastern Illinois has the top ranked three point defense in the conference. I expect a slow pace again, but much better defense in this one. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Wofford Terriers have been a great under team for me in the past couple years. Wofford plays better defense than any other team in the SoCon. The Terriers control the tempo very well. The first game between these two was played at a slow pace and the final was 58-42. This one likely won't be that low, but I like the value. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Siena Saints are good at making a game high scoring. They push the tempo. They get to the foul line a lot. They foul their opponent a lot. They also are pretty good on offense and terrible on defense. Canisius blasted Siena the first time they played, but this game should be much closer since its being played at Siena. I had 138 here. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* St. Peter's and Monmouth played earlier this year and the final was 62-61 in overtime. Before the extra session, the score was 52-52. Both of these teams really struggle on the offensive end, and there is definitely the potential for this one to be an ugly game all the way around. The Peacocks of St. Peter's have a way of making the game sloppy in order to give themselves the best chance to win. The winner here might not reach 60. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Hidden GEM Total* The Northeastern Huskies and William & Mary Tribe play a really important game tonight in the CAA. These are two of the top teams in the league. They are both really efficient on offense, so in a game like this it won't necessarily take a fast pace to get a game that goes over the total. Both teams shoot the ball really well. Northeastern should have the advantage inside and score in the paint. William & Mary is great from long range. 

The over is 6-0 in Northeastern's last 6 vs. a team with a losing road record. The over is 6-0 in their last 6 home games vs. a team with a road win percentage of 40% or lower. The over is 7-1 in their last 8 vs. a team with a winning record overall of 60% or higher. The over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these two teams. A 23-1 angle. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals Takedown* The Western Michigan Broncos don't play good defense, and they prefer to run when they can. Many teams in the MAC slow the game down, but Ohio has shown they like to run as well under their new coach this year. The Bobcats foul a lot, so Western Michigan should get to the line plenty here. I think this game gets into the mid 140's, so I like the value here. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Total PERFECTION* The UMass Minutemen have changed their game this year. This was previously a team that used full court pressure to speed the game up and try to score in transition. Now, UMass is playing more of a halfcourt game and they have seen a lot of their games go under the posted total. Rhode Island plays the best defense of anyone in the Atlantic 10. The Rams and Minutemen played to a 60-56 final earlier this year.

The under is 5-0 in UMass last 5 vs. a team with a winning home record. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 vs. a team with a home win percentage of 60% or higher. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 games overall vs. a team with a winning record. The under is 4-0 in Rhode Island's last 4 vs. a team with a 60% or higher win percentage. A 17-0 angle. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Eastern Michigan Eagles have sped up their game in a big way this year. Eastern Michigan was previously a team that stalled and ran the shot clock. They have found success by speeding things up this year. Buffalo is the fastest paced team in the Mid American Conference, so I see no reason why this one won't be a track meet. Both teams are great at getting to the charity stripe, so we should see a nice amount of attempts from the line. My numbers made this one 146. 

The over is 5-0 in E Michigan's last 5. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 following a win. The over is 5-0 in their last 5 league games. The over is 4-0 in Buffalo's last 4 road games vs. a team with a home win percentage of 60% or higher. An 18-0 angle. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB MAC Total Value* The Kent State Golden Flashes are really good on the defensive end. They have struggled most of the year on offense, and they have been much worse on offense of late because they are without star player Jimmy Hall. Hall has mono and is out for an indefinite period. Ball State and Kent State got together a few weeks ago when Hall was still playing and the final was 63-52. It doesn't make sense for the line to be even higher when Kent is missing its best scoring option. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Tulsa Golden Hurricane have hit a bump in the road of late. East Carolina has been playing better of late, but they typically aren't very competitive on the road. Look for Tulsa to clamp down on the defensive end in this one. Tulsa is usually very good on the defensive end at home. East Carolina's inefficiency on offense on the road is striking. The Pirates have been stalling in a big way of late. Tulsa also prefers to slow it down when they can. I see a slow tempo and solid defense. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB National TV Total* The West Virginia Mountaineers play at the fastest tempo in the Big 12. Bob Huggins' team forces a ton of turnovers, and Kansas has struggled some with full court pressure this year. The Mountaineers defense isn't any good in the halfcourt though, and Kansas has a really efficient offense. I see Kansas making a lot of threes in this matchup. West Virginia also fouls a lot, and Kansas should take advantage of tons of trips at the line. The tempo here should be quick from start to finish. 

The over is 6-1 in Kansas' last 7 Monday games. The over is 5-0 in West Virginia's last 5 Monday games. The over is 4-0 in the Mountaineers last 4 following a loss. A 15-1 angle. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are the worst shooting team in the ACC. The Clemson Tigers defense is tremendous. Clemson's offense isn't any good either. Georgia Tech normally does most of their damage on the offensive end on the glass. Clemson is solid on the glass as well though. Both teams prefer to play at a slow pace. I see no reason why this one would be high scoring unless the shooting percentages are abnormally high. 

The under is 4-0 in Clemson's last 4 road games. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 road games vs. a team with a winning road record. The under is 8-0 in their last 8 following a win. A 16-0 angle. Take the under here. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Pittsburgh Panthers and Virginia Cavaliers both play even slower than they did last year. These two teams met twice last year and the final scores were 48-45 and 51-48. They weren't able to top 100 points in either matchup, but the oddsmakers have posted this total far higher. Pitt's defense is worse this year, but Virginia's offense is struggling without Justin Anderson in the lineup. The tempo here should be extremely slow (55 possessions or slower probably). I had this one at 116. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* Quinnipiac has shown the tendency to slow games down this year. They are playing three possessions per game slower than they did last year. Iona is still playing fast, but they are a lot better on defense this year than they were last season. While I still think this game will be relatively high scoring, this is a high number and I see value on the under here. I had this one at 149. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Hidden GEM Total* The Northern Colorado Bears and Montana Grizzlies met earlier this year. The score was 66-48 in that one. While I'm not calling for a game that low this time around, I do think this total is too high. Montana is the team I'm counting on to slow the game down and defend well here. The Grizzlies are the only team in the Big Sky Conference that plays good defense, and it is very rare for them to play a game that gets this high scoring. I had this one at 137. Take the under in this one. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Under the Radar Total* The Eastern Kentucky Colonels are very efficient on the offensive end. They are up against a Tennessee State team that isn't good at all on the defensive end. The Tigers couldn't slow down Eastern Kentucky last weekend, and I don't expect them to here either. Last weekend's game sailed over this total 77-72. Tennessee State can't take care of the ball, and Eastern Kentucky is second in the nation in turnovers. Lots of easy buckets for Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee State is shooting the three much better of late.

The over is 6-1 in E Kentucky's last 7 vs. a team with a win percentage of 40% or lower. The over is 5-0 in Tenn St's last 5 vs. a team with a winning road record. The over is 7-1 in their last 8 vs. a team with a winning record overall. A 18-2 angle. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Southeast Missouri State Redhawks have decided to speed up their tempo in the last few games. This was a team that played extremely fast last year, and they seem to be going back to their ways of last season. Murray State's Racers are always willing to play fast and they win a bunch of shootouts. Murray State's offense is tremendous with point guard Cameron Payne leading the way. Last week these two met and it was 82-72 with average shooting numbers. This number is a little too low. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* Denver plays at the third slowest tempo out of 351 teams in the country. Denver is methodical in everything they do. Unless they shoot a very high percentage, this game isn't going to top 120. IUPUI isn't a particularly good team, but they are far better than they were last year because they have improved greatly on the defensive end of the floor. Take the under here. 

*5 Star TOP Play Under* My number on this game was 108. Wyoming will be without Larry Nance Jr. in this one, and anyone who knows this Wyoming team at all knows he is by far their best player. The first game between Wyoming and San Jose State went to 123 and both teams shot the ball better than normal. Wyoming plays at a very slow tempo, and San Jose State's offense is just awful. Wyoming should grab a lead early and then work the clock and win comfortably. Strong play for me. Take the under big! 

*3 Star Play Under* Wofford has been a great under team for me over the years. The Terriers are coming off a surprising loss at home, and they should turn up the defense here and control the tempo. The first game between these two was 105 points. Look for this one to stay at 120 or lower. Take the under. 

*5 Star TOP Play* My numbers made this one 150 points. Strong play for me. Both teams love to push the tempo and they are both poor on the defensive end. Take the over big! 

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*4 Star NCAA BB Play of Day* The Niagara Purple Eagles are a totally different team than they were last year. They played at a pace of 71 possessions per game last year. This year they play at 66 possessions per game. That's a huge difference, and it's why I see so much value on this total. St. Peter's is always going to try to slow the game down and win with defense under Coach Dunne. The Peacocks have played a ton of very low scoring games in the conference this year, and I expect them to get their wish to play a halfcourt game in this one too. Unless the shooting percentages are very high, I see this one staying under. My number here was 120. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Cal Poly Mustangs do a great job slowing the game down. In the past, Cal State Northridge has been a team that likes to push the tempo. This year, Northridge has been playing at an average tempo, and they have allowed slower teams to control the tempo of the game. Cal Poly and Northridge's first meeting was a very low scoring game where I cashed on the under. I'm backing the under again as my numbers had 116. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Late Night Totals Cash* The Portland Pilots and Pepperdine Waves meet late tonight. Pepperdine has found a lot of success lately by slowing the game down and playing very good defense. Portland is the type of team that typically plays to the opponent's tempo. The first meeting between these two finished at 130 points, even with a lot of fouling at the end of the game. 

The under is 5-0 in Portland's last 5 vs. a team with a winning record. The under is 5-0 in Pepperdine's last 5 vs. a team with a winning record. The under is 6-1 in Pepperdine's last 7 road games. A 16-1 angle. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Idaho Vandals are a very good over team because they push the tempo and play virtually no defense. Idaho shoots 42% from long range, and they are playing against a Portland State team that is bad at guarding beyond the arc. Portland State prefers to play fast as well, so the tempo here should be quick. Even with only mediocre shooting numbers, the first game between these two went over the total. Take the over in this one. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Utah Utes play some tremendous defense, and I expect that to be what keeps this game under the total. Stanford likes to run and push the pace, but the Cardinal haven't faced many defenses as good as this one. Utah is a difficult place to play with the elevation hurting the opposition and causing lower shooting numbers. I had this one at 130.5. Take the under here. 

*4 Star National TV Total* The Illinois Fighting Illini have changed their game plan now that they are without Rayvonte Rice, their best offensive player. Illinois is slowing the game down and winning with ball control and defense. That is exactly what Michigan does as well. Michigan is missing their top two offensive players, so the Wolverines are really hurting on offense now. I expect a very slow tempo and a game that stays under. I had this at 118. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Louisiana Monroe Warhawks have been a great under team for me the last couple seasons. Lafayette likes to play fast, but Monroe has done a great job slowing the game down the last two times these teams have played. The first meeting between these two this year finished at 112 points. I don't think this one will be that low, but it doesn't need to be. Monroe's defense and tempo keeps this one low. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Eastern Washington Eagles are a really good over team because of the way they push the tempo and shoot the ball very well. Sacramento State doesn't play fast, but the Hornets shoot three's at 46.5% in the conference, and they are number one in two point shooting percentage as well. Both teams are great from the line, which could be important too. This should be a close game, and that helps our chances. I had this one at 156. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Montana Grizzlies are the only team in the Big Sky Conference that plays defense. Montana slows the game down and works really hard on the defensive end. North Dakota plays very fast, but their efficiency on the offensive end isn't good. Expect Montana to slow this one down and win a close and lower scoring game than expected. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* This one is less about the pace of the game and more about the lack of defense and the solid shooting percentages I expect to see. These two teams are both great on offense and terrible on defense. Despite a very slow pace, their first meeting went over this total by a few points. The Citadel is great at shooting threes and they'll have plenty of open ones here. Both teams foul a lot as well. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* Wofford is a team I've been backing unders with over the past few years. The Terriers slow the game down and play defense that is the best in the conference. Chattanooga is a good team as well, but they won't shoot a high percentage against this Wofford defense. This line is inflated because the teams played to 131 points in the first meeting. Take the under here. 

*5 Star TOP Total of the Month* My numbers made this one 128 points. A big play for me here. Western Carolina is one of those teams that lets the opposition set the pace of the game. Most of the teams in the Southern Conference love to run, but Mercer doesn't. Mercer is the single slowest paced team in the conference, and they know how to control the tempo of the game. The first game between these two finished at 112 points. Strong play for me. Take the under big! 

*5 Star NBA TOP Play of Month* The Portland Trail Blazers have been great to under bettors at home this year. The under is 18-8-1 in their home games this season. Portland is one of the best defensive teams in the league. Los Angeles was playing fast early this year, but they have abandoned that strategy and now rank in the bottom ten in the league in terms of pace in the past month. It's the day before the All-Star break for these two teams and I have found that the last day before the break is typically good for unders. The public money is coming in on the over in this game, but the line has dropped two points. That's a strong sign that I like to back. 

The under is 5-0-1 in the Blazers last 6 vs. a team with a win percentage below 40%. The under is 4-0-1 in the Lakers last 5 vs. the NBA Northwest. The under is 8-1-2 in the Lakers last 11 vs. the Western Conference. A 17-1 angle. Take the under big! 

*3 Star NCAA BB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Indiana Hoosiers have been a tremendous over play all season long. Indiana pushes the tempo and shoots the ball really well from long range. The Hoosiers also have one of the worst defenses in the Big Ten. One other important note on Indiana, Tom Crean has shown that he will foul mercilessly at the end of the game if his team is behind. If Maryland is ahead by a few here, and they are favored by 6, this game will likely be extended for a long time with trips to the charity stripe that rack up the points. Maryland plays at the fastest tempo in the Big Ten, so they'll want to run as well.

The over is 4-0 in Indiana's last 4 road games. The over is 5-0 in their last vs. a team with a win percentage of 60% or higher. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 road games vs. a team with a winning record. A 13-0 angle. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* I had the under and cashed in the first meeting between these two, and I'm taking the under again tonight. TCU plays in a bunch of really sloppy games because of their ineffectiveness on the offensive end. The Horned Frogs often struggle to top 50 points against good defenses. Texas has a great defense on the inside, so TCU shouldn't get many looks near the rim. The Longhorns typically slow the game down once they have a lead, and they should be playing from the front in this one. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Davidson Wildcats are without Jack Gibbs, who has been one of their go to scorers throughout the year. Since he has been out, the team has slowed the tempo down a lot and they haven't been as efficient on offense. George Mason is the least efficient offense in the Atlantic 10. The first meeting between these two went into overtime, but before overtime the score was just 65-65. I had 140 points on this one, so I see value with the under. Take the under in this contest. 

*3 Star Big 10 Total Value* The Nebraska Cornhuskers are a much better team on their home floor. Nebraska is a really good defensive team, but they aren't efficient at all on offense. The Cornhuskers have slowed down their tempo in a big way from last year to this year. Wisconsin is always happy to play a game at a slow tempo. I expect a game around 60 possessions, which means there would need to be some really good shooting numbers to get this one over the total. I think a sloppy game is more likely. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB 100% Angle Total* The Auburn Tigers and Arkansas Razorbacks both love to get out and run. Arkansas has had a couple lower scoring games lately, which gives us more value in this one. Both teams like to use the full court press to get easy buckets and speed the game up. We should see plenty of fouls because of the aggressiveness of both of these defenses. In what should be a close game, free throws will be important. Plenty of scoring from both sides in this one.

The over is 4-0 in Auburn's last 4. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 vs. a team with a win percentage of 60% or higher. The over is 5-0 in their last 5 home games. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 league games. The over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these two teams. A 21-0 angle. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB MAC Total* The Buffalo Bulls are the fastest paced team in the MAC, and the Toledo Rockets are the second fastest. I expect a really quick tempo when these two meet, and it should lead to a lot of points. Both teams do a good job of attacking the basket and getting to the free throw line. I had this game lined at 151 points, so I definitely see plenty of value on this number. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* Bowling Green has the best defense in the Mid American Conference. I'm really impressed with the way the Falcons have been locking teams down on the defensive end. Chris Jans has this team working really hard and playing great team defense. Western Michigan is usually a good offense, but I suspect their shooting numbers will be much lower than normal tonight. Bowling Green is great at controlling the tempo as well, and I see this game staying below 130 points. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Notre Dame Fighting Irish offense was on fire earlier this year. They are still very good, but they are coming back to earth a bit in conference play. Clemson's defense is very good, and I think Notre Dame will find open shots tough to come by tonight. Both of these teams play at a very slow pace, so there won't be many possessions in this game. Last year's game went into double OT, and the score was just 52-52 at the end of regulation. Look for a very slow tempo to keep this one low scoring. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals Takedown* The Northwestern Wildcats like to slow the game down, but they don't play as slow as they did a couple years ago. Additionally, Northwestern's offense is far better than it was in the past few seasons. The first time these two teams met, it was 72-72 entering overtime. Michigan State will be determined to speed up the game, because Tom Izzo knows his team's best chance is to use their speed and athleticism advantage here. At a number this low, the value is with the over. Look for this one to get into the 130's. Take the over. 

*3 Star NBA 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Milwaukee Bucks have been a huge surprise this year. Jason Kidd deserves a bunch of credit for the job he's done with this team. The primary reason they have exceeded expectations is their defense. Milwaukee works really hard on the defensive end, and they get Pachulia back tonight who makes their defense even better. Milwaukee plays at the league average tempo. Brooklyn plays at the fourth slowest tempo in the NBA. Neither of these offenses are very efficient. Brooklyn's Deron Williams is questionable for tonight's game. This total is a few points too high. All year Brooklyn has been a great under team on the road and Milwaukee has been a great under team at home.

The under is 4-0 in the Nets last 4. The under is 4-0 in the Bucks last 4 Monday games. The under is 6-0 in the Bucks last 6 vs. the NBA Atlantic. A 14-0 angle. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Late Night Totals CASH* The St. Mary's Gaels and Pacific Tigers met earlier this year in a game that finished 54-47. The tempo was just 56 possessions in that one. Pacific has been stalling all year long, and St. Mary's has slowed things down a bunch in recent weeks. The Gaels should win this one with their strong defense, and after they grab a nice lead I look for them to take the air out of the ball and run a lot of clock. I had this one at 125 points. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Over* Neither of these teams are any good on defense, so a total set this low doesn't make much sense to me. Portland likes to push the tempo when they can, and the Pilots offense has been good in the past against Santa Clara. This one should be a close game too, and free throws late could easily push this one past the total. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Over* The Murray State Racers offense is extremely efficient. Cameron Payne is a tremendous point guard (one of the most underrated in the country). Murray State likes to push the tempo and Austin Peay is a team that plays really fast as well. Austin Peay plays some really bad defense, so I think this is a spot where Murray State can score a bunch of points. The tempo should allow Austin Peay to put up plenty too. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* William & Mary is one of the most efficient offenses in the nation. Marcus Thornton is a terrific guard who can score and distribute for them. Terry Tarpey is an underrated forward as well. North Carolina Wilmington uses full court pressure and pushes the tempo at every opportunity. William & Mary's offensive efficiency and Wilmington's tempo should make for a high scoring game. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Belmont Bruins have multiple very good shooters, and this is a team that can really light it up from long range. Craig Bradshaw is the best shooter of them all, and he has consistently been great. Morehead State likes to use a full court press and speed the game up, and Belmont will be glad to do just that. Morehead State also fouls more than anyone else in the league, and Belmont will take advantage since they are great at the line. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Under*   Kent State is without best player Jimmy Hall as he is out with mono. It's a huge hit for the Golden Flashes on the offensive end. Hall is one of the few on this team that can normally get his own shot and create off the dribble. Kent State still has a team that can play great defense though, and Miami isn't a good offensive team. Low scoring here. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* The first meeting between these two teams fell well below this posted total at 115 points. Old Dominion is one of the best teams in this conference, and they win with controlling the tempo and playing strong defense. Charlotte prefers to play fast, but they don't have the guards to dictate the tempo here. The 49ers are a disappointment, and I don't think their offense can be efficient against ODU. Take the under. 

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*4 Star NCAA BB 100% Angle Total* The San Francisco Dons and Portland Pilots played a game that went over 160 points a few weeks ago. Now, the line is posted in the upper 130's. Both of these teams prefer to get out in transition when they can, so I expect this game to be played quickly. Neither team is good defensively, so I would expect quite a few easy buckets for both teams. This number is just too low to pass up.

The over is 4-0 in Portland's last 4 games vs. a team with a losing record. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 following an ATS win. The over is 5-0 in San Francisco's last 5 vs. a team with a winning record. The over is 6-0 in the last 6 meetings between these two. The over is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings between these two in San Francisco. A 24-0 angle. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Montana State Bobcats are a terrible team. They can't defend and they aren't very good at shooting it either. Montana State doesn't have a preferred tempo, rather they just play to what their opponent does. Idaho plays faster than any team in the Big Sky Conference, so this game should be uptempo all the way. Idaho has only had two lined games all year stay under this posted total. Idaho should get their points, and as bad as Montana State is, they have scored quite a few at home this year. Idaho's terrible defense will help. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Under* Louisiana Monroe has been great to me over the past couple years. This Monroe team is a really good under team. Monroe slows the game down and they play tremendous defense in a conference where most teams don't play defense. The Warhawks also play defense without fouling. On the offensive end, Monroe shoots a really bad percentage from the floor. Arkansas Little Rock and Monroe met earlier this year in a game that finished at 116 points and I expect a very similar game here. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Rice Owls have been very good at slowing the game down and keeping things low scoring. Rice has improved defensively over the course of the year, and they are averaging playing games to a tempo of 59 possessions per game. Marshall loves to run and they'll get the game played faster than that, but Marshall's offense is really inefficient. The Thundering Herd put up a lot of quick bad shots. Look for this one to stay under the total. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* These two teams both work hard to slow the game down, so when they meet I expect a very slow paced game. The first time they met it was a slow paced game that stayed way under the posted total. Texas Tech's young roster isn't good at all offensively, and Kansas State is always one of the better defenses in the Big 12. I had this one at 115 points. Take the under here. 

*5 Star TOP Play Under* This is a matchup of two teams that are headed in the wrong direction quickly. Neither of these teams are any good, but someone has to win here. The winner of this game is unlikely to reach 60 points. Loyola Chicago is without Milton Doyle, who has been their best scoring option most of the year. Missouri State's offense is a mess without Marcus Marshall on the roster anymore. I had this number at 111.5. Take the under big! 

*5 Star TOP Total of the Week* The Missouri Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide are very similar teams right now. Alabama flirted with playing fast earlier this year, but they have totally abandoned that plan of late. Alabama is playing at an extremely slow tempo of 58 possessions per game inside the SEC. Missouri has been slowing things down even more in the SEC as well. The tempo here should be extremely slow. Both offenses are inefficient and both of these defenses are quickly improving. I had this number at 115 points. I like this one a lot. Take the under big!  

*3 Star Play Under* The Baylor Bears and TCU Horned Frogs played earlier this year and it was 53-53 before overtime. Overtime is something that you really can't predict, so I always just calculate the game as if it will finish in regulation. With only regulation, this one is likely to stay at 120 or below. Two teams who like to slow it down and two of the best defensive teams in the Big 12. Take the under here. 

*3 Star NBA 100% Angle Total* The New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder meet in a game that I expect to be low scoring tonight. Kevin Durant is out again here, and you don't need me to tell you what kind of a difference that makes to OKC's offense. The Pelicans have slowed their tempo in a big way in the past month. They are playing at the second slowest pace in the league during that time. They have also picked up their defensive intensity. We have three referees here who have been good for under bettors in the past. The public is backing the over, but the line is dropping.

The under is 6-0 in OKC's last 6 games. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 road games. The under is 5-0 in their last 5 following an ATS loss. The under is 4-0 in the Pelicans last 4 vs. the NBA Northwest. A 19-0 angle. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Miami Ohio Redhawks and Northern Illinois Huskies met a few weeks ago and I took the under and cashed in. I'm taking the under once again tonight. These two teams are both awful on the offensive end, and the tempo is always slow when they play against each other. Expect a really sloppy game here, which is almost always a good thing for under bettors. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Buffalo Bulls are great at controlling the tempo of the game, and they love to run. Buffalo will turn this into a much faster paced game than the oddsmakers are expecting. Ball State has been playing some very low scoring games, but they have all been against teams that like to walk it up the court. That won't happen in this one. I think this game tops the 140 mark. Take the over. 

*5 Star NCAA BB Hidden GEM TOP Play Total* The Illinois State Redbirds like to run when given the opportunity. Evansville likes to run when given the opportunity. Why haven't these two played very many high scoring games this year? Because the Missouri Valley is littered with teams who play stall ball. I had this game circled as of a couple days ago, because I expect this rare chance for these teams to run to produce a much higher scoring game than expected. The last three meetings for these two have sailed over this posted total. Evansville gets to the line more than anyone else in the MVC, and Illinois State fouls the most of any team in the league. Trips to the charity stripe will help here as well. Take the over big! 

*4 Star Play Under* The first time Northern Iowa and Indiana State got together the score was 66-60. That was after a massive fouling fest at the end of the game caused the game to edge over the posted total. The game was on pace for about 110 points for the majority of the game. The oddsmakers have upped the total a bit for tonight's game, and I'll bite here. Northern Iowa has had one total all year in conference play go over this posted total and it was the misleading 26 point final against Indiana State. The Panthers know how to slow the game down, and they should do it here. Expect a low scoring game. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Play of Day* The Iowa State Cyclones play at the fastest tempo of anyone in the Big 12. Kansas likes to run when they are given the opportunity. There will be plenty of chances for them to run today. The first meeting between these two teams finished at 86-81. It was because of the ridiculously fast pace (80 possessions). No reason to expect either of these teams to want to slow things down tonight either. I expect a relatively close game, so a lot of free throws at the end could push this one even higher than most expect. The over is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings between these two. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* I made this one 133 points. Manhattan is able to push the tempo against most teams, and they create a lot of easy transition opportunities with their full court press. Look for a lot of fouling and free throw opportunities for both teams in this one. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Under* Missouri State's offense wasn't any good with Marcus Marshall, and without him they are much worse. Marshall averaged 20 points per game and recently left the team. Southern Illinois is one of the worst offenses in the country as well. Both of these teams like to slow the game down. The first meeting between these two was 53-50. While this will probably be higher, I don't think it reaches the total. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* Two teams who struggle on the offensive end and two teams who excel on the defensive end. Three meetings between them last year were all very low scoring, and this year both teams are worse on the offensive end. A total set this low is tough to take, so it's only a 3 star rated play, but I think this one stays below the posted total. Take the under. 

*5 Star TOP Play Hidden GEM Total* The UC Riverside Highlanders and Cal State Northridge Matadors both prefer playing at a quick tempo. UC Riverside isn't very efficient on offense, but they should be better against a Northridge defense that fouls a lot and gives their opponent a bunch of chances at the line. Northridge has sped up of late, and they shoot 76 percent from the line. Both meetings between these two last year were very high scoring. I had this number at 139. Take the over big! 

*3 Star Play Under* The Kentucky Wildcats and Alabama Crimson Tide played two weeks ago today. The final in that one was 70-48 for a total of 118 points. The shooting numbers in that one were actually above average. Alabama has decided to drastically slow the game down in recent weeks, and I suspect they'll do the same here against a terrific Kentucky team. Kentucky's defense is just amazing. Take the under. 

*5 Star TOP Play Over* The Long Beach State 49ers typically play at the pace of their opponent. Their opponent here is Hawaii, and they play at the fastest pace of any team in the Big West Conference. I really like the way Hawaii is playing this year. They are using a full court press to harass their opponent. The Warriors get a lot of easy buckets off the press, but they also put the opponent on the line often. We should see that cause this to be a high scoring game. I had this one at 146 points. Take the over big! 

*4 Star Play Under* Louisiana Monroe has been very good to me with the 'under' in the past two years. This team plays slowly and they are excellent on the defensive end. Combine that with the fact that they really struggle to score on offense and you have a really good under team. South Alabama likes to push the tempo, but Monroe has shown the ability to slow down even the fastest teams. Take the under. 

*5 Star TOP Play Over* Both of these teams do a lot of fouling and this should be a close game. Look for a lot of free throws late. In addition, Morehead State is great on the offensive glass and Eastern Kentucky is terrible on the defensive boards. Plenty of easy putback opportunities. I had this one at 140. Take the over big! 

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*4 Star NBA 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Philadelphia 76ers have changed the way they are playing lately. They aren't pushing the tempo even close to the amount they were early in the year. In the past month, they rank only 11th in the NBA in pace. They are also playing much better defense. It would likely surprise a lot of people to know that this team has consistently ranked in the top ten in the NBA in defensive efficiency in the past month. Minnesota's defense is bad, but this Sixers offense is so bad that they struggle to score on anyone. Tony Wroten's absence has made the bad Sixers offense even worse. This should be an ugly game all the way around.

The under is 5-0-1 in the Timberwolves last 6 Friday games. The under is 3-0-1 in their last 4 vs. a team with a losing record. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 following a win. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 after scoring 100 points or more. The under is 4-0 in the 76ers last 4 Friday games. The under is 4-0 in the 76ers last 4 home games vs. a team with a losing road record. The under is 8-0 in their last 8 home games. The under is 6-0 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their last game. The under is 3-0-1 in the last 4 meetings between these two teams. A 41-0 angle. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* The Hawaii Warriors have really impressed me this year. Benjy Taylor is doing an awesome job with this team. They use a full court press and force a bunch of turnovers to get easy buckets in transition. That worked wonderfully against Cal State Northridge last time around. Northridge had a ridiculous 28 turnovers in the first meeting between these two. Northridge shoots free throws as well as anyone in the country, and Hawaii does a lot of fouling because of their pressure defense. The first meeting between these two finished at 151. I think this gets at least to the mid 140's. 

The over is 4-0 in Hawaii's last 4 following an ATS loss. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 vs. a team with a losing record. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 Thursday games. A 12-0 angle. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Montana Grizzlies play way more defense than anyone else in the Big Sky Conference, which often means there is value on the under in their games. Portland State's offense has been putting up some impressive numbers against the awful defenses in the Big Sky, but I don't think they'll shoot a high percentage against Montana. The Grizzlies also slow the game down and play at a pace of 64 possessions very consistently. I had this number at 138.5. Take the under here. 

*3 Star Play Under* The UC Irvine Anteaters were beaten by Cal Poly in the conference tournament last year. That was a huge upset, and UC Irvine should be hungry for some revenge here. Irvine is a team that can really pick it up on the defensive end when they are motivated, so I expect strong defense from them tonight. Cal Poly plays very slowly and they don't have many good scoring options. The Mustangs have been a terrific under team for me over the years. All three meetings last year stayed below this posted total. Take the under.