Sports Picks & Predictions

*3 Star NBA Total Domination* The Houston Rockets play way faster than any other team in the NBA. Denver is always willing to get out and run and gun when they can. Ty Lawson is probably the best in the NBA at starting the fast break. Don't expect either team to slow this game down. This total is set high for good reason. Both of these teams are absolutely capable of putting up 115 or 120 points. It wouldn't surprise me if this is one of the highest scoring games in the NBA so far this year. The over is 5-0 in Denver's last 5. The over is 6-0 in their last 6 Wednesday games. The over is 5-0 in their last 5 against the Western Conference. The over is 6-0 in the Rockets last 6 games when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game. The over is 4-0 in Denver's last 4 after giving up 100 or more in the previous game. In all, a 26-0 angle backs this. Take the over here.

*3 Star NBA Total Domination* The Brooklyn Nets went on a nice little 'over' streak right after Avery Johnson was fired. Was it because the team started running and gunning? Not at all. Brooklyn just shot an extremely high percentage from the floor for a few games. They are still slowing the game down more than anyone else in the NBA right now. Minnesota is without a ton of offensive weapons right now, and the Timberwolves don't have the offense to pile up the points as it is. Look for this one to stay under the total.

*3 Star NCAA BB 100% Angle Total* The Creighton Blue Jays picked up their first loss in the MVC on Saturday at Wichita State in a thrilling game. Drake is no Wichita State, especially on the defensive end. Drake is the worst defensive team in the MVC right now. Creighton is the most efficient offensive team not only in the MVC, but in the country. Both teams like to get out and run in transition. The over is 6-0 in Drake's last 6 games against the MVC. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 Wednesday games. The over is 5-0 in their last 5 following a loss. The over is 6-0 in their last 6 overall. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Wichita State Shockers are coming off an amazing victory over Creighton and I expect a bit of a hangover for them. Missouri State isn't very good this year, but they are improving quickly. The Bears are never easy to beat on their home floor. The only way Missouri State has a chance in a game like this is if they slow the pace of the game down to a crawl, and that is what I expect from them in this one. I had this total projected at 117 points. Look for a sloppy game. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB Hidden GEM Total* The Illinois State Redbirds are finally back on track after a win at Southern Illinois last game. The Redbirds offense is one of the most explosive in the Missouri Valley Conference, but their defense has been bad of late. Indiana State has some nice players in Jake Odum, Manny Arop, and Justin Gant. These two played earlier this year and the final was 77-75. This one might not get to 152, but I expect it to get over 140. The over is 6-0 in Illinois State's last 6 following an ATS win. The over is 10-1 in Indiana State's last 11 against a team with a winning record. The over is 11-2 in the last 13 meetings between these two. Take the over.

*5 Star NCAA BB Top Play Total* The UAB Blazers have undergone one of the most drastic changes in style of play you'll ever see. Last year the Blazers stalled and had many low scoring games. This year they are in the top five in the nation in terms of quickest pace. East Carolina is a team that pushes it when they get a chance as well, and this one should be played at a very fast tempo. Look for easy layups in transition for both teams. I had this one at 158 points, so this line is way off my projection. The over is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings between these teams at UAB. Take the over big!

*3 Star NCAA BB Total Domination* The TCU Horned Frogs have a way of making the game very low scoring. New coach Trent Johnson has this team slowing down the tempo to a snail's pace. The Horned Frogs almost never shoot the ball before the shot clock gets under 10 seconds. They are averaging a measly 49.8 points per game on the road this year. West Virginia is pretty good defensively this year, and the Mountaineers struggle a lot on offense this year. I had this one set at 109 points. Look for this to stay under the total.

*3 Star Duke/Miami Total* The Duke Blue Devils travel to Miami today to try to exact some revenge on the Hurricanes after Miami came to Cameron and won last year. The Hurricanes haven't been beaten at home this year, and they have their terrific defense to thank for that. Miami is much better defensively this year, and they have slowed the pace down even more this year. Duke likes to push the tempo, but without Ryan Kelly their offense isn't nearly as efficient. Look for both defenses to control this game. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB Total Domination* The Maryland Terrapins are a much better team than they were last year. They lost their leading scorer from last year, but it turns out he was taking away from several other players abilities. In addition, the Terrapins simply have a better defense and take better care of the ball this year. Boston College slows the game down and I see this being a defensive battle. My number for this one was 129 points. The under is 4-0 in Maryland's last 4 games overall. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Wake Forest Demon Deacons and NC State Wolfpack both like to push the tempo and get out in transition. Look for a frenetic pace to this contest. Wake Forest's defense isn't any good, and it won't surprise me a bit if NC State puts up a big number here. At the same time, Wake's offense has been good on their home floor and they should be able to put up a decent total themselves. The over is 10-4 in NC State's last 14 against the ACC. Look for this one to top 150. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB ESPNU Total Domination* Here we have a game between two teams who aren't used to the national spotlight, but they'll be on ESPNU Monday night. Southern and Alabama A&M both play at a decent tempo, and I think these kids will be amped up a little extra when playing in front of a national audience. Look for the tempo to be pretty quick here. My numbers had this game at 134 points. I like the value on the over in this one. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Hidden GEM Total* The Southern Utah Thunderbirds are a great team to play the 'over' with because of their style of play. Southern Utah runs and guns, and they foul like crazy on the defensive end. In fact, no team in the country has given up more points from the free throw line than Southern Utah. That works out well here because Montana State is good at getting to the line, and the Bobcats like to push the pace as well. This should be a close contest, and that should mean free throws at the end as well. I had this at 145 points. The over is 10-2 in Montana State's last 12 home games vs. a team with a losing road record. The over is 5-1 in their last 6 Monday games. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB NCAA BB Under Radar Total* The Savannah State Tigers are great at keeping the game a low scoring contest. Savannah State excels on the defensive end, but they are awful offensively. The Tigers force a ton of turnovers, but they aren't very good at converting their easy opportunities. Bethune Cookman isn't the type of team to push the pace of a game, and they are very inefficient offensively as well. There should be a lot of missed shots in this contest. I had this one projected at 110 points. Take the under.

*3 Star NBA Total Domination* The Minnesota Timberwolves and Atlanta Hawks are both extremely short-handed heading into this matchup. Minnesota is without Kevin Love for a long time, and they recently lost Shved and Pekovic to injury too. Those two combine for 26 points per game so far this year, and the Timberwolves will struggle on the offensive end without any force down low. Atlanta just lost Lou Williams, their third leading scorer. Devin Harris may miss this game as well, so the Hawks only have one healthy point guard. Look for both weary teams to slow the game down. The under is 12-3 in Minnesota's last 15 against the NBA Southeast. The under is 6-1 in Minnesota's last 7 against a team with a winning home record. Take the under.

*3 Star NBA Early Bird Special* The New Orleans Hornets play at the single slowest pace of any team in the NBA. They have had several games go over the posted total lately mainly because they have been shooting the ball very well from the floor. New Orleans can't keep hitting 55% to 57% from the floor, so I think a big jump in the posted total here is unwarranted. The Kings have been playing to the pace of their opponents, so this should stay pretty slow. I think this line should be around 187 instead of where it currently sits. Take the under here.

*3 Star NCAA BB Total Domination* Illinois State moves as quickly as any team in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Red Birds are very efficient on the offensive end, but they are terrible defensively. Southern Illinois used to be known for their terrific half court defense, but that is no longer the case. The Salukis have a star on the offensive end in Desmar Jackson. Jackson is one of the best scorers in the conference, and he should have a big game at home against Illinois State's poor defense. The over is 21-5 in Illinois State's last 26 road games against a team with a winning record at home. The over is 5-0 in their last 5 Sunday games. The over is 4-0 in Southern Illinois last 4 games. Take the over.

*3 Star NBA Total Domination* I've always liked playing the 'under' on Sunday early afternoon tipoffs in the NBA. Saturday night is a big party night and often you'll find that players have tired legs by the end of a Sunday afternoon game. The second half of these games can really die off in scoring. The Lakers have been scoring a ton of points, but with the big men back in the lineup, I expect that to slow down a bit. The pace will slow down and a defensive specialist like Howard has to help their defense. Toronto won't want any part of a track meet tempo here. The under is 5-0 in the Lakers last 5 against teams with a winning percentage under 40%. The under is 5-0 in the Lakers last 5 overall. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT Total* The Big West Conference is full of teams who push the pace and play virtually no defense. Two of them will meet in this matchup. Long Beach State has sped up their tempo a little from last year, and Cal State Fullerton has sped up in a big way. Both teams force a lot of turnovers and get a lot of easy buckets off those turnovers. The over is 6-0 in Fullerton's last 6 games. The over is 4-0 in Long Beach's last 4 road games. The over is 4-0 in Long Beach's last 4 Saturday games. The over is 5-0 in Fullerton's last 5 against the Big West. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Stall Ball Total* The North Dakota State Bison have completely changed their identity as a team this year. The Bison went from running and pushing the pace when they could a year ago to slowing it down and using up the shot clock this year. There are 347 teams in Division I basketball and Western Illinois ranks 347th in terms of pace. North Dakota State ranks 340th. Even last year these teams played games that stayed below 120, and that was before the Bison changed to a slow tempo. This looks like a game where the winner gets to 50-55 points. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB Total Value* The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs are a team I like playing the over with. Louisiana Tech uses a diamond full court press to force turnovers and push the tempo of the game. The Bulldogs have a perfect opponent today in Seattle. The Seattle Redhawks struggle to take care of the basketball, and I expect a lot of turnovers from them here. At the same time, Seattle should control the boards and get a lot of second chance opportunities. Both of these teams are in the top 25 in the nation in terms of pace. Look for this one to get over the posted total.

*5 Star NCAA BB Total Domination* The St. Louis Billikens have been one of the best teams in the nation at controlling the tempo for many years in a row now. St. Louis plays very good defense, and they simply don't turn the ball over very often at all. Rhode Island has a new coach in Dan Hurley. Hurley doesn't have a lot of talent on the team this year, so the Rams are slowing things down quite a bit this year. The under is 4-0 in St. Louis' last 4 games. The under is 4-0 in St. Louis' last 4 home games. The under is 5-0 in Rhode Island's last 5 against teams with a winning record. The under is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings between these teams at St. Louis. Take the under big!

*3 Star NCAA BB Under Radar Total* Sometimes there are games where I recommend an 'over' play solely based on the pace of the game. This isn't one of those cases. Instead, this is a game where I recommend an over play because both teams are horrible on the defensive end. In fact, UMKC is dead last in the country in guarding the three-point line. Fort Wayne should fill it up from long range today, and UMKC has plenty of shooters as well. Look for open shots to be the norm in this one. I had this one at 134. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders are the best team in the Sun Belt Conference this year. What's the big reason for that? MTSU is easily the best defensive team in the league. The Blue Raiders have been able to shut down almost everyone in the league this year. In fact, 11 straight games played by Middle Tennessee State have stayed under this posted total. Lafayette will try to push the tempo, but don't look for their offense to be efficient at all here. Take the under in this one.

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Play of Day* Texas State is one of my favorite teams to play the 'over' with. The Bobcats rank in the top ten in the country in terms of pace. They also play some horrible defense. They have given up 74 points or more in 7 of their last 9. They have given up more than 90 points twice during that time. Texas San Antonio isn't quite as quick in terms of pace, but they shoot the ball better and their defense is very poor as well. I was stunned when this line come out at this level. I projected this one at 161 points. The over is 17-4 in UTSA's last 21 games. Take the over big!

*3 Star TGIF NBA Total Domination* The Denver Nuggets still push the tempo about as well as any team in the NBA. The Washington Wizards played at a pretty slow pace earlier this year, but that all changes when John Wall gets healthy. Wall played 25 minutes in the most recent Wizards game, and I think he'll play even more here. With Wall pushing the tempo, the Wizards should help this one be a high scoring game as well. The over is 6-2 in the last 8 meetings between these two in Denver. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Oregon St/UCLA Total* UCLA is a completely different team from last year. Josh Smith not being in the middle hurts the team in some ways, but it also allows them to run the floor much more. The Bruins are now using their athleticism as a real advantage. Shabazz Muhammad runs the floor as well as any forward in the country. Oregon State loves to push the tempo and try to beat teams down the floor. This game has track meet written all over it. I had this one projected at 158. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Seattle Redhawks aren't a very good team, but they are great at forcing the opposing team to play at their preferred tempo. Seattle is one of the fastest paced teams in the country this year. UT Arlington likes to run more than the average team, and I don't see them playing stall ball in this one. Seattle's defense is very suspect, and I expect Arlington to put up a big number. I put this total at 136 points. Look for this to get over the posted total.

*3 Star NCAA BB Hidden GEM Total* Louisiana Monroe isn't a good team at all, but their offense has improved of late. The Warhawks have several good shooters from long range, and the team is pushing the tempo quite a bit more than they used to. South Alabama has a new coach this year, and his philosophy is to run and gun whenever they get the chance. South Alabama racked up 77 points against LA Monroe in their first meeting this year. That game finished at 149. The over is 6-0 in Monroe's last 6 following a loss. The over is 7-1 in LA Monroe's last 8. The over is 4-0 in S. Alabama's last 4 Thursday games. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 following a loss. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Tempo Total* The Oakland Golden Grizzlies don't quite push the tempo as much as they did last year, but whenever they get the chance this team is going to run. UMKC isn't a running team necessarily, but their horrible defense allows most teams to put up a big number on them. Oakland scored 89 in their last meeting with UMKC. The over is 21-9 in UMKC's last 30 road games. The over is 52-25-1 in Oakland's last 78 games overall. The oddsmakers just can't catch up with Oakland. Take the over here.

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Play* The South Dakota Coyotes are a perfect 'over' team. South Dakota shoots the ball very well and pushes the tempo, and they also don't play hardly any defense. Fort Wayne hasn't been very good on offense, but they are much better on their home floor. Fort Wayne is comfortable playing at a very quick pace as well. Both of these teams get to the free throw line often, and I think that will be a big key in this one. I had the line projected at 152. The over is 6-1 in S. Dakota's last 7 following a loss. The over is 7-1 in Fort Wayne's last 8 following a loss. The over is 4-0 in Fort Wayne's last 4 against a team with a winning percentage below 40%. Take the over big!

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Loyola Marymount Lions have only had two games this year under this posted total. 15 of their games have gone over this total. San Diego slows the game down a bit, but Loyola Marymount's poor defense will likely help San Diego score more than normal. This should be a close game where free throws decide the game at the end. A lot of free throws at the end should push this over the posted total. Take the over in this one.

*3 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* Wyoming has been one of the biggest surprises in the country this season. The Cowboys win with strong defense and ball control. Fresno State plays strong defense, but they are very bad on the offensive end. Though this total is posted very low, both of these teams have played several games far below this total. I had this one projected at 109 points. The under is 4-0 in Wyoming's last 4 games overall. The under is 4-0 in Wyoming's last 4 road games. Take the under here.

*3 Star NCAA BB Pac 12 Total* The Utah Utes and Washington State Cougars are both very good defensive teams. Both Utah and Washington State are poor on the offensive end, and they have played some extremely low scoring games this year. This is the type of game where the winning team will likely struggle to get to 55 points. The under is 7-2 in Washington State's last 9 against the PAC 12. The under is 4-1 in Utah's last 5 games overall. I had this one projected at 109. Take the under here.

*3 Star NCAA Hoops Big 12 Total* Texas Tech isn't a very good team, but they are fighting hard for Chris Walker. They played Kansas well the other day, and I expect them to put a lot of effort forth in this game. Oklahoma is an improved team that might be a NCAA Tournament team this year. The Sooners are much better offensively than they have been, and Texas Tech struggles on the defensive end. The Red Raiders love to run and push the pace. My number for this one was 140 points. Take the over here.

*3 Star NCAA BB Tempo Total* The LSU Tigers are a completely different team this year under first-year coach Johnny Jones. Jones is from the LSU area, and he had a ton of success as a coach at North Texas. The way Jones teaches basketball is to get out in transition and score before the other team sets up their defense. LSU has the athletes to run and gun, and they have been doing it effectively this season. South Carolina likes to push most of the time too, so I see a quick pace here. I had this at 149. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB SEC Total* The Arkansas Razorbacks are playing Mike Anderson's "40 Minutes of Hell" style of basketball very well right now. Arkansas is pushing the tempo even more than they did a year ago. The Razorbacks can force teams with poor ball-handlers into a ridiculous amount of turnovers. Auburn's guards aren't particularly good, and I think they'll struggle a lot with the pressure from Arkansas. The over is 7-1 in Arkansas' last 8 home games. Take the over in this contest.

*3 Star NCAA BB MVC Total* The Missouri Valley Conference is typically known for strong defense, but that doesn't apply to the Drake Bulldogs this year. Drake is the worst defense team in the MVC by quite a bit. Drake has been giving up points by the bunches of late. Creighton scored 91 points on them. Drake has allowed at least 75 points in four straight games. The over is 8-2 in Evansville's last 10 games. The over is 4-0 in Drake's last 4 games overall. The over is 5-0 in Drake's last 5 home games. Take the over here.

*3 Star NCAA BB CUSA Total* The Rice Owls are one of the worst teams in a very weak Conference USA. Memphis is clearly the class of the conference. Memphis likes to push the tempo and get out in transition. Rice would prefer to slow the game down, but the Owls won't be able to keep stalling once they are getting beaten badly by the Tigers here. I had this one set at 129 points. The over is 5-0 in Rice's last 5 home games. The over is 6-1 in Memphis' last 7 road games. Take the over here.

*3 Star NCAA BB Under Radar Total* The Delaware Blue Hens are quietly becoming a very good offense. Sadler, the Blue Hens star on offense, is one of the best scorers in the country. Delaware is running and gunning quite a bit more this year than they have in the past. Towson was woeful last year, but they are respectable this year and they should be able to put up their fair share of points here. I had this game set at 139 points. I like the over in this one.

*3 Star NCAA BB Defensive Battle* The Georgetown Hoyas have one of the best defenses in the nation. They also have an offense that stalls almost every time down the floor, and they aren't very efficient on offense. Georgetown has had final scores of 37-36, 46-40, 64-41, and 49-48 all this season. Providence is playing much better defense than they did a couple years ago. The Hoyas should control the pace on their home floor. The under is 9-2 in the last 11 meetings between these teams. Take the under.

*5 Star NCAA BB MAC Top Total* The Western Michigan Broncos have struggled on the offensive end this year. They are averaging just 63.5 points per game. Toledo averages just 67 per game on the road. Both of these teams are better on the defensive end than they are on the offensive end. Toledo's last five games have all been well under this total in regulation. Western Michigan has had some very low scoring games this year. My numbers had this one set at 130 points. The under is 5-0 in Toledo's last 5 road games against a team with a winning home record. The under is 13-3 in Toledo's last 16 road games. The under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these two at Western Michigan. Take the under big!

*5 Star NCAA BB Top Play Total* The Miami Hurricanes have been one of my favorite 'under' teams this year. Miami is slowing the pace down far more than they did a year ago, and the books have been slow to react. The Hurricanes also have tremendous half court defense, so I'd be surprised if Boston College shoots the ball well here. Boston College doesn't push the pace, and the Eagles have reasonably good defense. My numbers had this one at 122 points. The under is 8-0 in Miami's last 8 following a win. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 road games against teams with a winning home record. The under is 5-0 in their last 5 road games overall. Take the under big!

*3 Star NBA Play of Day* The New Orleans Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers both play at a very slow pace. In fact, the Hornets play slower than any other team in the NBA. Philadelphia ranks 23rd out of the 30 teams in the NBA in terms of pace. Both of these offenses also rank in the bottom half of the NBA in offensive efficiency. These teams met once earlier this year and the final was 77-62. I'm certainly not expecting a ridiculous number like 139 again, but I also don't understand the posted total jumping five points from what it was in the first matchup between these two. The under is 6-1 in the Hornets last 7 against a team with a losing record. The under is 8-2-1 in the last 11 meetings between these teams. The under is 3-0-1 in the last 4 meetings in Philly. Take the under.

*3 Star NBA Play of Day* The Chicago Bulls are still playing their strong half court defense. The reason the Bulls are only 20-15 is they have been very inefficient on offense. Atlanta has been very good on the defensive end this year as well. In fact, both of these teams rank in the top 8 in the NBA in defensive efficiency. Neither of these teams push the tempo all that much, so with strong defense and a relatively slow pace I like the under. The under is 11-7 in the Hawks road games this year. The under is 14-6 in the Bulls home games this year. The under is 4-0 in Atlanta's last 4 against the Eastern Conference. The under is 6-1 in their last 7 against teams with a winning record. The under is 6-1 in the Bulls last 7 against teams with a winning record. The under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these two in Chicago. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB Total Domination* The Miami Hurricanes are really slowing things down this year, and it has brought them a ton of success. Miami is 11-3 on the year. They haven't allowed more than 69 points in a game since their first game of the season. Miami's defense allows 59.2 points per game for the year. Maryland's defense is tremendous as well, led by shot blocker Alex Len. Maryland is allowing only 57 points per game on the road. Both of these teams play quite a bit slower than they did last year. The under is 7-0 in Miami's last 7 following a win. The under is 3-0-1 in Miami's last 4 home games. Take the under.

*3 Star NBA Early Bird Special* The New York Knicks and New Orleans Hornets square off at noon on Sunday. These early games on Sunday's can't be popular with the NBA players, especially in New York City. There is a lot to do in NYC and having an early game on Sunday makes it less likely these two teams will be giving full effort. These early Sunday afternoon games tend to have slower paced second halves as the teams really just mail it in near the end. The Hornets are the slowest paced team in the NBA to start with. The under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these two teams. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* The UC Davis Aggies are a good over team because they have lots of very good scorers, but the Aggies don't play much defense at all. UC Santa Barbara isn't nearly as good defensively this year as they have been in the past few years. I had this one projected at 142 points. The over is 6-0 in UCSB's last 6 games. The over is 4-0 in UCSB's last 4 road games. The over is 5-0 in their last 5 against the Big West. The over is 4-0 in UCSB's last 4 following an ATS loss. The over is 8-0 in UC Davis' last 8 home games. The over is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings between these teams at UC Davis. In all a 32-0 angle backs this. Take the over.

*5 Star NCAA BB Top Play Total* No team in the country has changed their style more drastically than the UAB Blazers this year. UAB was a team that stalled for the past few years, but new coach Jared Haase has them running and gunning this season. Memphis is an ultra-talented team that likes to run when given the opportunity. Both of these teams turn the ball over quite a bit, and that should lead to a lot of easy layups in this one. The tempo here should be plenty quick enough to put it over the total. The over is 6-0 in Memphis last 6 road games. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 following an ATS loss. The over is 4-0 in Memphis' last 4 Saturday games. Take the over big!

*3 Star NCAA BB Hidden GEM Total* The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs are one of my favorite 'over' teams. Louisiana Tech uses a diamond full court press to push the tempo and force a ton of turnovers. The Bulldogs push the pace at every opportunity. Texas San Antonio is called the Roadrunners, and they aren't the type of team to slow the game down based on their past history. I had this game projected at 149 points. The over is 15-1 in Texas San Antonio's last 16 games overall. The over is 7-0 in UTSA's last 7 following a loss. The over is 5-0 in their last 5 home games. The over is 5-0 in their last 5 against the WAC. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB MAC Total* The Central Michigan Chippewas are starting to catch onto Coach Keno Davis' ideas for their offense. In his time at Providence, Davis' teams always pushed the tempo as much as any team in the nation. Central Michigan started the year playing at a slow pace, but that has been changing quickly of late. Central Michigan has been pouring in the points and giving them up in bunches as well. Toledo is much better offensively on their home floor. I think this has a good chance of hitting 150. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Tempo Total* Morehead State is a team I've been playing the over with a bunch this year. Sean Woods has completely changed the way this team plays. Last year the Eagles were all about slowing the game down and winning a low scoring game. This year Morehead State presses and plays very aggressive defense. Opponents often turn the ball over a ton, but they also get to the line a lot because Morehead State fouls too much. Eastern Kentucky is an efficient offensive team. I projected this one at 140 points. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB West Coast Total* Cal State Northridge has a way of making other offenses look great. UC Irvine hasn't been all that good offensively this year, but I think they'll find their shooting touch in this one. Northridge is all about taking risks on the defensive end. They get a lot of steals, but they also allow a ton of open layups in the open floor. Look for this to be an up and down game all the way to the end. I had this one set at 149 points. The over is 18-8-1 in UC Irvine's last 27 home games. Take the over.

*3 Star St. Mary's/Gonzaga Total* This game may not get all the attention that rivalries do in other parts of the country, but these two teams hate each other. St. Mary's has beaten the Zags in 3 of the last 4, but Gonzaga should have the upper hand here. Both teams are playing quicker than they did a year ago. These two offenses are both extremely efficient with the basketball. I has this one pegged at 152. Look for guys like Pangos and Harris and Dellavedova to have big games on the offensive end. Take the over here.

*3 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* The Cal Poly Mustangs slow the game down, but they also don't play any defense. In addition, Cal Poly shoots it extremely well from long range. This means that when Cal Poly plays against fast paced teams that don't play good defense, their scores can be quite a bit higher than the oddsmakers are expecting. The over is 6-0 in Poly's last 6 road games against teams with a losing record. The over is 7-0 in UC Davis' last 7 home games. The over is 4-0 in Davis' last 4 against teams with a losing record. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Hidden GEM Total* The Eastern Washington Eagles and Northern Arizona Lumberjacks have a lot in common. Both teams like to run and gun, and both of them don't play hardly any defense. Eastern Washington shoots as many three-point shots as anyone in the nation, and Northern Arizona allows opponents to shoot better than 40% from beyond the arc. Look for open three's and open layups for both teams in this one. I had this one projected at 149 points. The over is 4-0 in Eastern Washington's last 4 Thursday games. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 against teams with a losing record. The over is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings between these teams. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Tempo Total* Don't look for either team to even attempt to slow the game down in this one. These are two teams that run and gun at every opportunity. Nebraska Omaha is one of the worst teams in the country, and they have given up 90 points or more several times already this year. IUPUI and Omaha are both very good at shooting it from distance, and I think the three's will really pile up in this game. I had this one projected at 162 points. Look for the pace and three-point shooting to push this over the posted total.

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Play Total* Both of these teams rank in the top 15 in the country (347 teams) in terms of quickest pace. Louisiana Tech uses a full court diamond press to force turnovers and push the tempo. Texas State almost never lets the shot clock get below 20 seconds. Both of these teams are going to get up a ton of shots in this one. Unless the shooting numbers are terribly low, I don't see this one staying under. I had this projected at 158 points. The over is 12-5 in Louisiana Tech's last 17 road games. The over is 7-3 in their last 10. Take the over big!

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Detroit Titans probably have the most talented team in the Horizon League. Ray McCallum Jr. facilitates their offense very well. McCallum is among the best in the nation at getting into the lane and either scoring or setting up his teammates. Youngstown State is the other really fast paced team in the Horizon League so the tempo should stay quick in this game. I had this one projected at 153 points. Look for a tight game all the way, which could mean quite a few free throws at the end. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT Total* The Fresno State Bulldogs are very good at controlling the tempo of the game. Fresno State has slowed the game down for the past three years, and they are doing the same this season. San Diego State likes to play a bit faster, but the real strength of the Aztecs team is their tremendous defense. Despite their speed, San Diego State has played some very low scoring games this year because of their defense. The under is 7-1 in Fresno State's last 8 home games against a team with a winning road record. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB Tempo Total* No one will be slowing the pace down in this game. Both of these teams love to run and gun, and I expect to see that for 40 minutes here. CS Northridge is coming off a 105-86 loss to CS Fullerton last time out. Long Beach's offense has been getting better each game of late. I had this one projected at 160 points. Oddsmakers are hesitant to put such a big total on any game, which is why we get some value on this one. The over is 5-2 in Long Beach's last 7 games overall. Take the over here.

*3 Star NCAA BB Hidden GEM Total* The Air Force Falcons have a new coach this year, and their system is changing quite a bit. Over the past few years they have stalled as much as possible on offense, but they are definitely picking up the tempo this season. The Falcons are shooting the three-point shot extremely well. Nevada cannot defend the three, and Nevada's offense likes to push the tempo quite a bit. Deonte Burton is a great point guard and he should get in the paint easily against Air Force's poor defense. The over is 5-0 in Air Force's last 5 home games. The over is 5-0 in Air Force's last 5 against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. The over is 4-0 in Air Force's last 4 following a loss. Take the over.

*3 Star West Virginia/Texas Total* Most of the time in my writeups I talk about the pace of the game, but the pace here will likely be quicker than what would normally be needed for an 'under'. The reason this wager looks strong is both offenses are horrible. Both defenses are very good. The dichotomy between the offenses and defenses in this game is huge, and that should lead to some horrible shooting numbers. I had this one projected at 121 points. The under is 6-0 in Texas' last 6 following a loss. The under is 14-3 in Texas' last 17 home games against a team with a losing road record. The under is 4-1 in Texas' last 5 home games. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB MVC Total* Northern Iowa has been one of my favorite 'under' teams for the past few years. The Panthers play very good defense, and they are extremely good when it comes to taking the air out of the ball and holding a lead at the end of a game. Evansville has slowed their tempo down quite a bit this season. The Aces are playing much better defense than they did last year. I had this game projected at 126 points. Look for a good defensive effort from both teams here. I like the under in this one.

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Western Michigan Broncos and the Akron Zips are both above average defensive teams. Akron has one of the best shot blockers in the land in Zeke Marshall. He is a 7'1 center with extremely long arms, and he alters as many shots as anyone in basketball. A total set at this level usually means the teams push the tempo or play poor defense, and I don't think either of those fit in this instance. I had this game projected at 136 points. Look for the defenses to keep this under. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB Total Domination* The Kent State Golden Flashes and Toledo Rockets are both aggressive on the offensive end. These are two teams that get to the line very often. Both defenses have committed a lot of fouls this year, and I expect plenty of trips to the charity stripe in this one. I had this game projected at 143 points. The over is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings between these two at Kent State. The over is 6-0 in Kent State's last 6 against a team with a road winning percentage of less than 40%. Take the over.