Sports Picks & Predictions

*3 Star Play on Under*

*3 Star SEC Total* The Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs play the same type of game. Both of these teams love to grind it out by slowing the game down and winning with their defense. Georgia experimented with speeding up the tempo at the start of the season, but it didn't work. The Bulldogs are back to slowing the game down now. Both meetings between these two stayed well under this total last season. Look for slow play and solid defense from both teams here. I had this at 124. Take the under.

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Charlotte 49ers can put the ball in the basket and score in bunches, and Texas San Antonio is one of the worst defensive teams in the nation. The Roadrunners routinely give up at least 85 or 90 points in a game. Charlotte is one of the best teams they've played this year, and the 49ers should pile up the points here. UTSA does score quite a bit themselves by getting to the free throw line more often than any other team in the country. I made this total 160 points. Take the over.

*4 Star NCAA BB MAC Total* The Eastern Michigan Eagles are playing the best defense in the MAC by a mile right now. Coach Murphy has them playing a Syracuse style matchup zone, and opponents are really struggling to get anything done against this amazing zone. Buffalo's offense has struggled this year, but the Bulls defense is much improved under Coach Hurley. Lots of defense in this game. I had it projected at 127. Take the under.

*4 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* The Long Beach State 49ers are much better on the defensive end than they used to be. In a league where defense doesn't show up very often, Long Beach State probably plays the best defense of anyone in the Big West. They are slowing the game down much more this year as well. UC Irvine has a couple huge guys in the paint so they are playing slower this season as well. The under is 9-1 in Irvine's last 10 following a win. The under is 6-1 in their last 7 road games. The under is 5-1 in their last 6 vs. a team with a losing record. A 20-3 angle. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB Bookie CRUSHING Total* The Marshall Thundering Herd love to push the tempo and UTSA isn't a team that can control the tempo. In fact, UTSA typically gets into running games because they often get behind early and are forced to run to try to get back in it. I expect that in this game as well. I had this one lined at 158. Take the over.

*4 Star NCAA BB Under Radar Total* The Jacksonville State Gamecocks are a team I like playing the under with because of their ability to control the tempo of the game. Jacksonville State isn't efficient on offense either, which means they often play a bunch of low scoring games. I had this game projected at 137 points. Take the under in this one.

*3 Star NCAA BB Total Value* The Belmont Bruins and SE Missouri State Redhawks played to a 107-72 final last year. While 179 points isn't likely again, I do think this total is too low. Both of these teams love to push the tempo and run whenever given the opportunity. Lots of transition opportunities in this game for both teams. High shooting percentages should be expected. I had this one at 160. Take the over.

*4 Star NCAA BB Tempo Total* Rice isn't a team that lets the game speed up. Ben Braun is their coach and he is all about slowing the game down (likely because they don't have much talent on this team). FIU has a new coach this year and they are playing slower than they have in the past. Neither team shoots it well from the floor either. I had this game set at 130 points. Take the under here.

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* Idaho State is a team I've been watching closely because they are drastically changing their style. The Bengals have previously been a stall ball team, but now they are starting to run and look to score in transition. North Dakota is one of the fastest paced teams in the country. These two defenses are both dreadful. The over is 22-4 in Idaho State's last 26 games against a team with a win percentage less than 40%. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 following an ATS win. The over is 2-0 in the last 2 meetings between these two. A 28-4 angle. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Florida Atlantic Owls have a good coach in Mike Jarvis. Jarvis should definitely know that they can't win a track meet with Louisiana Tech. The only chance the Owls have of making this a game is to slow the pace down to a crawl, and I expect them to do just that. LA Tech's defense is excellent and despite their fast pace, they have played lots of low scoring games. I had this one at 143. Take the under.

*3 Star ACC Total Takedown* These are the top two defenses in the ACC. Clemson is also the slowest paced team in the league. Look for the Tigers to cause a bunch of very slow and ugly games during ACC play this year. It might not be fun to watch, but betting the under is a good idea. Bad shooting numbers should be expected here. I had this one projected at 118. Take the under.

*4 Star NCAA BB Hidden GEM Total* The IPFW Mastadons have sped up their tempo in a big way this year. The Mastadons hit almost 40% of their shots from long range, and they are poor on the defensive end. North Dakota State can score in bunches, but they've been really bad on defense this year. The over is 6-1 in North Dakota State's last 7 road games. The over is 6-1 in their lats 7 road games against a team with a winning record. The over is a perfect 6-0 in IPFW's last 6 home games. An 18-2 angle. Take the over.

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Boise State Broncos and San Diego State Aztecs meet late Wednesday night in a key MWC game. Boise State can shoot it, but they haven't been against a defense as good as San Diego State this year. The Aztecs just held Kansas to 57 points at Kansas. San Diego State has had just one game all season go over this posted total. The Aztecs defense is tremendous, and San Diego State plays at a slower tempo this year.

The under is 4-0 in Boise's last 4 following a win. The under is 8-1 in their last 9 vs. a team with a winning record. The under is 6-0 in SD State's last 6 following a win. The under is 5-0 in their last 5 home games. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 against a team with a win percentage of 60% or higher. The under is 6-1 in their last 7 Wednesday games. A 33-2 angle. Take the under.

*4 Star NCAA BB Big 10 Total Takedown* The Illinois Fighting Illini have totally changed the way they play this year. Coach John Groce has this team slowing down the game and looking to win with defense. Wisconsin always controls the tempo as well as anyone in basketball, which is why I love unders with them. The Badgers defense is elite at the Kohl Center. The under is 15-3 in the Fighting Illini's last 18 road games. I had this one set at 119 points. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Eastern Michigan Eagles have a terrific matchup zone defense. Coach Rob Murphy runs a zone he learned under Jim Boeheim, and the Eagles are doing a great job slowing down their opponents with it. Bowling Green shots 26% on three-pointers, so I don't expect them to have success here. The last two meetings between these teams have finished at 55-50 and 46-44. While I don't expect that low of a score here, I think there's plenty of value on the under. I had this at 122. Take the under.

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Vanderbilt Commodores and Alabama Crimson Tide are very similar teams. Neither of these teams have much in the way of offensive firepower, but they both play very good defense. Both teams prefer to walk it up the floor and use up the shot clock. There shouldn't be many transition points here. Last year these two played to a 58-54 final. I expect a little more scoring here, but this number is too high. I had this one set at 122 points. Take the under.

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Cincinnati Bearcats are very good at forcing a game to be low scoring. Mick Cronin's teams work as hard as anyone on the defensive end. They also struggle with offensive efficiency. Cincinnati beat Pitt 44-43 a few weeks at Madison Square Garden. The Bearcats held a high-powered Memphis offense to just 53 points on the road last game. Houston should have real trouble scoring here. The Cougars don't run as much as they used to.

The under is 5-0 in Cincinnati's last 5 Tuesday games. The under is 4-0 in Houston's last 4 against a team with a road win percentage of 40% or less. The under is 5-0 in Houston's last 5 home games vs. a team with a losing road record. The under is 6-1 in Houston's last 7 games. A 20-1 angle. Take the under.

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Texas Southern Tigers have adopted a new philosophy this year. The Tigers are running at every opportunity. They have had a bunch of very high scoring games already this year. They'll be up against a Southern Jaguars team that loves to run and score in transition. There should be a lot of possessions and shot attempts from both teams here. Texas Southern is great at getting to the line, and Southern fouls more than any other team in the country. Expect this game to be close, which means there should be plenty of trips to the line near the end of the game as well. I had this game lined at 150 points. Take the over.

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins are certainly rivals and there will be some extra fight in both teams in this contest. These teams are ranked 23rd and 24th in the nation in terms of pace out of 351 teams. This will be an up and down game. UCLA's defense isn't very good, but their offense has been as good as anyone in the nation so far this year. I had this game at 158 points. The over is 4-1 in USC's last 5 games overall. Look for this one to fly over the total. Take the over.

*3 Star Big 10 Totals Takedown* Purdue pushes the tempo and they have forced much slower paced teams than Minnesota to pretty high scoring games. The Boilermakers should force the issue here and get this game moving. The past history between these two is for relatively high scoring contests. I had this one at 147. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Total Value* The Northern Arizona Lumberjacks are shorthanded this year. They don't have much of a bench at all, and because of that the team has decided to slow down their tempo drastically compared to the last couple seasons. Montana State isn't good offensively, and they struggle to put up points to start with. Without a quick tempo, it's hard to imagine Montana State putting up many points here. Low scoring game. Take the under.

*4 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* Southern Utah is one of the worst teams in college basketball this year. This is a team that is getting drubbed every single time out. They have slowed the pace down to a stall ball style. It hasn't led to wins, but it has led to a bunch of games staying under the posted total. Northern Colorado is playing much slower than they did last season. The Bears should be content to keep this a slow it down game. The under is 4-0 in S. Utah's last 4 road games. It is 4-0 in their last 4 Big Sky games. It is 4-0 in their last 4 following an ATS win. The under is 10-1 in their last 11 following a straight up loss. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 against a team with a winning record. A 26-1 angle. Take the under.

*3 NCAA BB Total PERFECTION Angle* The Utah State Aggies have always been a very good team since Coach Morrill took over. They have also been a slow it down type team all through those years. San Jose State has a short bench, so the Spartans are playing slowly this year as well. Both of these teams are above average defensively. I had this game lined at 134 points. The under is 7-0 in Utah State's last 7 Saturday games. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 home games vs. a team with a losing road record. The under is 4-0-1 in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a road win percentage of under 40%. The under is 4-0 in SJ St's last 4 Saturday games. A 19-0 angle. Take the under.

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Play Total* The Jacksonville State Gamecocks love slowing the game down and playing some stall ball. Tennessee State is one of the worst teams in college basketbal this year, and their offense is horrible. It's hard to see them wanting to or even being able to push the tempo and turn this into a high scoring game. The Gamecocks are the better team, and they'll slow the game down in a big way. This has all the makings of an ugly game. The under is 6-0 in the Gamecocks last 6 road games. I had this one lined at 129. Take the under big!

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Wyoming Cowboys have a way of turning every game into a sloppy one. Wyoming slows the game down and plays excellent defense. Both of their games last year against Nevada were ugly low scoring affairs. Those two games finished 69-48 and 59-48. I don't expect much different in this one. Nevada doesn't run nearly as much as they used to, and Wyoming won't let them get out and run in this matchup. I had this one lined at 128 points. Take the under.

*4 Star NCAA BB Virginia/FSU Total DOMINATION* The Virginia Cavs love to play at a snail's pace. They alos have a tremendous defense. Florida State tries to get out in transition at times, but the Seminoles offense won't be able do to that today. Florida State is one of the top defensive teams in the country. Both of these defenses generally hold the opposition to some ugly shooting numbers. Seven straight meetings between these teams have finished under this posted total. The under is 8-0 in the last 8 games between these two at Florida State. The under is 9-1 in Virginia's last 10 against a team with a winning record. A 24-1 angle. Take the under.

*4 Star NCAA BB 100% Angle Total* The Utah Utes are one of the most improved teams in college basketball this year. Their coach has done a tremendous job with this team. Utah is excellent on the defensive end, and they slow the game down and take good care of the basketball. Oregon State has been slowing the game down quite a bit more in their last few contests, and past history between these two is for low scoring games. The under is 4-0 in Oregon State's last 4. The under is 5-0 in their last 5 following a loss. The under is 4-0 in Utah's last 4. The under is 4-0 in Utah's last 4 home games. A 17-0 angle. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals Takedown* The Temple Owls and UCF Knights are both comfortable with pushing the tempo of the game. Both teams get to the line often and both teams get a lot of second chance opportunities off offensive rebounds. There should be plenty of chances for both teams to score in this one. Neither team is particularly good on the defensive end. I had this number projected at 151. Take the over here.

*3 Star Play on Under 123*

*5 Star NCAA BB TGIF TOP Play* The Drexel Dragons are one of my favorite 'under' teams in college basketball. Bruiser Flint's team is very good at slowing the game down as well as playing excellent hard-nosed defense. There are no easy buckets against the Dragons. Drexel's offense leaves a lot to be desired, and they shoot just 27% from long range. Southern Miss likes to slow the game down as well. It should be a very slow paced game here, and I see no reason to believe these teams will get to this total. I made this one 122 points.

The under is 5-0 in Southern Miss' last 5 against a team with a win percentage above 60%. The under is 4-0 in Drexel's last 4 games vs. a team with a win percentage of 60% or higher. The under is 4-1 in Southern Miss' last 5 home games. A 13-1 angle. Take the under big!

*5 Star West Coast TOP Total* The Pacific Tigers and Portland Pilots both like to play at a fast pace. Another huge bonus for points in this one is how well both teams shoot it from the charity stripe. Pacific shoots 78% as a team. Portland shoots 75.3% as a team. Both teams get to the line often as well. Expect tons of free points from the line here. Both teams shoot it well from long range, and these two defenses are dreadful at guarding teams beyond the arc. The over is 6-0-1 in Portland's last 7 vs. teams with a win percentage above 60%. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 Thursday games. The over is 5-1 in Pacific's last 6 vs. the WCC. A 15-1 angle. Take the over big!

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Play 100% Angle Total* Arkansas State and UT Arlington are both run and gun teams. These are teams that don't waste any time getting a shot up on the rim. UT Arlington struggles defending the three-point line, and Arkansas State is very good from long range. Arlington shoots it very well themselves, and both of these teams foul quite a bit. I had this one lined at 162 points.

The over is 5-0 in Arkansas State's last 5 road games. It is 5-0 in their last 5 vs. a team with a winning home record. It is 5-0 in their last 5 against a team with a home win percentage of 60% or higher. The over is 4-0 in Arlington's last 4 Thursday games. A 19-0 angle. Take the over big!

*4 Star NCAA BB Total Value* The SE Missouri State Redhawks haven't had a single game finish under this posted total all year. Murray State just got its best player eligible (Sapp) a few games ago, so the Racers are scoring more points of late. SE Missouri State will force the tempo and they generally shoot a very good percentage from long range and the free throw line. My numbers had this one set at 148 points. Take the over.

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals Takedown* The Morehead State Eagles use full court pressure and aggressive defense to force tons of turnovers. SIU Edwardsville turns it over a bunch, and I expect a lot of transition layups for Morehead State. SIU Edwardsville should get to the line a lot since Morehead State fouls about as much as any team in the country. Both teams love to play an up and down type of game. I had this game lined at 156. Take the over.

*5 Star TOP Play Total DOMINATION* The Youngstown State Penguins are running much more this season. They have an amazing scorer in Kendrick Perry. Youngstown could easily put up 85 points themselves against a subpar Milwaukee defense. At the same time, Milwaukee scores in bunches at home. The Panthers should be able to stick around in this game. Both teams shoot free throws very well which is important with today's rules. The over is 5-0 in Milwaukee's last 5 against a team with a winning record. The over is a perfect 6-0 in their last 6 meetings with each other. An 11-0 angle. Take the over big!

*4 Star Big 10 Total Takedown* The Wisconsin Badgers are one of my favorite 'under' teams. Bo Ryan's teams absolutely know how to slow the game down. Wisconsin will likely get the lead in this one, and they are great at taking the air out of the basketball. Northwestern is all about slowing the game down as well, so the pace here should be extremely slow. Last year's meeting between these two finished at 110 points. I had this lined at 118. The under is 7-1 in Wisconsin's last 8 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. The under is 6-1 in Northwestern's last 7 home games. The under is 7-1 in the last 8 meetings between these two. The under is 4-0 in Northwestern's last 4 home games vs. a team with a winning road record. A 23-3 angle here. Take the under.

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Duquesne Dukes are great at pushing the tempo of the game. Jim Ferry is their head coach and he preaches getting a shot up early. Duquesne doesn't play much defense, which should allow an Appalachian State offense that has been struggling to have much more success than normal tonight. Both of these teams give up a lot of points in the paint, which generally equals a high scoring contest. I had this lined at 156. Take the over.

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Bradley Braves were a team that liked to run and gun up until the offseason. The coaching staff made a decision to try to emphasize slowing the game down and winning with defense in the offseason. Bradley's games have been much lower scoring this season. Northern Iowa is always a slow it down type of team under Coach Ben Jacobsen. Since both teams guard quite well, I don't expect to see great shooting numbers in this one. The under is 6-0 in Bradley's last 6 games following an ATS loss. The under is 8-0 in Bradley's last 8 games overall. A 14-0 angle. Take the under.

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The UNLV Runnin' Rebels really push the tempo. Dave Rice's team is all about getting out in transition and getting quick baskets before the defense gets set. They were really struggling on offense early on this year, but UNLV's offensive efficiency has been much improved over the last few games. Fresno State has picked up their pace significantly since last season as well. Both teams will be looking to keep the game moving quickly here. I don't think there will be many halfcourt sets here, instead it will be all transition basketball. Take the over.

*4 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* The Marquette Golden Eagles and Creighton Blue Jays have a rare late night game on New Year's Eve tonight. Marquette is always a strong defensive team and they prefer to play slowly. Creighton is a very good offensive team, but their tempo numbers have been slowing down in a big way over the last few games. I expect this one to be played at a slower tempo than most expect. Look for a lot of halfcourt sets from both teams where the shot clock gets low. I had this projected at 136. Take the under here.

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals Takedown* The Louisville Cardinals always like to get out in transition and get easy buckets off of their defensive pressure. UCF is really pushing the tempo this year, and the Knights are going to want to make this a fast-paced game as well. I don't see anything slowing this one down. Even if the shooting percentages aren't particularly good, I see this one going over the posted total because of the amount of shots that get put up. I had this one lined at 150. Take the over.

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Play Total* The DePaul Blue Demons tried to slow things down a bit earlier this year, but Oliver Purnell's crew is back to running and gunning of late. The Blue Demons are just much more comfortable running and forcing the tempo. Georgetown is playing faster than they have in the past, and the Hoyas offense has been surprisingly efficient this season. The last three meetings between these teams have finished at 161, 158, and 156 points. The over is 3-0 in the last 3 meetings. The over is 8-1 in Georgetown's last 9 Tuesday games. I had this lined at 146. Take the over big!

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The George Washington Colonials have a brilliant record this year, but they haven't played many good teams. I suspect their offense will struggle with Kansas State's very physical strong halfcourt defense. The Wildcats are great at slowing the game down, and I think they'll be successful in doing just that at home in this one. Kansas State's offense is bad, and they really struggle to put teams away. I had this one lined at 124 points. Take the under.

*4 Star NCAA BB Hidden GEM Total* The St. Mary's Gaels don't play fast, but they do shoot the ball extremely well. Pacific has picked up the tempo in a big way this year. Both of these teams get to the free throw line very often, so trips to the charity stripe should help the over a lot in this game. Both teams knock down a very high percentage on three-point shots as well, so the points should add up quickly in this one. I had this total set at 147 points, so I see plenty of value. Take the over here.

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals Takedown* The San Diego Toreros will be on the road tonight to take on a Loyola Marymount team who is good at dictating the tempo of the game. The Lions are particularly good at running the floor and getting quick baskets on their home court. This is a game that San Diego is going to need to put up quite a few points in if they are going to stay in the contest. I had this one lined at 147. Take the over here.

*4 Star NCAA BB 100% Angle Total* The St. Louis Billikens and Vanderbilt Commodores are similar teams. They both prefer playing at a relatively slow pace, and they are both very good on the defensive end. Neither of these teams do much fouling, so don't expect many freebies in this game. Both of these teams have been playing fast paced teams of late, but the game should slow down nicely when they get together here. I had this lined at 128. The under is 4-0 in St. Louis last 4 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 road games against a team with a win percentage of 60% or better. The under is 3-0-1 in Vandy's last 4 following a win. The under is 3-0-1 in their last 4 against a team with a winning record. The under is 4-0-1 in their last 5 home games. An 18-0 angle. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Oklahoma State Cowboys are pushing the tempo in a big way this year. Why shouldn't they? They have Marcus Smart leading the way, and the supporting cast is superb. The Cowboys have four guys who can put up 20 points in any given game. Robert Morris' defense is among the worst of any team in the nation. Don't be surprised if Oklahoma flirts with 100 points here. I had this one lined at 155 points. Take the over.

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Total* The Fordham Rams have a way of making games very high scoring. They use full court pressure on defense and look to get baskets in transition. Fordham also has a very bad halfcourt defense. Siena has a new system this year, and they are using full court pressure under Coach Jimmy Patsos. Lots of full court pressure in this game should mean plenty of tempo and lots of trips to the free throw line. I had this one lined at 156. Take the over big!

*5 Star TOP Play VA/Tenn Total* Last year these two teams met and the final score was 46-38. While I don't expect that low of a score again, I do think these teams could struggle to top 100. These are two teams that love stalling and using their strong defense to win games. When they get together, points are very tough to come by. I had this game lined at 112, so I really like the value on this total. Look for a very ugly with a lot of great defense and poor shooting numbers. Take the under big!

*3 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* Quinnipiac and Oregon State are both all about running the floor and trying to get transition buckets. They are two teams who do a good job getting to the line often and knocking down free throws as well. I don't expect to see many halfcourt sets in this game. Up and down the whole way with lots of trips to the charity stripe helping push this one over as well. Take the over here.

*4 Star NCAA BB 100% Angle Total* The Washington Huskies are really good at making a game high scoring. Washington pushes the pace relentlessly. They also don't play very good defense, and they shoot free throws at 77%. Hartford isn't a good team, and they'll give up a bunch of points. They foul a lot, and Washington should get a lot of free throw attempts. I had this game lined at 152. The over is 7-0 in Washington's last 7 home games. 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 vs. a team with a win percentage less than 40%. A 15-0 angle. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Charlotte 49ers both like to push the tempo, so tempo shouldn't be a problem here. Charlotte's defense has been embarrassingly bad of late, but the 49ers can put up the points at home. The over is 6-1-1 in Georgia Tech's last 8 road games. The over is 4-0 in Charlotte's last 4 vs. the ACC. I had this one lined at 149. Take the over.

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals Takedown* The Notre Dame Fighting Irish shoot the three-ball very well, but the strength of the Canisius defense is defending the three-point shot. Canisius has slowed their tempo down this year, and Notre Dame isn't a fast paced team at all. Jerian Grant will miss the rest of the season for Notre Dame, and that hurts their offense quite a bit. Look for the Fighting Irish to look a bit off without him. Take the under.

*4 Star Play Over 155* My numbers had this game at 161. Morgan State loves to run and gun, and that makes them a great opponent for Oregon. The Ducks will put up a huge number in this game. Don't be surprised if Oregon has 95 by themselves in this one. Morgan State should get their points late as well. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals Takedown* The Minnesota Golden Gophers appeared to be trying to speed the game up earlier this year, but they are slowing down in a big way over the past couple weeks. Texas A&M Corpus Christi has been one of the slowest paced teams in the nation for the past few years, and they are once again this season. Corpus Christi will slow this game down to a snail's pace, and Minnesota will likely jump out to a big lead and take their foot off the gas in the second half. I had this one lined at 130. Take the under.

*3 Star Louisville/Kentucky Total Domination* The Louisville Cardinals and Kentucky Wildcats both like to push the tempo of the game. These teams both get tons of offensive rebounds and putbacks, which will be a big help to the over. While both defenses are good, neither are dominating this season. I definitely expect a close game here, which could lead to lots of free throw shooting late in the game to push it over the total. I had this game lined at 152 points, so I see plenty of value in the over. Take the over.

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* These are two teams that like to slow down the game. I don't expect there to be enough possessions in this one for the teams to put up as many points as the oddsmakers are suggesting. Lafayette isn't a very good team, and when they have played against big name programs they have generally slowed the game down in a big way. I had this one lined at 140 points. Take the under. *Note- the line is shifting quickly here. I would play for 4 stars down to 144 and 3 stars down to 142* Thank you.

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals Takedown* The UNLV Rebels love to get out in transition. The Rebels best offense is running in transition and getting easy buckets before the other team is set. Mississippi State's defense likes to use full court pressure, but I suspect UNLV will be solid against that pressure. Look for UNLV to get a lot of easy opportunities near the hoop here. The Bulldogs are a fast paced team as well, and that plays into UNLV's hands. I had this total at 142. Play this one for 4 stars up to 138 or for 3 stars up to 140. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The UIC Flames have a way of making games very high scoring because of their quick pace and horrible defense. Colorado State is similar in that regard. The Rams do crash the boards though, and I expect them to do major damage on the glass in this one. Both teams shoot a very high percentage at the free throw line, which should be a big boost here. I had this total set at 151. The over is 7-1 in UIC's last 8 following a loss. The over is 6-1 in the Rams last 7 following a loss. A 13-2 angle. Take the over.

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Iowa State Cyclones can really push the tempo of a game. Iowa State ranks 7th in the nation in tempo. The Cyclones have a lot of scoring options both inside and outside. Akron prefers a fast paced game as well, so I expect this one to be up and down the whole way. Even Iowa State's games against teams that slow the game down have been pretty high scoring. I had this line set at 156. The over is 34-16-1 in Iowa State's last 51 games. Take the over.

*4 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* The Boise State Broncos and Hawaii Warriors both rank in the top 50 in the nation in terms of pace. No one is going to be using up the clock at all in this game. Both of these teams give up a lot of easy buckets inside the paint. In addition, these are two teams who get to the free throw line often, and they both shoot a very high percentage from the line. Since this is likely to be a very close game, free throws down the stretch could really add to this point total. I made this total 164 points, so I see a lot of value here. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The UNLV Runnin' Rebels do love to run. UNLV gets out in transition to try to get easy baskets. They should be able to get a lot of those against a Santa Clara defense that is a mess. While UNLV's offense has struggled to get going at times this year, I suspect they'll put up a big number in this one. Santa Clara has been slowed down by the last few teams they've played, but they are comfortable running the floor as well. The Broncos have several guys who can score in bunches. I made this total 141 points. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Oregon State Beavers and Akron Zips both prefer playing at a quick pace. Akron is dominating on the offensive glass, and Oregon State's defensive rebounding is very suspect. Look for the Zips to get a bunch of easy putbacks in this one. Oregon State and Akron both struggle to defend the paint, so easy baskets for both teams in transition should be expected. The over is 4-0 in Oregon State's last 4 following an ATS win. I had this total projected at 156 points. Take the over.

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The BYU Cougars rank first in the nation in terms of tempo. BYU scored 112 points earlier this year against a good Stanford team. Oregon loves to run, so they definitely aren't going to slow this game down. While this total is posted at a very high level, I think it should be several points higher. The over is 9-1 in Oregon's last 10 games, and they are playing the fastest paced team in the country. The scoreboard will light up in this one. Take the over.

*4 Star NCAA BB Under Radar Total* The Troy State Trojans were a team that liked to push the tempo in the past, but they have a new coach and a new system this year. Phil Cunningham has Troy playing much better defense and slowing the game down to try to win low scoring affairs. Utah State plays good defense and plays slowly as well. They are without star Jarred Shaw, so I expect low scoring games from them for a while as they adjust. The under is 6-0 in Utah State's last 6 Saturday games. The under is 6-1 in their last 7 games (the one over was because of OT). Take the under.

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Total* The Citadel has changed the way they play in the past couple years. Previously, this was a team that stalled and hoped to win low scoring games. That didn't work well for the team so now they are running and gunning. They still aren't winning, but their games have been much higher scoring of late. Nebraska has also picked up the pace considerably with new coach Tim Miles. The Cornhuskers can score this year, and the oddsmakers are still behind the curve with this team. I made this total 147 points. Take the over big!

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Cal State Fullerton Titans experimented with slowing the game down earlier this year, but it looks like that experiment is over. The Titans are just much more comfortable running. Fullerton is going to force the issue in this game, and Sacramento's awful defense won't be able to stop them from scoring. I made this total 136 points. Take the over.

*5 Star TOP Play Hidden GEM* This is a game that most people won't pay any attention to. You certainly don't need to watch this game, but I do really like the under in this contest. Coppin State plays at an average tempo and Jacksonville State stalls about as well as any team in the country. Neither offense is efficient and still we have a very high posted total in this game. This game is being played on a neutral court which helps the under because shooters aren't accustomed to the backdrops. I made this total 140 points. Take the under big!

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals Takedown* Here we have two teams that play absolutely no defense. North Dakota ranks in the top ten in the nation in terms of pace. They are at home here and I think they'll be able to dictate the tempo against a SD State team that is way down from last year. I made this total 160 points, so I do see some value on this one. Take the over.

*4 Star Play on under*

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The UCLA Bruins and Duke Blue Devils both push the tempo a lot this year. Steve Alford has brought a much faster pace to UCLA, and the Bruins offense has been exceptional so far this year. Duke's offense ranks second in the nation in efficiency, so they can pile up the points with the best of them too. Both of these defenses have struggled against top teams this year. I think both teams make it into the 80's here. I had this one at 170. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* Admittedly, I'm not a big fan of taking an 'under' set at 122 points, but this one should be even lower. These are two teams that play at a snail's pace. Neither team will push the tempo at all here. Both of them struggle on offense as well. This game is played a neutral site, which helps the under too. I had this line at 117 points.

The under is 5-0 in Northern Illinois' last 5 road games. The under is 6-0 in their last 6 against the Missouri Valley. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 against a team with a winning home record. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 against a team with a home win percentage of 60% or higher. The under is 4-0 in Loyola's last 4 games following a win. A 23-0 angle. Take the under.

*5 Star TOP Play of Month* The Drexel Dragons and St. Joe's Hawks meet in a heated rivalry game tonight. I've had my eye on this game for quite a while. Both of these teams are teams I like to play the under with, and when they get together the games have been very low scoring. Eight of their last nine games against each other have stayed below 140 points. The one game that did go over went into overtime or it would have stayed under. I projected this line at 132 points. I would play the under here as low as 136. Huge value here.

The under is 3-0-1 in the Dragons last 4 against the Atlantic 10. The under is 4-0 in St. Joe's last 4 against the CAA. The under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings between these two. Take the under in a big way!

*3 Star NCAA BB Tempo Total* Both UT Arlington and Oklahoma have been racing the basketball up the court all year long, and there is no reason to assume that will change tonight. Arlington's defense is nearly non-existent and Oklahoma should get whatever shot they want. Arlington shoots it well from long range, and the Sooners have given up a lot of points this season. I had this game projected at 176 points. This total is high, but it should be even higher. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals Takedown* The Toledo Rockets and Arkansas State Red Wolves both love to play in transition, and they'll get plenty of transition opportunities against each other tonight. The pace should help in a big way. Toledo's defense is horrible, but the Rockets have put up more than 85 points several times already this year. I had this total projected at 161 points. Take the over here.

*4 Star NCAA BB Hidden GEM Total* The Washington Huskies have a way of turning games into a track meet. Lorenzo Romar's team likes to jack up shots very quickly, and their defense isn't good at all this year. Tulane doesn't always run the floor, but they do always play horrible defense. The Huskies should be able to pile up the points in this contest. If Tulane wants to keep up, they'll need to move quickly and score a lot of points. I had this line projected at 157 points. Take the over.

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Play Total* The Creighton Blue Jays have one of the most efficient offenses in the nation. Creighton was number one in offensive efficiency most of last year, and they are #6 so far this year. The Blue Jays are going to love going against Arkansas Pine Bluff's ridiculously bad defense. Pine Bluff allows opponents to shoot 60.2% on two-point shots. Creighton likes to run and Pine Bluff won't slow the game down. I think Creighton scores more than 90 points here. I made this total 151, so I really like the value. Take the over big!

*4 Star NCAA BB Under Radar Total* The North Florida Ospreys have played a really tough schedule so far this year. They have already played Florida, MTSU, Ohio State, Alabama, and Indiana. Michigan State may be the best team they've played yet. Michigan State will dominate the interior in this game in a big way. The Spartans push the tempo and North Florida likes to run as well. Michigan State should put up at least 90 points on their own. Look for this one to sail over. Take the over.

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The UIC Flames and Southeast Missouri State Redhawks meet in this one. UIC is a terrible team who has serious defensive problems. The Flames have given up 93 and 103 points in two of their last six games. SE Missouri State has scored over 100 points in three games already this season. SE Missouri State should win big here, but the Redhawks give up quite a few points too, and I think this one gets safely over the total.

The over is 4-0 in UIC's last 4 vs. the OVC. The over is 7-1 in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning record. The over is 6-1 in UIC's last 7. The over is 7-1 in the Redhawks last 8 home games. The over is 7-1 in their last 8 Saturday games. A 31-4 angle here. Take the over.

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals Takedown* This is a matchup between two teams who are horrible on the defensive end. Edwardsville has been giving up easy layups to everyone on their roster for the past few years. They like to play fast as well. Fort Wayne is a high scoring team on their home floor, and the Mastadons have several very good outside shooters. It's hard to imagine either team being slowed down very often in this one. I had this one lined at 151 points. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Total Value* The Clemson Tigers and Furman Paladins play a very similar style of offense. Both of them are content to use up the entire shot clock and attempt to score late in the clock. Clemson is one of the best defenses in the nation so far this year. It won't surprise me if Furman struggles to get to 45 or 50 points here. Clemson's really slow pace makes it unlikely that they would put up a big number in this one. I had this one lined at 119 points. Take the under here.

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* Nebraska Omaha ranks in the top ten teams in the country in terms of pace. Both of these teams are terrible on the defensive end. Expect lots of easy buckets and free throw attempts in this game. Nevada has an elite scorer in Deonte Burton and he should have a huge game here. Omaha shoots 77% from the line and they should get plenty of trips against a Nevada team that fouls a ton. I had this one lined at 166 points. Take the over.

*4 Star Play on Under 142*

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Wisconsin Milwaukee Panthers and the Wisconsin Badgers meet every year. In the last seven years, the highest scoring game between these teams finished at 127 points. Wisconsin is as good as anyone in college basketball at slowing the pace of the game down, and Wisconsin Milwaukee won't be able to speed this game up. The Badgers are likely to dominate early and then coast late in this game. In 4 of the last 6 meetings between these teams, the total hasn't gotten above 116 points. I made this total 129 points. Take the under here.

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Notre Dame Fighting Irish pushed the pace a bit early in the year, but as the year moves along they are moving back toward their stall ball offense. They burn clock the majority of the time in the halfcourt, and that can lead to a bunch of unders. North Dakota State is another team that likes to move slowly. While both of these teams shoot the ball pretty well, I can't pass up a chance to take the under at a number this high with two teams who like to use up the shot clock. I projected this line at 145 so I see plenty of value. Take the under in this one.

*3 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Oakland Golden Grizzlies have been one of the fastest paced teams in the nation in the past few years. They were forced to slow things down earlier this year because their bench was very short, but now that they are healthy again the Grizzlies will be running. Tom Crean's Indiana team is really pushing the pace in a big way this year. Indiana doesn't have as much height down low this season, but they have a ton of guards and forwards who can score in transition. Oakland's defense is nearly non-existent, and they will give up a ton of points here. I had this one lined at 158 points. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Evansville Purple Aces and Xavier Musketeers play a similar style of basketball. Both of these teams play at a normal pace and play solid halfcourt defense. In a game that I expect to stay competitive, it's hard to imagine either team putting up a really big number here. The Musketeers defense is great at home, but they haven't had much fluidity in their offensive sets this year. There is a lot of standing and watching when Xavier is on the offensive end. I had this number at 142. *Note- This line has moved down since I selected the under. I would play the under down to 144, but not lower. Thank you*

*3 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Arizona Wildcats are an elite team this year. Arizona is really putting in tremendous effort on the defensive end of the court. Their length and quickness make them extremely difficult to get a good look against. UNLV likes to get out and run, but the Rebels offense is very inefficient. UNLV has had trouble scoring on bad defenses, and now they'll play one of the best defenses in the country. Arizona's tempo isn't as fast, and they should slow the game down once they have a nice lead. I had this game projected at 143 points. The under is 4-0 in Arizona's last 4 home games. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 overall. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 following a win. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB Wisconsin Battle* This intrastate rivalry game will be played at a very slow tempo with solid defense on both sides. My numbers had 125 points for this one. Take the under.

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Miami Hurricanes have been playing pretty slow since Jim Larranagga took over at the school a couple years ago. This year, they are playing much slower than ever before. Why is that? Quite simply the Hurricanes aren't very good this year. Without Shane Larkin and the rest of the stars from last year, Miami can't score. They have to slow the game down and rely on defense to win. Nebraska is a slow team as well, so they won't force the issue. I expect a fairly close game here as both defenses play well. My numbers had this one at 121 points. The under is 4-0 in Miami's last 4 games. Take the under.

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Ball State Cardinals have a new coach this year who is all about defensive schemes and trying to win with defense. While Valpo has had some very high scoring games early this year, those were against weak defenses and teams that run. Ball State will work hard to slow the game down here, and they should succeed. Expect this game to largely be played in the halfcourt with both teams taking up most of the shot clock before getting a shot up. I had this one at 143 points. Take the under.

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* A huge key to winning college basketball totals bets is keeping up with changes in strategy. UC Riverside has a new coach this year, and the Highlanders are running a lot more this year after playing stall ball the last few seasons. There should be value on their overs for a little while. Loyola Marymount has an elite point guard in Anthony Ireland, and they are always willing to run with anyone. My numbers had this one at 152 points. Look for a lot of shots here, and if the shooting percentages are even decent this should top the posted total. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Wright State Raiders have sped up a significant amount compared to last season. This year's team is forcing the issue and getting to the line a lot. The defense has also slacked off quite a bit from last year. Morehead State uses full court pressure and is a very aggressive team. Both of these teams foul far more than the average team. Lots of trips to the charity stripe in this game. I had this number at 145. Look for the pace and the fouls to send this game over the total. Take the over.

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* North Dakota and Pacific are two teams who are making a concerted effort to pick up the tempo this year. North Dakota ranks in the top 20 in terms of pace. Pacific shoots the ball well, and they are playing much faster than they did last year. North Dakota and Pacific both foul a bunch, which means trips to the charity stripe should be very frequent in this one. The Tigers shoot 81% from the line, so expect them to cash in on those opportunities. Both teams defenses give up a lot of open looks. I had this total pegged at 160. Take the over here.

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The College of Charleston Cougars have slowed the pace down in a big way this year. Cal State Fullerton has typically been a run and gun team, but they have a new coach who wants the tempo slowed down a lot. Fullerton played to a 48-46 final yesterday against Miami. The tempo should be slow in this one, and both teams have had a ton of problems shooting the basketball so far this year. I had this line projected at 133 points. Look for an ugly game here with lots of missed shots. Take the under.

*4 Star NCAA BB Play of Day* The San Diego State Aztecs are always one of the best defenses in the country. Steve Fisher's teams don't give up easy shots. Creighton has been scoring a ton of points this year, but this Aztecs defense is definitely the best one Creighton has been up against this year. Creighton doesn't push the tempo all that much, and San Diego State has really slowed down this year now that they don't have much offensive firepower. I had this number projected at 139 points, so I see plenty of value. Take the under here.

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Play of Day* The Syracuse Orange play that matchup zone that gives nearly everyone fits. It's next to impossible to get inside the paint against their defense. Baylor makes a living in the paint normally, and I think the Bears will struggle again this defense. Baylor's defense has been much improved this year. The Bears have multiple shot blockers who make it really difficult for opponents. Opponents are shooting a miserable 36.3% on two-point shots against Baylor this year. Baylor is also slowing the tempo down in a big way. The Bears successfully slowed down a fast paced Dayton team yesterday. Syracuse plays slow as well. This total is set far too high. I had this projected at 129 points. Take the under big!

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The BYU Cougars play faster than any other team in the country, which is why this number is so high. Still, Wichita State is a very good defensive team and a number this high seems a little crazy on a game involving the Shockers. BYU and Texas only got to 168 yesterday, and Texas runs much more than Wichita State. The Shockers will slow things down a bit here, and contest BYU's shots from outside. I projected this line at 164. The under is 4-0 in BYU's last 4 neutral site games. Take the under in this one.

*4 Star NCAA BB Top Total* The LaSalle Explorers have changed the way they play this season. This team used to be running and gunning, but now they are slowing it down and trying to control the tempo. Northern Iowa has long been a team that likes to slow the game down and play a halfcourt style, so they aren't about to speed this game up. Both teams are better than average on the defensive end, and they don't turn the basketball over very often. A slow tempo and tough looks at the hoop should equal an under in this one. I had this one lined at 136. Take the under.