Sports Picks & Predictions

*3 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* The Fresno State Bulldogs are playing a little faster than they have in the past. Pacific is playing much faster than they have for a very long time. Pacific has a new coach who is pushing the team to get some transition scoring opportunities. This line is set about the way it should have been last year with two slower paced teams and without the new rules that cause quite a few more fouls and free throw attempts. I had this one projected at 143. Take the over.

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals Takedown* The UT Arlington Mavericks have a way of turning every game into a track meet. They haven't had a game all season finish lower than 156 points. Eastern Michigan's coach said in the offseason he wants his team to speed up and run more often. Here is their chance! UT Arlington's lack of defense should create tons of easy scoring opportunities for Eastern Michigan. UT Arlington will get their points in transition, and they do shoot it pretty well from long range. I had this one lined at 151. Take the over.

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Montana State Bobcats are playing a lot slower than they have the last few years. This is one of those teams that will likely be a good value on the under because of their change in style. The oddsmakers are going to put higher numbers than they should on them because of their past history. Austin Peay runs, but they don't shoot the ball well. This total is set at least 5 or 6 points too high. Take the under here.

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Play Total* The Vanderbilt Commodores were in total control of their game yesterday leading by 16 points late before allowing Providence to finish the game on a ridiculous 27-4 run. I cashed in on the under in that game, and I'm taking the under again here. Vanderbilt doesn't have enough talent to outscore many teams, so they slow it down. Morgan State runs, but they don't score efficiently and they play solid defense. I projected this line at 141. A whopping 10.5 points lower than this total opened. The under is 7-1 in Vanderbilt's last 8 neutral site games. Take the under big!

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Clemson Tigers are about as good as anyone in the country at slowing the game down and playing at their preferred pace. No one has been able to get them out of their game this year, and I don't think Davidson will be able to either. Davidson isn't nearly as good as they have been in recent years, and they don't have a ton of top notch scorers. Clemson will slow this down to a snail's pace, and this will be a very ugly game. The under is 12-1 in Davidson's last 13 against the ACC. Take the under here.

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Play Total* The LaSalle Explorers have totally changed the way they play this year. LaSalle previously was a run and gun type of team, but they are controlling the tempo and running halfcourt sets this year. It will take a while for the oddsmakers to get accustomed to this new style of play for LaSalle, and that gives us a chance to find great value. Morgan State likes to run, but they aren't used to playing this kind of solid defense. LaSalle controls the tempo here and wins convincingly. I like the under a lot. Take the under big!

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals Takedown* Monmouth isn't a good team at all, but they love to run and put up shots as quickly as possible. That plays right into the hands of a St. John's team that isn't very good in the halfcourt, but is great when running the floor and scoring in transition. St. John's should get a big lead early here, and Monmouth should get some easy buckets late in the game. I had this one lined at 151. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Under Radar Total* The Kent State Golden Flashes are improving quite a bit on the defensive end. They've been highly competitive against good teams this year, and I expect their defense to slow down USC Upstate in a big way here. Neither of these teams is comfortable running and gunning, so this total definitely seems too high. I had this one projected at 142 points. Look for a lower scoring game here. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* I was burned by VCU last night (lost the over by a single possession). The Rams couldn't shoot the ball well at all, and they appeared to give up in that game. I don't think it happens two games in a row. It won't hurt that Long Beach State has no ball handler and they'll turn it over a ton of times here. VCU will get easy buckets all game long, and Long Beach State is going to play at a quick pace as well. I think this one gets to at least 155 points. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB 100% Angle Total* The Providence Friars have slowed their pace down quite a bit with Ed Cooley as their head coach instead of Keno Davis. Cooley is preaching defense too, and the Friars are starting to buy in. Vanderbilt doesn't have enough talent to compete with top teams by running, so the Commodores will be slowing games down all season long. The under is 6-0 in Vandy's last 6 Friday games. The under is 5-0 in Providence's last 5 following an ATS win. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 neutral site games. Take the under.

*4 Star Florida St/VCU Total Domination* The Florida State Seminoles and VCU Rams meet tonight, and both of these teams love to run. Both teams are great at forcing turnovers, and neither of them are very good at controlling the ball. The full court pressure in this one should lead to lots of easy buckets going both ways. FSU has transformed from a defensive-minded team into a team that tries to outscore the opposition. The way the officials are calling games now, there are going to be a bunch of fouls here so free throws should help this total in a big way. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The UCF Knights and Miami Hurricanes meet in a nice intra-state battle tonight. Miami isn't even close to the team they were last year. The Hurricanes lost all their stars from last year, and the team is walking it up the court now and relying on defense to win it. UCF is in no hurry either. As long as we can stay away from ridiculous amounts of fouls, I really believe this game stays well under the posted total. I had this one projected at 131 points. Look for a tight game with both defenses playing well. Take the under.

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Dayton Flyers and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are two teams who have picked up the tempo quite a bit from last year. Brian Gregory has Georgia Tech speeding up in a big way right now, and the Yellow Jackets have a lot more talent than they had last year. Gregory used to coach at Dayton, and the Flyers will be motivated to beat their old coach in this one. Archie Miller has Dayton getting out in transition as often as possible right now. These two teams shoot 76% and 77% from the free throw line, so I expect a lot of made free throws to help this one out a lot. Take the over in this one.

*3 Star NCAA BB Total Domination* The Kentucky Wildcats have plenty of firepower on their roster this year. The Wildcats have all kinds of guys who are capable of scoring at will. UT Arlington won't provide any defensive resistance at all. Most importantly, UT Arlington has decided to run and gun and play at a breakneck pace this year. Boise State put up 116 points on Arlington in their season opener. Kentucky should hit 100 here, and the Wildcats aren't going to slow this game down. The tempo of the game makes it likely that we see at least 170 points scored in this one. Take the over in this game.

*3 Star Michigan/Louisville Total Domination* The Michigan Wolverines and Louisville Cardinals will play for the NCAA Basketball Championship on Monday night. It's no surprise that Louisville is here as they were the top seed overall, but Michigan is a small surprise here as a number four seed. The young Wolverines have really hit their stride in the NCAA Tournament.

Louisville likes to push the tempo, but the Cardinals also have what is arguably the best defense in college basketball. Russ Smith and Peyton Siva are defensive pests on the perimeter, and there isn't a better defensive center in the nation than Gorgui Dieng. Dieng should make it tough for Mitch McGary to score down low in this one, and he'll cut down on Trey Burke's ability to penetrate.

Louisville generally scores a lot of points off of opponents turnovers, but Michigan turns the ball over less than any team in the country. Michigan has plenty of ball handlers, and I expect them to handle the Louisville pressure relatively well.

On a neutral floor like this one and in a game of this magnitude, we often see the game slow down. Louisville likes to push the tempo, but the Cardinals offense isn't all that great in the halfcourt. If Michigan takes care of the ball, Louisville isn't likely to get nearly as many easy looks as they are accustomed to getting.

I had this one projected at 135 points. Take the under here.

*3 Star Michigan/Syracuse Final 4 Total Domination* The Michigan Wolverines and Syracuse Orange will meet in the late game Saturday night in Atlanta. Michigan pulled off the best comeback of the NCAA Tournament against Kansas, and then dominated Florida. Syracuse took down the number one seeded Indiana Hoosiers and then dismantled Marquette in a really ugly game in the Elite 8 last Saturday.

While it is conventional wisdom to say that Michigan matches up well against Syracuse because the Wolverines have so many three-point shooters, that might not actually be the case. Syracuse has so much length that opposing offenses don't get good three-point opportunities. What they get is contested low percentage three-point shots. In fact, Syracuse allowed opponents to shoot only 28% from beyond the arc this year, which is third best in the nation.

Syracuse and Michigan are both comfortable playing at a slow tempo, and things normally slow down even more for games of this kind of importance. Syracuse is excellent defensively, but their offense isn't all that impressive. The Orange have perfected the matchup zone, which makes transition chances few and far between for their opponents.

None of Syracuse's postseason games have even gotten close to this posted total. I had this one projected at 127. Take the under here.

*3 Star NCAA BB Duke/Louisville Total Domination* The Duke Blue Devils and Louisville Cardinals met in an early season tournament in Nassau. Duke won that game 76-71. The Blue Devils made 23 free throws to Louisville's 9 made free throws. The shooting percentages were pretty normal for both teams in that game, and the final total got up to 147. Louisville's defense is very good, but that doesn't always equal low scoring games. The Cardinals full court pressure speeds up the game, and Duke loves to play fast this year. Duke has four or five guys who are capable of lighting it up from deep. Louisville's Russ Smith is playing the best basketball of his career right now. We'll get plenty of pace here, and unless the shooting numbers are terrible this one should go over. I made this one 141 points. The over is 7-0 in Louisville's last 7 games. The over is 7-0 in Duke's last 7 against the Big East. The over is 9-0 in Louisville's last 9 games played at a neutral site. Take the over.

*3 Star Elite 8 Total Domination* The Wichita State Shockers are now the biggest Cinderella left in the NCAA Tournament. The Shockers are a better team than their record indicates, and they aren't afraid of anyone. On the other side, Ohio State has been as clutch as anyone in the tournament with two clutch game winners in their last two games. Both of these teams have been shooting about 50% from three-point range in their first three games in the NCAA Tournament, which has made their games much higher scoring than normal. That hot shooting has propped this total up to a higher number than it truly should be. Both of these teams are very good defensively and open shots should be tough to come by. Neither of these teams really like to run, so this could be a grind it out close game the whole way. The under is 6-0 in Ohio State's last 6 Saturday games. Take the under. *Note- This line has moved down since I played the under on Friday. I would take this one as low as 128.*

*3 Star NCAA BB Oregon/Louisville Total Domination* The Oregon Ducks and Louisville Cardinals both like to push the tempo. Oregon has drawn two favorable matchups in their first two NCAA Tournament games. The Ducks one primary weakness is taking care of the ball against teams who use pressure defense. Louisville arguably has the best pressure defense in the nation. The Cardinals will full court press and force Artis and Loyd of Oregon into bad decisions. Louisville should get a lot of easy transition buckets in this one. Oregon has plenty of depth, and the Ducks can score in the half court. A number like this one is usually set aside only for games between teams who like to slow it down and/or can't score very well offensively. I don't think that fits in a matchup between these two teams who both rank in the top 1/3 of the nation in terms of pace. The over is 6-0 in Louisville's last 6 games. The over is 8-0 in the Cardinals last 8 neutral site games. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Play of the Day* The Richmond Spiders and Wright State Raiders meet Monday night in the CBI post-season tournament. Wright State has the home court advantage, and the Raiders like to slow the game down and win with their strong defense. Richmond is also more comfortable playing at a slow pace. The smaller post-season tournaments have been trending very high scoring, which gives us some good value on the under here. With two teams who use up the shot clock, I think the oddsmakers have adjusted this number a little too high. The under is 5-1 in Richmond's last 6 Monday games. The under is 4-1 in Wright State's last 5 games overall. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB Total Domination* Florida Gulf Coast has been March Madness's biggest Cinderella this year. Gulf Coast dominated the majority of the game against Georgetown, and this team has now won two games against number two seeds in this year's tournament field (their other win was against Miami). San Diego State played a great second half to take down Oklahoma on Friday night. Both Gulf Coast and San Diego State prefer to play at a very quick pace. The oddsmakers have put a number on this game that would require both teams to shoot a low percentage from the floor. I made this one 136 points. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAABB Early Bird Special* The Virginia Cavaliers has always been one of the slowest paced teams in the nation under coach Tony Bennett. St. Johns likes to speed the game up a bit, but they are very poor on the offensive end. For the season, St. Johns is shooting 27 percent from 3-point range. St. Johns is much better on the defensive end. Even though they like to push the tempo, their games are often low-scoring. The extremely early start time is helpful to an under. These kids virtually never play a game at 11:00 AM Eastern time. The under is 5-0 in St. Johns last 5 against a team with a winning record. The under is 5-0 in their last five road games. Under is 16-5 in Virginia's last 21 non-conference games. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* This is a smaller postseason tournament play. I made this line 147 points. *Note-The line is quickly moving up here since I released this play two days ago. I would play this one up to 145 points.* Take the over!

*3 Star NCAA BB Total Domination* The North Carolina Tar Heels found themselves late in the year by going uptempo and going with a smaller lineup. Marcus Paige really came into his own at the point guard spot. Paige was a liability on offense early in the year, but he is shooting well and leading the fast break very well now. Villanova's young guards are very turnover prone, and North Carolina can force turnovers and score in bunches. The Wildcats don't have it in them to slow the game down, so I expect a lot of fast paced basketball in this matchup. My numbers made this total 147 points. Look for a tight game with free throws late to push it over. The over is 4-0 in UNC's last 4 neutral site games. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Early Bird Special* The Wisconsin Badgers are one of my favorite 'under' teams in the nation. Bo Ryan's team knows how to get the lead with their strong defense and then take the air out of the ball by running the clock and not turning it over. Mississippi is a high scoring team, but they haven't played against teams like Wisconsin in the SEC. Mississippi was running up high point totals against the likes of Auburn, South Carolina, and Mississippi State. Wisconsin was busy locking down very good Big Ten teams. Look for Wisconsin's defense to frustrate Marshall Henderson and the Rebels. Wisconsin should get the lead and then grab control of the tempo. The under is 5-0 in Mississippi's last 5 following an ATS win. the under is 4-0 in the Rebels last 4. The under is 7-2 in the Badgers last 9 against the SEC. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB Total Domination* The VCU Rams are a terrible matchup for the Akron Zips right now. Akron is now without star point guard Alex Abreu. Without Abreu, Akron will have to rely on a freshman point guard and their big men to try to get the ball upcourt through VCU's Havoc full court pressure. It won't be easy. At the same time, Akron will have a massive advantage on the boards here. VCU struggles badly on the defensive glass. Look for the Rams to get easy opportunities off the press and the Zips to get easy opportunities on second chance shots inside the paint. I made this total 139. Take the over.

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Play Total* My numbers had this game at 135 points. Earlier this year these teams played to a 151 point total. The NCAA Tournament slows things down a bit, but not enough to warrant this extremely low total. UNLV played in a league with a lot of teams who slowed down the pace, but the Rebels are definitely at their best when running the fast break. Cal 's Allen Crabbe is the best pure scorer in this game, and I don't see anyone on the UNLV roster that can slow him down. Transition opportunities for both teams should present themselves early and often in this game. The over is 5-1 Cal's last 6 against the MWC. The over is 6-2 in UNLV's last 8 against the PAC 12. Take the over in a big way here!

*3 Star NCAA BB Bookie BEATDOWN* The South Dakota State Jackrabbits are in the NCAA Tournament for a second straight year. They gave Baylor a scare in the first game last year, and they should be competitive here. South Dakota State shoots 40% from beyond the arc, and Michigan often leaves guys open outside. The Wolverines are an extremely efficient offensive team, and South Dakota State's defense has struggled all year. The Jackrabbits gave up more than 80 points in a game numerous times this year. They allowed more than 85 points in five games. Michigan will put up the points with their well balanced attack. Look for good shooting from both teams. The over is 10-2-1 in Michigan's last 13 neutral site games. The over is 12-3 in South Dakota State's last 15 non-conference games. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Early Bird Special* The Pittsburgh Panthers are usually known as a defensive minded team, and they are even more that way this season. Jamie Dixon's team plays great defense and slows the game down on the offensive end. Wichita State's defense is very good, and the Shockers should be able to hang with Pitt in this one. This has the feel of a game that stays close all the way, and the winner of this game probably won't get out of the 50's. I made this total 116. *Note- This line has dropped quickly since I released the play on Sunday night- I would play the total down to 118.5 but no lower*

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The UC Irvine Anteaters have a lot of veterans on their team this year, and they almost made the NCAA Tournament. In the end, they fell in the title game to Pacific. I think Irvine will be fighting hard to keep winning in this small postseason tournament. The Anteaters offense is much better at home, and High Point's defense isn't particularly impressive. Both of these teams are comfortable playing a quick pace. I made this line 136. Take the over. *Note- The line has moved up here since I released this play on Monday afternoon. I would play this one up to 134.*

*3 Star NCAA BB Total Domination* The smaller postseason tournaments often have a lot of games that go over the posted total. Teams decide to pick up the tempo since there isn't as much left to play for. UT Arlington has been playing pretty fast of late anyways, so I was surprised to see a number this low thrown out on this game. I made this one 135 points. Take the over. *Note- This line has quickly moved up since I released the play on Monday afternoon. I would suggest playing this one up to 133, but not any higher.*

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs use full court pressure to force the tempo, and Florida State should be glad to run in this one as well. These NIT games often go higher scoring than a regular scoring game, and I think this one could go well over this total. *Note- This line has moved quickly since I selected it at the open. I would play this total up to 143.* Take the over.

*3 Star NIT Total Domination* The Eastern Kentucky Colonels and Gardner Webb Runnin' Bulldogs are both very comfortable playing at a slow tempo. These NIT games are typically higher scoring than a regular season game, so we get a nice value on the under. Since both teams have played so slow during the year, I don't see these teams drastically speeding up here. Gardner Webb is a particularly low scoring team, and they will be the home team here. The under is 6-0-1 in Gardner's last 7 non-conference games. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 following a loss. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB Total Domination* The VCU Rams use their "havoc" defense to force the pace and force more turnovers than any other team in the nation. UMass plays even faster than VCU, and the Minutemen aren't about to slow this game down. Their first meeting this year played to a total of 154 points, and the shooting numbers weren't particularly good. With two full court pressure teams, this will be an all out track meet. Barring some really bad shooting percentages, this should go over. The over is 4-0 in UMass' last 4 neutral site games. The over is 7-1 in VCU's last 8 games. The over is 8-2 in UMass' last 10 games. Take the over. *This is a play for me up to 153 points*

*3 Star Arizona/UCLA Totals Takedown* The Arizona Wildcats and UCLA Bruins are both very comfortable playing a fast paced game. Their last meeting finished at 143 points, and the shooting numbers weren't particularly great. There were only 26 free throws between the two teams all game, and I would expect more trips to the charity stripe in this game. UCLA has Shabazz Muhammad and Jordan Adams while Arizona has Mark Lyons and Solomon Hill. All of these guys are capable of putting up a ton of points in a short period of time. The posted total was 148 in their last meeting, and I think this has been adjusted down too far. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Total Domination* The Iowa State Cyclones are sure to be fired up for this opportunity. Iowa State lost to Kansas in overtime twice during the regular season, and the Cyclones could have easily won both of those games. Iowa State pushes the tempo more than any other team in the Big 12, and they can light it up from long range. Kansas isn't going to slow the game down, and they have the ability to score inside against Iowa State. Both regular season games were well over this posted total before they ever got to overtime. The over is 23-5 in Iowa State's last 28 games overall, so the oddsmakers haven't caught up to this team all year. The over is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings between these two. Take the over. *Note- This total has moved up- I would play this as high as over 146*

*3 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* The Cal State Fullerton Titans have been one of the highest scoring teams in the nation this year, but two of their top three scorers are doubtful for this game. Without Seeley and Yeager in the lineup, this is a totally different offense. Fullerton has been held in the 50's twice in their last three games. Cal Poly has the best defense in the Big West and they slow the game down in a big way. Even with everyone healthy earlier this year these two played to a 137 final. The under is 5-0 in Fullerton's last 5. The under is 6-0 in Cal Poly's last 6 Saturday games. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB Under Radar Total* The Western Illinois Leathernecks are the single slowest team in the nation in terms of possessions per game. South Dakota is fairly quick, but I don't think they'll be able to speed up this game. It's win or go home for both of these teams and that generally means better defense and a slower pace to the game. I had this one projected at 120 points. The under is 39-19-2 in Western Illinois' last 60 games. Look for a slow paced game that stays well under the total. Take the under here.

*5 Star NCAA BB Top Play Total* The William & Mary Tribe and James Madison Dukes meet at Richmond Coliseum to fight for a spot in the CAA semifinals. The CAA Tournament is wide open this year, so both of these teams have a real shot at getting to the finals. This gym is noted for being tough on shooters with its tough rims and spacious interior. The under is 4-0 in James Madison's last 4 neutral site games. The under is 5-0 in William & Mary's last 5 neutral site games. Look for the defenses to win out in a tough battle here. Take the under big! *Note- I would play this one all the way down to 132*

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Play CRUSHER* The Hofstra Pride are so awful on the offensive end. A total this high in a Hofstra game is almost unheard of. In fact, in Hofstra's last 19 games only two of them have gone above this total and both of them finished at 131 (a single point above this). Delaware does like to run, but the Blue Hens also play very good defense. The first two meetings between these teams this year finished at 123 and 113 points. On a neutral floor I don't expect this one to be any higher. The under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these two. Take the under big!

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Drexel Dragons are one of the best in the CAA at slowing the game down and winning with ball control. George Mason will try to push the pace some, but in a game that means so much to both teams look for the offenses to be tight. This is being played at a neutral court with tough shooting backdrops. I projected this one at 124. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB Total Domination* The Sun Belt Conference Tournament is played at a neutral site in Hot Springs. This venue has been noted for its tight rims and tough shooting backdrops for many years. Here we have two teams who are better on defense than they are on offense. They are both also much more comfortable playing at a slow tempo than they are pushing the pace. One regular season meeting went under while another went over, but the one that went over saw amazing 3 point shooting numbers from Fla. Atlantic. I had this one projected at 120. The under is 5-1 in Troy's last 6. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals Takedown* The Southern Illinois Salukis and Missouri State Bears are both poor offensive teams. At a neutral site in St. Louis, I expect the shooting percentages to be especially low in this one. Arch Madness in the MVC has seen 15 of the past 18 games go under the total in the past two years. I had this one projected at 114 points. I would play this one down to 117. Look for an ugly low scoring game here. Take the under.

*3 Star Wisconsin/Michigan State Total* The Wisconsin Badgers have been one of my favorite 'under' teams for the past few years. Bo Ryan's teams are terrific at slowing the game down and taking care of the ball. Michigan State has lost three straight going into this one and Tom Izzo's team should be focused on the defensive end today. The stakes are high here since both teams still have a chance at the Big Ten title. Look for both defenses to bring their "A Game" and keep this one low scoring. The under is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings at Michigan State. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB Total Domination* Going under the radar for this play. The Liberty Flames and High Point Panthers met twice in the regular season. The first meeting finished at 149 points in OT (it was 116 before OT). The second finished at 141 points. This game will be played on a neutral site, which generally leads to lower scoring. In addition, this is an elimination game where the pace tends to slow down. I projected this one at 137 points. Both of these teams are solid on the defensive end. Look for the defenses to control this game. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* I had this one projected at 139 points. This is one of those neutral site games that tend to be much lower scoring than regular season meetings where the teams are accustomed to the gyms. Take the under here.

*3 Star NCAA BB 100% Angle Total* The Drake Bulldogs and Bradley Braves play in the first round of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament tonight. "Arch Madness" is the name of this terrific conference tourney. History tells us that the under is the way to go in this tournament. In the past two years, the under is 15-3 in the Arch Madness tournament in St. Louis. The rims are tough here and it is a tough neutral site. Drake and Bradley played two games under the total in regulation this year, and I think this has value written all over it. The under is 7-0 in Drake's last 7 Thursday games. The under is 6-0 in Bradley's last 6 neutral site games. I'd play this one down to 138. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB OVC Total* The Morehead State Eagles and Tennessee State Tigers just played to a 101-100 final score last week. I certainly don't expect that again, but I also don't think the game will be 60 points lower this time around. I had this one projected at 148 points. Look for a close game here, which should mean a lot of free throws for both teams. The over is 7-0 in Tennessee State's last 7. The over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these two teams. Take the over in this one.

*3 Star NCAA BB Total Domination* The Eastern Illinois Panthers and Southeast Missouri State Redhawks kick off the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament tonight in Nashville. This conference tournament is played at Municipal Auditorium, where the shooting backdrops are noted to be very difficult. Neutral site games like this usually are lined two or three points lower than a regular season game. Eastern Illinois is terrific at forcing the opponent to play to their slow style. The under is 5-1 in Eastern Illinois' last 6 neutral site games. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB 100% Angle Total* The Mercer Bears have been an absolute under machine at home. They are playing this tournament game on their home floor. Lipscomb likes to push the tempo, but Mercer has been able to slow everyone down this year with their stall ball. Tournament basketball tends to slow down a bit to start with, and this number was 6.5 points higher than I projected it. The under is 11-0-1 in Mercer's last 12 home games. The under is 8-0-1 in their last 9 home games against a team with a losing record. The under is 4-0 in Lipscomb's last 4 road games. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB Total Domination* Clemson likes to slow the game down and rely on ball control and their defense to win games. Boston College isn't the type of team to speed the game up, and their offense isn't good at all. Clemson will be without K.J. McDaniels here, and he averages 11 points per game. That makes it even more likely that the Tigers will struggle to put up points in this one. The pace here should be very slow, so it will take some high shooting percentages to push this over. The under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings between these two at Clemson. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB Total Domination* The Virginia Cavaliers still play at one of the slowest paces in all of basketball. Tony Bennett's team is very good defensively, but they also shoot three-ball very well. Boston College isn't very good this year, but they have given a lot of top teams (Duke, Miami, etc) a very tough time at home. The Eagles defense should hold their own at home and keep this competitive. Boston College isn't comfortable pushing the tempo, so this one should stay slow. The under is 14-6 in Boston College's last 20 home games. Take the under.

*3 Star Arizona/UCLA Total* The first meeting between these two was an up and down affair, and I don't see anything that would make this game any different. These teams are more comfortable out in the open floor. Both of these offenses are quite a bit better than the defenses. Shabazz Muhammad and the UCLA Bruins offense have gotten much better over the past month or so. UCLA put up 84 on Arizona on the road, and they should get near that number again. Arizona should be able to win the battle on the boards and get second chance points. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Hidden GEM Total* The Florida Atlantic Owls have been a much better team at home all year. Greg Gantt is one of the best three-point shooters in the country, and he'll be going against an FIU team that plays a zone defense. Look for Florida Atlantic to knock down a lot of long range jumpers here. FIU presses and that will bother Florida Atlantic. I expect plenty of easy opportunities in transition for the Golden Panthers. The over is 10-3 in the Owls last 13 home games. The over is 7-0 in the last 7 meetings between these teams. The over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings at Florida Atlantic. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* Here is a matchup between two teams that are more comfortable slowing the game down. South Carolina tried to run earlier this year, but they changed their style midseason after they realized their offense wasn't capable of keeping up with most in the SEC. Texas A&M is one of the slowest paced teams in the league, and they'll definitely want a half court game on their home floor. Look for the slow tempo and poor shooting numbers to turn this into an ugly game. Take the under.

*3 Star NCAA BB Under Radar Total* The Oakland Golden Grizzlies are one of my favorite 'over' teams. Oakland loves to push the tempo of the game, and their defense is horrendous. The team struggled a bit offensively earlier this year, but they have been firing on all cylinders again recently. Fort Wayne is a team that plays to the style of the opponent, so we should see a high scoring game. The over is 6-0 in Oakland's last 6 Saturday games. The over is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings between these teams. Take the over.

*3 Star NCAA BB Total Domination* The Colorado Buffaloes are heating up just as they did last year when they won the PAC 12 Conference Tournament. Colorado is doing it with tremendous defense this year. Cal has usually been an offensive-minded team, but the Golden Bears are also one of the top defensive teams in the PAC 12 this year. Both teams have been playing a lot of very low scoring games of late. Look for this one to be a defensive battle. The under is 7-0 in Colorado's last 7 road games. The under is 4-0 in Cal's last 4 Saturday games. The under is 5-0 in Colorado's last 5 following a win. The under is 7-1 in Cal's last 8 home games. The under is 21-5 in Colorado's last 26 against the PAC 12. Take the under.