*4 Star Play Under* The Miami Florida Hurricanes defense has been tremendous this year. Miami's defensive front has been excellent, and that should help them against a good Wisconsin running game.

Wisconsin ranks 11th in the nation in most runs as a percentage of their overall play selection. The Badgers are going to try to run the ball early and often here. Miami is likely to be able to at least slow them down quite a bit here. Miami is allowing 3.53 yards per carry this year. In their last six games, they are allowing less than 2.7 yards per carry.

The Miami offense scored only 17 points in their last two games. Miami has relied on turnovers much of the year, and their offense is too reliant on the passing game. Miami hasn't been able to run the ball very well. This Wisconsin defense is third in the nation in yards per play allowed.

Miami plays at an average tempo. Wisconsin is the third slowest team in the country in terms of pace of play. The Badgers will have some long clock eating drives that should help the under a lot.

The under is 4-0 in Miami's last 4 bowl games. The under is 45-20 in Miami's last 65 non-conference games. The under is 7-3 in Wisconsin's last 10 non-conference games.

Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Vanderbilt Commodores are 320th out of 351 teams in the country in average possession length. This is a team that wants to slow the game down on a consistent basis. 

Florida is a team that plays quickly, but their defense is excellent. Florida ranked in the top 15 in defensive efficiency in the country in the last two seasons. The Gators will be very good defensively again this year.

These teams met three times last year with Vanderbilt upsetting Florida all three times. None of the games went over this posted total. The finals were 144, 134, and 134 in OT (116 in regulation). 

Both offenses have dipped significantly in efficiency compared to last season. I see no reason for this number to be this high.

Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The George Washington Colonials play at an extremely slow pace. George Washington is 348th out of 351 in overall pace of play this year. The Colonials host St Joe's here. 

St. Joe's is playing quickly this year, but they have played a bunch of opponents who run so far this year. This is a whole different ballgame. Last year, they played to a 68-63 game against George Washington and the tempo was only 61 possessions.

St. Joe's played to a 71-58 game at a pace of 60 possessions against Princeton this year. Princeton plays slightly quicker than George Washington, and I see that game as an example of a team being able to slow down St. Joe's.

This total is a few points high.

Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Elon Phoenix and Drexel Dragons have changed a lot since a year ago. Elon's Matt Matheny decided to slow his offense down this year. Just two years ago, Elon ranked 49th in tempo in the country. They now rank 282nd out of 351 teams.

Elon is also a good under team because they are first in the nation in least fouls committed. On offense they rank 336th at getting to the line. 

Drexel was 101st in average possession length (playing quickly) last year. The Dragons are 252nd this year. A huge pace change for Drexel as well.

Drexel is giving up only 1.03 points per possession this year compared to 1.10 points per possession last year. The Dragons are moving slower and playing much better defense.

The oddsmakers haven't adjusted enough here. 

Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Virginia Cavs play at the single slowest tempo of any team in the country. Combine that with a defense that ranks first in the nation in efficiency, and you have some very low scoring games.

Virginia recently played Savannah State. Savannah State ranks first in the nation in tempo. The final total in that game was an astonishingly low 125 points. Virginia is great at controlling the flow of the game. 

Boston College plays at a relatively quick pace, but the Eagles are much better at defense now than they were last year and the year before.

The last three meetings between these teams have finished with 117, 108, and 125 points. This total is higher than any of those were posted at as well. 

Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The New Orleans Pelicans host the Dallas Mavericks tonight. This total is set at such a high level because the Pelicans have been an over machine of late. Two of their last nine games have gone into OT though, and that certainly isn't a predictive trend. In time, Pelicans numbers have to get too high. I think this number is too high.

Dallas plays at the slowest pace of any team in the NBA over the last ten games. Finding a total of 212.5 with a team playing that slowly is very rare. 

This meets a system I like to use on fading hot shooting teams. Both teams have shot much higher than their season averages in their last 2 games combined. When both teams have shot that much over their average and the game is a divisional game (this one is), the under is a very strong look.

All three referees in this game are big under refs. All 3 refs have a career over/under mark of at least 53% to the under. That is as good as you'll ever see from a ref crew.

Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* I rarely take overs at numbers this high, but I feel the need to take the over here in what I believe will be a shoot out. 

Iona has historically been a team that plays very quickly. Tim Cluess coached teams push the pace and can score efficiently. They also play very little defense. Iona's tempo numbers are a bit slower so far this year, but they have faced a bunch of teams who like to play slowly. 

Iona hasn't played a team in the top 45 in the country in offensive tempo. Niagara ranks 19th there, so this is easily the fastest team they have played against. The fastest team they have played to this point was Ohio, and their contest against them finished 93-88.

Niagara combines their extremely fast pace with an efficient offense and a defense that ranks among the bottom 25 in the country in efficiency rankings. The Purple Eagles have had an amazing 8 of their 13 games so far this year finish at 170 points or higher.

Look for back and forth action and a tight high scoring contest. Because of the spread here, overtime is always a possibility as well.

Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Under* The San Diego Toreros are going to win with defense this year. That's the way Lamont Smith wants it to be. San Diego ranks 50th in the nation in defensive efficiency. The Toreros rank a very impressive second in the nation in effective field goal percentage defense.

San Francisco is without Charles Minlend due to an injury. He's a guy who really hurt San Diego last year. The Dons aren't as good on offense this year, but they are even better than last year on defense. The Dons are 63rd in the nation in defensive efficiency. 

San Francisco is using nearly one second more of the shot clock on average this year, and San Diego always wants to play slowly.

Both offenses rank terribly when it comes to efficiency. San Diego is 221st and San Francisco is 254th.

This projects as a defensive battle between two teams who don't have many good scoring options. These are two teams who clearly are better on the defensive end. 

I had this one lined in the mid 120's.

Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Marshall Thundering Herd rank 3rd in the country in average time of possession. That means they shoot the ball on average the third quickest out of 351 teams in the country. They are really pushing the pace. That will continue with the D'Antoni system at Marshall.

Marshall has scored 83 points or more in 10 of their 13 games this year. The Thundering Herd have scored 91 points or more in 7 of their contests. Marshall is going to push the pace and score a bunch here. If Southern Miss wants to have a chance, they'll have to score quite a few.

Marshall's defense isn't very good, and Southern Miss should be a bit improved this season. The Golden Eagles generally slow the game down, but they have already played in three games against Division One opponents where the tempo was 71 or faster. Marshall will force the tempo here.

Last year, the final was 91-76 when these two met. Two years ago, Marshall won 108-106 at home in OT. 

This total is a few points too low here.

Take the over. 

*3 Star CFB Texas Bowl Total DOMINATION* The Texas Longhorns and Missouri Tigers both like to push the pace. Texas played at the 35th fastest tempo out of 130 teams in the country. Missouri played at the second fastest tempo of anyone in the country this season. 

The Missouri offense is based a lot on timing, and early in the season their timing wasn't down yet. As Drew Lock and the rest of this unit got things down pat, the numbers they put up were massive. Missouri hasn't scored less than 45 points in any of their last six games. 

Texas' defense is very good, but they will be without several key players here. Chris Nelson won't play on the defensive front. DeShon Elliot won't play in the secondary. Holton Hill has been out for the last few weeks at a corner spot, and he's out again here.

The Texas offense finally has two healthy quarterbacks, and this Missouri defense doesn't impress me. Missouri has allowed 6.4 yards per play or more on five occasions this year. 

With both teams playing at this kind of pace, this isn't a particularly high total.

Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Arizona Wildcats have been an offensive juggernaut since Khalil Tate took over at quarterback. How good have they been? They haven't scored less than 28 points in any game he started. They have scored 45 points or more in 5 of the 8 games Tate started. 

Purdue has some good defensive numbers on the season as a whole, but they didn't play very many good offenses. Purdue plays in the side of the Big Ten where most teams want to grind it out (Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Northwestern for example) and thus Purdue had a bunch of low scoring games. They did allow 35 points and 524 points to Louisville in the season opener.

Purdue likes to play quickly, and I don't see a Jeff Brohm coached team shying away from a high scoring fast paced game. Arizona will play fast and look to get into a shootout. Purdue hasn't been in them this year, but Arizona's defense is bad enough that Purdue should put up a lot of points here. 

Arizona's last eight games have all easily gone past this total. In fact, they have all been 72 points or higher. 

Arizona is first in the nation in yards per carry. The Wildcats defense ranks 93rd in the country in yards per play allowed at 6.03.

Take the over. 

*3 Star NBA Play of the Day* The Milwaukee Bucks are third in the NBA in offensive efficiency in their last eight games. The Chicago Bulls are 9th in offensive efficiency in that span. Milwaukee has routinely been putting up really big numbers. Chicago's offense has been much better because of two reason: Kris Dunn's breakout performances at point guard, and Mirotic returning and providing a big spark.

Ed Malloy is one the officials in this game, and he has been one of the best over referees in the NBA. 

In their last ten games, Milwaukee ranks dead last in the NBA in defensive efficiency. They are allowing 1.115 points per possession.

Chicago has picked up the pace significantly with Dunn running the show and playing well. The Bulls rank fourth in the NBA in tempo in their last five games.

Take the over. 

*3 Star NBA Christmas 100% System Play CASH* The Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards meet on Christmas Day NBA action. 

The under has had great value on Christmas Day in the past ten years. Overall, the under is 32-18-2. What makes the angle stronger? Non-division games between good teams.

In games played at 9 pm EST or earlier on Christmas Day with two teams with a win percentage of 50% or better- the under is a whopping 18-0 in the last 18 games. This game fits the system. 

The Wizards offense was great last game, but in general of late they have been poor. Washington ranks 24th in the NBA in offensive efficiency in the last 7 games. They rank fourth in the NBA in defensive efficiency during that span.

The Celtics rank in the bottom five in the NBA in tempo. They should keep the pace low. 

Christmas Day games are certainly unique, and I see this one staying under the total. We'll go with this system backed play.

Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Fresno State Bulldogs defense was tremendous this year. This team was one of the biggest surprises of the season, and their massive improvement on defense was the key. Fresno State is accustomed to playing in Hawaii, and I think they will be ready to play here.

Houston's offense was really inconsistent this year. The Cougars put up some big numbers on bad defenses in their conference. Houston also plays a bunch of teams that play at a very fast tempo in the American Athletic Conference. Fresno State won't play at that pace here. When Houston has been outside of their conference, the under has had value of late. I think that makes sense because the Cougars run up big numbers on teams like East Carolina in the AAC, but their totals are generally too high in non-conference games.

There isn't one area in this game where the offense holds the advantage (pass offenses and run offenses vs. their opposition). The Houston run defense is dominant and Fresno State hasn't consistent at all in the passing attack this year.

The under is 5-0 in Fresno's last 5 vs. a team with a winning record. The under is 5-0 in Houston's last 5 non-conference games. A 10-0 angle.

Take the under.

*3 Star Play Under* The Los Angeles Chargers take on the New York Jets on Sunday. Bryce Petty will start for the Jets. Petty was shaky last week in New Orleans, and I certainly don't trust him to be good against an excellent Chargers pass rush. The Jets offensive front is a clear weakness, and the Chargers led by Joey Bosa should be in the backfield a lot here.

The Chargers offense has been able to move the ball this year, but their red zone performance has been terrible. It is partially because of poor play calling in key spots. An inability to run on short distance downs has hurt too. The Jets have still been trying hard on defense, and this isn't the easiest of spots for the Chargers after an important loss at Kansas City last week.

The Chargers have been a good under team all year, and against a Jets team that is likely to play it conservative on offense with an inexperienced quarterback, I like the value on the under.

Take the under. 

*3 Star NBA Total DOMINATION* The Washington Wizards play on Christmas Day in Boston. That means the time they celebrate with their families is tonight after the game and early tomorrow. 

Games around Christmas have slanted pretty strongly toward the under for everyone, but the trend is 60% unders in the last 8 years for teams that are slated to play on Christmas Day. It makes sense to me. They want to get done with the game and get home. 

Even if we took that angle away, I think there is value here. The Magic are expected to be without Evan Fournier and Aaron Gordon. Without those guys, this offense is a mess. Orlando is averaging a miserable 0.953 points per possession in their last five games. They have been short handed during this period. That's dead last in the NBA in offensive efficiency. Washington ranks 27th at 0.981 points per possession during that time.

I expect a sloppy game here. This total is a few points too high.

Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under*  The Akron Zips and Princeton Tigers play for the second straight day in Hawaii on a neutral court. Neutral courts are definitely a good thing for unders in the long run, and with short rest for both teams I consider it an even stronger under signal.

Princeton excels at controlling the tempo. The Tigers are going to want the pace to be slow here, and they should be able to dictate that tempo. The Tigers ranked 337th in tempo out of 351 teams last year. They rank exactly the same so far this season. 

Akron's average possession length suggests they prefer to play slower as well. 

With a total set this high, it will take much higher than average shooting numbers to get past this number.

Take the under. 

*4 Star NFL Saturday Total Domination* The Baltimore Ravens defense has been very good this year. They have consistently ranked in the top five in the NFL in yards per play this season. 

Indianapolis' offense ranks last in the NFL in yards per play in their last three games. The Colts are averaging only 4.0 yards per play during that time. I don't see them getting much going here either.

Baltimore's offense has been better in recent weeks, but they have been best at running the ball, and the Colts run defense is pretty decent. 

The weather should play a factor here. There is expected to be rain and wind of about 12-15 mph with gusts of 20-25 mph during this game. That's significant enough to make both teams more conservative in their play calling. 

I see Baltimore getting a lead and then being content to run the ball and use the clock.

Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The New Mexico State Aggies are coached by former Wichita State assistant Chris Jans. Jans is a defensive-minded coach, and his teams tend to play slower than average. 

New Mexico State has a lot of talent, and they are coming off an upset win against Illinois. The Aggies are excellent on the defensive glass. This New Mexico State team is underrated by most.

Davidson isn't the quality team they were a few years ago, but they are a solid team. They no longer run like they did in the past. They are an average paced team. Davidson shoots a ton of 3's, and New Mexico State has traditionally been excellent defending the long range jumper. They were 9th in the country in 3 point defense last year, and they are only allowing 33.3% makes this year so far as well.

This game is played on a neutral floor in Hawaii. Neutral sites are positives for the under. Shooting numbers on the average are lower, and this is a weird game for both teams with their body clocks off with the big time change.

Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Over* The Cal Golden Bears like to run under Wyking Jones. Cal ranks 82nd in the country (out of 351) in overall tempo. 

Cal's defense isn't good. They have allowed 89 points or more on four occasions this year. Portland State will be the fastest paced team they have played so far this year.

Portland State's Barrett Peery has his team playing an uptempo pressing defense that leads to run outs and lots of drive and kick outs for 3's. Portland State is 4th in the nation in pace of play. This team is absolutely flying.

Portland State has seen 8 of their last 11 games go over this lofty total. The Vikings will push the pace.

Both of these teams are elite at offensive rebounding and getting to the line. 

It all adds up to a very high scoring affair.

The over is 8-0 in Portland State's last 8 following a win. The over is 3-0-1 in their last 4 non-conference games. An 11-0 angle. 

Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Idaho Vandals and UC Irvine Anteaters are both teams who win with defense first. They are also both teams who slow the game down most of the time.

UC Irvine was terrible on defense in their last game, and I expect a better performance from them here. 

Idaho and UC Irvine both have a big turnover problem on offense. A lot of empty possessions typically leads to unders. 

Recently, both of these teams have been playing to a slower pace on offense than they were at the start of the season.

This game is played at a neutral arena, and that is definitely a positive for the under.

Take the under. 

*3 Star NHL Totals SMASHER* Nashville continues to be one of the hottest teams in the NHL. With the style they play, this one should see Carolina feed into that tempo and really result in some nice chances on net.

Nashville comes into this one averaging 3.75 goals per game. That bodes extremely well for them going against a Carolina team that is giving up 3.12 per contest. The Predators should be able to pick apart this Hurricanes defense and pepper the net with chances.

Carolina has the playmakers to compete here. They put up a 4 spot earlier this season against the Predators and Jeff Skinner has played a huge role in that. Skinner’s 12th goal last time out leads the team, as he provides a huge spark for this offense.

Situationally, this one makes sense as well. The Over is 14-6-2 in Hurricanes last 22 vs. a team with a winning record and the Over is 5-2 in Predators last 7 overall.

The pace of play is huge here. The Predators really turn it up a few notches and the opposition really feeds into it. Both teams will see plenty of scoring chances.

Take Over.

*3 Star Play Over* Indiana's offense was dreadful in their loss to Fort Wayne. Their defense was just as bad. The Hoosiers will look to get back on track against Tennessee Tech here. 

Tennessee Tech pushes the pace to an extreme. The Golden Eagles have gotten into multiple very high scoring games this year. Not only are they very fast paced, but they also play very little defense. 

Both of these teams are good at getting to the line, and there should be plenty of trips to the charity stripe during this contest.

I think Indiana hangs a big number here and Tenn Tech contributes plenty too.

Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* In the past ten years, games where the home team is favored by 15 points or more and the total is 139.5 or higher have gone under the total 55.1% of the time in the first 3 months of the season. Why? In blowouts there is less chance of a foul fest obviously, and the team ahead generally slows the pace down late. Also, officials are more likely to swallow their whistle.

American finished as the slowest paced team in the country in 2015 and 2016. This is a team that tries to stall as much as possible. Marquette's tempo is right around the average pace in the country. A total of 150 with one team that goes extremely slowly and one team that is medium paced is awfully high.

Marquette is certainly very efficient on offense, so they could score plenty here. They have shown they will slow down against a similar opponent to American earlier this year though. They beat Mount St Mary's 80-59 in the season opener.

Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Elon Phoenix were playing too fast last year. Their coach said in the offseason that they needed to slow things down to have more long-term success. They have slowed things down significantly this season. The oddsmakers haven't fully adjusted. This is one of those cases where it takes a long time for the oddsmakers to adjust a team that is under the radar like Elon.

Canisius is also playing slower this year. Canisius plays against a bunch of teams that like to push the pace, but when they can they prefer to play slowly. Canisius has played eight straight games that have stayed under this total. 

I made this number 138, so I see a significant amount of value in this one.

Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Texas Longhorns are pushing the pace more this year than they have in the last couple seasons. As Shaka Smart has gotten more of his own type of player, they are looking to play quicker.

Texas is no doubt much better on defense than offense. Still, with them pushing the pace on offense, this is an awfully low total. This is the type of total you expect in a Virginia game because of their amazing defense and extremely slow tempo.

Tennessee State isn't going to try to run,but they are likely to get behind and be forced to play quicker to try to come back. 

This isn't one I had expected to be taking, but the extreme low number gives it value.

Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Under* SMU has ran the score up on some poor teams they have played this year, but their game totals have stayed under this total in 8 of 11 games.

SMU has also shown that they want to slow the tempo of the game even more when they are playing better competition. They slowed the game to a crawl against fast paced USC in a win recently. SMU then ran with TCU and lost. I expect them to control the tempo and play slowly here.

Boise State ranks 22nd in the nation in total defense when ranked by efficiency. The Broncos are number one in defensive rebounding. SMU typically relies on offensive rebounding a lot, and they aren't likely to get as many as normal here. 

Both teams are top 30 in defense, and both offenses are worse than they were last year. A low scoring tighter game here.

Take the under. 

*3 Star NFL Monday Night Football MONEY* The Tampa Bay Bucs will be without a bunch of key players on defense here. You could make a solid argument that the two best players on this defense are Lavonte David and Gerald McCoy. Both of them are out for this one. Hargreaves is a top corner for them and he will miss this game as well.

Atlanta's offense has been great of late. The Falcons are averaging 6.3 yards per play in their last three contests. They moved the ball at will against Tampa Bay in their first meeting, and Tampa Bay is even more short-handed on defense this time around.

Jameis Winston is healthy now, and the Bucs offense is a solid 13th in the NFL in yards per play. In a primetime spot, I expect Tampa Bay's offense to get their yards and points as well.

The over is 10-0-1 in the Falcons last 11 games vs. a team with a losing record.

Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Fort Wayne Mastadons beat Indiana last season. That was a stunner and one of the bigger upsets of the season. Indiana now hosts Fort Wayne, and they aren't going to take them lightly this time.

Fort Wayne lost quite a bit from last year, and Indiana has played better in recent games. This is a spot where I think Indiana keeps the pedal down more than normal because of the revenge factor from last year. 

Fort Wayne has played 12 games this year and 11 of them have gone over this posted total. They play quickly, and they aren't very good on defense. They are capable of getting red hot from 3 point range.

Indiana has seen six of their 11 games go over this total in regulation as well. The Hoosiers offense has been very efficient of late.

Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Florida State Seminoles have scored at least 87 points in each of their home games this year. They play a Charleston Southern team tonight that is terrible defensively. Charleston Southern allowed 110 points to Davidson in the season opener.

Florida State beat Charleston Southern 88-67 last year, and I see a very similar game this year. Florida State will push the pace in a big way. The Seminoles haven't played a game pacing below 70 possessions all season. 

Florida State has shown they are willing to run the score up, and that will likely be the case again here.

Take the over. 

*3 Star NFL Total PERFECTION* The Seattle Seahawks host the LA Rams in a game that means a lot to both teams. You can expect both teams to be highly motivated in this one. The more important the game- the better it is for the under, especially in the regular season.

A big reason why I like this one is the weather. Seattle is expected to receive steady rain through this game, and wind will accompany it. The winds are expected to be 10-20 mph with gusts to 25 mph. That's enough to change the way this game is played.

The Seahawks running attack isn't good at all. The Rams can run the ball some, but the strength of the Seahawks defense now is their run defense. 

These teams have a history of playing low scoring games against each other. In the last three games between these two one team has had 10 points or fewer. The under is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings in Seattle. The under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings. The under is 4-0 in the Seahawks last 4 vs a divisional foe. A 13-0 angle.

Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Penn State Nittany Lions do like to play fast, but they are much better on defense than offense. Penn State ranks 18th in the nation in defensive efficiency. They are actually playing slightly slower on offense than they did a year ago, and their defense is even better than last year.

George Mason ranked 131st in overall pace last year. They are 251st so far this year. Dave Paulsen's teams have typically liked to slow the game down, and this year's team has less offensive firepower. It makes sense that they are going slower this year.

The initial line move up on this game doesn't make sense to me. I have this as a game that stays in the 130's. Both teams turn it over quite a bit, so there should be a lot of empty trips.

Good value on this one.

Take the under. 

*3 Star NFL 100% Angle Crusher* Both the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns are much improved on offense from earlier this season. Alex Collins has turned into a nice weapon for the Baltimore offense and that has taken some pressure off of Joe Flacco. 

On the Cleveland side, the Browns have a strong group of wide receivers now with Coleman and Gordon both healthy. The Browns haven't been very good in the red zone in recent weeks but their yards per play numbers suggest drastic improvement. 

This total is set awfully low. Baltimore's defense was on the field an extremely long time against Pittsburgh last weekend. There could definitely be some tired bodies on that side of the ball for the Ravens. Baltimore's offense has been much more aggressive in the last few weeks and they should be able to hit some long gainers against this Browns defense. 

The over is 6-0 in the Ravens last 6 games in the month of December. The over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these two. A 10-0 angle.

Take the over.

*5 Star TOP Play Under* The San Diego Toreros rank 300th in average possession length on offense out of 351 teams in the country. North Texas ranks 315th. These two teams will play a very slow paced game here.

North Texas is 255th in the nation in offensive efficiency. San Diego is 223rd in the nation in offensive efficiency. 

San Diego is 51st in the nation in defense. While North Texas is a poor defense, San Diego has shown that they are happy to slow the game down drastically when they get a lead. They are a big favorite here, and they should have a lead.

San Diego has played 10 games this year, and only one of them has gone over this posted total. North Texas has seen a mixed bag, but I expect San Diego to control the flow of this game.

Take the under big. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Pacific Tigers want to play fast under Coach Damon Stoudamire. Here's their chance. UNLV is going to run at every opportunity here. UNLV ranks 6th out of 351 in the nation in average possession length. Marvin Menzies has this talented Runnin' Rebels team pushing tempo at every chance.

Pacific has run with three opponents this year. They played an 89-80 game against Stanford. They played an 89-74 game against Nevada. They played a 86-72 game against Wyoming. 

I expect UNLV to get the lead here and force Pacific to play from behind. 

UNLV and Pacific both rank in the top 30 in the country in free throw attempts per possession this year. Lots of trips to the charity stripe should come in this one.

UNLV has played 8 of their 10 games over this total. I expect another one over the number.

Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* Austin Rivers is averaging 14.5 points per game for the year, and since Blake Griffin went out, Rivers had consistently been one of the team's top scorers. Rivers was out last night and the offense looked disjointed. Danilo Gallinari is still out with an injury as well. The Clippers don't have a go to guy on offense.

Miami has played at the slowest pace of any team in the NBA in their last four games. Miami is 19-9 to the under so far this year, and I don't think oddsmakers have caught on to their slower tempo just yet.

Brian Forte is a referee in this one, and he is one of the strongest under refs in the league.

This one has gotten pushed up to an awfully high level considering both teams are dealing with key injuries and the tempo should be very slow.

Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Over* The Arkansas State Red Wolves rank fourth in the nation in pace of play. Arkansas State is going to get off a lot of snaps and quickly. MTSU likes to play quickly as well, especially with Brent Stockstill back under center for the team. 

Both defenses are better at stopping the run than the pass, but both of these offenses are pass heavy. Look for both offenses to take advantage of weak secondaries in this one. 

Arkansas State has shown on multiple occasions that they can get involved in some really high scoring games. MTSU now has their star quarterback Stockstill back, and they finished the season scoring 30 points or more in each of their last four games.

I see this being a back and forth affair with both offenses moving it through the air with ease.

Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Oregon Ducks will look to push the tempo whenever they can this season. Oregon isn't the same caliber of team they were last year, and that's largely because they don't have the shot blockers on defense that they had a year ago. 

Fresno State ranked 167th in the country in offensive efficiency last year. They are 57th so far this year. They were 60th in defensive efficiency last year, and they are 91st this year on defense.

Fresno State has played a bunch of teams that walk the ball up the floor this year, and the Bulldogs haven't had as many high scoring games as you might expect because of that. When they played two fast teams (Arkansas and Long Beach State), the scores were 83-75 and 106-70. Oregon won't play as fast as those two, but they will play quickly.

I think this game gets into the mid 150's as both offenses have quite a bit of success.

Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Over* The Colorado State Rams are so efficient on offense. They rank 24th in scoring efficiency this year. They are 14th in the nation in yards per play. Gallup is one of the best receivers in the country. They have a strong offensive line as well.

Marshall's defense was good this year, but they didn't face many good offenses. They are up against the best or second best offense they have faced all year for this one. I think they'll struggle.

Marshall's offense has been up and down this year, but Colorado State ranks 101st in the nation in yards per play allowed. Marshall should get going offensively in this contest.

This number is a touchdown too low.

Take the over. 

*3 Star NFL Saturday Totals SMASHER* The Detroit Lions have played 6 straight games that have gone over this total. Eight of their last nine have gone over this number. Detroit's defense ranks second to last in the NFL in total defense in the last eight games. 

Chicago's offense has been bad for much of the year, but the Bears broke out with a terrific offensive performance in Cincinnati last week. The thinking here is John Fox will likely be a little more aggressive in the play calling after a good showing. Chicago ran the ball at will against Detroit in the first matchup.

Matt Stafford has been very good against the Bears. This game is being played inside the dome, so there is no weather to contend in this game. Stafford threw for 299 yards on 31 passes in the first game against Chicago.

This is a low number for a Detroit game, and I'm siding with the over.

Take the over in this one. 

*3 Star Play Under* The UMass Minutemen are a completely different team this year under first year head coach Matt McCall. McCall has always wanted his teams to slow the game down and win with good defense. Last year, UMass was a team that pushed the tempo to an extreme. That's definitely no longer the case.

Georgia tends to play to the pace of their opponent under Coach Fox. The Bulldogs have an opponent who wants to play slowly here, and that's how I assume they will play in this one. They have a great big man in Yante Maten, and they'll look to play through him here.

UMass ranks 224th in offensive efficiency. The Minutemen have struggled to get good looks, and they often rely on poor shots late in the clock.

Take the under. 

*4 Star NBA TGIF Total Domination* The Washington Wizards are a different team with John Wall at the point. Washington had to slow down their pace without him in the lineup. With him, they obviously like to push because of Wall's elite speed. 

The Los Angeles Clippers defense has been terrible in the past month. This team is giving up way too many open looks, and the Wizards have the shooters to make them pay.

The last four meetings between these two teams have finished at: 223 points, 227 points, 257 points, and 225 points. 

The Clippers still have a league average or better offense, but their defense is near the bottom of the league. 

Washington has seen 7 of their last 8 stay under the total, which has moved this number down to a nice value. With Wall back, their style of play should change.

Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Under* Wisconsin is a team I always lean toward the under with. The Badgers can control the pace as well as anyone in the nation. Their offense isn't very good this year either. They rely far too much on Ethan Happ to do everything. They don't have good guard play.

Western Kentucky prefers a slow paced game as well, and the Hilltoppers have had some recent high scoring games against opponents who really like to run, which has given us line value on the under here.

Wisconsin is favored, and they are good at taking the air out of the ball if they have the lead late. This number is several points too high.

Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Over* The Nebraska Omaha Mavericks always rank near the very top of the tempo charts at the end of the year in college hoops. Omaha is playing fast again this year. This is a relatively high total, but Omaha has had 159 points or more in 7 of their 11 games so far this year.

What about Arkansas State? They have a first year coach who talked about wanting to push the pace in the preseason. They are pushing it. Arkansas State is 57th out of 351 teams in the country in pace of play. 

The tempo here will be very high. Both of these teams rank in the bottom 25% of teams in the country in defensive efficiency as well, so there is no reason to expect good defense to be played here. 

Take the over in this one. 

*5 Star TOP Play Under* Two teams that are far better on defense than on offense. They are also two teams who prefer to play at a slow pace. 

Little Rock has played 5 of their 8 games against Division One opponents below this number in regulation. Bradley has played 6 of their 8 games against Division One opponents below this total. They haven't played a game all year that finished higher than 140 points. 

Bradley's defense is 41st in the country in adjusted efficiency. Their offense is 267th. Little Rock is a miserable 344th in offensive efficiency. 

With both teams having a big advantage on defense and the tempo of the game staying slow, it will take a rare good shooting effort from these two to send it over. It could happen, but I really like the value here on the under.

I had this lined at 121 points.

Take the under big. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Colorado Buffaloes host the San Diego Toreros tonight. San Diego ranks 301st in the nation in average possession length, which means they really slow the tempo down. San Diego is significantly better on defense than offense. San Diego is 239th in offensive efficiency in the country. They are 65th in defensive efficiency.

Colorado is also slightly better on defense than offense. The Buffaloes have played to the pace of their opponents so far this year. Most of their opponents have been quick paced teams, which has inflated this number a bit.

Both teams turn the ball over at a high rate, which helps the under here as well since neither team is expected to be pressing. Those turnovers in the halfcourt simply waste time.

Take the under. 

*3 Star NFL Sunday Night Football CASH* The Pittsburgh Steelers host the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night. The AFC North is well known for its hard hitting style and these two teams are definitely that style. 

In the AFC North, the under is a whopping 56-29 (66%) on games with a total of 41 or higher since 2004. 

The weather here will play a bit of a role too. The wind is expected to be 12 mph during this one. That's enough to make it a little harder to throw the ball deep.

The Steelers are clearly short handed at linebacker, but Baltimore's offense has been really bad this year. The Ravens are dead last in the NFL in yards per play. On the other hand, Baltimore is fifth in the NFL in yards per play allowed. 

Both teams have an excellent pass rush, and that will make the quarterbacks get rid of the ball quicker than normal. 

The under is 19-8 in the Steelers last 27 vs. the AFC. The under is 4-1-1 in the last 6 between these teams.

Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The UNC Wilmington Seahawks rank 12th in the nation in pace of play. They are pushing the pace at every chance. Their new head coach learned under Roy Williams, and we all know the Tar Heels constantly push the tempo.

LSU is playing at an average pace, but they are torching the nets on offense. LSU ranks 7th in the nation in effective field goal percentage. They are first in the country in two point field goal percentage offense at an amazing 63.1%. UNC Wilmington ranks 340th in points per possession allowed, so they are almost as bad as anyone in the country on defense. 

Of UNC Wilmington's games this year, only one of them hasn't gone over this total. LSU has had totals of 178 and 191 in two of their games so they are fully capable.

Despite playing almost all slow paced opponents, LSU's games are averaging just over 161 points. UNC Wilmington will keep the tempo moving, and that should lead to a high scoring contest.

Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Missouri State Bears rank 261st in offensive pace (average possession length) out of 351 teams. Oral Roberts ranks 306th. Both teams want to play slowly.

Missouri State ranks number 24 in the nation in effective field goal percentage defense. Oral Roberts is 313th in offensive efficiency. The Golden Eagles of Oral Roberts only managed 60 points in a loss to Southern Nazarene in their last game. This is a bad team that struggles in a big way to score.

Missouri State has shown on multiple occasions that they are happy to slow the game down once they have a lead, and they should be playing from in front here.

Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The South Dakota Coyotes and Eastern Washington Eagles both play quickly. South Dakota is 57th in the nation in quickest pace on offense (average possession length). Eastern Washington is 83rd. That is out of 351 teams. There's no reason to expect anything other than a quick tempo for this contest.

The Eastern Washington defense is the worst unit on the floor here, and South Dakota's efficient offense should pick them apart. Eastern Washington fouls at a high rate and South Dakota is excellent from the line. 

Eastern Washington has shown many times this year they will keep the game going with the foul game, and they are likely to be down and could be in that situation here.

Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Vikings meet in what should be a really good game on Sunday afternoon. The Vikings have been the most consistent defense in the NFL. Adjusted for strength of schedule- the Vikings defense is second against the pass and third against the run. Carolina's offense has been below average all year in the passing game, and they aren't getting enough out of the running backs in the running game.

Minnesota's offense has been solid this year, but they don't move particularly fast. They have a lot of long drives that eat up the time. Carolina ranks as the third slowest team in the NFL, so the Panthers definitely use up the clock as well.

The under is 20-6 in the Vikings last 26 vs. a team with a winning record. The under is 9-1 in their last 10 road games vs. a team with a winning record. 

I expect a hard fought game that stays under the total.

Take the under. 

*3 Star NFL Early Bird Special* The Green Bay Packers rank 27th in the NFL in yards per play since Aaron Rodgers went down with an injury. Green Bay has to rely on their running game, but the strength of this Cleveland defense is their rushing defense. Cleveland ranks in the top five in rushing defense when measured by advanced metrics. 

The Browns have been really bad on offense again this year. Yes, they have better weapons on the outside now with Gordon and Coleman. I don't see them doing a ton of damage here though for two reasons: Kizer is their quarterback, and second the wind is going to be a big factor.

In the NFL, games with a total of 38 or higher with winds of 10 mph or higher have gone under the total a little better than 57% of the time in the past ten years. The wind makes a difference in Cleveland even more than most stadiums. This stadium is very close to the lake, and the wind can swirl around here easily.

Expect two conservative game plans and the defenses will have the upper hand.

Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Orlando Magic are without their top two scorers. Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier are both out for this one, and it will be really hard for the Magic to replace those two. Look for a disjointed offense from Orlando for this game. 

Atlanta has slowed the pace down a bit in recent games. The Hawks weren't having any luck trying to outgun opponents. They have played improved defense in the last few games, and I expect that to continue here. 

Marc Davis is one of the best under referees in the NBA, and he's part of the crew doing this game.

I don't think there has been enough of an adjustment to the total with Orlando's top two scorers out.

Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Over* The Rider Broncs decided to start pushing the pace last season, and they have continued that this year. The difference between last year's team and this year's team is this group is much more efficient on offense. It is the team getting accustomed to playing the style.

Rider's defense has dropped off from last year as Jimmie Taylor, their best defensive player from a year ago, graduated at the end of last season. 

Hofstra plays at a middling pace, but the Pride are consistently very efficient on offense and really bad on defense. Hofstra has ranked in the top 65 in the country in offensive efficiency each of the last four seasons. 

Rider has played 6 of their 9 games this year to a total of 165 points or more. Hofstra's last four games have all been over this number.

Look for both teams to put up a lot here.

Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Marshall Thundering Herd have perfected Dan D'Antoni's uptempo system. Marshall has a bunch of scoring options, and they are going to put up big numbers all year long. Marshall pushes the pace to an extreme level. They rank 4th in the nation in average possession length on offense. 

Toledo has played faster this season. The Rockets went to Marshall last year and the game finished 111-105 in overtime. Before overtime the teams were knotted at 95. The shooting was exceptional in that game, so I don't expect that number, but with high tempo and two bad defenses I think this should get above the total.  

Toledo has already played two games that easily passed this total. Marshall has seen 6 of their 9 games go over this number.

Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Boise State Broncos host the Sacramento State Hornets here. Boise State has a huge advantage in this one. Boise State should be able to coast home, and the Broncos have shown a willingness to slow the pace down drastically in the second half of games where they have a big lead.

Sacramento State has played seven games against Division One opponents and their highest total is 143 points. Boise State has only played two of their eight games over this total. 

Neither team plays particularly fast to start with, and Boise State's defense has been excellent. They are giving up the least amount of second chance points of any team in the country. Sacramento State is missing their best player and they'll have a very hard time getting open looks in this one.

I made this number significantly lower than this.

Take the under. 

*3 Star NBA Celtics/Spurs Total DOMINATION* The San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics meet in San Antonio tonight. Boston has been the most consistent team in the NBA this year. San Antonio has played very well despite missing Leonard.

I consider these the best two coaches in the NBA. They are both defensive minded. Boston and San Antonio both like to play at a slow tempo, and I expect there to be a much smaller amount of possessions in this game than a normal NBA game.

San Antonio has been a good under team in the past ten years on their home floor. They have been an exceptional under team at home when playing against good opponents. The under is at 62% in the Spurs home games vs. a team with a win percentage of 65% or higher in the past ten years. In their last 30 home contests vs. a team with a win percentage of 65% or higher, the under is an impressive 23-7.

53% of the bets in this game are on the under, but the money is almost 85% on the under. The sharps are on the under.

Take the under here. 

*3 Star Play Under* Both of these teams are very good. UT Arlington has one loss and it was by a point against a good Alabama team. They won at BYU. 

Northern Iowa has two losses and they are to North Carolina and Villanova. Northern Iowa is excellent at controlling the pace of the game. The Panthers rank 349th in average possession length (time on offense before shooting) out of 351 teams in the country. They aren't going to speed up for anyone.

UT Arlington would prefer to play quickly, but Northern Iowa is going put a zone defense up here to control the pace of the game. Arlington's weakness the last couple years has been their outside shooting. This Northern Iowa defense is likely to give them trouble.

Northern Iowa has played 8 games. Seven of those games have finished with a total of 126 points or less in regulation. UT Arlington's last three games have been below this total.

Take the under here. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT Total* The Portland State Vikings have a new coach this year in Barret Peery. Peery said before the season he wanted this team to rank among the fastest paced teams in the country. They are doing it thus far. Portland State is pressing in the full court the entire game, and the Vikings rank in the top 25 in the country in steals forced. They are shooting 40.4% from 3 point range as a team. Portland State is excellent at dictating the pace of the game.

Loyola Marymount ranks 260th in the nation in defensive efficiency. Portland State ranks 241st in defensive efficiency. Opponents have shot the ball really well against both of these teams.

Loyola Marymount has played slower paced teams of late and that gives us line value here. Portland State is going to push the pace here in a big way.

Both teams rank in the top 25 in the country in offensive rebounds. Expect a bunch of second chance points and trips to the charity stripe.

Take the over. 

*4 Star NHL Play of the Day* The Edmonton Oilers play at a very fast pace. That creates for scoring chances for both teams. Edmonton's offense disappointed early this season, but they have scored 6 goals or more thesmelves three times in the past ten games. Edmonton has scored 17 goals in their last four contests.

Philadelphia has been up and down offensively this year, but Edmonton's goalie situation makes this over have a lot more value to me. Cam Talbot is very good, but the Oilers backup Laurent Brossoit has been terrible. His save percentage is a miserable .872 so far this year and in his career he is allowing 3.11 goals per game. 

Philly's goaltending is subpar as well, and the Oilers should get plenty of good chances.

Take the over here. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Illinois Fighting Illini have picked up the pace quite a bit under Brad Underwood this year. They are trapping and forcing turnovers and looking to score in transition. Against teams that have a high turnover rate, Illinois has really run up the score. Austin Peay ranks in the bottom 50 in the country (351 teams) in turnover rate. 

Illinois ranks 32nd in the nation in tempo, and the Fighting Illini should get the steals and quick scores against this Austin Peay team. 

Both of these teams foul a lot more than the average in college basketball. I see plenty of trips to the line helping this one. 

Illinois has played five Division I teams that are ranked outside the top 100 in the country. The total in those games has been: 157, 151, 155, 165, and 159. 

Take the over. 

*3 Star NHL RED HOT CASH* The Rangers and Penguins battle Tuesday night and we should see goals at a premium here.

These two goalies are in solid form right now entering play Tuesday.

Looking at Henrik Lundqvist, the Rangers netminder has come a long way from the beginning of this season. Lundqvist has dropped his GAA to 2.66 and has allowed 2 goals or less in 7 of this last 10 starts.

Along with that, the Rangers have hit the Under in 7 of their last 10 road games.

As for the Penguins, backup goalie Tristan Jarry has stepped in the between the pipes and turned in solid performance after solid performance when asked upon. So far this year, Jarry has a GAA of 1.99 to go along with a SV% of .937. WIth Murray injured, Jarry will step in net here on Tuesday as this is a real shot for him to make a huge impact for this team.

This is a big game for both teams, and the Pittsburgh defense has been excellent so far this year.

Take Under.

*3 Star NCAA BB Hidden Gem Total* The Evansville Purple Aces are without star Ryan Taylor right now due to a foot injury. Taylor averaged 14.3 points per game last year, and he was averaging 21 points per game before the injury this season. Evansville is clearly without their leader on offense now, and I expect some bad offensive performances from them.

What is Evansville going to do? They'll slow the pace down as best they can. Even before Taylor was injured, Evansville ranked in the bottom 10 out of 351 teams in the country in pace of play. Expect them to really try to grind this game out.

Bowling Green has played a lot of high scoring games, but this is the first opponent they have played who plays this slowly, and the Evansville defense has been very solid the last couple seasons. 

Take the under here. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Gonzaga/Villanova CASH* The Gonzaga Bulldogs and Villanova Wildcats have been excellent on defense in recent years. 

Villanova has finished in the top 12 in the country in defensive efficiency in each of the last five seasons. Gonzaga has finished in the top 30 in defensive efficiency in each of the last six years. They were number one last year.

There's no reason to expect either defense to give up a lot of easy shots here. 

Madison Square Garden is the best under arena in college basketball. This is a huge arena and the shooting backdrop is difficult. The under has cashed at a better than 60% clip at MSG in college games with a total of 140 or higher in the past ten years. 

Expect a hard fought game with solid defense here. This number is too high.

Take the under. 

*4 Star NFL Monday Night Football MONEY* The Cincinnati Bengals host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night. This is an AFC North rivalry. There is definitely a lot of hatred between these two teams. 

The AFC North has been notorious for hard hitting football and tight low scoring games in recent years. Here's an impressive and simple system for this division:

-Playing the under on a game between AFC North foes where the total is 41 or higher has yielded a 56-28 (66.7%) win rate for the under in the last 84 contests.

Pittsburgh's defense is the strength of the team this year. The Bengals rank fourth in the NFL in yards per play allowed. 

The Steelers running game hasn't been as good this year and Big Ben's play has been inconsistent. The Bengals don't have a running game, and I don't trust Andy Dalton in the big game.

A big plus here is the weather too- wind of 15 mph is expected during this one with a chance of a little rain as well. The wind is a big positive for the under.

The under is 13-4 in Pittsburgh's last 17 vs. an AFC North opponent. The under is 12-4 in the Bengals last 16 vs. an AFC North foe.

Take the under. 

*3 Star NBA Spurs/Thunder Total DOMINATION* The San Antonio Spurs weren't playing the kind of defense we expect at the start of the season. They have improved that dramatically in recent weeks. San Antonio ranks first in the NBA in the past 8 games in defensive efficiency. The Spurs also rank dead last in tempo in their past ten games. They are slowing things down and winning with defense.

Oklahoma City ranks third in the NBA in defensive efficiency on the season. The Thunder rank in the bottom ten in the NBA in offensive efficiency though. What about the Spurs? San Antonio ranks in the bottom half of the NBA in offensive efficiency as well.

Sunday has been the best day in the NBA for unders by a large margin in the past ten years. I see this being a hard fought game where the defenses have the edge.

Take the under. 

*4 Star NFL Total DOMINATION* The Los Angeles Chargers offense struggled to get going for much of the year, but they have gotten healthier in recent weeks and they are playing great right now. Phillip Rivers is still a very good quarterback, and he has plenty of weapons around him. 

The Browns defense has been pretty good against the run this year, but they are very weak against the pass. A big key here is Cleveland is without star linebacker Jamie Collins and DL Emmanuel Ogbah. 

Cleveland's offense has been inconsistent, but Josh Gordon will return in this one, and the Chargers have given up quite a few big plays defensively this season. 

These teams both play at a pace quicker than the league average. 

The over is 4-0 in the Browns last 4 road games.

I see the Chargers scoring a lot here and the Browns scoring plenty to get this past the total.

Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Kansas State Wildcats and Vanderbilt Commodores meet on Sunday. Both of these teams rank in the bottom 50 in the country in overall tempo. 

Kansas State mixes up defenses, and opponents are taking more time to shoot it against Kansas State than any other team in the country.

Vanderbilt was a very slow paced team last year, and they are that again this season.

The Commodores were more efficient on defense than offense last year, and they are again so far this year. Bruce Weber's teams are consistently better on defense than they are on offense.

This total has moved up from the open, and that gives us value on the under. Look for a tightly played game where the pace stays very slow.

Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Minnesota Vikings are 2nd in the NFL in yards per play allowed. The Minnesota defense is equally strong against the pass and the run. There is no weakness in this unit. Atlanta's defense is surprisingly 10th in the NFL in yards per play allowed. They are clearly improved on defense from last season. Also, Atlanta's offensive efficiency isn't quite what it was a year ago. Matt Ryan does miss Kyle Shanahan. 

Neither of these teams play particularly fast. The Vikings are a touch faster than the league average and the Falcons are a bit slower than the league average. 

I expect both offenses will find it harder to break big plays than normal in this one. This is a pretty high total in today's NFL. 

This is a measuring stick game for both teams. Look for the defenses to have the upper hand.

Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Auburn Tigers and Georgia Bulldogs just played three weeks ago. This one means a whole lot more. Auburn blasted Georgia in the first game. Georgia's coaches and players weren't very happy with the chatting from the Auburn after that last meeting. They felt Auburn took advantage of the opportunity and ran up the score and then talked about it after the game.

I fully expect to see an extremely motivated Georgia Bulldogs defense in this one. Georgia's defense was bullied on the line by the Tigers offensive front in the first meeting. Don't expect that again here.

Auburn runs the ball on 64% of their offensive plays. The Tigers will be without Kamryn Pettway due to injury, and star running back Kerryon Johnson will likely try to play through a shoulder injury. 

Georgia runs the ball on 69.5% of their offensive plays. The Bulldogs go up against an Auburn defense that has been elite all year against the run. 

Auburn plays at an average tempo. Georgia plays at one of the five slowest tempo's in the country. This much running with a relatively slow tempo should mean a small amount of possessions. 

This game means everything to both teams and intensity usually helps the defense more than the offense.

Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Arkansas Little Rock Trojans have played six games against Division One teams this year. Only one of those has gone over this posted total. That one finished at 142 points. 

Oral Roberts has played 7 Division One teams this year. None of them have ranked in the bottom 100 in tempo. They have played a bunch of fast paced teams. That changes in this one and the line is inflated here. 

Little Rock likes to run the clock and try to win low scoring games. Oral Roberts plays at a slow tempo as well. Both of these teams have been inefficient on offense so far this year. Both have been really sloppy with the basketball.

This total is several points too high. 

Take the under. 

*3 Star CFB Total PERFECTION* The Georgia State Panthers have absolutely no running game. Adjusted for strength of schedule faced, Georgia State has been the worst running offense in the country. One-dimensional offenses are a lot easier to game plan for. Idaho's pass rush has been solid this year, and I think the Vandals can get some pressure on the quarterback here.

Idaho's offense is lost without quarterback Matt Linehan. How have they done without him the last couple weeks? They scored only 7 points against lowly Coastal Carolina two weeks ago. They scored just 10 points against a terrible New Mexico State defense last week. Idaho isn't any good at running the football, but with their third string quarterback in for this one they are likely to have to try to run the football. Idaho's starting running back Isaiah Saunders is questionable with an injury here too. I don't think Idaho will be able to do much on offense in this one.

Both teams have played quite a few very low scoring games this year. 

The under is 4-0 in Idaho's last 4. The under is 5-0 in their last 5 on turf. The under is 4-0 in GA State's last 4 home games. The under is 6-0 in their last 6 on turf. A 19-0 angle.

Take the under.  

*3 Star Play Under* The Manhattan Jaspers were without best scorer Rich Williams on Friday and he is questionable here. Manhattan hasn't been good on offense with him, and without him they really struggle.

The Jaspers have slowed their tempo down drastically this season. They went from ranking in the top 35% of teams in pace of play to ranking in the bottom 25% of teams this year. 

Towson always prefers a slow pace, and the Tigers are led by a strong defense. 

This game is played in Northern Ireland on a neutral site. This is a positive for the under. Shooting percentages tend to be lower at neutral sites. There is a massive time change which doesn't help either.

Take the under. 

*3 Star CFB Friday Night PAC 12 Title Game CASH* The Stanford Cardinal were beaten 42-24 by USC earlier this year. That Stanford team was a lot different than the current version though. David Shaw's team has gotten a solid amount better on defense throughout the year. Their defensive efficiency rank was in the range of #90 early in the season. If you look at the last five weeks only, it is #41. 

USC struggles at times to protect Darnold, and the Cardinal have been good at pressuring the quarterback this year. I think they'll get in the backfield and disrupt things quite a bit during this contest.

The Stanford offense has gotten far less efficient in recent weeks. Bryce Love is playing hobbled and this is a very conservative offense. Stanford ranks 120th in the nation in pace of play. They will look to run the football and use up the clock and keep the USC offense off the field. Since their loss to USC on September 9, only one Stanford game has gone over this total. That was against UCLA and their terrible defense. 

The under is 7-0 in Stanford's last 7 following a win. The under is 4-0 in USC's last 4 following a bye week. An 11-0 angle.

Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* The UCF Knights are without BJ Taylor right now. Taylor is the most important guy to this UCF offense. Without him, they were a complete mess last season, and it appears the same is true this year. UCF has scored 45 and 43 points in their last two games against West Virginia and St. John's. 

UCF will be great on defense again this year with Tacko Fall manning the middle and swatting shots away left and right. 

Missouri will play at a slow pace under Cuonzo Martin. His teams are always halfcourt oriented teams. Missouri has played several teams that want to run a lot this year, but UCF is similar in that they prefer a halfcourt game.

Look for good defense from both teams.

Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The South Carolina Gamecocks always play great defense under Frank Martin. Martin's teams play relatively quick on offense, but they aren't very efficient, especially since they lost Thornwell from last year's team. Sindarius Thornwell was the guy everything went through on offense for the Final 4 Gamecocks last year.

Temple has shot the ball really well this year, but this is an excellent defense they will go up against in this one.

Additionally, this game is being played at Madison Square Garden, which is easily the best under arena in basketball. The sight lines are tough here, and college kids have consistently had trouble with shooting in this arena in the long run. Neutral site unders early in the year is a profitable angle, and when it is MSG that is a big bonus.

Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* The College of Charleston is an excellent defensive team. They are great at shutting down the opposition and making them take tough shots on the perimeter. 

Western Carolina was 348th in offensive efficiency out of 351 teams in the country last year. They are just slightly better this year, and they were held to 57 and 51 points by Clemson and Cincinnati.

C of C is without their best offensive player in Brantley, and that has caused them to slow their tempo even more in recent games. I think they win comfortably here and the defense leads the way.

I'll fade the early line move here. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Southern Utah Thunderbirds are pushing the pace as much as ever under Coach Simon this year. Southern Utah continues to be awful on defense as well. Southern Utah ranks 347th in defensive efficiency so far this year out of 351 teams in the country. Where were they the last two years? They were 350th and 349th. Awful. Southern Utah has a habit of fouling at an epic rate. They tend to do this when losing in the second half, and there can be some very high scores in the second half in their games.

Pepperdine is one of those teams that tends to play to the pace of their opponent, and in this case that should mean a very quick tempo. Pepperdine is great at getting to the line and they should get a lot of trips there in this one. 

A quick tempo and a lot of points here.

Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* Penn has changed their offense this year. They are no longer a guard oriented team. They look to get the ball inside and that takes more time. Villanova has more shot blockers and length on the inside than just about anyone, and that should make it hard on Penn's offense.

The Wildcats are excellent on defense, and they prefer to play at a slow pace if they can. Villanova played some really high scoring games against teams in the top 20 in tempo early this season. Penn isn't going to want to run here, and I think the tempo stays slow.

This is one where the spread is big and it reduces the risk of a foul fest late. 

Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* James Madison ranked in the bottom 30 in the country in pace of play last year. They should end up near the bottom in tempo again this year. 

George Mason lost their top two scoring options from last year. Marquis Moore was the guy that everything ran through, and without him I expect their offensive efficiency numbers to dip significantly this year. George Mason is playing significantly slower than last year, and that makes sense with less scoring options.

George Mason has only played one game that has gone above this total in regulation this year. James Madison has played a couple very fast paced teams and that has skewed this total.

Take the under. 

*3 Star NHL FIRE on the ICE* The Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights battle on Tuesday night in Las Vegas.

These two teams will provide us with a lot of excitement here. Both teams like to play with a lot of pace and will really pepper the opposing goal.

Looking at the Golden Knights first, the way this team has played at home here in 2017 is quite impressive. Vegas has averaged 4.40 goals per home game this season and while some felt it was a fluke to start the season, the sample size has hit 10 games now. That is not mistake, as this team likes to get up and down the ice quickly. As a team, they’re giving up 3.0 goals per game so far this season, as they just can’t seem to keep their defense healthy, especially in net.

Dallas has a young core that provides a ton of energy from their end too. The Stars are putting in nearly 3 goals per game themselves and they have been one of the best power play teams in the NHL. The Stars have hit the Over in 8 of 12 road games this season as well.

Vegas has hit the Over in 14 of the 20 games they’ve played this season with the Stars cashing the Over in 5 of their last 7.

All signs point to a high scoring affair here.

Take Over.

*3 Star College Hoops Red HOT CASH* The Wake Forest Demon Deacons have played significantly slower so far this year. Wake Forest has shot the ball at a very high percentage, but they haven't played against any good defenses.

Illinois looks to push the tempo under Brad Underwood, but I don't think they'll be all that efficient on offense when playing against decent opponents this year. Illinois hasn't played anyone ranked in the top 120 in the country in defensive efficiency. Most of the teams they have played have ranked in the bottom 100 in the country in defensive efficiency.

Illinois has played only one game this year that has gone over this total and that was 165 points against Marshall. Marshall ranks in the top five in the country in tempo. 

Wake Forest has only played one game that has gone over this total as well, and that was their first game of the season.

This should be a relatively high scoring game, but this number has gotten awfully high. I'll take the under at this level.

Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Red Hot CASH* The Oakland Golden Grizzlies are coming off two miserable shooting performances. They were playing at Syracuse and at Kansas in those two games. This is a massive step down in class. 

Oral Roberts made only 13/41 two pointers in their last game. They shot 33% from the floor overall in a loss to Penn State. 

When two teams are coming off extremely low shooting percentage, I like to look for overs in the next game. Why? The market usually overreacts. 

This total has already been pushed down a few points in the market. 

Oakland is playing at an extremely quick tempo this year. Oral Roberts slows the game down a bit, but they are terrible on the defensive glass and Oakland should get second chance and transition opportunities here. 

Oakland should be good on offense overall this year, and this is a pretty low number for a game they are involved in. Neither defense is very good.

The over is 8-1 in Oral Roberts' last 9 home games.

Take the over here. 

*3 Star Sunday Night Football CASH* The Green Bay Packers are averaging only 13.4 points per game since Aaron Rodgers went down with an injury. Brett Hundley hasn't been the answer, and the offensive line is banged up. The Packers are also without Aaron Jones and Ty Montgomery is doubtful. This offense is badly beaten up. 

Pittsburgh's defense has been consistently very good this year. The Steelers have ranked in the top five or six in nearly every defensive statistic this season. I don't see them giving up much here.

The Green Bay defense has been improved in recent weeks. Ben Roethlisberger has been sick this week and is listed as probable here, but he's less than 100 percent. The Steelers offensive line hasn't been getting as much of a push in the running game this season.

Both of these teams have been slowing much slower than the league average in pace of play.

In the last 3 years, NFL home teams who are favored by 13 points or more at home with a total of less than 48 points have seen the under go a perfect 9-0. The under is 5-0 in the Steelers last 5 games after throwing for 250 yards or more last game. A 14-0 angle.

Take the under. 

*3 Star NFL Red HOT CASH* The Eagles are coming off a really big win at Dallas last weekend. That's a rivalry game where Philly puts a bunch into that contest. It would be easy for the Eagles to let up a little here.

Chicago isn't very good on offense. They are extremely reliant on the running game. The strength of the Eagles defense is their front seven. Philadelphia is very likely to stack up the box and dare Chicago to beat them through the air. The Eagles pass rush is elite and the Bears offensive line has struggled in pass protection.

The Bears defense is really underrated. This is a unit that has kept the Bears in a lot of games this season. The Eagles will move the ball here as they always do, but I think the Bears slow them down and hold them to field goals more often than normal.

The weather here looks less than ideal. Winds of 13 mph with gusts of 20 to 25 mph are forecast for this contest. That's a positive for the under.

Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Arizona Wildcats and Arizona State Sun Devils meet on Saturday in what should be a game filled with tons of big plays for the offenses. 

Arizona's offense ranks first in the nation in yards per carry at a whopping 7.03 per attempt. Arizona State's defense is 109th in the country and allowing 5.11 yards per carry. Adjusted for strength of schedule played, Arizona State's run defense ranks in the bottom ten in the country.

Arizona State's passing attack has a big edge on this Arizona Wildcats secondary. Arizona has allowed more than 40 points in 4 of their last 7 games. The Wildcats are giving up huge plays by the bunches this year.

The last five games between these two teams have all gone over this number. 

Take the over here. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Iowa State Cyclones and Kansas State Wildcats are two of the rare teams in the Big 12 who play slowly and look to control the ball through their run game. Both teams are without their starting quarterback and that should make them more conservative.

I see a game where both teams play slowly and this one is decided by a small margin. We get a little line value from the fact that both teams have played several high scoring games against opponents like Oklahoma and Oklahoma State who are tremendous offensively. There is no great offense in this game.

Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The MTSU Blue Raiders offense is much better now that star quarterback Brent Stockstill is back on the field. While Richie James is injured, Ty Lee has turned into a star at receiver and MTSU has a big advantage over an ODU defensive secondary that has struggled all season long.

Old Dominion's offense is certainly better now that Ray Lawry is healthy. ODU has gotten much more balanced on offense in recent weeks since the passing game finds openings because teams are now having to stack up the box to slow the running game once again. ODU should be able to do enough here.

Both offenses have rated much higher in efficiency metrics in the last few weeks. I think this number would have been fair if Stockstill and Lawry weren't back, but with them in the fold I'll take the over.

Take the over here. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Appalachian State Mountaineers have one of the best defenses in the Sun Belt. Appalachian State is a team that likes to run the ball as often as possible. They often go on long drives that eat up a bunch of time.

Georgia State is dead last in rushing efficiency on offense in the country. Georgia State has to throw it, but Appalachian State has the best secondary in the Sun Belt. I expect Georgia State to have trouble moving the ball here. Georgia State has scored 21 points or less in 5 of their 9 games this year. 

Look for both defenses to match up well in this one.

Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Over* Boston College has picked up their pace significantly this season. Syracuse is one of the five fastest teams in the country. This number is awfully low based on those tendencies to hurry and get in as many plays as possible.

Boston College and Syracuse got to 48 points last year, but Boston College is playing at a much faster tempo this year, and the Eagles defense has been struggling in recent weeks.

This one has the potential to be a very close game where both teams score plenty.

Take the over. 

*4 Star CBB Late Night BAILOUT* The Texas State Bobcats are one of the slowest paced teams in the country every single year. This year won't be any different. Danny Kaspar's teams often don't have a ton of speed and athleticism, so they utilize a game plan that reduces the amount of possessions and forces their opponent into a style they aren't typically playing.

Canisius generally plays to the pace of their opponent. They play a lot of teams who like to run, so their tempo looks faster than it would in a different conference. They aren't playing a team who runs here.

This a neutral site game. Neutral site unders in the first month of the season are 56.5% in the last ten years when the total is 135.5 or higher. 

Take the under. 

*3 Star NHL Total DOMINATION* The St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators are divisional rivals. These two teams know each other well. In 7 of their last 8 games against each other the final score has been a combined 5 goals or fewer. In Rinne and Allen, we have two of the best netminders in the game. These are guys who can dominate the game at any given time. 

The familiarity between these two teams helps with a low scoring game. We've typically seen a total of 5 when these two meet, but these two have had some high scoring games recently so it is 5.5.

Look for another hard fought matchup between these two.

Take the under. 

*4 Star CBB Early Bird Special* Northeastern lost their top two scorers from last year's team. The Huskies always play at a slower than average tempo, and so far this year they are playing even slower than normal. In some years, they have been efficient on offense, but this year they are really struggling shooting the ball.

Utah State is happy to play at a slow pace as well. The Aggies aren't a team that looks for transition opportunities very often at all. 

This a neutral site game where both teams aren't accustomed to the gym. Neutral site unders in the first month of the season are 56.5% in the last ten years when the total is 135.5 or higher. 

Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* There are 351 teams in Division One College basketball. These two teams are ranked 349th and 350th in terms of amount of time they use up of the shot clock. Basically, these are two teams who want to use up the clock as much as possible. When they get together, the tempo should stay very slow.

This a neutral site game. Neutral site unders in the first month of the season are 56.5% in the last ten years when the total is 135.5 or higher. 

Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Eastern Washington Eagles have only played one game this year that has gone over this total. That was against UNLV. UNLV is playing extremely fast this year. 

Eastern Kentucky has had 3 games against Division I opponents, and 2 of the 3 were under this number.

This game is being played on a neutral floor. Neutral floor unders are 56.5% when the number is 135.5 or higher in the first month of the season. These are unique shooting backdrops and that usually lowers the shooting numbers a bit. 

Neither of these teams have been pushing the tempo this year. This number is several points high.

Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Evansville Purple Aces have consistently slowed the pace of the game down. Evansville hasn't played a game this year that went above 140. The Purple Aces have played their last three games to a final total of 123, 116, and 127. 

Fresno State has shot the ball really well in their first couple games. Fresno State has consistently been a team that struggles shooting the ball in the past couple years. The Bulldogs are likely to regress to the mean on offense again this year. 

This game is played on a neutral floor. The under is 56.5% in the past ten years on a neutral floor when the total is 135.5 or higher.

I think the defenses play well here.

Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* Two teams known for playing slowly and controlling the basketball meet on Monday night. Wisconsin has less good offensive options than they have had in recent years. The Badgers will defend well though, and they do a nice job of defending without fouling. 

The Baylor Bears are always near the top of the charts in shot blocking. They make everyone work hard for their baskets in the paint. Baylor typically relies heavily on offensive rebounds, but Wisconsin is one of the best defensive rebounding teams in the country.

This total has been pushed up from its opening number, and I see that as a mistake.

Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The East Carolina Pirates have been a really bad shooting team in recent years. They don't play very fast either. Cleveland State is clearly better on the defensive end than they are on offense right now. This Cleveland State team scored only 38 points against Rutgers. They scored only 57 points against Akron in a game with 82 possessions! 

The move upward on this total doesn't make any sense to me. Until these teams prove it consistently to me, I'm going to see them as teams that have to make the game ugly to win on a regular basis.

Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* This is a neutral court game and those are much more favorable to the under in the early season. In fact, neutral court unders with a total of 135.5 or higher are 56.5% in the last ten years.

Wyoming plays very quickly, but they aren't all that efficient on offense. The Cowboys are good on defense and they have multiple shot blockers.

South Dakota State plays at a fairly average pace. They are good offensively, but Wyoming is much better than most defenses they play against. 

It isn't common to see a posted total set this high without both teams being excellent on offense and both teams running.

Take the under here. 

*3 Star Play Over* The New England Patriots have the number one ranked pass offense in terms of efficiency. Who has the worst ranked pass defense in the NFL in terms of efficiency? The Oakland Raiders. Tom Brady should have a big game here, and I expect New England to be put up a big number.

Oakland's pass rush has been poor this year, and New England has been blocking well. When Brady has this much time to throw against a weak secondary, that generally equals great things for the Patriots offense.

Derek Carr has looked healthier of late, and the Patriots pass defense ranks 30th. Carr should hook up with his receivers in the open field several times as well.

The elevation is a positive in Mexico City in my mind for points. Tired defenses generally lead to blown assignments. 

I like this to be a high scoring game.

Take the over.