*3 Star Play Under* The Bradley Braves shot a better percentage last game, but that was against a Drake defense that has been miserable of late. Bradley's offense still ranks dead last in the nation in offensive efficiency. I don't see any reason to think they'll shoot it well in this game. The first game against Missouri State was a 61-42 Missouri State win at Bradley. With the total being bet up to 125 points, I had to grab the under in this one. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Over* Toledo is one of the most efficient offenses in the MAC and Western Michigan is one of the worst defenses. Both of these teams make a living at the line, and both teams foul quite a bit. We should see good shooting percentages and a lot of trips to the charity stripe in this game. I made this game 157 points with my numbers. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Butler Bulldogs have significantly slowed down their pace of play in Big East action. Butler has also become far less efficient on the offensive end. The Bulldogs have played a lot of low scoring games in the past few weeks. Georgetown and Butler have a long history of low scoring games against each other. In their six meetings since 2009, not one of those games has gone past 137 points.

The under is 7-0 in Butler's last 7 games. The under is 5-0 in their last 5 following an ATS loss. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 Tuesday games. A 16-0 angle. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Indiana State Sycamores play at the single fastest tempo of any team in the Missouri Valley Conference. Drake was stalling early in the season, but they have sped up of late. The Bulldogs also have the single worst defense in the MVC. Everyone is putting up nice shooting numbers against them.

Indiana State will have the tempo, but usually the question is whether they will shoot the ball well enough. Drake's recent history shows everyone shooting it well against them. The first meeting between these two hit 148 points. Take the over. 

*3 Star NBA Total DOMINATION* The Oklahoma City Thunder are without Andre Roberson right now, and he is one of their best defenders. To put it bluntly, Oklahoma City hasn't been guarding anyone of late. Oklahoma City has allowed 116, 122, 123, and 108 points in their last four games. 

As bad as the Oklahoma City defense has been of late, Washington's has been even worse. Washington has allowed 116 points or more in 4 of their last 7 games. 

Both of these teams are pushing the tempo as much as possible, and the pace here should be extremely fast. Look for Oklahoma City to put up a huge number and Washington to do enough.

The over is 10-2 in Washington's last 12 road games. The over is 5-0 in OKC's last 5. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 after an ATS loss. The over is 5-0 in their last 5 after scoring 100 points or more last game. A 23-2 angle. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Hidden GEM Total* The Citadel plays at the fastest tempo in the country. Why would I want to play an under with them? Well, the single biggest reason is this total is extremely high. A lot of things have to go perfect for the score to get past this number. The Citadel is actually playing just a bit slower in their last few games, and here they face an opponent who slows the tempo down a lot.

The first meeting between these two went under at only 162 points scored. Chattanooga has the second best defense in the Southern Conference, and the Mocs should win this game. I look for them to get a lead and then work to slow the game down in the second half. It won't be low scoring, but I think it stays under this high total. Take the under. 

*5 Star TOP Play Total CRUSHER* The Iona Gaels and St. Peter's Peacocks have a long history of games that stay under the posted total. The under is 17-4 in the last 21 games between these two teams. 

What has made their matchups so good for the under in the past? St. Peter's has a good coaching staff who understands that they simply cannot compete with Iona if they are running and gunning. They work very hard to stall the game out. It has made them very competitive recently against Iona. 

Iona has generally been a team that doesn't play any defense, but this year they are much better defensively. Iona is first in the conference in two point field goal defense. The Gaels also are pushing the tempo a little less this year because they aren't very deep. St. Peter's is a bad offensive team and a strong defense. 

The first meeting between these two was 64-58. I made this line 137 points. I really like this one. Take the under big. TOP RATED Play

*4 Star Play MVC Total* The Evansville Purple Aces prefer to play at a quick tempo, but they have been having a hard time forcing teams in the MVC to play quickly of late. The first meeting between these two teams was played to a slow tempo of 62 possessions and it was 67-64. Wichita State's defense is easily the best in the MVC, and Evansville's defense is second best in the league. In a game where I don't expect a fast tempo, it would take good shooting numbers to get past this total. I'm taking the under here. 

*4 Star NCAA BB National TV Total* The UCF Knights are much better on defense this year than they have been in the past. They have all sorts of length both in the frontcourt and in the backcourt. UConn has been a great under team inside the AAC for the past few years, and they are doing the same again this year. The under is 31-12 in their last 43 AAC games. UConn controls the tempo and slows the game down. UConn also has the best defense in the conference. The Huskies are playing very well of late. I see their defense coming up big here. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* Temple may be without Jaylen Bond in this one, and he is one of their best offensive players. Temple's defense is good, but their offense is inconsistent at best. South Florida isn't a good team, primarily because their offense is very weak. South Florida is actually much better this year on defense than they were a year ago. The final totals in last year's meetings between these two were 121 and 109 points. I had this one at 124.

The under is 4-0 in Temple's last 4 road games. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 vs. a team with a win percentage of 40% or lower. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 road games vs. a team with a losing home record. The under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings. A 16-1 angle. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The consistency of low scores from North Dakota State is what I like about this under. North Dakota State and IUPUI have the first and third ranked defenses in the league. North Dakota State is great at dictating the pace of the game. The two games between these two last year finished well below this posted total. North Dakota State has played 5 of their last 7 games to a final total of 131 or less. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Idaho Vandals are without their two leading scorers for this game. Without those guys, their offense has been a mess the last few games. Portland State's offense isn't good either, and Idaho is one of the better defensive teams in the Big Sky Conference. This looks like a sloppy game where neither offense converts at a high rate. I had this one at 135 points. Take the under here. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Late Night Totals CASH* These are two bitter rivals, and they have a long history of playing low scoring games against each other. Typically, rivalry games bring out the best in the defenses, and the tempo slows down a bit as well. Both of these teams have been playing at a slower tempo lately anyways, and I see this being a spot where the defenses have the edge over the offenses in a tight game. I had this one at 136 points. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Over* The UNLV Runnin' Rebels are doing a lot more running under their new coach. With Dave Rice gone, the UNLV offense has been far quicker as well as more efficient. They are getting more movement in the halfcourt, which was lacking severely in the past. San Diego State plays great defense, but they don't handle the ball very well, and the Aztecs aren't likely to be able to keep this as a halfcourt game the whole way. 

This number is just too low for me to pass up the over. I had this one at 131. Take the over. 

*5 Star TOP Play Totals CRUSHER* The College of Charleston Cougars have decided to stall in a major way since their leading scorer (Barry) went down for the season with an injury. They have had some extremely low scoring games of late, and this number is posted several points too high.

Though UNC Wilmington certainly plays fast, the Seahawks have been slowed down by a few teams in the CAA, and Charleston should be able to slow this one down. Charleston's defense is one of the best in the CAA. UNC Wilmington plays quickly, but their offense isn't very efficient.

Charleston likely doesn't have enough weapons to win this game with their leading scorer out, but they should stall enough to keep it under this inflated total. I had this one at 132 points. Take the under big. 

*3 Star Play Under* The St. Peter's Peacocks are going to stall here and try to keep this one close with their defense. Monmouth loves to play fast, but Monmouth is also a very good defensive team. I look to see Monmouth grab the lead here and then slow the game down when they have the game under control. I had this one at 138. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Furman Paladins have consistently played games that finished far below this posted total. East Tennessee State plays a quicker tempo, but several teams have been able to slow them down. On their home floor, Furman should be the team that controls the tempo in this one. I had this one projected at 136 points. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Drake Bulldogs and the Bradley Braves both play extremely slowly. These two teams are averaging using 20 seconds of the shot clock, which means the possession count here will be very low. Bradley has the single worst offense in the nation. Bradley is scoring a ridiculously low 0.75 points per possession. Drake should get their first win here and I expect them to take the air out of the ball once they get the lead. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Early Bird Special* The Florida Gators and West Virginia Mountaineers are interesting teams because they both prefer to play fast, but they also both are very poor on offense. These two teams both struggle badly to score in the halfcourt. Florida has good guards that should do a decent job against the press here.

West Virginia and Florida have both had some very low scoring games for the pace they play. I expect a highly competitive game here. I had this one at 136 points. Take the under. 

*3 Star NBA TGIF Play of Day* The Utah Jazz have both Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors in the lineup again now, and that makes them a totally different team. They excel on the defensive end when they have those shot blockers on the inside. Utah plays an even slower pace with those guys healthy also, since they look to pound it inside instead of using perimeter shooting.

Minnesota now ranks 19th out of 30 teams in the NBA in terms of pace. The Timberwolves have been slowing things down gradually as the season has moved along. 

The under is 10-5-1 in Utah's 16 games as a home favorite. The under is 16-7-1 in Utah's last 24 when playing on one day of rest. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Washington State Cougars have the worst defense in the Pac 12 by a large margin. USC plays at the fastest pace of any team in the league. We have a good setup here with USC coming off two straight losses for the first time this year. USC should be anxious to put up a big number and take out their frustration. The Trojans put up 90 points at Washington State, and it won't surprise me if they score more than that in this game. I had this one at 164. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Late Night Totals CASH* The Portland Pilots and San Francisco Dons played a crazy 107-95 game in their first meeting this year. Portland had a 15 point lead in the second half at San Francisco before losing by 12. 

The two put up an NBA type total in that one as both shot lights out, but the tempo was also played at 78 possessions, which is extremely fast. Portland has played fast all year. San Francisco started slowly, but they have been running in a big way of late. The Dons should be happy to run the floor and play a high scoring game again here.

Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Over* The Southern Utah Thunderbirds have a horrific defense. Idaho State's defense is really bad as well. The thing I like most about this game is that both teams have been speeding up their pace of play lately. I think when they meet tonight we'll get a game played at a very quick tempo. Both teams foul a lot and a lot of free points at the charity stripe should help push this one over. I had 158 here. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Arkansas Little Rock Trojans are a great defensive team this year. They have a new coach who has instilled a new defensive-minded scheme and it has worked brilliantly. Georgia Southern isn't a good team, and they have been slowed down by the better defenses they have played. This is the best defense in the Sun Belt. Look for Little Rock to get the lead and then take the air out of the ball. I had this one at 132. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* Southern Miss has the worst offense in the conference, and UTEP has the best defense in the conference. Southern Miss plays at an extremely slow pace. UTEP generally pushes it, but they also shoot the ball poorly and are great on defense. This looks like a sloppy close game to me where the winner is around 65 points. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Syracuse Orange defense forces the opposition to slow it down more than any other defense in the country. Syracuse is excellent on the defensive end, and that matchup zone can be very difficult to navigate.

While Notre Dame has a very good offense, they have struggled to get it going against Syracuse in their last couple years. Notre Dame is expected to be without their leading scorer, Jackson, in this one as well. 

Syracuse's offense has been inconsistent this year, and the Orange are playing much slower this year than they did last season.

The under is 6-0 in Notre Dame's last 6 vs. a team with a winning record. The under is 6-0 in Syracuse's last 6 vs. a team with a winning record. The under is 6-0 in the last 6 meetings. An 18-0 angle. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* Furman is the better team here and they should be able to dictate tempo in this game. Western Carolina has played relatively fast throughout the year, but they have also played some very slow low scoring games against teams that stall this year. W. Carolina seems to me to be a team that plays to the pace of their opponent, which would help this selection. I had this number at 133. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* Mercer is the slowest paced team in the conference. VMI has been playing slower of late. VMI's offense is the worst in the conference by a huge margin. The Keydets should get drilled in this game, and I see Mercer slowing the game down and winning with a strong defensive effort here. I had this one at 128 points. Take the under. 

*5 Star NCAA BB Late Night TOP Play BAILOUT* The Utah Utes tried to push the tempo early in the season. The coaching staff decided after a while they weren't too happy with the results of the faster paced games from Utah, and now Utah has gone back to stalling. 

Here are some numbers to point out the massive difference in Utah's tempo of late. In the non-conference slate, Utah was taking about 17.6 seconds to take a shot on average. In conference play, they are taking 20 seconds on average to put up a shot. That's a very big difference when you consider the amount of possessions that reduces for the game as a whole. 

Cal is without star guard Tyrone Wallace right now, and the Golden Bears have played much slower without him in the lineup as well. The Golden Bears are number one in the nation in two point defensive field goal percentage. Utah is the number one ranked team in terms of defensive efficiency in Pac 12 play.

The first meeting between these two finished at 129 points. I think this one goes similarly. Take the under. TOP RATED selection. 

*3 Star NBA Total DOMINATION* The Cleveland Cavs really want to push the tempo more under new Coach Ty Lue. This is a great opportunity to do it against a Phoenix Suns team that loves to run, and can't play any defense.

Phoenix ranks 28th out of 30 NBA teams in defensive efficiency. I suspect the Cavs defensive efficiency will drop in the coming weeks while they work on this new style of play. Cleveland had a very high scoring game against Minnesota last time out, and Minnesota doesn't play nearly as fast as Phoenix. 

The total is pretty high here, but it is high for a reason. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total Value* The St. John's Red Storm are playing at the single fastest tempo of anyone in the Big East. Seton Hall is playing at the third fastest tempo. Seton Hall has recently shown they want to run with anyone who will run with them, and St. John's is going to run here.

St. John's has picked up their pace a lot since center and defensive star Yankuba Sima went down with an injury. Their games have been playing at a pace of 75 possessions lately. If we see that many possessions here, and I think we will, it will take some very bad shooting numbers to keep this one under the total.

The over is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings between these two. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Bowling Green Falcons offense has improved drastically in recent weeks. They have started shooting the ball much better from three-point range, and they are also getting a lot of trips to the free throw line.

Western Michigan is working to push the tempo more this season. Coach Hawkins has Thomas Wilder in the lineup as often as possible in effort to get the Broncos to get up and down the court and score in transition more often. Bowling Green has typically been allowing their opponent to dictate the tempo this year.

Both of these teams get to the line a lot and both do foul more than the average team in the MAC. In a game that should be close, free throws should be a key to leading to this one going over the posted total. Take the over. 

*4 Star NFC Championship CRUSHER* The Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers meet in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday night. I'm looking forward to this one. There are some great playmakers on offense in this game. Cam Newton has been amazing this year, and Stewart is underrated as a running back. 

Carson Palmer has been great all year and the Cardinals have a ton of weapons in the passing game. The Carolina secondary has allowed more big plays late in the season, and that's where Arizona can beat them. I expect Arizona to be able to bust several long plays.

Arizona's defense is banged up now, and Carolina has been great at breaking long runs and mixing in the passing game when needed. Also, both of these defenses have scored a lot this year, and some defensive or special teams touchdowns here wouldn't be a big surprise. 

This is a matchup of the number one and number two scoring offenses in the NFL. A back and forth game. The over is 10-4 in the Panthers last 14 playoff games. The over is 5-1 in Arizona's last 6 playoff games. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Indiana State Sycamores and the Evansville Purple Aces don't get many chances to play at the tempo they want to in the Missouri Valley Conference. These are the two fastest paced teams in the league, but most teams look to slow the game down in this league. When they meet, they get the chance to play in transition. The first meeting this year finished under the total because of some ridiculously bad shooting numbers. The pace there was very quick. With normalized shooting numbers, this one would be much higher. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* The St. John's Red Storm have picked up the pace in a big way of late. Also, their best defensive player, center Yankuba Sima, is out with an injury. Marquette likes to play at a quick tempo. The first game between these two this year was at a pace of 78 possessions, which is extremely quick. The final there was 81-75. I see some value on the over here with two teams who are pushing the issue consistently. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play on Under* I waited on this one for a long time. I've wanted to play the under, but figured the line would go up, and it finally has. I wanted the key number of 45, and now we have it. This is not a big play, but I do believe it has some value here. The Broncos will have to slow the game down and run the ball a lot to win here. New England's defense is underrated this year, and the Broncos offense isn't going to be able to do much down the field. Take the under. 

*5 Star TOP Play Totals CRUSHER* The Iowa Hawkeyes and the Purdue Boilermakers are two excellent teams this year. Iowa went to West Lafayette and had a big come from behind victory earlier this year. Purdue will want to get revenge here. Purdue is raked 5th in the nation in defensive efficiency. Iowa is ranked 15th in the nation in defensive efficiency. 

This game means a lot to both teams and I think we'll see an average or slightly slower than average tempo. Purdue has drastically slowed their pace in their last few games, and the first meeting between these two played to just 66 possessions. With average shooting numbers and a similar tempo, that projects the score to about 137 or 138 points. 

The under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings. Take the under. TOP RATED Selection.

*4 Star NCAA BB Early Bird Special* The Mercer Bulldogs are tremendous at controlling the pace of the game. Mercer is playing at the sixth slowest pace in the country. Western Carolina has been a team that has played to the tempo of their opponent for the last few years. Last year, when these two teams got together, both games finished with a total of 112 points. With the new rules in place, this one should be a bit higher, but I see it staying in the 120's. A close game here with the pace keeping this low scoring. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The UTEP Miners do play fast, but they aren't good on offense and they have the best defense in the conference. FIU is looking to slow the pace down a lot. FIU struggles on offense on the road. UTEP should get the win here, and I think their defense will slow down FIU enough for this to stay under the posted total. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* Montana is a really unique team in the Big Sky because they actually play some very good defense. The rest of the conference just runs and guns (outside of Weber State who is also good defensively). The Grizzlies do a great job making the opposition play their style of basketball. Eastern Washington plays much slower than they did a year ago. This total is four points higher than I projected it. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Washington State Cougars have been pushing the tempo a bunch more in their recent games. Washington State is awful on defense. They are dead last in the Pac 12 in defensive efficiency by a wide margin. Colorado has shown in recent games that they are glad to run and gun when given the opportunity. Colorado should put up a lot of points here, and Washington State scores a lot at home. Based on the recent tempo increases from these two teams, I made this total 156. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* 

*3 Star Play Over* The Elon Phoenix do a great job dictating the tempo of the game. Elon is at home here and I think we'll see a fast paced game. The first meeting between these two finished at 152 at James Madison. The shooting numbers from 3 were ugly there. I think this one gets into the mig 150's. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Over* The Southern Utah Thunderbirds have an atrocious defense. In a Big Sky Conference where defense is terrible across the board, their defense is the second worst in the conference. North Dakota found their shooting stroke last game, and they should shoot it well here too. North Dakota plays very quickly and the tempo should be very fast throughout this game. I think this line is at least 4 points too low. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Louisiana Monroe Warhawks have been a very good under team in the past few years. Their offense isn't very good, and their defense is great. They slow the game down and make their opponent play at a pace they aren't comfortable. South Alabama's offense is really inefficient, and I see the Warhawks getting ahead and then using up the clock in the second half. I had this one at 128. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* The College of Charleston has had to change their gameplan now that Canyon Berry their leading scorer is out for the rest of the year. They have decided to stall in a big way and try to win low scoring games. Last game against Towson the final score was 40-37. Yes, you read that correctly.

Delaware has been playing to the pace of their opponents of late, and that should mean C of C will dictate a very slow pace here. None of C of C's recent games have gotten close to this total. Take the under here. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Citadel plays faster than any other team in the country. They have had a bunch of games higher than this total. East Tennessee State has shown they will play quick with very fast paced teams (103-90 against Green Bay earlier in the year). East Tennessee State shoots it very well, and the Citadel's defense is awful. I've never played this high of an over in college basketball, but this number is extremely high for a reason. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Over* The Florida State Seminoles are really pushing the tempo this year. Florida State has a great guard in Rathan-Mayes. Pittsburgh's defense is struggling badly in the conference, but the Panthers shoot the ball very well. Look for the shooting percentages here to be high enough to get this one past this posted total. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Over* These are two of the very worst defenses in the country. In fact, Northern Colorado rates 351st out of 351 teams in defensive efficiency. Just awful. Northern Arizona is 307th. The tempo should be quick with Northern Arizona pushing the issue. Northern Colorado shoots it well and that should keep them in the game. I had this one at 161. Take the over here. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Small School PROFITS* The Stony Brook Seawolves lost by a single point to Albany in the American East title game last year. Albany stormed back to win that game, and Stony Brook has to be anxious to get that taste of their mouth. Stony Brook is dominating with their great defense this year. The Seawolves are allowing opponents to score only 0.84 points per possession inside the conference, which is an amazing feat. 

Albany likes to stall as much as possible, and they know their best chance to win this game is to reduce the amount of possessions. These teams played three games last year. The final totals in those games were 111, 115, and 101 points. Take the under here. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The George Washington Colonials and Rhode Island Rams both prefer a slow tempo. George Washington ranks 307th out of 351 teams in the country in length of time taken before attempting a shot. Rhode Island ranks 346th out of 351 teams in that same statistic. There will need to be some high shooting percentages for this one to go over the total.

Rhode Island has slowed down their tempo by 3 possessions per game in conference play. This game is likely to be played at a 62 or 63 possessions pace, which makes this total a few points too high. 

This game is being played earlier than normal because of the impending snowstorm. In the long run, this kind of change generally helps the under.

The under is 5-2 in the last 7 games between these teams. Take the under. 

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Play Totals CRUSHER* The Louisiana Monroe Warhawks are a really good under team. They slow the tempo down. They shoot it poorly on offense. They defend extremely well, and they do so without fouling.

In this one, they'll be playing against a Troy team that has played relatively fast throughout the year, but they have shown signs of being able to be slowed down. Troy played low scoring games against both Arkansas Little Rock (128 points) and Texas State (123 points). 

Last year's two meetings between these teams finished at 117 points and 103 points (in overtime on this one). 

Louisiana Monroe has played five Sun Belt games and none of them have topped 133 points (that game went into overtime). The under is 18-7-1 in LA Monroe's last 26 home games. Take the under. TOP RATED play. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Northern Arizona Lumberjacks have been playing very quick this year. North Dakota has a history of playing quickly for the past few years, and they are doing the same this year. North Dakota is the second fastest paced team in the very quick Big Sky Conference. Northern Arizona is the third fastest team in the conference. 

The Big Sky Conference is known as a very high scoring conference, and this total is set a few points too low. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The LA Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns like to play very quickly. This is a team that is extremely aggressive on offense. Lafayette should get a lot of second chance opportunities against a South Alabama team that has struggled on the defensive glass of late. South Alabama and Lafayette met twice last year. The final totals in those games were 171 points and 174 points. That was before the rule changes to make games higher scoring. 

The over is 4-0 in Lafayette's last 4 vs. a team with a losing record. The over is 5-0 in their last 5 home games following a three or more game road trip. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 home games against South Alabama. The over is 7-0 in the last 7 games between these two teams. A 20-0 angle. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Under* The IPFW Mastadons are without their leading scorer for the rest of the year. Mo Evans was declared academically ineligible. IPFW is still a quality team, but this should hurt their ability to put up big numbers on offense. North Dakota State is great defensively, and they slow the game down a bunch. Both of the games last year between these teams had a very slow tempo. I had this one at 139. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total Value* The Bradley Braves and Illinois State Redbirds meet tonight. Bradley has proven they cannot shoot the ball. Bradley is by far the worst team in the country when it comes to points per possession. In the conference, Bradley is scoring about 0.71 points per possession. That's awful. Average in the country is about 1.04 points per possession. Illinois State should grab the lead here and then win this game with their defense. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Over* Both teams like to press and force the issue. This should be a game that moves at a very quick tempo and I see this one getting past this posted total. 

*3 Star Play Over* Notre Dame is so efficient on offense. They are the number one ranked offense in the country in terms of efficiency. Virginia Tech plays extremely quickly and they are much better on offense than they have been in the past. I think both teams will shoot a good percentage and I had this at 155. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* Fordham and George Mason have played a lot of teams that prefer to push the pace this year, and that has made them have higher scoring games than you would expect. Now that they get to play against another team that plays slowly, I like the chances of this one being a low scoring game. A slow tempo with both offenses using up the shot clock. Take the under. 

*4 Star National TV Total* The Xavier Musketeers have been underrated by many people this year. Xavier has a lot of balance, and they are much improved on the defensive end. While most focus on their offensive prowess, this is a team that has been very good on defense all year. Georgetown doesn't have many scoring options, and the Hoyas are unlikely to be able to consistently get good shots against this Xavier defense. Both teams have shown signs of slowing down in conference play.

The under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these two. The under is 4-0 in Georgetown's last 4 following a loss. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 vs. a team with a winning record. The under is 4-0 in Xavier's last 4 vs. a team with a winning record. A 16-0 angle. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total Value* These two teams played a game earlier this year that finished at 98 points. This one won't be that low, but I also don't see it reaching the posted total. East Carolina slows the game down a lot, and Tulsa is playing at a pace of 5 possessions slower per game in the conference than they did in the non-conference slate. Look for this one to be a close low scoring battle. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Ole Miss Rebels didn't play as quick early this season, but they have sped up their tempo a lot in the past month. Andy Kennedy's team seems to be more comfortable playing quickly and trying to score in transition. South Carolina is playing far faster this year than they have in the past, and I see this as a close game where both teams score a lot at the line and push it past this total. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Western Michigan Broncos have played to the pace of their opponent this year. Their coach recently said he would like his team to play more of an uptempo game. Here is there chance to do just that. Ohio plays at the fastest pace of anyone in the MAC. The Bobcats have several good long range shooters, and they are great at getting to the free throw line and scoring a lot of points from there. Both these teams foul more than the average team, so I see trips to the stripe contributing a lot here. 

The over is 7-0 in Ohio's last 7 conference games. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 games. The over is 6-0 in their last 6 following an ATS loss. A 17-0 angle. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Toronto Raptors have been better defensively at home than on the road. Brooklyn and Toronto both rank in the bottom ten in the NBA in terms of pace. Brooklyn ranks third from the bottom in the NBA in offensive efficiency (only the Lakers and the 76ers are worse). It's unlikely the Nets will put up many here, and this looks like a spot where Toronto is unlikely to push to blow out the Raptors. A favorable referee crew for the under also. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic meet on Monday late afternoon. This is a very odd scheduling spot in general. Orlando is playing in their first game since playing overseas a couple days ago. That should lead to some tired legs on Orlando's part. Atlanta is getting ready to play a tough schedule, and I think they'll let off the gas if they lead late in this one.

These early day games have generally been very favorable for unders in the past. Additionally, games played on the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday in the past ten years have stayed under 64% of the time. This is likely largely because there are a lot of different start times than normal and there is usually a bunch of teams playing that haven't had much rest lately.

The under is 16-5 in Orlando's last 21 following a game where they allowed 100 plus points. The under is 21-5 in the last 26 meetings in Atlanta between these teams. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Play of Day* The Monmouth Hawks are coming off a huge win at Iona. These two are rivals in the MAAC, and Monmouth went to Iona and put up 110 points in a massive win. Monmouth has been putting up huge point totals all year, and here they play against a Siena team that likes to run. Monmouth always wants to push the pace when they can, and in this one we get a lower number than I expected. Monmouth has scored at least 81 points in each of their last five games. Importantly, both of these teams are great at getting to the free throw line, and both of these teams also foul a lot on defense. There should be plenty of trips to the charity stripe in this one. Take the over. 

*4 Star NBA Early Bird Special* The under is 18-3-1 in the New Orleans Pelicans road games so far this year. In this one they are playing an early game against Memphis, who is definitely a team that wants to slow the tempo down whenever possible.

These early day games have generally been very favorable for unders in the past. Additionally, games played on the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday in the past ten years have stayed under 64% of the time. This is likely largely because there are a lot of different start times than normal and there is usually a bunch of teams playing that haven't had much rest lately.

Brian Forte is the main referee here and he is a good under referee. With the early start and expected tempo of this game, the value is with the under. Take the under here. 

*4 Star NBA Total PERFECTION* The Charlotte Hornets host the Utah Jazz in an early game on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the United States. This is a rare early Monday afternoon tipoff for these teams. These early day games have generally been very favorable for unders in the past. Additionally, games played on the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday in the past ten years have stayed under 64% of the time. This is likely largely because there are a lot of different start times than normal and there is usually a bunch of teams playing that haven't had much rest lately.

Utah plays at the slowest tempo in the NBA, and with Gobert back they have a great defender in the frontcourt. 

The under is 4-0 in Utah's last 4 vs. a team with a losing record. The under is 6-0 in their last 6 following a win. The under is 5-0 in their last 5 after scoring 100 points or more last game. The under is 5-0 in Charlotte's last 5 vs. a team with a losing record. The under is 4-0 in Charlotte's last 4 vs. the NBA Northwest. The under is 5-0 in their last 5 following an ATS loss. The under is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings between these two. A 34-0 angle. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Play of Day* The Utah Utes experimented with playing quicker early in the season. It didn't work very well, so the team is back to slowing the game down. Utah was playing at almost 70 possessions per game in the non-conference slate, but they are down to 64 possessions per game in the conference. That's a big difference, and I don't think that's priced in accurately in this number. 

Oregon State is playing quicker than they did last year, and they are a better offense, but this is still a team that likes to play in halfcourt sets more often than not. Last year's meeting between these two was a ridiculous 47-37 game. This one won't be like that, but I think this number is several points too high.

Both teams were thumped in their last game, and I think that means they'll come out ready to play some strong defense in this matchup. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Colorado Buffaloes and Oregon Ducks are much different teams than they were just one year ago. Both of these teams are far better on defense this season, and both of them have slowed down their tempo in a big way in Pac 12 Conference action thus far. 

Oregon is actually playing at a pace slightly lower than the national average in league play. Colorado is right around the league average. Both of these teams are in the top 35 in the nation in defensive efficiency. Open looks will be tough to come by in this one.

The under is 4-0 in Oregon's last 4 games. The under is 6-0 in their last 6 Sunday games. The under is 6-0 in their last 6 Pac 12 games. A 16-0 angle. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Early Bird Special* The Manhattan Jaspers aren't a deep team, and I think that's the reason they have decided to slow the tempo down in the past few games. Manhattan pressures the ball a lot on defense, and they are whistled for a lot of fouls. Because of that, their bench was getting very thin. On two different occasions this year, they almost had to finish the game with less than five players. Manhattan has slowed things down in the last couple weeks. Niagara is playing much better defense this year, and they are also one of the worst offensive teams in the country. The first meeting a couple weeks ago was sloppy and the final was 55-53. This will likely be higher than that, but I think it stays under.

The under is 26-9 in Niagara's last 35 Sunday games. The under is 7-3-1 in the last 11 meetings between these teams. Take the under here. 

*3 Star NFL 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks meet in a rematch of a terrific game from earlier this year. Carolina went to Seattle and beat the Seahawks in shocking fashion with a late comeback victory. 

Seattle's defense didn't play well early in the season, but they are definitely playing well now. The Seahawks defense rates number one in the NFL in the past month. They are first in the NFL against the run, and Carolina is dependent on running the ball a bunch.

Carolina's defense is ranked number four when it comes to stopping the run. Seattle is definitely a run first team. The Panthers should make them work hard for yardage here. 

A cool day with a slight chance of rain mixed with snow is in the forecast for Sunday afternoon in Charlotte. 

The under is 5-0 in Seattle's last 5 games. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 following a win. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 after allowing less than 15 points last game.  The under is 4-0 in their last 4 after allowing 250 yards or less last game. The under is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings between these two in Carolina. A 22-0 angle. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Late Night Totals MONEY* The Weber State Wildcats are one of two teams in the Big Sky Conference that play very good defense (Montana the other). Weber State should have value as an under team against most opponents in the conference because of this. Sacramento State is a team that plays to the tempo of their opponent. Weber State usually slows the game down. I think this line is a few points too high. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* The Portland State Vikings prefer to play very quickly, and they'll get a chance to play at a quick pace when they take on Idaho State in this one. Idaho State has played faster than anyone else in the Big Sky Conference in league play so far. The Bengals were previously a slow paced team, so I think there is still value here as the oddsmakers are a little slow to adjust on things like this. Both defenses are terrible here. I had 156 in this one. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Tennessee State Tigers have been a good under team this year. This team has committed itself to playing hard on the defensive end this year, and the results have been great. Murray State is much worse on offense than last year, as they lost their top three offensive players from last year's team. Expect a close game here between two solid defenses. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Bradley Braves have the worst field goal percentage of any team in the country. Missouri State isn't any good on offense either. This should be one of the ugliest games of the day, and I think that means it will stay under the posted total. There's nothing entertaining about this game, but I still see value on the under. Take the under here. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Wright State Raiders are great at controlling the pace of the game. Youngstown State has played a bunch of games that have gone well over this total lately, but that has been against teams like Oakland and Detroit. There's a big difference here. I see Wright State winning and slowing the game down. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* FIU and Southern Miss are two teams that really play at a slow pace. Southern Miss has one of the worst offenses in the nation and FIU isn't much better on offense. This projects as a really ugly game to watch, but one where the total is posted a few points too high. I had this one at 126 points. Take the under here. 

*3 Star Play Over* Both teams here shoot a bunch of free throws, and with the new rules this year, that has often meant games that finish over the total. I see a close game here which helps as well. Both teams prefer to run when they can, and they'll have that opportunity here. Take the over in this one. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Oklahoma State Cowboys have been great at playing a halfcourt game this year. They slow it down and look to win with their defense. Oklahoma State has to do that because they are without their best shooter, Phil Forte, who is injured. Texas is playing slowly most of the time, and I see a slow tempo for this game. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Texas State Bobcats are a strong defensive team who stalls throughout the game and looks to win a low scoring contest. Troy isn't very good, and I don't see them hitting a high percentage of their shots against this defense. The two games last year were both low scoring. I see the same happening here. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* Louisiana Monroe has done a great job controlling the tempo against everyone they have played this year. The Warhawks are unlikely to allow Georgia Southern to get into transition. Georgia Southern has actually slowed things down significantly inside the conference, so I don't think this will end up being a pace war. I had this one at 132. Take the under. 

*3 Star NFL Pats/Chiefs Total DOMINATION* The Kansas City Chiefs offense still isn't good. Alex Smith is a game manager and the running game is important to their success. New England has done a solid job of stopping the run this year, and they will sell out to stop the run here. Jeremy Maclin is questionable and if he plays he will be at less than 100 percent. Maclin is the Chiefs best playmaker and without him being healthy, I don't see Kansas City scoring much here. 

New England has a lot of question marks on offense. Edelman will play, but is less than 100 percent. Gronkowski is listed as questionable. I think he plays, but he is likely less than 100 percent too. While the Pats should have some success on offense, this Chiefs defense has played exceptionally down the stretch.

Heavy rain is in the forecast for early Saturday afternoon here. The rain will likely be letting up during the game, but the field will be sloppy and a 10 to 12 mph wind will hurt the passing games a bit. 

Take the under. 

*5 Star TOP Play Totals CRUSHER* I had a 5 star top play on the under the first time these two teams played, and I'm taking the under for a top play again here. The under cashed in last time by a couple points. It was a very low scoring game that blew up late (43 points in last 7 minutes) due to a major foul fest at the end of the game. 

East Carolina's offense has been unable to get anything going on the road in Conference USA action, and I think that will happen again here. Both teams are better defensively than they were a year ago. Both teams have slowed their tempo down quite a bit as well. I see a slow tempo and a game that stays under the total. I had this one projected at 133 points. Take the under. TOP RATED Play

*3 Star Play Under* The MTSU Blue Raiders played quicker in the non-conference slate, but they have started to slow back down to the tempo they used to play inside the conference. Old Dominion is a good under team with a very slow tempo and a great defense. I lost with Old Dominion's under last time out, but that was solely because of overtime. You can't predict things like overtime, and I see this one being low scoring all the way. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* The two meetings between these two teams last year finished at 96 points and 102 points. Am I suggesting this year's game will be that low? Of course not. I do believe it will fall under this posted total though. Drexel and Towson are the two slowest paced teams in the CAA. When these two get together I expect a sloppy game (both offenses are inefficient) and a very slow tempo. I had this one at 126 points. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* Northern Iowa is a big favorite here, and the thing I like best about taking unders with Northern Iowa is they are great at taking the air out of the ball once they have the lead. I have many times watched this team simply hold the ball near halfcourt until almost the end of the shot clock and then take a long three when they have the lead. Loyola plays very slowly too, and this should be a game with a very slow tempo. Take the under here. 

*4 Star Play Over* The Georgia State Panthers have played a lot of teams that slow the tempo down this year. Louisiana Lafayette isn't one of those teams. The Ragin' Cajuns push the pace in a big way and they are terrible on defense. Georgia State's weakness is defensive rebounding, and LA Lafayette should be able to take advantage of that. In last year's meetings, one tied this total and one went way over. With the new rules this year, I see this sailing over. Take the over. 

*4 Star Late Night BAILOUT Total* The Stanford Cardinal have totally changed the way they play this year. Stanford was a team that like to push the ball and score in transition in the past, but now they like to slow the game down and win low scoring games. Cal flirted with playing quickly in the non-conference slate, but the Golden Bears tempo has been much slower in recent weeks. This is a big rivalry game where both teams usually bring a good defensive effort. I had this one at 130. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Northern Arizona Lumberjacks offense has been awful all year, and Idaho's defense is much improved this year. Northern Arizona plays relatively fast, but they are very inefficient. Idaho is slowing the game down and looking to win with defense. Idaho is the home team here and they have consistently been playing games under this total. Take the under. 

*3 Star WCC Total* The Santa Clara Broncos have been pretty bad on offense all year. They take too many poor shots, and the Broncos rely far too much on Jared Brownridge. Pepperdine has been one of the best defensive teams in the WCC the last few years, and they should be again this year. They slowed down St. Mary's last game. I think this stays in the upper 120's. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total Value* The Northern Colorado Bears play some really bad defense, but they don't like to push the tempo. Montana is the best defensive team in the Big Sky Conference, and they slow it down more than any other team in the conference. With the pace I expect here, this is a really high number. Montana has shown that they will slow the game down after grabbing a lead, and with them being favored here, I like the chances of this staying under the total. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Tennessee State Tigers are a much better team this year, and it's all because they have been a lot better on the defensive end. Not many teams in the Ohio Valley Conference play strong defense, but Tennessee State is doing it this year. Austin Peay doesn't run as much as they have in the past, and they will likely struggle to get their offense going in this one. I think 134 is where this number should be. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Over* The Marshall Thundering Herd can force the issue as well as anyone in the country. Marshall hasn't played a single game that finished with a total lower than 140 this year. That's really impressive when you consider they have played several teams that really try to stall and slow the game down. North Texas isn't one of those teams though, and I see the Mean Green running and gunning right along with Marshall. These are two bad defenses and with a ton of tempo, I see a very high scoring game. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Rider Broncs slow the game down more than any other team in the MAAC. Marist is a poor team that generally plays to the pace of their opponent. Marist and Rider both have miserable offenses that have been shooting some ugly percentages from the floor of late. Both of their games last year went under this total, and both offenses are even worse than they were last season. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The North Dakota Fighting Hawks host this one, and North Dakota will push the tempo as they always do. Montana State is one of the worst defensive teams in the country. North Dakota has had offensive woes on the year overall, but against Montana State they should do just fine on offense. Montana State shoots it well from three and that should keep them in the game. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The UAB Blazers shot better than 70 percent from the floor in their win over Old Dominion last year. The Monarchs have heard all about that as well as their poor defensive performance last game against Southern Miss, and that should mean we get a strong defensive effort from ODU in this one. They have been one of the slowest paced teams and one of the best defenses in the country this year. UAB has slowed down significantly compared to last year. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* The James Madison Dukes control the tempo very well. Northeastern is a team that has slowed down the tempo for many years as well. Northeastern is good at defending without fouling, which should limits the Dukes trips to the charity stripe here. With a slow tempo and fewer than average fouls, it would take some very high shooting numbers to beat this total. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Late Night Total* The Nevada Wolfpack have played 7 straight games that have gone over the posted total. There are two primary reasons for this trend. The first is Nevada has really picked up the pace this year under Coach Musselman. The second reason is Nevada is fouling like crazy. Opponents are racking up points at the line at a ridiculous rate. Wichita State actually shot 62 free throws against Nevada. That number is really mind boggling. Boise State is good at getting to the line, and they shoot 71.3% from the stripe. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB AAC Total* The Cincinnati Bearcats have been a massive under team in the last few years. The under is a whopping 66-27 in their last 93 games overall. Houston is playing improved defense and Kelvin Sampson's team should make it tough on Cincinnati to score much. Houston has been good on the offensive end this year, but they haven't played many teams that will challenge them physically on the defensive end. That changes tonight when they take on Cincinnati. Take the under here.