*3 Star Play Under* The George Washington Colonials play some tremendous defense. That is the primary reason they have been able to win some big games this year. George Washington was competitive against Virginia and pulled off a big upset over Wichita State. Richmond is one of the slowest paced teams in the nation. The Spiders are going to do their best to slow the game down, and I don't see Richmond putting up many points here. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Western Carolina Catamounts and Eastern Tennessee Bucs have both been showing signs of slowing down their tempo in recent weeks. They had a very high scoring game against each other earlier this year, which made this total be set at a high number. I think the value is with the under in this one as both offenses slow things down. Look for a game that stays in the 140's. Take the under. 

*3 Star NBA Late Night BAILOUT* The Portland Blazers are the third best defense in the NBA in terms of efficiency. Many see them as a run and gun team because they have a couple great scorers in Lillard and Aldridge, but that really isn't the Blazers style this year. Portland and Los Angeles both play at the NBA league average tempo, and this total is set at 208 points, which is a number we usually only see when two teams who really push the tempo play against each other. 

The under is 4-0-1 in the Clippers last 5 Wednesday games. The under is 4-0 in the Clippers last 4 following an ATS loss. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 after allowing 100 points or more. The under is 3-0-1 in the Blazers last 4. A 15-0 angle. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Over* The UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans both like to push the tempo at every opportunity. These two teams played two really high scoring games that went far past this total last season. USC is a little better than last year, and UCLA can still score against poor defenses like USC's. Look for a relatively close game where both teams get to the line often. I had this one set at 147 points. Take the over in this battle for Los Angeles. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Creighton Blue Jays are a totally different team this year. Without Doug McDermott and most of their elite scorers from last year, Creighton is slowing the tempo down in a big way this year. Marquette is short handed and likes to slow the game down as well. The tempo of this game should be very slow. My numbers made this total 126 points. Look for a lot of the shot clock running down in this one. Take the under. 

*3 Star NBA Totals TKO* The Orlando Magic played a very high scoring game in Chicago, but if you look at the long-term trends for this team, Orlando is not a team that is involved in many high scoring contests. Houston has the second ranked defense in the NBA. Orlando's offensive efficiency is near the bottom of the NBA. The referee crew here is a very favorable one. Two of the three here are terrific under refs, and Haywoode Workman has consistently been one of the very best every year. The under is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings between these two. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Western Michigan Broncos have a good offense and a really bad defense. They also get to the line a lot and can rack up the points very quickly at the line. Ball State is one of the fastest paced teams in the MAC, so they'll push the tempo here. The Cardinals defense is also bad. When I see two bad defenses and a pace that should be quick, I want the over. I had this number at 139 points. Take the over in this one. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Boston College Eagles have wanted to slow the tempo down for the past few years, but this is the first year they have put forth much effort on the defensive end. Harvard is a terrific defensive team, and the Crimson certainly prefer a halfcourt game as well. These two are rivals and I think the defenses will be in prime form tonight as they bring their best effort to try to knock off a hated team. I had this number at 118. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The VMI Keydets play faster than any other team in the country. They are number one ranked in tempo out of 351 teams, and second place isn't very close to them either. UNC Greensboro has always been a team that prefers to run under Coach Wes Miller. The Spartans defense is among the very worst in the country. VMI should put up a really big number here, and the pace of the game will allow the Spartans to put up a relatively big one too. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Bradley Braves are a bad basketball team, but winning on the road in the Missouri Valley Conference is very difficult. Northern Iowa has struggled on offense in some of their road tests this year. Bradley's offense is one of the worst in the country. Northern Iowa plays at a pace of 59 possessions per game, third slowest in the nation (out of 351 teams). Bradley isn't much faster. This game should be played at an extremely slow tempo. While this total is set low, I had the number at 108. Take the under. 

*3 Star NBA Play of Day* The Indiana Pacers are finally getting back to what they do well, and that is play some terrific defense. Indiana started the season with a bunch of injuries, and that seemed to mess with their defensive chemistry. Lately, this team has been much better on the defensive end. Indiana likes to slow the tempo down, and Minnesota's offense is just dreadful. In fact, these two teams are two of the four least efficient offenses in the country. With two inefficient offenses and one very good defense, this total is a bit high. Marc Davis is one of the best under refs in the business, and he's one of the refs in this game. Take the under. 

*4 Star NBA Play of Day* The Los Angeles Clippers and Miami Heat tip off at 12:35 pm local time for this one. I've always liked playing the early Sunday unders. These players aren't used to starting early in the day, and on a Saturday night in Los Angeles there is certainly a chance some of these players were out late. You'll often see less than 100 percent effort in these types of games. The referee crew here is favorable for the under. Miami plays at the slowest pace of anyone in the NBA. The under is 6-0 in Miami's last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. The under is 5-0 in Miami's last 5 Sunday games. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Over* The Pacific Tigers have an awful defense. Every decent opponent that has squared off against them has shot a good percentage. St. Mary's always has some good outside shooters, and this year is no different. I look for St. Mary's to have an extremely efficient offensive performance here. Both meetings between these two last year were more than 20 points above this total. Take the over. 

*4 Star NBA Total DOMINATION* The Portland Trail Blazers are playing great defense this year. It would surprise most people to learn that the Blazers are currently the third best in the NBA in defensive efficiency. Portland also has slowed down their pace of play. They rank 15th out of 30 in the league in tempo. Orlando is one of the 5 slowest paced teams in the league. Orlando also has the second least efficient offense in the league (only the 76ers are worse). The Magic's terrible offense combined with Portland's strong defense should mean the Magic don't put up many points here. The Blazers are dinged up right now and likely just want out of this one with a win. 

The under is 39-16 in the Magic's last 55 road games. The under is 4-1 in the Blazers last 5 home games. Take the under. 

*3 Star NFL Play of the Week* The Seattle Seahawks defense is the best in the league, and it's not even close. Seattle doesn't have a weakness on defense. This Seahawks defense is tremendous against both the run and the pass. They are playing their best football down the stretch. Seattle has held five of their last six opponents to seven points or less! Carolina's offense hasn't been consistent this year, and I don't trust Cam Newton to play well in Seattle against a defense this talented. 

The Panthers defense was ranked number one in the NFL in total defense most of last year. They started this year struggling badly, but Carolina's defense has really picked up their play of late. In their last 4 games they are allowing only 10.75 points per game. Seattle's offense is good, but they aren't excellent. They have been held down by several good defenses this year.

Both teams love to run the football, so the clock should keep ticking away in this one. This total is set low, but it's certainly not ridiculously low. I think there's a good chance both offenses struggle to find the end zone much at all in this game. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Tempo Total* The Hofstra Pride have picked up the pace a lot under their new coach from last year. He has a long history of forcing the tempo and Elon won't want to slow it down. In fact, Elon uses a full court press to try to create easy opportunities. These two teams push the issue more than anyone else in the conference, so this one sets up well for an over. Look for the tempo to lead this one over the posted total. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* SIU Edwardsville is a much improved team. They showed me a lot in their close loss to Belmont earlier this week. Edwardsville has a lot of good athletes who can shoot it well from long range. Tennessee State is a really bad team, and they have typically just been playing to the pace of their opponent. Look for Edwardsville to put up a pretty big number here. The pace should be quick enough to get this over a low total. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Valparaiso Crusaders and Cleveland State Vikings played twice last year and the final totals of those games were 119 points and 115 points. Both teams are very similar to last year, and their pace of play has actually slowed just a bit. These are two teams who generally play pretty solid defense. I had this total at 123 points. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB TV Total* The West Virginia Mountaineers and Iowa State Cyclones should put on quite a show on Saturday night. Both of these teams have a very high upside, and they both have tremendous offensive firepower. The Mountaineers are using full court pressure to get easy buckets in transition. Iowa State has a force on the inside in Niang and the Cyclones have several outside shooters as well. I had this one at 153 points. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Over* The Dayton Flyers lost their big men a few weeks ago after they were kicked off the team for off the court problems. Since that time, Dayton has picked up the tempo because they need to utilize their speed and skill in the backcourt. Fordham is always willing to run and gun, and Fordham is terrible on the defensive end. Jon Severe is back for Fordham and he'll help their offense run more smoothly. I had 135 here. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Over* Getting some value on the over here because IPFW played such a low scoring game last time out. That was against the Denver Pioneers though, and Denver plays slower than any other team in the league. South Dakota likes to run, and I expect the tempo here to be pretty quick. Both teams have a couple very good scorers. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Over* These two teams just played a week ago, with the final score going four points over the posted total. I think that game was a good indicator of what should happen here as far as the total. These two teams both play bad halfcourt defense, so there should be a lot of easy buckets on both ends. Manhattan presses full court and gets a lot of turnovers and also fouls out. Plenty of scoring opportunities. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Davidson Wildcats are great at pushing the pace and scoring efficiently. They are even better offensively on their home floor, and they are home for this game. Davidson should outclass a St. Louis team that is far worse than they have been in recent years. The Billikens will attempt to slow the game down early, but once they get behind they'll be forced to play more at Davidson's tempo. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Over* The Arizona State Sun Devils and the Oregon Ducks are both teams built around their offenses. Both teams can bomb away from long distance, so expect to see a lot of made three-point field goals in this one. The tempo should be quick as both teams prefer to run when given the opportunity. I had this number at 141 points. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Over* The William & Mary Tribe are a team I like to back the over with because they are so efficient on offense. Their totals are usually set low because they play relatively slowly, but their efficient offense and poor defense usually make up for that. James Madison doesn't have a good defense, so they will likely give up a lot of easy buckets here. This number is too low. Take the over. 

*3 Star Louisville/UNC Total* The North Carolina Tar Heels and Louisville Cardinals both love to run. The only reason this total isn't higher is because both teams also play excellent defense. The reason I like this play is I believe both coaches know their offenses aren't very good in the halfcourt, and we'll see a lot more transition baskets in this one. The tempo here should be lightning quick. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Towson Tigers and Northeastern Huskies are both teams that like to slow the game down and win with ball control and defense. Towson's offense is atrocious this year. The Towson Tigers have consistently only been able to score in the halfcourt when they get offensive rebounds, unfortunately for them the strength of this Northeastern team is grabbing defensive boards. Without second chance opportunities, I can't see Towson scoring many points here. The tempo of the game makes this a strong play. I had this one at 118 points. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Buffalo Bulls have done a really nice job getting their opponents to play at their pace of late. Buffalo is running and scoring in transition as often as possible. Western Michigan's offense is very efficient, and their defense is among the worst in the league. I had this one at 147 points. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Under Radar Total* The Wagner Seahawks and Robert Morris Colonials get a rare national TV game tonight. It's always nice for programs like this to get some television time, and I think both teams will be excited for this one. Wagner and Robert Morris both like to play with lots of tempo, and this should be an up and down type of game. Wagner has also fouled more than any other team in the nation (351 teams). Robert Morris has an efficient offense, and the Colonials haven't been good on defense this year. Wagner's defense is terrible in the paint, which should allow for plenty of layups. Bad defense and lots of tempo. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Late Night MONEY* The UTEP Miners have typically been a team that slows the game down a lot, but this year they are playing much faster than they have been. Louisiana Tech is a team that wants to play fast all the time, and the Bulldogs will absolutely want to use their full court zone press to speed this game up. This number is set as if UTEP was still playing the stall ball method that they used a couple years ago. I set this one at 145 points. 

The over is 4-0 in LA Tech's last 4 road games. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 vs. a team with a win percentage of 60% or higher. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 road games vs. a team with a winning record. A 12-0 angle. Take the over. 

*5 Star TOP Play Total* The Texas State Bobcats have a coach that wants to slow the tempo down at all times. How good are they at slowing the game down? Texas State has played a 40-36 game as well as a 57-26 game this year. The Bobcats will control the tempo at home here. Arkansas Little Rock was previously a team that liked to get out in transition, but they are now playing much slower. Neither offense is efficient so I don't think the shooting numbers here will be particularly high. I had this one at a whopping seven points below the total at 116 points. Take the under big! 

*4 Star Play Over* The Elon Phoenix play at the fastest tempo of any team in the CAA. They also use a full court press to do their best to dictate the pace of the game. William & Mary is probably the best team in the CAA, and the Tribe can score points in a hurry. William & Mary shoots the ball very well. Elon does force a lot of turnovers though, and I see them scoring some easy buckets off the press. The fact that these teams have never seen each other in the past (Elon is new to the league) helps this one a lot. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* The UTSA Roadrunners do like to play fast as their nickname would imply. Southern Miss is a really bad team this year, and they have typically let their opponent pick the style of play. Southern Miss does have some good shooters though, and UTSA's defense is among the worst in the entire country. Expect plenty of trips to the line for both teams in this one, and with a total set at this mark the value is on the over. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* The UIC Flames like to try to speed up the tempo of the game, and they also have a really bad defense. Valparaiso is the best team in the Horizon League, and the Crusaders should be able to score a lot of points here. I don't think this game will be very close, but it's a game where Valpo could put up 75 points or more. With a low total here, I'm taking the over. 

*4 Star Play NCAA BB Totals TKO* The MTSU Blue Raiders have been extremely consistent at keeping the game low scoring this year. None of their games have gone past 126 points in regulation this year. That's an amazing stat this deep into the year. FIU has slowed their pace down by three possessions per game this year. They will be glad to play a slow game that is defense oriented like MTSU does. This looks like a sloppy game all the way with both teams finishing in the 50's. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Mercer Bears are a defense oriented team. Mercer slows the game down and wins with ball control and defense. While Mercer's record this year isn't impressive, the Bears should be very competitive in league play. Mercer scheduled up in non-conference action. East Tennessee State has a good offense, but they have piled up a bunch of points against some very bad defenses this year. Five of the last six meetings between these two teams have stayed under this posted total. I had this one at 135. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Over* The Delaware Blue Hens won the CAA tournament and made it to the NCAA Tournament last year. That was then, and now Delaware has what is probably the worst team in the league. Delaware's defense hasn't been able to stop anyone, and UNC Wilmington plays at an extremely fast tempo. I think Wilmington will control the tempo here and in a game with tons of possessions on both sides, I have to take the over at a number this low. I had this one at 137 points. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Drexel Dragons offense has been downright awful in recent games. Despite the fact they have played against teams who normally give up quite  a few points, Drexel's shooting numbers have been terrible. The Dragons always play at a slow tempo, and this year Towson is playing even slower than them. Towson's only method of scoring in most games this year has been offensive rebounds and free throws. Drexel is good at defensive rebounding and not fouling so that should help keep this one low scoring. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Denver Pioneers play at a very slow pace, but they also shoot the ball extremely well and play virtually no defense. That makes them a unique team that stalls, but still has some relatively high scoring games. IPFW was the league favorite, but they have started the season slowly with their top scorer being dinged up. Steve Forbes, their top scorer, is getting healthy again now, and I think IPFW can put up points on a bad Denver defense that sends opponents to the line a lot. I had this one at 136 points. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Total Value* The VMI Keydets have played one game all year that went below 140 points. VMI plays at the single fastest tempo of any team in the nation. While Wofford doesn't exactly play fast, it should be noted that they are playing much faster than they did last year. Wofford's offense is also very efficient, and I think they'll shred up this weak VMI defense. Take the over here. 

*3 Star NBA Play of Day* The Golden State Warriors are well known for their amazing offense, but not enough people give them credit for the defense they play. Golden State is easily number one in the NBA in defensive efficiency. Steve Kerr has this team very committed on the defensive end of the court. Indiana struggled a bit defensively early this year, but the Pacers have gotten much better as they have gotten healthier in recent weeks. The Pacers won't want to run with Golden State, so they should slow the tempo down quite a bit here. The referee crew for this game is very favorable for the under as well. Expect a strong defensive effort from both teams. I think this game stays below 200 points. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The DePaul Blue Demons haven't been pushing the tempo as much in recent games, and they have actually won two straight contests. They probably won't win this game, but I do think they stay away from running and gunning. Creighton's offense was so efficient last year with Doug McDermott and company, but this Blue Jays team doesn't have the same offensive ability. Creighton is slowing the game down more, and I think this total is lined too much like last year. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Air Force Falcons just lost their leading rebounder and top assists man in Kam Williams. Without him, Air Force will have even more trouble scoring than they have already had this season. Air Force plays at an extremely slow tempo, and San Jose State plays pretty slow as well. The Spartans have some of their players back from a suspension, but not all of them. This is a game where there probably won't even be 60 possessions for each team, and with two inefficient offenses I have to take the under here. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are playing very quickly under new head coach Danny Manning. Manning loves to use full court pressure to speed up the game. Louisville put up 85 points on them in their last game, and this Duke Blue Devils offense is much better than Louisville's. Duke is the number one offense in the nation, and I think they put up a big number here. Duke is more than happy to run with the kind of athleticism and depth they have this year. This one has a good chance of getting to 150, which makes it a nice value here. Take the over. 

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Play Total* The Eastern Michigan Eagles have picked up the pace considerably the last two years. Two years ago this team was averaging 60 possessions per game, and now they are at 66 possessions per game. Ball State got a new coach last year and he sped the Cardinals up a lot as well. Both games between these two teams went comfortably over this posted total last year. Both teams are great at getting to the line. With plenty of pace and a lot of free throws, a total set this low is a strong play for me. Take the over big! 

*3 Star Play Over* The LaSalle Explorers are a team that typically plays to the pace of their opponent. The pace of their opponent in this game is very quick. UMass has had a couple of rare games where they allow the opponent to slow the game down, but I don't think they make that mistake here. UMass and LaSalle played to a 146 point final score last year, and I think this one gets up around 140 as well. This one is a few points too low. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Xavier Musketeers started the season out playing quickly, but their tempo has slowed down drastically in the last few games. Xavier put up some big point totals early in the year against teams who were really bad on the defensive end of the court. That certainly isn't the case for Seton Hall. The Pirates are playing excellent defense this year. Seton Hall is without their top scorer Whitehead, and that has made them slow the game down more of late. I had this number at 133. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* The San Diego State Aztecs and New Mexico Lobos are actually very similar teams this year as far as their styles. Both teams prefer to slow the game down and win with their defense. This game should be played at a pace of 60 possessions or so, which is 6 possessions slower than the average game in college basketball. Obviously with fewer possessions there are less chances to score. Both of these teams lost their top scorers from last year too, and these offenses have been struggling in a big way. New Mexico has held 5 of their last 8 opponents to 55 points or less. San Diego State has held 5 of their last 8 opponents to 50 points or less. 

The under is 7-0 in New Mexico's last 7 games vs. a team with a winning record. The under is 7-0 in San Diego State's last 7 games vs. a team with a winning record. The under is 7-0 in the last 7 meetings between these two teams. The under is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings between these two at San Diego State. A 26-0 angle. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB NCAA  BB Totals TKO* The St. John's Red Storm have lost their last two games. The Villanova Wildcats lost their last game. These are two good teams who are very hungry to get back on track here. Both teams play at an average tempo, but these are two tremendous teams on the defensive end of the floor. Villanova held VCU to 53 points and Illinois to 59 points, and those are two high scoring offenses. Interestingly, both of those games were played at Madison Square Garden, where this game will be played. Shooting percentages are almost always lower than normal at MSG because of the really difficult shooting backdrops. I made this number 128 points. I like both teams to bring their best defensive effort tonight. Take the under. 

*4 Star NBA Total DOMINATION* It would probably surprise a lot of people to learn that Portland ranks third in the NBA in defensive efficiency. This Portland team is really playing well on the defensive end. Los Angeles has slowed the tempo down quite a bit in recent weeks, and Kobe Bryant will sit out this game for the Lakers. I think Los Angeles will have a lot of trouble scoring in this one. Portland should score a lot early, but they will likely take their foot off the gas later in the game. I think this line should have been 205 or so. Take the under. 

*3 Star NBA Totals TKO* This totally is a bit inflated. Dallas doesn't play particularly fast, and the Brooklyn Nets are all about slowing the game down and trying to win with defense with their new coaching staff. A total of 206 is usually reserved for two teams that will uptempo with very little defense. I don't see that as the case here. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Over* The William & Mary Tribe are so efficient on offense, and Drexel isn't the defensive-minded team that they used to be. This one should have a lot of points. Drexel has two elite scorers and William & Mary has three. This number is set too low. I had this one at 130. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Arizona Wildcats have changed the way they play this year. Sean Miller realizes that with the type of team they have, they need to speed things up and get their opponent on the defensive in transition. Arizona is so athletic that it will be hard for Arizona State to keep them out of the paint. Arizona State's offense has been very good this year, and the Sun Devils are playing quickly so far this year as well. I had this game set at 138 points. 

The over is 5-0 in Arizona State's last 5 vs. a team with a winning record. The over is 5-0 in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a home win percentage of 60% or higher. The over is 10-1 in Arizona State's last 11 road games. The over is 6-0 in Arizona's last 6 home games vs. a team with a win percentage of 40% or lower on the road. The over is 6-0 in Arizona's last 6 home games vs. a team with a losing road record. A 32-1 angle. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Northern Iowa Panthers and the Loyola Chicago Ramblers are actually quite similar teams. They are both extremely good at slowing the game down and winning with ball control. Both of them have played multiple games this year that stayed below 100 points. There won't be many turnovers here, but there will be a lot of the shot clock running below 10 seconds before a shot goes up. I had this one at 111. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders have played 12 games against Division I opponents this year. The highest total score in those games was 126 points. They have been under this total 11 of 12 times. UAB likes to play fast if they can, but they won't dictate the tempo against MTSU, and the UAB offense is very inefficient. This should be a sloppy game with MTSU's defense playing well. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Over* The Iona Gaels are great at dictating the tempo, and getting Siena to play fast is no difficult task with their new coach Jimmy Patsos at the helm. I made this number 167. Take the over. 

*3 Star NFL Play of the Week* The Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals meet in the WildCard round of the NFL playoffs. Andy Dalton hasn't won a playoff game yet, and he probably won't win one here either. I don't trust Dalton a bit to start with based on his history in big games, and now that A.J. Green has been declared out for this one, the Bengals offense will have to rely on the ground game. Jeremy Hill has been very good, and Cincinnati will likely get some yards on the ground here, but it's tough to be one-dimensional in the NFL. The Colts shutout the Bengals earlier this year, and you have to think they'll be prepared for a heavy dose of the ground game here. Andrew Luck is a clutch quarterback, but his supporting cast isn't very good. The Bengals defense has been better late in the year, and they should hold their own.

The under is 6-0 in the Bengals last 6 road games. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. The under is 4-0 in the Colts last 4. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 vs. the AFC. The under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in Indianapolis between these two teams. A 22-0 angle. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* The Wyoming Cowboys play at the second slowest tempo out of 351 teams in the nation. San Jose State is now playing with zero of their original starting five for the season because of tons of injuries and several suspensions. San Jose State is so thin that they have asked players from the football team to play on the basketball team at this point. That lack of depth has made the team slow the game down in a big way of late. San Jose State scored only 33 points in their last game. This game should be extremely ugly. I had this total at 104 points. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* North Carolina does a really nice job of speeding the game up regardless of the type of team they are playing against. Brad Brownell's Clemson team plays at a slow pace normally, but past history between these two teams shows that UNC is one of the rare teams that can speed the game up vs. Clemson. Clemson is actually playing faster than they have in any of the last four seasons, so I think this number is a few points too low. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* The LSU Tigers will absolutely destroy Savannah State in this game. The thing that makes me like this total is the pace at which this game will be played. Savannah State isn't the type of team that slows a game down. Savannah State is extremely sloppy with the basketball, and they are allowing their opponent to score at an alarmingly high rate. LSU should get to 90 points or so here if they stay committed to their normal game plan. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Miami Hurricanes and Virginia Cavaliers have both made me a lot of money on the under in the last few years. Both of these teams really play good halfcourt defense. They are both really well coached teams. The tempo here should be extremely slow as both teams always work hard to slow the game down. I had this number at 113 points. Take the under here. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Davidson Wildcats do a really good job of getting the tempo to what they want it. Richmond will attempt to slow the game down, but Davidson's quick tempo and efficiency on offense should push this one over the posted total. I had 137 points on this one. Take the over. 

*5 Star TOP Play Over* My line here was 150. My biggest play of the college hoops season thus far. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Duke Blue Devils do a nice job of pushing the tempo and I don't think they'll let Boston College slow this one down enough to keep it below the posted total. Duke's inside game is really good now, and they should put up a big number here. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* 

*5 Star TOP Play Over* 

*4 Star Play Over* The Depaul Blue Demons defense is just awful, and Xavier has been one of the most efficient offenses in the country. DePaul speeds up the tempo by using a full court press, and Xavier will be happy to be running in this one. The Musketeers should put up a big number here. The tempo gets this one above the total. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* 

*5 Star NCAA BB TGIF TOP Play* The Nebraska Omaha Mavericks play faster than any other team in the country. There are 351 teams in Division I college basketball, but Nebraska Omaha ranks number one in terms of pace. They are going to turn every game into a fast paced affair. South Dakota plays pretty quick as well, and I don't see them attempting to change the way they play for this game. Both of these teams are playing faster than they did last year, and the two meetings last year finished with 150 points (and bad shooting numbers) and 173 points. I expected the posted total here to be at least 160 points. Plenty of value here on the over. Take the over big! 

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Play Total* The Siena Saints are a team I like to play the over with. They use full court pressure to speed the game up, and because of that they commit a bunch of fouls. Siena sends opponents to the line more than all about three other teams in the nation. The Saints are also really aggressive on offense, getting to the line at a very high rate. Fairfield has played a lot of teams that play at a slow tempo lately, so their recent games are a bit misleading. Siena should be able to speed this team up. A total set this low isn't hard to reach when both teams are taking a lot of trips to the free throw line. Take the over big! 

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Play 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Southern Utah Thunderbirds are great at turning a game into a really high scoring affair. Southern Utah pushes the tempo really well. They average about 70 possessions per game, which is four possessions more than the overall NCAA average. They also foul like crazy, sending their opponents to the free throw line at a ridiculously high rate. Their terrible defense can really make the opposing offense look far better than they truly are. Portland State likes to play quickly as well. The Vikings have had some problems scoring this year, but I think Southern Utah's defense will fix those problems. Portland State is great at getting to the line a lot, which is key against a team like Southern Utah that fouls a bunch to start with. 

The over is 6-0 in Southern Utah's last 6 Thursday games. The over is 7-0 in Southern Utah's last 7 following a loss. The over is 6-0 in their last 6 following an ATS loss. The over is 4-0 in Portland State's last 4 vs. a team with a losing record. The over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these two teams. A 27-0 angle. Take the over big! 

*3 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* The Idaho Vandals and Idaho State Bengals meet in a rivalry game in Idaho tonight. Idaho State has played a lot of low scoring games this year, but they haven't played many teams with a defense as bad as Idaho's. The Vandals have increased the tempo in a big way from last season to this season. Idaho shoots it at 40% from long range as well, which means they can really pile up the points quickly. Idaho State's defense has historically been very bad, and I think Idaho will score a lot tonight. Idaho has played in nine games against Division I opponents so far this year and all nine of those games have gone over this posted total. Take the over in this one. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Northern Iowa Panthers do a really nice job dictating the way the game is played. Northern Iowa slows the game down. Northern Iowa is actually playing at the fourth slowest pace of any team in the nation (351 teams). The Panthers also have a very good defense, so they play in a lot of low scoring games. They have played in three overtime games, which has made their final scores look higher than they should have been otherwise. Evansville hasn't played a defense as good as Northern Iowa yet this year. I think both teams will have to work hard for buckets here. Take the under. 

*3 Star Florida State/Oregon Total DOMINATION* The Oregon Ducks and Florida State Seminoles meet in the first college football playoff game at 5 pm ET at the Rose Bowl. Oregon is going to continue their normal uptempo style of play, and Florida State's defensive flaws should continue to show as they have all year long.

Marcus Mariota won the Heisman Trophy this year, and he absolutely deserved it. I love his decision making and he has the talent around him to put up a lot of points here. Florida State's defense has given up big plays all year long. Oregon's defense ranks 83rd in the nation in total defense. The only way they have gotten by is by forcing so many turnovers and holding opponents to field goals. Florida State has been able to pile up the points when needed this year, and they should need a bunch here. Look for a spirited effort from Winston and the Seminoles offense who believe they aren't getting enough respect.

They should light up the scoreboard in Pasadena. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Xavier Musketeers and Georgetown Hoyas have both changed up the way they play this year. Georgetown has typically been a slow it down type of team. The Hoyas have more offensive weapons this year, and that has led them to pick up the tempo and play higher scoring games. Xavier has played relatively quick in the past, but they are playing faster this year and being even more efficient. Neither of these teams have been particularly good on defense this year. The over is 12-3-1 in Georgetown's last 16 road games. I had this number at 144 points. Take the over. 

*3 Star CFB Fiesta Bowl MONEY* The Arizona Wildcats and Boise State Broncos are actually relatively similar teams this year. Arizona likes to get off as many snaps as possible and win with an uptempo offense. Boise State is absolutely the same way. In the past, Boise State has had a very good defense, but that isn't the case this season. The Broncos defense has been exposed by all of the top offenses they have faced this year. The Pac-12 has looked great in bowl season thus far, and I think Arizona will put up a big number here. Boise State can score too though with Ajayi and Hedrick leading the way. This one should be a shootout. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Big 10 Total* The Purdue Boilermakers and Minnesota Golden Gophers are two of the fastest paced teams in the Big Ten. Richard Pitino's team has upped the tempo in a big way this year, and they have had a lot of success from it. I don't expect them to go away from that tempo change. Their full court pressure should bother Purdue's young guards. At the same time, Minnesota gives up plenty of easy buckets because of their press as well. The Boilermakers aren't good defensively, and Minnesota's offensive efficiency has been tremendous in recent games. I had this number at 153 points. Take the over. 

*3 Star Texas Bowl Total DOMINATION* The Texas Longhorns and Arkansas Razorbacks meet in an intriguing Texas Bowl matchup on Monday night. The strength of both of these teams is their defense. The weakness of both teams is quarterback play. These teams are both going to try to establish the running game, but that also plays right into the strength of their opponent. Arkansas has improved so much this year largely because of their turnaround on the defensive side of the ball. The Razorbacks run defense has been amazing down the stretch. Texas has underperformed on the defensive line the last few years, but Charlie Strong is finally getting this group to realize their potential. 

The under is 4-0 in Arkansas' last 4 games. The under is 6-0 in their last 6 bowl games. The under is 5-0 in Texas' last 5 following a double digit loss at home. A 15-0 angle. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The over is 13-6 in the Toledo Rockets last 19 games. Toledo plays fast no matter who they play against. Duke will be more than happy to play quickly here. The Blue Devils offense is also ranked number one in the nation in offensive efficiency. Duke can pile up the points in a hurry. Toledo's defense hasn't been good in the past few years, and they'll give up a bunch of points here. I think Duke gets to at least 90 points here, and the pace of the game should lead to Toledo scoring plenty too. The Rockets have several good scoring options. I had this number at 152. Take the over. 

*5 Star TOP Play 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Oklahoma Sooners defense has been pretty consistent this year. Clemson's defense has arguably been the best defense in the nation this year. One of the biggest keys to this game is the fact that Deshaun Watson will not be playing here. Backup Cole Stoudt gets the start for Clemson. To say that Stoudt is a large drop off from Watson is a massive understatement. I have made a lot of money taking the under or fading Clemson when Stoudt is at quarterback this year. Clemson's offensive game plan will be very vanilla with Stoudt under center. The Sooners offense is at its best when running the football, but Clemson has the best defensive line in the nation. I don't expect Oklahoma to be able to establish the run game here. 

The under is 6-0 in Clemson's last 6 on grass. The under is 5-0 in their last 5 vs. a team with a winning record. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 vs. a Big 12 opponent. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 after gaining 200 yards or more on the ground last game. A 19-0 angle. Take the under big! 

*3 Star NBA Late Night BAILOUT* The Denver Nuggets offense has been off the mark lately. Denver likes to play fast, but their efficiency on the offensive end has been really low in recent games. Since Gallinari went down with an injury, this team lost a key offensive contributor. Toronto is very good offensively, but they have slowed down their tempo since DeRozan went down with an injury. The Raptors are playing the second game of a back to back situation here in the altitude in Denver. Toronto is likely to play even slower tonight than they normally do. Both teams defenses have improved in recent weeks. This total is a few points too high.

The under is 4-0 in the Nuggets last 4 playing on 1 day of rest. The under is 5-0 in their last 5 games. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 Sunday games. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 vs. the Eastern Conference. The under is 5-0 in their last 5 following a win. The under is 8-0-1 in their last 9 after allowing more than 100 points last game. The under is 6-0-1 in their last 7 after scoring more than 100 points last game. A 36-0 angle. Take the under. 

*3 Star NBA Total DOMINATION* The Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder meet in a key showdown of two of the best teams in the Western Conference tonight. Rajon Rondo brings another element to this Dallas team. While most people are focusing solely on his offense, Rondo improves this team defensively as well. Oklahoma City has been playing some lights out defense in recent games. The Thunder rank fifth in the NBA in defensive efficiency. While both of these teams are clearly capable of scoring a lot, neither team plays particularly fast and this is a very high total. James Williams is one of the refs in this game, and he has been one of the most consistent under referees in the league. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Illinois Fighting Illini have beat up on lower opponents this year. Illinois has scored at least 88 points in four games against really bad opponents. I think they get up around that number again against a Kennesaw State team that likes to run and gun. Kennesaw State has allowed 89 points or more against all three top 50 teams they have played this year. Illinois is a top 50 team. The pace should be plenty quick in this one, so unless the shooting numbers are particularly low I see this one going over. I had this total at 144 points. Take the over. 

*3 Star NBA Total Takedown* The Utah Jazz play at the third slowest tempo in the NBA. Philadelphia likes to play fast, but they are playing a possession or so slower than they did earlier this year. The 76ers are the least efficient offense in the NBA, and it's not even close. Quietly though, the 76ers are starting to play good defense. Philadelphia is 12th in the NBA in defensive efficiency and they are in the top 10 for the past month. I believe that gives some value to the under in certain spots for the 76ers, and this is one of those spots. This should be a sloppy game. Take the under. 

*3 Star NBA 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers are both offensively challenged this year. Both of them are improved of late on the defensive end though. Both of these teams rank in the top ten in the NBA in defensive efficiency in the past month. Brooklyn's tempo has slowed drastically with a new coach and a different scheme. Indiana has always been a slow it down type team that plays good defense with Frank Vogel at the helm. There's an angle here that I like quite a bit. The under is a perfect 9-0 in the Nets last 9 games after giving up 100 points or more in their last game. Look for both defenses to clamp down here. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA FB Total DOMINATION* The Boston College Eagles and Penn State Nittany Lions both have had several very low scoring games this year. When these two teams collide on Saturday, I see a very low scoring game. Boston College's offense is all about the running game and Tyler Murphy is the key. Penn State has zero running game, and their offensive line isn't any good. Christian Hackenberg is a decent quarterback, but he won't have time to throw here, and he doesn't have many weapons at the skill positions. Both teams like to play at a slow tempo and use up a bunch of the play clock. The under has been the way to go in recent bowl seasons, and even though this number is very low, it's low for a reason. The under is 5-0 in Boston College's last 5 vs. the Big Ten. The under is 22-7 in Boston College's last 29 non-conference games. Take the under. 

*3 Star NBA 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Brooklyn Nets have really slowed the tempo down in the last couple weeks. This is a team with a lot of older players, and they have a coach who prefers to play grind it out style games. Without Deron Williams in the lineup, Brooklyn doesn't have a point guard who wants to push the ball. Denver looked totally gassed last night in their big loss at Charlotte, and I can't imagine they'll look much better tonight. Without Gallinari, the Nuggets scoring options are reduced significantly. Two of the three referees assigned to this game are solid under referees. 

The under is 6-0-1 in the Nuggets last 7 after allowing 100 points or more last game. The under is 5-0 in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a losing record. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 when their opponent has scored 100 points or more last game. The under is 5-0 in Brooklyn's last 5 vs. the Western Conference. The under is 8-0 in their last 8 after allowing 100 points or more last game. A 28-0 angle. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Seton Hall Pirates have a young very talented team that has opened some eyes early this year. The Pirates are playing faster with their improved athleticism this season. Georgia has picked up the pace in a big way from last season. Mark Fox has the Bulldogs trying to get out and run. I feel like this line is set at a level where it should have been if these teams were playing last year rather than this year. Both offenses have gotten better and both teams are playing faster. I had this number at 142.5. The increased pace should make the difference here. Take the over. 

*3 Star NFL Top Total of Week* The St. Louis Rams defense has impressed me all year long. The front seven does a great job pressuring the quarterback. Eli Manning has had trouble with holding onto the ball too long, and that won't work Sunday against this St. Louis defense. The Rams secondary is athletic and the Giants wideouts won't have as many mismatches as they normally do when they go deep. New York's defense has shown a lot of pride in recent weeks. St. Louis still has a lot of issues on the offensive side of the football. The Rams aren't very good there, and it's tough for them to sustain drives. The line movement has been toward the under here, and I think that line move is definitely justified. Look for a low scoring battle here.

The under is 5-0 in the Giants last 5 December games. The under is 5-0 in the Rams last 5 after gaining 90 yards rushing or less last game. The under is 22-5-1 in the Rams last 28 December games. A 32-5 angle. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Northern Iowa Panthers are great at controlling the tempo. Iowa likes to play fast, but the Hawkeyes have had lots of trouble scoring against top teams this year. It's important to note that this game is being played at a neutral location, which generally lowers scoring totals a bit. Neither team is accustomed to the shooting backdrops, and that can lead to lower shooting percentages. Iowa has gotten much worse on offense this season compared to last year, but they are also playing much better defense this year. Northern Iowa relies on outside shooting, and I think the Hawkeyes will do a nice job of contesting their long range jumpers. I had this total at 127 points. Take the under.  

*4 Star CFB New Mexico Bowl Total* The Utah State Aggies have been great at stopping the run in recent years. The Aggies front seven has proven that they are the type of team that can stop the run even when the other team has a strong offensive line. The strength of the UTEP team is their offensive front. UTEP really can't throw the football, so they'll try to run here. I don't think they'll have all that much success. At the same time, Utah State is starting their third string quarterback here, and the Aggies offense hasn't had much success in recent weeks. UTEP will be highly motivated in this game, and both teams are going to do a lot of running. Take the under. *Note- This line continues to move down. I would play this for 3 stars at 46 or lower. Thank you*

*4 Star NBA Total DOMINATION* The Orlando Magic have changed in a big way since they got Nikola Vucevic back in the lineup. The tempo that Orlando plays at drastically slowed down. The Magic defense gets much better with a shot blocker at the back of the defense. Utah plays at the third slowest tempo of anyone in the NBA. Both of these teams rank in the bottom ten teams in the NBA in terms of offensive efficiency as well. Earlier this year, these two played to a final score of 98-93, and that was before Orlando got Vucevic back. The tempo should be even slower here. I had this number at 188 points. The under is 6-1 in the Magic's last 7 games on one day of rest. The under is 24-9 in their last 33 vs. a Western Conference team. Take the under. 

*3 Star NBA on TNT Totals MONEY* The Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks meet tonight. Chicago beat New York 104-80 in the first game between these two. The posted total in that game was 184 points, so it finished a push. The posted total here has jumped by 7.5 points. I realize the Bulls are playing faster than they have in the past, but this jump is just too much. New York plays at the second slowest tempo of any team in the NBA. Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose are both listed as questionable for this one. Anthony is struggling with a knee injury, and he sounded less than optimistic about his chances of playing tonight. If he doesn't play, the Knicks have some even more severe issues on offense. J.R. Smith won't play here either, and the Knicks certainly aren't filled with scoring options. This seems like a spot where New York could struggle to get past 85 points or so. Rose is less than 100 percent even if he does play, and that should slow the game down a bit. Take the under. 

*3 Star NBA Late Night BAILOUT* The Portland Trail Blazers have impressed me with their defensive intensity so far this year. Portland primarily won by outscoring their opponent last year, but this season Portland has been very good on the defensive end. Milwaukee is also ranked in the top ten in the NBA in defensive efficiency. The Bucks lost Jabari Parker to a season ending knee injury. This is their first game playing without him, and I think that will change the offense and hurt them until they get accustomed to playing without him. Losing a key player like that can take a few games to adjust to. I made this total 199 points. Take the under here. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Stanford Cardinal have been playing against a lot of teams that like to slow the game down this year. That has made Stanford's pace numbers look a lot slower than they really should be. In general, Stanford is a team that prefers to run if given the opportunity. Loyola Marymount is pushing the pace under their new coach this year, and the Lions defense isn't good at all. This is a good chance for guys like Randle and Nastic to put up some big numbers. I had this number at 141 points. Recency bias from the oddsmakers has given us a nice value here. Take the over. 

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Total BLOWOUT* The Cincinnati Bearcats have been an under team for a couple years now. Last year, Cincinnati was a team that didn't necessarily stall, but they did have a very bad offense and a great defense. Now, Mick Cronin's team has decided to slow things down a lot so far this year. They are using up the shot clock a lot more this year. San Diego State is the same type of team. The Aztecs aren't good at all offensively, but they are tremendous on the defensive end. San Diego State also uses up the entire shot clock most of the time.

Aqeel Quinn went down with an injury recently, and that made the Aztecs offense much worse. Other than Winston Shepard the Aztecs don't have any good scoring options. If you like offense, I don't think you're going to like this game. Two of the best defensive coaches in college basketball here. The under is a whopping 44-11 in Cincinnati's last 55 games overall. The under is 7-0 in their last 7 Wednesday games. The under is 7-1 in San Diego State's last 8 Wednesday games. A 61-13 trend backing this play. Take the under big! 

*3 Star NBA Totals TKO* The Orlando Magic are playing at a much slower pace since Vucevic returned to the lineup. He's a big guy who can score down low as well as protect the basket on defense. It's become apparent that Coach Vaughn has decided the Magic have a better chance of winning by slowing things down now, and so far that has proven to be true. While the Celtics do love to run, both of these teams have been much improved on the defensive end. They both rank in the top ten in the NBA in defensive efficiency in the past two weeks. Neither of these teams is efficient at all on the offensive end. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total Value* The Illinois Fighting Illini have made it known so far this year that they aren't afraid of running up the score when they are given the opportunity. Illinois should get that chance tonight against Hampton. Hampton isn't a good team, but they like to run and push the tempo. That plays right into what Illinois wants to do. Against the worst teams they have played so far this year Illinois has put up massive point totals. They scored 114 against Coppin State and 107 against Austin Peay. They scored 89 against Brown and 88 against Indiana State. I think the Illini put up a big number again here and the pace should help Hampton put up plenty to get us to the over. I had this number set at 145 points. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Marquette Golden Eagles are slowing the tempo down under their new coach. Arizona State is slowing things back down this year as well. In the past few years, the Sun Devils played fast because they had a star in Jahii Carson running the show. Without him at the helm, Coach Sendak has decided to turn the tempo back down again. Both of these defenses will work hard in this one, and I think this should be a close back and forth game where the offenses struggle to get going. Look for this game to stay in the 120's. Take the under here. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Play of Day* The Wichita State Shockers play some very good defense. Gregg Marshall's team makes the opposition work extremely hard to get shots, and then the Shockers also do a tremendous job of grabbing the defensive rebound. Alabama has tried to speed up the tempo of the game this year, but the Shockers are generally very good at playing to their pace. Wichita State plays relatively slowly and I think them being the home team here helps them control the tempo. Alabama's offense is unlikely to be efficient against the best defense they have faced all year long. Alabama has typically been a good defensive team as well under Coach Anthony Grant. I made this total 137 points. Take the under.