*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. 

*3 Star NBA Total DOMINATION* The Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors meet in a battle of two of the best teams in the NBA tonight. I expect both teams to be ready for this one. Memphis has some very good perimeter defenders in Tony Allen and Mike Conley. Look for those guys to make it their mission to make Golden State's stars take tougher shots than normal. Golden State is usually thought of as a very high scoring team that wins with offense. They can definitely score, but their defense has been the reason they are on an amazing win streak. The Warriors are first in the NBA in defensive efficiency. The Grizzlies are seventh. Memphis will try to slow this game down. A total set this high is generally reserved for two teams looking to push it or two bad defenses. Those things aren't true here.

The last nine meetings between these two teams have finished below this posted total. I look for this to be the 10th. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The North Carolina Tar Heels are very good at imposing their will as far as the pace of the game. UNC Greensboro is going to get demolished on the glass in this one. The Tar Heels have been one of the best rebounding teams in the nation, and offensive putbacks will be huge for them in this game. The Spartans get a rare chance at home to play a big name school from their own state, and they should be hyped up for this one too. I think that leads to them playing pretty quick and likely getting ahead of themselves and turning it over for some easy buckets for the Tar Heels. North Carolina hangs a big number on the Spartans in this one. Take the over. 

*3 Star NFL Total DOMINATION* The San Diego Chargers defense is solid. They showed what they are made of in their loss to the Patriots last week. San Diego's defense wasn't the reason they lost that game. Rather, it was Phillip Rivers and the offense that couldn't get going. The San Diego offense has been really inconsistent of late, and Denver's defense is much improved from last year. I expect the Broncos pass rush to do a good job getting after Rivers in this one. Denver is dinged up offensively right now, and the Chargers have done a relatively good job against this Broncos offense in the past couple years. I expect a competitive game where touchdowns are tough to come by. This line is a few points too high. Take the under. 

*5 Star TOP Play of the Month* The Pittsburgh Steelers offense has been amazing this year. Before the season there were a lot of questions about this unit, but they have answered them emphatically thus far. Pittsburgh is averaging 427 yards per game so far this year, which easily outpaces the 391.1 per game that is the team record set back in 1979. The Steelers have scored 30 points or more in seven games this year. They are averaging 6.2 yards per play which is second best in the NFL. The Atlanta Falcons offense is always tough to stop in the dome. Matt Ryan has elite receivers in Jones and White. Jones is listed as questionable this weekend, but even if he doesn't go, the Falcons have a very good third option in Harry Douglas.

Pittsburgh's defense has only 24 sacks this year. They are putting a lot of pressure on the secondary, and their secondary just isn't very good. Matt Ryan should be able to pick apart this group. At the same time, the Falcons defense isn't good at all against the run or the pass. Pittsburgh should move the ball at will. I think there will be a lot of offense in this one. Take the over big! 

*4 Star NFL 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Green Bay Packers come into this one on a really nice run. I think the Packers are a very good team, but I also believe this is a difficult spot for them. Buffalo's defense is far better than most realize. The Bills defense showed how good they are last week with their performance against Peyton Manning and the Broncos. Buffalo has a great defensive front that can create pressure without sending the blitz all that often. The secondary is also very good. Green Bay's defense has struggled this year, but Buffalo's offense has become one-dimensional and that should make things easier on them. It is expected to be a bit breezy for this one with a bit of drizzle through the game. Weather can be a major factor in games played at Buffalo. I like the defenses to control this one.

The under is 4-0 in the Bills last 4 home games. The under is 5-0 in the Bills last 5 overall. The under is 6-0 in the Bills last 6 following a loss. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 vs. a team with a winning record. The under is 5-0 in their last 5 after gaining 350 yards or more. A 24-0 angle. Take the under. 

*3 Star NBA 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Memphis Grizzlies beat the Charlotte Hornets in double overtime on Friday night. I can't imagine they will be too fired up to run up the score as much as they could on the 76ers on Saturday night. Philadelphia is quietly playing a little better of late. What has changed? The 76ers are starting to play much better defense. Philadelphia actually ranks in the top half of the NBA in defense. Memphis ranks in the top five in the NBA in defensive efficiency. The 76ers still play relatively fast, but they have slowed down the tempo a bit compared to last year. Memphis is once again one of the slowest paced teams in the league. Some of the 76ers recent games have been very low scoring. This total is a few points too high.

The under is 7-0 in the Grizzlies last 7 games when playing on zero days of rest. The under is 8-0 in their last 8 road games vs. a team with a losing home record. The under is 5-0 in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning percentage of 40% or lower. A 20-0 angle. Take the under. 

*5 Star Army/Navy TOP Play CRUSHER* The Army and Navy game is always a lot of fun to watch. No matter the records of these two teams, you get everything in the tank from everyone on the field here. The emotions surrounding this game are amazing. The key to this play for me is the fact that both of these teams defend the triple option every single day in practice. That makes it a lot easier to be well-prepared to stop it this weekend. The primary reason the triple option is so tough to defend for most teams is the fact that they aren't used to seeing it. These teams don't need any special preparation for this week's game. They have gotten it all year long. While neither of these defenses have looked good overall this year, the past history between these two tells me the defenses should put up a spirited effort in this one. In the past eight years, the highest scoring game between these two finished at 48 points.

The under is a perfect 8-0 in the last 8 games between these two teams. The under is 9-0 in Army's last 9 games during the month of December. The under is 6-0 in Army's last 6 after scoring 40 points or more last game. A 23-0 angle. Take the under big! 

*Note- The line here has moved down a few points since I picked this game early in the week. My number for this game was 51 points.  I would still make this a 5 Star TOP Play all the way down to 56 points. Thank you*

*4 Star NBA TGIF Play of Day* The Oklahoma City Thunder have been really good on defense all year. Minnesota likes to run, but they are extremely inefficient on offense. I think their offensive woes will be highlighted in this one as Oklahoma City locks things up on the defensive end. Oklahoma City has continued to play at a slower pace even with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook back in the lineup. The three referees in this game definitely lean to the under which is a big help as well. Another interesting note about this game- The posted total here has dropped despite the majority of the public money being on the over. That's a strong signal. The under is 5-0 in OKC's last 5 Friday games. The under is 6-1 in their last 7 following an ATS win. Take the under. 

*3 Star NBA Total DOMINATION* The Indiana Pacers are still one of the top ten teams in the league in defensive efficiency. The Clippers are #12 as well, so their defense is better than most realize. Indiana's offense is third worst in the NBA right now, and they don't have much chemistry at all on the offensive end right now. What about the pace of this game? The Clippers average tempo is right at the league average. The Pacers are close to the bottom in terms of tempo. The referees in this one are also helpful. Both Ken Mauer and Haywoode Workman are guys who have consistently been good under referees in the long term. Less fouls in this one could be the difference. The under is 5-1 in the Pacers last 6 home games. This line is a bit inflated. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Ohio State Buckeyes are playing zone on almost every possession this year. Zone defenses slow the game down in a big way. Ohio State shot the lights out early on which caused several of their games to be very high scoring. While I do think Ohio State has a good shooting team, I don't see the Buckeyes continuing to shoot 52% from the floor for the whole season. High Point is a relatively good team despite the fact that most people know nothing about them. High Point prefers to slow the game down, and they'll make this a halfcourt game as much as they can. High Point doesn't have good outside shooters, and I think they'll struggle to score against the Buckeyes zone. I made this total 128 points. I would play this one down to as low as 131 points. Take the under here. 

*4 Star NBA Play of Day* The Cleveland Cavaliers have decided to slow things down in recent weeks. They have also started playing some defense. They now rank right in the middle of the pack defensively. Earlier this year they were among the worst in the league on the defensive end. Toronto's offense is good, but they aren't nearly as good as they were before DeRozan went down with an injury. Toronto's pace has slowed down a lot without DeRozan pushing the tempo too. A total set this high is generally saved for teams that push the tempo and play very little defense. That isn't true about either of these teams right now. I had this total set at 201.5. The under is an impressive 8-3 in the Cavs last 11 games. The under is 35-16-1 in the last 52 meetings between these two teams. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Iowa State Cyclones love to push the tempo at every opportunity. UMKC is a team that likes to run as well. Neither one of these teams work very hard on the defensive end. Iowa State is very capable of putting up a big number in this one. UMKC already allowed 81 to South Dakota State and 83 against Kansas State. Neither of those teams are even close to as good offensively as Iowa State. I think there's a good chance the Cyclones get 90 points or more in this one. In fact, they have already scored 90 points or more on three occasions this year. The over is 45-20-1 in the Cyclones last 66 games overall, so the oddsmakers have had trouble catching up with how fast this team plays. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* This game will be played at Madison Square Garden, which is one of the biggest reasons I'm playing the under. The shooting backdrop at MSG is tougher than any other gym that these teams will play at all year. Illinois was scoring loads of points earlier this year, but as they start playing tougher teams their point totals are going down pretty quickly. Villanova has impressed me a lot on the defensive end this year. They'll make Illinois work hard for every shot. The Fighting Illini are much improved on the defensive end compared to last year as well. I had this total set at 133.5 points. There's just enough value here to advocate a play. I've done very well taking unders at MSG in the past, and I'll take the under again here. 

*3 Star NCAA BB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The SMU Mustangs have always been a relatively slow paced team. They are struggling a little more now on the offensive end because they are without Marcus Kennedy on the inside. Kennedy was the team's best low post scorer. SMU now relies primarily on scoring from the outside. UCSB is a disciplined team under Coach Bob Williams. The Gauchos definitely like to slow the game down and work it inside to Alan Williams in the post. SMU does have some good post defenders, and I expect them to be able to neutralize Williams to some degree. I had this number at 123. 

The under is 4-0 in UCSB's last 4 games. The under is 6-0 in their last 6 Monday games. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 non-conference games. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 following a win. An 18-0 angle. Take the under. 

*3 Star NFL Sunday Night Football CASH* The San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots meet in what should be a terrific game Sunday night. New England is coming off a loss, and the Patriots are really tough to beat following a loss. On the other hand, San Diego has played well in recent years as an underdog and they are coming off a momentum-building win at Baltimore. Tom Brady and the Patriots offense was just a bit off last week. Before last week, the Patriots had scored 34 points or more in four straight games. San Diego has been having some issues in the secondary in recent weeks, and that should be a problem here. The Chargers have some great pass catchers and Antonio Gates is a tough matchup for the Patriots. Look for San Diego to move the ball well through the air in this game. 

The over is 4-0 in the Patriots last 4 during week 14. The over is 5-0 in the Patriots last 5 after gaining less than 90 yards rushing last game. The over is 4-1 in the Patriots last 5 December games. A 13-1 angle. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The North Carolina Tar Heels love to run, and the oddsmakers like to put high totals on their games. Remember though, this North Carolina team is much better defensively than they are on the offensive end. They have a lot of length and athleticism that cause opponents to shoot a poor percentage, but generally the Tar Heels offensive efficiency isn't that great. East Carolina is a team that likes to stall to try to stay in the game. If the Pirates are wise at all, they will be playing some serious stall ball in this game. With one team playing stall ball and the other team playing good defense, a total of 141 points is too high. Take the under in this one. 

*3 Star NFL Early Bird Special* The Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers have made a name for themselves in the past few years as strong defensive teams. That was the case for many years, but it isn't the case this year. Both of these defenses are way down this season. Pittsburgh's defense has gotten too old, and Brett Keisel is now out for the season, so they lose a guy who has been one of the most productive players on their roster. Cincinnati's defense has taken a big step back this year too. I think the primary reason for that is Mike Zimmer leaving and taking the head coaching job at Minnesota. Zimmer is a defensive mastermind, and the Bengals miss him badly. The number here is set too low because of the past history of these teams. Both offenses have big play ability. 

The over is 4-0 in the Bengals last 4 December games. The over is 6-0 in the Steelers last 6 vs. a team with a winning record. The over is 8-1 in the Steelers last 9 after gaining 350 yards or more last game. An 18-1 angle. Take the over. 

*4 Star NFL 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Detroit Lions defense is still being underrated by many. This defense has proven week after week they are one of the very best in the NFL. Tampa Bay's defense has also proven on a consistent basis that they aren't any good. Tampa Bay put up only 13 points in each of their last two games, and that was against two subpar defenses. It gets much tougher here. I have been impressed with the fight in the Tampa Bay defense. This unit has gotten significantly better over the course of the season. I see a comfortable win for the Lions as their defense dominates.

The under is 6-0 in Tampa Bay's last 6 games. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 vs. the NFC. The under is 5-0 in Tampa Bay's last 5 following a loss. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 after running for less than 90 yards last game. The under is 6-0 in the Lions last 6 after throwing for 250 yards or more last game. The under is 4-0 in the Lions last 4 after allowing less than 90 yards rushing last game. A 29-0 angle. Take the under. 

*3 Star NBA Total DOMINATION* The Los Angeles Clippers come into this one on plenty of rest, and I think that means some strong defense from the improving Clippers. Though they started the year slowly, this Clippers team is definitely a really talented bunch. New Orleans limps into this game. The Pelicans miss Eric Gordon in a big way. Without Gordon this offense has scored 91 points or less in four of their last five games. Gordon is a guy who puts up 15 points per game when he is healthy, and that's tough to replace. A total set this high typically needs two high scoring offenses. The Clippers can score in bunches, but the Pelicans offense is weakened significantly of late.

The under is 4-1 in the Pelicans last 5 games since Gordon went down with an injury. The under is also 11-5 in the Clippers last 16 vs. a team with a losing road record. That's important because it means the Clippers often flex their muscle on the defensive end in a game like this. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals MONEY* The Savannah State Tigers don't know any way to play other than running and gunning. This Savannah State team isn't good, but they are going to want to run and push the tempo. That plays right into the Indiana Hoosiers hands. Indiana is always more comfortable running in Tom Crean's system. The Hoosiers have scored at least 81 points in each of their last four games. Against a bad team like Savannah State who plays very little defense, Indiana should get well into the 80's easily, and I think 90 points is fairly likely. The tempo here is the key. Take the over. 

*3 Star NBA on TNT MONEY* The Golden State Warriors play very fast. Everyone knows the Warriors play fast. What most people don't know is that the Warriors are number one in the NBA in defensive efficiency right now, and second place isn't even close. Steve Kerr has this team playing some amazing defense. New Orleans has a decent offense, but their offense suffered a big blow when Eric Gordon went down with an injury. Their offensive efficiency has been much worse with him out of the lineup. I don't think the Pelicans get very many easy looks tonight. New Orleans will look to slow the game down too, which should help this one. 

The under is 4-0 in the Pelicans last 4 games vs. a team with a winning record. The under is 4-0 in the Warriors last 4 Thursday games. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 home games vs. a team with a losing road record. The under is 4-0 in the Warriors last 4 home games overall. The under is also 5-0 in the last 5 meetings between these two teams. A 21-0 angle. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* The UCLA Bruins have shown us that they are going to play as fast as possible this year. All but one of their games so far this year has played out to a tempo of 71 possessions per team or more. That's extremely fast compared to the average in college basketball which is about 67 possessions. UCLA played games at a pace of 78 and 82 earlier this year against poor opponents who like to run. They have another poor opponent in Cal State Fullerton who likes to run. The Titans defense is really bad, and I think UCLA will be able to get good looks all game long. UCLA's interior defense has been poor, and Fullerton has some guys who can get to the rim. Look for a fast paced high scoring game. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Washington State Cougars are a totally different team this year. Ernie Kent took over the team in the offseason, and he wants this team to run all the time. Washington State has generally been a defensive oriented team that slows it down, so the oddsmakers are slow to adjust lines with this Cougars team. Idaho has sped up the tempo a lot in the past couple years as well. The Vandals defense is atrocious (they allowed 83 points last game against Northern Kentucky). Washington State isn't a whole lot better on defense. A fast pace and two bad defenses. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Virginia Cavaliers and Maryland Terrapins were used to meeting each other in conference games, but now they'll be meeting each other in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Maryland is without leading scorer Dez Wells in this one, and that's important because they are playing against a Virginia team that locks it up on the defensive end. The Cavs defense is always one of the best in the country. Virginia is playing even slower tempo wise than they did last year, and they have had some extremely low scoring games so far this year. They haven't allowed more than 56 points in a game all year long. Maryland is slowing things down this year compared to last season as well. I had this one at 116 points. Take the under. 

*3 Star NHL Total DOMINATION* The Chicago Blackhawks and the St. Louis Blues are both well rested entering Wednesday night's matchup between two of the top teams in the Central Division. That should lead to a big defensive struggle. The first game between the two teams ended in a 3-2 score, but the Blackhawks didn't have the services of Corey Crawford. The best players on each team were held in check, which isn't all that surprising because these are two of the best teams at even strength.

The Blackhawks have the league's top penalty kill at better than 91 percent, which negates most of St. Louis's scoring ability. The Blues gave up 33 goals in 15 games in the month of November, so they have committed to playing defense and Brian Elliott has played very well. The Blues allowed more than three goals one time in the month. Both Elliott and Corey Crawford have goals against averages below 2.00. This should be a defensive struggle with some lower shot totals. Look for the under to come through nicely. Take the under. 

*3 Star NBA Play of Day* The Dallas Mavericks are coming off a double overtime win. I had them as my play of the week in that game, and they did end up getting there. There's no doubt they put in some extra effort in that game though, and there were a lot of tired Mavericks at the end of that game. Dallas has the most efficient offense in the NBA, but I see them being a little less efficient on tired legs tonight. Milwaukee is 7th in the NBA in total defense, and Jason Kidd's team has been working hard on the defensive end. Neither of these teams play all that fast, so a total of 207 is awfully high. With two teams in the top half of the NBA in total defense and some tired legs, I think this stays under the posted total. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Purdue Boilermakers have a new identity. Matt Painter's teams were previously known for slowing the game down and playing great defense. Now, the Boilermakers are all about running and getting off a bunch of shots. Purdue has had some very high scoring games this year, including some high scoring games against teams who usually play in low scoring contests. The NC State Wolfpack also like to play fast, so I see no reason that this game won't be played at a quick tempo. The over is 4-1 in Purdue's last 5 home games. The over is 5-1 in NC State's last 6 road games. I had this number at 145 points. Take the over. 

*4 Star Nets/Knicks Total DOMINATION* The New York Knicks offense has been awful of late. New York also plays at the single slowest tempo of any team in the NBA. Brooklyn started out playing fast, but the Nets have slowed down a lot of late. Brooklyn can't play terribly fast because of Brook Lopez. Lopez is one of the reasons Brooklyn is always solid on the defensive end. J.R. Smith is likely to miss this one with an illness, and the Knicks have a hard time scoring to start with. These two teams definitely see this as a real rivalry, and that generally leads to lower scoring games with better defense. The line movement here kept this one from being a top rated play, but my number was 186. Take the under. 

*3 Star NBA Totals TKO* The Los Angeles Lakers defense is awful, so taking an under with them is always risky, but the Lakers have showed signs of slowing the game down a bit of late. A total of 206 in a game where one team (Detroit) plays at a very slow pace is definitely worth a look. Detroit hasn't had a game go above 202 in their last nine games. The Pistons are playing improved defense under Stan Van Gundy, but they are a real mess on the offensive end. I had this number at 201 points. Take the under. 

*3 Star Patriots/Packers Total DOMINATION* The New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers get together in what should be a tremendous game late Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field. Tom Brady vs. Aaron Rodgers will be all the storylines, and you can't blame the media for headlining the game with those two. They are two of the very best at their position, and they are guys who usually rise to the occasion in games like this one. The New England offense has really impressed me in recent weeks. New England can do it through the air or on the ground. The offensive line is much improved too. Green Bay's defense is still a major question mark for me. The Packers offense was a little disappointing early this year, but they are firing on all cylinders now. Both of these teams play much at a much faster tempo than the league average, and that will lead to more possessions in this game. I see this as a back and forth type of game where both offenses have a bunch of big plays. 

The over is 5-0 in the Packers last 5 home games. The over is 7-0 in their last 7 on grass. The over is 5-0 in their last 5 following an ATS loss. The over is 5-0 in the Packers last 5 after gaining 350 yards or more last game. The over is 7-1 in the Packers last 8 overall. A 29-1 angle. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Tempo Total* This is a really high posted total, but it's really high for a reason. Iona and Arkansas both rank in the top 11 out of 351 college basketball teams in terms of pace. This game should be an all out track meet. Both teams are shooting above 45% on the year thus far from beyond the arc. Both teams use a full court press to push the tempo. Neither one of these teams are very good defensively in the halfcourt either. I made this total 174, so I see enough value to play this one. Take the over. 

*3 Star NFL Early Bird Special* The weather should be a major factor in this game. The forecast calls for an early high temperature of 15 degrees dropping to nine degrees by the end of the game. Carolina certainly isn't used to that kind of temperature, and I think that hurts their offense more than the defense. The wind is also going to play a major role here. The wind is expected to be about 20 miles per hour throughout this one, which should make both offenses hesitant to throw it. With a lot of running, we'll see the clock consistently moving. The defenses should be able to key in on the run after a while here too. Minnesota's defense is one of the most improved in the league under the guidance of Mike Zimmer. Look for a low scoring affair. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA FB Total DOMINATION* The North Carolina Tar Heels offense has been great all year. The only reason the Tar Heels have been considered a disappointment this year has been their brutal defense. Just about everyone has done whatever they want against this defense. North Carolina State has a play maker at quarterback in Jacoby Brissett. The Wolfpack defense is going to struggle to get off the field here, but the offense should be able to pile up the points. This has been a highly competitive and high scoring series in the past few years. I think both of those trends continue this weekend. I made this total 75 points. Take the over. 

*4 Star CFB Early Bird Special* The Boston College Eagles have surprised a lot of people this year. Steve Addazio deserves a ton of credit for that. Boston College has really bought into Addazio's system, and the Eagles have fought hard all season long. The defense is pretty good against both the run and the pass. Syracuse's offense is downright awful right now. They have virtually no running game, and the passing game is even worse. The Orange do have a solid defense that keeps them in most games. Boston College and Syracuse will both be doing a lot of running in this one, so we'll see the clock keep on ticking away.

The under is 5-0 in Syracuse's last 5. The under is 5-0 in their last 5 road games. The under is 5-0 in their last 5 vs. the ACC. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 following a loss. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 after a loss by 20 points or more. The under is 6-1-1 in their last 8 vs. a team with a winning record. Take the under. 

*5 Star CFB TOP Play 100% CRUSHER* The UTSA Roadrunners and North Texas Mean Green have both been teams I have played the under on successfully all season. I've had this game circled for a while. These are two offensively challenged teams. When they get together, I expect a very low scoring game. In fact, I think there is a good chance the winner of this game won't top 20 points. UTSA has gotten awful quarterback play all year. It's likely that no team has had worse play from the quarterback position over the course of the season. North Texas' defense isn't particularly good, but they'll likely look good when going against this Roadrunners offense. North Texas can only run the ball, if they are forced to throw they are in real trouble. The UTSA defense is actually quite good, and they should do a good job stopping the run.

The under is 7-0 in UTSA's last 7 home games. The under is 7-0 in their last 7 November games. The under is 5-0 in their last 5 following a loss. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 on grass. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 following a loss by 20 points or more. A 27-0 angle. Take the under big! *Note- This line has moved down since I originally played it early in the week. I would play this for 5 stars down to 41 points and for 4 stars down to 39 points. Thank you.**

*4 Star CFB Totals TKO* The Indiana Hoosiers and Purdue Boilermakers have a history of high scoring affairs against each other. Indiana's defense is one of the worst in the nation. Purdue is improved from last year, but the main place they have improved is on the offensive end. The Boilermakers defense gives up big plays very frequently, and I expect Tevin Coleman to have a big day here. Both of these teams like to snap the ball quickly, so we should see both teams get a lot of possessions in this one. The weather shouldn't be bad on Saturday in Indiana, and that helps the over as well. Close game here with both offenses seeing lots of success. Take the over. 

*4 Star CFB Friday FEAST* The Missouri Tigers and Arkansas Razorbacks get together in an underrated showdown on Friday. This is a game I'm really looking forward to, and there is a lot on the line here. Missouri will represent the SEC East in the SEC title game with a win here. Arkansas has pitched two consecutive shutouts against LSU and Ole Miss at home. The Razorbacks defense is arguably the most improved in the nation this year. Maty Mauk and the Missouri offense have been a big disappointment. The Tigers are in this position because of a very good defense and a lot of timely turnovers. Arkansas runs the ball on nearly every down, and Missouri is running it most of the time as well. A lot of running clock in this game. I see a close game all the way and the defenses having the upper hand. Take the under here. 

*3 Star NCAA Friday Early Bird Special* The Marshall Thundering Herd were passed by the Boise State Broncos in the most recent Playoff rankings. Marshall is fighting to become the top ranked team outside the power five conferences. What does that mean Marshall needs to do? They need to pick up some major style points. Marshall absolutely needs to run up the score at any chance they can. Marshall gets a chance to do that this weekend against one of the worst defenses in the nation. Western Kentucky has allowed 42 points or more on six occasions already this year! The Hilltoppers are going to get gashed by this Marshall offense on the ground and Rakeem Cato will have a monster day through the air. The Hilltoppers do have a very good passing attack with Brandon Doughty at the helm. Doughty and the Hilltoppers have scored on nearly everyone, and I think they'll put up their fair share here too. 

The over is 4-0-1 in Western Kentucky's last 5 after gaining 280 yards or more through the air last game. The over is 3-0-1 in their last 4 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. The over is 8-1 in Marshall's last 9 after throwing for 280 yards or more last game. A 15-1 angle. Take the over. 

*3 Star NBA Totals CASH* The San Antonio Spurs aren't playing as fast on offense as they did last year. What they are doing though is locking opponents down on the defensive end. Indiana has lots of problems scoring right now with injuries depleting them of their best offensive players. The Pacers are going to slow the game down and play their normal gritty defense. The pace should be slower than expected here, and both teams will have to work hard to score. The under is 4-0 in the Spurs last 4 Wednesday games. The under is 6-0 in their last 6 vs. the Eastern Conference. The under is 6-1 in the Spurs last 7 home games. A 16-1 angle here. Take the under. 

*3 Star NBA Total DOMINATION* Anytime you see an NBA total this low, you have to examine the reasons for that number. Oklahoma City is struggling to find anyone who can score consistently with their ridiculous amount of injury problems. The Thunder have Durant, Westbrook, Andre Roberson, Mitch McGary, Perry Jones, and several others all sidelined. Utah toyed with playing uptempo early this year, but they have slowed down a lot in recent outings. Utah's offense isn't efficient, and it's because they aren't as balanced as most teams in the NBA. Oklahoma City has been excellent on the defensive end at home so far this year. The under is 4-0 in the Thunder's last 4 home games. The under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings between these two in Oklahoma City. Take the under. 

*4 Star NBA 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Orlando Magic have some serious problems right now. Orlando wasn't any good offensively to start with, and now they have all sorts of injury issues. The Magic are playing without Aaron Gordon for a long time. They are now also without Tobias Harris, who had been their most consistent scorer of late. Harris missed the morning shoot around today, so he is doubtful for tonight's game. Golden State is playing a back to back game here, so I expect them to be a little bit worn down. The Warriors are clearly the much better team and can win this game comfortably, but they might take their foot off the gas a little earlier tonight. The Warriors also have one of the best defenses in the NBA, and the Magic are unlikely to get many open looks here. I think this one stays in the 190's. 

The under is 4-0-1 in Golden State's last 5 vs. a team with a losing record. The under is 4-0 in the Magic's last 4 home games vs. a team with a winning road record. The under is 4-0 in the Magic's last 4 vs. the NBA Pacific Division. The under is 3-0-1 in the last 4 meetings between these two. The under is 6-0 in the last 6 meetings in Orlando between these teams. A 21-0 angle. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Kansas State Wildcats have been shooting a very high percentage so far this year. While it's possible Kansas State will be a bit improved from an offensive perspective, they aren't going to keep shooting the lights out every game like they have been recently. Jamie Dixon's Pitt Panthers are always one of the better defensive teams in the country. The Panthers also play at a very slow tempo all the time. Pitt is having significant problems scoring this year, but they stay in the game with their ball control and strong defense. I think this line is inflated due to Kansas State's recent hot shooting. I had this number at 125 points. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT Total* The Villanova Wildcats impressed me with their defensive intensity on Monday night against VCU. Villanova made the Rams work extremely hard in the halfcourt sets to get looks at the basket. Michigan was amazingly efficient last year on offense, but without Nik Stauskas I expect them to be much worse this season. The Wolverines always want to slow the game down and they should be able to do that here. Villanova looked to be content playing a halfcourt game last night. Also keep in mind that this game is being played at Barclays Center in New York, so this is a neutral venue which generally lowers the shooting percentages. I had this one set at 129. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Eastern Illinois Panthers are going to try their best to slow this game down. They know they don't have the athleticism to run with Creighton. So far this year, Eastern Illinois has been successful in slowing everyone down that they have played against. Creighton also runs a little less than they did last year. More importantly though, Creighton isn't going to be nearly as good on offense without Doug McDermott, Grant Gibbs, Ethan Wragge, and Johans Manigat. This is an offense that has struggled so far this year, and I think the oddsmakers are being slow to adjust their numbers down. I had this one at 130 points. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* The San Diego State Aztecs have played some extremely low scoring games so far this year, but most of their opponents have played at a very slow tempo. That will change tonight when they take on BYU. The Cougars are playing at a pace of 75 possessions per game, which is fifth fastest in the nation. San Diego State plays very good defense, but the pure amount of shots that BYU gets in this one should mean the Cougars score quite a few points. The Aztecs offense should also look a lot better when they are going up against a poor defense like BYU. Look for Winston Shephard to have a big game here. I made this total 140 points. Take the over. 

*4 Star VCU/Villanova Total DOMINATION* The VCU Rams can push the tempo as well as anyone in the nation with their "Havoc" full court pressure. While some teams will fight hard to slow the game down, I don't see Villanova being one that does that. The Wildcats like to play fast with their athleticism at all positions. Ryan Arcidiacano is a guard who plays fast and is prone to turnovers at times, which could play into the hands of VCU. Briante Weber's quickness really makes the Rams tough on both ends of the floor. Whoever wins this game is going to have to score a lot of points. Both of these teams have big guys who can run the floor well, which means there is no reason to expect either team will be wanting to slow things down. The tempo should push this one over. Take the over here. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* Only five teams in the entire country are playing at a faster tempo than the UCLA Bruins right now. There are 351 teams in college basketball. That tells you how quick the Bruins are playing. The Bruins are loaded with good long range shooters, and they are in a matchup here vs. a Long Beach State team that doesn't play much defense at all. Xavier put up 97 points on Long Beach State earlier this year, and Xavier doesn't have the offensive weapons that UCLA has. Long Beach State has a couple nice scorers in Michael Caffey and Tyler Lamb. The 49ers like to play quickly, and I expect them to put up a good amount of points in this game as well. I made this total 159 points. Take the over. 

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Total of Week* The Florida Atlantic Owls and the Georgia Bulldogs both have a new style of play this year. Michael Curry brings an uptempo system to Florida Atlantic. The Owls haven't been very good on offense so far this year, but they are going to get up a lot of shots in this game. Georgia is playing far faster than they have in recent years. In fact, the Bulldogs are averaging seven possessions more per game compared to last season.

That's an amazing change in just one season. Georgia has scored 73, 80, and 82 points in their three games this year. Against inferior competition they put up 80 and 82 points, and Florida Atlantic definitely doesn't have the same kind of talent that Georgia has. The Bulldogs backcourt is really quick and they'll get to the basket with ease in this game. A total this low is a big play for me with both teams turning up the tempo this year. I made this total 143 points. Take the over big! 

*3 Star NFL Play of the Week* The Tampa Bay Bucs and Chicago Bears meet at Soldier Field on Sunday afternoon. The conditions are going to be ugly for this one. There is a 100 percent chance of rain according to current forecasts, and the wind is expected to be 20 mph blowing off of Lake Michigan. Anyone who has been to Chicago knows that the winds can be very tough to deal with here. Both of these teams have been relying more on their passing attacks lately, but I don't expect those to work well in this weather. The field will be a total mess as well with heavy rain throughout. Neither of these offenses has proven to be all that good to start with, and with an ugly field and a heavy wind it will make it much tougher to score. 

The under is 4-0 in the Bucs last 4 games. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 after allowing 150 rushing yards or more last game. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 games played on grass. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 in November. A 16-0 angle. 

Look for a sloppy low scoring game. Take the under. 

*4 Star CFB Late Night BAILOUT* The Nevada Wolfpack offense has gradually gotten better throughout the course of the year. Cody Fajardo is a real star for Nevada, and he's playing in the final home game of his career here. Fresno State's defense hasn't slowed down anyone all year, and it's hard to see them slowing down Nevada's balanced attack here. While Nevada's defense appeared improved earlier this year, the Wolf Pack defense has been awful in recent weeks. Fresno State still has a lot of talent on the offensive end. The Bulldogs should be able to make some big plays on offense here. Look for a shootout in this rivalry game. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA FB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Boise State Broncos offense has been tremendous this year, but their defense is way down from the level they have been at in recent years. Boise State's defense has given up at least 27 points in six straight games. Wyoming isn't particularly good on offense, but the Cowboys offense has been much better on their home field. Boise State has scored 50 points or more on offense in three of their last five games. They might not get there in this one, but if they get into the 40's we have a very good shot of cashing this play.

The over is 5-0 in Boise State's last 5 games. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 conference games. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 following an ATS loss. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 following a straight up win. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 after gaining 200 yards or more on the ground. The over is 4-0 in Wyoming's last 4 following a loss. A 25-0 angle. Take the over. 

*5 Star USC/UCLA Top Play Total* The UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans are bitter rivals. Both of these teams have had this game circled for a very long time. USC has gotten some tremendous quarterback play from Cody Kessler this year. Kessler has thrown 29 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, and he has completed 70.2% of his passes. Brett Hundley has been running the ball more often of late, and his dual threat ability makes this Bruins offense much better. Two very good quarterbacks should put on a show in this one. The UCLA defense has been a big disappointment this year, and I expect USC to put up a nice number against them. On the other hand, USC's secondary has had significant problems this year and Hundley is capable of making big plays with his arm as well. High scoring back and forth game here. Take the over big! 

*Note- The line has moved up here since I picked this on Tuesday evening- I would play this for 5 stars up to 63 points. 4 stars up to 65 points. Thank you*

*5 Star TOP Play Under the Radar Total* The North Texas Mean Green have some major problems on offense. They have essentially zero success throwing the football, so if the running game isn't working they are done. FIU has a really bad offense, but they are much improved on defense. This is an FIU defense that definitely has shown they can stop the run, and I see them forcing North Texas to try to beat them through the air. North Texas is still decent on the defensive end, and this FIU team has gotten really bad quarterback play all year. This is going to be an extremely ugly game. I can't imagine anyone wanting to watch this one, but I do like both defenses to hold up their end and keep this game low scoring. Take the under big! 

*Note- This line has moved since I selected it on Tuesday- I would play it for 5 stars down to 48 and for 4 stars down to 46. Thank you.*

*4 Star NCAA FB Totals TKO* The Arkansas Razorbacks defense is one of the most improved in the nation. Arkansas just shutout a pretty decent LSU team last weekend. Bret Bielema's group only allowed 14 points against the top ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. Ole Miss has been one of the top defenses in the nation all year long. The Rebels offense has let them down in some big games, and that is why they have lost twice. Arkansas loves to run the football, but I think they'll have a hard time running it against a Ole Miss defense that knows the run is coming. I don't trust Bo Wallace to make big plays for the Rebels, and I see this being a very close low scoring affair. Take the under.