NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Oklahoma City Thunder vs San Antonio Spurs @ 8 ET - I realize Wembanyama may not play here because of the late-season back to back and a season going nowhere. However, if he is out it certainly is about much more than point production. This guy has 7 blocks in each of last two games. The Spurs interior defense will be hurt. I am aware there are many injury issues for San Antonio right now but with both SA and OKC in a B2B spot, I expect very lax defense here. Oklahoma City knows they can easily win this without playing D and the Spurs are just fine getting into a run and gun type game. Yes, the Spurs win at Memphis was an under last night but San Antonio allowed the Grizzlies to take 104 shots from the field. The fact is that the Grizz just had an awful shooting night. Speaking of which, the Spurs also were a sub-par 10 of 40 from 3-point land last night. The Thunder are also off a game that stayed under last night but they also allowed a lot of shots (96) from the field but Sacramento had a 34% shooting night from the field. The situational aspects of this game dictate a small-ball style with a lot of run and gun style and very little defense. The Kings took 58 threes against the Thunder last night. Also, Oklahoma City now has Shai Gilgeous-Alexander back on the floor and he scored 40 last night. OKC scored 123 in the first meeting between these teams this season and then the last two meetings have each totaled 250+! More of the same here and we take advantage of a total in the 226.5 range on this one. OVER the total in Oklahoma City

NBA Tuesday OVER in Philadelphia 76ers vs Detroit Pistons @ 7 ET - The 76ers have been red hot and have 2 days off after this game and were off yesterday too of course! So, with another game not until Friday, the Sixers - no matter who is on the floor - will go all out here. Certainly they have been rejuvenated recently with Embiid playing some and Maxey playing some but, even if guys are rested some here, this Philly team has been showing their depth and they are sure to go all out here. In other words, look for them to surely push the pace here especially because they are excited to be closing out the regular season at home. Believe it or not, this will be just the 3rd home game the 76ers have had since mid-March! That road heavy schedule is why their final 3 games of the season are at home. The Sixers have averaged 116 ppg in winning 5 straight games and that average does not include OT points. Against the Pistons this season, Philly is 3-0 and has averaged 122 ppg in those games. In the last two they averaged 126.5 ppg. The Sixers are a 16 point favorite here so, even going with the lower average against Detroit that puts this final around 122-106 but finishing near the latter average would put this one in the 126-110 range. The point is that both these results crush the total in the 221 to 221.5 range which is posted on this game. The Pistons season is long finished but they could have Cade Cunningham back tonight and, either way, they will be happy to play a fast-paced game with Philly where defense is an after-thought. I am fully projecting that type of game here without a doubt and feel that will push this one into the 230s. OVER in Philadelphia

NBA Saturday OVER the total in Memphis Grizzlies vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 8 ET - There are a lot of question marks about who Philly will have on the floor for this one but the odds makers do have them as a double digit favorite for a reason here of course. That said, this is a late-season non-conference match-up that features a non-playoff team hosting a playoff team that is off B2B key tight wins over stronger teams. I could see a bit of a lackadaisical defensive effort permeating this game from both sides because these are the type of late season match-ups that would lead to a more wide-open affair. It also helps the cause that Memphis has won 3 straight and has been scoring a little better of late. Look at it this way...the Grizzlies have averaged 110 ppg L3 games overall and 110 ppg L5 home games. The Sixers are favored by about 13 in the marketplace so that would put this game at 123-110 for a total of 233 points. I am not saying that happens but I am saying we have some value here when you consider that number is two dozen points above the current posted total of 209 on this game as of about 10 hours before tipoff. The Sixers have won 3 of 4 and have averaged 117 ppg during this stretch and multiple guys missed out in some of those games as well. So even if the 76ers have guys again missing in this one, you can see what they are capable of even without a stacked lineup. Going back to that original formula again looking at the other side of the equation, that puts this at Philly 117-104 over the Grizzlies. A dozen points on top of the current posted number. I see value with this total given the situational and match-up factors. OVER the total in Memphis

NIT Tuesday OVER the total in Seton Hall Pirates vs Georgia Bulldogs @ 9:30 ET - The Bulldogs and Pirates are both rolling and scoring well. Both teams allowing in the mid-70s as well this season when they are on the road and this one is in Indiana. Neutral site venue and again, away from home this season both teams have certainly not been strong defensively. Couple that with both teams coming in rolling with confidence on the offensive end and you have a solid match-up for expecting big points here. The Pirates have scored, not including OT of course, 78 ppg last 5 games. Also, Seton Hall has allowed 83 ppg in last 5 games away from home including 91 at MSG against the Red Storm. As for Georgia, they have scored 75 ppg last 6 games and allowed 76 ppg last 6 games. This one had mid 150s written all over it but we are dealing with a posted total in the 145 range so we will grab the huge line value here. OVER the total in Seton Hall

NBA Monday OVER the total in Charlotte Hornets vs Boston Celtics @ 7 ET - The Hornets scored 118 points yesterday but also allowed 130! Charlotte is now hosting a Boston team off a low-scoring win but, prior to that win, the Celtics had allowed an average of 115 ppg (not including OT) in their 3 games leading into that one. Boston has been scoring well as they averaging 120.5 ppg (not including OT) in their last dozen games. Celtics have gone 10-2 in this stretch and will be willing to play at a faster pace and keep the scoring up against a downtrodden Hornets team. Charlotte has actually scored an average of 109 ppg in their last 12 home games. So don't be surprised if this game, given the above numbers, gets into the 120-105 range at least! That said, with this total in the 217 to 218 range as of early game day morning, there is no hesitation in getting involved here. OVER the total in Charlotte

NBA Sunday OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 6:10 ET - The Sixers are a double digit favorite with good reason, of course, in this one. However, Philly has lost 5 of 6 games and has allowed 109 ppg during this stretch. That puts this one potentially at 120-109 given the 11 point spread on this one. I am not saying that happens of course but I am showing this is as an example of why we have some wiggle room here considering this total is in the 217 range as for 6 hours before tipoff. The Sixers need to take advantage of facing a weaker foe and get back into the win column and I look for them to push the tempo in this one. The Raptors have lost a dozen games in a row. In this 12-game losing streak they have allowed 119.4 ppg. Given all these numbers, the Sixers should get into the 120 range here but even if they fall to the 115 range the Raptors should score well enough on their home floor to get this one over the rather low total posted here. OVER the total in Toronto

NCAA Tourney Sunday OVER 128.5 in San Diego State Aztecs vs Yale Bulldogs @ 9:40 ET - While I certainly respect the Aztecs defense, I also respect a Yale team that seemingly can hang tough with most anyone. Remember early in the season they faced Gonzaga when the Bulldogs were #11 in the country and faced Kansas when the Jayhawks were #2 in the country. Those games each totaled at least 135 points and the Bulldogs scored an average of 65.5 ppg in those 2 games. San Diego State is favored by 5.5 points at the time of this write-up. So that puts this game in the 71 to 66 range which is nearly double digits above the total if the Bulldogs perform as they have against other strong teams. In fact, they also scored 65 against a Vermont team that made the tourney and, of course, just scored 78 against a #4 seed Auburn in their upset of the Tigers. This is a confident Ivy League club that can hang tough in this game. At the same time however, with all the talk about the Aztecs D, this San Diego State team can score quite well also. When they faced ranked opponents in the regular season - Utah State twice and Gonzaga once - the Aztecs averaged 84 ppg and won all 3 games! Now they just scored 69 games in beating UAB to advance to face the Bulldogs. Also this is the type of match-up (expected to be a rather tight margin late) that often results in late fouling and quick threes at the other end. Essentially some "scramble points" if needed. However, I expect a solid winner here without the "scramble points" as this one is destined for at least the 130s based on the above. OVER 128.5 in San Diego State

NCAA Friday OVER 131 in St Mary's Gaels vs Grand Canyon Lopes @ 10:05 ET - Grand Canyon has quite a resume this season even though they come from a weaker conference. The Lopes scoring numbers are no fluke. This team can run and gun. They only had one OT game this season and that one was 78-78 in regulation so, the point is, their scoring average has not been overly inflated by OT games and this team is averaging 80 points per game on the season! Now of course they are not expected to get to that range facing a tough St Mary's team that is sound defensively, to say the least. However, Grand Canyon should certainly score quite well here. This is what I was referring to when I mention their "resume" or "body of work" this season. Note that the Lopes put up 76 on San Francisco, 68 on South Carolina and 79 on San Diego State! They won 2 of those 3 games and the lone loss was by just 7 points. 2 of those 3 teams made the Big Dance and the other made the NIT after a very solid season. The point is that Grand Canyon is no weakling even though they come from one of the weakest conferences in college basketball. The fact is that the Lopes have proven they can score on solid teams too. The trouble for them is they will not be able to stop St Mary's here. The Gaels are a solid West Coast Conference team that only had one OT game this season and they averaged 74 ppg on the year. They also have been red hot with wins in 18 of last 19 games! The Gaels averaged 81.5 ppg in their last 8 wins. They are as hot as ever on the offensive end and Grand Canyon has enough scoring production up and down the lineup that they will remain competitive here. The spread on this game is only about 5 points which tells you the odds makers expect a tighter game but this Lopes team is not going to hang around because of their defense it will be because they have solid offensive production. Grand Canyon has scored at least 67 points in 32 of their 33 games this season. St Mary's favored by 5 for a reason and that would put this total in the 140 range. 72 to 67 for example. I just can not see the Gaels failing to get to the 70 mark here and feel this spread is a rather small one for a reason. This one goes down to the wire which also means plenty of opportunity for late fouling as well as jacking up threes. OVER 131 in St Mary's

Rotation #659: CBB Wednesday OVER 138 in Kansas Jayhawks vs Cincinnati Bearcats @ 9:30 ET - Both teams have averaged scoring about 75 to 76 points this season and allowed about 68 to 69 points this season. We have good value with the low total posted on this game. The key is that the Jayhawks are without a couple of top players and that will weaken them in the paint some. At the same time however, Kansas is loaded with talent and is going with a "small ball" lineup here. I expect this to result in a high-scoring game. Their defensive presence around the rim is not going to be as strong as usual and now here they face a Cincinnati team that has added confidence from B2B wins in which they scored 90+ points in each game. Granted the games were against a bad West Virginia team but it still helps in terms of confidence on the offensive end. Here the Bearcats will be able to attack more than usual with success against a smaller than usual Kansas lineup. At the same time, the Jayhawks are out to prove they can win without a couple of their top players and I expect a huge effort from Kansas in this one. The Cats, not including OT points of course, averaged 81 points in their final 3 games this season. The Jayhawks, prior to an ugly season-ending loss to Houston (which means even more motivation for Kansas here) had averaged 77 points per game their last 3 games. Cincinnati is a 3 point favorite here which, with a total of 138, would put this game at about 70-67. I feel strongly that both teams are fully capable of topping those numbers in this one. Particularly true given the small ball style that Kansas will be playing in this one. They certainly are going to respond on offense after scoring just 46 points in most recent game. OVER 138 in Kansas

Rotation #705: Saturday College Basketball: OVER 140.5 in Providence Friars vs Connecticut Huskies @ 8 ET - Providence needs a big upset win here to boost their chances of a shot in the Big Dance this season. The Friars will absolutely go all out here but the defending champ Huskies are again one of the top teams in the country and they will be tough to stop. UConn has averaged 81 ppg this season and they are about a 9 point favorite in this one. So that would put this game in the 81-72 range so we have quite a bit of flexibility compared to this posted total. Also, the Friars are off a dominating win over Georgetown but the Hoyas are horrible. This followed Providence, not including OT points of course, allowing an average of 75 points over their 10 games leading into that one. They are just not that strong defensively. I look for big points here as they are averaging 73 points per game this season and must go all out here at home in this season finale. The Friars will do just that but the Huskies scoring onslaught continues. UConn, in their last 11 games, has 10 wins and just 1 loss and averaged 84 ppg in the 10 victories! OVER 140.5 in Providence

NBA Tuesday OVER 207.5 in Charlotte Hornets vs Orlando Magic @ 7 ET - This total has dropped from its opener and this is a classic case where the long-term history is being given far more credit than the current trending. Yes, the Hornets are certainly known for low-scoring games but they have been playing better of late and scoring better. Also, being on their home floor makes a difference too. At the same time, Orlando enters this game on a 3-game winning streak in which they have averaged 112 points per game. The Magic also are looking to make up for a dud though in their most recent road game. Additionally, the first meeting between these teams totaled 247 points and the Hornets won that one right here in Charlotte. So the Magic, leaders in the SE Division, also have revenge on their minds here. The Hornets are allowing 116.5 ppg last 4 games but also have scored an average of 114 ppg in their last 6 home games. That included facing the Bucks and defensive-minded Memphis and the Lakers too. The point is that Charlotte can score decently at home and they are being under-valued here in that regard. At the same time, revenge-minded Orlando should go off here as well! The Magic have won 8 of 10 and, not including OT points of course, have averaged 114 ppg in the victories. This total is just too low. OVER 207.5 in Charlotte

NBA Monday OVER 211.5 in Minnesota Timberwolves vs Portland Trailblazers @ 8 ET - The Wolves off the 1-point low-scoring loss last night on their home floor and will go all out here against a defenseless foe. Of course that is why they are such a big favorite here and I like the fact that Minnesota has averaged 122 points per game in their 3 meetings with Portland this season. The line on this one is 14 so that would put this game at 122 to 108 if Minny hits their average against the Blazers and if the odds makers are right (as they so often are) with their assessment of the proper spread here. That would put this game in the 230 range and honestly I would not be surprised to see that and for sure, we have a lot of wiggle room with the total posted on this one as you can see. Look for an up tempo game from the T-wolves at home after that grinder last night. They will take advantage of a weaker foe and this one turns into a free-flowing game with plenty of points - yet again - between these teams. All 3 meetings this season between these teams have totaled at least 209 and given the situation here we should eclipse that for sure, just as the last two meetings have eclipsed that as well. The situation boosted by Wolves off a low-scoring loss and Blazers off a confidence-boosting rare OT road win! OVER 211.5 in Minnesota

NBA Saturday OVER 221.5 in Toronto Raptors vs Charlotte Hornets @ 6 ET - The Hornets are off loss in which they scored 114 points and they have been much more competitive recently. That said, look for them to score plenty and hang close with this Raptors team favored by 8 points in this one. Toronto should score very well here but is not known for defense. Toronto has allowed at least 119 points in 7 of last 8 games! They allowed 124 ppg in those 7 games. You can see why I am expecting an improving Charlotte team to score well given those numbers. Also, 2 of the 3 meetings between these teams totaled at least 235 points this season. Toronto has averaged 121.5 ppg scoring last 6 games. Given all of these numbers you can see why I am expecting at least 230s in this one. We get a low total here because of Charlotte's long-term reputation but look at their short-term plus look at the long-term of these Raptors. This game will be wide-open! OVER 221.5 in Toronto

Rotation #815: CBB Sunday OVER 138.5 in Connecticut Huskies vs Seton Hall Pirates @ Noon ET - The Huskies will be relentless in this game. They lost at Seton Hall again this season, just like last season. Now they get revenge at home as a win here locks up the Big East regular season title for them. Connecticut then does not even have to worry about next week's game at Marquette. Of course the Huskies are pretty well locked into winning the title thanks to the Golden Eagles loss yesterday but why not make it official now? Of course the Huskies want to do that and, of course, they are about a 15-point favorite here with good reason. Connecticut shot very poorly against the Pirates earlier this season. That is not happening here at home! The Huskies will score very well here but the Pirates have enough scoring to hang around in this game. Let say Seton Hall only gets to 65, that still puts this game at about 80-65 per the spread on this game and that is mid-140s and we have a posted total that has come down to the upper 130s. Lets take advantage! Seton Hall is off a loss at Creighton but this followed wins in 5 of 6 games and the Pirates scored an average of 76 points in the 5 wins. The Huskies are averaging 81 ppg this season. I like the odds on them getting their average in a revenge spot in which they will be relentless in attacking on the offensive end. The Huskies have averaged 84 points scored in last 8 wins. More of the same here. OVER 138.5 in Connecticut

NBA Friday Top Play OVER 212.5 in Philadelphia 76ers vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:10 ET - Tough break for those had the over, like we did, in last night's Hornets vs Bucks match-up. That game had 121 points at the half but then a ridiculous 89 points the rest of the way for a tough loss for those holding over tickets. Tonight should make up for that. I know Charlotte has a lot of low-scoring results but this Philly team has 2 road games on deck and they are coming off an ugly road loss at Boston. The 76ers will be ready to run plenty here at home as they continue play a different type of basketball with Embiid sidelined. As mentioned in prior write-ups, the Sixers traded away defense and grit for more offense and shooting when they were recently active before the trade deadline. Of course in a tough divisional game like they just had against the Celtics the results of that don't necessarily show up. But in a game like this hosting a Hornets team with one of the worst records in the NBA, you will see plenty of attacking from the Sixers offense here. Tobias Harris snaps his scoring slump with a big game against a road-adverse Hornets team. Charlotte had allowed 120.5 ppg L6 road games prior to rare low-scoring games at Portland and Golden State. That was followed by a home and home set with Bucks in which the allowed an average of 117 ppg. The Sixers have allowed 118 ppg since Embiid has been out with the injury after the Warriors game in late January. Sixers will play fast tonight and force the tempo as they look for a big home blowout. Take advantage of the line value as this total has dropped from its opener. OVER 212.5 in Philadelphia

NBA Thursday OVER 216 in Charlotte Hornets vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7 ET - The Hornets just got destroyed by the Bucks in Milwaukee by a score of 123 to 85. Now the rematch is in Charlotte and I fully expect the Hornets to score much better in this one on their home floor. However, they will again struggle to stop Milwaukee here as the Bucks are showing signs of finally getting it going under new head coach Doc Rivers. The Bucks have won 3 straight and scored an average of 118 points per game last 3 games. The Hornets also had been looking better prior to that ultra ugly shooting performance at Milwaukee. Prior to that, Charlotte had won 5 of 6 games. Also, the Hornets are happy to be back home after a 3 game road trip. Note that the Hornets have scored an average of 116.8 ppg last 5 home games. You can see, based on the Hornets better play of late and scoring numbers at home coupled with the Bucks recent win streak and better scoring as well, this total is just far too low in the 216 range. The Bucks are a 12-point favorite so 216 total means a final in the 114 to 102 range but, based on all of the above, both teams should top that number. In fact, Milwaukee has scored an average of 124 points in their 3 meetings with the Hornets this season. OVER 216 in Charlotte

NBA Wednesday OVER 209.5 in Minnesota Timberwolves vs Memphis Grizzlies @ 8:10 ET - This total has been dropping and, simply put, it has become too low. We only need 210 to be a winner here. Lets say the oddsmakers are correct, as they so often are, about the spread of 12 in this game. In that case, a total of 210 would mean a final of 111 to 99. Do you really think the Wolves are only to score 111 at home here? I sure don't! Memphis has allowed 121 ppg in going 0-4 L4 road games. But also look for the Grizzlies to bounce back after an ultra lousy home performance in most recent game in which they scored only 86 points. Prior to that one, Memphis had enjoyed a 3-game stretch in which they averaged 110 ppg. So you can see my 121 to 110 range with a Minny win would make sense here given those numbers. I do feel we have a lot of wiggle room here given this low total in the 210 range here. Just how much defense is Minny going to play here when they have tougher games against Sacramento and the Clippers on deck? Also, the Timberwolves have already won all 3 match-ups with Memphis this season. I just don't expect their defensive intensity to be at it's greatest here. Also, those 3 games in the season series have all totaled at least 216 points and averaged 222 points per game. We have got some solid line value here with this low total. Take advantage! OVER 209.5 in Minnesota

NBA Tuesday OVER 230.5 in Boston Celtics vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:30 ET - The 76ers lost a lot of defense and grit in the recent trades. But Philly is still a very talented team, even with Embiid out, and they can pile up points in the right situation. This is the right situation! The Sixers are facing a division rival they will struggle to stop and this game should turn into a "track meet" up and down the court with quick scoring opportunities. Philadelphia will bounce back from a tough shooting performance in most recent game for some of their bigger scorers. Boston is going to be aggressive on their home floor as they have won 8 straight games and 10 of 11 and they have done it with a lot of offense. Boston averaged 124.5 ppg in those 10 games. The line on this game is currently a -12. That would put this final at about 125 to 113 and honestly I am expecting even a little more as this one gets into the 240s just like the most recent meeting game. In that one the Sixers were without Embiid then too plus Maxey missed with an illness. That game still got into the mid-240s. That was even with Tatum getting ejected late in the 3rd quarter of that game. Boston still scored 125 in that game. Look for plenty of points again in this one as Maxey now available for the Sixers in the rematch. OVER 230.5 in Boston

NBA Sunday OVER the total in Atlanta Hawks vs Orlando Magic @ 7:10 ET - I know Trae Young is out for the Hawks but that is why this total is down to as low as a 225.5 as of 9 hours before tipoff. However, did you know that of the 5 games Young has missed this season those games totaled at least 229 four times! The fact is this Hawks team knows only one way to play no matter who is on the floor. This Atlanta team not known for defense and they try to win games with a lethal and quick-strike offensive attack. They know they are catching division rival Orlando here not only in a B2B spot but playing the 3rd game in 4 nights. I look for the Hawks to try and run them right out of of the arena in this one! Yes, Orlando is known for lower-scoring games but they have still allowed an average of 111 points per game last 7 games not including OT scoring of course. Now they face one of the teams in the NBA that tends to get into the highest-scoring games. That said you should be able to safely count on the 120 range here and this line is around a pick'em. In other words this one getting into the 240 range should certainly not be a shock. Hawks games have averaged 245 this season and, as noted above, even when Trae Young is out, the points have still piled up and results have been similar. OVER the total in Atlanta

Rotation #831: CBB Sunday OVER the total in Michigan Wolverines vs Purdue Boilermakers @ 2 ET - This total in the 151.5 range as of 6 hours before tipoff. The Wolverines will have point guard McDaniel back for this one. Also, they do not have the interior defense to stop Edey. No one does really but the Wolverines are particularly lacking inside. That means he can have a huge day plus when the defense collapses inside to Edey, the phenomenal outside shooting game of Purdue is opened up as well. I could see the Boilermakers defense being a bit lax here. Remember they were off a loss before they faced Rutgers so they gave a little more effort there defensively. But now with Michigan State on deck and with Boilers off a huge bounce back win and now facing the worst team in the Big Ten, this one could be a bit relaxed. The Wolverines will score decently at home but not be able to stop this juggernaut offense. Keep in mind, the Boilers are favored by 14 points. They have averaged in mid-80s this season and why would they not get there against the worst team in the Big Ten. My expectation is they get to 90 which puts this in the 90-75 range. Coincidentally, the Wolverines are scoring 75 ppg this season and so this one getting to mid-160s is certainly possible and we only need to top low 150s to get a winner here! I like our chances! OVER the total in Michigan

NBA Friday OVER the total in Golden State Warriors vs Charlotte Hornets @ 10:10 ET - This total is in the 229.5 range as of very early game day morning. We get some value because of the Hornets low-scoring ways long-term. This Charlotte team is playing much better of late and is off a road win at Utah to jump start their 2nd half of the season. The Warriors also off a big win versus the Lakers last night. What I like about the line value with this total here is that both teams scored big last night yet each game stayed under the total. Now they are matched up, loaded with confidence, and it is a non-conference match-up in the 2nd day of a B2B where defensive intensity will not be at its greatest! Note that the Hornets have now won 4 straight games and averaged 116 ppg in this 4-game stretch. Charlotte is about a 14 point dog here so that would put this game at 130-116 if they hit their recent scoring average. But can Warriors really get to 130 here? Yes, it is is not beyond the realm of reality for sure! Golden State is averaging 124 ppg L7 home games - not including OT points of course - and now they face one of the overall weaker teams in the league. Overall, GS is averaging 128 points scored per game last 7 games - home or away. Given all of these numbers you can see why I am expecting 240s here and certainly we should see at least 230s. The Hornets will not want to play fast necessarily but the Warriors, on their home floor, will absolutely force them too. But with Hornets playing with more confidence than usual on the offensive end, they will surprise with scoring well here. OVER the total in Golden State

Rotation #747 CBB Thursday OVER the total in Purdue Boilermakers vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights @ 7 ET - This total is in the 138.5 range as of about 8 hours before tipoff. Note that this total is kept lower because of Rutgers being a strong defensive team. However, the game at Rutgers still totaled 128 when these teams met even though combined for just 9 of 35 from 3-point land. Now, at Purdue and with the Boilermakers angry off a loss, guess who controls the tempo in this one? Exactly! The home team is going to push hard here after the loss at Ohio State. Note that Purdue has scored an average of 91 points this season when off a loss. Those two games were big wins and, overall, the Boilermakers have been scoring big at home all season long. Purdue is averaging 89 ppg (not including OT of course) in their 13 home games this season. Also, Rutgers is expected to lose SU here of course and even though they are strong defensively, look at the numbers they have allowed in losses this season. They have allowed 77 ppg in losses away from home this season. Now they are going to lose away from home to the best team in the country! Of course the Boilers, given all of the above, should get into the 80s here and this line is around 15. Even if it is only an 80-65 type game that puts this in the mid-140s but truly I expect much more given all of the above and this one should blow away the total as the Boilers respond at home! OVER the total in Purdue

CBB Monday OVER the total in Virginia Tech Hokies vs Virginia Cavaliers @ 7 ET - The Cavs are off a 49-47 win and one thing comes to mind first when most people are asking about Virginia ... defense! Yes this Cavaliers team, as has so often been the case in recent years, wins games with defense. However, that is truly skewing the posted total on this game as it is only a 126.5 as of about 11 hours before tipoff. Note that Virginia's stellar defensive play tends not to travel! Indeed, the home / road dichotomy is huge on the season. The Cavaliers in true road games this season have allowed an average of 69 points per game! No OT included! Those are per game regulation average points allowed by this stellar Virginia defense. Being on the road has made a huge difference for them all season long. Now they face the rival Hokies at Virginia Tech and the hosts are getting love from the marketplace and up to a 3.5 point favorite in this one. The Hokies want revenge for a 65-57 loss at Virginia earlier this season. If you look at their past 14 games, that is THE ONLY ONE for the Hokies that has totaled less than 132 points and, at Virginia Tech the points will pile up in this one unlike the first meeting at Virginia. Even that one got to the low 120s but on the season Hokies games are averaging 145 points. I am not saying we get to that level but the point is we have a lot of wiggle room here in a game that should get to at least the mid 130s the way I see. 69 to 66 sounds about rate based an all of the above statistical support. OVER the total in Virginia Tech

Rotation #657: CBB Saturday OVER the total in Duquesne Dukes vs St Joseph's Hawks @ 2:30 ET - Duquesne scored 59 in their most recent loss on the road and coincidentally they are now back home where they also scored just 59 points in their most recent game. That is helping to give us line value with this total here because both teams are going to emphasize offense here. More about St Joseph's impact on that in just a minute but, first off, note that Duquesne's other two recent games saw them win both and average scoring 80 and allowing 70. Now, about those Hawks, St Joseph's loves to run and gun and pays little attention to defense. The Dukes will also be looking for big production on the offensive end considering they have scored just 59 in most recent game and also in most recent home game. The Hawks also off a loss in which they did not shoot well at all. This was a rare ugly game for them on the offensive end. Prior that, and in the Hawks last 6 games since a 71-69 win over this same Duquesne team, all 6 St Joe's games totaled at least 148 points! The total on this one, as of 5 hours before tipoff, is 146.5 points and I love the value here with both teams off ugly performances offensively. Those 6 Hawks games after the win over the Dukes averaged 164 ppg. This why I am projecting no problem getting to the 150s in this one. OVER the total in Duquesne

Rotation #735 CBB Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in East Carolina Pirates vs Wichita State Shockers @ 7 ET - These teams last met in Wichita State and it was a 54-52 Pirates win. The total opened up on this one at 137 but is ticking up to the 138.5 range even though their recent meeting totaled 106 points? Exactly! Someone knows something and we are going to cash in on that too. For one thing the teams hit a combined 8 three pointers in that game and East Carolina had a horrible shooting night overall. The Pirates had 68 shots from the field but managed only 54 points. They will be even stronger in terms of creating scoring chances on their home floor but this time they cash more of them in too. At the same time, the Shockers are out for revenge and they have averaged 75 ppg, not including OT, in their other 8 games since mid-January. In other words, that game against EC was an outlier. Also, the Pirates are generally not a high-scoring team but they are off an 84-72 win on the road and carry momentum home here plus the Shockers have not been known for defense this season for sure. OVER in East Carolina

NBA Monday OVER the total in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:10 ET - As mentioned in another recent totals writeup involving Philly, the Sixers added Buddy Hield and Cameron Payne at the trade deadline. Hield is a sharpshooter and they needed a 3-point specialist like him in the worst way. Both he and Payne have already had 20-point games since recently coming on board. However, the key here is all the guys Philly gave up in trades to get guys like Hield and Payne as the Sixers lost a lot of toughness and defense. They are absolutely a different team defensively today than they were just less than a week ago. Of course still without Embiid, the interior defense of the 76ers is already an issue right now. Long-term Philly has been in a bad pattern of allowing too many points...even when Embiid was still playing. Over their last 11 games the Sixers are allowing 124 ppg! Now they are visiting a red hot Cavaliers team that has won 9 straight games and scored an average of 119 ppg in their last 11 games. The Sixers are playing more of a small ball style since the trade and plus being without Embiid. They still have scorers like Maxey and Harris plus guys like Oubre and Council also capable of getting in the 20 point range. But they just do not have size and are lacking interior defense. The Cavs will surely exploit this and yes they get involved in some low-scoring battles at time but look at what Cleveland has done in recent home games! The Cavaliers have scored an average of 129 ppg in their last 4 home games. 5 of L6 Sixers games have totaled more than the 229 range currently set on tis games as of about 10 hours before tipoff. We'll see 230s here at least and truly I would not be surprised to see 240+ given all of the above. OVER the total in Cleveland

NBA Sunday OVER 239 in Oklahoma City Thunder vs Sacramento Kings @ 3:10 ET - The Thunder off ugly loss at Dallas last night. They will bounce back here at home and they have revenge against the Kings. However, this Sacramento team comes in running hot and they are high on confidence right. The Kings just knocked off the Nuggets and they have won 7 of 10 games. Sacramento has averaged 124 ppg last 5 games. The Kings however, prior to the huge win over Denver, had allowed an average of 126.5 ppg last 4 games. The Thunder have allowed 135 ppg last two games. The last game between these teams totaled 251 points. Sacramento will look to push the pace here knowing they are the fresher team after a night off and catching OKC in a B2B spot. The Kings have scored at least 120 points in 8 of 11 games. The Thunder are favored by about 4 points here for a reason. That would put this game in the 125 to 120 range and I am expecting at least that here. This one gets well into the 240s. OVER 239 in Oklahoma City

NBA Friday OVER the total in Philadelphia 76ers vs Atlanta Hawks @ 7:10 ET - The Sixers added Buddy Hield and Cameron Payne at the trade deadline. Hield is a sharpshooter and they needed a 3-point specialist like him in the worst way. Even if Hield does not play tonight, a big key here is all the guys Philly gave up in trades yesterday. They lost a lot of toughness and defense. They are absolutely a different team defensively today than they were just 24 to 48 hours ago. Of course still without Embiid, the interior defense of the 76ers is already an issue right now. Long-term Philly has been a bad pattern of allowing too many points...even when Embiid was still playing. Over their last 9 games the Sixers are allowing 125 ppg! Now they are hosting a Hawks team that has allowed 128.4 ppg last 10 games and, of course, this is not including OT points. Atlanta is all about play on the offensive end and with the 76ers currently having played more small ball of late, they have been giving up big point totals as well. The value is there with this one likely to get into the 250s given the numbers above as well as the post-trade situation. Not including OT points of course, the 3 meetings between these teams have averaged 243 ppg this season. That is right about where this total is as of 13 hours before tipoff. However, this total should be even higher when you consider the factors noted above and the recent trending of these two teams. The Hawks have had 8 straight games total at least 242 points and those 8 games, again not including OT, have averaged 258.5 ppg. We'll see 250s here at least. OVER the total in Philadelphia

NBA Thursday OVER 224 in Brooklyn Nets vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:40 ET - With Cleveland in a back to back and Brooklyn missing a few players for this one, this total has ticked down. The result is line value on the over. Note that the Cavaliers are a red hot 15-1 last 16 games. Being in a B2B here will not slow them down. Cleveland is off a low-scoring win at Washington yesterday but the game still hit 220 which is not far from tonight's total. The Cavaliers, prior to scoring only 114 against the Wizards, had scored an average of 121 ppg their last 10 games. Thursday's line is a -6 at Brooklyn. Could this game end 121-115 given these numbers? Absolutely and I do expect Brooklyn to bounce back at home off a couple of low-scoring home losses. Knowing the Cavs are in a back to back spot, the Nets will likely elect to push the tempo a little bit more in this one and wear down Cleveland as the game goes on. Even with guys out, the Nets still have plenty of scoring firepower with guys like Bridges, Thomas, Dinwiddie and Claxton. Also, O'Neale has been used more the past two games and averaged 16.5 ppg. The Nets scored 60 points in the 2nd half of their home loss to Dallas Tuesday and they will start faster this time around after a slow start versus the Mavs in that game. 4 of Brooklyn's last 5 games have totaled at least 226 points and the Nets had some high-scoring performances in those. They bounce back off the B2B home losses but the Cavaliers stay red hot and that ultimately pushes this game over the total and into the 230s per my projections here. OVER 224 in Brooklyn

Rotation #777: CBB Thursday OVER 137.5 in NC-Wilmington Seahawks vs Drexel Dragons @ 7 ET - Drexel is a slower paced team but, even with that, their games have averaged 137 points this season. I expect NC-Wilmington on their home floor to dictate the tempo in this one. Seahawks games averaged 153 ppg this season! Also, this is a revenge spot for the Seahawks and the first game totaled 141 points despite the Seahawks making just 6 of 30 from three point land! Speaking of 20% three-point shooting, the Dragons are off a horrible 4 of 20 performance from downtown in their most recent game, a tight loss at Monmouth. Drexel has done a great job bouncing back from losses this season but the Seahawks are out for revenge on their home floor. I expect a back and forth high-scoring battle here given all of the above. The Dragons have gone 6-1 this season when off a loss and scored an average of 75 ppg in the 6 victories. The Seahawks have won 7 of 8 games and scored an average of 77.4 ppg in the 7 victories. We don't need 75 to 77 apiece here in this one but the fact is solid odds on each team reaching the 70 mark in this one and that puts this one into the 140s. Drexel has scored an average of 77 ppg L6 road games even including the poor shooting effort at Monmouth in most recent game. The Seahawks have allowed 69 ppg L7 games (not including OT of course) so Drexel getting to 70 here is not a big ask and yet the home team is also favored with good reason. Value on the over with this low total. Each of last 3 meetings between these clubs have totaled over 140 and each of Seahawks L3 home games have totaled over 145 points! OVER 137.5 in NC-Wilmington 

NBA Monday OVER the total in Philadelphia 76ers vs Dallas Mavericks @ 7:10 ET - This total is in the 242.5 range as of 11 hours before tipoff. Philly is without Embiid now and that really opens things up in the paint. They tend to play more of a small ball fast paced style when Embiid is not available. That means plenty of scoring both ways! As for the Mavericks, Irving is probable tonight and Doncic is questionable. I expect both to play in this game but either way I do like the over plenty in this one. Note that the Mavericks have allowed an average of 125 ppg last 12 games so don't let the big total scare you away here! The 76ers have allowed 125 ppg last 7 games. The line on this is around a pick'em. In other words 126-125 type game here is not only possible it is probable given numbers like this. Look for both teams to get into the 125 to 130 range here in a typical wide-open non-conference affair played with plenty of pace and continued struggles defensively from both clubs. OVER the total in Philadelphia

NBA Sunday OVER the total in Detroit Pistons vs Orlando Magic @ 3 ET - The Pistons expected to have Cade Cunningham back for this one. The Magic scored 123 points the last time they faced Detroit. The Pistons did not score well in that one versus Orlando but they are back at home for this rematch. Detroit has scored at least 120 points in 3 straight games! The Pistons have allowed 122 ppg their last 9 games. Orlando is known for lower-scoring games but the Magic are facing a Pistons team that does not play well defensively but is at home and has been scoring well of late. This one has over written all over it. The Magic off a tight win at tough Minnesota plus have a big divisional game on deck at Miami. In other words, the Orlando defensive play is not likely to be at its best here against the worst team in the league. As of 8 hours before gametime, this total in the 228 range which is a great value. OVER the total in Detroit

Rotation #725: CBB Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Michigan State Spartans vs Maryland Terrapins @ 5:30 ET - These teams recently met and the game total just 120 points but it was on pace for 152 points based on a 44-32 score at the half! That said, I feel we have a lot of value here with the posted total on this around 130 points as of about 5 hours before tipoff. I do respect both defenses. However, you must also keep in mind that the Spartans are off a big win over their biggest rival, Michigan, and their defense may not be their best here. Also, MSU is averaging 76 ppg this season and Maryland is averaging 70 ppg this season. As you can see, we have some "wiggle room" with this total when you consider scoring numbers like that. The Terrapins have scored at least 69 points in 4 of last 5. As for the Spartans, against teams not named Maryland, they have scored 66 points or more in 12 of last 13 games! Most of those saw Michigan State reach at least the 70 point mark also. I look for both teams to get well past the mid-60s in this one given the above and that gets this team well into the 130s. 10* OVER the total in Michigan State

NBA Friday OVER 221 in Denver Nuggets vs Portland Trail Blazers @ 9:10 ET - Sharpe is still out for the Blazers but what is interesting is that Portland did struggle offensively in the first game without him but what about since then? The Trail Blazers are actually 5-4 SU last 9 games and in their last 10 games without him they did average 113 points per game NOT including OT points of course. Denver is favored by about a dozen points here so that puts this game at 125 to 113 which is well above the 221 total here. I am aware that Jokic is questionable but, if he does not play, a potential small approach here for the Nuggets could serve them well here. That's because the Blazers are playing with a little more confidence now and willing to run and gun and that could play right into Denver's hands in a potential home rout. Statistically, when at home and off a loss, the Nuggets have allowed an average of 110 ppg. In other words, when coming off a loss and playing on their home floor, Denver has shown a propensity to rely more on their offense than defense in terms of bouncing back! The Nuggets are 5-0 L5 home games and average 119.4 during this winning streak at home. Again, look at the spread here, and if Denver hits 120 and wins by 12 that still puts this one into the upper 220s. I am expecting 230s here based on all of the above and the situation. OVER 221 in Denver

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play OVER 215 in Memphis Grizzlies vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8 ET - When you look at Memphis and the injury situation then of course you start thinking about a tough time scoring points. However, too much emphasis is being placed on that here and not enough on what the Cavaliers are capable of! Also, the Grizzlies are highly unlikely to again make just 30 of 80 from the field like they did in most recent game. Cleveland tends to play higher-scoring games and I could see this game being rather wide-open. Remember too that Memphis had scored 107.5 ppg in their 4 games prior to that loss. As for the Cavs, they have scored big in winning 11 of their last 12 games. The Cavaliers also have allowed 114 ppg their last 4 games. How amped up defensively do you really think the Cavs are going to be facing a Grizzlies team that is enduring a very rough season? I just can not foresee much effort here from Cleveland in terms of defensive intensity. Instead look for more of a run and gun approach in this non-conference affair and that should yield plenty of points. The current spread on this one is 8 and that puts this final at 111-103 in terms of the total posted on this game. But do you really think the Cavs are only going to get to 111 here? They have averaged 120 ppg last 13 games and now face a struggling opponent. In other words, you can see why I love the value with the low total posted on this one! 10* OVER 215 in Memphis

Rotation #735: CBB Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Green Bay vs IUPUI @ Noon ET - This total in the 134 range as of about 6 hours before tipoff. Green Bay a heavy favorite with good reason here but don't be surprised if IUPUI scores well enough to hang around in this one for awhile and that will help push this one over the total. The Jaguars have averaged scoring 75 ppg in their last two road games. However, the issue with this team is they continue to allow far too many points. IUPUI has allowed 81 ppg their last 9 games. So if the oddsmakers are correct, as they so often are, about GB being a 12 point favorite here, that would put this game finishing at 81 to 69 Green Bay if IUPUI allows their typical average. That means we have a lot of wiggle room when you consider this total is in the mid-130s. I do believe GB can get to the 80 point range here. The Phoenix have played 11 games since an ugly loss to Oklahoma back in mid-December. In those 11 games they have gone 9-2 and had only 1 ugly loss. In the other 10 games they averaged 77 ppg and now they face one of the worst teams in the Horizon League. Indeed 81 to 69 sounds about right here! The Phoenix tend to play with a little more tempo on their home floor and I expect that to continue here. 10* OVER the total in Green Bay

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 215.5 in Charlotte Hornets vs Chicago Bulls @ 7:10 ET - The first meeting totaled 211 and the next one 195 and the next one 214 (not including OT of course). That said, I do understand that this game has a low total on it. However, it opened up at 218 for a reason and is now down to 215.5 and I love the situational value here with the over. The Bulls are coming off a loss and have averaged 118.5 ppg the last 4 times when off a loss. Also, Chicago (not including OT of course) has seen 8 of last 10 games all total more than 220 points! Charlotte is off a low-scoring loss to New York but, prior to this, the Hornets had one ugly game against the Sixers but their other 6 recent games saw them average 116 points! Also, Charlotte is allowing an average of 125 points last 5 games. Prior to the low-scoring loss to the Knicks, 8 of last 10 Hornets games have totaled at least 219 points. Again, you can see the value here with the low number and I love getting additional value on a total when the line has moved further down in situations where it was already quite low to begin with. 10* OVER 215.5 in Charlotte

NBA Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Portland Trail Blazers vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 10:10 ET - The Blazers are in a B2B spot but are finally getting healthier again and I certainly do not expect a repeat of last night's shooting performance which saw them make just 6 of 33 from three point land! The Sixers have a number of guys on the injury report as questionable entering this one but no matter who ends up on the floor for this one, they will be going hard to end a 2-game losing streak and the tempo will be pushed. There have been 4 times this year in which the Sixers were on the road and coming off B2B losses and all 4 of those games totaled at least 242 points. Keep in mind, the posted total on this one as of about 10 hours before tipoff is as low as a 222.5 and so this is a 4-0 / 100% season trend we are testing here in terms of the over given this situation. On the road and off B2B losses the Sixers have responded with a fury offensively all 4 times. With Grant and Henderson back last night and overall better shooting expected tonight at home after unusual debacle yesterday, this should fly over the total. The Blazers had averaged scoring 116.5 ppg in their last 13 home games prior to yesterday's poor effort versus Chicago. This line is 10 on this game. That puts this one at Philly 126-116 given that Blazers average. That puts the total at 242 which is the minimum scored in each of the 4 prior times Philly has been in this situation. In other words, everything is lining up here and looks like a solid value. 10* OVER the total in Portland

CBB Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 153.5 in New Mexico Lobos vs Nevada Wolfpack @ 10 ET - The MWC has a lot of strong teams with solid overall records. Certainly the Wolfpack are better than their 3-3 conference record shows. However, this Lobos team is red hot and so strong at home. The way I see it the best way to get involved in this game is the over! New Mexico has already scored 84 points or more in 60% of their games this season. The Lobos enter this game on a 4 game winning streak in which they have averaged scoring 92 ppg! The Wolfpack have struggled a bit in recent games but they still have scored an average of 77 ppg this season. Keep in mind, if Nevada hits their average here and the spread is correct on this one with Lobos about a 9 point favorite, you are talking about a game that gets into the 160s! The Lobos are red hot but have allowed 76 ppg last 5 games. They are not afraid to get in up-tempo games at The Pit in Albuquerque and I look for this one to be an absolute track meet! 10* OVER 153.5 in New Mexico

CBB Rotation #663: Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Drexel Dragons vs North Carolina AT & T Aggies @ 2 ET - The Dragons off the tough loss at Towson in a game in which they did not shoot well. Now they are back home in Philly and ready to explode on offense. They are known for shooting much better here and they will be able to run and gun against a NC AT & T team not known for defense. The Aggies can stop no one but they do have a big scorer in Glasper. The key here is he was one of 4 guys in double digits in their most recent game but that was a loss at Delaware in which they allowed 90 points. Drexel will win this one big and they are a huge favorite for a reason, but the value rather than laying about 18 points here is certainly on the over the way I see it. Drexel will be anxious to have a huge game at home and will push the tempo against a bad defense. They will get much better looks than they did against Towson. However, the key here is the Aggies have some scoring power and will at least be willing to run and gun here even at their own detriment. This total has dropped to the low 140s and, for example, if the Aggies only get to 65 points but the spread posted on this one is about right, that still puts this game in the upper 140s. I am looking for a 90-70 type game given the situation and the defensive struggles of NC AT & T continue here. 10* OVER the total in Drexel

CBB Friday 10* Top Play OVER 153.5 in California vs Stanford @ 10 ET - The Cardinal shoot the ball so well and the Golden Bears are on their home floor and are also a high-scoring team. So you have two higher-scoring teams and the team with the lower FG % is on their home floor where they tend to be at their best. That is the perfect ingredients for an over and I believe this total will prove to be too low. Stanford is shooting 48% from the field and they have one rare exception, a 59-53 win, that if it was included in their stats their numbers would be even more impressive in terms of point totals. In their other recent 6 games they have averaged scoring 85 ppg. The Cardinal have allowed 81 ppg in their other 5 recent games played away from home. I would truly not be surprised to see this one get into the 160s and we have a total in the low 150s here. California  also has won recent outlier versus UCLA but their other 7 recent games have averaged 157 points. Last year when Cal hosted Stanford, the game totaled 162 points and I expect something similar tonight. 10* OVER 153.5 in California 

NBA Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia 76ers vs San Antonio Spurs @ 7:10 ET - This total in the 237 range and Philly is about a 14 point favorite here. The reason I am referencing those specific numbers is because the Spurs have scored at least 115 points in 7 of their last 9 games. If they hit at least that 115 mark and the odds makers are right about the spread on this game (as they so often are) that puts this total in the mid-240s. That means we have some solid value with the over here the way I see it. The 76ers are off a rare ultra low-scoring game which they won at Charlotte. Now they are back at home where they so often play at a frenetic pace and note that the Spurs are known for playing fast as well. With this being a non-conference match-up there is also less emphasis on defense. The Sixers are rested and have some rest on deck as well so they will go all out here and the Spurs are coming off a rare win and will be ready to push the tempo again here as that is the way they have been playing consistently all season long. Now SA has the confidence boost of coming off a rare win too so their hotter shooting might surprise here as confidence tends to be contagious. Sixers defense could be lax here after holding their last opponent below 90 points! 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia

NBA Thursday OVER the total in New York Knicks vs Washington Wizards @ 7:40 ET - The Knicks in a B2B and off another strong performance on defense. Given that this is a B2B and New York is a double digit favorite with good reason, you can expect a high-scoring run and gun affair in this one. The Knicks used up their defensive energy last night against Houston. Now they face a Wizards team that is having a horrible season and so you know the Knicks are going to be willing to just play a free-flowing game here after last night's stronger effort on the defense end. Washington has scored 120 ppg last 4 games. However, the Wizards also are 7-32 SU this season and have allowed nearly 130 ppg in their 32 losses! Don't be surprised when this game lands in the 130-120 type range which means we have a lot of wiggle room compared to the current total in the 235 range in this one as of 11 hours before tipoff! OVER the total in New York

Rotation #873: CBB Monday: 10* Top Play OVER the total in St Joe's vs LaSalle Explorers @ 4 ET - This total in the 149 range. The Hawks just a lost a game in which they led by 9 points with a little over 6 minutes to go but never scored a field goal again the rest of the way! That said, the emphasis will be on offensive production here and La Salle is a team they can dominate against in that regard. The Explorers have allowed an average of 77 ppg last 6 games against Div 1 competition. La Salle has averaged scoring 76 ppg this season but St Joseph's is favored by double digits for good reason. The Explorers should get well into the 80s in this one after what just happened in that tough defeat to Loyola Chicago. I mentioned above. They will push the tempo here and the Hawks have averaged scoring 83 points last 6 games! 10* OVER the total in St Joseph's

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Portland Trail Blazers vs Phoenix Suns @ 9:10 ET - Portland is back home after losing 3 straight on the road. I expect them to score better now that they are on their home floor but this is a Trail Blazers team that is awful at the defensive end. The Blazers have allowed 123 ppg (not including OT points of course) in their last 8 games. Portland has averaged scoring 117.6 ppg last 10 home games. So the Trail Blazers will surprise many with some solid scoring at home here but their defense will continue its sub-par play and struggle to slow down this quality Suns team. Phoenix has won 6 of 9 games and averaged 116.8 scoring per game during this stretch. Against a bad Portland team they can easily get well in into the 120s here and that helps send this one flying over the total which is in the low 230s. 10* OVER the total in Portland

Rotation #887: CBB Friday 10* Top Play OVER 135.5 in Villanova Wildcats vs DePaul Blue Demons @ 8:30 ET - The Blue Demons have been getting hammered so far in Big East action but 3 of their 4 games have been against tough foes including this Villanova team. Though they lost 84-48 in the first meeting with the Wildcats this season, they actually had just as many shots from the field and also took two more three-pointers. The difference in that game was that DePaul was way off with their shooting in that game. The Blue Demons only made 30% from the field overall and only 4 of 24 from beyond the arc. Statistical odds give a strong factor that, of course, DePaul will shoot much better in this game. The problem is they can stop no none and Nova is coming off a loss too plus playing at home. So the Wildcats will be fired up for a strong performance at home and I expect the end result to be plenty of points scored in this one. 10* OVER 135.5 in Villanova

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Atlanta Hawks vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 7:40 ET - This total is as low as a 247 as of 8 hours before tipoff and I am fully expecting this one gets into the 250s at least. The Thunder are off the huge home win over Boston last night. I do not expect the defense of OKC to be at its best after such a big win like that. However, this Thunder team continues to pile up points and the Hawks are certainly known for giving up big numbers! Atlanta, well-rested here and at home, will look to run and gun here and drive Oklahoma City right out of the arena. However, OKC has the firepower to keep up. It sets this one up well to have a great pace with very little defense and plenty of stretches in which the teams are simply trading buckets. Note that the Hawks have allowed 124 ppg in their last 16 games. However, Atlanta is also averaging 122 ppg this season. The Thunder have fared well in B2B spots this season with a 3-0 record and averaging 129 ppg. However, OKC has allowed big points this season too...just like the Hawks. The pacing and situational aspects of this one set it up perfectly to get it into the 250s. These are two of the highest-scoring teams in the league plus the Thunder are hot plus the Hawks have revenge here for a loss at OKC earlier this season. 10* OVER the total in Atlanta

CBB Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Texas Longhorns vs Texas-Arlington Mavericks @ 2 ET - UT Arlington is talented but off an ugly shooting game in which they totaled just 52 points. That sets this one up nice for an over. The Mavericks were averaging 75 ppg this season before the ugly game against North Texas. They will make up for that here but of course they are not going to stop the Longhorns. UT is favored by 18 points in this one for a reason of course. That said, with this total in the 147 range and, if the odds makers are right about the spread, that would put this one at about an 83-65 type game. Given that the Mavs were averaging 75 ppg before the most recent disappointing effort, you can see why we have good value here. Also, the Mavericks recently got Phillip Russell back on the floor and he was a big scorer for SE Missouri each of the last two seasons. Texas will be unstoppable here as they are a strong ranked team but the Mavs are going to hang around in this game for a while too. That sets this up well for plenty of points and the number is 146.5 or 147 as of about 2 hours before tipoff! 10* OVER the total in Texas

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Timberwolves vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 8:10 ET - This total currently in the 225.5 range. I am well aware there are some injury and illness question marks for each team entering this one but I expect most of those guys to play and I feel we have value here with this rather low total. Consider also that if some of the bigger guys are out that opens things up for more of a "small ball" style of game and I would not be surprised to see both teams go off big in this one. 7 of Minnesota's last 10 games have totaled at least 228 points. The Timberwolves are a fantastic 23-7 this season and scoring an average of 116 ppg last 10 games. The Lakers are just 3-6 last 9 games but have scored 120 ppg last 10 games! LA has allowed 121 ppg their last 9 games. As you can see, we have a lot of wiggle room given numbers like this as the Lakers and Wolves both currently trending toward higher-scoring games. Even if one or more of the big guys is out for this one, this total still gets there as it is just too low given all of the above. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota

CBB Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in California Golden Bears vs Arizona Wildcats @ 10:30 ET - The Wildcats are angry off a double-OT loss prior to Christmas. Arizona is one of the top teams in the country and will respond in a huge way here. However, California is on their home floor and they have scored quite well this season so I would not be surprised to see a strong effort from the Golden Bears in this one. The problem for Cal is they are not strong on the defensive end and the Cats are going to run and gun in this one and leave no doubt after that disappointing double-OT loss. Of course that is why Arizona is favored by double digits on the road in this Pac-12 opener and I expect plenty of scoring and pace to this game. Cal averaging 76 ppg this season but Arizona is averaging 92.5 ppg on the year! Given the line on this game is in the 14 range, certainly 91 to 77 sounds about right and, though I expect much more, a total of 168 is double digits in front of this total which is in the 155.5 to 156.5 range as of about 10 hours before tipoff. Looks like a shootout is on the way here! 10* OVER the total in California 

CBB Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 147.5 in Connecticut Huskies vs St John's Red Storm @ 8 ET - The Huskies are off a loss but had won 10 of 11 games prior to that. Connecticut will bounce back here and they averaged 88.5 ppg in their 10 victories. Of course UConn expected to win this game as they are a big favorite for a reason in this one. Look at the Huskies as 11 point favorites here and note they average 88 points in their victories. So, the law of averages says this game ends 88-77 and that means totaling 165 points which is way above the 147.5 total currently posted on this game. That said, you are looking at quite a bit of wiggle room on this one in terms of playing the over. Note that the Red Storm do struggle defensively but they do score well. They had one low-scoring game but in their other 10 games this season they scored an average of 83 points per game. I like the odds of this one being an over easy given all of the above. 10* OVER 147.5 in Connecticut

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Portland Trail Blazers vs Dallas Mavericks @ 9:10 ET - This total in the 233.5 range as of 9 hours before tipoff. Both teams rested and the Mavs off a loss and Blazers off 5 straight losses. In other words, these teams will be pushing hard for the win here plus Portland has revenge for losing the most recent meeting with the Mavericks. Dallas has allowed 117 ppg last 4 games but scored 124 ppg last 5 games. The Trail Blazers last 3 games have all totaled at least 236 points and this one should too. 10* OVER the total in Portland

Rotation #680: CBB Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Iona Gaels vs St Joseph's Hawks @ 7 ET - This one in the 142.5 range and St Joe's had one ugly game this season but really has scored very, very well in their other games. They have been consistent with their other games featuring only 1 loss and that was at Kentucky and was a game the Hawks nearly won in regulation before losing in OT. St Joe's has averaged 77.4 ppg in those 9 games! Iona has not been scoring quite as well but the Gaels are generally known for high-scoring games and 7 of first 8 this season totaled at least 140 points. Now off B2B low-scoring games, Iona will join in on a fast-paced non-conference match-up as the Hawks are loaded with scorers and will push the pace here. 10* OVER the total in Iona

NBA Friday 10* Top Play OVER 234.5 in Philadelphia 76ers vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:10 ET - Another very high-scoring match-up likely between these teams Friday. They just met Wednesday and, not only did the game total 240, every single quarter saw at least 56 points scored. I love that type of consistency when you have an over. Now, the match-up shifts from Detroit to Philadelphia and should only help the over even more as Philly scores so well on their home floor. In terms of defensive intensity, the Pistons have proven all season they do not have much of that at all. As for the 76ers, it is hard to be intense on the defensive end when you know you are facing a team that has lost over 20 games in a row and you are nearly a 20 point favorite! From a statistical standpoint, the Sixers have averaged 129 points per game in their 10 home games against teams NOT named Boston! Certainly the Pistons are at the opposite end of the spectrum in comparison with the Celtics. Hence, my expectation that Philly is going to score in the 130s here and that means the Pistons (based on the spread) should score in the 110s in this one. That means we are looking at 240s here, if not 250s. 10* OVER 234.5 in Philadelphia

Rotation #639 - CBB Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 151.5 in UNLV Rebels vs Creighton Bluejays @ 9 ET - The Bluejays are huge road favorites here and I feel the big numbers is justified. However, I also feel that the Rebels will score well at home and so you are looking at a match-up that should get well into the 150s. Creighton, other than one game in which they were surprisingly held to just 48 points, has scored extremely well all season. They scored 79 points or more in each of the other 8 games (all wins) and actually averaged 84 ppg in those 8 victories. The Rebels have scored more than 70 points in all but one of their games this season. Of course if they get to at least 70 points here (and on their home floor against an offensive-minded team they should do just that) then notice the line on the Jays is about a -13 and so you are already into the low 150s and that is just looking at the minimum type result here the way I see it and based on all of the above. That is why the reality is you have a game that should get into at least the 160 range. Neither team has played any OT games yet either so the ppg stats are certainly not over-inflated either. Look for a wild one in another non-conference match-up involving teams that have consistently put up solid offensive numbers early this season. 10* OVER 151.5 in UNLV

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Pistons vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:10 ET - Total in 233 range as of early gameday morning. The 76ers are off a beatdown of the Wizards and are proving they are ready to battle even though they are now in a stretch in which they face a number of weak foes consecutively. That includes facing a Pistons team that has lost 20 straight games! Detroit has allowed 124 ppg this season. The Sixers have averaged 131 ppg in their last 8 wins. With this pointspread around an 11, that would put this game at about 131-120 and certainly that sounds about right and that pushes this game into the 250 range for total points. The Sixers had one dominating win defensively in their last 6 games as that was when they beat the Lakers and held them to 94 points but in their other 6 games since Thanksgiving they have allowed 119 points. The 76ers have shown they are willing to play run and gun type games. Given all of the above I expect 250ish here but at least the 240s and that is why I feel we have excellent value with this total in the 233 range as of early game day morning. Pistons off a high-scoring loss against the Pacers and I expect a similar result here as they do tend to score a little better when at home. 10* OVER the total in Detroit

CBB Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER 143 in Texas Tech Red Raiders vs Oral Roberts Golden Eagles @ 9 ET - The Red Raiders have scored well this season with one exception. If you take that one outlier out of the equation, Texas Tech has scored at least 69 points in all the other 7 games. Not including OT points, the Red Raiders averaged 76 points points in those 7 games. Now look at Oral Roberts and they have averaged 76 points per game this season as well. I feel the Golden Eagles are going to hang tough in this game as they have played some tough teams this season and already and held their own. Yet Texas Tech is a large favorite here for a reason and basically if we get Oral Roberts to 65 and the odds makers are right about the -13 here than we are already in the 143 range but I expect Oral Roberts to get into the 70s here and hence the solid value with this total. 10* OVER 143 in Texas Tech

Rotation #711: CBB Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 127 in Villanova Wildcats vs UCLA Bruins @ 7 ET - Justin Moore is out for Villanova but sometimes when a solid veteran guard like that is out for a team it can result in more scoring. That's because perhaps the defensive rotations are thrown off a bit. Perhaps the guy coming in is willing to jack up a lot of shots. In this case, Jordan Longino played a lot of minutes against Kansas State because Moore got hurt after playing only 8 minutes in that game. Longino was 5 of 17 from the field including 3 of 9 from three point land. You can see the style he played in that one. I am looking for Nova, now off 3 straight losses, to be very aggressive at home in this one. They may have a more aggressive attacking style in this situation and I feel this low total is offering us exceptional value. The Wildcats are averaging 74 ppg this season. The Bruins are averaging 71 ppg this season. UCLA has scored at least 65 points in every game this season and that includes facing Marquette and Gonzaga and none of the Bruins games have gone to OT this season! Villanova has had two duds on the offensive end in which they scored 57 and 55 points but even eliminating the OT points against Kansas State they reached the 63 mark. Considering the importance of this game I look for a big effort at home but this Wildcats defense is not what it was under Jay Wright. The Wildcats are just not the same level of team but they are quality and they have scorers and the shots are going to start to fall. Take advantage of a total that is too low in the 127 range here in this one. 10* OVER 127 in Villanova

Rotation #887: CBB Friday 10* Top Play OVER 130.5 in Jacksonville State Gamecocks vs Illinois-Chicago Flames @ 7 ET - As I mentioned in my write-ups earlier this season on UIC, the Flames have been developing well in recent years. They are well-coached and now the coach has been able to assemble the type of roster he wants here. It has been a process for sure but this Flames team looks stronger this season than they have been in a long time. Now Illinois-Chicago is coming off B2B losses in which they did not score well and this is the perfect spot for an over. I am sure that UIC is going to push the pace here as their 5-game winning streak saw them average 83 ppg while their 2-game losing streak has seen them allow just 63 ppg but also score only 60 ppg. That is not working for the Flames. They will resume with an up-tempo attack here plus I expect better shooting against a Gamecocks team that has played a rather weak schedule. I do like the fact that Jacksonville State is at home in this one and they had scored 71 ppg in a 3-game winning streak prior to losing their most recent game. So both teams off losses, both teams had been hot recently and scoring well, and now we have a rather low total to work with here. I look for a solid over here as both teams should get into the upper 60s here if not into the 70s! 10* OVER 130.5 in Jacksonville State

CBB Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Iowa State Cyclones vs Iowa Hawkeyes @ 7:30 ET - This is a rivalry game and a revenge match-up for Iowa State as they got hammered at Iowa last season due to poor shooting while the Hawkeyes shot lights out in that one. Look for a strong push from the Cyclones here as they look to get payback for that one. This should lead to a very high-scoring game as Iowa is scoring very well this season but also giving up huge points. Iowa has allowed 80 ppg last 6 games but also is scoring an average of 88 ppg on the year! Iowa State is scoring 83 ppg this season. I realize the Cyclones have a solid number in terms of points allowed but as their schedule has toughened up, they have now allowed 78 ppg last 3 games. This one should fly over the total and I like the drop here as it gone from nearly 160 to the low 150s as of about 6 hours before tipoff! 10* OVER the total in Iowa State

Rotation #709: CBB Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Vanderbilt Commodores vs San Francisco Dons @ 8 ET - This total has dropped a little from its opener and is in the 138 range as of early gameday morning. Vanderbilt is off a 78-59 win but against a much weaker foe and, keep in mind, this followed 6 straight Commodores games topping more than 140 points! San Francisco is off a 72-61 loss but this followed averaging 80 ppg in their first 7 games. Even if you eliminate that first huge win of the season when the faced a completely overmatched foe, the Dons had scored at least 70 points in 4 of last 5 games prior to the low-scoring loss at Arizona State. Based on all of the above and what we have seen from these teams so far this season, I just can not see this one ending with anything less than 70 points for each team! The Dons have shot well overall this season and I know the Commodores will get their shooting percentages back up soon and they can build off scoring 78 points in their most recent game even though it was against a weaker foe. Take advantage of the line value here as neither club is particularly strong on defense either. 10* OVER the total in Vanderbilt

Rotation #613: CBB Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Kansas State Wildcats vs Villanova Wildcats @ 7 ET - Villanova has too many good shooters to continue struggling from outside. Their outside shots, particularly threes, will start to fall with much more regularity. Don't be surprised if that starts here as Kansas State, not including OT points, has allowed 70 ppg this season. Here they face a very talented Nova team that has underachieved so far. In other words, Kansas State very likely to give up more than their season average in this one. Villanova had been scoring decently this season before that ugly low-scoring loss to Drexel. Villanova's block and steal numbers are not good this season and this shows the level of defensive play has dropped. Kansas State has not been great on the defensive end either but, not including OT points, is averaging scoring in the upper 70s this season. I am looking for both clubs, per the above, to get into the 70s here and that means excellent value with this one in the 142.5 range as about 5 and 1/2 hours before tipoff. 10* OVER the total in Kansas State

CBB Monday 10* Top Play OVER 132 in Oregon State Beavers vs Cal Poly Mustangs @ 10 ET - This total dropped from mid-130s and is offering excellent line value. Cal Poly average games are in the 145 range so far and Oregon State games are in the low 140s so far this season. Look for this one to get past the low 130s as the Beavers are off a 71-59 win but this was preceded by allowing an average of 83 ppg last 3 games! The Mustangs have allowed 67 points or more last 4 games and that trend certainly will continue here as they face a Pac-12 foe in this one. They are a 14 point dog for a reason. Of course, if Cal Poly just gets to 60 and odds makers are right about this line, it gets to the mid-130s. I like our chances! The Mustangs averaging nearly 70 per game this season. 10* OVER 132 in Oregon State

Rotation #847: CBB Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 140.5 in Ohio State Buckeyes vs Minnesota Golden Gophers @ 6:30 ET - This total has come down some from its opener and I am grabbing the value on the other side of the line move. The Buckeyes are 6-1 this season and the Golden Gophers are 5-2 this season and neither team has been involved in any OT games. Now look at their point totals and note that they each have averaged in the 145 point range. Now consider that Minny has won 2 of 3 and scored at least 86 points in each win and the Buckeyes last 3 wins in their 5 game winning streak have seen them total at least 86 points in each game. Granted this is a Big Ten opener for each team and defensive intensity might pick up some but both teams are playing well in the offensive end and playing with a lot of confidence. The point is that we have some healthy wiggle room with this total when you consider that each team is averaging 80 ppg this season. Don't be surprised if each team gets into the 70s here. 10* OVER 140.5 in Ohio State

Rotation #715: CBB Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 147.5 in Temple Owls vs St Joseph's Hawks @ 7:30 ET - The type of games each of these teams if off of entering this Big 5 match-up make it the perfect spot for an over. The Owls off a triple-OT win over fellow Philly foe LaSalle. St Joe's off the huge upset win over Villanova in their Big 5 match-up. That sets this one up well for plenty of points. Keep in mind it was not the triple-OT that forced Temple's game over. It did have a good pace in regulation. As for St Joe's, they have been scoring well and that is even with recent games against Villanova and Kentucky. This one projects to get into the 150s the way these teams have been going and of course both of them comfortable playing here in Philly. Look of another exciting high-scoring battle between two teams not afraid to play at a brisk pace. 10* OVER 147.5 in Temple

CBB Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boise State Broncos vs St Mary's Gaels @ 10:30 ET - This total in the 129.5 range. The Broncos and Gaels average around 70 points per game this season but I can see why this total is lower than that. The fact is that each have been involved in some low-scoring grinders this season but I like the value here on this lower total in this game played in Idaho Falls. The fact is that St Mary's has faced some tough defensive-minded competition. The Broncos are just not on the same level as those teams St Mary's struggled to score against and I expect things to open up here. Boise State definitely has the edge here in terms of this game being played in their home state and they were scoring an average of 72 points per game their first 5 games prior to a low-scoring loss to Butler. Look for them to bounce back in the offensive end after scoring just 56 against the Bulldogs. The Gaels are also off a loss and will bounce back and they have their confidence back in the offensive end after averaging 80 points last two games! More of the same here! 10* OVER the total in Boise State

Rotation #657 CBB Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Temple Owls vs La Salle Explorers @ 7 ET - This is part of the Philly Big 5 tourney and I love the fact that this total has gone from the upper 140s to the low 140s. The current number is in the 143 range as of early game day morning. The Explorers and Owls both play at a decent pace. Both shoot a lot of threes. Both are comfortable, of course, playing here in Philly. La Salle is the road team here but it is no big deal as Fran Dunphy just got his 600th career win and the Explorers coach was the head coach here at Temple for many years too. I like the fact that LaSalle has seen 4 different leading scorers in its last 5 games. It shows you they do not have to rely on just one guy. The Explorers have averaged 75 ppg in the  5 wins in their 5-1 start to the season and they even scored 66 in their loss to DUKE! La Salle should score very well here but I am on crazy about their defensive capabilities. Though the Owls rely more heavily on their top scorer Hysier Miller. They have other solid scoring options too and will make their way through this defense without a problem, especially with confidence in their own arena! The Owls have been held below 73 points just once this season and are allowing 70 ppg but averaging 75. This one should get into the 150s given all of the above and so I do feel we have solid line value in a game that should be back and forth and reach at least the 150 mark. These guys push hard in this Philly Big 5 games and I expect exciting game here! 10* OVER the total in Temple

Rotation #867: CBB Monday 10* Top Play OVER 133.5 in St Mary's Gaels vs Utah Utes @ 11 PM ET - The Gaels are off an 89-55 win and will carry momentum after scoring big on their home floor. The Utes continue to score big early this season but have not been great on the defensive end so I am expecting plenty of scoring here. Utah is off a game in which they scored 82 points but lost as they gave up 91 to St John's. However, they also faced a tough Houston team, known for defense, and they managed to score 66 points in that loss. They are averaging 82 points per game this season but have allowed 71 per game. All their games have totaled at least 135 points and the Gaels have scored well in 2 of their 3 home games and enter this one with confidence after a hot shooting effort. That carries over into this one plus the Utes continue their high-scoring style. 10* OVER 133.5 in St Mary's

Rotation #677: CBB Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Temple Owls vs Ole Miss Rebels @ 3:30 ET - This total is in the 137 range as of early gameday morning. Based on the tempo with which these teams play as well as the situation here, I fully expect 140s as an end result. Temple is coming off a 78-73 loss to Columbia after starting the season a perfect 3-0. The Owls had an off shooting performance but played with plenty of tempo and they are now averaging 75 points per game this season. Yes, Ole Miss is an SEC team and they have started this season 4-0 but they are coming off a down season and of course the power of SEC basketball is nothing like it has been in SEC football on the national landscape. Of course that is why the spread is a very small one with Rebels a light road favorite here. Look for this one to be tight late too which helps lead to late fouling, quick three point shots and "scramble points" if you will. I am expecting a back and forth battle played at a good tempo as Ole Miss is averaging 71 points per game this season but also has allowed upper 60s in each of last two games. This will be a tough test facing the Owls in Philly with Temple coming off a loss. The Owls have plenty of scorers and I expect a much better scoring performance here after the horrific shooting against Columbia. Keep in mind, the Owls still scored 73 points despite that tough shooting. Here they will force the tempo and note that Ole Miss has shown they are willing to play fast too. 10* OVER the total in Temple

CBB Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER 143.5 or 144 in La Salle Explorers at Duke Blue Devils @ 7 ET - Duke just crushed another PA team (Bucknell) 90 to 60. Now the Blue Devils face a Philly team, La Salle, that recently beat that same Bucknell team. The point is that if Bucknell can shoot only 37% from the field and still put up 60 points on Duke, than you know that La Salle should be able to top that! The fact is the Explorers are 4-0 this season but, of course, a heavy dog to Duke with good reason. La Salle will not be able to slow down a Blue Devils team that is piling up big point totals this season under new head coach Jon Scheyer but, at the same time, the Explorers enter this game with some added confidence on the offensive end. When you start a season 4-0 and averaging 73.5 ppg you'll have some confidence. The fact is they should get into the 65 range here given all of the above but then note that Duke is favored by around 27 points for a reason. That is why I am projecting a 90 to 65 type game here that puts us double digits in front of this total so we'll take it! 10* OVER 143.5 or 144 in Duke

Rotation #821: CBB Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Kentucky Wildcats vs St Joseph's Hawks @ 7 ET - This total in the 150.5 range as of early game day morning. St Joe's is coming off an ugly 57-54 loss in which they trailed all the way. Longtime followers know I love totals with bigger numbers when a team is coming off a game like that. This Hawks team has talent and is coming off an ugly, ugly game. That will bring out a solid scoring effort here after they were so "off" with their shooting in the defeat. However, now they face a Kentucky program that - as per usual - is one of the best in the country this season. The Wildcats will run all over this St Joe's team. Now look at the numbers here. UK is about a 16 point favorite. They have averaged 88 ppg so far this season. If the Cats hit 88 and win by 16 that puts St Joe's at 72. That puts this game at 160. I feel we have solid value with the over here because the emphasis for the Hawks will be better production on offense here but, at the same time, they will not be able to slow down this uber talented Wildcats team. With this game at Rupp Arena in Lexington, the Cats might again erupt for 100 like they just did in most recent game. 10* OVER the total in Kentucky

CBB Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Houston Cougars vs Dayton Flyers @ 8:30 ET in Charleston, SC - We get a low total in the 128 range to work with here because the Cougars are known for defense. However, they also had played some weaker scoring teams early this season and then Utah showed them what a stronger scoring team is capable of doing against them. That said, now Dayton faces Houston for the Championship game of this tourney. The Flyers are a solid scoring team too and, though tourney Championship games can be grinders, I do not think Dayton wants to allow this game to play out at that type of pace. The Cougars are a young team in terms of new faces and so this roster is still evolving a bit in terms of their style and the Flyers are going to force the issue here. This one will play out at a solid pace and we are not asking for much to get this into the 130s. Note that the Flyers are averaging 72 points per game but have allowed 73 ppg last 3 games. The Cougars offense has been solid scoring 77 ppg but they just allowed 66 points to the Utes at the other end. We should see 130s here. 10* OVER the total in Houston

CBB Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Towson Tigers vs Houston Cougars @ 6:30 ET in Charleston, SC - This total is as low as a 124 as of mid-day. The Cougars have averaged 82 ppg so far this season. Why would they score less than 80 here? They are one of the top teams in the country and can cause Towson all kinds of trouble in this one. Of course that is why they are favored by about 20 points in this one. But that puts this game at 80-60 range which is well above the 124 total. Even if we see 75-55 that gets the job done here. The fact is Towson is averaging 64 points so far. I know that, with much tougher competition here, they do not get to that range but at least mid-50s is reasonable and I am expecting a solid over here as a result. The fresh legs of the Cougars and depth of this team could easily get this one well into the 130s. 10* OVER the total in Towson 

Rotation #702: CBB Wednesday UNDER the total in Texas Longhorns vs Rice Owls @ 9 ET - This total is just too high. It is because Rice put up some big points in their first two games but now the Owls face a Horns team that has held each of their first two opponents under 60 points. Note that the Owls are facing a Texas team that will be fully focused here since they have a Louisville team on deck that had a horrible season last year. That game is at Madison Square Garden too so UT does have a road trip on deck. Here at home they play a strong defensive game and they are about a 20 point favorite in this one. If they again hold another opponent in the 60 range, that puts this game in the 80-60 range and that means it falls well below the 157 that is the current number posted on this game. Last year's meeting was high-scoring but because of OT and that was after a  72-72 score in regulation and UT learned their lesson from letting the Owls hang around in that one. They will turn up the heat on defense in this one!  UNDER the total in Texas 

NBA Wednesday UNDER the total in Philadelphia 76ers vs Boston Celtics @ 7:40 ET - This total seems inflated because of the Sixers coming off B2B shootouts with the Pacers. Those inflated point totals had a lot to do with the style Indiana plays. Now Philly takes on a big-time division rival and it is a team known for lower-scoring games and these Celtics to play solid defense. The first match-up between these teams this season totaled 209 points and more of the same likely here in another tight battle. This total is in the 226.5 point range as of mid-morning on gameday and this is offering excellent value here. The Celtics are allowing only 104.6 ppg this season (not including OT points) and they are a small favorite in this match-up. That puts this game right around the 106-103 score we saw in the first one with the Celtics taking the rematch. Regardless who does prevail in this one I am expecting a point total very similar to that. The Sixers team hurt by the possible absence of Batum again and already they are missing Oubre after he broke a rib in an off-court accident recently. This game will be more of a grinder than many are anticipating. UNDER the total in Philadelphia

Rotation #306525 Tuesday CBB 10* Top Play OVER the total in St Joe's Hawks vs Stonehill Skyhawks @ 7 ET - This total is in the 141 range as of very early gameday morning and I feel that will prove to be far too low in this one. Stonehill is now in the Northeast Conference in Division 1 basketball for just its 2nd season after being a Division II program. They just got hammered by UConn and even though the Huskies are defending champs, the fact is the Skyhawks could do nothing to stop them. They tried to switch to a zone defense and that still did not help in the 107 to 67 loss. I like the fact that they scored 67 points and Stonehill has seen their scoring tick upward in each game thus far. However, they have now allowed 98 points per game in their two losses and St Joseph's will be ready to run and gun in this one! The Hawks only have Texas A & M Commerce on deck so certainly they are fully focused here and they just put up 69 points on a Penn team that just shocked everyone by getting an upset win over Villanova last night and holding the Wildcats to 72 points. The point is that these Hawks roughly equaled the Nova point-scoring against the Quakers. St Joe's should certainly get 80+ here given all of the above. They have solid guard play plus too much size inside and they will dominate. But the Skyhawks will continue their improved scoring trending and this line is around an 18. I am projecting an 85-67 type game which put this one double digits about the current number in the 141 range. 10* OVER the total in St Joe's

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 236.5 in Philadelphia 76ers vs Indiana Pacers @ 6:10 ET - I am aware that Oubre is out for Philly but this red hot Sixers team will not miss a beat. Also, Indiana has been on fire so the points will be flowing here because the Pacers view defense as an afterthought. The run and gun style will be in full effect in this game throughout as the Sixers are particularly comfortable playing this style when at home. The Pacers have won 3 straight and 4 of 5 games and have scored an average of 131 points in these 5 games. However, Indiana also has allowed an average of 125 points last 6 games! The Sixers are averaging 121 ppg when at home. Indiana off a high-scoring game with Milwaukee and struggled to stop them but prevailed. The Sixers also allowed 118 to the Bucks in a 1-point loss. The point is that each team getting into the 120s is certainly not too much to ask here. Over is the play in this one. 10* OVER 236.5 in Philadelphia

NBA Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Pistons vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:10 ET - This total in the 221.5 range and should prove to be too low. The Sixers off the big win over the Celtics will leave them a bit flat on defense here. This should be a free-flowing game as a results and the Pistons have been giving up plenty of points this season. So this total should prove to be too low. Detroit has allowed at least 120 in 4 straight games and 5 of last 6. That said, if they to do that again here and the odds makers are right about this line, it means this game ends in at least the 120-112 range as Detroit is an 8-point dog here. I do look for a rather tight game with Sixers willing to play a free-flowing game too as they are just so happy that they beat the nemesis Celtics. 10* OVER the total in Detroit

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Indiana Pacers vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:10 ET - This total is so big in the 242 range and it must be an easy under setting up here, right? Especially when you consider this is a divisional game. However, if last season was any indication, this total is still not nearly high enough. These teams met 4 times last season and one was in the 250s, one in 260s, one in 270s, one in 280s! Must have been  a lot of overtime periods, right? No, there were none! Adding to the value here in my opinion is the B2B because maybe a typical lackadaisical attitude on defense here after giving some effort last night. In terms of minutes, the Pacers had a blowout win so that helped get guys off the floor early. The Bucks Giannis was out early due to an ejection so he has fresh legs. Additionally, Middleton rested yesterday so he'll be ready to go for Milwaukee. All signs point to a lot of points here and this numbers is big for a reason as the final scores last season indicate. 10* OVER the total in Indiana

CBB Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Rhode Island Rams vs Fairfield Stags @ 7 ET - Two teams working in a lot of new players and, as their first games showed, both teams willing to run and gun and throw caution to the wind. Fairfield is a MAAC school and that conference is known for higher scoring. As Rhode Island, they are off a disappointing campaign and have a re-tooled roster and, of course, they are a big favorite with good reason as the A-10 team should take care of business here. However, the Stags will push them for sure and this game should have a great tempo and end up near the 150 mark. With a current total in the 141.5 range, this one gets my best bet status for Thursday. Fairfield lost their first game 89-70 and the Rams won their first game 81-70. Look for this one to get into the 150s as well. 10* OVER the total in Rhode Island

NBA Thursday 10* OVER 215.5 in Philadelphia 76ers vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:10 ET - Both teams are off blowout wins. A lot of times when a team is off an easy win you will see a let-up in defensive intensity in the next game. So here you have a case where both teams are off easy wins and are fully confident they can just run and gun their way to another win in the very next game. Philly, after all, has a right to feel that way with having scored an average of 119 ppg so far and coming off B2B wins and their only loss was by a single point. However, one of those wins was at Toronto and now the Raptors will be out for revenge. Toronto will push hard for some payback here and I expect them build off the big win over the Bucks. However, the Raptors also will continue to struggle to stop a Sixers team that dominated them with points in the paint in the first meeting. In terms of outside shooting, the Raptors shot well from 3-point land in the first meeting plus were scoring well from downtown in the big win over Milwaukee last night. That said, confidence will be high for the Raptors shooters from beyond the arc and I look for an entertaining affair in this one. The total is understandably low based on Toronto's results prior to the high-scoring win over the Bucks. However, this one is all about the situation and the Sixers will want to push the pace too because they are at home and, of course, well aware of the fact that the Raptors are in a B2B spot. 10* OVER 215.5 in Philadelphia

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 215.5 or 216 in Detroit Pistons vs Portland Trail Blazers @ 7 ET - I like playing the "opposite game" after an unusual result and, in this case, Portland is off a very low-scoring win that featured an ultra low-scoring fourth quarter. That has helped keep some value here and I also like the fact we could see a let-up in defensive intensity after a rare slugfest. The Blazers had allowed an average of 117 points per game in their first 3 games. As for Detroit, they have allowed 107 points per game this season. I understand the low total here because the Trail Blazers have not scored very well this season but off their first win and feeling more confident they may be more inclined to pick up the pace some now in this one. As for Detroit, they are playing just their 2nd home game and they scored 118 points in the first one and that was a win. The Pistons had back to back wins before the loss to the Thunder on the road and they scored an average of 114 in their last 3 games. We should see this one get well into the 220s given all of the above and I will take advantage of the lower total posted on this game. Again, I understand the lower number from the odds makers as the markets demand it in this case but it is the situational perspective here that dictates the true value in this spot. 10* OVER 215.5 or 216 in Detroit

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 217.5 in Philadelphia 76ers vs Portland Trail Blazers @ 7:40 ET - Philly is in a B2B but they are riding high on positive energy and emotion here. Not only did they get a big road win at Toronto last night, this is their home opener now tonight. However, I do not like laying big points in the NBA and I think the best way to play this game is the over. The 76ers are going to be aggressive tonight and should score plenty of points throughout in an electric atmosphere for their season opener. However, the Blazers (even without Simons) could surprise here. I am expecting Portland to be very competitive here with a run and gun effort as they are still looking for their first win of the season plus Sharpe played well in place of Simons in his first start this season after the Simons injury. The Blazers have some solid young talent and a respected head coach that knows how to utilize it. They will not be able to get a lot of stops of a Sixers team that will be "feeling it" at home in this one but Portland will take advantage of some possibly lax defense after the Sixers had to put a big effort into holding off the Raptors late in yesterday's game. Value with the line move here too as this total was in the low 220s. We'll step in and take advantage. 10* OVER 217.5 in Philadelphia

NBA Monday 10* Top Play OVER 208.5 in Denver Nuggets vs Miami Heat @ 8:30 ET - The Heat, not including OT points, have averaged 109 points on the road in this post-season. The Nuggets are favored by 9 here so if Miami hits their road average and the spread is set correctly, Denver scores 118 to 109. That score would crush this total by nearly 20 points. Now I am not saying we'll see exactly that of course but I am saying we have some value with this low total because this series has seen the Heat held to 95 points or less in 3 of 4 games. However, do note that the last 10 times Miami has entered a game on a losing streak of 2 or more games, they have scored - ironically - an average of 109 points also! So getting past the century mark is not asking too much here. Miami will be aggressive and do everything they can to keep their championship hopes alive no matter how slim they now are. That said, the Heat are going to have to be aggressive offensively because you know the Nuggets will be aggressive in looking to close out this series on their home floor. Denver so dangerous and particularly at home! The Nuggets have scored 113.5 points per game at home in the post-season but also lost to the Heat here in Game 2. The hosts will be more aggressive offensively and the situational metrics are all pointing to the over. 10* OVER 208.5 in Denver

NBA Wednesday OVER 225.5 in Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 10 ET - We have all witnessed this stretch of unders in this series since Game 1 snuck over the total. However, Game 2 was one of the worst over beats of all time with 2 points in the final 4 minutes of the game. Then Game 3 fell just short and then Game 4 had a very ugly 4th quarter. I look for this game to be the one where both teams finally put it all together with a ton of scoring. The Lakers going in for the kill and to end this series but Warriors will be pushing hard on their home floor to stay alive. I look for them to take a run and gun approach at home where they are so comfortable. Look for plenty of hot outside shooting from GS on their home floor but they again will struggle to get stops inside and Lakers will score a ton in the paint. OVER 225.5 in Golden State

NBA Thursday OVER 227 in Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 9 ET - The Game One match-up went over the total despite having only 45 points scored in the 4th quarter. The Game One match-up went over the total despite Warriors scoring only 5 points from the free throw line. Remember, they are the home team and should get a few more calls here than that unusual result at home in the loss. Game One went over the total despite the Lakers hitting only 6 of 25 from three point land. So, the point is, we should see this one get into at least the 230s when you consider numbers like those. I am sure the Warriors are going to bounce back after that home loss and Curry should have a huge game. Also, I am sure that the Lakers are going to continue to dominate in terms of getting a lot of inside scoring. I feel each team has confidence in a strategy on offense that their opponent simply can not stop! OVER 227 in Golden State

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER 229 in Boston Celtics vs Atlanta Hawks @ 7:30 ET - We should see plenty of points in this one as I just don't think the defensive intensity will be there. Atlanta was not good on that side of the court to begin with and now they know the handwriting is on the wall that their season will end tonight. As for the Celtics, they realize too that they should easily take this game and I expect them to play a very free-flowing game tonight as a result. The are 13.5 point favorites with good reason. The key to the value here is that the total has dropped a little because Dejounte Murray is out for Atlanta. However, the pace and open looks should be perfect for an over here. Note that Boston has averaged 123 points in the last 3 games and the Hawks have averaged 125.5 ppg the last 2 games. 7 of the 8 quarters in the last two games between these teams have had at least 58 points scored. That averages to 232 points per game and again there has been only one quarter that totaled less than 58. So the point is that the pacing has been consistent and, even without Murray, the Hawks have no choice but to run and gun here and play their typical style. The are not going to win a half-court grinder with the Celtics. So points will be aplenty here in a free-flowing game the way I see it. That said, extra value too with this total having dropped a few points from its opener due to Murray's suspension. 10* OVER 229 in Boston

NBA Tuesday OVER 229.5 in Boston Celtics vs Atlanta Hawks @ 7 ET - The Celtics had 74 points at halftime of Game One but could take their foot off the gas because the Hawks shot so poorly. I do not expect a repeat of that as the Hawks did manage 80 points over the final 3 quarters of action and this is despite a horrific overall shooting performance. The pace was there for an over Saturday as the Celtics had nearly 90 shots from the field and Atlanta had nearly 100 shots from the field. The problem for the Hawks is they shot 38.8% from the field including just 5 of 29 from three point land. Look for a big bounce back from Atlanta here in terms of their shooting. However, they have shown in all their match-ups with Boston this season, they just can not stop the Celtics from lighting them up on the scoreboard. Again, the Celts were able to take their foot off their gas in game one but I expect the Hawks to keep this one close enough that the hosts will have to score well throughout. The end result should be a game getting well into the 230s Tuesday. OVER 229.5 in Boston

NIT Tuesday Top Play OVER 151 in UAB Blazers vs Utah Valley Wolverines @ 9:30 ET - The Wolverines have allowed 69 points or less in 7 of last 8 games. So how can this total be set so high? Exactly! One of the keys is that Utah Valley has averaged scoring 84 ppg last 7 games. But another key is their most recent game. The Wolverines allowed only 68 points but Cincinnati actually had 79 shots from the field! The only reason the Bearcats did got into the 80s or even 90s in points is because they shot 34% overall and 24% from beyond the arc! Similarly, the Blazers are off a game in which they allowed only 59 points but Vanderbilt had 75 shots from the field! The problem for Vandy was they made only 33% from the field and just 26% from 3-point land. Also, the Commodores scored only ONE point from the free throw line the entire game. NONE of these stats are likely to be repeated here and I expect an absolute shootout here with plenty of back and forth quick buckets. UAB averaging 81 ppg this season and Utah Valley 77 and I am expecting, for the reasons note above, this one gets well into the 150s after both defenses were fortunate in terms of points allowed in their most recent game and both these teams very confident in the offensive end and full of scorers! Top Play OVER 151 in UAB

NCAA Tourney Thursday OVER 144 in Arkansas Razorbacks vs Illinois Illini @ 4:30 ET - I just do not trust either team defensively here and I like the pacing with which both these teams should play here. Note that Illinois was 3-5 in final 8 games of the season and, not including OT points, allowed at least 69 points in 7 of 8 games. In fact, those 8 games saw the Illini allow an average of 74 points per game. As for the Razorbacks, they lost 4 of their last 5 games and allowed an average of 78 points per game in those 5 games. Also, Arkansas did score at least 76 points in 5 of 6 games before bowing out in the SEC Tourney against Texas A & M. Given all these numbers and this line right around a pick'em, you can see why I am projecting a game in which each team gets into the 75 point range and that pushes this game into the 150s this afternoon. OVER 144 in Arkansas

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 236.5 in San Antonio Spurs vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 7:10 ET - Yes I am aware of the Spurs injury situation but this has precipitated a significant line move here on this total and we have solid value with the over. Remember when the Spurs finally played some defense and seemed to be improving things? It lasted all of about two games! Though off a win versus Denver they allowed 120 points in that game and have now allowed 128 ppg last 3 games. As for OKC, they are not defensive stalwarts either. The Thunder are off a 110-96 win at New Orleans but low-scoring results like that have been the exception rather than the rule of late for this team. Prior to that win over the Pelicans, the Thunder allowed 122 points per game last 8 games. You can see why I am expecting this match-up to get well into the 240s and yet this total has dropped in the mid-230s. I'll take advantage of the added line value. 10* OVER 236.5 in San Antonio

CBB Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 134.5 in Purdue Boilermakers vs Penn State Nittany Lions @ 3:30 ET - I wanted to play Penn State here because they are playing with a lot of confidence and want to make up for the two ugly regular season losses to Purdue that were each by double digits. However, though I do expect this confident PSU team to score well as they are playing without pressure (this is Boilermakers game to not lose rather than Nittany Lions game to win), I just feel that they have no one to stop the 7'4 300 lb beast that is Zach Edey. No one really has anyone to stop this guy but the fact is Penn State is built for small ball. Unlike the prior match-ups though, PSU has now learned their lesson and will worry less about stopping him and more about simply looking to get super hot and outscore these guys with speed and quick passing and a killer outside game. It is their only choice here. The result should be plenty of points in this one in my opinion as the Nittany Lions hang around in this one and score very well but fail to stop the red hot and big bad Boilermakers. 10* OVER 134.5 in Purdue

CBB Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER 126.5 in Cleveland State Vikings vs Northern Kentucky Norse @ 7 ET - This is the Horizon League Championship Game and there was some very ugly shooting in the two regular season meetings between these clubs. However, that is simply serving to keep this total lower than it should be. The first meeting saw the Vikings make just 10% of their three pointers plus both clubs struggled at the free throw line. Then the 2nd meeting got to 127 points even though there was more unimpressive shooting in that one. The key to the value though is the first very low-scoring game saw some unreal shooting numbers at the free throw line. So the opportunity was there for each of the two regular season meetings to get well into the 130s and yet the fact those games did not has led to line value here because both of these teams are coming into this game with plenty of confidence on the offensive end. The Norse have won 6 of 7 games and scored an average of 73 ppg during this stretch. The Vikings have won 10 of 13 and, not including OT points of course, have averaged 74.6 during this stretch. That would put this game into the 140s but yes is a conference championship game and should feature some solid defense too but that still only pushes this one down into the 130s in my opinion. Both teams loaded with confidence right now. 10* OVER 126.5 in Cleveland State

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 214.5 in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Toronto Raptors @ 6:10 ET - We get line value because this total has dropped as Raptors in a back to back and could be without Fred VanVleet yet again. With Toronto off a grinder at Detroit yesterday, I expect much better shooting today. The Raptors shoot poorly from everywhere yesterday but they put up 118 on Cleveland the last time they faced them and should bounce back here. Prior to the low-scoring win over the Pistons, each of last 4 Toronto games totaled at least 225 points! Also, though their most recent road trip ended with a low-scoring win at Memphis, it was preceded by 5 straight road games totaling at least 220 and averaging 236 points. Look for another higher-scoring road game here but we can take advantage of a lower total because the Cavaliers are involved. Yes, I know the Cavs are known for lower-scoring games long-term but their short-term trending has been much different so we have big value here. 4 straight Cleveland games have totaled at least 224 points! The average of those 4 Cavaliers games was 234 points apiece! 10* OVER 214.5 in Cleveland

NBA Friday 10* Top Play OVER 230.5 / 231 in Golden State Warriors vs Houston Rockets @ 10:10 ET - I completely understand this total moving lower as the Warriors are in the 2nd game of a B2B and could rest guys plus of course are without Curry. However, do you realize how bad this Rockets defense is? Whoever is on the floor is still an NBA player and the point is this game should still play out as an absolute track meet with guys flying up and down the floor and firing up shots. Houston enters this game on a 7-game losing streak and, other than a low-scoring loss at defensive-minded Miami, the Rockets allowed 133 ppg in the other 6 games. The line on this game is Warriors by 10 which means if Houston has a typical game defensively we should see a 133-123 final which puts this one about 25 points above the current number. I am not necessarily expecting 256 here but the point is we have a lot of wiggle room with this total the way I see it. As bad a team as Houston has been they still score decently in a lot of games. They have averaged about 112 points last 9 games and that includes some recent lower-scoring efforts which I do not expect to be repeated here with Rockets wanting to push Warriors in the 2nd game of a B2B spot. 10* OVER 230.5 / 231 in Golden State

CBB Thursday 10* Top Play OVER 139 in Detroit Mercy Titans vs Northern Kentucky Norse @ 7 ET - The Titans continue to be involved in high-scoring games and just allowed 68 to a bad IUPUI team. The point is that facing a respectable Northern Kentucky team is likely to lead to even more points being scored in this one. The first meeting did go to OT but, even without the OT, the game hit 142 in regulation time. That said, we have excellent line value here as Detroit enters this one averaging 77.4 ppg but allowing 75.8 ppg on the season. I know the Norse have lower-scoring trending but the Titans will dictate the pace of this game on their home floor. Northern Kentucky is facing a Detroit team that, not including OT points of course, has seen nearly ever single one of their games total at least 140 points this season! The Titans have been putting up huge points and, other than one outlier versus IPFW, they have allowed an average of 78 points last 14 games. That does not include OT points either. This game is priced right around pick'em so, given Detroit's knack for finishing in the 70s and 80s for points scored in most games, you can see why I love the over in this spot. 10* OVER 139 in Detroit

CBB Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 129.5 in Maryland Terrapins vs Minnesota Golden Gophers @ 7 ET - Minnesota is 1-14 in Big Ten action and has lost 10 games in a row! But this total is simply too low. You know the Golden Gophers are going to do better than the 46 points they just scored in the home loss to the Terrapins earlier this month. At the same time, you know the Minnesota defense is highly likely to struggle here again, particularly on the road! This Gophers defense has allowed an average of 79 points last 6 losses. That means if the odds makers are right (this line is in the -16 range) and Minnesota allows their recent typical average of 79 points, that puts this game at 79-63 which is more than double digits above the current posted total on this game. As for Maryland, I was very fortunate to win the over in their most recent game as they lost 70-66 at Nebraska in OT. However, in that game, the Terrapins took 69 shots but made only 23 of them! The Terps should have had much more than the 58 points they had in regulation time of that game. Maryland has averaged 72 points per game in their 8 Big Ten home games. Keep in mind, that included home games against 4 ranked Big Ten teams. Here they face the league-worst Gophers and they will pile up the points again. Look for a rather free flowing game here with a ton of points. 10* OVER 129.5 in Maryland

CBB Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER 135.5 in Michigan State Spartans vs Indiana Hoosiers @ 9 ET - The Spartans will have an emotional night tonight in their first home game since the school shooting. Their first road game after the on-campus tragedy was an 84-72 loss at Michigan. I believe this high-scoring trend will continue here. When these teams met at Indiana the game finished 82-69. That was a double digit loss for the Spartans and they will want revenge here. Michigan State has played some ugly low-scoring grinders this season for sure but in the right match-ups, we have seen points aplenty. The loss to Michigan was the 3rd time in recent weeks that the Spartans have allowed 77 points or more. Indiana's game versus Illinois stayed under the total because the Illini were without their leading scorer and had some long scoring droughts in the 2nd half of that game. Indiana has gone through a recent under stretch but the game against the Illini never should have stayed under the total and is giving us some line value here. Prior to the recent under stretch, the Hoosiers had scored 79 or more in 4 of 6 games. They can put up big points again here. Indiana has won 9 of 11 games and averaged 73 points in last 8 victories. Hoosiers score well but of course Spartans are expected to get their revenge. They are favored for a reason. This one will be quite the battle and should also be tight enough late to see both teams scoring well. The one in the lead and the one battling back. Plenty of late points too. A lot of line value here. 10* OVER 135.5 in Michigan State 

CBB Monday 10* Top Play OVER 143 in West Virginia Mountaineers vs Oklahoma State Cowboys @ 7 ET - With both teams off recent losses and giving up plenty of points, this one already had my attention. Then, when I looked at it even closer, it really stands out as a great spot for a play on the over in my opinion. The first meeting had a posted total about 5 points less than this and still went under the total by double digits! That said, why would this game have a total more than 15 points above where the first game finished? Well, it is because the odds makers are expecting the same thing I am here...an absolutely fast-paced shootout. Note that the teams both took a lot of threes in the first meeting but combined to make only 29% of them. Also, that 67-60 Oklahoma State win featured horrible shooting from the Mountaineers from the field overall and even at the free throw line too. West Virginia will be much better here at home in terms of scoring plenty. However, do note that WVU has lost 3 straight games and allowed an average of 84 points per game in those 3 defeats! As for the Cowboys, they have lost B2B games and allowed 93.5 ppg in those 2 losses. However, OSU has scored an average of 74 points last 8 games. The Mountaineers are about a 5 point favorite here so that would put this game at 79-74 which is a full 10 points above the current posted total on this game. I'll take it! 10* OVER 143 in West Virginia

CBB Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 133.5 in Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Maryland Terrapins @ 5 ET - The Cornhuskers off first win at Rutgers since 2018. The Terrapins off big win over the top team in the Big Ten as they just beat Purdue. That said, this game is set up perfectly for plenty of confidence from the scores and plenty of lax defense on the other end. It is simply a natural reaction after big wins like that and I feel we will see a good flow with this game. In terms of pure numbers, the Huskers have seen 6 of last 8 games (not including OT of course) total at least 135 points. Also, Nebraska has allowed 75 ppg last 8 games and, again, no OT points included in that. At home, the Cornhuskers should score well here but they are not good defensively and the Terps already hung 82 on them when these teams met in Maryland. The Terrapins enter this game having won 6 of 7 games and averaging 74 points in the 6 victories. Maryland favored by about 5 here and based on the above numbers that puts this game at around 75-70 which is more than 10 points above the early posted total. I feel we have good value with the over given the confidence level of each of these teams right now and their ability to get big buckets when needed. Both teams have been playing well lately in that regard as Tominaga is on fire for the Huskers and has come out of nowhere to be a huge scorer and they had 4 guys in double digits at Rutgers. Young continues to be the go to guy for the Terps but they also are getting big games from Scott, Hart, and Reese plus had solid bench support in the win over Boilermakers. 10* OVER 133.5 in Nebraska