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

CBB Friday 10* Top Play OVER 131 in Loyola-Chicago Ramblers vs Dayton Flyers @ 7 ET - This is a tricky spot for the Flyers that should translate to big points. Dayton should still find a way to win and they are a 7-point favorite with good reason here. But note that the Flyers, since they faced the Ramblers in an OT win in Dayton recently, have played 3 straight games against stronger teams including the last two against solid teams in VCU and St Louis. That sets this game up well as a letdown spot. Also, the Flyers and Ramblers combined for 144 points in regulation time of Dayton's 85-81 win two weeks ago. Dayton is fully capable of playing solid defense but I feel their motivation will be a little "off" in that regard after facing VCU and St Louis in the last two games. So here you have a last-place Loyola-Chicago team lying in the weeds so to speak. The Ramblers can, and have, scored well at home this season but the reason they are at the very bottom of the A-10 standings is because they are not exactly known for defensive prowess! Loyola-Chicago is off a 64-62 win over a bad UMass team but, prior to this allowed 80 ppg in regulation time of the 11 defeats in the 2-11 stretch that preceded that! If they give up 80 here and the odds makers are right about the spread that puts this game at 80-73 for 153 points! By the way, not including OT points, the Ramblers are averaging 70.6 ppg at home this season. So again, you can see why I would be projecting at least 140s here for the final score and yet anything in the 130s basically makes us a winner too. I feel given the numbers here as well as the situation (bad team off rare win, good team in a flat spot) it sets up well for lackluster defense and a lot of scoring. 10* OVER 131 in Loyola-Chicago

NBA Monday 10* Top Play OVER 225 in Philadelphia 76ers vs Houston Rockets @ 7:10 ET - The Sixers could finally rest Embiid here but that could lead to a more small-ball run and gun affair. The fact is Philly is off a stretch of 4 games against divisional foes so, of course, those games featured more defensive and were a little bit more "gritty" if you will. Now, they face a non-conference foe that is horrible defensively. That said, we should see a lot of points here because I also do not expect the Sixers to be very intense on the defensive end for this game either. Philly has seen their last 3 games against Western Conference opponents average 254 points. None of those 3 totaled less than 245 points and here we have a posted total of 225 points. I am loving this over as a result. Note that the Rockets have lost 5 straight games and the most recent one was very low-scoring but that is because they faced defense-minded Miami. Prior to that, the Rockets first 4 losses in the 5 games streak averaged 255 points per game. The point is we are talking about point totals well above the posted total on this one and I feel we have phenomenal line value on a game that should be played very freely with a lot of open floor spacing. Not much D in this non-conference battle. 10* OVER 225 in Philadelphia

CBB Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 136.5 in Wichita State Shockers vs SMU Mustangs @ 4 ET - The last time these teams met the Mustangs won 92-67 at SMU. That said, do you think Wichita State will take their foot off the gas here if they have the chance to return the favor and run up the score on their home floor? No, of course not! The Shockers will run and gun here given the chance and the fact is the Mustangs have allowed an average of 79 points last 6 games and have allowed more than 70 points in all 6 of those! As for Wichita State, if you look at their last 8 games and remove the one against Houston (such a strong team), all of the other 7 games totaled at least 140 points! That is more than this total and, not including OT points of course, the average points totaled has been 152 points! I feel we have truly exceptional line value with this total given all the of above variables. Also, the Shockers have allowed at least 66 points in 11 straight games! They are a 7 point favorite here. So if they allow at least 66 which is the LEAST they have allowed in last 11 games plus if the odds makers are correct about the 7 point spread here, you are talking about a game getting to 139 and again, that is at a minimum! The point is you can see why I am expecting at least 140s here and feel we have a better chance of 150s than 130s too given all of the above! 10* OVER 136.5 in Wichita State

CBB Friday 10* Top Play OVER 150.5 in Buffalo Bulls vs Kent State Golden Flashes @ 6 ET - The Bulls and Golden Flashes met at Kent State two weeks ago and that game totaled 142 points despite the teams combining to make 12 of 53 from three point land! The point is that, despite poor shooting, thanks to an overall strong pace to the game the teams still totaled over 140 points. We can easily get past the 150 mark with normal shooting in the rematch. In fact the total should get close to a 160 with a normal performance on offense. Both teams recently faced Akron - a strong defensive team - and they each struggled with shooting. However, other than that, Buffalo has scored points like crazy this season. Overall on the year the Bulls are averaging 80 points per game but they also allow 78 points per game! As for Kent State, other than struggling at Akron recently (eliminating that from the equation), they have averaged 78 points per game last 10 games! Also, they have allowed an average of 70 points per game last 4 road games and the Bulls are known for firing away (and connecting!) when on their home floor. Unlike the game played at Kent State, the rematch sees much more normal shooting and - as a result - an absolute shootout expected here! 10* OVER 150.5 in Buffalo

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 226 in Detroit Pistons vs Phoenix Suns @ 7 ET - Yesterday's Pistons game had 137 points at halftime and yet stayed under the total. Yesterday's Suns game at Boston totaled just 200 points and stayed way under the total. Both Detroit and Phoenix won those games too. Also, as noted above, both those games were yesterday on Friday so this is a B2B spot for both clubs. All of these factors are situations where I like to take an over and they are all lining up right here on the same game so I am all over this over! The Pistons game was ridiculous in not going over the total yesterday. The Suns are off a very strong defensive effort in an upset win of Celtics on the road. Both teams off wins here so could let up on intensity on the defensive end. Last but not least, is back to back spot for both teams so could be some tired legs taking plays off on the defensive end too. Add it all up and you can see why I am going big on this one. 10* OVER 226 in Detroit

CBB Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 134.5 in Purdue Boilermakers vs Penn State Nittany Lions @ 6:30 ET - The Boilermakers are the #1 team in the country and at home and do have some lower-scoring grinder type games on occasion. However, there is no need for that here. They already beat the Nittany Lions when these teams met in a game played in Philly earlier this season. So Penn State was not in their true home for that game and yet they still scored a respectable 63 points despite unimpressive shooting. Purdue scored 76 points in that one and now are at home where they have scored at least 73 points in 8 of last 10 victories. In fact, in those 10 home wins the Boilermakers have averaged 76 points per game. So based on the current line on this game of 10 points that would put this game at 76-66 if Purdue just hits their typical home victory average and that totals 142 points. Not only is that already above the 135 we need for a win here, I do not expect this to be an "average" home game for Purdue. The Boilermakers can score a pile of points on the rather unimpressive defense Penn State plays plus the Nittany Lions come into this game with some confidence on the offensive end so they will be will be willing to play with tempo here. Even though that will prove to be a mistake as the Boilersmakers are so superior to the Lions but the point is PSU will get caught up in a bit of an uptempo game. To their credit, Penn State has scored big in games against Indiana, Iowa and Illinois and won all 3 and the latter was a road game. Even lumping that in with other tough Big Ten they have faced (this Purdue team) it means those 4 games (only 2 of which were played at State College) saw the Nittany Lions score an average of 76 points per game! Also, Penn State enters this game off a win versus Michigan in which they scored 83 points. This Nittany Lions team is playing with some confidence right now and will hang around long enough in this game to make sure it gets over the total in my opinion. I am projecting at least a 75-65 type game though I expect to get well into the 140s actually. 10* OVER 134.5 in Purdue

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 233.5 in Milwaukee Bucks vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 8:10 ET - The Pelicans have not been scoring as much lately and are without Zion Williamson but this is a non-conference match-up that should play out with a wide-open style. Not only that, New Orleans most recent game saw them have the pace to score plenty of points but they had a poor shooting night from deep. The Bucks have scored 130 points or more in 4 of last 6 games! Milwaukee home games, prior to a low-scoring win over Denver, saw 4 straight total at least 236 points and those games averaged 246.5 points. Ironically, the last time these teams met earlier this season the game totaled 247 points. We are going to be in that range tonight in my opinion as I just do not expect to see much hunger from either team in terms of generating defensive intensity in this non-conference affair. 10* OVER 233.5 in Milwaukee

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play OVER 231.5 in Brooklyn Nets vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:40 ET - I look for the Pistons to put up a fight here as they catch the Nets in a tough back to back spot after that intense battle with Philly last night. However, I just can not trust the defensive play of Detroit and that is why I am expecting this one to turn into a shootout with plenty of points. The Nets are 2-5 since Durant got hurt and they have allowed 115 points per game. Brooklyn has scored 120.5 ppg last 4 games and will feast on a Detroit team willing to play uptempo but with constantly getting blown out of games. The Pistons have allowed 127.5 ppg last 10 games. However, they also have scored 116 points per game last 9 games. 10* OVER 231.5 in Brooklyn

NBA Friday 10* Top Play OVER 227.5 in Utah Jazz vs Brooklyn Nets @ 9 ET - Jazz are 7-8 last 15 games and a lot of reason for the consistent mediocrity is simply that Utah allows too many points. The Jazz have given up 117.4 ppg last 15 games. Utah has also scored 120.1 ppg last 15 games. You can see why I am expecting this game to get well into the 230s. Yes Brooklyn is without Durant but Simmons will be better here after foul trouble ruined his night last night and he was ejected in a game he only played 18 minutes. Also, the Nets game last night did total 229 and that was against a Suns team that was hungry for a home win and so they did given a solid defensive effort there. Jazz like to play with tempo and will push in this one and Brooklyn will be forced to keep up. The result, in this non-conference battle, should be a very high-scoring game. 10* OVER 227.5 in Utah

NBA Monday 10* Top Play OVER 228 in Memphis Grizzlies vs Phoenix Suns @ 6 ET - I know the Suns are still without some key guys but even the fact that those guys are almost back is going to give this team a mental boost. As for Memphis, I am aware that Ja Morant is listed as questionable. Even if he would not play I would still like this play but I do expect him to be in action here. Memphis had no one play more than 29 minutes in the big win over Indiana plus this is not a back to back situation nor is their one on deck. So the Grizzlies should continue their recent roll here. Plus their current 9-game winning streak started after a home loss to Phoenix! So the Grizzlies are absolutely out for revenge here and will take advantage of the wounded Suns. But Phoenix has been scoring better recently, getting use to the absentees, and the Grizzlies continue to pile up huge points. In their 9-game winning streak, Memphis has averaged 124 ppg! Phoenix has scored at least 116 in 2 of last 3 games and they have allowed 120 ppg last 3 games. 10* OVER 228 in Memphis

CBB Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 145.5 in Creighton Bluejays vs Providence Friars @ 2 ET - The Friars are loaded with confidence and on a 9-game winning streak. The Bluejays love playing at home in Omaha and are known for putting up big point totals at home and shooting lights out in games here! The Friars, however, will not back down in this one and are loaded with confidence. I look for Creighton to prevail but not sure about laying a half-dozen points here. I think the game is close enough late that we will also see some late fouling and "scramble points" with a late push from the trailing team. The fact is that Providence is averaging 80 points per game this season. Creighton is averaging 77 points per game. I expect this game to get into the 150s. I know it is a big game and so the defensive intensity will be up for this one. However, I just can not ignore the fact that both these teams are loaded with scoring options and that makes them each very difficult to defend. The Bluejays don't mind playing at a fast pace, particularly when they are at home, but this Providence team very comfortable in running right along with them and putting up big points. This should fly over the mid-140s total. 10* OVER 145.5 in Creighton

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play OVER 231.5 in Philadelphia 76ers vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 7:10 ET - These teams recently met in Oklahoma City and the game stayed under the total as the Thunder had a very rough shooting night. Look for them to be much better in the rematch. OKC has scored an average of 124.6 ppg since that ugly home loss to Philly. Trouble for Thunder is on the other end of the floor. Indeed OKC has allowed 115.7 ppg last 7 games. Here they face a 76ers team that is favored by nearly double digits for a reason. The Sixers have scored an average of 122.8 ppg last 6 games and will stay red hot here at home but you know the Thunder will get theirs too. This is Sixers last home game for a period of about two weeks as they have a long road trip on deck. Games like his are often dangerous for the home team and I just don't expect Philly's defensive play to be that sharp in a spot like this but they can certainly score a pile of points against this Thunder team. 10* OVER 231.5 in Philadelphia

Rotation #881 CBB Monday 10* Top Play OVER 161.5 in New Mexico Lobos vs Oral Roberts Golden Eagles @ 9 ET - This non-conference battle is intriguing and should see plenty of points. Defensive-minded Houston shut down the Golden Eagles early this season but in their other games Oral Roberts is 13-2 and has averaged scoring 87 points per game! That is why should not let the big number scare you away from this total. You know the Lobos are going to get their points here. New Mexico is a ranked team that is angry off B2B losses after starting the season 14-2. The Lobos are averaging 88 points per games  this season. This one should be played at a very fast pace with plenty of scoring throughout and I look for it to be "raining threes" in this one! 10* OVER 161.5 in New Mexico

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 231.5 in Golden State Warriors vs Orlando Magic @ 8:40 ET - This is a light spot in the Warriors schedule as they have not played since Wednesday and will not play again until Tuesday. That makes this is an ideal spot for an absolute "run and gun" affair. Warriors love to score big at home and they will look to run the Magic right out of the arena in this one as they seek payback for a loss earlier this season at Orlando. That game totaled 259 points and this should be another wild one here. Golden State's last 3 home games have averaged 238 points per game NOT including the OT points of their recent double OT win. Warriors enter this game off a high-scoring loss and they host a Magic team that has also, unlike earlier this season, been trending toward higher-scoring games. 5 of Orlando's last 8 games have totaled at least 238 points. Another wild one here. 10* OVER 231.5 in Golden State

CBB Sunday 10* OVER 144 in Georgetown Hoyas vs Butler Bulldogs @ 6:30 ET - The two teams currently at the bottom of the Big East are matched up here. Though Butler is a respectable defensive team, I feel certain the Hoyas are going to score very well on their home floor here. The problem for Georgetown is they can stop no one! The Bulldogs enter this game on a 3-game losing streak and have allowed 73 ppg last 3 games. The Hoyas enter this game on a 4-game losing streak and have allowed 88 ppg last 4 games! Georgetown known for scoring very well at home but they just do not play good defense and the Bulldogs will take advantage and this flies over the total as a result. 10* OVER 144 in Georgetown 

NBA Friday 10* Top Play OVER 214.5 in Philadelphia 76ers vs Los Angeles Clippers @ 7:10 ET - The Sixers game was on pace for 227 points Wednesday heading to the 4th quarter but then an ugly 4th quarter resulted in an easy under as the Pistons in particular did not score well at all and Philly pulled away for the easy win. This one will not be so easy as the Clippers hang around in this game and it should fly over the total. The over/under has dropped from near 220 to the 215 range so there is extra value with the over. The Clippers have won 5 of 6 games and have averaged 111 points per game in the 5 victories. The 76ers are also hot and scoring well. Prior to scoring only 103 in the game against Detroit that finished so ugly, Philadelphia did have a low-scoring OT win versus the Raptors but the 4 games before that in this current 6-game winning streak saw the Sixers average 123 points per game. This one should well into the 220s given the above. 10* OVER 214.5 in Philadelphia

CBB Thursday 10* Top Play OVER 136.5 in Washington State Cougars vs George Washington Colonials @ 9 ET - This is part of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic being played in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Cougars are off a tough loss in a defensive-minded game against Baylor but this one should play out much differently with a more open style as they take on the Colonials. Note that George Washington has allowed 75 ppg last 3 games. The Colonials also have averaged scoring 75.4 ppg last 5 games so you can see why I am expecting this game to get into at least the 140s here. Washington State had scored an average of 74 points last 6 games before the low-scoring loss to the Bears. Also, the Cougars are known for scoring big against teams from weaker conferences. George Washington is certainly on powerhouse and the Cougars scored more than 80 against Texas State, Eastern Washington, and Detroit Mercy. Look for a breakout game here from WSU after losing B2B games. GW averaging 76.6 ppg this season but will not be able to stop the Cougars here. 10* OVER 136.5 in Washington State

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 223 in Philadelphia 76ers vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:10 ET - The Pistons have an OT win and 6 losses last 7 games. The last 6 games for Detroit, not including OT points, have seen them allow an average of 123 points! They are an 11 point dog here. That would put this final at 123-112 if the oddsmakers are right and if Pistons keep allowing a lot of points as they have been. Considering this is a back to back and Detroit has tired legs on defense, we should see this game get into the mid 230s rather than just low 220s and that means value with this total to go over. The 76ers are off a tight low-scoring OT win but this was preceded by 4 straight wins in which, not including OT points, the Sixers did average 123 points per game. 10* OVER 223 in Philadelphia

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 222.5 in San Antonio Spurs vs Miami Heat @ 5:10 ET - We get a rather low total because the Heat are known for lower-scoring games but I love the over here with high-scoring Spurs off a loss following 3 straight wins. San Antonio scores very well but has a leaky defense to say the least. That said, note that SA has scored 112 points or more in 4 straight games. Also, the Spurs have allowed 122 ppg last 15 games. The line on this game is near 10 and 122 to 112 sounds right. That total is a full 10 points higher than the number posted on this game and we have got a great number on this total to work with here. 10* OVER 222.5 in San Antonio

CBB Friday 10* Top Play OVER 155.5 in Georgetown Hoyas vs Xavier Musketeers @ 6:30 ET - This is a big total but actually dropped some from its opener and this one should get crazy with a ton of points. The Musketeers are averaging 83 points per game this season. The Hoyas are averaging 74 points per game but just can not stop teams. Other than bad teams, and Xavier certainly not one of them, the Hoyas give up tons of points! So Georgetown is at home and will score just fine but Musketeers will score like crazy in this one. I know this total is big but this one set up to get into the 160s or 170s. 10* OVER 155.5 in Georgetown 

CBB Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 127.5 in Seton Hall Pirates vs Drexel Dragons @ 7 ET - Love this spot as both teams off tight, low-scoring games but that sets this one up well for a much different style of game. Keep in mind that Drexel just played a Philly rival and got the OT win over LaSalle. They put a lot of defensive effort into that game. The same holds true for Seton Hall. The Pirates are off a hard-fought 45-43 win over Rutgers. Seton Hall was scoring an average of 72 points per game before that low-scoring win. The Dragons averaged about 67 points per game before the low-scoring OT win. That said, this game is destined to get to at least the 140 range. I am sure each team is not going to have the defensive intensity they both just had in most recent games. This one sets up much better to be a higher-scoring game as a result and we get great line value with the low total. 10* OVER 127.5 in Seton Hall

CBB Friday 10* Top Play OVER 148 in Gonzaga vs Washington @ 9 ET - The Bulldogs did not shoot well from long-range in recent game and neither did their opponent yet that game still got to within single digits of the current posted total on this game. We should see plenty of points here. Gonzaga can score like crazy when at home and is averaging 80 ppg this season but also allowing 74. Washington is averaging 70 points per game this season but is a huge 17 point dog here for a reason. Look for a rather free flowing game with plenty of scoring as the Bulldogs game prior to barely squeaking by Kent State was a tight low-scoring loss to Baylor. So Gonzaga is really looking for a breakout game on offense and that is what I fully expect here. The Huskies also have plenty of capable scoring and will contribute nicely to this total which should get well into the 150s and I am actually predicting 160s as the more likely result. 10* OVER 148 in Gonzaga

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play OVER 230 or 230.5 in San Antonio Spurs vs Houston Rockets @ 8:35 ET - Who will play defense here? Exactly! This one should be very high-scoring and I like the fact the total dropped from mid-230s to the 230 range in terms of what is posted at the books as of Noon ET on gameday. The Spurs have lost 11 straight games and allowed at least 117 points in 10 of those 11 games. The Rockets, not including the OT points from their double OT win over the Sixers Tuesday, have allowed 119 points per game last 8 games. So two teams that play at a fast pace and give up points in bunches and that each see this as a winnable game so they will be pushing hard here. It all adds up to a great pace and a lot of points and a game filled with transition buckets. 10* OVER 230 or 230.5 in San Antonio

CBB Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 139.5 in Villanova Wildcats vs Pennsylvania Quakers @ 7 ET - This is a Big 5 match-up in Philly as Nova and Penn join with St Joseph's and Temple and La Salle as the informal "Big 5" association in Philly. These games always mean a little something extra and these teams try to one-up each other and in this case I feel that is going to lead to a lot of offense here. Pennsylvania has seen Dingle go on a major hot streak right now and he is such a big scorer. Overall the Quakers continue to pile up points. Yes, we must eliminate the OT points from the equation but, even after doing that, the Quakers have averaged 75 points scored per game last 5 games in regulation time! The Wildcats though are, of course, favored by a big double digit margin here for a reason. The thing about this Villanova team however is they are different without Jay Wright behind the bench. This season, with a new coach, the Wildcats continue to put up big points but have not been the same on the defensive end. Look for that to continue here. The Cats have scored an average of 69 points per game last 5 games, not including OT of course. However, the Wildcats also have allowed 72.6 points per game last 5 games. Penn has allowed at least 69 points in regulation time of last 4 games. Again, they have averaged 75 too last 5 games. So look at the line on this game and you can envision a game getting into the 160s but at least 150s and certainly should reach 140s at a minimum. This one should have high entertainment value for sure if you like scoring! 10* OVER 139.5 in Villanova

10* OVER 222 in Miami Heat vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:40 ET - Not including OT points of course, each of Pistons last 3 games have totaled at least 234 points! This posted total is a dozen points lower than that. The Heat are known for lower scoring games but are coming off a low-scoring loss and now are going to take advantage of facing a weaker foe and will be willing to play at a faster pace tonight. Prior to the 101-93 loss, and not including OT points of course, 4 of last 5 Miami games totaled at 217 points. This total is slightly above that number of course but the point is those games were not against a bad Pistons team that has not been playing much defense either. So the point is we should see plenty of scoring here as the Heat go for the big win and Detroit is happy to play at a fast pace even at the expense of defense. 10* OVER 222 in Miami

10* Top Play OVER 141 in Temple Owls vs St Joseph's Hawks @ 7 ET - Don't look for much defense here! This is a Philly battle but both teams simply will be looking to outdo each other on the offensive end. Note that St Joseph's is off a 97-80 loss and this was preceded by an OT win what was 74-74 at end of regulation. The Hawks have now allowed at least 74 points in 5 of their 7 games this season. They can score well though too, they just do not get many stops! As for Temple, they have won 3 straight games and score an average of 74 points per game in those 3 wins. They just allowed 73 points in most recent victory and they are seeking revenge here for a ridiculous 68-49 loss to the Hawks last season in which they took 64 shots but made only 20 of them plus they went just 2 of 20 from three-point land! The Owls get their revenge here but I am not laying double digits with them. To me the value play here is an over that should get into the 150s! 10* OVER 141 in Temple

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER 227.5 in Dallas Mavericks vs Golden State Warriors @ 7:30 ET - Golden State had one ugly loss to New Orleans recently where they did not score well at all. Removing that one outlier from the sample, the Warriors have scored 124 points per game in their games since November 14th. They also have allowed 117.4 points per game in their last 5 games! The Mavericks have lost 3 straight games and allowed 118 per game in their last 3 games. So Mavericks give up a pile here but this line is right around a pick'em for a reason. In other words, plenty of points here. 10* OVER 227.5 in Dallas

CBB Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 135 in Connecticut Huskies vs Iowa State Cyclones @ 10 ET - This total came down some from its opener and I realize it is a tourney championship game and we could see better defense here as a result. But still these are two red hot teams that have been scoring plenty of points. Iowa State just knocked off top-ranked North Carolina and, not including OT points of course, has scored at least 67 points in all 5 of their game this season. The Cyclones are 5-0 this season. The Huskies are 7-0 this season and have scored at least 82 points in each games this season. Iowa State averaging 74 ppg this season and UConn averaging 85 ppg this season. Even if each team misses their average by a half-dozen points or so this game still goes over by a double digit margin! Just feel we have great value here because these teams are playing with so much confidence right now on the offensive end. 10* OVER 135 in Connecticut

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 214.5 in Orlando Magic vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 6:10 ET - We just saw this scenario play out with Lakers / Spurs as first game stayed under and then they totaled 281 points in the rematch and no there was not OT. I look for a similar result here. We lost with the over in this match-up Friday but I am coming right back with it here. The Magic are starting to get healthier and they just did not shoot well Friday and that cost us a winner as the game finished close to going over. The 76ers are still missing Embiid and his interior defense and Orlando will take advantage and, similar to the LA/SA dichotomy of the two results, we'll see something similar here. 10* OVER 214.5 in Orlando

NBA Friday 10* Top Play OVER 217 in Orlando Magic vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:10 ET - Of course the 76ers defense is not the same when Embiid is not on the floor to guard the interior. Philly again will be forced to play more of a small ball lineup here and I am expecting plenty of points. The Magic are expected to have Banchero back for this one plus could get Carter back as well. Orlando has allowed 116.4 last 5 games. Philly has allowed 110 points per game in the last 5 that Embiid has missed but also had averaged 112 points per game in the first 5 games he missed this season prior to Sixers being held to just 101 in the loss at Charlotte Wednesday. They make up for that defeat here with a strong road effort but Orlando is rejuvenated with Banchero back on the floor and this game will have a great tempo and pace for scoring. 10* OVER 217 in Orlando

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 214.5 in Charlotte Hornets vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:10 ET - What is Philly's solution without Embiid? How about run and gun and attempt nearly 100 shots from the field? That is what they did last night in their upset of Brooklyn. Keep in mind they got Harris back last night and he led them with 24 points. Additionally they got Korkmaz back and he came off the bench and combined with Reed and Naing for 44 points between the 3 of them. Charlotte is simply not a very good team and this is true on defense as well. The Hornets have lost 11 of 12 games and, not including OT points of course, Charlotte has allowed 111.4 ppg last 12 games. They are favored by 4 points here. So you can see that the predicted final could fall somewhere into the 115 to 111 range which gives a total double digits above the posted number on this game. I like our chances for a high-scoring game because Sixers play a more "small ball" style when Embiid is not on the floor. The 5 games Embiid has missed this season, the 76ers have scored an average of 112 points per game. This one should get into the 220 to 225 range considering all of the above. Hornets so hungry for a win and Sixers hungry to prove they can win without Embiid and Harden, just as they did last night. The also are missing Maxey right now but the backcourt of Milton and Melton showed yesterday that they can mesh very well. 10* OVER 214.5 in Charlotte

CBB Monday 10* Top Play OVER 149.5 in Illinois-Chicago Flames vs Stonehill Skyhawks @ 4 ET in Bronx, NY as part of the Tom Konchalski Classic - I know many of you may not have heard of Stonehill but they are in the Northeast Conference. That is the conference that sent Bryant to the Big Dance last season where they lost to Wright State (another Horizon League team just like the UIC Flames) in the First Four. The key here with the Skyhawks is they give up a ton of points and we successfully used an over involving Illinois-Chicago over the weekend on Saturday and I like our chances at another success here. This total actually opened up at 151 and dropped a little so I like fading the early move. Note that the Skyhawks have allowed an average of 89 points per game in their 5 games this season! Stonehill has averaged 83.5 points per game scoring in their last 4 games. UIC is off a 79-65 to Fordham so they will want to respond here. Illinois-Chicago entered that one having scored 71 ppg 1st 3 games. They have now allowed 70 ppg last 3 games. This total may seem too high given those numbers but look again at how Stonehill plays. Now consider that UIC is off a loss and is the better team in this match-up. You can see why this game has a great shot not only at 150s or 160s but even 170s given the above numbers involving the Skyhawks coupled with the fact UIC will be happy to use their skilled edges in the transition game to win this one. 10* OVER 149.5 in Illinois-Chicago

CBB Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 147.5 in Tulsa Golden Hurricane vs Murray State Racers in Myrtle Beach Invitational in Conway, SC @ 10:30 AM ET - Both teams off losses that failed to go over the total. This is a consolation game in this tournament and there is little incentive to play strong defense. Murray State gives up a lot of shots so teams realize they can "race" against the Racers and get plenty of good looks. Other than a game against over-matched Lindsey Wilson, Murray State has allowed more than 70+ field goal attempts in each of their other 3 games. The Racers are scoring an average of 79 points per game this season but in those 3 games I just mentioned, they allowed an average of 80 points per game. Tulsa had scored an average of 80 points per game first three games this season before the tight loss to Charlotte failed to follow the prior high-scoring pattern. Look for the Golden Hurricane and for Murray State to simply play out a fast-paced entertaining game here and I do like the fact that Racers allow a lot of shots and Tulsa shoots a lot of threes. The Golden Hurricane are knocking down 42% from downtown this season and will score plenty here but Murray State answers them bucket for bucket in a wild one here. 10* OVER 147.5 in Tulsa

CBB Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 138.5 in Fordham Rams vs Illinois-Chicago Flames @ 5 ET - The Rams were known for defense last season but they really focused in this off-season on how they would increase scoring in the new year. They want to play faster and score a lot more. Yes, they did not fare well when over-matched against a ranked Arkansas team from the SEC. However, in their other games they averaged 83.5 ppg. Also, they are allowing 70 ppg this season. They take on a Flames team that is averaging 71 ppg on the season season. I see this one pushing well into the 140s as this is the first road game of the season for UIC and I see them getting pulled into a track meet in this one as the Rams want to play at the faster pace and this will force the scoring of Illinois-Chicago here. 10* OVER 138.5 in Fordham

CBB Friday 10* Top Play OVER 132.5 in George Mason Patriots vs Boston College Eagles @ 8 ET in Paradise Jam in St Thomas, VI - This one takes place in the tourney in the Virgin Islands. The Eagles got back DeMarr Langford, their 2nd leading scorer from last season, in their most recent game. Though Boston College was done in by poor shooting in the upset loss to Maine, the game still totaled 133 points and I am certainly expecting at least that here with much better shooting. The Eagles will be hungry off the upset loss and push the tempo here after losing to the Black Bears. The Patriots enter this game having averaged 78 points per game last two games so George Mason certainly has plenty of confidence entering this match-up. Though the Patriots allowed only 56 points to American University, those Eagles shot very poorly just like the Eagles of BC did against Maine. The point is that the pacing was there for a higher-scoring game. So pace plus better shooting plus a situational factor with Boston College off a loss should translate to a much higher scoring game here. Take advantage of the low total. 10* OVER 132.5 in George Mason

CBB Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 144.5 or 145.5 in Detroit Mercy Titans vs Ohio University Bobcats @ 7 ET - We lost an over with Detroit when they faced Boston College and the game was 62-60 with 8 minutes to go and then it was 64-60 with 2 minutes to go. Yes there were only 2 points scored in 6 minutes of play in what could go down as the bad beat of the year when it comes to totals losses in CBB as that one ended up just short. Now we get payback here as the Titans will score just fine at home in this one and have averaged 79.5 ppg so far this season while the Bobcats have no hesitation in getting involved in a high-scoring contest. Ohio University has averaged scoring 75 points per game this season but also allowed 70 points in each game. The Bobcats are shooting very well from three point land early this season and Mercy will push the tempo in this game. 10* OVER 144.5 or 145.5 in Detroit

CBB Monday 10* Top Play OVER 138 in St Joseph's Hawks vs Lafayette Leopards @ 7 ET - This follows the pattern of other recent totals plays that it is all about pace. Lafayette wants to run and gun and the situation is perfect for that here because St Joseph's is off a loss versus a very good Houston team. Having lost to a highly ranked team and scoring only 55 points, the Hawks will take advantage of taking a big step down in class to face Lafayette. The Leopards will be willing to play fast because that is the system they play in now. They should knock down a lot more shots here than they did against Miami in the season opener and they did score 68 against St John's in their next game but allowed 83 points to the Red Storm. That is the type of result I am looking for here as well. The Leopards will get their points but they will not be able to stop the Hawks especially since they are coming off an ugly loss entering this one. 10* OVER 138 in St Joseph's

NCAAB Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 143.5 in Cincinnati Bearcats vs Eastern Kentucky Colonels @ Noon ET - The Colonels want to play fast and, with their revamped roster, they will be able to do just that. The Bearcats were not happy the way their offense stagnated late in the season. They have a solid backcourt so they will be able to fully focus on improving that stagnation this season and the better production should be seen immediately. Cincinnati is averaging 83.5 ppg this season. Eastern Kentucky went crazy with points in their first game this season but that was against a completely over-matched opponent. Their 2nd game they scored only 60 but the Colonels had an off-shooting night. It was horrible as it 33% from the field and 8 of 17 from the free throw line! Eastern Kentucky took 62 shots so the proper pace for an over was there and it will be here again for this one and the Bearcats will run and gun right along with them as they are favored by about 18 points for a reason. The Colonels shot just fine in their first game including from the free throw line and from downtown so it was not just about easy buckets inside and they will bounce back after then struggling against the Hilltoppers. 10* OVER 143.5 in Cincinnati

NCAAB Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 144/144.5 in Georgetown Hoyas vs Green Bay Phoenix @ 11 AM ET - I wanted to wait some to see if this total would come down some and sure enough it has. I know the Phoenix did not score well in their first game but they allowed 80 and will score much better here against a Hoyas team that is known for giving up a ton of points. I know Georgetown's first game went into OT but, even taking that out of the equation, the game was 83-83 before it went to OT! Keep in mind that was against Coppin State too. This match-up features two teams off very bad seasons and they each have a lot of transfers in. That can make a game play out more like a pick-up basketball game than a structured hoops match-up. That said, I am looking for a ton of points here. Green Bay has to shoot better than they did in first game but the Hoyas will continue to run and gun and also, along the way, will continue to forget about playing much defense too! So let's take advantage of the downward line move on this total. 10* OVER 144/144.5 in Georgetown

CBB Friday 10* Top Play OVER 139 in Boston College Eagles vs Detroit Mercy Titans @ 1 ET - The Eagles first game totaled 156 points and it was no fluke. Boston College and Cornell University combined to make just 17 of 53 threes and both shot poorly from the free throw line yet the game still flew over the total. Why? Well the pace was there and that is a key with hoops totals and I expect another fast paced game here. Detroit comes to Chestnut Hill with added confidence after they scored 93 points in winning the first game of the season. Yes, they played Rochester University so they were supposed to win handily but, to put up 93 points is big for the Titans confidence. Keep in mind Antoine Davis is back for Mercy and he is a tough match-up and an elite scorer. He'll get his points for the Titans here and takes so much focus that it opens up the scoring for others on the floor. So this game should fly over the total. 10* OVER 139 in Boston College 

CBB Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER 140 in Purdue Boilermakers vs Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers @ 6:30 ET - How will UW-Milwaukee play with a new head coach? Fast and firing up 3-pointers and willingness to press on defense. How will this effect the Panthers. We already got a taste of this in their first game. Yes it was against Milwaukee School of Engineering in an Exhibition if you will but last year UW-Milw won it by a count of 69-63. This year they won it in a rout and topped the century mark. Now of course the Panthers will now being scoring huge points against Purdue but their willingness to press on defense, fire up threes, and play a fast pace means they should get into the 60s here and, keep in mind, the Boilermakers are a 27-point favorite for a reason! So I look for this one to play out at a fast pace and with a margin getting to the 20 to 30 point range that means no pressure and guys can fire up 3's and play fast which is exactly what coach Bart Lundy wants. He is coming back to the area (previously was an assistant at Marquette) after a great run at a division II School. Queens College (Charlotte, NC) had 7 Div II NCAA Tourney appearances during his 9 seasons there and last season they averaged 85.5 points per game. Again, the pace the Panthers will play with will be fast and Purdue's concern heading into the season is their backcourt so the pressure D could result in turnovers and points in the transition game. Of course Purdue is the much better team and the Boilermakers frontcourt will dominate this game. The end result, in my opinion, is plenty of points here! 10* OVER 140 in Purdue

NBA Monday 10* Top Play OVER 231 in San Antonio Spurs vs Denver Nuggets @ 9:40 ET - These teams just met in Denver and that game stayed just under the total but neither team got to the free throw line much and both teams shot poorly at the free throw line. Look for the Spurs to play at a faster pace here at home and score plenty in this one as they will be stronger on their home floor then they have been on the road. The issue for San Antonio in this one, as has been the issue all season long, is just that they can not stop anyone. The Spurs have had one home game this season in which they held their opponent under the century mark but in their other 4 home games they have allowed 127 points per game. The line on this one is right around a -7 for Denver so that would put the final score here at 127-120 and that total is well above the posted total on this game. The Spurs have averaged 114 points scored per game their last 9 games and won 5 of those so don't be surprised if they do indeed get close to 120 here. The Nuggets have averaged 118 points per game their last 8 games and are allowing 122 points per game on the road this season. Look for a high-scoring shootout int this one. 10* OVER 231 in San Antonio

NBA Friday 10* Top Play OVER 224 or 224.5 in Orlando Magic vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:10 ET - The Magic are winless on the season and will be fighting hard for their first win here. They will have to score plenty to do that because the Hornets have continued piling up big points this season. Though Orlando might scare you to be involved with because of their 0-5 record, note they have played a tough road-heavy schedule so far. Also, this team scored 120 points in their only home game so far this season. Trouble was that the Magic allowed 126 points in that game. I know Cole Anthony is now out with an injury but the point guard shot a combined 8 of 28 last two games! Keep in mind that Anthony had only 14 points in the home game in which Orlando scored 120 versus Celtics. The point is that the Magic, even though still dealing with some injury issues early this season, are fully capable of putting up plenty of points here at home - just their 2nd home game of the season! Charlotte, not including OT points of course, has seen each of their 4 games this season total at least 231 points. More of the same expected here! 10* OVER 224 or 224.5 in Orlando

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 225.5 in Oklahoma City Thunder vs Minnesota Timberwolves @ 8:10 ET - Look for extra energy from each club here. Minnesota off first loss of the season and though that game went into OT it went over the total in regulation. OKC is playing their home opener so that adds an element of energy and excitement for an 0-2 Thunder team. These teams met already this season and that game should have gone over the total but a sub-par 4th quarter kept it just under the total. People were expecting new acquisitions for Minny were going to result in a slowdown but they have had plenty of pace in their games and are scoring very well. The Thunder also playing at a fast pace and scoring well but they can not stop anyone. That said, I think we're going to see a ton of scoring in this one as Oklahoma City again gives up a ton of points but, this time, they are in the game all the way to the end as home court is a big boost for the Thunder here. 10* OVER 225.5 in Oklahoma City 

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 223.5 in Philadelphia 76ers vs San Antonio Spurs @ 6:10 ET - The Spurs have allowed huge points in each game this season but they are off a win last night in which they scored 137 points and no there was no overtime. They shot the ball very well and nailed threes and they will be confident now heading into Philly. Keep in mind SA had 99 shot attempts in their first game this season so they are willing to play at a fast pace. I expect Philly to want to play at a fast pace in this one. They are angry off B2B losses to start the season and they need a huge game from Embiid here as he has had a frustrating start to the season. I don't see the Spurs interior as being capable of putting up must resistance in that regard. Also, the Sixers scored just 88 points versus Bucks because they shot so poorly including from 3-point land. I fully expect Philly to unload on this Spurs team that has given up massive point totals in their first two games this season. With Philly favored by about 13 points in this one and if Spurs allow their average of 132 points per game that puts this one at 132-119 and we don't need 250 to win this pick. In other words, you get my point. Even if Philly only scores 120 against this bad Spurs defense and the spread is right we still get this one into the upper 220s. Love this over as it should be a loosely played non-conference match-up that sees Philly score tons of points but the hot-shooting Spurs hang around and score well too. 10* OVER 223.5 in Philadelphia

NBA Friday 10* Top Play OVER 228.5 in Minnesota Timberwolves vs Utah Jazz @ 8:10 ET - Like the fact that both teams got to games in the 223 to 225 range on Wednesday even though there were some strange results there. The Nuggets scored only 102 points at Utah on Wednesday but it is because they made just 5 of 22 three pointers. You know the Timberwolves are going to shoot much better than that from beyond the arc in this one against that same Jazz defense. Minnesota at home should score plenty here but I also like the fact that Utah's bench players combined to score 68 points in the win over Denver! That means even if Minny gets a big lead in this game the Jazz will have scorers coming in off the bench throughout and even late in "garbage time" if we need it. What I also like about this one is the fact that the Wolves game against the Thunder was played at a very fast pace. It absolutely should have gone over the total. OKC took 99 shots from the field including 45 from 3-point land. The problem is they made just 38% of their shots from the field and a modest 31% from beyond the arc. By the way, the Timberwolves made just 10 of 38 shots from 3-point land and that is highly unlikely to be repeated here. That was tough loss for us with that over in Minny the first time. A tough tight one in which we deserved much better. Tonight on Friday we'll get that "much better" this go around! 10* OVER 228.5 in Minnesota

NBA Wednesday 8* OVER 225.5 in Minnesota Timberwolves vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 8:10 ET - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is good to go Wednesday for the Thunder. I know that Minnesota will now be adjusting to life with Rudy Gobert and he is known for his defense but don't forget that the D will also trigger the Timberwolves transition game and of course they are loaded with scorers like Karl-Anthony Towns and D'Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards. Plus Gobert will be demanding of the ball down low and now they have a couple of 7 footers with him joining Towns. This T-wolves team going to be tough to guard but also note that Minny allowed more PPG than any other Western Conference playoff team last year. They will fix things on the defensive end but won't be an overnight fix. I really like their high-flying offensive capabilities though and OKC did allow 112 ppg last season. I think we'll see this game get well into the 230s and I like the downward line move we've seen on this total. I also like the fact that the Wolves are going to want to put on a show in their home opener and with Gobert now on the team. They are a double digit favorite for a reason and won't hold back here. Last night's home teams scored an average of 124.5 points apiece. If this one is 125 to 115 you are talking about a game that gets to the 240 range. 8* OVER 225.5 in Minnesota 

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play OVER 210 in Boston Celtics vs Golden State Warriors @ 9 ET - The Warriors are now one step away from winning it all but you also know the Celtics are going to respond off B2B losses and now being back on their home floor. That said, I see no way this game does not find its way over the total. Golden State playing with so much confidence right now but Boston will ride a wave of emotion at home and score a ton of points in this one. Celtics had averaged 106.7 points per game at home in this playoffs before the Game 4 home loss in this series. Golden State averaging 112.3 points per game in the post-season. 10* OVER 210 in Boston

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 212 in Boston Celtics vs Golden State Warriors @ 9 ET - The Warriors have scored an average of 113 points per game last 8 games. The Celtics have scored an average of 116 points per game the last 8 times they have entered a game off a loss. I feel certain that Boston is going to respond on their home floor after an embarrassing effort on the road Sunday in which they scored just 88 points. However, I also feel certain that Golden State is going to continue piling up points. The result should be an easy over here and I like the fact that this total dropped a little from its opener which is serving to give us even more line value here. Each of the last two meetings between these teams in Boston have gone over the total and the games averaged 225.5 points apiece. That said, it comes as no surprise that my forecast models are reflecting this one getting to at least 220 points just like saw in Game 1 of this series which totaled 228 points. A ton of line value here. 10* OVER 212 in Boston

NBA Friday 10* Top Play OVER 200.5 in Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat @ 8:30 ET - Back to back unders but the Heat actually have averaged 92 shots from the field the last 3 games. The only reason the last two games have stayed under is because of horrible shooting from Miami which is highly improbable to continue here. At the same time, you know Boston is likely to stay hot. Celtics are at home where they are loaded with confidence. Boston has only had one poor game offensively in their last 8 home games. In the other 7 games, the Celtics have averaged 108.4 points per game as a host. Considering that plus the Heat facing elimination and likely to finally shoot at least a halfway respectable rate in this one we have great line value with this ultra low total. 10* OVER 200.5 in Boston

NBA 10* UNDER 218 in Dallas Mavericks vs Golden State Warriors @ 9 ET - Barring another absolutely ludicrous finish like the 24 points we saw scored in the final minute and 20 seconds of last night's game between the Celtics and Heat, we should finally seen an under here. The Mavericks will dial up the defense here as they look to avoid an 0-3 hole here and the Warriors are known for struggling with their shooting on the road at times. Golden State fully capable of more solid defense here though just like they showed in the 2nd half of their Game 2 win. The result is a game that should fall well short of the total tonight unless we again see another absolutely preposterous final 81 seconds of basketball like we saw last night. 10* UNDER 218 in Dallas

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play UNDER 207.5 in Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat @ 8:30 ET - The first two games of this series have totaled at least 225 points yet the odds makers have hardly budged on the O/U they are posting. As I have said many times before, the odds makers are super sharp and I feel they have this match-up pegged. We're going to finally see the type of defensive-minded chess match many have been expecting with this series. Keep in mind the Celtics just knocked down 20 of 40 from three point land in Game 2 and also note that each team has combined to hit above their normal shooting percentages from the field in the first two games of this series. These numbers are not sustainable and with this series tied at 1-game apiece, we are going to see some solid defense here in a critical swing game here in Game 3. The under has cashed in 4 of last 5 Boston home games. The under has cashed in 4 of last 5 Miami road games. 10* UNDER 207.5 in Boston

NBA Friday 10* Top Play OVER 210.5 in Milwaukee Bucks vs Boston Celtics @ 7:30 ET - Finally B2B overs in this series but truly the pacing has been there for overs in all but one of the five games so far in this series. That said, and with Boston facing elimination here and the Bucks continuing to push the pace at home, I am going to take advantage of this low total. The posted total has moved down a little from its opener and I feel we have excellent line value here as a result. Keep in mind, the Celtics have averaged 117 points per game last 7 road games. The Bucks have averaged 110 points per game last 7 home games. This line is practically a pick'em and whether the Bucks get to their recent 110 range and or the Celtics get to their recent 117 range and if the odds makers are right about this game being decided by a slim margin, you can see why this one should fly over the total. Milwaukee has had at least 90 shot attempts from the field in 4 of the 5 games and they are not going to change this faster pace which has been serving them well. This is a chance for the Bucks to close this series out on their home floor. Great pace expected here. 10* OVER 210.5 in Milwaukee

NBA 2nd Rd Total of the Year Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 207 in Philadelphia 76ers vs Miami Heat @ 8 ET - Game 3 of this series was a dead under. But the 76ers last 8 home games, prior to the under Friday, had featured 6 overs - a 75% over rate as a host. Look for both teams to finally put it together offensively here as I feel certain the Heat are going to bounce back after scoring just 79 points in the Game 3 loss. At the same time, the 76ers tend to be a better shooting team when at home and I expect them to roll up big points in this one as, with Embiid back, they are hell-bent on getting back into this series and tying it up at 2 games apiece. Keep in mind the 76ers have scored an average of 114 points per game last 5 home games versus Miami. 10* OVER 207 in Philadelphia

NBA Contrarian Crusher Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER 215 in Boston Celtics vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7 ET - The Bucks have had unders now in 6 straight games. In typical contrarian fashion, I will take the over in this one given that streak! I love the fact that Milwaukee held Boston to just 89 points in the Game 1 upset win. The Celtics entered that game having won 8 of 9 games and scoring an average of 122.6 points per game! Boston will bounce back and make adjustments and score well here but the Bucks are the defending champs for a reason. Milwaukee will hang around in this game and they had averaged 114 points per game last 4 games before the low-scoring Game 1 win in this series. Celtics were on an 8-4 run to the over last dozen games before that under and also in match-ups between these teams the over was 7-3 last 10 meetings before that under. Game 2 will play out much differently. 10* OVER 215 in Boston

NBA Total of the Week Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 212.5 in Toronto Raptors vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 2 PM ET - The Raptors will do anything to extend this series as they are down 3-0 and do not want to get eliminated on their home floor. To extend their series they are likely going to have to extend this game. What I mean by that is even if they are down 7 to 10 points late they will be fouling plenty and looking to send Philly to the line and climb back into the game. I love the fact that after B2B unders, even if an game that went to OT in Game 3, most will be looking under here. Keep in mind, Game 1 of this series flew over the total. I am expecting much better shooting like we saw in the first game and I look for Toronto to put up a valiant effort here. However, as has been a problem all series long, the Raptors will struggle to stop all the weapons the Sixers have. I am not confident of who will win this game but I am confident of plenty of points being scored! 10* OVER 212.5 in Toronto

NBA Playoff Perfection Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 236 in Memphis Grizzlies vs Minnesota Timberwolves @ 3:30 ET - Two teams that like to play fast and I am expecting plenty of points in the opener of this series as a result. The over is 5-1 last 6 Timberwolves games. The over is 4-1 last 5 Grizzlies games. In Minnesota road games this season the over went 30-11. Memphis has seen the over go 7-2 in last 9 home games. The tempo and situation is perfect. The Grizzlies have fresh legs here from being off since Sunday and the Timberwolves allowed only 104 points to the Clippers in the Wolves play-in game Tuesday but allowed 128 points per game in their final 7 games of the regular season. 10* OVER 236 in Memphis

NBA Earliest Dominator Friday 10* Top Play OVER 222.5 in Washington Wizards vs New York Knicks @ 7:10 ET - The Wizards home finale and this is a team that has played with a lot of energy at home for quite some time now. It is still a bad team defensively but, without a doubt, Washington can put up big points! The O/U is 8-1 in the 9 home games the Wiz have had since March 1st. The Knicks are more of a defensive-minded slow-paced team but lets take this game for what it is. This is clearly a late-season match-up between two teams just playing out the string on the season and the Knicks will simply run right along with the Wizards. I simply do not expect a lot of defense to be played here. The Knicks have averaged 113 points the last 3 times they were off a game in which they were held under 105 and they just were held to 98 by Brooklyn - a playoff team. Last game against a non-playoff team, New York exploded for 118 points. Couple that with the fact Wizards have been scoring like crazy at home and you can see where I am going with this one. 10* OVER 222.5 in Washington

NBA Earliest Cash Tuesday 8* OVER 233 in Indiana Pacers vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:10 ET - In their home finale, the Pacers will put up a fight here. However, defensively Indiana has been one of the worst teams in the league for weeks now. Also, Philadelphia is a double digit favorite with good reason here as they need to win for playoff seeding purposes and having been off yesterday and off again tomorrow I expect the Sixers to have their full complement of personnel on the floor and ready to go in this one! I also like the fact that the 76ers are off an under and Philly is 5-1 to the over last 6 times when off an under. Indiana is 4-0 to the over last 4 games. 8* OVER 233 in Indiana

NBA Earliest Dominator Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 233 in Indiana Pacers vs Denver Nuggets @ 7:10 ET - Nuggets averaged 121 points per game last 4 games. The Pacers allowing 132 points per game last 3 games. Indiana scoring an average of 119 points last 6 home games. Could easily see this one getting into the 240s given the above. Pacers have been slumping and are officially eliminated  from post-season contention but that means they can play loose and relaxed here at home. Look for very little resistance on the defensive end from an Indiana team that has clearly been struggling in that regard of late. However, the Pacers certainly should be able to put up a lot of points here and the Nuggets are off B2B unders but this was preceded by 5 straight overs. Given all of the above, that strong over trending likely to quickly resume here. 10* OVER 233 in Indiana

CBB Earliest Cash Monday 10* Top Play OVER 137.5 in South Alabama Jaguars vs Coastal Carolina Chanticleers @ 8 ET - This is a rare set up in a semi-final game of a non-conference post-season match-up. I say that because these two teams are each from the Sun Belt Conference but managed to win out so far in this tourney and now meet with a chance to go to The Basketball Classic Championship Game. No team ever wants their season to end but this is particularly true when that game comes against a foe from the same conference. That said, no matter who is up late in this game there is likely to be late fouling and a huge effort for desperation points if needed to keep the season going. This is particularly true because each team knows the other is certainly not exceptional at the free throw line. Putting the opponent on the line late will likely allow the trailing team to get back in the game. With all of that said, I like the over quite a lot in this one in what should be a back and forth power struggle. Keep in mind these teams have met 5 times since January of last year so this will be their 6th game in 15 months. None of those games have totaled less than 136 points. The posted total on this one is currently 137.5 which means we are likely "right there" for the win in this one late given the recent history between these teams. I just don't see this one falling short of the 140s given all of the above and, in fact, the last 5 meetings have totaled an average of 141 points. Jags averaging 75 points last 3 games. CC averaging 72 points last 8 games. 75-72 S Ala win would put this right at the current number of -3 on this game and also would put this game about 10 points over the posted total. I am expecting this game to get to at least upper 140s. 10* OVER 137.5 in South Alabama

NBA Contrarian Crusher Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 221 in Orlando Magic vs Sacramento Kings @ 7:10 ET - Total dropped from mid-220s range to closer to 220 range and I love fading the line move here. Both teams have fresh legs here as they were off each of the last two days entering this one. Also, both teams are off unders so I look for the offensive production to take over in this non-conference match. The Kings, prior to the under, were on a 5-3 run to the over including each of last 2 road games. The Magic are off 3 straight unders including 2 in a row at home but this is helping to give us line value. Orlando, before those B2B unders in home games, allowed an average of 120 points per game the preceding 9 home games! Think Sacramento loses this game? The Kings have allowed 124 points last 11 losses. Think Orlando loses this game? The Magic have allowed 124 points last 9 losses! Given those facts you can see why I like the over in this match-up! 10* OVER 221 in Orlando

NCAA Earliest Cash Friday 8* OVER 133 in Purdue Boilermakers vs St Peter's Peacocks @ 7:09 ET - The Peacocks on a 4-0 run to the over the last 4 times they have been an underdog and, of course, they are a big dog in this one with good reason! The Boilermakers should roll and pile up a bunch of points but don't be surprised if St Peter's hangs around very close to the pointspread (13) on this game and that means should be an easy over. Purdue is hot and averaging 79.5 points scored in first two games of the tourney. That puts this final around a 79-66 and in the 145 range which is a good dozen points more than the current posted total on this one. Not including OT points, the Peacocks have scored at least 70 points in both NCAA Tourney games. Dating back to MAAC Tourney, St Peter's has averaged 68.4 points per game. Look for this one to get well into the 140s given all of the above. 8* OVER 133 in Purdue

NBA Non-Conf Total of the Month Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER 215.5 in Orlando Magic vs Golden State Warriors @ 7:10 ET - After a low-scoring grinding 90-85 win for the Magic Sunday over the Thunder, look for a high-scoring game here. Orlando games were on a 3-0 run to the over before that crazy low-scoring game over the weekend. The Warriors are allowing an average of 114.6 points per game last 10 games. Golden State had one ugly game offensively in that 10-game stretch but scored an average of 116.4 points per game in the other 9 games. Given all of the above, and the non-conference element to this match-up as well, we should see plenty of points as this one gets into the 220s. 10* OVER 215.5 in Orlando

NBA Earliest Cash Monday 10* Top Play OVER 222 in Detroit Pistons vs Portland Trail Blazers @ 7:10 ET - The Blazers off a ridiculous under, as I know all too well, as they scored just 16 points in the 4th quarter last night of a game that looked like a sure over. This followed 4 straight overs involving Portland and I expect to get my money back on a Trail Blazers over tonight! We will come right back with Blazers game over the total here. Keep in mind, Portland has allowed 125 points per game last dozen games. The Pistons will score well here as they have gone on a 13-1 ATS tear thanks to playing better of late. Detroit can lean on a huge offensive performance here as they catch the Trail Blazers in the 2nd game of a back to back. 10* OVER 222 in Detroit

NCAA Total of the Week Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 142.5 in Auburn Tigers vs Miami Hurricanes @ 7:45 ET - The Tigers one of the best teams in the country and just 1 under last 5 times they have been a favorite. Auburn has scored 80 or more in 3 of last 4. Miami will struggle to try to slow down the Tigers and will be forced to score well in this game to keep up. The Hurricanes are off an under but this followed overs in 6 of last 7 games. The Canes off a 68-66 win over USC but this followed scoring an average of 75.4 points the 10 games leading into that one. 10* OVER 142.5 in Auburn

NBA Daytime Dominator Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 233 in Indiana Pacers vs Portland Trail Blazers @ 3:40 ET - The over is 4-0 in last 4 Blazers games and they have allowed 125.4 points per game last 10 games! The Pacers are off an under but the game did total 239 points and Indiana has not had B2B unders in a very long time. I do not expect that fact to change here as this one flies over the total! The over is 24-11 in Pacers home games this season. 10* OVER 233 in Indiana

NCAA Top Total Friday 9* Top Play OVER 156.5 in Arizona Wildcats vs Wright State Raiders @ 7:27 ET - The Wildcats have had a huge season and will pile up the points. Arizona's last 10 wins have seen them average 86.7 points per victory. Keep in mind, those victories were against tough Pac-12 competition. Now the Cats can take advantage of facing a weaker foe in Wright State. The Raiders will not be able to slow down Arizona but, at the same time, I do expect they will score well also. Wright State has won 6 straight games and have scored an average of 79.5 points per game. I am looking for a 95 to 75 type game here and that puts this one in the 170 range. 9* OVER 156.5 in Arizona 

NBA Total Blowout Friday 10* Top Play OVER 217.5 in Philadelphia 76ers vs Dallas Mavericks @ 7:10 ET - With Joel Embiid listed as questionable for this game, the posted total has dropped from low 220s to mid 210s and we have excellent value with the over. If Embiid plays we will certainly welcome his offense. If Embiid does not play, the 76ers will still find their points but absolutely will be missing his defense against a dangerous Mavs team. Since Kristaps Porzingis was traded they have seen Spencer Dinwiddie really become a key on offense. The Mavs have won 10 of last 12 with him on the court and he is really playing well. Dallas had two duds offensively last 12 games but averaged 113 points in the other 10 games! The Sixers have won 8 of 11 games and have scored an average of 123 games in the 8 victories. Watch this game fly over the total! 10* OVER 217.5 in Philadelphia

NBA TV Total of the Week Thursday 10* Top Play OVER 218.5 in Orlando Magic vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:10 ET - The Magic and Pistons are two of the worst teams in the league. Orlando and Detroit each allowing 112 points per game on the season. The Magic off back to back losses and the Pistons off 4 straight losses so each team going to bring some extra effort here in a game they definitely each view as a winnable game. That said, I do look for this to lead to plenty of points. 3 of the last 4 meetings between these teams have gone over the total. Detroit has averaged 109 points scored per game during their current 11-1 ATS run entering this game. Magic have averaged 112.5 points scored per game last 8 home games. This one should get well into the 220s given the situation. 10* OVER 218.5 in Orlando

NBA Earliest Cash Saturday 10* Top Play OVER in Miami Heat vs Minnesota Timberwolves @ 8:10 ET - This total in the 226.5 range. Last night the Timberwolves were at Orlando and the game had 190 points through 3 quarters. Then a horrific 4th quarter doomed my play on the over right here. After a strong candidate for bad beat of the year, I will come right back with the over involving Minnesota in this 2nd game of a back to back. The Wolves are still 26-8 to the over this season. The T-wolves also are 4-1 to the over the last 5 times when playing 2nd game of a back to back. The Heat are off a strong scoring effort at home versus Cleveland last night and Miami has now scored well in 11 of last 14 games. In those 11 games, the Heat have averaged 117.4 points per game. Minny loves to play an uptempo game and after their horrific 4th quarter last night led the way to ending their 6-game winning streak (averaged scoring 131 points in the 6 victories), there will be no quit in the road dog in this one Saturday! 10* OVER the total in Miami 

CBB ESPN Smash Pass Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Akron Zips vs Kent State Golden Flashes @ 7:30 ET - I understand the under trending in this series as well as the fact each of these teams comes into this game trending to the under. However, this total seems too low as it has dropped into the 123.5 range as of early Saturday morning. The Zips and Golden Flashes last 4 meetings all stayed under the total. However, 3 of those 4 unders totaled at least 128 points! Also, Akron enters this game having scored 70 or more points in 5 of last 6 games! Kent State enters this game having won 14 games in a row and they scored 70 or more points in 11 of 14 games. Keep in mind, we are talking 70 points! If each team just gets to 60 we have a shot at winning this play and I feel strongly that the winning team is going to score at least 70 in this one and, as a result, this one should fly over the total. I lost here with the over in Akron's game yesterday but sure felt like it should have got there for us. This one will not let us down and we get immediate payback. 10* OVER the total in MAC Championship

NBA Earliest Cash Friday 10* Top Play OVER in Orlando Magic vs Minnesota Timberwolves @ 7:10 ET - This total in the 235 range but it is a deserved big number and I am expecting this one to fly over the total. The Timberwolves have won 6 straight games and scored an average of 131 points per game during this streak. Also, Minnesota has trended over in road games all season long with a 26-7 record to the over away from home. The Magic are not known for being a high-scoring team but they do tend to score better at home. Orlando's most recent home game was a tough match-up with a strong Suns team but, prior to that loss, the Magic had won 5 of last 10 home games and, other than one ugly game last 8 games as a host, scored an average of 115 points per game in the other 7 home games. Considering that plus the fact Minnesota likes to play so fast and you have the ideal set-up for a high-scoring non-conference game in this match-up. 10* OVER in Orlando

CBB MAC Total of the Month Friday 10* Top Play OVER in Toledo Rockets vs Akron Zips @ 5 ET - This total opened up in the 141 range and has dropped to the 138 range. We have excellent line value here because the over is 4-0 in last 4 meetings between these teams but each team is coming off a game which stayed just under the total yesterday. Each of last 3 Zips games have stayed under the total and 5 of last 7 Rockets games have stayed under the total. However, when Toledo and Akron meet the results have been nuts including 160 points scored in the meeting earlier this season. Also, before back to back lower-scoring wins, the Zips had averaged 84 points last 3 wins. Overall they have won 6 straight and are feeling it right now! As for the Rockets, they are averaging 81.2 ppg on the season and enter this game red hot with wins in 6 straight and 17 of last 19 games. Plenty of points in another great battle between these two on Friday in the MAC Tourney. 10* OVER

CBB ACC Total of the Year Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER 134.5 in Louisville Cardinals vs Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ 7 ET - Not including OT points, the Yellow Jackets have allowed 71 points per game their last dozen games - a 3-9 stretch. The Cardinals have allowed 75 points per game their last dozen games - a 1-11 stretch. So this match-up features a pair of struggling teams but a lot of their struggles have been due to ineptitude on the defensive end of the floor. With mid-140s a very reasonable total of points to expect here given the above coupled with the fact this posted total is only in the mid-130s we have excellent line value here in this ACC Tourney match-up. 10* OVER 134.5 in Louisville 

CBB CAA Total of the Month Monday 10* Top Play OVER 137.5 in Towson Tigers vs Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens @ 6 ET - Total dropped from opener after both these teams involved in low-scoring grinding wins yesterday. Also, both meetings between these teams in regular season were also grinders as well. So, of course, that means odds makers blew it with the high total set on this game, right? You know how I feel about odds makers being "off the mark" as usually their numbers are the best around. So, we'll take advantage of the added line value here as the markets are a bit fooled on this one and it is actually going to prove to be high-scoring with a good pace just as the odds makers are projecting here. Both these teams have averaged scoring in the mid-70s this season and this one should fly over the total in this neutral-site meeting in the CAA Tourney. 10* OVER 137.5 in Towson

NBA Eastern Conf Total of the Year Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 228.5 in Washington Wizards vs Indiana Pacers @ 6:10 ET - The most recent game between these teams stayed just under the total but the pacing was there. The problem was that the Wizards made just 22 of 54 from INSIDE the arc and the Pacers made just 4 of 20 from OUTSIDE the arc. Prior to this one, 6 of last 8 games between these teams flew over the total and this one will resume that trend. Indiana is on a 13-4 run to the over and yet is coming off a rare under. The over is on a 6-1 run in Wizards home games and these teams have had many crazy high-scoring games in recent meetings. More of the same expected here. 10* OVER 228.5 in Washington

CBB Daytime Dominator Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 123 in Temple Owls vs South Florida Bulls @ 2 ET - The last time these teams met the game totaled only 101 points in a ridiculous display of shooting ineptitude. That will not be repeated here and I am taking advantage of the low total here. The Owls have allowed at least 70 points in 5 of 6 games since the tight 52-49 loss at South Florida last month. In fact, in those 5 Temple games, the Owls allowed an average of 79 points! The Bulls come in to this one having allowed 64 points or more in 7 of 8 games since the win over Temple. USF allowed an average of 70 points per game in those 7 games. This game is going to have much stronger flow and much better shooting than the first meeting and I am taking advantage of the low total here. The last two times these teams met away from South Florida, each game flew over the total and this one will too. 10* OVER 123 in Temple

CBB Daytime Dominator Saturday 8* OVER 132.5 in St Joseph's Hawks vs Rhode Island Rams @ 2:30 ET - The Hawks and Rams had a total nearly 10 points higher than this the last time they met and that was in January! Now, because of some recent low-scoring results for St Joseph's, we are working with a much lower total here. I will not hesitate to grab the value as the Hawks were on a 3-0 run to the over in home games before their most recent low-scoring grinder against St Bonaventure. As for Rhode Island, they have allowed 72 points or more in 3 of last 4 games but also will have no trouble piling up points against St Joseph's in this one. The Rams have averaged 78 points per in last 3 meetings with the Hawks. 8* OVER 132.5 in St Joseph's

NBA Central Division Total of the Month Friday 10* Top Play OVER 227.5 in Detroit Pistons @ 7:10 ET - A lot of value here in my opinion. The Pistons are off a road loss in which they had scored 91 points through 3 quarters but then fell apart and scored just 17 points in the 4th quarter. That will not happen again here on their home floor. Also, Detroit is hosting a Pacers team that has been an over machine of late! Indiana is on a 14-3 run to the over. The last time these teams met they combined for 235 points. Look for a similar result here. The Pistons are off that under last night but it was due to a fluke 4th quarter and followed a 7-1 run to the over in their last 8 games. The over trending resumes in this one. 10* OVER 227.5 in Detroit

CBB AAC Total of the Year Thursday 10* Top Play OVER 140.5 in SMU Mustangs vs Cincinnati Bearcats @ 7 ET - This is a chance for both teams to have huge breakout games offensively after each team was stifled in their most recent game because they faced league-leading Houston. Keep in mind, the Bearcats are still on a 6-3 run to the over which included a recent 5 game stretch in which they scored an average of 75.4 points per game. After a string of match-ups that were defensive-minded grinders this one will be a much more wide-open affair. SMU is a high-quality team hungry to bounce back after the disappointing result versus the Cougars. The Mustangs have scored an average of 78.8 points per game at home this season and they are favored by 7.5 here. That put this game at a 79 to 72 estimated final which totals 10 points above the current posted total on this game. I feel we have good value with both teams coming off games in which they were held to 61 or less points. 10* OVER 140.5 in SMU

NBA ESPN Smash Pass Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 221.5 in Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks @ 7:30 ET - The 76ers have been piling up points since James Harden hit the floor with Joel Embiid and now it will be his debut in front of the home fans for the first time. It will be a raucous atmosphere and I am expecting a fast-paced contest with a ton of scoring in this rematch with the Knicks after these teams met in New York Sunday. The over is on a 10-3 run in Knicks games. The over is on a 4-0 run in 76ers games. More of the same here. 10* OVER 221.5 in Philadelphia

CBB A-10 Total of the Month Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 141.5 in Massachusetts Minutemen vs Fordham Rams @ 7 ET - This match-up flew over the total Sunday even though Darius Quisenberry, star guard for Fordham, returned to action with a surprisingly poor shooting performance. Look for him to be much stronger in his second game back. Quisenberry is the leading scorer for the Rams but he scored just 8 points in Sunday's win and the rest of the team piled up 77 on UMass. Now this is the home finale for UMass and I love the fact they scored 73 points in Sunday's loss even though they shot a putrid 6 of 29 from three point land. The Minutemen will be much better on their home floor this evening but again will struggle to stop a Rams team rejuvenated by the return of Quisenberry. Look for good pace to this contest just like we saw in Sunday's game. 10* OVER 141.5 in Massachusetts

CBB Earliest Dominator Monday 8* OVER 138 in Fordham Rams vs Massachusetts Minutemen @ 7 ET - First off the odds makers know what they are doing. This total opened up in the low 140s even though Fordham has not been scoring well at all. Sure enough the total dropped to the upper 130s as the betting markets are saying the odds makers do not know what they are doing. I expect star guard Darius Quisenberry will be back for the Rams in this one. However, even if he does not play I like the value here after the line move. Massachusetts comes into this one allowing 81 points per game on the road this season and the Minutemen are a two point dog here. You can do the math on that and you'll see that would average out to 81-79 for 160 points here. Now certainly I understand Fordham has struggled to score points quite often this season but facing a weak UMass defense is going to play a role in this game and I expect more of an up-tempo game too as the Rams will be be more willing to run a bit on their home floor. Fordham coming off an embarrassing rock bottom loss in which they scored just 45 points. UMass also faced a couple of tough teams and were held to the low 60s in B2B games. That sets this one up perfectly for both teams to have big games offensively in a bounce back effort from the Rams and the Minutemen. 8* OVER 138 in Fordham

CBB Earliest Cash Sunday 8* OVER 145 in Georgetown Hoyas vs Connecticut Huskies @ Noon ET - The Hoyas have lost 17 straight after starting the season 6-4. This is their home finale. Georgetown will score well here. But this Hoyas team can stop no one and that is why they have lost 17 straight games! You will see this potent Connecticut team score very well in this one. But the Huskies also likely to be rather unfocused on the defensive end in this one. They know they can win this game handily and will simply pile up the points in this one and focus on the offensive end. They are off 4 straight hard-fought wins over tougher opponents and will simply roll to a big win here and that is why they are favored by double digits in this one. The Huskies and Hoyas have combined to average 174.5 points in their last two meetings and I look for another crazy one here. 8* OVER 145 in Georgetown

NBA Total of the Month Saturday 10* OVER 224 in Atlanta Hawks vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:40 ET - The Raptors in 2nd game of a back to back and scored only 93 points at Charlotte last night. Toronto is on a 3-0 run to the over when playing 2nd game of back to back this month. The Hawks are off a low-scoring loss at Chicago Thursday and should bounce back big here. The over is on a 4-0 run in Atlanta's last 4 home games. All 4 of those Hawks total at least 239 points and the average points scored was 245. In other words, we have excellent line value with this total posted in the mid-220s. Yes the Raptors have not scored well of late but Hawks will force an up-tempo game here and Toronto did score 125 when these teams met 3 weeks ago. More of the same expected here and we take advantage of the extra line value here with both teams coming off low-scoring losses heading into this one. 10* OVER 224 in Atlanta

CBB Total of the Month Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 137.5 in Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ 5 ET - The over is 4-0 in last 4 meetings between these teams. Notre Dame enters this game on a 4-0 run to the over. Look for a free-flowing game here as one of the best teams in the ACC takes on one of the worst. The Yellow Jackets susceptible to allowing a ton of points in this one but look for them to score well as Notre Dame has no reason to be overly intense on defense here. By the way, the Irish have scored an average of 79 points last 4 games and that does not include OT points. At the same time, the Fighting Irish have allowed 78 points last 3 games and again this is not including overtime points. Notre Dame has won 16 of 19 games and can roll to another easy win here and I expect a good pace as neither team has anything to lose really. Georgia Tech is muddling near the bottom of the ACC and the Fighting Irish don't need to play lockdown D here to roll to a comfortable win. The hosts are a double digit favorite for a reason. Given all of the above stats and the situation an 80-70 final sounds about right in this one and that puts it well above the posted total. 10* OVER 137.5 in Notre Dame

NBA Situational Slaughter Friday 8* OVER 228.5 in Minnesota Timberwolves vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 8:10 ET - James Harden set to make his debut with the 76ers and Joel Embiid. Look for plenty of points in this one. Philly allowed 127.5 ppg in last two games before the break. The over is on a 4-2 run in Sixers games. Looking just at road games, the over is on a 3-1 run in 76ers games. Minnesota has been a big-time over team and they are coming off B2B unders as last night's game versus Memphis stayed just under the total. Prior to B2B unders, the Timberwolves were on a 17-3 run to the over and scored an average of 123.4 ppg in those 20 games. With Philly assimilating Harden into the rotation on the defensive end (which won't be pretty I imagine!), and the T-wolves being one of the highest-scoring teams in the league and on their home floor, this one should fly over the total. 8* OVER 228.5 in Minnesota

NBA Earliest Cash Thursday 8* OVER 208.5 in Detroit Pistons vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:10 ET - This total was in the 211 range but has dropped to 208.5 this morning because of the Cavs being without a couple starters. Oftentimes what happens when starters are out is that a team can play a little less structured. That lack to structure can lead to a bit of a wild game as teams have defensive breakdowns and then quick easy buckets in transition and it becomes a bit of a faster paced game as young guns usually come in to replace the missing starters. We saw this with Indiana as an example as they went on a wild tear of high-scoring games thanks to young guys replacing missing starters. In this case the Cavaliers with be without Garland and LeVert tonight but Detroit is so bad defensively that I still expect a good pace here and plenty of scoring. The over is on an 8-1 run in games between these teams. Also, the Pistons enter this game on a run in which they have allowed 120 points last 6 games. Cleveland has allowed 113 points last 4 games. This game should get to the 220 range in my estimation. Plenty of value but will play it safe with a non-Top play here as the first games after the All Star break have more of a tendency toward unusual outcomes. 8* OVER 208.5 in Detroit

CBB Contrarian Crusher Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 141 in Creighton Bluejays vs Marquette Golden Eagles @ 3 ET - The Bluejays averaging 76 points last 4 games against Marquette. The Golden Eagles enter this game on a 3-1 run to the over with their last 4 games averaging 78 points per game. Given these numbers you can see why I would not be surprised to see this one get into the 150s and I am expecting at least 140s in this game. Creighton is building confidence right with 3 straight wins and scoring an average of 80 points per game in those contests. Look for an entertaining affair between these teams Sunday afternoon as both teams are okay with an uptempo game and the pacing and scoring confidence of these teams (based on recent trending) indicates a high-scoring game is likely here. 10* OVER 141 in Creighton

CBB Big East Total of the Year Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 142.5 in Villanova Wildcats vs Georgetown Hoyas @ 5 ET - The over is 3-0 in last 3 meetings between these teams. Villanova games have gone over the total in 5 straight entering this one and it is the perfect situation for an over. The Wildcats are off a big win over a ranked Providence team and have a ranked Connecticut team on deck. The Cats will probably be willing to simply "run and gun" here with a Georgetown team that can't beat anybody these days. The Hoyas are on a horrific losing streak and it has a lot to do with a lack of attention to defense! Georgetown allowing 81 points last 6 games. Villanova allowing 75.4 points last 5 games. This one should play out a very entertaining pace and hot shooting for the Wildcats at home continues. 10* OVER 142.5 in Villanova

CBB Situational Slaughter CBB 10* Top Play OVER 135 in Detroit Mercy Titans vs Northern Kentucky Norse @ 7 ET - This total has dropped from the 140 range to the 135 range and I love the value here with the over. Detroit is finally back home where they have averaged 86.6 points per game this season. Northern Kentucky enters this game on a run of 5-1 to the over and they have scored an average of 76 points per game last 6 games. The Titans have hardly played any home games this season so this is huge for them and they have scored so well at home. From a situational standpoint, the Titans off a road loss in which they scored just 59 points and now being back home sets this one up perfectly for a high-scoring affair. 10* OVER 135 in Detroit

Rickenbach NBA Situational Slaughter Thursday 10* Top Play OVER 214.5 in Brooklyn Nets vs Washington Wizards @ 7:40 ET - I don't expect much defense here. Brooklyn expended a lot of energy last night as they held the Knicks to 41 second half points in rallying back from a 21 point half-time deficit for a big comeback road win. As for Washington, they fell just short at Indiana last night and will be pushing hard to get the road win tonight. The Wizards have allowed 112 points or more in 4 of last 5 and 8 of last 11. Neither team has been that impressive on the defensive end in recent weeks until Brooklyn came up stronger last two games. Here they run out of gas in that regard and this one turns into a bit of a run and gun high-scoring affair for that reason. I also love the fact the total has dropped from the 220 range to the 215 range and will take advantage of the added line value here. 10* OVER 214.5 in Brooklyn

Rickenbach CBB Early Dominator Thursday 10* Top Play OVER 135.5 in NC-Wilmington Seahawks vs Towson Tigers @ 6 ET - Towson blew a double digit lead when they hosted NC-Wilmington earlier this season and that ended up forcing overtime and the Tigers went on to lose to the Seahawks in the extra session. That said, we have excellent line value here with this low total. Towson is the best team in the CAA but still are behind NC-Wilmington in the standings. That is why the Tigers are favored on the road here. What I love about the value here is that Towson will be relentless in this game no matter the score. In other words, if they get up big again (which I do expect) they will keep their foot on the gas and not let the game slip away from them late again. This is going to lead to a higher-scoring game here in my opinion. 3 of the last 4 meetings between these teams went over the total. The Seahawks are on a 7-3 run to the over last 10 games. 10* OVER 135.5 in NC Wilmington

NBA Earliest Cash Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 225.5 in Indiana Pacers vs Washington Wizards @ 7:40 ET - The last time Washington played they burned us with the over courtesy of a 4th quarter in which the Wizards and their opponent each totaled only 16 points. Here we get payback! Washington is visiting Indiana and the Wizards had gone over in 3 straight before Monday's ridiculous finish. As for the Pacers they have gone over in 11 of last 12 games. Also, Indiana's last 6 games against the Wizards have ALL been overs. Here is number 7 in a row. 10* OVER 225.5 in Indiana

CBB A10 Total of the Year Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 139.5 in St Joseph's Hawks vs George Mason Patriots @ 7 ET - Some key statistical edges in this one point to this total being too low. First off, the Hawks are averaging 73 points per game this season. Note that the Patriots opened up as a 2 point road favorite here for a reason. In other words the projection here would be 75-73 final based on those numbers and that puts this total in the 148 range. Also, George Mason is knocking down 38.5% of threes on the road this season and St Joseph's hitting 36.8% of threes at home this season. The Hawks have scored more than 70 in 9 of last 11 home games. They consistently get to at least the 70 mark when they are hosting and, again, Patriots are favored here so you can see why I am expecting 140s here. Additionally, the over is 6-3 last 9 George Mason games as they have been allowing a ton of points. Also, the Hawks have allowed 69 points or more in 5 of last 6 games with the lone exception being an OT game which was 60-60 at end of regulation. This one flies over the total. 10* OVER 139.5 in St Joseph's

CBB Daytime Dominator Wednesday 8* OVER 135 in Fairfield vs Manhattan @ 1 ET - This total was as high as 138 last night and has dropped to 135 this morning. I'll gladly fade the line move here. Fairfield has averaged 76.5 ppg last 2 games. Manhattan has had just 1 under last 6 games. The Stags will struggle to slow down a Jaspers team that has averaged 73.5 points per game last 4 road games. When teams are off high-scoring wins a lot of times they relax defensively in their next game just thinking that their offense will carry them. In this case the Jaspers scored 83 points in most recent game and Stags scored 80 points in most recent game. 8* OVER 135 in Fairfield

NBA Total of the Week Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER 219.5 in Atlanta Hawks vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:40 ET - This total has been dropping this morning and it makes sense because each team is off an ugly, low-scoring loss. However, I love coming back with overs when teams are off duds. This is particularly true when a team has shown a knack in terms of bouncing back with strong efforts when off a low-scoring clunker. The last 3 times the Hawks were off a game in which they were held to 100 points or less, they have scored an average of 125 points in their next game. The Cavs have averaged a respectable 108 points the last 3 times they were off a game in which they were held to 95 or less points. The Hawks will dictate the tempo here on their home floor and the over was on a 4-1 run in Atlanta's games prior to the ugly loss at Boston. All 4 of those Hawks games totaled at least 239 points. While we won't see that many points here, we should see this one at least get into the 220s and the 230s would not be a big surprise to me either. 10* OVER 219.5 in Atlanta

CBB MAC Total of the Month Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER 128 in Western Michigan Broncos vs Akron Zips @ 6 ET - This total has dropped about 3 points from its opener and, while I do understand the line move, it has led to more value here for us with the over. Yes, these are two slower-paced teams. However, this also is a game comprised of two teams with rather sub-par defenses. The Broncos allowing 76 points per game this season. The Zips allowing 36% from three point land on the season. Western Michigan finally ended a long losing streak with a 77-63 win over Central Michigan Saturday and I look for that to give the Broncos a boost of confidence heading into this match-up with Akron. The Zips have averaged 69.4 points per game last 5 games and 4 of those 5 games totaled 130 points or more. Look for this to reach at least that mark as well. 10* OVER 128 in Western Michigan