Game of the Month Total - Rickenbach CBB Game #801 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Penn State Nittany Lions vs Iowa Hawkeyes @ 7 ET - We're getting line value here for a couple of key reasons. One is that the Hawkeyes Tyler Cook is likely a game-time decision and he leads the team in points and rebounds. I expect him to play but, even if he doesn't, Ryan Kriener has been playing much more recently and has now averaged double figures in 3 of his last 4 games. Iowa is averaging 81.7 points per game this season and has plenty of firepower. The other reason we've seen the posted total on this game drop (and another reason we're getting line value) is because the Nittany Lions have been in a scoring slump in Big Ten play. For one thing their games have included Michigan, Wisconsin and Michigan State. Those are 3 of the tougher defenses to face in the conference. Certainly Iowa does not fit into that category and note that Penn State coach Pat Chambers even said he wants to play fast and he wants to see his team scoring 70+ points per game like it often did last season. Considering that fact as well as this game being at home and facing another team that also doesn't mind playing fast, I am expecting plenty of points in this one. The over is 3-0 when Iowa's line ranges from pick to +3 and also the over is 9-3 when the Hawkeyes line ranges from pick to -3. You can see we're in that sweet spot here and the over is also on a 16-6 run in Iowa's January games. The over is 11-6 when Penn State, in game 15 or later in a season, is facing a team that averages 77 points or more per game. Also, the Nittany Lions Wednesday games are 10-4 to the over. 10* OVER in Penn State

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #801 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Tulane Green Wave vs SMU Mustangs @ 7 ET - This is the perfect set up for a high-scoring game. Though Tulane has not shot well lately, they are finally back home and that is a key here! The Green Wave have shot 49.2% from the field (including 39.2% from 3-point land) in their home games this season. However, SMU is nearly a double digit favorite here with good reason. The Mustangs are the much stronger overall team and they have revenge on their minds too. That is a big help when playing an over because SMU won't hesitate to run up the score here given the chance. Last season the Mustangs had a 7 point lead at the half but then got outscored by double digits in the second half and lost. It is payback time here for SMU but I do expect the Green Wave to also have a huge scoring night as they hang within single digits for much of this game. In terms of technical support, Tulane is 5-1 to the over in games against teams with a winning record this season. Also, the Green Wave have gone 15-4 to the over when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more consecutive SU losses. The Mustangs are 7-3 to the over this season in games in which they are the favorite. Also, SMU is on a 14-5 run to the over in games against teams with a losing record. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Tulane

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #605 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in St John's Red Storm vs Marquette Golden Eagles @ 7 ET - This is a contrarian play because many are likely to be looking to the under here considering both of these teams stats make them look improved on defense early this season. The key to the value is that the Red Storm and Golden Eagles have padded their defensive stats by having big games against much weaker teams. For the most part, when St John's and Marquette have stepped up in class and faced tougher competition, they've struggled on the defensive end as per usual. That is noteworthy here because both of these teams are known for their high-scoring ways and I expect that to continue in this one. Both games between these teams last season went over the total and I like the fact that each of the last 4 meetings between these teams totaled at least 158 points. The current total on this game as of early Tuesday morning is as low as a 155.5 in some spots. Note that the over is a long-term 7-3 in Marquette's road games with a posted total between 155 and 159.5 points. Overall in road games it is a long-term 15-6 run to the over for the Golden Eagles. St John's has had just 3 unders in its 12 games subsequent to their season opener. Also, the Red Storm are a perfect 3-0 to the over when they are at home and their line ranges from -3 to a pick'em. 10* OVER the total in St John's

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #735 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in San Diego Toreros vs Drake Bulldogs @ 7:30 ET in Las Vegas, NV - The Bulldogs are 4-1 to the over in games with a posted total in the 140s this season. Drake is 22-12 to the over the last 3 seasons combined in games with a posted total in the 140s. The Bulldogs are shooting 48% from the field this season and San Diego is also shooting 48% from the field so far this season. As a neutral court favorite of 3.5 to 6 points, the Toreros are 4-1 to the over. In tournament games the past 2+ seasons, San Diego is 4-2 to the over. I like the fact that the Toreros are off win over Washington State and are set for a letdown here while the Bulldogs are off a tight low-scoring loss and should bounce back here. It sets this one to be a back and forth affair with plenty of points in my opinion. 10* OVER the total San Diego

Game of the Month Total - Rickenbach CBB Game #613 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Georgia Bulldogs vs Oakland (Mich) Golden Grizzlies @ 7 ET - The Golden Grizzlies upset the Bulldogs in 2016 by a count of 86-79. Another high-scoring shootout is likely in the rematch. Oakland (Michigan) continues to be an offensive juggernaut that also pays little attention to defense! The Grizzlies are allowing 49.2% from the field including 37.3% from three point land this season. The strength for Oakland, as per usual, is their shooting abilities. The Grizzlies have shot 48.3% from the field this season including 42.7% from beyond the arc and they've been particularly hot in recent games. They catch the Bulldogs in a "sandwich game" between Arizona State and Georgia Tech. In other words, Georgia may not be totally focused on defensive intensity here. As a result, look for a "run and gun" type game here and the Bulldogs should have no trouble putting up a ton of points as they're shooting 48% from the field this season including 35% from three point land! Georgia is averaging 87 points per game in home games this season. Oakland has averaged 84 points per game in their last 3 games and all those games were on the road too. The over is 6-1 when the Golden Grizzlies are a road dog of 9.5 to 12 points. The over is 6-0 when Oakland is off a game in which they scored 80 or more points this season. The Bulldogs are 8-3 to the over in games with a posted total in a range of 150 to 159.5 points. More of the same expected here! 10* OVER the total in Georgia

Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #733 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Michigan State Spartans vs Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix @ 5 ET - The Spartans are off a hard-fought low-scoring win over Florida. However, they've had a full week off since then and now face "only" Wisconsin-Green Bay and Oakland (Michigan) to wrap up their pre-Christmas schedule. The point is that the Spartans are highly unlikely to put forth a huge effort on the defensive end here. Keep in mind UWGB likes to play very fast but their game at Creighton earlier this week stayed under the total simply because the Phoenix had a rare poor shooting night. Their normal struggles on the defensive end continued in that game and the over is a perfect 4-0 in UWGB's meetings with Michigan State. As for the Spartans, they had averaged 87 points per game in their first 9 games this season before that low scoring win over the Gators. They can get to triple digits here against the Phoenix. As for the UWGB offensive production, they are averaging 85 points per game this season. You can see that the line on this game is in the -25 range on Michigan State and there is no reason they can't get about 100 in this game. Look for a game in the range of 100 to 75 as this one is played very "loose" with plenty of run and gun. The result is a high-scoring game that flies over the total. Not only is the over 4-0 in the last 4 games between these teams, the over is also 4-0 this season when Green Bay is off a game in which they allowed 80 or more points. The over is also 3-0 when the Spartans enter a game with 7 or more days of rest between games. Combined 11-0 mark here favors a very high-scoring contest. 10* OVER the total in Michigan State

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #601 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Pennsylvania Quakers vs Villanova Wildcats @ 7 ET - The Wildcats had one of their worst games on offense Saturday while at the same time having one of their best games of the season on defense. Of course the result was an under and the added result is some extra value with the low total on this game involving the Quakers. Pennsylvania has been shooting the ball very well particularly on their home floor this season. As for Villanova, they've averaged 86 points per game in their last two meetings with Penn. The Quakers are averaging 80 points per game this season. I am well aware of the fact that Pennsylvania has struggled to score well against Nova in recent meetings but this situation is entirely different as, for the most part, the Wildcats have not been as strong on the defensive end early this season. At the same time, the Penn offense has been a real positive early this season with hot outside shooting leading the way. The over is a long-term 17-6 when Villanova is a road favorite in a range of 6.5 to 9 points. The over is a long-term 13-7 in Penn's games against Big East opponents and also the Quakers are a perfect 3-0 to the over in home games this season. 10* OVER the total in Pennsylvania 

Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #521 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Providence Friars vs Massachusetts Minutemen @ 7 ET - Both teams have gotten a lot of scoring options from new faces this season but each team is also still looking to gel in terms of defensive rotations. As a result, plenty of high-scoring games have resulted. Both teams are shooting the ball quite well, including from beyond the arc, and the over is 7-2 in UMass games this season and 5-2 in Providence games with a posted total of 140 or more. In recent seasons, the over is 13-6 when the Minutemen are off a game in which they allowed 80 points or more. Also, the over is 17-8 in Massachusetts road games and this is their first true road game of this season. Both of the neutral site games for UMass this season did go over the total. The Friars are 25-11 to the over in games where they are the favorite. Also, Providence is 19-6 to the over in games where they are a home favorite in a range of 9.5 to 12 points. Both the Friars and Minutemen take a ton of threes and both teams have enjoyed solid success in knocking them down this season. That said, I look for this non-conference match-up to result in plenty of points. Each of the last two meetings with the Friars as the host have gone over the total and this one is destined to do the same! 10* OVER the total in Providence

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #507 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Central Florida Golden Knights vs Alabama Crimson Tide @ 7 ET - The Golden Knights are known for their defense but they've also been shooting the ball very well this season and have averaged 75.3 points per game thus far. That is noteworthy here in terms of looking for a high-scoring game because the Crimson Tide have scored 78 points or more in 5 of their 6 games this season. Alabama is struggling on the defensive end this season and I expect Central Florida to take advantage. However, Crimson Tide also has plenty of confidence from their offensive production leading the way to a 5-1 start. These teams met last season and that familiarity with what to expect will also help each team better attack the defense in this rematch. I know last year's game played out to an under but the Tide are quite a different team this season and I expect them to push the pace much more in this rematch after falling short in a low-scoring battle last season at home. The over is 3-0 this season in Alabama's games with a posted total in the 130s. Look for UCF to improve to 3-1 to the over in home games this season. Before a low-scoring win over Northern Kentucky last week, the Golden Knights had scored 77 points or more in 4 of their first 5 games. 10* OVER the total in Central Florida

Total of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #716 Monday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Clemson Tigers vs Nebraska Cornhuskers @ 7 ET - This total opened up at a 137 and has climbed as high as 139 as of early Monday morning. The fact is that both of these teams play strong defense and I feel we're getting excellent value with the under here. Both teams showed great improvement on the defensive end last season and that has continued into this season. The Cornhuskers are allowing just 51.7 points per game on shooting of 32.4% from the field and 22.4% from beyond the arc. The Tigers are off a rare poor game defensively against Creighton but this was preceded by Clemson allowing an average of only 57 points per game in their 4 prior games. When these teams most recently met (2 years ago) they combined for only 118 points and I expect another "grinder" here in this one Monday. The Cornhuskers are on short rest and have gone under in 7 of their last 10 when playing with just 1 day of rest between games. Nebraska has stayed under in 5 of their 6 games this season. Also, the past two seasons the Huskers played 5 road games that had a posted total between 135 and 139.5 points. The result of those games from a totals standpoint was 0 overs and 5 unders! Look for that trend to remain perfect here. 10* UNDER the total in Clemson

Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #517 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Bowling Green Falcons vs Drexel Dragons @ 3 ET - First off I am aware of the injury situation with Dragons guard Kurk Lee but he truly hasn't played much of a factor this season as he has totaled only 12 minutes on the floor in Drexel's last 3 games. As a result, he is not much of a factor in terms of this total and the Dragons are on a 3-0 run to the over. Also, Drexel gave up 78 points to the Falcons last season in Philly and now they face them at Bowling Green which means even more points likely here! That's because the Falcons are happy to be back on their home floor and they're also coming off a loss where they had a rare poor night and scored just 67 points. Prior to that low-scoring defeat, BG had scored at least 75 points in 4 of their first 5 games plus they had reached the 80 point mark 3 times. The Dragons have averaged 98 points their last 3 games and yes one of those games was against a very weak foe but, even taking that out of the equation Drexel has averaged 87.5 points their last two games. The over is a long-term 14-6 when the Dragons are off a non-conference game. The over is 15-9 when Bowling Green is off a game in which they allowed 80 points or more. Also the Falcons are 14-7 to the over when facing a team that is averaging 77 points or more per game. In other words, they have not been (and still are not) afraid to get into "run and gun" type games with teams like Drexel and that is what I expect here. 10* OVER the total in Bowling Green 

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #711 Thursday 10* OVER the total in Utah Utes vs Penn State Nittany Lions @ 7 ET - 3 of the Nittany Lions 4 NIT games have gone under the total. However, a big win at Marquette thanks to hot shooting followed up by continued hot shooting here at MSG on Tuesday is what has Penn State in the NIT Championship. As a result, I feel we're getting great line value here because the results are similar for Utah. The Utes have stayed under the total in 3 of their 4 NIT games but they have shot the ball very well in their last 5 games. I just don't see Penn State as wanting this game to slow down too much. Couple that with Utah having shot 50% from the field in their last 5 games and you have the makings of an easy over here. The Utes, though they shot well overall, did not shoot the 3-ball well Tuesday versus Western Kentucky and that has led to value here. Utah is 6-3 to the over this season when off of a game where they were held under 32.2% from 3 point land. The over is 13-7 in Penn State's last 20 games versus teams with a winning record. 10* OVER the total in Utah

Total of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Game #719 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Kansas Jayhawks vs Duke Blue Devils @ 5:05 ET - This total may seem to be on the high side but, keep in mind, these are two of the most potent offenses in college basketball today. The fact that Duke is off of a game where they scored only 69 points and didn't shoot well simply helps to add even more value here. The Blue Devils faced the tough frustrating defense of Syracuse but, in their prior games Duke had scored 87 points or more in 3 of 4 games and they shot extremely well from the field overall and from 3-point land in all 3 of those game! The Jayhawks have averaged 81 points per game in their last 6 games and they have consistently shot the ball very well over their last 10 games. It is no wonder why the over has gone 7-3 in those 10 games as Kansas is playing their best basketball of the season on the offensive end and playing with a ton of confidence. The Jayhawks are averaging 81.4 points per game and the Blue Devils 84.4 points per game on the season. Ton of offense expected here as both teams believe they can outdo each other on the offensive end and you may be surprised to see a very fast pace to this game but that is what I am expecting based on the game management expected from these coaches for this match-up. This is going to be a back and forth shootout. The over is 10-2 this season in Blue Devils games versus non-ACC foes. The over is 6-2 this season when the Jayhawks are playing with 1 day or less of rest between games. 10* OVER the total in Kansas 

Afternoon Contrarian - Rickenbach CBB Game #593 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Utah State Aggies vs Colorado State Rams @ 4:30 ET - The very first total that popped up on this (Monday) was a 150 and it has been dropping ever since. That is part of the reason I am calling this a contrarian play because the markets have moved this one down but I am going with the over. Even though Rams guard J.D. Paige is suspended, people often forget to look at more than just offensive stats when factoring in a player's absence. Coming into this season Colorado State felt that Paige and Prentiss Nixon combined to give the Rams one of the top defensive pairings in the backcourt in the MWC. Of course it has been a disappointing campaign for the Rams and defense has not been their strong suit! The absence of Paige only exasperates the defensive shortcomings in the backcourt. CSU has allowed 93.3 points per game their last 4 games - all losses. However, they've also had the Aggies number and always tend to play them tough. They scored 84 at Utah State in January and the Rams enter this game having truly had just one bad game on the offensive end in their last 6 games. They struggled badly at home against Boise State. In their other 5 games since early February, Colorado State averaged 80 points per game! Utah State has averaged 73 points per game on the season and has guards Koby McEwen and Sam Merrill both listed as probable for this game. Those are the Aggies two leading scorers and will give the Rams backcourt a lot of match-up trouble. The over is 7-2 in Aggies tournament games and the over is 15-5 in Colorado State's games as an underdog this season. 10* OVER the total in Utah State

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #613 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Duke Blue Devils vs North Carolina Tar Heels @ 8:15 ET - Blue Devils games have stayed under the total in 5 straight but much of that has had to do with who they played. Now they face their biggest rival, North Carolina, and things are always a lot tougher on the Duke defense when it is the Tar Heels they are facing. UNC has averaged 85 points per game in it last 3 games versus the Blue Devils. Duke's offense also seems to go into overdrive mode when facing the Tar Heels as well. The Blue Devils have averaged 84.5 points per game in their last 4 meetings with North Carolina. You can see why I am expecting this one to end up with at least 170 and yet we're dealing with a total down closer to the 160 range which is why this is a top play for me. The over is 7-2 in the Tar Heels last 9 games. UNC has averaged 87 points per game during this 9 game stretch. The over is 4-1 this season when North Carolina is off of a loss in ACC action. Look for the over to improve to 10-5 this season when the Blue Devils face a team that is averaging 77 points or more per game. 10* OVER the total in Duke

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #737 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Connecticut Huskies vs Temple Owls @ 7 ET - Temple is off of a big revenging win versus Central Florida on Sunday. The Owls had wanted that game badly as they got embarrassed by the Golden Knights earlier this season. That said, Temple gave a very strong effort on the defensive end in the win over UCF this past weekend. Couple that with the fact that the Owls already pummeled the Huskies when they faced them in Philly last month and I feel you have a great set-up here for a letdown effort on defense in this one from the Owls. Temple's offense should stay hot as they've shot better than 48% from the field in 3 of their last 4 games overall and also in each of their last 3 road games. However, don't be surprised if they take this one "off" in terms of the defensive effort tonight after that big win versus UCF. Speaking of taking time "off" on the defensive end, Connecticut has now allowed an average of 81.6 points per game in their last 5 games and the Huskies have gone 6 straight games without an under. The over is 8-1 in UConn's last 9 games and they just don't get the job done on the defensive end. However, the Huskies have shot 47% or better from the field in 4 of their last 6 games and that is why I am expecting a shootout with the Owls in this one. The over is 7-2 this season when the Huskies are off of a loss in conference action and the over is 4-1 this season when UConn is playing with road loss revenge. The over is 5-2 this season when Temple is off of a win in conference action. 10* OVER the total in Connecticut

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #721 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Georgetown Hoyas vs Marquette Golden Eagles @ 7 ET - Georgetown's game miraculously stayed under the total Saturday. The fact the game "died late" and stayed just under the total is helping to lead to exceptional value here. Yes, on the surface, this total looks book but Marquette's only concern is offense and their numbers on defense are awful. As for the Hoyas, they've been playing some of their best basketball of the season on the offensive end in recent games. Georgetown has shot 44% or better from 3-point land in 3 straight games. Also, the Hoyas had shot 48% or better from the field in 3 straight games before falling short of that due to a late collapse versus Providence Saturday. Over the past 5 weeks the Georgetown offense has been performing at a high overall level and the over was 7-1 in their 8 games prior to the tight loss to the Friars. Marquette is allowing 78 points per game this season but they're known for their offensive production. Prior to a rare poor effort at DePaul on Saturday, the Golden Eagles had averaged 85 points per game in their 4 prior games. All of those games went over the total and Marquette was 6-1 to the over in their 7 games prior to the loss to the Blue Demons. The over is 7-2 this season when the Golden Eagles are on the road and also the over is on a 7-2 run when they are playing with 1 day of rest or less between games. The over is 4-1 when the Hoyas are a home dog of 3 points or less. 10* OVER the total in Georgetown

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #827 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Purdue Boilermakers vs Minnesota Golden Gophers @ 4 ET - Purdue simply wants to win and move forward to the Big Ten tournament. They have no reason to play excessively well on defense. The Boilermakers already blasted the Golden Gophers at Minnesota earlier this season to get revenge for last season's home loss to Minnesota. Now the emphasis for Purdue is to get ready for the Big Ten tournament and I expect this game to be played with plenty of "open floor" as a result and it will feature very little resistance on the defensive end. The Boilermakers had already begun to play this way as they've allowed 50% shooting in each of their past two games and both went over the total. The Golden Gophers defense has them ranking as one of the worst teams in the Big Ten and now they're likely to have the Boilermakers Vince Edwards to contend with as well. He is expected back from his ankle injury and I expect him to be a catalyst for the offense as well. Minnesota is off of a rare win in conference action and they are on an 11-6 run to the over when off of a Big Ten win in recent seasons. Also, the Boilermakers are a long-term 5-1 to the over in a home game with a posted total between 150 and 154.5 points. 10* OVER the total in Purdue

Earliest Cash Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #833 Friday 10* OVER the total in Rhode Island Rams vs Dayton Flyers @ 7 ET - The Flyers are off of a low-scoring slugfest with St Louis - typical of old-school Billikens basketball. However, look for things to now return to normal for Dayton and they were on a 6-0 run to the over before that defensive-minded battle. The Flyers are a long-term 56-33 to the over when they are off of a game where they were held to 60 points or less. Dayton is also on an incredible 18-2 run to the over in February games. The Rams are trying to lock up the Atlantic Ten regular season title but, of course, the Flyers would love to prevent that. For Dayton to get the upset, they're going to have to rely on their offense because their defense is certainly not their strong suit. As for Rhode Island, they have beaten sub-.500 teams by running them right out of the gym this season. The Rams are a long-term 16-5 to the over when facing teams that have a losing record and that includes 5-0 to the over this season! Also, when off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more, Rhode Island is 4-1 to the over. As a home favorite of 12.5 to 15 points, the Rams are a long-term 16-5 to the over. RI has scored 72 points or more in 16 of their last 17 games. The Flyers are averaging 75 points per game in their last 6 road games. You can see why I am expecting plenty of points here and I'll gladly take advantage of the downward line move on this total. 10* OVER the total in Rhode Island

AAC Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Game #563 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cincinnati Bearcats vs Connecticut Huskies @ 7 ET - The Bearcats are off of back to back losses and in need of a big win. I feel that is giving us superb value with the over in this match-up because, the fact is, Cincinnati will not take their foot off of the gas in this one no matter what the score is. With that said, a blowout win is likely here and that should equate to a game that easily eclipses the total. The Bearcats have allowed 71.5 points per game game and 50% shooting from the field in their last two games. They did shutdown the Huskies the last time they faced them but, since then, Connecticut's confidence on the offensive end has increased as they're shooting a combined 49% from the field in their 4 games since then. The Huskies defense has been shredded for 82.7 points per game in their last 3 games and those lapses on the defensive end will continue to cost them here because the Cats are looking to run up the score. The over is 6-1 in Connecticut's last 7 games. The over is 4-1 this season in Bearcats games against teams with a losing record. Also, in home games with a posted total between 130 and 134.5 points, Cincinnati has gone 9-5 to the over long-term. The over is 3-0 in the last 3 meetings between these teams where the Bearcats were the host or were facing the Huskies on a neutral floor. Connecticut is 4-1 to the over in road games with a posted total between 130 and 134.5 points and also 8-3 to the over when off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. 10* OVER the total in Cincinnati

ESPN Smash Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #713 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in North Carolina Tar Heels vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ 7 ET - When you are not playing great defense but still winning, there is a tendency to continue to overlook play on the defensive end. North Carolina has allowed 48% or higher from the field in 4 of its last 5 wins. Overall, the Tar Heels have allowed 78 points or more in 5 of their last 6 games. Not surprising given those numbers, the UNC over is 6-2 in their last 8 games. The Fighting Irish are also playing at a fast pace as they are 4-1 to the over in their last 5 games. Like North Carolina, Notre Dame has struggled some on the defensive end of the floor as, before a fairly strong game versus Florida State, they had allowed 49% or higher from the field in 5 of their 6 prior games! The Irish are full of confidence as they've averaged 90 points per game in their last 2 games. However, the Tar Heels are also putting up huge numbers as they've averaged 86.6 points per game in their last 5 games. Off of grueling games against rivals Duke and NC State, the Heels defense may not be at its best for this one. Couple that with Notre Dame's newfound confidence on the offensive end and you've got the makings of a shootout here! The over is 5-2 when the Fighting Irish are playing with home loss revenge. The over is 9-2 in Tar Heels home games this season. Also, the over is 4-1 when UNC is off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. 10* OVER the total in North Carolina

Afternoon Annihilation Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #587 Saturday 10* OVER the total in Syracuse Orange vs Virginia Cavaliers @ 4 ET - Of course the very low total here makes sense on one hand. That's because both of these teams are very sound defensively. However, the reason it doesn't make sense is that these are two very well-coached teams and each coach knows each other well enough to figure out how to break down the defenses they will face and get some open looks. Then the only question that remains is whether or not enough open looks will fall and in this case there is plenty of reason to believe they will. Yes, the Orange are off of back to back horrible shooting performances but those games were on the road, At home, Syracuse is averaging 70 points per game on 45% shooting from the field this season. Also, the Orange have managed to average a respectable 65 points per game in their last 4 games versus the Cavaliers tough defense. The Cavs have averaged 66 points per game in their last 4 games versus Syracuse's vaunted 2-3 zone defense. Also, though Virginia is certainly known for being patient on offense they have done a great job of taking advantage of getting good looks at the basket. The Cavs are hitting 47% from the field on the season and that includes 39% from beyond the arc! The over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these teams and I expect them to make it 5 in a row here. The Orange are 15-8 to the over when off of a loss to a conference foe and 21-9 to the over as an underdog. 10* OVER the total in Syracuse

Total of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #719 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Kansas State Wildcats vs Kansas Jayhawks @ 9 ET - The Jayhawks are averaging 84 points per game on the season. The Wildcats have scored at least 84 points in half of their games the past 2 months! Kansas State is off of a very low-scoring win versus Georgia but, prior to that, had shot 47.6% or better in 6 straight games. Both teams are hitting a high-percentage of their shots on the season. Also, even though this is a rivalry game, there has been only 1 under in the last 4 meetings. In other words, don't be surprised if there is plenty of scoring in this one! The Jayhawks are a small road favorite here but teams (ex. Oklahoma) have taken advantage of the awful free throw shooting of the Jayhawks big man and foul him often late in games. The result is an extended game and a chance for opponents to catch up. Kansas coach Bill Self has already said he wants to keep him in the game in those late game situations. In other words, don't look for this to change any time soon and, of course, an "extended game" means even more late-game scoring. The over is 6-2 when Kansas State is playing with 1 day of rest or less between games. Also, the Wildcats are 8-2 to the over when off of a game where they were held to 60 points or less. 10* OVER the total in Kansas State

Total Smash - Rickenbach CBB Game #833 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Indiana Hoosiers vs Purdue Boilermakers @ 3:30 ET - The Hoosiers are relishing this opportunity to knock off a highly-ranked Purdue team that just got another win, over Michigan, Thursday. The Boilermakers are now 20-2 on the season while Indiana is scuffling a bit after a horrible effort at the free throw line resulted in a loss at Illinois Wednesday. The Hoosiers have averaged 77.4 points per game at home this season and Purdue (85.1 ppg) is the top scoring team in the Big Ten. With that said, I am expecting a very high-scoring game here as Indiana will be forced to push the pace against a Boilermakers team that has been shooting the ball very well. Purdue has shot 57% from the field in their last 3 games. Also, in 4 of their last 5 games, the Boilermakers have shot an incredible 57% or better from three point land! The over is 7-3 in Purdue's road games with a posted total between 140 and 144.5 points. When the Hoosiers, in Game 15 or later in a season, face a team that averages 77 points or more per game, the over has gone 10-5. Look for another one here! 10* OVER the total in Indiana 

Total Smash - Rickenbach CBB Game #611 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toledo Rockets vs Bowling Green Falcons @ 7 ET - Both these teams fire up threes and both of these teams love to play at a "run and gun" pace. Of course that is why we're seeing a high total on this game but it won't prove to be high enough. 3 of the last 4 meetings between these teams have gone over the total. Bowling Green is averaging 79 points per game this season and Toledo is averaging 80 points per game. The Rockets are 5-1 to the over this season in their games against teams that average 77 points or more per game. In other words, in the games where you would expect the result to be high-scoring the games have indeed lived up to the billing. The Falcons are 4-2 to the over in their games against teams with a winning record this season. When Bowling Green is off of a loss to a conference foe, they are a long-term 75-50 to the over. The over is 4-0 in the Falcons last 4 games and the Rockets have hit at least 40% of their threes in 7 of their last 9 games. More hot shooting here. 10* OVER the total in Toledo

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #821 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Ohio Bobcats vs Buffalo Bulls @ 6:30 ET - The Bulls are the best team in the MAC hands down but they certainly are unlikely to be highly motivated about facing the team that is at the bottom of the MAC East division. As a result, I expect Buffalo to be a little "soft" on the defensive end for this one but certainly they can score points like crazy as they are averaging 88.3 points per game in conference action. That said, the play here is the over as Ohio is averaging 76.6 points per game at home this season and the Bobcats also are draining 37% of their three pointers at the Convocation Center in Athens, OH. The weakness for Ohio University is on the defensive end. The Bobcats have allowed 46.6% shooting in conference games including 48.3% in their last 5 games. We're getting some line value with this total because Ohio U. is on a long-term under streak and truly the style of game I expect tonight should put an abrupt end to that streak tonight. The Bobcats are on a 16-8 run to the over in games where they are an underdog. Versus teams that average 77 points or more per game they are on a 17-8 run to the over. The Bulls are a long-term 115-77 to the over as a favorite. Also, Buffalo is 5-2 to the over as a road favorite of 6.5 to 9 points. The Bulls are also 8-5 to the over when facing a team with a losing record and 8-5 to the over after a game in which they scored 80 points or more. 10* OVER the total in Ohio

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #719 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Xavier Musketeers vs Marquette Golden Eagles @ 6:30 ET - These teams are 4-1 to the over in their last 5 meetings. Xavier averages 88 points per game at home this season. Marquette is averaging 86 points per game on the road this season but the Golden Eagles have allowed 85 points per game on the road as well. Also, in their last 3 games away from home, Marquette has allowed 94.7 points per game! The over is 6-1 in the Golden Eagles 7 games played away from home this season. Xavier is known for playing tight games. 7 of their last 9 wins have come by single digits. The reason that is significant (and note that the spread on this game is also single digits) is because tighter games in the later stages tend to lead to a lot of free throw attempts for the team in the lead and a lot of three point attempts from the team trailing. Both these teams shoot threes very well and also are very strong with their shooting from beyond the arc. The over is 3-0 this season when Marquette is off of a win versus a conference rival. The over is 3-0 when the Musketeers are a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points. Another shootout is on tap in Cincinnati. 10* OVER the total in Xavier

Big East Blowout - Rickenbach CBB Game #725 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Providence Friars vs Butler Bulldogs @ 4:30 ET - The Bulldogs are off of a 94-83 win versus Marquette and have now gone over the total in 10 of their last 11 games. Butler has been shooting the ball very well but as you can tell from that O/U run they certainly aren't playing great defense this season. In fact, the Bulldogs have allowed 83 points or more in 6 straight games. As for the Friars, they are off of back to back unders but they previously were on a run of 10-4 to the over on the season. Providence is averaging 80 points per game at home this season and Butler is scoring an average of 80 points per game on the season. The Friars have allowed 80.7 points per game in their last 3 home games and, with both teams coming in confident off of wins, they will be very aggressive on offense and I look for this game to be played at a fast pace. Both teams have been shooting the 3-ball well in recent games also. The over is 7-2 this season and an incredible 31-12 long-term when Providence is a favorite. Also, the Friars are a perfect 4-0 to the over this season in home games with a posted total between 145 and 149.5 points. The over is 7-3 this season when Butler is off of a game where they scored 80 points or more and the over is 5-1 when the Bulldogs are off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. 10* OVER the total in Providence

Total Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #543 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Xavier Musketeers vs Creighton Bluejays @ 2 ET - The Musketeers have not shot well in their last two games (both unders) but they are now back home where they've been a different "animal" this season! As for Creighton, they have stayed under the total in 4 straight games but the Bluejays are still shooting the ball quite well and I am expecting a shootout here. This is a series that is on an 11-4 run to the over including 5-1 to the over in the last 6 played at Xavier. The Musketeers are averaging 88 points per game at home this season and the Bluejays are averaging 90 points overall this season. Creighton has averaged 82.5 points per game in their last two visits to Xavier and are certainly familiar with playing here. Both teams hitting 50% of their shots this season and both shoot the ball very well from 3 point land. Creighton is at 38.5% on the season and the Musketeers at 36.2% in home games this season. The over is 6-2 when the Bluejays are a road dog of 3.5 to 6 points. After being held to just 65 points in a loss at Villanova, the Musketeers respond here but Creighton is going to be scoring right along with them and that results in the aforementioned shootout I am expecting here. 10* OVER the total in Xavier

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #821 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Butler Bulldogs vs Marquette Golden Eagles @ 6:30 ET - After a 12-3 start to the season, Butler has lost 3 straight games. How to snap the slump? They'll turn to an offense that is averaging 88 points per game at home this season. The only problem here for the Bulldogs is that the Golden Eagles can score right along with them. Marquette has won 10 of its last 13 games and they've averaged 89 points per game in true road games and 84.7 points per game in neutral site games. The point is that, even away from home, the Golden Eagles offense is very dangerous. Marquette's defense is a continual weakness though and they've allowed 80 points or more in 5 of their 6 games played away from home this season. The Bulldogs defense has also left plenty lacking as they've allowed 85 points or more in all 5 Big East match-ups and have allowed 50% from the field in their last 4 games. The over is 9-1 in the Bulldogs last 10 games. The over is 5-1 in Marquette's 6 games played away from home. That's a combined 14-2 (88%) mark favoring the over in this one. 10* OVER the total in Butler

Total Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #505 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Wichita State Shockers vs Houston Cougars @ 7 ET - The Shockers will be ready to put on a show in their first conference home game as a member of the American Athletic Conference. Wichita State has shot the ball very well this season and they are averaging 92 points per game in their home games. Houston also is shooting the ball very well and both of these teams are very dangerous (40%!) from three point land. I expect this game to be played at a lively place with plenty of run and gun as the Cougars aren't afraid to turn the game over to their quick scorers. The over is 4-1 this season in Wichita State's home games. Also, the Shockers are 12-5 to the over in January games the past two seasons. Wichita State is also a perfect 4-0 to the over in home games with a posted total of 150 to 154.5 points the past two seasons. 10* OVER the total in Wichita State

TV Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #849 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Kentucky Wildcats vs Georgia Bulldogs @ 6 ET - The Wildcats have gone over the total in 7 straight games and there is no reason for that streak to end here. In fact, coming off of their big win over rival Louisville makes the streak very likely to continue. Kentucky can't help but have a defensive letdown after really ratcheting things up a notch in their win over the Cardinals. The Bulldogs have gone over the total in each of their last two games as well as 4 of their last 6. Georgia has shot the ball exceptionally well in 5 of their last 6 games. Their tourney match-up in March stayed under the total but, prior to that, each of the 3 prior meetings between these teams went over the total. Georgia is 5-1 to the over this season when facing a team with a winning record. Also, the over is 20-12 the past 2+ seasons when the Bulldogs face a team that is averaging 77 points or more per game. Kentucky is 4-0 to the over this season when they are off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. 12 of the Wildcats last 16 December games have gone over the total. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Kentucky

Big East Blowout - Rickenbach CBB Game #515 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Seton Hall Pirates vs Creighton Bluejays @ 6:30 ET - Both these teams shoot the ball very well, like to play at a fast pace and create quick open looks, and their scoring numbers this season are very impressive. Seton Hall is averaging 83.5 points per game at home this season. Creighton is averaging 92.3 points per game overall this season. The over is a perfect 3-0 in the last 3 meetings between these teams. The Bluejays are a perfect 5-0 to the over this season in their games with a posted total in the 160s. Creighton also is a long-term 27-12 to the over when coming off of a non-conference game. Against teams with a winning record, Seton Hall is 5-2 to the over this season. Also, the Pirates are a perfect 3-0 to the over this season when they face a team that is averaging 77 points or more per game. Of course with the line at a 4 you know a close game is expected. Both teams are fully capable of staying in the game late thanks to strong 3-point shooting. That said, there can be plenty of "scramble points" in a game like this with plenty of late free throws and three pointers as there will be no quit from either team until the final horn. 10* OVER the total in Seton Hall

Big East Blowout - Rickenbach CBB Game #727 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Marquette Golden Eagles vs Xavier Musketeers @ 8:30 ET - Both these teams are shooting lights out from three point land and the Musketeers are averaging 87 points per game this season while the Golden Eagles are averaging 83 points per game on the young season. With this total falling so far this morning, there is great value on the over in this one. Xavier is connecting on 39% of its three pointers and Marquette is hitting 40% from beyond the arc. Neither team is afraid to play at a fast pace. The Golden Eagles weakness is their defense and while the Musketeers are fairly solid defensively, Marquette is known for putting up especially impressive numbers on offense at home. That has this one destined for a shootout. The over is 7-3 this season in Xavier's games against teams with a winning record. The over is 63-44 when the Golden Eagles are off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. Also, Marquette is 32-23 to the over when playing with 5 or 6 days of rest between games. The Golden Eagles are 28-19 to the over in their games against teams with a winning record. 10* OVER the total in Marquette

Daytime Dominator Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #541 Thursday 10* OVER the total in Louisiana Tech Bulldogs vs Alabama State Hornets @ 3:30 ET - The Hornets are one of the weaker teams in D-1 basketball. There is no doubt about that as they are winless on the season and also projected to finish near the bottom of the standings in the Southwestern Athletic Conference which is one of the weaker conferences in the nation. With that said, Alabama State does like to run and gun. It is the nature of their offense and was the game plan of head coach Lewis Jackson coming into this season. The problem with that is the Hornets end up weak on defense and they've allowed 87.6 points per game this season. No doubt the Bulldogs are going to take advantage and put up a ton of points in this one. However, despite being a 20-point dog here, don't be surprised if the Hornets but up a lot of points too. I am expecting a 90-70 type game here. Alabama State comes into this game with some added confidence by virtue of scoring 80 points on 48% shooting (including 39% from three point land) in their game against Winthrop Saturday. Louisiana Tech is off of a loss to Texas that was their lowest scoring game of the season. The Bulldogs will be ready to respond here and put up a ton of points against a weak defensive team. The over is 5-1 in Hornets games with a posted total in the 140s and 5-0 in Alabama State's games against teams with a winning record. The over is a perfect 3-0 when Louisiana Tech is a neutral court favorite of 12.5 points or more. That means we have a combined 8-0 spot favoring the over in this one. Also, the Bulldogs are 9-4 to the over in their games against teams that allow 77 points or more per game on average. At the Convocation Center in New Orleans, look for this one to fly over the total. 10* OVER the total in Louisiana Tech 

ESPN Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #529 Tuesday 10* OVER the total in Texas Longhorns vs Michigan Wolverines @ 9 ET - The Longhorns are off of a huge win versus Virginia Commonwealth. Why was the win over the Rams so big? Because that is where head coach Shaka Smart was from 2009 to 2015 and he and the Horns wanted that game badly. It was a dog-fight to the finish as VCU rallied in the 2nd half after being down big. Had the Horns lost the game it might have left them a little hungrier for this one. However, after that big effort on the defensive end, and hanging on to beat the Rams, I expect the Wolverines to put up plenty on a still-celebrating UT team tonight. The difference though will be that the Longhorns are at home and certainly capable of better shooting and up bigger points when they are at home at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin. The over is a long-term 16-6 when the Wolverines are a road dog of 3.5 to 6 points. Overall, in recent seasons, Michigan is 18-6 to the over in all road games. The Longhorns are averaging 78.2 points per game this season. The Wolverines are averaging 75.5 points per game this season. I know each team has some solid defensive numbers too but the UT defense will be somewhat sub-par after the huge effort against the Rams and then the long lay-off. Also, the Wolverines have allowed 69 points or more in 3 of their last 4 games and have allowed 73.7 points per game in their 3 true road games this season. 10* OVER the total in Texas

Dominator Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #527 Sunday 10* OVER the total in Washington Huskies vs Gonzaga Bulldogs @ 8 ET - The Huskies are off of their huge upset win versus Kansas. It's hard to worry too much about defense when you just beat one of the top teams in the country and you're offense has not been held below 70 points in your first 9 games of the season. Simply put, the Huskies are a very confident team right now. That is a key here as they feel they can score with (keep up with) Gonzaga in this big regional rivalry. Look for the Huskies to be on the attack early and often in this game. The trouble for Washington is they catch the Bulldogs off of a bad loss to Villanova. It was the first time this season that Gonzaga has been held to less than 76 points in a game. With the Bulldogs averaging 90.6 points per game and the Huskies averaging 80.6 points per game, I feel we're getting some solid line value here with this total in the mid-150s. When the Bulldogs are off of a bad game they generally respond with their offense. That is why the over is 4-0 when Gonzaga is off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. Also, Washington is 3-1 to the over this season as an underdog and the Huskies are hosting a Bulldogs team that has gone over the total in 4 straight games. More of the same here! 10* OVER the total in Washington

Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #787 Saturday 10* OVER the total in Arkansas Razorbacks vs Minnesota Golden Gophers @ 6:45 ET - This is one of the biggest totals on the board Saturday but the big number is absolutely justified. The Golden Gophers are coming off of an ugly loss where they were held to just 32.4% from the field. Minnesota will be ready to respond here. Last year's match-up with Arkansas so the Gophers score at least 42 points in each half while the Razorbacks scored 46 points in the 2nd half after a dismal first half performance. This season, playing at home and seeking revenge, Arkansas will hit the floor firing on all cylinders proving to be very much unlike last year's dismal first half performance at Minnesota. As a result (and as you can see by the spread of just 3.5 points on this game) look for a close game all the way through with these teams trading buckets. Also, speaking of trading baskets, both these teams have solid outside shooting capability and have been hitting a high percentage of their threes on the season. The Razorbacks are hitting 40% of their three pointers and the Golden Gophers are hitting 37% from beyond the arc this season. The fact Minny has allowed 38% shooting from downtown and that the Hogs are allowing 75 points per game tells you why you can expect this one to turn into an absolute shootout! The Golden Gophers loss at Nebraska stayed under the total but they previously were 7-1 to the over this season! The Razorbacks are 4-2 to the over as a favorite this season and 5-2 to the over as a home fave of 3.5 to 6 points the past 2 seasons. Each of these teams is averaging 87 points per game this season so, again, don't let the big O/U here scare you! These teams are likely to get close to 180 points! 10* OVER the total in Arkansas

Total of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Sunday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in North Carolina Tar Heels vs Kentucky Wildcats @ 5:05 ET - When these teams met in December it was a highly anticipated match-up of two ranked foes that each had one loss on the season. That said, the impetus was not there for playing a lot of defense. Sure, both teams wanted to win but it wasn't a situation where the loser goes home and the winner goes to the Final Four and has a shot at the national championship. That said, look for this game to play out much differently than the 103-100 wild game that was played at a neutral site earlier this season. The Wildcats have really turned up the defensive intensity to get to this point but did not fare well defensively against UCLA and yet still held the high-flying Bruins to 75 points. Prior to that game, Kentucky had allowed 67 points or less in 9 of their last 12 games. Also, the Wildcats had held 7 of their 9 prior opponents under 41.9% from the field. The under is now 8-1 in Kentucky's last 9 NCAA Tournament games and the Wildcats are on an incredible streak this season of 9 straight unders when facing a team that averages 77 points or more per game! Long-term, when UK is a neutral court dog of 3 points or less, the under has gone 10-2. This will be a fierce battle with a lot more defense than was seen when these teams met 3 months ago! North Carolina, of course, wants revenge for that defeat and the under is 3-1 this season when UNC is playing with road loss revenge. Also, when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more, the Tar Heels have gone 16-7 to the under this season. Before allowing 80 points to Butler, the Heels had held 7 of their last 9 opponents to 67 points or less. Both teams will be feeling the pressure here and shots won't be falling nearly as easily as they did in the first meeting this season. The first game was about bragging rights while this match-up is about a shot at a national championship. You'll see the difference on the floor in this one and I see this game landing in the 140s which makes this total (opened up at 156 but now in the 160 range) a great value for us. 10* UNDER the total in North Carolina

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in UT-Arlington Mavericks vs Akron Zips @ 8 ET - UT-Arlington is 13-0 in home games this season and averages a ridiculous 85 points per game! However, this will be far from a "cakewalk" for the Mavericks because the Zips are a high-scoring team that shoots surprisingly well on the road. Akron is known for their 3-point shooting prowess and, even on the road, knock down 38.3% of their three pointers. UT-Arlington won't hesitate to push the pace at the home and this one sets up well to be another shootout. The Mavericks are off of a 105-89 win at BYU and are sky-high with confidence right now. The Zips are on a 6-2 run to the over in true road games and a fantastic 24-12 to the over in all road games the past 3 seasons combined. As a road dog of 3.5 to 6 points Akron has gone 4-1 to the over. Overall, the over is 20-11 in UT-Arlington home games the past 3 seasons combined. Also, in home games where the posted total is between 150 and 154.5 points the over has gone a perfect 4-0. The Zips are 20-5 their last 25 games and, in a match-up featuring two very hot teams, both off of upset wins, the teams are brimming with confidence and the focus will be on the offensive end and less about intense defense. This is what happens when teams are rolling and confident like these two teams are. 10* OVER the total in UT-Arlington

Bulldog's Best - Rickenbach CBB Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Oregon Ducks vs Rhode Island Rams @ 7:10 ET - The Ducks were already on a strong run to the over but the value in overs involving Oregon is even stronger since the loss of key defensive post presence Chris Boucher. The Ducks game versus Iona flew over the total and, prior to that, Oregon also allowed 58% shooting from the field against Arizona. It has been 3 straight overs for the Ducks and the over is 8-1 in their last 9 games. The Rams are coming off of a result that also bodes well for another over here. Rhode Island put up 84 points on Creighton despite only connecting on 19% of their three pointers! That says a lot right there! The Bluejays put up 72 points on the Rams despite shooting a modest 40% from the field and 30% from three point land. With Boucher out for the Ducks, Rhode Island will enjoy success in the paint against Oregon but I certainly don't expect the Rams defense to be able to slow down the high-flying Ducks as they've scored at least 80 in 4 of their last 5 games. The over is 4-2 in Rams neutral site games this season and the over is 9-5 in the Ducks last 14 games against teams with a winning record. The Rams are averaging 74 points per game this season and the Ducks are averaging 80 points per game on the season but this total is being held down because each team has some decent defensive stats. But the key is the Boucher injury for Oregon and the fact that the Rams defense is not use to facing the elite level of offensive playmakers that a team like the Ducks brings to this match-up. 10* OVER the total in Oregon

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Dayton Flyers vs Wichita State Shockers @ 7:10 ET - Certainly I have plenty of respect for both of these defenses but both of these teams have potent offenses with veteran leadership and both clubs shoot the 3-ball extremely well. That said, and with a drop on the total from the 148 range to the 143 range, I won't hesitate to step in large on the over in this one. The Flyers finished the season with back to back losses and much of that had to do with struggles on defense. In fact, Dayton has now allowed at least 45.5% from the field in 3 of its last 4 games. Also, the Flyers have given up 70 points or more in 8 of their last 9 games. Wichita State has won 15 straight games and they average 82 points per game on the season. The Shockers, before their 71-51 win over Illinois State, had scored 77 points or more in 12 of their 14 prior games. Wichita State has knocked down at least 42% of their threes in 7 of their last 9 games. The Flyers have hit at least 40% of their threes in 8 straight games! This is hot shooting folks that is simply not normal! That's why I'll gladly fade the line move here because I also expect this game to be close enough late that there will be plenty of opportunity for "scramble points" with late threes from the team trailing and plenty of free throws from the team in the lead. The over was 11-0 in Dayton's 11 games prior to getting bounced out of the A-10 tourney. The over was 4-1 in Wichita State's last 5 regular season games prior to the MVC tourney. The over is 12-6 long-term when the Shockers enter a game off of 7 or more days of rest. As for the Flyers, the over is 4-2 this season in games where they were an underdog. 10* OVER the total in Dayton

Total of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Florida State Seminoles vs Florida Gulf Coast Eagles @ 9:20 ET - Look for plenty of fireworks on offense in this one. Florida Gulf Coast is averaging 79.4 points per game this season but they won't be able to stop a Florida State offense that averages 82.5 points per game. This is the 3rd trip to the Big Dance in the last 5 years for the Eagles and they made a lot of noise as "Dunk City" a few years back. Though this team has changed its mantra from that time they are still a team that can put up a ton of points but with a defense that will struggle against ACC level competition. The over is 4-1 in the Eagles NCAA Tourney games and, long-term the over is 12-6 in Florida Gulf Coast games in non-conference action. The over is 3-1 the last 3 seasons in Noles games where they are a neutral court favorite in a range of 9.5 to 12 points. FSU enters this game on a 5-game under streak but they have allowed 71 points or more in 7 of their last 9 games. The Eagles offense has been hot (81 points per game) in their last 7 games so I would not be surprised to see an FSU win in the 87-75 ranger here which is a full 15 points above the current total posted on this game. The over is 6-2 this season in games where Florida State was favored by 11 points or more! The Seminoles averaged scoring 96.6 points per game in those 8 games. They'll score plenty here as well but the athleticism of Florida Gulf Coast will allow them to score plenty as well in a match-up that should play out as a very fast-paced affair. 10* OVER the total in Florida State

Total of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #570 Friday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in North Carolina Tar Heels vs Duke Blue Devils @ 7 ET - Duke's win over Louisville yesterday flew over the total but the Blue Devils now face a North Carolina team fully capable of playing strong defense just as they displayed in yesterday's win versus a solid Miami team. Many were probably surprised to see this total open up at 155 given the fact that this season's match-ups involving Duke and UNC averaged 168.5 points per game. So, of course, the odds makers made a big mistake here didn't they? I jest of course because long-time followers know how I feel about odds makers and "mistakes" as more often than not it is the market movement that proves to be a mistake. In this case this total has already made an upward move this morning and the value was already with the under in my opinion because this ACC Tourney battle should feature plenty of solid defense. Duke/UNC is always a big match-up but especially when meeting in the tourney and that is going to make for a very intense game where getting defensive stops will carry more emphasis than usual for each team. Before the win versus the Hurricanes yesterday, the Blue Devils had held 5 of their last 5 opponents to 41.5% or less from the field. Duke is 15-7 to the under the past 3 seasons combined in all tournament games. The Blue Devils also are 8-4 to the under when revenging a road loss and 14-8 to the under when playing with 1 day or less of rest. The Tar Heels are 5-2 to the under this season when playing with 1 day or less of rest between games. Also, the under is 17-8 this season in UNC's games against teams with a winning record. 10* Top Play UNDER the total in North Carolina Friday  

Daytime Total Rout - Rickenbach CBB Game #729 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Marquette Golden Eagles vs Seton Hall Pirates @ 2:30 ET - After opening up at a 153.5 this total has dropped down to a 150.5 as of early gameday morning. This should prove to be another nice situation where there is value in fading the move. The Golden Eagles are known for hot shooting and big offensive production with very little attention paid to defense or rebounding. The result is some very high-scoring games and, even though the Pirates certainly pay more attention to defense, Seton Hall's recent results show trending that is likely to result in an easy over here. The Pirates, prior to their 70-64 season-ending win at Butler, had allowed 5 straight opponents to hit 46% or better from the field! Seton Hall, in this five-game stretch before wins over Georgetown and Butler to wrap up the regular season, had allowed 78 points or more in 4 of 5 games! The Pirates have been shooting the ball well (46% or better) in 5 of their last 6 games and it is unlikely the Golden Eagles will be able to slow them down. Marquette has allowed opponents to hit 47% or better in 10 of their last 13 games. Of course the key for the Golden Eagles is an offense that is again on fire from three point land with shooting a ridiculous 50% or better from beyond the arc in each of their last 4 games to wrap up the regular season. The past three seasons combined, the over is 16-9 when Marquette is off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more and the Golden Eagles are also on a 9-3 run to the over in tournament games. Seton Hall is on a 7-3 run to the over in March games and the Pirates went 4-1 to the over this season in games with a posted total in the 150s. Look for another wild one here! 10* OVER the total in Marquette (game played at MSG in NY)

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #569 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in St John's Red Storm vs Georgetown Hoyas @ 7 ET - The Red Storm get the advantage of playing this Big East tourney game on their home floor. That should certainly help the St John's offense and they do have a number of dangerous scoring options but the problem for the Red Storm continues to be a lack of commitment on the defensive end. This plagued them constantly and, no matter how much they talk about it, the players just don't buy into it. St John's has potent weapons on offense but no real stoppers on the other end of the floor. This is part of the reason that the Red Storm have allowed opponents to shoot 51% or better in 5 of their last 7 games. St John's has allowed an average of 88 points in those 7 games and that included an 86-80 home loss to the Hoyas two weeks ago. Georgetown shot very well in that game and, surprisingly, has shot 49% or better from the field in 5 of their last 7 road games and they shot at least 53% from the field in 4 of those 5 games. As a result, the Hoyas come into this game confident and willing to push the pace and the Red Storm certainly love that style, particularly when on their home floor. The result should be a rather easy over in this one. The over is a perfect 4-0 this season in Hoyas games where they are facing a team that allows an average of 77 points or more per game on the season. The Red Storm, over the past 3 seasons combined, are 5-2 to the over in March games and also 6-3 to the over in games with a posted total in the 150s. Look for more of the same in this one. 10* OVER the total in St John's

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #531 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Kent State Golden Flashes vs Central Michigan Chippewas @ 7 ET - The first total that popped up on this game yesterday was 170.5 and, of course, alarm bells went off for some as a result. Sure enough, the early action on this total has moved it down to a 167 and I can completely understand the move as the total does seem big compared to the norm. The key here is that Central Michigan is not the norm as they average 88 points per game but also allow an average of 87 points per game. In the only regular season meeting between these teams, also here at Kent State, the teams went to OT tied at 83. That said, without OT, that game would not have gotten past the current O/U posted on this rematch. However, what I have seen from the Chippewas in recent games is an even further disregard for defense than the way they were playing earlier in the season. The Chips have allowed 5 straight teams to hit at least 50% from the field against them. In their last 6 games, Central Michigan has allowed an average of 96.2 points per game! The Golden Flashes should indeed score at will in this game. Yes, some of Kent State's recent results would cause concern about their scoring abilities but they faced some tougher teams (and certainly tougher defenses) than what they will face in the form of Central Michigan tonight. The over is 13-4 in Chippewas games where they were an underdog this season. Also, 7 of the Chips last 8 games against teams with a winning record have gone over the total! As a home fave of 6.5 to 9 points, the Golden Flashes are 4-1 to the over this season. 10* OVER the total in Kent State Monday

Big East Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #551 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Xavier Musketeers vs Marquette Golden Eagles @ 9 ET - The Golden Eagles are one of the top three point shooting teams in the nation. The Musketeers have been going through a tough losing stretch where porous defense has had a lot to do with it. Speaking of porous defense, Marquette is allowing 81 points per game and 50% free throw shooting on the road in Big East games this season. The Golden Eagles won't be able to slow down a revenge-minded Xavier team tonight in what his their home finale but I also expect Marquette to put up a ton of points on the Musketeers. The Golden Eagles have averaged 79 points per game in the last 3 meetings between the teams but Xavier has scored 90 points in each of the last two meetings not played in Milwaukee. The edges here toward the over are large, including Marquette going 3-1 to the over this season (and 10-5 to the over long-term) in road games with a posted total between 150 and 154.5 points. Also, the Musketeers are 4-2 to the over in a home game with a posted total in that same range. Additionally, when playing with road loss revenge, Xavier is on a 10-6 run to the over. The Musketeers are averaging 78 points per game at home this season and the Golden Eagles are averaging 79 points per game on the road this season. Given the situation and the fact Marquette is off of an under despite shooting very high percentages for a 2nd straight game, look for a wild one here to easily get in the 160s as we grab the value on a total that has been driven down some early today. 10* OVER the total in Xavier Wednesday night

Total of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #595 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Providence Friars vs Marquette Golden Eagles @ 4 ET - Providence is off of a big upset win at Creighton as they knocked off the Bluejays as a 7 point underdog! That could leave the Friars a little flat-footed here defensively and Marquette is certainly fully capable of lighting up sagging defenses. In fact, the Golden Eagles are averaging 82.5 points per game game to rank #1 in the Big East. The problem for Marquette is their defense is a major weakness. That is a big part of the reason they lost at home 79-78 when they hosted Providence in late January. The Friars are likely to have another strong shooting performance Saturday as this time they get the Golden Eagles at home. Providence is 9-1 to the over in their last 10 as a favorite! Also, 4 of the last 5 meetings between these teams have gone over the total. Looking even further back, 5 of the last 7 meetings between these teams in Providence have gone over the total. The Friars are shooting 47.2% at home this season including 38.5% from three point land. However, Marquette is shooting 48.5% from the field on the season and, even on the road they are knocking down a fantastic rate of 41% from beyond the arc. The hot shooting Golden Eagles are 4-2 to the over this season (and 20-10 to the over the last 3 seasons) in games where their posted total is in the 140s. Marquette is full of confidence after back to back wins where they averaged 88 points per game and the hot-shooting Golden Eagles will turn this one into a shootout with a Friars team off of a huge upset win that leaves them a little flat on the defensive end after their great effort at Creighton. 10* OVER the total in Providence

Total Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #537 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Tulsa Golden Hurricane vs South Florida Bulls @ 8 ET - The first total to come out on this game was a 140 yesterday afternoon. The total has since dropped down to a 137 and its offering up fantastic line value on the over in this match-up. The over is a perfect 4-0 all-time in this series. Also, the Golden Hurricane are 8-2 to the over as a favorite this season. This is a late season match-up involving two teams with a losing record and that tends to be a good 'recipe' for an over as defense tends to lag in games like this. Following true to that theory, Tulsa is 3-0 to the over this season (and 11-3 to the over the past 3 seasons combined) when facing a team with a losing record in a game that is past the mid-way point of the season. As for South Florida, they are 12-5 to the over the last 3 seasons combined in their games against teams with a winning record. The Bulls are also 5-1 to the over this season as a road dog of 12.5 points or more. When playing with home loss revenge, South Florida has gone 5-1 to the over this season. The over is also 10-3 this season when the Bulls are off of a loss in conference action. South Florida has allowed opponents to knock down a ridiculous 55% of their shots from the field in the Bulls last 4 road games combined. As for the Golden Hurricane, 4 of their last 5 opponents have knocked down at least 49% of their shots from the field. Look for more of the same Thursday. 10* OVER the total in Tulsa

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #715 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Texas Tech Red Raiders vs Iowa State Cyclones @ 9 ET - The Red Raiders are off of a multiple OT loss at West Virginia Saturday. Being back home where they have won 3 of their last 4 and averaged 79 points per game should help them to get back on track. However, Iowa State is likely to match Texas Tech bucket for bucket in this one. The Cyclones have won 4 of their last 5 games and they have scored at least 80 points in regulation time of all 4 of those victories. Overall, Iowa State has been shooting the ball very well (including from three point land) but the Cyclones have allowed 76 points per game (in regulation time) over their last 7 games. Both teams should get into the upper 70s in this game and yet we're dealing with a total that has made a bit of a downward move this morning. This is giving us plenty of line value in a game that matches up a pair of teams both hitting 38% from three point land on the season. 5 of the Cyclones last 7 games against teams with a winning record have gone over the total. Also, the over is 5-1 in Iowa State's last 6 games where they are a road dog of 3 points or less. The over is also 5-1 this season in Texas Tech games where they are playing with road loss revenge. Both teams shot very poorly in that first match-up at Iowa State this season and that is helping to keep this total lower than it should be. The over is 5-2 in Texas Tech games where they are playing with 1 day of rest or less between games and, also, the over has gone 7-3 this season in Red Raiders games with a posted total in the 140s. 10* OVER the total in Texas Tech

ACC Total of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Game #579 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Pittsburgh Panthers vs Florida State Seminoles @ 4 ET - Both of these teams come into this one shooting the ball very well and another shootout can be expected here as a result. The over is 3-0 in Florida State's last 3 games and the Seminoles are on an 8-3 run to the over in their last 11 games. The Noles are averaging 84.3 points per game on the season and have shot 47% or better from the field in 4 straight games. The Panthers did struggle some offensively against Virginia Tech in a tight loss Tuesday but Pittsburgh had shot 48% or better in each of their 4 prior games. Also, the Panthers have been hot from three point land in 4 of their last 5 games. Pittsburgh scored 78 points or more in 3 of its 4 prior games before losing to the Hokies. As for Florida State, they have won 3 straight games before their loss to Notre Dame and averaged 93 points per game in the 3 wins. In their last 5 games overall, the Seminoles have averaged 81 points per game. The over is 7-3 in the Noles last 10 games against teams with a winning record. The over is a perfect 4-0 when Pittsburgh is a home dog in a range of 3.5 to 6 points. Also, the over is a perfect 3-0 the last 3 times the Panthers have hosted Florida State. Look for more of the same on Saturday afternoon. 10* OVER the total in Pittsburgh

ESPN2 Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #870 Friday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Rhode Island Rams vs Dayton Flyers @ 7 ET - This total went from a 138 to 141 and this is offering us even more line value on the under in what should be a game played with plenty of defensive intensity. Both of these teams are up near the top of the Atlantic Ten standings and both teams are very strong defensively. Even though the over is 3-2 in the last 5 meetings between these teams note that not a single one of those games totaled more than 141 points and 4 of the 5 totaled 134 points or less. That said, there would have not been a single over in any of the 5 prior meetings at this high number posted on today's total. Of course the reason this total is higher is each team has some solid offensive stats this season but not enough credit is being given to the defenses here in a game where defensive intensity will be at max level. The Rams are allowing just 66 points per game this season and the Flyers are allowing only 64 points per game this season. Rhode Island shot surprisingly well from three point land in the prior meeting this season in Dayton and yet the game stayed under the total. That says a lot right there and certainly a 47.6% performance from beyond the arc is unlikely from either team today. The Flyers are allowing only 31% from three point land on the season and the Rams are allowing only 30.4% from downtown! Rhode Island has really turned up the defensive intensity in recent weeks and they've held 3 of their last 4 opponents under 36% from the field and 4 of their last 6 have been held under 39.8% from the field. The under is 4-1 in the Rams last 5 games. Also, as home fave of 3 points or less, the under is on a 3-1 run in Rhode Island games. The Flyers bring their "A game" in terms of defensive intensity when they are up against quality competition. So far this season, the under is 10-5 in Dayton's games against teams with a winning record. More of the same expected here. 10* UNDER the total in Rhode Island Friday 

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #723 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Michigan State Spartans @ 7 ET - The Spartans are off of a big rivalry win versus Michigan and that game stayed under the total. However, that was due to a solid effort on defense from Michigan State and that has been the exception rather than the norm of late. The Spartans had allowed 79.3 points per game in their three prior games and opponents shot better than 46% in all three of those games. Each of those three went over the total as Michigan State has been hot on offense as well. In their last 4 games the Spartans have averaged 71 points per game and they've shot better than 44% from three point land in all four games! Overall from the field this season Michigan State has knocked down 47.5% of their shots including 38% from beyond the arc. Nebraska allows opponents to hit 39.4% of three pointers this season and that bodes well for a big game from the Spartans here. The Huskers have allowed 78 points per game in their last 4 homes games and 3 of the 4 went over the total. Nebraska isn't known for being a powerhouse offensively but I look for the Spartans to have a slip up in defensive intensity here after their big rivalry win over the Wolverines. Before knocking off Michigan, Sparty hadn't been overly impressive on the defensive end as noted above. The over is a perfect 4-0 in Spartans road games this season. Also, when Michigan State's line in a road game is between pick'em and +3 the over has gone a perfect 6-0 the last 3 seasons. Overall, in games where the Spartans are an underdog the over is 15-4 the last 3 seasons combined. The first numbers that came up on this total yesterday were 138.5 but the O/U quickly got pushed down to 135. I'll gladly take advantage of the extra line value here as the Cornhuskers are averaging 73 points per game at home this season and they are hosting a hot-shooting Michigan State team Thursday. 10* OVER the total in Nebraska

Total of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #571 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in George Washington Colonials vs St Louis Billikens @ 4 ET - This game is a little "off of the beaten path" but oftentimes that is where the best value is found, especially for a total play. In this particular match-up we have a situation where both teams are coming off of wins where they each put up a bunch of points. That helps because it not only boosts the confidence of the offense but it can also lead, sometimes unconsciously, to more relaxed defense. The key to play here is, of course, line value. The Colonials are favored by 14 points here and the Billikens have scored 65 points in each of their last two meetings with George Washington. I see no reason why St Louis shouldn't again get to that number today and that means if the odds makers are right (as they so often are) we should see a 79-65 type game here. Of course that totals 144 points which is well above the 128 total that has been placed on this game. The reason for the low posted total here is the fact that the Billikens recently lost their top scorer and, overall, haven't scored well on the season. But what I like about St Louis here is the fact they are off of a game where they just made a ton of trips to the free throw line plus knocked down threes at a respectable rate (7 of 20). St Louis has hit at least 35% from three point land in 9 of its last 11 games. The Billikens will take advantage of a George Washington team not known for its perimeter defense as GW has allowed 37.5% threes on the season. The Colonials offense has been hot from long range as they've knocked down at least 40% from three point land in 8 of their last 11 games! George Washington has only seen 2 of their 20 games this season finish with a total of less than 128 points this season. I know the posted total is low here because of St Louis but it is simply too low in my opinion. The Billikens have allowed an average of nearly 73 points per game in their last 8 games and their D has not impressed during this run. The over is 5-2 in George Washington home games with a posted total in the 120s. Also, the over is 10-5 when GW is off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. When facing a team that averages less than 64 points per game, the Colonials have gone 5-1 to the over. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in George Washington

TV Top Game - Rickenbach CBB Game #737 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Marquette Golden Eagles vs Villanova Wildcats @ 8 ET - The Golden Eagles defense and rebounding are both glaring concerns. Marquette is not going to stop Villanova from scoring a ton of points in this one. However, the Wildcats defense may not be at it's sharpest here. Keep in mind, Nova already obliterated the Golden Eagles 93-81 two and a half weeks ago in Philly. Note the Wildcats led that game by as much as 30 points and the final score is not fully indicative of just how much of a blowout win it was for Villanova. As a result, it is going to be difficult for the Wildcats to have the mindset of a team that is going to come in to Milwaukee and play with a lot of defensive intensity tonight. Complicating the situation for Villanova is that they have a date with a ranked Virginia team on deck. That game is being played at Villanova on Sunday and may very well end up being the highest ranked team that the Wildcats face on their home floor this entire season. As a result, that game is of the utmost importance to Villanova and I would not be surprised to see the Wildcats not fully focused on the Golden Eagles here as they start peeking ahead to the big match-up with the Cavaliers. Though the Wildcats are a strong team all the way around (including defense) they did allow Marquette to hit 45% of their threes in the match-up earlier this month. A repeat performance would not surprise because now the Golden Eagles are at home and they have been nailing threes like crazy this season. It's now 13 straight games that Marquette has shot at least 37.5% from three point land! In 10 of those 13 games the Golden Eagles shot at least 42.9% from beyond the arc! Marquette does tend to put up a lot of points but they have allowed 80 points or more in 4 of their last 5 games. One of those games did go to OT but they allowed 77 points in regulation of that game. Look for a high-scoring shootout here as the Golden Eagles will be amped up for hosting the #1 team in the nation but their only hope here is to have a huge game offensively because their porous defense won't be able to stop the Wildcats. The over is 15-7 in Wildcats games where they are a road fave of 3.5 to 6 points. The over is 17-10 in Villanova's road games the past 3 seasons. The over is 5-1 this season in games where Marquette is an underdog. The over is 14-7 the past 3 seasons when the Golden Eagles are off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. 10* OVER the total in Marquette

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #519 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Duke Blue Devils vs NC State Wolfpack @ 7 ET - The Wolfpack seek revenge for being knocked out of the ACC Tourney by Duke last spring. While I do expect NC State to certainly put up a valiant effort tonight, they don't have the defensive mindset necessary to slow down the Blue Devils. Couple that with the fact that this total opened up at 163.5 and has since dropped down to the 160 range and we have some nice value here in a game that is likely to be played at a frenetic pace. NC State has averaged 81.6 points per game on the season while the Blue Devils are averaging 82.9 points per game this season. The reason the Wolfpack are 2-5 in ACC action is they allow 84.7 points per game. Duke is averaging 91 points per game in their 3 home games in ACC action and, though they are off of an under versus Miami Saturday, the Blue Devils entered that game on a 5-0 run to the over. The Wolfpack are off of a home loss to Wake Forest and NC State is 17-9 to the over when off of a loss in ACC action the past 3 seasons combined. Overall, the over is 11-6 in Wolfpack games this season. Duke is on a long-term run of 21-13 to the over when they are a home favorite in a range of 15.5 to 18 points. Look for the Blue Devils totals record to go to 6-1 to the over in ACC action with an extremely high-scoring game Monday against a revenge-minded Wolfpack team that will score well but has "earned" their ranking as the worst defense in the ACC so far this season with allowing 77.2 points per game on the season thus far. 10* OVER the total in Duke

MVC Total of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #543 Wednesday - 10* Top Play OVER the total in Northern Iowa Panthers vs Loyola-Chicago Ramblers @ 8 ET - The Ramblers have gone over the total in 10 straight games and are 12-1 to the over in their last 13 games that had an O/U line. Loyola-Chicago has been shooting the ball extremely well including from three point land. The Ramblers are averaging 77.4 points per game on the season. I don't foresee Northern Iowa as being able to slow them down. The Panthers allowed 77 points to Loyola in the first match-up this season. Northern Iowa didn't shoot very well in that game (though it still went over the total) but I look for the Panthers to shoot the ball much better at home. The Panthers overall numbers on offense this season do not impress but they are a "different team" when they are at home. On the season, Northern Iowa's home games have seen the Panthers average 71 points per game while knocking down 46% of their shots from the field including 37% of their shots from beyond the arc. The over is 3-0 this season when the Panthers are off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. Also, the over is 4-2 in Northern Iowa's home games and all 5 of their conference games had gone over the total prior to their under versus Drake Sunday. The Ramblers are 6-0 to the over in road games this season and 6-0 to the over in their conference games and 5-1 to the over in their games against teams with a losing record. They are shooting so well that they are full of confidence and will score well even though they are on the road while I look for the Panthers to also play very well on the offensive end as they continue to enjoy success on their home floor. Look for the over to go to 11-0 in Loyola-Chicago's last 11 games with another high-scoring shootout here. 10* OVER the total in Northern Iowa

Earliest Cash Best Bet - Rickenbach CBB Game #877 Sunday - 10* Top Play OVER the total in Indiana Hoosiers vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights @ Noon ET - The oddsmakers are good at what they as we all know. That said, when they set a spread it is usually very accurate and that's why the numbers are so tough to beat. The reason I mention that here is because I think they "missed" on this total and let me explain why. They set this line at 16 and the total at 143. That means that if they truly "nailed it" Indiana wins this game 80-64 or 79-63 because those are the two final scores that gets us closest to the total they set. However, what is noteworthy about that is that the Hoosiers are averaging 85 points per game this season and they're now at home, off of a loss, and facing a Rutgers team that has lost 6 straight games and is winless in Big Ten action. On the season the Scarlet Knights are averaging 65 points per game and, even in Big Ten action they have scored at least 60 points in 3 straight games. I look for Indiana to impose their will in this game but I don't like laying big points and I would not be surprise to see the Hoosiers "sag off" on defense once this "game is in hand" which could be the case by early in the 2nd half. As a result, this one should fly over the total easily. The over is 13-3 the last 3 seasons in Rutgers games the past 3 seasons when they are a road dog of 12.5 points or more. The over is 8-2 in Indiana's home games with a posted total in a range of 140 to 144.5 the past 3 seasons. The Hoosiers are averaging 89 points per game at home this season. Indiana is shooting 54% from the field (including 42% from three point land) in home games this season. The Hoosiers offense will prove unstoppable against a Scarlet Knights defense that is allowing an average of 78 points per game on the Big Ten road and now faces the Big Ten's most potent offense. 10* Top Play OVER the total in Indiana very early Sunday

TV Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Oakland Golden Grizzlies vs Detroit Titans @ 7 ET - The Golden Grizzlies have been an "under team" this season but Oakland is averaging 79 points per game on the season and they're set for an offensive explosion here. The Grizzlies are off of an ugly 57-56 win at Illinois-Chicago Sunday. Oakland is 10-4 to the over as a home favorite of 12.5 or more points and the Titans defense is porous. Detroit is allowing 84.5 points per game this season and teams are hitting a ridiculous 51.2% from the field against them including 39% from three point land. The key to the over here is the fact that, as bad as the Titans defense is, they do score well. Detroit has scored 70 points or more in 5 of their last 6 games and are averaging 74 points per game this season. The over is 21-12 in Titans road games the past 3 seasons combined. Also, the over is 14-7 in Detroit games the past 3 seasons when they are off of a loss against a conference rival. The average score of the last 3 meetings between these teams is Oakland 91, Detroit 86. That's 177 points and none of those 3 games went to OT either. Look for this one to easily fly over the total as the Golden Grizzlies will be happy to run and gun at home after the ugly, low-scoring win at Illinois-Chicago. As for the Titans, free-flowing games with very little defense is truly the only way they know how to play. More of the same here. 10* Top Play OVER the total in Oakland early Friday evening

Earliest Cash ESPN - Rickenbach CBB Game #537 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Vanderbilt Commodores vs Kentucky Wildcats @ 7 ET - This total opened up at a 160 and has already been pushed down a little to 158 at the time of this write-up. We get some value here because Vandy is off of an ugly game at Alabama. That was a hard-fought loss that the Crimson Tide won 59 to 56. That is helping to impact the markets here when, the fact is, we should see this game top out in the 175 range! The Commodores have averaged 79.4 points per game this season (and shot 47.6%) in their home games. The Wildcats come in with the most dangerous offense in the nation. UK has averaged 94.2 points per game this season and they are hitting 49% from the field. They can beat you anywhere on the floor and the over is 7-3 in their games against teams with a winning record this season. For Vanderbilt, when they are passed the midway point of the season and facing a team with a winning record, the over has gone 16-10 the past two seasons. The Commodores, other than the Crimson Tide game of course, have had good ball movement on offense and they've shot well from three point land - 40.3% this season! The Wildcats have scored 96 points or more in 5 of their last 6 games. The over is 14-9 in Kentucky's road games the past three seasons. UK has revenge for a loss at Vanderbilt last season. That said, I don't expect the Cats to let up at all at any point in this game. However, the Commodores also have a 7-footer inside who has been scoring well of late to complement their hot shooting from beyond the arc and I expect Vandy to hang around in this one. They lose by double digits but they score enough to send this one flying over the total because I expect Kentucky to "put on a clinic" on offense. 10* OVER the total in Vanderbilt

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Georgetown Hoyas vs St John's Red Storm @ 6:30 ET Monday - The Hoyas are very hungry for a win so I expect them to really have the defensive intensity turned up for this game. This is even more likely because they have a non-conference game on deck so Georgetown knows that it's now (or having to wait another week) if they want to notch a W in Big East action. The Johnnies also are going to turn up the heat defensively. Their coach ripped them about defense after they allowed 97 to Xavier on Saturday. Look for the Red Storm to bring a better effort here and they had been a little better on that end of the floor early this season. They just didn't "bring it" on Saturday. The Hoyas are allowing only 41.3% from the field this season. St John's has allowed 43.4% from the field and I expect a big performance from the defense here after back to back poor efforts versus Creighton and Xavier. The under is 4-1 when the Red Storm are a road dog in a range of 6.5 to 9 points. The under is 11-4 when St John's is off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. Georgetown is 5-1 to the under this season in games with a posted total in the 150s. Also, the under is 9-3 in Hoyas games against teams with a losing record. That means we have a combined 29-9 mark in favor of the under in this one and I look what both coaches are saying heading into this match-up. It should be a game with plenty of defensive intensity. 10* UNDER the total in Georgetown early Monday evening

CBS Sports Network Top - Rickenbach CBB Game #729 Friday - 10* Top Play OVER the total in Dayton Flyers vs La Salle Explorers @ 6 ET - Each of the last 4 meetings between these teams has stayed under the total and not a single game totaled more than 118 points. That said, the odds makers opened up this total at 154.5 and, as you would expect, the markets have reacted and the total has dropped down to a 151. In typical contrarian fashion, I'll gladly fade the move here. La Salle is averaging 84.2 points per game this season but also allowing 83.2 points per game! While the Explorers certainly have their fair share of scoring threats and guys who can "create" on offense, they are sorely lacking in terms of strong defenders on the other end of the floor. Dayton is the superior team here by far so the Flyers won't be "scared" to run and gun with the Explorers here. Dayton knows they can outpace the Explorers in this one and both these teams are hitting at least 37.5% from three point. What is simply incredible is the fact that La Salle is allowing opponents to hit 43.1% from beyond the arc. The over is 5-1 in Explorers games this season and they're facing a Dayton team that is averaging 77.4 points per game this season. The past 3 seasons combined La Salle has gone 9-5 to the over in games against teams who average 77 points or more per game. The Flyers are a perfect 3-0 to the over this season in games where they are favored by 9 points or more. I expect these trends to continue tonight and will take advantage of the increased line value here. 10* OVER the total in Dayton Friday

Total Annihilation - CBB Game #523 Wednesday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play OVER the total in Ohio University Bobcats vs Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers @ 7 ET - Wisconsin-Milwaukee is coming off of a loss at Loyola-Illinois where the Panthers allowed a ridiculous 67.5% shooting percentage from the field. Certainly UW-Milw would like to improve on that here but the problem is that they were repeatedly beaten in the paint. Not only are the Panthers small in the post they are facing an Ohio University team that has good size down low and absolutely is fully capable of dominating them in the paint just like Loyola-Chicago did on Saturday. The one thing the Panthers do have going for them is some hot shooting and this includes hitting 40% or better from three point land in four straight games. The Panthers have averaged 74.7 points per game in their 3 games prior to an ugly loss to Loyola-Illiniois. Look for Wisconsin-Milwaukee to continue the hot shooting and put up big points here but they won't be able to stop the Bobcats inside game. Ohio U is averaging 78..6 points per game this season but, as hot as their offense has been, the Bobcats are getting lax on defense and, in their last two lined games they've allowed at least 46.7% from the field and an average of 88.5 points per game. The over is 6-2 in Panthers games this season and also 14-5 the past three seasons combined in games with a posted total in the 130 to 139.5 range. Also, when off of a game where they scored 60 points or less, the Panthers have gone 3-0 to the over this season. The over is 7-3 in the Bobcats last 10 Wednesday games and this midweek match-up is conducive to another one flying past the number. 10* OVER the total in Ohio University

Big Ten Network Smash - Rickenbach CBB Game #719/720 Friday - 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Golden Gophers vs Georgia Southern Eagles @ 9 ET - The Golden Gophers have some impressive defensive numbers so far this season but those were impacted by a grudge matches with Vanderbilt and Southern Illinois and then playing weak foe (non-lined game) when they faced Mount St Mary's. In the Golden Gophers other 6 games they have allowed an average of 73.5 points per game. Georgia Southern is a SunBelt Conference team that returned all starters and can put up big points. The weakness for the Eagles is they can't stop a talented team like the 8-1 Golden Gophers from also putting up big points. Minnesota has averaged 75.7 points per game this season. Georgia Southern has averaged 78.6 points per game this season and, like most SunBelt teams, they are not afraid to push the pace and play up-tempo. As a road dog of 12.5 points or more, the Eagles have gone 5-0 to the over the past three seasons. In all road games during that stretch Georgia Southern was a solid 18-7 to the over. In non-conference action the Eagles have gone 6-1 to the over in recent seasons and also 8-2 to the over when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. The Golden Gophers have gone 6-1 to the over the past three seasons when they are a home favorite of 12.5 points or more. With the drop on this total (opened up at 146 yesterday), there is even more line value with the over in this match-up. Both teams are comfortable to push the pace in this match-up and the Eagles returned all their offensive firepower from last season. 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Friday

Top Play - CBB Game #517/518 Sunday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cincinnati Bearcats vs Bowling Green Falcons @ 8 ET - Both these teams have been "under" teams this season but that is helping to give us some solid line value on the over in this match-up. That's because of the situational edges here that will play a key factor in this one. The Bearcats are known for their solid defense but it's easy for them to overlook a weak MAC team in this particular spot because Cincinnati is off of a hard-fought low-scoring win over Iowa State and they have a big game with Butler on deck. That said, it will be hard for the Cats to get excited about defensive intensity in this one. As for the Falcons, they do like to play at a fast tempo and their offense got a boost of confidence with averaging 88 points per game in their last 2 games. Those were non-lined contests but facing weaker foes helped Bowling Green get their offense going and, as for the other end of the floor, the Falcons have allowed an average of 76 points per game in their 5 lined games. Cincinnati has already eclipsed the 83 point mark twice this season against weaker competition and the Bearcats did put up 83 when they faced the Falcons last year. Based on spread on this game and the key factors relating to the Cats being willing to just run and gun with the Falcons quite a bit in this one, this should play out as an 83 to 63 type game which puts it well over the total. Bowling Green is a fantastic 10-2 to the over when they are off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cincinnati

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #523/524 Monday - 10* Top Play OVER the total in Utah Utes vs Butler Bulldogs @ 9 ET - Both teams are undefeated as the Bulldogs are 6-0 and the Utes are 4-0 so far this season. What I like about that is that oftentimes winning streaks will mask defensive shortcomings. When a team is winning you feel like you can do no wrong no matter how you're playing and the key here is that both teams are full of confidence on the offensive end too. Utah has shot 49.8% from the field this season and averaged 89 points per game while Butler has shot 50% from the field and averaged 80.2 points per game game so far this season. The Utes have great numbers on defense but, keep in mind, they have played a super easy schedule. The toughest 'test' so far for Utah was against Cal-Riverside Friday and the Utes did allow 67 points in that game. The Bulldogs are going to give the Utes defense an even tougher test but Butler will also find that Utah is capable of big scoring runs at home. Both teams are playing with so much confidence offensively that there will be no reluctance to push the tempo and to take shots early in the shot clock. I expect the pace of this game to therefore be very conducive to a solid over. There is an infusion of youth and new talent for each of these teams and that means defensive breakdowns when facing guys who are strong off of the dribble and can create open looks for others. The over is 9-3 in Utah's November games the past 3 seasons combined and the Utes are also 18-9 to the over in non-conference games with a posted O/U the last 3 seasons. Look for more of the same tonight as Butler's productivity on offense has been impressive this season but the Utes, at home, will hang right with the Bulldogs all the way through this one. The result is a high-scoring, up-tempo affair. 10* Top Play OVER the total in Utah

RARE Tourney Top - Rickenbach CBB Game #525/526 - 10* Top Play OVER the total in Virginia Tech Hokies vs New Mexico Lobos @ Titan Gym in the Wooden Classic in Fullerton, CA @ 4:30 ET - Both of these teams are 3-0 but have played weak schedules. When this happens, a team's defense tends to relax as it's only natural because, when you're winning, it is easy to just keep rolling along and overlook any defensive shortcomings. That's because, to this point, they haven't cost you anything because you simply keep on winning due to facing out-classed foes. The significance in that here is that both these teams returned plenty of firepower this season in terms of returning starters and big scorers but both teams have had issues with being lax on the defensive end in recent seasons. Virginia Tech is particularly known for this and New Mexico is certainly known for playing a "run and gun" style as well. That said, the fact this total has dropped down from as high as a 158 to as low as a 153 is now offering us fantastic value on the over. The Hokies are 7-2 to the over on a neutral court in recent seasons and also 7-1 to the over in games where the total is in a range of 150 to 159.5 points. Also, New Mexico is 10-6 to the over when they are off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. After holding in-state rival New Mexico State to only 59 points in their most recent game, look for the Lobos defense to now fall flat in this one after the big rivalry win. 10* OVER the total in the Virginia Tech game Thursday

Top TV Total Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #741/742 Monday - 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Connecticut Huskies vs Oklahoma State Cowboys @ 9 ET - This total has risen in ridiculous jumps today and I am happy to fade it. After opening up at 146.5 this total has risen to as high as 155.5 and I completely understand the move because Oklahoma State is averaging a ridiculous 107 points per game this season. Keep in mind, the Cowboys have only played 3 games this season and they haven't faced a team that is anywhere close to the quality of this UConn team. The Huskies also are known for playing solid defense. Connecticut has allowed an average of only 64.3 points per game this season and last season the Huskies allowed only 63.5 points per game on the full season. That was good for 14th in the nation. The fact is that they are a defensive-minded team and so far this season they have struggled on the offensive end where they are averaging only 61.3 points per game. That sets this one up to be a much tighter, low-scoring match-up than what many are expecting here. Oklahoma State was 10th in the Big 12 last season for scoring as they averaged only 66.5 points per game and they allowed 67.1 points per game last season which was good enough for 2nd in the Big 12. This total has been inflated by the unusual early season stats for the Cowboys and we can step in now and take advantage of that. This total, as noted above, has gotten run all the way up into the 150s and, keep in mind, even when totals have been in the 140 to 149.5 range for the Cowboys the under has gone 12-3 (80%) the last 3 seasons. The Huskies, when off of a non-conference game, have seen the under go 14-7 (67%) the last 3 seasons. 10* UNDER the total in the UConn game Monday night

Top Total Smash - Rickenbach CBB Game #559/560 Sunday - 10* Top Play OVER the total in Creighton Blue Jays vs NC State Wolfpack @ 8:30 ET in San Juan, Puerto Rico - This total opened up at a 160.5 and now has dropped to a 158. Of course this is because the markets see a total in the 160 range and immediately think under. However, this total was big for a reason. The Blue Jays are known for their emphasis on the 3-ball and they've been knocking down shots like crazy from beyond the arc this season. Creighton is hitting 48.5% of their three pointers this season. The weakness for the Blue Jays is rebounding and interior defense. That spells trouble against an NC State team tha thas some solid size inside and that has shot the ball extremely well (60%+) from inside the arc in their last two games. The Wolfpack and Blue Jays are both brimming with confidence as each team has won all 3 of their games and NC State is averaging 84 points per game and Creighton is averaging 90.3 points per game early this season. The over is 5-1 in Blue Jays neutral court games and 8-3 in the Wolfpack's neutral court games. I'll gladly test that combined 13-4 over mark in thise one. 10* OVER the total in Creighton game Sunday

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #531/532 Monday - 10* Top Play OVER the total in Purdue Boilermakers vs Villanova Wildcats @ 7 ET - Purdue has one of the biggest frontcourts in the country and, as a result, there is no way that Villanova wants to turn this game into a half-court affair. The Wildcats are built well for being able to get quick points in transition and use their outstanding guard play to score big points in this one. In terms of the inside game, the Boilermakers are going to be able to score a ton of points in the paint including with second chance opportunities as their big men will certainly grab some offensive caroms in this one. The Cats put up 88 points in their season opener while Purdue scored 109 and the Mackey Arena will be rocking tonight for this HUGE game! The over is a long-term 14-6 in Villanova road games where their line ranges from pick'em up to a -3. Also, the over is 15-7 the last 3 seasons in all Wildcats road games. Additionally, the over is a long-term 15-5 in Nova road games where the posted total is in a range from 145 to 149.5 points. Tonight, with the Cats wanting to push the tempo and play small ball and the Boilermakers willing to engage in some running and quick transition points as they take advantage of the raucous atmosphere in West Lafayette, look for the over to improve to 8-4 in Purdue's last 12 games against Big East opposition. This should be a wildly entertaining early-season affair. 10* OVER the total in Purdue early Monday evening

Rickenbach NCAA *10* Top Play OVER 154.5 in North Carolina vs Notre Dame @ 8:45 ET - We are getting some line value with this low total because Notre Dame is off of a "dogfight" win over Wisconsin that totaled just 117 points. Of course the Badgers love to play "slow it down" basketball and that keyed this low-scoring game. Tonight's game should be anything but that as the Tar Heels will push the pace just like they did in their huge win over Indiana that totaled 187 points Friday. The game between ND and UNC did stay under the total two weeks ago in the ACC Tourney. However, the Fighting Irish had a horrific shooting performance in that game. I don't expect that to be repeated here. In fact, Notre Dame had averaged 79 points per game in their 3 prior meetings with North Carolina. As for the Tar Heels, they have averaged 76.5 points per game in their last 4 meetings with the Irish. Currently the UNC offense is functioning at its highest level as the Heels have ripped off 3 straight wins in the Big Dance courtesy of a torrid shooting that has seen them average 90 points per game. The Tar Heels much maligned 3 point shooting actually was on fire against the Hoosiers Friday and also, UNC has shot well from beyond the arc in their past two meetings with Notre Dame. The over is 6-2 this season when the Irish are an underdog and also 5-2 this season when ND is playing with 1 day or less of rest between games. The over is also 11-3 the past three seasons combined when Notre Dame is off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. The over is 14-9 this season when the Tar Heels are off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. Also, the over is 17-8 the past three seasons in UNC games played on a neutral court. Look for the over to improve to 7-2 in Tar Heels in NCAA Tourney games with another shootout on Sunday night. *10* OVER in North Carolina

Rickenbach NCAA *10* Top Play OVER 158.5 in North Carolina vs Indiana @ 9:55 ET - This total opened up at a 160 and, not surprisingly, dropped down about a bucket as many simply see that "160 range" as a whole other threshold. In my mind, the big total here is absolutely justified and I expect these teams to get into the 170 to 180 range Friday. Each team is averaging in the low 80s on the season. Each team is playing with a high level of confidence so they are willing to push the tempo. North Carolina has the size inside to get some big production in the paint while the Hoosiers red hot shooting from all over the floor, including a season mark of 41.6% from THREE point land, can key some huge productive runs for Indiana. The Hoosiers had a couple of tough road games in the first half of February where they shot poorly but they have shot very well overall ever since then. In their current 7-1 run their last 8 games Indiana has averaged 79 points per game and shot better than 50% from the field. The Tar Heels have shot at least 47% from the field in 8 of their last 13 games and let's not forget they face some tough competition in the ACC! That said the Heels could have a huge breakout game against a Big Ten defense that gave up 94 points to Duke earlier this season. The over is 24-14 in Indiana's last 38 non-conference games. The over is 4-1 the last 3 seasons in North Carolina neutral court games where the Tar Heels are a 3.5 to 6 point favorite.  The over is 10-5 in Heels non-conference games this season. Also, the over is 4-1 this season (and 12-5 the last 3 seasons) in UNC games when they enter after 5 or 6 days of rest. Fresh legs here, dangerous offensive weapons, and a desire to push the tempo. *10* OVER in North Carolina

Rickenbach NCAA *10* Top Play OVER 129 in Syracuse vs Middle Tennessee @ 6:10 ET - Middle Tennessee State's explosion for 90 points against Michigan State certainly was not a complete fluke. The Blue Raiders have now scored at least 79 points in 3 of their last 4 games and have shot at least 54.7% from the field in ALL 3 of those games! The Blue Raiders are simply hot right now and also full of confidence after knocking off the Spartans. Certainly I am well aware of the tough defense that Syracuse can play with their 2-3 zone and I am also well aware that this could frustrate the Blue Raiders a bit early on in this game. However, Middle Tennessee State has some good size inside and this includes a true power forward in Reggie Upshaw. His ability to cause havoc in the middle of the zone defense that the Orange will employ is why I see the Blue Raiders as being able to break down this defensive scheme. The ability of MTSU to get some big points in the paint will force the zone to collapse some and that will open up some good looks for the dangerous outside shooters that the Blue Raiders have. MTSU is "feeling it" right now but their defense is nothing to write home about. The Blue Raiders have allowed at least 47% from the field in 7 of their last 12 games. The few defensive "gems" they had were against very bad teams. Against teams with a winning record, MTSU has given up at least 73 points in 6 of the last 7. Syracuse has scored at least 70 in five straight games and that was against tougher defenses than what they will face today. With this line set at around a half dozen for this game we also could see late fouls in a tight game leading to nice free throw opportunities as well. The fact is there is no reason this game shouldn't end up being a 75 to 70 type game which gets us well over the posted total here. MTSU coach Kermit Davis will have his team prepared to attack the Syracuse zone defense and there is no quit in these Blue Raiders so, even if they struggle with it early, they will get it figured out early enough to put up a bunch of points in this game. The Orange have a well-earned reputation for their defense but the over is 4-1 in all their tournament games this season and the over is 9-3 in their tournament games the last 3 years combined. Another one is very likely to occur Sunday. *10* OVER in Syracuse

Rickenbach March Madness #721 - *10* Top Play OVER 143 in Purdue vs Michigan @ 1 ET - When these teams first met, the total was set at 132 and it flew over the total by 25 points. Of course, in the next meeting, an adjustment was made (up to 143) but the game stayed well under the total as it only totaled 117 points. With that said, why is there no adjustment for today's total? Why did it stay at 143 after the last meeting flew under by 26 points? I will tell you why. Purdue learned it's lesson in the 2nd game with Michigan. The Boilermakers allowed the Wolverines to turn it into a slow-paced game and Purdue paid the price with an ugly loss where they totaled just 56 points. That is not going to happen again today. The Boilermakers know their best bet is to push the pace like they did in the first match-up with Michigan. Not only did Purdue score 87 points in that game, they also forced the Wolverines to try and run with them and it was proven that Michigan could not keep up. Now, the advantage in doing that again here is magnified and the Boilermakers know it. They know they are catching Michigan playing a 3rd game in 3 days and plus off of a huge upset win yesterday. Purdue had good rest before yesterday's game against Illinois plus it was a very easy win for the Boilermakers so they also got to rest key players. Everyone will be fresh for this game and Purdue will push the tempo all game long. They are extremely hot on offense right now as the Boilermakers are shooting "lights out" and have averaged 83.4 points per game. All 5 games went OVER the total! As for Michigan, although yesterday's game stayed under the total, the Wolverines previously were on a 10-1 run to the over in games played away from Ann Arbor! That high-scoring trend continues as Purdue looks to run them right out of the arena in this one. *10* OVER in Purdue

Rickenbach March Madness #561 - *10* Top Play OVER 139 in Georgetown vs DePaul @ 7 ET - These teams have met 7 times the last 3 seasons and 6 of the games stayed under the total. That is helping to drive this number downward as money pours in on the under. This is giving even more value to the over as, the way these teams have been playing, I see no reason to expect anything other than a fast-paced game with the Hoyas putting up a ton of points and the Blue Demons (playing loose and with nothing to lose and therefore shooting well) hanging within single digits most of the way. The game ultimately is likely to be decided by an amount very close to the spread on this game but I see great value with the total. Georgetown wrapped up the regular season with 9 overs in their last 11 games. The Hoyas allowed 72 points per game on the season and their defense has been particularly weak down the stretch run of the season. The Blue Demons allowed 75 points per game in the regular season. DePaul wrapped up the regular season with 9 overs in their last 10 games. The Blue Demons, even though their point totals weren't overly impressive overall, did shoot the ball well in the final weeks of the regular season. A couple of big games with outside shots falling (even against tougher teams in the Big East to wrap up the season schedule) certainly gives DePaul some extra confidence on the offensive end heading into this game. The issue for the Blue Demons is that their porous defense stops no one. The over is 7-2 this season (and 23-8 the last 3 seasons) in Blue Demons games when they are off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. The Hoyas are also 5-2 to the over this season when they are off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. In other words, a fantastic performance from either defense should not be expected here. *10* OVER in Georgetown

Rickenbach NCAAB *10* Top Play OVER 141 in Texas vs Kansas @ 9 ET - The Longhorns have made some noise with some big game wins on their home floor this season. However, it has been their offense that has been the key to those wins moreso than the defense. The lone exception to that just happened when the Horns knocked off Oklahoma on Saturday and held the Sooners to 63 points. Prior to that, in home games against Baylor, West Virginia, Iowa State, and North Carolina the Longhorns allowed an average of 82 points per game and yet they got the win in 3 of those 4 games. Looking at their 5 home games against the aforementioned teams, Texas scored at least 76 points in all but one of the games. They allowed at least 78 points in all but one of the games. The over was on a 4-0 run in Horns games before the rare, solid performance on defense against OU. The Jayhawks have been an "under team" this season and yet Kansas has been shooting the ball very well over their last 10 games. Kansas has hit about 50% from the field in their last 10 games combined! The Jayhawks have averaged 75.4 points per game during this stretch and Texas won't be able to slow them down. Kansas put up 76 points in the first meeting between the teams and that was even with shooting only 40% from the field. The Jayhawks now are "on fire" compared to the way they were shooting back then. In 12 games as an underdog this season, Texas games have stayed under the total just 4 times. When the Horns are a in a line range of pick 'em to +3 the over has gone 7-3. The Jayhawks are 3-2 to the over this season when playing with just one day of rest between games. With both teams off big wins Saturday I would not be surprised to see some lax defense from each team in this one as they are still riding those emotional highs and it's all about the offensive production in this one. The Jayhawks feel no one can keep up with them and UT knows their big upsets at home have been keyed by strong performances on offense. The tempo will be pushed by both teams in this one. *10* OVER in Texas

Rickenbach NCAAB *10* Top Play OVER 147.5 in Pittsburgh vs Duke @ 2 ET - There is a unique statistical anomaly relating to this play for both teams and that is what made it simply too good to pass up on based on the value it is offering. Duke has stayed under the total in five straight games even though they have allowed 48% or better from the field in 3 of their past 4 games. Pittsburgh has stayed under the total in eight of their last ten games even though they have allowed 47% or better from the field in seven of those ten games! This is one of those rare statistical anomalies and now you have two teams matched up with the same trend going and that spells OVER today. Neither team has been playing very well defensively and yet the totals on their games have stayed under the total. The result is value for the over today. The total on today's game opened up close to 150 in some books but already has dropped down from that. This is offering some good line value as both teams should put up big points today. Duke has been shooting well from three point land, even on the road, and the Panthers are known for having their best games on offense when they are at home. Pitt won't be able to slow down the explosive Duke offense but look for the Panthers offense to keep them in this game in what should be an up-tempo entertaining affair. The over is 6-1 in Duke road games the past three seasons that have a posted total in the 145 to 149.5 range. The over is 25-13 in Pittsburgh home games the past three seasons. *10* OVER in Pittsburgh

Rickenbach NCAAB #619 - *10* Top Play OVER 155 in Duquesne vs Richmond @ 6 ET - This total dropped from a 162.5 to a 155 and that easily made it "go time" with this over as the initial number was easily well within the range of where this total should be posted at. Yes it is a big number but Duquesne is used to playing crazy, high-scoring games and, since the Dukes are at home they will be controlling the tempo in this one. Richmond will gladly be "along for the ride" as they can also put up points in a hurry and the Spiders have shown for much of this season that they love to get involved in shootouts. Richmond has allowed 76 points per game on the road this season but if you take out the aberration (a snoozefest at St Louis) they truly allow an average closer to 80 points per game in their typical road games. They will likely allow at least that today as they've allowed at least 82 points in 5 of their past 6 road games! Duquesne loves  to run and gun as shown by the fact that they've allowed 86 points per game in their last 6 games. The Dukes have averaged 81.4 points per game in their last 12 games and with the mediocre season that each of these teams had there is no reason to expect any resistance from the play in the defensive end for either team. It should truly be a wide open affair where the teams are just trying to maximize points by quickly getting down the court and firing away. The Dukes are off of an under but had previously gone over in 11 of their last 12. The over is 8-3 in Spiders games when they enter the game having not covered the spread in any of their three prior games. The over is 7-1 in Dukes games this season when they are off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. *10* OVER in Duquesne

Rickenbach NCAAB #525 - *10* Top Play OVER 147.5 in Richmond vs George Washington @ 7 ET - The early line move on this total has been downward from an opener of 150 to the 147.5 it sits it as of early Wednesday morning. The fact the total opened at 150 is a bit of a key number in the sense that this is when college totals tend to look a little high to average observers. In my mind this was some "bait" thrown out there by the odds makers and it's been taken as the early action has come in on the under to drive this total down. I'll take advantage on the other side of this move with the over. Even though the first match-up between these teams was a double overtime game, the teams did combine for a solid 148 points in regulation. I look for this one to get well above that in the 40 minutes. Richmond has nothing to lose here and will play a loose game with an attacking style on the offensive end. George Washington is seeking revenge for the double-OT home loss to the Spiders and, for the Colonials, this is a key game due to their lofty standing in the Atlantic-10 standings. George Washington needs this win and they win games with offense, not defense, so this match-up will feature both teams being happy to push the tempo. Don't be fooled by the paltry 50 points that the Colonials allowed on Sunday as that game against the worst team in the Atlantic-10. Prior to that game, George Washington had allowed high shooting percentages and an average of 74 points per game in their three prior games. The offense of the Colonials has been clicking as they've shot the ball well in 5 of their past 6 games and they come into Richmond with plenty of confidence after putting up 90 versus LaSalle Sunday. The Spiders defense has been ripped to shreds in their past two games but they have shot at least 51.8% from the field or better in each of their past 4 games. Perfect set-up for a nice over here with two confident offenses squaring off in what should be a "run and gun" affair. The over is 5-1 in Colonials games this season when they are off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. The over is 16-9 in George Washington games the past three seasons when they are off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. The over is 7-3 in Richmond's home games this season. The over is 8-2 in Spiders games the past three seasons when they enter a game on an ATS losing streak of 3 games or more. Richmond has failed to cover each of their last 3 games and look for tonight's game to see both teams pushing the pace for the victory in this match-up with a "pick em" line. *10* OVER

Rickenbach NCAAB #711 - *10* Top Play OVER 149.5 in Davidson vs Rhode Island @ 6 ET - With these teams in the middle of the pack and looking forward to the Atlantic 10 Tournament, this game should be played out as a "wide-open affair" early Tuesday evening. That means not a lot of defensive pressure and plenty of open looks and both of these teams can "score it" as they have proven time and time again this season. Rhode Island is averaging 70 points per game this season and Davidson is averaging 80 points per game on the season. Those averages put this game close to the posted total but what should push it well over is the situation. Not only the expectation of a fast-paced game, it is the fact the Rams have shot the ball very well in their past five games and averaged 74 points per game. The Rhode Island defense has allowed each of their past three opponents to hit better than 50% from the field. Davidson has shot "lights out" in three of their past four games but also has allowed 52% or better from the field in three of their past four games. The Wildcats have gone over the total in each of their past two games while the Rams have gone over the total in five straight games. The over is now 15-6 in February games for Rhode Island the past three seasons combined. Davidson is averaging 84 points per game at home this season but overall, on the season, the Wildcats allow an average of 79 points per game. Davidson will dictate the pace of this game at home and I look for a wild one as the over improves to 4-0 this season in Wildcats' Tuesday games. 

Rickenbach NCAAB *10* Top Play OVER 142.5 in Kansas vs Oklahoma State @ 9 ET - Kansas lost at Oklahoma State by 19 points as a 9 point favorite last month. Needless to say, the Jayhawks will have revenge on their minds tonight and I certainly expect them to get it. However, that is why the line is quite big on the side here with Kansas and, in my opinion, the significant line value in this match-up is on the total. The Jayhawks offense has been an absolute machine of late and they will look to run the Cowboys right out of Allen Field House tonight. Kansas has connected on at least 46.3% of their shots from the field in each of their last 6 games. The Jayhawks have had a lot of unders recently as they have been playing some solid defense to say the least. However, Kansas will have trouble slowing down the Cowboys as OSU ran with the Jayhawks in the first match-up and put up 86 points and they will be happy to "run and gun" again tonight. Oklahoma State has been involved in some ugly low-scoring games lately so the ability to turn this into a wide-open fast-paced affair will be met with open-arms by the players even though it will frustrate the Cowboys coach. The fact is, Kansas will dictate the pace in this game at home and the Jayhawks want to get their revenge by turning this game into a rout. That is why the value is with the over in this match-up. Kansas is a PERFECT 6-0 to the over the past three seasons combined when they are a home favorite of 12.5 to 15 points! Oklahoma State is a PERFECT 2-0 to the over this season when off of a win against a conference foe. The Allen Field House will be rocking tonight with plenty of transition points and quick buckets and I look for an 85-70 type game in favor of the Jayhawks. *10* OVER in Kansas Monday.

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #855 - *10* Top Play OVER 133 in Loyola-Chicago vs Evansville @ 4 ET - Evansville held a players only meeting after their home loss to Illinois State on Thursday. The Purple Aces were a 10 point fave in that game and yet lost OUTRIGHT by ten points! You can bet that Evansville will be ready to go Sunday. The Purple Aces know they need to do a better job of finishing around the basket and they'll also be happy to push the tempo in this game as they look to get easier shots by causing mayhem for the Ramblers in the transition game. The reason I am backing the over here rather than Evansville is because I think Loyola-Chicago, especially because they are on their home floor, will be "right there" with the Purple Aces throughout this game. The Ramblers are off of back to back wins and those both came on the road. That, of course, builds confidence and now Loyola-Chicago is back home where they've shot at least 48.9% from the floor in each of their past three games. In fact, before the disappointing performance on offense in the ugly win at Bradley, the Ramblers offense had shot over 50% from the field in their last three games overall. Loyola-Chicago is brimming with confidence right now and the first match-up between these teams this season totaled 140 points and the rematch, considering the situation for each club entering this match-up, should easily get to that number again. Each of these teams has gone over the total in 5 of its past 7 games and it will be the offenses leading the way again Sunday. In road games with a posted total between 130 and 134.5 points, the over is a long-term 21-6 in Evansville games! The past three seasons combined, when revenging a road loss versus an opponent, the over is 11-6 in Loyola-Chicago games. Evansville pushes the pace of this game and the Aces are an incredible 50.3% from the field on the season!

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #683 - *10* Top Play OVER 127.5 in San Diego vs St Mary's @ 9 ET - San Diego is well-known as a lower-scoring team and that, of course, is what is keeping this total quite low. The key to the value here with the over in this game is that St Mary's is off of a rare loss. The Gaels just suffered what was only their third loss in 21 games this season and they are none to happy about it. At halftime of their game at BYU, St Mary's had the lead and was on pace for scoring 74 points. The end result? The Gaels only finished with 59 points in the game and lost badly to the Cougars. As a result I look for a huge push from St Mary's today in terms of the tempo. After their prior two losses this season the Gaels responded with big efforts and got the win plus the game flew over the total each time as St Mary's averaged 85.5 points per game in those two games. San Diego is off of a low-scoring slugfest win over Pacific on Thursday. Prior to that game though, the Toreros had struggled on defense in 4 of their 5 prior games. Just look at the field goal percentage allowed in those 4 games and you'll see what I am talking about. Also, San Diego was on a 5-1 run to the over before the ultra-low-scoring win over the Tigers on Thursday. The Toreros have struggled defensively against good teams and that is why the over is on a 3-0 run in San Diego games against teams with a winning record. The over is also on a 4-1 run in St Mary's road games where the posted total is in a range of 120 to 129.5 points. With the Gaels ready to respond off of their 59 point performance Thursday, this one should fly over the total. 

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #759 - *10* Top Play OVER 151.5 in BYU vs St Mary's @ 9 ET - The Cougars lost at St Mary's on New Year's Eve and they have already stated what they need to do to get revenge on Thursday night at home where they are 10-0 this season. BYU wants to attack on both ends of the floor. They know they must not allow the Gaels to slow the game down and turn it into a half court affair. The best odds for the Cougars to get a big home win tonight are if they push the tempo, play attacking defense, rebound well, and then look to get quick points in transition. Of course all of these key variables are attributes the Cougars try to employ each game at home and this has led to Brigham Young averaging 90.4 points per game on their home floor this season. I do not anticipate that the Gaels are going to be able to slow them down. The Cougars put up 74 points at St Mary's 5 weeks ago and that was even with a subpar shooting night that saw BYU connect on only 41.7% of their shots from the floor. BYU is shooting 48.3% from the field in home games this season and the Gaels are hitting a ridiculous 53.2% of their shots from the field on the season. This has led to a 78 points per game average for St Mary's on the year and their inside-outside game (thanks to having a talented big man down low) will again lead to big points tonight. There is no reason that each team can't get into the 80s tonight and that would push this one easily over the total. The Cougars are 11-3 to the over this season when they are off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. BYU's offense gets the job done again tonight but St Mary's hangs right there with the Cougars throughout and that spells O-V-E-R! 

Rickenbach NCAAB *10* Top Play OVER 147 in Ohio vs Akron @ 7 ET Tuesday - The early move on this total has been downward from an opener of 150.5 all the way down to a 147 as of early Tuesday morning. That adds even more value to a fantastic spot for an over. The Zips have won four straight games and have shot the ball very well from three point land in all four of these victories. Akron has averaged 79 points per game during this hot streak and three of the four games went over the total. The Zips defense struggled in three of the four games and this was against weaker teams than what Akron is faced with tonight. Ohio University has been strong at home all season long and the Bobcats 10-1 mark on their home floor has been keyed by an offense averaging 78.5 points per game at home this season. Ohio's most recent game stayed under the total but 5 of the prior 7 games had gone over the total. The Bobcats allowed 82.4 points per game in those five games and there really is no reason that tonight's game should be anything less than an absolute shootout! Both teams shoot the 3-ball very well and Ohio U's defense beyond the arc has struggled badly this season. The over is 6-2 this season in Akron's games against teams with a winning record. Also, in a line range of a pick'em to a -3 the Zips last 7 games resulted in 6 overs. The over is 7-3 this season in Ohio's games against teams with a winning record this season. Also, in games with a posted total in a range of 140 to 149.5 points, the Bobcats last 19 games resulted in 14 overs!

Rickenbach NCAAB *10* Top Play OVER 147 in Florida State vs NC State @ 9 ET - The over is 6-2 in NC State's last 8 games. The Wolfpack have been shooting very well from beyond the arc in their past 4 games and this has helped lead the way to an average of 81 points per game in their last 4 games. The issue for NC State has been not getting enough stops on the defensive end. The Wolfpack have a 2-7 mark in ACC action and a big reason for that record is that NC State has allowed 80 points per game in their 7 conference losses. Trying to slow down Florida State tonight is certainly likely to be an issue. The Seminoles are averaging 84 points per game on 50% shooting in games on their home floor this season. Florida State already put up 85 points in a road win at NC State last month and the Noles are fully capable of another big performance with more hot three point shooting (9 of 17 in the first meeting) in tonight's contest on their home floor. The over is 4-2 the past three seasons and 37-25 long-term in NC State games where they are playing with home loss revenge. The Wolfpack lost 85-78 to the Seminoles last month and another high-scoring game is on tap tonight as I look for NC State to shoot much better from three point land in this match-up. They've been "feeling it" from beyond the arc in recent games as noted above and the FSU defense may not be all that great tonight as they "relax" against a team they've already beaten this season.

Rickenbach NCAAB *10* Top Play OVER 138 at Evansville vs Wichita State @ 4 ET - The Purple Aces have proven time and time again that they are absolutely capable of shooting "lights out" especially when they are on their home floor. Evansville lost at Wichita State early this month and that game stayed under the total. However, the Aces lost by just three points to the Shockers and Evansville has the confidence on their home floor to push the pace a little more. I look for the Purple Aces, who are averaging 82 points per game at home this season, to push the pace in this one as they look to exploit the friendly confines of their home arena. Evansville is averaging 83 points per game at home this season and has shot 53.4% overall at home with a sizzling 39.2% accuracy rate from beyond the arc. This is a big game in Missouri Valley Conference action and the Shockers certainly will be ready to go as well. Wichita State is averaging 74.5 points per game this season and the Shockers have averaged 72.5 points per game in their last 6 meetings with the Aces. Evansville has really closed the gap in terms of talent level between these teams and that's why the recent series dominance of Wichita State is unlikely to continue. These teams first meeting was decided by just 3 points and I look for another close game here and one that is played at a fast pace as the Purple Aces will be hustling down the floor and jacking up threes - something they excel at. With that said, this game should easily eclipse the total!

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #595 - *10* Top Play OVER 134.5 in South Carolina vs Alabama @ 6 ET Saturday - South Carolina plays this game with big time revenge as less than three weeks ago the Gamecocks faced the Crimson Tide at Alabama and were held to 50 points and suffered their first loss of the season. Since that dreadful performance from the South Carolina offense, the Gamecocks have averaged 78 points per game game in their last four games. The 78 points is also the season average for the Gamecocks but the point is that South Carolina is also scoring well in conference action. The only time that the Gamecocks have been held under 69 points of offense in their 7 SEC games this season was the ugly loss at Alabama. With that said, I look for South Carolina to push very hard in this game as they look to secure a blowout win on their home floor. The reason that leads me to the over is because the Crimson Tide, under coach Avery Johnson, came into this season wanting to be a higher-scoring team. Coach Johnson wanted to make sure his team could play more of an uptempo style when needed. As expected, this has been necessary at times on the road in the SEC and the 3 Crimson Tide conference games away from home have all gone over the total. Alabama is allowing an average of 76 points per game on the SEC road and they aren't going to slow down the revenge-minded Gamecocks here. However, I do expect the Crimson Tide to do a great job of hanging with South Carolina in this one as Alabama's six losses since late November have come by a margin of 8 points or less in five of the six defeats. That means expecting a 76-68 type of game here is spot on. The over is 5-1 in South Carolina home games where they are a favorite of 6.5 to 9 points and I look for the over to improve to 4-0 in Alabama's SEC road games this season. 

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #721 - *10* Top Play OVER 148.5 in Florida International vs Charlotte @ 7 ET - Charlotte has an ugly record on this season but, not only have the 49ers won two straight games to build confidence, these guys can put up a ton of points in a hurry. Charlotte has averaged 85.4 points per game in their last 8 games. The problem for the 49ers is they are not particularly fond of playing defense. Charlotte is allowing 81.4 points per game on the season. That is why I like the over so much in this match-up as there is no reason that either team should be kept below 80 points in this game. The 49ers held Western Kentucky to 25% shooting from three point land but previously had allowed their last five opponents to each connect on 44.4% or better. That spells trouble as Charlotte now faces a Panthers team that loves to play at a frenetic pace and set up open looks for its potent offense. Florida International has seen 5 of their last 7 games go over the total as the Panthers have averaged 76 points per game. FIU has been shooting the ball very well during their current 7-2 winning run and the opportunity to face a Charlotte team that focuses on offense means things should be wide open for the Florida International offense once again tonight. The over is 3-1 (75%) in Panthers home games this season. The over is 14-5 in Charlotte road games where their line ranges from a pick to a +3. The over is also 17-7 in 49ers road games where the posted total is in a range of 145 to 149.5 points! 

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #539 - *10* Top Play OVER 125.5 in Tulane vs South Florida @ 8 ET - These teams combined for 151 points when they met at South Florida two weeks ago. Sure the Bulls and Green Wave have been unimpressive this season and sure they both have low scoring averages. However, what often happens when two bad teams meet is that they just "go off" on offense as they know this is a rare "winnable game" on their schedule. What helps add value to this theory Wednesday is that South Florida is off of a confidence-building win at Houston where the Bulls "went off" for 71 points. Tulane is off of an ugly 97-75 loss at Cincinnati marking the third time in their last five games that the Green Wave have allowed not only 50% or better from the field but, also, 50% or better from three point land! Tulane is 3-1 to the over this season when the total is in a range of 120 to 129.5 points. The Green Wave also are 4-2 to the over this season when they are off of a loss in conference action. South Florida likes to push the tempo when they are facing a weak foe and that is why they are 11-5 to the over the last 3 seasons when they face a team with a losing record. Look for the over to improve to 4-1 in the last 5 meetings between these teams!

Rickenbach NCAAB *10* Top Play OVER 143.5 in Iowa vs Purdue @ 1 ET Sunday - The last time these teams met in Iowa they combined for 87 points by the half and the game totaled 159 points by the final horn. I look for a similar result on Sunday. We are getting some line value here as already this total has moved downward off of it's 145 opener. A lot of this likely has to do with the fact the teams combined for just 133 points when they met at Purdue early this month. There is plenty of support for predicting a much higher scoring game in the rematch. The Hawkeyes have continued their winning ways but the result is they are starting to relax some on the defensive end. Iowa has allowed shooting percentages of 46.3% and 48.4% in their last two games. These two games each totaled 153 points or more as the Hawkeyes offense has made up for their shortcomings on the defensive end. Iowa is averaging 81.6 points per game this season and Purdue is not far behind with 79.5 points per game. The Boilermakers have scored at least 70 points in five straight games while the Hawkeyes have scored at least 70 points in 13 straight games. I realize this is a key Big Ten battle but I just don't see other defense being able to slow down the talented playmakers these teams each possess. The over is 3-1 in Purdue games this season when they are off of a win in conference action. The over is also a long-term 30-19 in Boilermakers games when they are playing with home loss revenge. The over is 7-3 in Iowa games when they are a favorite and the over is a perfect 3-0 in Hawkeyes home games with a posted total between 140 and 144.5 points this season. When Iowa is in a 'running and gunning' phase they normally maintain it. The over is 21-10 the past three seasons when the Hawkeyes are off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. 

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #553 - *10* Top Play OVER 140.5 in Nebraska vs Michigan - Both these teams have been scoring like crazy and neither one has been showing a particular affinity for playing a lot of stifling defense either. That said, the way to go here is the over. The Cornhuskers are 11-3 to the over this season and the Wolverines are 12-4 to the over. Both Nebraska and Michigan are a solid 5-1 (83%) to the over this season in conference match-ups. The Huskers are off of a big upset win at Michigan State on Wednesday so I don't expect them to be too focused on defense here are teams are often a little flat in terms of defensive intensity when they are off of a huge upset victory like that. The Huskers have now won 4 straight games and have shot 50% or better from the field in all four games. Nebraska has averaged 81 points per game during this hot streak and I don't expect Michigan's defense, particularly on the road, to be successful in shutting them down. The Wolverines have failed to cover 3 of their past 4 games and a lot of that has had to do with playing lackluster D. Michigan has allowed about 48% from the field in their past four games and given up an average of 76 points per game during this stretch. However, like the Huskers, the Wolverines have been scoring well and, in fact, they have scored 70 points or more in TEN straight games. In other words this game should easily get past the 140 mark today. *OVER*

Rickenbach NCAAB *10* Top Play OVER 135 in Wichita State vs Indiana State @ 4 ET - As you would expect, Indiana State is a large road dog here and that is certainly worth noting. When the Sycamores are a road dog of 12.5 points or more, the over has gone 21-9 the last 30 such occurrences. This includes a perfect 3-0 mark to the OVER the past three seasons combined. Also, when off of a conference game, Indiana State has gone 5-0 to the over this season. The Sycamores enter this game off of their fourth straight over as they are off of a win against Northern Iowa. Indiana State has scored at least 73 points in 7 of their last 8 games. The Sycamores are visiting a Wichita State team that has also been red hot on offense and, hence, the big play for me on the over Sunday afternoon. The Shockers have won 6 straight games and Wichita State has averaged 80 points per game in these six games! Overall, the over is 5-2 in the Shockers last 7 games and this match-up of two red-hot teams should feature plenty of success on the offensive end as each team is loaded with confidence right now. The last time these teams met the game stayed under the total but 7 of the 9 prior meetings between these teams resulted in overs and, the way these teams are playing right now, it should be a very entertaining and high-scoring affair at Wichita State Sunday afternoon. *10* Top Play OVER!