Navy was favored for both but these teams split a pair of games last season. Holy Cross returned a lot more from last year's team than Navy did. The Midshipmen lost a lot, as last year's senior class was a special one. In fact, their top 5 scorers from last year are all gone.

Navy coach Ed DeChellis acknowledged it would be challenging before the season: "It's going to be a major transition."

Facing a hungry and undervalued Holy Cross team, Navy will feel those losses. The Crusaders lack some size but Navy doesn't have the team to take advantage.

The Midshipmen are off a loss to Army and they are only 4-9 against the spread their last 13 tries, when off a Patriot League loss. Holy Cross has played a lot of road games but won its last home game decisively. Navy is 0-6 on the road. Grab the points! ***PATRIOT LEAGUE GOY***

No Morant. No problem. The Grizzlies just scored 121 in a victory at Phoenix. They scored 127 in their previous game. Each of the games on the current road trip have seen at least 236 points scored. On the season, Grizzly road games are much higher-scoring than games played at Memphis.

The Mavericks are the opposite of the Grizzlies. Their home games have been much higher-scoring than their road games. Games here average 237. The over is 7-2 when they play within their division.

Dallas has played much higher-scoring games against bad teams than good ones. The Mavericks scored 139 the last time that they faced a losing team. On the season, the over is 15-4 in 19 tries when the Mavericks were matched up against a team with a losing record. Go with the Over! ***SouthWest Division TOM***

These teams are both off close losses last night. The Suns fell by 6 to Memphis. The Clippers lost by 3 against the Lakers. This will be the second meeting in less than a week. The Clippers won at Phoenix, on 1/3.

The Suns are better than the Clippers when playing their 2nd game in 2 days. They're 4-1 SU in that situation this season, 20-11 their past 31. The Clippers are 2-3 SU in that situation this season, just 13-21 the past 34.

The only time that the Suns lost a back-to-back spot was a very competitive game. They lost by 4 at Brooklyn. The 4 wins came by 56 combined points.

The Suns aren't going to want to lose twice in a week to this team. They will continue their success when playing 2 games in 2 days. ***PACIFIC DIV GOM***

You guys know I like the Boston Bruins. I backed them in their last game. This is a team that they could face in the Stanley Cup Finals though and there are a few important factors that favor Colorado.

The Avalanche are much better at home than Boston is on the road. Colorado is 16-5 at home. Boston is 12-8 on the road.

The Avalanche lost their last game 8-4 and they are 30-12 (+12.1) their last 42 tries, when off a loss by 2 or more goals.

Over the same time-frame, the Avalanche are 51-30 in non-conf. games and 49-27 after allowing 4 or more goals. Embarrassed from giving up 8 goals and from being swept by the Bruins last year, they will deliver an appropriate response! ***NON-CONF GOW****

In this battle of the Cardinals, I'm grabbing the points with visitors. Don't read too much into the non-conference records. Incarnate Ward won a couple of games with no line but has been an underdog in all 12 lined games. It was. a fairly challenging schedule and they won't be intimidated tonight.

Lamar is 0-5 straight-up the past 5 times it was off a conference win. Lamar is also 0-5 against the spread the past 5 times it was a home favorite in the 6.5 to 9 range.

The road team won both meetings last year. IW won by 6 here last January. Both teams played Saturday. Lamar is 1-19 straight up the past 20 times it was in that spot. IW is 15-5 against the spread the past 20 lined tries when playing with 1 or 0 day's rest in between games. So far, they have won by 9 and lost by 2 in that situation this season. Grab the points! ***SOUTHLAND GOY***

Two undefeated teams, playing for the title. What could be better? For all the complaining, it ended up working out. As much as I love this Washington team, its magical run comes to an end on Janurary 8th.

The Huskies were able to dominate time of possession against Texas. That's not going to happen against Michigan. They were also able to throw for more than 400 yards. That's also not going to happen against the Wolverines.

Defense wins championships and Michigan's defense is the real deal. One of the best we've seen in recent years. The Wolverines held Alabama to less than 100 yards in the first half. Their 9.5 points allowed per game during the regular season was the best in the nation.

These teams met in 2021. The Huskies were able to move the ball through the air but the Wolverines dominated them on the ground. Michigan went on to win 31-10. A young Blake Corum carried the ball 21 times for 171 yards and 3 touchdowns. (Haskins also ran for 155 yards.) Now its Corum and Edwards instead of Corum and Haskins, Corum leading the charge. He'll have his way with Washington and carry Michigan to the title.

Miami wasn't good last week. That will cause a lot of people to stay away or to back Buffalo. When handicapping the NFL, its important to learn from the previous week but its also important to be able to "wash away" recency bias. Many bettors base too much of their handicapping on what they just saw, forgetting about what may been going on all season.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel provided some perspective: "If we had said that after Week 4 that we're going to play this Buffalo team again, and it will be the last game of the season for the division crown, I think everyone would have accepted that. That's some perspective that I talked to the team about. Their eyes were laser focused -- they will be eager to wash away this past game. The only way you can do that is to prepare for the next one."

Miami was on the road for the bad Baltimore loss and for the previous loss to Buffalo. The Dolphins are now at home where they are 7-1 on the season. The Bills are also 7-1 at home but they're only 3-4 on the road.

They haven't fared well in the series for years but the Dolphins did win 21-19 the last game played at Miami. In what will likely be another close game, homefield will again make the difference. Grab the points! ***GAME OF MONTH***

The Mustangs are off a 65-54 win. That was at home against Charlotte though. They're just 4-11-2 against the spread their last 17 tries after allowing 60 or less.

The Tigers are 4-2-1 against the spread the past 7 tried as home favorites of -6.5 to -9 points. The Tigers are also 14-5-2 ATS their last 21 tries against teams which allow 64 or fewer points.

The Tigers won 2 meetings in 2023 by 19 and 15 points. They will again be too much for the Mustangs to handle! ***AAC GOM***

Both these teams got a lot better as the season progressed. The Bears started terribly but have currently won back-to-back games and have victories in 4 of their last 5. The Packers entered November with a 2-5 record but now find themselves at 8-8 and in control of their own playoff destiny.

A big part of the reason for the improvement comes on the defensive side. Since Week 11, the Bears have allowed fewer than 20 points four times. They have 16 takeaways during that time. In fact, the Bears defense now leads the NFL in interceptions.

The Packers just held the Vikings to 10 points to close out 2023. Minnesota managed just 211 yards.

The last meeting at Lambeau finished with 37 points. With both offenses missing some important players, the final score will again stay below the total! ***NFC TOTAL OF THE MONTH***

Still angry about last week's controversy, the Lions say they want to win. The Vikings technically still have hope. Realistically, however, this game likely doesn't mean much. The Vikings won't be going to the playoffs and the Lions will be locked into the #3 seed.

Nick Mullens is back at QB and he threw 4 picks last time these teams met. He will miss throwing to Hockensen. The reliable tight-end had 4 receptions for 58 yards in the first meeting.

For all the bluster, I'm projecting a lower scoring game. Detroit is off a 20-19 loss. Minnesota managed only 10 points last week and has scored just 71 total points over the last 5 games, an average of 14. Vikings are 5-3 to the under on the road. This one will also stay under! ***EARLY RISER***

This line is too big. BYU has a good team and brings a top 25 ranking into tonight's game. The Cougars do have a quality win over SD State and they did blow out Arizona State. They also lost to Utah and the rest of the schedule has been soft. I don't think all that much of Arizona State and the victory over the Aztecs was by single-digits.

To put it another way, I'm not convinced the Cougars are as good as their ranking suggests. Conference play is here, the Cougars' first Big 12 game. They're hosting a solid and competitive Cincinnati team. Importantly, BYU will miss Fousseyni Traore in this game, an important player who played a key role in the victories over ASU and SDSU.

The Bearcats are 11-2. Only one loss came by more than 5 points. They won't make BYU's Big 12 debut easy. Grab the points! ***BIG 12 GOY***

First game went over but these teams are not the same ones that faced each other at beginning of the season. Both offenses are missing a lot of important weapons. First game had a total of 40.5 This one is much higher. That gives us a lot more room to maneuver.

The Texans defense has come to life. Last week, Houston allowed only 3 points. They gave up just 11 first downs and 187 total yards. Last road game, the Texans allowed only 16 points.

The Colts last 3 games have all finished with 43 points or less. They are going to want to run the ball. The Texans are strong at stopping the run. This will add up to a low-scoring defensive battle. ***AFC TOM***

I'm aware of the O|U stats. Both teams have gone over at an alarming rate. Both this season and for the past few seasons. Obviously, I'm not the only one that sees this. With every passing over, the numbers keep going up and up. Now we get a total approaching 170. That's too high. Even for these teams. For the record, its by far the highest total that either team has seen all year. Games on this floor are averaging 149.6 points this season. They may get a few more than that this game but they won't get enough to finish over the inflated total. Go with the Under! ***TOM***

These are 2 good teams but the Bruins have a few important things working for them. They play at home. Not only are the Bruins extremely tough in their own building but the Lightning are poor on the road.

The Bruins are healthier. Tampa's injury list is rather lengthy. The Bruins are off a loss in their last game and they also lost in OT, at Tampa earlier. Both those events will assure their very best performance today. Go with BOSTON! ***ATLANTIC DIV GOM***

Two teams at opposite ends of the MAC Conference spectrum. The Akron Zips won 22 games last seaon and they are the clear favorite to win the MAC this season. Put simply, the Zips are loaded.

Bowling Green was 5-13 in MAC play last year and 11-20 overall. With only 1 returning starter and a 1st year coach, the Falcons are likely going to struggle again.

Playing at home, the Falcons just gave up 90 points to Eastern Michigan. Playing on the road against a much better team and they may easily give up even more. Akron is 5-0 at home, outscoring teams 87 to 59.4. The Zips won last year's game here by 14 and this will be an even bigger blowout. ***MAC GOY***

These clubs just faced each other in EPL action. It was a high-scoring 4-1 win for Wolverhampton. Now they meet in the third round of FA Cup play. Wolverhampton is missing its top scorer, Hwang Hee-chan. Brentford will be happy he's not available as he just scored twice against them. The aggressive attacker will be missed.

Prior to the 4-1 match, two previous matches between these clubs resulted in scores of 2-0 and 1-1. Without Hwang Hee-chan terrorizing the Bees, this FA Cup match will play out like those two previous matches. Go with the Under. ***FA CUP TOW***

The recent Christmas Day game snuck under the closing total, barely. A low-scoring 4th quarter did in those who bet the over. Tonight's game will be higher-scoring.

The last 4 meetings have all taken place in Denver. The last time that the Nuggets played here, the teams combined for 251 points. The last 5 meetings here are 4-1 to the over.

The Warriors weren't happy with the way the Christmas game went down. They thought the officiating was poor. Their last 2 games have had 236 points and 254. They are 12-4 to the over their last 16 when playing with revenge. Go with the OVER! ***WESTERN CONF TOM***

Minnesota picked the wrong time to visit! The Wolverines have failed to cover 3 straight games and they are a perfect 6-0 against the spread their last 6 in that situation.

The Gophers are 0-3 against the spread their last 3 tries as a road underdog of 6.5 to 9 points. They are 19-41 ATS their last 60 in that role!

The Gophers are also 1-6 ATS and 0-7 straight up the past 7 times that they played a road game where the total ranged from 150 to 154.5.

The Wolverines believe they are improved from last year and will show it against the worst team in the conference. They won last year's 2 games by an average of 9.5 points and this will be an even bigger win! ***BIG TEN GOY***

The Mountain West Conference is loaded. These teams are at opposite ends of it. The Aztecs are loaded again after winning 32 games last year. The Bulldogs lost 20 games last year and are destined for another challenging season.

The Aztecs closed 2023 with 4 straight wins. The last 3 all came by double-digits, including a road win at Gonzaga. They are 6-0 at home and they have momentum heading into the new year and Conference play.

The Bulldogs lost by 20 the last time that they were up against a top level opponent. They don't have the athletes or depth to compete against SDSU for the whole game. Fresno State starting point guard Isaiah Hill missed last game with a hand injury and is questionable. If he can't go, or if he's less than 100%, it will hurt the Bulldogs even more. Either way, they are in trouble.

The Aztecs are 24-17 against the spread in MWC play the last 2 seasons and they will start this year with a blowout. ***MWC GOY**

Both teams entered the Christmas break streaking to the under. The long layoff and the start of Big East Conference play will change things up.

Last year's totals were set at 145.5 and 147.5. Tonight's number isn't as high meaning we don't need to score as many. Xavier games are averaging 145 points.

The Musketeers are 9-4 to the over the past 13 times they were off a game where they allowed 60 or fewer points. Over the same period, they are 2-0 to the over when playing with 7 or more day's rest.

The Wildcats scored 84 last game but the total snuck under because Depaul couldn't score. Xavier will be more competitive.

Last year's game at Villanova sailed over the total. The final score was 88-80. This game will also go Over! ***BIG EAST TOM***

Capitals are underdogs on the money-line which allows the opportunity to play them at +1.5 goals on the puck-line. We saw how valuable those extra +1.5 goals can be yesterday, as I cashed in with the Islanders in a game where they lost 5-4.

Washington won last night and got some of its mojo back. The Devils are partly such big favorites because of the Capitals playing for a second straight day. They've won 6 of 7 games in that situation this season and the only loss came by a 1 goal. Four of their last 5 tries, including each of the past 3, when playing 2 games in 2 days, resulted in 1-goal games.

The Capitals have dominated division rivals this season, including 2 wins at New Jersey.

None of the Devils last 9 visits here have resulted in a NJ win by more than a goal. 7 of the past 8 meetings here have been 1 goal games including each of the last 4. Play Washington on puck-line! ***METRO DIV GOM***

This is a battle of top clubs. Girona FC is tied (with Real Madrid) with 45 points, most in La Liga. Atletico Madrid and Barcelona are next with 38 points a piece. Both can score but both are also adept at keeping the ball out of the net.

Girona is off a 1-1 draw. Atletico Madrid is off a 1-0 victory. Three of its last 4 games have finished with 2 goals or less.

Girona can score but doesn't usually do so against Atletico Madrid. The last h2h meeting had a final score of 1-0. The last 5 h2h matches have all finished with three goals or less. Four of those finished below that mark. This one will too. Go with the UNDER! ***LA LIGA TOY***

This number is too high! Both teams have gone over lately so that has given us a large number. Conference play is different though. This is the first AAC game of the season for both and there will be some added defensive intensity.

UAB plays lower-scoring games on the road than it does at home. The opposite is true of UTSA. The Roadrunners play lower-scoring games at home. Games here average 155 but UAB road games average just 145.4.

Six of the past 9 meetings here in San Antonio have gone to the under. Give me the Under! ***AAC TOTAL OF THE MONTH***

Southern Illinois comes off a great season but the Salukis lost their 2 best scorers from that team. Though they've fared pretty well lately, Belmont presents a more difficult matchup. The Bruins are always one of the better teams in the Missouri Valley Conference. This year will be no different.

Jones and Domask scored 30 of SIU's 63 points in last year's meeting. Both are gone and they will be missed.

Since a blowout loss at Arizona, Belmont is 7-2, winning 7 of the past 8. Both losses came by single-digits.

SIU just played before the new year and Belmont comes in rested. The Bruins are 3-1 (straight up and ATS) the past 4 times that they played with 7 or more day's rest in between games. In a close game, where the underdog Bruins have a great chance at the outright win, give me the points! ***MVC GOY**

Give me the extra 0.5 goal with Villarreal. Valencia is a little ahead in the standings but these clubs are very close. Both won their last match. Even with its victory, Valencia has only won 6 of 18 league matches. Expecting them to win is asking a lot. Villareal only has 2 defeats in its last 6 matches. Valencia is winless its last 3 against Villarreal. Villareal won both matches at home and it got a 1-1 draw here at Estadio Mestalla. At least another draw appears likely. Go with the visitors! ***LA LIGA GOM***

When you get this far, it goes without saying that all the teams are excellent. Texas was 12-1. Washington was 13-0. Texas lost against Oklahoma but beat Alabama. Washington beat Oregon (twice) and USC.

I backed Texas in its last game, a blowout of Texas Tech. The Huskies are not the Red Raiders. The Longhorns average 36.2 points a game. The Huskies can score with anyone though. They average 37.7.

The biggest reason that the Longhorns are favored is that they are considered to have a superior defense. Maybe so. But the Huskies are better on that side of the ball than the public realizes. They held 3 opponent to 10 or less. If they couldn't stop a team, the Huskies just outscored them.

Another reason that the Longhorns are favored is that Washington won a lot of close games. The Huskies won 4 games by 3 points or less. Each of their last 9 games was decided by 10 or less. All those narrow margins give people the impression that the Huskies were lucky to win some of those. I like that they won all those close games though. This team finds a way to get it done!

There's also the perception, by many, that the Big 12 is superior to the Pac-12. I disagree. The Pac-12 was stronger this season than people think. There were a lot of good teams and Washington beat every one of them which it faced.

The Longhorns are 1-3 ATS their last 4 tries when playing with 2 or more week's rest. Off their bye this season, they won by only 7 when listed as a 24 point favorite. The Huskies, who beat Oregon when off their bye, are 7-3 ATS their last 10 non-conference games. This game will likely be very close and I'm taking the points. ***BOWL GOY***

This is the 4th meeting. The first two saw Indiana win 126-124 (at Indiana) and 128-119. The second of those was the Eastern Finals for the In-Season-Tournament, in Las Vegas. That loss didn't sit very well with the Bucks. With the third meeting being played at Milwaukee, they beat up the Pacers 140-126.

The Pacers have won 3 straight for the 3rd time this season. Each previous time they lost their next game. Each defeat came by 9 or more.

The Pacers are 7-9 ATS against winning teams. The Bucks are 8-4 ATS against winning teams. Lay the points with Milwaukee! **CENTRAL GOM**

The first outdoor game ever played in Seattle will be a good one. They're expecting a great turnout to see the Kraken host the defending Stanley Cup champions. I won't worry about who wins but I really like the total. Even if the ice conditions aren't an issue, this has all the makings of a defensive game.

This will be the 4th meeting since the start of 2023. Two in April and one in October. Scores of those games were 4-1, 3-1 and 3-1.

Vegas has scored 3 goals or less in three straight games. Seven goals over the 3-game span. Seattle has scored 3 or fewer goals in 6 straight games. During those 6 games, the Kraken scored just 14 goals. Their last 4 games had scores of 2-1, 2-1, 3-1 and 3-2. Go with the Under. **NHL TOM**

This is obviously a very low total. Too low! Playing at a very fast pace, the Volunteers average 31.5 points and their games average 53.5. They scored 48 last game and allowed 38 and 36 in their previous 2 games.

The Volunteers had a game back in mid-October which finished with 33 points. Other than that, every other one of their games produced at least 43 points. The Vols QB (Milton) opted-out but his replacement (Iamaleava) is a bigtime player who will assume the starting role next season. Offensively, they're still in good shape. However, the Tennessee secondary did take a lot of hits and is depleted.

The time off will allow Iowa's offense time to prepare. Again, Tennessee's defense isn't 100%. The Hawkeyes have scored 21, 17, 49 and 27 their past 4 bowl games. Even if they get 14-17 here, which they will, the Volunteers will be able to do the rest. ***BOWL TOM***

Detroit has clinched the division but these teams are both still alive in the Wildcard hunt. The winner of this game will have a reasonable chance. The loser will pretty much have no hope. I'm not going to speculate on who wins. Instead, I'm going with the over.

The Packers are 5-0 to the over their last 5 games. Each of those games had at least 46 points. The last one had 63.

The Vikings are 2-0 to the over their last 2 games. Both finished with more than 50.

This season's first meeting was low-scoring. That also happened last year. The second game was much higher-scoring, finishing with 58 points last New Year's Day. This number is too low. Go with the Over. ***NFC North TOM***

This total is too high. Arizona State saw its last game go over by half a point. A tough loss for anyone who bet the under. The Sun Devils scored only 49 and 56 points in their last two games before the Stanford win.

The Golden Bears got lit up by Arizona last game. The Sun Devils aren't the Wildcats though. Off that loss, Cal will look to bounce back with a much better defensive display.

The last meeting was also a tough loss for anyone who bet the under. It finished with 132 points, a game that had a total of 128.5. That went to Overtime though. Only 114 points were scored in regulation. None of the last 5 meetings have gone over 140.

Even off the Stanford result, the Sun Devils are 4-1 to the under as underdogs. They are also 13-5 to the under their last 18 against sub-500 competition. Go with the Under. ***PAC 12 TOY***

Buffalo fought hard to win yesterday. Ottawa had the day off. Buffalo is 13-24 last 37 tries in a back-to-back. The Senators have won 2 of their last 3. After this comes a long road trip. They need a win before they go. They play with revenge from an early season loss to the Sabres. Ottawa had a 38-24 edge in shots in that game. Senators win this one! ***Atlantic Div GOW***

The Ravens looked pretty convincing against the 49ers but the Dolphins are a different type of team. Miami averages more than 30 points a game and the defense has gotten progressively stronger.

Baltimore scores a lot but Miami scores more. Last season, the Ravens scored 38 against the Dolphins and it still wasn't enough. Miami won 42-38.

The Ravens are off that big statement win on National TV. That was on Monday night on the West Coast. They're now traveling back across the country to play an early game on a short week.

The Dolphins have something to prove and Baltimore linebacker Queen added fuel to the fire by talking about "teams being cute and playing basketball on grass."

The Dolphins have won 5 of their last 6 and the only loss came by 1. They will prove to the world that they aren't soft on Sunday. ***AFC GOY***

The Kings are going to want this game more than the Oilers. They just lost to Vegas, the defending champs, and will be looking to restore order to close out the year. They also face the Oilers for the first time since Edmonton eliminated them (for the 2nd straight year) in the playoffs.

Though the Oilers have been hot, they are still only 16-15-1. The Kings are 20-8-4. We're getting the team with the best winning percentage in the West, coming in with a score to settle, against a team barely only .500. And we don't even have to lay a big price.

I like the Oilers but they won't be ready for what they encounter tonight. LA is the best defensive team in hockey. The Kings allow only 2.34 goals per game. Edmonton allows 3.31. per game. This is an LA team committed to defense. Coach Todd McLellan said this after the 3-2 Vegas loss: "For me, the disappointment wasn't not getting three goals, it was giving up three." Kings win. ***Western Conf. GOM***

Off consecutive losses, the Cowboys really need this one. They are still fighting the Eagles for first place in the NFC East. The Lions do still want a first round bye but they are off consecutive wins and have already locked up first place in the division. In my estimation, this game is more important to the Cowboys.

The Cowboys are an entirely different team at home. They pounded the Eagles 33-13 last game here. They are outscoring teams 39.9 to 15.4 in games here. I played against them in the only game that they didn't cover here but the Cowboys are 7-0 straight up and 6-1 against the spread in their 7 home games.

Prescott has 20 touchdowns against only 2 interceptions in the games here, completing 74% of his passed. Coach McCarthy said this of the Cowboys' homefield advantage: "We've been able to get into a rhythm early and be able to just keep your foot on the gas. The crowds have been great."

Detroit gets a reality check and Dallas stays perfect at home. ***NFC GOM***

To these teams, home-court really matters. Little Rock is 6-3 at home but 1-3 on the road. Tennessee St is 5-1 at home but 1-5 on the road. The Tigers outscore visiting teams 84.5 to 67.3. The Trojans are 0-2 against the spread as away underdogs. They get outscored 81 to 75 on the road.

Last season, UALR won by 12 at Little Rock but the Tigers won by 25 when they played at Nashville. That game was also the final day of the calendar year, as it was played on New Year's Eve.

Tennessee State won 18 games last season. Little Rock only brought back 1 starter from last year's 10-21 team. The Trojans won't be ready for the Tigers on Saturday afternoon. ***Ohio Valley GOM***

These rivals almost always play close games against each other. The last three meetings were all ultra close. Stanford won by 1 and Arizona State won by 4 points, twice.

Six of the last 7 meetings have been decided by 5 or less. The lone exception was a 9-point ASU win. That allows you to conclude that none of the last 7 meetings have resulted in Stanford wins of greater than 5. An even closer look shows that Stanford only won 2 of those 7 games and that both of the victories were by 3 or less.

Stanford may have closed the gap on Arizona State a little but not enough to lay this many points. The Sun Devils won 23 games last year and went to the NCAA Tournament. Stanford was 14-19.

The Sun Devils thrive in this role. They are 5-0 against the spread the last 5 tries when they were road underdogs of 3.5 to 6. I'll take the points! ***PAC 12 GOY***

San Antonio won here last night. Portland won't let it happen again. Last night's game was over before it started. The Spurs were up 38-14 by the end of the first quarter. The Trail Blazers will get off to a better start tonight.

San Antonio's star rookie Victor Wembanyama had 30 points, six rebounds, six assists and seven blocks last night. He won't play tonight.

The Trail Blazers are 3-0 against the spread the last 3x they played 2 games in 2 days. The Spurs last 3 tries in a b2b spot all resulted in double-digit losses. They are 5-14-1 ATS their last 20 when playing 2 games in 2 days.

The Trail Blazers have a long road trip after this game. They can't afford to get swept by the Spurs. Portland wins big! ***REVENGE GOW***

Previous meetings this season have had totals of 6 instead of 5.5. The lower number offers us excellent line value.

New York's last game had 7 goals. The previous game had 9. Three of the Capitals last 4 road games versus the Islanders have finished with at least 6 goals.

Washington allowed 5 goals last game. The Capitals have struggled to score in recent games and will be pleased to know that the Islanders are missing a few defensemen.

The Islanders are 20-14-1 to the over this season. Go with the over. ***TOTAL OF WEEK***

Wright State is a top team in the Horizon League. The Raiders play very fast and have a lot of scoring talent. They are averaging more than 84 points a game. Last 4 games, they scored 81, 84, 92 and 101.

Though they don't score the same way that Wright State does, the Phoenix scored 79 points last game. They average 68.8 points at home. Because Wright State pushes the pace, opposing teams tend to score a lot. The Raiders are allowing 82.5 ppg on the road. All their road games have gone over.

The Raiders have scored 77, 77, 99 and 79 in the past 4 meetings, an average of 83. They will reach the 80 mark again this afternoon and the Phoenix will contribute the rest. ***HORIZON LEAGUE TOM***

It's a low number. Not low enough. These are two of the best defenses in football. Neither offense is consistent.

The Jets offense is especially anemic. They managed to score 30 in each of their last 2 home games but they scored 0 last time that they were on the road. They average just 12 points per road game.

Cleveland home games are lower-scoring than Clev. road games. The Browns allow only 13.1 points per game here, scoring just 20.5.

The Browns have allowed less than 300 yards in five of their past six games. The Browns rank 1st against the pass (160.1 yards per game), 1st in total defense (260.3 yards per game), 1st in yards per play (4.46 yards) and 1st in interception rate (3.46 percent).

With Flacco and Semian projected to be behind center, this game goes under. ***TNF TOM***

Both teams have played some unders of late. That has kept the total lower than it could have been. Too low. Indiana games average 251.2 points.

The Pacers play at a very fast pace and they play even higher-scoring games on the road. When away from Indiana, their games average 255.2 points. They are 11-2 to the over on the road.

When favored, the Bulls go under. When they are underdogs, as they are here, the opposite is true. They are 13-7 to the Over when listed as underdogs.

Indiana's last visit here went way over the total, finishing with 247. I'm projecting an even higher-scoring game tonight. Go with the Over. ***Central TOY***

Homecourt will make a big difference for this Horizon League battle. Last season, the Golden Grizzlies won by 3 at Oakland but the Vikings won by 16 in the game at Cleveland State. The Golden Grizzlies started out covering the spread every game but have cooled off. They got destroyed in their last 2 games and are 1-4 their last 5. That's straight up and against the spread. The Vikings started slowly but have since caught fire. They are off back to back big wins and have covered the spread in 4 straight. Grizzlies are 2-4 against the spread last 6 when playing with 7 or more day's rest. The Vikings play 4 of their next 5 on the road and will protect their homecourt on Thursday. ***Horizon League GOM***

The fact that both these clubs can score has been worked into the line. We've got a high number to work with. Too high. Tottenham's last 2 matches had scores of 2-1 and 2-0. Brighton's last 5 matches had scores of 1-1, 2-0, 1-0, 1-1 and 2-1.

In looking at the last 10 h2h matches, it is revealed that al1 10 finished with 3 goals or less. 21 combined goals for the 10 matches, an average of 2.1 per.

Given the current form of these clubs, I've got this one also finishing with 3 or less. Go with the Under. ***Total Of Week***

USC games mostly went over the total this season. Their final 2 games did go under though and this isn't the same team that was flying over at the start of the season. Nearly 20 Trojam players have opted out, including Caleb Williams. Instead of a Heisman Trophy winner, they'll have a QB (Miller Moss) making his first start. That's obviously a pretty big deal. The Cardinals can really play defense. They allow 307.4 yards per game, 16th in the country, entering the bowl season. They give up only 19.7 points a game. Ashton Gillotte (11 sacks) is an elite defensive end who will give the inexperienced USC pivot problems. The Cardinals are without some of their own top offensive players. Running back Jawhar Jordan (1,128 yards, 15 touchdowns) and wide receiver Jamari Thrash (63 catches, 858 yards) both opted out out to focus on the NFL draft. The Cardinals scored only 6 points last game. This is a chance for the USC defense to prove its better than the stats suggest. Go with the Under! ***BOWL TOY***

The Magic just went over against the Wizards last night. Washington doesn't play defense though and the 76ers do. Also, Washington is a divisional opponent and Philadelphia is not. The over is now 6-0 in Orlando's division games. They are 14-8-1 to the under when they play outside of the division. Last meeting finished with only 199 points. Second time in a week that Orlando played 2 games in 2 days. Last time was against Milwaukee. That game stayed under and this one will, too. ***Eastern Conf. TOM***

A break will lead to fresh legs and a lot of points on Tuesday. It should also allow Kyle Kuzma time to get back for Washington. Magic have been playing pretty low-scoring games but not when the face divisional opponents. The Over is 5-0 in Magic divisional action. Games with Washington have been especially high-scoring. The Magic are content to run with the up-tempo Wizards. This season's first 2 games had scores of 139-120 and 130-125. Washington is 19-5 to the over last 24 home games with a total of 230 or more, 7-1 this season. This season's games were played at Orlando but these teams are also 4-0 to the over last 4 here in Washington. Go with the OVER! **Southeast TOY**

Aston Villa's last match was a low-scoring 1-1 draw, no thanks to VAR. That's unusual for Villa though. Games are typically exciting and full of goals. Only Manchester City has scored more goals than AV. After getting blanked 2-0 by West Ham, United will bounce back to find the back of the net. Two of the last 3 head-to-head meetings have finished with more than 3 goals. Go with the Over! **Golden Boot**

This total is too low. Philadelphia games average 50 points. Both teams allow more than 24 points a game. These teams play again in New York in 2 weeks. That game might be low-scoring but this one won't be. The Eagles are 5-1 to the over at home. Their only game which didn't go over the total here still finished with 48 points. Their other 5 home games had scores of 62, 65, 51, 71 and 61. The Giants have played 2 divisional games since the start of November and both finished with 50 or more points. Go with the Over! ***NFC EAST TOM***

Give me the points with the Warriors. Warriors lost by 3 points here in November and GSW is 55-38 against the spread in the revenge role last few years. Last 2 meetings have both been decided by 3 or less. Warriors are 5-2 against the spread last 7 visits here. Nuggets have won 4 in a row but they failed to cover the last game which brought them to 1-7 ATS after 3 or more straight wins. They are 18-34 against the spread their last 52 in that situation. In another close encounter, Warriors will move to 4-1 against the spread when off a win by 10 or more. **Western Conf GOM**

Both teams went over Friday, when playing 2 games in 2 days. They had yesterday off and defense will now be the order of the day. Both teams hold opponents below 40% field goal shooting. Nevada is 4-2 to the under last 6 tries with a total in the 140 to 149.5 range, 6-4 to the under when favored. G-Tech is 5-2 to the under when listed as an underdog, also 5-2 with a total in the 140s. The under will move to 8-3 the last 11 time that the Yellow Jackets played on a neutral court. **TOTAL DOMINATOR**

Given the Patriots' offensive woes, it would be pretty easy to make a case for the under. New England ranks last in the league in points per game. That's been factored into the total though. This is the lowest O|U line on the board. Its lower than yesterday's game. Its lower than any today and its lower than any tomorrow. Next Thursday's game between the Jets and Browns has opened with a similarly low number. That's 2 great defenses though. The Patriots don't fall into that category. The Broncos certainly don't. Denver just allowed 42 points last game. The Broncos allow more than 25 points per game, the Patriots allow more than 21. Five of Denver's last 6 games have finished with at least 39. This is number is too low! ***SNF TOY***

The Titans are dealing with injuries but they are still giving everything they've got. Seattle, which has its own injury problems, kept its hopes alive with a big win last week but that was by 3 points on the final play. The Seahawks had lost their previous 3 and are now playing on a short week. They are 2-5 on the road. The Titans are 4-2 at home. Since a 7-point win to close out November, the Titans have seen all 3 of their games decided by 3 or less. The Titans won the last meeting by 3 points, in OT. They are 15-6-4 against the spread their last 25 against AFC West opposition. This will likely be another close one. Grab the points.

Atlanta home games have been going to the over all season. Games here average 251.7 points. They are 8-2-1 to the over here. Memphis games have been lower-scoring but the Grizzlies only recently got Ja Morant back. Last time that the Grizzlies and Hawks met, they combined for 243 points. Morant had 27 and Young had 28. This one will be even higher-scoring. The Hawks are 3-1-1 to the over when playing 2 games in 2 days. Last time they played a home game after playing the previous day, the combined score was 292. ***NON-CONF TOW***

This season's first game had a final score of 16-10. Saturday's game will also be low-scoring. This is a late December divisional game. Both banged-up offense is led by a backup quarterback. Browning has impressed but he will be without Ja'Marr Chase. Over their last 5 games, the Steelers have scored 10, 16, 10, 18 and 13 points. The defense struggled last week but had previously held 8 of 9 opponents to 21 or less. Both defenses are dealing with some injuries but both will come to play. Rudolph's last start finished with 32 points, a 16-16 tie. This game will have a lot of running plays and that's going to keep the score down. Go with the under. ***AFC NORTH TOY***

This game will be played at Enterprise Center, in St. Louis. Illinois is 0-2 against the spread last 2 times it was a neutral court favorite of 6.5 to 9 points. Missouri is 2-0 against the spread as a neutral court underdog of 6.5 to 9 points. One of those games occurred on this very day, at this very venue, last year. Illinois was favored by 6.5 points for that December 22nd, 2022 game. Playing in front of a packed house, Missouri won by 22! At one point, the Tigers went on a 41-15 run. The Illini are only 4-9 against the spread their last 13 on a neutral court. All the Tigers' losses have been close. Give me the points. ***CBB UNDERDOG GOW***

I like the Oilers. They've got some great talent and they're fun to watch. Last night's 3rd period outburst was impressive. The Oilers are in a difficult spot tonight though. They're in busy New York City playing their final game before Christmas. They beat New Jersey last night. The Rangers had the day off. The Rangers have the best record in the Eastern Conference. They have been far more consistent than Edmonton and they already beat the Oilers 3-0. The Rangers are 3-0 their past 3 games, outscoring teams 12-4. They won 5-1 the last time that they were on home ice. The Oilers have been fortunate to avoid back-to-back situations and aren't used to playing in them. They will feel it in their legs tonight. ***DECEMBER GAME OF MONTH***

Georgia Tech is happy just to be here and is looking to build on next year. The last time that the Yellow Jackets were in a bowl was 2018 and they got blown out. Coach Key said: "What I want to do is to be able to get as many opportunities as we can early on to keep our guys in shape to hone their skills so we haven't lost what we've been able to build through the season. Get guys a lot of situational football, a lot of third downs, red area, two-minute, four-minute-type situations." UCF is here to win. Senior quarterback John Rhys Plumlee returned from injury down the stretch and that coincided with the Knights' hot November. This will mark their 3rd Gasparilla Bowl win in five seasons. So, they're very familiar. We saw the Bulls thrive in their home state yesterday and this venue should also favor the team from Florida. UCF dominated GT in 2022 and also in 2020. The Jackets have improved but not enough. They've struggled outside of their conference with 3 wins in their last 12 tries. Lay the points! ***BOWL GOM***

Aston Villa has a strong chance of reaching or exceeding this total by itself. This is a case of the top offense in the EPL against the worst defense in the EPL. With 37 goals in 17 league matches, Villa has scored more goals than any other team. With 43 goals allowed in 17 matches, Sheffield United has conceded more goals than any other team. Villa allows more than a goal per game and Sheffield doesn't usually get blanked. So the underdog should also contribute to the scoring. I'll call for a 3-1 final but it realistically could easily finish with more than that. ***EPL TOW***

With both teams off a game yesterday, the Miners will benefit from being at home at the Don Haskins Center. They're very good on this floor. Yesterday's close win was a good wake-up and it shows that they can win the tight ones. The Cowboys lost a lot from last season and that that will be noticed in this 2 games in 2 days spot. This is a spot where they could use injured Kenny Foster. This game is a big deal for the Miners and their fans. The Miners won by 11 the last time that they faced their old WAC rival. They'll also win tonight's championship game. ***Tourney GOM***

Both teams are off Wednesday losses. The Lakers fell 124-108 to Chicago. The TimberWolves dropped a 127-113 decision at Philadelphia. That's going to lead to better defense tonight. Minnesota is 3-1 to the under when off a loss of 10 or more points. Los Angeles is 5-2 to the under when off a loss of 10 or more. Last meeting between these clubs resulted in a 108-102 final in a game which had a total of 233. With that result, the under moved to 7-1 the last 8 times that these teams met. This one will also stay under! ***NBA TOW***

This is it! The Pistons Christmas wish will be answered. In their final home game before the holiday, the Pistons get to face a Utah team which is terrible on the road and which is playing in a back-to-back situation. Well-rested and happy to be back home, the Pistons will extend a 13-8-1 against the spread record, after playing their previous 3 games on the road. Detroit covered the spread last game and has shown signs of fighting, despite playing much better teams than Utah. The Jazz are 2-13 on the road. This will be their 6th game in 9 days. Stop the presses. Detroit wins a game! ***Underdog GOY***

Both the Dons and the Lumberjacks have been staying under the total in the majority of their games this season. All those unders have resulted in a very low O|U total for tonight's game. Too low! The last time these teams played, the total was set at 151. After struggling to score on the road last game, San Francisco will emphasize scoring in this game. The only previous game where they scored 60 or less saw their next game go over with 147. They've averaged 87 points in staying perfect on their home floor. Games here average 147 points. Northern Arizona has scored 76 or more in 4 straight games but the Lumberjacks have also allowed 74 or more in 3 straight. This game goes over the low total! ***TOTAL OF WEEK***

This is the first meeting of the season between these Atlantic Division rivals. The home team won all 4 meetings last season. The Knicks won by 24 and 18 points at Madison Square Garden. The Nets prevailed by 7 and 27 points when they where the host. Both teams were recently on the road against Western Conference opposition. Off 3 straight losses to close their trip, the Nets are going to be going all out to stop their losing streak. The only previous occasion where they lost 3 in a row saw the Nets respond with a 15 point win over Miami. The Knicks are 1-2 against the spread off an upset win. The Nets are 10-2-1 against the spread at home, 4-0 ATS at home when the total was 230 or more. Brooklyn gets it done! ***ATLANTIC DIV GOM***

The Capitals have been playing great defense. They won 2-1 at Carolina last game. That was the 3rd time in 5 games that they allowed 2 goals or less. The Washington penalty kill is 19 of 20 in those 5 games. There was some talk of fatigue but the Capitals battled through it. They'll be fresh tonight after having the past 2 days off. That is not the case for their guests. The Islanders are off an upset win of the Oilers last night, getting outshot 31-21. The Islanders are winless this season, when playing 2 games in 2 nights. They've got a few defensive injuries and those will be noticed in the back-to-back spot. With Sorokin playing last night, Varlamov is likely to be in goal. He struggled against Montreal last game and the Capitals beat him last time they saw him. Washington wins! ***METRO DIV. GOY***

Borussia Monchengladbach does tend to play some high-scoring matches. Their propensity for doing so is keeping this total high. This match will play out differently. The previous 2023 match between these clubs finished with a 1-1 draw. Goals are going be hard to come by again in this one. The hosts are in poor offensive form and will need to win this one by being sound defensively. Eintracht Frankfurt scored 0 goals last match, on only 4 shots, and has scored 1 or less in 3 of its last 4. Eintracht Frankfurt sits 8th in the table but the majority of the teams above them score a lot more goals. The last two meetings in Frankfurt have both finished with 2 combined goals. They may get that many again but they won't get any more! ***BUNDESLIGA TOTAL OF THE YEAR***

Boston is good but this is too many points. The Celtics aren't as strong on the road as they are at home. Warriors are better at home. The Celtics were favored here last season but the Warriors won by 16. They also lost by only 3 at Boston. Warriors are 66-45 against the spread at home last 2 years. Celtics are already 0-2 against Western Conference opponents. They will have a difficult time again tonight. Grab the points! ***Underdog GOW***

Total has come down and that's providing us with value. Marshall games average more than 51 points. UTSA games average more than 56! UTSA has scored 34 or more in 7 of the last 8 games, going over 40 in 4 of those. Marshall combined with for 56 points last game and is only a month removed from a 71 point game with Georgia Southern. Last 3 Frisco Bowls have had 92, 62 and 67 points. This game goes over! ***TOTAL OF WEEK***

The Golden Knights are the defending champions. The Golden Knights have the top record. So, why are Hurricanes favored? Because this is an exceptional team which is 53-23 its last 76 home games with a total of 6 or more, 47-29 its last 76 against Western Conference opposition. The Hurricanes are the healthier team. They are playing at home and they are hell-bent on snapping their losing streak and beating the champs. They'll do it! ***NHL GOW***

This total is too low. Philadelphia games average 51 points. Seattle games average 46. The Eagles offense is very difficult to stop but their defense has allowed 33, 42 and 34 points their last 3 games. Similarly, Seattle has allowed 28, 41 and 31 points its last 3. Both defenses saw some important players miss practice this week. The Eagles are healthy on offense. The Seahawks hope to have Geno Smith back to lead their offense. The extra day's rest helps his chances. Smith or Lock, the Seahawks know they are going to need a lot of points. This one goes over! ***NFC TOW***

Strong spot for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland scored 127 in Saturday's 8-point win over Atlanta. The Cavaliers had Sunday off. Not so for the Rockets. They played at Milwaukee on Sunday. The last time that the Rockets played 2 games in 2 days saw them lose by 10. The Cavaliers won by 17 points and by 18 points in last season's 2 games with the Rockets. Even dealing with some injuries, the Cavaliers, 4-1-2 against the spread in December, will win big again on Monday. ***NBA GOW***

Give me the points with Jacksonville. The Ravens are strong but Jacksonville plays best against good teams. The Jaguars are 5-2 against the spread against winning teams. It helps their cause against the Ravens that the Jaguars are the 4th best team in the NFL at stopping the run. They allow only 92.2 yards on the ground, per game. The offense is in good hands with an improving Trevor Lawrence. The Jax QB said this: "It's feeling better. Thankfully, I made out of the game pretty clean. I didn't re-aggravate it anymore. I'm just trying to keep getting better every day. Hopefully it feels even better this week. I was able to move around decent on Sunday, so that was positive." The Jaguars beat the Ravens by 1 point last year. That was an exciting 28-27 victory. This will be another close one and I look for the Jaguars to again get it done. ***SNF GOY**

Both the Senators and the Knights will look to improve their number of goals allowed today. The last time that the Senators were off 3 straight losses, they responded with a 2-0 win. The last time that the Knights allowed 5 or more goals, they responded with a 4-1 win. The Knights allow only 2.48 goals per game, 3rd best in the NHL. They kill 87.3% of their penalties. Only Boston is better. Ottawa's last 3 visits to Sin City have finished with scores of 3-2, 2-1 and 4-1. All 3 of those games went under the total and this one will too. ***NHL TOW***

The Jets offense has had its moments but has mostly been inconsistent. Before going overboard about their 30 point effort against Houston, remember that they scored 8, 13, 6, 12, 6 and 13 points their previous 6 games. The Miami offense is dangerous but NY has the defense to slow them. The Jets rank in the top 5 in the NFL for yards allowed. The Dolphins defense is better than the general public realizes. The Dolphins allowed 2 touchdowns in the final 3 minutes last game but they had only given up 14 for the first 57 minutes of that game. Before that, they gave up 15, 13 (to the Jets) and 13 in 3 previous games. They are a top 10 defense for yards allowed. Last season, the game at NY finished with 57 points but the rematch in Miami was far lower-scoring, finishing with only 17 points. This season the game at NY finished with 47. Once again, the rematch wiull be far lower-scoring. Go with the Under! ***AFC East TOY***

Brandon Royval is off back-to-back 1st Rd wins. 8 of his last 9 fights have ended in either the 1st or the 2nd round. Alexandre Pantoja went the distance against Moreno last fight. He won his previous fight in the 1st round though. He previously defeated Royval in the 2nd round. Royval's style makes it likely that this rematch won't last long. The Raw Dog fights with ferocity and pace. Go with the Under! ***UFC TOTAL OF THE YEAR***

The Knicks beat the Clippers 111-97 on November 6th, at MSG. They pulled away in the second half and spoiled the debut of James Harden. Six weeks later, the Clippers will have their revenge. The Clippers have won 6 straight games and they are 4-1 against the spread their last 5. They didn't play on Friday. The Knicks played last night at Phoenix. The Knicks are 2-3 against the spread when playing the second of back to backs. The Clippers won by 11 last meeting here. Look for NY to fall to 3-8 against the spread against winning teams. ***Revenge GOM***

The Lions scored only 13 points against Chicago last week. Now they take on a Denver defense which just allowed 7 points. The Broncos have been stingy for the past couple of months. Before holding the Chargers to 7, they allowed 19, 17, 9, 22, 20, 12 and 22 points. That's an average of 16 points allowed over their past 8 games. Although the defense has played well, the Broncos tend to have trouble scoring on the road. They've scored 24 or fewer points in every road game but one, averaging 20.7 points and only 191.3 yards of offense. 8 straight Denver games have finished with 46 or less. Go with the Under! ***Non-Conf TOM***

With 33 goals in 16 EPL matches, Newcastle has no trouble finding the back of the net. Keeping the ball out of the net is a different matter. The Magpies conceded 4 goals last match and and 9 goals in their past 3 matches, across all leagues. Its been a similar story for Fulham. Through 16 matches, the Cottagers have scored 26 goals but have all conceded 26. That's an average of 3.25 goals per match. Last 5 matches have had 4, 5, 7, 5 and 5 goals scored. The Cottagers are scoring goals in bunches right now but often give up a lot on the road. This has all the makings of a high-scoring match. ***EPL TOW***

Fresno State and CS Bakersfield also faced each other last December. That game produced only 104 points, 54 in the first half and 50 in the second. CS BakersField will again struggle to score. The Roadrunners already had a game where they scored 40 points. They've scored 65 or less 4 times. Fresno State allowed only 56 points last game. The Bulldogs have also scored 65 or less in 3 of their last 5. The Roadrunners are 3-0 to the under against Mountain West opponents the last few seasons. This will make 4-0. ***DEC CBB TOM***

This is a case of too many points, given the scheduling situation. The 76ers just destroyed the Pistons at Detroit. They will be over-confident tonight. With a Saturday road game to follow, they will take it easy late in the game. The Pistons are 2-0 against the spread when they were road underdogs of 12.5 or more points. They play with 2x revenge and will play with a chip on their shoulder. This season's first meeting was close, the 76ers winning by 8. This will be too. Grab the big points. ***Eastern Conf GOW***

Two previous matches have seen Tottenham victorious by scores of 2-0 and 3-1. Tottenham is off a 4-1 thrashing of Newcastle. Nottingham Forest has 4 losses and 1 draw its last 5 EPL matches. Forest was outscored 13-5. The victory against Newcastle was just what the Spurs needed. They are gunning for the top 4 and need maximum points from this game. Forest has 17 goals in 16 matches. Tottenham has 33 goals in 16 matches. Even with some injury concerns, a revitalized and determined Tottenham team will be too much for outmatched Nottingham Forest! ***EPL GOY***

I won with the over when these teams faced each other earlier this month. This time, the play is on Portland. The Jazz won yesterday but have dropped all 4 games when playing 2 games in 2 days. Their 3 road games in that situation all lost by double-figures. One of those was a 16 point setback at Portland. The Jazz are only 1-11 on the road overall, the worst road record in the league. The Trail Blazers are 9-5-1 against the spread their last 15 in a revenge situation. Lay the small number and look for a big win for the home team. ***Northwest Div GOM***

I played on the Chargers in this season's earlier game. It had an O|U line of 49 points. This one is much, much lower. The biggest difference is that Herbert played in the first game and that he may not in this one. He's questionable at the time of this writing. Coach Staley said Monday: "There’s a lot of information that we’re gathering right now, but he's as tough as they come. We’re gonna make sure that whatever it is, we’re going to do what’s best for Justin long term." Remember that Herbert was only 13 of 24 for 167 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT in the first game. He did add 2 rushing TDs but still his performance wasn't one of his best. But its because of him, primarily, that the total has come down so much. That's giving us value on the over. Of course, Herbert's not the only factor. The Raiders scoring 0 points last week also works in our favor to bring the line down. The last 9 meetings have all finished with 41 or more. With or without Herbert, this number is too low! ***AFC West TOY***

This is the lowest total of any of Thursday's hockey games. The rest have totals of 6 or more. Turning a 6 into a win instead of a push or loss is a big deal. Washington's last game finished with 6 goals. Two of the Capitals last 4 games have landed on that number. Three of their last 4 have finished with more than 5.5 goals. The last 10 meetings between these teams have also all had total lines of 6 or more. Capital road games average 5.9 goals on the season. Same goes for Flyer home games. Washington's last visit to the Philadelphia resulted in a 5-3 final, Travis Konecny recording a hat trick for the home team. This one will also finish over the total! ***Metro Div TOM***

The first leg was low-scoring, a 1-0 final back in September. This one sets up for more scoring. At the top of Group C, Real Betis needs a point from the match to ensure a place in the knockout round playoffs. A win will confirm a direct spot for them in the round of 16. The visiting Rangers need a victory. This will lead to them throwing caution to the wind. Both clubs are missing some key defensive players which will lead to this match producing a minimum of 3 goals. Go with the Over. ***Europa Cup TOY***

The first match resulted in a 2-2 draw. Limassol has little to play for. Sparta needs a victory. Sparta has won their last five games across competitions. They have kept clean sheets in the majority of those while scoring 9 goals. Even though they are in third place, Sparta can still win the group and go directly through to the last 16 if they win by three or more goals here. They would also need a Betis draw with Rangers in Spain. That might be asking too much but they will at least secure the victory. ***Europa League GOM***

The Aggies blew out the Broncos at Utah State last year. Two totally different teams will face each other tonight but Santa Clara hasn't forgotten. The Broncos are a brilliant 18-9-1 against the spread their last 28 as underdogs, 13 of those resulting in outright victories. They already won outright at Stanford and beat Oregon. In both cases, they were getting points. The Aggies replaced every starter from last year's NCAA tournament team, as well as their coach. They are 9-14 against the spread their last 23 on the road, 0-2 this season. Give me the points. ***Underdog GOM***

On a night where the Pacers and Bucks have a total approaching 260, it's kind of refreshing to see a total this low. It's by far the lowest of the Wednesday NBA games. Too low? I believe so. Houston comes off a great defensive effort. The previous 5 opponents all scored in triple-figures and the Rockets do allow 105.6 points per game. Also, the Rockets are 3-0 to the over last 2 seasons after allowing 90 or less. The Grizzlies allow more than 112 points a game. The Grizzlies were struggling to score, on a 3-game streak where they only scored in double-figures when the teams first met. They've hit triple-figures in 6 straight now and scored 113 last game. They are 24-12-1 to the over last 37 tries off a division game. This game will get over the low total! ***SouthWest Div. TOY***

The first leg, back in September, was a scoreless draw but this will be entirely different. Both clubs now know that only a victory can possibly help them. That will lead to a wide open and exciting match. Goals will be plentiful. Why not? Neither team has anything to lose. Attacking chances will be the order of the day. Both clubs will find the back of the net and it would not surprise me if they both did so more than once. There will be no quit from the team which is trailing. They will throw caution to the wind which can lead to goals on the counter-attack. This match goes Over! ***Champions League TOY***

Paris St Germain needs a victory. Borussia Dortmund is dealing with a lot of injuries. PSG has never lost four consecutive European games on the road. The French club is loading with attacking options. The Germans have conceded at least one goal in four consecutive matches. PSG will find the back of the net on more than one occasion and a depleted Borussia Dortmund squad won't be able to keep up. ***Champions League GOM***

This is a back-to-back situation for both clubs. The only time that the Kings played a road game, after playing the previous day, they scored just 93 points. The final score of that November 20th game fell comfortably under the posted total. When the Clippers played a home game, after playing the previous day, they held Dallas to just 88 points. The final score of that November 25th game also stayed comfortably beneath the posted number. Last night's game was high-scoring but Clipper home games have been going to the under all season. We can expect a return to that brand of basketball tonight. ***Pacific Div. TOY***

Seattle has a scoring problem. The problem is that the Kraken can't score. They average only 2.52 goals a game. That's 4th worst in the NHL. Last game, they scored 0. They have scored 3 or less every time, in losing each of their 8 games. Over their last 5 games, they've scored only 6 combined goals. The Panthers are difficult to score against. They only permit 2.4 goals per road game. 8 of 14 road games have gone under. This season's earlier game finished at 3-2. Florida's visit here last December finished at 5-1. They won't even get that many tonight. ***NHL TOM***

Miami may be the flavor of the month but this is far too many points. The Titans manhandled this Miami team last season. Henry didn't even play and they still rushed for 198 yards. The Titans sacked Tua 4 times. He threw an interception and fumbled 3 times. Granted, that was in cold, rainy Nashville and this will be in much warmer Miami. The point remains that Tennessee matched up very well with Miami les than a year ago. This season, six of the Titans' 8 losses came by 14 or less. Vrabel's is liked and respected by the Titan players. They are well aware that is job could be in jeopardy. This is their chance to go out and play hard for him under the National spotlight, going all out for their first road win. This game will be close and I'm grabbing the points. ***MNF GOY***

Both these clubs have dropped 3 consecutive games. The Nuggets are 8-2-1 to the over last 2 years after 3 or more straight losses. The Hawks are 9-4 to the over last 2 years after 3 or more straight losses. Denver has played 4 teams from the Eastern Conference. The over is 3-1. Atlanta has played 3 teams from the Western Conference. The over is 2-1. Denver's last game against an Eastern team finished with 243. points and Atlanta's last game against a team from the West finished with 272. Defense. What defense? They can't set this total high enough. The final score will fly over. ***NBA TOM***

Leafs are a bargain at this price. Toronto comes off a shutout win. Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said: "In the second period, especially, our game started to really come and I thought we really took care of the puck and made sure we just were wearing them down and not really let their game get started offensively. I just loved our second period and that set us up for the third, which the guys took care of well." The Maple Leafs outshot the Predators 37-18 and 18-5 in the 3rd period. It was the first time in almost 10 years that they shutout an opponent on 18 or fewer shots. Toronto wins again! ***NHL GOW***

I had a big win with Philadelphia in the first meeting. I remember that game well. So do the Cowboys, who will be thinking payback when they host the hated Eagles on Sunday night. Their loss at Philadelphia continued a disturbing trend for Dallas of losing against top teams. The Cowboys will be determined to change that and make things right. They want to prove to themselves and to the world that they don't just beat the bad teams. The setup is perfect. The Cowboys have had had some extra time to rest up and prepare, due to their Thanksgiving game. The Eagles just got a reality check out from the 49ers. Before that, they'd taken on the Bills and Chiefs. All those games against elite teams are going to take a toll. Dallas outscores teams by an average of 14 points. The Eagles outscore teams by an average of 3 points. Dallas is undefeated at home this season and is 7-2 against the spread last 9 as a home favorite of 3.5 to 7 points. Give me the Cowboys. ***Revenge GOY***

In my opinion, this number is too low. Both defenses are mediocre, both teams allow more than 20 points a game. The Vikings offense stalled last game but had previously been firing on all cylinders. The Raiders just had three straight games AFC teams, their most recent finishing with 48 points. The three games came against two playoff teams in KC and Miami and a really good defensive team in the New York Jets. Last time they faced an NFC opponent, the Vikings scored 30. Both offenses will have areas where they can enjoy success against these defenses. All 4 meetings over the years finished with at least 44 points. I've got this one penciled in for at least that many once again. ***NFC TOY***

The Pacers have been scoring points at a high rate and have done very well to get this far. Lebron may be downplaying it but he is on a mission to add in-season tournament champion to his resume. James, Davis and the Lakers will not be denied. The Lakers have allowed only 89, 103 and 97 points over their last 3 games. Indiana will get more but not as many as it normally does. The Lakers superior defense will be on display on ABC TV and will separate them from the Pacers. ***Non-Conf GOM***

The Dukes are a good team with a national ranking but this will not be an easy game. Far from it. The stadium will be a white-out and the home team and crowd believes it can pull off the upset. "We're a marked team right now," James Madison coach Mark Byington said. "I'm anticipating that Old Dominion crowd being one of the toughest we play all year." Both JMU road games have been by 5 points or less. These teams had one common non-conf. opponent. Last game here, the Monarchs beat Radford. That same Radford team gave JMU real trouble in a 3-point game. The last 2 JMU visits here were decided by 5 and 2 points. The Monarchs, 4-2 against the spread their last 6 tries after 3 straight non-covers, hung within single digits at Arkansas. JMU coach Byington went on to say: "I know they've been excited about our game and it's a really good team, good coach. Great intra-state game. It's a little odd playing in December but here we go." Give me the points. ***Sun Belt GOY***

No Durant. No problem. Even though they're short-handed, the Suns will be bringing their best on Friday night. Remember, that Booker carried the load before Durant arrived and that he can still do so. With Durant out, we get the Suns as underdogs and don't have to worry about laying any points. The Kings are 4-8 against the spread as favorites and they're 3-6 against the spread the past 9 times that they played with 3 or more day's rest. The Suns are 74-31 straight-up their last 105 in this building. They score 118.2 at home compared to Sacramento's 112.9 on the road. Booker will have a monster game and the Suns will move to 12-8 against the spread their last 20 home games with a total of 230 or more. ***Pacific Div GOY***