Don't be fooled by the Gamecocks. South Carolina has built up a strong record in non-conference play. The majority of those were weak or mediocre opponents. Now that SEC action is here, the Gamecocks will start to struggle. They were 4-14 in SEC play last year.

The Bulldogs have also built up their record against less than elite opposition. They're the real deal though. They returned all 5 starters from last year's NCAA Tournament team. That same group of Bulldogs won by 15 here last January.

Already 7-0 against the spread against teams with a winning record, Mississippi State will cover this small number. ***EARLY RISER***

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***

The Atlanta Hawks are starting to play winning basketball. They closed out 2023 with a road win at Washington and they began 2024 with a victory over a strong OKC club.

This may be a difficult spot for the Indiana Pacers. They are off back-to-back games against division rival Milwaukee. Also, starting tomorrow, they play Boston twice in a row. With this game stuck in the middle, the Hawks could easily get overlooked. Indiana is 15-27 against the spread its last 42, when off a division game, 2-8 ATS the last 10 tries.

The Hawks won here last January and have taken 3 of their last 4 visits. They score the upset in this one! ***ROAD WARRIOR***

The Hurricanes are one of the best teams in the NHL and they are playing like it. In far better form than Washington, Carolina has won 4 straight games and has at least 1 point in 10 of its last 11 games. The Capitals have lost five of their past six games. They are also just 43-61 their last 104 against winning teams.

With the Capitals having won at Raleigh less than a month ago, Carolina will not ease up in this game. The Hurricanes are 25-12 (+6.8u) their last 38 tries when playing with 2 day's rest in between games. They are firing on all cylinders, offensively and defensively and they will get it done once again. **RED LIGHT**

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 Bruins recently endured a losing streak. They have turned the corner and won 4 straight. They are one of the best teams in hockey and legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

The Penguins lost 4-3 to the Capitals last game. Their coach admitted that their goal-tending was poor. They have their moments but aren't consistent.

The Penguins are 34-43 (-24.3) their last 77, after allowing 4 or more goals. Over that time, the Bruins are 59-31 (+8.4) after a win by 2 or more goals and 53-17 (+18.9) in a home game with a total of 6 or greater. Go with Boston! ***NEUTRAL ZONE TRAP***

Sacred Heart is projected to be among the top teams in the Northeast Conference. Saint Francis is considered to be among the worst.

The Red Flash have dropped 3 of 4 games, the only victory coming at home and by 2 points. They are 2-7 against the spread their last 9 as road underdogs of 6.5 to 9 points.

Sacred Heart is 2-0, straight-up and against the spread, the last 2 times it hosted Saint Francis. Last year's game here was close but this one will not be. The Pioneers are off back-to-back big victories, winning by 10 and 29 points. They are ready to start conference play with a bang. Lay the points! ***EARLY RISER***

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 will be the 5th meeting, due to an extra in-season-tournament game, and the second already in 2024. Indiana won at Milwaukee on New Year's Day and has taken 3 of 4 overall. Though the Bucks can't win the season series, they will bounce back with a big win tonight.

The Pacers are 14-27 ATS their last 41 off a division game, 1-8 ATS this season.

The Bucks are 26-16 ATS the past 42 times that they were off an upset loss. They are also 4-0 ATS last 4 with home revenge. Lay the points. ***ROAD WARRIOR***

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***

Colorado won this season's first encounter by a 7-4 score. Prior to that, three straight meetings were decided by 1 goal. The last game at Colorado had a final score of 1-0.

Close games are the norm. The Avalanche have played 3 1-goal games in their past 6. The Islanders have played 2 1-goal games in their past 5. Six of their past 11 have been decided by a goal.

The Avalanche are still dealing with a few injuries. The Islanders are mostly healthy. The Islanders have responded to each of their last 3 losses with a win. Give me the extra +1.5 goals on the puck-line! **Neutral Zone Trap**

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***

The Pelicans enter 2024 playing better basketball than the Nets. Brooklyn has dropped 3 straight. The Nets lost those games by 44 points. New Orleans is off back-to-back wins. The Pelicans won those games by 27 points.

Homecourt matters to both clubs. The Pelicans are 11-7 at home, both straight-up and against the spread. The Nets are only 6-10 on the road, 7-9 against the number.

The Nets' problem on the road stems from the fact that they don't play defense. They allow more than 120 points a game away from Brooklyn. The Pelicans are 28-14 SU and 23-19 ATS their last 42 against teams that allow 116 or more points. They add to those numbers with a blowout win on Tuesday! ***SLAM DUNK***

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 number is too high! Liverpool doesn't concede. The Reds have allowed only 16 goals in 19 league matches. Every other club has allowed at least 20.

Newcastle has allowed only 25 goals in 19 EPL matches. Thats 4th best in the league behind only Liverpool, Man City and Arsenal.

Four meetings since 2022 have produced scores of 1-0, 2-1, 2-0 and 2-1. Go with the UNDER! **EPL DELIGHT**

This game will not be close. UT Arlington is 0-6 against the spread the past six tries as a road underdog of 15.5 to 18 points. Texas is 3-0 ATS its last 3 tries as a home favorite of 15.5 to 18 points.

Texas allows 55 points per game at home. UT-Arlington allows 81 ppg on the road.

The Mavericks are off consecutive double-digit defeats. The Longhorns are off a 35-point domination, their 4th straight victory. Last meeting saw the Longhorns win by 20. They'll win by even more than that Monday afternoon. ***CBB CAKEWALK***

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***

The Tigers were an over machine all year. They're a little short-handed offensively for the bowl game though and they face a defensive-minded Wisconsin team which has trouble scoring.

Badger games average 41.7 points. The Wisconsin offense is also short-handed and won't be able to take advantage of a mediocre Tiger defense.

On the season, the Badgers were 8-4 to the under. They were only underdogs once. That game had a total of 48 and finished with 34. Go with the Under! ***EARLY RISER***

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***

The setup favors the home team. New Orleans had yesterday off. The Lakers, playing on Lebron's birthday, lost an emotional battle at Minnesota. That will give New Orleans an advantage.

The Pelicans got Larry Nance back last game and he makes them better. Coach Green said this about Nance's return: "Having Larry back was huge for us. That's the Larry we're all accustomed to seeing, and credit to him, he worked his tail off to get himself ready to come in and play and be who he is to this team."

The Lakers blew out the Pelicans in the in-season tournament and now New Orleans gets even. ***Weekend Wipeout***

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***

Both teams began conference play with a loss. Idaho State lost by 8 to Montana State. Montana lost by 30 to Weber State. The Wildcats are a strong team. So, the loss wasn't totally unexpected. The 30-point blowout was. It will have the Grizzlies confidence shaken. Weber State shot very well and also outscored Montana by double-digits in the paint.

Idaho State coach Looney has been here 4 years and believes that this is his most talented team. They badly want to avoid an 0-2 start in Big Sky play and are catching the Grizzlies at the right time. Not only is Montana off the 30-point loss but the Grizzlies are playing their 4th straight on the road. That's tough during the holiday season.

The Bengals played a fairly tough non-conf. schedule and it should help them now that conference play is here. They're "coming to play" today and I think they have a real shot at the outright victory. Grab the points. ***BIG SKY GOY***

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***

SEC vs. Big Ten. In a battle of these two very good teams, give me the points with Mississippi. The Nittany Lions were great as favorites in the regular season but the bowls are an entirely different dynamic. Penn State only lost to Ohio State and Michigan but Ole Miss only lost to Georgia and Alabama.

Though they weren't hurt as badly as some teams, the Nittany Lions may have more significant opt-outs than the Rebels. They will be without All-Big Ten defensive end Chop Robinson. They also had several players declare for the NFL draft. So, it remains to be seen how much action they'll see. Ole Miss had defensive end Cedric Johnson opt out but otherwise looks to be pretty much unscathed.

The Rebels are 14-7-1 against the spread their last 22 on a neutral field. They're also 12-2 straight up and 9-5 ATS their past 14 non-conference games. They score 34.8 points per game and they're not going to go away. Give me the points. ***EARLY RISER***

Brentford has scored only 3 goals in its past 4 matches. The Bees had 3 goals against Luton Town, one of the worst teams in the EPL, on 12/2 but otherwise have managed only 2 goals in their past 6 matches.

Crystal Palace had an unlikely 2-2 draw against Manchester City on 12/16 but otherwise has managed only 5 goals in its other 6 matches.

Five h2h meetings had scores of 1-1, 1-1, 1-1, 0-0, 0-0. Not sure that we get another draw but am expecting another low-scoring match. ***Golden Boot***

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***

Two strong defenses. Clemson allows less than 20 points a game. Kentucky allows less than 25, despite playing in the SEC and facing high-scoring teams like Georgia and Tennessee, as well as other top tier teams like Alabama and Missouri.

Two mediocre offenses. Neither team averaged 30 points this season. That's unheard of for Clemson in recent years. The Tigers had averaged 35.5 ppg in four years before Trevor Lawrence and they averaged roughly 44 ppg in the 3 years with Lawrence. Last year, they had 33.2 ppg. This is not the same Clemson offense from years past.

Both offenses are dealing with some injuries. Clemson WR Beaux Collins entered the portal and transferred to Notre Dame.

Last meeting also came in late December, quite a few years ago now. It finished with a score of 21-13. History repeats itself with another Under. ***Early Riser***

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***

Both defenses are better than advertised. Miami allows 22.1 points. Rutgers allows 21. Remember, Rutgers faced Michigan and Ohio State. Miami faced teams like UNC, Clemson and Florida State. So, those defensive numbers are pretty strong.

Rutgers can have trouble scoring. Before scoring 24 last game, the Knights had scored 16, 0 and 6 points in their previous 3 games.

NC State held Miami to 6 points in a 20-6 win in November. So, the Hurricanes can be stopped. They will be led by a QB making his first start and who didn't take a single snap this year.

Rutgers is going to methodically chew clock and play conservatively. This will lead to a low score. Go with the Under. **Rockstar**

Motivation favors the underdog. Boston College wants to salvage some dignity. SMU feels it deserved a bigger bowl game. A game at Fenway also favors the Eagles over their neighbors from the south.

SMU is a future member of the ACC. For now, the Mustangs still reside in the AAC. The Eagles are 5-1 straight up and 4-2 against the spread in 6 tries against American Athletic Conference foes.

Though his backup led them to a win in the AAC Title game, the Mustangs lost their star QB to injury in the regular season finale. The Mustangs last 3 games away from SMU were decided by 12, 4 and 5 points, an average of 7. This will be another close one. Grab the points! **EARLY RISER**

Nashville gave up 3 third period goals last game prompting coach Andrew Brunette to make the following comment: "When we don't have enough guys playing, it's really hard to win in this league, and we didn't have enough guys -- I wouldn't say committed -- but maybe focused on the details. It wasn't like we weren't trying. It was just that our details and our focus was off. And good teams, when they're that deep, make you pay when you're off." That's a problem for the Predators as they're up against another good team on Wednesday. Having lost an Overtime game against the Predators earlier this month, the Hurricanes will be hungry. They've deserved better results recently and will return from the break a winner. **ROAD WARRIOR**

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***

Off a loss at Wolverhampton, Chelsea will be in top form today. The Blues do have some serious injury concerns. Palace isn't fully healthy here either though and Chelsea is by far the stronger squad. The Blues know that a win is needed to put them in the top half of the table. They have beaten Palace 11 straight times. The 11 straight defeats marks CP's longest losing streak against any opponent in club history. Chelsea is 6-0 against the Eagles the past six games at Stamford Bridge. The streak continues. Go with Chelsea. ***Golden Boot***

Both teams, particularly Tulane, are severely depleted. That makes the regular season stats somewhat meaningless. The Green Wave will be without their coach and without their starting QB. Other missing players include Tulane's top wide receiver. The Hokies are also missing some players but both teams have their top running backs. That's going to lead to a lot of rushing plays. The Hokies will go against a tough Tulane run defense, which ranked in the top 10. V-Tech defender Dorian Strong chose not to opt out and said this: "I know that the League (NFL) is there for me but there are risks coming back but I think I made the right decision for myself." This will be a defensive game. Go Under. ***Rockstar***

Patience is a virtue. I liked Kansas from the minute this matchup was announced. By waiting, the line has come down on the Jayhawks, offering us improved value. Kansas crushed Cincinnati 49-18 last game. UNLV got brought down to earth by Boise State, 44-20. Prior to that, the Rebels had been fortunate to face a soft schedule. Kansas has beaten Oklahoma and destroyed UCF. The talent difference will be evident, as the Jayhawks pull away to win by at least 2 touchdowns. **Bowl Bonanza**

The Thunder have payback on their minds from a close loss at Minnesota last month. They are 10-5, straight-up and against the spread, at home. They outscore teams by 7 points a game here. Minnesota is 4-6-1 against the spread in road games with a total of 220 or more. The strength of the Timberwolves is their defense but the Thunders are 29-13-2 against the spread their last 34 against teams which allow 108 or fewer points. The Thunder are also 24-10-1 against the spread the past 35 times that they played with 2 days off in between games. Lay the short number. ***Div. Dominator***

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**

There is little reason to expect any defense in this one. Texas State averages 36 points and allows 33.8. That's an average of nearly 70 per game. Rice games have also been high-scoring. The Owls score 30.3 and allow 26.7. QB AJ Padget has been here before. The Bobcats last 2 games had scores of 96 and 108. If the Owls want to be competitive, they are going to need to keep pace. Look for the final score to fly over the total! ***TOP TIER TUESDAY***

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***

The Giants are going to wish they never played this game. The Eagles are angry and they will dominate the Giants this afternoon. NY just lost by 18 and this is a far more dangerous opponent. The Eagles are 6-3-2 against the spread last 11 times that they were favored and that includes a 2-1 mark as home favorites of 10.5 to 14 points. They are 11-7 against the spread their last 18 in that situation. The Eagles have won the last 4 meetings and 3 of those wins came by 24 or more points. Lay the points. ***Christmas Day Dominator***

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.

San Jose State pitched a shutout when it played here in Hawaii during the regular season. It was the Spartans best defensive effort of the season. The 35-0 victory stayed well below the total. Coastal Carolina will also struggle to score without their superstar quarterback. Their last game was high-scoring but the Chanticleers were 8-4 to the under on the season. They were held to 17 or less a few times but they also allowed 7 or less more than once. 2 of the last 3 Hawaii Bowls have finished with 48 or less. Make that 3 out of 4.

Home ice is no advantage for Anaheim. The Ducks are 5-11 here. The Kraken have been as good on the road as they've been at home and they were better on the road last year. After winning consecutive road games, the Ducks returned home and lost 3-0. They are a dismal 13-39 the last 52 times they were off a game in which they scored 1 goal or less. The Kraken have scored 14 goals in beating the Ducks 3 straight times. Make it 4. ***ROAD WARRIOR***

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***

Arizona is really good. People don't realize that FAU may be even better. Every bit as good, at least. The teams were ranked #14 and #15 in the preseason rankings, the Owls holding the 1-spot lead. Arizona is now up to #4 which gives FAU a very rare chance at such a high-profile matchup. FAU coach Dusty May said: "We wanted to play it in the worst way for a lot of reasons. National television. Our guys wanted to be challenged. They love the challenge. And we felt our program was at a point where we needed these games to elevate even more than a Final Four run." FAU brought everyone back from last year's Final 4 team. Arizona returned only 1 starter from the team that lost in the NCAA 1st rd. Give me the points! ***SUPER FIGHT****

I backed the Warriors in their last game. They beat Boston outright. That makes 3 straight wins. They are hot and playing some of their best basketball ahead of tomorrow's game against Portland and their Christmas Day showdown in Denver. The Warriors, 29-16 against the spread their last 45 home games with a total of 230 or more, had the last 2 days off. The Wizards gave everything they had last night, earning a 1-point win at Portland. At the end of a road trip, they will be exhausted tonight. Last 2 times that the Wizards played 2 games in 2 days, they lost by 40 combined points. This will be another wipeout. ***NBA SUPER SMASH***

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***

Last meeting (2021) had a O|U line of 144. Morgan State scored an 80-73 upset. Another upset is unlikely. The Bears aren't going to score anywhere close to 80 again. The Dukes' last opponent scored 48 and none of their last six opponents have scored more than 71. The total is a lot higher than it was for the last meeting. Too high. The Dukes are 4-1 to the under the last 5 times that they played a game with an O|U ranging from 160-169.5. The score will stay below the high total and the under will improve to 4-0 when Morgan State faced a team with a winning record. ***EARLY RISER***

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***

I generally prefer to avoid prices this high in the NHL. There are exceptions to everything though and this line should be higher. Ottawa is in free-fall and this is not the place to get right. The Senators have lost 5 straight. The road trip has been a disaster and they just want to get home. The Avalanche are angry from losing to Chicago. They have scored 6 goals each of the last 2 times that they were coming off a loss, winning 6-2 and 6-5. The Avalanche beat Ottawa 7-0 here last season, going 49-29 (+8.2) against Eastern teams the last 2 years. Ottawa is 25-48 (-19.4) against the West over same period. Lay it. ***NHL DOMINATOR***

This total is too low. These same teams met a little over a year ago. The game went over with a final score of 27-20. Neither team had trouble moving the ball. With a little better red zone efficiency, the score could have been higher. Entering Thursday, Los Angeles has been hot on offense for quite some time and New Orleans can now make the same claim. The Saints have scored 24, 28 and 28 points their past 3 games. They scored 9 touchdowns in 10 red zone trips. The Rams have scored 28, 31, 36 and 37 points their past four. Stafford is playing great, Cooper Kupp is peaking and the running game is thriving. This game will go over! ****TNF Rockstar***

This is a big game for the Bulls. They're a program on the upswing and are thrilled to be here. USF had won only 4 games the past 3 years combined. So, getting here under their first year coach is a really big deal. They get a favorable matchup and a great venue. Syracuse was up and down this season and fired its coach. The Orange will also be without their starting quarterback. Backup Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, who threw three touchdowns and six interceptions when called on this season, is also hurt. That means redshirt freshman Braden Davis is expected to make his first start. No matter who is behind center, it won't be senior Garrett Shrader. USF coach Golesh said this of the game being played at Boca Raton: "For us to be in our home state ... I would hope there's a bunch of green and gold in the stands. It'll feel like a home game in that regard." Healthier, more excited to be here and playing in their home state, grab the points with the Bulls! ***ESPN DOMINATOR***

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***

Brighton is ahead in the standings but not by that much. Off an improbable 2-2 comeback draw at Manchester City, it's Crystal Palace which is in better form and which has the momentum. Brighton was fortunate to only lose its last match by a 2-0 score. The Seagulls are dealing with injuries and fatigue. Thursday's match is being played at Selhurst Park, which favors Palace. Five of the last 8 matches between these clubs have ended in draws. Play Palace at +0.5 goals. ***GOLDEN BOOT***

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***

Iowa has a lot of advantages in this game. Better athletes all over the floor. The Hawkeyes are at home where they are 25-15 against the spread their last 40. Their guests are 16-22 against the spread, on the road, during that time period. Off 3 straight losses, the Hawkeyes got right with an 88-52 wipeout of Florida A@M last game. This is every bit as much of a mismatch. The Hawkeyes are averaging 95.8 points per home game and UMBC is conceding 86.4 points per road game. Iowa will put up a massive number and win going away. ***WED. WIPEOUT***

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***

New Jersey won at Philadelphia earlier and has won five of its last six home games against Philadelphia. The Devils are 10-5 after allowing 4 goals or more. The Flyers are only 11-31 (-18.2) the past 42 times that they scored 1 goal or less in their previous game. They are also just 32-68 their last 100 games against team with winning records. The Devils will continue their home ice dominance of this division rival. ***Divisional Dominator***

This is too many points for a team like Bowling Green to be laying. The Falcons were 11-20 last season and they brought back only 1 starter. The Falcons have won 6 of their last 9 games but only 2 of those wins came by more than 10 points. The Pirates score 83 points a game and the Falcons are only 6-14 against the spread their last 20 against teams which score 77 or more. Hampton is 8-2 against the spread the past 10 times that it was a road underdog of 9.5 to 12 points. Grab the points! ***EARLY RISER***

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***

Total is too low. Neither defense is very good. The Hilltoppers allow 28.2 points a game. The Monarchs allow 27.8. Both teams allow more on the road. Western Kentucky's last 3 games have finished with 67, 51 and 69 points. These schools combined for 63 points in 2021. 6 of their last 7 meetings have finished with more than 60. There are no weather issues and this will be another high-scoring games. Go with the Over. ***SUPER SMASH***

Total is too high. Same two clubs faced each other last year and the total was only 129.5. Even that was too high. Jacksonville won 65-55. They had only 46 by halftime. ULM is 131-91 to the under in road games over many years, 3-2 to the under on the road this season. The Warhawks are also 4-1 to the under as underdogs. Jacksonville kept its last opponent to 54 points and is allowing an average of 54 at home. This game stays under. ***EARLY RISER***

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 Spurs are off a rare victory. That win came against a tired and injured Laker team which was without 3 starters and which was playing its 3rd road game in 4 nights. The only other time that the Spurs won by double-figures, they lost and failed to cover against Toronto in their next game. Popovich's team will have trouble against a rested Pelicans team which is playing its best. New Orleans has won the last 6 meetings with the Spurs, including a 121-106 win 2.5 weeks ago. Valanciunas had 29 points and 13 rebounds in leading the Pelicans to a 3rd straight victory on Friday. They won big here both meetings last year and will be too much for the Spurs to handle again this afternoon. ***Super Smash***

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***