The Giants pulled out a 1-0 win in game one as they got a good outing from Ty Blach and were able to scratch a run across. Now they face Alex Wood who is 2-2 with a 4.82 ERA in five career starts against the Giants. In his last two outings against them at home, San Fran scored nine runs and 15 hits over 12 innings of work. Buster Posey (7-15), Brandon Crawford (4-9) and Hunter Pence (4-15) have good numbers against the lefty. The Giants lineup isn't terrible. Johnny Cueto has a 3.44 ERA in 17 career starts against LA. He beat them in his last start there back in May of 2017. The Dodgers lineup struggled against a lesser pitcher and aren't quite as strong without Justin Turner. Yasiel Puig (4-18), Joc Pederson (1-16) and Chris Taylor (1-6) all struggle with the veteran. I think there's some value with the road runline in a game that could be close. 

Aaron Nola is 5-1 with a 1.96 ERA and a WHIP of 1.109 in seven career starts against the Braves. Last year he held them to two runs and 10 hits in 15 innings of work. Atlanta's lineup is a big time work in progress outside of Freddie Freeman. There are a lot of holes and young players right now. Philly's bullpen in the middle innings won't be that bad with Pat Neshek but we need to see the good Hector Neris. Julio Teheran is 8-6 with a 3.39 ERA and a WHIP of 1.131 in 18 career starts against the Phillies with 10 unders. Last year he held them to two earned runs over his last 13 innings and change against them. The Philly lineup is greatly improved, but also very young with the likes of Jorge Alfaro, Nick Williams and Scott Kingery. Atlanta's bullpen scares me, but I think we get enough scoreless innings from both sides that there will be a cushion.

This is an important year for the Orioles who have several players who could walk at the end of the season including Adam Jones and Manny Machado. There's no doubting this offense can hit it a little bit and averaged nearly five runs per game at home in 2017. Jake Odorizzi has had their number over his last three starts against them holding the O's to four runs and 10 hits over 15 innings with 16 strikeouts to just five walks. Minnesota's bullpen is back-ended by Fernando Rodney and getting to him could be a chore. Dylan Bundy lost both his starts to the Twins last season, but he pitched better at home. It seemed like he lost some steam towards the end of the year and that's why his numbers took a dive. Logan Morrison is the biggest addition to Minnesota's lineup that has it's usual weapons in Dozier, Sano and Mauer. Baltimore's bullpen is without Zach Britton, but there's some talent in the middle relief in the form of Brach and Givens. I'll take the chance with the home team in this one.

Loyola Chicago continues to be a great story in the NCAA Tournament. The Ramblers have lived a bit on the edge with all of these close victories, but it's made them tougher to beat because their confidence has to be high. They've got extreme balance with a bunch of go-to players who are all deadly from various parts of the court. Kansas State has a bit of a South Carolina feel from last year as they rely on their defense to get them through games. To me, I'm going with the underdog in this one. The Ramblers have covered 20 of their 26 games against teams with a winning record. Dean Wade has tried to play for KSU, but has done so only in spurts. If he was fully healthy, then I'd probably go with Kansas State, but since he's not, I'm going with the underdog out of the MVC in this one.

The Aggies have looked very good winning five of their last six. People forget how good they were back in November and have had stretches where injuries and suspensions prevented them from being full strength. They outmuscled North Carolina and have shot 50% or better in each of their tournament wins. This team has the size advantage and if they get Moritz Wagner in foul trouble, they should feast on John Teske. The guard play has been very good too and we're finally getting the A&M we expected. Michigan needed a miracle shot to get by Houston after knocking off Montana. The Wolverines offense has had it's issues, but the defense continues to be strong. I expect this to be a lower scoring game and like to side with the underdog in that situation. 

The Ramblers out of the MVC continue to play the way they did to get to the tournament as they knocked off Miami and Tennessee. They got two buzzer beaters in order to knock off their Power 5 opponents. Loyola-Chicago shot it really well from the field and held both the Vols and the Canes to just 62 points. The team does it with balance with five different double digit scorers. They have more depth then Nevada who has to be feeling good after a huge comeback win over Cincinnati. Nevada relies on the Martin brothers as they play just six players total. The Wolf Pack prefer a higher tempo game, but I don't think they will get that in this one. They shot the ball well in each game, but Texas and Cincy didn't do much to stop them. The Ramblers haven't been an underdog a lot this season, but they've covered in a lot of those situations. I think they can win this one outright on Thursday.

Short of it was that I was not impressed with Auburn against Charleston. If the Cougars had cleaned up the turnovers, the Tigers would have lost by a ton. Auburn's lack of size is going to hurt them here as Clemson will pound the glass. I think the ACC's Tigers are the better team and will get the victory so any kind of points are good. 

UNC plays with a ton of pace and wants this game to be an up and down affair. I also think they have a weakness on defense that can be overcome with their good offense. The Aggies prefer the slow down game, but have been sped up at times by teams who want to push. Both teams have a lot of weapons so I like the over. 

Quick writeup. URI will struggle with Duke's bigs while the Blue Devils will struggle to slow down the likes of Terrell and Matthews. Neither team minds playing with some pace so I think this one goes over the total with the underdogs worth a look if the line goes up. 

Auburn has lost four of six and five of its last nine games entering the tournament. The Tigers just haven't been the same team without Anfernee McLemore, who represented a lot of the team's size. Now this is not to discount their guards because the group is fantastic, but a lot of times size is where the differences are between the major and the mid-major teams. The defense has been horrible down the stretch and that's not good against a Charleston team that can score. Now, it's a concern that the Cougars have had their issues defensively and I don't know if they can keep up in a higher-scoring game. Still, with a spread this large, I think we're getting a bit of a cushion. I really like Grant Riller, Joe Chealey and Jarrell Brantley as a trio. I like the underdogs in this one.

Buffalo takes a major step up in competition in this matchup with the Pac-12 regular-season and tournament champions. The Bulls have been strong on offense this season, scoring at least 70 points in every game but two (St. Bonaventure, Cincinnati). Buffalo has four double-digit scorers and will want to push the pace. The problem is that they really don't have anyone to match up with Wildcats freshman phenom Deandre Ayton. That means they'll probably try to double him which should lead to open shots and easy scoring opportunities for his teammates. Arizona has a nice under stretch as of late because of its defense. When the Wildcats have played some of the faster-paced conference games, the team didn't mind running step for step with their opponent. I think we can pencil them in for 80-90 points which means Buffalo doesn't have to do as much heavy lifting. This one should go over the total.

This is one of the most intriguing matchups in the first round as the Hokies are a fun team to watch and Crimson Tide point guard Collin Sexton is absolutely killing it as of late. Virginia Tech is averaging almost 80 points per game while shooting 49.8 percent from the field. Justin Robinson has a bunch of shooters around him and very little size as well. The team's defense has been hot and cold as evidenced by the great first half against Notre Dame in the ACC Tournament followed by a horrible second half. The Hokies are in the midst of a stretch of nine straight unders so I think we're getting a value in terms of the total. Alabama goes as Sexton goes. The heralded freshman is averaging 19 points per game while Donta Hall and John Petty also chip in with more than 10 per contest. The Crimson Tide have lost six of their last eight entering this one. Their offense is capable of scoring and their defense certainly has struggled down the stretch. I think we're getting a close game and an over on the total.

I'm going to take the chance with the Wildcats out of the A-10 in this one. Davidson has won four straight and eight of its last nine and it's because of an improving defense and the likes of Kellan Grady and Peyton Aldridge. Grady may be one of the more underrated freshmen in the country seeing as though he's coming out of the A-10. Coach Bob McKillop also deserves a lot of credit and you know he'll have his team ready. Kentucky is the youngest team in the country and these Wildcats are hard to figure out. Yes, they just ran through the SEC, but can we depend upon them to be consistent? They'll have the athletic edge in this one but the loss of Jarred Vanderbilt will hurt a bit. They won three straight at the end of January, but then lost four straight before righting the ship again. Kentucky is 12-12 against the spread as a favorite this season. I'll take a chance with the upstart team to punch the favorite in the mouth.

I think the Jackrabbits are a really scary team. They have won 11 straight and are playing some incredible basketball right now. Mike Daum is averaging a double-double with 23.8 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. He can beat you in so many ways and is not a bad from the free-throw line either. David Jenkins Jr. and Reed Tellinghuisen are other double-digit scorers with several other threats as well. Early on in the season, they lost by only 10 points at Wichita State and picked up wins away from home against Ole Miss and Buffalo. Ohio State has lost three of its last five with two of those defeats courtesy of Penn State. The Buckeyes have plenty of talent of their own, but they've also struggled with small forwards this season. They've only covered 11 of their 24 contests this season against teams with a winning record. I just think this could be a closer game with the potential for an upset.

The Cardinal have won five of their last seven entering round one of the NIT as they host BYU. Stanford has only played two home games since February 8th so they'll be glad to be home where they've won six of their last seven. Reid Travis, Dorian Pickens, Daejon Davis and Kezie Okpala are the team's double digit scorers. I like the Cardinal's balance as a whole. BYU has split their last six games and have struggled on the road where they lost at San Diego, Loyola Marymount and Pacific. The Cougars really don't have too many tournament quality wins this season. They have some decent scorers, but I think Stanford is happy to be in the NIT. I'll take the home team in this one. 

Another pair of teams that are disappointed are playing in Oklahoma State as the Cowboys host Florida Gulf Coast. Reading articles, FGCU is definitely disappointed but they are turning the page and are excited to get a crack at Oklahoma State. The Eagles have some talent in Brandon Goodwin, Zach Johnson and Christian Terrell. They are really athletic and shoot nearly 50% from the field. FGCU already has played at Rhode Island, Wichita State, Texas Arlington and Middle Tennessee this season. The Cowboys coach has been making the rounds on ESPN TV and radio complaining about not making the tournament and if he's frustrated then you've got to think that his players will be too. I'm expecting a decent atmosphere as the fans try to give them motivation. Still, I think this is a lot of points for a live underdog who will be excited to play this one. 

Northern Kentucky has to be disappointed to be in the NIT after their early loss in the Horizon League tournament. The Norse fell to Cleveland State in that one. Still, the team has won eight of their last 10 and gets a crack at a Louisville team that reportedly voted against playing in the NIT due to an emotionally draining season. They didn't really want to play anymore and wanted to go into the offseason. Quite often in the NIT, you get home teams who just don't want to be there and it shows on the court. NKU probably would have fit that category but playing an ACC school will be motivation enough. Drew McDonald, Lavone Holland II and Carson Williams are a very good trio. The Norse lost by six at Texas A&M and by two at Memphis earlier in the season. I think they can keep it close in this one as well. 

Sometimes conference tournaments give underpeforming teams a chance to get back to what they were supposed to be. The Mavericks have won five straight and eight of their last 10. They were supposed to run away with this conference with the likes of Kevin Hervey and Erick Neal. Johnny Hamilton comes over from Virginia Tech and is solid in the middle. Kaelon Wilson is another double digit scorer for them. The offense is rolling right now and one of those wins came over GSU 89-81 at home on 2/24. They did lose to them on the road on 1/25 81-75 in a game that saw them shoot pretty poorly. The Panthers are led by D'Marcus Simonds and his 21.4 points per game. Georgia State has won three straight after a stretch of four losses in five games. The Panthers defense was not very good over that stretch. 

This is a play on the better team that I perceive in this matchup. Arizona has won four straight and has dealt with a lot this season on and off the court. It seems like they are dealing with it well and are embracing almost the heel role that they have. The team did go into overtime last night so that's a bit of a concern, but I think they can handle it. They've won three straight by double digits and already own an 81-67 win over USC back on February 10th. With Trier, Alkins and Ayton they will be tough to handle especially if Ayton can stay out of foul trouble. USC has played well in their two games against the Oregon schools in this tournament. It's a shame they lost Bennie Boatwright as this is a pretty good roster. They pride themselves on their defense and that's what they'll use to stay in this game. I think the Wildcats are the better team though so I'll take them to win the PAC-12 tournament.

It's meeting number three between these two schools with New Mexico State taking the first two 74-70 at home and 70-59 on the road. In each game we saw the score at halftime be 74 points which means the two teams were able to score the ball. The Aggies crushed GCU on the boards winning 50-25 and 56-37 in the two contests. That means New Mexico State will be able to get some easy buckets inside. The Aggies rely heavily on Zach Lofton and Jermerrio Jones who are the two double digit scorers. Jones in particular dominated on the inside this season averaging 13 rebounds per contest. Their two WAC tourney games were 84-79 and 97-70 scores so they can get up and down the court a bit. The team has scored 78 or more in five straight and six of their last seven. Grand Canyon has five guys who put up eight points per game or more per contest. The Antelopes have played two games in the WAC tourney with them being 75-60 and 77-74 scores. Both play with a medium pace according to KenPom. I think we could see this one go over the total.

The Shockers and Cougars have split their two meetings during the regular season with each team winning by double digits at home. Houston is one of the best rebounding teams in the league and they were beaten by the Shockers in Houston by 11 with seven more offensive rebounds in that game. Wichita State's balance is very hard to beat and they've got guards and centers to throw at Houston who isn't as deep. They've also got the huge advantage in terms of fans as a lot of Wichita made the trip to Florida. I just think the Shockers are the better team and will get the win.

Harvard has gone over in four straight and eight of their last 11 games. They are smoking hot offensively and are going off 93 and 98 point efforts back to back. All that said, their offense has had it's issues at times this season, but not against Cornell. Harvard beat them 76-73 on the road and 98-88 at home. The Big Red are certainly capable of scoring considering they have put up 80 or more in three of four and four of their last six games. Matt Morgan is an incredible shooter. Their problem is on the defensive end where they don't really put up much of an effort. Cornell has gone over in five of six and eight of their last 11. The big key in this one is can Cornell keep it close because Harvard doesn't want to run, but will if they have to. These two have gone over in six straight. I think that trend continues on Saturday. 

UCF has won two straight after a three game losing streak. They are still playing their fantastic defense and getting enough points to win games. The last game of the losing streak was a four point home loss to Wichita State. Yes, I'd have liked Tacko Fall to be playing in this one, but UCF is essentially the home team and I'm just not a Houston guy. The Cougars have won three of their last four and have a good backcourt themselves. They beat UCF by four in Florida back on February 3rd. I think this is a closer game then Vegas does as UCF is going to ugly things up. 

Nevada gets another crack at San Diego State who handed them a loss to end the regular season. The Wolf Pack played well in a win over UNLV while the Aztecs looked impressive in dispatching Fresno State. The Aztecs have finally discovered defense and when they play it well, you really notice the athleticism that they have. San Diego State has won seven straight and they are starting to play with a confidence that is hard to defeat. SD State has a ton of fans in Vegas so it'll be a good atmosphere. Basically, I think they are the better team and the injury of Lindsey Drew once again becomes an issue for Nevada.

The Spiders are playing some of their best basketball of the season right now and they have a shot to knock off St. Bonaventure. The Bonnies beat them in Olean back on February 10th, but that was without De'Monte Buckingham for the road team. In that game SBU shot 50% from the field and missed only one FT in 22 attempts. They are one of the hottest teams in the conference, but this is a little bit too much. Yes, the Spiders defense has been an issue this season, but their offense has been able to make up for some of their mistakes. There is something to having played a game in the building as well. Jaylen Adams and Matt Mobley are one of the best backcourts in the game, but I don't know who they have who can cover Grant Golden inside. I think Richmond milks that matchup early and often and they can keep it close.

It's round three between Western Kentucky and Old Dominion as they play in Frisco Texas. WKU is coming off a 98-70 win over UAB while ODU struggled with Louisiana Tech. The Toppers beat the Monarchs twice this season 75-68 and 88-66 slicing up that defense each time. They shot over 50% in each game and were able to get to the rim with ease. ODU's defense is not as good outside of Norfolk so I expect WKU to score. Western Kentucky is allowing almost 75 points per game in their last five contests. The sight lines and logistics of this tournament are very odd, but as we've seen it's still conducive to scoring. To me, this one is an over and it could be another WKU win.

George Mason has now played 15 overs in their 19 conference games this season and that trend continues the last three seasons with 42 overs in their last 58 A-10 games. Mason beat UMass in a high scoring game in their first contest in DC. The Patriots have a really good offense when they need to, but their defense is among the worst in the conference. St. Joe's has gone over in three of five and six of their last nine contests. They've been racking up the points with 70 or more in seven straight. Much like their opponent though, the defense has been pretty bad. The two regular season meetings were scores of 79-76 and 81-79. We could see something similar here.

The Pirates could be close to full strength on Thursday with the return of Desi Rodriguez and Ish Sanogo to the lineup. Both practiced although Ish felt better. Both are gametime decisions. Seton Hall beat Butler at their place 90-87 back in January and knocked them off just five days ago at home 77-70. They shot the ball really well in both games and did a good job against them for the most part from long range. The Pirates really rely on Myles Powell, Khadeen Carrington, Angel Delgado and Rodriguez. Butler has lost two straight and five of their last seven so confidence isn't exactly high. They lost two of those games as favorites to Georgetown and St. John's. I gotta expect a crowd advantage for Seton Hall as well. This is one of those cases that I just think they are the better team. 

It really seems like ECU has packed it in on the season. They have lost four straight by double digits and have 11 double digit losses overall in conference play. The Pirates don't get a lot of scoring and certainly don't without Kentrell Barkley who has been out due to suspension. The team's defense is absolutely horrific too even allowing 109 at Houston and 90 at Temple. Central Florida is limping a bit down the stretch themselves having lost three of their last four. The team has been ravaged by injuries but they are playing fantastic defense. AJ Davis and BJ Taylor will be the best players on the court. This is also the home team of the tournament and they beat ECU at their place 59-39 back on New Year's Eve. I just think the Pirates have quit on the season and that this is going to be a blowout win. 

The Colonials have won five of their last seven entering this one against St. Louis. These two met in SLU back on February 24th and the Billikens won 62-53. Neither team shot that well in that one as both teams played stifling defense. Still, this is a GW team that has shot 50% or better in three straight and six of their last seven so the offense is in a good place right now. They are the deeper team of the two and the "home" team with this tourney being in DC. St. Louis has lost two straight and three of their last four as the offense has been bad. They don't have a ton of weapons and have a young team that has been on the road a lot to close out the regular season. I just think GW is the better squad and will take them to win this one. 

Toledo has gone over in five of their last six entering this one. The Rockets have a very potent offense that has scored 70 or more in eight of their last nine. Tre'Shaun Fletcher and Jaelan Sanford average 35 points per game combined. Their defense could be better, but in a lot of games they are scoring enough to not have as much worry about it. The RedHawks prefer a slower game, but if they get behind quick, they'll need to speed up to keep up. They've split their last six games in terms of the over/under. This is a team with a lot of balance as five players average eight points per game or more. The two met in Oxford back on February 9th with the Rockets winning 73-67. Miami-Ohio didn't shoot the ball well in that one. I think with more at stake, we see more points in this one.

This is a tremendously headscratching line as I think the Spiders are a lot better then Duquesne. Richmond comes in with some momentum having won their last two games, shooting 55% or better in each of those games. Yes, their defense is shady and their offense can have spurts of awfulness. Richmond knocked off Duquesne in overtime back on January 24th 77-73. The Dukes have lost seven of their last eight and have looked pretty bad in the process. The defense is getting leaky and the young players on the team aren't performing. They've got some talent in Eric Williams Jr, Mike Lewis II and Tarin Smith who was named sixth man of the year. Still, beating the Spiders will be tough as they have ultimate balance in five starters who average nine points per game or more. The only worry is Coach Mooney trying to play the bench more so he can space minutes out, but they have to win the first game before worrying about future ones. Quite simply, Richmond at their best is better then what Duquesne is right now.

This is an odd line considering Fresno beat the Aztecs twice this season. The Bulldogs won 77-73 on the road and 79-61 at home in January and February, but the rosters are slightly different. San Diego State will have Trey Kell for this one after he missed the 2/6 meeting. Fresno State continues to be without their PG Jaron Hopkins and that has hurt their defense a little bit. San Diego State has won six straight as they've found their defense and their offense is suddenly humming. They have a ton of athletes which are good, but they struggled against Fresno's zone the last time. The Bulldogs have lost two of their last three with one of those being a complete headscratcher to Wyoming at home as an eight point favorite. They didn't look great at Air Force either during this closing stretch. To me, San Diego State is the better team and rightfully should be favored. They are the biggest threat to Nevada in this conference. 

Something about these two teams brings out plenty of offense and efficient shooting. These two have each shot over 50% in their two meetings this season with OSU winning 97-94 at home and Washington taking it 79-77 at their place. The Huskies shot 54 FT's in those two games and forced 31 Beaver turnovers. Washington has had some up and down performances offensively, but their defense has been pretty bad as of late outside of games against Colorado and Cal. OSU has won two of three and has gone over in seven of their last 10 games. The Beavers offense can be very hot and cold as they have shooters that can make long range shots. Seeing as though this will be close, FTs late will help us out.

For the second time in the last three games, GW plays Fordham. The Colonials stomped on the Rams 72-56 at home back on February 28th. They are in fantastic form right now having won four of their last six with five 50% shooting performances or better. George Washington will also feel close to home with this game being in DC. Fordham has lost six straight and was blown out in all of the games. They don't play any defense and just don't have enough offense. I think this is a team who is ready for the season to end. Yuta Watanabe will be the best player on the court and the best player to move on.

These two teams played some overs in the regular season. The Explorers beat UMass at home 87-72 but lost in Massachusetts 86-79. The Minutemen have gone over in 11 straight games as their offense has clicked with Luwane Pipkins on the court and their defense has been equally as awful. They regularly give up 80 points per game or more. La Salle will make you pay with BJ Johnson and Pookie Powell. The Explorers have scored 70 or more in four straight and can stretch the Minutemen defense. To me, this is a free flowing type of game and both teams should be able to get into the lane on the other's leaky defense.

A pair of terrible teams play in the Mountain West. Utah State is at least coming off a win over UNLV in which it shot 50% from the field. Before that they had lost four straight with some clunkers at San Jose State and Air Force. Koby McEwen and Sam Merrill are as capable a duo in this league as you can get. Colorado State has lost four in a row and 11 of their last 12 as they spiral out of control. The team has gone through several coaches and has JD Paige suspended for conduct detrimental to the team. During this span, they've lost seven times by nine points or more. This seems like a team who has packed it in for the season. I think Utah State sends them home for good.

Air Force and UNLV have played some high scoring games this season. Their meeting in Colorado went to the Rebels 81-76 while the one in Vegas went to them as well 81-73. UNLV has gone over in 13 of their 18 home games this season. They've lost five straight games as the defense has abandoned them completely. This is a team that allowed 101 at home to Nevada and 94 at San Diego State. Four of their last five games, the opponent has shot 50% or better from the field. Air Force has split their last four games and they are on a long stretch of unders as of late. Still, their style of offense should be open against an impatient UNLV team who will want to run and gun. I think this one goes over the total.

BYU is trying to make the WCC a three bid league potentially in this title game against Gonzaga. The Zags went 2-0 against them with a 79-65 and 68-60 victories in the regular season. Gonzaga outrebounded them in both games and held their long range attack in check as the Cougars went just 9-for-40 in those two games. BYU has gone over the total in seven of their last eight and have scored 85 points in each of their games in Las Vegas so far. They put up that number on St. Mary's who plays fantastic defense. Gonzaga has gone over in four straight after a stretch of six unders. The Zags have scored 83 and 88 in their two tournament games. They've scored 70 or more in eight straight contests. I think this one should go over the total as well. 

Charleston takes on Northeastern in the CAA title game. The contest takes place in Charleston giving them the home crowd advantage. They beat the Huskies both times this season winning 69-64 on the road and 82-66 at home. In each game, they shot better and had a slight rebounding advantage. They also turned the ball over just 15 times in those two contests combined. Charleston may not be as deep, but they have the advantage at the top with Johnson, Riller and Brantley. The Cougars have covered five of the last six meetings. I just think they are the better team and think they get the win in this one.

The Fighting Irish get Pittsburgh for the second time over the last few weeks. Notre Dame beat them at home 73-56 in Bonzie Colson's return game to the lineup. He was dominant against them and figures to get even better as he gets his legs under him. In that game the Irish outrebounded the Panthers by 16 with 10 more offensive boards. Pittsburgh has lost by double digits in eight of their last nine contests. I can't imagine there's much fight in them left this season. The Fighting Irish are still in impress the committee mode so you know they'll want to put this one away early and get ready for Virginia Tech. The Irish get the easy win in this one. 

Gonzaga is on their way to another WCC title game. Standing in their way is San Francisco who has won four of five and six of their last eight. The Dons have shown they can play with the upper echelon beating St. Mary's already this season. They also have a pair of 9 and 10 point losses against the Zags. In the losses, the Dons shot pretty well from long range and kept things close in terms of turnovers. Gonzaga has actually covered just seven of their 19 WCC games. They've failed to cover in three of their last four and part of that is because of such big spreads. This is a neutral court game and you know fans of both BYU and St. Mary's will be rooting against the Zags. I just think this is a really big number. The Dons have some talent and could keep up with Gonzaga, but will try to make this a lower possession game. I'll take the underdog in this one.

It's the second meeting between Western Michigan and Akron on Monday. The first one went to the home team 87-75 as the Broncos shot 55.4% from the field two months ago. They have the best player on the court in Thomas Wilder who can do a lot of things. The team has struggled though as of late losing four of their last six as the defense has gotten very leaky. Over this stretch they allowed 80 or more four times with the other two being 74 and 75. Akron has had a pretty bad season as they've lost eight of their last 11. John Groce has not done much with this squad who doesn't play great defense on the road. They've allowed 80, 79, 78, 99, 79 and 111 in their last six road contests. The offense has gotten a little bit better although they are on a three game stretch of points in the 60s. To me, this one should be an easy win for the Broncos and one that goes over the total. 

The Pioneers bring some momentum in this one as they take on Oral Roberts. The Pios have won four straight and seven of their last nine. Two of those victories came over ORU with the last one being on February 18th 66-65. Joe Rosga and Daniel Amigo are a tough pair to handle and that doesn't even take Jake Pemberton into account. ORU has lost five of seven and if you want to go farther, they have lost nine of their last 13 after a hot start. The defense has had it's issues while the offense has struggled against the better teams in the conference. The Golden Eagles have some balance, but you have to wonder how their confidence is.

Furman is worth a look here as they've won seven straight and nine of their last 11. The Paladins are coming off their fourth 50% shooting effort or better in their last five games and everything seems to be clicking for them. This is their third meeting with ETSU as they lost the home tilt 62-61 back in January but beat them at their place 79-76 just a few weeks ago. Devin Sibley is in a good place with five other guys averaging eight points per game or better. ETSU is also coming off a solid win yesterday, but they closed out the regular season losing four of five and looking like they were out of gas. The defense was awful and the offense couldn't keep up. The Bucs lost three of those four as favorite including an 18.5 point fave at home against The Citadel. I think this is a classic case of a hot team vs. one trying to get hot once again. The favorite is certainly worth a look in this one. 

The Dons have gone over in seven straight and nine of their last 10. Two of those overs came against North Dakota State in IPFW victories. They beat them at home 92-88 and on the road 84-72. Jon Konchar and Bryson Scott are one of the best duos in college basketball and Konchar is putting up incredible stats. This team probably won't make a deep run in the Summit though because of a very leaky defense that allows too many teams to shoot well. North Dakota State's defense is pretty bad too at times. They can score though with the best of them as Paul Miller is one of the best players in this conference. The Bison just don't have enough reliable players. To me, this one should be played with some pace and should go over the total. 

I've made some money fading UConn on the road so far this season. The Huskies have been pretty awful outside of Storrs. They lost by 25 at Cincy, 21 at Wichita State, 28 at Temple and by 24 at Memphis in conference. UConn only beat awful East Carolina by four in Greenville to also show how poor they've been. Houston has defended homecourt really well with a 51 point win over ECU, 31 point victory over Tulane, 23 point win over USF and 14 point victory over Wichita State. The Cougars need to keep playing well and can't let up against the lesser Huskies. I think they get another easy victory.

This is a hugely headscratching line set by Vegas. Temple held on 59-58 in their first meeting by virtue of Tulsa not converting their final possession at the buzzer. Temple shot 32.4% from the field in that one and shot 36 three's with only 11 of them going in. Tulsa is 12-2 at home and has covered 26 of their last 39 there over the last three seasons. They love their homecourt advantage. The Golden Hurricane have five players who average nine points per game or more. Temple has top 25 talent, but their coaching is pretty awful. They lost by six at UConn last time out as a 2.5 point favorite. The team also has terrible losses to Memphis and Tulane. The Owls lost by 19 in their last meeting in Tulsa back in February of 2016. I just have no faith in Temple to get the win in the tough atmosphere. 

I'm going to go back to the ISU Red bandwagon one more time. They've lost both of their games to Loyola Chicago 68-61 this season and turnovers were the issue in each. Last time the two teams played ISU actually had a lead before a late avalanche against them on the road. On a neutral court that may see more ISU fans on it, I like their chances to keep things close. Phil Fayne, Milik Yarbrough and Keyshawn Evans are tough to slow down. The Ramblers are the favorites in this one and so you may see them play a little tighter. They struggled to get past UNI in the first round and then pulled away late from Bradley in the semis. There's no doubt the talent that this squad has, but with a lower total, I think nine points is a gift. Give me ISU Red and hope this one is close late. 

The Aztecs have won five straight since their 83-58 loss at Nevada. San Diego State is playing fantastic defense as of late and is getting better with Malik Pope returning to the lineup and Trey Kell healthy. Pope's return helps Devin Watson, Matt Mitchell and Jalen McDaniels out. If this team can play some defense, it helps their offense out and keeps them engaged. Nevada is probably the best team in the conference and they've won six straight themselves. The Wolfpack are coming off a 26 point win at UNLV in which they scored 101. The loss of Lindsey Drew has not hurt them as much as people thought. Nevada gave up 20 offensive rebounds to UNLV and that's an issue with the Aztecs being the taller team. I think if they have some pride, they'll bounce back after losing in poor fashion to Nevada at their place. With this short spread, I like the home team.

George Mason has dominated this series as of late with at least five straight wins over Richmond and seven of their last eight in Fairfax. The two teams played in Richmond a month ago with the Pats winning 79-75. The Spiders shot horribly in that one, but still managed to keep things really close. Richmond's defense has disappeared as of late allowing just under 80 points in their last five games with opponents shooting 53.2% from the field. Their starting five all average over 10 points per game but the bench doesn't add much. GMU has gone over in 13 of their 17 conference games because they allow over 77 points per game. They can score though and that's huge. This team with a win can be the 4th seed in the A-10 tourney. That's important in saving them considering depth is an issue. I think this one should see a lot of points and should go over the total.

SD State has wins of 20 and 28 over Western Illinois entering this one. Going back to the last meeting in 2017, they also have a 33 point win as well as this is a horrible mismatch. This is a neutral court, but it's also in South Dakota so you know that Jackrabbit fans are going to be out in force. In two meetings with the Leathernecks, Mike Daum has scored 41 points adding 18 rebounds. You know he'll want to play better. WIU has lost four of five and eight of their last 10 with seven of those coming by 10 points or more. They just don't play defense and don't score enough to keep up with a South Dakota State who would love to get an easy win.

California is one of the worst teams in the country. They don't score and they don't play any defense for the most part. They've shot less then 40% in 11 of their last 13 games. The Golden Bears have losses of 31 at Arizona State, 34 at Utah, 18 at USC and 25 at Washington State. Arizona is the heel of college basketball it seems considering what's happened with Sean Miller and DeAndre Ayton. This team is whole now with Alonzo Trier back. They've dominated some of the lesser teams on their schedule at home this season. I think they destroy an awful Cal team in this one.

Illinois State is a pretty good team when they have their full roster and that's the case this Saturday. The Redbirds are led by the big three of Milik Yarbrough, Keyshawn Evans and Phil Fayne. That's a tough trio to stop when they are all on. ISU won the last meeting with SIU 76-68 at home as they crushed the Salukis on the boards. The two teams played on January 13th and SIU won 74-70 despite ISU red having a three point lead at halftime. To me, outside of Loyola Chicago, the Redbirds are the most talented team in the MVC and they'll get another chance to prove it on Saturday.

Both of these teams are wounded after tough losses this week only Louisville will have had less time. The Cardinals were up four with less then a second left and managed to lose the game by one. That would have been huge for their tournament resume which needs a little more meat. One has to think they will struggle with focus in this one especially if they are still thinking about how they lost to UVA. NC State is coming off a headscratching loss to Georgia Tech on the road in a game that saw a couple of technicals get called that the Wolfpack called in to the league about. Now they get Louisville at home in a fired up atmosphere and I like them. NC State has covered eight of their 11 lined home games. The home team has the coaching edge and while Louisville has more vets, I think the atmosphere helps get the Pack the win.

The Fighting Irish are whole once again with Bonzie Colson back in the lineup. They looked good with him in the lineup against Pittsburgh, but this is a whole other animal to try and slay. His return takes a little bit off Geben and Mooney's plates and makes them more deadly as bit pieces who can shoot. TJ Gibbs and Matt Farrell get a little better as well. Virginia has nothing really to play for other then momentum entering the ACC tourney. They got a miracle to beat Louisville on Thursday night and they have had stretches of struggles in their last two home games against Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech. The total says this should be a lower scoring game which means 10 points is very valuable. I think the underdog is a live one. They beat UVA last year in the ACC Tourney. I think they hang around in this one.

The Cardinal already have a win over ASU back in January. In that contest they won 86-77 as a four point underdog. They shot over 50% from the field and out-rebounded the Sun Devils by 14. ASU has lost three of their last four and have fallen at home to Arizona, Utah and Oregon. They have a fantastic backcourt, but they don't matchup well inside with Stanford. The Cardinal covered at hostile Arizona and have road wins at California, Washington and Washington State. Reid Travis, Dorian Pickens, Daejon Davis and Michael Humphrey are their double digit scorers. Stanford has covered 11 of their 17 conference games and 14 of their 22 against teams with a winning record. I'm just not a fan of Arizona State.

It's a battle for Philly supremacy in the A-10 as St. Joe's hosts La Salle. The Hawks have won five of six after a five game losing streak. They've gone over in five of their last eight games as the offense continues to explode. Shavar Newkirk and James Demery are a good duo with Taylor Funk adding as well. SJU beat Rhode Island at their place by 30 last time out playing some rare defense that I don't think they can sustain. La Salle has won three of their last four. They don't play great defense either and have one of the best players in the confidence in BJ Johnson. These two played at La Salle back on February 3rd with the Explorers winning 81-78 in a game we had the over in last time. Both squads play with a better pace and should be close with FT's coming late. I think this one goes over the total.

A pair of the lower teams in the ACC play as Georgia Tech hosts Wake Forest. Neither team is all that good, but Georgia Tech is coming off a solid win over NC State. They've managed to upset some teams there and it'll be emotional for Ben Lammers and Tadric Jackson's senior day. The loss of Jose Alvarado has been bad for the team, but they seem to be a little better at home. Wake Forest has just three road wins this season with those coming at Pittsburgh, Coastal Carolina and Charlotte so no one of any talent. The Demon Deacons have lost five of their last seven and are heading towards another lost season. They've got some talent, but their defense is absolutely awful. In almost a pick'em situation between two bad teams, I'll go with the home squad.

St. John's has won five of their last seven entering this one against Providence. They have gone over the total in six of seven and eight of their last 12 as the defense continues to be leaky. The Red Storm have scored 70 or more in seven straight entering this one. Shamorie Ponds is questionable but one could argue the offense was actually just as good without him. Providence is a hard team to figure out. They've lost four of their last six games and it's because of a defense that couldn't stop anyone as of late and an offense that isn't scoring enough. Providence won at St. John's 94-72 back on December 28th. These two have gone over in five straight meetings. I think that occurs in this one as well.

Chattanooga has lost five straight and seven of their last eight. They are banged up and their offense has sputtered as of late. This one highly depends on Rodney Chatman's availability as the team has been bad. They lost at VMI as a favorite and have not gotten to 70 points in four straight. Samford ain't much better, but they can score which is pretty big in this situation. They split their two meetings with Chattanooga with each team winning at home. The Bulldogs problem is their defense which has been pretty bad. I think they have the better players though and more weapons even without Wyatt Walker who has been out for awhile. This line is telling me Chatman isn't going to play and the Mocs season is going to end. 

It's been a rough season for the Zips so far as they sport a losing record entering this one. They've lost four of their last five, but there's been flashes lately. They lost by two at home to Miami-Ohio while being tied with Buffalo in the 2nd half before the much better Bulls pulled away for the 12 point win. They were beating Kent State in meeting one before letting up at the end. They've played a little bit better defense at home and feature Daniel Utomi, Malcolm Duvivier and Jimond Ivey who are pretty good scorers. Virshon Cotton also returned to the lineup which gave them a little bit better depth. Kent State will have the size advantage with the 7 footer in the middle, but that didn't matter that much in meeting one. Kent State has struggled on the road lately losing four straight and seven of their last eight in conference. This is a home contest against a rival so I think they show up for this one. 

UTEP has won three of their last four after a long stretch of losses. They are up and down offensively scoring 33 at ODU, 50 at MTSU and 59 against UTSA. The Miners also have put up 70 or more in each of those victories during this current stretch. Omega Harris is the leading scorer with Isiah Osborne and Matt Wilms as other threats. On the road, defense has been a failure allowing 82, 86, 81, 85, 65, 97 and 85 in conference. Rice has won just three times since the turn of the calendar. They have gone over in three of four and five of their last seven games as the defense has been just as awful. Their offense is pretty mediocre, but could find some success in this one. UTEP won at home 80-62 in their first meeting back on December 30th. To me, these two teams should play a bit of a looser game and we should see plenty of points.

UNC Asheville is the host school in the Big South tournament and they get Charleston Southern. The Bulldogs took matchup one at home 83-73 in a contest that saw them shoot 61.7% from the field and 61.9% from long range. The rematch came at Charleston Southern and saw the home team lose 85-80 in a game that saw the Dogs shoot 50% from the field. They will have Ahmad Thomas back in the lineup and he forms a potent duo with Macio Teague. The two score over 33 points per contest. At home, they've scored 89, 69, 66, 75, 84, 65, 83 and 90 in conference. They play at a decent pace. Charleston Southern is led by Christian Keeling and Travis McConico. They have won six of their last seven and have scored 70 or more in five of those games. Their defense can be a bit leaky this season. To me, this one should be played at a decent pace making the lower total within reach.

These two teams played just over two weeks ago and UNI won 47-41 in a game that saw Evansville play without Gibson and Smith and those are two big pieces who are healthy now. Evansville managed to shoot zero FTs in that one which won't happen again considering they shot 12 of them back on January 31st in their 57-49 win over UNI. The Purple Aces are feeling good right now after a 31 point win over SIU. That snapped a four game losing streak which came because of poor health. UNI has won two of their last three, but this is an offense that is hard to trust. They've scored less then 50 points three times over a month span. I think Evansville is the better team at full strength and they get the win. 

Syracuse is on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament while Boston College is trying to build respectability. BC lost meeting one with the Orange 81-63 in New York just over a month ago. In that game, Cuse shot 60.4% from the field and basically got whatever they wanted. This is just like last year when a better Orange team won by 23 at home but got blitzed in Chestnut Hill by 15. Jerome Robinson and Ky Bowman are one of the best backcourts in the country and they should be able to get whatever they want against the zone. BC shoots just over 40% from the field at home making 10 3's per contest. They've lost three straight which is giving us a little bit of value. Remember, the Eagles have already knocked off Miami, Florida State, Wake and Duke at home this season. They've also got some close losses in other games as well. Syracuse is a hard team to figure but they have little depth and if the big three aren't scoring then they aren't winning. The Orange are 6-9 against the spread in ACC play. I'll take my chances with the home team in this one.

Clemson hosts Florida State tonight. The Tigers lost by two in Tallahassee a few weeks ago and they had a 12 point halftime lead. Clemson looked impressive in that one although Florida State did end up getting the victory. FSU has covered just one of their six February games and have been a mixed bag in terms of talent. The Seminoles have lost three of their last five and are coming off a 20 point loss at NC State. This team does have road wins at Louisville and Virginia Tech, but they also lost at BC, Wake Forest, Notre Dame and NC State. Clemson has lost three of their last four, but are coming off an eight point win over Georgia Tech. Shelton Mitchell returned and the offense looked a lot better. Yes, depth is an issue with Donte Grantham done for the season, but I like fading Florida State because I just don't think they can always overcome the terrible coaching of Leonard Hamilton.

This has been a season to forget for Pittsburgh who has not won a conference game this season. The Panthers have losses of 13, 24, 31, 12, 37, 14, 14 and 26 on the road. They are coming off an effort where they had one basket and seven points in the first half vs. Virginia. Notre Dame has a lot to play for as Bonzie Colson returns to the lineup. The Fighting Irish were a dominant team when they were completely healthy. They had five double digit victories over lesser non-conference opponents with him in the lineup. Mike Brey's bunch also has to show how good they are for the NCAA committee who will see them at full strength for the first time since December. Unfortunately Pitt is going to run into a buzzsaw here with a lot of emotion and a lot at stake.

Duquesne has lost six straight and has been absolutely awful since a hot start to their season. The Dukes have fallen four times in conference at home including a 23 point loss to Fordham. They lost to St. Louis on the road 76-63 back on January 17th in a game that saw them allow the Billikens to shoot 50% from the field. St. Louis has won three of four and six of their last eight as they are rounding into form. They aren't a deep squad, but they play defense and they grind you out on the boards. This team has road wins at Richmond, St. Joe's and UMass in conference. They also played close road games at Dayton and George Mason. Javon Bess and Davell Roby are solid scorers while Hasahn French joins in on the dirty work. I just don't think Duquesne is very good and with a lackluster atmosphere, I think SLU can pick up the road win. 

The Spiders have lost five straight as their defense has suddenly disappeared once again. Richmond has allowed 72, 103, 72, 85 and 97 points over this losing streak. The 103 came against very weak offensive team GW who shot almost 70% from the field. IF Luwane Pipkins is back then the Minutemen should be able to do work on the home team. They've scored 70 or above in seven straight and eight of their last nine. UMass has had issues though on the defensive side and that's why they are also on a five game losing streak. This team has allowed 78, 82, 83, 83 and 85 over this skid. Richmond's offense is capable of big things with five guys who average double digits on the season. Their problem has been a non-existent bench. To me, this one should be playing with a nice flow and should go over the total.

The Bonnies have won 10 straight entering this one against Davidson. St. Bonaventure is playing great defense holding eight opponents to 70 points or less in conference play. Adams and Mobley are getting good efforts from Courtney Stockard but it's hard to find too many backcourts better then them. Their only loss at home came to Niagara in the season opener. The Wildcats have won four straight and have road losses to Rhode Island, Dayton and Richmond in conference. They go as Peyton Aldridge and Kellan Grady go as their dynamic duo. I'm not a believer in Davidson and I think they go into this one struggling. They beat SBU 83-73 at home just over a month ago. Revenge will be sweet. 

Longwood seems to be ready for their season to be over. The team has lost 12 straight with two of those coming by 20 and 19 to High Point, who is their next opponent. The Lancers have lost by 23, 19, 15, 12 and 34 in their last five contests as the offense is just not working and the defense is struggling to slow anyone down. Outside of Isaiah Walton and B.K. Ashe, there aren't too many threats on this roster. High Point has a big three of Jahaad Proctor, Andre Fox and Brandonn Kamga who average over 43 points per contest. The Panthers have won two of three and four of their last seven. They are a pretty solid team at home with 10 home victories of 10 points or more. Quite simply, this is a mismatch and I'll take the home team in this one. 

Meeting number one between these two went 82-76 with Ball State picking up the victory at home. This series has seen three straight overs with both of them last year sailing over the number. Ball State has won five of their last six with four of those going over the total. They've scored 80 points or more in seven of their conference games. The defense has had it's issues at times against the better scoring teams in this conference. Central Michigan has lost three straight and five of their last six. They've gone over in six of seven and 12 of their last 15 contests. This is another team that doesn't play good defense, but has a very potent offense. We've enjoyed taking overs in both of these teams' games so why not take the over when they play each other.

The Wolf Pack have their final home game of the season on Sunday and it should be an absolute blowout. Nevada's health hasn't been great especially with Lindsey Drew out for the season and others dealing with various other ailments. Still, the team is cruising offensively and should defend home court well. The Pack have wins of 25, 10 and 26 at home in conference this season. They beat the Rams 76-67 at their place earlier this month and that's with both teams shooting poorly. CSU is ready for the end of the season as they have their third head coach and just suspended JD Paige for violation of team rules. They lost by 33 to Boise at home last time out and that came after a 21 point loss at Fresno. Their only win since 1/17 was by 11 at home over awful San Jose State. To me, this is a name your score situation and I think it gets real ugly on Sunday. 

It has not been a good season for the Huskies who are 13-15 on the season. They are coming off a 25 point drubbing at the hands of Cincinnati. They played that one without Jalen Adams who figures to be back for this one. UConn's offense had been playing better for a stretch with 84, 71, 74 and 68 points. They shared the ball better and started playing just a little bit of defense. The Huskies were embarrassed at Memphis back on January 16th 73-49 and you know this team has a little bit of pride. The Tigers have won three straight, but will now be without leading scorer Jeremiah Martin who was lost due to an ankle injury. This is a team that one point lost at East Carolina. I really just don't think they are a very good team and I believe UConn has a couple more wins left in them. Give me the home team in this situation. 

Houston has won five of their last six and are coming off a puzzling six point loss at Memphis last time out. At home, they've been thrashing teams with wins of 31 over Tulane, 23 over USF, 14 over Wichita State an 33 over Tulsa in conference. They are playing for a tournament bid so there cannot be a let up even with a road game at SMU next. East Carolina is pretty bad and with Kentrell Barkley suspended, they don't have a ton of weapons. The team is coming off a 19 point home loss to SMU. They've also lost by 17 at Temple, 25 at SMU, 26 at Cincinnati and by 26 at Tulsa. I think Houston crushes them and continues to play good basketball.

We picked up a win with Oregon already this week and will go back to the well again as Arizona continues to be without Alonzo Trier who was suspended by the NCAA. He was a big piece of the Wildcats home win over the Ducks back on January 13th. This means Rawle Alkins becomes more important besides the obvious DeAndre Ayton. Oregon has played the Wildcats tough and they smoked them last year at home 85-58 as four point favorites. The Ducks have so many weapons and some decent size to throw at Ayton. I like Dana Altman as a coach and with some of the stories swirling around the Wildcats, it might show up on the court in this one.

ODU has won six straight since their loss to Middle Tennessee. The Monarchs have gone over in three of four and eight of their 12 road games. They play some fantastic defense, but it's not as lockdown on away from Norfolk this season. Scoring used to be a problem for Old Dominion, but now they have four double digit scorers and Brandan Stith that has done a lot. Western Kentucky is nowhere near as deep but they have five double digit scorers and Josh Anderson who has helped in his 13 games since coming off suspension. They already have a win over ODU on the road 75-68 in a game that saw them shoot 54% from the field and 62.5% from long range. To me, this one comes down to FT's and we play in the high 60s, low 70s as each team tries to exert their will on the other.

Charlotte has just five wins on the season against North Texas, East Carolina, High Point, Presbyterian and Methodist. The 49ers have lost their road games by 38, 18, 18, 20, 11, 9 and 31 in conference. They don't score and their defense is some of the worst in the country. All of that is a recipe for disaster against a pissed off Marshall team that regularly puts up 70 points or more on the season. They've got nine double digit home wins this season. The Thundering Herd can beat you in so many ways. It's also the final home game of the regular season and you know they'll want to put on a show. I think this one gets real ugly on Charlotte who may have given up on the season.

UMass has gone over in eight straight games as this team continues to fill up the hoop on offense and struggling on defense. They've allowed 80 or more in every game during this over streak while Luwane Pipkins does his work on the offensive end. They don't have a ton of depth, but aren't afraid to run and have one inside player as well. Meeting one with the Patriots was an over 80-72 in Amherst back on January 3rd. That was with both teams shooting around 38% from the field. Mason has gone over in nine of their last 12 as they also struggle on defense, but have an offense that can fill it up. Not much analysis needed. This one should be played in the 70s. 

This is a hold your nose type play, but I think the Rams could win this one outright. They have lost three straight and four of their last six. Their victories in conference came at home against Mason, UMass and Richmond as well as on the road at Duquesne. Joseph Chartouny is a good play and Wil Taveras is as well. La Salle has lost four of five and is coming off an extremely tough loss at home against Rhode Island. The Explorers are not a very smart team and they 100% could be a bit mentally hungover for this one. Their only road win came against Penn back in November with a neutral court victory over Holy Cross. The Explorers are the better team, but I'll take Fordham in a sleepy atmosphere. 

The Dragons roared all the way back to beat Delaware with the biggest comeback in NCAA history. Drexel has won five of their last nine and has played well at home where they have won four of their last five. Tremaine Isabell is playing some fantastic basketball and should have no issues slicing through the UNCW defense. The Seahawks have lost three of their last four and six of their last eight. They have struggled on the road in conference play and are coming off a 96-83 loss at William and Mary. Drexel may struggle with Devontae Cacok, but UNCW just doesn't have a ton of weapons. There's something to be said about confidence and right now Drexel has to be bathing in it. I think they get an easier win on Saturday. 

Wake Forest hosts Notre Dame on Saturday afternoon. The Demon Deacons have just four conference wins over Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, Florida State and Syracuse. They don't play very good defense and have struggled at times to get the offense going. They've gone over in five of six and six of their last eight contests. Doral Moore is going to have his hands full on the inside with Notre Dame who has plenty of beef in there. The Fighting Irish have won three of their last five but are still without Bonzie Colson. Rex Pflueger is due back to the lineup which will help an offense that has scored 74 or more in four of their last five. Defense has been an issue at times leading to a stretch of six of eight overs. Five opponents in ACC play have shot 50% or better from the field. To me, this one should go over the total and it's pretty close in terms of spread. 

It's a William and Mary home game so naturally we are going over the total. They are averaging 91.1 points per contest there shooting a whopping 52.5% from the field. The Tribe is allowing 82.3 points per game at home which is why they are only 10-3 there instead of better. The first meeting between these two went to Charleston just two weeks ago 82-77 in a game that saw WM shoot over 51% from the field while making only seven threes. Last year this game was 89-79 in Williamsburg. Charleston has clinched the one seed in the CAA tournament so we may see a bit of a letdown from their side. They've had three games played in the 150s as totals and they've gone over in all three. This one should be fun and high scoring on Saturday. 

The Red Storm have won four of their last five as they enter this one against Seton Hall. St. John's is hot offensively scoring 73, 77, 86, 79 and 81 over their last five contests. That's good because their defense has struggled despite the victories. They have moved on nicely from Marcus LoVett with four double digit scorers and Tariq Owens who plays a nice role as well. Seton Hall most likely will be without Desi Rodriguez who is their leading scorer. Even if he does play, he'll be hobbled on the ankle injury. That means Myles Powell, Khadeen Carrington and Angel Delgado play a bigger role. The first meeting went to Seton Hall at home 75-70 back on December 31st. They beat the Red Storm on the class. This team has won nine of their last 14 at home in this series. Seton Hall has also had a weird schedule considering they had to wait an extra day to beat Providence in a different building. I think the Pirates struggle in this one and the home team gets the win.

Oregon gets another crack at Arizona State in this one. The Ducks have won five of their last eight games and have been pretty good at home. In conference they lost to USC and Utah in Eugene, but have defended homecourt well. Payton Pritchard leads six guys who score 7 points per game or more. This is a young squad who is capable of making a run in the PAC-12 tournament. Arizona State is coming off a home loss to rival Arizona last time out. They've lost on the road at Washington, Stanford, Colorado and Arizona in conference. The team has cooled off tremendously after a very hot start to the season. I think the Ducks have the edge on the interior and that's why they took the first meeting in Arizona. Oregon is the better team so I'll take them at home. 

Southern Miss hits the road after losing three of their four straight home contests. The team was blown out in their last two games by UAB and Middle Tennessee who out-classed them. The road has been rough for the Golden Eagles who have lost by 6 at FIU, by 23 at La Tech, by 20 at MTSU, by 11 at UAB, by 16 at Western Kentucky and by 19 at Marshall. The Roadrunners have won five of their last six and are glad to be home after a 2-1 road trip. This team has home wins over Western Kentucky and Marshall as underdogs. Jhivvan Jackson, Keaton Wallace and Deon Lyle are their biggest threats with four other guys putting up between 7 and 9 ppg. Southern Miss has covered just three of their 10 road games this season. I think UTSA gets the win in this one.

Cincinnati is going to be quite the ornery bunch as they host UConn Thursday night. They are coming off losses to Houston and Wichita State which have exposed some issues for the Bearcats to fix. This is a team that has pounded opponents at home with a 37 point win over UCF, 33 pt win over Temple, 26 pt win over ECU, 20 pt win over SMU and a 34 pt win over Memphis. There's no lookahead here so they should come focused. UConn has been awful this season and has failed to cover in four straight and six of their last seven. The Huskies have losses of 21 at Wichita State, 28 at Temple and 24 at Memphis. Cincy picked up a road victory in this series 65-57 despite shooting just 38% from the field. They've been a home favorite of 12.5 points or more eight times this season and have covered five times. I think this is another blowout. 

It's the final week of the CAA regular season and Charleston is hosting Elon. These two played a 63-58 game at Elon back on January 13th, but I predict a lot looser contest this time around. Charleston has gone over in five straight as they've scored 88, 81, 89, 82 and 86 in those games. The offense has been a lot better at home although the defense has struggled at times. Elon has gone over in four of their last seven and it's because of a bad defense that has allowed 72, 87, 99, 76, 83, 85, 76 and 72 in their conference road games. Elon's offense can be inconsistent so that's probably the reason for the lower number. I think this one is played in the 70s so I'll take the over.

Marshall hosts ODU on Thursday. The Thundering Herd are 14-1 at home this season where they average 86.2 points per contest. They will be glad to have Ajdin Penava for this one as he missed the loss the team had at ODU earlier this season. The Monarchs won 82-76 in a game that saw them do a lot right and hold the Thundering Herd offense down until a late spurt. They have an explosive offense with Jon Elmore and C.J. Burks each averaging over 20 points while Penava chips in 16.5. Three of the Monarchs losses have come on the road at VCU, William and Mary and a neutral court loss to Temple back in November. Marshall has covered eight of their 12 lined home games. They won last year at home 90-86. I think we could see something like that here.

It's a rivalry game between Delaware and Drexel in Philly on Thursday night. The Dragons have lost four straight after a four game win streak. They are still playing better though with two of those being single digit losses. Tramaine Isabell is putting up good numbers for them with 20.4 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per contest as a guard. Delaware has lost nine of their last 10 and is just not playing good basketball right now. They've lost their road games by 2, 17, 13, 12, 27 and 15 in conference road games. Ryan Daly is finally back as the team's leading scorer but the offense is pretty uninspiring as a whole. The Blue Hens beat the Dragons 72-66 at home back on January 11th. Drexel has won the last two games at home in this series by double digits. I don't know if it happens again but I think they get the win at home.

I don't know if you can place a number high enough for William and Mary at home. They are averaging 90.7 points per game in Williamsburg and are shooting 52.4% from the field there. The problem has been their defense which has allowed 82.2 points per contest there with opponents shooting 49.5% from the field. The Tribe won 84-81 in the road meeting between these two just under a month ago. They shot 55.8% in that one and were crushed on the boards. Some of the previous scores in this series are 105-94, 96-78 and 101-77. The Seahawks have either scored or allowed 100 points seven times. They have little interest in playing defense. To me, this one is a fun one that sees a lot of pace and a lot of points. 

UCF has won three straight against lesser competition for the most part as of late. The Golden Knights have struggled on the road losing at Cincinnati, Wichita State, UConn and SMU during conference play. They are running low on scorers without Chance McSpadden and Tacko Fall. That means a lot more for BJ Taylor and AJ Davis as leading scorers. Tulsa has won five straight and six of their last seven. The Golden Hurricane are doing so behind good offense and pretty solid defense. Yes, they've feasted on lesser teams a lot during this stretch, but they've taken care of business at home for the most part. The Golden Hurricane have five players who average nine points per game or more. They lost to Wichita by three at home. Pretty much the only blemish other then a season opening loss at home to Lamar. I don't get this line but I think they win as they are just better.

CSU has had a miserable season as they've lost eight of their last nine. In comes Boise State and reports say that J.D. Paige will be back in the lineup after dealing with his hand injury. Paige is the team's second leading scorer and will join Prentiss Nixon, Deion James and Che Bob. CSU has scored 90, 67, 86, 74, 71 and 79 in their last six home conference games. The team's defense has been pretty bad allowing 70 or more in all but one conference game and that came at San Jose State. Boise State has lost two of three, but they have an awesome offense and a sometimes leaky defense. They crushed the Rams 93-74 in their earlier meeting back in December. I think these two can get up the court a little bit and we see an over. 

Senior night for the Redbirds as they host Drake. It looks like Phil Fayne and Taylor Bruninga are going to be available for this one putting the team close to full strength. Fayne is the team's second leading scorer behind Milik Yarbrough. Keyshawn Evans is also a threat. Drake crushed ISU Red in the first meeting back on January 3rd 87-62. They played good defense which is rare as of late. The Bulldogs have allowed five MVC opponents to shoot 50% or better from the field. They've also struggled at times on the road. I think revenge is had by the home team. They are the better team especially when at pretty close to full strength.

Clemson had a tough week last week falling to Florida State and Duke. They are playing without Shelton Mitchell and Donte Grantham and it showed in the loss to the Blue Devils as they managed just 57 points against a leaky defense. Clemson has gone over in six of their last 10 games as the offense has been pretty good and the defense has been pretty bad on the road. Duke and Georgia Tech were able to bomb away from long range which is what the Hokies specialize in. Virginia Tech is back home where the offense flows pretty easily. In conference they've scored 80 or more on everyone except Virginia. They had a stretch of seven overs in eight games before these four straight unders. Defense is an issue and I think they struggle at times with some of Clemson's better players. If I can get a reasonable total like this in Blacksburg, I'll take the over.

UMass has gone over in seven straight games entering this one against VCU. The Minutemen are led by Luwane Pipkins who is one of the best players in the conference. The team has scored 70 or more in six of their last seven, but their defense has allowed 80 or more in seven straight. Carl Pierre and C.J. Anderson are other weapons. VCU has lost four of their last five and it's a combination of poor offense and really bad defense. They've allowed 70 or more seven straight games. The team has had problems scoring lately, but I think Justin Tillman should have a huge game. The Rams have gone over in all but one of their road games. I think this one is an over. 

The Nittany Lions have won four of five and six of their last eight contests entering Wednesday. The losses were close ones at Purdue and Michigan. Outside of a headscratching performance vs. Minnesota, the team has defended home court well. They have a 23 pt win vs. OSU, 24 pt win vs. Iowa, 17 pt win vs. Rutgers and a 15 pt win vs. Northwestern. PSU isn't the deepest, but they've got five double digit scorers and some decent bench guys. Michigan has won three straight and five of their last six. The Wolverines just took care of business at home against Ohio State and Iowa. They have losses at Northwestern, Purdue and Nebraska which shows they can play down to their opponent at times. I like the balance of the home team and think they can pick up a crucial win for their tournament resume.

The Wildcats have won five of six and are in peak form right now offensively. At home, they've scored 83, 91, 84 and 83 in four of their last five there. They have home wins of 29, 19, 10 and 27 in conference. Peyton Aldridge and Kellen Grady are an incredible duo that teams have struggled to slow down. Fordham has won just four conference games and only one of those came on the road. They lost by 10 at Dayton, 23 at St. Louis, 22 at St. Joe, 16 at St Bonaventure and 13 at VCU. Will Tavares continues to be questionable with an ankle injury. They really don't have a ton of threats to scare anyone. Davidson beat Fordham 75-45 in New York back on January 14th. They shot 52.8% from the field and 57.7% from long range. We could see a similar score in this one.

New Mexico has lost three of their last five and has not played well away from home this season. The Lobos lost by 8 at Air Force, 9 at Utah State and Fresno State, 28 at Boise State and by three at Nevada. Their defense has been terrible as of late allowing four of their last six opponents to shoot 50% or better from the field. We're getting Wyoming at a low point right now with them losing three of their last five. The Cowboys have defended home court pretty well as of late outside of a loss to Fresno State and Colorado State. Their depth isn't great, but as long as Justin James, Hayden Dalton and Alan Herndon are around, this team will be tough to beat. Meeting one went to New Mexico 75-66 at their place. Wyoming has covered 11 of their last 17 at home in this series. I think they win rather easily.