Just two weeks ago we saw these two teams play on a Thursday night in Atlanta. That one went to the home team 20-17 in a game that saw the Saints prolific run game manage only 50 yards while Matt Ryan threw three interceptions and nearly blew the game. I expect to see a better effort from both sides in this one. These two have played 14 overs in their last 25 meetings in New Orleans. I expect the Saints to run the ball better and I expect or at least hope Matt Ryan is better. The Falcons do have one less day to prepare for this one coming off their Monday Night Football win over the Bucs. New Orleans has scored 30, 34, 31 and 31 in their last four home contests. They've gone over in 15 of their last 23 home games. This one will see plenty of points.

UCSB has been on my card often because of a fantastic offense and the ability to cover on the road where they have gone 5-1 against the spread. They've also gone over in five contests because of a good balanced offense. Max Heidegger, Leland King II, Jalen Canty and Gabe Vincent average over 60 points per game and are a lot to handle. The Hornets have just three wins on the season beating CS-Northridge, Antelope Valley and Notre Dame De Namur. Their defense is bad allowing 70 or more in five of their last six contests. I think the Gauchos get the road win and this one is played with a bit of pace and some points. 

Green Bay is playing Wisconsin and now the Phoenix are a lot better with Sandy Cohen III on the court. He scored 16 points in their last game giving the team three double digit scorers with Khalil Small and Kameron Hankerson. The team did lose by three points at home to Bowling Green, but it'll take time for them to get Cohen involved. They have played some tough road games losing by nine at Mississippi State and by 11 at Belmont. They did get blown out at Missouri and Indiana State but that was pre-Cohen. Wisconsin has been off since a 1 point win over Western Kentucky. The Badgers have lost at home to Marquette, Xavier and Ohio State already. They have lost seven of their last 10 games and are not as good without Kobe King and D'Mitrik Trice. Green Bay has actually covered eight of their last 14 at Wisconsin in this series including last year when they lost by 14 and two years ago when they fell by five.

Long Beach State plays their fourth road game over their last five as they travel to Fort Collins to play Colorado State. The 49ers play no defense allowing 102 to Michigan State last time out, 94 to Southern Utah, 91 to Arizona and 91 at West Virginia. Their offense has shown flashes as they had scored 70 or more in five straight before Sparty slowed them down. The Rams play with a decent pace and have gone over in three of their last five lined games. At home, they've scored 70 or more five times and they've struggled on defense against the better teams on the slate. Back in 2015, these two played an 83-77 game in Fort Collins. I think we see something similar on Saturday.

It's an early start to the Missouri Valley season. The Purple Aces are coming off a horrendous loss at Duke in which they fell by at least 60 points. It's what happens when Ryan Taylor, Dru Smith and Duane Gibson are all out. Taylor may come back and that's big considering he's the team's leading scorer. Even if he returns, it won't be 100%. ISU has won their last two games at Evansville. They have won their last two including a contest at Ole Miss. Keyshawn Evans, Phil Fayne and Milik Yarbrough are a huge trio to try and contain. I think the Redbirds are the better team and in a lesser atmosphere we are getting them nearly straight up.

BC has won four straight including a victory at home over Duke. At home this season, they've scored 80 points or more in all but one contest. Jerome Robinson and Ky Bowman are a fantastic backcourt who have had to do a little more without Deontae Hawkins. Their defense is pretty good holding seven opponents to less then 70 points. Richmond's offense has perked up a bit as of late scoring 78 against Bucknell and 74 against James Madison. They've allowed all but two opponents to shoot 50% or better from the field this season. It's a team that can't stop anyone defensively and has to be low on confidence. These two teams should be able to top this lower total.

East Tennessee State hosts Georgia Southern on Friday. The Bucs have won five of their last six with the loss being by two points at Xavier. ETSU's offense is clicking with six efforts of 80 points or more in their last eight contests. They've got some balance and don't mind playing with a little pace. Georgia Southern has won four of their last five. This is their fourth straight road contest, but they are veteran enough to handle that. GSU has balanced scoring and has scored 70 or more in four of their last five. ETSU has gone over in 20 of their last 28 at home. That trend continues on Friday. 

Bradley hits the road for their third straight game away from home against Ole Miss. The Braves has won three straight and have lost just two games overall. They fell by one on a neutral court against Vermont and lost by 23 at San Diego State. Bradley is known for their defense, but the offense has scored 75 or more in three straight games. Ole Miss is not exactly known for their defense as they've allowed 101 to Illinois State, 83 to Virginia Tech, 99 to South Dakota State and 83 to Utah. They can score as well and have been very efficient at times. Bradley has gone over in 17 of their last 28 road games while Ole Miss has gone over in 25 of their last 39 home contests. I think the Braves struggle on the defensive end and we get another over. 

Syracuse is banged up and hosting a St. Bonaventure team with one of the better backcourts in the country in Jaylen Adams and Matt Mobley. The pair average almost 36 points per game while getting help from Courtney Stockard who averages 11. Adams is almost a 48% shooter from long range. The Bonnies problem is a lack of true depth outside of a couple of players. Speaking of that, Syracuse doesn't have much of it and a lot of their players are banged up. Tyus Battle is among those not 100% but pushing through it because he has to. One of their bigs, Sidibe is dealing with knee issues and who knows on a day-to-day basis how he's going to react to it. Syracuse has covered just two of their six home games this season. The Bonnies aren't a bad team and yet the line is moving Syracuse's way. I think the Orange win but a tight one. 

Defense is a bit of an issue for Indiana State who is hosting Elon on Friday night. ISU is allowing teams to score nearly 75 points per game and their coach has said his team has an issue with scouting reports and doing the right thing consistently. They played a school called Indianapolis earlier this month and only won 79-75. They have gone over the total in three straight and five of their last six lined games. The offense isnt the issue, but the ability to stop opponents is. Elon is playing their fourth straight on the road having lost two of the first three. Their offense is very inconsistent especially if they are not hitting the three pointer. They play a mediocre pace, but this total is accounting for that. Their offense works at home and has worked on the road as well. ISU has gone over in 20 of their last 29 at home. This one should continue that trend.

Tennessee Tech may not be getting Indiana at a good time after they lost to Fort Wayne. Tech has lost three of their last four and has already played seven games away from home this season. They've got some balanced scoring with at least four guys scoring nine points or more. They've had their problems against the better teams on their schedule allowing 100 to TCU, 96 to New Mexico and 79 to Dayton. The Hoosiers allowed IPFW to shoot 51.7% from the field and scoring 92 points. They bounced back with an 86-77 win over Howard after an opening season loss to Indiana State. The Hoosiers have gone over in eight of their 12 contests. Their offense can be pretty good, but their defense is leaky as can be. I think we get a really focused effort out of IU and we see this one above the total. 

It's a big spread for the Bearcats but traditionally they've taken care of business in this situation. Cincy has covered 10 of their last 16 games as a home favorite of 24.5 to 30 points. They are averaging 33 point victories at home this season outscoring opponents 88.5 to 55.3. Cleveland State's three wins have come over Notre Dame of Ohio, Arkansas State and Coppin State. In their only game against a power five school, they lost 70-38 to Rutgers and the Scarlet Knights are nowhere near as good as Cincy. The Vikes have covered just 10 of their last 34 road games and 17 of their last 51 as an underdog. This one will get ugly. 

Long Beach State continues to play one of the toughest schedules in the season. They played at Arizona (91-56 loss), at West Virginia (91-62), at Oregon State (89-81) and took on Missouri on a neutral court (95-58). The 49ers offense has played well for the most part this season although against some lesser competition. Their problem is on defense where they've allowed 90 or more five times. Michigan State has pounded on their lesser opponents with a 107-62 win over Houston Baptist, 88-63 over Southern Utah, 98-66 over North Florida and 93-71 over Stony Brook. They are shooting over 50% from the field and should be able to get whatever shot they want. LBSU has gone over in 29 of their last 43 games as an underdog. I think Sparty gets to 100 in this one. 

Chattanooga is looking for their first road win of the season. They have struggled defensively and are coming off an 82-76 loss at Tennessee Tech. The team has been close with a four point loss at Marshall, five point loss at Akron and a 9 point loss at Wyoming. They don't play with a ton of pace, but the offense has been efficient at times as well. Jacksonville State has won five of their last six games. They are pretty good offensively having scored 70 or more in nine contests this season. One of those was a game against the Mocs at their place back on November 21st in a 77-75 win. Both teams shot at or near 50% for the game which helped. JSU has gone over in four of their six lined games and they are shooting better then 50% from the field. I know it's an early start, but I think we get a solid offensive effort and an over. 

Fort Wayne is coming off their second straight win over Indiana and now has to fly to New Orleans to begin a tournament with Liberty. The Mastodons have one of the most potent offenses in the country while Liberty has one of the best defenses and is a lot more methodical. Focus has got to be an issue for IPFW who has been getting a lot of attention in the state after the win. Their defense was better then it has been in the past. This is a team that allowed 84 at home to Stetson and 81 at Miami Ohio. Liberty has some talent with wins over Georgia State and Wake Forest already to go with a close loss to Houston. They play good defense against the three pointer so Fort Wayne could struggle there. IPFW has gone over in 43 of their last 65 lined games. This is an intriguing game and I think it'll be close and higher scoring even on a neutral court that figures to be empty. 

UNC has Ohio State next but before then they get Wofford in a decent little sandwich. The Heels are coming off a 78-73 win at Tennessee so focus could be an issue in this one. They've played a lot of these home games against teams with big point spreads. It went over against Western Carolina, Tulane and Northern Iowa with the Bucknell game probably going over as well if there was a line. Wofford has played two power five schools on the road losing 79-65 at California and 79-56 at Texas Tech. The Terriers offense isn't that bad and UNC usually allows teams to score especially when the game gets out of hand. The Heels won't let them play slow in this one so that's where the over comes into play. I think we get some good pace and good scoring.

A pair of defensively based teams play as UMass hosts Georgia State. The two squads have similar profiles with both averaging around 72-73 points per game while allowing around 66. Last year these two teams played in Atlanta with the Minutemen winning 74-65. The Panthers are coming off a tough 88-83 loss at Dayton as a six point underdog. They've also lost by five at Ole Miss 77-72. GSU has road wins in lower scoring games against Alabama A&M and Rice. UMass has won three in a row after a four game losing streak. They beat Georgia 72-62 and Providence 72-63 at home. They've also picked up home wins of 85-76 and 101-76 over Western Carolina and Niagara. This one should be a victory for UMass and probably an over in a close contest 

The Mean Green have won three straight entering this one against Georgetown. They beat San Diego last time out on the road as a 10 point underdog and have close road losses at Texas Arlington and Oklahoma. Roosevelt Smart and Ryan Woolridge lead the way offensively for a team that is pretty balanced as a group. The big question is if Jorden Duffy will be playing. He averages seven points per game and was only expected to miss two games due to a knee injury. The Hoyas are coming off a tough overtime loss to Syracuse and have played the easiest non-conference schedule in the country. They've beaten up on most of the team's they've played so we really don't know how good they are. Georgetown dismissed Chris Sodom and he's 7'3 and a lot of size off the bench that is gone. They have not covered any of their home games and are 10-25 ATS there in their last 35 contests. To me, North Texas can keep this close. There won't be much of an atmosphere for this one. 

Bradley is a defensive team and has played great D all season long holding opponents to 58.5 points per game. The Braves have played two true road games allowing 75 to San Diego State and 58 to Chicago State although they scored 84 in that one. You really can't set the total low enough for their home games. The offense is actually doing pretty well too. On the other side you have the RedHawks who wants to run and has scored 70 or more in all of their home games. Bradley has gone over in 17 of their last 27 road games because they don't play defense as well away from home. These two played an 84-78 game last November in a game that had a 134 total. I think this one goes over too. 

UC Davis has lost just three times this season falling at San Francisco, Washington and Utah Valley State. In those games they couldn't compete with the athleticism of their opponents allowing 74, 77 and 80 points. The Aggies want a slower game, but it's harder to do away from home. They've gone over in three straight and four of their last five. Chima Moneke is averaging nearly 20 points per game and he's fantastic. Nevada's offense is fantastic and have scored 80 points or more in all but four games this season. They are deep and want to run. They've gone over in seven of their 10 lined games. I think this one goes over the total. 

The Lumberjacks are 10-1 on the season and are coming off an outright win at LSU. Their only loss was by five points to Mississippi State. SFA is forcing opponents to turn the ball over on 29.3% of their possessions. Missouri has had 20.3% of it's possessions end in turnovers. TJ Holyfield and Kevon Harris lead the way for them. They are a bit undersized up front when it comes to playing the Tigers. Missouri has more balanced scoring but they also have the Braggin Rights game next so there's a chance that focus is an issue. Missou is blowing out a lot of teams at home, but I think they will get a challenge here. Stephen F Austin has wins at LSU, Rice, La Tech and Longwood to go with that loss to Mississippi State. I think they can keep things close in this one.

Oral Roberts has won two straight entering this one against Arkansas. The offense is picking up and that was without their best player Albert Owens who is back after serving a suspension. On the road, they've had massive defensive issues allowing 90 at Tulsa, 91 at Oklahoma State, 80 at Pepperdine, 86 at Penn State and 92 at UNLV. The Razorbacks are rolling offensively especially at home where they've scored 95, 92, 83, 101 and 95. ORU has gone over in seven of their 10 lined games and 24 of their last 37 road contests. This one should be an over.

The Raiders have won three straight and seven of their last eight after a three game losing streak to start the season out. They are coming off a 77-69 win at Toledo as a five point underdog. Cole Gentry had his first action in that one and it's helped things out big time. This is a team that has struggled on the road, but students won't be there so it won't be as big of an atmosphere. The squad has six players who average nine points per game or more. Missouri State had their seven game win streak snapped last time out in a headscratching loss at Oral Roberts in which it was a 12.5 point favorite. Alize Johnson is a very good player and leads the way for Missouri State. They've covered just 12 of their last 30 home games. I think the road team is worth a look.

It's an absolute mismatch as Ohio State hosts the Citadel on Tuesday. The Citadel wants to run and shoot and doesn't concern itself with defense very much. They lost by 35 at Florida State 113-78 and by 39 at Virginia Tech 132-93. They even allowed 100 points at home to Marist and that's a bad recipe for the Bulldogs. The Buckeyes have a 35 point win over William and Mary, 25 vs. Northeastern and 31 points over Robert Morris. The only concern here is that UNC is next up, but the Citadel is so bad that I think Ohio State could sleepwalk their way to a 30 point win. 

Xavier is dealing with a lot of injuries right now. JP Macura and Kaiser Gates are questionable while Elias Harden and Paul Scruggs may play after serving their suspension for an undisclosed violation of team rules. This means Trevon Bluitt will take on more responsibility. Marshall has won four straight and six of their last seven including a victory at Toledo. They lost by 10 at William and Mary, 17 at Illinois and 3 at Morehead State. The Thundering Herd is led by Jon Elmore, CJ Burks and Ajdin Penava who are averaging over 60 points per game. I think they can keep things close against a not deep Xavier team. 

Colorado State has lost six of their last eight as they host the Bobcats. The Rams have had some offensive issues as of late struggling to score on their last road trip through Oregon and Arkansas. At home, they've been very good putting up 72, 72, 80 and 72. Defensively, they've struggled against some teams. They've allowed five teams to shoot 50% or better from the field. Texas State has won three of their last five. They are one of the slowest teams in the league, but they've struggled at times to set that pace on the road. They won at Pacific 85-78 and allowed 72 at Abilene Christian and 71 at Houston Baptist. TSU has gone over in 17 of their last 27 road games. CSU has gone over in 20 of their last 31 as a favorite. I think this one is an over. 

The best game of the week features two teams fighting for the number one spot in the AFC. The Patriots struggled mightily against the Dolphins on Monday Night Football and get Gronk back which will instantly help things out. Pittsburgh's defense has gone downhill the last few weeks allowing 28 to Green Bay without ARod and 38 to a mediocre Baltimore offense. The good thing for them is that Big Ben, Antonio Brown and LeVeon Bell are hot so they'll be able to keep up with the Pats who are playing their third straight and five of their last six on the road. These two have gone over in 11 of their last 19. I think this is a shootout.

Tennessee Tech is finally home after a long time on the road. The Golden Eagles offense has been fantastic at home with wins over Lipscomb, Kennesaw State, Boyce and Midway in which they scored 80 points or more. They've done that seven times overall with four players averaging double digits. This is a balanced OVC squad that should be able to score on a Mocs team that struggles on the road. They lost 70-66 at Marshall, 75-70 at Akron, 89-47 at UAB and 74-65 at Wyoming. Offensively they aren't that good, but I think Tennessee Tech's defense isn't that great. These two played an 80-69 game two years ago. We could see something similar in this one.

Philly needs one more win to clinch a bye and two more potentially to get the number one seed overall. They'll have to do so without their starting quarterback who got hurt against the Rams. Now Nick Foles takes over and that means a bigger emphasis on the run game and the defense. The Giants are allowing nearly 400 yards of offense per game and have not managed much offensively. Eli Manning's return last week seemed like a feel good story when in reality it produced the team's fourth straight effort of 20 points or less. The first game between these two back in September was Jake Elliott's coming out party. It also featured Odell Beckham who has been long gone. To me, until I see something from the Eagles, I'll fade them especially at this bloated number.

Philly needs one more win to clinch a bye and two more potentially to get the number one seed overall. They'll have to do so without their starting quarterback who got hurt against the Rams. Now Nick Foles takes over and that means a bigger emphasis on the run game and the defense. The Giants are allowing nearly 400 yards of offense per game and have not managed much offensively. Eli Manning's return last week seemed like a feel good story when in reality it produced the team's fourth straight effort of 20 points or less. The first game between these two back in September was Jake Elliott's coming out party. It also featured Odell Beckham who has been long gone. To me, until I see something from the Eagles, I'll fade them especially at this bloated number.

I hate myself for considering this, but I think the Browns might be worth a look. I've said on twitter that if you bet on this team and complain afterwards then you deserve it. Unfortunately, now I'll be in this situation because I think this is the right spot to play them. The Cleveland offense is showing pulses and I don't know if the Ravens have someone to shut down Josh Gordon. Baltimore is coming off a tough loss to the Steelers in Pittsburgh where they allowed Ben Roethlisberger to throw for over 500 yards. If DeShone Kizer can just limit the mistakes, they have a shot to win. Baltimore's offense doesn't scare me very much and Cleveland's defense is showing flashes of improvement. They've held two of their last four opponents to less then 20 points.

Marshall has won three straight and five of their last six entering this one against Ohio. The Herd have a great offense with three games over 100 and two others over 90. Jon Elmore, CJ Burks and Ajdin Penava are a great trio averaging nearly 60 points per contest. The defense is not very good, but it can be as they held Chattanooga and Akron to under 70 points at home already this month. The Bobcats have lost their only true road game at Maryland 87-62. They've struggled to keep up with higher scoring teams losing to Iona and Clemson. Their defense is pretty bad as well. Marshall is 25-13 against the spread the last three seasons as a favorite and 18-11 at home. Last year, they won 98-88 at home and have taken 7 of their last 12 at home in this series. I think they are the better team. 

Troy hits the road to play Arkansas on Saturday. They are really a one player team with Jordon Varnado injured. Wesley Person is shouldering the load at 20.3 points per game. He doesn't have much help other Alex Hicks also averaging double digits. The Trojans lost by 18 at Southern Miss as a three point favorite and lost by 12 at home to UAB as a one point favorite. People will point to their eight point loss at Kentucky, but that was with Varnado. The Razorbacks are rolling especially at home where they have wins of 16, 26, 8, 28 and 39. There is no lookahead factor here and being off for a week spaces out the win over Minnesota that I'm sure they are really happy about. Arkansas has covered 23 of their last 41 games as a favorite. I think this is a blowout. 

The Skyhawks have won two straight entering this one against Mississippi State. They've also played Chattanooga (lost by 3) and Illinois (lost by 3) tough on the road. Matthew Butler and Fatodd Lewis average more then 10 points per game. Mississippi State is coming off a 65-50 loss to Cincinnati. They've gotten fat and happy off bad opponents this season. The problem with MSU is that they play down to their competition at times failing to cover at home against Dayton, Jacksonville State and Green Bay. I think the team out of the OVC can keep things close in this one. 

The Aggies hit the road to play Illinois on Saturday. Zach Lofton has been a huge pickup as a transfer as he's averaging nearly 19 points per game while shooting over 50% from the field. Jemerrio Jones, A.J. Harris and Sidy Ndir are also pretty solid players. New Mexico State has two wins over New Mexico to go with two victories over UTEP. The losses were to San Diego and St. Mary's. Illinois is most likely without LeRon Black again. They've lost four of their last six to UNLV, Maryland, Northwestern and Wake Forest. The Illini are beating the teams they are supposed to, but are not playing good basketball right now. Next up is the big game with Missouri so focus could be an issue. I'll take the "road" team in this neutral court game. 

James Madison is getting so close to putting it together as they travel to Florida to play FIU. The Dukes have lost four of their last five, but those losses were by 3, 2, 4 and 1 with three of those on the road. The offense is getting better, but the defense is still porous. They've given up 69 points or more in every game except for one against Bridgewater in the opener. FIU is kind of the same team as JMU with an offense that has performed, but also a defense that has struggled at times against potent teams. North Florida put up 87, South Carolina 78 and Elon 95 already this season. The lower point spread means a tighter game late and foul shots and the even better chance to go over. The Golden Panthers have gone over in both their lined home games and 14 of their last 23 there. Give me the over in this one. 

Manhattan has not gone over a single total yet this year. The Jaspers are shooting 46.3% from the field, but their defense has been leaky. They prefer their games in the 60s, but it's hard to install your tempo on the road. Manhattan has played just one true road game losing 70-57 to Fordham. They've scored 70 or more four times this season with a lot of contests played on neutral courts. Tulsa is quite the opposite as they want a faster game and don't mind shootouts. At home they've scored 77, 100, 92, 90 and 67 already this season. Their offense is quite balanced, and the defense can be quite leaky. Tulsa has gone over in 24 of their last 37 games as a favorite. Junior Etou and Sterling Taplin are a great duo. I think this one should go over that total. 

Ohio State's looking to move their win streak to four after a 97-62 win over William and Mary last week. Their offense has been spectacular and there's a chance that Kyle Young and Micah Potter are available as well. They've played good defense as well this season. App State has no interest in playing defense especially on the road. They are coming off a 94-89 loss at Akron. They've also allowed 85 at VCU, 105 at James Madison and also gave up 104 to Iowa State on a neutral court. The good thing for them is that their offense is capable of scoring a bit. They've put up 70 or more in seven straight games. I think the Buckeyes crack the 80 or 90 point mark in this one. 

You've got a classic case of a good offense vs. a good defense. The Rams enter this one having lost three of their last four. They've scored 94 points in their last two games, but the defense let them down during this losing skid. The Rams can run it and throw it with Michael Gallup doing a lot of work. The defense is pretty good against the pass which Marshall is alright at doing. The Thundering Herd's offense doesn't scare anyone and I don't know if they can take advantage of the porous defense opposite them. Marshall lost four of their last five entering this one. I don't think they'll be able to stay on the field long enough to not put pressure on the defense. This might be the best offense Marshall will have faced all year long. 

You've got a classic case of a good offense vs. a good defense. The Rams enter this one having lost three of their last four while Marshall has lost four of their last five. The Thundering Herd's offense is pretty awful and CSU has been able to shut down some of their lesser offensive teams. Marshall's defense is really good and has been able to rack up the unders as a squad. The Herd have gone under in 22 of their last 37 games. I think CSU gets the win, but the under hits as well. 

JMU is the defending champion and is coming off a mediocre effort against Weber State. The Dukes passing attack had it's issues, but they also came through when it mattered. Bryan Schor had an up and down effort with a couple of interceptions, but he also got Riley Stapleton involved. Ultimately though, the run game got things going and will continue to do so. South Dakota State can be run on and that's ultimately what will do them in. The Jackrabbits offense is very good with Taryn Christion under center. They have not run into a defense as good as the Dukes. JMU is allowing just 3.8 yards per play defensively. They are more equipped to win a shootout. I also think homefield is nice for JMU. They are the better team so I'll take them to win. 

Michigan State takes on Oakland on a neutral court on Saturday. Sparty is averaging over 80 points per game and is shooting nearly 50% from the field. They play some fantastic defense although that has struggled against the better offenses they've played. Oakland has some talent with Martez Walker and Jalen Hayes accounting for over 40 points per contest. Their defense is terrible having allowed 102 to Kansas, 74 to Syracuse and 87 to Toledo. Sparty took this game last year 77-65 and 99-93 two years ago. I think Michigan State does a lot of the heavy lifting and this one goes over the total. 

Toledo is hosting Wright State on Saturday afternoon. The Rockets are getting Willie Jackson on the court for the first time and it will help an offense that has rock and rolled a lot this season. They've scored 70 points or more in three straight and four of their last five. Tre'Shaun Fletcher and Jaelan Sanford combine for 35.3 points per game. Wright State will add Cole Gentry to their lineup. They play fantastic defense and slow the pace down although it's been hard for both to occur on the road. The Raiders lost 78-60 at Western Kentucky, 73-67 at Miami-Ohio and 84-80 at Loyola-Chicago. Grant Benzinger is one of three double digit scorers with three others scoring nine points per game or more. Last year these two played a 82-78 game. I don't think we see that many points, but I do see it as an over. 

The New Orleans Bowl features North Texas and Troy. We've made a lot of money on the Mean Green who have had to adjust their offense without Jeffrey Wilson. This means Mason Fine has had to do more and they've won five of their last six. The team played poorly against FAU in the title game, but that was a true road contest. The defense has had problems with the run, but has played the pass pretty well. Troy's banged up with four players who got hurt in the conference title. Cornerback Blace Brown, safety Kris Weatherspoon and wide receiver Emanuel Thompson all are out. The Trojans have covered just four of their last 10 games as a favorite this season. I really like Seth Littrell as a coach and as long as I can get the 7.5, I'll take the underdog. 

Dartmouth is 3-4 on the season and is coming off a 73-66 win at Maine last week. They lost star Evan Boudreaux right before the season and Guilien Smith recently as well. In Boudreaux's place we see four double digit scorers giving the Big Green solid balance on the season. They have a six point loss at Sacred Heart, a 13 point loss at Canisius and a 1 point loss at Quinnipiac on the road. UIC has just three wins on the season over Wisconsin-Parkside, Delaware State and NC Central. At home, the Flames have lost to Fort Wayne and St. Joe's. The offense isn't very good with Dikembe Dixson and Marcus Ottey leading the way. The loss of Tarkus Ferguson isn't good. UIC has been a favorite just 11 times the last three seasons, covering four of them. 

NAU is one of the worst teams in college basketball. Teams are shooting nearly 50% against them this season. Their two wins have come against San Diego Christian and Cal-State Bakersfield. They lost by 12 at home to Embry Riddle who is not a division one program. Just once have they allowed less then 70 points so you have to think a potent South Dakota offense should find some success. The Coyotes are 9-3 this season with losses at Duke, TCU and against Northern Colorado. They've scored 75 points or more in all but two games so far this season. Their defense is pretty good although it has struggled on the road allowing 96 at Duke, 76 at TCU and 79 at Bowling Green. They've gone over in 21 of their last 31 road games. I think this one is an over too. 

Northern Colorado is 7-3 on the season and a lot of that is because of their offense that has scored 80 or more five times this season. They are averaging over 70 possessions per game which puts them in the middle of the pack. Denver has won three of their last four and can be efficient on offense themselves. They've scored 80 or more three times with none of those coming on the road. The Pioneers want to play a bit slower, but have been unable to do so in their two true road games losing 79-71 to Florida Gulf Coast and 89-62 to Colorado. Now, the Bears aren't as good as either of those two teams, but I think they can push the pace. Five of the last eight meetings between the two have gone over the total. Denver has gone over in 17 of their last 29 road games. I think this one is as well. 

WKU is not the deepest team in the world but they have six double digit scorers. The Toppers have wins over SMU and Purdue already and an eight point loss to Villanova. The team's losses were to the Wildcats, Missouri State and Ohio which came last time out. Darius Thompson and Coleby are two grad transfers from major programs. The Badgers aren't quite themselves and have lost four of their last five with the win coming by one over Penn State. They've already lost at home to Marquette, Ohio State and Xavier. With Kobe King and D'Mitrik Trice both on the sidelines, more and more is expected for Ethan Happ who is one of the best big men in the country.

One of the better defensive teams plays one of the worst offensive teams as Bradley hosts UALR. The Braves are 7-2 and have gone under in eight games this season. It's because they are holding teams to 59.9 points per game and 36.4% shooting. They've gone under in 20 of their last 30 at home including all four lined games there this season. Bradley isn't exactly gifted offensively, but they are certainly better then the Trojans who are shooting 40.8% from the field and scoring 63.2 points per game. They've scored 54, 52, 51 and 62 in their road games this season. UALR has gone under in 18 of their last 22 games as an underdog and 20 of their last 29 on the road. This one is an under and a low scoring affair. 

Indiana State hosts Green Bay on Tuesday. ISU is 4-5 on the season and you can point to it's defense as a reason why. They are averaging 75.7 points per game while allowing 75.4. Opponents actually shoot better from the field then they do. They've gone over in 19 of their last 28 home games and 19 of their last 30 as a favorite. Wisconsin Green Bay is 0-4 on the road and are allowing teams to shoot almost 50% from the field and average 87 points per contest. They are one of the fastest teams averaging over 70 possessions per game. When the total is in the 140's they've gone over in 15 of their last 20. I think this is a bad line. 

That sound you hear is members of the national media jumping off the Eagles bandwagon after they lost to the Seahawks last week. Philly couldn't contain Russell Wilson and made some rare mistakes on offense. Now they have stayed out West all week long and will take on a Rams team that has been a great story. Los Angeles has won two straight since getting "exposed" against Minnesota. The run game has struggled and should continue to do so against an Eagles team that is very stingy against it. There are stories about the Rams practicing with a silent count as Philly will be bringing plenty of fans to this one. I think we get a really focused effort and a win from the road team who will be eager to fix what went wrong last week.

This is another situational play as the Seahawks have to fly East to play Jacksonville as part of a sandwich between a big home win over the Eagles and a huge home game against the Rams next week. Russell Wilson has put himself right into the mix for the MVP award with his play, but the run game has been pretty stagnant. Jacksonville's secondary is fantastic and their front seven will get pressure on anyone. The key is if they can keep Wilson in the pocket in the process. The Jags offense is in good form right now after Blake Bortles threw for 330 yards last week. Dede Westbrook is stepping up and playing like they hoped when they drafted him. The Seahawks are not as good outside of Seattle. I think they lose this one.

This is a matchup of two lesser teams in college basketball right now. The Dukes have wins over Charlotte, App State and Bridgewater this season. Their offense has put up 75 or more six times this season and has allowed that many points five times. Richmond is allowing opponents to shoot over 50% for the season and that trend figures to continue on Sunday. The Spiders offense is pretty pathetic, but they've had some success at home where they did manage to put up 76 against Georgetown. I think the extra day off will take some of the starch out of the crowd 

This is purely a situational play as I've got to wonder what the Bengals have left after their horrendous loss to the Steelers on Monday night at home. Not only did they fall in that one, but Adam Jones, Joe Mixon and Vontaze Burfict all got hurt and are questionable for this weekend. It bears watching to see their status because those are some important pieces. The Bears have lost five straight and have not played well either as of late. That's what makes it tough to make this play is that Chicago's offense has managed just 287 yards the last two games total. Their defense isn't awful so they should be able to keep them in this game. One situation in our favor is that the Bears have covered 10 of their last 12 games where the total is between 35.5 and 42 points. With such a low total, we may see a close game since Vegas isn't expecting much.

The Giants finally got rid of Ben McAdoo and now Eli Manning is back under center so I'm expecting a better effort now at home as they take on Dallas. The Cowboys snapped a three game losing streak with a 38-14 effort against the Redskins. In that one, they discovered the run game while Dak Prescott passed for 93 yards. The defense forced four turnovers, but I really don't think they are that good. Sean Lee is probably coming back which is good for them, but not enough. Manning is playing his last few games at home and as a member of the Giants most likely. New York has covered 15 of their last 25 at home in this series. I think they can win this one outright on Sunday as we get a really motivated team under "new" leadership.

Minnesota is wrapping up three straight on the road as they take on Carolina on Sunday. The Vikings have been incredible, but I think they become a bit road weary in this one. As a matter of fact, they've played just one true home game since October 29th when they were in Europe. The defense has been great especially against the run. The offense has not had a turnover the last three weeks. Carolina has won four of their last five entering this one. This offense is dealing with a lack of true weapons especially since Greg Olsen is not 100% once again. It's a concern that the usually strong Panthers defense has allowed 21 points or more in three straight, but at home this team is very good. They have covered nine of their last 12 games as an underdog with seven straight up wins. I think there's some value here with the home dog.

A pair of middling teams play in Portland. The Pilots have lost five of their last six and are pretty awful defensively. They've allowed 70 points or less just three times this season. Josh McSwiggan, Franklin Porter and Marcus Shaver Jr are the team's leading scorers. San Jose State has just two wins this season over Idaho State and Antelope Valley. They have just just one double digit scorer in Ryan Welage who needs help from others. The Spartans have also struggled on defense against their better opponents. Last year these two teams played a 79-66 game. I think we could see a similar effort. 

The Falcons head to Virginia to play ODU on Saturday. They have good balanced scoring led by Justin Turner and Dylan Frye who account for over 30 points per game. There are two others who put up double digits. The Falcons have wins at Norfolk State, Campbell and Drexel already. I'm not quite sure about this line as I think they are a competent team. ODU is 6-3 on the season, but they don't really have that good of a win beating Richmond, MD-Eastern Shore, Dayton, Indy State, JMU and Towson. Because of their scuffling offense, they play a lot closer games for the most part. Four of their contests were decided by single digits. ODU has covered just 12 of their last 28 home games. I think this one is a bit tighter then expected.

We've made a ton of money off the Gauchos and I think they are in a good spot against Montana State. The Bobcats are playing their third home game and have two non division one wins this season. They are led by Tyler Hall who is a very good player. UCSB has a lot more balance led by Max Heidegger. The team has won road games at San Francisco and Pepperdine already with losses to Texas A&M and Pittsburgh. Both teams could improve defensively and for that reason I think we see a lot of points. 

The Army/Navy under is one of my favorite bets all season long. You've got to get in early on this one because some of the value is already gone with the opener starting at 51. These two teams run the same type of offense which reduces the amount of possessions in this game. The under has hit in 17 of their last 25 meetings. The last two years we've seen 21-17 games which is about right considering each side has familiarity. Army has gone under in 17 of their last 19 games as an underdog. They probably have a good shot at winning this one, but I'll take the under. 

It's a Big 5 battle as Temple hosts St. Joe's. The Hawks are 4-4 on the season and are coming off an embarrassing 41 point home loss to Villanova. They've also lost to Harvard, Washington State and Toledo. SJU needs Lamarr Kimble and Charlie Brown, but there is still some talent left over offensively. Temple is a hard team to figure because they have some good wins, but losses to GW and La Salle whom they were better then. There's also a huge game with Villanova next so there might be a chance that focus is an issue. The Hawks have covered nine of their last 17 at Temple and these two have played close contests a lot. I think this is too big of a spread. St. Joe has covered 18 of their last 26 on the road. 

Ball State has won four in a row with the fourth being a road win at Notre Dame. In that one they won 80-77 doing all the little things right despite allowing the Fighting Irish to shoot 48.1% from the field. The team has a very potent offense, but is still leaky on defense which you cannot say for Valpo who is coming off their first loss of the season and it was a big one at Purdue. The Crusaders have allowed just one team to score over 70 points and have done fantastic against long range shooters.  Tevonn Walker leads a good offense as well with a pair of seven footers to patrol the middle. Ball State has covered just eight of their last 31 as a favorite and nine of their last 28 at home. I think the road team is worth a look.

It was a rough start to the William and Mary season having lost two of their first three. Since then, they have won five straight including two on the road. The Tribe has put up over 100 three times this season during this streak as they are one of the best long range teams in the country. Nathan Knight is a solid complement as well on the inside. The Buckeyes are coming off a sweep of their Big 10 opening weekend beating Michigan and Wisconsin. They have lost to Clemson, Butler and Gonzaga this season and are a mixed bag in terms of playing defense. They've also been vulnerable to the long range bombers. OSU has covered just 13 of their last 36 non-conference games. I think that trend continues on Saturday. 

Frustration is starting to set in for Wisconsin who is 4-6 on the season so far. They host Marquette for their usual rivalry game on Saturday. They won at the Kohl Center two years ago and blew a five point lead in the first half last year against the Badgers. Outside of Ethan Happ, they don't have a ton of talent. Brad Davison and D'Mitrik Trice are both a little banged up, but will be available for this one. Marquette's offense is fantastic although this will be their first true road game of the season. They have losses to Georgia, Wichita State and Purdue already this season. I think they are the better team and can get the win in this one. 

Portland looks to slow down a losing skid of four of their last five. The Pilots wins have been over Walla Walla, Oregon Tech and Multnomah Bible with none of those being division one victories. They did lose three times in the PK80 giving up 82 to DePaul, 93 to Oklahoma and 102 to North Carolina. This team has a ton of size and not much of a commitment to the defensive side of the ball. That's quite the opposite of Cal State Fullerton who has won three straight and four of their last five. The Titans prefer a lower scoring game considering they've gone under in all five games so far this season that have had a line. This is their first true road game since losses at St. Mary's and USC. Kyle Allman, Jackson Rowe and Khalil Ahmad are double digit scorers. Last year this game was 77-72 in California. I think we could see some scoring in this one.

BYU is trying to play a more deliberate style and so far at home it's resulted in two overs in their two lined games. The Cougars have put up over 70 five times and have allowed that much three times. Yoeli Childs and Elijah Bryant are each putting up over 16 points per game. Illinois State has struggled on defense on in their two true road games allowing 98 to Nevada and Florida Gulf Coast. Their offense has some potential although they are a really young team. Keyshawn Evans, Phil Fayne and Milik Yarbrough average almost 50 points per game. These two teams should play with some pace and I think it'll be close which means FTs and an over. 

Utah State is looking to end a two game losing streak as they host UC Irvine. The Aggies are playing just their fourth home game of the season. They've scored 66, 83 and 81 there. The problem has been defense which has allowed 70 points or more five times. Koby McEwen is back and that helps them out as he's an important piece. UC Irvine is coming off a home loss to Nevada and has won just three games this season. Their once vaunted defense has been shredded the majority of the season. They allowed 87 at UCLA, 99 at Arizona State, 71 at Kansas State and 69 at Denver. Still, the Anteaters are averaging 75.4 points per game. Utah State has gone over in 27 of their last 39 home games where the total is in the 130s. They've gone over in 17 of their last 26 as a favorite. I think this one is an over.

George Washington has won two straight entering this matchup against Princeton. They beat Morgan State then pulled off the neutral court win over Temple in which they shot 60%. Pardon me if that's not going to sway me on how good they are as the team has losses to Rider and Florida State and close victories over Howard and Hampton. Yuta Watanabe is the straw that stirs the drink. Princeton has an ugly record, but they have lost to Miami, Lehigh, St.Joe's, BYU and Butler so I'm not that worried about how good they are. Of concern is their lack of defense, but they have the offensive talent to overcome it. Devin Cannaday, Myles Stephens and Amir Bell are not a bad trio to ride with. GW has covered just 15 of their last 38 games as a favorite. I like the road team in this one.

It's a big regional battle as Hofstra takes on Monmouth. Hofstra has wins over Molloy, Dayton, Kennesaw State and Army this season while losing to Siena, Auburn and Clemson. They go as Justin Wright-Foreman, Eli Pemberton and Rokas Gustys take them as each are a dangerous player. The Pride can score, but they need to tighten up on the defensive side of the ball. Monmouth has lost four of their last five and is scheduled to play Kentucky this weekend. They are coming off a tough three point loss at UConn to along with losses to Penn, UNC Asheville and Virginia. Their wins are by 1 over Bucknell, by 8 over Lehigh and Albany. Micah Seaborn is the only double digit scorer, but there's some balance there. Hofstra has covered 16 of their last 26 on the road while Monmouth is 11-15 ATS in their last 27 at home. I think the road team is a live dog.

Tennessee Tech is 7-2 on the season and traveling to play Dayton. They are averaging 84.6 points per game while shooting nearly 50% from the field. The record is a bit hollow with the lack of great competition although they did go into the Pit and beat New Mexico 104-96. Aleksa Jugovic is their leading scorer and is shooting 49% from long range. Curtis Phillips Jr and Kajon Mack are also solid scorers. Dayton is led by Darrell Davis and Josh Cunningham, but they need Xeyrius Williams who probably won't play in this one. The Flyers have lost two straight and three of their last four. They barely beat Ball State at home to open up the year and they lost by 13 to Auburn at home. UD Arena is no longer a guaranteed win for them. They've covered just 16 of their last 33 there. I think the road team is viable in this one. 

There should be plenty of pace in this one as Arkansas is coming off an embarrassing effort last time out. The Razorbacks lost 91-65 at Houston and has lost two of their last three. The offense hasn't had the success they had to start and the defense continued to be leaky. They allowed 91 to the Cougars and 87 to North Carolina. Colorado State is feeling good after a 72-63 home win over rival Colorado. They've shown some offensive punch and have also failed at defense. CSU allowed 89 to New Mexico State and 90 to Florida State. To me, this is a get right game for Arkansas who shoots 53.2% at home where they are averaging 93 points per game. I think this is an over.

Ball State's offense hits the road to play Notre Dame and their stout defense. The Cardinals are putting up 80.5 points per contest while they allow 81.2. Unfortunately their defense is not very good with opponents shooting 45.6% from the field. Notre Dame is coming off a 71-53 home win over St. Francis of NY. They've embarrassed some bad teams at home putting up 105 against Chicago State and 88 against Mount St. Mary's. BSU's step up in competition resulted in a 95-71 loss at Oregon, 108-69 at Oklahoma and 78-77 at Dayton. They have won three straight though including a 93-85 win at Indiana State. The Cardinals have gone over in 21 of their last 31 road games and 25 of their last 37 in contests against teams with a winning record. I think this one is another over. 

The Eagles start a three game road trip with the Seahawks on Sunday Night Football. Philly has the best record in football and is putting up nearly 32 points per game. They've also feasted on a lot of bad opponents. Now Seattle's defense isn't the same without Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman, but it's still a tough place to play and there's still some talent in the front seven. Russell Wilson is also one of the best quarterbacks that the Eagles have seen this season. He can beat you on the ground and through the air. Even though the Seahawks are a one dimensional team, I still think they can play ball control and keep this thing close. They've been a home underdog of 3.5 to 7 points just 26 times since 1992 and have covered 17 times. I think this is a bit of an overreaction.

Bradley's stiff defense gets a test in this one against an Aztecs team that is scoring 81.5 points per game. Trey Kell is expected back for this one after missing last game with an injury. The Braves want to slow things down, but it's hard to do on the road. They've gone over in 17 of their last 26 road games. San Diego State has gone over in five of their six lined games overall. At home they've scored 94 against EIU, 83 vs. McNeese State and 91 vs. SD Christian. I think this one is going to go over the lower total. 

I did the preview for this matchup for Athlon Sports and there I predicted an outright Arizona win. Basically, I think this is a trap game for a young Rams team before a huge contest at home against the Eagles. Arizona's defense is capable of holding this team down and they'll be motivated after an embarrassing 33-0 effort in October overseas. I think this is a lot of points and I can only hope Blaine Gabbert keeps the mistakes to a minimum.

Portland is 3-4 on the season with some of the losses coming to DePaul, Oklahoma and UNC. The Pilots offense isn't terrible with Franklin Porter and Josh McSwiggan being their double digit scorers. The problem has been on defense where they've allowed over 80 points four times. This is their first true road game of the season against a Boise team who probably won't be 100% focused after their huge win at Oregon. The Broncos have a very good offense that is getting better with several options. This is all happening with Chandler Hutchison not being at his best either. I think focus is an issue and that this one will be higher scoring. 

Tulane is 6-1 on the season and playing one of the faster tempos in the league. They are scoring nearly 80 points per game and are playing good defense, but the competition steps up big time here. They allowed 96 points to Long Island who is nowhere near the talent of the Heels. UNC's offense is cruising for the most part outside of a poor effort vs. Sparty. We've seen the Heels struggle on defense at times so I think this one is going to see a lot of points. Things could loosen up towards the end when the game is no longer in doubt too. The Green Wave have gone over in 28 of their last 45 games as an underdog. 

Round one of this matchup went to the Jaguars 27-0 in Indy back in October. The Colts offense sputtered terribly as they struggled to block the Jags pass rush. Since then, Indy has lost three of their last four and has continued to have offensive issues. On the positive side, the defense has been pretty good despite a distinct lack of talent. The Jaguars defense is one of the best in the league and they've allowed just 58 points over their last five weeks. Blake Bortles is unimpressive and that means teams are ganging up on Leonard Fournette. The Colts have gone under in three straight while the Jags have gone under in four of their last five.

In one of the least watched and least important games of the week, I've managed to find some value. The 49ers fly east as they take on the Bears. San Fran fans are hyped over Jimmy Garoppolo's final drive which led to a touchdown. They've been pretty bad offensively and not very good defensively either. You could say the same thing about the Bears who are coming off an uninspiring effort in Philly against the Eagles. Chicago's run game produced just six yards on 14 carries. Still, it's probably the best unit of any group in this contest. The Bears have played "well" at home with wins over the Steelers and Panthers there. San Francisco has covered just seven of their last 21 road games. I think the Bears win this one.

The Ravens are one of the most woeful offenses in the country, but they are buoyed by a defense that holds their opponents to just 305.7 yards per contest. They throw for an anemic 164.3 yards per game and Joe Flacco has not been good. The Lions offense is better, but the defense has been leaky as well. Basically, any chance I can get a total in the 40s in a game with Baltimore, I'll jump on the under. They've scored just 66 points over their last three weeks. Detroit has gone under in 13 of their last 21 road games.

UCSB continues their tour through the WCC as they play San Diego. They've already knocked off San Francisco and Pepperdine on the road this season and are getting just their third home game. They've won those two games with the losses coming at Texas A&M and Pittsburgh. The Gauchos start four seniors and have five players averaging double digits. They can beat you in a lot of different ways. San Diego is coming off an emotional loss to San Diego State at home and have not gotten a lot lately from Cameron Neubauer who is dealing with an ankle issue. Isaiah Pineiro and Olin Carter III are among their threats. UCSB has covered 14 of their last 20 as a favorite. I think they get the win here.

The 49ers are playing just their second true road game of the season as they play at James Madison on Saturday. Charlotte has won two of their last three and is coming off an 85-70 loss to Davidson. Jon Davis, Andrien White and Najee Garvin are the team's leading scorers. They're traveling to play JMU who has just two wins over App State and Bridgewater. They lost in heartbreaking fashion to George Mason last time out as they coughed up a lead in the last 10 seconds. This is still a very young team who is probably continuing to look for answers. JMU has covered just 12 of their last 31 home games. I think they could struggle in this one.

The Bulldogs have been covering machines going 9-2 ATS this season including five of their six road games. They took the home matchup between these two last week 28-17 in a game that saw them succeed through the air and hold Boise down offensively. FSU has road wins at San Diego State, Wyoming and Hawaii as of late so the atmosphere won't be that intimidating. This figures to be a lower scoring game potentially with two good defenses and a Boise team that has struggled at home to cover. The Broncos are 4-13 ATS the last three seasons at home. I'm sure both teams held stuff back last week, but I don't know if the change of venue is worth that many points. This is a one possession game. 

The Monarchs once trusted defense has shown some cracks this season especially away from home. They gave up 79 at William and Mary allowing them to shoot 58.3% from the field and 76 to Temple down in Charleston. The teams they've shut down were pretty weak offensively. ODU's offense has put up over 70 in three straight and VCU's defense has been leaky especially against long range shooters. At home, the Rams have allowed 72 to App State, 76 to UVA, 85 to North Florida and 65 to Grambling. Justin Tillman and Brandan Stith inside will be an interesting matchup. VCU wants to run at home and they'll probably be able to do so as the Monarchs struggle to set tempo away from home. They've gone over in 17 of their last 27 road games. This one usually sees a ton of fouls which will help as well. I think this is an over.

A contrast in styles as ASU wants to get up and down while USF is one of the slower teams in the country. The Mountaineers have scored 90 or more four times this season and have already knocked off Davidson at home this season. They've got a lot of weapons to throw at an underwhelming USF team. The problem is on defense where they've been mighty leaky allowing 105 to JMU and 104 to Iowa State. The Bulls have struggled on the road this season losing to Elon and Indiana while beating Stetson. They've shown flashes of offensive success with four efforts of 70 points or more. It is a concern that they've also had 60 or less four times, but I think they get more points on the road then at home.

I'll continue to pound the over in Richmond games as long as they continue to fail miserably on defense. The Spiders have allowed every team but one to put up at least 70 and every one shot 50% or better except UAB. They struggle with size and athleticism and Wake has both of those. From time to time, the Spiders offense shows up too although they don't have a ton of consistent scorers outside of De'Monte Buckingham. Wake has put up 80 or more three times all at home, but they've also struggled allowing at least 70 to everyone except Quinnipiac. Wake has gone over in 17 of their last 28 at home. I think this one gets played in the 70s or 80s.

We played the over in the UCD/Washington game and it hit for us and I'm going to do so again in this one. The Cougars are 6-0 and are averaging 82.7 points per game while shooting 46.2% from the field. They managed to put up 84 on St. Mary's vaunted defense and 93 on San Diego State. Robert Franks and Malachi Flynn average over 36 points per game combined and will be tough for Davis to handle. Chima Moneke and Siler Schneider have been really good for the Aggies who have had their issues putting their pace in place on the road. They lost 77-70 at Washington and 80-71 at Utah Valley State. I think both teams find some offense and this one goes over the total.

Two teams not interested in any defense play as DePaul hosts Youngstown State. The Penguins are allowing teams to shoot 50.3% from the field and 82.1 points per contest. Two opponents, Canisius and Kent State, actually managed to go over 100 points on them. The offense is very inconsistent, but as you'll see DePaul can be pretty leaky. The Blue Demons have allowed four opponents to score 70 or more. Their offense will probably get on track for this one. YSU has gone over in 18 of their last 30 road games and 31 of their last 53 as an underdog. This one should be a track meet.

The AAC title game is up for grabs as UCF hosts Memphis. The Golden Knights took this game 40-13 at home back in September by virtue of an offense that put up 350 yards on the ground and over 600 total. It was a rough effort for Riley Ferguson. Since then, Memphis has averaged over 50 points per game and is steamrolling opponents. They had road wins at UConn, Houston and Tulsa and have to be feeling confident about their chances. The Golden Knights are coming off an emotional 49-42 win over rival USF last time out. They've also been playing well offensively, but last week's game showed that their secondary has some issues potentially. The other story is that Coach Frost is indirectly being mentioned a lot for the Nebraska job. Focus could be an issue for a team whose coach is potentially going elsewhere. I'll take the Tigers with the hook and be happy. 

A hurricane rescheduled game features FIU hosting UMass. The Golden Panthers have cruised offensively putting up 95 points over their last three weeks against ODU, FAU and Western Kentucky. The defense has been a problem and it doesn't stop the run or the pass. UMass has not played since November 18th so they'll be fresh for this one. The offense can move the ball, and usually it has to because the defense isn't that good. FIU has gone over in 10 of their last 18 home games and UMass has gone over in 14 of their last 24 contests as an underdog. I think this is a higher scoring game. 

The Ducks will be without Troy Brown for this one due to a concussion. The Ducks are scoring at will on most of their opponents putting up 80 or more five times this season. Payton Pritchard and Elijah Brown lead the way with Paul White and Victor Bailey Jr also helping out. They play with a good pace and have had issues with defense as of late as well. The Broncos have four double digit scorers themselves led by Justinian Jessup. This is their first true road game of the year so I expect the defense to struggle. These two have played some close games in their series. Last year it was a 68-63 game and I expect more scoring in 2017. 

Weber State has gone over in 18 of their last 25 road games and that figures to happen again in this one. They've been putting up some good offensive numbers at times this season with Jerrick Harding and Ryan Richardson leading the way. The Wildcats helped me out big time in their win over James Madison. They've been bad on defense certain times this season. Fresno State is a potent bunch offensively with just one effort less then 75 points on the season. The Bulldogs have also had their issues with defense and for some reason continue to get lower totals even though they've gone over in four of their last five. I think this one sails over the total. 

East Carolina's coach just resigned and the team has lost four of their last five. ECU has home losses to North Carolina A&T, Radford and Central Connecticut State. Their two wins are Cleveland State and Coppin State which don't inspire much hope. The offense is very mediocre and they don't play any defense. UNC Wilmington is 2-3 and has lost to Valpo, Loyola Chicago and Davidson. Their offense is so potent that if they ever figure out defense, it'll be a lot more wins in their future. Jordon Talley, Devontae Cacok and Ty Taylor II are solid offensively. The Seahawks have covered 15 of their last 26 road games. ECU is so awful that I think they lose this one. The question is if the motivation will be there now that Coach Lebo is gone.

Oklahoma is fourth in KenPom's adjusted tempo measurement and third in average possession length at 13.1 seconds. The Sooners have been steamrolling teams offensively with four efforts of 90 points or more. They've also been a little bit leaky at times on defense allowing 80 or more three times. They shouldn't be threatened too much in this one by a North Texas squad that isn't that good. The Mean Green have wins over Grambling, Rogers State, Bethune Cookman and Eureka. They've struggled against any of their better competition, but UNT has gone over in 27 of their last 41 games as an underdog. This one is going to go over the total.

It's a battle for Boston as Harvard takes on Northeastern. Both teams have been somewhat disappointing this season with each sporting a losing record. Bryce Aiken, Seth Towns and Chris Lewis are a solid trio for the road team to rely on. They've got wins over St. Joe's, UMass and MIT to go along with tough losses so far this season. Northeastern has lost four straight with their wins coming over Wentworth and Boston. Harvard won last year 86-80 at home as a 2.5 point favorite in this one. Northeastern has covered just nine of their last 22 home games. I think the road team is a good play here.

Louisiana Tech has not lost yet this season, but their schedule hasn't exactly been filled with tough teams. They've beaten Texas-Tyler, SEMO, Montana State, George Mason and Evansville. The constant so far was good defense and an offense that has potential. Outside of the game against the MVC, they scored 70 points or more. Alabama made headlines for nearly knocking off Minnesota with three players. They've been an offensive juggernaut led by Collin Sexton who has been awesome as a freshman. They've scored 70 points or more in every game and have played good defense too. I'm guessing this lower total is going to assume that effort continues. The Bulldogs have gone over in 16 of their last 25 road games and 11 of their last 15 as an underdog. I think this one goes over. 

Michigan is a fascinating team in terms of how they play. They are coldly efficient offensively at times while they also play good defense. They've scored 70 or more in all but two contests and will need to do so against a potent UNC team that is hurting after the loss to Michigan State. The Wolverines have been fantastic defensively. The Tar Heels have scored 86 points or more in every game outside of the stinker against Sparty. To me, games in Chapel Hill are always faster pace and it's harder to play slower in that environment. The Wolverines have gone over in 17 of their last 22 road games. I think this one goes over the total.

It's the Mountain West/Missouri Valley challenge as Indiana State hosts Air Force. The Falcons have lost two straight after three early wins. This is their second straight road game after losing 81-69 at Colorado. The Air Force offense has struggled to score at times, but they should be able to find their footing in this one. The problem has been their defense against some of the better opponents. The Sycamores are 2-4 on the season and are playing their third straight home game. ISU has not been able to capture the magic they had at Indiana to open up the year. This team's defense has allowed over 90 points twice an the offense has done so twice as well. When the total is in the 140s, Air Force has gone over in 19 of their last 29. ISU has gone over in 19 of their last 27 home games. I think this one is an over. 

It's an interstate battle with George Mason taking on James Madison. The Patriots aren't deep but they do have five guys averaging nine points per game or more. Otis Livingston II and Jaire Grayer are two of the better scorers on this team. They've got some good rebounders. James Madison has been fade material for me a lot this season. They don't have a good offense and their defense is leaky too. JMU's two wins were over App State and Bridgewater and they needed a big comeback to beat the Mountaineers. They've already lost at home to ODU and fell at Radford last time out. JMU is 6-17 against the spread the last three seasons in non-conference games. I'll take the road team in this one. 

We've made a lot of money off UCSB this season and will try to do so this time with the over. The Gauchos are 4-2 this season and are playing their fifth game away from home. So far the defense has struggled at times giving up 70 or more times this season. The good thing is that their offense features several weapons and should be able to keep up in a shootout. San Francisco is 3-1 this season with the loss being to Long Beach State at home. The defensive numbers for the Dons are pretty good, but it's also a reduction in quality of opponents. Souley Boum and Chase Foster are a solid scoring duo. Last year these two played a 75-63 game in UCSB. I think we see more scoring in this one.