Jake Arrieta is 3-2 with a 2.65 ERA in five starts. He's allowed 11 runs and 26 hits in 34 innings of work. Arrieta has been very efficient as of late and has gone deeper in games averaging nearly seven innings per outing. He beat the Fish in Miami back on 4/12 holding them to one run and five hits in seven innings. Overall the righty is 6-1 with a 2.78 ERA and a WHIP of 1.036 against Miami. The Marlin offense is absolutely putrid and has gone under in all but one of their road games. The lineup is filled with over the hill veterans and guys who just aren't ready. The Philly bullpen is bad, but hopefully they won't be needed for long. Trevor Richards is 0-3 with a 3.72 ERA in five starts for the road team. He's got to cut down on the walks with 16 of them in 29 innings. The righty still has nasty stuff that he just has to harness a bit. Richards had two good starts against Philly last year over his last three outings. The Phillies lineup is in a bit of a rut as of late and it coincides with the loss of Jean Segura who could be back for this one. Since 4/17, they've scored three runs or less seven times. Miami has some decent arms in the bullpen. I think this one is an under and hope it's like a 5-1 game. 

The Cardinals saw their five game win streak end on Friday night. During this recent stretch their offense has been incredible. They had scored four runs or more in 10 straight before the dud Friday. Tyler Mahle is 0-2 with a 3.52 ERA in four starts although he has allowed eight runs and 18 hits in his last two outings out West. He'll be opposed by Dakota Hudson coming off his first win of the season. Hudson still has allowed 13 runs and 26 hits in just over 17 innings of work. Hudson has had issues with lefty hitters which the Reds have plenty of. Cincy's offense has under-performed although they've put up four runs or more in five of their last eight games. Both bullpens have their leaky arms and their good ones. I think this one is an over though. 

I'm going to continue to take unders with the Marlins offense which is absolutely brutal. Miami is averaging 1.8 runs per contest on the road and are hitting .220 overall. Miami has gone over the total just once in nine games away from home. Over their last 12 games, the Fish have scored just 34 runs with 19 of those coming in two contests. Jerad Eickhoff is making his second start for the home team. He showed some flashes with eight strikeouts of Rockies hitters in six innings and only gave up four runs in Coors Field. He's got good stuff I think. The problem once again could be the bullpen who blew Thursday's game in Philly. Jose Urena has an ugly 5.40 ERA, but he's got very good stuff. He also had a rough start to his 2019 campaign. Urena held the Phillies to one run and seven hits in seven innings at home back on 4/14. The Phillies lineup has gone in the tank ever since Jean Segura went down. Philly has scored just 25 runs over their last nine contests. Miami's bullpen did it's part in holding the Phils down on Thursday and has some decent arms. Quite frankly, I'm going to continue to take unders in Marlins games especially when it gets this high. The first five innings bet may be better, but I also like the game total too. 

Aaron Nola has been pretty bad so far this year, but I think he figures things out against the Marlins. Nola has allowed 20 runs and 30 hits in 25 innings of work. The righty has 28 strikeouts to just 12 walks. He pitched alright in his last outing in Colorado although he didn't go very deep. Nola's facing a Marlins team hitting .180 on the road going under in seven of their eight away from Miami. They are averaging 2.7 runs per contest overall. Caleb Smith is seeing the Phillies for the second time this season. He picked up a win against them on 4/13 giving up one hit and three walks in six innings. The southpaw has allowed six runs and 14 hits in 23 innings of work. The Phillies have lost five of their last seven and have scored just 21 runs over that span. They are hitting just .236 over their last seven games with five of those going under the total. Both bullpens scare me quite a bit so with this low total, I'm hoping both starters go deep so we only see good arms the last few innings. I think this one is an under. 

Frankie Montas is 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA in four starts. The righty has not lost yet at home in two starts with one of those wins coming over Houston last time out. He'll face a Rangers team that's not quite as strong on the road as they are in Arlington. Oakland's bullpen has some solid arms, but has to cut down on it's losses and blown saves. Lance Lynn is 2-1 with a 4.44 ERA in four starts. He's a little bit better on the road then he is in Arlington where the runs are flying. Oakland's lineup isn't the best, but I still like some of their hitters especially against a guy like Lynn. Texas also has a very mediocre bullpen. I like the A's at home in this matchup. 

Sonny Gray hasn't won a game yet, but is pitching fantastically for the Reds. He's allowed seven runs and 12 hits in just over 19 innings of work. The righty has 22 strikeouts to just six walks. He lost to the Braves back in 2017 holding them to one run and two hits in eight innings. Atlanta's lineup is very tough and has quite a bit of depth. They are also coming off a series with three overs in Cleveland. Cincy has gone under in seven straight because of solid pitching and poor hitting. The Reds bullpen has a 2.01 ERA at home. Kevin Gausman has also pitched well for Atlanta giving up six runs and nine hits in three starts. He's also got 22 strikeouts to just six walks. Cincy is hitting .199 against right-handed starters and .198 overall. Atlanta's bullpen scares me so let's hope Gausman can go deep in the ballgame to help out. I think this one is an under tho with two young solid pitchers. 

Can you tell me who is still left in the Yankees lineup? Aaron Judge joined Greg Bird, Gary Sanchez, Miguel Andujar, Troy Tulowitzki and Giancarlo Stanton on the IL and I just don't know who is left in there to scare pitchers. Jorge Lopez is 0-4 with a 4.30 ERA in four starts for the Royals. He's got some decent stuff and had 10 strikeouts in his last outing against the White Sox. KC's bullpen is pretty bad, but once again who will make them pay. James Paxton is 2-2 with a 3.91 ERA. He's got 31 strikeouts to just seven walks in 23 innings. The southpaw held the Royals to two runs and eight hits in 14 innings in 2018. KC is hitting just .209 against left-handed starters and have gone under in the majority of their road games. New York's bullpen should be able to lock down a late lead. Give me the under in this one. 

Dylan Bundy has been absolutely awful this season giving up 15 runs and 18 hits in four starts. Bundy has shown some strikeout stuff, but he's also given up seven homers this season as well. He's 0-3 with a 5.24 ERA in four stats against Minnesota. The Twins are putting up big numbers offensively especially away from home. It's a bit of a worry that some of their studs won't play on Sunday so please check the lineup before taking this. They are so hot though which maybe means they won't take them out. Baltimore's bullpen has an ERA over six this season so they won't be much help. I like fading Kyle Gibson because he's ridiculously mediocre. The righty has allowed 13 runs and 18 hits in just over 14 innings of work. He doesn't really have strikeout stuff. Not going to lie, Baltimore's lineup isn't that great, but they've gone over in every game at home this year. Minnesota's bullpen allows a lot of runs. I think this one goes over the total. 

The Phillies are banged up right now with Scott Kingery and Andrew McCutchen getting hurt on Friday night. Jean Segura and Odubel Herrera are already hurt for the lineup with David Robertson out as well. Antonio Senzatela beat the Padres in his first start holding them to one run and six hits in just over six innings. Philly's lineup has struggled a bit as of late and still has some talent but the injuries aren't helping things. Aaron Nola has been pretty bad this year giving up 17 runs and 21 hits in just over 19 innings. He's walked 11 as well to go along with just 19 strikeouts. Colorado's lineup is still trying to break out, but there's way too much talent for them potentially not to put up some runs. Both bullpens aren't great so that's a worry, but in that situation you lean to the home team. I think the Rockies are worth a look here. 

We took the Giants under on Friday night and will try once again for it here. Jameson Taillon is 0-2, but has allowed just eight runs and 20 hits in 21 innings. The righty has 17 strikeouts to just five walks and has pitched well despite being winless. Taillon shut down the Giants for three innings at home last year. San Fran's offense doesn't scare me much. They are hitting .188 in day games and .187 against right-handed starters. Derek Holland isn't great, but he's pitched decently this year. If he can keep the walks down, then Holland should be able to do some work. He's allowed 10 runs and 16 hits in 22 innings of work. Pittsburgh's lineup is decent, but not great. Starling Marte won't be in the lineup after getting hurt on Friday. I think they can score a few runs because Taillon will hold down SF. Both bullpens have some solid arms so I think they can hold a lead. Give me the under in this one. 

Matt Strahm has been pretty bad as a starter for the Padres. He's failed to get past the fifth inning and is not pitching that efficiently. Strahm has a 1.657 WHIP in those three starts. The Reds are woefully underperforming this year, but there's some talent in this lineup. I'm expecting them to bust out at some point soon. Anthony DeSclafani has allowed 11 runs and 15 hits in three starts. The righty has had a bit of a issue with allowing homers. San Diego's lineup has a couple names in it, but they've struggled this year. Entering Thursday night, San Diego was hitting .220 in their last seven contests. Now, the Cincy bullpen has struggled this year so that's a worry, but I think they can build a solid lead. Give me the road team here. 

I'm not quite sure why Jason Vargas is still in the Mets rotation, but here we are. The southpaw has allowed six runs and 10 hits in just over five innings of work. Vargas has just two strikeouts to four walks and is on the thinnest of thin ice. He last saw the Cardinals in 2017 giving up six runs and eight hits in that start. St. Louis is hitting .303 in their last seven games while averaging nearly seven runs per contest. The Mets bullpen has an ugly ERA but has gotten some stuff done. I'm not a huge Adam Wainwright guy, but he's pitched well his last two starts. The righty has allowed seven runs and 12 hits in 16 innings. He's got 16 strikeouts to just six walks as well. Wainwright beat the Mets twice in 2017. They have lost four of their last five and are on the last leg of a three city trip. I think Vargas is as instafade as it gets. 

Michael Pineda has been very good so far this season for Minnesota. He's allowed just five runs and 13 hits in 15 innings of work. The righty has 15 strikeouts to just two walks over that span. Toronto is hitting around .210 as a team and doesn't have a lineup that scares me that much at all. It's also the getaway day so we could see some lesser lineups. Clay Buchholz is making his second start of the year. He held the Rays to one run and six hits in six innings. Minnesota's lineup has gone under in five of eight day games and doesn't have a ton of threats either. Both bullpens scare me so let's hope for a lower scoring game so that way both pens are minimized. I think the under is worth a look here. 

Texas played a rare under at home on Tuesday which gives them now seven overs to three unders. The reasons why this is happening is because the Rangers are allowing 6.2 runs per game at home while putting up 6.7. Lance Lynn got shelled in his first start there giving up seven runs and 10 hits in just over five innings back on 3/31. He lost to the Angels at their place the next time out, but I don't think he's got good enough stuff for that park. The Angels lineup is not good. Anyone who allows Mike Minor to throw a complete game shutout at home can't be very good. The thing is that they have the capability to score. They put up seven on the Rangers back on Monday. Matt Harvey was beaten up by these Rangers at home on 4/4 giving up eight runs and 10 hits in four innings. He's given up 16 runs and 21 hits in three starts for the Angels. Texas' lineup is outperforming expectations right now. Neither bullpen scares me all that much. I think this one is an absolute slugfest.

As I've said, I don't really have too many systems when it comes to betting baseball. Other then fading pitchers in their first start off the DL, I like to fade pitchers coming off their career high or a really high pitch start and that's what we are getting with Brad Keller. He's relatively young still and is coming off an outing where he tossed a career high 118 pitches. Keller beat the White Sox at home back on March 28th holding them to two hits and one walk in seven innings. He's won three straight against them which is concerning, but KC's bullpen is hideous. The group has seven losses and six blown saves already. Chicago's offense isn't great, but they are putting up over 4.5 runs per game. Lucas Giolito beat the Royals in KC back on March 31st holding them to two runs and three hits in just over six innings. Giolito's having control issues lately so that's a worry, but I really don't see what makes KC that tough. They are hitting around .213 on the road where they are 0-5 as a team. Not that it matters in the grand scheme of things, but Giolito has not lost to the Royals in seven career starts with Chicago being 6-1 overall. I just think the home team has a lot of advantages outside of starting pitcher so I'll play them. 

Jose Quintana has had one great outing and one awful one so far this year. He's allowed eight runs and 12 hits in 10 innings of work. Quintana got rocked last year in Miami giving up six runs and six hits in six innings. The Marlins lineup is terrible, but they've had some success against left-handed starters. They are averaging over four runs per contest in five games against them. The Cubs bullpen has just one save and an ERA over nine on the road. Pablo Lopez is 1-2 with a 6.60 ERA in three starts. He's been good the first time around, but after that it gets ugly. Lopez has allowed 11 runs and 19 hits in 15 innings of work. The Cubs have scored five runs or more in three straight games. The Marlins bullpen isn't very good either. To me, this one should be an over with the road team doing a lot of the heavy lifting. 

Stephen Strasburg has had two bad outings sandwiched around a victory over the Mets. The ace has 20 strikeouts and 7 walks in just over 16 innings of work. The righty should be able to have his way with an awful Giants lineup. Right now San Fran is hitting .199 as a unit putting up just 2.8 runs per contest. In an ideal world, he goes seven innings and minimizes that awful bullpen. Dereck Rodriguez has allowed eight runs and 15 hits in just over 17 innings. He has just one walk and 12 strikeouts this season. Washington is putting up very good offensive numbers although they are averaging just 4.2 runs at home. The Giants bullpen has a 1.77 ERA this season with three losses and two blown saves. These two have played seven unders in their last 11 contests. I think this one is an under too. 

I don't have many systems or anything, but the one thing I like to fade is someone coming off the disabled list to make a start. There's something to someone having to ramp it up after some time off and Clayton Kershaw is going for the Dodgers. He allowed two runs in six innings in a rehab start in AA so he won't be completely cold. Who knows how long the southpaw will go so that means a shaky bullpen comes into play. Luis Castillo has been fantastic for the Reds this season. He's allowed two runs and five hits in starts against the Pirates, Brewers and Marlins. The righty has 25 strikeouts to just eight walks. He beat the Dodgers twice last year holding them to four runs and eight hits in just over 12 innings. The Reds offense is better then their numbers. The Dodgers offense has been hot so that's a worry but I'll take a chance with the Reds runline and hope Kershaw is rusty. 

It's rare to see two starters with ERAs over 10, but we do have one in this matchup. Heath Fillmyer gave up five runs and six hits in three innings to the Mariners. He saw Chicago last August giving up six runs and seven hits in three innings in that one. The White Sox are coming off a series win in New York and have gone over in the majority of their games. The Royals bullpen entered Sunday with an ERA near seven and an 0-6 record. Ervin Santana got shelled by Tampa Bay in his first start giving up seven runs and seven hits in just over three innings. He didn't look good against them last year. I've been surprised by the production from this Royals lineup so far. They are averaging nearly five runs per contest as a group. The Sox bullpen isn't very good either. This one could see a lot of runs. 

I don't bet the NBA often, but I don't get this line. Brooklyn is a terrible matchup for the Sixers and Brett Brown is a terrible basketball coach. The Nets spread Philly out and had their way at the rim. Brooklyn has no problem letting Joel Embiid go nuts because they can lock down the others. Ben Simmons was non-existent in game one, but does he have the tools to suddenly change that. The Nets are letting him shoot jumpers which he won't do. Go back to the regular season and you'll remember that the Nets should have beaten the Sixers in Brooklyn if not for a buzzer beating three by Jimmy Butler. Yes, Brooklyn could be happy with one win in game one heading home, but they are the better team here. The longer Brett Brown uses JJ Redick, the more the Nets will expose him on defense. It was a disappointment for him, Tobias Harris and Simmons. I think Harris could play better, but Jimmy Butler may take a step back. Coach Atkinson will have his boys ready for this one. Give me the underdog. 

Adrian Sampson is making his first start of the year for the Rangers as they host the A's. Sampson has allowed two runs and eight hits in just under 10 innings as a reliever. He was 0-3 with a 3.57 ERA in four September starts for Texas last year. Oakland has scored four runs or more in six straight and have gone over in six straight as well. The A's don't have a ton of great names in the lineup, but they have been hot as of late and the Arlington atmosphere should help. The Rangers bullpen has an ERA around 4.50 on the season. Brett Anderson gets the call now that Saturday's game was rained out. Anderson is 3-0 with a 2.50 ERA in three starts. He beat the Rangers twice in 2018 pitching well in both games against them. Texas' lineup is performing well this season so far despite having lost some talent in the offseason. I think this one is an over with Oakland doing a lot of the heavy lifting. 

Marcus Stroman continues to look for his first win of the year, but it's not because of him. The ace has allowed just five runs and 17 hits in 19 innings of work. He's got 18 strikeouts to just six walks over that span as well. Stroman saw the Rays twice last year with one good start and another bad one. Still, I think he's bounced back from a bad 2018 campaign. Tampa's hot offense was cooled off on Saturday with only one run scored. They had scored 30 over their previous three, but I still don't love their lineup. It's the final game of a long road trip so maybe we see some bench guys in the lineup. Charlie Morton is 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA in three starts. The righty has 21 strikeouts to just seven walks. He faced the Jays once last year striking out 13 in seven innings while holding them to just four hits. Toronto's lineup doesn't scare me in the least. They had a good series in Boston, but I'm willing to go against them and take the under whenever I can. This will be one of those situations. 

Two of the hottest teams in baseball play in Seattle as the Mariners host the Astros. Houston has won six in a row scoring 36 runs over that span. They swept the A's and Yankees in those series. Now they face Wade LeBlanc who has allowed eight runs and 13 hits in two starts. He has mediocre stuff. LeBlanc is 1-1 with a 5.65 ERA in six career starts against the Astros. Houston is hitting .315 in their last seven games and .280 overall. He'll be opposed by Wade Miley who has allowed three runs and 12 hits in just over 11 innings. Seattle has gone over in 11 of their 14 games because they are hitting .295 while averaging nearly eight runs per contest. These two offenses should go to town on the mediocre pitchers they see. 

Originally I looked at the over at 7.5, but now at 8.5, I'm looking at the under. The Marlins have gone under in five of their last six and are coming off a road trip of six games where they scored eight runs overall. I'm not in love with Jake Arrieta, but this lineup is so bad that I think he'll be able to do some work. Arrieta is putting on too many runners, but he's dodging the bullets so far. Sandy Alcantara has had one good start and one bad one. His better start was at home against the Rockies in which he struck out six over eight innings. Alcantara beat a lesser Phillies team at home last September. Philly has a great lineup, but maybe they struggle with the starter the first time around. Give me the under. I think the Phillies could win this 8-0 and we still win. 

A pair of young starters are on the mound early Thursday. Spencer Turnbull is coming off a solid outing in which he allowed three runs and six hits in six innings to the Royals while striking out 10. He'll face an Indians lineup that has been pretty awful. Entering Wednesday's game, the Tribe were hitting .189 as a group. Jose Ramirez is the only star and he looks lost at the plate. Detroit's bullpen is 6-0 with eight saves in nine opportunities. Shane Bieber has allowed two runs and two hits in six innings. He struck out nine while walking two in his first start. Detroit isn't exactly hitting either. They were hitting .185 entering Wednesday's game. Cleveland's bullpen is not that bad either. These two have played 11 unders in their last 21 meetings in Detroit. I think this one sees very few runs. 

The Marlins offense has been pretty bad this season. They've gone under in four of their last five as they've scored eight runs over that span. There's just not a ton of talent in this lineup outside of some over the hill veteran types. Sonny Gray has had one good start and one bad start this season with the difference being him walking four guys in just over two innings at home and struck out seven over six innings or so. The Reds bullpen is not so bad and they've been dying to use some of their better arms in a potential win situation. Gray is opposed by Pablo Lopez who has not been terrible this season despite the 6.10 ERA. He has 12 strikeouts to just one walk in just over 10 innings. It's a worry that the Marlins bullpen isn't great but the Reds aren't exactly great offensively. They've gone under in eight of their 11 contests because of it. It's also a day game after a night game so I think we see some regulars sit. I think this one is an under played at a good pace.

Lance Lynn gets the call for Texas. He's allowed nine runs and 15 hits in his just over 12 innings of work. Arizona's offense has been better then expected so far this year. They are averaging around six runs per game. Texas has a mediocre bullpen that I don't think is capable of holding the DBacks down either. Robbie Ray is making his first home start of the season. He's had a control issue this season with 10 walks in just over 10 innings of work. Ray gave up four runs in just over five innings at home against the Rangers last year. Texas has scored four runs or more seven times this season. Arizona's bullpen is having a very bad year already with one loss and two blown saves. The worry here is that Ray spins a solid outing at home, but I think the DBacks can get to Lance Lynn. 

Zack Greinke gets the call for the Diamondbacks as he makes his first home start of the season. Greinke got rocked in Los Angeles against the Dodgers in his first outing before beating the Padres in San Diego. In that one he had 10 strikeouts in six innings. Now he returns home to face the Rangers who are 5-5 with one of those wins coming on the road. I'm not necessarily a huge believer in the Texas lineup even though they've had some early success. Arizona's bullpen has had a rough start to the year with an ERA near eight so that's a worry, but I'm hoping the home team gets a big enough lead to cover that. Mike Minor has allowed six runs and 10 hits in just over 11 innings of work. The southpaw was shelled by the Cubs, but then did some good work against Houston. Minor went 6-4 with a 5.14 ERA in 13 road starts last year. Arizona is averaging over six runs per game this season and has performed better then people thought. Texas' bullpen is 4-1 with a 4.19 ERA this season. I think this group is nowhere near as good as that record. I think the home team should get the win in this one. 

I'm going to dip my toes into the NBA as they play their final two days. The Bulls and Knicks are two teams with nothing to play for and would rather the other team win. These two played on April 1st in New York with the Knicks winning 113-105. The halftime score was 64-47. The Bulls have lost six of their last seven and have struggled offensively considering their long list of injuries. They are without Otto Porter, Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and Lauri Markkanen. Still, there's some decent talent and once again the Knicks have nothing to play for either. New York has allowed 110 points or more in three straight and nine of their last 11. They really are going hard on this not trying thing. To me, I think this one is played with some pace and I think we'll see plenty of points. Mind you, this is my first bet in the NBA, but it's something I saw and thing is worth a look. 

Boston is the last team in the country to have their home opener and they get the Blue Jays to start. The Red Sox are a lot better then their 3-8 start to the year. One can point to the 6.5 runs per game that they are allowing as one of the reasons why. That number goes up to an astounding 8.8 in their day games. Still, this is a talented lineup and I think we see an explosion in this one of offense. The Cubs destroyed the Pirates on Monday after their long road trip. Matt Shoemaker has not allowed a run yet in two outings, but that was against Baltimore and Detroit at home and neither is that good offensively. He'll be opposed by Chris Sale who was torched by Seattle in his first start but followed it up with a good one in Oakland in which he held the A's to one run and three hits in six innings in a game he lost 1-0. Sale is 7-2 with a 2.20 ERA and a WHIP of 0.841 in 12 career starts against the Jays. Toronto's lineup is atrocious averaging 2.6 runs per contest while hitting .183. Outside of Justin Smoak there aren't a ton of threats. Toronto's bullpen is 0-3 with a 3.20 ERA. Boston's pen is 3-1 with a 3.61 ERA and no blown saves. I think Boston's going to blow out the Jays in this one.

This is a rematch of Opening Day when the Padres won 2-0 at home. Eric Lauer got the win holding them to four hits and one walk in six innings. The southpaw has a 2.86 ERA in four career starts against San Fran. The Giants lineup doesn't scare me very much as they just don't have a ton of talent. Lauer will be the sixth lefty the Giants will have seen and they are hitting .228 in those games. The Padres bullpen has been very hot and cold, but if they don't have to cover as many innings it won't be as much of a worry. Madison Bumgarner got the loss holding the Padres to two runs and five hits in seven innings. Bumgarner has a 3.33 ERA and a WHIP of 1.042 in 32 starts against San Diego with 18 of them going under the total. San Diego is hitting .229 in their three games against lefties. I think this one is an under. 

I've got several UVA to win the title futures tickets and here we are in the title game. The Wahoos have been living a charmed life right now with the win over Auburn because of a foul call with 0.6 seconds left in which Kyle Guy hit all his free throws. They beat Purdue because of a late bucket to send the game into overtime and they got by Oregon in close fashion as well. This team was an actual roller coaster on Saturday night as they locked down defensively and built a big lead only to go into a big shell and cough it up. It's the highs and lows with having one of the slowest paced teams in the nation. Ty Jerome was the leading scorer and went from hero to goat to lucky in the span of 40 minutes. There's no denying the defensive aspect of this team and they don't let you do what you want to do. Auburn shot 29% from long range and couldn't get their fast break game going. The offense struggles at times with trying to get a shot as the shot clock runs down but they still have three options to go to. 

Texas Tech's defense is on par if not better then UVA's in a lot of areas. They held the Michigan schools to 51 and 44 points apiece in this tournament. Sparty shot 31.9% from the court and couldn't get much done offensively. My question for the Red Raiders is if their offense is good enough to get a lot going against the Cavaliers. They only scored 61 vs. Sparty and 63 vs. Michigan. With the total the way it is, that may be all they need. Jarrett Culver had a horrendous game Saturday and they still won easily. Matt Mooney and Davide Moretti have shot the ball well, but that's something the Cavs can take away. 

The coaching matchup is a fascinating one here because each side has a little bit of a style that's hard to prepare for in such a short time. They also have a few similarities in how they run their offense and defense. In a game like this though, I have to go with the known commodities and that's Ty Jerome, Kyle Guy and DeAndre Hunter. I have faith that when the Hoos need a bucket, one of them will be able to get it. Texas Tech has had a great season, but is Culver going to get a basket in crunch time. Can they run plays for someone else? Give me the Cavaliers to win this one. 

Homer Bailey is one start in and he flashed some potential. Bailey gave up three runs and five hits in five innings but also struck out eight. Still, i'm willing to fade him whenever I can. Seattle scored 29 runs in Chicago and has gone over in seven of their last nine games. They are an offense that I want to back right now. Plus KC's bullpen entered Sunday with an 8.86 ERA and no wins. Felix Hernandez pitched well in his first start, but I think he's tapped out. I don't think he has very good stuff. KC has gone over in six of their last seven and have done so because of an offense that has been decent but a pitching staff that has been awful. I think this one sees a ton of runs on Monday. 

Toronto's offense is pretty bad and I don't think Marcus Stroman is getting enough respect for returning to the form that he had in the past. Cleveland's lineup doesn't scare me much until the walking wounded return. 

Quite frequently you are going to see me take overs when the road team is a heavy favorite because we are most likely going to definitely get nine at-bats for that team. JA Happ gave up four runs and five hits in four innings to these Orioles who have shown a little bit of offensive punch. They are averaging over four runs per game this season. The Yankees bullpen has been a solid group so Baltimore would have to get their runs early. Dylan Bundy was a trainwreck last year towards the end. He gave up three runs and two hits in just over three innings against these Yankees. He struck out seven while walking five others. Bundy is 2-5 with a 6.18 ERA in eight career starts against New York. The Yanks have been ravaged by injuries so their lineup isn't as strong as it should be. Still, the Orioles bullpen is a train wreck. I think this one goes over the total much like the first meeting. 

Chris Paddack is the talk of baseball as one of the best pitching prospects around. He did nothing to quell that hype allowing one run and two hits in five innings to the Giants while striking out seven. Including the spring, Paddack is striking out nearly 40% of the batters he's faced. The Cardinals are putting up some runs this season scoring four runs or more five times already. That is a bit of a concern, but the Padres bullpen has been pretty good as well. Michael Wacha didn't have that bad of a start to his year. He held the Brewers to one run and four hits in six innings. The four walks are a bit of a concern but he did mix in seven strikeouts. San Diego has gone under in five of their eight contests. Their offense doesn't scare me that much with Manny Machado among others starting slowly. The Cardinals bullpen does scare me. This one should go under though with these starters doing work. 

Nick Pivetta had a rough start for the Phillies last time out. He gave up four runs and eight hits in just over four innings at home to the Braves. Pivetta is expected to take the next step and has pretty good stuff that he'll need against Minnesota. The Twins are putting up some gaudy offensive numbers, but I'm not a huge fan of their lineup. It certainly doesn't have the depth of their opponent that's for sure. Jake Odorizzi held the Indians to one run and one hit over six innings striking out 11 while walking two. He's traditionally not as strong on the road as he is at home. Philly is averaging nearly eight runs per game and should be able to take aim at Odorizzi and a Twins pen that's putting up good early numbers, but isn't that strong in reality. Philly is going to be favored a lot so I'll take advantage of a decent price for them on Friday night. 

The Giants lineup has struggled this season scoring just 17 runs in seven contests so far. They've failed to get to double digit hits as a unit and will have to face Tyler Glasnow and the Rays. Glasnow held Houston to one run and six hits in five innings of work. He's backed by a bullpen that has allowed two runs in 28 innings of work. That group has 27 strikeouts to just seven walks as well as three saves in three opportunities. Tampa's offense has been pretty mediocre hitting just .211 so far. They'll face Dereck Rodriguez who looked good in his win against the Padres in San Diego. The righty gave up two runs and four hits in five innings. Neither pitcher has started against the other before. I think this one is a lower scoring game so give me the under. 

Max Fried gets the call for the home team as he makes his first start of the season. The southpaw has thrown 36 pitches already this season over two appearances out of the bullpen. He has two walks allowed in those games. The team is hoping he'll make one trip through the lineup before the rest of the bullpen takes over. Entering Wednesday's game, Atlanta had a bullpen ERA over seven so there's a chance for runs to be scored against a Cubs team whose offense has been really solid. Now some of that is because of the Rangers awful pitching in Arlington, but the rest of it is that there's a lot of talent in that lineup. Yu Darvish allowed three runs in just over two innings in Arlington last time out. The righty had four strikeouts but a whopping seven walks in the no decision. Darvish has a 5.19 ERA and a WHIP of 2.076 in two starts against Atlanta which came from last year. The Braves lineup is very top heavy, but they can touch up the Cubs staff. Chicago entered Wednesday night with a 7.63 ERA out of their pen and two blown saves already. I think plenty of runs can be scored in this one. 

Homer Bailey starts for the Royals on Wednesday afternoon as they host the Twins. Last year he was 1-14 with a 6.09 ERA in 20 starts for the Reds. This spring he threw 13.1 innings and gave up six runs and 15 hits. The righty did have 11 strikeouts to just three walks, but he's facing a Minnesota offense that is very capable especially with Nelson Cruz patrolling the middle. The bullpen isn't that great for KC either and you know they'll be needed considering how few innings Bailey will give. Kyle Gibson makes his first start of the season for the road team. He's thrown just 7.2 innings this spring giving up five runs and 14 hits. I've never thought that he had that good stuff-wise. Now, KC's lineup is pretty bad, but I think they can get some stuff done against Minnesota's bullpen who will need to carry some of the load. Give me the over in this one.

First off, let me tell you the bullpens in this game scare me so I'd really like Nola and Anibal Sanchez to go deep into the contest. Nola had a mediocre first start holding the Braves to one run and two hits in six innings. He struck out eight while walking only five. The righty is 4-5 with a 3.59 ERA in 15 starts against Washington with 10 of those going under the total. The Nats may have lost Trea Turner and Matt Adams to injury on Tuesday night and are playing a day game after a night one so the lineup could be weaker. Anibal Sanchez gets the call for Washington. The righty faced the Phillies twice in September towards the end of the regular season. He held them to one run and seven hits in 11 innings although this is a greatly different Philly lineup. Sanchez pitched pretty well in the spring although his last start he had four walks in 5.1 innings of work. He's got good numbers against Cesar Hernandez (1-6), Odubel Herrera (1-8) and Andrew McCutchen (4-19, 8 K). I think this one goes under the total especially if it gets to 8. 

Texas heads to Madison Square Garden to prevent being swept by the Horned Frogs of TCU. The Longhorns have single digit home wins over South Dakota State and Xavier already this tournament which came before a 13 point win over Colorado. The Horned Frogs have convincing double digit wins over Sam Houston State, Nebraska and Creighton in this tournament.  The offense has worked and the defense has been just good enough. TCU has two wins over Texas this season. They beat them 65-61 at home back in January in a game that saw both teams shoot poorly with the home team making eight more FTs and pick up six more offensive rebounds. TCU won on the road on March 9th 69-56 in a game that saw them shoot well from the court and out-rebound the Longhorns 35-24. Texas is playing without Jaxson Hayes in the middle. That should help the likes of Kouat Noi and JD Miller as well as Kevin Samuel. Kerwin Roach has been playing well this postseason and will need to get more from Dylan Osetkowski inside. It seems really easy to back the Frogs in this one so I'll bite on the trap and take them. 

Julio Urias gets the call on Monday for LA as they host the Giants. The southpaw was fantastic in the spring giving up four runs and five hits in just over 15 innings of work. He struck out 15 while walking three. Urias has seen the Giants three times holding them to three runs and 12 hits in just over 15 innings. SF has scored just five runs this season and don't exactly scare anyone offensively. The Dodgers are quite the opposite as they've put up some big time offensive numbers already. They scored 42 runs against the Diamondbacks and are facing Drew Pomeranz. Traditionally the Dodgers have struggled with lefties are Pomeranz has a 2.75 ERA in six career starts against them. San Fran's bullpen has actually not been that bad this season. These two have played 14 unders in their last 18 meetings in LA. I think this one is an under too. 

The Cubs are on the road against Lance Lynn and the Rangers. Lynn is 6-7 with a 4.62 ERA in 19 career starts against the Cubs. He is 0-4 with a 6.40 ERA in his last 10 starts against them and if you add in the Arlington factor, this could get really ugly. Chicago scored 12 runs in their first game and put up over five in game two so the offense is in good form. I like to take the over in games where I think the road team will win because I think we'll get the extra at-bats. The worry here is Cole Hamels shuts down the home team but the southpaw is not as good as he used to be. Texas has scored four runs or more in both of their contests so far so I think they can hold their own a little bit here. Texas' bullpen is bad so I think we could get some late runs here. I need Lance Lynn to start for this to play though. Give me the over in this one. 

Kentucky has two wins over Auburn from the regular season 82-80 on the road and 80-53 in Kentucky. The Wildcats shot over 50% in each of the matchups and held Auburn to just 21 three pointers in 57 attempts. They crushed them on the boards and that trend should continue with PJ Washington healthy and Chuma Okeke being out. Okeke was one of the better players on the Tigers team and he's one of their best presences inside. Expect UK to pound it inside time and time again in this one. The Wildcats defense has held Houston, Wofford and Abilene Christian to 60 points or less this tournament. They've had some issues though guarding the long range three at times this season and there's no one doing it right now better then Auburn. The Tigers ran Kansas out of the gym and UNC as well who couldn't keep up with the athleticism. Auburn has gone over in four straight and eight of their last 11. The Tigers have scored 97, 89, 78 and 84 over their last four games against tournament level teams. They've struggled a little on the defensive end too. I think Bruce Pearl will have his guys up after the injury last game. They've also got Wiley and Purifoy who can step in. I think this one is an over. 

Sonny Gray makes his first start for Cincinnati and I'm really high on the Reds so you'll see me on them often. Gray threw 10 innings against major league competition giving up one run and five hits while striking out 11 with no walks. Gray had a terrible year last year so they couldn't be any lower on him on right now. The Pirates lineup doesn't scare me a ton and the Reds get to have a fresh Raisel Iglesias after throwing a few pitches on Thursday vs. Pittsburgh. Cincy is going to use him more in high leverage times then just the ninth inning. Trevor Williams had a rocky start to his spring, but didn't exactly pitch that well. Williams finished last year in fantastic fashion and owns two wins over Cincy at home in 2018. Still, this is an upgraded lineup for the home team and I don't think the Pirates pen is that great either. Gray is going to surprise some people and I think we're getting a good price here with the home team.

I think UVA is playing with fire a bit so far in the tournament as they struggled to beat Oregon last time out. Kyle Guy continues to be in a slump and I'm not exactly ready to trust the likes of Diakite and Clark to pick up the scoring slack consistently. Still, Hunter and Jerome are playing well right now so I'm not worried a ton about their offense. UVA's defense continues to be on point as they held down Oregon the last five minutes of the game. On the opposite side you have a Purdue team who decimated a Tennessee defense to the tune of over 90 points last round. The Boilers beat Villanova by 26 and ODU by 13 so far in the tourney. They go as Carsen Edwards goes and Ryan Cline had a monstrous effort last time out. I just don't think Cline will find that many open looks against this defense and I don't know how effective Matt Haarms will be. UVA is due a blowout and I think it could be here as they make their first Final Four under Tony Bennett.

Noah Syndergaard is healthy and looked fantastic in spring training. The righty had 19 strikeouts allowing 10 hits in just over 14 innings. He's had an interesting history against Washington going 2-5 with a 4.19 ERA over his last nine starts against them. That was back when Washington had a formidable lineup which I'm not as convinced they do right now. He's got good numbers against Trea Turner (2-12), Juan Soto (1-6) and Ryan Zimmerman (3-13). Stephen Strasburg had his ace level stuff going in the spring as well and he's facing a much weaker Mets lineup outside of Robinson Cano. Strasburg is 4-2 with a 2.88 ERA in his last eight starts versus New York with 55 strikeouts to just 14 walks. Both teams have similar bullpens with some reliable arms that will be fresh as well. I think we see a lower scoring contest here with both pitchers dealing early. 

Two young electric pitchers play as the Brewers host the Cardinals. Jack Flaherty was fantastic last year with his best effort coming in Milwaukee when he struck out 13 and held the Brewers to one run and one hit in seven innings. He's got great stuff and has flashed some new pitches in the spring especially in an outing where he struck out nine Phillies. Freddy Peralta is also coming off a solid Spring where he struck out 18 batters over a 9.2 inning span in March. Peralta lost a duel with Flaherty last year in St. Louis back in August despite giving up three runs and three hits in six innings. These two played a 5-4 game on Thursday with several innings being covered by the bullpen. I'd like to think both sides will still have the full complement and if this gets to 9 especially, I like the under. 

North Carolina is averaging 86 points per game this season and is absolutely steamrolling teams at a pretty absurd pace as of late. The Tar Heels beat Washington 81-59 after running through Iona 88-73. The Heels have scored 80 or more 22 times already this season and have an offense that comes at you in waves. Even after a made basket, they are fastbreaking in your direction. Auburn has gone over in three straight and five of their last seven. They have scored 80 or more 19 times this season including putting up 89 on Kansas last time out. Their defense has given up 75 to those Jayhawks and 77 to New Mexico State so I wonder if they'll be able to slow down the Heels. We'll know early if this hits considering Auburn's propensity to shoot a ton of three pointers. To me, even if Auburn isn't hitting, the pace will be very conducive to a ton of points. 

Dropping down a few levels in March Madness we have Bakersfield and Green Bay. The Roadrunners have road wins at Southern Utah and Fullerton so far this tournament and have not played a true home game since February 23rd when they hosted California Baptist. This is a team that prides itself on slowing the game down and trying to clamp down defensively. Their offense is pretty bad as a unit shooting less then 40% in four of their last five contests. Jarkel Joiner is the leading scorer but he's had a few rough games as of late as he's just not getting a ton of help. Green Bay has a road win at ETSU and then they steamrolled FIU 98-68 last time out. This team is in great form especially at home where they've scored 98, 82, 82 and 82 in their last four contests. This team's defense leaves a lot to be desired, but the offense is going to be tough to stop of slow down. Sandy Cohen III and JayQuan McCloud are going to be a handful along with Kameron Hankerson in this one. I think the home team is definitely worth a look in this one. 

These are two of the best defenses in the country so every possession will be at a premium. The Wolverines last three losses all came to Michigan State after blowing leads in all three. They've been very impressive against Florida and Montana so far in this tournament and have done it with defense and an offense that has just done enough. I'm not a huge fan of the Michigan offense which has struggled at times with consistency. The Red Raiders have the size to keep up with the likes of Jon Teske. Texas Tech had one of the most impressive wins beating a very good Buffalo team 78-58 last time out. Their last loss came to West Virginia with one of the others being at Kansas. The key is Jarrett Culver has to stay out of foul trouble. I think some people will lean to Michigan considering how good the Big 10 is doing but I don't. I think the underdog is worth a look in this one. 

The Seminoles see Gonzaga once again in the tournament. FSU dispatched a favored Gonzaga last year 75-60 in a game that saw FSU hold the Zags to just 33.9% shooting and just five three's in 20 attempts. In some ways these two teams are pretty much the same again this year. The Seminoles come at you in waves with athletes, size and talent. Their best player comes off the bench and takes care of business when they need to. They needed a half to figure out Vermont before destroying Murray State 90-62 in the round of 32. FSU's losses have come to Duke and UNC the last two months which there is no shame in. My problem is that the long range shooting could get sketchy, but if someone is cold, they can bring someone else in. Gonzaga is usually able to come in and overwhelm teams with their depth and talent which won't be the case here. They lost to St. Mary's in the WCC title game and have wins over Fairleigh Dickinson and Baylor in the NCAA Tourney. This team tested itself in the non-conference with Tennessee, Washington and UNC back-to-back and also played Duke as well. Gonzaga's defense has been very hot and cold, but a lot of their numbers came against the lesser WCC opponents. I just think the over and the Seminoles are worth a look here. 

The Seminoles see Gonzaga once again in the tournament. FSU dispatched a favored Gonzaga last year 75-60 in a game that saw FSU hold the Zags to just 33.9% shooting and just five three's in 20 attempts. In some ways these two teams are pretty much the same again this year. The Seminoles come at you in waves with athletes, size and talent. Their best player comes off the bench and takes care of business when they need to. They needed a half to figure out Vermont before destroying Murray State 90-62 in the round of 32. FSU's losses have come to Duke and UNC the last two months which there is no shame in. My problem is that the long range shooting could get sketchy, but if someone is cold, they can bring someone else in. Gonzaga is usually able to come in and overwhelm teams with their depth and talent which won't be the case here. They lost to St. Mary's in the WCC title game and have wins over Fairleigh Dickinson and Baylor in the NCAA Tourney. This team tested itself in the non-conference with Tennessee, Washington and UNC back-to-back and also played Duke as well. Gonzaga's defense has been very hot and cold, but a lot of their numbers came against the lesser WCC opponents. I just think the over and the Seminoles are worth a look here. 

Jameson Taillon gets the call for the Buccos as they play in Cincinnati. The righty had a 2.71 ERA over his last 22 starts for Pittsburgh and didn't allow more then three earned runs in an outing during that stretch. He's developing a slider and working to refine his changeup and Spring went very well for the ace. Last year, Taillon saw the Reds twice in September giving up four runs and 15 hits in 11 innings of work with both games going under the total. The Reds lineup is certainly improved with the likes of Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig in it, but they could struggle with the youngster. Kemp has not gotten a hit off him in three at-bats while Joey Votto (5-27) and Scott Schebler (3-22) have also struggled against the righty. Luis Castillo has had a bit of a rough spring so that's a worry for me. He led the majors last year with 105 strikeouts off his changeup. Current Pittsburgh hitters have just 10 hits in 49 at-bats against Castillo. Both bullpens certainly worry me a bit, but I think we have a little bit of a cushion here for the under. 

For the second straight offseason, San Diego made a big splash in free agency adding Manny Machado to the mix. He'll join Eric Hosmer as the big additions to go along with Ian Kinsler and youngsters Fernando Tatis Jr and Manuel Margot. This is a youngish but improving lineup as they face Madison Bumgarner who is coming off getting shelled in his last spring outing. The ace will not be on any restrictions and hopes to become what he used to be in terms of stamina. Bumgarner only saw the Padres once last season back in June and has a 3.35 ERA in 31 starts against them. He'll be opposed by Eric Lauer who had a fantastic spring and has a very bright future. The southpaw has a 3.94 ERA in three career starts against San Fran who continues to field pretty close to the same lineup as last year outside of adding Gerardo Parra. I think there's some excitement surrounding San Diego and think their bullpen won't be that terrible. To me, the home team is worth a look here. 

Corey Kluber is starting for the Indians and many thought he'd be somewhere else after the team was reportedly shopping him. Cleveland did make some changes elsewhere and are dealing with injury issues already. Francisco Lindor suffered a setback, spraining his ankle in workouts while Jason Kipnis is dealing with a right calf strain as well. Corey Kluber has allowed four runs in each of his last two starts against the Twins. The Tribe's bullpen will not be as strong as it has been in the past and the team will rely on Carlos Santana and Hanley Ramirez early on. Minnesota added Nelson Cruz to the middle of their lineup along with Eddie Rosario. Jose Berrios has been hot and cold against the Tribe, but I think now is the time to jump on them. Once Cleveland gets fully healthy then they'll be better, but right now I think I'll lean to the home team. 

Marcus Stroman had a horrible 2018 campaign with the injuries and will be looking to bounce back this year. Stroman had a fantastic spring allowing just three runs and six hits in 12.1 innings of work, striking out 13 while walking just one. His first start comes against a stripped down Tigers lineup that features an aging Miguel Cabrera and a lot of youth including Mikie Mahtook, Grayson Greiner and Christin Stewart. Toronto's bullpen could be a bit of an adventure so that's a worry, but not at home against a lesser team early. Detroit is sending Jordan Zimmermann out who was better last year, but still doesn't exactly scare many people. Justin Smoak is a solid hitter in the middle with Teoscar Hernandez and Lourdes Gurriel Jr among those expected to take the next step. I think the home team gets this one on Thursday. 

UC Irvine is 31-5 and is coming off a 70-64 win over Kansas State in round one. The Anteaters defense has been on point for a lot of this season and they've got a deep offense that has a boatload of players who average six points per game or more. Irvine won't be intimidated by playing Oregon either. This is going to be a lower scoring game so getting 2-3 possessions sounds pretty good to me. Oregon is also playing good defense, but part of me still doesn't necessarily believe in them. They picked up a solid win over Wisconsin 72-54 last time out. I'm going with the underdog in this one as I just think the Anteaters might be the better team.

Murray State announced their presence in this tourney on Thursday when they throttled Marquette 83-64. They shot 53.6% from the court in the win and shut down a good Marquette offense. That makes their streak of scoring 75 or more to four straight and seven of their last eight. This team's defense has played well but I think they'll struggle a bit with the more athletic Florida State. The Seminoles beat Vermont 76-69 last time out as they struggled to stop the Catamounts long range attack. At times this season, that has been an issue. Their offense has hit a but of a lull, but I think both teams will be able to score. Give me the over in this one. 

Michigan is coming off a 74-55 win over Montana last time out. The Wolverines and Gators are going to play a lower scoring game considering the total. Their defense has held four straight opponents to under 70 points. Florida has won three of their last four and have an offense that you'll have to hold your nose with. They have the requisite size to keep things interesting and once again with a low total, I don't mind getting a team plus 2-3 possessions. I think this is just a bit too high even though the Big 10 is smoking hot in the tourney.

Kentucky is coming off a 79-44 pasting of Abilene Christian and take a step up in competition. The Wildcats offense is coming together as they have scored 70 or more in three straight and four of their last five. UK's defense has been susceptible to teams who can shoot well from long range. They got torched from long range by Tennessee in the SEC tourney. Wofford beat Seton Hall 84-68 in their first game and have gone over in four of their last five. The Terriers have a coldly efficient offense that gets a lot of what they want. I think their defense could struggle though. Give me the over in this one. 

The Monarchs are a great story after winning the C-USA in such close fashion multiple times. This team goes as Ahmad Caver and BJ Stith goes as they are the bulk of their offense. They have several big guys to throw in the middle at Matt Haarms so that'll be a help on the boards. Plus, this team plays pretty good defense so with a total this low, I like getting 5 or 6 possessions potentially. Purdue went only 16-15 against the spread this season and they go as Carsen Edwards goes although they have more complementary pieces then ODU. These two played back in 2015 in Connecticut with the Boilers winning 61-39. As a favorite, this year's team has covered just 14 of their 27 contests. I think this is a bit too many points.

Seton Hall has won four of their last five and was really on display in the Big East tournament playing three games in three days. The Pirates have had some issues on defense giving up 70 or more to eight of their lst 10 opponents. Myles Powell is one of the best scorers in the country and he's smoking hot right now. He's been the team's leading scorer in seven straight. I really wonder if this team loses a little steam after the run in the tournament. Sometimes you see the squads who make runs slow down a bit. I think if that does happen, it'll be on the defensive side. Wofford is a slower paced team yet they've scored 70 or more in 14 straight games. Fletcher Magee is one of the best shooters in the country and he's got a lot of help from Nathan Hoover who also can shoot from long range. This team's defense has been very hot and cold and hasn't seen a player like Powell in awhile. I think this is a close game which means maybe free throw shooting comes into play. Give me the over in this one. 

I said I wanted to fade Maryland in the tourney and I feel very happy to get Belmont to do that. Belmont is one of the most efficient offenses in the country and they have some decent size inside to frustrate Bruno Fernando. Dylan Windler didn't do much against Temple, but the Bruins still managed to get a lot done. Maryland has lost three of four and four of their last seven because their offense is not very good. This is a young team in certain spots and I think they'll struggle with a more veteran Belmont team. Belmont's got some tourney experience under their belt and I think they can win this one outright. 

Auburn enters this one having won eight in a row because of their offense which is humming right now. The Tigers want to play fast and to make things chaotic for their opponents. They've even started to play a little defense as well although two of those efforts came against Florida and South Carolina. New Mexico State's offense has been very good although against lesser competition. They've scored 70 or more in eight straight and nine of their last 10. They probably won't do that again, but this means they can keep up a bit with Auburn. These guys nearly beat Kansas on a neutral court back in December and struggled at home against St. Mary's. This is a bit of a concern, but things have gotten a lot better for them. Give me the over. 

Harvard has to get over losing in the title game to Yale last week as they travel to Georgetown to take on the Hoyas. This is a Crimson team that has gone over in seven of their last eight road contests. They've struggled defensively allowing 81 at Columbia, 86 at Yale, 88 at Brown and 81 at Dartmouth. These offenses aren't as good as Georgetown who regularly scores. Bryce Aiken is really good scoring 22.6 points per game and he's got help in Noah Kirkwood and Chris Lewis. The Hoyas have a lot to learn on the defensive side of the ball. Case in point, they allowed 84 at Marquette and 101 at DePaul in their final two regular season games. This is a team that regularly puts up 80 or more because of their pace and their varied stars. Jesse Govan patrols the middle with Akinjo being among the guards that help around the outside. I think these teams will enjoy playing with the new rules that I think will bring about a little more scoring. Give me the over in this one. 

Stony Brook hits the road to take on South Florida in one of the lesser tournaments. The Seawolves enter this one having won seven of their last ten and they already have road wins out of conference at GW, South Carolina, Norfolk State and Rhode Island. Akwasi Yeboah is the leading scorer at 16.6 points per contest with four other guys chipping in at least nine points per contest. South Florida has been leaking oil for quite awhile losing seven of their last eight with three of those coming at home against SMU, UCF and Temple. They are a very young team with a bright future, but I think they could be tiring. This won't be much of a homecourt advantage as they don't get great attendance. I think the road team is definitely worth a look. 

This is the type of game that should be an over in a meaningless postseason tourney. ETSU has gone over in 10 of 12 lined home games this season and 27 of their last 37 at home overall. They are 13-2 at home and are averaging nearly 86 points per game at home. This team has a lot of offensive weapons and plays decent defense from time to time as well. Green Bay is averaging 80.4 points per game total and allow almost 84 points per contest on the road. I think this one is played at a nice plays and if the new rules apply here, then I see plenty of points in this contest.

Texas has lost three straight and five of their last six. Their offense was dreadful down the stretch and their defense just wasn't good enough either. This team scored 57 vs. Kansas, 56 vs. TCU and 51 at Texas Tech. They will be without Jaxson Hayes who patrols the middle due to a knee injury. Hayes was a presence on both sides of the court. I'm not quite sure how motivated this team will be to play in the NIT. Shaka Smart is trying to get them hype, but it's easier said then done. South Dakota State is probably foaming at the mouth for this matchup after losing in the first round to Western Illinois. Mike Daum and David Jenkins are a potent duo. This team has lost by eight at Memphis, by 4 at Nevada and by 6 really early in the year at Florida Gulf Coast. This is a great opportunity for Daum to continue to add to his illustrious career. Take the dog in this one. 

Wright State is one of those teams that loves to play a lower scoring ugly defensive affair which is what I think they'll get on Tuesday in Clemson. Loudon Love is the center while Billy Wampler and Cole Gentry are the other scoring options. Let's be clear, this isn't a great offensive team, but they lost by four at Northern Kentucky, by seven at Kent State and by four at Mississippi State. They like to keep their games in the 60s and they are ecstatic for this opportunity. You can't say the same for Clemson who is having questions about the NET and why they weren't closer to making the NCAA Tournament. Clemson has only themselves to blame for not making the tourney. They lost by two at home late against UNC and lost by one at Louisville and Miami in back-to-back contests. The Tigers have a veteran team, but who knows how pumped they are for a game like this. I think this is a rather large number for a game that will be played in the 60s. Wright State isn't great, but I think they can make things interesting. 

Auburn has won seven in a row entering this one against Tennessee. One of those victories came at home against these Vols 84-80 to close out the regular season. The Tigers want to get up and down and they've shown some better defense, but that was against Florida and South Carolina who can't score. Now they get Tennessee and their many weapons fresh off their Super Bowl win over Kentucky. That game had so much hype that I wonder if Tennessee comes out flat here. I think the Tigers could take advantage of that on the offensive end which is why I like the over. Tennessee has allowed 78, 76, 84 over their last three games. Title games are usually played a little tighter so the overs are tricky here but I think we see plenty of points in this one. 

It's meeting number three between ODU and WKU on Saturday. The Monarchs have wins by 69-66 and 67-63 at home in the previous two meetings. The first one saw the Toppers blow a huge lead that was over 20 points at one point. The second game saw ODU shoot just 39.7% from the court, but they got 16 offensive rebounds. ODU has been living on a prayer the last two nights needing late baskets to move on. Western Kentucky has had it a little easier with their wins. The Toppers have more talent, but getting them to be consistent is a whole different story. Meanwhile, BJ Stith is struggling shooting the ball for ODU. I think that magic runs out for ODU. Western Kentucky takes down the title.

Iowa State has gone over in five of their last six entering this one against Kansas. These two had their meetings way back in almost a 2.5 week span in January with ISU winning 77-60 at home and losing 80-76 on the road. On a pure talent basis, few teams can match Iowa State's starting five and they want to get out and run when they can. Their offense has been clicking as of late. Kansas has gone over in five of seven and nine of their last 12 as their offense and defense have taken turns doing what they can to help. The offense put up 88 on West Virginia last time out and has scored 70 or more in seven of their last 12. The defense has also had it's issues from time to time. It's a championship game so if it's tight there will be plenty of fouling in the end. I think this over is worth a look. 

St. Louis is making a fantastic run through the A-10 tournament but it ends on Saturday. The Billikens lost at home to Davidson 54-53 under two months ago in a game where neither team shot well, and SLU crushed them on the boards. St. Louis' formula is to shoot poorly but get the rebound and crush you inside. Davidson's defense won't allow that it seems and if their offense gets going, then I don't think SLU has enough to keep up. St. Louis has been able to beat the smaller Richmond and the greener Dayton team. Davidson is the more veteran squad and has the guys inside to bang around. Give me the team who can shoot straight to win this one. 

I'll take the points with the home team in this one. Memphis lost 90-77 back on January 6th at Houston in a game that saw both teams go nuts offensively. Memphis had 17 turnovers while the Cougars had 18 offensive rebounds. The Tigers are a different team at home and Jeremiah Martin is a special scorer who is really hot right now. Houston's defense has clamped down a bit as of late holding UConn and Cincy to under 70 points. It'll be hard for Memphis to score, but it's also rare to get this money points with a home team in a conference tournament. 

I want to back the Rams once again as I keep saying that I think they are finally hitting their potential. Yes, the injury by Marcus Evans was a huge help, but URI got very little from Fatts Russell and Cyril Langevine. With those two picking up the production and Jeff Dowtin continuing to be awesome, I like their chances to advance again. Rhody beat the Bonnies 75-63 back in January in a game that saw them shoot over 50% from the court. The Bonnies are uber young and I just think they will get a little frustrated in this one. Put Rhode Island in the title game. 

These two teams split their two meetings during the regular season. Fullerton won at home 81-60, but lost on the road 82-67. In each game the two teams took turns figuring out the offensive side, but struggled on the defensive side. There's a ton of talent in this game and whomever wins should be able to give UC Irvine some fits. Fullerton has gone over in four of their last six games as their defense has been rather leaky. Fullerton wants to play faster while UCSB goes slower. They've scored 70 or more in four straight and seven of their last eight. They have won six of their last seven contests as well. I think this one is an over. 

Utah State and Fresno State have played two high scoring games this season. The scores were 82-81 and 78-77 with the road team winning each game. The Bulldogs are averaging over 80 points per contest over their last six games or so while the defense is playing pretty well as well. Utah State is pretty much the same although they are coming off a really struggling effort against New Mexico whom they were favored to beat. Sam Merrill vs. Fresno's various scorers are something to look forward to. I think this one is played with some pace and I think the over is in play here. 

UAB has won three straight since a brief two game losing streak. One of those three wins came against today's opponent ODU 64-50 at home back on March 9th. The Blazers have a pretty good offense and a potentially good defense. These two played in February in Birmingham with UAB blowing a 1st half lead on their way to a 70-59 loss to the Monarchs. ODU has lost two of their last three and needed a late three to beat Louisiana Tech. The Monarchs offense is pretty putrid outside of Stith and Caver. Going back even further, they haven't covered in five straight and seven of their last nine. They are another team that struggles at the free throw line. Give me the underdog here. 

It's a battle of the Rams on Friday in Brooklyn. First off, VCU is the hottest team in the conference and they've split with Rhody this season. URI has three of the top 10 players in the conference in Russell, Dowtin and Langevine and they are finally playing like it winning five straight contests. One of those wins was at Dayton. VCU beat URI at home 76-42 in a game where the Rams didn't even show up. I think that'll play in their minds as well as VCU potentially struggling in new surroundings. URI beat VCU 71-65 at home back in January because they pounded the glass and forced 19 turnovers. This is a lot of points. VCU could win the game, but man, it's going to be a battle. Last year this was the same situation but flipped with URI being the 1 and VCU being the 8-9 game winner. Rhody won that one 76-67. I like the underdog plus the points. 

Marshall has won six in a row entering this matchup with Southern Miss. The Thundering Herd were expected to be better before the season and they are finally playing like it. They are playing a little bit better defense but the likes of Jon Elmore is shooting a lot better. The offense has scored 80 points or more in five of their six wins during this streak. Now, the rough part is that they lost by 50 at Southern Miss back on January 26th. Southern Miss has won two straight after losing two in a row. I just don't have as much confidence in them as I do Marshall. The Thundering Herd also have a game under their belt at the tournament site which I think will help them early on. Give me the hot underdog. 

WKU has won seven of their last 10 as they take on North Texas in this game. Their last meeting was back on February 9th in Texas with WKU winning 62-59 in a game that saw a lot of defense and very little scoring. The Toppers have the talent edge in this one, but they are prone to being a little underwhelming and unfocused. North Texas has lost seven of their last eight and are coming off a 71-57 win over FIU. This team lost as a favorite against Marshall, FAU, FIU and FAU again. They just don't score enough despite playing pretty good defense. Give me the favorite in this one. 

UC Irvine has not lost in almost two months and they've picked up seven straight double digit victories as the Anteaters continue to roll. This is one of the deeper teams in the country and they play fantastic defense for the most part. They've beaten UC Riverside 68-47 and 82-64 in two meetings with them. Over that seven game double digit win streak, Irvine shot 45% from the court or better. Riverside has lost five of their last six with three of those losses being by double digits. They just don't have enough talent and don't play very good defense. I really think this is a big mismatch and Irvine will win rather easily. 

The Spiders played the worst game possible and picked up a win over Fordham. Sometimes that's enough to help a team in a conference tournament setting get comfortable the next night. They also had over 24 hours to prepare after the win. Richmond beat St. Louis on the road in a headscratcher earlier in the year. The Billikens have lost three of their last five with the wins coming at home against Duquesne and Mason. They are an ugly bunch when it comes to offense and they aren't great at free throws either. I think that's a factor in a new surrounding like Brooklyn. SLU is bigger and stronger and fresher, but I like the intangibles with Richmond having played a game already. I think the Spiders can keep things close. 

South Alabama takes on Louisiana on Thursday. The Jaguars have won three of their last four, but for the most part it's been at home and against teams they should beat. The Jags lost by four at Lafayette over two months ago 88-84. The Ragin Cajuns have won three of four and six of their last eight as the offense continues to roll. JaKeenan Gant and Marcus Stroman are a pretty solid duo to back with several others who can contribute as well. I just think Lafayette is the better team and they'll win this one. 

Memphis is home for the AAC tournament and they get Tulane in the first game. The last time these two played in Tennessee it was a 102-76 win for the home team. These two played a closer game in New Orleans with the Tigers winning 83-79. They were basically able to get whatever they wanted in both games and were able to do some work on the boards. Outside of their game against Tulsa last time out, Memphis has been awesome offensively at home scoring 81, 102, 78, 64 and 77 the past few games there. The 64 came against Cincy who doesn't want to run at all. Tulane has gone over in three straight and five of their last six overall. Their offense has improved a bit, but the defense is really bad. On the road they've allowed 80, 72, 102, 77, 66, 85 and 87. To me, this one gets played at a nice pace and it goes over the total. 

I am stunned that Virginia Tech is favored over Florida State considering how awful of a matchup this is for them. Last time out, they went out to a huge lead, but blew it eventually going to overtime and failing to cover. FSU's size is going to be an issue for Tech who can only match it with PJ Horne and Kerry Blackshear. Tech doesn't have the depth that FSU has. Their advantage comes in coaching with Buzz Williams over Leonard Hamilton. After having a relatively easy time with Miami, I don't see endurance being an issue. I just think this is a bad matchup for the Hokies. 

Texas A&M has lost three of their last four with the win coming over Vanderbilt at home back on March 2nd 64-57. Ugly game of sorts as both teams couldn't shoot, but the Aggies made stops when they had to. This team has won five of their last nine, but the talk is that Billy Kennedy is being let go so maybe there will be some motivation there to win for the coach. Vandy just completed a winless SEC and some of the results have been ugly. The Commodores have scored 65 or less in eight straight games and have not gotten to 70 since January 23rd when they put up 83 on Tennessee in a loss. This team's defense has been brutal and their offense even worse. I feel like this is a squad ready for the offseason. 

Syracuse has lost four of five and five of their last seven games. The Orange have struggled terribly on offense and have blown second half leads in a bunch of games as of late. They won 65-56 at Pittsburgh in a game that saw the Panthers shoot very poorly, but once again Syracuse's offense struggled. The Cuse beat Pitt 74-63 at home back on January 19th in another game that saw very little O from Pitt. The Orange have had a terrible time in the ACC tourney in their short history in the conference and there's nothing that tells me they are just going to discover offense and blow anyone out. I think this one is a tight game. 

Air Force and San Jose State are looking for some momentum after rough finishes to their season. The Falcons have lost two straight 80-52 to Boise State and 90-79 to Nevada. They beat the Spartans twice this year 82-68 at home and 73-71 on the road. Air Force's offense usually works against the lower teams in this conference. They put up 80 and 81 on Wyoming earlier this year. San Jose State plays no defense giving up 121, 81, 84, 82, 82 and 91 over their last six games. They've gone over in nine of their last 12 games with the 10th one being a push. The worry for this over is that the offense doesn't work and Air Force wins a lower scoring game. Give me the over in this one.

It's two teams having disappointing years as Arizona takes on USC. The Trojans have lost four straight with three of those coming on the road and three of those being as an underdog. They rely on Bennie Boatwright and some of the other talented frontcourt guys. It's worth watching what Kevin Porter Jr's status is as he played against Colorado, but didn't practice on Monday. I still think this is one of those teams that can get it together and make a run. Arizona has lost two in a row and is coming off a horrible 2nd half effort against rival Arizona State at home. This came after they were embarrassed in a 26 point loss at Oregon. I just think this is a team ready for the offseason and Sean Miller knows that he's very short on time in Tucson. I think the Trojans gets the win. 

It's a third meeting between Miami and Virginia Tech on Wednesday afternoon. These two just played five days ago with the Hokies winning at home 84-70 in a game that saw Tech hit 14 of their 26 three pointers and hold the Canes to just six of those. They also won 82-70 down in Coral Gables in a contest that saw them shoot nearly 60% from the court. Miami's not a deep team and they don't play a ton of defense either. They've gone over in three straight and seven of their last nine as the offense has shown flashes, but the defense has been brutal. Ideally they want to play a slower tempo, but their two matchups with VT have produced some quicker games. Tech has gone over in three straight and seven of their last nine as well. Their defense has been a little leaky as of late, but their offense has potential to go off as well. I have a little worry about them struggling early in the new surroundings, but I don't think it'll last long. Give me the over in this one. 

BC has lost five of their last six entering this one against Pittsburgh. These two played just once in the regular season with the Eagles winning 66-57 at home. They held the Panthers to just 29% shooting in that one. It's a bummer that Wynston Tabbs won't be able to play in this one, but it looks like Nik Popovic will be available. BC is nothing special, but when you've got a guy like Ky Bowman on the court, then you are able to win this coin toss games. Pittsburgh had a long losing streak end last time out as they beat Notre Dame at home 56-53. The offense was dreadful but Notre Dame's was worse. Pittsburgh has been through a long season and while they've been competitive at times, they've also struggled mightily. I just think Bowman is a difference maker so they win and move on. 

I'll take a chance with the host school Charleston as they are a slight underdog to Northeastern. The home team won each of their matchups during the regular season with the Huskies winning 69-60 and Charleston winning 88-79. The common thread in both games is that Northeastern shot the ball well, but had a bit of a turnover issue. Charleston's duo of Grant Riller and Jarrell Brantley are one of the best in the conference. These two teams played last year in the CAA tourney with Charleston winning 83-76. Northeastern enters this one having won five straight contests. Their defense has been the calling card with the offense doing work as well. The biggest issue with the host school is their defense, but they've clamped down on their last two opponents. Granted, neither are as good as the Huskies, but I'll take the points with arguably the better team. 

EMU goes for the threepeat against Ball State on Monday night. The Cardinals have lost two in a row and five of their last six. The once potent offense just hasn't been there as they've scored less then 70 in six of their last seven. I'm not quite sure what is wrong with Ball State, but they have had problems on the road. They have road wins at CMU, WMU and NIU this season but outside of that, they've been pretty poor away from home. EMU has won six of their last nine and has covered six games as well. The Eagles are coming off a six point road loss at Toledo, but they've been good at home. The team beat Ball State 68-61 just about six days ago in a game that saw them clamp down on the BSU offense. EMU's defense has been fantastic and the offense is playing like we thought it would. I had them six days ago and I'll take them once again. 

Drexel and Charleston play in the CAA tournament and have split their two meetings this season with each team winning on the road. The Dragons beat the Cougars 79-78 back in January but lost at home 86-84. In both games Charleston started fast scoring 49 and 46 in the first half. With Grant Riller and Jarrell Brantley, they have arguably two of the best players in the conference. They have gone over in six of their last seven as the offense went through a stretch where they were regularly putting up over 80 points. The team's defense also struggled during that time which could be an issue against an intriguing Drexel team. The Dragons have lost five of their last six and it's because the defense has been awful and the offense has gotten a little stale. They've scored less then 70 in six of their last nine. I think this one is an over though especially since it'll be a home game for Charleston. 

SMU has lost four straight and nine of their last 10. The team's last win came at home against UConn, but they've had some issues on the road. They are coming off an 11 point loss at Houston and continued their theme of no defense away from home. They allowed 90 at Houston, 95 at UCF and 82 at Temple. Since a five game win streak, USF has lost five of their last six although two of those were by two points or less. They are coming off a 75-70 win at Tulane. USF plays decent defense and gets to the line often. They are looking to recapture what they had a little bit earlier in the year. The Bulls have a win at SMU already this season 67-66 back on February 7th. I think they can win this one once again on Sunday afternoon in sunny Florida. 

Two of the better teams in the SoCon play as Wofford takes on ETSU. These two played two games during the regular season with Wofford winning 78-76 on the road and 79-62 at home. Both offenses are very capable of making things happen in this one. The Terriers averaged 84.1 points per game in conference shooting over 50% from the court. They play good defense, but it's not infallible. ETSU averaged 79 points per game in conference while their opponents scored over 70. Wofford easily dispatched VMI in their first game of the tourney. ETSU has gone over in 13 of their 19 conference games. I think this one is tight and higher scoring. The pace will be conducive to plenty of points being scored.