UCLA is glad to be home where they've played just three times this calendar year. The Bruins are scoring more points there putting up 90 against Arizona, 73 against ASU and 98 against California. UCLA's defense showed up a bit on this road trip through Washington, but I still don't think it's all the way back. The top of the roster is very good with Kris Wilkes and Jaylen Hands as well as Moses Brown who is improving as the year goes along. They should be able to get whatever they want from Colorado who is very leaky defensively allowing 75 at Stanford and 78 at Utah. Offensively, this team has some potential as well despite all the injuries that have reduced the effectiveness of the lineup. Both are pretty good paced teams. I think we could see an over here. 

Kennesaw State is one of the worst teams in the country especially on the road. In conference they've allowed 92, 76, 86 and 72 on the road. These two teams played each other earlier in the year with Jacksonville winning on the road 90-70. Tyler Hooker leads the way for the Owls and he's one of their only weapons. The Dolphins are 10-14 and have lost five of their last seven since beating Kennesaw State. Their problem has been defense as well although the offense is putting up some good numbers. It's a bit of a concern that they are playing a little bit better defense at home, but I think they can do a lot of the offensive heavy lifting. Give me the over in this one. 

Miami has lost five straight and eight of their last nine entering this one. The Canes can't really stop anyone and when they do, they can't score. This team has allowed 70 or more in four of their last five with the fifth game having them score just 46 points. They don't have a ton of depth to go along with their double digit scorers. It's not like Notre Dame is great, but they are coming off a 79-73 win in Chestnut Hill against BC. They lost by two at Georgia Tech and by six at UNC in conference play. This team is also not deep, but they play a little bit better defense then their opponents. John Mooney is a double double machine and is someone that is tough to handle as he can hit the long range shot as well. TJ Gibbs and DJ Harvey are a very good backcourt. I think this one could be taken outright by the road team.

George Mason saw a five game win streak snapped last time out losing 79-63 at VCU in which they allowed over 70 points for the first time in conference play. The Patriots have smothering defense and some good offense that makes you work. GMU is not as deep as I'd like but they already have road wins at Dayton, UMass, Rhode Island and St. Joe's in conference play. Richmond has lost five of six and seven of their last nine entering this one. The offense has scored 58, 57 and 68 in their last three home games. They also have not won at home since beating Coppin State there just over two months ago. George Mason has dominated this series as of late with their long range shooting and size inside. I think they can win this one too.

I'll take a shot with the Pirates at home where they play some better basketball. ECU is 8-4 at home in lined games and that's what they are against the spread as well. Jayden Gardner, Seth LeDay and Shawn Williams are the team's leading scorers. Wichita is 0-6 on the road and has covered just one of those games. The Shockers lost by 20 at UConn, by 13 at USF, by 9 at Houston and by 11 at Memphis in conference play. This is a young team that is coming off two home wins. I'm taking a chance with the Pirates here because they aren't the best team, but I just think they can keep this close on Wednesday. 

This one has the makings of an over. Both teams average around 70 possessions per game. The Lions are 8-16 and have allowed 102, 76, 72, 88 and 96 on the road so far in conference play. They just don't have a very good defense although they did beat the Eagles 61-56 at home back on January 8th. If you notice, there are some lower scores for NAU at home then they are on the road. Jamari Blackmon and Kendarius Smith lead the way with two others averaging at least nine points per game. FGCU has scored 73, 88, 87 and 63 at home in conference play. Their defense has been an issue and I can go back to December 19th when they allowed 85 points to lower level Keiser in a game they nearly lost. There are some studs on offense so I think this one can go over the total.

Utah State is shooting nearly 48% from the court and is putting up almost 80 points per contest. These two played a 78-77 game in Utah State back on January 9th in which both teams shot the ball pretty well. The Aggies have gone over in five of their last eight. They've put up some good numbers on the road in conference, but they've also faced garbage outside of Nevada who scored 72. The offense has put up 70 or more in two straight and seven of their last nine. Sam Merrill is a really good player. Fresno has won four of five and seven of their last nine. This team has a really good offense and a decent, but inconsistent defense. This one is going to be really tight and I think that benefits us on the over. I like the weapons Fresno has and think they can also win this one.

St. Louis has lost four in a row since winning six straight. Now Dayton comes to town looking to hand them their fifth straight loss. The Billikens offense has dried up a bit and their trademark defense has let them down too. They gave up 84 to Richmond at home and 77 at Duquesne and neither have the offense Dayton does. Outside of Javon Bess, this team doesn't have a ton of shooters from long range. Dayton has won three straight and 10 of their last 12. They have road wins at Fordham, St. Bonaventure and GW with a close loss at VCU. The squad has size, athleticism and shooters in it's lineup. I think they are arguably the best team in the conference so give me the road team in this one. 

Marquette has won eight straight since losing to St. John's 89-69 in New York. This team is absolutely pounding teams at home in conference with a 10 point win over DePaul, 11 point win over Providence and 18 point win over Xavier. They are shooting 40% or better from long range in four straight and five of their last seven. Markus Howard struggled against the Red Storm so you know he'll be ready for this one. Normally i'd be worried about Villanova being next but focus will be strong here. St. Johns has lost five of their last seven and some of them by brutal spreads. They were blasted at Duke by 30 and lost by 11 at home against Georgetown. The defense has been very leaky and this is their fourth road game over their last five. I wonder if they won't be a little road weary. I think we get a really motivated effort from the home team.

Bowling Green is smoking hot and feeling good after a win over Buffalo at home 92-88 a couple of days ago. The Falcons have gone over in seven of their last nine as the offense is putting up 75 points or more regularly. They beat this team at home 79-48 back on January 19th holding them to just 28.1% shooting from the field. WMU has not won yet in 2019 with a lot of those games being blowout losses. The one common thread is that outside of the 56 point effort by Akron, they've allowed 75 or more. Western Michigan's offense isn't that great, but they've played pretty well at home. The team has gone over in five of their last seven. I think that this one goes over as Bowling Green may not be 100% focused with a home game against Toledo next. 

The final game of the NFL season will feature the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams facing off in Super Bowl LIII. These two teams last faced each other back in 2016, a game the Patriots won 26-10. Tom Brady became the NFL's career leader in victories with that win, No. 201, outdueling then-rookie Jared Goff, who completed less than half of his passes (14 of 32) for a measly 161 yards with a touchdown but also two interceptions.

These teams are no stranger to the Super Bowl stage either, as they met in 2002 in the Superdome for Super Bowl XXXVI. New England won 20-17 as Bill Belichick and Brady got their first Lombardi Trophy and the Patriots' dynasty was officially launched. Brady's numbers weren't spectacular against the then-St. Louis Rams but outplayed Kurt Warner as the New England's defense held the "Greatest Show on Turf" and Adam Vinatieri kicked the game-winning, 48-yard field goal as time expired.

Fast-forward to today, and the Patriots continue to make it to Super Bowls with Brady leading the way. This marks New England's third straight Super Sunday appearance and fourth in the past five years. This version of the Patriots enters the game riding a four-game winning streak after losing back-to-back games to the Dolphins and Steelers. Brady and company have been rolling recently, putting up 116 points in the last three games with rookie running back Sony Michel doing his part. The defense has played well in its own right, but gave up a combined 59 points to the Chargers and the Chiefs on the way to the Super Bowl.

The offense goes as Brady goes, but I could argue that Michel, along fellow backs Rex Burkhead and James White are more important. Heck, throw James Develin in as well, as he's usually money around the goal line. Each RB plays his role very well and is ready when called upon. White was busy as a pass catcher in the Divisional Round win over the Chargers while Burkhead scored both the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter and the game-winner in overtime against the Chiefs in the AFC Championship. And of course there's Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski as Brady's other primary targets in the passing game.

I do have questions about New England's defense, but we all know that Bill Belichick has had plenty of time to get his guys ready. I really like the secondary, which is led by Stephon Gilmore, one of the best cornerbacks in football. The front seven isn't exactly littered with a ton of household names, but defensive coordinator Brian Flores finds a way to get the job done. The Patriots have given up a total of 60 rushing yards this postseason.

On the other side, you have the Rams who also have won four in a row after losing in Weeks 14 and 15. The defense has risen to the occasion, holding the Cowboys and Rams to 98 rushing yards combined. Los Angeles' defense has plenty of star power including the likes of Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh up front. If there's a weakness on this side of the ball it's with the linebacking corps, which could impact how defensive coordinator Wade Phillips chooses to defend against Gronkowski and New England's pass-catching running backs. The Rams' secondary has plenty of talent, but offseason acquisitions Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters have had inconsistent seasons. Phillips has plenty of experience, however, so expect him to have his unit ready to play.

Regardless of how well the defense fares, Los Angeles' offense will need to hold up its end of the bargain. That starts with how effective Todd Gurley and C.J. Anderson are running the ball, which will help the Rams control time of possession. Gurley hasn't looked like himself since early December, which makes Anderson's late-season resurgence even more significant. Jared Goff has had a nice season, but the jury is still out on him as far as getting the job done when the pressure is on and if he's more a product of head coach Sean McVay's play-calling than anything. Goff does have weapons to throw to, starting with Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods, but this could be the game where the offense really misses Cooper Kupp in the slot. Josh Reynolds has been a capable replacement and the tight ends also have stepped up on occasion.

As I've said all along during this postseason, I'm not picking against the Patriots. Yes, they lost to the Eagles last year in the Super Bowl, but it took an unreal performance by Nick Foles. I don't see that kind of effort coming from Goff. New England has covered 39 of its last 56 games including 19 of the last 26 against teams with a winning record. To me, this one shows that the wisdom of Belichick is greater than the potential of McVay. The Rams will be back, but the Patriots win this one.

Colorado's offense is nothing great, but at home they play with some pace to take advantage of the altitude. The Buffs score nearly 83 points per game while allowing 71. Over their last five, the defense has not been very good and they may struggle with Oregon who is starting to figure things out despite all their injuries. The good thing for the Ducks is that their defense is improving which is why they came back and won at Utah. Colorado may struggle with the press as well leading to quick baskets. Colorado has had just two games with totals in the 130s this season and they split them. I think this one goes over the total. 

Troy has allowed 75 points or more in five straight and seven of their last eight. The Trojans offense is very good though with the likes of Varnado leading things. They have scored 75 or more in four of five and seven of their last nine. South Alabama has gone over in three straight and four of their last five. They've got a pretty solid backcourt and have scored 70 or more in three straight and nine of their last 12. The problem has been on the defensive end where they've allowed 70 or more in three straight and seven of their last nine. I see plenty of points in this one. 

Temple has lost two straight and three of their last four. They've gone over in eight of their last nine as the defense has sprung some leaks and the offense has been inconsistent. They really need Shizz Alston to pick things up because he's struggling big time. Tulane's last win came back on December 17th when they beat Texas Southern 77-70. Tulane's defense has allowed 75 to UCF, 83 to Memphis and 74 to SMU at home during conference play. Yes, I'm worried their offense can't do much, but I just don't think Temple's going to play strong all game long. Last year these two played three games with scores of 82-77, 83-76 and 85-75. I don't think we get that high but give me the over.

Lipscomb is smoking hot and feeling great after a 79-59 win at Liberty last time out. They are home now where they've scored 89, 86, 95 and 81 in conference play. There's so many weapons on this team and there's so much to worry about. Their defense has been pretty good for the most part, but once again I think they can do a lot of the heavy lifting here. North Alabama is nothing special, but they've allowed 76, 72, 88 and 96 in conference play on the road. I think this one should see plenty of points as there may be a little bit of a letdown from Lipscomb after their big win at Liberty. 

Utah State is smoking hot right now having won six straight and seven of their last eight. The Aggies have scored 103, 87, 77 and 79 in their last four home contests and have an offense that is clicking on all cylinders. It's a bit of a worry that their defense is playing well too although they did allow 73 to San Jose State and 78 to Fresno at home. UNLV has lost two straight and three of their last five. The problem has been a defense that allowed 94 at San Diego State and 106 at Air Force. This team's offense is doing it's part going under 70 points just once in 2019. Both teams play around 70 possessions per game, but I could see a lot more with this kind of pace. I think this one should see plenty of points.

We hit this over back on January 5th rather easily as it was around 138 and the game finished 96-70. ETSU is 18-5 and is averaging 80.3 points per game while shooting nearly 50% from the field. They are averaging around 80 in conference play. They've gone over in four of five and six of their last eight games because of the offense and an occasionally leaky defense. Chattanooga is the picture of leaky defenses giving up 105 last time out to lowly Western Carolina and 80 at Wofford. They've allowed 70 or more in all but one game this calendar year. The offense has shown flashes of brilliance too. I think this one is played at a brisk pace and the over is worth a look. 

UVA is one of the best teams in the country covering the spread. The Wahoos are 16-4 against the spread this season including 8-2 at home and 15-4 as a favorite. They are allowing 49.3 points per game at home. The Cavs have 11 wins of 20 points or more and have absolutely stomped on lesser teams at home. There's no real lookahead with a week off before the Duke game. Miami is a bad basketball team. They lost by 20 at Syracuse, 17 at Louisville and by 14 at Penn. They don't play a ton of kids and they don't really play any defense. Three of their last four opponents have shot 55% or better from the field. Usually I don't like these big spreads, but I feel comfortable with UVA. 

The Wolfpack host their second straight Virginia opponent as Virginia Tech comes to town. The big question is whether or not Justin Robinson will play and it looks like he won't as the team has a Monday game against Louisville. Robinson is the heartbeat of the team and obviously the point guard that stirs the drink. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is the talent and Ahmed Hill is the shooter, but this bench is really thin now. Wabissa Bede is not terrible, but he's a non-factor on offense with just 3.5 points per game. They don't have PJ Horne and really will be playing a rotation of six guys with one of the six being freshman Isaiah Wilkins. The Wolfpack could have a bit of a hangover after the close loss to UVA, but they are the deeper team with more size and a hostile environment. To me, even if Robinson plays, he's not going to be 100%. I just think NC State wins this one rather easily against a limping Hokies team that may be willing to take one here if it means better health on Monday vs. Louisville. 

South Florida has covered 11 of their last 13 as they host Memphis on Saturday. The team has split their last six straight up with home wins over Wichita State and Tulane. Their losses came to Houston, Cincy and Temple who are three of the better teams in the conference. Still, this squad plays really good defense and gets to the FT line. I like their back court of Collins and Rideau with Yetna patrolling the middle. Memphis is not a great road team losing at Tulsa, Temple, LSU and Houston already. The Tigers have all the talent in the world, but they don't play much defense and struggle against zones. Memphis only road win is by four at woeful Tulane. I just don't like the spot here for the road team and don't have much faith in Penny as their coach. 

IUPUI's defense is mighty leaky and Northern Kentucky's offense is actually better it seems on the road. The Norse have gone over in five of their last seven road games because they are scoring more and their defense is actually not as good. My concern is that IUPUI won't score enough, but I think they play better at home. Give me the over. 

Colorado is playing just their third home game since December 22nd as they host Oregon State. The Buffaloes have lost seven of their last 10 as the defense has failed them. Colorado is led by McKinley Wright, Tyler Bey and Lucas Siewart. Oregon State has lost three of their last four including two straight on the road. They can be really efficient on offense with Tres Tinkle, Stephen Thompson Jr and Ethan Thompson. OSU has gone over in three straight and five of their last seven. They've gone over the total in 18 of their last 28  on the road winning just three of those outright. I think this one goes over the total. 

Texas San Antonio is led by the potent duo of Jhivvan Jackson and Keaton Wallace who put up over 40 points per game. The Roadrunners have won two straight and nine of their last 10. UTSA has won at UTEP, Texas A&M Corpus Christi and Houston Baptist. They are 11-3-1 against the spread in their last 15 lined games. Western Kentucky is coming off a 12 point loss at Louisiana Tech. The Hilltoppers are the more talented team, but they've struggled to put teams away at times at home. Western Kentucky's last few home games were nine and six point wins to go along with a one point loss to FIU. I think the road team is worth a look in this one. 

UNC Greensboro has won five straight and 12 of their last 13. The Spartans have seven guys who average seven points per game or more and are led by Francis Alonso and Isaiah Miller. VMI has had some issues on the road losing by 20 at Mercer, 28 at Samford, 33 at Presbyterian, 18 at Chattanooga and 21 at Virginia Tech. The team doesn't score enough and doesn't really stop anyone either. Last year VMI lost 73-51 at Greensboro. These two teams played a close game in Lexington earlier this month with the Spartans winning 71-68. I think this one gets rather ugly. 

Charleston is one of the best teams in the conference and are playing with revenge as they lost by 11 at JMU earlier in a game where they shot less then 40% from the field. The Cougars have won three straight conference games at home by double digits. They are shooting 50% from the field or better in four of their last six. Grant Riller and Jarrell Brantley are a potent duo. James Madison has lost four straight and nine of their last 11. The Dukes have four single digit losses on the road in the CAA. The problem is that their offense isn't very strong and their defense is very inconsistent. JMU is 2-8 against the spread on the road this season. I think this one gets ugly on Thursday. 

Mercer has gone over in seven straight and 11 of their last 12. One of those overs came at Wofford where they lost 78-74. At home they've scored 75 or more in three of four and really all but two contests there. The defense has had some issues giving up 70 or more in all but two games since December 8th. Wofford has gone over in three of four and eight of their last 11 overall. The offense is pretty explosive even on the road where they scored 90 at VMI, 87 at Mississippi State and 81 at South Carolina. Their shooters will be a problem for the home team. I think this total is woefully too low. 

The Golden Hurricane have lost three straight and five of their last six but I think we are getting them at a good price here. Tulsa has traditionally played well at home and already has victories there over Kansas State, Oklahoma State and UConn. They lost a tough one to Cincy in overtime and Houston beat them by 12. I like Tulsa's balance and their defense when they get down to it. Memphis is a different team on the road losing at Temple, Houston and LSU. I don't trust them defensively and think they could struggle at the Golden Hurricane. Last year, Tulsa won this game at home 64-51 as a 2.5 point favorite. Two years ago they beat the Tigers 81-71 at home as a 4.5 point underdog. I think they will get the win outright in this one. 

Drake is playing good basketball right now and has gotten over the temporary issues they had when Nick Norton went down. They've won four straight scoring 70 or more in all but two games this calendar year. The Bulldogs have a ton of weapons and like to push the pace at home. Drake's defense has been very good as of late, but I think Illinois State will stress them there. ISU has won five of their last seven, but their defense can desert them. They allowed 85 to woeful Bradley at their place and 70 at Evansville as well. Illinois State has gone over in four of their last six contests. I think this one will be played with some pace and will go over the total. 

Chestnut Hill has been a house of horrors for many teams in the ACC as of late. Last year, the Eagles blasted the Orange at home and have some of the pieces to do so once again. Ky Bowman is playing some incredible basketball right now and there are some decent shooters around him to stress the zone. On the other side, you've got the Orange whose offense looked pathetic in Blacksburg and the defense let Justin Robinson beat them. Being completely honest, I'm a Syracuse fan and I'm down on them on their consistency. This team has a solid road win at Duke and Ohio State but I think they could struggle in this one. 

Bradley is just not a good road team this season. The team's two road wins were at SIU and UALR and the Little Rock game still annoys me because the Trojans should have won the game easily. Even in the wins, the Braves have struggled away from home. They are coming off a 55-37 loss at Missouri State and the Bears aren't even that good defensively. This team has scored 50 at Valpo and 60 at Indiana State in conference. Evansville has lost three straight and four of their last five. The Purple Aces are no great shakes, but they do have some balance and play better at home despite losing two straight there. The team beat Loyola by 19 at home and Drake as well. They play decent defense, but Bradley's offense doesn't really scare anyone. With this line dropping, I'm going to get some good value with Evansville.

Virginia Tech has split their last four games as they look for their second road win of the season. The Hokies have lost 103-82 at North Carolina, 81-59 at Virginia and 63-62 at Penn State. Their offense is smoking hot especially from long range which is where Miami has been hurt their last few games. As you can see, Virginia Tech's defense has not traveled and they've gone over in five of their last seven. Miami has lost three straight and six of their last seven. At home in conference play, they've allowed 78 to FSU, 85 to UNC, 65 to Wake and 87 to NC State. The Canes do have some weapons, but they are not deep at all. The concern here for the total is Miami not scoring enough, but I think Tech could contribute plenty here. Give me the over.

Colorado State has gone over in 12 of their 17 lined games this year as they have a solid offense and a very leaky defense. The team has gone over in 31 of their last 47 conference contests. The team has won three of their last five and has scored 74, 91 and 87 points their last three contests at home. I've never had a problem with their offense, but it's the defense that has been a problem. Boise State saw their three game win streak snapped against Wyoming last time out beating them 77-52. Boise State's not a deep team, but they've got some scorers and have also presented a leaky defense at times on the road. They allowed 74 points at Air Force in their last road game. I think this one is played with a little bit of pace and it will go over the total. 

This is somewhat of a situational play with Kentucky's recent stretch of games. The Wildcats have won six straight and are coming off a stretch with Auburn, Miss State, Kansas as their last three with a road trip at Florida coming up next. Kentucky has the clear talent advantage, but they have to have that letdown at some point with all of these tough opponents coming up. Vandy has lost seven straight, but some of them have been close. They lost by 5 to Tennessee at home and by three to South Carolina at home. The Commodores have a tough homecourt advantage and some decent talent and size to keep up. Vandy played UK tough at their place losing 56-47 in a game that saw them with a 2 point halftime lead. Vandy didn't even shoot that well and they were dreadfully outrebounded in that one though. Kentucky has played a couple of single digit games at Vandy the last few seasons. I think this one could be close too.

The Flyers have alternated wins and losses the last few contests. They are coming off a 23 point win at Fordham and are looking to bounce back after a loss to George Mason at home. Dayton has balance which St. Joe's does not. This team has five double digit scorers and a sixth player who puts up 8.9 points per contest. I'm not a huge fan of the fact that they have covered just three home games this season, but St. Joe's is in a bad spot. The Hawks are down to 7 bodies with all of the injuries and there is a rumor that there could be a bit of a change in the starting lineup that won't help. They have lost six of their last eight with the wins coming at home against Richmond and Davidson. The Hawks have road losses of 8, 11, 1 and 26 over this recent skid. They just don't have a ton of talent outside of Charlie Brown and Taylor Funk. I think Dayton wins this one rather easily. 

The RedHawks have gone 3-0 since losing at Toledo just a few weeks ago. All three of those wins have come as an underdog with two of those coming at home against Akron and Bowling Green. This team is committing itself to defense and it's making a difference. Offensively, there's a lot to like with Nike Sibande, Dalonte Brown and Bam Bowman. In the Toledo loss, they struggled to score, but still held the Rockets offense down a little bit. Toledo is 4-3 in their last seven contests with road losses at Kent State and Buffalo. Their defense is not as good away from home as they've allowed 74 or more in each of those contests. These two have split their last 12 meetings in Oxford. I think the RedHawks are worth a look in this one. 

This one should see plenty of points on Sunday. Florida Gulf Coast lost at North Florida 87-66 just a few weeks ago. This team has lost six of their last eight and it's because of a really leaky defense. They've been able to score some points as well. The Eagles beat Stetson 87-65 at home back on Monday and have either scored or allowed 80 points at home in all but one contest. The Ospreys have a very potent offense themselves. They've scored 80 points or more in five of their last eight contests. They've also struggled on defense on the road. I think this one should be played with a good pace and since the spread is tight, we may see some free throws at the end to help us. 

North Dakota State has yet to win a road game this year and has covered just one of their eight contests away from home. They've lost four of their last seven and are coming off an 18 point loss at rival South Dakota State. They've lost seven times by double digits away from home. Oral Roberts is nothing great themselves, but they've won three straight home games in conference. Emmanuel Nzekwesi is a beast inside and he's got some help from several other scoring options. ORU is 14-9 against the spread at home the last three seasons. Last year they won this game 67-66 at home against a better Bison team. They've won eight of their last 10 at home in this series. Give me the underdogs.

Wofford is coming off a highly emotional win at home against Samford entering this one. The Terriers got the win at the buzzer. Their offense has been pretty spectacular at home this season scoring 90 or more seven times. I think the defense could be a bit lax against a Chattanooga team that's not very good. We've had mixed success betting overs with this team. They've gone over in three of five, four of seven and seven of their last 11 games. The team has some balance and poor defense which are two keys to hitting an over. Still, I think the Terriers struggle at least early to get up for this one so give me the over.

I don't usually like to dabble with numbers this high, but there's a clear reason why it's in the 150s. The Chippewas are outscoring opponents 85.3 - 76.1 on the season and have the offense to keep up with almost anyone. The problem is that their defense is rather porous. CMU has allowed 77 at Miami-Ohio, 94 at Youngstown State and 89 at TCU. They've also scored 70 or more in every game except for three this season. On the other side you have a Rockets team that loves to get up and down the court especially at home. Now they do play better defense there, but still, they want this game in the 80s. Last year these two played an 89-76 contest as well as a 93-82 one. The only reason there was an under in their last four meetings was because the total was set for 176. I think this one is an over on Saturday.

I'm going to take a shot with Milwaukee on Saturday and hope they can continue to be covering machines. This team has covered in three straight and has failed to cover just once this calendar year on the road. They've got some offensive potential with several scorers and they play some decent defense holding four of their last five opponents to less then 70 points. Drew McDonald is dealing with an ankle injury for the home team tonight and that could be a big loss. The Norse have won five straight with three of those being by double digits. There's no doubt that they are the better team, but I think this one could be a bit lower scoring and the Panthers hang tough. Give me the road underdog.

St. Bonaventure has been a tough team for me to figure out this season. I'll admit that I've backed them before and they've failed to cover but the talent is there. Courtney Stockard and Kyle Lofton are two solid guards with LaDarien Griffin inside as well. The problem I have is that their talent level doesn't match their tempo which is towards the bottom. They play pretty good defense and have the talent edge in this one. Richmond is coming off a devastating loss in Philly where they blew a 15 point lead and one has to question what their mental makeup is right now. Grant Golden and Jacob Gilyard are really solid and Nathan Cayo is good when he can be aggressive. Still, Richmond is no guarantee at home where they've lost to Oral Roberts, Longwood and Hampton. Last year the Spiders lost twice to a better Bonnies team. I'll take the road team and hope they win outright against a deflated Richmond squad.

Colorado State has gone over in 12 of their 16 lined games including eight of 11 as underdogs and six of seven at home. They have a very potent offense, but don't play very much defense at all. These two played a 78-67 game at Fresno earlier this month and that was with CSU shooting just 15% from long range. Colorado State has allowed 75 points or more in three straight and six of their last seven. The defense is leaky enough to help this over. Fresno State has gone under in seven of their last eight after a stretch of six overs in seven contests. This squad can score themselves, but they also struggle a little bit defensively away from home giving up 77 at Utah State and TCU as well. I think this one has over written all over it.

ODU wraps up a long trip that has taken them through Charlotte and UTEP so far. Now they've got an afternoon affair in Texas against a UTSA team that has never lost to the Monarchs at home. They are also 7-3 at home and rely on two good scorers. They blasted Charlotte 88-43 last time out and have won six straight at home. ODU meanwhile is coming off a skinny two point win at UTEP and rely on Stith and Caver for a lot of their offense. I think we see a bit of road weariness and if UTSA can get off to a fast start, then I think they can win this one.

I took a break from WM overs and they hit in three of their last four. This team's defense is absolutely dreadful and is coming off a 93-88 loss at UNC Wilmington in which the Seahawks shot 50.8% from the field. This team has allowed 90 or more four times already this season. The good thing is that their offense is capable of carrying some load too with Justin Pierce, Nathan Knight and Chase Audige. Charleston is coming off a 72-53 win over Elon. They play very good defense, but have struggled at times at home with teams that have solid offense. Drexel scored 79 there in a 79-78 Cougars loss. They also allowed 86 at Hofstra. Last year these two played 83-73, 114-104 and 82-77 contests. They've gone over in five straight matchups. You don't often see Tribe totals this low so I'll take a shot that it goes over here.

Ball State has gone over in 12 of their 18 lined games this season behind an offense that shoots nearly 50% from the field while scoring over 80 points per contest. Ohio is nowhere near as consistent as they hover around 70 per contest. I had the over in their first meeting back on January 12th and it lost because the Bobcats held the Cardinals to just 52 points on 35.4% shooting from the field. Ohio managed to score 70 points which was rare for them on the road. Ohio is 8-2 at home where they score nearly 80. I don't think they'll be able to hold down Ball State again. BSU has had just six games with totals in the 130s and they've gone over in five of those games. Heck, Ohio has gone over in six of their last seven when the total is around this much as well. Give me the over.

Detroit's hot and cold defensive effort has disappeared once again. The Titans have allowed 84 points per game and opponents to shoot over 50% in their last five contests. They've also put up 80 themselves behind Antoine Davis. Yes, they've had some issues on the road, but I think they can find some success at IUPUI. The Jaguars average almost 85 points per game at home and have a lot more weapons to deal with. Their defense isn't the best either allowing over 70 points per contest. These two teams should be able to score some points and go over the total. I think it could be a fun game as well. 

This is one of the sneaky games in the Big 12/SEC challenge as Ole Miss hosts Iowa State. Ole Miss is 14-4 and averaging nearly 80 points per game. They've either scored or allowed 80 points per game during every home contest except for one. The Rebels go as Breein Tyree and Terence Davis go. Iowa State is 14-5 and much like their opponent, they average nearly 80 points per game. The Cyclones have a really potent offense and an inconsistent defense. They have four double digit scorers and Nick Babb who averages nearly 10 points per contest. I think these two will play a tighter game and will both find it easy to score at times. Give me the over. 

Duke is back home as they host Georgia Tech on Saturday. It looks like Tre Jones will play and that will be huge for the Blue Devils offense. Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett should be able to get whatever they want. This team has a boatload of big wins at home against lesser talented teams. At one point this season, they covered six of eight home contests. Georgia Tech doesn't score and struggles against tougher teams defensively. They have road wins at Syracuse and Arkansas but neither of them are on Duke's level consistently. Duke has covered 26 of their last 36 in this series including 12 of their last 16 at home. I think this one gets really ugly on Saturday.

UC Santa Barbara once is again is essentially a pick'em favorite on the road against a lesser opponent. The Gauchos are my favorite team in this conference because of the scoring balance with five different players who average eight points per game or more including Max Heidegger who is working his way back from injuries. They were a 2 point fave at UC Davis and won by 11. That goes along with road wins at Rice and Wyoming and a close loss at Washington. Fullerton is 6-12, but they've lost seven of their last 10 games. They've only got home wins against UC Riverside, Portland, Cal Lutheran and West Coast Baptist. Kyle Allman Jr and Khalil Ahmad are a very good duo in the backcourt, but they don't have a ton of weapons beyond those two. Fullerton has covered just one of their eight contests against teams with a winning record in 2018-19. I'll take the Gauchos in this one.

North Dakota State has been a trainwreck on the road this season. They've lost by 15 at Denver, 13 at Omaha, 7 at Montana, 22 at Iowa State, 42 at Gonzaga, 18 at ETSU and 17 at New Mexico State. This team doesn't have a ton of talent although they do have four double digit scorers led by Deng Geu. They certainly have no one to compare with Mike Daum and David Jenkins who put up nearly 45 points per contest. The Jackrabbits have five double digit home victories and have covered 17 of their last 28 at home. South Dakota State won by 21 in the conference tourney and 19 at home last year against their rival. I think they can blow them out again in this one. 

I've learned my lesson about taking Little Rock on the road, but at home they are a different team. They are 6-2 there scoring 81.5 points per contest while shooting 52% from the field. The team actually plays a little defense there as well. The balance is really good for the Trojans this season. They are shooting nearly 50% in conference play. Coastal is 3-7 on the road and 2-3 in conference. The team's three road wins are against Troy and Campbell with the third being a neutral court win against UNC Asheville. These two score plenty of points and allow plenty of them as well. Coastal has gone over in every single road game this season. Give me the over in this one. 

Furman has lost four of their last seven since an undefeated start to their season. The Paladins are led by Matt Rafferty and Jordan Lyons who are two of six scorers who average eight points per game or more. They play some hot and cold defense allowing over 70 points in four of their last seven contests. Chattanooga has had some criminally low totals this season that I've taken advantage of. The Mocs have won four of their last five and have scored 70 or more in 13 straight games. The offense has struggled at times on the road, but the defense has as well. They've allowed 96, 62, 85, 75, 90 and 95 in their last six away contests. I think this one should see plenty of points.

Wisconsin Milwaukee is 9-11 on the season, but they've been a decent bet on the road. The Panthers have won at Oakland, Western Michigan and UMKC with closes losses at Cincy and FIU this season. They've won seven of their last 10 and are led by Darius Roy, DeAndre Abram and Vance Johnson. This team has some decent balance. Wright State is 10-10 and have four double digit scorers on the season. This is their first home game after five straight on the road. This team has two wins at home against NW Ohio and Cedarville. Wright State is 3-3 against the spread in conference and played three single digit contests against Milwaukee last year. Milwaukee has covered 13 of their last 22 overall in this series on the road. I think this is too many points. 

Loyola Chicago has been very efficient on offense this season behind their big three of Krutwig, Custer and Townes. They are getting a lot of teams best shot because of the Final Four run last year. They've shot 50% or better in three straight and five of their last six. The team has scored 70 or more in three of their five true road games. Missouri State has lost six of their last ten this season. The Bears are led by Tulio Da Silva, Jarred Dixon and Keandre Cook. The money is coming in on the home team and that means that bettors think that the Bears can push the pace and keep up a bit. I'd have been more concerned if the Ramblers were getting money. To me, it's harder to play the slower pace on the road then it is at home. I think this one could go over the total. 

Drake is a very high scoring team putting up nearly 80 points per game. They had a brief blip on the radar when Nick Norton went down with the injury, but they've won three of their last four. The offense has scored 74, 82, 74, 98, 76 and 79 in their last six games. Even without Norton they still have Nick McGlynn, Brady Ellingson and D.J. Wilkins. Evansville is playing a faster style under Walter McCarty at head coach. Despite that, they've actually gone under in eight of their last ten. That came after a good stretch of overs. The problem has been the offense which would score in the 60s and then the 80s. KJ Riley, Shea Feehan and Marty Hill are their double digit scorers. The Purple Aces defense is also hot and cold especially on the road. I'll take my chances that Drake can push the pace and we go over this total. 

Stubbornly, I've been on this team through their best and their worst because I like their core. The Redbirds have won four of their last five including a road game at Evansville. The loss was by three at Loyola Chicago and the loss before this stretch was by two at Valpo. Milik Yarbrough is a handful alongside Phil Fayne and Zach Copeland. They are finally pretty much healthy. Bradley has lost five of six and seven of their last nine contests with four of those coming at home. The defense has been good, but man, their offense has been bad. They've scored 60 or less in five of their last six. Illinois State's defense isn't their strongest thing, but I think they are better offensively. Bradley is 1-8 against the spread at home. I'll take a chance on the road team in this one. 

George Mason has covered 21 of their last 30 road games including five of six this season. The Patriots have won five of six and seven of their last nine contests. This stretch included road wins at UMass, Rhode Island and St. Joe. They've also won outright at William and Mary and lost by one at Kansas State. Justin Kier is in great form right now and he's getting help from Otis Livingston II and freshman Jordan Miller. Dayton has been equally impressive winning seven of their last eight although over that span they've covered just one contest, pushing on two others. All year long the Flyers have not been great against the spread. Josh Cunningham is one of five double digit scorers for the home team. I really like their core, but much like the opponent, their just not deep either. I think this is way too many points and that Mason can make things interesting.

Fresno State isn't the deepest team in the world but they are led by Braxton Huggins and Deshon Taylor who average 35 points per game combined. They've got two other double digit scorers and two others who contribute as well. This team saw a streak of 12 of their last 13 games scoring 70 or more snapped last time out in the loss to Nevada. Their defense has been very hot and cold this season giving up 70+ to their last two opponents. San Diego State's defense has improved a bit, but they also just faced some weak competition in the Air Force and Wyoming. Against teams with a pulse especially on the road, they've been very porous. Their offense isn't very good so that's a concern, but I think they can hold their own in this one. Give me the over. 

Virginia is going to be quite ornery after losing to Duke at their place. The Cavaliers shot the ball well from 2 point range, but didn't make the stops when they needed to and that led to the Blue Devils getting the win. Wake Forest is beyond terrible. There really isn't a ton of analysis needed for this one. Virginia will hold Wake to like 40 or 50 points and find it rather easy to score on the Deacs. This one will get ugly in Charlottesville. 

Akron has lost three of their last four and has not covered a game in their last five. As a matter of fact, they've covered just two contests since December 1st. At home, they've failed to cover in four of their last five as the inconsistent offense continues to plague them. They scored 86 against Central Michigan at their place, but have scored 65 or less in five of their last seven. The Zips have a nice balance of scorers, but they aren't a great shooting team. The Chippewas have won eight of their last 10 games and have road wins at NIU, Miami-Ohio and Youngstown State. CMU has five double digit scorers and Dallas Morgan adds seven points per game. My worry is their lack of defense because it's shown often. They've covered in three of their last five. I think they are worth a look here. 

The Owls are one of the worst teams in the country and have lost six straight contests. This team plays no defense whatsoever especially on the road where they have allowed 72, 92, 87, 81, 84 and 74. The offense isn't great either, but I feel like I don't really need them to be because Lipscomb is going to be doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Tyler Hooker is their only double digit scorer at 18.6 points per game. Lipscomb has more balance but Garrison Mathews and Rob Marberry are their most potent players. They've scored 80 points or more 10 times already this season. There's a good chance they get to 90 or 100 in this one. I think this over is worth a look. 

This is a hold your nose type of play, but I really don't understand why the over is getting love here. Charlotte is scoring 59.9 points per game and playing decent defense as well with the new pack line system under coach Sanchez. The 49ers have gone under in four straight and six of their last seven. This team has scored more then 65 points just four times this season. ODU's defense has been porous on the road, but I don't think there will be many issues for them considering Jon Davis is Charlotte's only option. The Monarchs have held opponents to 65 points or less 13 times this season. They are clearly the better team, but we've also got the odd timed tip-off of 4 o clock this afternoon. Last year these two played very high scoring games, but I just can't see that being the case in this one. 

New England beat the Chiefs at home 43-40 back on Oct. 14. Patrick Mahomes threw two interceptions in that one and the Patriots racked up 500 yards of offense. The Patriots looked like the defending AFC champs last week in a 41-28 win over the Chargers in which they approached 500 yards of offense once again. James White was a huge factor in the passing game and Tom Brady was surgical. I'm not the biggest fan of the defense, but the unit makes plays when it matters. It was impressive to see the plan for that side of the ball considering Brian Flores may or may not be the new head coach of the Dolphins... wink wink.

The Chiefs also were very good in their 31-13 win over the Colts. The more impressive aspect was a Kansas City defense that held Indianapolis under 300 yards of total offense. It was the Chiefs' best defensive effort in quite a while yardage-wise. The run game worked well with 180 rushing yards, which took a little pressure off Mahomes. Damien Williams filled in admirably once again for Kareem Hunt making the running back position not as much of a weakness.

I said it last week and I will continue to say that I will not pick against the Patriots in the AFC side of the playoffs until I see them fall. I'm not a believer in Andy Reid in big games and think Bill Belichick and his staff will outmaneuver him. Brady still has another Super Bowl or two in him. It's not Mahomes' time yet and he'll throw a key interception in a loss. 

These two met back on Nov. 4 in New Orleans with the home team winning 45-35. The Saints were up 35-17 at halftime as both teams were able to throw it around the field with relative ease. Since then there's been some changes to both teams. The Rams' defense played one of its best games of the season last week holding Dallas to just 50 rushing yards on their way to a 30-22 victory. C.J. Anderson and Todd Gurley got whatever they wanted against a very good Cowboys defense that seemed helpless at times against Los Angeles' offense.

The Saints, meanwhile, struggled mightily to beat the Eagles 20-14 at home. They found themselves down 14-0 very quickly and it could have been much worse had it not been for a Nick Foles interception. New Orleans' offense moved up and down the field, but it only translated to 20 points. Still, you have to think the Saints like this matchup as Drew Brees will look for Michael Thomas early and often once more. Thomas embarrassed Rams cornerback Marcus Peters in the first meeting. This will be New Orleans' fourth straight at home and that's a huge advantage despite the fact that the team hasn't covered any of these games. I think Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram could get some more work in this one as they open things up against a Los Angeles defense that can be run on.

With regards to this matchup, I'm heavily leaning to the home team. The Saints' defense has been very strong and I like Marshon Lattimore to lock down either Brandin Cooks or Robert Woods. There won't be any rust to knock off for New Orleans in this one. Brees getting back to the Super Bowl in the twilight of his career also gives plenty of people something to write about over the next two weeks.

It's a battle of four win teams in California as UC Davis hosts Cal Poly. We faded UC Davis last time out with great success as their losing streak extended to three in a row. The team has a terrible offense and has four wins against Holy Names, William Jessup, NAU and Texas A&M Corpus Christi. They don't have a ton of threats on offense and don't have much of a homecourt advantage. Cal Poly also has four wins against Holy Names, Bethune Cookman, USC Upstate and Menlo College. They have a bit more talent with a solid point guard and a really good shooter from the outside. They hung tough somewhat at UCSB last week and have close losses at Cal and Fresno State as well as Portland. This team has more talent and if they play defense, they could win this one outright. Take the points and say thank you. 

I'll go against the line move and take the home team in this one. Towson has lost six straight and have won just twice on the road. This team struggles to score and Delaware plays some pretty good defense. I'm not quite sure where the edge is with the road team. The Blue Hens have some solid scorers and have won five of their last six. Sure they've lost a couple of games at home, but I don't see it here. Towson has won the last four meetings, but I just don't see it here.

It's the last matchup for Fran Dunphy against his former team Penn. Temple has won four of their last five and it's because of a smoking hot offense putting up nearly 80 points per game. The Owls are getting contributions from others then Rose and Alston in the backcourt and that's making them tougher. The defense could be a little bit better as they allow their opponents to shoot around 48% from the field over their last five contests. Penn has lost four straight and the bottom has dropped out a bit as they deal with some injuries. The offense has scuffled, but that's also because they played Princeton twice and their tough defense. This team has a 78-75 win over Villanova and has previously not had issues scoring so it's been possible. I just don't think the Owls have much of a problem scoring and think they allow at least 60 or so from Penn. This one should go over the total.

ETSU has gone over in four of five and five of their last seven and a lot of it is because of their offense. They have shot 50% or better five times in their last seven contests and have scored 85, 96, 81 and 79 in their last four home games. Balance is a big thing with this team and so is their occasionally leaky defense. They just gave up 82 to VMI last time out. Greensboro is an uber talented team and they've lost just twice since December 1st. This team wants to play a bit slower, but they've also gotten into some faster games playing an 83-75 contest at Samford. They also won at Elon 75-74 and 84-65 at Delaware. I really like the weapons they can throw at their opponents. I think both of these teams will score and it'll be a higher paced game.

This is a big game for Auburn to flex their muscles as a favorite vs. Kentucky. The Wildcats have won six of their last seven and some of it is because of improved defense, but of course it's also because of weaker opponents. Kentucky has four double digit scorers and Ashton Hagans who is the starting point guard. They play a medium paced kind of game that could be dragged into a faster pace at Auburn. The Tigers have scored 80 or more 10 times this season and have gone over in five of their eight lined home games. They've got the better backcourt and will want to get up and down so the crowd gets into it. Last year this was a 76-66 game at Auburn with a total of 156.5. Vegas wised up and made it lower so now I think it'll go over. This one should be fun.

UNI has won three of their last five, but I still don't believe in them on the road in a tough environment. The team did beat up Bradley at their place at the start of January, but still, they struggle offensively and rely on a defense to keep them in ballgames. The Panthers have one double-digit scorer in AJ Green and a bunch of role players. Valpo has a lot more depth with five guys who score seven points per game or more. It looks like Ryan Fazekas could be available for this one. Valpo has won five of their last six with three of those coming at home. They beat Bradley by 11 there and UC Riverside by nine. I like the Crusaders in this one.

Miami-Ohio has won three straight meetings with Akron and get to host them on Saturday. I've watched the RedHawks several times and have been impressed with their offense and their athleticism. Miami-Ohio is 6-2 at home where they score over 80 and allow 65.2 points per game. Defense is not their strong suit and is the main reason why they have not won in conference yet. Akron is 2-6 on the road where they don't shoot as well and are a little bit more leaky on defense. The Redhawks are 0-4 in the MAC but they've already played at Toledo and Buffalo and hosted NIU and CMU who are probably the four best teams in the conference. I think they are a pretty solid team and at home, I'll take them to win this one outright.

Texas Arlington has won three straight, but I really don't believe they can sustain that. This is a terrible shooting team that has cracked the 40% mark just three times this season. They've scored 70 or more just twice and are a far cry from what they used to be. The Mavericks are led by Edric Dennis and Brian Warren. Little Rock has won two of their last three and have an offense that is absolutely fantastic. The Trojans have four double digit scorers and three others who average around eight points per game. UALR has just one road win at Tennessee State this season, but I think we get a better effort after they lost by 18 at Texas State.

This is somewhat of a situational play as Syracuse hosts Pittsburgh. The Orange are coming off a highly charged 95-91 overtime win at Duke and has had the whole week to hear how good they were. That came after a 14 point home loss to Georgia Tech in which they scored 59 points and shot 31.6% from the field. This team has covered three of their four ACC games so far, but their consistency is so hard to count on. The Panthers have won five of their last seven. They've played just three true road games losing by 1 at Iowa, by 10 at West Virginia and by six at NC State. This team clamps down on long range shooting with just three times shooting better then 40% from long range. They have four double-digit scorers, but not really a ton of awesome long range shooters themselves. There's a big snow storm in Syracuse right now so who knows what kind of crowd there will be for this one. Pittsburgh has covered 10 of their last 16 in Syracuse. I think this will be a close one on Saturday.

The Spiders have won four straight in this series against Davidson including two straight in Belk Arena as double digit underdogs. Richmond is a horrific team outside of Grant Golden, Jacob Gilyard and Nathan Cayo. They don't have a ton of scoring from some of their smaller pieces and their defense has been porous at times. Richmond has won road games at GW and South Alabama and hung around at Georgetown in late November. Davidson is a hot and cold team that has gone 4-4 in their last eight contests. They've played a few close games at home mixed in with some blowouts as well. The Wildcats are the better team, but something about Richmond's matchup zone has given them fits. I could very easily look foolish when they lose by a ton, but I'm looking at them plus a ton of points.

Oregon State is in great form right now having won four straight and five of their last six. The Beavers put up 77 or more in each of those games which included a road win at Oregon 77-72. They lost a lower scoring game at St. Louis, but then played a game in the 70s against Long Beach State. Tres Tinkle is a very good scorer along with the Thompsons Stephen and Ethan. ASU likes a faster pace and they are averaging almost 80 points per game. At home, they've scored 83, 86, 66, 80 and 83 in their last five contests there. The defense has been very leaky at times allowing a whopping 96 to Utah and 85 at Stanford. They have five double digit scorers and Romello White who puts up 9.1 points per game. Last year in two games these two teams played 77-75 and 79-75 contests. I think this one is another over.

It's been a rough season so far for UC Davis who have just four wins with two of those coming against Holy Names and William Jessup. The other two are against NAU and Texas A&M Corpus Christi. The Aggies have not been competitive a ton this season with six losses by double digits. They can't score too well and the defense is mighty shaky. TJ Shorts II and Siler Schneider are their two biggest threats. The Gauchos are 13-3 on the season. They've won road games at Rice and Wyoming with a close four point loss at Washington. They are led by Ar'Mond Davis who is one of four double digit scorers. Max Heidegger is not in double digits yet, but he's still working his way back to health. UCSB won last year at UC-Davis and has taken 10 of their last 14 there. I'll take the Gauchos here at an almost pick'em.

This has all the makings of an over and a blowout on Thursday night. East Tennessee has wins of 26, 23, 18, 18, 14 and 25 at home against division one opponents. In those games a lot of the time, ETSU scored 80 points or more. The Buccaneers have seven guys who average eight points per contest or more. On the road, VMI has allowed 96, 103, 93, 89, 65, 79, 92 and 94. The Keydets have very little interest in playing defense. The offense has had a little bit of success here and there, but their terrible defense is going to be the reason why this over hits. Last year, this game was 89-48 with the contest two years ago being 102-75. I think we could see a score in the 90s from ETSU.

I think this is the classic case of the slower team having their pace pushed a bit on the road as Wright State plays at Youngstown State. The Penguins have a horrific defense that has allowed 70 points or more at home to every division one team they've faced there. Heck, Heidelberg scored 83 at Youngstown back on November 12th. Their offense isn't great but three times during this recent four game road stretch they scored 75 points or more. The Raiders are playing their fourth straight road game. They lost two of their last three with the win coming at Oakland 89-73. This team has slowed down the likes of Detroit and Mississippi State on the road, but they also got into a track meet with Kent State and the previously mentioned Oakland. Wright State is led by Billy Wampler, Cole Gentry, Loudon Love and Mark Hughes. WSU has gone over in eight of their last 10 road games where the total is 140 to 144.5. These two have gone over in eight of their last 13 meetings in Youngstown. Last year's road game was an 83-57 Raiders win. I think we could see something close to that again.

UNC Wilmington has played overs in three of four and four of their last six. They have a couple of solid pieces on offense with Devontae Cacok inside and Jeantal Cylla. UNCW has scored 80 points or more seven times this season, but they've also allowed that much 11 times as well. Hofstra is averaging over 80 points per game themselves. The Pride go as Justin Wright-Foreman and Eli Pemberton go. At home they've scored 70 or more in every contest including 90 or more four times. Their defense can be good and it can struggle as well. Outside of a blowout win over Delaware, they've allowed 70 or more to some of the lesser teams including Drexel and Elon. Last year, these two played three times with scores of 96-76, 90-70 and 93-88. I think this one is an over. 

UCF heads to Wichita State on Wednesday night. It's a 10 o clock tipoff so the game can be shown on television. The Golden Knights have won seven straight since losing at Missouri in early December. Their big three continues to do big things with BJ Taylor, Aubrey Dawkins and Tacko Fall. The team is playing some very good defense, although four opponents have put up 70 points or more. They've gone over in four of their last six because of an efficient offense. Wichita State' defense has abandoned them since the turn of the calendar allowing 85 to Memphis and Temple and 79 against Houston. They've struggled against the better teams on their schedule. Wichita has several solid options on offense led by Markis McDuffie. The Shockers have gone over in 28 of their last 44 AAC games. A lot of that was because of last year's great roster. I think this is a solid number to take advantage of the over with.

Houston is 16-1, but to me, I think they are still a bit overrated. The Cougars are doing it with solid offense and really good defense that is holding teams to 60.6 points per game and 36.5% shooting from the field. This team lost at Temple but won at Oklahoma State and BYU already. I think SMU can take advantage of them inside with Ethan Chargois and some of their other bigs. The Mustangs are 11-5 and have won five of their last six. They are getting back to their really good defensive ways and are very tough to beat at home. They do have two home losses already, but I like their chances in this one. Houston swept this series last year, but that came after SMU won both matchups in 2017. This is a feel play, but I like SMU at home as I'm not quite a buyer of the Cougars.

Missouri State and Evansville are pretty close to the same team as they play on Wednesday. Both teams average around 71 possessions per game. Missouri State has eight players who average six points per game or more although the eighth one Obediah Church is out. This team has won four of their last six, but has had problems with defense. In their last game at home, they lost 82-66 to Valpo in a game that had a lower total. The squad has gone over in four straight at home. On the other side, you have Walter McCarty's Evansville who is going to a faster paced style. Despite that, they've gone under in seven of their last eight. That's why we are getting some value here in the number. The Purple Aces are led by KJ Riley, Shea Feehan and Marty Hill. Evansville has gone over in all four of their games against teams with a losing record. I think this one is an over.

I'm not quite a believer in Temple and have made some money fading them. Vegas has a lot of respect for the Owls who have lost at East Carolina in each of the past two seasons. The Pirates aren't a good basketball team, but they've defended home court pretty well. ECU beat Cincy there earlier this month and has lost just twice there outright all season long. The Pirates are led by Jayden Gardner, Shawn Williams and Seth LeDay who average over 45 points per game. Temple has been a mixed bag so far this season winning at Wichita State, St. Joe's and Missouri, but also losing at UCF and Villanova. Their defense hasn't been very good lately allowing 80 to USF, 81 to Wichita and 78 to UCF. I really like Rose and Alston as a guard tandem and Pierre-Louis as a solid third option. Still, I think this one will be closer then Vegas does. I like the home team to make things interesting.

I'll start out by saying I'm not a huge Tulsa fan, but they do play better at home then they do on the road. They've got some balance offensively with five guys who average seven points per game or more. The Golden Hurricane have lost three of their last four after a five game win streak. The common theme is that they played some tougher opponents and struggled likewise on offense. Outside of a loss at home to Cincinnati in overtime though, they have defended homecourt well. UConn has lost four of their last five and are coming off a tough two point loss at Cincinnati. They have struggled horribly on the road losing at USF as a favorite. The team has just one win away from home and that came against Syracuse back in November. Jalen Adams, Alterique Gilbert and Christian Vital do a lot of the heavy lifting for the Huskies. Tulsa has covered 22 of their last 35 home games winning 28 of them outright. They have not lost the last three seasons as a home favorite of 3 points or less. Last year the Golden Hurricane took this game twice, each by just two points. I think they win again on Wednesday. 

Southern Illinois wants to play lower scoring games and they do for the most part at home. They've gone under in five straight home games. The problems come on the road where they are unable to slow down the pace as much. They lost 82-70 at Drake (I had that over), 73-65 at Buffalo, won at SEMO 83-73, 82-61 at SIU-E and 82-67 at Colorado State (had that over as well). There's no doubting the talent with Armon Fletcher back and there's no doubting that they are smarting a bit without Thik Bol patrolling the middle. Bol did play four minutes last time out so we'll see how much he gets in this one. Illinois State wants to play a little faster and also has struggled on defense from time-to-time. The Redbirds are finally healthy and have their options on offense with Milik Yarbrough, Phil Fayne and Zach Copeland. They have gone over in five of their last eight and six of their last 10 overall. Last year these two played three overs with totals around 140. I think this one is an over. 

I've been very impressed by South Florida this season and they are surpassing expectations. The Bulls have just four losses on the season and they were by 3 against Georgetown, The Citadel and Tulsa and by 2 at Temple. USF is very good at getting to the free throw line even if they struggle from there. They also play decent defense from time to time. David Collins, LaQuincy Rideau and Alexis Yetna are their double digit scorers. Yetna is a double-double machine inside and he's going to be important against the bigger Bearcats. Cincinnati is not playing their best basketball right now with three close conference games. They beat UConn by 2, won at Tulsa by five and lost at ECU by two. Jarron Cumberland and Keith Williams are their biggest threats with Cane Broome and Justin Jenifer who need to step up. The Bulls have failed to cover in just four games. I think they can keep things close in this one. 

We're getting Kent State off a horrendous 34 point loss at Eastern Michigan. The Golden Flashes have made me plenty of money and have played well on the road already winning at Oregon State, Detroit and Vanderbilt this season. Kent State is a lot better then they played last time obviously so you know the coach has their attention. Jaylin Walker is very tough to handle along with Jalen Avery, Antonio Williams and Philip Whittington. Ohio is coming off a really good 70-52 win at Ball State which came after losses to Bowling Green and NIU. The Bobcats also beat FIU by two points. They've covered just two of their last eight games right now and I just don't believe in them as a team. Their not as deep and certainly not as talented either. Ohio is 1-5 against the spread as a favorite and 3-9 overall ATS. Kent State split with Ohio last year and took two of three from Ohio in 2017. I think they are the better team here. 

Pittsburgh has been a bit of a surprise after Coach Capel took over. They have lost just five games so far this season and pretty much only the loss to Niagara was unexpected. The Panthers have gone over in two straight and three of their last five. Since joining conference play, they've allowed 86, 86 and 85 although they topped 80 in two of those games as well. The Panthers have four double digit scorers. FSU is coming off a horrendously tough loss just two days ago at home to Duke 80-78. They had the game won and now they've lost two of their last three. The Seminoles can score with the best of them and the defense has been fantastic. I think both of those let down a little bit though with the quick turnaround against Pittsburgh. There has to be a hangover for the Seminoles after playing in a sold out gym. FSU has gone 4-2-1 to the over in their last seven games. Last year these two played an 88-75 game when Pittsburgh was a lot worse. I think this one goes over. 

I'll fade Oregon again with the other school in California. USC saw their four game win streak end last time out when they lost in overtime to Oregon State. The biggest development in this one was the return of Kevin Porter Jr who is another weapon for the Trojans arsenal. Now they've got four double digit scorers as well as Shaq Aaron and Derryck Thornton at 9 ppg. Oregon has lost two straight at home and three of their last four overall. They are without Kenny Wooten, Bol Bol and Abu Kigab which means they are thin up front. The defense has been rather porous and teams are getting to the lane at will on them. I think this is a pretty ridiculous line and until Wooten comes back, the Ducks are very vulnerable. There's also potentially a hangover after the way they lost to UCLA. 

For the third straight week, the Chargers are on the road as they take on the Patriots in New England. There's a chance for snow in the forecast which will make Foxboro an even tougher place to play. Yes, the Chargers have won six of their last seven and have shown a propensity to win on the road. I'm not picking against New England in this situation though until I see them lose in the AFC playoffs. They have spent the last two weeks hearing everyone tout Los Angeles, Indianapolis and basically everyone but themselves. Are they 100% No, they are not as Gronk seems like a shell of himself and Tom Brady has shown his age at times. LA's defense is going to be tough to move the ball on. Remember, last year these two teams played in New England with the home team winning 21-13. In that one we saw both teams have some success gaining yards, but not putting up a ton of points. I'm not a huge Anthony Lynn guy, but you can't deny what he's done so far with LA. It's a great ATS battle with the road team being 8-1 against the spread this season against a Pats team that has covered 20 of their last 28 home contests including six of eight this year. Give me the under in this one with the Pats winning.

This one could be ugly as California who is allowing almost 80 points per contest and 85 points over their last five contests. The big question will be if Paris Austin is in the lineup. He's missed the last two games and could help the offense of a team that may struggle with Arizona's length and defensive prowess. Cal has allowed 80 or more in six straight and seven of their last eight. Arizona's offense needs Justin Coleman out there and it looks like he'll play. The Wildcats have gone over in three of four and five of their last eight overall. They've given up 70 or more in all three true road games and five of their six contests not on their court overall. I think this one should see plenty of scoring.

It pains me to say this as an Eagles fan, but once again I like Dallas on Saturday. The Cowboys didn't play great in their win over the Seahawks last week, but Pete Carroll's gameplan was perplexing to say the least. They continued to try and run the ball instead of unleashing Russell Wilson which is what everyone said Seattle had to do to win the game. The Cowboys defense is going to be the difference in this one as LA limped down the stretch. The Rams lost their last two games against playoff caliber opponents falling 15-6 at Chicago and 30-23 at home to the Eagles. Don't forget how many Cowboys fans will be at this game considering Dallas training camp is in California. Todd Gurley did not show up on the injury report so that probably means he's healthy for the first time since the Philly loss. The Rams defense has not materialized to what we thought it was going to be in the preseason. I'll take the touchdown and say thank you very much.

It pains me to say this as an Eagles fan, but once again I like Dallas on Saturday. The Cowboys didn't play great in their win over the Seahawks last week, but Pete Carroll's gameplan was perplexing to say the least. They continued to try and run the ball instead of unleashing Russell Wilson which is what everyone said Seattle had to do to win the game. The Cowboys defense is going to be the difference in this one as LA limped down the stretch. The Rams lost their last two games against playoff caliber opponents falling 15-6 at Chicago and 30-23 at home to the Eagles. Don't forget how many Cowboys fans will be at this game considering Dallas training camp is in California. Todd Gurley did not show up on the injury report so that probably means he's healthy for the first time since the Philly loss. The Rams defense has not materialized to what we thought it was going to be in the preseason. I'll take the touchdown and say thank you very much.

Nevada and Fresno are two of the best teams in the Mountain West. Nevada is 15-1 averaging 81.1 points per game this season. They are averaging 81 ppg on the road while shooting 47.7% from the field. The defense has been worse too allowing over 70 points per contest. They are going up against Fresno who is feeling good about themselves. They are 8-1 at home putting up nearly 82 points per contest. Both of these teams play pretty good defense so that's a worry, but both also have a ton of weapons. I think this is a bit of a tighter game, but we're going over the total.

This is a fade of Washington State without Robert Franks. Wazzu lost by 32 at Colorado last time out and has now lost two straight on the road by double digits. They have lost five straight and have allowed four of those opponents to shoot 50% or better from the field. This team plays no defense whatsoever and has one or two other scorers and that's about it. Utah has lost three of their last four, but they've taken care of business when they were clearly the better team. They beat NAU by 14, Florida A&M by 29, Miss Valley State by 35 and Maine by 14. Sedbrick Barefield and Donnie Tillman are the two best options on offense. Utah has won eight straight at home in this series and has covered seven of those. They need a blowout win and should get it on Saturday.

Louisiana Tech hosts Middle Tennessee on Saturday as they continue to play without starters Derric Jean and Exavian Christon. The team beat UAB 64-53 last time out and has had problems scoring consistently as of late. They've gone under in four straight and five of their last six as their defense has been pretty strong. This team has held five of their last six to 70 points or less. Middle Tennessee is brutal. They lost at Southern Miss 77-70 last time out. This team has scored 65 points or less in six of eight and nine of their last 12. There's one solid scorer and a lot of garbage around him on offense. The defense has been a bit leaky, but they've shown some decent effort from time to time. The pace of the game won't be too super fast and if it's not that close, then we don't have to worry about fouling late. MTSU has gone under in 16 of their last 23 games when the total is in the 140s. They've also gone under in eight of their 14 contests lined overall. I think this one is an under.

The Chippewas are playing some great basketball right now with five double digit scorers led by Larry Austin Jr. CMU has a wealth of offense that few teams can keep up with right now. The Chips have won seven straight and are coming off a pair of conference wins as underdogs. They are smoking hot offensively and have scored 80 or more in nine of their last 10. If they commit to defense, then they will be really tough to beat. Bowling Green has won six in a row after a two game losing skid. The Falcons are led by Justin Turner and double double machine Demajeo Wiggins who is averaging just over 14 points and just under 12 rebounds. They've lost on the road to Cleveland State and Hartford as a favorite or pick'em already this season and have also fallen at Detroit, VCU and St. John's. Bowling Green's defense has been pretty good, but if you look closer, the competition during this streak hasn't been great. At almost a pick'em situation, I'll take the home team who is hot offensively.

The Trojans are a team that have been on my radar quite a bit this season. They've got three double digit scorers and four others who average between 8 and 9 points per game. This team is feeling good after a 14 point win over Troy at home just two days ago. They have the offensive talent to keep up with a lot of teams, but the defense is a massive issue. They've shot it over 50% from the field nine times this season. South Alabama's a good team but not as much on the road. They lost by 1 at Arkansas State last time out and have also fallen at New Orleans, Southern Miss, Texas A&M and Auburn. There's some good guards on this team, but I really don't like their inside game which is where Little Rock can get them. I like the home team in this one.