Akron basketball is 1-1 entering the season and the Zips are playing with a better pace then they have in the past. This team has an 81-64 win over Malone to go with a 94-84 loss at West Virginia. The two games were played with 72 and 84 possessions so I expect something in that area again on Friday. Xeyrius Williams comes over from Dayton and he's been a big addition to go along with Tyler Cheese who is a combo guard. NC Central is 1-1 with a 94-64 loss to Stephen F Austin on the road and a 73-64 home win over USC Upstate. The Eagles are not very efficient offensively and are much worse defensively. The one thing they do well is shoot from long range where they are hitting at a 44.4% clip. These two teams should be able to go over the lower total. NC Central is slower, but clearly doesn't mind playing with some pace.

East Tennessee State's offense is in incredible form right now. The Bucs are shooting 50% from long range and 69.4% from two point land. Granted, their two wins were 79-50 over Newberry and 92-75 over Tennessee Martin. This team wants to play with some pace and I've made money on their overs in the past. Jeremy Rodriguez are among the studs along with Lucas N'Guessan who is a very athletic seven footer. Winthrop is going to be happy to play with some pace finally. In their two wins on the road, they grinded out a 67-57 win at Hartford and a 61-59 victory at St. Mary's. Winthrop's one loss was at Fresno and it was played at a quicker pace in a 77-74 loss. It could be an issue for this team that they've been on the road all year long and it's their fourth game in a week. We'll see if it shows up, but I think the over is worth a look here. 

Vandy is 2-0 this season with a 83-65 win over SEMO and a 71-66 victory over Texas A&M Corpus Christi. So far under Jerry Stackhouse they are playing a little bit slower then we thought with average possessions around 18 seconds. Aaron Nesmith is one of their biggest stars with Saben Lee also being someone to watch for the Commodores. Richmond's tinkering with new defenses and they didn't exactly show much of it in a 100-98 overtime win over St. Francis of PA. The Spiders offense is going to be one of the best in the country but they allowed the Red Flashes to shoot 50% from long range and offensively rebound 36.6% of their shots. The one thing to watch here is the status of Grant Golden. Golden turned his ankle and is a game time decision. Richmond has gone over in 20 of their last 30 lined games and 24 of their last 36 when the total is in the 140s. I think this one is a bit higher scoring then the total says. 

Fort Wayne overs are almost insta-bets for me as this team loves playing with pace and don't play defense very well. Miami-Ohio lost their opener 88-81 to Wright State at home in a game that saw 79 possessions. The Redhawks are led by Nike Sibande and Dalonte Brown as well as Bam Bowman. The lineup is also bolstered by Isaiah Coleman-Landis who played just five games last year. This team wants to run a bit and may be able to do whatever they want against the Dons. Fort Wayne is 1-2 with a 91-80 win over Manchester to go with a 86-71 loss to UNLV and a 79-78 defeat at the hands of SEMO. In each of those games they had at least 70 possessions. Traditionally, this team has been an over and we already hit the one in the SEMO game. Even without Jon Konchar, Jarred Godfrey, Matt Holba, Dylan Carl and Marcus DeBerry are not a bad group of weapons. 

Mike Morrell has some talent finally in UNC Asheville as they take on Wake Forest. The Bulldogs lost 78-63 to Tennessee on the road in game one, but then went to The Citadel and picked up a 91-76 win. These guys were the youngest team in basketball last year, but also added Lavar Batts and Jax Levitch from some solid programs as well. Batts has yet to make the predicted impact for them as he's got just 13 points in 37 minutes played and he's had nine fouls as well. DeVon Baker and Tajion Jones are two of their better players as well. Wake Forest wants to play with some pace as well and they didn't do it last time out against Columbia winning 65-63. The Demon Deacons are taking just under 15 seconds a possession on offense. They lost to BC back in game one 77-70 on the road with both games going over 70 possessions. Andrien White has been a solid pickup this offseason to go along with Brandon Childress and Olivier Sarr. 

This is a rare opportunity for a program like South Alabama to get a power five school in their building. Last year the Tigers steamrolled the Jaguars 101-58 as 20.5 point favorites. South Alabama is 2-0 with an 82-51 win over Pikeville and a 75-69 win over Southern Miss. They lost 78-75 to Mississippi State in an exhibition game as well. This team wants to play with a little bit of pace and has played some good defense as well. I really like their roster with Josh Ajayi leading the way at 21.5 points and 10 rebounds per game. They've got three other double digit scorers and some depth as well. Auburn beat Georgia Southern 83-74 then knocked off Davidson 76-66 in a game that should have gone over but didn't. The Tigers roster hasn't been completely gutted from last year with Samir Doughty, Austin Wiley, J'Von McCormick and Danjel Purifoy among the contributors. Auburn has gone over in 18 of their last 29 when the total is in the 140s. I think this one is an over as well. 

Walter McCarty brings Evansville to Kentucky for a game on Tuesday. The Purple Aces want to run and run and run as evidenced by their 79-75 win over Ball State last weekend. DeAndre Williams had 26 points and nine rebounds in the win with Sam Cunliffe chipping in 17. Last year in big games out of conference this team lost 99-60 at Illinois and 91-85 at Xavier. They certainly don't have the weapons to keep up with Kentucky. The Wildcats have a 69-62 win over Michigan State to go along with a 91-49 romp over Eastern Kentucky. UK averages 15.7 seconds per possession which is the same as how long they are on defense on average. The other intriguing factor is how will they play considering McCarty is Kentucky royalty and is on the other sideline. Will they pull off the gas a little bit towards the end? I'll take a shot that Evansville is able to score a little and UK does a lot of the heavy lifting on our way to an over. 

Vanderbilt is 1-0 after their 83-65 win over SEMO last week. The Commodores were tied at halftime, but had a fantastic second half as they shot 49.2% from the court. They were led by Aaron Nesmith's 25 points and 21 off the bench from Saben Lee in 28 minutes. Jerry Stackhouse has this team playing a little quicker as they had an adjusted tempo of 71.6 possessions. Texas A&M Corpus Christi lost their first game 82-49 against Louisiana Tech. It was a really rough game for the Islanders who were led by Jashawn Talton-Thomas who is the younger brother of Rashawn Thomas who was a star there. They approached 70 possessions in the loss and that was at home.  I don't think they'll be able to set their slower pace on the road. Vandy is still working out some of the kinks so I think it'll be a little closer and Corpus Christi will be able to help out. Give me the over.

Fort Wayne has gone over in 22 of their last 33 as a favorite including 10 of their last 13 as a road favorite. The Mastodons have played two games already losing 86-71 at UNLV before beating Manchester 91-80. The common thread in both was a lack of defense by the Dons. This team lost Jon Konchar, but it could be argued that they have more balanced scoring. Jarred Godfrey leads Fort Wayne with 22 points per game and is one of four who are shooting 50% or better from the court. SEMO has played just one game this season losing 83-65 at Vanderbilt. Quatarrius Wilson came over from McNeese State and he had a double-double in the loss with 12 points and 13 rebounds. The Redhawks have gone over in 14 of their last 22 at home. I think this one should see plenty of points on Sunday.

Illinois State is coming off an emotional 79-72 home win over Belmont in which it was an underdog. The Redbirds shot almost 48% from the court and made half of their three point attempts. It could have been a bigger win if not for their struggles from the free throw line. Zach Copeland is the leading returning starter, but Taylor Bruninga has made an impact for them as well. He's a solid shooter who has size and offensive ability. On the other side you've got UALR who won at Missouri State 67-66 last time out. The Trojans shot really well in that one and played some solid defense on the Bears. Markquis Nowell and Nikola Maric are the two leading returning scorers. Both teams played a moderately paced first game. I think this one is going over the total. 

Bradley's new look nearly paid off in Philly, but they fell short 86-81 to St. Joe's as a slight favorite. The Braves have talked about playing with a little more pace then they have in the past. This is a deeper team with several studs back from last year's team. The result was St. Joe picking them apart, but Bradley scoring over 80 points which I don't think they did a ton last year. IUPUI lost their first game 80-47 to Butler. They shot worse and allowed the Bulldogs to shoot almost 60% from the court. The Jaguars return three starters but had to change their coach in the offseason as Jason Gardner was let go. Last year this game was an 85-73 contest at IUPUI and it had a total of 134.5. I think Bradley will find it easier to get some offense going in this one and we sail over the total.

Evansville will start their season on Saturday as they host Ball State who already has a game under their belt. The Purple Aces needed overtime in their lone exhibition to pick up a win 71-68. Walter McCarty lamented how disjointed they looked with a slower pace and poor shooting. McCarty wants to run and play faster. Last year the Purple Aces averaged around 70 possessions per game. Ball State played Evansville twice last year winning 82-72 at home, but losing 89-77 in the Ford Center. The Cardinals lone win came over Defiance of division three. KJ Walton, Tahjai Teague and Kyle Mallers led the way as the returnees from last year's squad. There will definitely be some sloppiness from the home team, but I think this one will be a higher scoring game on Saturday.

One of my easiest winners from early on was the over in the Valpo game as they knocked off Toledo 79-77. The Crusaders lost a ton of talent, but brought some intriguing players in and the offense started to come a little more. Ryan Fazekas had 23 points while Javon Freeman-Liberty got a late basket to get the win. Mileek McMillan was able to play 28 mins and was able to make his presence felt. They also allowed the Rockets to shoot nearly 50% from the court and that won't work against St. Louis who won their first game 89-67. The Billikens like to play bully ball and a physical brand of basketball. Hasahn French had 29 points in the victory over Florida Gulf Coast. SLU has the size advantage and the talent advantage, but I think Valpo can throw some offensive punches too. This is a really low total and I think it may be too low. Neither team particularly wants to run, but I think they will if given the chance. Give me the over here.

Drake has three starters back from a team that went 24-10 last year. The Bulldogs went 9-3 in non-conference play, averaging 78.1 points per game. Granted they are without Nick McGlynn and Brady Ellingson. They want to play with some pace to their offense. This team beat Upper Iowa in an exhibition game 95-88. Drake shot over 50% in that game and was without Tremell Murphy who will be suspended early on in the season. Kennesaw State lost at Creighton on Tuesday 81-55 as the Blue Jays shot over 50% from the court. In one respect, the Owls get a game under their belts so they should play a little bit better. On the other hand, it's a quick turnaround with some travel involved. This team is on their 5th head coach in 10 years. They've got two top scorers in Tyler Hooker and Danny Lewis. I think this one sees some points on Thursday.

Western Michigan will be an intriguing team in the MAC this season. They return 61.3% of their scoring from last year which is the second highest percentage in the MAC West. They also get Brandon Johnson and Jason Whitens back who were both sidelined due to injury last season. Bring those guys together with Michael Flowers who had 12 20 point performances last year and you've got the makings of a solid offense. They beat Kalamazoo College 76-56 in their lone exhibition contest. On the other side, it's McNeese State who returns just four players with two of those being starters. The other key contributor is AJ Lawson who sat out after transferring from North Texas. Last year the Cowboys went 2-14 on the road. In non-conference action they allowed 87, 80, 91, 67, 90, 80 and 68. Their offense should be just a bit more improved with Lawson running things. I think this one should go over the total.

Bradley is going to play a lot faster than they did last year. They had 23 fast-break points and 43 points in fewer then 10 seconds in their exhibition win over Millikin 91-52. Last year they averaged 17.9 second possessions according to Ken Pomeroy. Bradley is led by Darrell Brown, Elijah Childs and Nate Kennell who were the top three scorers last year. Ja'Shon Henry is going to be a glue guy attempting to replace the departed guys along with LSU transfer Danya Kingsby. St. Joe's is a really fast team themselves so this one should see plenty of possessions and opportunities. Taylor Funk and Ryan Daly are the building blocks for a Hawks team that lost a lot of talent this offseason. In their exhibition game, they beat Arcadia 100-61. This team is going to struggle at times to score, but their lack of defense will help as well. Give me the over here. 

UNF returns all five starters and are one of a few teams that have an all senior starting lineup. The Ospreys want to bomb away from long range and play a helter skelter type of game. Last year against it's better opponents, UNF lost 78-70 to Dayton, 87-72 to Penn State and 98-66 to these same Gators. Other contests included losses to FSU 95-81 and 95-49 to Auburn. The Gators have put up 90 or more in all but two of the matchups between these two schools. Florida has a lot of expectations with them being ranked sixth in the polls. In their lone exhibition they beat Lynn 89-71 with a bunch of guys putting up double digits. The starting lineup features former Hokie Kerry Blackshear as well as freshman Tre Mann to go with Andrew Nembhard and Noah Locke. It is a concern how well this team played defense at home in non-conference games last year, but that was a more veteran bunch. I think we see a boatload of points and go over the total. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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 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. 

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. 

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. 

Samford snapped their four game losing streak in round one of the tourney beating the Citadel 100-71. This is a Bulldogs team that has some offensive talent, but their lack of defense has been a killer. Over that losing skid, they gave up 85, 90, 87 and 65 points to some of the better squads in the league. These two met twice with UNCG winning 83-75 and 75-67. This is a Samford team that wants to get up and down and has some talent to execute that. The Spartans have won four straight after a brief two game losing streak. UNCG has a lot of veteran talent and a group that plays some good defense for the most part. They did allow 76 to lowly Western Carolina, 81 to Mercer and 96 at the Citadel. I think this one is played with a little bit of pace and I think that it goes over the total. 

UL Monroe has lost two straight and four of their last six entering this one. They beat Little Rock at home 97-84 way back on January 3rd in a game that saw both teams shoot over 55% from the court. This is a Warhawks team who prefers the game a little slower but has allowed 75 points or more in three of four and nine of their last 11 overall. Little Rock is a team that has a capable offense but is coming off a recent stretch of four straight where they didn't crack 70 points. Their problems come on the defensive end from time to time. At home they allowed 84 to Arkansas State, 77 to App State, 72 to Coastal Carolina and 77 to Lafayette. I think there's a chance they could win this game and I think they push the pace to do so. 

Western Michigan has gone over in nine of their 13 home games where they are better as an offense. This team is no good by any stretch, but they do have some talent led by the Dugan kid on the inside. The Broncos have allowed 79 to Miami-Ohio, 82 to Kent State, 74 to NIU, 85 to Bowling Green and 93 to Eastern Michigan at home. Their offense has gone dry as of late which is a worry, but CMU's defense isn't exactly stellar either. The Chips are coming off a three point loss at home to NIU. They have had a little bit of a struggle at times on the road but their defense has allowed 79 at Bowling Green, 90 at Buffalo and 76 at Toledo. I think this one is played with some pace and I think it goes over the total. 

NJIT is on the road once again and for the fourth time in their last five as they take on Lipscomb. These two played at Lipscomb back on February 25th with the home team winning 81-77. The Highlanders have had four different leading scorers in four straight contests. They are coming off an 83-78 win at Florida Gulf Coast. I'm a little concerned about them being road weary and think the letdown occurs on defense. This team also has played high scoring games at North Florida (76-72) and at Jacksonville (77-73). Lipscomb has won three straight and four of their last five as the team's offense has been humming. They've scored 86, 87 and 81 in their last three games and have been held less then 75 just twice the last month and a half and neither of those games were home. I think we see plenty of points in this one. 

Wazzu has lost three straight and four of their last seven entering this one. The Cougars are led by Robert Franks who is an underappreciated scorer. This team plays a lot better at home where they've scored 70 or more in four straight and five of their last seven in conference. Their defense has been an issue though as they've allowed 70 or more in five straight and 11 of their last 12. This team has some high totals which is why they don't hit the over as much as they should. Oregon's offense isn't great, but they've scored 70 or more in three straight. They've definitely laid some eggs on the road scoring only 49 at USC and 57 at Oregon State, but I think they don't do that in Pullman. These two played in Eugene back on January 27th with the Ducks winning 78-58. Both teams shot over 50% from the court. I think we should see plenty of points and the over in this one. 

UMass and Richmond aren't exactly great on defense. The Spiders have an efficient offense that should be able to get whatever they want. If Luwane Pipkins plays, which it looks like he will, he will spark the offense that has laid some eggs at times. In a dead atmosphere at the Mullins Center, I think there will be plenty of scoring. 

Utah State has won six straight and is coming off the highly emotional 81-76 win over Nevada. The Aggies offense has scored 70 points or more in every game during this win streak with two of those going over and two others pushing. The Aggies defense has been not as good on the road allowing 71 at Boise State, 68 at San Diego State, 81 at Fresno State and 72 at Nevada. They've only lost three games in conference with two of those on the road. These two teams played a 87-72 game in Utah back on January 19th. Colorado State has won three of their last four and have been pretty good offensively at home against some opponents. They put up 83 on Wyoming, 82 on Nevada, 74 on Fresno State and 91 on New Mexico. There's some talent on this team, but there's also a lack of defense on this team. I just don't think we'll get a focused effort from the Aggies and the letdown will occur on defense. Give me the over. 

Toledo hosts Western Michigan on Tuesday night. The Broncos have lost three straight after a brief stretch of two wins in three contests. Their defense on the road has been leaky to say the least especially in conference where they've allowed 70, 77, 79, 85, 81, 79 and 88. The team's offense definitely could improve but there's some decent talent there. They did manage to score 77 at home in an 85-77 loss to the Rockets back on January 12th. Toledo's offense has scored 80 or more in three of their last five. They do play a little bit better defense at home so that's a concern, but they've also gone over in four of their last six overall. I can see the Rockets pouring it on as they continue to look for victories. This is a pretty nice mismatch. Give me the over. 

The Shockers have won six of their last eight and have gone over in four of those over that span with another being a push. The reason for that is an improved offense and a defense that has struggled at times to slow down the opponent. These two teams played an 85-83 game at Wichita back in January in which both teams shot the ball very well from long range. SMU has lost six of their last seven because they are playing next to no defense and have struggled a bit offensively. They allowed 95 at UCF, 82 at Temple, 85 at Wichita and 75 at home to Tulane. The over has hit in six of their last eight. I think this number is a little low for a game that will be played with some pace. 

It's meeting #2 between Colorado and Utah on Saturday in Colorado. These two played in Utah about a month and a half ago with the Utes winning 78-69. It was a huge blowout at halftime with the home team winning 41-19. Neither team shot all that well from long range which I think will benefit us in this one. At home Colorado averages 80.3 points per game while shooting nearly 50% from the court. Their defense holds opponents to just under 70. Utah's defense has disappeared as they've allowed over 80 points per contest over their last five games and 77 points per contest on the road. This team should be able to score themselves with their various weapons. They've gone over in 17 of their 27 lined contests. I think this one will as well.

There figures to be plenty of points as Oakland hosts IUPUI. Oakland has gone over in three straight after a long stretch of unders for the Grizzlies. Their last three games were 86-72, 95-75 and 89-73 wins. Oakland's been able to put up some points at home this season scoring 86, 95, 83, 74, 90 over their last five in-conference. IUPUI doesn't play good defense especially on the road where they've allowed 87, 89 and 75 in their last three contests away from home. This team has gone over in five of their last eight overall. I think there will be some good pace in this one and we'll see plenty of points. 

This one should see plenty of points on Saturday as Samford looks to extend their Saturday over streak. These two teams played a tremendous game at Wofford 107-106 in which Samford shot 66.7% and lost while Wofford checked in at 55.4% and won. Samford has gone over in four of five and eight of their last 11. They've got a pretty good offense and a mighty leaky defense that allows over 70 pretty regularly to teams who have good offenses. Wofford is explosive and has to continue to win games by healthy margins so they can look good for the committee. This one should see plenty of points.

The Jaguars have lost three of four since a three game win streak. South Alabama has a very good backcourt and plays with a decent pace. They've gone over in four of their last seven in conference and have the offense to be able to do some of the heavy lifting. They also have the requisite lack of defense that could help as well. Texas Arlington has lost three of four since they had a stretch of eight wins over nine contests. This team has greatly improved since a horrible non-conference start. Their defense has been bad and they've gone over in four of their seven conference contests including three of their last four. Their offense can contribute as well. I think this one should go over this somewhat lower total. 

Wofford is on the road at Chattanooga and are looking for style points as they continue to impress the committee. Wofford beat the Mocs 80-69 at home back on January 26th in a game that saw them outrebound their opponent by 15 including eight on the offensive boards. The Terriers are averaging over 80 points per game in conference play. They are also coming off two straight games against the upper level of the conference in Furman and Greensboro. On the road Wofford has scored 72, 78, 99, 76, 90, 72 and 74. Chattanooga has lost three of four and seven of their last nine. They have struggled to score a bit and would love to get Kevin Easley back from injury. Their defense hasn't been very good giving up 78 at home to Greensboro as well as 105 at home to Western Carolina. I think this one should go over the total as Wofford has to keep their foot on the pedal. 

UMass has gone over in three straight and four of their last five as they host Dayton. These two teams played in Ohio back on January 13th with the Minutemen losing 72-67. UMass has some decent scorers, but more importantly, they have an awful defense. They allowed 79 at GW on 2/20 and 85 at home to lowly Fordham. Luwane Pipkins is healthy right now so that helps along with Holloway inside. Dayton has gone over in three straight and four of their last five as well. The Flyers have scored 74 at Davidson, 77 at Rhode Island, 75 at Fordham, 89 at St. Bonaventure and 71 at VCU. Common thread is that their offense travels. I think it will once again in Amherst where we will see a higher scoring game. 

This first meeting went to North Alabama 91-88 on the road way back towards the start of conference play. It was part of a four game win streak way back in early January. Since then, the Lions have gone 2-7 with the wins coming over Kennesaw State. North Alabama's offense is very hot and cold especially at home although they did manage to score 70 there against tightly defensed Liberty. They've played scores at home of 76-71, 82-73 and 80-70 their last three contests there. Jacksonville wants to play a quicker game with guys like Notae, Hogan and Davis playing well. They've allowed 70, 86, 73, 86, 77, 69 and 70 on the road in conference play. Their offense can be very potent themselves so I think this one could see a ton of points. Overall, Jacksonville has played games with scores of 77-73, 80-73, 93-70, 86-77 and 82-73 in their last five. This one should go over. 

Montana is rolling right now having won 10 straight entering this one against Northern Colorado. The Grizzlies started this win streak with a win over the Bears back on January 12th beating them 88-64 in their gym. Montana has gone over in six of their last eight as their offense has scored 75 or more in all eight and nine of their last 10. They are without Jamar Akoh who is their beast in the middle which means Montana is playing a bit faster with Ahmaad Rorie and Sayeed Pridgett playing a lot better. Defensively, there's still some leaks as they've allowed 70 or more in three of their last four. Northern Colorado has gone under in nine of their last 10 or so as they've played some very good defense. The problem is that none of those offenses were as strong as tonight's opponent. They allowed 88 at Eastern Washington last time out. This team also gave up 78 at Weber State as well. I think this one is played with an over pace.

These two played in Tennessee just over a month ago with Greensboro winning 75-68 on the road in a game that had a similar 141 total. The Spartans have a very potent duo in Francis Alonso and Isaiah Miller to go along with four others who average between seven and 10 points per game. At home this team has scored 79, 75, 93, 88, 83, 89, 43 and 85 in conference play. They have been leaky at times on defense too giving up 76 to lowly Western Carolina and 81 to Mercer as well. ETSU has gone over in five straight and nine of their last 11. They have been a very potent team as of late and want to play with a quicker pace. This team is very hot and cold when it comes to defense allowing 70 and 82 to lowly VMI as well as 91 at Furman. To me, this one should be pretty close and played with some pace even though Greensboro prefers it a little slower. I think the over is the way to go on this one. 

Toledo is back home as they host NIU on Saturday night. The Rockets have lost two straight after a five game win streak. This team has plenty of fire power to score on offense especially at home where they average almost 80 points per game. The Rockets have a ton of talent and a ton of depth. The problem for them has been defense especially as of late. In MAC play, they are allowing 72.4 points per contest. On the other end you have an NIU squad that has had the bottom fall out losing five straight. They are doing so because the offense has been miserable lately. The defense has been very hot and cold although they are coming off allowing 87 points at home against Bowling Green. These two played at NIU back on February 2nd with the Rockets winning 69-55. Toledo has scored 69, 97, 82 and 88 in their last four games in this series. I think they get their frustrations out in an easy win on Saturday that goes over the total.

Duquesne has gone over in six of their last nine as they take on George Mason in Fairfax. This young team has to have a bunch of confidence right now as they have scored 70 points or more in three straight and nine of their last 11 games. They have some solid inside and outside shooters. Greg Calixte is questionable for the Patriots with the concussion and that would be big if he couldn't play again. Mason has lost three of their last five with all those coming on the road. They have gone over in five straight and six of their last eight as their offense has clicked at home with their defense being hot and cold. I think this one goes over the total as Duquesne stresses the home team.

Longwood has lost five of their last seven as they host Campbell on Saturday. The Lancers played the Camels back on February 2nd losing 83-62 in that one. Since that game, this team has played contests with scores of 89-88, 62-59, 83-79 and 86-66. They have not collapsed offensively with the loss of their leading scorer. Instead, guys like Shawbooty Phillips have taken over. The problems come on defense where they don't slow too many teams down. Both of these teams play modestly paced offenses. Chris Clemons is smoking hot for Campbell right now scoring 23 points or more in seven straight games. They've played some high and low scoring games. The team lost 76-71 at Presbyterian in their last road game. I think this one is an over too on Senior Day for Longwood.

Evansville has lost five straight and nine of their last 10. A lot of it is because of their poor defense that has allowed six opponents to shoot 50% or better. The Purple Aces have been hot and cold offensively scoring 58, 73, 62, 74 and 66 in their last five road games. They want to play faster under Walter McCarty, but don't have the weapons to do so. On the opposite side, you have a Bradley team that has been known for their defense, but the offense is coming around. They scored 96 at home against Indiana State just a few weeks ago. They beat Evansville 81-73 on the road back on January 30th. This team is a slower squad, but doesn't mind pushing the pace a little when they get the chance. I think this total is a little low and this one should go over the total.

These two played an 82-80 game in Auburn with the Wildcats getting the road win. They were able to shoot well and hold down Auburn in a few key areas. It'll be interesting to see what happens without Reid Travis. Could we see Kentucky go really small and crank up the pace a little bit? They'll have to keep up with a very potent Auburn backcourt. Then again, a faster game benefits the road team. Auburn has gone over in eight of their 10 games when the total is in the 140s. The Wildcats are averaging 80 points per game at home and allowing around 62. I just think there will be some decent pace to this one and with it being close at the end, then I think FTs come into play. Give me the over.

ETSU has gone over in four straight and 10 of their last 13 as they play at VMI. They've got a bigger game coming up this weekend at UNC Greensboro so focus could be a bit of an issue as they play at sleepy Lexington. These two played an 85-82 game in Tennessee back in January. This is an offense that is very potent and the defense has been a little leaky as of late too. They allowed 91 at Furman, 83 to the Citadel and 78 to Wofford in a few of the past games. VMI has lost seven straight and their defense has allowed 96, 95, 84, 71, 93, 84 and 88 over that stretch. Their offense should be able to add to this total, but I also think that this game could be closer. Give me the over as both teams light up the scoreboard. 

William and Mary hosts Charleston on Thursday night. Whenever you talk about Charleston, you go right to the backcourt of Brantley and Riller which is absolutely fantastic. This team goes as they go and lately the other thing that's gone is their defense. Charleston has gone over in four straight with scores of 83-75, 86-84, 99-95 and 88-79. The team had a stretch where they held four straight opponents to 60 points or less, but now that has abandoned them. The Tribe have gone over in three of their last four as the offense has returned. They've scored 80 or more four times in their last seven games. Nathan Knight is a handful for anyone to have to cover especially one-on-one. Last year, these two played a 114-104 game in Williamsburg. I think this one goes over too. 

San Jose State has been an underdog 20 times this season and has gone over in 14 of those. The Spartans have allowed nearly 80 points per game at home and 87.6 points per contest over their last five. This offense is atrocious so we're really going to need Colorado State to do a lot of the legwork. CSU's offense is no great shakes, but their defense is brutal too. They allowed 74 at lowly Wyoming, 100 at Nevada, 87 at Utah State and 78 at Fresno and UNLV. SJSU has scored 70 points or more just nine times this season. I think this one will be played with a nice pace and both teams should be able to score against the other's leaky defense. 

Butler has lost four of their last seven entering this one. One of those was a 76-58 home loss to this Marquette team in a game that saw the road team shoot 56.9% from the field while the Bulldogs managed just a 32.8%. Butler's offense has scored 70 or more in every game since then. Their defense has also been mighty leaky allowing 70 or more in six of their last eight. Butler does a terrible job of guarding shooters which is not how you attack Marquette. The Golden Eagles are a very good shooting team especially at home. They've scored 66, 69, 79, 79, 70 and 70 at home in conference play. The team's defense is good, but not great. I think we could see a better effort from Kamar Baldwin and Butler in this one. Marquette should be able to get whatever they want offensively. I could see them winning this one rather easily. They have 11 double digit home wins this season.

Denver has been absolutely brutal on defense as of late. The Pioneers have allowed 90 or more in three of their last five contests with the other two teams scoring 81 and 78 against them. This is a slower paced team, but they managed to put up 81 last time out on Fort Wayne and 82 on South Dakota State. Denver has three double digit scorers who will stress a defense. South Dakota has lost four of their last five and their defense has also had some issues this season as they allowed over 100 points to Nebraska Omaha and Fort Wayne. These two played back on January 2nd with South Dakota winning 71-70. In that one both teams shot pretty well with Denver going 50% from the court. South Dakota has gone over in four straight and eight of their last 12. I think we should see plenty of points in this one. 

Two of the lesser teams in the A-Sun play on Wednesday night as Kennesaw State hosts North Alabama. The Owls have won two of their last six at home over North Florida and NJIT. This team doesn't have a ton of talent although the Hooker kid is a very good scorer. At home KSU has allowed 83, 62, 64, 72, 62 and 90. They just don't play a ton of defense, but do have some flashes of offense. They did lose 76-71 at North Alabama back on January 24th. North Alabama has lost five straight after a five win in six game stretch. The Lions have allowed 80, 82, 71, 102 and 76 during this current losing streak. Their lowest point total allowed on the road this season in conference was 71 to Florida Gulf Coast. Once again, offense is a concern here as well, but I think they can do their part in what will presumably be a closer game. Give me the over in this one. 

Baylor has lost three of four entering the beehive that is Ames Iowa. King McClure and Makai Mason are both questionable for this one and they are needed for this offense that has struggled as of late. The Bears scored 61 at Texas Tech in a 25 point loss on the road over the weekend. This offense has so much potential even if one of them return. Baylor has gone over in four of five and 10 of their last 14 as well. The defense has been troublesome on the road allowing 84 at Texas, 73 at West Virginia and 85 at TCU. Iowa State has gone over in three straight and six of their last seven. They have scored 83, 65, 93 and 72 in their last four home contests. The offense has a lot of balance, but not a ton of depth. They have scored 70 or more in seven of their last eight. The defense can be exploited a bit so that will help the over. The first meeting was a 73-70 game in Waco. I think we could see something similar in this one. 

UNI was known for being a slow team that played good defense. Well now, you could consider them to be offensive juggernauts with what they've accomplished as of late. The Panthers have scored 77, 77, 71 in their last three games and have gone over the total in eight of their last nine. UNI's defense has been very porous on the road allowing 70 or more to four of their last five MVC opponents. These two teams played at UNI back on January 26th with the Panthers winning 81-74 at home. Evansville wants to run under Walter McCarty but the offense has gotten stale at times. They have scored 70 or more just six times in conference so far. Luckily for the over, their defense can be beaten as well. To me, this one should go over the total unless UNI returns to their tight defensive ways. 

It's been a brutal year for Wyoming who has lost nine of their last 11 games. The Cowboys don't have a ton of players and certainly don't have a ton of talent on the team. At home, they've played a little bit better with wins over Colorado State and San Jose State. The Cowboys have allowed 75 points or more in four of five and six of their last nine. Nevada has gone over in four of five and five of their last seven as they have cranked up the tempo. They have scored 90 or more in four of those contests and it seems like their depth and talent are wearing teams down. The Wolf Pack should be able to get anything that they want. I think they could get 80 or 90 points and that should be enough for us to get the over.

San Jose State's defense is one of the worst in the country. Over their last four games, they've allowed 92, 105, 67 and 103 points. These two teams played in Vegas back on January 19th with the Rebels scoring 94 in a 94-56 win. I wish I could say that San Jose State's offense will do it's part, but I think UNLV's lack of defense will help facilitate things. The Rebels have allowed 70 or more in six straight and seven of their last nine. The offense should be able to get whatever they want too. They allowed 82 at Utah State and 106 at Air Force. Give me the over in this one.

It's round two between these two teams. Lipscomb won 86-57 back on January 21st. Kennesaw State is one of the worst teams in the country. The Owls have played a little bit of defense at home holding three of their last four opponents to 65 points or less. The problem is that none of them were really that potent. This squad struggles against anyone really with offensive talent. The Bisons are going to be quite ornery after losing 74-66 at home to Liberty. That snapped a streak of seven straight games scoring 75 or more. Lipscomb wants to get up and down and I don't think they'll have much of an issue doing it. Even against some of the lesser teams in the conference, their defense has allowed some points. This one should be really ugly and will go over the total. 

Mercer had a stretch of 11 of 12 overs, but has gone under in their last four. The Bears have scored 74, 81, 93, 70, 74 and 58 on the road in conference and lost by four 72-68 at home to East Tennessee State. The Bears have four double digit scorers for teams to worry about led by Ross Cummings and Ethan Stair. ETSU has gone over in three straight, seven of nine and nine of their last 12. This team is very tough at home although they've lost two of their last three there falling to Wofford and UNC Greensboro. Seven different players average eight points per game or more. Their defense has been a little shaky as of late, but had been a strength a lot of the year. To me, this one is going to be played in the 70s which goes over the total. 

I tried Charleston last time out and they fell short against Hofstra. The Cougars offense got a lot of Grant Riller and Jarrell Brantley, but it couldn't slow down the Pride. Now they've got a Northeastern team that may or may not have Vasa Pusica and Shawn Occeus. Now, Pusica is only dealing with an illness and he's played just 18 games. Jordan Roland, Donnell Gresham and Bolden Brace are the other big time options for the Huskies who are hot, but they've also struggled at times on the road against quality competition. Northeastern has gone over in every conference road game except the Hofstra one and that was falling three points short. Both teams can play good defense, but they've also allowed more points against quality competition. The 69-60 Huskies win back about a month ago saw Northeastern shoot well and make some stops. With the venue changing, I expect more points.

Southern Miss has gone over in four straight and five of their last seven as they host UTEP. The Golden Eagles offense has scored 70 or more in five straight as the offense has caught fire. They've got plenty of weapons to throw at UTEP. At home, this team hasn't had much of an issue in conference outside of the 63 scored against Western Kentucky. The Miners aren't that good of a basketball team. They've scored less then 65 points several times in conference, but they've also been pretty bad on defense away from home. Louisiana Tech put up 71, Marshall 91 and Western Kentucky 76. The least they've allowed on the road was that La Tech game. The pace may not be to our liking, but I think USM can make things happen in this one. Give me the over. 

South Carolina Upstate is 6-21 on the season and they've won just once this calendar year. The team has struggled on defense on the road giving up 82 at Campbell, 71 at UNC Asheville, 88 at Hampton and 71 at High Point. Their offense isn't very good, but there are still some decent options. Malik Moore and Deion Holmes are the dynamic duo for the road squad. Longwood wants to get up and down a little bit at home. They've played games of 89-88, 96-83, 55-51, 72-59, 101-91 and 67-62 at home. The Lancers lost at SC Upstate 80-63 back on January 26th, but they had leading scorer Isaiah Walton then. Now they are led by Shabooty Phillips and JaShaun Smith. I think this one should over the lower total.

Texas Arlington had an absolutely awful non-conference schedule, but has won eight of their last nine in Sun Belt play. They've done so with an offense that is smoking hot scoring 70 or more in six straight. Their defense has deserted them a bit on the road allowing 77 at Texas State and Georgia State and 67 at Georgia Southern as well. The Trojans have won two straight after a five game losing streak. They've gone over in nine of their last 13 contests and do so with an offense that has been fantastic and diverse. They've got several double digit scorers and would be better if not for a very leaky defense. These two played in Texas on January 19th with the home team winning 82-73. I can see a similar score as UALR wants to push the pace. Give me the over.

The Buckeyes have reeled off three wins and four of their last five as they host Illinois on Thursday night. It's a lazy game at home before a big road trip to Michigan State to play a Spartans team they lost by nine to at home. Ohio State has gone over in two of their last three games and either they or their opponent has scored 70 points or more in every home game. This team has gone back and forth between good offense and good defense. Illinois has gone over in three of their last four as they build some confidence at home in wins over Rutgers, Michigan State and Nebraska. The Illini want to play with a quicker pace, but have also had some defensive issues. They've allowed 86 at Minnesota, 95 at Iowa, 73 at Indiana and 68 at Northwestern in conference play. The offense has scored 70 or more in five straight and seven of their last eight. I think we could get a slightly unfocused OSU which means more points by the road team. 

New Mexico has lost seven of their last nine since beating Nevada. The Lobos problem has been on the defensive side where they have allowed 80 or more five times since that win. Their offense has been good at home for the most part scoring 80 or more in three contests in conference play. They should be rather pissed off after losing by nearly 30 at Nevada. San Jose State is atrocious as a team. They've lost their last two road games 105-57 at Boise State and 103-73 at Utah State. Their offense isn't great, but the lack of defense is going to benefit us. The over has hit in three of four and seven of their last nine. Go back even farther and they've hit the over in nine of their last 12. I think the Lobos could crack 100 themselves in this one. 

Temple has gone under in four straight games after a stretch of eight straight overs. The Owls have had some problems on defense especially at home where they allowed 76 to Memphis, 77 to Penn and 80 to South Florida. Their offense should get a lot better though as they have no problems scoring there. They need to keep winning after a horrible 18 point loss at Tulsa. Rose and Alston are the best backcourt in the AAC and they've got some solid side pieces as well. SMU has lost four straight and six of their last seven. They've gone over in four of their last five after seven straight unders. This team is a lot like Temple in that their offense is very hit or miss and their defense has issues. They allowed 73 at Cincy, 85 at Wichita State and 81 at Memphis. These two have played a bunch of unders as of late, but I think that trend stops on Wednesday. 

North Florida tries to start a win streak as they build off an 82-73 win at North Alabama. The Ospreys want to get up and down the court and at home they've had some success doing so. Since the beginning of the year, they've scored 104, 96, 87, 72, 81 and 55 points at home. This team's defense was what let them down during the skid. They've allowed 70 or more in eight straight including giving up 81 to Kennesaw State at their place just a few weeks ago. Kennesaw State wants a little bit of a slower game, but on the road they've allowed 82, 92, 76, 86 and 72 in conference. The offense could be an issue here, but I think North Florida exercises some frustrations and wins this one easily. I think this one is an over. 

UNLV has lost four of their last five as the defense has been absolutely hideous. The Runnin Rebels have allowed 83, 72, 82, 87 and 94 in their last five games. Two of those came at home against Nevada and Fresno State. UNLV got wrecked at Air Force 106-88 back on January 16th as the Falcons shot nearly 60% in the win. The worry for this play is AFA away from home isn't as strong. They scored just 51 at San Diego State a game after putting up 73 at San Jose State. It's a little harder for this team to get their slower pace on the road. They have allowed 70 or more in three conference road games. Last year these two played a 97-90 game and a 81-73 contest in Vegas. I'll take the over once again. 

We hit the over in this game when it was in Drake and we're going to try it once again in this one. SIU has gone over in five of their last six with part of that being because of lower totals, but this offense is starting to come alive. In four of their last six, they have scored 70 or more points. There's some solid balance in this offense and the defense has been a little leaky. They allowed 73 at home to Evansville last time out and 73 to Indiana State back on January 30th and that's a team that can't shoot. Drake has gone over in two straight games. Their offense has been very hot and cold scoring 83 against UNI last time out, but before then putting up less then 70 in three straight. Their defense has been struggling a bit as well. I think this lower number gives us a chance to hit the over with a Salukis team that should be able to score. 

Boston College has gone over in 28 of their last 38 home games and 33 of their last 50 ACC contests as well. The Eagles continue to struggle on defense especially at home. They allowed 79 to Notre Dame, 77 to Syracuse, 82 to Florida State and 83 to Virginia at home. The offense is more then capable of scoring even without Wynton Tabbs. They put up 70 or better in every game outside of UVA. The Panthers have gone over in three of four and six of their last 10. Pitt has put up 76 in each of their last two games against NC State and Wake. I think this one is played with some pace and I think it's going to go over the total. 

San Diego State is fantastic at home offensively for the most part. Before scoring only 66 against Air Force, they put up 94 on UNLV, 97 on New Mexico and 84 on Wyoming. The Aztecs defense has been a struggle against their better opponents. They have allowed 70 or more to New Mexico, UNLV and Boise State. Utah State has gone over in six of their last nine and it's because of an offense that has scored 80 or more in three straight and five of their last six. The defense has had their rough moments on the road, but the offense is capable of carrying this total. I think this is a close game as well. That should help us get the over.

Drexel is back home where they average nearly 80 points per game. Offense hasn't been an issue for the Dragons this season, but defense is where they struggle. They allow almost 77 points per contest in conference play. Drexel beat Charleston at their place 79-78 in a game that was 49-41 at halftime. Charleston has Riller and Brantley as a great duo who should be able to get whatever they want. This team is coming off an 83-75 win at Delaware. They also played a 86-72 contest at Hofstra as well. They want to play defense and slow things down, but it's a little harder on the road. I think this one is going to be an over especially since it's going to be close.

Hofstra is 13-0 at home where they are outscoring teams 88.2 - 68.3 while shooting over 50% from the court. They are coming off an absolute pasting of Elon in which they put up 102 points. Justin Wright-Foreman is incredible as a scorer and William and Mary struggles to play defense on the road. They have allowed 72, 74, 93, 66 and 58 on the road in conference. These two played back on January 10th with Hofstra winning 93-90. William and Mary's offense should be able to put up some points here too. I think this one is an over.

TCU has lost two of their last three and has not won a road game since beating SMU at their place back in December. The Horned Frogs have allowed 90, 84, 65, 76 and 77 in conference away from Fort Worth. Their offense has been in a bit of a lull as of late scoring 70 or less in six straight. They are capable of putting up some points though. Iowa State has won four straight and six of their last seven. They've got a ton of weapons on offense and have scored 70 or more in five of their last six. Their defense has been very hot and cold as the over has hit in four of their last five. Last year these two played a 89-83 game and a 96-73 one as well. Each squad is a little bit better defensively so I don't expect that but I do like the over. 

The Jaguars have won two straight after a five game losing streak. South Alabama has gone over in all but two of their conference games with one of those coming against Arkansas State on the road in a game where they lost 66-65. The Jags have fantastic guards and have scored 80 or more in three of their last four. They are clearly more comfortable at home this season. The Red Wolves have won two of their last three and have gone over in six of their last nine contests. They do it a little differently with Ty Cockfield doing a lot of the heavy lifting. ASU has allowed 83, 77, 68, 85 and 83 on the road in Sun Belt play. To me, this one should be played with some pace and should go over the total. 

I'll take a shot on the over here. Youngstown State has gone over in five of their seven home games. This team just doesn't care about defense too much. They have allowed 70 or more in seven straight and 11 of their last 12. The offense has been pretty good itself with five of their last six scoring 70 or more. Youngstown put forth one of their better defensive efforts at Milwaukee beating them 76-51. I don't expect that to occur once again. This is the Panthers fourth straight road game. They are a very hot and cold team offensively with three efforts of 65 points or less in their last four game, but sandwiched around that are solid offensive efforts. I realize that this could be a lower scoring game, but I'll take a shot that both defenses are leaky and this one gets played in the 70s. 

Two of the better teams in the conference play as ETSU hosts Wofford. These two played at Wofford with the Terriers winning 79-62 in a game that saw them shoot 50.9% from the field and ETSU miss 11 free throws. The scene shifts where ETSU is 10-1 averaging 86.1 points per game. They are also playing a lot better defense there. The team has gone over in seven of those contests as you'd expect. Wofford is 7-3 on the road and has not lost in conference. The team is shooting 51% from the field in those games while averaging over 84 points per contest. ETSU has gone over in 23 of their last 33 home games including six of eight this season. I think this one goes over the total as well.

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. 

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.

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. 

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.