At 7:08 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Montreal Canadiens (21) and the Toronto Maple Leafs (22) in Game Five of their North Division Semifinals series. THE SITUATION: Montreal (25-24-11) looks to stave off elimination after losing Game Four of this series on Tuesday by a 4-0 score. Toronto (38-16-6) has won the last three games in a row in this series.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Canadiens’ lack of star power is rearing its head in this series. They have only scored four goals in this series — and they have scored just twice in the last 187:16 minutes of this series. A line with castoffs like Tomas Tatar — a left wing that should both Detroit and then Vegas was comfortable in letting go — on the top line (and being a primary scorer) demonstrates what little scoring talent this team has. Tatar would be a fine left wing on the third line of a playoff team. Playing on the road compounds the problem for Montreal since Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe can target his best defensive pair against the Canadiens’ best scoring threat line. Younger stars like second-line center Nick Suzuki or Jesperi Kotkaniemi or 5’7 rookie Cole Caufield lack experience to play dominant roles without plenty of help that this team simply does not have — and they sure do miss second line left winger Jonathan Drouin who opted-out of the postseason with a medical issue. Montreal has played 15 of their last 22 road games Under the Total as an underdog. The Canadiens have not scored on their 13 Power Plays in this series. Moving forward, Montreal has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total when playing their third game in four days. Additionally, the Under is 8-3-1 in their last 12 games after a loss by at least three goals — and the Under is 4-1-1 in their last 6 games after a loss by three or more goals at home. The Canadiens perhaps played too loose in Game Four to create more scoring chances — but that style also allowed the Maple Leafs to generate 10 high-danger scoring chances on Tuesday after both teams were only averaging 10.6 combined high-danger scoring chances per game in the first four games of this series. Montreal needs to go back to simply trying to grind out low-scoring games relying on Carey Price. The goalie has been solid with a 2.58 Goals-Against-Average and a .920 save percentage in this series. The Under is 7-1-2 in Toronto’s last 10 games after a win — and they have played 9 of their last 11 games Under the Total after a win by three or more goals. The Maple Leafs have also played 15 of their last 20 home games Under the Total after a win by four or more goals on the road. Toronto is getting it done without much production their superstars — Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner have combined for only one point. Goalie Jack Campbell has been great with a 1.01 Goals-Against-Average and a .965 save percentage. The Under is 6-2-1 in their last 9 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. Furthermore, the Maple Leafs have played 4 of their last 5 playoff games Under the Total when favored.

FINAL TAKE: Toronto will likely be quite content playing a conservative, defensive-first approach since it is getting them more comfortable for a style that has stymied them in the past when playing Atlantic Division rival Boston. These two teams have played 4 of their last 5 meetings Under the Total. 25* NHL 1st Round North Division Playoff Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Montreal Canadiens (21) and the Toronto Maple Leafs (22). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:35 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Atlanta Hawks (543) and the New York Knicks (544) in Game Two of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Atlanta (42-31) has won five games in a row after their 107-105 victory in Madison Square Garden against the Knicks as a 2.5-point favorite on Sunday. New York (41-32) had their three-game winning streak snapped with the loss.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Atlanta allowed the Knicks to make 44.7% of their shots which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last four games. The Hawks have played 4 straight games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 6 of their last 9 games Under the Total after a narrow win by six points or less. Atlanta was energized by the return of De’Andre Hunter to the court on Sunday after he missed much of the regular season to injury. Hunter is an excellent on-the-ball defender. The Hawks hold their opponents to -7.4 fewer points per 100 possessions when they have Hunter on the court. Hunter’s defense of the Knicks’ Julius Randle played a large role in his making only 6 of 23 shots from the field in Game One. Atlanta has improved on defense since Nate McMillan took over as head coach — they are third in the NBA by holding their opponents to just 34.9% shooting from downtown. The Knicks has made 42.5% of their 3-pointer since the start of April which was the best mark in the league — but they only made 10 of 30 (33%) shots from behind the arc in Game One. Against this Hawks’ defense jumpstarted by the return of Hunter, I don’t see New York approaching their recent 3-point shooting numbers in this series. Atlanta’s fresh legs will only help their defensive efforts. The Hawks have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total when playing with two days of rest — and they have played 5 straight Unders when playing just their second game in seven days. Additionally, Atlanta has played 4 of their last 5 road games Under the Total as an underdog. New York allowed the Hawks to make 46.7% of their shots which tied the highest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last 11 games. The Knicks have an opponent’s field goal percentage of 44.0% — and they have held their last five opponents to just a 41.7% shooting clip even after Sunday’s game. New York has played 15 of their last 22 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 9 of their last 11 games Under the Total after a loss by six points or less. They are not likely to get 27 points again from Alec Burks who made 9 of his 13 shots in Game One. But head coach Tom Thibodeau should make some adjustments on defense for this contest. The Knicks have played 15 of their last 23 games Under the Total after winning three of their last four games. They have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total on their home court — and they have played 7 of their last 10 home games Under the Total against teams with a losing record on the road. Furthermore, New York has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total when the favorite.

FINAL TAKE: The Knicks have played 5 of the last 6 games Under the Total when playing with revenge from a loss of three points or less. 25* NBA Wednesday TNT Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Atlanta Hawks (543) and the New York Knicks (544). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:45 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Minnesota Wild (79) and the Vegas Golden Knights (80) in Game Five of their West Division Semifinals series. THE SITUATION: Minnesota (36-19-5) finds themselves on the brink of elimination after losing Game Four of this series by a 4-0 score on Saturday. Vegas (43-14-3) has won the last three games in this series.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: I waited until getting the news as to which players were skating for the Golden Knights tonight — top pair defensemen Alex Martinez and Brayden McNabb are on the ice so they should play. But there is no sign of Max Pacioretty and Thomas Nosek so Vegas is still undermanned at forward. Pacioretty led the team with 24 goals in the regular season. This news is the final evidence to take the Under in this one. Despite scoring four goals (one empty netter) in Game Four, Vegas managed only 17 shots. As it is, the Golden Knights have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a win — and they have played 10 of their last 13 games Under the Total after a win on the road by more than one goal. Vegas returns home where they have played 4 straight Unders. Additionally, the Under is 4-1-1 in the Knights’ last 6 games as a favorite — and the Under is 15-5-1 in their last 21 games in the playoffs when favored. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has been outstanding with a .966 save percentage in this series. He has registered a nifty +6.3 saves above expected saves mark. Minnesota has played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total after suffering an upset loss at home. Additionally, the Wild have played 4 of their last games Under the Total after a loss by at least three goals. Minnesota’s Game Four loss came on the heels of them losing Game Three by a 5-2 score. The Wild have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after losing two games in a row by more than one goal. Furthermore, Minnesota has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total on the road as an underdog — and they have played 5 of their last 6 playoff games Under the Total as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 4 of their last 5 meetings Under the Total — and they have played 4 straight Unders when playing in Las Vegas. 25* NHL 1st Round West Division Playoff Total o the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Minnesota Wild (79) and the Vegas Golden Knights (80). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Boston Celtics (505) and the Brooklyn Nets (506) in Game One of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Boston (37-36) has won two of their last three games after their 118-100 victory over Washington in the Play-In Tournament as a 1.5-point favorite on Tuesday. Brooklyn (48-24) has won five games in a row with their 123-109 win against Cleveland as a 13-point favorite on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Celtics have played 27 of their last 37 games Under the Total after a double-digit win — and they have played 10 of their last 12 games Under the Total after a win by at least 15 points. Boston has also played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a point spread victory. The Celtics go back on the road where they have played 4 of their last five games Under the Total as an underdog. Boston will really miss Jaylen Brown on both ends of the court in this series — but they are still a better defensive team than their season numbers indicate. Marcus Smart is their best on-the-ball defender — and he was injured for much of the season. Head coach Brad Stevens is not going to have his team attempt to run-and-gun with the Nets — they cannot win that game. Instead, he will likely want to slow the pace down and see if Jaylen Brown can keep his team in the game while he out-coaches Steve Nash and Mike D’Antoni on the Brooklyn sidelines. Boston has played 4 straight playoff games Under the Total when an underdog. Brooklyn has played 6 of their last 9 games Under the Total when playing with at least three days of rest. And while they have covered the point spread in five straight games, they have then played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after covering the point spread in at least four straight games. Brooklyn’s defense is improving — while the Cavaliers made 44.7% of their shots on Sunday, that was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last four games. The Nets have made at least 47.1% of their shots in five straight games — but they have then played 9 of their last 13 games Under the Total after shooting at least 47% from the field in five straight.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams just played on April 23rd when the Nets won by a 109-104 score. The Total closed at 224.5 for that game that finished Under — that was the 4th straight Under between these two teams. With the number being bet up into the 230s, the value is with the Under. 10* NBA Boston-Brooklyn ABC-TV O/U Special with Under the Total in the game between the Boston Celtics (505) and the Brooklyn Nets (506). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 4:40 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Dallas Mavericks (509) and the Los Angeles Clippers (510) in Game One of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Dallas (42-30) had their two-game winning streak snapped in a 136-121 upset loss at Minnesota last Sunday. Los Angeles (47-25) has suffered two straight upset losses after their 117-112 upset loss at Oklahoma City as an 8-point favorite on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Dallas allowed the Timberwolves to make 54.4% of their shots on Sunday which was the worst defensive effort in their last three games. Head coach Rick Carlisle has seen improvement with his team’s play on the defensive end of the court in the second half of the season. While ranking 21st in the NBA in Defensive Rating for the season, they improved to 13th over their last 15 games (and that ranking is a bit skewed against them once their seeding was set and they rested players). The Mavericks have played 4 of their last 6 games Under the Total after an upset loss as a road favorite. Dallas has also played 6 straight Unders when playing with at least three days of rest — and they have played 10 of their last 11 games Under the Total when not playing more than their fourth game in ten days. The fresh legs should help the Mavericks defense in this one. They stay on the road where they have played 8 of their last 9 road games Under the Total as an underdog. They have played 11 of their last 12 games Under the Total against teams winning at least 60% of their games. And in their last 24 games as an underdog overall, Dallas has played 19 of these games Under the Total. Los Angeles allowed the Thunder to make 53.2% of their shots after Houston to make 53.5% of their shots in their previous game. The Clippers should clean things up on defense — they ranked 8th in the league in Defensive Rating this season. That solid Adjusted Defensive Efficiency number should improve substantially in the playoffs with everyone healthy and back on the court. Patrick Beverley missed 35 games. Kawhi Leonard missed 20 games. Paul George missed 18 games. Serge Ibaka missed 31 games. Those four players are all outstanding defenders. Los Angeles has played 9 of their last 10 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and the Under is 6-1-1 in their last 8 games after a point spread loss. The time off should help this veteran team — they have played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total when playing with at least three days of rest, and they have played 25 of their last 35 games Under the Total when not playing more than their fourth game in ten days. They return home where the Under is 5-0-1 in their last 6 games. The Under is also 7-3-1 in the Clippers’ last 11 games as a favorite.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 4 straight Unders including the Mavericks’ 105-89 victory at home as a 2-point underdog on March 17th in the last meeting between these two teams. The Total was set at 225 for that game so that result finished well below the number. Los Angeles has also played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total when avenging an upset loss on the road. 10* NBA Dallas-LA Clippers ESPN O/U Special with Under the Total in the game between the Dallas Mavericks (509) and the Los Angeles Clippers (510). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:08 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Winnipeg Jets (45) and the Edmonton Oilers (46) in Game Two of their North Division playoff series. THE SITUATION: Winnipeg (31-23-3) has won three games in a row after upsetting the Oilers in the opening game of this series on Wednesday by a 4-1 score. Edmonton (35-20-2) has lost two games in a row.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Jets can play tonight’s Game Two loose having already seized home-ice advantage in this series. Winnipeg has played 9 of their last 15 games Over the Total after a win on the road — and they have won 4 of their last 6 games Over the Total after winning at least three games in a row. The Jets have a balanced scoring attack with eight players who have scored at least 10 goals. Winnipeg expects to get second-line center Pierre-Luc Dubois back on the ice after he missed Game One — he says he is “ready to go.” Dubois had eight goals and 12 assists in his 41 games playing in a Jets’ uniform after getting traded from Columbus in late January. Winnipeg has played 8 of their last 12 road games Over the Total with the number set at 5.5 — and the Over is 9-4-2 in their last 15 road games as an underdog. Edmonton has played 4 straight games Over the Total after allowing at least four goals in a loss to a divisional rival. The Oilers have only scored two goals in their last two games after ending their regular season with a 4-1 loss at home to Vancouver. Edmonton has played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after not scoring more than one goal in two straight games. Don’t expect this team led by Conner McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to continue to struggle to score goals — even against Connor Hellebuyck. They registered 3.09 expected goals — but neither star play registered a point on Wednesday. McDavid dominated the Jets in the regular season as he scored nine goals with 15 assists in nine encounters. Draisaitl added seven goals and five assists. Edmonton only had one power play on Wednesday as well — and they led the NHL with a 27.6% conversion rate on the Power Play during the regular season with McDavid and Draisaitl playing together. Head coach Dave Tippett may choose to double shift his stars tonight with them playing together on some shifts. Edmonton will score goals tonight. They have played 7 of their last 9 playoff games Over the Total when favored.

FINAL TAKE: The Oilers have played 28 of their last 44 games Over the Total when playing with revenge from a loss where they allowed at least four goals. 25* NHL 1st Round Friday NBC Sports Network Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Winnipeg Jets (45) and the Edmonton Oilers (46). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:05 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Memphis Grizzlies (579) and the Golden State Warriors (580). THE SITUATION: Memphis (39-34) has won six of their last seven games after their 100-96 win against San Antonio as a 4.5-point favorite on Wednesday. Golden State (39-34) had their six-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday in their 103-100 loss at Los Angeles against the Lakers as a 5.5-point underdog. The winner of this game inherits the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs and a first-round date with Utah.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Grizzlies have played 7 of their last 11 games Under the Total after a close win by six points or less. They hit the road where they have played 4 of their last 5 road games Under the Total against teams with a winning record at home. Memphis has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record. Golden State has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 8 straight games Under the Total after a loss on the road by three points or less. Additionally, the Warriors have played 8 of their last 12 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss where they covered the point spread as an underdog. Golden State is fifth in the league in Defensive Rating — and they have played 19 of their last 26 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have 20 of their last 27 meetings Under the Total. They last played five days ago on Sunday at Golden State where the Warriors won by a 113-101 score. Memphis has played 21 of their last 30 games Under the Total on the road when avenging a double-digit loss. 10* NBA Memphis-Golden State ESPN O/U Special with Under the Total in the game between the Memphis Grizzlies (579) and the Golden State Warriors (580). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:10 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Indiana Pacers (575) and the Washington Wizards (576). THE SITUATION: Indiana (35-38) has won four of their last six games after their 144-117 win against Charlotte as a 1.5-point favorite in their first game in the Play-In Tournament on Tuesday. Washington (34-39) lost their initial Play-In Tournament game on Tuesday in a 118-105 loss at Boston as a 1.5-point underdog. The winner of this game inherits the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Indiana made 16 of their 35 shots (46%) from 3-point range en route to their 55.2% shooting percentage in their victory against the Pacers -- that shooting mark was the best effort in their last seven games. But Indiana has played 6 of their last 9 games Under the Total after making at least 50% of their shots in three straight games. The Pacers have also played 21 of their last 30 games Under the Total after scoring at least 130 points in their last game — and they have played 31 of their last 46 games Under the Total after a game where at least 245 points were scored. Indiana raced out to 40 points in the opening quarter against the Hornets which allowed them to control the pace and tempo of that game. But I do not expect things to be as easy tonight on the road in Washington — and I suspect the pressure of a single-elimination playoff game will negatively impact their shooting. With the Total in the high-230s, it only takes one bad quarter where they score under 25 points to ruin Over bets. I am well aware of the Over Train that Indiana has been on since they lost their defensive presence in the middle in Myles Turner. But the average combined score for the Pacers’ 26 games without Turner being 241.3 is why the over/under is so high for this game. The value is simply with the Under at this point. The Malcolm Brogdon factor makes the Under even stronger. The point guard missed all ten games in May with his hamstring injury before playing 21:20 minutes on Tuesday. He should play tonight but will not be at full strength. Two things with this. First, Indiana tends to play at a slower pace with Brogdon on the court since he is more of a traditional point guard. Second, because the Pacers will need Brodgon late in the game if the game is tight, head coach Nate Bjorkgren will likely want to not push him too much so he is still viable late in the game. Bjorkgren will still not have the services of Caris LeVert who remains out given COVID protocols. As it is, Indiana has played 10 of their last 13 games Under the Total after a double-digit win. And while the Pacers' final regular-season game was a 125-113 victory against Toronto on Sunday, they have played 13 of their last 15 games Under the Total after two straight double-digit wins. The Wizards are a high-scoring team that scores 116.4 PPG — but Indiana has played 35 of their last 54 road games in the second half of the season Under the Total against teams who are scoring at least 110 PPG. Washington has played 15 of their last 20 games Under the Total after a double-digit victory — and they have played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total after a win by 10 or more points on the road. The Wizards return home where they have played 9 of their last 12 games Under the Total — and they have played 7 of their last 9 home games Under the Total when favored. Washington also has a wounded guard with Bradley Beal not 100% with his hamstring.

FINAL TAKE: It sure might be tempting for bettors to take the Over after the three games between these two teams resulted in 265, 295, and 256 combined points. The Pacers allow their opponents to make 46.8% of their shots which results in 115.4 PPG — and the Wizards have played 25 of their last 40 games Under the Total against teams with an opponent’s field goal percentage of 46% or higher. Washington has also played 32 of their last 55 games Under the Total against teams who allow at least 110 PPG. 25* NBA Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Indiana Pacers (575) and the Washington Wizards (576). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Golden State Warriors (569) and the Los Angeles Lakers (570). THE SITUATION: Golden State (39-33) has won six straight games after their 113-101 win against Memphis as a 3-point favorite on Sunday. Los Angeles (42-30) has won five in a row with their 110-98 win at New Orleans on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Warriors have played 9 of their last 13 games Under the Total after a double-digit win. They go back on the road where they have played 19 of their last 26 games Under the Total. Golden State has also played 5 of their last 6 road games Under the Total as an underdog — and they have played 7 of their last 9 road games Under the Total against teams with a winning record at home. Steph Curry may get the most of the attention for this team but their defensive prowess has been under-appreciated. The Warriors are fifth in the NBA in Defensive Rating. A slimmed-down Draymond Green has been a beast. And in the team has played better on the defensive end of the court after the season-ending injury to rookie James Wiseman as it has allowed head coach Steve Kerr to give more minutes to veterans who are better on defense. Golden State leads the league in Defensive Rating in their last 20 games which has fueled their late-season run. They have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record. Los Angeles has played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total after a double-digit win. They have also played 14 of their last 20 games Under the Total after a win on the road. They return home where they have played 16 of their last 20 home games Under the Total when favored by up to six points. The Lakers play outstanding defense — they are second in the NBA by allowing 108.0 points per 100 possessions in non-garbage time. They also defend the perimeter by limiting their opponents to 36% shooting from 3-point land which is -1.2% below the league average. Los Angeles is in as good a position as possible to slow down Curry. Dennis Schroder is a pesky on-the-ball defender. LeBron James can play free safety amidst the Warriors’ attempts to pick-and-roll. Anthony Davis can play center in a small-ball lineup which gives Golden State another lengthy wing on the perimeter but without sacrificing Davis’ rim protection since he can defend the wing as well given his agility. Frank Vogel is an experienced defensive tactician as a head coach. And the roster is filled with veterans who have played the Steve Kerr motion offense designed to get Curry (and Klay Thompson) open looks. But the Lakers’ offense is not elite. They rank 24th in the league in Offensive Rating this season. Granted, those numbers include a large number of games where they did not have James and/or Davis. But their Offensive Rating with James on the court is 112.4 and 112.5 with Davis on the court — and both those numbers translate into just a 14th ranking in the league. Even at full strength, the Lakers’ offense is just middle-of-the-road. Los Angeles has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: Golden State wants to avenge a 128-97 loss to the Lakers on March 15th — and they have played 8 of their last 9 games Under the Total on the road avenging a same-season loss. Los Angeles held the Warriors to only 91 points in their 26-point win on February 28th. Defending Curry is not a new challenge for the Lakers. Even if he gets his points, Curry still needs his teammates to step up. Holding the Warriors to 97 and 91 points in their last two meetings is a testament to how effective the Lakers are in frustrating Curry’s ability to cook in the Golden State offense. These two teams have played 6 of their last 8 meetings Under the Total. 25* NBA Play-In Tournament Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Golden State Warriors (569) and the Los Angeles Lakers (570). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:15 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the match between West Ham United (200181) and West Bromwich Albion (200182). THE SITUATION: West Ham (W17-D8-L11) enters this match coming off a 1-1 draw at Brighton on Saturday. West Brom (W5-D11-L20) looks to rebound from their heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Liverpool on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: West Ham has played themselves out of the Champions League qualification but they remain motivated to win this match since those three points would ensure their involvement with the Europa League next season. That would be a nice accomplishment (and a source of new revenue) for the Hammers. The West Ham defense has waned as of late — they have not had a clean sheet in their last nine matches in the English Premier League. Over their last ten matches, they are allowing 1.65 expected goals per match (xGA). But the Hammers offense has been reliable to close out the season. They have scored 25 goals in their last 13 matches while posting a healthy 1.62 expected goals per match (xG). Getting Michail Antonio healthy and back on the pitch has helped. Antonio leads the EPL in expected goal involvement per 90 minutes. He has scored 14 goals in his last 14 matches on the road. West Ham has scored eight goals in their last four road matches. West Brom thought they earned a draw with last year’s EPL champs before the Liverpool keeper strode up the pitch in a desperate move to add another body in front of the net in the final moments of their match. Allison was unguarded and nailed a perfect header to give the Reds the surprise last-second victory. The Baggies are a mess on defense — the 70 goals they have allowed is five more than the second-worst defensive team in the league. With West Ham already relegated to the Championship League next season, West Brom is not likely to play cautiously in front of home fans in their final home match of the season. They have surrendered goals in five straight games. But the Baggies have scored in each of their last three games at home while totaling five combined goals during that span.

FINAL TAKE: West Brom has seen at least three combined goals scored in six of their last seven matches. West Ham has seen at least three combined goals scored in 61% of their matches this season — and they average 2.89 expected goals generated and allowed when the road. Both teams should score in this match in what could be a wild one. 25* English Premier League Midweek Total of the Year with Over the Total in the match between West Ham United (200181) and West Bromwich Albion (200182). Best of luck for us — Frank.

FRANK’S CUTTING ROOM FLOOR FOR SATURDAY, 5/15:

My “Cutting Room Floor” plays are the situations I considered the closest to being worthy of investment but did not make the “final cut” for my official plays today for subscribers. The last play I cut for Saturday afternoon soccer action is with Under the Total in the FA Cups Finals between Leicester City and Chelsea. These two teams last played on January 19th with the Foxes winning by a 2-0 score. That was the last English Premier League match under manager Frank Lampard for the Blues who was sacked a few days later. Chelsea has seen seven of their last nine matches finish with one of the two teams blanking under Thomas Tuchel. The Blues could not score on Wednesday in their 1-0 loss to Arsenal. Leicester City comes off a 2-1 win against Man United on Tuesday but don’t read too much into that result with the Red Devils playing a heavily-rotated side. Both Semifinals matches in the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium finished with 1-0 scores with Leicester City defeating Southampton and Chelsea beating Man City. Expect another cagey, low-scoring match in this championship match. Take the Under. Best of luck — Frank.

Frank Sawyer’s Hollywood Sports begins Saturday on a 16 of 26 (62%) All-Sports run over the last nine days! Frank is on an 8 of 12 (67%) Soccer run this month — and he furthers his 13 of 19 (68%) Soccer Game of the Year/Month mark with his 25* FA Cup Match of the Year for the Leicester City-Chelsea finals showdown at Wembley Stadium on ESPN+ at 12:15 PM ET! DON’T MISS OUT!

At 7:10 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Los Angeles Clippers (563) and the Charlotte Hornets (564). THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (46-23) has won three of their last four games with their 115-96 victory at Toronto as a 13.5-point favorite on Tuesday. Charlotte (33-36) has lost three of their last four games after their 117-112 loss at home to Denver as a 6-point underdog on Tuesday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Under is 5-0-1 in the Clippers’ last 6 games after a straight-up win — and they have played 18 of their last 26 games Under the Total on the road after a win on the road. Tyron Lue’s team has tightened things up on defense as they prepare for the rigor of the postseason. They have held their last five opponents to just 101.2 Points-Per-Game on 44.0% shooting which is a significant improvement over tighter 107.8 PPG and 46.3% defensive numbers of the season. The Clippers rank seventh in Defensive Rating for the season but they are fifth-best in the NBA in their last five games. But Los Angeles is scoring just 108.4 PPG in their last five games which is -5.6 PPG below their season average. The Clippers have been an Under Machine nine straight games that finished Under the Total — but the knee-jerk contrarians should take note that they have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after playing at least five straight games Under the Total. Team trends can often serve as the canary in the coal mine regarding a change in approach or effort by a team. Los Angeles stays on the road where they have played 4 straight Unders — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total on the road as a favorite. Additionally, the Clippers have played 4 straight games Under the Total against teams with a losing record — and the Under is 4-0-1 in their last 5 games when favored. Charlotte has played 12 of their last 17 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. And while the Hornets have lost two in a row, they have then played 12 of their last 15 games Under the Total after they lost two in a row. Charlotte has played four straight games where at least 219 combined points were scored — but they have played 9 of their last 14 games Under the Total after playing at least three straight games where at least 215 combined points were scored. They stay at home where they have played 14 of their last 19 games Under the Total — and the Under is 18-7-2 in their last 27 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. Charlotte is missing key pieces with Gordon Hayward and Miles Bridges out with injuries -- that accounts for 32.0 PPG that they have been trying to replace. Additionally, the Hornets have played 13 of their last 19 games Under the Total as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: The Clippers won the last meeting between these two teams by a 125-98 score on March 20th — and Charlotte has played 15 of their last 23 games Under the Total when playing with revenge from a double-digit loss. 25* NBA Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Los Angeles Clippers (563) and the Charlotte Hornets (564). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:40 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Miami Heat (533) and the Boston Celtics (534). THE SITUATION: Miami (37-31) has won five of their last six games with their 130-124 win at Boston as a 1-point favorite on Sunday. Boston (35-33) has lost three of their last four games.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Miami raced out to 79 points in the first half on Sunday — and this rematch will likely be another track meet. Playing up-tempo basketball is what both head coaches are embracing with the postseason approaching. Erik Spoelstra likely thinks this style gives his team an edge given their deep bench. Finally healthy and having overcome the multiple COVID cases that slowed them down in the first half of the season, the Heat are scoring 121.8 PPG in their last five games while making 51.9% of their shots. Their opponents are scoring 116.2 PPG on 51.0% shooting during this span — but Miami is winning with this formula. The Heat have played 6 straight games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 5 straight games Over the Total after a point spread victory. They have also played 9 of their last   11 games Over the Total after scoring at least 130 points in their last game. They stay on the road where they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total as a favorite. The Heat have played 12 of their last 17 games Over the Total when favored overall — and they have played 5 straight Overs against teams with a winning record. Boston has played 5 straight games Over the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 6 straight Overs after a point spread loss. And while they have not covered the point spread in their last two games, they have then played 12 of their last 17 games Over the Total after failing to cover the point spread in two straight games. The Celtics allowed Miami to make 57.3% of their shots — but a significant improvement on defense from this team is unlikely. The Over is 19-7-1 in their last 27 games after allowing at least 125 points — and they have played 10 of their last 14 games Over the Total after allowing at least 130 points in their last contest. Boston has also played 10 of their last 15 games Over the Total on their home court after allowing at least 120 points in their last one. Brad Stevens may have his team play up-tempo because he does not think his team can find success relying on their defense that ranks 28th in the NBA in Defensive Rating. To make matters worse, the Celtics’ lost their best or second-best defensive player in Jaylen Brown (Marcus Smart may still be a better defender, but the gap was narrowing) to a season-ending wrist injury. They have allowed their last five opponents to score 123.2 PPG on 48.8% shooting with Brown missing the last three of those games. But Boston is scoring 123.4 PPG in their last five games on 48.6% shooting with the offense centered around Jayson Tatum. The Celtics have played 5 straight games Over the Total at home — and they have played 5 straight Overs against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 5 of their last 6 meetings Over the Total. Expect more of the same. 25* NBA Tuesday TNT Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Miami Heat (533) and the Boston Celtics (534). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:10 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the New Orleans Pelicans (521) and the Memphis Grizzlies (522). THE SITUATION: New Orleans (31-33) has won two of their last three games after their 112-110 victory at Charlotte as a 2.5-point underdog on Sunday. Memphis (34-33) has won two of their last three games after their 109-99 win at Toronto as a 6.5-point favorite on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Pelicans shot 46.9% of their shots yesterday which was the highest field goal percentage in their last four games. They hit that number despite being without their top two offensive players in Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram — and both players are not expected to play tonight with Williams out indefinitely with a finger injury and Ingram dealing with an ankle. New Orleans is making only 44.3% of their shots in their last five games as they deal with not having those two scorers. To compound matters, they will also be without Steven Adams in the post with their big man doubtful with a toe injury. The Pelicans have played 4 of the last 5 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a point spread victory. New Orleans has also played a decisive 49 of their last 77 road games Under the Total after an upset win as a road underdog. And in their last 8 games when playing without a day of rest, the Pelicans have played 6 of these games Under the Total. New Orleans stays on the road where they have played 7 of their last 8 road games Under the Total as an underdog. Memphis has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. They return home where they begin a four-game homestand. They have played 34 of their last 48 games Under the Total at home — and they have played 18 of their last 25 home games Under the Total against teams with a losing record on the road. The Grizzlies have played 22 of their last 32 road games Under the Total when favored. They will be missing some of their scoring punch tonight with Grayson Allen out with an abdominal injury.

FINAL TAKE: Memphis will be looking to avenge a 144-113 loss at home to the Pelicans on February 16th — and they have played 11 of their last 13 games Under the Total when avenging a loss by 20 or more points. These two teams have also played 13 of their last 16 games in New Orleans Under the Total. 25* NBA Southwest Division Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the New Orleans Pelicans (521) and the Memphis Grizzlies (522). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Dallas Stars (7) and the Chicago Blackhawks (8). THE SITUATION: Dallas (22-17-14) has lost six of their last seven games after their 4-2 loss at Chicago yesterday. Chicago (23-25-6) has won two in a row after their victory last night.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Over is 7-2-4 in the Stars’ last 13 games after scoring no more than two goals in their last game. Dallas has allowed 3.6 Goals-Per-Game in their last five contests. Jake Oettinger is between the pipes tonight as the Stars play out the string of a lost season that will leave them out of the postseason after reaching the Stanley Cup Finals last year. Oettinger has a 2.14 Goals-Against-Average with a .915 save percentage when playing at home — but those numbers decline to a 2.48 GAA with a .914 save percentage when he is playing on the road. Dallas has played 4 straight Overs on the road — and the Over is 4-1-2 in their last 7 road games when favored. Additionally, the Over is 15-6-7 in the Stars’ last 28 games overall when favored — and the Over is 7-1-2 in their last 10 games when favored. Chicago has played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a win — and they have played 4 straight Overs after allowing at least two goals in their last game. They turn to Collin Delia in goal tonight as he makes just his fifth start and six appearances all season. He has underwhelmed with a 3.33 GAA and a .903 save percentage. The Blackhawks stay at home where they are scoring 3.3 Goals-Per-Game but allowing 3.2 Goals-Per-Game. Chicago has now played 4 straight games Over the Total at home. In their last five games, Chicago is allowing 3.8 Goals-Per-Game. They have played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have now seen the Over go 22-4-1 in their last 27 games played in Chicago. Let’s trust these team trends to continue with skaters looking to pad offensive stats tonight. 25* NHL Monday NBC Sports Network Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Dallas Stars (7) and the Chicago Blackhawks (8). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Dallas Stars (1) and the Chicago Blackhawks (2). THE SITUATION: Dallas (22-17-14) snapped their five-game losing streak with their 5-2 victory at Tampa Bay on Friday. Chicago (23-25-6) ended their six-game losing streak with a 2-1 overtime victory in Carolina on Thursday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Over is 5-0-2 in the Stars’ last 7 games after a win. Additionally, Dallas is 4-1-1 in their last 6 games after scoring at least five goals — and the Over is 5-0-3 in their last 8 games after allowing two goals or less in their last game. The Stars have been eliminated from making the postseason so their efforts may be lax on the defensive end of the ice. As it is, they are allowing 3.4 Goals-Per-Game in their last five contests. Anton Khudobin is the goaltender tonight. He has a mediocre 2.91 Goals-Against-Average with a .908 save percentage in three starts this month. The Over is 3-1-1 in Dallas’ last 5 road games when favored — and the Over is 6-1-2 in their last 9 games against teams with a losing record. Chicago has played 10 of their last 12 games Over the Total after an overtime victory — and they have played 8 straight games at home Over the Total after a victory by one goal on the road. The Blackhawks have also played 6 of their 8 games Over the Total after not scoring more than two goals in their last game. Chicago has also played 14 of their last 18 games Over the Total after losing two of their last three games. Now after playing their last three games on the road, the Blackhawks return home where they have played 12 of their last 15 home games Over the Total after playing at least three in a row on the road. Chicago has also played 7 of their last 8 home games Over the Total at home — and they have played 7 of their last 8 home games Over the Total as an underdog. Kevin Lankinen will be between the pipes. After a strong start to the season, the rookie has floundered in the second half of the season. He was saddled with a 3.87 GAA along with an .871 save percentage in ten starts in April before letting in five goals in his last start against Florida last Saturday. The Blackhawks are allowing 4.2 Goals-Per-Game in their last five contests.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 4 straight Overs — the Over is 21-4-1 in the last 26 meetings between these two teams in Chicago. They last played on April 8th with Dallas winning in Chicago by a 5-1 score. The Blackhawks have played 15 of their last 20 games Over the Total when avenging a loss at home by more than one goal. 25* NHL Central Division Total of the Month with Over the Total in the game between the Dallas Stars (1) and the Chicago Blackhawks (2). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:10 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Denver Nuggets (561) and the Utah Jazz (562). THE SITUATION: Denver (44-22) has won six of their last seven games with their 113-97 victory against New York as a 3.5-point favorite on Wednesday. Utah (48-18) has won three straight games after their 126-94 win against San Antonio as a 6.5-point favorite on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Nuggets have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after a double-digit loss. Denver has also played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. The Nuggets are a different team without Jamal Murray who is out the season with his torn ACL — and the current injuries to point guard Monte Morris and shooting guard Will Barton have left head coach Michael Malone to rely on Argentinian Facundo Campazzo to handle the point guard duties. The 30-year-old rookie is not a dynamic scoring threat — he averaged 7.9 PPG in April in his 27.1 minutes per game before averaging 11.3 PPG in his three games so far in May. Denver made only 37.8% of their shots against the Knicks — and they are making just 45.5% of their shots in their last five games which have resulted in 109.4 PPG. Those marks are far below their 115.1 PPG scoring average and 48.5% offensive numbers for the season. But Campazzo gives the Nuggets a defensive presence they need. They held New York to just 38.4% shooting on Wednesday. Denver has held their last five opponents to 103.4 PPG on 44.7% shooting which is -6.3 PPG below their season average and over two percentage points better than their defensive field goal percentage of 46.8%. The Nuggets are sixth in the NBA in Offensive Rating — but they have dropped to 16th in their last 15 games and 18th in their last 10 games in Offensive Efficiency. On the other hand, while Denver ranks 11th in Defense Rating for the season, they improve to sixth in their last 15 games and fourth in their last 10 games in Defensive Efficiency. The Nuggets have played 12 of their last 13 games Under the Total on the road — and they have played 5 straight Unders on the road against teams with a winning record at home. They have also played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total against teams who are winning at least 60% of their games. Utah has played 15 of their last 19 games at home after a win by at least 20 points. The Jazz made 55.7% of their shots on Wednesday which was the best shooting mark in their last four games — but they have then played 14 of their last 21 games Under the Total after making at least 55% of their shots in their last game. Utah has also played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after scoring at least 125 points in their last game. The Jazz stay at home for their fourth straight game — they have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after winning three in a row at home. They have also played 5 of their last 6 home games Under the Total — and they have played 8 of their last 11 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning record on the road. They are undermanned on the offensive end tonight as well with Mike Conley out with his hamstring injury. Donovan Mitchell is out the year with an injured ankle. Utah has played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total when favored.

FINAL TAKE: The Jazz will be looking to avenge a 128-117 upset loss at Denver as a 3-point road favorite on January 31st — Utah has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total when playing with revenge from a double-digit loss. 25* NBA Northwest Division Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Denver Nuggets (561) and the Utah Jazz (562). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Over the Total in the match between Newcastle United (200101) and Leicester City (200102). THE SITUATION: Newcastle United (W9-D9-L16) enters this match coming off a 2-0 loss at home to Arsenal on Sunday. Leicester City (W19-D6-L9) is unbeaten in their last four matches after a 1-1 draw at Southampton last Friday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Newcastle was unbeaten in their previous four matches before getting blanked by the Gunners on Sunday. The Magpies have still scored in five of their last seven matches with their attack jump-started by the return of Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin who had been injured for much of 2021. They had scored eight combined goals in their previous four matches before Sunday. They have scored three combined goals in their last two matches on the road. But defense remains an issue for manager Steve Bruce. They have allowed 11 goals in their last six matches — and they have conceded the most shots in the league over that span. With Newcastle in 17th place, grabbing points in this match helps them avoid relegation with Fulham currently in danger, nine points behind the Magpies. Leicester City is perhaps playing their most important month of the season since their English Premier League title run in 2015-16. They are currently in third place in the table fighting to finish in the top four to qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season. They also have an impending FA Cup title on the line when they play Chelsea next Saturday. Manager Brendan Rodgers elevation of forward Kelechi Iheanacho into the starting XI has brought new life into the Foxes’ attack. He has scored ten goals in his last nine contests as he complements Jamie Vardy who leads the team with 13 goals. This team is so much better when Vardy has help on the attack. Harvey Barnes is injured but James Maddison is back in the mix after missing time last month after violating COVID protocols. Leicester City has scored six goals in their last three matches — and they have scored nine goals in their last five games and 19 goals in their last nine while getting blanked just once. But the Foxes have conceded goals in their last two matches as well as in five of their last seven.

FINAL TAKE: Leicester City has seen six of their last seven games at home at King Power Stadium finish Over 2.5 goals. They won the reverse fixture on January 3rd at St. James Park. Expect a similar result this afternoon. 25* English Premier League NBC Sports Network Total of the Year with Over the Total in the match between Newcastle United (200101) and Leicester City (200102). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:10 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Los Angeles Lakers (545) and the Los Angeles Clippers (546). THE SITUATION: The Lakers (37-28) snapped a three-game losing streak with their 93-89 upset win against Denver as a 3.5-point underdog on Monday. The Clippers (44-22) ended their three-game losing streak with a 105-100 victory at home against Toronto as an 11.5-point favorite on Tuesday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Lakers have played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a win by six points or less. Additionally, they have played 29 of their last 42 games Under the Total after losing three of their last four games — and this includes them playing eight of their last eleven games Under the Total after dropping three of four this season. The Lakers have only covered the point spread once in their last five games — and they have played 12 of their last 13 games Under the Total after failing to cover the point spread in four of their last five games. The Lakers are the technical road team but they are playing on their shared home court with the Clippers at the Staples Center. They have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total as an underdog at Staples. Additionally, the Lakers have played 10 of their last 12 games Under the Total against teams who are winning at least 60% of their games. They will be missing two important pieces to their offensive attack with both LeBron James and Dennis Schroder out for this game. The Clippers have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 5 straight games Under the Total after a point spread win. The Clippers made 52% of their shots on Wednesday which was the best shooting effort in their last ten games. The Clippers did not cover the point spread against the Raptors in what was the fifth straight game where they did not meet point spread expectations. They have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after not covering the point spread in at least four straight games. The Clippers have also played 22 of their last 32 games Under the Total when playing no more than their fourth game in the last ten days. They are only scoring 104.4 PPG on 44.9% shooting over their last five games which is almost 10 points lower than their 114.2 PPG scoring average for the season. They have played six straight Unders — and they have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after playing at least four straight Unders. They have played 4 straight Unders at the Staples Center — and they have played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total when favored at the Staples Center. The Clippers are without Serge Ibaka with his back injury and Amir Coffey who is in quarantine.

FINAL TAKE: The Lakers will be looking to avenge a 104-86 loss to the Clippers on April 4th. They have played 13 of their last 20 games Under the Total when avenging a loss. These two teams have also played 5 of their last 6 meetings Under the Total. 25* NBA Thursday TNT Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Los Angeles Lakers (545) and the Los Angeles Clippers (546). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:40 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Brooklyn Nets (535) and the Dallas Mavericks (536). THE SITUATION: Brooklyn (43-23) has lost three in a row with their 124-118 upset loss at Milwaukee as a 2.5-point underdog on Tuesday. Dallas (37-28) has won four of their last five games with their 127-113 upset victory at Miami as a 1-point favorite on Tuesday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Nets made 48.8% of their shots in their second straight loss to the Bucks on Tuesday after also losing to them on Sunday. That was the best shooting effort in their last three games. Brooklyn has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a loss. They stay on the road where they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total. The Nets have also played 8 of their last 10 road games Under the Total against teams with a winning record at home — and they have played 4 of their last 5 road games Under the Total as a favorite. Dallas has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a double-digit win — and they have played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total after a point spread victory. The Mavericks return home where they have played 13 of their last 18 games Under the Total. Dallas has also played 9 of their last 11 home games Under the Total agains teams with a winning record on the road — and they have played 6 straight home games Under the Total as an underdog. The Mavericks will be without Kristaps Porzingis who has been downgraded to out with his lingering knee issues. Dallas is also without Maxi Kleber who is out indefinitely with an Achilles. The Mavericks have played 19 of their last 26 games Under the Total as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Dallas has played 10 of their last 11 games Under the Total against teams who are winning at least 60% of their games. 10* NBA Thursday Daily Discounted O/U Deal with Under the Total in the game between the Brooklyn Nets (535) and the Dallas Mavericks (536). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:38 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Colorado Avalanche (17) and the San Jose Sharks (18). THE SITUATION: Colorado (34-12-4) has won three games in a row with their 5-4 win in overtime at San Jose on Monday. San Jose (20-26-6) has lost three in a row.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Over is 5-0-1 in the Avalanche’s last 6 games after a win — and they have played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a victory on the road where they scored at least four goals. Colorado has also played 10 of their last 11 games Over the Total after winning at least three in a row against a divisional rival. And in their last 10 games after scoring at least five goals, the Avalanche have played 8 of these games Over the Total. Colorado has scored nine combined goals in their last two games with their 4-3 win against the Sharks on Saturday — and they have played 7 of their last 9 games Over the Total after scoring at least nine goals in their last two games. There have been at least seven combined goals scored in four of their last six games. Philip Grubauer should be back between the pipes tonight after allowing four goals from the 27 shots he faced on Monday. Grubauer has a sparkling 2.00 Goals-Against-Average and a .920 save percentage in 36 games/35 starts this season. But looking under the hood from those numbers exposes some areas of concern. He ranks tied for 16th in the league with a +0.001 save percentage above his expected save percentage in all situations — indicating he barely above average. He had a 2.92 GAA and a .891 save percentage in five starts in April before his mediocre start on Monday. Grubauer also has a 2.59 Goals-Against-Average and a .898 save percentage in 13 starts on the road. The Over is 4-1-1 in the Avalanche’s last 6 road games. San Jose has played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after losing a game in overtime. The Sharks have also played 28 of their last 43 home games after scoring at least four goals in their last game. They have seen at least seven combined goals scored in five of their last seven games. They are scoring 3.4 Goals-Per-Game in their last five games while allowing 3.6 Goals-Per-Game over that span. They have played 4 straight games at home Over the Total — and they have played 8 straight Overs at home as an underdog. Josef Korenar gets the call tonight in goal — he has a subpar 3.21 GAA and a .896 save percentage in eight games/five starts this season. San Jose has played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60%.

FINAL TAKE: San Jose has lost the last four meetings between these two teams — and they have played 11 of their last 17 games Over the Total when playing with at least double revenge where they gave up at least four goals in those games. The Over is 19-8-2 in the last 29 meetings between these two teams — and the Over is 15-5-1 in the last 21 encounters between these two teams when playing in San Jose. 25* NHL Wednesday NBC Sports Network Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Colorado Avalanche (17) and the San Jose Sharks (18). Best of luck for us — Frank.

FRANK’S CUTTING ROOM FLOOR FOR WEDNESDAY, 5/5:

My “Cutting Room Floor” plays are the situations I considered the closest to being worthy of investment but did not make the “final cut” for my official plays today for subscribers. The last play I cut for Wednesday was with Under the Total in the game between the San Antonio Spurs and the Utah Jazz. Utah (47-18) has won three of four after their 110-99 win against the Spurs as a 7.5-point favorite on Monday. That game finished Under the 220 point total — the Jazz have now played 8 of their last 10 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning record on the road. Utah has also played 8 of their last 9 games Under the Total as a favorite. San Antonio (31-33) has played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a double-digit loss. The Spurs have also played 13 of their last 19 games Under the Total when playing at Utah against the Jazz. Take the Under. Best of luck — Frank.

Frank Sawyer’s Hollywood Sports DELIVERED their 25* NHL Tuesday NBC Sports Network Total of the Month last night with the Edmonton-Vancouver Under to further their 8 of 12 (67%) NHL run and their 7 of 10 (70%) NHL TOTALS TEAR! Now Frank furthers his 13 of 20 (65%) NHL Game of the Month/Year run with ANOTHER OUTSTANDING O/U OPPORTUNITY with his 25* NHL Wednesday NBC Sports Network Total of the Year for the Colorado-San Jose O/U winner at 9:38 PM ET! DO NOT MISS IT!

At 3:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between Real Madrid (224209) and Chelsea (224210) in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League Semifinals. THE SITUATION: Real Madrid settled for a 1-1 draw hosting the Blues in the first leg last Wednesday. Chelsea advances to the Finals with a win or a scoreless draw. Real Madrid advances with a win or a draw where at least two goals are scored. A 1-1 draw after regulation time forces extra time to determine a winner (and this extra time does not impact the totals bet which is resolved after regulation time).

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Real Madrid comes off a 2-0 victory against Osasuna on Saturday in La Liga action. They held Osasuna to a microscopic 0.07 expected goals in that match. Los Blancos are unbeaten in their last 19 matches while allowing only nine goals during that span. They have surrendered only three goals in their five Knockout Stage matches in the Champions League. Manager Zinedine Zidane continues to deal with injuries in their backline with Raphael Varane, Dani Carvajal, and Lucas Vazquez dealing with knocks — but Sergio Ramos and Ferland Mendy appear to be healthy again. Real Madrid managed only 0.96 expected goals (xG) against Chelsea last week which was the lowest xG mark in their last 45 matches. The Blues have held their opponents across all competitions to just 0.58 xG since Thomas Tuchel took over as manager on January 27th. Chelsea has allowed only four goals in their 11 matches in the Champions League. They come off a 2-0 clean sheet victory at home against Fulham in the English Premier League on Saturday. The Blues have conceded just five times in their last 11 games at home across all competitions.

FINAL TAKE: Chelsea advances to the finals with a nil-nil draw — so Tuchel will likely play very conservatively. The Blues’ last six matches in the Champions League have finished Under the Total. Real Madrid has played three straight matches and five of their last six across all competitors Under 2.5 goals. Expect a cagey, low-scoring match between these two teams. 25* UEFA Champions League Total of the Year with Under the Total in the match between Real Madrid (224209) and Chelsea (224210). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Edmonton Oilers (67) and the Vancouver (68). THE SITUATION: Edmonton (31-17-2) has won four of their last five games after their 5-3 win on the road against the Canucks last night. Vancouver (19-24-3) has lost five in a row.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Under is 9-2-1 in the Oilers’ last 12 games after a win — and the Under is 36-16-4 in their last 56 games after scoring at least five goals in their last game. Edmonton has also played 5 straight Unders when playing without a day of rest. I looked very closely at the Under in last night’s game — but after getting confirmation on the goaltenders (this is so important), I laid off. Mikko Koskinen allowed the Canucks to score four times which is one less goal than they had scored in their previous four games combined. Now we get Mike Smith between the pipes tonight — and it is confirmed. The veteran has a 2.30 Goals-Against-Average this season with a .924 save percentage — and he has been even better on the road with a 2.00 GAA and a .937 save percentage. The Oilers have played 8 of their last 10 road games Under the Total — and they have played 9 of their last 12 road games Under the Total when favored. Edmonton has also played 14 of their last 18 road games Under the Total after a game where both teams scored. Vancouver has played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after allowing at least five goals in their last game. They have also played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after losing at least four in a row — and the Under is 4-1-1 in their last 6 games when playing their third game in four days. Thatcher Demko should be in goal tonight after Braden Holtby got the call last night. Demko has taken the number one job in Vancouver with his superior play this season. He has a 2.88 GAA with a .913 save percentage this season — and he has been better at home with a 2.61 GAA and a .921 save percentage in 17 starts at home. Demko is sixth in the NHL in save percentage above expected save percentage in all situations. The Under is 8-3-2 in the Canucks’ last 13 games on home ice. The Under is also 9-3-1 in Vancouver’s last 13 games against teams winning at least 60% of their games.

FINAL TAKE: Vancouver has played 32 of their last 53 games Under the Total when avenging a loss at home. The Under is 7-2-3 in the last 12 meetings between these two teams in Vancouver even after last night. 25* NHL Tuesday NBC Sports Network Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Edmonton Oilers (67) and the Vancouver (68). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:38 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Colorado Avalanche (57) and the San Jose Sharks (58). THE SITUATION: Colorado (33-12-4) has won two games in a row with their 4-3 win against the Sharks on Saturday. San Jose (20-26-5) has lost two in a row.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Over is 4-0-1 in the Avalanche’s last 5 games after a win — and they have played 15 of their last 19 games Over the Total after winning two in a row against a divisional rival. Colorado has also played 7 of their last 8 games on the road Over the Total after scoring at least four goals in their last game. The Avalanche has peppered their opponent's' goal with at least 31 shots in five straight games — and they have played 6 straight Overs after attempting at least 30 shots in three straight games. They have scored at least four goals in five of their last nine games. But they have allowed at least three goals in four of their last five games. Philip Grubauer is between the pipes after a disappointing April where he had a 2.92 Goals-Against-Average and a .891 save percentage in just five starts. Grubauer plays his best at home where he enjoys a 1.67 Goals-Against-Average with a .933 save percentage — but he owns a 2.47 GAA with a .920 save percentage on the road. The Over is 3-1-1 in Colorado’s last 5 games on the road — and they have played 4 of their last 5 road games Over the Total when favored. They have also played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total against teams with a losing record. San Jose has played 7 of their last 10 games Over the Total after loss by just one goal. The Sharks have now allowed at least four goals in four of their last six games. They return home where the Over is 8-2-1 in their last 11 games — and they have played 7 straight Overs at home as an underdog. Martin Jones is the goalie for San Jose tonight — he has a rough 3.14 GAA with a .901 save percentage when playing at home. He also comes off a disappointing April where he had a 3.20 GAA and a .896 save percentage in 11 starts. The Sharks have played 7 of their last 10 games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60%.

FINAL TAKE: San Jose has played 12 of their last 18 games Over the Total when avenging a loss on the road. They have lost three in a row against the Avalanche — and they have played 10 of their last 16 games Over the Total when playing with at least double revenge. The Over is also 18-8-2 in the last 28 meetings between these two teams — and the Over is 12-3-1 in the last 16 encounters in San Jose. 25* NHL West Division Total of the Month with Over the Total in the game between the Colorado Avalanche (57) and the San Jose Sharks (58). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:10 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Denver Nuggets (545) and the Los Angeles Clippers (546). THE SITUATION: Denver (42-21) has won four in a row after their 121-111 win against Toronto as a 4.5-point favorite on Thursday. Los Angeles (43-21) has lost two games in a row with their 109-101 loss at Phoenix as a 4.5-point underdog on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Nuggets have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a straight-up win. They go back on the road where they have played 10 of their last 11 games Under the Total — and they have played 8 straight Unders on the road against teams with a winning record at home. The Under is also 31-12-2 in Denver’s last 45 games against teams with a winning record. They face a Clippers team making 48.2% of their shots this season — and the Nuggets have played 8 of their last 9 games Under the Total in the second half of the season against teams who are making at least 46% of their shots. Los Angeles made 51.8% of their shots on Wednesday in their loss to Phoenix which was the best shooting effort in their last eight games. The Clippers are only making 45.1% of their shots in their last five games despite Wednesday’s effort — and that is resulting in them scoring -6.9 Points-Per-Game below their season average. Los Angeles has played 6 straight games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total after point spread loss. Additionally, the Clippers have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total when favored — and the Under is 18-5-3 in their last 26 games against teams with a winning percentage of 60% or higher.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have seen the Under go 43-19-2 in their last 64 meetings — and the Under is 24-8-1 in the last 33 games between these two teams when playing at the Staples Center. 10* NBA Saturday Night Discounted O/U Deal with Under the Total in the game between the Denver Nuggets (545) and the Los Angeles Clippers (546). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:40 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Golden State Warriors (531) and the Houston Rockets (532). THE SITUATION: Golden State (31-32) has lost two in a row after their 126-114 upset loss at Minnesota as a 4.5-point favorite. Houston (16-47) snapped a five-game losing streak with a 146-136 upset victory against Milwaukee as a 14.5-point underdog on Thursday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Rockets pulled the upset on the strength of their 50% shooting from the field which was tied for the best shooting mark in their last six games. They nailed 25 of their 46 (54%) of their 3-pointers — so expect the Regression Gods to appear tonight as they shoot closer to their 32.8% shooting percentage from behind the arc when playing at home. The Under is 20-8-2 in Houston’s last 30 games after scoring at least 125 points in their last game — and they have played 13 of their last 16 games Under the Total after scoring at least 130 points in their last contest. They stay at home where the Under is 35-15-1 in their last 51 games — and they have played 10 of their last 12 home games Under the Total against teams not winning more than 40% of their games on the road. The Rockets have also played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total as an underdog. Golden State made 49.4% of their shots in a losing effort on Thursday which was the highest shooting mark in their last three games. The Warriors have also played 18 of their last 26 games Under the Total on the road after a loss on the road. They stay on the road where they have played 14 of their last 20 games Under the Total — and they have played 6 of their last 8 road games Under the Total when favored. Draymond Green and Kelly Oubre are questionable with injuries. Golden State has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total against teams with a losing record. The Warriors have also played 34 of their last 56 games Under the Total with the number at 220 or higher.

FINAL TAKE: Golden State has won the last two meetings in this series by 108-94 and 125-109 scores. Houston has played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total when playing with double-revenge from double-digit losses. 10* NBA Golden State-Houston ESPN O/U Special with Under the Total in the game between the Golden State Warriors (531) and the Houston Rockets (532). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Philadelphia Flyers (27) and the New Jersey Devils. THE SITUATION: Philadelphia (22-19-7) has won two of their last three games with their 4-3 win in overtime against the Devils. New Jersey (14-27-7) has lost ten games in a row.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Flyers have played 10 of their last 11 games Over the Total after a victory — and they have played 7 straight games Over the Total after a win in overtime. This is Philadelphia’s third game since last Thursday — and they have played 24 of their last 34 games Over the Total when playing their third game in five days. Brian Elliott is between the pipes again tonight. While he has a 2.41 Goals-Against-Average and a .910 save percentage in 14 games (11 starts) at home, those numbers rise to a 3.51 GAA and a .880 save percentage in 11 games (10 starts) on the road. Philadelphia has played 9 of their last 11 games Over the Total against teams with a losing record. New Jersey has allowed their last five opponents to score 5.0 Goals-Per-Game. Mackenzie Blackwood is in goal tonight. He has a 2.81 GAA with a .920 save percentage on the road, but he has not been as effective at home where he has a 3.32 GAA with a .880 save percentage. The Devils have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total as an underdog — and they have played 7 of their last 10 games Over the Total against teams with a losing record.

FINAL TAKE: The Over is 10-4-1 in the last 15 meetings between these two teams in New Jersey. 10* NHL Tuesday Night Discounted O/U Deal with Over the Total in the game between the Philadelphia Flyers (27) and the New Jersey Devils. Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between Chelsea (224205) and Real Madrid (224206). THE SITUATION: Chelsea reached the Semifinals of the UEFA Champions League with their 2-1 aggregate victory over FC Porto in the Quarterfinals earlier this month. Real Madrid advanced to the Semifinals with their 3-1 aggregate win against Liverpool in the Quarterfinals. Los Blancos host this first leg at their Alfredo di Stefano Stadium.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Chelsea last played on Saturday in a 1-0 victory against West Ham United. That was the Blues’ third straight clean sheet — including a big 1-0 shutout victory against Manchester City in the Semifinals of the FA Cup. Chelsea immediately became a defensive juggernaut after Thomas Tuchel took over as manager in late January. In his 21 matches as the skipper, the Blues have shutout 16 of their opponents across all competitions. Besides Tuchel being a much better manager of players in making his expectations and confidence clear, he also changed tactics to a 3-4-2-1 formation. This shape gave the team extra defenders to tighten up their back end — but it also allows for Chelsea to gain an extra attacker when they go on the counter-attack. The Blues play cautiously while controlling possession. They are allowing only 0.58 expected goals allowed (xGA) since Tuchel took over. They have generated seven clean sheets in their last ten matches in the Champions League. But this conservative approach has taken some of the bite out of the Chelsea attack. They have scored only two goals in their last four matches. Real Madrid has registered four clean sheets in a row themselves after a 0-0 draw at home to Real Betis in La Liga action on Saturday. Los Blancos have nine clean sheets in their last 16 matches across all competitions -- and this includes against quality competition in Atalanta, Liverpool, and Atletico Madrid in five of those clean sheets. They have only allowed two combined goals in their four matches in the knockout stage of the Champions League. But the Real Madrid attack has not been very sharp as of late as they have only scored in one of their last four matches. Manager Zinedine Zidane is dealing with several injuries that will likely compel him to engage in more conservative tactics as well. Center back Sergio Ramos has missed most of the season, and now left-back Ferland Mendy along with defensive midfielders Lucas Vazquez and Fede Valverde dealing with knocks. Zidane had midfielder Casemiro play back as almost a third center back in their second leg match against Liverpool in that 0-0 draw. He may deploy this tactic again — keeping this first leg a lower-scoring match helps Los Blancos control the potential road goals tiebreaker.

FINAL TAKE: Chelsea has played 18 of their 21 matches in the Tuchel regime Under 2.5 goals. While Real Madrid has played 12 of their 23 matches Under 2.5 goals in 2021, they have seen only three combined goals in their last four matches. 25* UEFA Champions League Total of the Month with Under the Total in the match between Chelsea (224205) and Real Madrid (224206). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:10 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Denver Nuggets (577) and the Golden State Warriors (578). THE SITUATION: Denver (38-20) has won four games in a row with their 106-105 win at Portland as a 2-point favorite on Wednesday. Golden State (29-30) has lost two of their last three games with their 118-114 upset loss at Washington as a 2-point favorite on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Nuggets have played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total after a narrow win by six points or less. Additionally, Denver has played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after a point spread loss — and they have played 6 of their last 9 games Under the Total after a straight-up win where they did not cover the point spread as the favorite. They did outrebound the Trail Blazers by five boards — that was the fifth straight game where they won the rebounding battle by at least five rebounds. The Nuggets have played 8 of their last 12 games Under the Total after outrebounding five straight opponents by at least five rebounds. This team has been playing better on defense even amidst the crushing season-ending injury to Jamal Murray. Over their last five games, Denver ranks 10th in the league in Defensive Rating — and improvement over their ranking of 15th in that metric for the season. Head coach Michael Malone needs Monte Morris to step up at guard to help Michael Porter, Jr. fill the void that the Murray injury created — but Morris is out with a hamstring injury that leaves the Nuggets’ thin in their backcourt. Denver stays on the road where they have played 7 straight Unders against teams with a winning record at home. The Nuggets have also played 4 straight Unders on the road as a favorite. Golden State has played 13 of their last 19 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss. Furthermore, the Warriors have played 11 of their last 14 games Under the Total after an upset loss as a road favorite — and they have played 37 of their last 61 games Under the Total after a loss on the road. They return home where they have played 8 of their last 10 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning record on the road — and they have played 9 of their last 13 home games Under the Total with the number in the 220s. Golden State is playing elite defense as of late. They have held their last five opponents to 43.8% shooting which has resulted in 108.6 PPG which is -4.8 PPG below their season average. Additionally, the Warriors rank fourth in the NBA over their last five games and during their last ten games in Defensive Rating. They have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage of 60% or greater — and they have played 12 of their last 18 games Under the Total in expected close games where they are listed in the +/- 3-point range.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 5 of their last 6 meetings Under the Total. 25* NBA Friday ESPN Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Denver Nuggets (577) and the Golden State Warriors (578). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between Everton (200013) and Arsenal (200014). THE SITUATION: Everton (W14-D7-L10) settled for a draw for their third match in a row with their 2-2 result with Tottenham last Friday. Arsenal (W13-D7-L12) also settled for a draw in their last match in a 1-1 score with Fulham on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Toffees are playing in a defensive posture with manager Carlo Ancelotti adapting to injuries that have riddled the cohesion of his midfield for most of the season. Everton has more than one goal just once in 11 straight matches across all competitions — and they have blanked in three of those matches. The Toffees have also produced clean sheets in three of their last 11 matches. They go back on the road where they have played four straight matches where no more than two combined goals were scored. Everton has failed to score in their last two road games in league play — but they have also produced three clean sheets in their last four EPL matches away from home. Arsenal will be without their top two scorers in Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubemeyang who have combined to score 22 of the team’s 44 goals. Lacazette is dealing with an injury, while Aubemeyang is recovering from the Malaria he caught on the international break playing for his national team in Gabon. Manager Mikel Arteta will be relying on younger forwards for this match. The Gunners have only scored twice in their last four matches at home. But Arsenal has only allowed two combined goals in their last four matches across all competitions.

FINAL TAKE: Everton has seen eight of their last 11 matches see no more than two combined goals. Expect a cagey, low-scoring match this afternoon. 25* EPL Friday NBC Sports Network Total of the Year with Under the Total in the match between Everton (200013) and Arsenal (200014). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:40 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Detroit Pistons (559) and the San Antonio Spurs (560). THE SITUATION: Detroit (18-41) has lost two of the last three games after their 127-117 loss at Dallas as a 10.5-point underdog yesterday. San Antonio (28-29) saw their two-game winning streak end yesterday in a 107-87 loss at Miami as a 1.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Pistons lost last night despite making 50.6% of their shots which was the best shooting effort in their last five games. The Under is 3-1-1 in Detroit’s last 5 games after a straight-up loss. The Pistons have also played a decisive 20 of their last 25 games Under the Total after allowing at least 125 points in their last game. They stay on the road where they have played 7 of their last 10 road games Under the Total as an underdog — and they have played 9 of their last 12 road games Under the Total against teams with a losing record at home. San Antonio allowed the Heat to make 47.0% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last six games. The Spurs have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after a double-digit loss. They stay at home where they have played 7 of their last 8 home games Under the Total against teams who are not winning more than 40% of their games on the road.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 7 of their last 10 meetings Under the Total — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games in San Antonio Under the Total. 10* NBA Thursday Daily Discounted O/U Deal with Under the Total in the game between the Detroit Pistons (559) and the San Antonio Spurs (560). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:10 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the New Orleans Pelicans (553) and the Orlando Magic (554). THE SITUATION: New Orleans (25-33) has lost four games in a row after their 134-129 upset loss to Brooklyn as a 2.5-point favorite on Tuesday. Orlando (18-40) has lost three straight games with their 112-96 loss at Atlanta as a 12-point underdog on Tuesday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Pelicans have played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 8 of their last 9 games after surrounding at least 125 points in their last contest. New Orleans has suffered four straight upset losses — and they have played 12 of their last 16 games Over the Total after an upset loss. Additionally, the Pelicans have played two straight Overs while allowing at least 110 points in five straight games. New Orleans has played 19 of their last 24 games Over the Total after allowing at least 110 points in three straight games. The Pelicans have played 17 of their last 23 games Over the Total after playing at least two straight Overs. They go back on the road where they have played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total against teams who are not winning more than 40% of their games at home — and they have played 8 of their last 10 road games Over the Total as a favorite. New Orleans has also played 22 of their last 28 games Over the Total when the favorite overall — and they have played 10 of their last 11 games Over the Total against teams who are not winning more than 40% of their games. Orlando has played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total after a loss by at least 10 points — and they have played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a point spread loss. The Magic shot only 39.5% from the field against the Hawks which was the worst shooting effort in their last five games. They also held Atlanta to 41.5% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last six contests. Orlando has still allowed at least 112 points in three straight games — and they have played 23 of their last 34 games Over the Total after allowing at least 110 points in three straight games. The Magic return home where they have played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total. Orlando has also played 10 of their last 14 games Over the Total at home as an underdog. Furthermore, the Magic have played 28 of their last 42 games Over the Total with the number at 220 or higher.

FINAL TAKE: New Orleans will be looking to avenge a 115-110 upset loss at home to Orlando as a 5.5-point favorite on April 1st — and they have played 12 of their 19 games Over the Total this season when playing with same-season revenge. 10* NBA Over/Under Situational Special with Over the Total in the game between the New Orleans Pelicans (553) and the Orlando Magic (554). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:08 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Montreal Canadiens (77) and the Edmonton Oilers (78). THE SITUATION: Montreal (19-15-9) has lost six of their last eight games after their 4-1 loss to the Oilers on Monday. Edmonton (27-15-2) has won four of their last five games.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Canadiens have seen the Under go 4-0-1 in their last 5 games after scoring two goals or less in their last game. They are scoring only 1.6 Goals-Per-Game in their last five games. The Under is also 18-7-1 in their last 26 games after a loss by three or more goals. Jake Allen will between the pipes again tonight with Carey Price in the concussion protocol. He has played better on the road this season where he has a 2.19 Goals-Against-Average and a .924 save percentage in nine games/eight starts. The Under is 7-2-1 in Montreal’s last 10 games on the road — and they have played 19 of their last 26 games Under the Total as a road underdog. Additionally, the Under is 5-1-1 in their last 7 games against teams with a winning record — and the Under is 15-5-2 in their last 22 games as an underdog. Edmonton has seen the Under go 7-0-1 in their last 8 games after a win — and they have played 5 straight Unders after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. They counter with Mike Smith in goal tonight who has a 2.30 GAA with a .923 save percentage in 24 games/23 starts — and he owns a 1.88 GAA with a .923 save percentage in six starts this month. The Under is 3-0-1 in the Oilers’ last 4 home games as a favorite. They have also played 7 straight games Under the Total against teams with a losing record.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 7 straight Unders after Monday’s result. Additionally, the Canadiens have played 23 of their last 34 road games Under the Total when avenging a loss where their opponent scored at least four goals. 10* NHL Wednesday Late Show O/U Bailout with Under the Total in the game between the Montreal Canadiens (77) and the Edmonton Oilers (78). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:08 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Minnesota Wild (5) and the Arizona Coyotes (6). THE SITUATION: Minnesota (28-13-3) has won four in a row after their 5-2 victory at Arizona on Monday. Arizona (20-21-5) has lost six of their last seven games.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Wild have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after a victory — and they have played 10 of their last 13 games Over the Total on the road after a win against a divisional rival. Minnesota has also played 5 straight Overs after going unbeaten for at least three straight games — and they have played 7 of their last 9 games Over the Total after scoring at least five goals in their last game. The Wild have scored 18 goals in their last four games — and they have averaged 4.0 Goals-Per-Game in their last five contests. They have also allowed at least two goals in eight straight games. Cam Talbot is the goaltender once again tonight. While the veteran has a 1.86 Goals-Against-Average with a .935 save percentage when playing at home in 25 starts, those numbers decline to a 2.86 GAA with a .912 save percentage when he is playing on the road in his 13 starts. Minnesota has played 13 of their last 16 games Over the Total on the road — and they have played 8 of their last 8 road games Over the Total when favored. Furthermore, the Wild have played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total against teams with a losing record. Arizona has played 6 of their last 7 games at home Over the Total after a loss by at least three goals. Additionally, the Coyotes have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after not scoring more than two goals in their last game — and they have played 9 of their last 13 games over the Total after allowing at least five goals in their last game. Arizona has scored at least two goals in 13 of their last 14 games — but they have given up 16 goals in their last four contests. They counter with Darcy Kuemper who allowed four goals in the game on Monday. In his two starts since his return to the ice after being out for about six weeks, he has a 3.03 GAA with a .867 save percentage. The Coyotes stay at home where they have played 10 of their last 13 games Over the Total — and they have played 7 of their last 9 home games Over the Total as an underdog. Arizona has played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% — and they have played 9 of their last 11 games Over the Total as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Arizona has played 6 of their last 7 home games Over the Total when avenging a loss by at least three goals. The Coyotes have lost five straight to the Wild this season — and they have played 7 of their last 9 games Over the Total when playing with at least triple revenge. These two teams have played 5 straight Overs when playing at Arizona. 25* NHL West Division Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Minnesota Wild (5) and the Arizona Coyotes (6). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the New York Rangers (59) and the New York Islanders (60). THE SITUATION: The New York Rangers (23-16-6) have won four in a row with their 5-3 win at New Jersey on Sunday. The New York Islanders (28-13-4) comes off a 1-0 victory at Philadelphia on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Rangers have played two straight Overs after defeating the Devils by a 6-3 score on Saturday. But the Rangers have played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total after playing two straight Overs — and they have played 6 straight Unders after playing two straight games where at least seven combined goals were scored. Despite these recent high-scoring games, the Rangers have not allowed more than three goals in six straight games — and they are allowing just 1.8 Goals-Per-Game in their last five contests. Igor Shesterkin has been named tonight’s goaltender for Alain Vigneault’s team. He has a 2.28 Goals-Against-Average with a .925 save percentage in 27 games — and those marks improve to a 2.14 GAA with a .929 save percentage in his 13 games/12 starts at home. Shesterkin is tied for eighth in the NHL in save percentage above his expected save percentage (my new goalie metric of choice). The Under is 18-7-2 in the Rangers’ last 27 games on the road — and the Under is 13-3-2 in their last 18 games on the road as an underdog. The Islanders have played 6 straight Unders after not scoring more than two goals in their last game — and the Under is 3-0-1 in their last 4 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last contest. The Under is also 4-0-1 in their last 5 games after a win. The Islanders have only scored two goals in their last three games — and they have played 8 of their last 9 home games Under the Total after not scoring more than one goal in two straight games. They have scored one goal or less in five of their last seven contests — and they are averaging 1.2 Goals-Per-Game in their last five. Semyon Varlamov will likely get the start tonight for head coach Barry Trotz after not playing the last two games. Varlamov has a 2.24 GAA with a .922 save percentage in 29 games/28 starts this season. He plays his best at home where he owns a 2.19 GAA with a .928 save percentage in 14 starts. The Islanders have played 5 straight Unders at home — and they have played 6 straight Unders when favored.

FINAL TAKE: The Rangers will be looking to avenge 3-2 loss to the Islanders on April 11th — and they have played 8 of their last 10 games on the road Under the Total when playing with revenge. These two teams have played 5 straight Unders — and they have played 4 of their last meetings Under the Total when playing at the Islanders’ Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. 25* NHL East Division Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the New York Rangers (59) and the New York Islanders (60). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:08 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Minnesota Wild (43) and the Arizona Coyotes (44). THE SITUATION: Minnesota (27-13-3) has won three in a row after their 5-2 victory against San Jose on Saturday. Arizona (20-20-5) snapped a five-game losing streak with their 3-2 win against St. Louis on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Wild have played 9 of their last 12 games Over the Total on the road after a win against a divisional rival. Minnesota — and they have played 5 straight games on the road Over the Total after a win by at least three goals. The Wild have also played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total after scoring at least five goals in their last contest. Cam Talbot is the goaltender tonight. While the veteran has a 1.86 Goals-Against-Average with a .935 save percentage when playing at home, but those numbers decline to a 2.93 GAA with a .912 save percentage when he is playing on the road. Minnesota has played 12 of their last 15 games Over the Total on the road — and they have played 7 of their last 8 road games Over the Total when favored. Furthermore, the Wild have played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total against teams with a losing record. Arizona has played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a win. The Coyotes stay at home where they have played 9 of their last 12 games Over the Total — and they have played 6 of their last 7 home games Over the Total as an underdog. They counter with Antti Raanta in goal making his sixth start of the season at home. He has a 4.41 GAA with an .871 save percentage in his previous five starts at home this season. Arizona has played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% — and they have played 8 of their last 10 games Over the Total as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Arizona will be looking to avenge a 5-2 loss at Minnesota on April 14th — and they have played 14 of their last 20 games Over the Total when playing with revenge from a same-season loss. These two teams have played 4 straight Overs when playing in Arizona. 10* NHL Monday Daily Discounted O/U Deal with Over the Total in the game between the Minnesota Wild (43) and the Arizona Coyotes (44). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 1:30 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the math between Southampton (200405) and Leicester City (200406). THE SITUATION: Southampton reached the Semifinals of the FA Cup with their 3-0 win against Bournemouth on March 20th. Leicester City advanced to the Semifinals of the FA Cup a day later on March 21st with their 3-1 victory against Manchester United. This match will take place on a neutral field at Wembley Stadium.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Southampton is mired in 14th place in the English Premier League table but safe from relegation. Lifting an FA Cup title is the team’s line ambition at this point of the season for Ralph Hassenhuttl’s group. The Saints limp into this match coming off a 3-0 loss at West Brom Albion. Defense has been the problem for this side — they allowed a Baggies team likely destined for relegation to generate 3.07 expected goals (xG). Southampton has allowed 35 goals in their last 15 matches across all competitions. Granted, nine of those goals came in a debacle of a loss to Man United. Still, in their last four matches across all competitions, the Saints have allowed 12 goals. But Southampton has gotten their scoring attack going — they have scored 11 goals in the last five matches across all competitions. Getting Danny Ings healthy and back on the pitch makes a big difference — he has scored 13 goals in 22 matches in all competitions this season. Leicester City has lost two in a row with their 3-2 loss to West Ham last Sunday. The Foxes have allowed six goals in their last three matches in all competitions. Leicester City has scored 12 times in their last five matches. The insertion of Kelechi Iheanacho into the starting XI has provided new energy to the attack. The Nigerian is playing up to as a poacher with Jamie Vardy being relied on for more creativity. But the good news for manager Brendan Rodgers is the return of midfielder James Maddison who has been out for breaking COVID quarantine for most of the month. When Maddison is on the pitch, the Leicester City attack is at its finest since he takes much of the pressure off Vardy.

FINAL TAKE: Both of these teams will deploy their best starting XI for this match since an FA Cup trophy would mark a successful season for both franchises. Southampton’s defensive efforts have lagged since a brief period of glory last summer during Project Restart — but they should keep it competitive with Ings healthy. Expect a higher-scoring match. 25* FA Cup Total of the Year with Over the Total in the math between Southampton (200405) and Leicester City (200406). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:40 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Golden State Warriors (561) and the Boston Bruins (562). THE SITUATION: Golden State (28-28) has won four games in a row after their 119-101 win at Cleveland as a 6-point favorite on Thursday. Boston (30-26) has won five in a row with their 121-113 win at Los Angeles against the Lakers on Thursday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Warriors have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after a double-digit victory. Golden State has also played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after a point spread victory. Additionally, the Warriors are playing their third game on the road since Monday — and they have played 8 straight Unders when playing their third game on the road in five days. They made 51.1% of their shots in Cleveland on Thursday — but they are shooting just 44.9% this season on the road. Golden State has played 12 of their last 16 games Under the Total on the road — and they have played 5 of their last 6 road games Under the Total against teams with a winning record at home. The Warriors have also played 8 of their last 11 road games Under the Total as an underdog — and they have played 21 of their last 30 road games Under the Total as an underdog getting up to six points. Furthermore, Golden State has played 18 of their last 27 games Under the Total against Eastern Conference opponents — and they have played 30 of their last 49 games Under the Total with the Total in the 220s. Boston has made 56.5% of their shots on Thursday which was the best shooting effort in their last 20 games. But the Celtics have played 9 of their last 13 games Under the Total after shooting at least 55% from the field in their last game — and they have played 10 of their last 13 games Under the Total after scoring at least 120 points in their last contest. Additionally, Boston has played 9 of their last 14 games Over the Total after winning at least two in a row. And while the Celtics have played their last two games Over the Total, they have then played 9 of their last 12 games Under the Total after playing at least two straight Overs. Boston returns home where they have played 9 of their last 10 games Under the Total. And they have played 9 of their last 11 games Under the Total when favored. Brad Stevens has this team playing better defense — they rank sixth in the NBA in Defensive Rating over their last ten games.

FINAL TAKE: Injuries may play a role in this game. Robert Williams III is out with a knee injury — and he is starting to gel with the Celtics’ Big Four starters. Jaylen Brown is now questionable with an illness. While Brown is an elite defender, those skills are not essential against the Warriors since Marcus Smart will be the primary defender on Stephen Curry. But if Brown does not play, then Draymond Green will defend Jayson Tatum without a “pick your poison” dilemma. These two teams have played 21 of their last 28 meetings Under the Total — and they have played 4 straight Unders when playing in Boston. The Warriors may be without Kelly Oubre who is questionable with a wrist. The Celtics won the last meeting at Golden State, 111-107, on February 2nd — and Golden State has played 8 of their last 13 games Under the Total when playing with same-season revenge. 25* NBA Saturday Night ABC-TV Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Golden State Warriors (561) and the Boston Bruins (562). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 AM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the match between West Ham United (200121) and Newcastle United (200122). THE SITUATION: West Ham (W16-D7-L8) enters this match coming off a 3-2 win against Leicester City last Sunday. Newcastle (W8-D8-L15) comes off a 2-1 win at Burnley last Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Hammers got two opening goals in the first half from Jesse Lingard who is on fire right now in the English Premier League. Lingard has scored eight goals and added three assists in his nine matches since being acquired by West Ham on loan from Man United in the winter transfer window. While he is over-performing his underlying metrics, he is still averaging 0.44 expected goals (xG) per 90 minutes and 0.18 expected assists per 90 minutes. And take his over-performance with this grain of salt: Lionel Messi over-performs his metrics as well. No, Lingard is not Messi (or Messi Jr.) — but there necessarily are outlier performances that determined league-wide averages of expectation. Brighton underperforms in their expected goals because their striker, Aaron Maupay, is not very good. Lingard might be out-performing his expectations because he is simply playing better than the average player. Baseball measures this statistic a bit better with their “Wins Above Replacement Player” (WARP) number. I digress. Even without forward Michail Antonio being healthy and available, West Ham is clicking on offense right now. They have scored three goals in each of their last three matches. They have scored 20 goals in their last ten matches while averaging a robust 1.61 xG per game during that span. David Moyes’ side will need to continue this efficiency on offense given their injuries on defense. The Hammers have been without center back Angelo Ogbunna and holding midfielder Declan Rice — and they have allowed 3.58 xGA combined in their last two matches. Left-back Aaron Cresswell joins them on the sidelines for this match as he is dealing with a hamstring injury. That is not a good development for a defense that has allowed the second-most shots inside the box in their last four matches. Newcastle may be in 17th place but they lead the EPL over the last four matchweeks in expected goals in open play. They generated a whopping 4.07 xG against Tottenham two matches ago. They have scored four goals in their last two matches — yet they are still the most underperforming side in the EPL when comparing expected goals with actual goals in the last six matchweeks. If lack of talent explained that problem, help is on the way for manager Steve Bruce who saw the return of his two most talented players on offense in Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin last Sunday. They combine to average 0.69 xG per 90 minutes. But like West Ham, the Magpies are dealing with their share of injuries from key defensive players as well. Bruce will be without center backs Jamaal Lascelles and Fabian Schar for this match. Newcastle allows 1.54 xGA per match this season which is the fourth-worst mark in the league. And in their ten matches against teams in the top half of the table, the Magpies are allowing 2.38 xGA per contest.

FINAL TAKE: Both of these teams have plenty at stake. West Ham is motivated to stay in fourth place to qualify for the Champions League next season. Newcastle is six points clear of relegation in 17th place — but picking up points this morning goes a long way to keep them safe which is why Bruce has them playing as openly as of late as they have all season. In a game between two teams playing with confidence on offense but with depleted defensive corps, expect a higher-scoring match. 25* English Premier League NBC Sports Network Total of the Month with Over the Total in the match between West Ham United (200121) and Newcastle United (200122). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:10 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Boston Celtics (529) and the Los Angeles Lakers (530). THE SITUATION: Boston (29-26) has won four games in a row with their 116-115 win at Portland as a closing 1-point favorite on Tuesday. Los Angeles (34-21) has won two of their last three games after their 101-93 win at Charlotte as a 2-point favorite on Tuesday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Celtics have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a point spread victory. And while Boston has covered the point spread in their last two games, they have then played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after covering the point spread in two straight games. The Celtics are the road favorite in this one — and they have played 9 of their last 10 games Under the Total when laying the points. Los Angeles has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a straight-up win. And while their win against the Hornets finished well below the 206.5 point total, they have then played 23 of the last 33 games after playing their last game Under the Total. Now after playing their last seven games on the road, the Lakers return home for the first time since March 31st. Los Angeles has played 7 of their last 10 home games Under the Total after being on the road for a least seven days. The Lakers have also played 6 straight games Under the Total at home as they continue to play without LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

FINAL TAKE: Boston will be looking to avenge a 96-95 loss at home to the Lakers on January 30th — and they have played 17 of their last 24 games Under the Total when playing with revenge from a loss at home. 10* NBA Thursday Late Show O/U Bailout with Under the Total in the game between the Boston Celtics (529) and the Los Angeles Lakers (530). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Nashville Predators (47) and the Carolina Hurricanes (48). THE SITUATION: Nashville (24-19-1) has won two straight games as well as five of their last six with their 7-2 victory against Tampa Bay on Tuesday. Carolina (27-10-4) has lost two in a row with their 3-1 loss to Detroit on Monday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Under is 7-3-3 in the Predators’ last 13 games after a win — and they have played 8 of their last 9 games Under the Total playing on the road after a victory by two or more goals against a divisional rival. Nashville scored seven goals against the Lightning’s backup goalie Curtis McElhinney (rather than Andre Vasilevskiy) — but they have then played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total after scoring at least four goals in their last game, and the Under is 3-0-1 in their last 4 games after scoring at least five goals in their contest. The Predators have also played 11 of their last 17 games Under the Total after playing a game that finished Over the Total. Nashville has a hot goaltender in Juuse Saros who stopped 21 of 23 shots against Tampa Bay on Tuesday. Saros has a 2.16 Goals-Against-Average with a .929 save percentage this season. In his six starts this month, Saros has a 1.62 GAA with a .942 save percentage. Saros is tied for fifth in the NHL this season for save percentage against unblocked shots above expected save percentage against unblocked shots. The Predators stay on the road where the Under is 5-2-1 in their last 8 games — and they have played 5 of their last 6 road games Under the Total as an underdog. Additionally, Nashville has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record — and the Under is 6-2-2 in their last 10 games as an underdog. Carolina has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after a loss at home — and they have played 18 of their last 25 games Under the Total after loss at home to a divisional rival. The Hurricanes have also played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total after losing two in a row against divisional rivals — and they have played 10 of their last 11 home games Under the Total after losing two of their last three games. They counter with Petr Mrazek who has a 1.47 GAA and a .952 save percentage in his seven starts this season which included a long stint on the shelf with an injury. In his five starts at home this season, he has a 1.47 GAA with a .952 save percentage. The Under is 7-2-2 in Carolina’s last 11 games at home as a favorite.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have seen the Under go 3-1-2 in their last 6 meetings between these two teams. Nashville looks to avenge a 5-1 loss at home to the Hurricanes — and they have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total when playing with revenge from a loss where they allowed at least five goals. 25* NHL Central Division Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Nashville Predators (47) and the Carolina Hurricanes (48). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Calgary Flames (33) and the Montreal Canadiens (34). THE SITUATION: Calgary (18-21-3) has won two games in a row with their 3-2 win in overtime at Toronto last night. Montreal (18-12-9) snapped a three-game losing streak with their 4-2 upset win against Toronto on Monday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Under is 9-3-2 in the Flames’ last 14 games after a win — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games this season Under the Total after a win by just one goad. Calgary has also played 12 of their last 14 road games Under the Total when playing their second game on the road in two days. The Flames have not made their goaltender official for tonight — but indications are that Jacob Markstrom will again be between the pipes after he stopped 24 of 26 shots last night. The big free-agent acquisition in the off-season has a 2.88 Goals-Against-Average with a .901 save percentage for the season — but he does improve to a 2.68 GAA with a .913 save percentage in his 14 starts on the road. Markstrom also has a .953 save percentage in his last two games, stopping 41 of 43, shots after his shutout win against Edmonton on Saturday. Calgary has played 5 straight Unders on the road — and they have played 6 of their last 7 road games Under the Total as an underdog. They are scoring only 2.2. Goals-Per-Game on the road. Additionally, the Flames have played 4 straight Unders against teams with a losing record — and the Under is 6-2-1 in the last 9 games overall as an underdog. Montreal has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a win — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after scoring at least four goals in a victory. The Under is also 5-2-1 in the Canadiens’ last 8 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. They will counter with Jake Allen in goal. He has a 2.49 GAA with a .912 save percentage in 16 starts. Allen deserves better — he ranks tied for fifth in save percentage above expected save percentage in the NHL this season. Montreal stays at home where they have played 15 of their last 21 games Under the Total after a win on their home ice. The Canadiens are scoring only 2.2 Goals-Per-Game in their last five contests. The Under is 10-3-2 in their last 15 games against teams with a losing record.

FINAL TAKE: The Under is 8-1-2 in the last 11 meetings between these two teams — and the Under is 4-0-1 in their last 5 games where Montreal was playing at home. Calgary has won the last three encounters, most recently in a 3-1 win at home. The Canadiens have played 7 straight Unders when avenging a loss by at least two goals — and they have played 6 of their last 9 games Under the Total when playing with double-revenge. 25* NHL North Division Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Calgary Flames (33) and the Montreal Canadiens (34). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the match between Real Madrid (224229) and Liverpool (224230) in the second leg in the Quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League. THE SITUATION: Real Madrid won the opening leg of this showdown with their 3-1 victory over the Reds. Liverpool needs either a 2-0 victory in this second leg, or they must score three goals in a victory to advance to the semifinals.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Liverpool continued to struggle on defense last week by allowing Real Madrid to score three times. Trent Alexander-Arnold was burned too often on their backline with the Reds’ missing center backs Virgil Van Djik, Joe Gomez, and Joel Matip. The Reds allowed Los Blancos to generate 1.99 expected goals (xG). Liverpool did look better on offense than on Saturday in a 2-1 win against Aston Villa. The Reds generated 2.34 xG against the Villans. Getting Dioga Jota back on the pitch after he was out for a couple of months gives them another playmaker on the pitch which should make things easier for forwards Mohammad Salah and Sadio Mane. Manager Jurgen Klopp will have them playing aggressively in this second leg since they need to score goals. They will be facing a Real Madrid side who is banged up on their backline. Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varone remain out after missing last week’s match — and now right-backs Lucas Varquez and Dani Carvajal are questionable with knocks. Los Blancos may be ripe for an emotional letdown after following up their win on Tuesday with a big 2-1 win over Barcelona in El Clasico on Saturday. Real Madrid did allow Barca to generate 1.78 xG. They are vulnerable on defense. But Los Blancos should score goals with Liverpool needing to play on their front foot. Real Madrid has scored in all but three of their La Liga matches this season — and they have scored in all but one of their nine Champions League matches this season.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams also played to a 3-1 score in the Champions League finals in 2018. Expect a higher-scoring match once again with Liverpool pressured to score plenty of goals. 10* UCL Wednesday Afternoon O/U Discounted Deal with Over the Total in the match between Real Madrid (224229) and Liverpool (224230). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:40 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Atlanta Hawks (571) and the Toronto Raptors (572). THE SITUATION: Atlanta (29-25) has won two straight games as well as six of their last seven after their 105-101 upset win at Charlotte as a 2.5-point underdog on Sunday. Toronto (21-33) has lost three of their last four games after their 102-96 loss at New York as a 3-point underdog on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: This is a solid technical play despite both teams playing undermanned tonight. The Hawks are without a handful of players — and Trae Young is questionable with a calf injury. The Raptors are without Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet. While these players are great offensive players, their play on the other end of the court tends to get dismissed. Atlanta has played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total after an upset win on the road. The Hawks stay on the road where they have played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total — and they have played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total on the road as a favorite. Atlanta is scoring 115.6 PPG in their last five games while making 47.7% of their shots despite all their attrition — but they have allowed their last five opponents to make 47.0% of their shots. The Over is 23-9-1 in the Hawks’ last 33 games against teams with a losing record. Atlanta has also played 25 of their last 39 games Over the Total when listed in the +/- 3-point range. Toronto has played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total after a point spread loss. Additionally, the Raptors have played 4 of their last 5 home games Over the Total as an underdog — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: Toronto will be looking to avenge a 121-120 loss at home (in Florida) to the Hawks on March 11th. The Raptors have played 11 of their last 14 games Over the Total when avenging a loss where their opponent scored at least 110 points. These two teams have played 5 straight Overs. 10* NBA Tuesday Daily Discounted O/U Deal with Over the Total in the game between the Atlanta Hawks (571) and the Toronto Raptors (572). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Philadelphia Flyers (23) and the Washington Capitals (24). THE SITUATION: Philadelphia (19-16-6) has lost three of their last four games after their 5-3 loss to Buffalo on Sunday. Washington (27-11-4) has won two straight games with their 8-1 win at Boston on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Capitals have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after a win — and they have played 27 of their last 39 games Over the Total after a game where at least nine combined goals were scored. The Washington offense is clicking right now — they are averaging 3.8 Goals-Per-Game in their last five contests. They have scored 12 goals in their last two games. The Capitals have played 36 of their last 52 games Over the Total after scoring at least four goals in their last game — and they have played 20 of their last 27 games Over the Total after scoring at least four goals in two straight contests. The Over is also 9-1-1 in their last 11 games when playing with one day of rest. They return home where they have played 42 of their last 61 games Over the Total. Ilya Samsonov is the goaltender tonight — he has a 2.97 Goals-Against-Average with a .894 save percentage. He has struggled in three starts this month with a 5.21 GAA and a .833 save percentage. The deeper metrics are far from bullish. He ranks 50th amongst goaltenders in the league with a .944 save percentage on unblocked shots — and is far below his expected save percentage from unblocked shots of .955. Washington has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total when favored. Philadelphia has played 20 of their last 29 games Over the Total after a loss. Additionally, the Over is 13-6-1 in the Flyers’ last 20 games after allowing at least five goals — and they have played 14 of the last 18 games Over the Total after a game where at least eight combined goals were scored. Philly counters with Brian Elliott who has a 2.87 GAA and a .894 save parentage this season. Elliott has a .939 save percentage on unblocked shots, the 56th worst mark in the league — and even farther off his expected save percentage of .951 on unblocked shots than Samsonov. Elliott also has a 3.37 GAA with a .879 save percentage in his nine games (eight starts) on the road. The Over is 19-6-1 in the Flyers’ last 26 road games as an underdog — and they have played 6 straight road games Over the Total with the number installed at 6 or higher.

FINAL TAKE: Philly will be looking to avenge a 5-4 loss at home to the Capitals on March 13th — and they have played 7 of their last 11 games Over the Total when playing with revenge from a loss where they allowed at least five goals. These two teams have played 5 of the last 6 meetings Over the Total when playing in Washington. 25* NHL Tuesday NBC Sports Network Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Philadelphia Flyers (23) and the Washington Capitals (24). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between FC Porto (224221) and Chelsea (224222) in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League. THE SITUATION: Chelsea won the first leg of this Quarterfinals battle with the Dragons in the UEFA Champions League. FC Porto must score at least two goals in a regulation-time victory to stay alive to advance to the semifinals.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Porto may have to play more aggressively in this second leg — but they will first have to wrestle the ball away from Chelsea, which will be much easier said than done. Since Thomas Tuchel took over for Frank Lampard for this franchise, they have become possession monsters that are controlling the ball around 65% of the time in their English Premier League matches (they were at 64.6% two EPL matches ago, which was second-best at the time before posting 58% and 59% possession marks in their most recent two EPL matches — more on that below). Tuchel switched from Lampard’s standard 4-3-3 formation to a 3-4-2-1 which has done wonders for clarifying the expectations for his players on the pitch. The results have been a more methodical and plodding style — but also one where the opponent simply does not get many counter opportunities with the Blues able to quickly get five players back on defense. The proof is in the pudding — Chelsea has had eight clean sheets in their last ten matches across all competitions. The Blues limped into their match with Porto last week coming off a 5-2 loss to West Brom — but they played with ten men for over 61 minutes of that match after Thiago was issued a red card at the 29-minute mark. While the wheels fell off on defense (for the first time under Tuchel), they still controlled possession for 58% of that match. The Blues come off a 4-1 win against Crystal Palace on Saturday. That result was a bit of an aberration as Tuchel rested most of his defensive-oriented players for this second leg. He finally played Kai Havertz at forward — and the German scored the first goal before scoring-machine (and defensive liability) Christian Pulisic scored two more goals in the easy win. The Chelsea defense was great — the Eagles just happened to score on their one shot. Havertz and Pulisic will likely be on the bench for this match. Tuchel’s plan will be to play keep-away — and he can rely on his outstanding goaltender, Eduoard Mendy. Under Tuchel in his 16 matches as the Blues’ skipper, they have a minuscule 0.53 expected goals allowed (xGA) mark. They have only allowed more than a goal once during that time in that outlier effort against a desperate West Brom team where they were played with a man disadvantage. Chelsea did not pressure Porto’s defense much last week despite playing on their front foot. They managed only six shots — and they completed only four passes into the penalty area. Mason Mount scored a nice clinical goal for them — but Ben Chilwell’s second goal at the 85-minute mark occurred because of a defensive mistake. The Dragons are an outstanding defensive team. The dilemma for manager Sergio Conceicao is that he prefers to have his team sit back in a defensive 4-4-2 formation with six players usually back parking the bus. Porto only had possession marks of 34% and 31% in their two Round of 16 matches against Juventus. They prefer to counter-attack — and I suspect this will be the strategy for the Dragons with the hopes they can score in this manner. Porto simply lacks scoring talent — and they risk falling behind 3-0 aggregate if they attempt to play too aggressively and out of character. Despite falling behind after 32 minutes in the first-leg, the Dragons only attempted eight shots in the match.

FINAL TAKE: FC Porto has played four of their last six matches in the Champions League Under 2.5 goals — and Chelsea has played four straight matches in the Champions League Under 2.5 goals. The Blues have also earned clean sheets in seven of their last nine matches in the Champions League. The directive for Tuchel is simple: don’t let Porto score. They simply do not need to pressure the Dragons — and Porto lacks the playmakers to counter these tactics. 25* UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals Total of the Year with Under the Total in the match between FC Porto (224221) and Chelsea (224222). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:10 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Houston Rockets (529) and the Golden State Warriors (530). THE SITUATION: Houston (14-38) has lost six of their last seven games after their 126-109 loss at Los Angeles against the Clippers as an 11-point underdog on Friday. Golden State (24-28) has lost four of five after their 110-107 upset loss to Washington as a 4.5-point favorite last night.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Rockets allowed the Clippers to make 54.5% of their shots last night which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last 15 games. Houston has then played 13 of their last 18 games Under the Total after allowing at least 125 points in their last game. The Rockets are dealing with several injuries — most notably Eric Gordon who is out with a groin and John Wall who is questionable with an ankle. That could leave Houston without two of their most reliable scorers. They stay on the road where they have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total on the road — and they have played 5 of their last 7 road games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home. Golden State has played 12 of their last 17 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 11 of their last 13 games Under the Total after a close loss by three points or less. Additionally, the Warriors have played 8 of their last 9 games Under the Total when playing without a day of rest. Golden State stays at home where they are now 15-10 — and they have played 5 of their last 7 home games Under the Total as a favorite. The Warriors have also played 32 of their last 49 home games Under the Total with the number set at 220 or higher. Furthermore, Golden State has played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total against teams not winning more than 40% of their games.

FINAL TAKE: Houston is motivated to avenge a 108-94 loss at home to the Warriors on March 17th — and they have played 23 of their last 33 games Under the Total when playing with revenge from a loss at home to their opponent. These two teams have played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total when playing in Golden State. 10* NBA Saturday Late Show O/U Bailout with Under the Total in the game between the Houston Rockets (529) and the Golden State Warriors (530). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the match between Paris Saint-Germain (224209) and Bayern Munich (224210). THE SITUATION: PSG advanced to the Quarterfinals of the Champions League with their 1-1 draw against Barcelona on March 10th which secured them a 5-2 aggregate victory in the Round of 16. Bayern Munich reached the Quarterfinals with a 2-1 win against Lazio to secure a 6-2 aggregate victory in the Round of 16.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Bavarians host the first leg at their Allianz Stadium. Not only have the reigning Champions League champs won 18 of their last 19 matches in this European competition, but they have scored at least two goals in 17 of these contests. Bayern Munich has also scored at least two goals in their last three opportunities to host PSG. They will be without striker Robert Lewandowski for the next month after he suffered a knee injury playing for his Polish national team two weeks ago during the international break. Lewandowski has 35 goals in 25 matches in the Bundesliga. But manager Hansi Flick has an embarrassment of riches to turn to as the striker. He tapped former PSG striker, Eric-Maxim Choupo Moting, as the number 10 on Saturday in their 1-0 win at RB Leipzig. I am not worried that the match was low-scoring since that is the Red Bulls style as a counter-attacking group. Bayern Munich has perhaps the best midfield pairing in the world in Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretza with the latter scoring against Leipzig. Flick can also elevate Leon Goretzka or Thomas Muller (who was previously the team’s striker before Lewandowski’s emergence into a superstar) to the striker role. The Bavarians’ high-press with all this talent keeps them an offensive juggernaut even without Lewandowski. But defense has been an issue to this team. They have allowed 35 goals in 25 Bundesliga matches this season. They conceded in both legs in the Round of 16 to Lazio. And they have allowed at least one goal in 11 of their last 13 matches at home. PSG will have a chip on their shoulder for this showdown after losing at home to Lille, 1-0, to fall into second place in Ligue 1. The good news for the Parisians is that Neymar returned to the pitch after being out for two months with an injury. And PSG still has the sensational Kylian Mbappe who has scored 20 goals in Ligue 1 — and he netted a hat trick in PSG’s 4-1 win at Barcelona in the first leg of that Round of 16 match. Manager Mauricio Pochettino will be without creative midfielder Mario Verratti — but his absence may impact their defensive cohesion as much as their attack. The Parisians have scored at least once in 43 straight matches in the Champions League.

FINAL TAKE: This is a rematch of the Champions League Final last August which Bayern Munich won in a low-scoring 1-0 match. With this rematch being a two-legged quarterfinal where goals scored on the road is the tie-breaker, expect the tactics to be more aggressive in a higher-scoring match. 20* UCL Wednesday Afternoon Discounted O/U Deal with Over the Total in the match between Paris Saint-Germain (224209) and Bayern Munich (224210). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:20 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Baylor Bears (811) and the Gonzaga Bulldogs (812). THE SITUATION: Baylor (27-2) has won five straight games as well as nine of their last ten contests after their 78-59 win against Houston as a 5-point favorite on Saturday. Gonzaga (31-0) survived overtime in a 93-90 buzzer-beating win against UCLA as a 14-point favorite on Saturday. This game will be played on a neutral court at Lucas Oil Stadium.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Bears have played 13 of their last 16 games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 8 of their last 9 games Over the Total after a point spread win. Baylor tends to play higher-scoring games because they emphasize shot volume. They are sixth in the nation by pulling down 36.9% of their missed shots. They are also third in the nation by forcing turnovers in 24.6% of their opponent’s possessions. But as they demonstrated against the stout Cougars defense that went into the Final Four with the nation’s top statistical defense in terms of effective field goal percentage, Baylor makes their shots more often than not. The Bears shot 52.7% from the field against Houston — including making 11 of 24 (45.8%) from behind the arc. Baylor leads the nation by making 41.2% of their 3-pointers. Now they play a Gonzaga team much worse than the Cougars’ statistically in half-court defense. The Bulldogs allowed the Bruins to make 57.6% of their shots — and the Zags have failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 7 games after allowing their last opponent to make at least 55% of their shots. Gonzaga ranks only 55th in the nation with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 47.5%. The Bears have played 9 of their last 12 games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage of 60% or better. They have also played 10 of their last 13 games Over the Total on a neutral court. And in their last 27 games as an underdog, Baylor has played 20 of these games Over the Total. Gonzaga has played 37 of their last 55 games Over the Total after a straight-up win. The Zags have also played 16 of their last 22 games Over the Total when playing with one day of rest. The Bulldogs have also played 28 of their last 43 games Over the Total after scoring at least 85 points in their last contest. Gonzaga has scored at least 83 points in six straight games. The Zags lead the nation with an effective field goal percentage of 61.1%. Baylor does not play elite-level half-court defense either — they rank 113th nationally with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 48.7% while ranking outside the top-100 in both 2-point and 3-point shooting defense. The Bulldogs want to play fast under head coach Mark Few. They average just 14.3 seconds-per-possession which is the third quickest in the nation. Baylor is likely to be quite comfortable racing with the Zags as well with their four guards in the starting lineup. The Bears forego defensive rebounding for getting out in transition in fast breaks. Baylor allows their opponents to pull down 30.9% of their missed shots, ranking 280th in the nation. This means more second-chance scoring opportunities for Gonzaga who pull down a respectable 30.4% of their missed shots. This also means the Bears attempting to score fast in the 70% or so times they pull down the missed shot. This game should be up-and-down the court. The Bulldogs have played 25 of their last 36 games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage of 60% or higher — and they have played 39 of their last 57 games Over the Total when favored.

FINAL TAKE: Both of these teams are familiar with Lucas Oil Stadium after playing there in the Final Four. Baylor should enter this game very confident after shooting 52.7% from the field while nailing 11 of 24 from downtown. And while Gonzaga made 58.7% of their shots on Saturday, I expect them to shoot better from behind the arc than their 7 of 21 effort against UCLA. I was less aggressive with Under plays during this Big Dance (unfortunately, in hindsight) because I assessed that teams would shoot better without big crowds in the arenas. The limited crowd will have little impact on the game tonight — I expect both these high-scoring teams to shoot well in this familiar environment. 10* CBB Monday Night Discounted Deal with Over the Total in the game between the Baylor Bears (811) and the Gonzaga Bulldogs (812). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:34 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Gonzaga Bulldogs (804) minus the points versus the UCLA Bruins (803). THE SITUATION: UCLA (22-9) won their fifth straight game in this Big Dance with their 51-49 upset win against Michigan as a 6.5-point underdog on Tuesday. Gonzaga (30-0) reached the Final Four on Tuesday with their 85-66 win against USC as a 12-point favorite. This game will be played on a neutral court at Lucas Oil Stadium.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Bruins have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a straight-up win. And while UCLA has covered the points spread in all five of their NCAA Tournament games, they have then played 28 of their last 41 games Under the Total after covering the point spread in four straight games. Head coach Mick Cronin is going to do everything he can to keep this game in the 60s. His formula for success to pull upsets against Alabama and Michigan was to slow the games down and have his team take their chances in the final ten minutes of the second half. The Bruins have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage of 60% or higher. And while the Bulldogs are outscoring their opponents by +23.1 PPG, Gonzaga has played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total after 15 games into the season against teams who outscore their opponents by at least +8.0 PPG. The Bulldogs have won all four of their games in this Big Dance by at least 16 points — and they have played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total after winning three in a row by at least 15 points. And while Gonzaga has scored at least 83 points in five straight games, they have then played 8 of their last 13 games Under the Total after scoring at least 80 points in four straight contests.

FINAL TAKE: Gonzaga has played 15 of their last 22 games Under the Total in the NCAA Tournament — UCLA has played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total in the Big Dance. Even if the Bulldogs have a comfortable lead in the second half, head coach Mark Few will want to conserve the energy of his players for the National Championship Game on Monday. 10* CBB UCLA-Gonzaga CBS-TV O/U Special with Under the Total in the game between the Gonzaga Bulldogs (804) minus the points versus the UCLA Bruins (803). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 5:14 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Houston Cougars (801) and the Baylor Bears (802). THE SITUATION: Houston (28-3) won their 11th straight game on Monday with their 67-61 win against Oregon State as an 8-point favorite. Baylor (26-2) won their fourth straight game with their 81-72 victory against Arkansas as a 7.5-point favorite on Monday. This game will be played on a neutral court at Lucas Oil Stadium.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Cougars allowed the Beavers to make 46.8% of their shots on Monday which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last five games. Houston has still held their last five opponents — all teams either in or made the NCAA Tournament — to just 36.3% shooting which has translated into 55.4 PPG. The Cougars 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a straight-up win where they did not cover the point spread — and they have played 13 of their last 16 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. Houston has not allowed more than 61 points in five straight games — and they have played 36 of their last 57 games Under the Total after not allowing more than 65 points in at least two straight games. Head coach Kelvin Sampson will have his team play outstanding half-court defense. They lead the nation in opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 43.3%. The Cougars hold their opponents to just 29.2% shooting from behind the arc and 42.9% inside the arc — those marks rank 11th and fifth in the nation. But shooting could be an issue for Sampson. They only made 32.3% of their shots against Oregon State — and they have played 20 of their last 27 games Under the Total after not shooting better than 33% from the field. While Houston enjoyed a 17-point lead early in the second half, they only made 29% of their shots. Now the Cougars will be playing the best defense they have encountered all season. The best team Houston has played all season is Texas Tech — and they only rank 20th nationally by metrics guru Ken Pomeroy. The Cougars have played 19 of their last 26 games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage of 60% or better. Baylor made 48.4% of their shots against the Razorbacks which was the best shooting effort in their last five games. They raced out to a 46-28 lead in the first half on Tuesday — but they have then played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total after scoring at least 45 points in the first half of their last game. The Bears did allow Arkansas to make 48.1% of their shots which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last seven contests. Scott Drew’s team had struggled with their defense after a three-week hiatus due to a COVID outbreak — but they have been in top form again in the Big Dance. Baylor held their three previous NCAA Tournament teams to just 41.3% shooting and 56.3 PPG.

FINAL TAKE: Sampson will likely play this game at a very slow pace — as it is, Houston averages 19.3 seconds-per-possession which is the 331st slowest pace in the nation. Baylor was lulled into a low-scoring game with Villanova — in their 62-51 win over the Wildcats in the Sweet 16, there were only 57 possessions in that game. The Under is 13-6-1 in the Cougars’ last 20 games on a neutral court — and they have played 4 straight Unders when an underdog on a neutral court. 25* CBB Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Houston Cougars (801) and the Baylor Bears (802). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:08 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Atlanta Hawks (553) and the New Orleans Pelicans (534). THE SITUATION: Atlanta (24-24) snapped a two-game losing streak last night with their 134-129 upset win in double-overtime at San Antonio as a 1-point underdog. New Orleans (21-26) had their two-game winning streak end last night in a 115-110 loss in overtime to Orlando as a 5.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Atlanta held the Spurs to 44.5% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last six games under new head coach Nate McMillan. The Hawks have still allowed their last five opponents to make 49.3% of their shots which has resulted in 118.0 PPG for these opponents. Atlanta has allowed at least 108 points in six straight games — and they have then played 11 of their last 14 games Over the Total after allowing at least 105 points in four straight games. The Hawks have also played 17 of their last 24 games Over the Total after a win by six points or less — and they have played 26 of their last 35 games Over the Total after a game where at least 245 combined points were scored. Atlanta’s starters logged in 193:49 minutes last night — and they have then played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total when their starters combined to play at least 160 minutes the day before. The Hawks have also played 11 of their last 14 games Over the Total when playing their third game on the road in five days. Atlanta has played four straight Overs heading into this game — and they have played 6 of their last 9 games Over the Total after playing at least three straight games Over the Total. The Hawks conclude their eight-game road trip tonight — they have played straight games Over the Total on the road as an underdog. Atlanta has been hot with their shooting on this trip. They are making 49.8% of their shots in their last five games, which is generating 115.6 PPG. New Orleans only made 43.6% of their shots last night which was the lowest field goal percentage in their last six games. They also held the Magic to make 42.5% of their shots which is the best defensive effort in their last four contests. The Pelicans have played 7 of their last 11 games Over the Total after a loss at home — and they have played 16 of their last 21 games Over the Total after a point spread loss. Furthermore, New Orleans has played 19 of their last 24 games Over the Total after allowing at least 115 points in their last game — and they have played 22 of their last 28 games Over the Total after a game where at least 225 combined points were scored. The Pelicans’ five starters played 195:54 minutes last night — and they have played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total in games when their starters combined to play at least 160 minutes the prior day. New Orleans has also played 9 of their last 13 games Over the Total when playing without rest. The Pelicans are not a good defensive team even under the guidance of a defensive head coach in Stan Van Gundy in his first year with the franchise. New Orleans ranks 28th with their Defensive Rating. The Pelicans have the seventh-best Offensive Rating in the league — and they are making 49.4% of their shots in their last five games. They have scored at least 110 points in three straight games — and they have then played 17 of their last 21 games Over the Total after scoring at least 110 points in three straight games. They stay at home where they have played 20 of their last 26 games Over the Total — and they have played 12 of their last 15 home games Over the Total when favored.

FINAL TAKE: New Orleans will be without Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and Lonzo Ball for tonight’s game as they are all dealing with injuries that has compelled Van Gundy to give them the night off after playing yesterday. The Pelicans have still played 17 of their last 21 games Over the Total when favored. This is a strong technical play. 25* NBA Non-Conference Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Atlanta Hawks (553) and the New Orleans Pelicans (534). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Carolina Hurricanes (53) and the Chicago Blackhawks (54). THE SITUATION: Carolina (23-8-3) had their three-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday with their 2-1 loss on their road against the Blackhawks. Chicago (17-15-5) snapped a two-game losing streak with the win.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Hurricanes have played 16 of their last 22 road games Under the Total after a loss to a divisional rival. Additionally, the Under is 3-0-1 in Carolina’s last 4 games after scoring two goals in their last game — and the Under is 3-1-3 in their last 7 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. Additionally, the Hurricanes have played 13 of their last 17 games Under the Total on the road after a loss by just one goal — and they have played 12 of their last 16 games on the road Under the Total after a game where no more than three combined goals were scored. James Reimer should be the goaltender tonight for Carolina. He sported a 2.15 Goals-Against-Average with a .925 save percentage in six starts in March. The Under is 3-1-1 in the Hurricanes’ last 5 games on the road — and the Under is 3-1-1 in their last 5 road games when favored. Furthermore, the Under is 6-1-2 in Carolina’s last 9 games against teams with a losing record. Chicago only managed 16 shots on goal on Monday in their victory The Under is 3-1-1 in their last 5 games after a win — and they have played 4 straight games Under the Total after not scoring more than two goals in their last game. Rookie goalie Kevin Lankinen stopped 31 of the two 32 shots he faced on Tuesday against the Hurricanes. He has a 2.52 Goals-Against-Average with a .928 save percentage in 15 home starts this season. The Under is 3-0-1 in the Blackhawks’ last 4 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. Furthermore, Chicago has now played 5 straight Unders when playing at home — and they have played 9 of their last 13 home games Under the Total as an underdog. And in their last 5 games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage of 60% or higher, the Under is 4-0-1.

FINAL TAKE: Carolina has played 23 of their last 35 games Under the Total when avenging a loss by just one goal. 25* NHL Thursday NBC Sports Network Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Carolina Hurricanes (53) and the Chicago Blackhawks (54). Best of luck for us — Frank.

FRANK’S CUTTING ROOM FLOOR FOR WEDNESDAY, 3/31:

My “Cutting Room Floor” plays are the situations I considered the closest to being worthy of investment but did not make the “final cut” for my official plays today for subscribers. The last play I cut for Wednesday is with Under the Total in the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics. Dallas (24-21) snapped a two-game losing streak on Monday with their 127-106 win at Oklahoma City as an 11.5-point favorite. They stay on the road where they have played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total against teams winning at least 60% of their games at home. The Mavericks have also played 16 of their last 21 games Under the Total as an underdog. Boston (23-24) had their two-game losing streak end on Monday in a 115-109 upset loss to New Orleans as a 2.5-point favorite. The Celtics stay at home where they have played 4 straight games Under the Total. They have also played 4 straight Unders when favored. Take the Under. Best of luck — Frank.

Frank Sawyer looks to bounce-back from a 1-4 Tuesday in All-Sports (to fall to 6-6 in the last three days) — but he remains on an 81 of 133 (61%) All-Sports run over the last 37 days while maintaining a 59% WINNING CLIP in All-Sports since December 9th (240-165)! Frank is on an 8 of 11 (73%) NBA run — and he has tonight’s Mavericks-Celtics’ ATS winner on ESPN at 7:40 PM ET! WATCH and WIN — and BANK on Frank!

Frank took it on the chin last night — including losing his 25* NHL play on the New Jersey-Boston Under — yet he remains on a 15 of 24 (63%) streak with his highest-rated 25* plays in All-Sports! Frank is on a 53 of 89 (60%) NHL run along with a 95 of 150 (63%) NHL Sides run of underdogs and favorites never priced better than -150 — and now he furthers his 5 of 6 (83%) NHL Game of the Month/Year sides mark with his 25* NHL Bailout Game of the Month! A metaphor for last night? — or if you want ONE MORE WINNER for March — BANK on Frank!

At 9:57 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the UCLA Bruins (659) and the Michigan Wolverines (660). THE SITUATION: UCLA (21-9) won their fourth game in this Big Dance with their 88-78 win in overtime against Alabama as a 5.5-point favorite on Sunday. Michigan (23-4) has won four of their last five games after their 76-58 win against Florida State as a 1.5-point favorite on Sunday. This game is being played on a neutral court at Lucas Oil Stadium.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Bruins have covered the point spread in all four of their Big Dance games — and they have then played 27 of their last 40 games Under the Total after they covered the point spread in four straight games. Their Sweet 16 game finished Over the Total only because of overtime — the score was tied at 65 at the end of regulation — and they have played 19 of their last 29 games Under the Total after playing their last game Over the Total. There were times in their game with the Crimson Tide where they were stagnant on offense. They got back in the game when Alabama started taking them for granted. My “eye test” thinks Michigan will be a bit more disciplined with their half-court defense in stifling the UCLA attack. Now they play a Michigan team that has an opponent’s field goal percentage of 39.3% — and the Bruins have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after 15 games into the season against teams with a defensive field goal percentage of 42%. The Wolverines make 48.5% of their shots including a 38.3% mark from behind the arc — and not only has UCLA played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after 15 games into the season against teams who are making at least 45% of their shots, but they have also played 4 straight Unders against teams who make at least 37% of their 3-pointers. Michigan has played 12 of their last 14 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 27 of their last 38 games Under the Total after a point spread victory. The Wolverines have also played 8 of their last 9 games Under the Total after not allowing more than 60 points in their last game. Michigan has played 10 of their last 13 games Under the Total against teams who are winning at least 60% of their games — and they have played 12 of their last 17 games Under the Total as a favorite.

FINAL TAKE: The Under is 9-4-1 in the Wolverines’ last 14 games in the NCAA Tournament — and UCLA has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total in the Big Dance. 10* CBB Tuesday Late Show O/U Bailout with Under the Total in the game between the UCLA Bruins (659) and the Michigan Wolverines (660). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:15 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the USC Trojans (657) and the Gonzaga Bulldogs (658). THE SITUATION: USC (25-7) has won six of their last seven games after their 82-68 win against Oregon as a 2-point favorite on Sunday. Gonzaga (29-0) remained undefeated this season with their 83-65 win against Creighton as a 12.5-point favorite on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: What convinced me that this situation was worthy of a 10* investment on the Over is when confirming Gonzaga’s effectiveness against zone defenses. Andy Enfield is likely to deploy the funky zone they have used at key times in this Big Dance. Yet the Zags average 1.313 Points-Per-Possession against zone defenses which is the second-highest mark. The top PPP against zone defenses is Cal-Baptist. USC played Cal-Baptist to open the season — they won 95-87 in overtime. Most importantly, the score was 79-79 after regulation — so that combined score was right around our number (and I have higher expectations for Gonzaga tonight). The Bulldogs are a juggernaut on offense who leads the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency while averaging 91.8 PPG — and they are third in the nation in pace. They are averaging 89.3 PPG in the Big Dance. They have covered the point spread in all three of their NCAA Tournament games — and they have played 6 straight games Over the Total after covering the point spread in three straight games. And while the Zags have scored at least 83 points in four straight games, they have played 27 of their last 39 games Over the Total after scoring at least 80 points in their last two games. Gonzaga has also played 7 straight games Over the Total when playing their second game in three days. The Bulldogs are not elite in half-court defense either — their opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 47.2% is a solid 47th in the nation, but not impenetrable when talking about the final eight teams in the nation. USC has played 7 of their last 10 games Over the Total after a double-digit win over a Pac-12 opponent — the Over is 5-1-1 in their last 7 games after a point spread win. The Trojans have also played 6 of their last 9 games Over the Total after scoring at least 80 points in their last game. USC is red-hot with their shooting as well — they have shot at least 50% from the field in four straight games. They “dropped” to a 48.3% shooting percentage five games ago — and they have played 7 of their last 11 games Over the Total after making at least 47% of their shots in five straight games.

FINAL TAKE: The Over is 3-1-1 in the Trojans’ last 5 games on a neutral court. Gonzaga has played 12 of their last 16 games Over the Total on a neutral court — and they have played 24 of their last 34 games Over the Total when playing teams who are winning at least 60% of their games. 10* CBB USC-Gonzaga TBS-TV O/U Special with Over the Total in the game between the USC Trojans (657) and the Gonzaga Bulldogs (658). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the New Jersey Devils (19) and the Boston Bruins (20). THE SITUATION: New Jersey (13-16-4) snapped a two-game losing streak with a 1-0 win at Boston on Sunday. Boston (17-9-5) has lost two of their last three games with that loss to the Devils.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Bruins have scored the fifth-fewest goals in the NHL this season. They have not scored more than two goals in seven of their twelve games this month while getting shutout three times. Boston has played 17 of their last 24 games Under the Total at home after a loss to a divisional rival. Additionally, the Under is 18-7-1 in the Bruins’ last 26 games after not scoring more than two goals in their last game — and the Under is 7-1-1 in their last 9 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last contest. Over their last five games, they are averaging just 2.4 Goals-Per-Game — but they are allowing only 1.8 Goals-Per-Game during that span. They stay at home where the Under is 6-1-1 in their last 8 games. They hold their guests to just 2.0 Goals-Per-Game on their home ice. And while Boston has peppered the net with at least 32 shots in five straight games, they have then played 10 of their last 11 games at home Under the Total after taking at least 30 shots in five straight games. Jaroslav Halak should be between the pipes tonight — he has been sensational at home with a 1.97 Goals-Against-Average and .926 save percentage in eight games (seven starts). The Bruins have played 10 of their last 11 games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage below 40% — and the Under is 10-1-1 in their last 12 games when favored. New Jersey has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after scoring two goals or less in their last game. They have also played 6 straight Unders when playing their fourth game in seven days. This is New Jersey’s sixth straight game on the road — and they have played 5 straight games Under the Total after playing at least three straight games on the road. They are scoring only 2.0 Goals-Per-Game in their last five games — but they have held these opponents to just 2.4 Goals-Per-Game. MacKenzie Blackwood should be in goal — and while he has a 3.00 Goals-Against-Average with a .894 save percentage at home in 10 starts, he improves to a 2.55 GAA and .922 save percentage in nine road starts. The Devils have played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total as an underdog — and they have played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: New Jersey has now won the last four meetings between these two teams — and Boston has played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total when having lost at least four in a row against their opponent. 25* NHL Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the New Jersey Devils (19) and the Boston Bruins (20). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (649) and the Colorado State Rams (650). THE SITUATION: Louisiana Tech (23-8) lost in the Semifinals of the National Invitational Tournament in an 84-62 upset loss to Mississippi State as a 1.5-point favorite yesterday. Colorado State (20-7) lost to Memphis yesterday by a 90-67 score as a 4.5-point underdog. This third-place consolation game is being played on a neutral court at Comerica Park in Frisco, Texas.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Bulldogs allowed the Mississippi State Bulldogs to make 55.8% of their shots which was the worst defensive effort in their last 26 games. That mark was far above their opponent’s field goal percentage of 40.2% for the season. Louisiana Tech has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. While Louisiana Tech ranks 77th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing at home, they improve to ranking 30th nationally in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when on the road. However, the Bulldogs rank just 219th nationally in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency on the road as compared to their 96th rank in that metric when at home. The Under is 8-1-2 in Louisiana Tech’s last 11 games against teams who are winning at least 60% of their games. Colorado State allowed Memphis to make 55.7% of their shots yesterday which was the worst defensive performance in their last 19 games. They caught a red-hot Memphis team who could not miss in the second half yesterday (one of the reasons I passed on the Tigers today). The Rams have played 6 straight games Under the Total after a loss by at least 20 points. Additionally, Colorado State has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. While the Rams rank 67th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency at home, they fall to 112th in offense when playing on the road. Colorado State has played 40 of their last 59 games Under the Total against teams who are winning at least 60% of their games. The Rams have also played 8 of their last 9 games Under the Total as a favorite.

FINAL TAKE: Colorado State has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total when favored on a neutral court. Louisiana Tech has played 6 of their last 8 games on a neutral court Under the Total when an underdog. 25* CBB NIT Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (649) and the Colorado State Rams (650). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 5:15 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Villanova Wildcats (621) and the Baylor Bears (622). THE SITUATION: Villanova (18-6) advanced to the Sweet 16 with their 84-61 win against North Texas as a 4.5-point favorite last Sunday. Baylor (24-2) has won six of their last seven games with their 76-63 victory against Wisconsin as a 3.5-point favorite on Sunday. This game will be played on a neutral court at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Wildcats were hot from behind the arc against the Mean Green — they nailed 15 of their 30 shots from 3-point land. We had Villanova in both their NCAA Tournament games last week with the belief that Jay Wright would push the right buttons to keep his offense clicking even after the season-ending injury to senior point guard Collin Gillespie. Wright has responded by running the offense through 6’9 forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl who has averaged 20.0 PPG with 8.5 Rebounds-Per-Game in this tournament. The Wildcats have played 9 of their last 13 games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 7 of their last 9 games Over the Total after a point spread win. Additionally, Villanova has played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after a win by at least 20 points. The Wildcats are going to launch 3s as they play the role of spoiler — a rare role for this program under Wright. Villanova is 27th in the nation by attempting 45.1% of their shots from behind the arc. Wright will likely think his formula for success is to out-shoot the Bears since his team ranks 221st nationally with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 51.2%. Villanova allows their opponents to make 34.9% of their 3-pointers, ranking 238th in the nation — and that is an ominous number when facing this Baylor team that leads the nation by converting 41.2% of their 3-pointers. The Wildcats’ defense worsens when playing on the road — while they rank 65th in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency at home, they plummet to 122nd in that metric on the road. Baylor has played 11 of their last 12 games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and they have 6 straight games Over the Total after a point spread win. But the play of Scott Drew’s defense remains a concern. The three-week COVID pause in February stunted the development of his team’s play on that end of the court. Since February 1st, the Bears rank 111th in Adjusted Net Defense which is a big drop-off from their 41st ranking overall this season in that metric. After not allowing more than 69 points in all eight of their Big 12 games before February 2nd, Baylor has surrendered at least 70 points in their next five conference games (and six of seven heading into the NCAA Tournament). The numbers have been better against Hartford and Wisconsin in the Big Dance, but that might speak more about those teams than the quality of the Bears’ defensive play. But Baylor will keep scoring — while five of their last ten opponents have shot at least 47.5% from the field, they have made at least 50.8% of their shots in five of those ten games. The Bears average 84.2 PPG behind an offense that ranks third nationally in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. Baylor has played 12 of the last 14 games Over the Total as a favorite — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total against teams winning at least 60% of their games.

FINAL TAKE: The Bears have played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total in Big Dance — and they have played 7 of their last 10 games Over the Total in the NCAA Tournament as a favorite. Villanova has played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total on a neutral court. 25* CBB Sweet 16 Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Villanova Wildcats (621) and the Baylor Bears (622). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:10 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Atlanta Hawks (529) and the Golden State Warriors (530). THE SITUATION: Atlanta (22-22) had their three-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday in a 110-108 upset loss at Sacramento as a 3-point favorite. Golden State (22-23) has lost three in a row with their 141-119 loss at Sacramento as a 4.5-point underdog last night.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Hawks lost to the Kings despite making 48.3% of their shots which was the best shooting effort in their last three games. Atlanta makes only 45.3% of their shots on the road. They have played 5 of their last 8 games Under the Total after an upset loss — and they have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after a loss by 6 points or less. Additionally, the Hawks have played 4 straight games Under the Total after a point spread loss. Atlanta had been on an eight-game winning streak since they named Nate McMillan their head coach. He made an immediate impact in improving the play of the team’s defense after being elevated from an assistant coach for Lloyd Pierce. In the ten games under McMillan’s command, the Hawks rank fifth in the NBA in Defensive Rating — a big improvement over their 18th ranking for the season. Over their last five games, Atlanta has held their opponents to 104.6 PPG on 44.4% shooting representing a -6.1 PPG improvement over the 110.7 PPG they are allowing for the season. The Hawks have played 4 straight games Under the Total against teams with a losing record. Atlanta has also played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total when favored — and they have played 13 of their last 16 games Under the Total when favored by 3.5 to 9.5 points. Golden State made 51.1% of their shots last night — even without Stephen Curry — which was the best shooting effort in their last six games. The Warriors also allowed the Kings to make 59.6% of their shots which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last five games. Golden State has played 7 straight games Under the Total when playing without rest. The Warriors have also played 9 of their last 12 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. Golden State remains without Curry who is out with a bruised tailbone. The Warriors are making only 44.6% of their shots in their last five games with the last three without Curry. They are scoring 108.8 PPG during that span which is -3.9 PPG below their season average. Golden State has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Title as an underdog — and they have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total as a home dog.

FINAL TAKE: The Warriors were without Draymond Green and Eric Paschall last night with both out feeling ill after getting their COVID shot. They are questionable for tonight. The Hawks traded Rajon Rondo for Lou Williams yesterday but the high-scoring guard is not likely to be ready to play for his new team tonight. These two teams have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total — and the Under is 6-2-1 in the last 9 meetings between these two teams in Golden State. 25* NBA Friday ESPN Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Atlanta Hawks (529) and the Golden State Warriors (530). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (617) and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (618). THE SITUATION: Louisiana Tech (22-7) has won seven of their last eight games after their 70-61 upset victory against Mississippi as a 3-point underdog last Friday. Western Kentucky (21-7) has won four of their last five games after their 69-67 upset victory against Saint Mary’s as a 2-point underdog last Wednesday. This NIT Quarterfinals game will be played on a neutral court at Comerica Park in Frisco, Texas.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Bulldogs reached the Quarterfinals with their win against Ole Miss despite allowing them to make 40.7% of their shots which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last six games. Louisiana Tech has held their last five opponents to just 38.4% shooting along with 61.6 PPG which is -2.9 PPG below their season average. They have allowed 61 and 54 points in the last two games — and they have played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total after not allowing more than 65 points in two straight games. The Under is 5-2-1 in the Bulldogs’ last 8 games after a straight-up win — and the Under is 4-1-1 in their last 6 games after a point spread victory. And while that game finished above the 129.5 point total, Louisiana Tech has played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total after playing a game that finished Over the Total. The home/road splits are striking for this team. While they rank 93rd in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency when playing at home, they plummet to 236th nationally in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency when playing on the road. And while they rank 77th in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency at home, they skyrocket to ninth-best in defense when playing on the road. The Bulldogs have played 12 of their last 17 games Under the Total against Conference USA opponents — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total as an underdog. The Under is also 5-0-1 in their last 6 games against teams who are winning at least 60% of their games. Western Kentucky outlasted the Gaels despite allowing them to make 48% of their shots which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last 17 games. The Hilltoppers have still held their last five opponents to 40.5% shooting which has resulted in just 62.4 PPG in their last five games which are -5.5 PPG below their season average. They are scoring only 66.0 PPG in these previous five games which are -7.0 PPG below their season average — a 41.4% shooting mark explains the decline. Western Kentucky have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss. The Hilltoppers have also palled 16 of their last 23 road games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 23 of their last 32 road games Under the Total after a narrow win by three points or less. Additionally, Western Kentucky has played 21 of their last 29 road games Under the Total against conference foes — and they have 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total on a neutral court. The Hilltoppers have also played 10 of their last 14 games Under the Total against teams who are winning at least 60% of their games.

FINAL TAKE: Western Kentucky is looking to avenge a 63-58 loss at home to the Bulldogs on January 9th — and they have played 6 straight games Under the Total when playing with revenge. 25* CBB NIT Quarterfinals Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (617) and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (618). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:05 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Philadelphia 76ers (555) and the Golden State Warriors (556). THE SITUATION: Philadelphia (30-13) has won two straight games as well as eight of their last nine games after their 101-100 victory at New York as a 1-point favorite on Sunday. Golden State (22-21) had their two-game winning streak snapped on Saturday in a 111-103 loss at Memphis as a 6.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Expect a lower-scoring game between teams who are both dealing with missing key players. The 76ers are without both Joel Embiid and Seth Curry tonight as both battle knee injuries. Philly will miss Curry’s outside shooting. And the Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris-led Sixers are playing better on defense with Embiid on the shelf. The 76ers have held their last five opponents to 43.1% shooting and just 101.8 PPG which is 7.9 PPG below what they are allowing for the season. Philadelphia has played four of their last five games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 8 of their last 12 games Under the Total after a win against a divisional rival. The Sixers have also played four straight games Under the Total on the road as a favorite. Golden State was without Steph Curry on Saturday as he deals with a tailbone injury. The Warriors made only 34.4% of their shots against the Grizzlies without Curry. Curry is out again tonight — so Golden State lacks a reliable scorer. As it is, the Warriors have played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. Golden State should have fresh legs for their defensive efforts tonight — they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total when playing with two days of rest. And while the Warriors have attempted at least 90 shots in three straight games, they have then played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after taking at least 90 shots in two straight games. Head coach Steve Kerr does get some reinforcements back with Kevon Looney, James Wiseman, and Eric Paschall back from quarantine. Kerr needs the bigs — and this should help their interior defense while freeing up Draymond Green to defend either Harris or Simmons. Golden State may play at a slower pace tonight since they do not have to resort to up-tempo small-ball with all their bigs on the shelf. The Warriors have played 5 of their last 6 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning record on the road — and they have played 5 of their last 7 home games Under the Total as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Golden State has played 12 of their last 18 games Under the Total against Eastern Conference teams — and they have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total as an underdog. Philadelphia has played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record. 25* NBA Tuesday TNT Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Philadelphia 76ers (555) and the Golden State Warriors (556). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:45 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Maryland Terrapins (831) and the Alabama Crimson Tide (832). THE SITUATION: Maryland (17-13) has won two of their last three games after their 63-54 win against UConn as a 3.5-point underdog on Saturday. Alabama (25-6) has won seven in a row with their 68-55 victory against Iona as a 17-point favorite on Saturday. This game will be played on a neutral court at Bankers Fieldhouse.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Maryland Unders have been very for us over the last few weeks when the Terrapins have away from College Park. They offer the valuable combination of being undervalued on defense when playing on the road while being overvalued on offense. While Maryland ranked just 94th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing at home, they jump to eighth-best in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing on the road. They have held their last five opponents to just 63.2 PPG on 39.1% shooting even after Michigan torched them at a 51.7% clip in the Big Ten tournament. They rank 10th best in the nation in their last ten games in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency overall which is an improvement over their 23rd ranking in that metric for the season. But head coach Mark Turgeon sees a decline in the offensive effectiveness of his team when playing on the road. At home, the Terrapins are 20th nationally in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency — but they fall to 83rd in the nation in that metric on the road. They score 62.2 PPG on the road on 42.7% shooting which is -6.4 PPG below their season average. This foundation does not make us zombies to Maryland Unders moving forward — the circumstances warrant the play. The Terrapins continued to play tough defense by holding the Huskies on Saturday to just 32.3% shooting — that was the eleventh time this season they held an opponent under 60 points. But Maryland overachieved on offense by nailing 51.2% of their shots which was the best shooting effort in their last nine games. They are due for some regression on that front. The Terrapins have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 11 of their last 13 games Under the Total when playing their second game in eight days. Alabama made 47.2% of their shots in their win against the Gaels which was the best shooting effort in their last three games. The Crimson Tide have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 4 straight games Under the Total after a point spread loss. Even better, Nate Oats’ team shares the same identity as Maryland in that they play better defense but sees their offensive efficiency decline when playing on the road. Alabama is 15th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing at home — but they are third in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency on the road. But while the Tide are 32nd nationally in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency at home, they fall to 60th nationally in that metric on the road where they make only 41.8% of their shots. The Crimson Tide’s defense is trending in the right direction after holding Iona to just 39.0 shooting. Alabama’s last five opponents are averaging 65.8 PPG on 39.4% shooting from the field.

FINAL TAKE: Maryland has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total against teams who are winning at least 60% of their games — and they have played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total on a neutral court as an underdog. The Terrapins have also played 5 of their last 6 games in the NCAA Tournament Under the Total. Alabama has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total when favored — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total on a neutral court. The Tide have also played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total in the Big Dance. 25* CBB TNT Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Maryland Terrapins (831) and the Alabama Crimson Tide (832). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:10 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders (805) and the Arkansas Razorbacks (806). THE SITUATION: Texas Tech (18-10) has won four of their last six games after their 65-53 win against Utah State as a 4.5-point favorite on Friday. Arkansas (23-6) has won ten of their last eleven games with their 85-68 win against Colgate as an 8.5-point favorite on Friday. This game will be played on a neutral court at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Arkansas plays at the 35th fastest tempo in the country when they have the basketball. And their full-court press helps them create a frantic pace to the pace game. But that will not likely have much success against this Red Raiders team that is 40th in the nation by turning the ball over in just 16.1% of their possessions — and that mark dropped to 15.6% in the Big 12. The Under also offers a strong technical play. Texas Tech has played 10 of their last 12 games Under the Total after a point spread win. The Red Raiders have played 5 straight games Under the Total when favored. Additionally, Texas Tech has played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total in the NCAA Tournament — and they have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total when favored in the NCAA Tournament. Arkansas has played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a straight-up win. The Razorbacks rank 11th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They have played 6 straight games Under the Total against teams who are winning at least 60% of their games.

FINAL TAKE: The Under is 3-1-1 in the Red Raiders’ last 5 games played on a neutral court — and they have played 15 of their last 22 games Under the Total on a neutral court when favored. Arkansas has played 22 of their last 30 games Under the Total on a neutral court as an underdog — and they have played 9 of their last 12 games Under the Total on a neutral court as an underdog. 25* CBB NCAA Tournament 2nd Round Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders (805) and the Arkansas Razorbacks (806). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 5:15 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Syracuse Orange (813) and the West Virginia Mountaineers (814). THE SITUATION: Syracuse (17-9) has won four of their last five games after their 78-62 win against San Diego State as a 3-point underdog on Friday. West Virginia (19-9) snapped a two-game losing streak with their 84-67 win against Morehead State as a 13-point favorite on Friday. This game will be played on a neutral court at Bankers Fieldhouse.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Syracuse have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after a point spread win. They held the Aztecs to just 35.8% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last three games. If you turn the sound on your TV on, all you hear from the CBS-TV basketball pundits is about how tough the Jim Boeheim 2-3 zone is — and then bettors take the Under. Would it surprise you that the Orange have played 11 of their last 12 games Over the Total on a neutral court … even with their 2-3 matchup zone? Syracuse has also played 21 of their last 27 games Over the Total as an underdog — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total as a dog on a neutral court. Syracuse’s defense is not nearly as good when playing from the Carrier Dome either. While they rank 41st in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing at home, they fall to 189th nationally in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency on the road -- and these teams are averaging 76.4 PPG. But the Orange offense improves on the road as well. While Syracuse ranks 60th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency at home, they rise to 14th in that metric on the road. West Virginia has played 7 of their last 9 games Over the Total after a point spread win. This is one of head coach Bob Huggins’ better offensive teams in Morgantown — they rank 13th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency on the road. But this is not one of his elite defensive teams. West Virginia has allowed their last three opponents to make 49.0% of their shots which has generated 77.0 PPG. The Mountaineers are scoring 79.6 PPG over that span. West Virginia has played 7 of their last 10 games Over the Total as a favorite — and they have played 5 straight games Over the Total in the NCAA Tournament when favored. Huggins’ teams have played 4 straight games Over the Total in the Big Dance overall. And in their last 19 games with the over/under in the 140s, the Mountaineers have played 15 of these games Over the Total.

FINAL TAKE: The Over is 19-6-1 in West Virginia’s last 16 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. Syracuse has played 22 of their last 29 games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage of 60% or higher. 20* CBB Syracuse-West Virginia CBS-TV O/U Special with Over the Total in the game between the Syracuse Orange (813) and the West Virginia Mountaineers (814). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:10 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Maryland Terrapins (791) and the Connecticut Huskies (792). THE SITUATION: Maryland (16-13) has lost three of their last four games after their 79-66 win against Michigan as a 5.5-point underdog last Friday. UConn (15-7) had their five-game winning streak snapped on Friday in a 59-56 upset loss to Creighton as a 2.5-point favorite last Friday. This game is being played on a neutral court at Mackay Arena in West Lafayette.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Maryland allowed the Wolverines to make 51.7 % of their shots in what was the worst defensive effort in their last 14 games. The Terrapins were second in the Big Ten by allowing only 65.0 PPG on 40.9% shooting — so they should play better on that end of the court tonight. Maryland has played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 25 of their last 36 games Under the Total on the road after a double-digit loss to a Big Ten opponent. The Terrapins have played 4 straight games Under the Total after a point spread loss. While Maryland ranked just 95th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing at home, they jump to ninth-best in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing on the road. They have held their last five opponents to just 63.4 PPG on 39.5% shooting even after what Michigan did to them. They rank 14th best in the nation in their last ten games in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency overall which is an improvement over their 25th ranking in that metric for the season. But head coach Mark Turgeon sees a decline in the offensive effectiveness of his team when playing on the road. At home, the Terrapins are 20th nationally in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency — but they fall to 96th in the nation in that metric on the road. They score 62.1 PPG on the road on 42.1% shooting which is -6.7 PPG below their season average. Maryland has played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total when listed in the +/- 3-point range. UConn had played 18 of their last 26 games Under the Total after a loss — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after a loss by three points or less. And while the Huskies had covered five games in a row before their upset loss to the Bluejays, they have played 18 of their last 25 games Under the Total after covering the point spread in five or six of their last seven games. UConn led the Big East by allowing only 64.6 PPG — and they held ten opponents to under 60 points. They have held their last five opponents to 39.9% shooting. And while they ranked 90th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing at home, they improve to 5th best in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing on the road. But UConn only makes 40% of their shots on the road which results in 67.7 PPG which is -4.8 PPG below their season average.

FINAL TAKE: Maryland has played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total on a neutral court as an underdog — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total in the NCAA Tournament. UConn has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total on a neutral court — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games in the Big Dance Under the Total. 25* CBB NCAA Tournament First Round Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Maryland Terrapins (791) and the Connecticut Huskies (792). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:57 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the UCLA Bruins (717) and the Michigan State Spartans (718). THE SITUATION: UCLA (17-9) has lost four games in a row after their 83-79 loss in overtime to Oregon State as a 5-point favorite in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 tournament on March 11th. Michigan State (15-12) has lost two of their last three games after their 68-57 loss to Maryland as a 2-point underdog in the second round of the Big Ten tournament on March 11th. This play-in game for the 11-seed in the west region. This game is being played on a neutral court at Mackay Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: I expect this game to be a slog between two head coaches who prefer slow, grinding games at the core of their coaching DNA. The Bruins held the Beavers to 42.9% shooting in their overtime loss last week. They have played 5 of their last 8 games Under the Total after an upset loss. They have also played 12 of their last 15 games Under the Total when playing with five or six days of rest. And while the Total was at 133 in their loss to Oregon State, UCLA has played 18 of their last 27 games Under the Total after playing an Over in their last game. Head coach Mick Cronin lost a piece on offense with Jalen Hill not playing in this tournament for personal reasons. He only scores 6.1 PPG but he crashes the offensive glass for the Bruins. Their leading scorer, Johnny Juzang, has not been at 100% after missing the USC game and playing only 24 minutes against the Beavers. UCLA has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record — and they have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total as an underdog. Michigan State (15-12) has played 7 straight games Under the Total after playing a game that did not see more than 125 combined points scored. The Spartans have also played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. And while Michigan State has played six straight Unders under head coach Tom Izzo, they have then played 22 of their last 32 games Under the Total after playing at least two straight Unders. The Spartans really miss Cassius Winston from last year. They lack a quality point guard this season — and they do not have a player that can create his own shot. Izzo eventually moved Rocket Watts away from point guard responsibilities — but he only made 29.9% of this shots in Big Ten play with a 23.1% clip from behind the arc so the problems with this team were deeper than Watts playing out of position. UCLA forces their opponents to play at the 318th longest mark per possession which is not a good sign for Sparty that struggles to create shots. Michigan State is scoring only 59.8 PPG with a 38.6% shooting percentage in their last five games. But the Spartans did see their scoring defense improve by more than 4 PPG in these last five games as they have held those opponents to 66.4 PPG. The Spartans do have the length with their guards to present problems for Bruins’ point guard Tyger Campbell. Michigan State has played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total against teams who are winning at least 60% of their games. The Spartans have also played 15 of their last 20 games Over the Total when listed in the +/- 3-point range. And the Over is 12-3-1 in their last 16 games played on a neutral court.

FINAL TAKE: Michigan State has played 4 straight NCAA Tournament games Under the Total in the Izzo era. UCLA has played 4 of their last 5 games in the Big Dance Under the Total. 25* CBB NCAA Tournament First Four Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the UCLA Bruins (717) and the Michigan State Spartans (718). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 4:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between Borussia Monchengladbach (224249) and Manchester City (224250) in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 match. THE SITUATION: Manchester City won the first leg between these two teams on February 24th by a 2-0 score. Borussia Monchengladbach must win by two goals in this second leg to advance — and a 2-0 win would trigger extra-time with both teams even the goal differential and away-goals tie-breakers. This match is being played on a neutral field in Budapest given travel restrictions Germany impacting Monchengladbach.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Man City got back playing their stingy defense on Saturday in a 3-0 victory at Fulham. The Cityzens held the Cottagers to just 0.26 expected goals (xG). Man City had conceded goals in their previous four EPL matches but manager Pep Guardiola has been aggressively rotation his starting XI over the last month with the English Premier League title likely in hand. The main priority for this club has shifted to winning the Champions League which is an accomplishment that has eluded Guardiola in his tenure here. He rested several key players on Saturday — so this is the A-Team today. Man City is at their best defensively when John Stones and Ruben Dias are paired at center-back. They were together on Saturday and they should form the heart of a four-player backline today. Since a loss to Tottenham in December, the Cityzens have conceded just 0.67 xGA (expected goals allowed) in 22 EPL matches. In their seven Champions League matches this season, Man City has an xGA of 0.31 with six straight clean sheets. Some of this is a result of tactics: Guardiola has reeled-in much of his aggressive pressing attack this season given early-season injuries in the back and facing the reality of a compressed fixture schedule that would challenge the fitness of his players. Pep can’t help but love the new defensive identity of his team. I considered taking Man City minus the goal-line — but the Cityzens are not blowing out teams. They have not scored more than three goals in eight of their last ten matches across all competitions. Guardiola is content with clean sheet wins. Borussia Monchengladbach is a mess with six straight losses. Die Fohlen has folded ever since manager Marco Rose announced that he was leaving for rival Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season. This slide has some whispering that Dortmund may have overreached with the hire — and this dynamic persuaded me to conclude that Rose will not risk playing aggressively since that could result in an embarrassing loss. Look for Monchengladbach to be pragmatic — and this has been their tactical approach as of late. In their last six matches in the Bundesliga, they have produced just 6.54 xG — but they have conceded only 6.53 xGA. That defensive mark is sixth-best in the German top-flight over that span which is better than their 8th best mark defensively for the season. They recently played to 1-0 losses to top-six teams Bayer Leverkusen and Dortmund — and I think that is a hint to how Rose will play this match.

FINAL TAKE: Monchengladbach only allowed 10 shots in the first leg to the Cityzens with Man City managing just 1.5 xG. But Die Fohlen only managed three shots resulting in 0.20 xG. Man City has seen under 3.5 combined goals in five of their last seven Champions League matches and ten of their last 18 EPL contests. 25* UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Total of the Year with Under the Total in the match between Borussia Monchengladbach (224249) and Manchester City (224250). Best of luck for us — Frank.

FRANK’S CUTTING ROOM FLOOR FOR MONDAY, 3/15:

My “Cutting Room Floor” plays are the situations I considered the closest to being worthy of investment but did not make the “final cut” for my official plays today for subscribers. The last play I cut in the NBA on Monday is Over the Total in the game between the Indiana Pacers and the Denver Nuggets. Indiana (17-20) snapped a two-game losing streak with a 122-111 upset win at Phoenix as a 7-point underdog on Saturday. The Over is 4-0-1 in the Pacers’ last 5 games after a double-digit win. They stay on the road where they have played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total on the road. Denver (22-16) saw their five-game winning streak end on Saturday in a 116-103 upset loss to Dallas as a 1-point favorite. The Nuggets have seen the Over go 9-1-1 in their last 11 games after a double-digit loss. The Over is also 24-9-1 in Denver’s last 34 games after a loss. Take the Over. Best of luck — Frank.

Frank Sawyer’s Hollywood Sports DELIVERED their 25* CBB Big Ten Game of the Year yesterday on Ohio State to continue their 42 of 64 (66%) Basketball mark with their highest-rated 25* plays! Frank is on a 10 of 15 (67%) NBA run — and now he furthers his 33 of 48 (69%) NBA 25* run with his 25* NBA Road Warrior of the Month! DO NOT MISS OUT!

At 10:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the New Mexico State Aggies (629) and the Grand Canyon Antelopes (630) in the championship game in the Western Athletic Conference. THE SITUATION: New Mexico State (12-7) has won seven of their last eight games after their 78-62 win against Utah Valley State as a 6-point favorite last night. Grand Canyon (16-6) has won three of their last four games with their 81-47 win against Seattle as a 6.5-point favorite last night. The WAC tournament is being played at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: New Mexico State has played 9 of their last 13 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total after a point spread victory. And while the Aggies have covered the point spread in their last two games as a favorite, they have then played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after covering the point spread when laying the points in two straight games. New Mexico State is improving on defense last in the season after holding the Wolverines to just 29.8% shooting last night. They have held their last five opponents to just 37.7% shooting which is limiting these foes to only 59.2 PPG. The Aggies have played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total with the number set no higher than 129.5. They have also played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total when favored — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total when listed in the +/- 3-point range. Grand Canyon made 50% of their shots last night which was tied for the best shooting effort in their last six games. The Antelopes have played 7 straight games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 6 straight games Under the Total after a point spread victory. Grand Canyon is also playing their best defense of the season in March after holding Seattle to just 28.3% shooting. They have held their last five opponents to just 37.8% shooting which has produced only 60.8 PPG. The Antelopes have played 9 of their last 12 games Under the Total when playing just their second game in seven days. Grand Canyon has also played 4 straight games Under the Total against teams with a winning record — and they played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total as an underdog. And in their last 5 games played on a neutral court, the Antelopes have played 4 of these games Under the Total.

FINAL TAKE: Grand Canyon swept the two games in the regular season — and New Mexico State has played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total when playing with revenge. 25* CBB Western Athletic Conference Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the New Mexico State Aggies (629) and the Grand Canyon Antelopes (630). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the North Texas Mean Green (837) and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (838) in the Semifinals of the Conference USA tournament. THE SITUATION: North Texas (15-9) won their second game in a row along with their sixth in their last nine contests with their 61-55 win against Old Dominion as a 4-point favorite last night. Louisiana Tech (21-6) has won six in a row with their 75-69 win against FAU as a 7-point favorite yesterday. The Conference USA tournament is being played at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: We had the Mean Green Under last night with one of the reasons being how much better they play defense on the road. While North Texas ranks 76th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing at home, they improve to 58th nationally in that metric when playing on the road. The Mean Green allowed the Monarchs to make 44.2% of their shots which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last three games. North Texas are sharpshooters — at least when playing at home. They rank 12th nationally with an effective field goal percentage of 59.1% when playing at home. But UNT plummets to 79th nationally when playing away from home with an effective field goal percentage of 51.6%. They only made 38.2% of their shots last night. In their last five games, they are averring only 64.2 PPG while making 43.8% of their shots — a drop off of more than six PPG from their season average where they are making 48.2% of their shots. The Mean Green have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a point spread win. Additionally, North Texas has played 33 of their last 47 games Under the Total after a win on the road by six points or less. And in their last 12 road games after not allowing more than 60 points in their last game, the Mean Green have played 9 of these games Under the Total. North Texas has played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record. Louisiana Tech has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. And while last night’s game finished Over the 138 point total, they have then played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after playing a game that finished Over the Total. The Bulldogs have also played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total when playing their second game in three days. Louisiana Tech ranks 37th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — but they improve to 24th nationally in that metric on the road. But while they rank 91st nationally in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency at home, that mark plummets to 240th when on the road. The Bulldogs have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: Louisiana Tech will be looking to avenge a 57-55 loss to the Mean Green in Denton on February 6th. The Bulldogs have played 5 straight Unders when playing with revenge — and they have played 16 of their last 23 games Under the Total when avenging a loss on the road. 25* CBB CBS Sports Network Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the North Texas Mean Green (837) and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (838). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the North Texas Mean Green (759) and the Old Dominion Monarchs (760) in the Quarterfinals of the Conference USA tournament. THE SITUATION: North Texas (14-9) defeated Middle Tennessee last night, 76-56, as a 15.5-point favorite in their opening game of this tournament. Old Dominion (15-7) had their four-game winning streak snapped last Saturday in a 60-57 loss at Western Kentucky as a 7-point underdog. The Conference USA tournament is being played at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: We had the Mean Green last night with one of the reasons being how much better they play defense on the road. While North Texas ranks 76th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing at home, they improve to 57th nationally in that metric when playing on the road. The Mean Green held the Blue Raiders to just a 34.0% field goal percentage last night. North Texas has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 8 of their last 9 games on the road Under the Total after a win by at least 15 points. And in their last 11 games on the road after not allowing more than 60 points, the Mean Green have played 9 of these games Under the Total. North Texas plays excellent half-court defense. They rank 27th in the nation with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 46.4% — and by holding their opponents to just 44.9% shooting inside the arc, they rank 21st in the nation. The Mean Green are also sharpshooters — at least when playing at home. They rank 12th nationally with an effective field goal percentage of 59.1% when playing at home. But UNT plummets to 71st nationally when playing away from home with an effective field goal percentage of 52.0%. They made 54.5% of their shots last night which is the best shooting mark in their last four games — yet it is due for regression tonight. North Texas has played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage of 60% or better. Old Dominion has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss. The Monarchs only made 38.9% of their shots but that continued a disturbing trend for them when playing away from home. Old Dominion ranks 138th in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency at home — but they drop to 236th in that metric on the road. But simultaneously, their defense improves when playing away from home where they rank 121st in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency as compared to their 164th ranking when playing at home. And in their last five games, the Monarchs have held their opponents to just 61.6 PPG on 37.8% shooting.

FINAL TAKE: Old Dominion has played 40 of their last 52 games on a neutral court Under the Total — including 10 of their last 11 games in tournament action. They have also played 19 of their last 26 games Under the Total on a neutral court as an underdog. North Texas has played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total when favored — and the Under is 3-1-1 in their last 5 games on a neutral court when favored. 25* CBB Conference USA Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the North Texas Mean Green (759) and the Old Dominion Monarchs (760). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Niagara Purple Eagles (751) and the Marist Foxes (752) in the Quarterfinals of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament. THE SITUATION: Niagara (80-10) takes the court again for the first time since February 21st when they had their two-game winning streak snapped at home to Siena by a 66-61 score as a 5-point underdog. Marist (12-8) won their third in a row on March 1st in a 65-52 win against Quinnipiac as a 2-point favorite. The Metro Atlantic tournament is being played at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Look for the Purple Eagles to be rusty in facing live competition for the first time in almost three weeks. As it is, they have played 13 of their last 19 games Under the Total when playing with at least seven days of rest between games. They allowed Siena to make 50% of their shots the last time out so tightening up on defense will be a priority. Niagara has played 8 of their last 12 games Under the Total after a loss at home — and they have played 16 of their last 19 games Under the Total after a loss to a conference rival including six of those eight situations this season. The Purple Eagles struggle to shoot the basketball away from home. While they rank third in the conference and 166th nationally in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency, they fall to sixth in the conference and 280th nationally in that metric when playing on the road. They have an effective field goal percentage of 42.9%, ranking 335th in the nation, when playing in true road games or on neutral courts. And they choose to get back on defense rather than crash the glass — they are 287th in the nation by rebounding only 22.7% of their missed shots on the road. They average only 59.7 PPG away from home with a 37.5% field goal percentage. They do hold teams to just a 42.4% shooting percentage on the road. While ranking 285th nationally in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency, that mark does improve to 235th in the nation when playing on the road. Niagara has played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total when playing on a neutral court as a pick ‘em or favorite of up to three points. They have also played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total with the Total set at 129.5 or lower. And in their last 5 games against tams with a winning record, the Under is 3-1-1. Marist has played 4 of their last 5 games under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after a point spread victory. The Foxes can play some defense — they are 18th in the nation with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 45.8%, ranking 18th in the nation. They allow 64.4 PPG when playing away from home on 39.7% shooting. Marist has played 4 straight Unders when playing on a neutral court — and they have played 13 of their last 19 games Under the Total on a neutral court as an underdog. But while the Foxes rank sixth in their conference and 276th nationally in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency, they fall to 321st in the nation and tenth in the MAAC in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing on the road. Over their last five games, they are scoring only 59.2 PPG on 39.7% shooting — but they are allowing just 58.2 PPG on 34.6% shooting from the field. Marist has played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total with the Total set at 129.5 or lower. They have also played 4 straight games Under the Total as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Niagara won the last meeting between these two teams on January 2nd by an 86-76 score — and Marist has played 13 of their last 19 games Under the Total when playing with same-season revenge including three of their four opportunities this season. 25* CBB Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Niagara Purple Eagles (751) and the Marist Foxes (752). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions (307101) and the Jackson State Tigers (307102) in the Quarterfinals of the Southwest Athletic Conference tournament. THE SITUATION: Arkansas-Pine Bluff (4-20) snapped a twelve-game losing streak last Friday in an 82-59 win at Mississippi Valley State as a 10.5-point favorite. Jackson State (11-5) has won eleven in a row with their 79-54 win against Alabama State as a 13.5-point favorite on Saturday. The SWAC tournament is being played at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Golden Lions nailed 53.3% of their shots last Friday in what was the best shooting effort in their last 13 games. Yet Arkansas-Pine Bluff is just 333rd in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. They rank 345th nationally by making just 41.9% of the shots inside the arc. The Golden Lions have played 9 of their last 11 road games Under the Total after losing three of their last four games. And while their victory on Friday finished Over the 138 point total, they have then played 13 of their last 17 games Under the Total after playing an Over. Arkansas-Pine Bluff has the top Adjusted Offensive Efficiency in the SWAC while ranking 258th nationally in that metric. But when playing away from home, they plummet to eighth in the SWAC and 331st nationally in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. They make only 39.6% of their shots inside the road away from home, ranking 345th while averaging just 58.9 PPG on 37.0% shooting. But, their defensive performances have been better on the road where they rank 8th in the SWAC and 333th nationally in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — not great numbers but better than their 10th ranking in the conference and 343rd mark nationally when at home. The Golden Lions have played 8 of their last 12 games Under the Total when playing on a neutral court with the total set at 129.5 or lower. They have also played 5 straight games Under the Total against teams winning at least 60% of their games. Jackson State made 54.5% of their shots last Saturday in what was their best shooting performance of the season. The Tigers have played 39 of their last 56 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 21 of their last 28 games Under the Total after a victory against a conference rival. Jackson State has also played 23 of their last 31 games Under the Total after a point spread win — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a win by at least 20 points. I was pleasantly surprised to discover upon my deep dive that the Tigers have the second-lowest effective field goal percentage of 43.3% in the nation. They also limit their opponents to just 42.4% shooting inside the arc, ranking fourth in the nation, so it is going to be very difficult for the Golden Lions to score easy baskets. Jackson State has held their last five opponents to just 52.0 PPG on 38.2% shooting — and they have not allowed even 60 points in six straight games. The Golden Lions have played 13 of their last 17 games Under the Total after not allowing more than 60 points in two straight games. But scoring is the problem for this team as they rank 342nd in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. They score only 60.1 PPG on the road on 38.5% shooting. They have played 24 of their last 31 games Under the Total as a favorite — and they have played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total against teams with a losing record. Jackson State has also played 11 of their last 16 games Under the Total on a neutral court.

FINAL TAKE: Jackson State swept the two regular-season games this season — defeating Arkansas-Pine Bluff by a 64-58 score on March 1st after beating them 63-55 on February 1st. The Golden Lions have played 6 of their last 9 games Under the Total when playing with double-revenge. 25* CBB SWAC Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions (307101) and the Jackson State Tigers (307102). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 1:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between Southampton (200157) and Manchester City (200158). THE SITUATION: Southampton (W9-D6-L12) snapped a nine-game winless streak with a 2-0 win at Sheffield United last Saturday. Man City (W20-D5-L3) saw their 28-game unbeaten streak end on Sunday in a 2-0 loss at home to Manchester United.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Despite scoring the two goals against the Blades, the Saints’ offensive attack has been stagnant this season. They had only scored five goals in their previous nine matches before scoring twice on Saturday. But it was not all good news for manager Ralph Hassenhuttl as his leading scorer, Danny Ings, suffered a muscle injury that will keep him out at least a month and perhaps the rest of the season. Ings leads the team with eight goals. The Southampton attack has overachieved even with their 33 goals in 27 matches. Their expected goals mark (xG) is sixth-worst in the league and their average below 1.0 non-penalty expected goals per game. The Saints have probably deserved better on defense — while they have allowed 44 goals, their expected goals allowed mark (xGA) drops to 38.44 this season. They have surrendered 28 goals in their 14 matches on the road — but their xGA plummets to 23.47. Against this Man City juggernaut, Hassenhuttl will likely keep his team compact in their 4-4-2 system while rarely pushing into their 4-2-2-2 pressing formation. Man City looked out-of-synch against the Red Devils in Sunday’s Manchester Derby. The toll of the COVID season with a crammed fixture schedule may finally be taking its toll on this team that likely has the EPL championship locked up. The Champions League becomes the focus for this team — so here comes Pep Roulette from manager Pep Guardiola regarding resting players. I waited to release this play on the announcement of his starting XI. His lineup lacks a true forward with both Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero on the bench — Phil Foden may be playing the “false nine” spot. Raheem Sterling also is on the bench which leaves a bunch of their firepower on the bench. The mix of midfielders remain talented — but they have not played a ton of minutes together so cohesion is an issue. I am not worried about the stout Man City defense despite them conceding goals in three straight matches. They surrendered a goal to Wolverhampton last week despite posting a tiny xGA of 0.40 in that match. They have still only given up seven goals in their last 17 EPL matches with ten clean sheets. The improved defensive play from the Cityzens has been generated from both an influx of new talented defensive backs and a less-aggressive pressing approach — both of those dynamics will be in play for this match.

FINAL TAKE: Man City won the reverse fixture on December 19th by a 1-0 score. Expect another lower-scoring match. 25* EPL Wednesday NBC Sports Network Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between Southampton (200157) and Manchester City (200158). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers (1017) and the Bryant Bulldogs (1018). THE SITUATION: Mount St. Mary’s (11-10) advanced to the finals of the Northeast Conference Tournament Championship Game with their 66-60 upset win at Wagner as a 4.5-point underdog on Saturday. Bryant (15-5) reached the championship game with an 85-55 win against Sacred Heart as a 6.5-point favorite on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Mountaineers made 47.8% of their shots on Saturday — but they have just a 42.7% shooting percentage on the road which generates 63.0 PPG. Mount St. Mary’s is much better on the offensive end of the court when playing at home where they rank 237th in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency and fifth in conference action. When playing away from home in true road games (not including neutral courts), their adjusted offensive efficiency plummets to 305th nationally and ninth in Northeast Conference play. Yet the Mountaineers tighten up on defense when playing on an opponent’s home court — they rank 127th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency on the road which is a bit better than their 133rd ranking in that metric when playing at home. The team trends validate this observation. Mount St. Mary’s has played 9 of their last 13 games Under the Total on the road — and they have played 8 of their last 11 road games Under the Total as an underdog getting 6.5 to 12 points. The Mountaineers have also played 19 of their last 25 road games Under the Total in the 130s. Mount St. Mary’s has also played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total after a point spread victory. They have covered the point spread in their last three games while not allowing more than 65 points in those contests. The Mountaineers have then played 12 of their last 16 games Under the Total after covering the point spread in at least two straight games — and they have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after not allowing more than 65 points in three straight games. They hold their conference opponents to 60.9 PPG on 39.3% shooting. Bryant made a season-high 63.6% of their shots on Saturday in the win — but not only have they played 11 of their last 16 games Under the Total after scoring at least 80 points in their last game but they have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after scoring at least 85 points in their last game. The Bulldogs also played their best defensive game of the season in terms of the opponent’s field goal percentage but that is an effort that is more likely to carry over tonight. Bryant has held their last five opponents to just 37.9% shooting which is resulting in just 62.6 PPG — as compared to their 74.9 PPG and 41.0% opponent’s marks for the season. The Bulldogs’ defense has improved but we are still getting value with the number. Bryant has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a win by at least 20 points. The Bulldogs have also played 11 of their last 16 games Under the Total after a home win against conference rival — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a point spread victory. They host this game where they rank 124 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency as compared to playing on the road where their adjusted defensive efficiency drops to 196th in the nation. But get this: Bryant’s adjusted offensive efficiency is 159th at home but improves to 99th nationally on the road. This is a team that plays better defense but worse offense on their home court. The team trends bear this out as well. They have played 25 of their last 33 games Under the Total including six of their eight home games this season. They have also played 20 of their last 26 home games Under the Total as a favorite.

FINAL TAKE: I am extra cautious before investing in games from lower-tier conferences — but we have good sample sizes in March (even with COVID cancellations) and the evidence far exceeds my minimum expectations for this situation (after doing the deep dive work as this Report hopefully demonstrates). A final touch: Bryant has played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total with the number in the 130s while Mount St. Mary’s has played 9 of their last 11 games Under the Total with the over/under in the 130 to 139.5 point range. 25* CBB Northeast Conference Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers (1017) and the Bryant Bulldogs (1018). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:45 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles (645) and the South Dakota State Jackrabbits (646). THE SITUATION: Oral Roberts (14-10) has won three in a row after their 76-65 win against North Dakota as a 7.5-point favorite yesterday. South Dakota State (16-6) has also won three in a row with their 84-71 victory against Nebraska-Omaha. This game is being played at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls in a semi-home game for the Jackrabbits given the proximity to their campus.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Golden Eagles made only 44.8% of their shots yesterday which was tied for the lowest field goal percentage in their last four games. Oral Roberts has played 40 of their last 51 games Over the Total after a point spread win. And while that game finished below the 154 point total, they have then played 17 of their last 23 games Over the Total after playing an Under. This is the Golden Eagles’ second game since last Sunday — and they have played 9 of their last 10 games Over the Total when playing their second game in a week. They are scoring 84.0 PPG in their last five games — and their combined scores in their last five games are +4.1 points above their season average. Additionally, Oral Roberts has played 35 of their last 51 games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total against teams with a winning record. They also have played 8 of their last 10 games Over the Total as an underdog — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total when playing on a neutral court as a dog. South Dakota State made 53.4% of their shots on Saturday which was the lowest field goal percentage in their last four games. They have played 9 of their last 11 games Over the Total after a straight-up win. This is the Jackrabbits’ second game since last Saturday — not only have they played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total when playing their second game in three days but they have played 7 straight games Over the Total when playing their second game in three days. They are making 57.1% of their shots over their last five games — but they are allowing their last five opponents to make 47.1% of their shots which is a few notches above their 43.1% defensive field goal percentage. They have scored at least 84 points in their last two games — and they have then played 26 of their last 39 games on the road after scoring at least 80 points in two straight games. They have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total against teams with a winning record. The Jackrabbits have also played 16 of their last 21 games Over the Total when favored — and they have played 5 of their 7 games Over the Total when favored on a neutral court.

FINAL TAKE: Oral Roberts will be looking to avenge a 95-80 loss to South Dakota State on February 14th — and they have played 13 of their last 21 games Over the Total when playing with revenge from a double-digit loss. 25* CBB Summit League Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles (645) and the South Dakota State Jackrabbits (646). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 1:05 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Indiana State Sycamores (689) and the Loyola-Illinois Ramblers (690) in the Semifinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. THE SITUATION: Indiana State (15-9) advanced to the Semifinals of the MVC tournament yesterday with their 53-43 win against Evansville as a 6.5-point favorite. Loyola-Illinois (22-4) won their fourth in a row yesterday with a 73-49 win against Southern Illinois as a 17-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Ramblers scored more than 65 points for the first time since February 13th yesterday — it had been five straight games since they had topped that threshold. They made 47.4% of their shots which was the best shooting effort in their last five games. But Loyola-Illinois is still making only 41.1% of their shots over their last five games which is generating just 60.4 PPG over that span. They have played 10 of their last 14 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a point spread win. Additionally, the Ramblers have played 5 straight games Under the Total after a win by at least 20 points — and they have played 4 straight games Under the Total after not allowing more than 50 points in their last game. They have also played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total when playing their second game in three days on the road. Loyola is an elite defensive team that has the best Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing away from home in true road games or on neutral courts — they are allowing 57.3 PPG on 40.1% shooting in those 13 games. They have not allowed more than 58 points in 16 straight games — and they have then played 16 of their last 22 games Under the Total after not allowing more than 65 points in three straight games. The Ramblers have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total against teams winning at least 60% of their games — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total as a favorite. Indiana State made 40.4% of their shots yesterday which was the best shooting mark in their last three games.  The Sycamores have played 13 of their last 16 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 16 of their last 21 games Under the Total after a point spread win. Additionally, Indiana State has played 7 straight games Under the Total after not allowing more than 60 points — and they have played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total when playing with no more than one day between games. They have held their last five opponents to 59.8 PPG. The Sycamores are 71st in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they improve to 63rd when playing away from home. But while they rank 187th in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency, they fall to 217th in their true road games or games played on a neutral court. Indiana State has played 14 of their last 16 games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% — and they have played 4 straight games Under the Total as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Both these teams play at a slow pace — the Sycamores average 68.1 possessions-per-game away from home while the Ramblers average 65.8 possessions (319th nationally) away from home. The local Noon PM ET tip won’t help the shooting. And while Indiana State will be looking to avenge a 58-48 loss at home to Loyola on January 11th, they have then played 7 straight games Under the Total when playing with revenge from a same-season loss. 25* CBB Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Indiana State Sycamores (689) and the Loyola-Illinois Ramblers (690). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Maryland Terrapins (691) and the Northwestern Wildcats (692). THE SITUATION: Maryland (15-10) has won five games in a row with their 73-55 win against Michigan State as a 2.5-point favorite on Sunday. Northwestern (7-14) snapped a 13-game losing streak last Thursday with a 67-59 upset win at Minnesota as a 5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Terrapins made 48.8% of their shots against Sparty which was the best shooting effort in their last four games. Maryland has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a win against a Big Ten foe. The final score finished below the 134 total — and the Terrapins have played 29 of their last 43 games Under the Total after playing their last game Under the Total. This is Maryland’s second game since February 21st — and they have played 9 of their last 11 games Under the Total when playing their second game in eight or more days. Head coach Mark Turgeon has his team sacrifice offense rebounds of getting back on defense — they rank 323rd in the nation by pulling down only 21.5% of their missed shots. The Terrapins have rebounded only three and six boards in each of their last two games — and they have then played 10 of their last 15 games Under the Total after not rebounding more than nine offensive rebounds in two straight games. Maryland now goes back on the road where they have striking home/road splits. When playing at home, the Terrapins rank 15th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and 95th in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. But when playing on the road, Maryland sees their Adjusted Offensive Efficiency plumes to 104th in the nation — but their Adjusted Defensive Efficiency skyrockets to 15th best nationally. The Terrapins have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total on the road. Turgeon has his team playing great defense — they have the sixth-best Adjusted Defensive Efficiency over their last ten games. In their last five games, Maryland has held these opponents to 58.8 PPG on 35.9% shooting. The Terrapins have played 15 of their last 21 games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage of 40% or less — and they have played 9 of their last 13 games Under the Total with the number in the 130s. Northwestern has played 17 of their last 24 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 22 of their last 29 games Under the Total after an upset win as a road underdog. The Wildcats have also played 31 of their last 44 games Under the Total after a win on the road. Furthermore, Northwestern has played 26 of their last 35 games Under the Total after a win on the road against a conference rival — and they have played 27 of their last 39 home games Under the Total after beating a Big Ten foe. They return home where they hold their opponents to just 40.6% shooting. But while the Wildcats rank 88th nationally in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency, they drop to 157th nationally when playing at home. The Under is 15-5-1 in Northwestern’s last 21 home games against teams with a winning percentage of 40% or less on the road — and they have played 6 of their last 8 home games Under the Total as an underdog getting 3.5 to 6 points. The Wildcats only made 42.2% of their shots in their upset win over the Gophers — but that was the best shooting effort in their last four games. Northwestern is scoring only 62.0 PPG in their last five games on 40.1% shooting which is far below their 71.5 PPG and 43.7% marks for the season. The Wildcats have played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage in the 60-80% range.

FINAL TAKE: Northwestern has played 4 straight Unders as an underdog — and Maryland has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total when favored. 25* CBB Big Ten Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Maryland Terrapins (691) and the Northwestern Wildcats (692). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Buffalo Sabres (1) and the New York Rangers (2). THE SITUATION: Buffalo (6-10-3) has lost three in a row with their 3-0 loss to Philadelphia on Sunday. New York (7-9-3) looks to bounce back from a 4-1 loss to Boston on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Sabres have played 12 of their last 13 games Under the Total after a loss at home by more than one goal — and the Under is 7-2-1 in their last 10 games after a loss at home by three or more goals. Buffalo has also played 7 straight games Under the Total after a loss at home where they were shutout. Buffalo is a hot mess right now. There is talk of them trading Jack Eichel with their young superstar scoreless in his last nine games. They were shutout in their previous game as well in another 3-0 loss to the Flyers — and they have played 11 of their last 12 road games Under the Total after losing two in a row by at least two goals. They are scoring only 1.8 Goals-Per-Game in their last five contests. They go on the road where they are allowing only 2.5 Goals-Per-Game — and the Under is 3-0-1 in their last 4 games on the road. Carter Hutton is between the pipes tonight with his 3.20 Goals-Against-Average and .896 save percentage in eight games with seven starts. Hutton does have an impressive 1.20 GAA and .952 save percentage in two road starts this year. The veteran has a professional 2.81 GAA and .907 save percentage in his career on the road consisting of 111 starts and 126 overall appearances on the ice in road games. The Under is 14-4-3 in the Sabres’ last 21 games as an underdog. New York has played 10 of their last 11 games Under the Total after not scoring more than two goals in their last game. Additionally, the Rangers have played 4 straight games Under the Total after a loss by at least three goals — and they have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after a loss by at least three goals on home ice. New York only managed 21 shots on Sunday in what was the lowest output of the season. They really miss Artemi Panarin who took time away from the ice as he deals with some serious personal issues relating to the political situation in Russia. The Rangers are scoring only 2.5 Goals-Per-Game at home. They have played 8 of their last 11 home games Under the Total as a favorite. Igor Shesterkin will be between the pipes for them tonight. He has a 2.34 GAA and .926 save percentage in his eight games/six starts at home this season. New York has played 10 of their last 13 games Under the Total when favored — and they have played 8 straight Unders against teams who are not winning more than 40% of their games.

FINAL TAKE: Buffalo is looking to avenge a 3-2 loss at home to the Rangers on January 28th — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total when playing with revenge from a loss at home. The Under is also 8-3-1 in the last 12 meetings between these two teams. 20* NHL Tuesday Daily Discounted O/U Deal with Under the Total in the game between the Buffalo Sabres (1) and the New York Rangers (2). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Wisconsin-Milwaukee Phoenix (653) and the Wright State Raiders (654) in the Quarterfinals of the Horizon League tournament. THE SITUATION: Wisconsin-Milwaukee (9-11) snapped a five-game losing streak last Thursday in the opening round of the Horizon League tournament with their 84-72 win against IUPUI as a 4-point favorite. Wright State (18-5) plays for the first time since February 20th when they won at Northern Kentucky, 77-71, as a 9-point favorite. The Raiders host this tournament game.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Phoenix have played eight straight Overs after their win in the Horizon League tournament last week — and they have played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total after playing at least two straight Overs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee has also played 4 straight games Over the Total after a point spread victory. They have also played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after scoring at least 80 points in their last game. The Phoenix are playing definitively better on offense. While they rank 200th in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency this season, they climb to 144th nationally when assessing their performance in their last ten games. They are scoring 83.4 PPG over their last five contests which is +8.3 PPG above their season average. But they are also allowing 85.6 PPG in these last five games which are +9.9 PPG above their season defensive average. They go on the road where they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total — and they have played 8 of their last 10 road games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home. Wisconsin-Milwaukee has also played 7 of their last 10 road games Over the Total as a double-digit underdog. Wright State has played 26 of their last 42 games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 20 of their last 30 games Over the Total after winning four of their last five games. And while they have not covered the point spread in their last four games, they have then played 10 of their last 14 games Over the Total after not covering the point spread in at least two straight. I did have initial concerns about the Raiders’ long layoff — but they probably will not shoot worse than the 43.5% clip they managed against the Norse in their last game which was the lowest field goal percentage in their last ten games. Wright State may be cold in the first half — but don’t give up on the Over until this one is over! The Raiders will get plenty of second-chance scoring opportunities tonight as they pull down 34.3% of their missed shots which is the 25th best mark in the nation. This is a great shooting team — they make 37.2% of their 3-pointers, 35th nationally, and 53.8% of their shots inside the arc, 45th nationally — and playing on their familiar home court without a full house should help them get back into rhythm. I am playing more Overs this season without fans in the stands — and they are playing a Phoenix team that ranks 321st in the nation by allowing their opponents to make 37.8% of their 3-pointers. Let’s trust the Horizon League’s second-most efficient offense to figure it out — and they will have fresh legs. Wright State has played 5 of their last 7 home games Over the Total with the number in the 150s — and they have played 5 of their last 7 home games Over the Total as a double-digit favorite. Defense has been a concern as of late — they are allowing 74.4 PPG on 45.0% shooting in their last five games which is well above the 66.3 PPG and 40.0% they allow for the season.

FINAL TAKE: Wisconsin-Milwaukee will be looking to avenge a 92-82 loss at Wright State on February 13th — and they have played 6 straight games Over the Total when playing with same-season revenge. The Phoenix has also played 9 of their last 11 games Over the Total when playing with revenge from a loss where they allowed at least 80 points. 25* CBB Horizon League Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Wisconsin-Milwaukee Phoenix (653) and the Wright State Raiders (654). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Denver Nuggets (509) and the Chicago Bulls (510). THE SITUATION: Denver (18-15) has won two of their last three games with their 126-96 win at Oklahoma City as a 6.5-point favorite on Saturday. Chicago (15-17) had their three game winning streak snapped on Friday in a 106-97 loss at home to Phoenix as 6.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Nuggets played their best game on defense in their last eight contests by holding the Thunder to just 42.0% shooting from the field. They are still allowing their home hosts to make 48.2% of their baskets which is resulting in 111.6 PPG. But Jamal Murray has been finding some of the form he enjoyed in the bubble when he led Denver to the Western Conference Finals. He scored 26 points on Saturday — and he is averaging 30.1 PPG in his last nine games. The Nuggets have played 6 of their last 8 road games Over the Total against teams with a winning record at home. Denver has also played 19 of their last 26 games Over the Total when playing with one day of rest. The Nuggets have also played 21 of their last 31 games Over the Total after scoring at least 120 points in their last game. Denver is scoring 116.4 PPG over their last five games on 49.6% shooting. They have scored at least 110 points in six straight games — and they have played 13 of their last 17 games Over the Total after scoring at least 105 points in five straight games. They stay on the road where they  have played 13 of their last 18 games Over the Total — and they have played 15 of their last 18 road games Over the Total against teams with a losing record at home. The Nuggets have played 8 of their last 10 road games Over the Total with the number at 220 or higher. And in their last 11 games against teams with a losing record, Denver has played 9 of these games Over the Total. Chicago shot 49.4% from the field on Friday in what was the lowest field goal percentage in their last four games. Over their last five contests, the Bulls are making 52.7% of their shots which is generating 115.4 PPG in first-year head coach Billy Donovan’s up-tempo offense. The Bulls have played 6 of their last 9 games Over the Total after a loss at home. They stay at home where they are allowing their guests to score 114.8 PPG on 48.1% shooting. Chicago has played 7 of their last 10 home games Over the Total against teams with a winning record on the road — and they have played 7 of their last 10 home games Over the Total as an underdog. Additionally, the Bulls have played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total against teams with a winning record — and they have played 11 of their last 17 games Over the Total against Western Conference foes.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 19 of their last 26 meetings Over the Total — and they have played 6 of their last 8 games played in Chicago Over the Total. 25* NBA Pre-All Star Break Non-Conference Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Denver Nuggets (509) and the Chicago Bulls (510). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:05 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Phoenix Suns (577) and the Minnesota Timberwolves (578). THE SITUATION: Phoenix (21-11) has won four of their last five games with their 106-97 win at Chicago as a 6.5-point favorite on Friday. Minnesota (7-27) has lost seven games in a row with their 128-112 loss at Washington as a 4-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Suns made 50% of their shots on Friday yet it was the lowest shooting percentage in their last six games. This Phoenix offense is clicking — they are averaging 123.8 PPG over their last five contests on 52.5% shooting. The Suns have played 4 of their last 6 games Over the Total after making at least 50% of their shots in two straight games. Phoenix has also played 4 straight games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 4 straight games Over the Total after a point spread victory. Additionally, the Suns have played 11 of their last 14 games Over the Total after winning five or six of their last seven games. And in their last 21 games after playing at least two in a row against Eastern Conference opponents, Phoenix has played 17 of these games Over the Total. This is the Suns’ sixth game since February 19th — and they have played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total when playing their sixth or more game in a ten-day span. Minnesota has played 7 of their last 10 games Over the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 15 of their last 19 games Over the Total after a loss by at least 15 points. The Timberwolves have also played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total after allowing at least 125 points in their last game. New head coach Chris Finch will likely want to address the play of his defense but he lacks short-term fixes. The T-Wolves have allowed their last five opponents to score 117.8 PPG on 47.0% shooting. Playing without a day off certainly will not help  — and Minnesota has played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total when playing the second game in back-to-back days. After being on the road for four straight games, they return home for the first time since February 19th — and the Over is 5-1-1 in their last 7 home games after being on the road for at least seven days. The Timberwolves have also played 27 of their last 40 home games Over the Total against teams with a winning record on the road.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 7 of their last 10 games in Minnesota Over the Total. Phoenix should approach 120 points in this one which should carry the final score into the high 220s (or more). 25* NBA Total of the Month with Over the Total in the game between the Phoenix Suns (577) and the Minnesota Timberwolves (578). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 4:30 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the North Dakota State Bison (811) and the South Dakota Coyotes (812). THE SITUATION: North Dakota State (12-11) has lost three of their last four games after their 80-71 loss at South Dakota yesterday. South Dakota (13-9) has now won two games in a row.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Bison only made 40.9% of their shots yesterday in what was the worst shooting effort in their last four games. They did nail 10 shots from behind the arc after making 11 shots from 3-point range in their previous game against South Dakota State — and they have played 16 of their last 22 games Over the Total after making at least 10 shots from 3-point range in two straight contests. They should shoot better this afternoon playing in the same gym for the second-straight day. As it is, they have played 7 of their last 10 games Over the Total when playing with one day of rest. They have also played 4 straight games Over the Total on the road against teams with a winning record at home. Furthermore, North Dakota State has played 4 of their last 5 road games Over the Total as a favorite of up to 3 points — and they have played 10 of their last 11 road games Over the Total when priced in the +/- 3-point range. The Bison have also played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total against teams with a winning record. South Dakota has played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and the Over is 3-1-1 in their last 5 games after a point spread victory. The Coyotes’ 47.2% shooting percentage was their lowest in three games — so they should shoot as well or better. But holding the Bison to 40.9% shooting was the best defensive effort in their last five contests. South Dakota has now played 4 straight games Over the Total on their home court — and they have played 5 of their last 6 home games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage at 40% or less on the road. The Coyotes average 83.0 PPG on their home court on 52.0% shooting. But their defense is faltering as they have allowed their last five opponents to make 46.3% of their shots which is generating 82.8 PPG. South Dakota has played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total against teams with a winning record — and they have played 8 of their last 11 games Over the Total as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: North Dakota State has played 8 of their last 12 games Over the Total when avenging a loss on the road. 25* CBB Total of the Month with Over the Total in the game between the North Dakota State Bison (811) and the South Dakota Coyotes (812). Best of luck for us — Frank.

 At 7:08 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Boston Bruins (23) and the New York Rangers (24). THE SITUATION: Boston (11-4-2) has lost three of their last four games after their 7-2 loss at New York against the Islanders last night. New York (6-8-3) had their two-game winning streak end on Wednesday with their 4-3 loss at Philadelphia.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Bruins have 11 of their last 15 games Under the Total after not scoring more than two goals in their last game. They also have played 12 of their last 15 games on the road after a loss on the road. Boston needs to tighten up on defense after surrendering seven goals last night. They have played 11 of their last 13 games Under the Total after allowing at least five goals in their last game. Their loss last night came on the heels of a 7-3 win on Monday against Philadelphia. The Bruins have played 23 of their last 32 games Under the Total after playing two straight Overs — and they have played 17 of their last 24 games Under the Total after playing at least two straight games where at least seven combined goals were scored. The Bruins stay on the road where they have played 14 of their last 20 road games Under the Total. The Under is also 19-7-1 in their last 27 games against teams with a losing record. New York has played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total after a loss — and they have played 14 of their last 19 home games Under the Total after a narrow one-goal loss. The Rangers have also played 10 of their last 11 games Under the Total when playing with one day of rest. And while New York has scored at least three goals in three straight games, they have then played 12 of their last 14 home games Under the Total after scoring at least three goals in two straight games. The Rangers are without one of their best goal scorers in Artemi Panarin who is out indefinitely dealing with some personal issues relating to the political turmoil in Russia. New York returns home to Madison Square Garden where they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total — and they have played 4 of their last 5 home games Under the Total as an underdog. Furthermore, the Rangers have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total as an underdog — and they have played 4 straight games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60%.

FINAL TAKE: New York has lost both their games with the Bruins this season after losing by a 1-0 score at home to them on February 12th. The Rangers have played 22 of their last 31 games Under the Total when motivated by double-revenge. 25* NHL North Division Total of the Month with Boston Bruins (23) and the New York Rangers (24). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (847) and the Troy Trojans (848). THE SITUATION: Coastal Carolina (13-6) snapped a three-game losing streak on Sunday in a 65-55 win against Georgia Southern as a 6-point favorite. Troy (10-14) has lost five in a row after their 65-53 loss at Georgia State as a 10-point underdog on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Chanticleers have played 4 straight games Under the Total after a straight-up win. Coastal Carolina has played six straight Unders — and not only have they played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after playing an Under in their last game but they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after playing at least two straight Unders in a row. The Chanticleers have the second-best defense in the Sun Belt in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They have held their last five opponents to just 63.8 PPG on 37.1% shooting from the field — as compared to their 67.0 PPG and 39.2% opponent’s offensive marks for the season. They go back on the road where they are making only 40.8% of their shots. Coastal Carolina has played 5 straight games Under the Total on the road — and they have played 4 straight road games Under the Total when favored. Additionally, the Chanticleers have played 5 straight Unders when favored — and the Under is 5-1-1 in their last 7 games when playing a team with a losing record. Troy has played 9 of their last 13 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. And while the Trojans have not covered the point spread in two straight games, they have then played 10 of their last 12 games Under the Total after not covering the point spread in their last two games. Troy has also played 18 of their last 27 games Under the Total when playing their second game in seven days. They return home where they have the second-best Adjusted Defensive Efficiency in Sun Belt play. They hold their guests to 36.7% on their home court which is resulting in only 59.7 PPG. The Trojans only hit 41.6% of their shots at home. Troy has played 4 of their last 5 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning record on the road. The Trojans can struggle to score — they are averaging only 60.8 PPG on 39.7% shooting in their last five games. Troy has played 14 of their last 20 games Under the Total as an underdog — and they have played 10 of their last 13 games Under the Total against teams who are winning at least 60% of their games.

FINAL TAKE: Troy will be playing with revenge from a 70-65 loss at Coastal Carolina on January 23rd as a 10-point underdog. The Trojans have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total when avenging a same-season loss. Troy also lost the January 22nd meeting between these two teams — and they have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total when motivated by double-revenge. 25* CBB Sun Belt Conference Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (847) and the Troy Trojans (848). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (749) and the Houston Cougars (750). THE SITUATION: Western Kentucky (15-4) has won six games in a row after their 89-66 win against Rice as a 9.5-point favorite back on February 13th. Houston (18-3) has won three of their last four games with their 90-52 victory against Cincinnati as a 12.5-point favorite on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Hilltoppers made 56.5% of their shots against the Owls after shooting 50.9% from the field in their previous game at home against Rice. Western Kentucky has played 5 of their last 8 games Under the Total after making at least 50% of their shots in two straight games — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after scoring at least 80 points in their last game. Additionally, the Hilltoppers have played 11 of their last 17 games Under the Total after a win at home — and they have played 6 straight Unders after winning two in a row on their home court. Western Kentucky has also played 10 of their last 12 games on the road Under the Total after two wins in a row against conference opponents — and they have played 17 of their last 24 games on the road Under the Total after playing a game that finished Over the Total (146.5 versus Rice 2/13). The Hilltoppers may be rusty on offense with the almost-two-week layoff. As it is, they have only scored 64.6 PPG on 38.4% shooting in their last five games which is almost 5.0 PPG below their season average. And while they rank 103rd nationally in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency at home, they fall to 149th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency when playing on the road. But their defense travels — Western Kentucky ranks 57th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency compared to their 132nd ranking  when playing at home. They hold their home hosts to 41.8% shooting. The Hilltoppers have played 22 of their last 33 games Under the Total on the road — including seven of their last nine games. They also have played 5 straight road games Under the Total as an underdog. Houston has played 11 of their last 12 games Under the Total after a win at home by at least 20 points — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after scoring at least 80 points in their last game. The Cougars also held the Bearcats to just 30.0% shooting. Head coach Kelvin Sampson has one of the best defensive teams in the nation. Houston ranks 4th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency while leading the nation with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 42.2%. The Cougars have the second-best Adjusted Defensive Efficiency in the nation when playing at home where they limit their opponents to just 34.1% shooting and 54.2 PPG. Houston has played 14 of their last 20 home games Under the Total — and the Under is 38-14-1 in the last 52 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. The Under is also 16-5-1 in the Cougars’ last 22 home games against teams who are winning at least 60% of their games on the road.

FINAL TAKE: Houston has played 19 of their last 26 games Under the Total against teams who are winning at least 60% of their games — and Western Kentucky has played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. 25* CBB Thursday ESPN2 Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (749) and the Houston Cougars (750). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Syracuse Orange (857) and the Duke Blue Devils (858). THE SITUATION: Syracuse (13-6) has won three in a row with their 75-67 win against Notre Dame as a 1.5-point favorite on Saturday. Duke (10-8) has won three in a row as well with their 66-65 upset win against Virginia as a 3-point underdog on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Orange only made 43.5% of their shots against the Fighting Irish but still rallied from a 20-point deficit to win that game. Syracuse has then played 9 of their last 11 road games Over the Total after a win. They also have played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total when playing with one day of rest. Head coach Jim Boeheim’s team does not fit his typical profile — they are much better on offense than they are on defense. The Orange ranks 38th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency — and they rank 29th nationally in this metric when playing on the road. Yet Syracuse is only 84th nationally in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they plummet to 186th in the nation in this metric when playing away from home. Boeheim’s 2-3 zone is not working this season — and it remains as vulnerable as ever to offensive rebounding with the open space around the rim it leaves vulnerable. Not only do the Orange allow their opponents to pull down 31.1% of their missed shots, 279th nationally, but home teams are getting second-chance scoring opportunities in a whopping 37.5% of their missed shots which is 340th in the nation. Syracuse has played 15 of their last 18 games Over the Total on the road — and they have played 6 straight road games Over the Total as an underdog of up to six points. They are allowing 78.0 PPG when playing on the road. And while the Orange have played three straight Unders, the Orange have played 6 straight games Over the Total after playing at least two straight Unders. Additionally, Syracuse has played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total against teams with a winning record — and they have played 14 of their last 18 games Over the Total as an underdog. Duke has played 10 of their last 13 games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 12 straight home games Over the Total after a win against an ACC rival. They have also played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total after a point spread win. The Blue Devils shot 51.0% from the field against the Cavaliers’ pack-line defense which was actually the worst shooting effort in their last five games. Duke is averaging 79.0 PPG over their last five games on 52.5% shooting over that span — and they have played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after making at least 50% of their shots in three straight games. While the Blue Devils have been pilloried for being one of the blue blood programs suffering a down season, they have under the radar regarding how good they are on offense. They rank 14th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency — and they have improved to 10th in the nation in that metric over their last ten games to demonstrate they do not miss freshman Jalen Johnson who left the team. But Duke struggles on the end of the court as they rank just 135th in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing at home. The Over is 19-6-1 in the Blue Devils’ last 26 home games including eight of their last ten home games finishing Over the Total. Duke has also played 7 straight games Over the Total at home against teams who are not winning at least 40% of their games on the road. The Blue Devils pound the offensive glass as well to take advantage of their missed shots against the Boeheim 2-3 zone — they rebound 33.6% of their missed shots at home, 67th nationally. Duke has played 18 of their last 26 games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage of 60% or better — and they have played 31 of their last 43 games Over the Total as a favorite.

FINAL TAKE: The Blue Devils have played 13 of their last 19 home games Over the Total with the number in the 140s — and the Orange has played 10 of their last 13 road games Over the Total with the number in the 140 to 149.5 point range. 25* CBB Big Monday ESPN Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Syracuse Orange (857) and the Duke Blue Devils (858). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:08 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Winnipeg Jets (33) and the Vancouver Canucks (34). THE SITUATION: Winnipeg (10-6-1) has won two of their last three games after there shutout win in Vancouver against the Canucks on Friday. Vancouver (8-12-1) lost their second game in their last three contests.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Jets got a shutout from backup goalie, Laurent Brossoit, who stopped 29 shots. Winnipeg has played 12 of their last 15 games on the road Under the Total after a shutout win. Additionally, the Jets have played 5 straight games Under the Total after a win — and they have played 9 of their last 11 games Under the Total on the road after a win by more than one goal. 2020 Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck returns to the ice tonight after getting Friday off. He has a 2.56 Goals-Against-Average with a .921 save percentage in seven starts this month. Winnipeg has allowed only 2.2 Goals-Per-Game in their last five contests. They have played 4 of their last 5 games on the road Under the Total — and they have played 5 of their last 7 road games Under the Total with the number at 6 or higher. The Under is also 4-0-1 in the Jets’ last 5 games against teams with a losing record. Vancouver has played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. The Canucks have also played 3 of their 4 games this season Under the Total after not scoring more than one goal — and they have played 5 of their last 8 games Under the Total after playing an Under in their last game. Vancouver is scoring only 2.4 Goals-Per-Game in their last five contests — but they have only allowed 2.2 Goals-Per-Game over that stretch while limiting their opponents to just 27.8 shots-per-game which is 4.2 shots fewer than their season average. The Canucks will turn back to Braden Holtby tonight who has struggled in his move to the Canadien west coast after his long tenure in Washington. He did come off a promising outing in his last game where they stopped 35 of 36 shots in a win at Calgary. Vancouver has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total on home ice. The Under is also 4-0-1 in the Canucks’ last 5 games against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: Vancouver struggles to get their offense going against Winnipeg — they are averaging only 1.47 Goals-Per-Game in their last 17 games against the Jets while getting shutout five times. These two teams have played 5 straight Unders after Friday — and the Canucks have played 3 of their 4 games this season Under the Total when avenging a loss where they did not score more than one goal. 25* NHL Bailout Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Winnipeg Jets (33) and the Vancouver Canucks (34). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:00 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between Newcastle United (200081) and Manchester United (200082). THE SITUATION: Newcastle (W7-D4-L13) lost their seventh match in their last nine on Monday in a 2-0 setback at Chelsea. Manchester United (W13-D7-L4) come off a disappointing 1-1 draw at West Bromwich Albion.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Newcastle only registered 0.71 expected goals against the Blues to begin the week. That effort came on the heels of them scoring three times against the Saints in their previous despite registering a mere 0.79 expected goals (xG) in that match. The Magpies have scored the fifth-fewest goals in the EPL with their xG also ranking fourth-worst amongst the twenty clubs in the top flight. Manager Steve Bruce will be without his top scorer once again for this match with Callum Wilson still out with a hamstring injury. Wilson leads the team with 10 goals with the second-leading scorer for the team only registering four goals. Wilson averages 0.56 xG per 90 minutes — and he accounts for 53% of the expected goals for Newcastle this season either from goals or assists. He has been involved in 15 of the team’s 25 goals. His absence will likely compel Bruce to have his team play even more cautiously. On the plus side, the Magpies have only allowed more than two goals just once in their last twelve matches. Man United has only won once in their last five EPL matches. They registered a mere 0.61 xG against a suspect West Brom team with a leaky defense. The Red Devils have scored 50 goals this season — but their xG plummets to just 42.08 which suggests the team has been rather fortunate in the goal-scoring department. At home at Old Trafford, Man United has 25 goals but just 22.50 xG. Man United did score four times in their 4-0 win against Real Sociedad in the Europa League — but fatigue and rotation may play a role in this match on the short turnaround. The Red Devils tend to have their best scoring games when playing a team that plays on their front foot. But when they play a cautious defensive-minded club, Man United tends to struggle to score goals. They have been consistent defensively — they have held their last six opponents in the EPL to just 0.92 xG.

FINAL TAKE: Newcastle has been blanked in seven of their last eight matches on the road. They lost at home to Man United in the reverse fixture in October by a 4-1 score. Bruce would be thrilled with a draw in this match — expect a very conservative approach from the Magpies. 25* EPL Sunday Total of the Month with Under the Total in the match between Newcastle United (200081) and Manchester United (200082). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the West Virginia Mountaineers (653) and the Texas Longhorns (654). THE SITUATION: West Virginia (14-6) had their three-game winning streak snapped last Saturday in their 91-90 upset loss in double-overtime against Oklahoma as a 4-point favorite. Texas (13-5) has won two games in a row after their 70-55 win against TCU as an 11.5-point favorite on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Mountaineers made only 42.4% of their shots on Saturday which was the lowest shooting mark in their last four games. West Virginia has played 8 of their last 11 games Over the Total after a game at home where both teams scored at least 85 points. The Mountaineers have played six straight Overs while scoring at least 82 points in three straight games. They have then played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total after scoring at least 75 points in three straight games — and they have played 8 of their last 12 games Over the Total after playing at least three straight Overs. West Virginia has also played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total when playing their second game in the last eight days. The Mountaineers tend to play higher-scoring games because they generate additional scoring opportunities. They are 10th in the nation by rebounding 36.2% of their missed shots. They are also 30th nationally by forcing turnovers in 21.9% of their opponent’s possessions when playing on the road. West Virginia has played 8 of their last 9 games Over the Total on the road — and they have played 6 straight road games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home. In their last five games, the Mountaineers are scoring 83.8 PPG. But they have also allowed their last five opponents to make 45.4% of their shots which is generating 79.6 PPG. West Virginia ranks 9th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency which would make them one of head coach Bob Huggins’ best offensive teams in his career. But he has had many better teams on the defensive end of the court — this group ranks only 64th nationally in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. The Mountaineers have played 5 straight games Over the Total as an underdog — and the Over is 15-5-1 in their last 21 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. They have also played 11 of their last 14 games Over the Total with the number in the 140s. Texas has played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total after a win by at least 15 points — and they have played 11 of their last 15 games Over the Total after not allowing more than 55 points in their last contest. The Longhorns are an excellent defensive team who ranks 26th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. But COVID pauses and now ice storms and power outages may be taking their toll on Shaka Smart’s team. While they hold their opponents to 67.6 PPG on 40.5% shooting, their last five opponents have made 44.6% of their shots which is generating 74.0 PPG. Texas has played 6 of their last 7 home games Over the Total — and they have played 11 of their last 16 home games Over the Total when favored by up to 6 points. The Longhorns have played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total when favored — and they have played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60%.

FINAL TAKE: Texas won the first meeting between these two teams on January 9th when they upset West Virginia in Morgantown by a 1.5-point underdog. The Mountaineers have played 6 straight games Over the Total when avenging an upset loss as a home favorite. 25* CBB ABC-TV Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the West Virginia Mountaineers (653) and the Texas Longhorns (654). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:35 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Chicago Bulls (525) and the Philadelphia 76ers (526). THE SITUATION: Chicago (12-15) won their third game in their last four contests on Wednesday with their 105-102 win against Detroit as a 3-point favorite. Philadelphia (19-10) snapped a three-game losing streak on Wednesday with their 118-113 win against Houston as an 8.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: It was fourth straight games for the Bulls where they scored at least 105 points — and they have played 6 of their last 9 games Over the Total after scoring at least 105 points in at least three straight games. Chicago is seeing an average of 230 combined points scored in their games this season under first-year head coach Billy Donovan. They go back on the road where they are scoring 118.7 PPG on 49.2% shooting. They are also allowing their home hosts score 116.2 PPG on 46.6% shooting. The Bulls have played 7 of their last 9 games on the road Over the Total — and they have played 10 of their last 13 road games Over the Total with the number at 220 or higher. Additionally, Chicago has played 23 of their last 33 road games Over the Total against teams with a winning record at home — and they have played 9 of their last 10 road games Over the Total as an underdog. The Bulls have also played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total as a dog overall — and they have played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. Philadelphia shot 48.1% from the field on Wednesday which was tied for the lowest shooting effort in their last nine games. The 76ers have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 9 of their last 11 games Over the Total after a point spread loss. They did not have Ben Simmons against the Rockets who missed the game because of an illness — but he should be back on the court tonight. Philly stays at home where they make 49.5% of their shots en route to 118.4 PPG. They allow their guests to score 112.4 PPG. The Sixers have played 8 of their last 10 home games Over the Total — and they have played 22 of their last 29 home games Over the Total as a favorite. Additionally, the Over is 13-6-1 in the last 20 games against teams with a losing record.

FINAL TAKE: UPDATE: Simmons is not playing tonight due to the illness that has dogged him this week (despite having the “probable” listing). No big deal (and this possibility is why I liked the Over versus a potential Philly side play) — the Over is still a strong technical play and what the Sixers lose with his offense, they also lose his elite defensive talents tonight which should ensure the Bulls approach their road scoring average. These two teams have played 14 of their last 20 meetings Over the Total — and they have played 10 of their last 14 games in Philadelphia Over the Total. 25* NBA Pre-All Star Break Friday ESPN Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Chicago Bulls (525) and the Philadelphia 76ers (526). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Vermont Catamounts (307059) and the Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers (307060). THE SITUATION: Vermont (9-3) has won seven straight games after their 61-57 win against Stony Brook on Sunday. UMBC (13-4) has won three in a row with their 60-48 win at Stony Brook back on February 8th as a 3-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Vermont held Stony Brook to just 32% shooting — and they have then played 9 of their last 13 games Under the Total after holding their last opponent to 33% or less shooting in their last game. The Catamounts are 15th in the nation with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 45.1%. Vermont has also played 18 of their last 26 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. The Catamounts have still covered the point spread in four of their last six games — and they have played 10 of their last 12 games Under the Total on the road after covering the point spread in four or five of their last six games. Vermont goes back on the road where they have played 5 straight games Under the Total with the number set in the 135.5 to 139.5 point range. The Catamounts have also played 6 of their last 7 road games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage of 60% or better at home. Furthermore, Vermont has played 13 of their last 18 road games Under the Total as a favorite — and they have played 4 straight road games Under the Total when favored in the 3.5 to 6 point range. The Catamounts should see their stout defense of late travel — they have held their last five opponents to just 53.8 PPG on 31.8% shooting from the field. UMBC held Stony Brook to 32.0% shooting in their last game — and they have played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total after not allowing their last opponent to shoot better than 33%. Additionally, the Retrievers have played 5 straight Unders after not allowing more than 50 points in their last contest. UMBC is also playing outstanding defense right now — they have held their last five opponents to just 60.4 PPG on 37.5% shooting. The Retrievers rank 17th in the nation with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 45.1%. But will UMBC be rusty with their shooting playing their first game in ten days? They are only making 42.1% of their shots in their last five games which is resulting in only 65.6 PPG. The Retrievers have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. They have also played 12 of their last 16 games Under the Total after winning three of their last four games. They return home where they have played 5 of their last 6 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning record on the road. UMBC has also played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: The Retrievers have played 14 of their last 19 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record — and they have played 4 straight Unders against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. Vermont has played 9 of their last 13 games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. 25* CBB America East Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Vermont Catamounts (307059) and the Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers (307060). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Ottawa Senators (11) and the Toronto Maple Leafs (12). THE SITUATION: Ottawa (3-12-1) snapped a four-game losing streak on Saturday with their 2-1 win at Winnipeg. Toronto (11-3-1) looks to bounce back from a 2-1 loss at home to Montreal on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Senator have played 6 of their last 9 games Under the Total after a win on the road. The Under is also 4-0-1 in their last 5 games after scoring at least two goals or less in their last game — and they have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after not allowing more than two goals in their last contest. Ottawa has not scored more than two goals in five straight games while averaging just 1.4 goals-per-game over that stretch. The Senators have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after not scoring more than two goals in two straight games. They stay on the road where they are averaging only 2.1 goals-per-game — and the Under is 3-0-1 in their last 4 games away from home. Marcus Hogberg is between the pipes tonight — and I am not going to sugarcoat that. But Matt Murray has no confidence right now as the primary starter for this team so it is not as if waiting for the former Penguin makes sense. There is a reason why the Total is 6.5 — and Ottawa has not allowed more than three goals in five of their last six games. The Under is 6-0-1 in the Senators’ last 7 games as an underdog. And while the Maple Leafs average 3.5 goals-per-games, Ottawa has played 9 of their last 10 games Under the Total against teams who average at least 3.0 goals-per-game. Toronto has played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after not allowing more than two goals in their last game — and the Under is 5-0-1 in their last 6 games after not scoring more than two goals in their last game. Additionally, the Maple Leafs have played 15 of their last 24 games Under the Total after not scoring more than one goal in their last game. And in their last 19 games after a game where no more than three combined goals were scored, the game finished Under the Total 12 times. Toronto stays at home where they have played 5 of their last 7 home games Under the Total with the Total set at 6 or higher. The Under is also 13-3-1 in the Maple Leafs’ last 17 home games when favored. Frederick Andersen should be the goalie tonight. Andersen has a 2.55 Goals-Against-Average with a .909 save percentage in 13 starts but his numbers improve to a 2.00 GAA with a .926 save percentage in his 8 starts at home. Toronto has not allowed more than two goals in four straight games as they are finally beginning to embrace a more defensive approach that will serve them well in the postseason.

FINAL TAKE: Ottawa will be looking to avenge a 3-2 loss at home back on January 16th — and they have played 8 of their last 9 games Under the Total when playing with revenge from a same-season loss. 25* NHL North Division Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Ottawa Senators (11) and the Toronto Maple Leafs (12). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between Newcastle United (200089) and Chelsea (200090). THE SITUATION: Newcastle (W7-D4-L12) has won two of their last three matches in the English Premier League with their 3-2 win against Southampton last Saturday. Chelsea (W11-D6-L6) has won four straight games across all competitions with their last match in the EPL last Sunday when they defeated Sheffield United on the road, 2-1.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Newcastle scored three times against the Saints last week despite registering a mere 0.79 expected goals (xG) in that match. The Magpies have scored the fifth-fewest goals in the EPL with their xG also ranking fifth-worst amongst the twenty clubs in the top flight. Manager Steve Bruce will be without his top scorer in this match as well with Callum Wilson out with a hamstring injury. Wilson leads the team with 10 goals with the second-leading scorer for the team only registering four goals. Wilson averages 0.56 xG per 90 minutes — and he accounts for 53% of the expected goals for Newcastle this season either from goals or assists. His absence will likely compel Bruce to have his team play even more cautiously. The Magpies have only allowed more two goals once in their last eleven matches. Chelsea has only allowed one goal in the five matches under new manager Thomas Tuchel — and that was an own-goal against the Blades last week. The Blues then played on Thursday when they shutout Barnsdale, 1-0, in FA Cup action. Chelsea is dominating possession which is helping them limit scoring opportunities for their opponents. The Blues’ four EPL opponents under Tuchel are averaging just 0.55 xG — and they have not allowed a Big Chance (representing a scoring opportunity with a success rate of 35% or higher). But Chelsea is not generating many scoring opportunities themselves under Tuchel. They are averaging only 0.93 non-penalty kick xG in their four league matches under Tuchel. They have scored only six goals in the five matches under Tuchel.

FINAL TAKE: Tuchel has holding midfielder N’Golo Kante healthy again to fortify the defensive structure of his team. Chelsea defeated Newcastle, 2-0, in the reverse fixture on November 21st. That feels like the final score for this rematch — although 1-0 might be the result. 25* EPL Monday NBC Sports Network Total of the Month with Under the Total in the match between Newcastle United (200089) and Chelsea (200090). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the UAB Blazers (869) and the Louisiana Tech (870). THE SITUATION: UAB (16-2) has won six straight games with their 75-60 win against UTEP as an 8.5-point favorite last Saturday. Louisiana Tech (15-6) saw their four-game winning streak snapped last Saturday in their 57-55 loss at North Texas as a 4-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Blazers made 53.8% of their shots last Saturday in what was the best shooting effort in their last 13 games. UAB has played 14 of their last 17 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total after a point spread victory. Additionally, while the Blazers have covered the point spread in their last two games as a favorite, they have then played 7 straight games Under the Total after covering the point spread in their last two games as a favorite. They are likely going to not shoot as well tonight as they did against the Miners — their 45.2% effective field goal percentage when playing on the road, 287th in the nation. They make only 41.5% of their shots on the road which translates into just 62.7 PPG. But UAB holds their home hosts to only 56.7 PPG on 41.4% shooting. The Blazers rank 25th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they improve to 23rd in the nation in true road games in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. UAB has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total on the road — and they have played 5 straight road games Under the Total as an underdog. Furthermore, the Blazers have played 21 of their last 30 games Under the Total with the number set in the 130s — including playing Unders in six of these last seven games. Louisiana Tech has played a decisive 51 of their last 82 games Under the Total after a loss on the road to a conference rival. The Bulldogs have also played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a point spread win. And while Louisiana Tech has covered the point spread in their last two games, they have then played 8 of their last 9 games Under the Total after covering the point spread in two of their last three games. This is the Bulldogs’ second game since last Friday — and they have played 9 of their last 12 games Under the Total when playing just their second game in the last seven days. Louisiana Tech has not allowed more than 63 points in five straight games — and they have then played 4 straight games Under the Total after not allowing more than 65 points in at least three straight games. They have held their last five opponents to just 60.0 PPG on 39.9% shooting from the field. But they are scoring only 67.4 PPG in these previous five games. They return home where they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total — and they have played 19 of their last 27 home games Under the Total as a favorite of 3 points or less.

FINAL TAKE: Louisiana Tech has played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage of 60% or higher — and the Under is 7-2-1 in UAB’s last 10 games against teams with a winning percentage of at least 60%. 25* CBB Conference USA Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the UAB Blazers (869) and the Louisiana Tech (870). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:35 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Miami Heat (535) and the Houston Rockets (536). THE SITUATION: Miami (10-14) has won three games in a row with their 98-96 win against New York as a 6-point favorite on Tuesday. Houston (11-13) has lost three in a row after their 130-101 loss at New Orleans on Tuesday as a 6-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Rockets allowed the Pelicans to nail 51.1% of their shots on Tuesday in what was the worst defensive effort in their last 21 games. Houston has played 9 of their last 12 games Under the Total after allowing at least 125 points in their last game. The Rockets have allowed at least 111 points in their last three games — but they have then played 17 of their last 20 games Under the Total after allowing at least 110 points in each of their last three games. Additionally, the Under is 37-18-2 in Houston’s last 57 games after a loss — and they have played 13 of their last 20 games Under the Total after a loss by at least 15 points. They return home where they have played 8 of their last 9 games Under the Total — and they have played 21 of their last 28 home games Under the Total as an underdog including four of these last five home games Under the Total when getting the points. Miami has played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total when playing with one day of rest. And while they were called for 11 fewer fouls than the 25 personal fouls that the Knicks were called for on Tuesday, they have then played 29 of their last 43 games Under the Total when playing on the road after a game where they were called for at least 10 fewer personal fouls than their opponent. Getting healthy has helped head coach Erik Spoelstra’s team start playing better defense — they have held their last five opponents to just 42.3% shooting which is resulting in just 105.2 PPG. They have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total against teams from the Western Conference. Houston has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total against Eastern Conference foes.

FINAL TAKE: The Rockets have played 22 of their last 30 games Under the Total in expected close games when listed in the +/- 3-point range. The Heat have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total when listed in the +/- 3-point range. 10* NBA Thursday Daily Discounted Deal with Under the Total in the game between the Miami Heat (535) and the Houston Rockets (536). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the West Virginia Mountaineers (625) and the Texas Tech Red Raiders (626). THE SITUATION: West Virginia (13-5) has won four of their last five games after their 91-79 win against Kansas on Saturday as a 2.5-point favorite. Texas Tech (14-5) has won three in a row with their 73-62 victory at Kansas State as a 15.5-point favorite on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Mountaineers have played 6 straight games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 4 straight Overs after a point spread victory. Additionally, West Virginia has played 7 of their last 10 games Over the Total after playing a game at home where both teams scored at least 75 points. The Mountaineers shot 50% from the field on Saturday which initially gave me pause that it was an outlier performance. But this is one of Bob Huggins’ best shooting teams in his career — they are second in the Big 12 by making 42.9% of their 3-pointers. They are making 46.7% of their shots over their last five games which is resulting in an 80.8 PPG scoring average. Huggins also deploys a style of play that generates more scoring opportunities even if their shots are not falling. West Virginia pulls down 36.1% of their missed shots, 10th in the nation. They also force turnovers in 20.4% of their opponent’s possessions. The Mountaineers have played 9 of their last 12 games Over the Total with the Total set in the 140s — and they have played 4 straight games on the road with the number in the 140 to 149.5 range. Furthermore, West Virginia has played 7 of their last 8 road games Over the Total — and they have played 5 straight road games Over the Total. Texas Tech has played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a point spread victory. The Red Raiders have also played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total after a victory where they did not cover the point spread as a favorite. Texas Tech made 47.1% of their shots on Saturday — the best shooting effort in their last six games. Again, that gave me an initial pause. Yet the Red Raiders only scored 30 points in the first half in that game after scoring a mere 25 points in their previous game against Oklahoma. Texas Tech has played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after failing to score more than 30 points in the first half in two straight games. And the Red Raiders’ defensive play has not been quite as stingy as of late — they have allowed their last five opponents to make 44.1% of their shots resulting in 68.2 PPG which is a sharp uptick from the 61.7 PPG they allow on 40.5% shooting for the season. Texas Tech has allowed their last two opponents to score just 52 and 62 points — but they have then played 33 of their last 49 home games Over the Total after not allowing more than 65 points in two straight games. The Red Raiders also create a bench of additional scoring opportunities if their shots are not falling. They are 24th in the nation by pulling down 34.7% of their missed shots. They are seventh in the nation by forcing turnovers in 24.9% of their opponent’s possessions. And head coach Chris Beard’s team is 14th in the nation in getting to the free-throw line. Texas Tech has played 6 of their last 8 games Over Total when favored — and 3 of their 4 games this season against teams winning 60 to 80% of their games finished Over the Total.

FINAL TAKE: The Red Raiders will be looking to avenge an 88-87 loss to the Mountaineers in Morgantown on January 25th. Texas Tech has played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total when attempting to avenge a same-season loss. 25* CBB Tuesday ESPN Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the West Virginia Mountaineers (625) and the Texas Tech Red Raiders (626). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the New York Islanders (67) and the New York Rangers (68). THE SITUATION: The New York Islanders (4-4-2) snapped a five-game losing streak on Saturday with their 4-3 win at home against Pittsburgh. The New York Rangers (4-4-2) have won two straight as well as three of their last four after their victory against Washington on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Islanders have scored more than three goals just three times this season. They have played 12 of their last 15 games Under the Total after a win at home against a divisional rival. They also have played 13 of their last 20 games Under the Total after a narrow win at home by just one goal. The Islanders have played 13 of their last 20 games Under the Total after a game where both teams scored at least three goals. They have also played 37 of their last 56 games Under the Total after a game where at least seven combined goals were scored. And while the Islanders' previous game was a 4-3 loss at Philadelphia, they have played 10 of their last 15 games Under the Total after playing two straight games where at least seven combined goals were scored. They go back on the road where they are scoring only 2.0 Goals-Per-Game. Semyon Varlamov will be between the pipes tonight with his 2.14 Goals-Against-Average and .921 save percentage in seven starts this season. Varlamov was reliable on the road last year with a 2.36 GAA along with a .922 save percentage. The Islanders have played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total on the road — and the Under is a decisive 34-16-3 in their last 53 road games as an underdog. The Rangers have played 17 of their last 26 games Under the Total after a win at home where they scored at least four goals. They have also played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after winning two in a row on home ice. This is the Rangers’ fourth straight game at home at Madison Square Garden where they have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total — and they have played 7 of their last 9 games at home Under the Total when favored. Igor Shesterkin will be in goal tonight given his improved form as of late. He had 31 saves on Saturday against the Capitals. Shesterkin is making a claim to be the team’s top goalie with 79 saves in the 84 shots he has faced in his last three games for a .940 save percentage. In his four starts at home this season, Shesterkin has a 2.35 GAA with a .913 save percentage.

FINAL TAKE: The Under is 3-1-1 in the last five meetings between these two teams after the Rangers’ 5-0 victory back on January 16th. 25* NHL Monday NBC Sports Network Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the New York Islanders (67) and the New York Rangers (68). Best of luck for us — Frank.