*4 Star Play Under* The Southern Miss Golden Eagles have played more than half of their games to a final score lower than this. This is the best defense they have played all year. Old Dominion plays at the fourth slowest tempo in the country. Old Dominion should grab a lead here and then let their defense do the rest. I had this one at 114 points. Take the under. 

*5 Star TOP Play Totals CRUSHER* The Northern Iowa Panthers have been a team that controls the tempo for many years. They are no different this year. Drake is the same type of team, they just aren't as good at winning games because they have less talent. 

Drake and Northern Iowa are in-state rivals and these games have a long history of being low scoring. Last year, the two games finished with 122 points and 104 points. The pace in each game was 48 possessions, which ranked in the top ten slowest games in the country for the season as a whole. These two teams aren't speeding up the game, so unless someone shoots a ridiculously high percentage, I think this stays under. 

I projected this at 130 points. Take the under big.

*4 Star NCAA BB Sun Belt Total* I'll be the first to admit that I don't normally want to take an under that is this low this season, but this one is still several points too high for these two teams. Arkansas Little Rock is one of the best turnaround stories in college hoops this year. They are playing tremendous defense and slowing the game down in a big way. LA Monroe is a team that struggles on the offensive end, but they work really hard on defense. I projected a total of 114. Very low scoring game. Take the under. 

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Play Total* The Denver Pioneers and IPFW Mastadons played twice last year. The number of possessions in those two games was 49 possessions per team in the first game and 48 possessions per team in the second game. Those were two of the slowest ten games in all of college basketball last year! IPFW won both of those games and I don't see them wanting to speed the tempo up this year after winning with that style of play last year. 

Denver ranks as the third slowest team in the country this year. The Pioneers lost a lot of offensive talent from last year, and they've had some very low scoring games this season already. Four of their last five games have gone under this total.

I projected this number to be 130 points. Big line value here. Take the under big. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Elon Phoenix have been very consistent at playing at a really quick tempo this year. Elon has pushed the pace against everyone they have played. In this game, they shouldn't have much trouble getting the style of play they really want. Hofstra also prefers to play quickly, and Hofstra has an excellent offense. Both teams can shoot it from long distance and the free throw line. Take the over here. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Morehead State Eagles have drastically slowed down their pace of play in the last couple years. Morehead State is now a defensive team that looks to win low scoring games. Tennessee Martin tries to slow down the game as well, but most teams in the OVC look to run. In this game, they'll get their wish and it should be a slow paced game. I see both defenses having the upper hand in this one. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* Both of these teams have been slowing their tempo down of late. I had this game projected at 140 points. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* Canyon Berry is C of C's star player who takes 35% of their shots and he is expected to miss this game. These teams played twice last year and the final total in both games was 104 points. I see a sloppy game here all the way. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* The Pepperdine Waves have been a good defensive team over the last couple years. Pepperdine should be able to handle a team like Pacific who takes a lot of bad shots from the floor. Pepperdine was the second best defensive team in the West Coast Conference last year behind only Gonzaga. They should be right around that area again here. Pacific and Pepperdine both like to move at a slow tempo, so I don't expect a lot of possessions in this game. The games between these two last year finished at 132 points and 93 points respectively. Take the under here. 

*3 Star SEC Total* The Alabama Crimson Tide have turned into a defensive stalwart in their last few games. Alabama has seen 5 of their last 6 games fall under this posted total, and most have gone way under the mark. Ole Miss has played several fast paced teams of late, which has bumped up their final scores. This time they'll play an Alabama team that wants to grind it out in a halfcourt game. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Michigan State Spartans have been consistently slowing the tempo down this year. Michigan State is great at getting the lead and then controlling the clock this season. They should be able to grab the lead and control the clock against an Illinois team that hasn't been very good this year. 

Illinois has tried to push the tempo when they can, but Illinois wasn't able to push the tempo at all last year when these two met. Both games between these two finished with a total of 113 points! That's far lower than this posted total, and I see a lot of value on this one.

The under is 7-1 in the last 8 meetings between these two at Michigan State. The under is 4-1 in MSU's last 5 home games. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total Value* The Marshall Thundering Herd have only played two games that fell below this posted total all year. One of them landed at 140 and the other at 146. Marshall is very consistently high scoring thanks to their poor defense and extremely quick tempo. When betting an over, I love to see consistency, and that's what Marshall has shown us this year. Florida Atlantic played Eastern Kentucky recently and the final was 80-73. Eastern Kentucky is a very similar team to Marshall. This one should get to that same area. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Siena Saints always like to play quick. In the past, Fairfield has been a slow it down type of team, but they have a whole new style where they are playing as fast as anyone in the conference this year. That should equal a lot of points going on the board in this one. Siena is great on the offensive glass, and Fairfield is terrible on the glass. Look for Siena to get a bunch of second chance points. Both teams foul quite a bit, and both teams shoot a solid 71% from the line. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* The Oregon State Beavers started league play with an impressive home win over their rivals from Oregon on Sunday night. Oregon State showed me something important in that game as well. The Beavers slowed the tempo down drastically compared to what they had been doing in non-conference play. I think that likely means Oregon State will be looking to play halfcourt games in the Pac 12 as they did last season.

Stanford has changed their tempo drastically this year as compared to last season. The Cardinal rank 322nd out of 351 teams in terms of tempo so far this year. Stanford struggles to score unless they get to the line often, and Oregon State has been good at defending without fouling this year. Take the under in this one. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Total Value* The Texas A&M Aggies and Mississippi State Bulldogs are both playing at a quick tempo this year. Ben Howland's team has played a few teams that slow down the tempo in the past couple weeks, and that has led to some lower scores in their games. Texas A&M won't slow down the pace though, and both of these offenses have been efficient this year. 

Look for a close game throughout, and fouling at the end could easily be the reason this one ends over the posted total. I had this one at 150 points. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Northern Iowa Panthers have always been one of the slowest paced teams in the country. Northern Iowa is great at both grabbing defensive rebounds as well as defending without fouling. Missouri State's offense is very inefficient. In their Missouri Valley Conference games so far, Missouri State is averaging only 0.90 points per possession. 

Northern Iowa has played some very low scoring games this year, and some of them have been against fast paced teams that generally play high scoring games. Their games against Hawaii, Washington State, and New Mexico are good examples of that. 

Missouri State has a long history of being a good under play inside the Missouri Valley Conference. The under is 22-8 in Missouri State's last 30 MVC games. The under is 8-3 in the last 11 meetings between these two teams. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The UCF Knights have slowed down their pace significantly this year because Tacko Fall is now in the middle. Fall is a 7'6 center who has totally changed the way this team plays on both ends of the floor. They went from a bad defense to a very good defense quickly. They also slowed their tempo down out of need. 

USF is very inefficient on offense, and USF also prefers to slow the pace down. UCF is also very good at defending without fouling. They have committed the 16th fewest fouls out of 351 teams in the country. I think this number should be 130. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Syracuse Orange have one of the best defenses in the country with their matchup zone. Syracuse is occasionally hurt by teams who really shot the three ball well, but Clemson isn't one of those teams. Since Syracuse has come into the ACC, these teams have played twice and the final totals were 101 and 119 points. Syracuse is playing much slower on a relative basis this year than they did last season. Both teams will be glad to play slowly here.

The under is 8-0 in Cuse's last 8 vs. the ACC. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 following an ATS loss. A 12-0 angle. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The East Carolina Pirates have been a really good under team for me in the past couple years. East Carolina is improved defensively, and they are much slower paced than they were in the past. Tulsa had toyed with playing a quicker tempo earlier this year, but their last couple games they have been slowing things down again. Both meetings between these two teams last year finished well under this posted total. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* I have admittedly been wrong about Manhattan a few times this year. Manhattan is a team I've looked to play overs with, and so far they have been a good under team. I think that will change. Manhattan still plays at a quick tempo, and they are still fouling as much as any team in the country. Manhattan has had some awful shooting numbers, which I assume will improve at least somewhat.

Siena is playing even faster this year, and the Saints are great at getting to the line. Siena put up 89 points and got to the line a whopping 44 times in the first game between these two teams. The total here has been lowered by about 6 points from the first meeting. That's too big of an adjustment. Manhattan should knock down a few more shots at home, and I think this one gets past the posted total. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Oakland Golden Grizzlies are an extremely high scoring team. Oakland plays at the 15th fastest tempo in the country out of 351 teams. Youngstown State has a terrible defense, and they play at the 61st tempo in the country.

Oakland and Youngstown State have played 3 of their last 4 games to a total of 168 points or higher. Yes, this total is a bit higher than that, but that's because of the new rules in college hoops that has led to a lot more scoring this year. Youngstown has given up 100 points or more three times this year. Oakland may get to almost 100 here. 

The over is 5-0 in Youngstown State's last 5 games. The over is 6-0 in Oakland's last 6 games following an ATS win. An 11-0 angle. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Nebraska Omaha Mavericks play at the third fastest tempo in the country out of 351 teams. IUPUI has shown that they are willing to play at the pace of their opponent so far this year. Last year's meeting between these two in Omaha finished 89-84, and with the new rules, scoring is up a lot this season. 

Both of these teams foul a lot, so a lot of trips to the charity stripe could play a key role in this game. My numbers made this game 162 points. Take the over here. 

*4 Star NCAA BB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The FIU Panthers have totally changed the way they play this year. FIU is stalling out offensively and looking to win low scoring games. That fits perfectly in with what Florida Atlantic has been doing of late as well. Ron Delph has played the last five games for Florida Atlantic and all five of those games have gone under the total. Delph is 7 footer who is a great defensive presence in the lane. 

Both of these teams like to mix in zone defense to slow the game down. This is a rivalry game and that often helps the under. Last year the two meetings between these teams finished at 122 and 120 points. I had this number at 120 points. Look for solid defense from both teams.

The under is 5-0 in Florida Atlantic's last 5. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 road games. The under is 6-0 in their last 6 following a loss. The under is 5-0 in their last 5 Sunday games. A 20-0 angle. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* 

*3 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* The St. Mary's Gaels are shooting 47% from three point range. San Diego isn't a particularly strong defensive team, so I see no reason to believe St. Mary's will struggle shooting against them. Though both teams prefer to play slowly, the new rules mean that they can't stall as much as they have in previous years. Look for St. Mary's to be very efficient here and put up a big enough number to push this over. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The New Mexico Lobos have totally changed their tempo from last year. Coach Neal had to stall things out last year after some of his best scorers went down with injuries. This year, New Mexico is pushing the pace at every chance. Fresno State is playing much faster than last year as well, so there shouldn't be anyone slowing this one down. I had this total at 152 points. Both teams get to the line often. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Big Sky Total* The Idaho State Bengals are a really bad team, and Weber State is the best team in the Big Sky Conference. The better team can generally control the tempo of the game, and Weber State wants to play slowly. Look for them to get a nice lead and then coast to the finish in this one. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Montana Grizzlies play the best defense in the Big Sky, and Southern Utah is without Hess, one of their primary scorers. Montana should be able to slow the game down against a short handed Southern Utah team who doesn't want to run now. Last year's game between these two finished more than 25 points below this total. Take the under here. 

*3 Star Play Over* 

*3 Star Play Over* 

*3 Star Play Under* 

*3 Star Play Over* 

*3 Star Play Over* 

*5 Star College Hoops TOP Total of the Week* The East Carolina Pirates and the UCF Knights are both teams I've been looking to play unders with this year, and this meeting is one I had circled to play the under.

UCF is playing a much slower tempo this year due to 7'6 Tacko Fall's presence in their lineup. He changes the way they play on offense, and he makes the team much better on the defensive end. Fall has been as good as advertised this year, and he'll change plenty of shots here.

In the past couple seasons, East Carolina has been a very nice under the radar "under" team with a big style change to a much slower tempo. The under is 17-8 in their last 25 home games. They are continuing that slower pace this year, and I don't see either team looking to push the pace here.

Last year, when UCF was playing a quicker tempo, these two teams played games that finished at 116 and 137 points. The tempo in each of those games was 58 possessions, which is ridiculously slow. I like this play. Take the under. *College Hoops TOP Total of the Week* 

*3 Star Play Over* 

*3 Star Play Over* 

*5 Star Notre Dame/Virginia TOP Play Total* The Virginia Cavaliers are playing at the slowest tempo of any team in the nation. That is 351 teams. Notre Dame is playing at 317th fastest tempo, so the Fighting Irish will be happy to slow the game down with Virginia here. 

Notre Dame's offense is good, but they are down a notch from last year's team. Virginia always plays very tough defense for Tony Bennett. The Fighting Irish aren't a great defensive team, but they foul the third least of any team in the country, which is a big benefit here since Virginia is great at the free throw line.

A very slow tempo should be expected here. Barring some very high shooting percentages, I like the chances of this one staying comfortably under the total. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* 

*3 Star Play Under* 

*3 Star Play Over* 

*4 Star ACC Total* The Miami Hurricanes have shot the ball really well this year, but they'll go up against a good defense in Syracuse in this one. Syracuse slows the game down and plays their patented matchup zone that is tough for many teams to get good looks against. The Orange have a talented group this year, and they are good defensively. 

Miami is improved on the defensive end, and the Hurricanes are always a team that looks to slow the tempo down with Coach Larranaga at the helm. This one features two teams who have defended well without fouling this year. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Early Bird Special* Charlotte looked to push the tempo early in the year, but of late they have slowed things down a couple notches. Old Dominion plays at one of the slowest paces of any team in the country. The Monarchs are also excellent on the defensive end. Old Dominion won't be giving Charlotte easy looks here. Old Dominion has played a bunch of games against weaker competition like Charlotte, and just about all of them have stayed under this posted total. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Louisiana Monroe Warhawks are a good under team. Monroe plays at a slow tempo, and they are a very good defensive team. They also shoot the ball really poorly from the floor on the whole. Appalachian State has been playing to the pace of their opponent of late. This should be a sloppy game. With LA Monroe favored by almost ten and getting to play their style of basketball, this total is several points too high. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Missouri Valley Money* The Wichita State Shockers and Drake Bulldogs play a similar style of basketball. Wichita State just plays it a lot better than Drake. Both teams want to slow the game down, so I fully expect the tempo here to be very slow. The two games between these teams last year finished at 124 points and 114 points. 

Look for Wichita State to get an early lead and then run the clock more in the second half. I had this one at 130 points. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The New Mexico Lobos have decided to play at a much quicker pace this year. That has led to some very high scoring games. Nevada has a new coach and they are looking to push the tempo at every opportunity. 

Nevada has been fouling a lot this year, as evidenced by the fact that Wichita State (their most recent opponent) shot a mind boggling 62 free throws against them. Wow. New Mexico should live at the line here, and the Lobos are pretty good from the stripe. 

I look for a quick tempo and both teams to score in transition often. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Syracuse Orange are slowing the game down and playing some really good defense this year. Pittsburgh is always a team that prefers to play at a slow tempo. There have been a lot of low scoring tight battles between these two over the years, and I think we'll see another one of those games here.

Pittsburgh has played against a bunch of opponents who like to run this year, and that has propped up this total a few points too much. I made this game 136 points. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* Niagara is a team that really makes every game ugly. They slow it down and they shoot it very poorly. Niagara isn't likely to win this game, but they will probably force St. Bonaventure to play at a slow tempo and make this one a lot lower scoring than most of ST. Bonaventure's games have been. Look for a game that stays in the low 130's here. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* Morehead State is playing very slowly this year. The Eagles strength is in the paint and they are trying to work that to their advantage by slowing the game down. East Tennessee State strikes me as a team that appears to be playing to whatever pace their opponent wants to play at so far this year. East Tennessee State has some very high scoring games, but those were against some of the fastest paced teams in the nation. 

My numbers made this game 132 points. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The NC State Wolfpack have slowed their tempo drastically in the past few games. NC State's four slowest paced games are all in the past month. The Wolfpack have decided to control the tempo and try to win lower scoring games.

Northeastern has always been a team that prefers to slow the game down under coach Bill Coen. Northeastern won't try to speed this game up in any way.

Both of these teams are very good at playing defense without fouling, which is important in today's game. I look for a close game between these two and I have this one in the mid 130's. Take the under here. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Early Bird Special* Florida Atlantic has had 7 foot defensive specialist Ron Delph back in the lineup for four games now. All four of those games have finished under the posted total. Delph is a shot blocker and a shot changer in the middle of the paint. Since Delph has entered the lineup, Florida Atlantic is playing at a much slower pace.

Tennessee Martin is playing at the same slow tempo they played at last season. The Skyhawks won't be pushing the tempo here. Neither of these teams have been efficient on the offensive end, and neither of them get to the line often. The early start time during the week is different for the players as well. 

I made this number 128 points. Take the under here. 

*4 Star College Hoops Monday MONEY* The Detroit Titans have a way of making games very high scoring. Detroit ranks 8th in the nation in tempo. The Titans really push the pace and look to outscore the opposition in a high scoring affair. Detroit is shooting 41.2% from three-point range on the year.

Eastern Michigan is a team that prefers to run when they can. The Eagles play a zone defense that encourages the opposition to shoot it from long range. Eastern Michigan hasn't faced many opponents who shoot the ball well from three so far this year, but Detroit is definitely a team that has three point shooters all over the place. I think Detroit's combination of a quick tempo and good shooters means they can score plenty here.

Eastern Michigan put up 80 points against Nebraska Omaha, another team that likes to run. They should score a lot here as well.

Take the over in this one. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Villanova Wildcats have been a good under team this year. Villanova is really slowing down the tempo this year and looking to win with their halfcourt defense. It's been a great recipe for success against lesser opponents, and that's what they are up against here. Penn lost 62-47 last year against Villanova, and while this one might be a bit higher, I do think it should stay below the posted total. 

Villanova has held 4 of their last 7 opponents to 52 points or less, and I think Penn will score 52 or less in this one. Take the under. 

*5 Star College Hoops TOP Play of the Week* The Oklahoma Sooners are always anxious to run the floor. They'll get plenty of chances to do exactly that tonight against a Hawaii team that uses full court pressure and runs as much as possible.

Oklahoma has one of the nation's best players in Buddy Hield. He is shooting better than 50% from long range, and Hawaii doesn't have anyone who matches up well with him. Oklahoma's depth is impressive, and that is why they can continually push the tempo.

Hawaii fouls a lot, and Oklahoma is a good free throw shooting team. Hawaii and Oklahoma are both teams that get a lot of second chance points. I had this game at 155 points. Take the over! TOP Rated Play- College Hoops Game of the Week

*3 Star Play Over* This is a matchup that should be pretty close. Milwaukee has some nice wins so far this year, and Minnesota is usually good at home. I expect this to be a game where we see a lot of free throws at the end because of the close nature of the game. Minnesota has played a much faster tempo at home this year, and Milwaukee shouldn't slow the game down. Take the over here. 

*3 Star Play Over* This is an ugly pick to make, but I have to do it. Bradley has an awful offense, but their tempo has picked up of late. TCU is playing far faster than they have in recent years. TCU also gets to the line at a very impressive rate. Bradley and TCU both foul a bunch, and with the new rule changes and a lot of foul shots, I have to take the over despite Bradley's inefficient offense. I think this one gets into the 130's. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* 

*4 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* The Washington State Cougars haven't played anyone good this year, but that ends tonight. Washington State's defensive numbers actually look pretty good, but I don't think they will after this night is over. Oklahoma has consistently shredded up good defenses this year. The Sooners have all kinds of scoring options. They shoot 48% from long range, and Washington State isn't going to be able to keep up.

Still, the pace of this game should be so quick that Washington State will score plenty here too. Both of these teams love to run and force the issues. Look for this game to get to 155 points or more. Take the over. 

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Play Total SMASHER* The Norfolk State Spartans rank 323rd in the nation in pace. UC Irvine ranks 296th. This is a game that should be played at a very slow tempo. The Anteaters have one of the best defenses Norfolk State will play all season. With 7'6 center Mamadou N'Diaye in the middle of the paint clogging things up, I don't think Norfolk State will get to the hoop or the free throw line nearly as much as they usually do. 

UC Irvine has shown over time that when they grab the lead they are good at taking the air out of the ball and using up the clock. The Anteaters should win this one and keep this under the posted total. I had this one at 133 points. Take the under. TOP Rated Play

*3 Star NCAA BB Cal/Virginia Total DOMINATION* The Cal Golden Bears have been up and down this year. Cal has a 72-58 loss against San Diego State. They also have a nice 63-59 win over St. Mary's. Cal is too reliant on one on one play in my opinion. The Golden Bears aren't likely to be able to have too much success against a defense as good as Virginia. The Cavs have consistently been one of the best defenses in the country with Tony Bennett as their coach. 

Cal has been slowing the game down of late, and Virginia ranks 348th in tempo out of 351 teams in the country. I think Virginia wins with strong defense. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* A.J. West quit the Nevada basketball team recently, and he was considered the team's best player before the season. West will definitely be missed on the offensive end. Wichita State's defense has been elite for the last few years, and they should be elite again this year. The Shockers are slowing down the tempo more than ever this year. I think Wichita State grabs the lead and then slows the game down as they control the tempo. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* SE Missouri State is pushing the tempo bigtime, but they are an awful team. Missouri State's shooting numbers have been good of late, and I think they can shoot it well against a really bad defense like SEMO State. The tempo of this game should be quick enough to get it into the 140's. I see this is a value play on the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Wyoming Cowboys allowed the Marshall Thundering Herd to play at their pace last night, and Wyoming lost in ugly fashion. Wyoming is at their best when they are stalling and making it a race to 65 points. Houston hasn't been playing very fast, and Rob Gray (leading scorer for Houston) has been injured, so the Cougars offense isn't as potent as Marshall's was. Look for Wyoming to change the way they play tonight and get back to their normal tendencies. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* 

*3 Star Play Under* 

*3 Star Play Over* The Texas San Antonio Roadrunners are a team that doesn't make much sense to me. They aren't a good team, but still they push the tempo almost as much as anyone in the country. The Roadrunners are awful on defense, and Cal Poly's offense has been very good this year. The Mustangs have been one of my favorite under teams in the past years, but Coach Joe Callero is encouraging his team to speed things up this year. Cal Poly should pour in the points here in a game played faster than most expect. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Detroit Titans got back Paris Bass last game. Bass is the best player on their team by a wide margin, and he's a guy who can score 25 points per game. Western Kentucky's defense has proven to be bad throughout the season. Detroit's defense is even worse. Detroit has forced everyone they play this year to play to a quick tempo so I think they'll do the same here. This should top the 160 point mark. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* 

*4 Star Play Over* The VCU Rams are still pressing and pushing the tempo with new coach Will Wade at the controls. Buffalo is also pushing the pace with a new coach at the helm. This is a relatively low total considering the tempo this game should be played at. I think there is a good chance this one tops 150 points as both teams attack the rim and get to the line a lot. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* 

*3 Star Play Over* 

*5 Star TOP Play Total SMASHER* The New Mexico State Aggies have been slowing down the tempo and winning with defense this year. New Mexico State has a very big frontcourt, and slowing the game down benefits this team quite a bit. Oral Roberts has played against a bunch of very fast paced opponents, which have skewed their data so far this year. Oral Roberts is generally a team that finishes right around the middle of the pack in terms of tempo, and I think they'll play to the tempo of their opponent for the most part. 

New Mexico State's last 9 games have all stayed under this posted total in regulation. I made this one 136 points, so it's a strong enough to make it a top rated selection. Take the under. TOP Rated Play

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The East Carolina Pirates have really turned down their tempo in the past couple years. East Carolina relies heavily on getting to the line a lot on the offensive end, and that's dangerous on the road against a James Madison team that hasn't fouled very much so far this year. 

James Madison is playing much slower so far this year. The Dukes rank 288th in tempo out of 351 teams in the country. 

Both of these teams are much improved on the defensive end so far this year. In the meeting between these two last year the final was 70-58. I had this one at 135. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Over* 

*5 Star TOP Play Total SMASHER* The Florida Gators defense has been shutting everyone down this year. Florida faces an Oklahoma State team here that is short handed without shooting star Phil Forte. The Gators have some major offensive problems themselves, and they have decided to slow the game down and win with defense. Oklahoma State's coaching staff knows they have a lot less talent than they have had in recent years, and their tempo is much slower as well. 

I think this line is several points too high. This game is also played at a neutral site where shooting percentages are typically lower. Take the under. TOP Rated play

*3 Star Play Over* The Rice Owls are starting to play the faster paced game that Coach Rhoades wants them to play. Rhoades came from VCU where he was an assistant under Shaka Smart, and he is all about getting this Rice team to play faster and press. Rice is struggling defensively, and they are fouling a bunch. The Owls have been able to get quite a few quick scoring opportunities from that press, and they should be able to force some New Mexico mistakes.

The Lobos have adopted a much quicker style of play this year. New Mexico has a lot more scoring options than they had last year, and this is a team that can get hot from long range. Rice's defense has been really bad at defending beyond the arc this year. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Over* 

*4 Star Nova/Virginia Total* The Virginia Cavaliers are always going to be one of the slowest paced teams in the country as long as Tony Bennett is their head coach. Villanova ranks 300th out of 351 teams in the country in terms of pace, so the Wildcats have slowed things down in a big way from previous seasons. 

Villanova ranks #4 in the country in defensive efficiency. Virginia ranks number 5 in the nation in defensive efficiency. Both of these teams are excellent in the halfcourt, and neither teams have shown they want to run and try to score in transition. 

Virginia's last 3 games have finished at 122, 119, and 124 points. That last game was against West Virginia, who plays very fast. Villanova has seen 3 of their last 5 games finish at 123 or lower. Take the under here. 

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Play SMASHER* The Belmont Bruins and Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders have a nice little rivalry. These two schools are less than an hour apart, and both teams will be extra anxious to get this game going. In rivalry games, we typically see better defensive and lower shooting percentages. 

Middle Tennessee State has a good coach, and I think he knows he can't have his team running with Belmont. MTSU hasn't had a single game this year go over this posted total in regulation. Belmont has played a bunch of teams that play exceptionally fast this year, and MTSU isn't that type of team. I think Belmont's very high scoring games against fast paced opponents gives us extra value here on the under.

In the last four years, these teams have never played a game against each other that finished with a total higher than 128 points. That will probably change tonight, but I don't think it will be higher than 150. My numbers had this one at 145. Take the under. TOP Rated Play.

*4 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* The UNLV Runnin' Rebels always like to get out in transition when they can. Arizona State prefers to play with tempo under new coach Bobby Hurley. Hurley's teams are aggressive and like to attack the rim. While the line actually moved down today in this one, I see the value side being the over. 

UNLV is a poor defensive rebounding team, and Arizona State has the frontcourt to take advantage of that weakness. UNLV should be able to force some turnovers that lead to easy baskets. I had this total at 140. The over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these two. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Over* The UIC Flames rank as one of the 10 fastest teams in the country. Illinois State prefers to play quickly when they can as well. Illinois State generally doesn't shoot a good percentage, but I think they'll shoot it better than normal here tonight because this UIC defense is terrible. Everyone has been able to get easy looks against UIC.

Both of these teams do a lot of fouling, and with a total that isn't all that high, a bunch of fouls likely sends this game over the posted total. My number here was 150. Take the over. 

*5 Star TOP Total of the Week* The Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks ranked in the bottom 50 teams in the country in terms of tempo last year. This year they rank in the bottom 40, so they are playing even slower. Last year, Martin had some very good long range shooters, but this season they don't have many good shooters on the roster. One thing that's important here is Tenn-Martin generally does a good job not fouling on defense.

St. Louis would prefer to play slowly as well, and the Billikens are very reliant on getting to the line. In fact, they rank sixth in the nation in free throws attempted. Without getting to the line, this offense simply isn't very good. Only one of their eight games this year has gone over this total (their first game of the season). 

The under is 7-0 in St. Louis' last 7 games. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 Wednesday games. The under is 10-0-1 in their last 11 vs. the Ohio Valley Conference. The under is 4-0-1 in Martin's last 5 after a win. The under is 4-0-1 in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. A 29-0 angle. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* The Stanford Cardinal have made the decision to slow the game down this year. They ranked #127 (out of 351) in terms of tempo last year. This year they rank #312 in terms of tempo. That's a big slow down. Stanford is playing against a DePaul team that has allowed their opposition to dictate the tempo all year. DePaul is coming off a game where they scored only 44 points against Arkansas Little Rock and their strong defense.

With the tempo being slow, I think it will take some high shooting percentages to go over this total. My numbers made this one 132 points. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Clemson Tigers are great at slowing the tempo down with consistency. Brad Brownell's teams are very good on the defensive end, but usually not very good on offense. Clemson is shooting a much higher percentage from the floor so far this year than they have in recent seasons, but I think much of that can be attributed to who they have played thus far.

Alabama is a work in progress, but Avery Johnson stresses defense. They should make Clemson work hard to get open looks in this game. Alabama has been playing to the tempo of their opponent so far this year, which means this should be a very slow paced game. My numbers had this one at 125 points. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* The DePaul Blue Demons host a very sneaky good Arkansas Little Rock team tonight. Little Rock has wins at Tulsa and at San Diego State this year. Little Rock has a new coach this season, and he has this team playing some suffocating defense. They will slow the tempo of this game down and make DePaul work really hard for every shot. The Blue Demons aren't a team that pushes the tempo much, so I think this game is played in the halfcourt throughout. My numbers had this at 127. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* These two teams met earlier this year and the total finished at 153. The shooting numbers weren't very good in that one, but the tempo was quick. As long as both teams continue their past trend of playing quick, I like our chances of cashing with the over in this one. The shooting numbers should be better than last game, because neither defense is good. Take the over here. 

*3 Star Play Over* These two teams played just a week ago and that one sailed well over the posted total. Both of these teams like to play quickly, and they both foul a bunch. A game where both teams get in transition and both teams get to the line a lot is one of my favorite spots to play the over. North Texas' defense is one of the worst in the country. I had this one at 153. Take the over in this one. 

*3 Star Play Over* 

*4 Star NCAA BB Top Total* The UCF Knights are playing at a much slower pace this year thanks to their 7'6 center Tacko Fall being on the team. Fall is a freshman who has made a big impact already on the defensive end. Florida Atlantic has a bad offense to start with, and I don't see them getting many good looks at the hoop here. UCF has committed the least amount of fouls of any team in the nation.

Both teams prefer to slow the game down. I had this number lined at 128 points. Take the under in this one. 

*3 Star Play Over* Davidson has been shooting the lights out in every game except their loss to North Carolina. I had the over in that one and lost, so I'm still a little upset that Davidson picked that game to shoot it so poorly. I don't think it will happen again though. Western Carolina has a terrible defense, and they put opponents at the line a bunch. The Catamounts are going to give up a big number against Davidson here. Both teams love to run so the tempo should be enough to get Western Carolina plenty of points. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Michigan State Spartans and Florida Gators are both ranked in the top six in the nation in defensive efficiency. Michigan State has been shutting down the opposition, especially in their last few games. I'm not impressed with Florida's offense right now, but the Gators work hard on defense and play good team defense. Tom Izzo's team doesn't give the opponent second chances, and without those second chance points Florida's offense should be in trouble. Take the under. 

3 star play- Here are two teams who love to slow down the tempo and George Mason has been really bad on the offensive end this year. My numbers had this one at 132 points. Take the under in this one. 

*4 Star Play Under* 

*3 Star Play Over* 

*4 Star Play Under* 

*3 Star Play Over* 

*3 Star Play Over* 

*3 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* The San Diego Toreros just beat San Diego State 53-48 last game. San Diego plays at the 340th quickest tempo out of 351 teams in college basketball. Their opponent tonight, the Denver Pioneers, play at the 350th ranked pace in the nation. 

This number is certainly lower than I would like to play an under at in the new shot clock era, but my numbers suggest this will stay under this very low total. In fact, this could end up being one of the lowest scoring games of the year thus far.

Denver has played their last two games to 120 points and San Diego is far worse offensively than Denver's last two opponents. This one is low for a reason. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Boise State Broncos are playing quicker this year. The Broncos have some very good scorers in Anthony Drmic, Mikey Thompson, and James Webb. Loyola Marymount prefers to play quickly, and their defense isn't good at all. I think Boise State will have a very efficient offensive night here. It won't be a surprise if they put up a big number.

Loyola Marymount's offense has been much better in the last few games. They have been attacking the basket more and kicking it it out to open jump shooters. Boise State's offense is great, but their defense isn't good. Look for Loyola Marymount to score quite a few as well. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Play of Day* The Texas Tech Red Raiders have typically been a team that slows down the tempo under Tubby Smith's leadership. So far this year, they have played quicker and had some high scoring games, but I think that's more a product of who they have played against than anything else.

Tennessee-Martin is a bad team, but they are good at forcing opponents to slow down the pace. The Skyhawks are going to do their absolute best to turn this into a low scoring game. With Texas Tech's previous history of slowing the game down, I think they are an opponent that Martin will be able to slow down. I had this number at 135 points. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Marshall Thundering Herd are playing at the second quickest tempo in the nation. Last game, they played to a 107-84 final against James Madison. It's important to note that James Madison is a team that likes to slow the game down. The fact that the game got to 191 points is indicative of Marshall's poor defense and their tempo. 

Eastern Illinois has been playing to the pace of their opponent this year. The Panthers are good at getting to the line, and they should get plenty of free throw attempts here. Their defense isn't very good, and I think Marshall can beat them down the floor. Take the over.