*3 Star Play Over* The Davidson Wildcats are great at pushing the pace and scoring efficiently. They are even better offensively on their home floor, and they are home for this game. Davidson should outclass a St. Louis team that is far worse than they have been in recent years. The Billikens will attempt to slow the game down early, but once they get behind they'll be forced to play more at Davidson's tempo. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Over* Getting some value on the over here because IPFW played such a low scoring game last time out. That was against the Denver Pioneers though, and Denver plays slower than any other team in the league. South Dakota likes to run, and I expect the tempo here to be pretty quick. Both teams have a couple very good scorers. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Over* These two teams just played a week ago, with the final score going four points over the posted total. I think that game was a good indicator of what should happen here as far as the total. These two teams both play bad halfcourt defense, so there should be a lot of easy buckets on both ends. Manhattan presses full court and gets a lot of turnovers and also fouls out. Plenty of scoring opportunities. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Over* The Arizona State Sun Devils and the Oregon Ducks are both teams built around their offenses. Both teams can bomb away from long distance, so expect to see a lot of made three-point field goals in this one. The tempo should be quick as both teams prefer to run when given the opportunity. I had this number at 141 points. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Over* The William & Mary Tribe are a team I like to back the over with because they are so efficient on offense. Their totals are usually set low because they play relatively slowly, but their efficient offense and poor defense usually make up for that. James Madison doesn't have a good defense, so they will likely give up a lot of easy buckets here. This number is too low. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Towson Tigers and Northeastern Huskies are both teams that like to slow the game down and win with ball control and defense. Towson's offense is atrocious this year. The Towson Tigers have consistently only been able to score in the halfcourt when they get offensive rebounds, unfortunately for them the strength of this Northeastern team is grabbing defensive boards. Without second chance opportunities, I can't see Towson scoring many points here. The tempo of the game makes this a strong play. I had this one at 118 points. Take the under. 

*3 Star Louisville/UNC Total* The North Carolina Tar Heels and Louisville Cardinals both love to run. The only reason this total isn't higher is because both teams also play excellent defense. The reason I like this play is I believe both coaches know their offenses aren't very good in the halfcourt, and we'll see a lot more transition baskets in this one. The tempo here should be lightning quick. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Buffalo Bulls have done a really nice job getting their opponents to play at their pace of late. Buffalo is running and scoring in transition as often as possible. Western Michigan's offense is very efficient, and their defense is among the worst in the league. I had this one at 147 points. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Late Night MONEY* The UTEP Miners have typically been a team that slows the game down a lot, but this year they are playing much faster than they have been. Louisiana Tech is a team that wants to play fast all the time, and the Bulldogs will absolutely want to use their full court zone press to speed this game up. This number is set as if UTEP was still playing the stall ball method that they used a couple years ago. I set this one at 145 points. 

The over is 4-0 in LA Tech's last 4 road games. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 vs. a team with a win percentage of 60% or higher. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 road games vs. a team with a winning record. A 12-0 angle. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Under Radar Total* The Wagner Seahawks and Robert Morris Colonials get a rare national TV game tonight. It's always nice for programs like this to get some television time, and I think both teams will be excited for this one. Wagner and Robert Morris both like to play with lots of tempo, and this should be an up and down type of game. Wagner has also fouled more than any other team in the nation (351 teams). Robert Morris has an efficient offense, and the Colonials haven't been good on defense this year. Wagner's defense is terrible in the paint, which should allow for plenty of layups. Bad defense and lots of tempo. Take the over. 

*5 Star TOP Play Total* The Texas State Bobcats have a coach that wants to slow the tempo down at all times. How good are they at slowing the game down? Texas State has played a 40-36 game as well as a 57-26 game this year. The Bobcats will control the tempo at home here. Arkansas Little Rock was previously a team that liked to get out in transition, but they are now playing much slower. Neither offense is efficient so I don't think the shooting numbers here will be particularly high. I had this one at a whopping seven points below the total at 116 points. Take the under big! 

*4 Star Play Over* The Elon Phoenix play at the fastest tempo of any team in the CAA. They also use a full court press to do their best to dictate the pace of the game. William & Mary is probably the best team in the CAA, and the Tribe can score points in a hurry. William & Mary shoots the ball very well. Elon does force a lot of turnovers though, and I see them scoring some easy buckets off the press. The fact that these teams have never seen each other in the past (Elon is new to the league) helps this one a lot. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* The UTSA Roadrunners do like to play fast as their nickname would imply. Southern Miss is a really bad team this year, and they have typically let their opponent pick the style of play. Southern Miss does have some good shooters though, and UTSA's defense is among the worst in the entire country. Expect plenty of trips to the line for both teams in this one, and with a total set at this mark the value is on the over. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* The UIC Flames like to try to speed up the tempo of the game, and they also have a really bad defense. Valparaiso is the best team in the Horizon League, and the Crusaders should be able to score a lot of points here. I don't think this game will be very close, but it's a game where Valpo could put up 75 points or more. With a low total here, I'm taking the over. 

*4 Star Play NCAA BB Totals TKO* The MTSU Blue Raiders have been extremely consistent at keeping the game low scoring this year. None of their games have gone past 126 points in regulation this year. That's an amazing stat this deep into the year. FIU has slowed their pace down by three possessions per game this year. They will be glad to play a slow game that is defense oriented like MTSU does. This looks like a sloppy game all the way with both teams finishing in the 50's. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Drexel Dragons offense has been downright awful in recent games. Despite the fact they have played against teams who normally give up quite  a few points, Drexel's shooting numbers have been terrible. The Dragons always play at a slow tempo, and this year Towson is playing even slower than them. Towson's only method of scoring in most games this year has been offensive rebounds and free throws. Drexel is good at defensive rebounding and not fouling so that should help keep this one low scoring. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Over* The Delaware Blue Hens won the CAA tournament and made it to the NCAA Tournament last year. That was then, and now Delaware has what is probably the worst team in the league. Delaware's defense hasn't been able to stop anyone, and UNC Wilmington plays at an extremely fast tempo. I think Wilmington will control the tempo here and in a game with tons of possessions on both sides, I have to take the over at a number this low. I had this one at 137 points. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Total Value* The VMI Keydets have played one game all year that went below 140 points. VMI plays at the single fastest tempo of any team in the nation. While Wofford doesn't exactly play fast, it should be noted that they are playing much faster than they did last year. Wofford's offense is also very efficient, and I think they'll shred up this weak VMI defense. Take the over here. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Mercer Bears are a defense oriented team. Mercer slows the game down and wins with ball control and defense. While Mercer's record this year isn't impressive, the Bears should be very competitive in league play. Mercer scheduled up in non-conference action. East Tennessee State has a good offense, but they have piled up a bunch of points against some very bad defenses this year. Five of the last six meetings between these two teams have stayed under this posted total. I had this one at 135. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Denver Pioneers play at a very slow pace, but they also shoot the ball extremely well and play virtually no defense. That makes them a unique team that stalls, but still has some relatively high scoring games. IPFW was the league favorite, but they have started the season slowly with their top scorer being dinged up. Steve Forbes, their top scorer, is getting healthy again now, and I think IPFW can put up points on a bad Denver defense that sends opponents to the line a lot. I had this one at 136 points. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Air Force Falcons just lost their leading rebounder and top assists man in Kam Williams. Without him, Air Force will have even more trouble scoring than they have already had this season. Air Force plays at an extremely slow tempo, and San Jose State plays pretty slow as well. The Spartans have some of their players back from a suspension, but not all of them. This is a game where there probably won't even be 60 possessions for each team, and with two inefficient offenses I have to take the under here. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The DePaul Blue Demons haven't been pushing the tempo as much in recent games, and they have actually won two straight contests. They probably won't win this game, but I do think they stay away from running and gunning. Creighton's offense was so efficient last year with Doug McDermott and company, but this Blue Jays team doesn't have the same offensive ability. Creighton is slowing the game down more, and I think this total is lined too much like last year. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are playing very quickly under new head coach Danny Manning. Manning loves to use full court pressure to speed up the game. Louisville put up 85 points on them in their last game, and this Duke Blue Devils offense is much better than Louisville's. Duke is the number one offense in the nation, and I think they put up a big number here. Duke is more than happy to run with the kind of athleticism and depth they have this year. This one has a good chance of getting to 150, which makes it a nice value here. Take the over. 

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Play Total* The Eastern Michigan Eagles have picked up the pace considerably the last two years. Two years ago this team was averaging 60 possessions per game, and now they are at 66 possessions per game. Ball State got a new coach last year and he sped the Cardinals up a lot as well. Both games between these two teams went comfortably over this posted total last year. Both teams are great at getting to the line. With plenty of pace and a lot of free throws, a total set this low is a strong play for me. Take the over big! 

*3 Star Play Over* The LaSalle Explorers are a team that typically plays to the pace of their opponent. The pace of their opponent in this game is very quick. UMass has had a couple of rare games where they allow the opponent to slow the game down, but I don't think they make that mistake here. UMass and LaSalle played to a 146 point final score last year, and I think this one gets up around 140 as well. This one is a few points too low. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Xavier Musketeers started the season out playing quickly, but their tempo has slowed down drastically in the last few games. Xavier put up some big point totals early in the year against teams who were really bad on the defensive end of the court. That certainly isn't the case for Seton Hall. The Pirates are playing excellent defense this year. Seton Hall is without their top scorer Whitehead, and that has made them slow the game down more of late. I had this number at 133. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* The San Diego State Aztecs and New Mexico Lobos are actually very similar teams this year as far as their styles. Both teams prefer to slow the game down and win with their defense. This game should be played at a pace of 60 possessions or so, which is 6 possessions slower than the average game in college basketball. Obviously with fewer possessions there are less chances to score. Both of these teams lost their top scorers from last year too, and these offenses have been struggling in a big way. New Mexico has held 5 of their last 8 opponents to 55 points or less. San Diego State has held 5 of their last 8 opponents to 50 points or less. 

The under is 7-0 in New Mexico's last 7 games vs. a team with a winning record. The under is 7-0 in San Diego State's last 7 games vs. a team with a winning record. The under is 7-0 in the last 7 meetings between these two teams. The under is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings between these two at San Diego State. A 26-0 angle. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB NCAA  BB Totals TKO* The St. John's Red Storm have lost their last two games. The Villanova Wildcats lost their last game. These are two good teams who are very hungry to get back on track here. Both teams play at an average tempo, but these are two tremendous teams on the defensive end of the floor. Villanova held VCU to 53 points and Illinois to 59 points, and those are two high scoring offenses. Interestingly, both of those games were played at Madison Square Garden, where this game will be played. Shooting percentages are almost always lower than normal at MSG because of the really difficult shooting backdrops. I made this number 128 points. I like both teams to bring their best defensive effort tonight. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Over* The William & Mary Tribe are so efficient on offense, and Drexel isn't the defensive-minded team that they used to be. This one should have a lot of points. Drexel has two elite scorers and William & Mary has three. This number is set too low. I had this one at 130. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Arizona Wildcats have changed the way they play this year. Sean Miller realizes that with the type of team they have, they need to speed things up and get their opponent on the defensive in transition. Arizona is so athletic that it will be hard for Arizona State to keep them out of the paint. Arizona State's offense has been very good this year, and the Sun Devils are playing quickly so far this year as well. I had this game set at 138 points. 

The over is 5-0 in Arizona State's last 5 vs. a team with a winning record. The over is 5-0 in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a home win percentage of 60% or higher. The over is 10-1 in Arizona State's last 11 road games. The over is 6-0 in Arizona's last 6 home games vs. a team with a win percentage of 40% or lower on the road. The over is 6-0 in Arizona's last 6 home games vs. a team with a losing road record. A 32-1 angle. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Northern Iowa Panthers and the Loyola Chicago Ramblers are actually quite similar teams. They are both extremely good at slowing the game down and winning with ball control. Both of them have played multiple games this year that stayed below 100 points. There won't be many turnovers here, but there will be a lot of the shot clock running below 10 seconds before a shot goes up. I had this one at 111. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Under* The Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders have played 12 games against Division I opponents this year. The highest total score in those games was 126 points. They have been under this total 11 of 12 times. UAB likes to play fast if they can, but they won't dictate the tempo against MTSU, and the UAB offense is very inefficient. This should be a sloppy game with MTSU's defense playing well. Take the under. 

*4 Star Play Over* The Iona Gaels are great at dictating the tempo, and getting Siena to play fast is no difficult task with their new coach Jimmy Patsos at the helm. I made this number 167. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* The Wyoming Cowboys play at the second slowest tempo out of 351 teams in the nation. San Jose State is now playing with zero of their original starting five for the season because of tons of injuries and several suspensions. San Jose State is so thin that they have asked players from the football team to play on the basketball team at this point. That lack of depth has made the team slow the game down in a big way of late. San Jose State scored only 33 points in their last game. This game should be extremely ugly. I had this total at 104 points. Take the under. 

*3 Star Play Over* North Carolina does a really nice job of speeding the game up regardless of the type of team they are playing against. Brad Brownell's Clemson team plays at a slow pace normally, but past history between these two teams shows that UNC is one of the rare teams that can speed the game up vs. Clemson. Clemson is actually playing faster than they have in any of the last four seasons, so I think this number is a few points too low. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* The LSU Tigers will absolutely destroy Savannah State in this game. The thing that makes me like this total is the pace at which this game will be played. Savannah State isn't the type of team that slows a game down. Savannah State is extremely sloppy with the basketball, and they are allowing their opponent to score at an alarmingly high rate. LSU should get to 90 points or so here if they stay committed to their normal game plan. Take the over. 

*4 Star Play Under* The Miami Hurricanes and Virginia Cavaliers have both made me a lot of money on the under in the last few years. Both of these teams really play good halfcourt defense. They are both really well coached teams. The tempo here should be extremely slow as both teams always work hard to slow the game down. I had this number at 113 points. Take the under here. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Davidson Wildcats do a really good job of getting the tempo to what they want it. Richmond will attempt to slow the game down, but Davidson's quick tempo and efficiency on offense should push this one over the posted total. I had 137 points on this one. Take the over. 

*3 Star Play Over* The Duke Blue Devils do a nice job of pushing the tempo and I don't think they'll let Boston College slow this one down enough to keep it below the posted total. Duke's inside game is really good now, and they should put up a big number here. Take the over. 

*5 Star TOP Play Over* My line here was 150. My biggest play of the college hoops season thus far. 

*3 Star Play Over* 

*5 Star TOP Play Over* 

*3 Star Play Under* 

*4 Star Play Over* The Depaul Blue Demons defense is just awful, and Xavier has been one of the most efficient offenses in the country. DePaul speeds up the tempo by using a full court press, and Xavier will be happy to be running in this one. The Musketeers should put up a big number here. The tempo gets this one above the total. Take the over. 

*5 Star NCAA BB TGIF TOP Play* The Nebraska Omaha Mavericks play faster than any other team in the country. There are 351 teams in Division I college basketball, but Nebraska Omaha ranks number one in terms of pace. They are going to turn every game into a fast paced affair. South Dakota plays pretty quick as well, and I don't see them attempting to change the way they play for this game. Both of these teams are playing faster than they did last year, and the two meetings last year finished with 150 points (and bad shooting numbers) and 173 points. I expected the posted total here to be at least 160 points. Plenty of value here on the over. Take the over big! 

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Play Total* The Siena Saints are a team I like to play the over with. They use full court pressure to speed the game up, and because of that they commit a bunch of fouls. Siena sends opponents to the line more than all about three other teams in the nation. The Saints are also really aggressive on offense, getting to the line at a very high rate. Fairfield has played a lot of teams that play at a slow tempo lately, so their recent games are a bit misleading. Siena should be able to speed this team up. A total set this low isn't hard to reach when both teams are taking a lot of trips to the free throw line. Take the over big! 

*3 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* The Idaho Vandals and Idaho State Bengals meet in a rivalry game in Idaho tonight. Idaho State has played a lot of low scoring games this year, but they haven't played many teams with a defense as bad as Idaho's. The Vandals have increased the tempo in a big way from last season to this season. Idaho shoots it at 40% from long range as well, which means they can really pile up the points quickly. Idaho State's defense has historically been very bad, and I think Idaho will score a lot tonight. Idaho has played in nine games against Division I opponents so far this year and all nine of those games have gone over this posted total. Take the over in this one. 

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Play 100% Angle CRUSHER* The Southern Utah Thunderbirds are great at turning a game into a really high scoring affair. Southern Utah pushes the tempo really well. They average about 70 possessions per game, which is four possessions more than the overall NCAA average. They also foul like crazy, sending their opponents to the free throw line at a ridiculously high rate. Their terrible defense can really make the opposing offense look far better than they truly are. Portland State likes to play quickly as well. The Vikings have had some problems scoring this year, but I think Southern Utah's defense will fix those problems. Portland State is great at getting to the line a lot, which is key against a team like Southern Utah that fouls a bunch to start with. 

The over is 6-0 in Southern Utah's last 6 Thursday games. The over is 7-0 in Southern Utah's last 7 following a loss. The over is 6-0 in their last 6 following an ATS loss. The over is 4-0 in Portland State's last 4 vs. a team with a losing record. The over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these two teams. A 27-0 angle. Take the over big! 

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Northern Iowa Panthers do a really nice job dictating the way the game is played. Northern Iowa slows the game down. Northern Iowa is actually playing at the fourth slowest pace of any team in the nation (351 teams). The Panthers also have a very good defense, so they play in a lot of low scoring games. They have played in three overtime games, which has made their final scores look higher than they should have been otherwise. Evansville hasn't played a defense as good as Northern Iowa yet this year. I think both teams will have to work hard for buckets here. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Xavier Musketeers and Georgetown Hoyas have both changed up the way they play this year. Georgetown has typically been a slow it down type of team. The Hoyas have more offensive weapons this year, and that has led them to pick up the tempo and play higher scoring games. Xavier has played relatively quick in the past, but they are playing faster this year and being even more efficient. Neither of these teams have been particularly good on defense this year. The over is 12-3-1 in Georgetown's last 16 road games. I had this number at 144 points. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Big 10 Total* The Purdue Boilermakers and Minnesota Golden Gophers are two of the fastest paced teams in the Big Ten. Richard Pitino's team has upped the tempo in a big way this year, and they have had a lot of success from it. I don't expect them to go away from that tempo change. Their full court pressure should bother Purdue's young guards. At the same time, Minnesota gives up plenty of easy buckets because of their press as well. The Boilermakers aren't good defensively, and Minnesota's offensive efficiency has been tremendous in recent games. I had this number at 153 points. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The over is 13-6 in the Toledo Rockets last 19 games. Toledo plays fast no matter who they play against. Duke will be more than happy to play quickly here. The Blue Devils offense is also ranked number one in the nation in offensive efficiency. Duke can pile up the points in a hurry. Toledo's defense hasn't been good in the past few years, and they'll give up a bunch of points here. I think Duke gets to at least 90 points here, and the pace of the game should lead to Toledo scoring plenty too. The Rockets have several good scoring options. I had this number at 152. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Illinois Fighting Illini have beat up on lower opponents this year. Illinois has scored at least 88 points in four games against really bad opponents. I think they get up around that number again against a Kennesaw State team that likes to run and gun. Kennesaw State has allowed 89 points or more against all three top 50 teams they have played this year. Illinois is a top 50 team. The pace should be plenty quick in this one, so unless the shooting numbers are particularly low I see this one going over. I had this total at 144 points. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Seton Hall Pirates have a young very talented team that has opened some eyes early this year. The Pirates are playing faster with their improved athleticism this season. Georgia has picked up the pace in a big way from last season. Mark Fox has the Bulldogs trying to get out and run. I feel like this line is set at a level where it should have been if these teams were playing last year rather than this year. Both offenses have gotten better and both teams are playing faster. I had this number at 142.5. The increased pace should make the difference here. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Northern Iowa Panthers are great at controlling the tempo. Iowa likes to play fast, but the Hawkeyes have had lots of trouble scoring against top teams this year. It's important to note that this game is being played at a neutral location, which generally lowers scoring totals a bit. Neither team is accustomed to the shooting backdrops, and that can lead to lower shooting percentages. Iowa has gotten much worse on offense this season compared to last year, but they are also playing much better defense this year. Northern Iowa relies on outside shooting, and I think the Hawkeyes will do a nice job of contesting their long range jumpers. I had this total at 127 points. Take the under.  

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Total BLOWOUT* The Cincinnati Bearcats have been an under team for a couple years now. Last year, Cincinnati was a team that didn't necessarily stall, but they did have a very bad offense and a great defense. Now, Mick Cronin's team has decided to slow things down a lot so far this year. They are using up the shot clock a lot more this year. San Diego State is the same type of team. The Aztecs aren't good at all offensively, but they are tremendous on the defensive end. San Diego State also uses up the entire shot clock most of the time.

Aqeel Quinn went down with an injury recently, and that made the Aztecs offense much worse. Other than Winston Shepard the Aztecs don't have any good scoring options. If you like offense, I don't think you're going to like this game. Two of the best defensive coaches in college basketball here. The under is a whopping 44-11 in Cincinnati's last 55 games overall. The under is 7-0 in their last 7 Wednesday games. The under is 7-1 in San Diego State's last 8 Wednesday games. A 61-13 trend backing this play. Take the under big! 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Stanford Cardinal have been playing against a lot of teams that like to slow the game down this year. That has made Stanford's pace numbers look a lot slower than they really should be. In general, Stanford is a team that prefers to run if given the opportunity. Loyola Marymount is pushing the pace under their new coach this year, and the Lions defense isn't good at all. This is a good chance for guys like Randle and Nastic to put up some big numbers. I had this number at 141 points. Recency bias from the oddsmakers has given us a nice value here. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total Value* The Illinois Fighting Illini have made it known so far this year that they aren't afraid of running up the score when they are given the opportunity. Illinois should get that chance tonight against Hampton. Hampton isn't a good team, but they like to run and push the tempo. That plays right into what Illinois wants to do. Against the worst teams they have played so far this year Illinois has put up massive point totals. They scored 114 against Coppin State and 107 against Austin Peay. They scored 89 against Brown and 88 against Indiana State. I think the Illini put up a big number again here and the pace should help Hampton put up plenty to get us to the over. I had this number set at 145 points. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Marquette Golden Eagles are slowing the tempo down under their new coach. Arizona State is slowing things back down this year as well. In the past few years, the Sun Devils played fast because they had a star in Jahii Carson running the show. Without him at the helm, Coach Sendak has decided to turn the tempo back down again. Both of these defenses will work hard in this one, and I think this should be a close back and forth game where the offenses struggle to get going. Look for this game to stay in the 120's. Take the under here. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Play of Day* The Wichita State Shockers play some very good defense. Gregg Marshall's team makes the opposition work extremely hard to get shots, and then the Shockers also do a tremendous job of grabbing the defensive rebound. Alabama has tried to speed up the tempo of the game this year, but the Shockers are generally very good at playing to their pace. Wichita State plays relatively slowly and I think them being the home team here helps them control the tempo. Alabama's offense is unlikely to be efficient against the best defense they have faced all year long. Alabama has typically been a good defensive team as well under Coach Anthony Grant. I made this total 137 points. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The North Carolina Tar Heels are very good at imposing their will as far as the pace of the game. UNC Greensboro is going to get demolished on the glass in this one. The Tar Heels have been one of the best rebounding teams in the nation, and offensive putbacks will be huge for them in this game. The Spartans get a rare chance at home to play a big name school from their own state, and they should be hyped up for this one too. I think that leads to them playing pretty quick and likely getting ahead of themselves and turning it over for some easy buckets for the Tar Heels. North Carolina hangs a big number on the Spartans in this one. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Ohio State Buckeyes are playing zone on almost every possession this year. Zone defenses slow the game down in a big way. Ohio State shot the lights out early on which caused several of their games to be very high scoring. While I do think Ohio State has a good shooting team, I don't see the Buckeyes continuing to shoot 52% from the floor for the whole season. High Point is a relatively good team despite the fact that most people know nothing about them. High Point prefers to slow the game down, and they'll make this a halfcourt game as much as they can. High Point doesn't have good outside shooters, and I think they'll struggle to score against the Buckeyes zone. I made this total 128 points. I would play this one down to as low as 131 points. Take the under here. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* This game will be played at Madison Square Garden, which is one of the biggest reasons I'm playing the under. The shooting backdrop at MSG is tougher than any other gym that these teams will play at all year. Illinois was scoring loads of points earlier this year, but as they start playing tougher teams their point totals are going down pretty quickly. Villanova has impressed me a lot on the defensive end this year. They'll make Illinois work hard for every shot. The Fighting Illini are much improved on the defensive end compared to last year as well. I had this total set at 133.5 points. There's just enough value here to advocate a play. I've done very well taking unders at MSG in the past, and I'll take the under again here. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Iowa State Cyclones love to push the tempo at every opportunity. UMKC is a team that likes to run as well. Neither one of these teams work very hard on the defensive end. Iowa State is very capable of putting up a big number in this one. UMKC already allowed 81 to South Dakota State and 83 against Kansas State. Neither of those teams are even close to as good offensively as Iowa State. I think there's a good chance the Cyclones get 90 points or more in this one. In fact, they have already scored 90 points or more on three occasions this year. The over is 45-20-1 in the Cyclones last 66 games overall, so the oddsmakers have had trouble catching up with how fast this team plays. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB 100% Angle CRUSHER* The SMU Mustangs have always been a relatively slow paced team. They are struggling a little more now on the offensive end because they are without Marcus Kennedy on the inside. Kennedy was the team's best low post scorer. SMU now relies primarily on scoring from the outside. UCSB is a disciplined team under Coach Bob Williams. The Gauchos definitely like to slow the game down and work it inside to Alan Williams in the post. SMU does have some good post defenders, and I expect them to be able to neutralize Williams to some degree. I had this number at 123. 

The under is 4-0 in UCSB's last 4 games. The under is 6-0 in their last 6 Monday games. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 non-conference games. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 following a win. An 18-0 angle. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The North Carolina Tar Heels love to run, and the oddsmakers like to put high totals on their games. Remember though, this North Carolina team is much better defensively than they are on the offensive end. They have a lot of length and athleticism that cause opponents to shoot a poor percentage, but generally the Tar Heels offensive efficiency isn't that great. East Carolina is a team that likes to stall to try to stay in the game. If the Pirates are wise at all, they will be playing some serious stall ball in this game. With one team playing stall ball and the other team playing good defense, a total of 141 points is too high. Take the under in this one. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals MONEY* The Savannah State Tigers don't know any way to play other than running and gunning. This Savannah State team isn't good, but they are going to want to run and push the tempo. That plays right into the Indiana Hoosiers hands. Indiana is always more comfortable running in Tom Crean's system. The Hoosiers have scored at least 81 points in each of their last four games. Against a bad team like Savannah State who plays very little defense, Indiana should get well into the 80's easily, and I think 90 points is fairly likely. The tempo here is the key. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* The UCLA Bruins have shown us that they are going to play as fast as possible this year. All but one of their games so far this year has played out to a tempo of 71 possessions per team or more. That's extremely fast compared to the average in college basketball which is about 67 possessions. UCLA played games at a pace of 78 and 82 earlier this year against poor opponents who like to run. They have another poor opponent in Cal State Fullerton who likes to run. The Titans defense is really bad, and I think UCLA will be able to get good looks all game long. UCLA's interior defense has been poor, and Fullerton has some guys who can get to the rim. Look for a fast paced high scoring game. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Washington State Cougars are a totally different team this year. Ernie Kent took over the team in the offseason, and he wants this team to run all the time. Washington State has generally been a defensive oriented team that slows it down, so the oddsmakers are slow to adjust lines with this Cougars team. Idaho has sped up the tempo a lot in the past couple years as well. The Vandals defense is atrocious (they allowed 83 points last game against Northern Kentucky). Washington State isn't a whole lot better on defense. A fast pace and two bad defenses. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Virginia Cavaliers and Maryland Terrapins were used to meeting each other in conference games, but now they'll be meeting each other in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Maryland is without leading scorer Dez Wells in this one, and that's important because they are playing against a Virginia team that locks it up on the defensive end. The Cavs defense is always one of the best in the country. Virginia is playing even slower tempo wise than they did last year, and they have had some extremely low scoring games so far this year. They haven't allowed more than 56 points in a game all year long. Maryland is slowing things down this year compared to last season as well. I had this one at 116 points. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Purdue Boilermakers have a new identity. Matt Painter's teams were previously known for slowing the game down and playing great defense. Now, the Boilermakers are all about running and getting off a bunch of shots. Purdue has had some very high scoring games this year, including some high scoring games against teams who usually play in low scoring contests. The NC State Wolfpack also like to play fast, so I see no reason that this game won't be played at a quick tempo. The over is 4-1 in Purdue's last 5 home games. The over is 5-1 in NC State's last 6 road games. I had this number at 145 points. Take the over. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Tempo Total* This is a really high posted total, but it's really high for a reason. Iona and Arkansas both rank in the top 11 out of 351 college basketball teams in terms of pace. This game should be an all out track meet. Both teams are shooting above 45% on the year thus far from beyond the arc. Both teams use a full court press to push the tempo. Neither one of these teams are very good defensively in the halfcourt either. I made this total 174, so I see enough value to play this one. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Kansas State Wildcats have been shooting a very high percentage so far this year. While it's possible Kansas State will be a bit improved from an offensive perspective, they aren't going to keep shooting the lights out every game like they have been recently. Jamie Dixon's Pitt Panthers are always one of the better defensive teams in the country. The Panthers also play at a very slow tempo all the time. Pitt is having significant problems scoring this year, but they stay in the game with their ball control and strong defense. I think this line is inflated due to Kansas State's recent hot shooting. I had this number at 125 points. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT Total* The Villanova Wildcats impressed me with their defensive intensity on Monday night against VCU. Villanova made the Rams work extremely hard in the halfcourt sets to get looks at the basket. Michigan was amazingly efficient last year on offense, but without Nik Stauskas I expect them to be much worse this season. The Wolverines always want to slow the game down and they should be able to do that here. Villanova looked to be content playing a halfcourt game last night. Also keep in mind that this game is being played at Barclays Center in New York, so this is a neutral venue which generally lowers the shooting percentages. I had this one set at 129. Take the under. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Eastern Illinois Panthers are going to try their best to slow this game down. They know they don't have the athleticism to run with Creighton. So far this year, Eastern Illinois has been successful in slowing everyone down that they have played against. Creighton also runs a little less than they did last year. More importantly though, Creighton isn't going to be nearly as good on offense without Doug McDermott, Grant Gibbs, Ethan Wragge, and Johans Manigat. This is an offense that has struggled so far this year, and I think the oddsmakers are being slow to adjust their numbers down. I had this one at 130 points. Take the under. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* The San Diego State Aztecs have played some extremely low scoring games so far this year, but most of their opponents have played at a very slow tempo. That will change tonight when they take on BYU. The Cougars are playing at a pace of 75 possessions per game, which is fifth fastest in the nation. San Diego State plays very good defense, but the pure amount of shots that BYU gets in this one should mean the Cougars score quite a few points. The Aztecs offense should also look a lot better when they are going up against a poor defense like BYU. Look for Winston Shephard to have a big game here. I made this total 140 points. Take the over. 

*4 Star VCU/Villanova Total DOMINATION* The VCU Rams can push the tempo as well as anyone in the nation with their "Havoc" full court pressure. While some teams will fight hard to slow the game down, I don't see Villanova being one that does that. The Wildcats like to play fast with their athleticism at all positions. Ryan Arcidiacano is a guard who plays fast and is prone to turnovers at times, which could play into the hands of VCU. Briante Weber's quickness really makes the Rams tough on both ends of the floor. Whoever wins this game is going to have to score a lot of points. Both of these teams have big guys who can run the floor well, which means there is no reason to expect either team will be wanting to slow things down. The tempo should push this one over. Take the over here. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* Only five teams in the entire country are playing at a faster tempo than the UCLA Bruins right now. There are 351 teams in college basketball. That tells you how quick the Bruins are playing. The Bruins are loaded with good long range shooters, and they are in a matchup here vs. a Long Beach State team that doesn't play much defense at all. Xavier put up 97 points on Long Beach State earlier this year, and Xavier doesn't have the offensive weapons that UCLA has. Long Beach State has a couple nice scorers in Michael Caffey and Tyler Lamb. The 49ers like to play quickly, and I expect them to put up a good amount of points in this game as well. I made this total 159 points. Take the over. 

*5 Star NCAA BB TOP Total of Week* The Florida Atlantic Owls and the Georgia Bulldogs both have a new style of play this year. Michael Curry brings an uptempo system to Florida Atlantic. The Owls haven't been very good on offense so far this year, but they are going to get up a lot of shots in this game. Georgia is playing far faster than they have in recent years. In fact, the Bulldogs are averaging seven possessions more per game compared to last season.

That's an amazing change in just one season. Georgia has scored 73, 80, and 82 points in their three games this year. Against inferior competition they put up 80 and 82 points, and Florida Atlantic definitely doesn't have the same kind of talent that Georgia has. The Bulldogs backcourt is really quick and they'll get to the basket with ease in this game. A total this low is a big play for me with both teams turning up the tempo this year. I made this total 143 points. Take the over big! 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Washington State Cougars aren't any good this year, but they are definitely going to play a lot faster under new coach Ernie Kent. In their first two games, the Cougars have averaged more than 70 possessions, which is a very quick tempo. Idaho State isn't a good team at all, and the Bengals have been particularly bad on defense in the past few seasons. Idaho State is going to make this Washington State offense look a lot better than they are. Lacy is a good scorer for Washington State, and I expect a big game from him. The tempo here should be much quicker than most expect, which is why I see so much value on the over. I had this one at 137 points. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Totals TKO* The Michigan State Spartans are playing at a slower tempo this year thanks to their inexperience. Tom Izzo no longer has a veteran leader at the point guard spot. Michigan State is still going to compete hard on the defensive end because Izzo's teams always do that, but I expect them to not only play slower, but also be less efficient on offense. It's hard not to be down after you lose Appling, Harris, and Payne. Loyola has been a team that slows the game down for many years, and I don't see them changing that this season. I had this number pegged at 128. Take the under here. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Late Night BAILOUT* The UCLA Bruins are playing at an extremely quick tempo this year. While UCLA does lack experience, they aren't lacking in athleticism. That allows them to push the tempo and score in transition at a high rate. Nicholls State clearly has no shot in this game. Nicholls State fouled more than any other team in the nation last year, so UCLA should make a living on the free throw line here. This is a game where UCLA could be pushing the 100 point barrier. Nicholls State likely starts slow, but gets more points in garbage time. I had this one at 156 points. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Arizona State Sun Devils appear to be slowing the pace down again. With Jahii Carson at the helm the last couple years, Herb Sendek went away from his typical slow tempo. Now that he is gone, Arizona State is back to slowing things down. Loyola Marymount has a new coach and a new slower tempo as well. Arizona State's last game was an ugly 49-39 win. While I certainly don't expect anything like that here, I do think this one is likely to stay in the 120's. Look for a lot of long possessions as the shot clock ticks away. Take the under here. 

*3 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Arkansas Razorbacks are always one of the fastest paced teams in the nation. They thrive off using defensive pressure to create transition opportunities. Arkansas has athleticism and quickness at all positions this year, and I expect some very high scoring games for the Razorbacks. Wake Forest hasn't been fast in the past, but they have a new coach in Danny Manning. Manning has them playing at a much quicker tempo. The Demon Deacons aren't likely to slow this game down. It probably won't even take good shooting numbers to see this one go over the total. Uptempo all the way here with shots in the first 10 or 15 seconds of the shot clock being the norm. Take the over. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Total DOMINATION* The Xavier Musketeers have decided to pick up the tempo this year. Xavier has a good freshman class, and the Musketeers will likely be better than most experts are predicting. They put up 93 points in their season opener. Long Beach State is always willing to run, and the 49ers get their best player back tonight. Tyler Lamb was suspended the first two games, but he'll play tonight. He and Michael Caffey are a nice one-two scoring punch for Long Beach State. This is a game where I think we'll see a quick tempo and quite a few fouls because of the aggressiveness of both defenses. I handicapped this game at a total of 151 points. Take the over in this one. 

*4 Star NCAA BB Early Morning MONEY* The Iona Gaels and Wofford Terriers tip it off at 7 AM Eastern on Tuesday morning as part of ESPN's 24 hour Tip Off Marathon. Iona is a run and gun type of team, but Wofford is very good at controlling the tempo. These two teams met last year at Iona in the second game of the year, and Iona won 76-55. The Terriers are small favorites here, and the strength of this Wofford team is their backcourt. That should help them slow the game down and keep this one lower scoring than expected. In addition, this game starting at 7 AM should definitely make it harder for the shooters. Needless to say, this isn't a normal time to start a game and that usually hurts scorers. I had this one pegged at 139, so plenty of room for value on the under. A rare early morning play here. Take the under.