My EASTERN CONFERENCE ROUND ONE TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the over between the Hurricanes and the Devils at 3:30 EST. Home ice advantage has so far proved crucial in this series. Carolina won Game 1 by a score of 4-1, and then Game 2 at home by a score of 3-1. The Devils finally answered back at home in Game 3 with a hard-fought 3-2 overtime victory. While the first three games of this series have all gone under the number, I'm finally anticipating a much faster-paced affair in Game 4, and will therefore be hammering the over in this one. These teams played a back-to-back on December 27th and 28th in the regular season. The Devils beat Carolina 4-2 on the 27th, and then Carolina responded with a 5-2 win on the 28th. I believe we'll see a similar offensive response here following the Game 3 loss. Keep your eyes on the Devils' Timo Meier, who has ten shots on 27 attempts through three games. Jacob Markstrom and Frederik Andersen have so far been the focal point of this series, but now everything points to these offenses taking "center stage" so to speak in Game 4. This number is low, the play is on the over.

My ROUND-TRIPPER play is on the "over" between the Rays and Padres at 8:40 EST. Tampa has won three straight after taking the opener of this interleague series by a score of 1-0 yesterday. Previous to that it took two of three at Arizona, winning the final two games of that series by scores of 7-6 and 7-4. The Padres come in revenge-minded and ready to snap their two-game slide, first losing 6-0 at the Tigers, before yesterday's 1-0 home loss. These offensse both look primed for a bounce-back performance on Saturday though facing these scheduled starters though, with Tampa handing the ball to Ryan Pepiot (1-3, 4.82 ERA), and the home side countering with Dylan Cease (1-1, 6.04.) Pepiot is off a loss to the Yanks, while Cease is off a no-decision to the Astros. I'm expecting these starters to "get the hook early," and for that to help in pushing this total over the number.

My ROUND ONE WESTERN CONFERENCE TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the over between the Denver Nuggets and the LA Clippers at 10:00 EST. The first two games of this series went under the number, but now all tied up and with the shift in venue for Game 3, I'm finally anticipating a much more wide-open and ultimately higher-scoring offensive battle once it's finished. Look for Denver Nikola Jokic, who is averaging 27.5 points and 10 rebounds, to have another big game here on the road. The Nuggets' defense hasn't looked great in either game and now back at home the healthy Clippers will be looking to push the pace. Kawhi Leonard appears fully recovered from his injury now and has rolled back the clock after his incredible Game 2 performance and he and James Harden will now look to take a 2-1 series lead. But with each side pushing the pace in this important game like I believe it will be, the over is the correct call as far as the total is concerned, and it becomes my ROUND ONE WESTERN CONFERENCE TOTAL OF THE YEAR. 

My SLAP-SHOT play is on the over between the Jets and the Blues at 8:30 EST. The Blues are on the ropes and must play with desperation here to match Winnipeg if they have any hopes of getting back into this series. The Jets, though, have scored seven goals over the first two games, and I don't see their offense slowing down here. Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele have led the way for Winnipeg by combining for four goals and five assists so far. St. Louis has only scored three goals over the first two games. Pavel Buchnevich, Jordan Kyrou, and Robert Thomas should have a much better game at home here though in my estimation. Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington though has struggled so far and he'll once again have his hands full with this aggressive Winnipeg offense. This number is low in my opinion, so the play is on the over.

My SLAP-SHOT play is on the under between the Dallas Stars and the Colorado Avalanche at 9:30 EST. Colorado won Game 1 by a score of 5-1, while Dallas bounced back with a 4-3 overtime win in Game 2. The first two games have been fairly high-scoring, but with the shift in venue, I'm also expecting a shift in pace, and so, because of that, I like the "under" in Game 3 as far as the total is concerned. Nathan MacKinnon had a goal in both games for Colorado. I had a play on the Stars in both Game's 1 and 2. I lost in Game 1, and won in Game 2. That victory snapped a eight-game slide for Dallas. It really was a "do or die" type of scenario for the Stars. Will they have a letdown here now in Game 3 after that emotional victory? The Stars are still without top-scorer Jason Robertson and I think that catches up to them again here in Game 3. Look for Game 3 to be a much tighter, and lower-scoring defensive battle. The play is on the under.

My TOTAL ROUND-TRIPPER is on the over between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Houston Astros. Toronto is now 12-12 overall and 4-7 on the road, while Houston is 12-11 overall and 8-6 at home after the Astros have taken the first two games of this series by scores of 7-0 and 5-1. Toronto will be desperate to snap its four-game slide. Houston is playing better after winning four of its last five. It's now seen the total go "under" in four straight games. Both the Jays' Bowden Francis (2-2, 3.13 ERA) and the Astros' Ryan Gusto (2-1, 3.18) have exceeded expectations to this point. Regression does feel imminent here. The Jays' big bats have been kept quiet over the first two games of this series, but I believe the finale finally sets up to be a much more offensive affair. This number is low, so the play is on the over.

My EASTERN CONFERENCE NBA ROUND ONE TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the over between the Orlando Magic and the Boston Celtics at 7:00 EST. Game 1 stayed well below the posted number in the Celtics' 103-86 victory, but I'm anticipating a much faster-paced affair in Game 2 and because of that, I expect this total to easily eclipse this very low number. The Magic are big underdogs, but they won't be rolling over after the humbling setback. Boston is fantastic on both ends of the floor and can play an "up-tempo" style of game, or a slower-paced defensive one. Overall the Celtics average 117.7 PPG, which is ranked 8th, while allowing 108.5, which is ranked third. Orlando gets the job done on defense, as it only concedes 106.9 PPG, which is ranked No. 1 overall. The problem for the Magic this season was on the offensive end, where they averaged only 106.7 PPG, ranked 28th. It's hard to remember now, but the Magic actually hald a slim halftime lead in Sunday's Game 1. And so while Boston's offense will continue to "do its thing," I also now expect Orlando to overcome a terrible offensive night to post a much better result this time around. I'm not sure if the Magic can cover with the large spread in Game 2, but I do think they'll be better offensively. This number is low, the play is the over.

My WESTERN CONFERENCE ROUND ONE TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the under between the Wild and Knights at 11:00 EST. Game 1 flew over the posted total in the Knights 4-2 victory, but I'm expecting a much tighter, and ultimately lower-scoring battle here in Game 2. Over bettors were in fact "lucky," as Las Vegas would hit the late "empty netter" to push the total over the posted number of 5.5. Minnesota struggled offensively this year, averaging 2.74 GPG. The Knights averaged 3.34, but goaltender Adin Hill, who stopped 18 of the 20 shots he faced, should only get stronger now moving forward. I see Game 2 playing out much the same as Game 1 did, but even tighter and lower-scoring this time around. The play is on the under.

My EPL TOTAL OF THE MONTH is on the under between Liverpool and Leicester City. Leicester City will be relegated with an outright loss, while Liverpool has a chance with outside help to be crowned champion this weekend. Liverpool only has to win two of its final four games to clinch a second Premier League honor. If somehow Ipswich is able to upset Arsenal this weekend, AND Liverpool wins, then the Reds will in fact, become league Champions this weekend. Either way, I don't see Liverpool giving Leicester much of a chance offensively here. Liverpool will be especially wary here after the upset 3-2 loss at Fulham last weekend, but note that Liverpool hasn't lost back-to-back EPL road games since April 2023. Ruud van Nistelrooy's troops are on the ropes and I don't see them playing with much passion here. This number is high in my opinion, so the play is on the under.

My MLB ROUND-TRIPPER play is on the over between the Giants and the Angels at 9:35 EST. The opener of this three-game interleague series stayed well under the posted number in LA's 2-0 victory, but I'm finally expecting some offensive fireworks here on Saturday night as the Giants look to respond to the shutout loss as a favorite. The Angels have now seen the total go under in four straight after snapping their three-game skid yesterday. San Francisco had seen the total go over the number in eight straight games prior to yesterday's loss. But off back-to-back losses now, after going 2-2 in Philadelphia, San Francisco will be plenty motivated here now as well. Landen Roupp (1-1, 4.80 ERA) gets the nod for the visitors, while Kyle Hendricks (0-1, 4.20) counters for the home side. Roupp has an elevated 1.60 WHIP already as well, while Hendricks stands at 1.20. Regardless, I don't really trust either guy here and expect both to exit early. As a result, and taking into account these other situational factors, the over is for sure the correct call as far as the total is concerned in my opinion. 

My SLAP-SHOT play is on the under between the Calgary Flames and the LA Kings at 9:30 EST. Calgary is 2-0 in the season series and the Flames enter having won four of their last five, but they've officially been eliminated from Playoff contention and I expect a predictable letdown here in this meaningless game. The Kings are also super hot, having won four in a row and eight of their last nine, but they've already clinched their spot and will be resting most starters in preparation for their series with Edmonton. With each team "going through the motions" like I believe they will, the "under" becomes the correct call as far as the total is concerned in my opinion. 

My AL WEST TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the over between the LA Angels and the Texas Rangers are 8:05 EST. While the first two games of this series have stayed well below the posted number, with Texas winning the first game 4-0 and the second by a score of 3-1, I'm finally expecting some offense in what appears to be a classic "slug-fest" in the finale, though. The visitors hand the ball to Jack Kochanowicz (1-1, 5.74 ERA), who was most recently shelled for six runs with zero strikeouts over just 4.2 innings in a loss to Houston last Friday. He struck out only 25 batters over 65.1 innings of work last year. He'll be opposed by Kumar Rocker (0-2, 7.94), who gave up four runs off five hits over 3.1 innings in a loss to Seattle last weekend. So far he only has six K's over 11.1 innings of work this year. Neither guy is missing many bats this year and while the first two games of this series have stayed well below the posted number, everything lines up for a high-scoring "over" here on Thursday with these two volatile starters going head-to-head in my opinion.

My AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the under between the Red Sox and Rays at 7:05 EST. This American League East divisional series has so far been a very high-scoring one, but everything finally points to much more of a "duel" and lower-scoring outcome here in the finale in my opinion, for a few different reasons. Boston is now 9-10 and 5-7 on the road, while Tampa is 8-9 and 8-6 at home following the Red Sox 7-4 win on Tuesday. The Rays won the opener by a score of 16-1. The starters in this game haven't been extremely sharp to open up 2025, but each enters hungry to reverse their fortunes. Sean Newcomb (0-2, 4.97 ERA) gets the call for the visitors, while the home side counters with Zack Littell (0-3, 6.88.) Littell is coming off a terrible start against the Angels, allowing seven runs over four innings. The one bright spot for Littell is that he owns a respectable 14:3 K:BB over 17 innings of work. Last year Littell posted a 2.90 ERA in front of the hometown crowd, and I believe he can return to form here against the Red Sox, who will look for Newcomb to recover from a disastrous outing as well, conceding six runs over four innings in a loss to the White Sox. Newcomb's time in the starting rotation is coming to an end shortly with reinforcements on the way, but he'll be looking to improve upon his 15:7 K:BB over 12.2 innings that he's worked as a starter so far. I say the conditions are finally correct for much more of a lower-scoring battle, after the first two games flew well over the posted number. This number is high, the play is the under.

My PLAY-IN TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the over between the Atlanta Hawks and the Orlando Magic. The winner of this tie will clinch the No. 7 seed in the East, while hte loser will have one more opportunity to try and get a playoff berth with the No. 8 seed. The Magic faltered down the stretch of the regular season, mostly due to injuries to key contributors. Quin Snyder's team is just 4-6 in its last ten games, but they did close the regular-season with two straight wins. Orlando closed with five straight victories. One of those games was a 119-112 home win here over Atlanta just last week. I foresee a similar pace and final combined score here as well, and that's why I'm rolling with the over.

My ULTIMATE PITCHERS DUEL is on the under between the Giants and Phillies at 6:45 EST. The Philadelphia Phillies have lost four of their last five after yesterday's humbling 10-4 series-opening loss. Overall Philadelphia is now 9-7. San Francisco is 12-4 overall, including 8-2 on the road. The visitors hand the ball to Justin Verlander (0-0, 6.92 ERA) to start, and he most recently was rocked for six runs over six innings in a fortunate no-decision to the Reds on Wednesday. A date vs. the struggling Phillies is just what the doctor ordered for Verlander though, as Philadelphia was 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position yesterday. The Phillies will be leaning heavily on starter Jesus Luzardo (2-0, 1.50) get stop the slide, as he's conceded just three runs over his first three starts spanning 18 innings of work. Luzardo has already faced the Dodgers and Braves as well. Look for the second game of this series to now be dominated by the men on the mound. This number is high, the play is the under.

My INTERLEAGUE TOTAL OF THE MONTH is on the UNDER Mets/Twins at 8:40 EST. I'm expecting a bit of a "duel" here in the opener of this interleague contest. The Mets come to Minnesota sitting at 10-5, while the Twins are 5-11 to start. New York has the second-highest payroll in MLB, so anything less than a division title will be a letdown for the Mets. The visitors turn to CLay Holmes (1-1, 4.30 ERA), allowing four runs over six innings in a 10-5 win over the Marlins last time out. He also had ten strikeouts. Minnesota won't be panicking here after the slow start, as the AL Central is up for grabs. They're coming off a 5-1 win over the Tigers and hand the ball to ace Joe Ryan (1-1, 2.65 ERA), who dominated the Royals in his last start, going seven scoreless. Look for these two capable starting pitchers to be the focal point and main story line of this contest and because of that, I'm playing the under.

My EPL TOTAL OF THE MONTH is on the under between Fulham and Bournemouth at 3:00 EST. These teams are battling for three points at the Vitality Stadium in the final game of matchday 32 and in my opinion, everything points to this being a lower-scoring defensive battle. Off a 2-2 away draw at West Ham last weekend, I believe Bournemouth will double down defensively here at home this week. Fulham is also coming off a high-scoring affair, coming from behind to post a 3-2 home victory over Liverpool. With that victory, Marco Silva's team is now in eighth spot in the table, while Bournemouth is tenth. The reverse fixture saw these teams play to a higher-scoring 2-2 draw. While I believe we'll have another extremely competitive battle between these hungry sides, this time around the situation lends itself to being a much more defensive battle. Because of that, I'm on the under.

My TOTAL ROUND-TRIPPER is on the UNDER Rangers/Mariners at 4:10 EST. The first two games of this series have both flown over the posted number, but everything here finally points to more of a duel in the finale of this three-game AL West divisional series from Seattle. Seattle has won both games and is now 7-8. The Rangers fall to 9-6. While it will still be a crisp Spring day, weather conditions are expected to be perfect in the Pacific Northwest this afternoon, which is good news for starters Nathan Eovaldi and Logan Gilbert. Eovaldi is 1-1 with a 2.29 ERA and 0.66 WHIP for the Rangers, while Gilbert is 0-1 with a 2.55 ERA and even small 0.62 WHIP. I'm expecting a "duel" here between these two guys and for the finale of this important early divisional battle and ultimately for the total to stay well under the number. 

My 8* ROUND-TRIPPER is on the OVER between the Blue Jays and Orioles at 4:05 EST. After going 3-1 at Boston, dropping the finale 4-3 on Thursday, the Toronto Blue Jays head to Baltimore No. 1 in the AL East at 8-6. These teams split a four-game series in Toronto at the start of the season. Three of those four contests flew well over the posted number, and I'm expecting another offensive affair here in the opener in Baltimore on Saturday afternoon. Last night's game was postponed due to weather, so they'll just be playing two games this weekend, and making the other one up in July. The home side goes with Tomoyuki Sugano (1-1, 2.89 ERA), while the visitors counter with Bowden Francis (1-1, 3.18) to start this one. These were the scheduled Friday starters, so will the shift affect their schedule? I believe there are enough contributing factors that all point to this being a very offensive affair, and so the play is the over.

My AL West TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the UNDER Rangers/Mariners at 9:40 EST. It's the opening game of a three-game AL West Division series and with two really strong starting pitchers going head-to-head on Friday, I think we're definitely in store for a very low-scoring defensive battle in this one. Texas is off a 6-2 win at the Cubs to salvage that series, but overall the Rangers are No. 1 in the division at 9-4. Seattle is now 5-8 after taking two of three here from the Astros, including a 7-6 victory on Wednesday. The bottom line for me on this pick though is the starting pitching matchup. The visitors hand the ball to Jacob deGrom (0-0, 3.38 ERA), while the home side counters with Bryce Miller (0-2, 5.73.) DeGrom is 1-1 with a 1.83 ERA in five lifetime starts vs. the Mariners. Miller has struggled against the Rangers in the past, going 0-3 in five matchups vs. them. However, he's 11-7 with a 2.76 ERA and 0.977 WHIP at T-Mobile Park. I think Miller settles down here and matches his veteran counterpart inning for inning. While these teams have both been involved in several higher-scoring games of late, the opener in this one finally points to be a lower-scoring defensive under in my opinion.

My National League East TOTAL OF THE MONTH is on the under between the Phillies and the Braves at 7:15 EST. Philadelphia is 8-3 and Atlanta is 2-9. Atlanta took Game 1 of this series by a score of 7-5, before the Phillies bounced back in yesterday's 4-3 win. I'm expecting another tight, lower-scoring battle here on Thursday in the finale as well with two already "in form" starting hurlers squaring off. The Phillies hand the ball to Jesus Luzardo, while the home side counters with Spencer Schwellenbach. Luzardo is coming off a gem against the hard-hitting Dodgers, going six scoreless and I expect him to carry that momentum and confidence over here. Schwellenbach sent six-scoreless vs. the Padres, before then going eight scorless against the Marlins in his most recent outing, also striking out ten. Look for these two competent starters to take "center stage" tonight and battle into the latter innings, and for this total to stay under the number because of it.

My 8* CENTER-ICE REPORT is on the over between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers at 7:00 EST. These teams are also battling Tampa for top spot in the Atlantic. Toronto is 8-1-1 in its last ten, while Florida is 3-6-1. Florida will be particularly eager to bounce back here as well after three straight losses. William Nylander and Nicholas Robertson each scored twice and Auston Matthews had two points in Toronto's latest 5-0 win over the Blue Jackets. I think Toronto keeps that offensive momentum rolling here. Florida on the other hand is off a 2-1 loss to Detroit. Florida though still ranks first in the league in shots with 32 per game on average and I expect a big response here in this important contest. A great overall situational play on the over, as I'm anticipating each side to push the pace from start to finish.

My 8* SLAM-DUNK is on the OVER between the Dallas Mavericks and the LA Clippers at 10:30 EST. While last night's game between these clubs fell under the posted number in the Clippers' 114-91 victory here, I expect the back-to-back rematch to be a much more wide-open and ultimately high-scoring affair. Dallas is dealing with several key injuries, but enters still averaging 114.6 points per game. Keep your eyes on Naji Marshall for Dallas, who had 22 points in a losing cause last night. Unfortunately for the Mavericks, they're allowing 114.6 PPG this year. The Clippers are averaging 112.2 and allowing 108. Kawhi Leonard had 20 points and six boards in last night's win and everything points to another big night for the Clippers' star. Look for Dallas to shoot better tonight and for this total to comfortably go over the number. The play is the over.

My 10* ULTIMATE TOTAL is on the under between Florida and Auburn at 6:05 EST. We have a couple of No. 1 seeds going head-to-head here and the oddsmakers are expecting a competitive battle. I think it's too close to call a side, but the winner for sure in my estimation will be the team that plays better on the defensive end and because Of that, I'm expecting a lower-scoring outcome once it's all said and done. This is an all SEC conference showdown. Florida won the lone regular season battle 90-81, when Auburn was ranked No. 1 overall. One major issue for Auburn is having to deal with star player Johni Broome's injury. Auburn has improved defensively and will look to make Walter Clayton work hard for his offense. Auburn will play to its strength here (concedes 69.2 PPG), and be trying to slow the tempo of this one down throughout. While the first game this year between the teams went over the number, the rematch here in the Final Four points to much more of a defensive battle in my opinion. The play is the under.

My 8* TOTAL CENTER-ICE REPORT is on the over between the Wild and Islanders at 7:30 EST. Minnesota enters 41-28-7, while New York is 32-32-10. The Wild beat the Isles 6-2 at home in February, and I believe everything points to a similar final combined score here as well in what I anticipate will be a much faster-paced affair than most. Minnesota is off a 5-4 OT loss at the Rangers, so they're now in the fourth spot in the Central, seven points ahead of the Flames. New York though has lost six straight. While only scoring 16 goals over that span, note that the Islanders have conceded 27 over that stretch as well. Most recently they lost 4-1 to the Lightning despite outshooting Tampa 29-24. Now five points behind the final wild-card spot in the East, time has all but run out for New York at this point. However, with each side pushing the pace in this one like I believe it will, the over is what I'm rolling with in this one!

My 10* NIT CHAMPIONSHIP GAME TOP TOTAL is on the under between Chattanooga and UC Irvine at 9:00 EST. The Mocs are 28-9 this year. Chattanooga has now won 16 of its last 17 games, with the only loss in that stretch being the Southern Conference Championship Game, an 80-77 overtime loss to Furman. While the Mocs have played to the over in seven of their last ten games, I'm finally expecting a more defensive affair here in the NIT Championship game. Overall Chattanooga averages 79.6 PPG, while allowing 72.6. Frank Champion is still out for the Mocs (their No. 1 threat), but three others still average double-digits in points. UC Irvine stands in the way though, as the Anteaters are 32-6 this season, and they've seen the O/U go 16-20-1 this season. UCI got by North Texas 69-67 in the semifinal round, and everything points to a similar pace and tempo here in the championship game in my opinion. UC Irvine averages 75.7 PPG, but excels defensively by conceding just 66.5. UC Irvine is bigger in the middle and it will be looking to run plenty of half-court offenses through its big men. When you add it all up, I say this O/U line is much too high. The play is the under.

My 8* TOTAL ROUND-TRIPPER is on the OVER between the Rockies and the Phillies at 1:00 EST. The first two games of this series have stayed well below the posted number, with Colorado losing the first game by a score of 6-1, and then yesterday by a score of 5-1. Philadelphia will have to be careful to not get caught looking ahead here, with a series here at home vs. the Dodgers starting tomorrow, followed by a series at Atlanta. The visitors hand the ball to Antonio Senzatela, who is already 0-1 with a 6.57 ERA this year. He owns an unremarkable 0-2 record with a pedestrian 4.40 ERA in six appearances vs. the Phillies in his career. The home side counters with Taijuan Walker, who makes his season debut here. Walker is 3-1 vs. the Rockies in eight appearances lifetime, but he took a big step back last year by finishing 3-7 with a 7.10 ERA. While the first two games fell well below the posted number, I say the conditions are now correct for more of an offensive affair, so the play is the over.

My 10* Western Conference TOTAL OF THE WEEK is on the under between the Spurs and the Nuggets at 9:00 EST. I had a play on the under in the Nuggets game last night, and while that play did lose, I am now definitely expecting a much more defensive battle here in Denver on Wednesday night. The Nuggets will be fatigued here in the second game of the back-to-back after falling 140-139 in overtime to the Wolves. With a tough game at Golden State up next, the home side will have to be careful to not get caught looking past their lowly opponent tonight. Denver won 122-111 in OT at San Antonio in early January, but the Spurs now enter this one off five-straight losses. The Spurs are trying to play spoiler as best they can to close out the year, but with a high-profile game at home vs. Cleveland, the visitors could also get caught looking ahead here as well. Either way, I believe there are enough factors all combining here and which point to this being a very defensive battle on Wednesday, so the play is the under.

My 10* NORTHWEST DIVISION TOTAL OF THE MONTH is on the under between the Wolves and the Nuggets at 10:00 EST. There are a few key reasons why I believe this will be a defensive battle, rather than a high-scoring shootout here in Denver on Tuesday night between these Western Conference opponents. The end of the regular-season is just around the corner and these two teams are wrapping up their four-game season series, with Minnesota having take the first three. Most recently the Wolves won 115-95 as 1.5-point road dogs on March 12th. Minnesota's defense has looked grat, most recently beating the Pistsons 123-104 in a heated affair. Denver is coming off a dominant defensive performance as well that leads me to believe it can carry that confidence over here, beating Utah by a score of 129-93. The T-Wolves are a bit short-handed offensively here as well, with Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo out with injury. All of these factors add up to produce a lower-scoring under in my opinion.

My 10* EASTERN-CONFERENCE NON-DIVISION TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the under between the Hawks and the Bucks at 7:00 EST. The Hawks are 35-38 and they're barely holding on to the seventh spot in the East, just a half-game up on Orlando. Atlanta is coming off a 122-112 road loss at Miami, allowing the Heat to shoot 54 perecent from the floor. The Hawks will have to be better defensively here obviously to pull off the upset. Trae Young was once again a stand-out for Atlanta in the setback, finishing with 29 points. The Bucks trail the Pistons by 1.5 games for fifth spot. Milwaukee enters off a game it should have won as well, falling 116-107 to the Knicks. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points, but like their counterparts this evening, a better defensive effort will be needed here to not suffer another letdown. I believe a competitive battle will lead to a defensive affair. The play is on the under.

My 10* ELITE 8 TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the over between Tennessee and Houston at 2:20 EST. Tennessee is off the impressive 78-65 win over Kentucky and I expect it to carry that offensive momentum over here. After beating Gonzaga 81-76 in a high-scoring battle in the Round of 32, the Cougars then poured on their trade-mark defense to smother Purdue in a 62-60 win in the Sweet 16. The Vols game-plan here should be similar to what Gonzaga had. To push the pace and to try and get the Cougars out of their comfort zone and playing from behind. Zakai Zeigler had 18 points and 10 boards in the win for Tennessee last time out, and he'll be a handful for Houston tonight as well. This can still be a low-scoring outcome and eclipse this tiny number at the same time and that's absolutely what I'm expecting (I believe it will fall somewhere in the mid-140's once it's all said and done.) Either way, this one flies well over in my opinion.

My 10* SWEET 16 TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the under between Purdue and Houston at 10:00 EST. Houston is the No. 1 seed and it's looked good through the first two rounds, most recently getting by No. 8 seed Gonzaga. Now it faces No. 4 seed Purdue. The bottom line here is that if the Boilermakers have any shot at taking this game outright in my estimation, they're going to have to run their offense through their big man Trey Kaufman-Renn. Will that be enough to break down this tough Cougars' defense? Houston has talented offensive players as well, like LJ Cryer, who had 30 points in the win over Gonzaga. Pressure and fatigue also collectively weigh heavy at this point of the Tournament. I believe the conditions are absolutely correct for a very low-scoring defensive battle, rather than a "run-and-gun shootout." This number is high, the play is the under.

My 8* NON-CONFERENCE ULTIMATE TOTAL is on the "over" between the Clippers and Nets at 7:30 EST. Brooklyn will look to play with some pride here after five straight losses, most recently a 116-86 setback here to Toronto. The Nets will also be looking to atone for a humbling 126-67 loss at the Clippers back in January. LA is 41-31 and second in the Pacific. LA has won six of its last seven, including posting a 126-113 win at the Knicks last time out. Kawhi Leonard had 27 points in the victory and I expect LA to duplicate that offensive performance here. With each side pushing the pace like I believe it will, I'm expecting a very high-scoring affair this time around. This number is low, the play is the over.

My 10* NON-CONFERENCE TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the "under" between the Dallas Mavericks and Orlando Magic at 7:00 EST. Dallas is 35-38 after a 128-113 loss at New York. The Mavericks are dealing with several significant injuries at the moment and now sit a half-game out of the ninth spot. Dallas forward Naji Marshall was a bright spot in defeat against the Knicks with 38 points, but with the loss the Mavs drop to just 15-22 on the road this season. The Magic are moving in the opposite direction after three straight victories, now only a half game behind No. 7 Atlanta. Orlando is extremely adept on the defensive end this year, conceding just 106.1 points per game. Paolo Banchero had 32 points, seven boards and six assists in the win over the Hawks. Orlando lost 108-85 at Dallas back in November and clearly a lot has changed for each side since then. However, considering the circumstances each side finds itself in entering this contest and the situational factors I've listed above, while I do expect this to be a much more competitive game this time around, everything does point to a similar final combined score in my opinion. This number is high, so the play is the under.

My 10* NIT QUARTERFINAL TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the over between UAB and UCI at 9:00 EST. The 30-6 UC Irvine Anteaters will be looking to push the pace here at home in the Quarterfinal of the NIT vs. the 24-12 UAB Blazers. UAB is coming off an impressive 88-84 win over Santa Clara as a seven-point dog, getting 22 points and 11 boards from Yaxel Lendeborg. While the Blazers excel offensively by being ranked No. 41 in the nation by KenPom, they're pretty terrible on the defensive end though, ranked 241st. UC Irvine is coming off a 66-61 win over Jacksonville State. Previous to that it won 82-72 over Northern Colorado. Their offense is ranked 160th by KenPom, and their defense is ranked 20th. And so we have a classic clash of styles here. If you like UAB, then you should consider "sprinkling" a little on the moneyline, as the Blazers have looked great on the road here as an underdog in the NIT, winning both games outright. With the visitors pushing the pace, I'm expecting a faster-paced affair to lead to more points. The play is the over. 

My 10* CBI TOURNEY TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the under between Illinois State and Incarnate Word. The Incarnate Word Cardinals have gone 3-1 so far in the postseason. Both CBI games they've played have gone over the number, including in their most recent 87-71 victory over Jacksonville. The Illinois State Redbirds won their only CBI game over Presbyterian by a score of 78-70, and the total also eclipsed the posted number in that one. Chase Walker leads Illinois State with 14.9 points per game, while Davin Bailey had 23 points for Incarnate Word in the win over Jacksonville. But this is the Cardinals third game in three days and fatigue now become a major factor for each side. This is the highest total so far for Incarnate Word in this tournament and now it's a bit too high, considering how tired I believe it collectively comes into this one. This number is a bit high, so the play is the under.

My 8* TOTAL SLAM-DUNK is on the UNDER Thunder/Clippers at 9:00 EST. Both teams enter this contest playing at a very high level. Oklahoma City is off five straight SU/ATS victories following a 141-106 home win over Charlotte. The Thunder beat the Clippers 116-98 back on January 2nd, and I think that we're in store for another very competitive and lower-scoring combined final outcome here as well. LA has also won five in a row, both SU and ATS. The Clippers most recently beat Memphis 128-108. The road ahead is a difficult one for LA though, with a four-game road-trip after this, with stops at the Knicks, Nets, Cavaliers and Magic. As I've alluded to several times, I believe the conditions are correct for a lower-scoring battle, rather than a high-scoring shootout, so, the play is the under.

My 10* 2ND RND NIT TOURNAMENT TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the under between Loyola Chicago and San Francisco at 7:00 EST. San Francisco enters this second-round NIT game at 25-9 overall, and 11-3 in non-conference play. The Dons are extremely adept at controlling the boards, ranked fourth in the WCC with 32.4. Tyrone Riley IV leads San Francisco with 6.0 boards per game. Loyola Chicago was 23-11 overall and 13-7 against conference opponents. These teams played this season. San Francisco won 76-66 at Loyola Chicago on December 15th and the total went over the posted number of 137 in that one. Now this Tourney total is quite a bit higher. And it's a bit too high now in my estimation. I'm thinking this game will be very competitive, but low-scoring overall, and so the play is on the under.

My 10* 2ND ROUND NCAA TOURNAMENT TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the under between UConn and Florida at 12:10 EST. UConn is the two-time defending National champion, but it has its work cut out for it here in earning a third-straight by facing No. 1 Florida on Sunday. The Gators are off the simple 95-69 win over Norfolk state and I expect Florida to bring that same trade-mark defensive pressure here as well. The Huskies are filled with veteran-talent and are very well-coached though. The bottom line here is that neither side has shot very well from behind the three-point line, with UConn shooting only 24 percent against Oklahoma, while Florida shot just 10 of 32 from range vs. Norfolk State. Florida is a big team and will look to use it size to its advantage, with 6'11 Alex Condon leading with 7.8 boards per game. I'm not sure Florida covers, but I do expect an absolute battle until the final horn. Because of that, the play is the under.

My 8* EASTERN-CONFERENCE TOTAL OF THE WEEK is the over between Brooklyn and Indianapolis at 5:00 EST. Brooklyn enters off back-to-back losses, including a 105-99 OT loss here just two nights ago. The Nets have failed to reach the 100-point plateau in back-to-back games, but I'm finally expecting a much faster-paced wide-open affair this time around. The Pacers are playing well after three straight victories. Indianapolis scored 119, 132 and 135 points respectively in three games previous to its most recent low-scoring OT win and I'm expecting the Pacers' offense to "return to form" here in this favorable matchup. There are only three weeks left in the regular season, and the Pacers can't afford to look past any opportunity. Ultimately, I believe a faster-paced affair will lead to more points. The play is the over.

My 8* TOTAL SLAM-DUNK is on the under between Detroit and Dallas at 8:30 EST. Detroit is a decent basketball team this year, and if you underestimate Cade Cunningham and the company, you're likely going to lose. After two straight losses, the 39-31 Pistons enter having won two straight. The Pistons have been great on the road this season as well with a 21-15 away record this season. Dallas is 33-37 overall and 19-16 at home, but the Mavericks have not been the same since the Luka Doncic trade. Dallas also continues to deal with several key injury issues. The Mavericks have lost four in a row and they've seen the total go over the number in six straight. They also play with revenge here following a 117-102 loss at Detroit at the end of January. The total in that contest stayed below the posted number, and I believe that everything points to a similar final combined score here as well. This number is a little high in my opinion, so the play is the under.

My 10* NCAA TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND TOTAL OF THE YEAR in on the under between Robert Morris and Albama at 12:40 EST. The Robert Morris Colonial are ranked 15th and the Alabama Crimson Tide are No. 2. Robert Morris punched its ticket to the big dance with an 89-78 win over Youngstown State in the Horizon League Tournament championship, while Alabama fell 104-82 to eventual SEC Champion Florida in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament. The Colonials are 2-8 all time in the Tournament. Alabama made it to the Final Four in 2024, eventually losing 86-72 to UConn in the semifinals. I think we're going to see a similar final combined scored here as well. One player to keep your eyes on for Alabama is Mark Sears, who was selected to the All-SEC First team for a second year in a row. He averages 18.7 PPG. Kam Woods paces Robert Morris, averaging 15.1 points, 5.1 assists and 4.6 boards this season. The Colonials won't be able to match up with Tide down low. I'm not sure of Alabama can cover this large spread, but I do expect a it to play a very tight defensive battle, similar to what we saw out of Houston on Thursday. This number is high, so the play is the under.

My 10* NON-CONFERENCE TOTAL OF THE MONTH is on the over between SIU Edwardsville and Houston at 2:00 EST. It's No. 1 seed Houston up against No. 16 seed SIU Edwardsville. The Cougars punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament after beating Southeast Missouri State by a score of 69-48 in the title game of the OVC Tournament back on March 8th. Houston went on to win the Big 12 Tournament by pulling away for a 72-64 victory over Arizona on Friday. These teams are both great defensively, but with a few extra days off between games, I'm expecting these offenses to benefit and for these clubs to come close to duplicating their offensive output from their respective previous outings. Overall SIU Edwardsville averages 72.6 points per game, while allowing 66.1, while Houston averages 74.2, while conceding only 58.5. Houston is a huge favorite here and that's why I'm steering clear of this ridiculous spread. I think the value for sure lies with the total, and in my opinion, this O/U line is much too low. Expect Houston to push the pace and for SIU Edwardsville to match that tempo and in the process, look for this total to fly well over the number.

My 10* NIT FIRST ROUND TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the over between Loyola Chicago and San Jose State at 11:00 EST. Loyola Chicago finished 22-11, while San Jose State was 15-19. The Ramblers finished fourth in the Atlantic 10, but eventually lost to VCU by a score of 62-55 in the semis. Overall the Ramblers though average 107.8 points per 100 possessions and allow 101.1 the other way. One player to keep your eyes on for the visiting side is Jayden Dawson, who averages 13.2 points and 3.1 boards per game. San Jose State averages 106.9 points per 100 possessions while conceding 106.1 per 100 possessions. Josh Uduje averages 16.3 PPG to lead the way. Neither defense is great and I'm expecting each side to really push the pace as each comes in fresh with a few extra days off between games. This number is low, so the play is the over.

My 10* FIRST FOUR TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the over between St. Francis PA and Alabama State at 6:40 EST. The winner of this gets the No. 1 seed, Duke. The Saint Francis Red Flash finished 16-17 overall, and 11-8 in the Northeast Conference, while Alabama State was 19-15 and 15-6 in the SWAC. the Hornets were 4-9 in non-conference play, but they come in averaging 73.4 PPG. CJ Hines led the way through a great Conference tournament run for Alabama State as he scored 15 or more points in all three games (he shoots 38% from range this season as well.) Saint Francis also has a sharp-shooter in Juan Cranford, who has so far shot 37% from distance this seaso, while also connecting on multiple three-point shots during all three NEC Tournament victories. Now rested and prepared, I look for these two hungry sides to push the pace and because of that, I definitely feel this O/U line is too low. The play is the over!

My 10* BIG 10 TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER is the under between Wisconsin and Michigan at 3:30 EST. The Badgers are 26-8 and the Wolverines are 24-9. Wisconsin upset Michigan State by a score of 77-74 with John Tonje exploding for 32 points and seven rebounds. Michigan was also in a high-scoring shootout in its semi-final matchup against Maryland, holding on for the slim 81-80 victory, led by Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin, who combined for 46 points and 24 boards. Fatigue though is now a major issue here on Sunday, as Wisconsin has played three games in three days and Michigan has played two games in the last two days. When these teams mets on December 3rd in Madison, the Wolverines won 67-64. I'm expecting a similar final combined score here as well. This number is high, the play is the under.

My 10* WAC TOURNEY TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the over between Grand Canyon and Utah Valley at 11:40 EST. These teams played on February 1st and it was Grand Canyon that posted the 75-57 win. Grand Canyon finished 24-7, while Utah Valley was 25-7. There is a lot at stake here, with a trip to the NCAA Tournament on the line. The Wolverines average 76 PPG this year, while conceding 67.3. Keep your eyes on Dominick Wilson, who averages 15.2 PPG. Grand Canyon will look to push the pace, though, like their first encounter. The Antelopes average 78.8 PPG, while allowing 68.7. JaKobe Cole averages 14.6 points for Grand Canyon. These teams can play any style of basketball game and in my opinion, this one has all the makings of an offensive shootout, so the pick is the over.

My 10* BUNDESLIGA TOTAL OF THE WEEK is on the under Borussia Dortmund/RB Leipzig at 1:30 EST. Both teams really "need" a win here. But finding the back of the net has been easier said than done of late for each side. RB Leipzig coach Marco Rose's team is now sitting outside the top five in the Bundesliga after a goalless draw against Freiburg last time out. Previous to that, it fell 2-0 to Mainz. Overall RB Leipzig has just one victory in its last nine league matches. To make matters worse for the home side, it has a long list of key injuries, including to Assan Ouedraogo, Benjamin Henrichs and Antonio Nusa. Borussia Dortmund has fared better than its counterpart today, most recently defeating Lille by three goals to two on aggregate. Last year Dortmund finished fifth in the table, but now it's firmly in the middle. And while Dortmund has progressed in continental play, it's stumbled consistently this season in domestic matches. I don't think Dortmund can win at Red Bull Arena, either. I have no faith in either offense in this one, and that's why I'm rolling with the under.

My 8* EARLY RISER is on the over between Princeton and Yale at 11:00 AM EASTERN. Princeton finished 19-10, while Yale was 20-7. Yale won and covered in both regular season games, winning 77-70  on January 31st and 84-57 on February 15th. While both of those contests stayed below the posted total, now that the Conference Tournament is here, I'm expecting a much faster tempo finally. Princeton closed the regular season with a 95-71 win over Pennsylvania, and I believe the Tigers will carry that offensive momentum over here as they try to avoid a third-straight loss in this series this season. Overall, Yale averages 82.2 PPG, while Princeton averages 74.2. Everything points to these teams matching or exceeding these averages in my opinion, so the play is the over.

My 10* BIG WEST TOURNEY TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the under Cal Poly Slo and UC Irvine at 11:30 PM EST. This is one of the BIG WEST TOURNAMENT SEMIFINAL matchups. Cal Poly is 16-18. It's coming off back-to-back wins and covers, most recently pulling off the 96-83 win over UC Riverside as a 4.5-point undedog just last night. UC Irvine finished second overall in the Big West with a 27-5 record. It beat UC Santa Barbara 97-88 in its regular-season finale. The Anteaters haven't played since March 8th, and so I believe that "rest" is going to lead to a little "rust" to open this contest for UC Irvine's offense. Cal Irvine won and covered in each regular-season contest, and each game went over the number. But now here in the Conference Tournament and with a shot at a spot in the Championship Game, I'm finally anticipating a much more defensive battle. I'm on the under.

My 10* SEC TOURNEY TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the under Oklahoma/Kentucky at 9:30 EST. Oklahoma upset Georgia 81-75 as a 3.5-point underdog to advance yesterday. The Sooners lost 83-82 to Kentucky in the most recent matchup at home in February. But now here in the second game of the back-to-back scenario, I believe the Sooners will come in fatigued. The last thing Oklahoma can do is try to turn this into a shootout with 21-10 Kentucky. The Wildcats played to three straight overs to close out the regular season, going 2-1 in that span. They "pushed" on their most recent total when they played in February, and while I'm anticipating another very competitive battle here in the Conference Tournament, I believe everything points to a much lower-scoring affair this time around. So, the play is the under.

My 8* CENTER-ICE REPORT is on the Rangers/Wild over at 8:00 EST. These teams haven't been scoring a lot of goals of late, but I believe that's about to change here on Thursday in Minnesota. The Rangers are 31-28-6 overall and 15-14-3 on the road, while the Wild are 27-24-4 overall, and 15-14-1 at home. The Rangers have lost four straight and they'll be desperate to snap the slide. The Wild just broke a two-game losing streak with a 2-1 shootout win over Colorado. Minnesota has seen the total go under in three straight. The Wild have a favorable schedule here though with upcoming home games vs. St. Louis, LA, Seattle and Buffalo. With each team pushing the pace of this one from the outset like I'm predicting, I see this total flying well over the number.  

My 10* BIG 10 TOURNAMENT TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on Indiana/Oregon OVER at 12:00 EST. Both teams should be plenty motivated here. Indiana finished 19-12. The Hoosiers lost 73-64 at Oregon a week-and-a-half ago, and let a decent lead slip away late. Oregon finished 23-8 and won its final seven games, including an 80-73 OT victory at Washington to close out the regular season. Indiana has more to play for here, as it really needs an upset to shore up its spot in the upcoming Tournament. The Ducks will have to contend with the cross-country travel this time around. Oregon has a big matchup issue with 7-footer Nate Bittle and he's coming off a career-high 36 point performance in the win over the Huskies. Look for Indiana to try and stretch the Ducks' offense by shooting a lot of three-pointers. I anticipate a very fast-paced contest, one that flies well over this posted number.

My 10* NORTHEAST TOURNAMENT TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the under between St. Francis PA and Central Connecticut at 7:00 EST. St. Francis and Central Connecticut meet for the Northeast Final here. St. Francis won 71-68 over Long Island last time out, and while that total flew "over" the number, I'm anticipating a much more defensive battle in the Championship game. Central Connecticut State beat FDU 76-72 in OT to advance to the Championship game, as both of its opening contests also flew above the posted number. St. Francis caught fire a few weeks ago, but Central Connecticut has led the conference most of the season. The Blue Devils are fantastic on the defensive end this season, conceding just 63.4 PPG. Can the Blue Devils cover this spread?! Perhaps. But then again, perhaps not. Central Connecticut won both games in the regular season, with one going under the number and one going over. I'm expecting a defensive battle in the finale, though, so the play is the under.

My 8* CENTER-ICE REPORT is on the under in the Wings/Senators at 7:30 EST. Detroit is 30-27-6 this year and 14-12-3 on the road. Ottawa is 32-25-5, including 18-9-2 at home. Detroit though enters desperate to snap a five-game slide following 5-2 setback at Washington last time out. Perhaps a date vs. the Senators is just what the doctor ordered to get back on track, as Detroit prevailed 3-2 in OT at home back in early January. The Senators have played in three straight extra time games, winning 4-3 OT contests over Chicago and New York most recently. The home side though will have to be cautious here to not get caught looking ahead to its game at Philadelphia on Tuesday night. I expect another competitive battle between these clubs with a similar lower-scoring outcome as what we saw in their OT game in February. This number is high in my opinion.

My 10* CENTRAL DIVISION TOTAL OF THE YEAR is the under Cavs/Bucks at 8:00 EST. These teams are very familiar with each other, and while they've played to some higher-scoring games against each other in the past, I believe Sunday's contest sets up to be a much more defensive battle this time around. Cleveland is 53-10 and it's won 13 games in a row. It had to hold on for dear life at Charlotte last time out, eventually pulling away for the 118-117 win. Previous to that the Cas won 112-107 at home against the Heat. Cleveland has been very strong on both ends of the court this year. It beat Milwaukee 124-101 at home on December 20th. The total in that contest was 221, so it wound up going "over" the posted number. In tonight's rematch in Milwaukee, the O/U line is now significantly higher. Milwaukee falls to 36-26 after its four-game win streak was snapped in last night's 111-109 loss to the Magic. Fatigue will be an issue for the home side in the second game of the back-to-back. There are more than enough reasons to believe that this game will fall well below this sky-high number. The play is the under.

My 10* SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the the over between Houston Christian and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Houston Christian Huskies finished 12-19, while dropping its final two games of the year. These teams played twice, and each was completely different. In the first, Houston Christian won 76-72 as a 5.5-point underdog. In the second, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi won 68-62 as a ten-point favorite. The Huskies have been competitive in this matchup, and I expect that to once again be the case here in the Conference Tournament. With the extra time off between the end of the regular season and the start of the Conference Tournament, I'm expecting this particular game here on Sunday night to resemble more of the "shootout" in what we saw in their first matchup this year. This number is low in my opinion, so I'm rolling with the over.

My 8* EARLY RISER is on Mississippi State/Arkansas under the total at 12:00 EST. This is a critical end-of-season SEC matchup on Saturday afternoon. Mississippi State comes to town at 20-10, while Arkansas is 18-12. Arkansas will look for a strong finish here on Senior Night as it looks to solidify its spot in the NCAA Tournament that starts in just over a week. The Bulldogs lost in heartbreaking fashion at home last time out, losing 87-72 in OT to Texas on Tuesday. The Bulldogs have lost three of four and need a win here as well to help their cause on Selection Sunday. The Razorbacks will have to be careful to not have a letdown here following a huge road upset over Vanderbilt last time out, holding on for the 90-77 victory.  Trevon Brazile had 16 points and 14 rebounds. Arkansas is great on the defensive end, ranked 15th in the country and in this crucial final home game, I think the Razorbacks put an added focus onto that end of the court. Arkansas is 12-4 at home this year and the Razorbacks will be looking to control the pace of this one from the opening tip, until the final horn. This number is high in my opinion, so the play is the under.

My 10* Southern Conference Tournament TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the under between The Citadel and VMI at 7:30 EST. The Citadel Bulldogs went just 5-24 in the Southern Conference this year. They fell 82-70 at VMI as 9.5-point underdogs back on February 8th, and while that total went over the posted number, I'm expecting a more defensive battle here in the Conference Tournament. The Bulldogs' offense looked terrible over the final two weeks of the regular season, posting a combined 108 points over their final two losses. That includes an 85-42 loss at Furman in their final road game of the regular season. Suffice it to say, I don't see this struggling Bulldogs side suddenly "flipping a switch" and solving all of their offensive issues. The Cadets enter with zero momentum as well. VMI finished slightly better at 13-18, but the Cadets also faltered with consistency down the stretch, going 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS over the last three weeks of action. These teams have one last shot at redemption, but everything points to an awkward and inefficient battle between these two conference cellar dwellers in my opinion. I'm rolling with the under in this one.

My 8* CENTER-ICE REPORT is on the OVER Jets/Devils at 7:00 EST. I'm expecting a wide-open offensive affair here between these non-conference opponents on Friday night. Winnipeg snapped a three-game slide with a 4-1 win at Philadelphia just last night. The Jets have seen the total go under in six straight now. New Jersey is coming off back-to-back losses, most recently a 4-3 setback at Dallas on Tuesday. This is a big game for the Devils as they look to snap their slide. With a game at red-hot Philadelphia on Sunday, tonight's contest takes on added importance for the Devils. Because of that, the home side will be forced to push the pace in this one to snap the slide. A faster-paced affair leads to production on the ice in my opinion, so I'm rolling with the over in this one.     

My BUNDESLIGA WINNER is on the under 2.5 goals scored by FSV Mainz and Borussia Monchengaldbach. This is an important game for each of these red hot sides. FSV Mainz is now in fourth in the league after last weekend's 2-1 win over RP Leipzig. Borussia Monchengladbach is eighth overall, but it's also coming off a 3-0 win over FC Heidenheim. These teams looked great on both ends of the pitch last weekend. Note that they've both picked up 13 points each over their last six matches in the Bundesliga. Considering the hot recent form of each side, I'm expecting a very competitive battle on Thursday afternoon. As such, I'm expecting a defensive battle and rolling with the "under" on Thursday afternoon in this one.

My 10* Patriot League Conference Tournament TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the under Navy/Boston at 7:00 EST. Navy enters the Confernece Tournament with some momentum. The Midshipmen finished 13-18, but they won their final three games, including an 81-68 victory over Loyola Maryland in their finale. Navy conceded only a combined 128 points over its final two victories, and I believe it'll carry that defensive momentum over into the Conference Tournament opener. They lost 87-65 at Boston in February as a 1-point underdog. But with a spread like this, clearly the oddsmakers are once again expecting a competitive battle. I think it'll be a lot tighter as far as the game is concerned, but I also believe it'll be lower-scoring this time around. The Terriers finished 16-15 and they won their final two games of the regular season, conceding a combined 132 points. Look for the rematch in the opener of the Tournament to be a battle until the final horn, but also expect it to fall well under the number.

My O/U SUPER SMASH in on the under Rockets/Pacers at 7:00 EST. Houston is now 37-24 after a 137-128 loss at Oklahoma City last night. Fatigue is going to be an issue in the second game of the back-to-back though in my opinion. The last back-to-back that Houston was involved in was back on February 12th and 13th. The Rockets won 119-111 over Phoenix in the first game, the total flying well over the number, but then lost 105-98 to Golden State the following night. It's 34-25 Indiana that plays with revenge here though following a 130-113 loss at Houston back in November. The Pacers are 4-2 since the All Star Break, most recently cruising to a 127-112 home win here over the Bulls. With back-to-back upcoming games at the Hawks, Indiana will have to be cautious here to not get caught looking ahead. While their game in Houston went over the posted total in November, the rematch here on the East Coast looks like a much more defensive affair in my opinion. The play is the under.

My HORIZON LEAGUE TOTAL OF THE YEAR is the under Green Bay/Oakland at 7:00 EST. Green Bay enters the Conference Tournament finishing 4-27 this season. The Phoenix have been competitive for bettors, having won four straight ATS to close out the year. All four of those games went over the posted number. Their finale was an 87-84 OT loss at home to these very Grizzlies as 8.5-point underdogs. It was a close call for 14-17 Oakland. The Grizzlies alternated wins/losses over their last five games. They beat Detroit 93-83 in OT, then lost 80-66 to IPFW, they won 91-86 in OT to Cleveland, then fell 71-66 to Milwaukee, and then finally most recently posting the 87-84 OT victory at Green Bay. After each OT win, the Grizzlies next game resulted in a loss and an "under" and while they'll most likely win tonight's contest, I see this pattern continuing as far as the total is concerned. This number is high, so the play is the under.

My Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament total of the year is on the "under" Central Arkansas/Lipscomb. I had a play on the Bears in their 77-72 win over Stetson last night. They were slight favorites in that matchup, but they're huge underdogs vs. Lipscomb. Central Arkansas faced the Bisons twice this year, and Lipscomb won and covered in both, including 78-60 in the team's respective season finales. Both games fell "under" the number, and everything points to a similar outcome here as well in the second game of the back-to-back scenario for Central Arkansas. Lipscomb will once again be able to control and dictate the tempo of this contest vs. a fatigued Bears side is how I see this game unfolding. Their two regular season games went "under" the number, and this one will as well. This number is much too high.

My EARLY RISER play on Sunday is on the over between Wisconsin and Michigan State (1:30 EST.) I'm expecting these sides to really push the pace from the Opening tip until the final buzzer. Wisconsin is 22-6, whicl Michigan State is 23-5. The Badgers have won four of five and are off an impressive 88-62 win over Washington. I see no reason not to believe that Wisconsin won't be able to carry over that offensive momentum here. The Spartans have won four in a row and they've seen the total go under in five straight. But with tough upcoming games at Iowa next, followed by at home vs. Michigan to close out the regular season, this winnable game at home in which they're favored takes on added importance for the Spartans. And I look for that to translate into an efficient offensive performance. Wisconsin won 81-66 last year. This season though I'm expecting a much more competitive battle, and also higher-scoring. This number is low, so the play is the over.

At 8:00 EST, my Summit League total of the month is on the over UMKC/STT. This is the final regular season game of the year for each school. St. Thomas is 21-9. It beat Kansas City 68-65 on the road back in late January, so the visitors play with the added incentive of revenge. Kansas City is only 12-18, but it snapped a three-game slide with a 64-56 home win over Denver last time out. The Roos suffocated the Pioneers defensively, but they're now going to have their hands full on the road here with this motivated home side that's off an 86-71 win over North Dakota last time out. I expect the Tommies to carry over that offensive momentum tonight. Overall, I'm expecting a much faster-paced affair than what this O/U line is suggesting. This number is low, so the play is the over.

My BUNDESLIGA TOTAL OF THE MONTH is the "over" Bayer Leverkusen/Eintracht Frankfurt at 12:30 EST. The Bundesliga is back in action this weekend. Both Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt are loaded with talent and I'm expecting those players to find the back of the plenty of times on Saturday afternoon. Bayer Leverkusen is ranked in second spot after getting past Holstein Kiel 2-0 this past week and there's no reason not to think it won't carry that offensive momentum over here. Eintracht Frankfurt will for sure have its hands full in this match. The home side is ranked third, but Bayer Leverkusen has won 27 of the 44 matched played between the clubs outright. That said, note that none of the 79 matched played between the clubs has ever ended in a 0-0 draw (which just happens to be the highest number of contests without a goalless draw in fixture in history.) Leverkusen is in fact unbeaten in its last 21 matches in the Bundesliga, having picked up 50 points from those games. Eintracht Frankfurt will look to break those streaks here today at home. Either way, this O/U line is TOO low in my opinion, so the play is the over.

At 8:10pm ET, my NBA Super Smash is on Minnesota Timberwolves vs Oklahoma City Thunder Under. Last night's game finished with 253 points. Scoring was steady through the first 3 quarters before finally slowing down a little in the 4th quarter. These same teams are facing each other for the 2nd time in 2 days and now at Oklahoma City instead of Minnesota. The slower pace and lower-scoring 4th quarter will carry over into tonight's game. Minnesota's last 2 visit heres finished with only 208 points and 218 points. The Thunder allow only 104.8 points per game at home. The last time they played in a back-to-back, both teams stayed under. Play on the under.

At 9:40pm ET, my NBA Western Conference Total Of The Month is on Oklahoma City Thunder vs Minnesota Timberwolves Under. The first leg of a home and home set between division rivals is going to bring some extra emphasis on defense. The Thunder allow the fewest points (104.96 ppg) in the entire NBA. Minnesota ranks 5th in that category with 108.33 ppg allowed. At home, the Timberwolves allow 107.7 ppg. This high total gives us a lot of room to work with. Each of the past 4 meetings between these teams has finished with 218 or less. Play on the under.

At 7:00pm Et, my CAA Total of the Year is on William & Mary vs Elon Over. Elon has been alternating between overs and unders in recent games. Off an under in their last game, the pattern will continue for the Phoenix with an over on Saturday. William & Mary is 6-2 to the over the past 8 times it was an underdog of 2 or more points. The Tribe average 78.5 points per game. They scored 78 in the first meeting. The William & Mary defense is not good. The Tribe allow 75.5 points per game. When they play on the road, the Tribe's number of points allowed balloons to 81 per game. Elon scores 76.9 points per game at home and will exceed that average today. Play on the over.

At 9:10pm Et, my February Total Of the Month is on Charlotte Hornets vs Denver Nuggets Under. The Hornets played some terrific defense (again!) last night. They kept the Lakers to 97 points. That's 3 straight opponents that they have held to 102 or less. On offense, Charlotte scored only 100. The Hornets average 106.25 points per game, 3rd fewest in the NBA. They scored 89 the last time that they played 2 games in 2 days. They were also in a back-to-back spot when they hosted Denver less than weeks ago. That February 1st game finished with 111 points. Last year's game between these teams here finished with a final score of 111-93. The 204 combined points stayed easily below the total of 225. Last year's other game finished with only 197. The Nuggets are explosive but may have some rust from the layoff. They also shouldn't need to score that many with Charlotte struggling to reach 100. Play on the under.

At 3:00pm Et, my Europa League Total Of The Month is on Fenerbahce vs Anderlecht Under. It will not be easy for either side to score goals at Lotto Park in Brussels on Thursday. Fenerbahce won the first leg by a 3-0 score. The Turks don't need to necessarily score today, just keep Anderlecht from going wild. When you consider that 135 of the last 136 teams to lose a first leg by at least three goals have been eliminated on aggregate, Anderlecht's chances aren't good. The Belgians did respond to the 3-0 defeat by winning 1-0 in league play over the weekend. They won't be easy to score on today but they've got too much to overcome to come back and advance. We've got this match staying 0-0 for quite some time and the final score falling under the total.

At 7:00pm Et, my ACC total of the week is on Syracuse vs Pittsburgh Under. It was a painful loss for those who took the under in the first meeting. The total was 149.5 and the game landed on 150. The score was 33-32 at the half and it was still 71-66 with 31 seconds left. The game was very competitive though and 13 points were scored in the final 31 seconds. Syracuse is unlikely to be quite as competitive on the road and this game is less likely to see all that scoring in the final 30 seconds. The Orange score 72.4 ppg on the road and the Panthers allow 66.9 ppg at home. Last year's game between these teams here had a total of 147.5 and it finished with only 127 points. The Panthers will slow down the Orange and the final score will again stay below the total. Play on the under.

At 3:00pm Et, my Soccer total of the week is on Club Brugge vs Atalanta Under. Goals are going to be few and far between in today's match at Gewiss Stadium. The first leg was played at Belgium and it finished 2-1 in favor of Club Brugge. That was only thanks to a controversial late penalty awarded to the host team. Playing on the road against a determined Atalanta squad, Club Brugge is not going to be so fortunate. Atalanta is off a 0-0 draw in league play. In its last 4 matches overall, factoring in the 2 goals it allowed at Belgium, the Serie A squad has conceded only 4 times. Play on the under.

At 10:00pm ET, my Big 12 Total Of the Month is on Arizona vs Baylor Under. A game between Arizona and Baylor may sound like it'll be high-scoring but that's not going to be the case. Arizona scored only 58 points last game. In their previous game, the Wildcats managed just 70. Baylor put up 91 points in a February 8th win over UCF. The Bears scored 59, 65, and 74 in their other 3 games though. The 74 game went to OT, only 65 points were scored in regulation. The Bears gave up 81 to Arizona earlier but that was only one of 2 times, in their last 20 games, where they gave up more than 76 points. The only other time it happened was an OT game against BYU where they gave up 78 in regulation. At home, the Bears allow just 61.8 points per game. Points won't be coming easily. Play on the under.

At 7:00pm ET, my Big Ten Total Of the Month is on Rutgers vs Oregon Under. These teams rank only #11 and #12 in the Big Ten for points per game. In terms of field goal percentage, they are just #13 and #18. Oregon head coach Dana Altman isn't happy that the Ducks gave up a of points in the 2nd halves of their last 2 games. Altman said: "We're going to have to change that around." Altman's Ducks may not put up a huge number themselves but they will make scoring difficult for Rutgers the entire game. Play on the under.

At 8:00pm ET, my C-USA total of the year is on Middle Tennessee State vs Western Kentucky Over. This season's first meeting finished quite far beneath this number. Playing on the road, the Hilltoppers had trouble scoring. That's rarely an issue at home. WKU averages a very healthy 84.3 points per game on its floor, giving up more than 72. The Hilltoppers scored 88 and 93 the past 2 regular season games here against Middle-Tenn. State. The Hilltoppers will have no trouble pushing the pace and scoring on their home floor but the Blue Raiders will be keeping up with them every step of the way. Both teams will at least crack the 75 mark but don't be shocked if this game ends up looking more like the 93-89 game played here in February 2023. Play on the over.

At 3:00pm Et, my Champions League Total Of The Month is on Bayern Munich vs Celtic Under. Celtic is happy to have made it this far as this is its first knockout match in more than a decade. Scoring will not be easy for the Scottish side though. Bayern is off a clean sheet in Bundesliga over the weekend. Celtic will also be stingy and difficult to score against. However, even if the Scottish squad keeps Bayern to 0-0 or 1-1, its going to be difficult to advance as next week's 2nd leg match will be in Germany. Bayern will be happy to win 1-0 or 2-0 and, as noted, even a 0-0 draw or 1-1 result wouldn't be bad for the Germans. Four h2h matches over the years have all finished with 3 or fewer goals. They ended at 2-1, 3-0, 0-0 and 2-1. One way or another, goals are going to hard to come by and this match will also finish with three or fewer goals. Play on the under.

At 4:00pm ET, my ACC Total Of The Year is on Pittsburgh vs North Carolina Under. These teams combined for 138 points on January 28th. That game stayed well below the total and this afternoon's game will do the same. Both teams are off consecutive losses and each will be looking to crank up the defensive intensity in this one. The Panthers managed a season-low 19 points in the first half of their last game. Pittsburgh closed out the earlier win against UNC by allowing 0 points in the final 3 minutes. Only 52 total points were scored in the 2nd half. That type of defense will carry over into today's rematch as UNC looks to return the favor. The past 4 meetings between these teams have all gone under the total. They finished with 129, 127, 137 and 138 points. The past 10 meetings have all finished with 150 or less. The Panthers don't score nearly as many points (68.6) on the road and the Tar Heels play much better defense at home than they do on the road. The number is high. Play on the under.

At 8:30pm ET, my SEC Total Of the Month is on Texas A&M vs South Carolina Over. This total is too low. The last 3 games between these teams had similar o/u lines. Those totals were 134.5, 132 and 135. None of them were high enough as all 3 games went over the total. They finished with 137, 148 and 138. The Aggies last 2 games finished with 139 and 143. The Aggies average 75 points per game on the season. The Gamecocks average 74.1 points per game, at home. I see both teams scoring more than 65 (probably both more than 70) and the winner scoring more than 70. That'll be enough to see the final score eclipse the low number. Play on the over.

At 6:00pm Et, my Sun Belt Total Of The Year is on Southern Miss vs Troy Over. This game was originally scheduled for last Thursday but was moved due to the dangerous travel conditions caused by Winter Storm Enzo. This is a low total. Last season, the total was 150 when the Trojans hosted the Golden Eagles. This season, Troy averages 73 points overall but 80.7 per game at home. Off consecutive defensive games against Southern Alabama, Troy will be happy to run up the score in this one. Ready to get their offense rolling, the Trojans will crack the 80 mark against a porous Southern Miss defense which allows 82.2 points per game on the road. The Golden Eagles average more than 70 on the road and more than 73 points per game overall. Expecting 80+ from Troy, we should be able to count on 65 or more from Southern Miss. Play on the over.

At 6:10pm ET, my Northwest Division Total Of The Year is on Oklahoma City Thunder vs Portland Trail Blazers Under. A funny thing is happening in Portland. The Trail Blazers are suddenly playing superb defense. They have allowed an average of just 96.25 points over their past 4 games with none of those opponents scoring more than 107. Playing great defense is nothing new for the Thunder. As a matter of fact, they've got the best defense in the entire NBA. They allow an average of only 104.25 points per game. No other team allows less. Not only do the Thunder allow the fewest points but they also allow the lowest field goal percentage and the lowest 3-point percentage in the league. OKC lost its last game. It was the Thunder's 5th loss since November 19th. After the previous 4 losses, the Thunder allowed 101, 101, 106 and 99 points the next game. That game where they allowed 99 points just happened to come the last time that they played Portland. That 11/20 game finished with just 208 points (109-99) and we can expect a similarly low score on Sunday. Play on the under.

At 3:00pm ET, my NFL Playoff Total Of The Year is on the Washington Commanders vs Philadelphia Eagles under. The quarterbacks will be under the microscope and are a big part of the reason for a high total. Both are very capable but neither of them is going to have as big a game as a lot of people will expect. The Eagles intercepted Daniels three times in two games in the regular season. Hurts is playing at less than 100%. The regular season game at Washington went over but the game at Philadelphia did not. Followers will remember that we nailed the under in that game. Barkley is going to be running the ball very frequently as our Robinson and Daniels for Washington. That will help our cause because the clock will keep ticking with each running play. The game at Washington was an exception for the Eagles. It marked the only time in their last 15 games that they allowed more than 23 points. They allow an average of only 17.6 points, 17.2 at home. During the regular season, the Eagles allowed just 278 yards per game. That was best in the NFL and they were the only team to allow less than 300 per game. Play on the under.

At 12:00pm ET, my Early Riser is on Maryland vs Indiana Under the total. This total is high and gives us a lot of room to stay under. I looked at the past 10 meetings between these teams and none of them had a total this high. The past 4 times that the Hoosiers were listed as the home team in this series saw scores of 65-53, 70-60, 74-64, and 63-55. That's an average of only 125 points. Indiana has scored 70, 77, 69 and 60 points its last 4 games. The game where the Hoosiers score 77 went to Overtime. Maryland had a huge offensive outburst in its last game. The Terrapins scored 91 points. That's not normal for them though. The Terrapins scored 69 in their previous game and they hadn't reached 90 in any of their previous 8 games. Indiana coach Mike Woodson wasn't happy with his team's defense in the 2nd half last game and will demand better on Sunday afternoon. Play on the under.

At 4:30pm ET, my January Total Of the Month is on Morehead State vs SIU Edwardsville Over. I've previously won with Morehead State to go under; the Eagles are 10-6 to the under this season. This is a great spot to go the other way though as the o/u line is too low. The Eagles and Cougars combined for 141 points last game and 147 points in their previous meeting. The Eagles scored 73 last game and they scored 82 in their previous game. The Cougars' last 3 games had scores of 82-76, 85-82 and 87-80. Both teams crack the 70 mark and the final score sails over the low number. Play on the over.

At 7:00pm ET, my Big East Total Of the Month is on Villanova vs Marquette Under the total. The most recent meeting between the Golden Eagles and the Wildcats was in the Big East Tournament, last March. The game went to Overtime and still stayed below the total. This will be another defensive battle. The Golden Eagles have held each of their last 2 opponents to less than 60 points. Their last home game was a 59-57 loss to Xavier. Villanova is off a 64-63 home loss to Georgetown. The Wildcats last road game was a 69-63 loss. That's 4 of 5 games where the Wildcats have failed to reach the 70 mark. They won't get their tonight against the tough Marquette defense. "I think our guys set a really good tone defensively in the first half," Marquette coach Shaka Smart said after the Golden Eagles' last game. "That was a huge emphasis for us coming out of the last game. We kind of felt like last time out, we allowed what happened on the offensive end to impact our defensive energy, and that's just not who we want to be." Play on the under.

At 12:00pm ET, my Early Riser is on Illinois vs Michigan State Under. This is an extremely high total for a game between the Illini and the Spartans. As a matter of fact, if you look at the past 30 meetings between these teams, all 30 of them had o/u lines which were lower than this one. None of them were higher than 150. The reason for the high total is that both teams can really score. The defenses are also quite good though. The Spartans allow 67 points per game, just 65 per game at home. The Illini allow an average of 67.3 points per game. The Illini entered the weekend ranked 10th nationally by KenPom in terms of defensive efficiency (92.5 points per 100 possessions) and the Spartans are 14th, at 94.3. The good defenses will make things difficult enough on the offenses to keep the score below the total. Play on the under.

At 9:00pm ET, my WCC Total Of The Year is on San Diego vs Loyola Marymount Over. Both teams went under the total in their last game but tonight's contest promises to be he high scoring. The Lions last 3 games came against Gonzaga, St Mary's and Santa Clara, all tough defensive teams. They will find scoring to be much easier in a game against San Diego. The Toreros have conceded more than 80 in each of their past 2 road games. They allow an average of 75.5 points per game on the road. These teams are 5-0 to the over the past 5 meetings. The past 4 all finished with more than 155 points. This number is low. Play on the over.

At 8:00 pm ET, my NFC Total Of the Week is on Washington and Detroit under. As you can see, this is a very high total. Driving the number so high, we've got 2 high-scoring teams each of them led by a coach who doesn't mind rolling the dice. Most probably haven't noticed but we've also got 2 defenses which are suddenly both playing very well. The Commanders have allowed 20 or fewer points in 3 straight road games. The Lions kept the Vikings to 9 points and made a potent Minnesota offense look bad. They've held 5 of their last 8 opponents to 20 or fewer points and 3 of those teams didn't even get to 10. On the season, despite dealing with injuries, the Lions led the NFL in third-down defense. This one won't be the shootout that the total suggests. Play on the under.

My UFC Total Of the Month is on Diego Ferreira vs Grant Dawson Over. The judges will have the final say in this one. Dawson is expected to win and 2 of his last 3 victories have gone the distance. When Dawson does stop his opponent, it's usually via submission. That's unlikely though as Ferreira, a Brazilian with a Brazilian jiu-jitsu background, has never been submitted. The same is true the other way. Ferreira's wins come by submission but Dawson has never been submitted. Ferreira has seen 9 of his fights go the scorecards. An interesting chess-match, this will make 10. Play on the over.

At 9:00pm ET, my Big Ten Total Of The Year is on Maryland vs Northwestern Under. A total in the 140s is high for a meeting between the Terrapins and the Wildcats. The three meetings since 2023 have seen totals of 129, 132 and 130. Those 3 games finished with 129, 141 and 134 points. Both teams can turn up the defensive intensity. Maryland has allowed 66 or fewer points in 6 of its last 10 games, 61 or less in 5 of those. Northwestern has allowed 66 or less in 5 of its last 10 games, including 3 of its last 4 at home. On the season, the Wildcats allow just 62.8 ppg at home. According to KenPom, the Wildcat defense ranks 34th nationally in adjusted efficiency and 33rd in steal percentage. The Terrapins are currently small favorites. The last time that NW was a home underdog against Maryland the teams combined for only 115 points. In all games, the under is 8-5 the past 13 times that the Wildcats were home underdogs. Points will be hard to come by at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Thursday. Play on the under.

At 8:00pm ET, my Wildcard Rd Total Of The Year is on Minnesota Vikings vs Los Angeles Rams Under. Everyone had been scoring big points against the Detroit defense but the Vikings managed only 9 points against the Lions. Sam Darnold was not good. He finished 18 of 41 with 0 touchdowns. Minnesota managed only 14 first downs. Now Darnold and the Vikings go up against a Rams defense which has played great for weeks. Throw out the Seattle game, as the Rams treated it like it didn't matter. There was still seeding implications but they gave Stafford and others the day off.) The Rams held each of their previous 3 opponents to less than 10 points. Before the Seattle game, only 1 of the Rams last 5 opponents had scored more than 14 points against them and that was Buffalo. On offense, prior to the Seattle game, the Rams had scored less than 20 points in three straight. The Rams have gone under in each of their last 2 WildCard games. They allowed just 11 points their last home playoff wildcard game. This total is high and this will make 3 straight. Play on the under. ***I was already going to play the under if the game was at LA and I still really like the play after the change of venue to Glendale. I will add that the Rams managed only 10 points and 245 yards when they played here this season.

At 430pm ET, my AFC Total Of The Week is on the Los Angeles Chargers vs Houston Texans Over. This is a low total. As a matter of fact, its the lowest of the 6 Wildcard games. A little too low, according to my calculations! The Charger offense has caught fire. LA scored 34, 40 and 34 its past 3 games. The Texans are going to need to score if they want to keep up! The past 3 meetings between the Chargers and Texans finished with 58, 70 and 47 points. This will be another high-scoring game, higher than the low total suggests. Play on the over.

At 2:00pm ET, my Big 12 Total Of the Year is on Kansas vs Cincinnati Over. Thanks to some recent low scores, this o/u line is low. The totals were 139.5 and 147 when these teams faced each other last season. Kansas scored 99 in its last road game. The Jayhawks have scored 74 or more in 4 of their last 5 games. They average 78.9 ppg. The Bearcats struggled to score at Baylor last game but they average 82.2 ppg at home. Both teams are going to get at least 70 points today. Consequently, the final score will make its way over the low total. Play on the over.

At 12:00pm ET, my Early Riser is on Creighton vs Butler Over. Both these defenses are struggling. Off a 79-71 loss at Marquette, the Bluejays should bounce back with a better offensive effort this afternoon. They scored 86 the last time that they were off a loss. Creighton's defense is a different matter. The Bluejays have allowed 79 or more points in 4 of their last 5 games. The Bulldogs allowed 84 last game and have given up a minimum of 70 points in eight straight games. (All were losses.) Both defenses allow an average of more than 70 ppg. Last season's 2 games averaged 171.5 points. Play on the over.

At 7:30pm Et, my Flea-Flicker selection is on Ohio State vs Texas Under. We were treated to a terrific game last night and this should be another good one. These are 2 great defenses but this total is much higher than last night's total. The Buckeyes allow 244.6 yards per game, best in the entire country. The Longhorns allow 277.9 yards per game, third best in the country. Ohio State allows 12.1 points per game, #1 in the nation. Texas concedes 14.5 points per game, 4th best in the nation. Last night's game saw 31 points in the 4th quarter but still would have finished below this high total. They are unlikely to score 31 points in the 4th quarter again. There were only 4 games this season when the Longhorns weren't favored by double-digits. All 4 of those games finished with 45 or fewer points. Play on the under.

At 7:30pm Et, my NCAAF Total Of The Week is on Notre Dame vs Penn State Over. These defenses are good but this total is still too low. These offenses can't be stopped, even by good defenses. Penn State has scored more than 30 points in each of its last 4 games. Notre Dame scored 23 against Georgia but probably could have scored more if the Bulldogs had forced it to do so. The Fighting Irish average 37.7 points per game. The Nittany Lions average 33.7. Both teams are going to trade points and both will score more than 20. The winner is likely to top 30. That'll get the final score to finish above the low total. Play on the over.

At 10:30pm ET, my MWC Total Of The Year is on Air Force vs San Diego State Under. The Aztecs are going to clamp down defensively tonight. The last time that they hosted Air Force, they held the Falcons to 55 points. They have held Air Force to less than 65 points in 7 straight meetings. Play on the under.