William Burns NCAA Basketball Top Picks Archive

(#659) Chattanooga Mocs vs. (#660) Loyala Chicago Ramblers // Under // 

Despite not making the NCAA Tournament, both of these two teams are making the most of the NIT invite. We are now down to four teams like in the National Invitational Tournament and these are two of them. Chattanooga might be more known for its offense. But, the Mocs don't play that fast and can beat teams with its defense. Ranked #226th in pace (via. KenPom's adjusted tempo rankings,) the Mocs don't play that fast. They rely on making field goals at high rates and lots of free throw success. 

On the other hand Loyola Chicago should be able to limit those makes. The Ramblers have the #94th best defensive efficiency (KenPom) and have the 62nd best defense in Field Goal % allowed this season. They also play at a slightly below average pace and will be able to play to its true pace here this evening. 

Chattanooga's most recent game was against a Bradley team that shoots lights out from deep. The Mocs were excellent at defending and the two teams combined for only 132 points. Loyola's last opponent (Kent State) plays at a very similar pace as Chattanooga does. Those teams combined for 134 points. Expect a lower scoring Semi Final here in Indianapolis. 

Line Parameter: play until 147.0. 

Score Prediction: 73-66 Chattanooga.

Burns' Selection // Tennessee Volunteers [ML] . 

As we look into this matchup, it amazes me how similar these two teams are. Tennessee doesn't play fast at all. Relying on defense more than anything, the Vols have had brilliant guard play throughout March which has led them to this moment. Zakhi Ziegler has been phenomenal & so has Chaz Lanier. Both guys are playing out of their minds right now. 

Houston has battled and has survived up until this point. But, it's just a matter of time before the Cougars come crashing down. Houston also plays very slow and relies on defense. But, it's not going to fare well against Tennessee if its best scoring option only scores five points again. LJ Cryer shot 2/13 vs. Purdue and the Cougars still managed to win. I see him struggling again (not as badly, but enough) against a top defense and that will prove costly here. 

Since the NCAA March Madness Tournament expanded to 64 teams all the way back in 1985, only one year stands out. It was 2008 when all four one seeds made the Final Four. Crazy thing is that it was in San Antonio. So is this years. Two one seeds are through already and two are ready to play on Sunday. As Lee Corso famously says. Not so fast. Give me Rocky Top in this all time defensive war. 

Score Prediction: 63-58 Tennessee.

Burns' Selection // Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. Florida Gators (Under) .. 

While Texas Tech's sweet sixteen game was on pace to go way "under," the Red Raiders really turned it up a notch on their way to an epic comeback against Arkansas. Because that game went to OT, the game went "over" and "under" bettors were left speechless. Having said that though, Texas Tech's defense has been stellar throughout this tournament so far. It allowed 64 points to Drake and 72 against UNCW. 

Yes, this matchup against Florida is a tough one. But, Florida tends to really play to the pace of its opponents. Let's take two games on the season for example. The Alabama game in the SEC Tournament was a 104-82 win for the Gators. That's the fastest playing team in the country. Yes, the SEC tourney game against Tennessee was on the higher scoring side. But, the other two saw just 108 points & 116 points. I expect the Gators to play much slower today and rely on their defense in a huge Elite Eight matchup. 

Chance McMillan has yet to play in this tournament for the Red Raiders and they will most definitely hope that he's ready to go tonight. Even if he plays, he can be very solid on the defensive end which should help, even with his scoring. This line is very high but I don't see it going "over." My ELITE EIGHT TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the "under." 

Score Prediction: 77-72 Florida.

Burns' Selection // Michigan State Spartans [Moneyline] . 

Although it's fun a fun story for this Ole Miss team that many counted out after it drew against UNC in the first round even. The Rebels have won as underdogs in both of their first two matchups (UNC/ISU) and have looked brilliant. However, North Carolina isn't as strong this year as some years and Iowa State wasn't fully healthy for this tournament. Having said that, I believe that the Rebels are going to have a much tougher time against one of the best teams in the country right now in Sparty. 

Looking at Michigan State, the Spartans have also looked brilliant so far. I was expecting a much closer game between them and the Lobos on Sunday. But, the Spartans took control in the second half and were able to pull away and cover ATS in the end. Now, if they continue to play like this, I don't see why MSU couldn't win this whole thing. I know it's going to be tough, but this is a very favorable matchup for a Sweet Sixteen in my opinion. 

Now, I'm not going to underestimate the Rebels are neither should the Spartans. But, MSU is the better team and should play very confidently this evening. Ole Miss does not rebound the ball well whatsoever and that is one of Michigan State's strengths. That's going to make a big difference here today. Expect a fairly comfortable win from Sparty in the Sweet Sixteen here to advance to play the winner of Michigan/Auburn in the Elite Eight. 

Score Prediction: 79-66 Michigan State.

Burns' Selection: Baylor Bears / Duke Blue Devils [Over] . 

Baylor played very well against Mississippi State in the opening round. Now, this game will most definitely be harder, up against perhaps the top team in the country. But, I do expect the Bears to give it all they got. I mean, even if they score 60 in this matchup, I expect this game to go "over" with how dominant Duke's offense has been with Cooper Flagg in the lineup this season. 

Talking about the Blue Devils, Flagg looked excellent in round one. No, he didn't put up enormous numbers. But, they didn't need him to at all. Duke is so well rounded that it thrives in big games with big time players making big time plays. Maluach already has exprience at the Olympic level with South Sudan and the young guys are firing on all cylinders. Duke averaged 82.7 PPG this season and I expect them to score around its average in this one. 

In the end, Baylor should keep it much more competitive than Mount St. Mary's did. Jeremy Roach is up against his former team and the rest of the Bears are not going to want to get blown out here. This should be a high scoring game on Sunday in Raleigh. 

Score Prediction: 83-66 Duke.

Burns' Selection: Gonzaga Bulldogs [ATS] . 

In their opening matchup against Georgia, Gonzaga was able to open up the game on a 27-3 run. The Bulldogs looked to be the better team from the opening whistle and I actually won my 1ST RND TOY in that game on the "over." This time, I'm playing on the Zags. They score a lot of points and I believe that this is a matchup nightmare for the Houston Cougars who will struggle to match the Zags' scoring. 

That might be hard to think of considering that Houston is a one seed and is expected to go far in this tournament. However, I don't see it happening. Houston's only loss in Big 12 play was against Texas Tech, who scores a lot and gets a lot of assists. The Cougars also lost to fast playing Alabama & Auburn at the start of this season, as they weren't able to keep up. 

I do know that both teams are on generational runs on making the Sweet Sixteen. But, one has got to give here and I believe that the Zags have a Final Four bound team this season. That's how well they are playing. Houston could very well do the same if it survives this matchup. But, the Cougars do not match up very well here and Gonzaga's explosiveness and ability to create shots for others is going to be the difference here. The Zags also shoot much better from the line for in a tight game. This is my 2nd Round UNDERDOG GAME OF THE YEAR. 

Score Prediction: 79-74 Gonzaga.

Burns' Selection // New Mexico Lobos [Moneyline] . 

Over the past couple of seasons, (other than SDST,) the Mountain West has not been so great in the tournament. Teams look great going in but fail to show up under the bright lights. This year, the committee has four MWC teams back in the dance and I believe that each one of them have a fairly solid chance at winning their first games (SDST/UNC is going to be a war.)

As we look at this #7/#10 matchup, I believe that the oddsmakers have slightly based the previous MWC history in the tournament into their odds. This New Mexico team is very, very good led by a dominant force in Donovan Dent (If you haven't watched him play, you're in for an absolute treat.) Tru Washington & Nelly Junior Joseph compliment him very well. The Lobos have great size and matchup well with the Golden Eagles who seem to always fall short in the NCAA Tournament in recent years. 

Now, Marquette has more tournament experience and has an amazing player in Kam Jones. However, this team really relies on the likes of Jones & Joplin. I believe that the Golden Eagles have a disadvantage in depth though. Yes, they play ten guys. But, they don't get much production at all out of them. Marquette averages only 14.85 bench PPG while UNM averages 19.09 bench PPG. That can play a big role in March. 

Now, even though Marquette's starters are great at scoring, New Mexico averages more points than them. The Golden Eagles will try to hit a lot of threes here to catch back up. But, the natural ability for New Mexico to get buckets is going to be key to victory here. UNM also is the much better rebounding team. 

Don't be shocked if the Lobos win this game by a decent amount. I believe that they are the best #10 seed and it should play like it in this opening round matchup. I've got UNM as my OPENING ROUND GAME OF THE YEAR. 

Score Prediction: 78-75 New Mexico. 

Burns' Selection // Georgia Bulldogs vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs [Over] . 

Georgia might not be the highest of scoring teams, especially in its conference (SEC.) However, its accustomed to playing high scoring teams as the SEC is go, go, go. Having said that, I believe that this is actually a good matchup for UGA to succeed. It's averaging 75.6 PPG, which isn't going to be enough though (meaning they'll need to score a lot today.) UGA put up an average of 77.0 PPG in the SEC tournament. 

On the other hand, Gonzaga averages the most points in the country outside of Alabama. The Zags are averaging 86.6 PPG and love to score. That's simply what they do. Even tho Gonzaga only scored 58 points in the WCC Championship game, it's going to want to open this tournament up with a bang. 

In the end, I'm expecting a fast paced game with tons of points. Both teams are going to expect a win and it should be tight throughout, leading to lots of buckets and makes down the stretch. Look for this one to go "over" this number comfortably. 

Score Prediction: 86-75 Gonzaga.

Burns' Selection // Florida Gators [Against The Spread] . 

Tennessee looked very good yesterday, beating perhaps the best team in the country. The Volunteers did the little things right and got to the free throw line 27 times in that game (they made 25 of them.) Having said that, I believe that the Vols are going to have a much tougher time getting to the line here today. Florida averages 16.9 fouls per game while Auburn's at 18.5. As we should all know now, College Hoops in March is very matchup dependent. Every game is different from another. 

Looking at Florida, the Gators absolutely dominated the second half of their Semi-Final against Alabama (104-82.) Now, the Tide were without Grant Nelson for most of the game. However, that doesn't take away from the fact that Florida looked like the best team in the country with that win. Yes, I said it. I believe that their performance puts them above all at the moment (not my official projection to win the dance yet though.) Florida is excellent inside and out and are not going to put up 44 points again like it did in the first matchup. 

Don't get me wrong, 64-44 for Tennessee in that first game is a bit of cause for concern. However, that game was played @Tennessee and it was a bad performance all around. Have to give credit to the Vols D, but Florida will not shoot the ball 24% from the field again. The Gators are my SEC TOURNEY GAME OF THE YEAR. 

Score Prediction: 76-66 Florida.

Burns' Selection: Grand Canyon [Against The Spread] . 

After starting out slow this season, Grand Canyon really picked it up and started dominating in the second half of the season. The Antelopes don't have just one guy, they've got, in my opinion, the best duo in the WAC conference in Tyon Grant-Foster & JaKobe Coles. Coles has been the focal point so far in these tournament games. But, don't sleep on Grant-Foster. He averaged 20+ last season. 

On the other hand, don't get me wrong, Utah Valley has been really good (won 10 consecutive now.) However, the Wolverines are just an average overall team that is good at rebounding (so is GCU.) They did beat Grand Canyon earlier this year, but lost the last game by 18 against it, which was actually their most recent defeat. 

In the WAC Tournament section in my article, I mentioned both of these two teams should make the final. Well, here we are. GCU has got more experience and that will help it very much in this game. Hammer the Lopes in the WAC Championship Game. 

Score Prediction: 78-66 GCU.

Burns' Selection // Miami OH Redhawks vs. Akron Zips [Over] . 

Miami Ohio had lost three of its last seven games of the season prior to this tournament commencing. Even though the Redhawks finished second in MAC play, nobody knew what to expect from them. Well, they've looked extremely strong so far and are just one game away from glory. The Redhawks are averaging 80.8 PPG this season and will need to be able to score if they want to have a chance this evening. 

Unluckily for them , they'll have to go up against the toughest team in the MAC by far in Akron. The Zips average nearly 85 PPG and that number keeps on going up. Akron scored 100 points yesterday and 96 in its first game of the tourney. Playing at one of the fastest paces in the country, this team is going to light up the scoreboard. 

Back in January, Akron dropped triple digits on Miami Ohio. In that matchup they combined for 177 points. Now, even if there's not that much, the "over" should still be safe this evening. Akron doesn't play in many low scoring games and this one very well could see just as many. 

Score Prediction: 96-79 Akron.

Burns' Selection // Alabama vs. Florida [Over] . 

As high as this line has opened as, I still don't believe that it's high enough. That might be hard to believe. But, this game is going to have loads and loads of points. Alabama is coming off of a great offensive showing against Kentucky. The o/u line in that game was 178.5. Now, all season long, the Crimson Tide have been the top scoring team in the country. They average 91.2 PPT and play at the fastest pace out of any team according to KenPom. That being said, I see them continue the offensive barrage here against Florida. 

Even though the Gators don't average quite as many points, they still average 84.5 PPG which is top 10 in the country. Florida also plays very fast. When these two teams matched up a couple of weeks ago, they combined for 193 and Florida scored 99 of those points. The Gators are very well coached and have the ability to match Alabama's scoring. 

In the end, I expect this game to be very close, leading to a bunch of late points. This total is ridiculously high but I don't see that mattering. Both should reach the 90pt mark and that will be enough for this game to finish "over." This is my NCAA BASKETBALL TOTAL OF THE YEAR. 

Score Prediction: 98-94 Alabama.

Burns' Selection // Cal Poly Mustangs vs. UC Irvine Anteaters [Over] . 

Coming off a big comeback win over UC Davis in the opening round, Cal Poly is filled with confidence. Yes, it's a double digit favorite this evening and its difficult to see it having much of a chance, the Mustangs are bucket getters, averaging 81.8 PPG this season which is top 25 in the country. I believe that they will be able to score once again here. 

Now, the Mustangs defense isn't very good at all and UC Irvine did damage in each their matchups back in January. In the first game, the Anteaters scored 98. In the second matchup, they managed to crack the 100 mark by scoring 101. I believe that UC Irvine is going go 90+ again this evening in an absolute must-win game. 

In the end, this game should be high scoring. I get that it's a tournament game and there will be early jitters. However, this total simply isn't high enough for the high scoring capabilities of both of these teams. Hammer the "over."

Score Prediction: 94-78 UC Irvine.

Burns' Selection // South Carolina State Bulldogs [Against The Spread] . 

Even though South Carolina State didn't do so well against Coppin State in its first game of the MEAC Tournament, I believe that the Bulldogs are the best team in this tournament. They are now on a 10-game winning streak and one of those wins comes against NC Central, in the final game of the regular season (87-71.) I expect a similar result here. 

Talking about NC Central, it had to play yesterday evening while South Carolina State did not. The Eagles did manage to pull throw and beat Delaware State. However, they only had 22 rebounds. I don't see them keeping it close if they aren't going to be on the rebounds in this game. 

South Carolina State's extra day of rest is going to help tremendously. Nobody likes playing consecutive days in a row, especially in a big tournament like this. This should be a double digit win. 

Score Prediction: 88-72 SCST.

Burns' Selection // Maryland Terrapins [Moneyline] . 

Yes, Illinois just dropped 106 on Iowa in the second round of this tournament (yesterday.) However, the Fighting Illini might just have the hardest Quarter-Final matchup of them all. Now, if they were playing MSU, I would probably like the Spartans as well. But, both matchups would & this one will be extremely difficult for the Fighting Illini. Illinois shoots a lot of threes. But, it misses a lot of them as well. The Illini are going to need to be raining their shots from deep if they even want a chance in this one. 

Unluckily for Illinois, Maryland's perimeter defense has been stellar this season as it only allows a 30.8% 3pt FG percentage this season (T32 in the country.) Maryland is simply an excellent all around team and very well could go far in March Madness. Having said that, I believe that the Terrapins should be able to beat Illinois for the second time this season (won 91-70 @Illinois in January.) 

Don't get me wrong, Kasparas Jakcionis is an excellent player for the Fighting Illini. But, he's not going to be enough. Ivisic won't have the time and space that he did against Iowa and I believe that this is a very good spot for Maryland, who comes in having won three consecutive games. Maryland is my #1 BIG 10 TOURNEY - GAME OF THE YEAR. 

Score Prediction: 88-74 Maryland.

Burns' Selection // Saint Louis Billikens [Against The Spread] . 

Yeah, the Billikens didn't have the best of seasons. It's not exactly what I was expecting, considering the talent that this roster possesses. That being said, Saint Louis looked very strong in their game yesterday afternoon against Davidson. Isaias Swope & Gibson Jimerson carried the load offensively while Robbie Avila was just three rebounds off of a triple double. When those three are balling, I don't see many teams in the A10 being able to stop the Billikens. 

On the other hand, Loyola Chicago has had its moments this season. However, I don't believe that the Ramblers are going to be rambling on this season. Yes, Loyola's "good luck charm" in Sister Jean is still alive at the age of 105. But, the Ramblers simply don't do anything all that special this season. They are 5-9 in games played on the road/neutral court this season. 

Loyola did manage to win the first matchup when these two played against another back in February. However, in the second meeting (two weeks ago today,) Saint Louis won by a whopping 31 points. I expect the Billikens to move on in the A10 Tournament with another win here on Friday afternoon. 

Score Prediction: 79-66 Saint Louis.

Nevada Wolfpack @ Colorado State Rams (Under) .. 

Yesterday, the Wolfpack were able to win an easy first round matchup against Fresno State. Today, it's got a much tougher task. Nevada is a team that doesn't play very fast. It relies on high percentage looks from inside the arc more than out. The Wolfpack can hang around at times with some of the best in the conference. However, it plays best when it slows the game down and plays at their pace. 

Somewhat luckily for them, Colorado State isn't the fastest playing team at all either. The Rams do score quite a bit more. However, they aren't going to push the pace. The Rams are scorching hot defensively though, over this seven game winning streak. They've allowed an average of 61 PPG over those games. 

Both teams normally make field goals at high rates which is a bit scary in a spot like this. However, I believe that the strong defense of CSU will limit Nevada points and that will ultimately lead to a lower scoring game here in the second round of the MWC Tournament. 

Score Prediction: 70-63 CSU.

Bethune Cookman Wildcats (ML) .. 

Despite not scoring much this season, Bethune Cookman really turned it up a notch at the end of the regular season in the SWAC conference. The Wildcats enter this tournament on a five game winning streak and should be considered one of the "favorites" to win this conference in my opinion. They've got two of the best players in the conferences in Trey Thomas & Brayon Freeman. Both of them average 16+ PPG. 

Looking at Alcorn State, its had a hard time winning games this season. Yes, its conference record is actually quite solid. But, the Braves didn't win a single non-conference game this season and that's what has brought their record so low. Having said all of that, the stats don't see Alcorn as very much of a threat here in this game. It's got one of the worst offenses in the country and its defense isn't entirely great either. 

All in all, I expect Bethune Cookman to roll here. No, its offense isn't top tier either. But, it's significantly better defensively than Alcorn. Expect the Wildcats to win this one by close to, if not double digits here. 

Score Prediction: 71-62 Bethune Cookman.

Mississippi State Bulldogs (ATS) .. 

Coming off of a brilliant performance against LSU in the first round of the tournament, Mississippi State should be considered as a dangerous opponent to anyone in the SEC right now (even the rest of the country come NCAA Tournament time.) The Bulldogs are led by a fantastic young player in Josh Hubbard who scored 26pts last night in just 26 minutes. The Bulldogs had nine other guys who scored multiple points as they went on to score 91 in the win. This is a complete roster that most definitely should not be taken lightly. 

On the other hand, Missouri are struggling dearly as it heads into its first conference tourney game. The Tigers finished the season with consecutive road loses against Vandy & Oklahoma. Then, they came back home and lost by double digits against Kentucky. Now, Missouri relies on making buckets at high rates. It's not going to out rebound very many teams in the SEC, especially a great rebounding team like MSST. Missouri did look good when these two sides matched up in February. However, there's been a lot of season that's passed since then and MSST is a completely different team. The Bulldogs are hungry and I expect them to win this game outright on Thursday evening. 

Score Prediction: 82-76 Mississippi State.

Iowa State Cyclones (ATS) .. 

After playing similar level basketball to Cincinnati for a lot of the game yesterday, Iowa State finally managed to pull away in the second half, winning the game by 20. Now, I don't believe that the Cyclones are going to blow BYU out, because the Cougars are a really good basketball team. However, I do really like the overall game of the Cyclones a lot more in this spot. ISU is very, very deep with five double digit scorers. That will help them go far into the dance this season. Looking at BYU, it's one of the hottest teams in College Hoops right now. No, that isn't the thing that ISU fans want to hear. However, it must be said. There are some flaws to the Cougars' game though. They are also a deep roster, but have very weak defending for a team that's supposed to be a top team in the Big 12. That lack of defending is going to hurt them and could see them in a lot more high scoring battles when in matters. ISU should have the guys to thrive in a close game here and I expect them to pull away in the closing stages of the game. Give me the Cyclones. 

Score Prediction: 79-71 ISU.

UC Davis Aggies (ATS) .. 

Although Cal Poly is the favorite in this game, the Mustangs are not entirely efficient at anything. Their offense is solid, I'll give them that. However, they like to push the pace and try and blow the roof off of their opponents with speed and that hasn't worked too well in games against tougher opponents this year. Cal Poly does average a lot of points, but is prone to giving up a lot as well. 

It's been a very bad stretch for UC Davis, prior to the beginning of this tournament. I mean, the Aggies have lost six straight games and that's probably having a bit of impact on this point spread. Having said that, I believe that a very good showing in the second half of their most recent game vs. UC San Diego should be something to build on here for the Aggies. 

UC Davis did win both matchups in the regular season which is a bit worrisome being the underdog here. However, Cal Poly got slowed down a ton in both of those games and the Mustangs do not play very well when they can't play at the fast pace that they like to play at. I believe that UC Davis has Cal Poly's number and will cruise to the next round of the Big West Tournament here on Wednesday evening. 

Score Prediction: 77-70 UC Davis.

Siena Saints @ Rider Broncs (Under) .. 

Recently, these two sides have been in high scoring games which has increased this total to a lot higher than it should be in my opinion. In the Conference Tournaments, players become more frantic and worried to make mistakes on the biggest of stages. Siena to begin with, doesn't score much. Averaging just over 72 PPG, the Saints like to play at a slightly below average pace, and will try and keep the game at their pace to win. It's worked occasionally but didn't happen against Rider in the first game this season. Talking about Rider, it's an even slower playing basketball team than Siena. The Broncs rank #295th on KenPom in adjusted tempo and do not shoot very many three balls. In that first matchup, they won 61-59 against Siena, when the total was 139.5. Now, the total has gone down from that. But, it hasn't gone done enough. Both teams have averaged less than 68.0 PPG on the road this season & Siena averaged 64.3 in neutral court games this season (this is a neutral court game.) Rider did not play in any neutral court games this year. I expect this one to stay below the number again. 

Score Prediction: 63-57 Siena. 

San Francisco Dons / Gonzaga Bulldogs (Over) .. 

Don't get me wrong, scoring in bigger games is harder, especially for young players like in College. That being said, o/u lines are maybe slightly lower than you'd expect, looking at the numbers. Having said that, I believe that this number is still way too low. San Francisco hasn't beaten Gonzaga 2012, but has been competitive in a lot of matchups. The Dons are not going to be the flashiest team out there. But, they do average more threes per game than the Zags and could very well keep this one close. 

If they were to do that, they would need to score quite a bit though as Gonzaga averages the second most PPG in the country at 87.6. The Zags play at a fast pace and loves getting to the free throw line shooting over 80% from the charity stripe. Ball movement is also phenomenal for Gonzaga as it averages nearly 20 APG (leading the country.) Expect Gonzaga to put up similar numbers to its regular season ones in this tournament game. 

In the end, I'm expecting a tough test for Gonzaga. San Francisco should not be taken lightly and this game definitely has the possibility of seeing more than 170 points. Expect a high scoring WCC Semi's matchup. 

Score Prediction: 88-82 Gonzaga.

Tulsa Golden Hurricane @ Wichita State Shockers (Over) .. 

Although it doesn't play at the fastest pace in College by any means, Tulsa likes to play in high scoring games and it's shown that in recent games. Coming off an 81-77 loss against Tulsa, it's scored 77 in consecutive games now. I believe that the Golden Hurricane will be able to put up similar results here today against a team they scored 84 against earlier this season. 

Looking at Wichita State, it's the faster playing team. The Shockers love to run the ball up and down and even though they don't love the three ball, getting to the line and attacking the paint is what they do well. I believe that the Shockers will want to hammer the Golden Hurricane here after losing to them in the first game. 

All in all, I'm expecting another high scoring game between these two teams. Both are fighting for positioning in the AAC Tourney seeding race as this is the final game in the regular season. Expect it to go "over" this number here this afternoon. 

Score Prediction: 81-72 Wichita State.

UMASS Lowell River Hawks (Moneyline) .. 

Although I don't love that this is an away game for MA-Lowell, I do believe that the River Hawks are more than capable of winning this game, and winning by a decent margin. In their most recent game, which was actually on Tuesday, MA-Lowell dominated the glass. Now, even though the River Hawks ended up losing that game, it was definitely extremely competitive. 

Maine played great in conference play, leading them to the #3 seed. However, the Black Bears are not a very good team overall and should not be considered threats to make any noise in this conference tourney. 

MA-Lowell has the offense to compete with anyone in the America East Conference and should be able to go through here today. It's high shooting percentage and ability to rebound the ball will surely help when it matters most and I expect the River Hawks to progress to the Semis of this tournament. 

Score Prediction: 79-66 MA-Lowell.

Central Connecticut State Blue Devils (ATS) .. 

Fairleigh Dickinson played very well against Stonehill in the opening round. That being said, this is most definitely a whole different challenge. This season, FDU has lost by 11 & 21 to this opponents. Now, as I believe that it's difficult to beat the same opponent three times, I don't believe that it will be too difficult against a Knights team that simply doesn't have the intangibles this season to make a deep run in this conference tournament. 

On the other hand, Central Connecticut State has been covering ATS all season long. The Blue Devils are 20-8 ATS this season and continue to keep dominating. It's not the scoring necessarily either that wins them games. It's the crushing defense that's simply way too strong for anyone in this conference to handle. 

Considering both games have been double digit wins for CCSU already this season. Also with this game being played at the Campus Sites, meaning CCSU will be at home. I simply don't see FDU keeping this one close. This will be a blowout on Saturday afternoon. 

Score Prediction: 82-64 CCSU.

Virginia Military Keydets (ATS) .. 

Although I don't love playing on schools that beat their opponents twice during the regular season much in the conference tournament, there's something to be said about a team that went winless in all games inside conference play. That's right. The Citadel come into this game with an 0-18 record against Southern Conference teams and are on a 21-game losing streak at the moment. 

On the other hand, VMI has been poor recently. However, the Keydets did win seven games against teams in the Southern this season. That's quite a big difference than the 0 that the Bulldogs won. What's also a huge difference is that VMI hits free throws at a 76.3% rate while The Citadel average just 62.5% from the line which is actually second worst in the entire country just barely ahead of Arkansas Pine Bluff. 

Overall, I simply believe that VMI is better suited to win this game and is the sizeable favorite for a reason. If The Citadel can't even win a conference game at home all season long, I do not expect them to win a tournament game at a neutral venue. Hammer the Keydets in the first round of the Southern Conf. Tourney. 

Score Prediction: 74-60 VMI.

Bradley Braves (ATS) .. 

Murray State ended the season with a win, after losing to Belmont (I had Belmont as my MVC GAME OF THE YEAR during the reg season.) Having said that, I simply don't believe that this Racers team is all that this season. They've had their ups and downs. They just don't have the talent to compete with some of the top teams in this conference and I expect that to show here today. 

Bradley also finished on a winning note. As a matter of fact, the Braves have won three consecutive heading into this big tournament game. The Braves shoot the most efficient three ball in the entire country, hitting 41% of their shots from deep. That's pretty absurd. Murray State could be in for a long night here if the three ball continues to work here, as it should. 

The Braves did win both games during the regular season against the Racers. The one at home though was a scare as they only won by two points. That being said, I expect the Braves to come prepared today and be able to knock off the Racers with ease. Hammer Bradley. 

Score Prediction: 76-67 Bradley.

Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons @ Youngstown State Penguins (Over) .. 

After both of the regular season matchups that involved these two teams ended with the number exceeding the total, I believe that another high scoring affair here in the Conference Tournament. All season long, IPFW has been has been scoring tons of points. Averaging 81.2 PPG this season, as well as 10.4 3pt makes per game, the Mastodons are going to be a tough team to beat, even on the road today. Having said that, don't expect them to stop scoring here against another fast playing team. 

Even though Youngstown State doesn't average as many points (77.2 PPG,) it plays just as fast as the Mastodons. Both teams rank in the top 70 in adjusted tempo via. KenPom and love to run the ball up and down the court. The Penguins are averaging 87.8 PPG over their past six home games as well. 

Surprisingly, this o/u line is lower than the last time these two sides met up. We know these teams both love to play fast and we know that they can score. Don't expect the line change to have any factor on these two teams and their abilities to do just that. Hammer the "over." 

Score Prediction: 87-81 Youngstown State.

NJIT Highlanders @ Binghamton Bearcats (Under) .. 

Despite NJIT being prone to giving up quite a few point at times, the Highlanders simply don't score very many points themselves. On the season, the Highlanders average the 9th least PPG in the country at 64.9 PPG. They don't play fast and shoot the 5th worst field goal percentage in the nation as well. Things are not promising for NJIT, whenever it touches the court, especially on the road. 

Binghamton hasn't been amazing this year, but should be good enough to win against NJIT, just as it did back in February. Now, the Bearcats don't score too much either, which should see this game staying lower scoring than you'd think. They've averaged less than 70 PPG as well this season and are coming off a game where they put up only 53 vs. MA-Lowell. 

The total has gone up three points since the first matchup this season and I believe that it should help in this circumstance. Sometimes I like when the line moves the other way, but I expect more points to help us here. NJIT isn't scoring right now and Binghamton will be much better defensively this evening. Hammer the "under."

Score Prediction: 67-55 Binghamton.

Belmont Bruins (ML) .. 

Although I believe that this Murray State team is better than its record suggest, I do not believe that it should be this small of an underdog here this afternoon. The Racers have lost three of their past four road games and have been very inconsistent with wins and losses recently. Up against a team that beat them by 18 points when Murray State was at home, I'm expecting similar results in the home game for Belmont. 

Talking about the Bruins they've been the much better side this season. They've won consecutive games now including a road 9pt victory over Missouri State in their most recent game. The Bruins will be the four seed in this years MVC Conference Tournament. However, going into it on a three game winning streak will give Belmont all the confidence that it needs. 

I believe that the Bruins simply play too fast of MURR to handle. They score more than eight points more per game while playing at a much faster rate. The Bruins dictated the pace in this first game. Look for them to do it again today. 

Score Prediction: 87-73 Belmont.

Texas Longhorns (ATS) .. 

As much as I hate taking against UGA, this spot is horrible for the Bulldogs. They are coming off a massive upset win over Florida and will most definitely underestimate a Texas team that is better than its record suggests. Georgia hasn't won consecutive games since early January, in a home second game. 

Like I mentioned, I believe that the Longhorns are better than the record they have. Now, you may recall that I said that "Texas is much worse than even a season ago" in my "UNDERDOG GOY" analysis. Well, it's true. I still think that. However, the Longhorns are not bad at all. They most definitely aren't bad enough to be playing in the NIT or CIT at the end of the regular season. Having said that, this is a massive game for them considering that they've got to play @MSST & vs. OU to finish the regular season. 

With both teams fighting for their lives to make the Big Dance, I think that it should favor the home team. Texas is 11-5 at home this season while Georgia is 1-7 on the road, losing all seven inside the conference by an average margin of 16.0 points. Texas will also want to get back at UGA from beating it twice in CFB this year. The Longhorns are my SEC GAME OF THE YEAR in 2025. 

Score Prediction: 77-64 Texas.

Wagner Seahawks (ATS) .. 

Coming into this season, I was expecting both of these two teams to be at the top of the Northeast Conference. Well, Central Connecticut State has lived up to the hype. It's won 11 consecutive games now and has a comfortable lead in the NEC standings with this as the final game of the season. Obviously, the Blue Devils would love to enter the NEC conf. tournament on a 12 game winning streak, and are favored to do so. However, I don't believe that it will be as easy as people think. 

Looking at Wagner, it's been a bit of a down season for the Seahawks. Now, there's most definitely the possibility of them winning this game and go into the tournament feeling confident. It's not like they were going to make the Big Dance without winning this conference tournament anyways. That being said, this game means a lot more to the Seahawks than it does for the Blue Devils. Why? Because CCSU has clinched the top seed in the tourney while Wagner could possibly bump up a spot with the confidence factor on the line. 

Just like Central Conn St, Wagner likes to play slow. That will definitely favor the Seahawks this evening as both teams play similar basketball. Let's not forget that Wagner already beat them on the road to open up NEC play. Expect them to challenge the Blue Devils again on Saturday, covering ATS at the very least. 

Score Prediction: 66-60 Wagner.

Houston Christian Huskies @ Northwestern State Demons (UNDER) .. 

This matchup, between two fairly "average" sides, should be very low scoring. As a matter of fact, I'm very shocked that this line isn't in the 120's. Neither of these teams scoring very many points. Other than the teams that can't even reach the 60's, both of these programs average in the bottom 25 in scoring, both averaging 67.2 PPG. Not to mention that they both are some of the slowest playing teams in the country as well. 

Houston Christian, the faster playing of the two teams, is 305th in the country in tempo (via. KenPom.) On the other hand, Northwestern State ranks 331st in the same category. Not many times will you see two teams go at it that are both very slow playing like this ranked in the #300s. Let's also bring your attention to the matchup that occurred in December when the Huskies/Demons combined for only 121. Hammer the "under" on Saturday afternoon. 

Score Prediction: 63-56 NWST.

UNC Asheville Bulldogs @ Winthrop Eagles (Over) .. 

While UNC Asheville lost its last game to Presbyterian at home, I believe that a big bounce back performance should be in store this afternoon in a big time Big South matchup to finish the season. Although there won't be much change, if any in the standings for these programs after today, bragging rights going into the tourney are going to have one team full of confidence. 

Earlier this year when the two sides met up, we saw UNCA getting the win 93-84. That's 177 combined points. Now, the Bulldogs are coming off a horrid performance only scoring 59. That's going to be wiped off the slate here today as I do not see a team that's averaging 82.5 PPG this season having another performance like that. 

On the other hand, Winthrop are averaging even more points than UNCA. The Eagles score 84.4 PPG and play at the 5th fastest pace in the country. according to KenPom's tempo rankings. You know that they want to run the ball up and down the court. The Bulldogs will have to follow suit. Even with this being one of the highest numbers on the board today, expect an "over" to occur. 

Score Prediction: 89-84 Winthrop.

UNLV Rebels (ATS) .. 

While Nevada might slightly be ahead of UNLV in the KenPom efficiency rankings, it's not by much. The Wolfpack are 16-12 this season and are actually below UNLV in the Mountain West standings. Moving up to the top five would do wonders for either team, and allow them to play one less game in the MWC tournament. Having said that, this is a massive game for both teams. Nevada has lost 67% of its away games this year. 

On the other hand, UNLV has won 67% of its home games. The Rebels could be without their top scorer in Dedan Thomas (status uncertain) which is a killer. However, they should be able to handle it with the amount of quality guard play that they have. The Rebels beat SJST on the road on Tuesday and have two really tough games against SDST & UNM to finish the year, meaning a win here would go a very long way. 

Having said all of that, I've got to go with the home team. Getting the Rebels as a slight underdog seems like a gift to me in this spot. Both teams are around the same level and this is a great revenge position for UNLV. Hammer the Rebels on Friday evening. 

Score Prediction: 69-63 UNLV.

Davidson Wildcats @ Virginia Commonwealth Rams (Under) .. 

While I just won my A10 GAME OF THE YEAR against Davidson on Tuesday. It was a 19-5 run for Saint Louis to overcome a big deficit at the end of the game for the win. In that game, it was very low scoring. Davidson only scored 56 points. The Wildcats are a slow paced team, and they don't score a ton of points. They only scored 53 points in the first game & 58 in the second game against VCU last year. 

Talking about VA Commonwealth, it's also a slower paced team that loves relying on great defensive play. Looking at KenPom's defensive efficiency list, the Rams' defense is 23rd in the country. That's brilliant. Having said that, I don't expect them to allow very many points against the Wildcats once again on Friday. 

All in all, VCU should win this game quite comfortably. It's a matter of how much Davidson can score. I don't see them scoring very much and that should lead to another "under" here this evening. 

Score Prediction: 76-59 VCU.

Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons (ATS) .. 

Although Northern Kentucky was able to win in this first matchup back on January 1st, times have changed. Not only has the norse been a lot worse in conference play. But, their record on the road has gotten significantly worse since then as they are now 4-9 in away games. NKY is a very low scoring side as well, averaging just a tad over 70 PPG this season. 

On the other hand, Purdue Fort Wayne holds a massive edge in offensive play. The Mastodons play significantly faster and will knock down threes as well as any team in the country. They are averaging more than 82 PPG and that number improves by more than a point at home. 

Overall, IPFW is the much better program this season which is why it should be able to revenge that loss from last month. The number could go up even higher from this. The Mastodons have won each of their past three home games, and winning those games by an average of more than 17 points. Hammer IPFW on Wednesday. 

Score Prediction: 85-69 IPFW.

San Francisco Dons (ATS) .. 

All season long, this San Francisco team has impressed me. Not only do the Dons have a great one-two punch of Malik Thomas & Marcus Williams. But, they've also got one of the premier defenses in the country. That's right. I'm not only talking about the conference here. I'm talking about the entire nation. It's that good. Having said that, San Francisco is a threat to beat any team, especially Oregon State, who they beat by double digits already this season. 

Now, I know that the Beavers are at home this evening where they are 15-2. However, Oregon State does not have the defense to hold the Dons from scoring. I believe that a tight game will come down to who gets the big stops and from where I'm standing, I believe that SF is the team that's going to get those stops. Oregon State will not be pushing the pace either (it's the 29th slowest playing team via. KenPom's tempo rankings,) leaving more room for the Dons to score. Expect San Fran to win this game on Wednesday. 

Score Prediction: 74-70 San Francisco.

Colgate Raiders (ATS) .. 

Holy Cross simply is one of the worst teams in the Patriot League. With a 5-11 record in the conference, the Crusaders sit in dead last in the conference at the moment with just two games remaining. One thing that most teams capitalize on against Colgate is rebounding (this season.) Well, Holy Cross doesn't have good rebounding numbers either, cancelling that out. 

Looking at Colgate, this is a very down season for the side from upstate New York. Having said that, the Raiders still have a shot in this weaker conference tournament. American & Bucknell will be tough outs. But, I don't see why Colgate can't turn things up come March. Having said that, this is a big game for seeding. With a couple of wins to finish the season Colgate could move up. 

The Raiders dominated the Crusaders only a couple of weeks ago now. It was a 22 point victory on the road. Now, Colgate is at home where it's significantly better (8-3 this year.) That being said, I'm expecting another double digit win for Colgate on Wednesday evening. 

Score Prediction: 77-59 Colgate.

Saint Louis Billikens (ATS) .. 

After being projected to finish at the top of the Atlantic 10 Conference by many people prior to the season, the Billikens have definitely disappointed. Having said that, the season isn't done by any means quite yet. Saint Louis has as good of a chance as anybody does in the A10 Conference Tournament. Finishing in the top four in the regular season would make things a lot easier for the Billikens though as they would play one less game. Currently seeds #4-#6 each have a 8-6 record (SLU is 6th.) That being said, it's crucial that Saint Louis locks in and plays its best basketball from here on out. 

On the other hand, Davidson had a great start to the season, but fell off a bit in Atlantic 10 play. Don't get me wrong, the Wildcats are still going to be a tough team to be at on the road here this evening. However, there are a lot of teams better than Davidson that Saint Louis should be able to beat whether it's on the road or not. The Wildcats defeated the Billikens by 23 back in January on the road. I don't believe that they are capable of doing that again. 

In conclusion, I believe that if the Billikens are playing their A-game, they will win this game this evening. Davidson has won only four of their past 11 games this season (all conference games) and Saint Louis looked very strong against a 17-9 Rhode Island team on Saturday. Expect the Billikens to come out on top and play much better in this revenge game. Hammer Saint Louis. 

Score Prediction: 78-69 Saint Louis.

Howard Bison (ATS) .. 

Coming off of a second consecutive win, Howard is starting to heat up in a very good time. The Bison, who were very solid last season, still have a lot to do in the conference tournament if they want to make the Big Dance. Although Norfolk State is going to be a challenge, I believe that they can beat anyone. Having said that, this game against Coppin State shouldn't be difficult whatsoever for the Bison. They beat them by 15pts back in January. 

Looking at Coppin State a bit more, it's actually done better than last season already this year. The Eagles won just one conference game last season while winning two games overall. Now, 4-21 overall is not much improvement. But, it's something for the program. Having said that, Coppin State doesn't stand much of a chance against one of the top teams in the MEAC. I don't expect the Eagles to score as many points as it did in the first encounter either. 

All in all, expect Howard to play great defense en route to a blowout win. The Bison are playing great basketball right now and should be dominating this game throughout. Hammer Howard. 

Score Prediction: 84-65 Howard.

Duke Blue Devils (ATS) .. 

As good as Illinois has been this season, it's been pretty poor lately. Off consecutive defeats now, the Fighting Illini are falling lower and lower in the seeding for March. Yes, they should still make it without much problem. However, Illinois simply isn't on the same level as some of the top teams in the country, including a team like Duke. 

Talking about the Blue Devils, they've been dominant all season long. I'm proud to have won against them with Clemson in their only conference defeat of the year. Now, I'm laying the points with them on Saturday in this huge game to prepare themselves for the Big Dance. That's why they scheduled this game. No, this is not a home game for Duke. However, the Blue Devils have now moved into the #1 spot in KenPom's efficiency rankings. 

Playing this game at MSG, Cooper Flagg should want to put on a show. He's already had a tremendous freshman season and this is just the start. I'm expecting the Blue Devils to come out and start this game fast. They'll carry the lead throughout the majority of this game and pull away, winning by double digits. Expect a Duke destruction on Saturday evening. 

Score Prediction: 89-71 Duke.

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs @ Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (Over) .. 

Despite its great overall record of 18-9, Louisiana Tech hasn't played all too well in conference play this season against the CUSA. 7-7 Isn't horrible in the conference. However, you'd expect the Bulldogs to be winning a lot more considering the record. The Bulldogs are probably the team that will be slacking a bit behind in this one, considering that they play at quite an average pace. However, it will need to try and keep up against one of the fastest teams in College Hoops this evening. 

Looking at WKU, it's going to play fast. This team, like many WKU teams of the past couple of seasons, will put points up in bunches. Now, after only scoring 67 points against LA Tech earlier this season, the Hilltoppers are going to want to put on a show this evening. They are slight favorites which should be pointing them in the right direction. Averaging 80.0 PPG at home this season, expect WKU to put up quite a bit here today against an average Bulldogs defense. Hammer the "over."

Score Prediction: 83-73 WKU.

Lehigh Mountain Hawks @ Lafayette Leopards (Under) .. 

Don't get me wrong, this o/u line is quite low. However, I do not think that it's low enough. Averaging 69.6 PPG, Lehigh scores the most out of these two sides. The Mountain Hawks play at a slower pace and scored only 50 points in their most recent game against Bucknell. That's now three consecutive games that the Mountain Hawks have seen end up with less points than today's total. 

On the other hand, not only does Lafayette average less PPG (67.9.) But, the Leopards are an even slower playing team than the Mountain Hawks are. They've lost three consecutive games now, including an overtime game last time out. Now, the point spread in this game suggests that it should be a close game. I'm not expecting that to impact the amount that the two score here this afternoon. 

In conclusion, I normally like to lean towards the "over" in games played between two weaker teams. This time however, I don't believe that either team is capable of blowing the roof off and I'm expecting it to end "under" the low total. Hammer the "under." 

Score Prediction: 64-59 Lafayette.

High Point Panthers (ATS) .. 

The best team in the Big South is back in action this Saturday on a nine game winning streak. High Point has looked dominant all season long & is coming off a second consecutive 20+ pt victory. The Panthers might be the road team this afternoon. However, they are still winning 67% of its away games this year. 

On the other hand, Gardner Webb hasn't been special by any means this season. Ranked more than 150 spots lower in KenPom's efficiency rankings, the Bulldogs are fresh off another loss. They've got a worse record on their home court than High Point does on the road. In their first matchup this year, High Point won by 41 points. 

In the end today, it's going to come down to one team simply being a lot better than the other. A team doesn't go from winning by 41 to losing very many times in my opinion. Expect the Panthers to come out of this game victorious on Saturday afternoon. 

Score Prediction: 85-68 High Point.

Cornell Big Red @ Yale Bulldogs (Over) .. 

Despite only having a 13-9 record this season, Cornell has been scoring a very high rate. As a matter of fact, the Big Red are averaging 83.2 PPG which puts them in the top 20 in the country in scoring. Cornell was very disappointing on Saturday (its most recent game) where it put up only 49 points. Now, it's very impressive that the Big Red are still able to average that many points considering a lapse like that. 

On the other hand, Yale has been the team to beat in the Ivy League this season. The Bulldogs have yet to lose a conference game this season and have been putting up just as many points as Cornell has. Yale also averages in the top 20 in PPG this season. Both teams shoot the ball very well percentage wise and we've already seen the two sides to combine for 191 points a couple of weeks ago. 

In the end, I'm expecting another very high scoring affair. Now, we might not see as many points as that first matchup. However, this game is going to be played at an extremely fast pace. Hammer the "over."

Score Prediction: 94-82 Yale. 

Villanova Wildcats (ATS) .. 

Like it has in recent years, Marquette is one of those teams that pretty much always sits at the top of the Big East standings. The Golden Eagles are 20-6 this season and have played very well again with one of my favorite players in CBB in Kam Jones. That being said, this is a bad matchup for them. Marquette is the better side this season. But, it has struggled playing @Villanova in over the years. 

Now, even though the Wells Fargo Center isn't the "home" of Villanova, it's still is considered the "home away from home for Villanova." This is a home game for them and I expect them to play extremely well. Even though the Wildcats just have a 15-12 record this season, they are 12-3 at home. Nova has beaten some of the top teams this season including St. John's & UCONN. 

I'm expecting Nova to fight as hard as it can here. I believe that the Wildcats still have a shot at March if they finish the season strong and a win here against the #16 Marquette Golden Eagles would go a very long way. Expect them to win this game and feel confident with just four regular season games remaining. 

Score Prediction: 74-69 Villanova. 

Southern Utah Thunderbirds (ATS) .. 

Even though playing on the road has been a struggle for the Thunderbirds, its getting very late in the season and I believe that SUU will do everything in its power to improve its seed and try and avoid an #8/#9 matchup in the opening round of the WAC tournament. Other than the teams that play in that game, everyone else in the conference will play the same amount of games in the tournament which would be huge for a team like SUU. 

Abilene Christian is still two games ahead of Southern Utah which will make it difficult. However, the Wildcats are not very good in my opinion. Despite being off three consecutive wins, they've had rebounding issues this season averaging 30.3 RPG. That's not going to cut it against taller teams when times get tough. I think that ACU will have a much harder time this time around as the stats show that these teams are fairly equal. Expect the Thunderbirds to cover ATS this evening. 

Score Prediction: 72-70 ACU.

St. John's Red Storm @ DePaul Blue Demons (Over) .. 

St. John's is going to push the pace in tonights game against DePaul. It's currently the top seed with five games remaining in conference play. We all know that the Red Storm love to score, averaging 78.2 PPG. Therefore, scoring should come easily in a game like this against one of the worst defenses in the Big East Conference. 

DePaul is dead last in the Big East right now while their opponents lead the conference. Even though those standings might reflect on this game, I do believe that the Blue Demons will be able to stay competitive enough in this game. They have won double digit games at home this season which should be something to hold their heads high from. 

Earlier this season when these two sides matched up, they combined for a total of 150 points. I believe that we will see a similar point total ending this evening. This game has "over" written all over it. 

Score Prediction: 85-71 St. John's. 

Central Michigan Chippewas @ Ohio Bobcats (Over) .. 

For the most part, this conference has been one of the highest scoring conferences in College Hoops this season. A lot of MAC teams, including these two (more so Ohio,) love to push the pace which makes for more opportunities as well as more points. Well, earlier this season when these two matched up, one of the rare occurrences happened. It was the lowest scoring game by either of these two sides all season long as they combined for only 112 total points. Somewhat surprisingly, this total has gone up compared to that game. Therefore, I'm expecting a much higher scoring game this evening. 

Central Michigan comes into this game as the betting underdog. It's got a losing record and hasn't been all that impressive in games played against conference opponents. Having said that, the Chippewas need to start winning games as only eight teams are granted a spot in the MAC Conference Tournament (currently 8th.) CMU averages more than 75 PPG, which should make them competitive in all games. It's also scored 82+ in B2B2B games. 

On the other hand, Ohio has been just slightly better than Central Michigan this season. It helps that the Bobcats are averaging 79.7 PPG which is more than four more than today's opponent. The Bobcats are one of the fastest playing teams in the country and that should help them put up plenty of points against a sub-par defense from CMU. 

This game will be high scoring and the oddsmakers know it. Expect the line to keep climbing before game-time. Get on the "over" ASAP before it's too late. 

Score Prediction: 86-75 Ohio.

Coppin State Eagles @ South Carolina State Bulldogs (Over) .. 

Despite only averaging 60.5 PPG this season, Coppin State has shown the ability to score some points here and there. Now, I'm not expecting the Eagles to put up 77 like they did in the first matchup earlier on this season. However, I do believe that they will reach the 60 point mark at the very least. 60 alone should be enough for the Bulldogs push this game "over" the total. 

Talking about South Carolina State, it's now won three consecutive games. The Bulldogs are scorching hot on the offensive side of the ball, averaging 97.7 PPG over those games. Yes, it's a bit crazy to expect them to keep that up today. However, let's not forget that SCST does average 78.5 PPG this season in all games. 

This is a very fast paced SCST team going up against a fairly fast paced Coppin State team. In their first matchup, there was 162 combined points in a very good game. I expect a bit more of a blowout today, and another "over" to unfold. 

Score Prediction: 84-63 South Carolina State.

Louisville Cardinals @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Under) .. 

While Louisville is definitely going to want to push the pace here this evening, I believe that a matchup like this will force them to play a bit slower than usual. The Cardinals are a team that likes to score a lot of points. However, against slower playing teams (like Notre Dame,) they tend to play in lower scoring games. Take for example the game @Virginia back on January 4th. UVA hasn't been great this season, but we all know that it plays good defense and not too fast. Well, that game ended with 120 total points. 

Notre Dame is very similar to Virginia. The Irish are coming off a double-OT game against Boston College in a game that saw a lot of points. Prior to that game though, they had seen three consecutive games now even reach the 130s. This is a team that slows down basketball games and against good offenses. I believe that ND might struggle to score in this game, but it will slow the pace down enough for them to hold Louisville under their average. 

When these two sides have matched up recently, it's been on the lower scoring side of things as well. Last year's games saw 122 & 138 points ("under" was 1-1-0.) Before that, and over the past decade, the "under" is 8-3-2. This matchup tends to stay low scoring and that trend will continue on Sunday. 

Score Prediction: 75-63 Notre Dame.

Kansas State Wildcats @ BYU Cougars (Under) .. 

Scorching hot Kansas State is coming into this game off six consecutive wins. The Wildcats might be the hottest team out there right about now and they are doing it right at the perfect time. This will be a tough game for them though as they go up against a 16-8 BYU team that normally plays quite well defensively at home (outside of the past two.) 

Looking more at the Cougars, they are looking to have a good showing today. Inconsistency has been the name of the game lately and they can only hope for a second consecutive victory against one of the hottest team in the country. As well as Kansas State, BYU doesn't necessarily play too fast. Yes, the Cougars average quite a bit of points, but I believe that they will focus a lot more on defense this evening. 

This line is quite high considering that both teams are going to be fully focussed on winning tonight. With both sides ranking in the top 75 in defensive efficiency at KenPom coming into today, I expect this game to stay on the lower scoring side. Hammer the "under." 

Score Prediction: 71-66 BYU.

Kentucky Wildcats (ATS) .. 

Kentucky has gone through its losing stretch in the SEC. Now, fresh off consecutive wins, the Wildcats will look to close out the season with a bang. These next couple of games against Texas & Vanderbilt are massive considering the strength of schedule over their final five games of the season. Having said that, this is the perfect opportunity for a team like UK to take advantage of a Texas team that's slowly fading away. 

Talking about the Longhorns, they are off three straight losses. Now, although I know that they will break the losing streak soon, I don't see it happening this evening. Texas is much worse than even a season ago and its losses to Arkansas & Alabama at home recently don't look good. The Longhorns are a capable basketball team, but this is a matchup against a hungry Kentucky team that Texas will more than likely struggle in. 

Overall, Kentucky is the much better team this season. The Wildcats swept Tennessee after beating them last game and are currently ranked #3 in offensive efficiency via. KenPom. Texas, on the other hand, ranks 34th in that category. Even though I do expect the Longhorns to end the season strongly, this is going to be a rough game for them. 

Score Prediction: 89-79 Kentucky.

Princeton Tigers (ATS) .. 

Consecutive wins now it has been for the Princeton Tigers and they are climbing back up the Ivy League standings. Yes, Yale has yet to lose inside the conference which has made things a bit difficult for teams like Princeton & Cornell. However, there's still plenty of games left for the Tigers to gain some ground. Princeton, in my opinion, is the most complete team in this conference outside of Yale. The Tigers have been dominant on the road winning six of their seven games on the season. 

Looking at Brown, it's been tough sledding for them recently as its lost B2B games. The Bears are quite shaky at home and will need to turn things around if wanting to make the Ivy League Conference tourney that only consists of four teams. Having said that, this is going to be another hard game for the Bears. Princeton has beaten them in 17 of the past 22 matchups. 

Overall, home court might help the Bears a tad bit. However, that's not going to be enough to stop a Princeton team that is heating up and looking to go into Saturday's game against Yale with confidence. Expect the Tigers to win this game by quite a bit. 

Score Prediction: 83-62 Princeton.

UC Santa Barbara Gauchos @ UC Irvine Anteaters (Over) .. 

UCSB is coming into this game feeling extra confident having won three consecutive games. Although this is a big ask for the Gauchos to go on the road and compete against one of the top teams in the Big West Conference, I wouldn't be surprised if they keep it close throughout and have a shot at it. Over their past five games now, the Gauchos are averaging 79.2 PPG. Three of those games were not played at home. That being said, I believe that they'll be able to score tonight. 

On the other hand, UC Irvine lost on Saturday to UC San Diego in what was a very big game. Now, this isn't the easiest of rebound games that the Anteaters could have had. But, they should like their chances as pretty decent sized favorites. UC Irvine plays at a very fast pace and that helps them average nearly 76 PPG this year. Now, the Anteaters play hard defense, but it's prone to giving up a lot of points when playing good teams like this. 

Even if UC Santa Barbara aren't able to keep up into the later stages of this game, I'm expecting UC Irvine to score enough to get this game to end "over." This line started lower than this and could go up even before tip. Hammer the "over" ASAP.

Score Prediction: 79-73 UC Irvine.

Seattle University Redhawks @ Abilene Christian Wildcats (Over) .. 

While neither team has been very good this season, Seattle has been the better of the two sides in Conference games inside of the WAC. The Redhawks have won consecutive games and are now a game above .500 against the conference. Although they only put up 67pts in the in over UT Arlington on Saturday, the Redhawks have scored 232 total points in their past three games which comes out to an average of 77.33 PPG. 

Looking at the Wildcats, they are also entering this matchup off consecutive wins. No, I don't believe that they are a WAC championship contending team this season, but if the Wildcats can score the rock anything close to what they have these past couple of games, they have a chance to shock some teams. Abilene Christian put up 86 and then 84 points in those wins, both on the road. 

I expect a much higher scoring game between these sides after a lower scoring game the first time they matched up this year. Both teams are looking to extend their winning streaks to three and this is a perfect game to do just that. It should be close enough, leading to fouling at the end of the game and ultimately resulting in an "over" here this evening. 

Score Prediction: 83-73 Abilene Christian.

Canisius Golden Griffins @ Niagara Purple Eagles (Under) .. 

Normally when there's two teams with poor record going at it, I tend to lean on the "over" more than often. Having said that, I'm looking at a game with two bad schools where I expect the "under" to be the result on Wednesday. 

One of the worst offensive teams in the country, Canisius isn't scoring much at all this year. With a 2-21 record this season, the Golden Griffins average only 64.0 PPG which is tied for sixth worst in D1 basketball (as of Tuesday.) Over their past four games, they are averaging even less than that at 58.0 PPG. Now, this is a much better matchup than any of those games other than the one against Niagara (today's matchup.) But, I just don't see a team like this scoring very many points with ho slow they play. 

Looking at Niagara, it's also a very slow paced team. Averaging 67.8 PPG, the Purple Eagles aren't much better offensively than the Golden Griffins are. Neither team is going to push the pace very much in this game. Yes, this is a spot where Niagara should win quite comfortably. However, its scored an average of only 69.0 PPG over their past three games at home. 

The matchup on Jan 31st saw both sides combine for just 127 total points. This is going to be another low scoring contest. Hammer the "under" on Wednesday, early evening. 

Score Prediction: 70-58 Niagara.

Colorado State Rams @ Utah State Aggies (Under) .. 

Coming into this game confident after beating San Diego State in its last game, Colorado State is a very strong defensive side. The Rams are a big and physical team that is strong on the glass. They've allowed an average of only 67.83 PPG over their past six games this season, most against very solid opponents. 

On the other hand, Utah State is also a top team in this conference. It scores a lot more than CSU does, which is bringing this o/u line quite high. Having said that, I believe that the Aggies don't get enough respect for its defense as well. USU creates many turnovers and average 9.1 steals pg which ranks among the nation's best. Although those may lead to some fast-break buckets, Colorado State should be able to limit those here today. 

These two sides have yet to play this season. But, three consecutive matchups played at the home of Utah State have ended up going "under." I firmly believe that this will be a great defensive game with two teams looking to make some noise next month. Both teams should be treating this as one of their biggest games of the season. It stays "under." 

Score Prediction: 73-66 Utah State.

Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (ML) .. 

Coming off another win on Saturday, that's now consecutive wins for the Lumberjacks. Even though it hasn't been the best of seasons for them, it's not too late to start winning games and climb the conference standings. Luckily for them, this is another winnable game. When these sides have matched up before, SFA is 6-1 the past seven and has covered ATS in four of the past six. 

On the other hand, UTRGV hasn't been great either. The Vaqueros are coming off its second straight loss and that makes them now 3-7 over their past 10 games. They have struggled all year on the road and I don't see how they win this game against an opponent that might even be better than them overall despite the record. 

This is a game where I expect the home crowd to help a bunch. The William R Johnson Coliseum isn't huge. But, it's something. Not as small as a gym, that's for sure. Expect SFA to come to play and take home another win on Monday evening on home court. 

Score Prediction: 76-66 SFA.

UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (ATS) .. 

Hawaii is the unluckiest out of any team in College Hoops as each away game is quite a long ways away from its home stadium in Hawaii. Having said that, it's difficult for the Rainbow Warriors to gain any sort of rhythm and this is why we haven't seen them succeed as much as they'd like in College Sports. These Rainbow Warriors have been quite bad on the road. They are 2-5 in those games and have lost three consecutive. 

On the other hand, UCSB has been very solid again this season. This is a complete Gauchos team that has five guys average more than 9.5 PPG. They've got extreme depth and that's what gives them quite the energy boost when subs are being made. The Gauchos have now won consecutive games including a big road win against CSUB on Thursday. 

In this game, UC Santa Barbara are the favorites and for good reason. The Gauchos have the much better offense & defense and they are one of the best three point shooting teams in the country. This will hurt Hawaii big time as the Rainbow Warriors do not shoot too well from deep. Expect a comfortable victory from the home team this evening. 

Score Prediction: 76-59 UCSB.

Florida A&M Rattlers @ Texas Southern Tigers (Over) .. 

Florida A&M might not be among the top teams in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. But, the Rattlers sure give it their all. Playing at a fairly decent pace, the Rattlers have averaged 80.5 PPG in two game in February so far. Now, I know that they can have some games where they don't score much. But, against a fast playing team like Texas Southern, the Rattlers are going to be forced to play fast themselves. 

Talking about the Tigers, they are one of the fastest paced teams in the country. They love to get quick transition points and even though they don't necessarily score as much as they should considering the pace in which they play at, they can light it up against bad defenses. Luckily for them today, FAMU is quite poor defensively. 

All in all, this line could be a lot higher if both teams could score more. Having said that, I think that it should be higher than this. Both sides will take advantage of this matchup and light up the scoreboard this evening in a game that I expect to finish in the 150s and maybe even 160s. I'm playing on the "over." 

Score Prediction: 84-71 Texas Southern.

Dayton Flyers (ATS) .. 

Don't get me wrong, VCU is a very talented school. The Rams are playing great basketball and have won consecutive games, just like Dayton. However, the Rams are human on the road like everyone. VCU doesn't have much experience on the road as its only played six of its 23 games away this season. It's won half of those games and lost its last one by nine. The Rams may have had success @Dayton in recent history. But, the last matchup saw Dayton come out on top. 

Although they are just "slight underdogs" in this game, the Flyers are still considered to be underdogs today. As good as Dayton has been at home over the past few seasons, it's hard to see them losing this game, even against a very high quality opponent in VCU. I do believe that the slump that Dayton was in to begin A10 play is passed us now and we're seeing a difference Dayton basketball team. The Flyers will put the rest of the conference on high alert after this game. 

Score Prediction: 74-62 Dayton.

Arkansas Little Rock (ML) .. 

Like I mentioned in my promotion for this selection, I'm a perfect 4-0 this season in games that include Arkansas Little Rock. That's a perfect 3-0 with Little Rock themselves. I've been high on this team all season long and I expect them to finish the year strong. Currently in 3rd in the OVC, this is a must win if the Trojans want a chance at regular season gold. Luckily for them, this is a game that they should win, quite comfortably. 

Southern Indiana simply isn't a great basketball team. According to KenPom's efficiency ratings, the Screaming Eagles are worse than 300th in both offensive & defensive efficiency this season. That's quite bad. Even though they've won nine games, it hasn't been all that pretty at home. The Screaming Eagles are off consecutive losses including one at home and they've lost four home games already this year. 

The defense of Little Rock will be the difference in this game. I know that the Trojans don't score very many points. However, I'm expecting a low scoring game with the defense of the Trojans allowing less than 65 points this evening. Little Rock cruises on the road. 

Score Prediction: 73-61 Little Rock.

Elon Phoenix @ Campbell Fighting Camels (Under) .. 

While both teams have scored quite a bit this season considering that they each play at a pretty slow pace, I believe that those averages are going to continue to drop over the coming weeks as the season nears a finish. Elon is definitely the better of the two sides. However, on the road, this should be a highly competitive defense. Elon will look to slow the pace down quite a bit and play great defense this evening. 

Campbell is in the same boat really. As I mentioned, it likes to play quite slow. The Fighting Camels are not only on a five game winning streak. But, they've held their opponents to less than 60 points in four of those games, giving up an average of 57.2 PPG. That includes two games on the road. 

Yes, it was a higher scoring game when the two sides saw each other back in January. That being said, the total has gone down a tad since then. Both teams are playing much better on the defensive side at this time of the year and that will result in a lower scoring game in the end. My CAA TOTAL OF THE YEAR is on the "under" on Thursday. 

Score Prediction: 66-61 Campbell.

Southern Illinois Salukis @ Evansville Purple Aces (Under) ... 

Southern Illinois is going to want payback tonight after losing to Evansville by 15 on New Year's Day at home. Now, even though that game only saw 121 points, this total is actually higher than the one posted for that game at 138.5. Now, that could mean something. However, I don't believe that a two point increase means all that much. SIU is a small underdog today and should not be setting the pace today. 

Who will be setting the pace will most likely be the home side in Evansville this evening. The Purple Aces have been playing slow all season long and that has resulted in an average of only 66.3 PPG. Now, Evansville allowed 53 points against these guys back in January. I expect another great defensive showing from this group. 

Neither team likes to push the ball very fast and both teams have played in low scoring contests all season long. Although the Salukis are prone to giving up quite a few points at times, the Purple Aces simply aren't the team to get very many. This game could be close, but do not expect it to reach the 140s whatsoever. 

Score Prediction: 69-63 Evansville.

Houston Cougars (ATS) .. 

As far as Oklahoma State is concerned, it doesn't really stand a chance this evening. The Cowboys have had their chances against some of top teams in this conference this year and haven't done so well. In my opinion, this is their hardest game by far though as their previous one had been at home against this very Houston team. It was a bad performance by the Cougars (60-47 final) and there's going to be a much bigger margin between the two sides today. 

Talking about the Cougars a bit more, they are coming off one of their worst losses of the season. One their opponents' top players was ejected very earlier in that game and they still lost in OT at home. Even though it was vs. a ranked Texas Tech team, it's a game that they should've won. Today, the Cougars should be back to normal and winning games dominantly. Houston will shut OKST's offense down and allow very few points just like in the last meeting. 

Overall, Houston is much better in all facets of the game. Playing at home, the Cougars have been nearly flawless this season. Don't be shocked if Houston wins this game by 30+. 

Score Prediction: 78-49 Houston.

College of Charleston Cougars (ATS) .. 

Charleston may be on the road this evening, but it's playing its best basketball of the season right now and I don't think that many teams in the CAA should be able to win against it. The Cougars are 17-5 this season with 5-2 road record. That means that they are playing great basketball whether it's at home or away. Like their opponents, the Cougars like to play fast. That means that both teams should be able to put up quite a few points this evening. 

Having said that, William & Mary is not a very good defensive team. The Tribe are significantly worse than the Cougars on defense and I don't think they will be able to get stops down the stretch against a team that's beaten them six consecutive times. That's right, Charleston has had William & Mary's number the past few seasons and that comes to no surprise. 

The Cougars have been to the dance and are much more experienced coming down the stretch of a season. Even though the Tribe have yet to lose at home, there's always time for a first and I believe it to be this game right here. Charleston is the two point favorite for a reason. They are my CAA GAME OF THE YEAR. 

Score Prediction: 86-77 Charleston.

Oregon Ducks (ATS) .. 

Back at home after a rough road trip, Oregon is ready to turn things back around this evening. The Ducks, who will still be ranked coming into this game, are a great basketball team that doesn't rely on just one guy to do it for them. Jackson Shelstad is the guy that runs the offense, but he's not alone. 5+ guys average 9.6 PPG or more on this team. Oregon not only has a top offense, but its defense is very underrated. 

On the other hand, Nebraska has not been very good since conference games began. The Cornhuskers own a 3-7 record in Big 10 games and this is going to be another hard matchup on the road for them. Now the last matchup between the two sides was more than a decade ago, but the Cornhuskers have not fared well against the Ducks in the past. They scored just 38 points in the last game. 

I do think that Nebraska is a solid team. However, it's not quite at the level as some of the top teams in the Big 10 Conference and Oregon is just a level above them. Playing on the west coast is not something that Nebraska does very often and this will be a long two game road trip for them. The Cornhuskers have lost four consecutive road games, by a combined score of 353-276. That's an average loss by 19.25 points. Hammer the Ducks. 

Score Prediction: 86-71 Oregon.

Denver Pioneers @ Nebraska Omaha Mavericks (Over) .. 

Denver is a team that I'm expecting to start winning some more basketball teams. Although the Pioneers only have an 8-15 record, they are off consecutive wins to finish January. Now, prior to that, they had lost nine straight. However, this is a team that can play well down the stretch and can score points. In the first matchup earlier this season, Denver did not show what it's capable of. I expect a much closer encounter this time around. 

Nebraska Omaha is definitely the favorite in this game, like last time around. The Mavericks lost their last game, but still scored 87 in the process. That's now five consecutive games with 80+ points for them. Now, even though the last matchup saw just 142 combined points, I expect this one to have much more. The Mavericks like to push the pace and will, as they look to get back on track with a win. 

No, I don't think that Denver will be able to win this one. I know I said I expect them to start winning some more games, but that does not mean all of them. However, like I also said, look for the Pioneers to keep this one much closer, leading to much more scoring this evening. Both teams aren't great on defense and I expect both teams to reach 70 at least in this one. 

Score Prediction: 86-73 Nebraska Omaha.

Central Michigan Chippewas (ATS) .. 

Bowling Green is not playing very well right now. As a matter of fact, the Falcons are 2-6 in the month of February and 0-4 after the midway point of the month. Not only is Bowling Green bad offensively, shooting 44% from the field, but it's also quite bad defensively. They might actually be worse on defense. Two things that don't help this team is that the Falcons do not rebound the ball well, and they do not get very many assists. Those will kill you in the long run and has this season to BGSU. 

On the other hand, Central Michigan is happy to be back home after a bad performance in its most recent game. I do think that the result of that game is keeping this spread a lot lower than it should be. Having said that, the Chippewas play very good defense. Now, they play at a fairly high pace which keeps their opponents PPG higher. But, KenPom ranks their defensive efficiency #154 compared to Bowling Greens' #289. 

All in all, Central Michigan is the must better team and will be playing at home this evening. BGSU has won only one game in eight tries on the road this year and the Chippewas are in for revenge after losing the most recent matchup between these teams last March in the conference tourney. Hammer CMU this evening. 

Score Prediction: 79-65 CMU.

Wisconsin Green Bay @ Oakland (Under) .. 

Wisconsin Green Bay simply isn't a very good basketball team. Don't get me wrong, averaging 69 PPG for a team that's only won two out of 22 games this season is pretty good. However, I believe that playing on the road against a very slow playing team will definitely bring that average down after this evening. The Phoenix average more than a whole point less in away games. 

Like I mentioned, this Oakland team plays extremely slow. According to KenPom, the Golden Grizzlies are the sixth slowest playing team in the entire country. That being said, I expect them to really focus on limiting points by their opponents here in this one. The Golden Grizzlies are averaging only 66.1 PPG themselves. 

With the team averaging less than 66 and a half points per game as the double digit favorites this evening, there's no doubt in my mind that this is going to be a low scoring game. Considering all of that, I'm surprised that this line is fairly high considering. Expect an "under" in this Horizon Conference matchup. 

Score Prediction: 72-55 Oakland.

Xavier Musketeers @ Creighton Blue Jays (Over) .. 

Unranked Xavier took home the W against Connecticut on Saturday and is feeling very good about itself. That being said, the Blue Jays should most definitely not take this game lightly. Averaging 77 PPG YTD, the Musketeers will be looking for a very fast start this evening. Normally when these two teams play, the total is in the 150's. As a matter of fact, the past five matchups have been like that. This one is significantly lower and I think it's way too low. After the "poor" start to this season. Creighton is a team that I've kept my eye on over these past few games. What I've noticed is that it's finally playing like it should be considering all of the talent that it possesses on the roster. Led by Ryan Kalkbrenner, who was one of my names to watch out for in my "CBB Deep Dive: Key Players, Top Teams & More:" article back in October, the Blue Jays' PPG average is only climbing. They like to push the ball and play fast when they can which will most definitely help this game to end "over" this lower than expected total. I'm playing on the "over." 

Score Prediction: 81-73 Creighton.

North Alabama Lions (ML) .. 

Coming off a third consecutive victory on Saturday, the Lions are feeling great about themselves in the Atlantic Sun Conference right now. North Alabama is a sleeper team for me. Although it's not a team that many people talk about, or even mention, considering the conference, this is a team to keep on your radar. At the moment, the Lions are 14-7 and have five scorers averaging double digits. That's something I love about this team. Pure team basketball. 

On the other hand, Queens University has lost three straight games. Their most recent one was at home to Jacksonville by double digits. Now, even though I don't necessarily like this spot considering I like teams to bounce back more often than not in CBB, I don't think that the Royals are capable of keeping up with the likes of UNA. 

Home court advantage should not be an issue here either. Queens' stadium is quite small and only sits a couple thousand people. North Alabama has four wins on the road already this season and a fifth is coming right up. Hammer the Lions this evening. 

Score Prediction: 81-70 North Alabama.

Oregon State Beavers @ Gonzaga Bulldogs (Over) .. 

Oregon State probably only has a slight chance in this game, considering that it's a double digit underdog. However, I do believe that the Beavers will be able to score a decent amount of points tonight. On the campaign, they are averaging 78.3 PPG. According to KenPom, they've got the 45th most efficient offense in the country. Having said that, I believe that a close game could be on our cards, if the Beavers are able to score this evening, which I think is most definitely possible. 

We all know that Gonzaga, on the other hand, can score with ease. The Bulldogs are averaging 89.2 PPG which is second to just Alabama in the entire nation. That means that they should be able to score plenty here on Tuesday. The Bulldogs have now scored at least 88 points in six consecutive games. That should be well more than enough to shoot this one "over."

While these two programs met up with another just a couple of weeks ago now in a big upset win for Oregon State, it was a game loaded with points. They combined for 178 and I expect similar numbers tonight. We know both of these teams can score, it's just a matter of how much this evening. Hammer the "over." 

Score Prediction: 99-92 Gonzaga.

Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders (ATS) .. 

Despite being the underdogs on Monday, Texas A&M Corpus Christi is an excellent basketball team. The Islanders are 11-1 at home this season and I don't see why they can't make it a seventh consecutive victory at the American Bank Center here this evening. They may have been defeat the past two times these sides have met. However, TAMCC has been great ATS in this matchup. As a matter of fact, they are a perfect 6-0 ATS the past six games & 9-1 ATS in all games vs. another which had a point spread. 

On the other hand, the Cowboys will be the visitors here on Monday. Don't get me wrong, McNeese State is red hot, which is why it's favored by this amount. However, the Cowboys lost their best player in Shahada Wells to graduation and this team isn't nearly as strong as last seasons team. Yes, they are strong and shouldn't be taken lightly. But, this line is way too high considering the matchup. I'm playing on TAMCC as my UNDERDOG GAME OF THE MONTH. Don't be shocked if an upset is on the cards today. 

Score Prediction: 74-70 Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

South Alabama Jaguars (ATS) .. 

It's now getting close to February and teams are starting to find their "late season" identity getting ready for one final push. Well, for the Jaguars, they've looked great so far this year and could build on that even more this evening. South Alabama might be coming off a loss. However, that was against a very solid Troy team on the road and they are sure to respond with a big performance here this evening against one of the weakest teams in the entire country. 

Yes, you heard that right. UL Monroe is not a very good basketball team and their 4-17 record goes to show. The Warhawks are quite bad offensively, shooting once of the worst percentages in the nation. They are in fact 17th worst according to KenPom in offensive efficiency. With a losing record at home this season, I don't see how they compete against a very strong defensive team in USA. 

In conclusion, I believe that home court advantage will not make a difference here today. South Alabama already has wins by 29 and 26 on the road against GASO & GAST. Expect them to dominate this basketball game on Monday evening. 

Score Prediction: 77-52 South Alabama.

Montana State Bobcats @ Montana Grizzlies (Under) .. 

Although Montana State is coming off a 74pt performance in a win over Eastern Washington on Monday, its defense is sure playing well right now. Over the past four games, the Bobcats are allowing 64.5 PPG. Now, although they are slight underdogs today, I wouldn't be shocked if they held Montana to a lot less than what it's expecting. 

Talking about Montana, it's averaging a lot less than its averages suggest as of late. Over the Grizzlies past four games, they've scored an average of only 63.25 PPG. Now, this is a bigger game and the stage is set for a back and forth game. However, the Grizzlies will want to lock in defensively like they did against Idaho in their most recent game. 

This is a rivalry game and both teams are going to want to win it. I do expect them to go after it. However, defense should be first thing on their minds tonight. This game will be won with the better defense and I don't see it going "over" this total. Therefore, I'm playing on the "under" in this evenings contest. 

Score Prediction: 70-66 Montana State.

Virginia Cavaliers (ATS) .. 

Although they are the slight favorite in this game, the Fighting Irish have not been very good this year. Notre Dame lost its last game on the road to Syracuse. Now .444 on the season, the Irish head to Charlottesville, Virginia to take on a UVA team that's ready to go. They've struggled dearly when playing in this arena in the past. As a matter of fact, the Fighting Irish have never won a single game when playing @UVA in eight attempts. 

Talking about Virginia, it's off a big 18pt win against Boston College. Yes, the Cavaliers have been quite bad this season as well, but that's kind of what was expected with their coach departing right before the season like he did. Now, I expect Virginia to pick it up a bit as we head down the stretch this season. No, this isn't a team that I expect to surprise everyone and win the ACC Tournament. However, I do believe that they will finish on a high note and win some games against bigger teams. 

Now, being underdogs at home against a team that you've never lost to at home is straight disrespectful in my opinion. The Cavaliers, who are 8-3 at home this season, will be ready to go this evening. Expect them to win this game quite comfortably. 

Score Prediction: 71-60 UVA.

Manhattan Jaspers (ML) .. 

It hasn't been the best of seasons so far for the Jaspers who are 8-8 on the season and 3-4 in conference play. However, this is a great spot for them to get back to .500 in the MAAC and above that number overall. One thing that I take very seriously when picking the winner of College Hoops games is the team's ability to make free throws. Manhattan is much better from the charity stripe than its opponents today, shooting over 4% better from the line. 

On the other hand, Fairfield comes into this game with a losing 7-9 record (3-4 in the MAAC as well.) The Stags have won just a single game on the road this year in eight attempts. This one won't be easy either. According to KenPom, the Stags are worse in offensive efficiency as well as defensive efficiency when comparing against Manhattan. That's not something you want to see. 

In concluding, I believe that the better team is the home team in this matchup and that this line is very favorable considering the fact. Manhattan averages more PPG and will be able to run away with this one on Thursday evening. Expect it to be a double digit win. 

Score Prediction: 78-66 Manhattan.

Creighton Blue Jays (ATS) .. 

Although Creighton hasn't been incredible this season, or as great as some would have thought it was going to be, it's still been solid. The Blue Jays have won three consecutive games including a road win against UCONN on Saturday and are starting to figure things out. They've still got a monster big man in Ryan Kalkbrenner who's incredible at what he does. I believe that this is still a contender to go deep in the dance. 

Looking at DePaul, I played against them earlier this season and won with Providence (BIG EAST GOM.) In that analysis, I mentioned that the Blue Demons were 0-20 in conference play a season ago. That's right. They had zero wins inside the Big East. While, they've already won one game this season in the Big East (last game against Georgetown,) I don't expect them to win many more. 

In conclusion, there's a huge gap in talent between these two sides. Creighton is finding it's rhythm and DePaul doesn't have much going for them this season other than its off its first division win in a couple of years. This is a spot where I think the Blue Jays win by double digits quite easily, even on the road. 

Score Prediction: 83-66 Creighton.

Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders (ATS) .. 

Despite being on the road this evening, this is a game that Texas A&M Corpus Christi should be winning. On the season, the Islanders are 13-6. They've been on an absolute tear recently having won six consecutive games. Not only that, but they've won three straight road games. The Islanders are averaging 81.5 PPG this season which is nearly 15 points more than their opponents score this year. 

Talking about their opponents, Houston Christian will be on the other side of them this evening. The Huskies are only 7-11 so far and are only playing .500 basketball on their home court. Their home court is not very big whatsoever (seats 1000 people max) and gives them hardly any edge if any. 

In conclusion, being on the road should not be the deciding factor in this game. Texas A&M Corpus Christi is a very good basketball team and should have an excellent chance in getting back into the Big Dance this season. I expect them to win this game by double digits on the road on MLK Day. 

Score PredictionL 84-66 Islanders.

Northwestern Wildcats @ Michigan Wolverines (Over) .. 

Northwestern hasn't been the highest of scoring teams this year since its doesn't have the same quality that its had in the past. However, the Wildcats can put up lots of points on their day. Having said that, they turn the ball over a lot which should lead to fast break points for the Michigan Wolverines. 

Talking about the Wolverines, their offense looks amazing this season. Led by two 7ft big men, this Michigan team is very difficult to defend for any team in College Hoops. Michigan averages near 85 PPG which ranks them as one of the top teams in the entire country. The Wolverines are big favorites today and should have no problem scoring lots again this afternoon. 

All in all, this o/u line is way too low considering Michigan is involved in the game. I expect Northwestern to keep it close of a bit, and then Michigan to drive the total points "over" on Sunday at home. Hammer the "over." 

Score Prediction: 86-73 Michigan.

Wichita State Shockers (ATS) .. 

East Carolina has not impressed me whatsoever so far this season. The Pirates are 9-9 and find themselves having lost consecutive games including a nine point loss at home in their latest game. ECU started the season out very well, but have most definitely now fallen off. Its lost eight of ten games since the start of December. The Pirates have been extremely poor on the road as well this season with a winless record. 

Looking at Wichita State, it's a much more complete basketball team. The Shockers had been struggling a tad, but are coming off a much needed win against Charlotte in their latest game to gain some confidence. This is another huge game for them as they prepare to head on the road to Memphis for their next game. Having said that, I don't expect them to take this game lightly whatsoever. 

In the end, this is going to come down to the better team winning. A plus is that the better team is at home. Wichita State is winning 80% of their home games this season. This line is straight up disrespectful to the Shockers and I believe that they will dominate this game this evening. 

Score Prediction: 83-67 Wichita State.

South Dakota Coyotes (ATS) .. 

Despite having won its most recent game, Oral Roberts comes into this game with the second worst overall record in the Summit League Conference as of right now. The Golden Eagles have yet to win a single game on the road this year. Yes, you heard that right. They own an abysmal 0-8 road record. One thing that stands out is how poor their defense has been playing. While playing at a pace that one wouldn't expect high scores in, they are still allowing 78+ PPG this year. 

That is something that the South Dakota Coyotes should be able to exploit. Unlike the Golden Eagles, the Coyotes love to play fast and push the ball. They are aggressive attackers and get to the line a lot. That helps them create easy opportunities for themselves which is why they are in the top 10 in scoring PPG this season (86.0 PPG.) 

The difference between speeds of these two sides will be a massive factor in this game. Not only is South Dakota at home, but it's going to score a lot of points in this game. Yes, the Golden Eagles can score too. But, they simply won't be able to keep up. This line is too low. Hammer SDAK. 

Score Prediction: 97-80 South Dakota.

Iowa State Cyclones (ATS) .. 

I haven't really played the Big-12 Conference all that much this season as I've been gathering info about some of these teams that I'd like to play on in the second half of the season. Now that we're getting to that point, I feel it's the right time to play on a massive game like this. Kansas has looked pretty good once again, but it hasn't been anything special. The Jayhawks are lacking elite guard play, more-so depth in that position this season and that could come back to haunt them against one of the best guard-duo in the country in Tamin Lipsey & Keshon Gilbert for Iowa State. 

Lipsey might not light up the stat sheet for the Cyclones, but everything that he does is something to watch. He's an outstanding ball handler and will drive the ball and make the right decision. Looking at Gilbert, he's been dominant this season, averaging 16+ PPG. He also leads the team in assists pg with 4.7 and grabs lots of boards as well. Curtis Jones off the bench is their leading scorer as well. The guard play of ISU will take over in this game and run right through Kansas' backcourt. Expect a big win for the Cyclones. 

Score Prediction: 78-65 Iowa State.

Arkansas Little Rock Trojans @ Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (Over) .. 

Coming into this game, Arkansas Little Rock is off a very refreshing win over Southern Indiana in a game that I selected them in. Now, up against SEMO on the road, this will be an excellent test for them. I expect them to be able to hang in there for the most part and possibly win this game, which should lead to a higher scoring game in the end. Little Rock is much better than its stats suggest. The Trojans will start winning more games. 

Southeast Missouri State lost in embarrassing fashion on Saturday. However, the Redhawks get the chance to respond here on Tuesday with a much better showing. SEMO's o/u lines have been much higher than this all season long, resulting in more of its games finishing "under" the total. Having said that, I believe that the oddsmakers have got this line way too low. 

Each of the three times that these sides have played @SEMO, they've all resulted in 144+ combined points. This game will go "over" the total on Tuesday evening. 

Score Prediction: 74-70 Little Rock.

Furman Paladins (ATS) .. 

Wofford has been one of the better teams in the Southern Conference over the past few seasons. However, the Terriers haven't been anything special so far this year. They are off consecutive wins, which should be something to be positive about. But, they are still only 8-8 this season with a poor record on the road. Having said that, this is going to be a very difficult game for them against the team with the best overall record in the Conference. 

Although it may not be perfect in conference play, Furman's 14-2 record is better than anyone in the Southern right now. The Paladins have yet to lose a game on their home court this season winning all seven of them. They shoot a high volume of 3pt attempts, leading to many makes and great shooting. Not only are they strong at that. But, the Paladins are also playing like one of the best defensive teams in the country so far. 

In conclusion, I believe that this is a total mismatch. Even though Furman ranks as the "luckiest" team in the current KenPom rankings, the Paladins are more than 30 spots ahead of the Terriers in the overall rankings. Playing at home, they should be more confident in winning yet again. Expect Wofford to come on stronger over the second part of the season, but not today in this tough encounter with Furman. 

Score Prediction: 77-64 Furman.

Arkansas Little Rock Trojans (ATS) .. 

It's been a bit of a slow start for Arkansas Little Rock this season. Still expected to win this conference, in my opinion, this is a must win game for the Trojans to get back to winning again. They are not only the better team between these two sides, but they are also playing this game behind their home crowd, which is always helpful in College Hoops. Little Rock won both meetings against Southern Indiana a season ago. 

Talking about the Screaming Eagles, they are on a losing streak of their own. Now four consecutive defeats see them with a 6-8 record on the season. Southern Indiana has yet to cover ATS in five conference games so far. This is going to be the sixth straight time that they fail to do so. Expect the Trojans to dominate throughout this contest. 

Score Prediction: 74-60 Little Rock.

Idaho State Bengals (ATS) .. 

As I take a look at this game, I don't think that this line should be this close. Weber State is 6-10 this season, including only a 1-7 record on the road. The Wildcats may average north of 76 PPG but only average 65 PPG when playing on the road. This is a bad spot for them coming off a tough road loss against Northern Arizona last weekend by just a bucket. 

Despite not having the best record at all, the Bengals have been great against the points spread (8-2 ATS their past 10gms.) They have also only played 13 games this season. That's a lot less than many of the country. I like to think that it should help them as they are more rested at the moment. Idaho State is going to be able to neutralize any offensive threats of Weber State in this game, while dominating the glass (currently averaging 3.5 more rebounds pg, and 4.5 more offensively.) 

Overall, I believe that we've got the better side at home in this matchup. Even though statistics may point more towards Weber State, the Wildcats have lost four consecutive games and aren't showing any signs of pulling out of this slump. Expect the Bengals to win this game comfortably.

Southern Utah Thunderbirds (ATS) .. 

Although it's coming off three consecutive wins, Tarleton State's offense simply isn't very good. Averaging 65.5 PPG on the season, the Texans are lucky to even have six wins so far. They've been blown out by the better teams that they've faced this season on the road (L by 63 @Baylor, L by 23 @Michigan, L by 20 @FSU, L by 34 @SMU, L by 15 @UCF.) Even at home they've got some bad losses including a 29pt defat against Sam Houston State as well as a 16pt loss to Indiana State.

This is the perfect bounce back spot for the Thunderbirds. They've lost five straight games but still have a reasonable record this season. With how bad Tarleton's offense can be, they should have no problem running up the score in this game, with the Texans not being able to keep up. SUU has the capability of putting a lot of points up, and should do so against a much weaker opponent than it's been playing recently. 

KenPom ranks these teams significantly far apart. Southern Utah ranks 208th in the country while Tarleton St. ranks 290th. The Texans have lost every single road game this season - 0-7 and have shown no signs of being able to keep up away from home. Even though this home court advantage isn't as big as say a top schools would be, it's still something. Expect the Thunderbird fans to be out and loud after the winter break. Hammer Southern Utah ATS.

Score Prediction: 81-64 Southern Utah.

Georgia Southern Eagles @ Georgia State Panthers (Over) .. 

If one took just a quick glance at this game just by the offensive numbers, you would never even consider this "over." Having said that, this is one that I really like. Georgia Southern comes into this game allowing 78.9 PPG which is the 29th worst in the entire country (D1.) Not only do the Eagles allow a lot of points, but they also can score when needed as well. Over its last three wins, GASO have scored a combined 269 total points which averages out to be 89.66 a game. Although the Eagles aren't the favorites today, the spread is close enough for them to be considered a threat to win. 

Looking at their opponents, the Georgia State Panthers are a team that allows a lot of points as well. They are allowing 78.3 PPG, which is the 37th most in the country (D1.) Despite those defensive struggles, the Panthers still are able to score at home as well. In eight home games this season, GAST is averaging 77.9 PPG. That includes a big 94pt performance against ULL last time out. 

In conclusion, this line is quite high for a reason. Neither team will be able to stop the other in this evenings ball game and it's the perfect time for both teams to put up some points. Both sides play quite fast as well. Don't be surprised to see this game finishing in the 160's in points. 

Score Prediction: 86-79 Georgia State.

Saint Mary's CA Gaels (ATS) .. 

Although Saint Mary's lost a lot in Aidan Mahaney over the offseason (led the Gaels in scoring last year,) its still a contender in this West Coast Conference and could challenge Gonzaga for the top spot once again. The Gaels are feeling it right now having won three consecutive games. Yes, they've got a few losses on the season, but none of them are bad losses. As a matter of fact, I think all three of their losses against top opponents have the Gaels focused and ready to go for conference play (3-0 already.)

Loyola Marymount is simply an average basketball team. Not only do the Lions struggle to score the ball at times, but they also aren't the best defensive team. All of that was shown in their latest game against Gonzaga (a 28pt loss at home.) The Lions can beat a team here and there. But, they aren't going to fare well against the better teams that they'll see this season, especially on the road. They are 0-4 on the road this season. 

In conclusion, this line isn't big enough. The Gaels are going to want to make a statement in this game after they saw what the Zags did to LMU on Saturday. This is a game where Saint Mary's should be winning by 20+, with its defense shutting the Lions down. Expect a dominant performance from the entire lineup of St. Mary's on Tuesday evening. 

Score Prediction: 82-56 Saint Mary's.

Texas Southern Tigers (ATS) .. 

This season so far, Grambling State has been quite bad. Even though it's got three wins, all three of them have come against non division one programs. Same could be said about its opponents today in TXSO. But, Grambling hasn't even come close in recent games. That being said, I don't believe that they'll be able to hang with most teams in conference play either, even against a weaker opponent like Texas Southern. Grambling is one of the worst scoring teams in College Basketball averaging lower than 70 PPG. 

On the other hand, even though I do think that Texas Southern is also not the greatest, it's at least been competitive recently including just a 4-pt loss @Abilene Christian. Texas Southern ranks two spots above Grambling via. KenPom efficiency and are at home today. It's pace will be too much for the road team to handle on Monday and that should lead to easier buckets down the stretch. Also look for free throw shooting to play a factor. TXSO shoots a lot better from the line. Hammer the home Tigers. 

Score Prediction: 74-63 Texas Southern.

Maryland Terrapins @ Oregon Ducks (Over) .. 

Coming off a game where they allowed 109 points at home, the Ducks will be wanting to score lots on Sunday to make up for that poor performance. It was in fact against a ranked Illinois team that it happened to. So, it wasn't like some bad team did it to them. However, the Ducks are now allowing a lot of PPG and that's something I look for when selecting an "over" in College Hoops. Especially if that team is favored in this game. 

Maryland is a team that could very well win this game as the underdog. The Terps are 11-3 this season and have as much talent as a lot of teams do in the Big Ten. If this game were at Maryland, the Terrapins very well could be the favorites. Having said that, I expect the Terps to score a lot today in a game that should be extremely high scoring. They already average nearly 86 PPG themselves. This will be a high scoring game on Sunday afternoon. 

Score Prediction: 87-81 Oregon.

UTEP Miners (ATS) .. 

Having already played seven games at home this season and winning them all, the Miners should be coming into this game feeling extremely confident. Not only is UTEP the favorite in this game, but it's 6-1 as a favorite in games this year. The Miners have a much better defense than their opponents in this one. As a matter of fact, they are averaging just 65.5 PPG allowed this season which is 12.5 less than Sam Houston State's 78.0 PPG allowed. 

Talking about the Sam Houston State Bearkats, they are struggling at the moment. Coming off another loss on Thursday, they've now lost four consecutive road contests. They are also not covering ATS very well this season, failing to cover in six of their past seven games. The Bearkats may have the better offensive stats, but their defense is horrendous. 

With UTEP leading the country in Steals per Game, this is a game that it should be capitalizing on. The Miners have a much better record this season and are playing much better team basketball. Don't be shocked when the Miners win this game by double digits. 

Score Prediction: 84-71 UTEP.

Missouri State Bears @ Bradley Braves (Under) .. 

Missouri State isn't your prototypical defensive team. With a 7-7 record, you wouldn't really expect much from them. Having said that, with the pace that the Bears play at, it's been great to watch how their defense can play. This is a team that has allowed less than 65 points five times this season. Now, as the big underdogs, the Bears are most likely going to lose this game. I think that they will be able to hold Bradley under 70 points though. 

As we mentioned the Bradley Braves, they will be the favorites in today's matchup. Yes, the Braves can put up points. But, they too play at a slower pace than most teams in College. Allowing less than 65 points in six games this season, they have an even stronger defense than Missouri State. As a matter of fact, this is the perfect opportunity for them to shut down a team like they did against Canisius in their latest game that didn't see any overtimes. 

Consecutive overtime games also could see Bradley slightly tired for this game. The Braves will be focussed more on limiting the possessions of Missouri State and that should lead to a lower scoring game. I'm playing on the "under" this evening. 

Score Prediction: 66-54 Bradley.

San Diego State Aztecs (ATS) .. 

Last Saturday, I played on these Aztecs and they won for me. This weekend, I'm playing on them again. San Diego State may not have all of its players back from last season. But, the Aztecs are still one of the top teams in the country. Currently ranked 20th in the country, SDST has won five consecutive games. One of those wins was against Houston in Vegas. Today will be a tough test against Utah State. But, I think that they will be up for the challenge. 

Looking at Utah State, this is a team that very well could be ranked. However, the Aggies lost their best player in Great Osobor during the offseason which made them rebrand themselves a bit. They've played very well considering all of this. Having said that, they did suffer a "weaker" loss against UC San Diego two games ago now. I think that that they will struggle against a very tough defense here, especially on the road. 

This is a tough game for both teams. That being said, the home team should prevail in a massive game in the Mountain West these evening. Both these teams have a bright season ahead, but look for SDST to come out on top. 

Score Prediction: 76-67 Aztecs.

Arizona Wildcats (ATS) .. 

Like I mentioned in my College Hoops article last month, Arizona was one of my "Losers" in the month of November. Now, I believe that the Wildcats are ready to play much better basketball and deserve to be the 3.5 point favorites in today's game. Arizona has only played one game in the month of December so far. They won comfortably against a Southern Utah team that isn't supposed to compete with top teams. Even though it wasn't a top quality win, that should help get this team back on track. The Wildcats are way too good of a team to be struggling like this. 

On the other hand, UCLA just isn't the same team that they were a couple of seasons ago. The Bruins may be 8-1. But, they've yet to really be tested, especially on the road. This will be just their second road game of the season. Yes, they just beat Oregon away from home which was a huge win. But, they are not going to be able to match up with the pace in which the Wildcats play at. Arizona is the favorite for a reason in this game and will win this game easily. 

Score Prediction: 84-74 Arizona.