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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

At 6:30 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs (101) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (102). THE SITUATION: Kansas City (16-2) defeated Buffalo by a 38-24 score as a 2.5-point favorite in the AFC Championship Game to advance to their opportunity to defend their Super Bowl championship from last season. Tampa Bay (14-5) upset Green Bay in the NFC Championship Game by a 31-26 score as a 2.5-point underdog. This game will be played in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay making the Buccaneers the first team to playing in their home stadium in a Super Bowl.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Kansas City scored 21 points in the second quarter en route to their easy victory over the Bills while demonstrating just how good their offense is when full-engaged. The Chiefs scored 32.1 PPG in their first ten games of the season before going on cruise control a bit which coincided with their 27-24 victory at Tampa Bay on November 29th in Week 12. Kansas City also raced out to a 19-3 halftime lead in their previous game against Cleveland. A fast start for Patrick Mahomes should help ensure this becomes a high-scoring game — they have played 11 of their last 14 games Over the Total after scoring at least 17 points in the first half in two straight games. Since the Chiefs “flipped the switch” in the postseason again, they have averaged 7.06 and 6.97 Yards-Per-Play — and they have then played 21 of their last 31 games Over the Total after averaging at least 6.5 YPP in two straight games. Kansas City has also scored 31.6 PPG in their eight games on the road — and they have played 10 of their last 15 road games Over the Total with the Total set at 49.5 or higher. The Chiefs’ defense allowed 363 yards to the Bills — and they have also played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after allowing at least 350 yards in their last game. Tampa Bay was always going to be a work-in-progress in a year without a full training camp to get Tom Brady in-synch with head coach Bruce Arians. Adding Leonard Fournette and then Antonio Brown (who should be healthy again for the Super Bowl) midseason to a team already loaded with talent at the skill positions made the challenge more difficult — but this team is peaking at the right time with two weeks to further grow. Since their loss to the Chiefs by a 27-24 score on November 29th, Tampa Bay is scoring 34.3 PPG while averaging 424.0 Yards-Per-Game. The Buccaneers have scored at least 30 points in six straight games — win or lose, I suspect they will hit the 30-point threshold for a seventh straight game. And I expect Mahomes to at least be able to keep up since KC will keep their foot on the gas pedal all game — ensuring our Over. Tampa Bay has played 13 of their last 20 games Over the Total after scoring at least 30 points in their last game. The Buccaneers have also played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total after scoring at least 30 points in two straight games. The Buccaneers defense allowed the Packers to gain 381 yards — and they have played 19 of their last 26 games Over the Total after allowing at least 350 yards. Tampa Bay has seen at least 50 points in six straight games — and not only have they played 8 of their last 12 games Over the Total after playing at least three straight games where at least 50 combined points were scored but they have played 8 of their last 11 games Over the Total after playing four straight games where at least 50 combined points were scored. The Buccaneers have also played 9 of their last 13 games Over the Total as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Tampa Bay has played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total when avenging a loss at home to their opponent — and they have played 8 straight games Over the Total when playing with revenge from a loss by 7 points or less. Giving head coach Bruce Arian to dial-up plays and a strategy to react to their loss just over two months ago should ensure the Bucs’ score more points this time around — and that should push this rematch above the number. 25* NFL Total of the Year with Over the Total in the Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs (101) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (102). Best of luck for us — Frank (and look for my Super Bowl Prop Bets Report the morning of the Super Bowl).

At 11:30 AM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between Manchester City (200057) and Liverpool (200058). THE SITUATION: Man City (W14-D5-L2) has won nine straight matches in the English Premier League after their 2-0 win at Burnley on Wednesday. Liverpool (W11-D7-L4) looks to bounce-back from a 1-0 loss at home to Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Manchester City has developed into a defensive juggernaut this season with manager Pep Guardiola shifting tactics a bit. He also found a dominant defensive pairing at center back in Ruben Dias partnering with John Stones. In the Cityzens’ last 12 matches which has featured this pairing, they have surrendered just one goal. Perhaps even more impressive, Man City has allowed a mere 5.43 combined expected goals (xG) over that span. Their defense has been suffocating. Burnley barely registered 0.07 xG on Wednesday. They have not allowed these last 12 opponents to generate more than 1.0 xG. And even the one goal they allowed over this span was a meaningless stoppage-time goal to Chelsea in a 3-1 victory. Man City has eight clean sheets in their last nine EPL matches — and they have an incredible 16 clean sheets in their last 20 contests. Yet all this defense is coming at a cost. The offensive attack has been reeled in a bit. The Cityzens are averaging 1.99 xG this season which is a drop off from their 2.67 xG and 2.40 xG marks in the previous two seasons. Some of this is tactics — but some of this dropoff is also because the starting XI is without key scoring talent. Their best pure goal-scorer is Sergio Aguero but has barely played this season. Their best overall offensive player for goal-scoring, assists, and penalty kicks is Kevin DeBruyne but he is out with an injury. Man City has not registered 2.0 xG or higher in three straight matches — they are simply not generating many Big Chances (representing a scoring chance with a success rate of 35% or higher). On the road, while the Cityzens have scored 24 goals, their xG drops to 19.15  for a more modest 1.74 xG per match. Liverpool is in a scoring slump right now in a combination of bad luck and attackers out-of-form. The Reds have not scored in three straight home matches — and it has been a stunning 348 minutes since they last scored a goal at home at Anfield. In their last four matches overall, Liverpool is averaging just 1.48 xG per match. Granted, the Reds expect Sadio Mane to be back on the pitch for this showdown — and the underlying numbers indicate that they should be seeing more scoring. Well, no kidding! Facing an opponent who will not be content to park the bus in back will help. But Man City is not the side a team wants to face to break out of their scoring doldrums. Jurgen Klopp’s team has been strong defensively still — even with plenty of injuries. Since losing defensive back Virgil Van Dijk, Liverpool is allowing just 1.08 expected goals (xGA) per match. And some of this defensive success comes from Klopp also choosing to rein in his offensive attack. One of the residual impacts of the altered schedule this season given COVID’s impact on the 2019-20 campaign is a condensed schedule. Uber-aggressive pressing teams like Man City and Liverpool have been less ambitious simply because of player fatigue. Expect both managers to exhibit caution in this showdown. Guardiola will be satisfied with a draw.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams played to a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture on November 8th in a match where both defenses were not playing nearly as well as they are now. Expect a lower-scoring match. 25* EPL Sunday NBC Sports Network Total of the Month with Under the Total in the match between Manchester City (200057) and Liverpool (200058). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the North Carolina State Wolfpack (605) and the Boston College Eagles (606). THE SITUATION: NC State (7-7) has lost two straight games as well as five of their last seven contests with their 65-57 loss at home to Virginia on Wednesday as a 7-point underdog. Boston College (3-10) has lost five of their last six games with their 80-70 loss at Notre Dame as a 4.5-point underdog back on January 16th.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: NC State made only 43.4% of their shots against the tough Cavaliers’ defense on Wednesday — that was the worst offensive effort in their last five games. They did get 23 points from Jericole Hellems. The junior has averaged 23.5 PPG in his last two games taking over the role as the team’s go-to scorer after the season-ending ACL injury to Devon Daniels on January 28th in the game against Wake Forest. Daniels was averaging 16.5 PPG. D.J. Funderburk also scored 9 points in 17 minutes of play after not playing in the previous game at Syracuse for an undisclosed university issue. Head coach Kevin Keatts’ team should still generate plenty of offense even without Daniels. They rank 53rd in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. They generate offense from their defense — they are 15th in the nation by forcing turnovers in 23.3% of their opponent’s possessions. This is an area of weakness for the Eagles who are 188th in the country with a 19.5% turnover rate. NC State has played 6 of their last 9 games Over the Total after losing two in a row against conference opponents — and they have played 6 straight games on the road after losing at least three of their last four games. But defense is also an issue for Keatts’ team as they rank 14th in the ACC in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. The Wolfpack go back on the road where they are allowing their opponents to make 50.7% of their shots which is translating into 80.0 PPG. They have played 7 straight road games Over the Total — and they have played 11 of their last 14 road games Over the Total with the number set in the 140s. NC State has also allowed their last five opponents to shoot 52.5% from the field and 79.6 PPG. Boston College has not played in about three weeks — they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total when playing with at least seven days of rest. The Eagles may be rusty with their shooting — but they are going to play at a fast pace with fresh legs. Boston College is second in the ACC in tempo — and the defensive pressure from the Wolfpack will contribute to a frenetic pace. NC State allows their opponents to make 46.8% of their shots for the season — and the Eagles have played 28 of their last 39 games Over the Total against teams with a defensive field goal percentage of 45% or higher. Boston College has played 4 straight games Over the Total after a double-digit loss — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after allowing at least 80 points in their last game. Defense is an issue for Jim Christian’s team as well as they rank 315th in the nation in opponent’s effective field goal percentage while allowing their opponents to make 54.3% of their shots inside the arc, 313th in the nation. The Eagles return home where their defense does not improve much as they allow their guests to generate an effective field goal percentage of 53.7%, 301st in the country, by allowing these visitors to make 52.7% of their 2-pointers and 36.9% of their 3-pointers. Boston College has played 5 of their last 7 home games Over the Total — and they have played 28 of their last 40 home games Over the Total with the number set at 145 to 149.5.

FINAL TAKE: NC State has played 7 of their last 10 games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage in the 20 to 40% range. It may be sloppy — but expect a fast pace between these two teams with suspect defenses. 25* CBB ACC Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the North Carolina State Wolfpack (605) and the Boston College Eagles (606). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Washington Huskies (745) and the Oregon State Beavers (746). THE SITUATION: Washington (3-12) had their two-game winning streak snapped on Sunday with their 77-62 upset loss at home to Washington State as a 1.5-point favorite. Oregon State (8-7) has lost their last two games with their 57-52 loss at UCLA as an 11.5-point underdog on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Huskies made only 38.2% of their shots against the Cougars which was the worst shooting effort in their last four games. Washington has played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a double-digit loss at home. They also have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after an upset loss to a conference rival. Additionally, the Huskies have played 5 straight games Over the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 4 straight games Over the Total after a point spread loss. The defense for head coach Mike Hopkins’ team has been the bigger issue this season — the 77 points they allowed against Washington State was actually the fewest in their last nine games. The Cougars have played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total after allowing at least 75 points in two straight games. Over their last five games, Washington is scoring 74.6 PPG — but they are allowing 82.4 PPG with those five opponents making 46.9% of their shots. Now this team goes back on the road where they are 0-8 this season. They allow their home hosts to make 47.1% of their shots which translates into 82.7 PPG. Hopkins is a Jim Boeheim disciple with his using the 2-3 zone defense that he has made a staple at Syracuse. Defensive rebounding is a weakness with that scheme — and the Huskies are allowing their opponents to rebound 39.1% of their missed shots which is 304th worst in the nation. But the 2-3 zone is intended to force ill-advised outside shots — yet Washington is seeing their home hosts nail 39.7% of their 3-pointers which is 343rd in the nation. The Huskies have played 7 straight games Over the Total on the road — and they have played 7 straight road games Over the Total as an underdog. Oregon State should take advantage of both these vulnerabilities. The Beavers pull down a healthy 29.0% of their shots on the offensive glass — and they make 35.4% of their 3-pointers at home. Oregon State has also played 15 of their last 23 games Over the Total after a loss to a conference rival. Furthermore, the Beavers have played 7 of their last 9 games Over the Total after failing to score at least 60 points in their last game — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after scoring no more than 55 points in their last contest. Oregon State did hold the Bruins to just 32.7% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last thirteen games. The Beavers return home where they are 7-4 while scoring 75.5 PPG. Oregon State has played 4 of their last 5 home games Over the Total — and they have played 8 of their last 12 home games Over the Total with the number set in the 140 to 144.5 point range. The Beavers have also played 9 of their last 13 home games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage below 40% on the road. Furthermore, Oregon State has played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total against teams not winning more than 40% of their games. And in their last 18 games with the Total set in the 140s, the Beavers have played 13 of these games Over the Total.

FINAL TAKE: Washington has played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total against teams with a winning record — and they have played 9 of their last 11 games Over the Total against Pac-12 opponents. The Huskies allow 77.3 PPG — and Oregon State has played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total against teams who allow at least 77 PPG. 25* CBB Pac-12 Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Washington Huskies (745) and the Oregon State Beavers (746). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between Chelsea (200033) and Tottenham (200034). THE SITUATION: Chelsea (W9-D6-L6) won their first match under new manager Thomas Tuchel on Sunday in their 2-0 victory against Burnley. Tottenham (W9-D6-L5) has lost two in a row after their 1-0 loss at Brighton and Hove Albion.

THE SITUATION: The tenor of this Chelsea team under Tuchel has been to dominate possession while staying conservative in taking chances yet suffocating their opponent’s attacking ambition. Burnley managed only one shot on Sunday — and that was only in stoppage time — while generating a mere 0.14 expected goals (xG). In their 0-0 draw with Wolverhampton, the Blues limited the Wolves to just 0.63 xG. Chelsea dominated possession in both matches controlling the ball for 66% and 67% of the time. The Blues have allowed only five combined shots in both games. Yet Chelsea is not being overly aggressive in their attack. They managed only 1.35 xG in their victory against Burnley after generating just 0.81 xG against Wolverhampton. Tottenham only managed 0.44 xG in their loss at Brighton. The Spurs’ offensive attack is toothless without Harry Kane who remains out with an ankle injury. Since leaving the match against Liverpool at halftime, Tottenham has managed only 0.48 xG in 135 minutes with just one goal, nine shots, and zero Big Chances (representing a 35% or better success rate). Manager Jose Mourinho’s tactics have quickly been exposed in the top-flight — everyone knows he wants his side to score on the occasional counter-attack with his high-skilled scoring talent like Kane. The Spurs are wilting against opponents not taking the bait in being overly aggressive. But Tottenham remains fundamentally-sound on defense. They have allowed only 21 goals which are the second-fewest in the English Premier League.

FINAL TAKE: I waited to endorse this play until Tuchel announced his lineup at 2 PM ET — he is still learning his roster and tinkering with starting XI lineups. A starting group with Christian Pulisic and Tammy Abraham and/or Oliver Giroud might have scared me off. Instead, both attack-minded players are on the bench with solid-defensive minded midfielders like Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, and Jorginho are on the pitch. Kai Havertz is injured for this match which takes away an offensive-oriented player. Expect Chelsea to control possession again but not be too foolish in rushing players into the attack. 25* EPL Thursday Total of the Month with Under the Total in the match between Chelsea (200033) and Tottenham (200034). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:15 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between Brighton and Hove Albion (200037) and Liverpool (200038). THE SITUATION: Brighton (W4-D9-L8) is unbeaten in their last four matches across all competitions after their 1-0 win against Tottenham on Sunday. Liverpool (W11-D7-L3) has won their last two matches with their 3-1 win against West Ham on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Brighton has registered three straight clean sheets as they are playing outstanding defense right now. They held the Spurs to just 0.44 expected goals (xG) over the weekend. The Seagulls have allowed 29 goals this season — but they are fifth-best in the English Premier League with 24.70 expected goals allowed. But they have only scored 21 times in their 23 EPL matches.

At 3:15 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between Southampton (200025) and Manchester United (200026). THE SITUATION: Southampton (W8-D5-L7) has lost three straight games in the English Premier League after their 1-0 loss to Aston Villa on Saturday. Manchester United (W12-D5-L4) comes off a 0-0 draw at Arsenal on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Southampton attack has stalled as they have only one goal in their last three matches along with just three goals in their last eight contests. Perhaps the cause for this decline was simply the Regression Gods finally visiting the Saints after the summer and then fall in the new season where their scoring numbers were exceeding their underlying numbers. Southampton has scored 27 times this season but their expected goals (xG) fall to just 21.14. The Saints average just 1.11 xG per match which is sixth-worst in the EPL. Their non-penalty kick xG is only 1.03. And in their nine road matches in league play, Southampton has an xG of 8.43 as compared to their 12 goals scores which suggest they have been overachieving from their 1.33 goals-per-game road mark. The Southampton defense has been solid — they limited a potent Aston Villa attack over the weekend to just 0.77 xG. For the season, the Saints allow 1.33 expected goals (xGA). Manchester United is in a scoring slump of their own with just three goals in their last four matches. Marcus Rashford is out-of-form — he has managed only six shots inside the box in his last seven matches. But the Red Devils’ defensive effort remains consistent. They limited Arsenal to just 0.90 xG on Saturday with the Gunners’ best scoring chance only registering a 9% chance of success. Man United has allowed 15 goals in their 10 home matches — but their xGA drops to 12.46. Yet the Red Devils generate 0.30 fewer expected goals when playing at home at Old Trafford.

FINAL TAKE: Southampton has seen 13 of their 20 EPL matches this season generate two combined goals or less. Man United has played seven straight EPL matches with no more than three combined goals scored — and four of those matches saw less than three combined goals scored. 25* EPL Tuesday NBC Sports Network Total of the Month with Under the Total in the match between Southampton (200025) and Manchester United (200026). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Valparaiso Crusaders (863) and the Evansville Purple Aces (864). THE SITUATION: Valparaiso (6-10) saw their three-game winning streak snapped yesterday with their 70-52 loss at Evansville as a 1-point underdog. Evansville (7-8) ended a three-game losing streak with the victory.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Crusaders allowed the Purple Aces to nail 60.4% of their shots from the field which was their worst defensive effort of the season. Valparaiso holds their home hosts to just 42.6% shooting — so they should play better on the defensive end of the court. The Crusaders have played 12 of their last 14 games Under the Total after allowing their last opponent to make at least 55% of their shots. Valparaiso also made 47.5% of their shots in that game which was their best field goal percentage in their last nine contests. The Crusaders are 10th in the Missouri Valley Conference in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. While they score 67.9 PPG on the season with a 41.2% field goal percentage, they have averaged just 64.2 PPG along with a 38.9% field goal percentage in their last five games. Valparaiso's scoring average drops to 63.0 PPG along with a 40.8% shooting percentage in their nine road games. They have played 5 straight road games Under the Total — and they have played 6 straight road games Under the Total with a winning record at home. They also have played 6 straight road games Under the Total as an underdog. Additionally, the Crusaders have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after a loss — and they have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total after a loss by at least 15 points. They also have played 28 of their last 37 games Under the Total after a loss on the road where they did not score at least 60 points. Evansville enjoyed their best shooting effort of the season yesterday — and it was only the second time all season where they shot better than 48.9% of their shots. The Purple Aces make only 42.0% of their shots. Evansville has also allowed their last four opponents to make at least 47.5% of their shots — and they have played 10 of their last 15 games Under the Total after allowing their last three opponents to make at last 47% of their shots. The Purple Aces have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a straight-up win. And while this is their second game since January 17th, they have played 4 straight Unders when playing their second game in eight days. They stay at home where they hold their opponents to 62.2 PPG which is -6.1 PPG below their season average. Evansville has played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total at home — and they have played 10 of their last 12 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage at 40% or less on the road. The Purple Aces have also played 4 of their last 5 home games Under the Total as a favorite.

FINAL TAKE: Despite both these teams overachieving with their shooting yesterday, that result still finished below the 126.5 Total. There were only 59 possessions for both teams in that game. If the tempo is similar to that again tonight, this game should finish well below the number. Valparaiso has played 20 of their last 28 games Under the Total after when listed in the +/- 3-point range. 25* CBB Missouri Valley Conference Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Valparaiso Crusaders (863) and the Evansville Purple Aces (864). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 2:15 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between Tottenham (200177) and Brighton and Hove Albion (200178). THE SITUATION: Tottenham (W9-D6-L4) comes off a 3-1 loss at home to Liverpool on Thursday. Brighton (W3-D9-L8) last played on Wednesday when they settled for a 0-0 draw at home against Fulham.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Spurs’ attack was toothless in that important match against Liverpool — they managed only three shots and their expected goals mark was a meager 0.11 xG. Now this team will be without Harry Kane today (confirmed with their lineup announcement at 1:15 PM ET) — he has scored or assisted in 24 of Tottenham’s 34 goals this season. As it is, the Spurs were overachieving in their goal-scoring this season with their 34 goals scored betrayed by their expected goals mark of just 28.73 xG. They go back on the road where they have scored 19 times — but their 13.09 xG is a big dropoff that is bottom-ten in the EPL. Manager Jose Mourinho plays a cautious style of play that relies on the elite ball-striking efficiency of Kane and midfielder Son Heung-min. Tottenham’s defensive efforts remain elite — they lead the EPL with the fewest Big Chances (35% or better statistical success rate) when playing on the road. Brighton is underachieving relative to their expected goals numbers. While they are in 17th place with 18 points, their 31.57 expected Points would place them in the middle of the table. This team is the opposite of the Spurs — they create plenty of scoring chances but they lack the elite offensive players who take advantage of these opportunities with skilled shots on target. They have scored only 22 goals in their 20 matches — and they have just 10 goals in their ten matches at home at AmEx Stadium. The Seagulls are tough to score on. While they have surrendered 29 goals, their expected goals allowed drops to 24.33. This team was getting mediocre play out of goalkeeper Mat Ryan who was responsible for some soft goals. Robert Sanchez has been much better since taking over midseason — and he has two straight clean sheets. Brighton ranks second in the EPL in expected goals allowed (xGA), non-penalty kick xGA, and Big Chances allowed when playing at home.

FINAL TAKE: The Spurs won the reverse fixture between these two teams on November 1st by a 2-1 score. Tottenham generated 2.00 xG in that match with Ryan rather than Sanchez the Seagulls’ keeper — but Kane accounted for 1.36 of that xG himself. 25* English Premier League Total of the Month with Under the Total in the match between Tottenham (200177) and Brighton and Hove Albion (200178). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 5:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the California Golden Bears (687) and the Arizona Wildcats (688). THE SITUATION: California (7-11) has lost three straight games with their 72-68 loss at Arizona State as a 9.5-point underdog on Thursday. Arizona (12-4) saw their three-game winning streak end on Thursday in a 73-64 loss to Stanford as a 9-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Golden Bears made only 39.3% of their shots which was their worst shooting effort in their last six games. Cal did get their leading scorer back in that game against the Sun Devils with Matt Bradley scoring 26 points with 10 rebounds. The Golden Bears have played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 8 of their last 11 games Over the Total after a point spread victory. And while that game finished Over the 135 point total, Cal has then played 9 of their last 11 games Over the Total after playing an Over. The Bears stay on the road where they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total. Cal scores a healthy 73.4 PPG on 47.6% shooting on the road. But their defense has been a mess playing away from home — they have an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 56.4% with their opponents making 42.6% of their 3-pointers when they are playing on the road, ranking 298th and 333rd in the nation. The Golden Bears have played 4 straight road games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home court. Cal has also played 9 of their last 11 games Over the Total with the number set in the 130s. Arizona has played 5 straight games Over the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total after a point spread loss. The Wildcats have also played 6 of their last 9 games Over the Total after an upset loss at home against a Pac-12 foe. Arizona made only 41.5% of their shots which was their lowest field goal percentage in their last five games. The Wildcats rank 16th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency — so they should shoot better this afternoon. But this is a tired basketball team playing their second game in three days and fourth in the last nine days. Injuries are not helping matters — they lost a rotation player with Jemarl Baker’s season-ending injury and Bennedict Mathurin played 25 minutes off the bench while scoring 10 points after suffering a right ankle sprain on Monday. Fatigue will impact the Wildcats’ effort on defense and likely lead to them fouling more. Arizona allowed the Cardinal to shoot 49.1% from the field in what was their worst defensive effort in five games. The Wildcats have played 4 straight Overs when playing their second game in three days. They stay at home where they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total as a favorite — and they have played 8 of their last 9 home games with the Total set in the 130s. They score 76.8 PPG at home — and in their last five games, Arizona is scoring 80.4 PPG on 48.4% shooting.

FINAL TAKE: The Wildcats have played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total as a favorite. California has played 7 of their last 9 games Over the Total as an underdog — and they have played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. 25* CBB Pac-12 Total of the Month with Over the Total in the game between the California Golden Bears (687) and the Arizona Wildcats (688). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Weber State Wildcats (755) and the Idaho Vandals (756). THE SITUATION: Weber State (7-4) had their four-game winning streak snapped on Saturday in their 77-72 loss at Southern Utah in a pick ‘em contest. Idaho (0-11) remained winless back on January 16th in their last game which ended in a 75-61 loss to Northern Colorado as an 8.5-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Wildcats made only 39.4% of their shots which was their lowest field goal percentage in their last eight games. Weber State can shoot the basketball (per usual) — this year, they rank 40th in the nation with an effective field goal percentage of 54.2%. They have played 14 of their last 19 games Over the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a point spread setback. Additionally, the Wildcats have played 6 straight Overs after a loss by six points or less. Over their last five games, Weber State is scoring 90.2 PPG while nailing 53.3% of their shots. They stay on the road where they are allowing their home hosts to score 74.8 PPG. The Wildcats have 7 of their last 9 road games Over the Total against teams who are not winning more than 40% of their games at home. Weber State has also played a decisive 41 of their last 60 road games Over the Total when favored. Idaho has played 22 of their last 32 home games Over the Total after playing their last game at home as an underdog. The Vandals had made at least 50.9% of their shots in three straight games before running into Northern Colorado who held them to 54 points on 39.6% shooting in their first meeting on January 14th before making only 42% of their shots two days later the last time they were on the court. Idaho has played 14 of their last 19 games Over the Total after not scoring more than 65 points in two straight games. Head coach Zac Claus will likely want his team passing more after they dished out just 10 and 6 assists respectively in those last two games. The Vandals have played 11 of their last 17 games Over the Total after not assisting on more than 12 baskets in two straight games. Those two games finished Under the Total — but Idaho has played 8 of their last 13 games Over the Total after playing at least two straight Unders. Defense is an issue for this team — they have the nation’s 333rd worst Adjusted Defensive Efficiency number which worsens to a 334th mark in the nation when they are playing at home. Their visitors nail 44.2% of their shots from 3-point land when playing at home.

FINAL TAKE: Idaho has played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total against teams with a winning record. Weber State has played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total against teams with a losing record — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total as a double-digit favorite. 25* CBB Big Sky Total of the Month with Over the Total in the game between the Weber State Wildcats (755) and the Idaho Vandals (756). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:15 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between Leicester City (200141) and Everton (200142). THE SITUATION: Leicester City (W12-D2-L5) has won three matches in a row in the English Premier League with their 2-0 win against Chelsea on January 19th. Everton (W10-D2-L5) plays their first EPL match since January 12th when they defeated Wolverhampton on the road by a 2-1 score.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Leicester City will be without their top attacker in Jamie Vardy who is out a few weeks with a hernia injury. Vardy averages 0.76 expected goals per 90 minutes. The Foxes' recent success has coincided with the return of attacking midfielder James Maddison to the pitch — but he plays better when he can complement Vardy. Manager Brendan Rodgers will continue to lean on the outstanding play of his team on defense. They held Chelsea to just 0.69 expected goals (xG) — and they have registered two straight clean sheets in the EPL. Since December 20th, Leicester City has an expected goals allowed mark that is third-best in the EPL. Getting holding midfielder Wilfred Ndidi healthy again has been vital — the Foxes have not allowed an opponent to register even 1.0 xG since his return to the pitch. In their last six EPL matches, Leicester City has an xGA of 0.85. Everton will be rested for this match although they did play an FA Cup match on Sunday in a 3-0 victory against Sheffield Wednesday. But manager Carlo Ancelotti will have a group that has not been overworked. The Toffees are playing great defensively as well — they have held their last six opponents to just 1.20 xGA per match. Everton has not allowed more than one goal in eight straight EPL matches — and they have given up just five combined goals over that span. The Toffees have seen two or fewer combined goals in six of their last eight EPL contests. The offense has struggled with just 0.60 expected goals per match in their last four EPL games. They have overachieved with five goals scored from just 2.4 xG during that span. They do have forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin back after he has been out — but this remains a team that is playing more cautiously on the pitch than they were earlier in the season.

FINAL TAKE: Everton won the reverse fixture between these two teams on December 26th with a 2-0 victory. Expect another lower-scoring match. 25* English Premier League Wednesday Total of the Month with Under the Total in the match between Leicester City (200141) and Everton (200142). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:15 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between Manchester City (200117) and West Brom Albion (20018). THE SITUATION: Manchester City (W11-D5-L2) returns to English Premier League action after defeating Aston Villa last Wednesday by a 2-0 score. West Brom (W2-D5-L12) looks to rebound from their 2-1 loss at West Ham last Tuesday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Man City has developed into a defensive juggernaut this season. They have ten clean sheets this season in the EPL including three straight. Manager Pep Guardiola has reeled-in his pressing system this season which has put less pressure on his backline. The Cityzens surrendered too many Big Chances (representing an expected goal percentage of 35% or better) last season — so perhaps a tweak in tactics was needed. Not having the services of his best striker, Sergio Aguero, might have played a role as well. Aguero has returned from the leg injury that had him on the shelf — but his positive COVID test keeps him unavailable for this match. Guardiola may have also foreseen the need to not press as much given the condensed schedule given the late start to the season after needing the summer to complete the 2019-20 campaign because of the global pandemic. Legs are shot for many of these players — so asking them to engage in ambitious pressing may exacerbate the fitness problem. Man City has also made some nice additions to their defense including signing Ruben Dias. Since his arrival, the Cityzens are allowing just 0.52 expected goals (xGA) in their last ten EPL games while conceding only twice. And while their attacking numbers have improved, Man City has scored only ten goals in their eight road matches in the EPL. They had played six straight road matches where they did not score more than one goal before their 3-1 win at Chelsea on January 3rd. The Cityzens have played their last three EPL matches at home. They last played on Saturday in the FA Cup when they rallied from a 1-0 hole to overwhelm Cheltenham Town, 3-1. Unfortunately for Guardiola, he had to rely on his key players late in the match rather than resting them for this league contest. West Brom is a mess on both ends of the pitch — but they are likely to continue the defensive tactics they employed in the reverse fixture between these two sides on December 15th which ended in a 1-1 draw at the Etihad. The Baggies host this rematch at the Hawthornes where they have scored just five times in their nine matches. West Brom has been blanked in three straight home matches in league play as well as five of their last seven. They are last in the EPL in expected goals from their attack. They will likely get blanked again by this stout Man City defense. The issue is how many goals will the Cityzens bag?

FINAL TAKE: Man City will be without their glue in the middle of the field in Kevin DeBruyne who is out for four weeks with a hamstring injury. DeBruyne may be the best player in the world 40 yards away from the goal — he is the glue that holds this Man City attack in place. The Cityzens have Gabriel Jesus back — but the attacker is more of a poacher who thrives in reacting to the actions of players like DeBruyne. Raheem Sterling will lead the attack but his form has not been top-notch. I suspect 2-0 is more likely of a result than 4-0 (and beyond) — and we can live with a push if the result is 3-0 (or 2-1). 25* English Premier League Tuesday NBC Sports Network Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between Manchester City (200117) and West Brom Albion (20018). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:40 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Buffalo Bills (313) and the Kansas City Chiefs (314). THE SITUATION: Buffalo (15-3) reached the AFC Championship Game with their 17-3 win against Baltimore last Saturday as a 2.5-point favorite. Kansas City (15-2) advanced to their opportunity to defend their Super Bowl championship last Sunday with their 22-17 win against Cleveland as a 7.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Quarterback Patrick Mahomes cleared the concussion protocol on Friday but there is still the issue of the turf toe in his left foot. While Mahomes has said it feels better, this is an injury that needs a few weeks to heal — and numbing drugs can only do so much. Mahomes will not be at 100% — and his mobility will be limited. As it is, Kansas City has transformed into more of a ball-control offense in the second half of the season. In Mahomes’ last five starts (which excludes Week 17) since the Chiefs’ 35-31 win against Las Vegas, they are scoring only 25.5 PPG while not scoring more than 33 points during that stretch. Head coach Andy Reid is letting the clock burn when Mahomes is on the field in what appears to me to be an attempt to keep his defense fresh. This has helped the defense put up better numbers in the second half of the season. Kansas City has held these last six opponents (excluding the Chargers in Week 17 since Mahomes did not play) to 345.7 Yards-Per-Game with five of those opponents not gaining more than 367 yards. While not elite numbers, this approach is leading to lower-scoring games. Cleveland managed only 308 total yards last week against the Chiefs’ defense. The Bills score 30.3 PPG — but Kansas City has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total against teams who score at least 29 PPG. And while the Chiefs gained 438 yards last week, they have then played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after gaining at least 350 yards in their last game. Tellingly, Kansas City has also played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record. Additionally, there is the issue of the sputtering KC offense in the Red Zone. Since Week 12, the Chiefs possess just the 26th most effective Red Zone offense in scoring touchdowns. This is not a good sign when facing this Bills’ defense that has had the best Red Zone defense since Week 12. These two teams played on October 19th with Kansas City winning by a 26-17 score. Despite the final result, Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott is likely to consider the defensive game plan a success. Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier did not blitz at all in that game. The Bills’ begged Mahomes to hand off the football — and he did 46 times which resulted in 245 rushing yards. Yet KC scored a field goal below their season average. Given their improved Red Zone defense since that game, McDermott is likely to dare Mahomes to hand the ball off again while giving him the short passing game but not letting him burn the defense from the mismatches that ensue from using linebackers as pass rushers. Other defenses began copying this defensive approach which has also played a role in Kansas City’s declining offensive numbers in the second half of the season. This Buffalo defense will healthier in this rematch with linebacker Matt Milano playing in this game amongst others. Getting back to full strength helped the Bills’ defense rank sixth in the NFL since Week Seven using the DVOA metrics at Football Outsiders. Buffalo held the Ravens last week to just 340 yards. Yet Buffalo managed only 220 yards on their own while benefiting from their 100-yard interception return for a touchdown — and they have played 5 straight games Under the Total after not gaining more than 250 yards in their last game. The Bills’ first 20 plays from scrimmage were pass plays for Josh Allen — and that 21st play was a broken pass play that Allen then rushed for positive yardage. Buffalo runs the ball only 30% of the time in their offensive plays in the first half. I expect this playscript to change in this game against the suspect Chiefs’ run defense that ranks as the sixth-worst in the NFL using DVOA. The Bills’ attention to run the ball a bit more will also help them burn time off the clock to limit the offensive possessions Mahomes will enjoy. The Under is 9-2-1 in Buffalo’s last 12 road games against teams with a winning record on the road. They have also played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total in January.

FINAL TAKE: The Bills have played 30 of their last 42 road games Under the Total as an underdog — and Kansas City has played 4 of the last 5 home games Under the Total as a favorite. 25* AFC Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Buffalo Bills (313) and the Kansas City Chiefs (314). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Troy Trojans (837) and the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (838). THE SITUATION: Troy (6-7) has lost three games in a row with their 63-56 loss at Georgia Southern as a 6-point underdog on Saturday. Coastal Carolina (9-3) saw their two-game winning streak snapped on Saturday in their 71-68 loss a Georgia State as a 7-point underdog.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Trojans made 48.9% of their shots against the Eagles which was much higher than the 37.7% shooting percentage they are saddled with in their ten road games. They are scoring only 56.8 PPG on the road. Troy has played 6 straight games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 7 straight games Under the Total after a point spread loss. Their game with Georgia Southern still finished Under the 128.5 point total — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after playing their last game Under the Total. The Trojans are playing better on defense as of late as they have held their last five opponents to just 40.3% shooting which is resulting in just 62.2 PPG. They stay on the road where they have played 9 of their last 10 games Under the Total — and they have played 35 of their last 52 road games Under the Total as an underdog. Troy has also played 9 of their last 11 games Under the Total as an underdog overall. Coastal Carolina has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a loss where they covered the point spread as an underdog. The Chanticleers have also played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a point spread win. And while they have still won five of their last seven games, Coastal Carolina has then played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after winning five or six of their last seven games. This is a team that was playing at a faster pace in their soft non-conference schedule — six of their first eight games saw at least 75 possessions for both teams. The Chanticleers have not seen more than 72 possessions for both teams in their last four games. They started Sun Belt Conference play in their last five games — they are scoring 74.4 PPG with a 41.8% shooting percentage which is a big dropoff from their 87.1 PPG scoring average along with a 49.2% shooting percentage overall which includes those seven non-conference games. Additionally, Coastal Carolina has played 8 of their last 11 home games Under the Total with the number set in the 135 to 139.5 point range.

FINAL TAKE: The Under is 4-0-1 in the Chanticleers’ last 5 games against teams with a losing record. Troy has played 6 straight games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. 25* CBB Sun Belt Conference Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Troy Trojans (837) and the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (838). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the UCLA Bruins (763) and the California Golden Bears (764). THE SITUATION: UCLA (11-2) has won six games in a row with their 81-76 win against Washington on Saturday as a 14.5-point favorite. California (7-8) has won two of their last three games with their 72-63 win at Utah as a 12-point underdog on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Bruins made only 41.4% of their shots against the Huskies in what was the worst shooting effort in their last six games. Mick Cronin has adapted his talent at UCLA to construct this team to be quite different than the grinding-defensive units he had at Cincinnati. This Bruins’ team ranks 10th in the nation adjusted offensive efficiency. They crash the offensive glass still by pulling down 33.3% of their missed shots (46th in the nation). They are also making 38.6% of their 3-pointers which is 29th in the country — and that mark has improved to a 44.6% clip in conference play. The Golden Bears struggle to defend the perimeter — they are allowing their opponents to make 40.4% of their 3-pointers, 334th in the nation. Yet Cronin’s team ranks 119th in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency after allowing Washington to make 51.7% of their shots. UCLA has played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a win at home — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total after a win against a Pac-12 rival. Cronin lost one of his best players in Chris Smith to a season-ending injury — but he still has five other players averaging double-digits per game. The Bruins are scoring 79.8 PPG in their last five games on 47.1% shooting from the field. Now they go back on the road where they are scoring 79.4 PPG — but they are allowing 79.8 PPG. UCLA has played 4 straight road games Over the Total — and they have played 4 of their last 5 road games Over the Total against teams winning at least 60% of their games at home. The Bruins have also played 4 of their last 5 road games Over the Total when favored. California has played 8 of their last 9 games Over the Total after a win against a conference opponent — and they have played 7 straight games Over the Total after an upset victory against a Pac-12 foe. The Golden Bears are playing with Matt Bradley — but head coach Mark Fox’s team has found an offensive rhythm without him. Not only have they won two of their last three games after he suffered his ankle injury but they scored 50 points in the second half in their upset victory against the Utes. Cal also held Utah to just 41.2% shooting which was the best defensive effort in their last seven games. Yet the Golden Bears have allowed their last five opponents to make 47.6% of their shots for a 74.8 PPG scoring mark — and their Pac-12 opponents are making 48.6% of their shots against them. Cal ranks 10th in the conference in adjusted defensive efficiency. They return home where the Over is 18-7-1 in their last 26 games — and they have played 5 of their last 6 home games Over the Total against teams with a winning record on the road. The Golden Bears have also played 6 straight games Over the Total as an underdog — and they have played 5 straight games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60%.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams played on December 6th with the Bruins winning at home by a 76-56 score as a 9-point favorite. California has played 16 of their last 22 games Over the Total when avenging a double-digit loss. 25* CBB Thursday ESPNU Total of the Month with Over the Total in the game between the UCLA Bruins (763) and the California Golden Bears (764). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between Burnley (200101) and Liverpool (200102). THE SITUATION: Burnley (W4-D4-L9) has lost two straight games after their 1-0 loss at West Ham on Saturday. Liverpool (W9-D7-L2) is winless in their last four matches in the English Premier League after their 0-0 draw with Manchester United last Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Liverpool offensive attack has stalled. They have not scored in their last three league matches — and they have scored just once in their last four EPL matches. They have a mere 6.36 expected goals (xG) in their last four matches. What is going on? Two things. First, manager Jurgen Klopp has his team playing less aggressively in the press since the injury to center back Virgil Van Dijk. The Reds have a strong expected goals allowed mark of 1.10 since Van Dijk’s injury. Liverpool has allowed only three goals in their last six matches with three clean sheets — so Klopp’s adjustment has been effective in tightening things up for them after experiencing some vulnerabilities in the back. But it has taken a toll on the potency of their attack. Second, the Reds’ attackers are not in form. Mo Salah is in a slump. He is averaging only 0.36 non-penalty kick expected goals per match this season — and he has not registered even one shot inside the six-yard box. It has been a very busy schedule for these players with the late start of the season — fatigue is an issue. And don’t discount the possibility that Salah’s positive COVID test did not take a toll on his health and stamina. COVID clearly had a negative impact on the Cleveland Brown’s Myles Garrett who saw his elite play decline when he turned to action. Sadio Mane has not been in his top form either while Roberto Firmino has been in decline for over a calendar year. In their last four matches, they are averaging 1.34 xG per match which is well below the 2.07 xG they averaged in their first 14 games. The slide has been taking place before the festive schedule as well. In their last nine EPL matches, the Reds are averaging 1.56 xG per 95 minutes which is a sharp decline from the 2.53 xG they had before that. Burnley has played four straight matches with 1-0 final results. The Clarets have seen no more than two combined goals scored in seven of their last eight matches. Burnley plays a compact defensive system that makes it difficult for opponents to penetrate. They have allowed only five goals in their last eight matches across all competitions including limiting the powerful Man United attack to just 1.41 xG. In their last seven league matches since their embarrassing 5-0 loss at Man City, the Clarets have not allowed more than one goal in a match while registering three clean sheets. But this focus on defense makes the Burnley attack toothless. The Clarets have scored only nine times this season which is the fewest in the EPL — and their 13.88 xG is second-to-last. They have been blanked in their last two matches after registering a mere 0.44 xG against West Ham on Saturday.

FINAL TAKE: Liverpool does get center back Joel Matip back for this match — and that will allow Klopp to move Jordan Henderson back to the middle field position where he is one of the best holding midfielders in the world. This development makes the Reds defensive cohesion even better. These two teams played to a 1-1 draw when they played at Anfield last year when the Liverpool attack was in better form. Expect a lower-scoring match. 25* EPL Thursday NBC Sports Network Total of the Month with Under the Total in the match between Burnley (200101) and Liverpool (200102). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:40 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (307) and the New Orleans Saints (308). THE SITUATION: Tampa Bay (12-5) advanced from the NFC Wild Card playoffs last Saturday night with their 31-23 victory at Washington as a 10-point favorite. New Orleans (13-4) has won three straight games after their 21-9 victory against Chicago last Sunday as an 11-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Buccaneer’s offense hit rock bottom on November 8th in their most recent encounter with the Saints in a 38-3 loss at home as a 3-point underdog. Tampa Bay was simply a mess on offense in that game with Tom Brady making ill-advised deep passes on short third-down situations. The Buccaneers ran the ball a mere five times — making a mockery of the analytics grifters who write articles every couple of years calling for offenses to pass on every down (as if there is not an adequate sample size from the Big 12 conference to assess the effectiveness of such a strategy). That game was also the debut of Antonio Brown with the team with the Bucs seeming to think he was just a “plug-and-play” solution. If there was a silver lining from that humiliation, it was that it forced Brady to get on the same-page Bruce “no risk it, no biscuit” Arians on the offensive philosophy of this team. Slowly, this offense is looking more like the ones he operated in New England — albeit with more deep throws still (but he has the talent to do it with his receiving corps). I expect this game plan to rely plenty on Brady’s assessment regarding how to attack this Saints’ defense he has played twice already — and that has just the 29th ranked Red Zone defense. The Tampa Bay offense enters this game clicking on all cylinders by scoring 40.7 PPG and averaging 527.6 total YPG. Brown has found his niche as one of the weapons at Brady’s disposal. Brady has been more accurate with his deep balls — he is averaging 9.7 Yards-Per-Attempt since their bye in Week 13 which is over 2.0 YPA above what he was averaging before the extra time to self-audit the offense. Granted, Brady’s recent success has been against teams with losing records in Detroit, Atlanta, and Washington (with Minnesota and the Falcons again since the bye week). How much of Brady’s success is legitimate and how much of it was a product of playing the Lions, et al, defenses? The metrics at Football Outsiders say the improvement is legit with the Buccaneers’ weighted DVOA on offense now ranked second in the NFL. Gaining 507 yards last week against the Football Team was impressive since they have a very good defense — and that effort was encouraging regarding how Brady will handle the pass rush this week since Washington is top-ten in pressure rate. Maybe the Tampa Bay offensive problems is as simple as two grizzled veterans in Brady and Arians needing (and using) the regular season to figure out how to mesh philosophies without the benefit of a normal offseason. The team trends suggest the Bucs will score their share of points. They have played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total after scoring at least 30 points — and they have played 10 of their last 11 road games Over the Total after averaging at least 400 YPG in their last three games. Additionally, Tampa Bay has played 25 of their last 34 road games Over the Total — and they have played 8 of their last 9 road games Over the Total with the number set at 49.5 or higher. The Buccaneers have also played 16 of their last 21 road games Over the Total as an underdog including 6 straight Overs when not getting more than 3 points. New Orleans has covered the point spread in their last three games as a favorite — and they have played 13 of their last 19 games Over the Total after covering the point spread in three straight when laying the points. The Saints are going to score their share of points in this game — they average 30.4 PPG at home. Drew Brees is also averaging 35.3 PPG in his last three games while averaging 438.3 YPG and he is getting his weapons like Michael Thomas back for the playoff run. New Orleans has played 5 of their last 7 home games Over the Total against teams with a winning record on the road — and they have played 6 of their last 8 home games Over the Total when favored by up to 7 points. The Saints have also played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: Tampa Bay has played 6 straight games Over the Total when avenging a loss at home. These two teams have played 5 of their last 7 meetings Over the Total — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total when playing in New Orleans. 25* NFC Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (307) and the New Orleans Saints (308). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:15 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Baltimore Ravens (303) and the Buffalo Bills (304). THE SITUATION: Baltimore (12-5) has won six games in a row with their 20-13 win at Tennessee as a 3.5-point favorite last Sunday in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Buffalo (14-3) defeated Indianapolis at home last Saturday in their Wild Card playoff game by a 27-24 score as a 7-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The weather is going to be cold with a decent chance of flurries in this game. To quote Dan Marino: “if it’s snowing’, I’m throwin’!” I do not worry about playing Overs in snowy conditions if the supporting evidence points strongly to the Over — which is the case for this situation. The Over is 11-2-1 in the Bills’ last 14 games after a straight-up win — and they have played 6 straight Overs after a win at home. Buffalo generated 395 yards of offense in that game while averaging 7.09 Yards-Per-Play. The Bills have then played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after gaining at least 350 yards in their last game — and they have played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total after averaging at least 6.0 YPP. Buffalo has scored at least 26 points in nine straight games while eclipsing 30 points in six of those contests. The Bills have then played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total after scoring at least 25 points in five straight games. But Buffalo surrendered 309 passing yards en route to the Colts’ 472 total yards in that game. The Bills have then played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after allowing at least 350 yards — and the Over is 5-1-1 in their last 7 games after allowing at least 250 passing yards in their last game. Buffalo has allowed 50 combined points in their last two games while giving up at least 24 points nine times this season. Last week’s game just made it Over the 50.5 point Total — and the Bills have played 7 of their last 10 games Over the Total after playing a game that finished Over the Total. Baltimore has played three straight Unders after last week’s game finished below the 53.5 total — but they have played 24 of their last 41 games Over the Total after playing at least three straight Unders. The Ravens have also played 7 of their last 11 games Over the Total after winning their last two games on the road. Baltimore had scored at least 27 points in five straight games before only reaching 20 points last week in what turned out to be a game where both teams wanted to control the clock. And while the Ravens’ defense has only surrendered 18.6 PPG this season, they have given up at least 28 points five times. Buffalo averages 290 passing YPG — and Baltimore has played 29 of their last 44 games Over the Total after eight games into the season against teams who average at least 260 passing YPG. The Ravens score 28.2 PPG on the road — and while they average 194 rushing YPG, the Bills have played 10 of their last 12 home games Over the Total against teams who average at least 170 rushing YPG.

FINAL TAKE: The Over is 3-1-1 in Baltimore’s last 5 playoff games when they were the underdog. Buffalo has played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total against teams with a winning record — and they have played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total when listed in the +/- 3-point range. This is a heavyweight contest — and both these teams will keep fighting to win which should push the final score Over the Total. 25* NFL Saturday Night Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Baltimore Ravens (303) and the Buffalo Bills (304). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 5:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the UAB Blazers (839) and the Charlotte 49ers (840). THE SITUATION: UAB (9-1) has won two games in a row with their 62-58 win against Southern Mississippi as a 13-point favorite on Saturday. Charlotte (5-5) has lost two of their last three games after their 75-72 loss to Belmont Abbey in a non-boarded game on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Blazers have played 10 of their last 11 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 6 straight games Under the Total after a win at home. Additionally, UAB has played 16 of their last 22 games Under the Total after not allowing more than 60 points in their last game — and they have played 6 straight games Under the Total after playing a game that finished Under the Total with that game skimming Under 131 total. The Blazers are limiting their opponents to just a 41.1% effective field goal percentage which is third-best in the nation. They are holding their opponents to just 57.0 PPG this season on 36.7% shooting from the field. Now UAB goes on the road for just the second time this season. They made only 39.3% of their shots against Southern Miss. The Blazers have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total on the road — and they have also played 37 of their last 56 road games Under the Total as a favorite of 6 points or less — and they have played 8 of their last 9 games Under the Total as a favorite overall. Charlotte has played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 9 of their last 14 games Under the Total after a loss at home. The 49ers stay at home where they are scoring 67.9 PPG on just 44.4% shooting. Charlotte has played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total at home — and they have played 5 of their last 7 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning record on the road. The 49ers have also played 7 of their last 8 home games Under the Total as an underdog. Additionally, Charlotte has played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage of 60% or higher.

FINAL TAKE: The 49ers have played 8 straight games Under the Total when listed in the +/- 3-point range. Expect a lower-scoring game. 25* CBB Friday ESPNU Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the UAB Blazers (839) and the Charlotte 49ers (840). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the UNC-Greensboro Spartans (769) and the Samford Bulldogs (770). THE SITUATION: UNC-Greensboro (6-5) has lost two of their last three games after their 48-45 upset loss to Wofford last Saturday as a 4.5-point favorite. Samford (5-5) has lost two games in a row after their 73-68 loss at UT-Chattanooga as a 4.5-point underdog back on January 6th.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Bulldogs love to push the pace — they rank 9th in the nation with an adjusted tempo rate that produces 74.1 average possessions per game. The 71 possessions in their last game against the Moccasins are the lowest for them in any game all season. Four of their ten games have seen at least 80 possessions for both teams. Samford has played 21 of their last 27 games Over the Total after a loss to a Southern Conference rival — and they have played 18 of their last 21 games Over the Total after losing two of their last three games . They are scoring 84.9 PPG while making 48.1% of their shots — and they are allowing their opponents to score 77.7 PPG. They return home where they are making 51.8% of their shots en route to scoring 97.5 PPG. They are allowing their guests to score 76.5 PPG. The Bulldogs have played 7 of their last 8 home games Over the Total again teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. They also have played 26 of their last 35 home games Over the Total as an underdog — and they have played 10 of their last 11 home games Over the Total as an underdog getting 6.5 to 9 points. UNC-Greensboro has played 8 of their last 10 games Over the Total after a loss to a Southern Conference rival. They made only 34.5% of their shots which was the second-lowest field goal percentage in their last nine games. They also held Wofford to just a 29.6% field goal percentage which was by far their lowest opponent’s field goal percentage of the season. Not only has the Spartans played 14 of their last 17 games Over the Total after failing to score at least 60 points in their last game but they have played 11 of their last 14 games Over the Total after not scoring at least 50 points in their last game. They go back on the road where they are scoring 79.1 PPG while allowing their opponents to score 71.8 PPG. UNC-Greensboro is middle of the pack in averaging 71 possessions per game — but they are willing to engage with teams that like to play faster. The Spartans have played 8 straight games on the road Over the Total — and they have played 5 straight games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home. UNC-Greensboro has also played 6 straight road games Over the Total when favored — and they have played 6 of their last 9 road games Over the Total when laying 6.5 to 9 points.

FINAL TAKE: Samford has played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total against teams with a winning record — and they have played 10 of their last 12 games Over the Total with the number set in the 150s. 25* CBB Southern Conference Total of the Month with Over the Total in the game between the UNC-Greensboro Spartans (769) and the Samford Bulldogs (770). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Boise State Broncos (689) and the Wyoming Cowboys (690). THE SITUATION: Boise State (10-1) has won ten games in a row with their 83-60 win at Wyoming on Monday as a 7-point favorite. Wyoming (7-3) has lost two games in a row.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Broncos’ held the Cowboys to just a 38.9% field goal percentage which was the best defensive effort in their last four games. Boise State has played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total after not allowing more than 60 points in their last game. The Broncos have also played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a point spread win. Furthermore, Boise State has played 4 straight games Over the Total after a win by at least 20 points — and they have played 6 straight games Over the Total when playing their second game in three days. The Broncos lead the Mountain West Conference by scoring 81.2 PPG. They have scored at least 80 points in their last two games — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total after scoring at least 80 points in two straight games. In their last three games, Boise State is scoring 86.8 PPG while making 48.4% of their shots. They are also scoring 82.3 PPG in their six games away from home. Wyoming has played 16 of their last 21 games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 14 of their last 17 games Over the Total after a point spread loss. The Cowboys have also played 4 straight games Over the Total after a double-digit loss at home. Their 38.9% shooting percentage was their second-lowest mark all season. Wyoming has allowed their last five opponents to make 49.8% of their shots which has translated into 80.8 PPG. They stay at home for this rematch where they are making 46.1% of their shots to average 81.7 PPG. The Over is 5-2-1 in the Cowboys’ last 8 home games — and they have played 12 of their last 16 home games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road.

FINAL TAKE: Wyoming has played 20 of their last 28 games Over the Total as an underdog — and Boise State has played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total as a favorite. 25* CBB Wednesday CBS Sports Network Total of the Month with Over the Total in the game between the Boise State Broncos (689) and the Wyoming Cowboys (690). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Ohio State Buckeyes (499) and the Alabama Crimson Tide (500) in the National Championship Game. THE SITUATION: Ohio State (7-0) upset Clemson as a 7-point favorite later that night in the Sugar Bowl to earn the right to play for the National Championship. Alabama (12-0) defeated Notre Dame by a 31-14 score on New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl College Football Semifinals as an 18.5-point favorite. This game will be played on a neutral field at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Crimson Tide flexed their muscles on defense against the Fighting Irish offense by limiting them to 375 yards and just the two scores. Alabama has not only then played 19 of their last 26 games Under the Total after not allowing more than 20 points in their last game — and they have played 9 of their last 11 games Under the Total after not giving up more than 14 points in their last contest. And while that game flew Under the 65.5 point Total, they have then played 11 of their last 14 games Over the Total after playing an Under. The Crimson Tide has been vulnerable against explosive offenses — Florida generated 462 yards against the Bama defense (including 408 in the air) while Ole Miss put up 268 rushing yards and another 379 passing yards for 647 total yards of offense against a Nick Saban-defense. There is no question that Ryan Day and his offensive coaching staff have dissected the Lane Kiffin game plan he installed for his Rebels’ offense in that game. Alabama has won the turnover battle in three straight games — and they have played 28 of their last 40 games on the road Over the Total after enjoying a +1 or better turnover battle in two straight contests. This Alabama team is simply overwhelming on offense — they are scoring 48.2 PPG while averaging 535.6 total YPG. And the Buckeyes are vulnerable in their passing game — especially on the edges with what is still a young defensive backfield with only seven games under their belts this season. Ohio State is 116th in the nation by allowing 281.1 passing YPG — and the QB Mac Jones leads a quick-strike attack that is fifth in the nation by averaging 349.3 passing YPG. The rich might get richer as well with the possibility that wide receiver Jaylen Waddle may be able to return to action in this game after being injured for months. The Over is 22-9-2 in the Crimson Tide’s last 33 games played on a neutral field — and they have played 11 of their last 15 games Over the Total on a neutral field as a favorite laying 7.5 to 14 points. Ohio State has played 6 of their last 9 games Over the Total after an upset win by at least two touchdowns. And while they generated 639 yards against the Clemson defense — the Over is then 5-0-1 in their last 6 games after gaining at least 450 yards in their last game. The Buckeyes have gained at least 491 yards in all seven of their games this season — and they have then played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after gaining at least 475 yards in two straight games. Additionally, Ohio State has played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total as an underdog — and they have played 9 of their last 13 games Over the Total with the total set at 63 or higher.

FINAL TAKE: Yes, this is a biggggg number in the mid-70s. But Ohio State has scored at least 38 points in six of their seven games with their COVID-impacted Big Ten Championship Game against a Northwestern team slowing the game down being the exception. Notre Dame deployed a similar strategy in “holding” Alabama to their lowest scoring total of the season — but the Tide has scored at least 41 points in their other ten games. If both teams hit those floors, the Over comes in. Both of these teams are going to try to “out-offense” the other in what should be a very competitive contest. Tellingly, Saban’s teams have played 13 of their last 19 January Bowl games Over the Total — and this includes all 4 National Championship Games. 25* College Football Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Ohio State Buckeyes (499) and the Alabama Crimson Tide (500). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:15 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Cleveland Browns (151) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (152). THE SITUATION: Cleveland (11-5) has won two of their last three games after defeating the Steelers at home last Sunday by a 24-22 score as a 10.5-point favorite. Pittsburgh (12-4) has lost four of their last five games.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Steelers have played 10 of their last 14 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 5 straight games Under the Total after a narrow loss by 3 points or less. The Under is also a decisive 39-19-2 in Pittsburgh’s last 60 games after a point spread win. That game with the Browns finished Over the 44.5 point Total — but the Steelers have then played 12 of their last 18 games Under the Total after playing a game that finished Over the Total. Big Ben Roethlisberger should be in better health this week after getting last week off to rest with Pittsburgh already locked as the three seed in the AFC playoffs. Outside a second half against the Colts where Roethlisberger ignored his offensive coordinator to lead the offense to 17 points, the Steelers’ offense has looked stagnant in the second half of the season. Pittsburgh is struggling to run the football — they are averaging only 3.6 Yards-Per-Carry. This has contributed to the Steelers’ relying on quick passing routes — but with Roethlisberger’s struggles to execute the vertical passing game because of his health, a decline in his skills, or the lack of balance in the Pittsburgh offense — and that has made their offensive attack too predictable. The Steelers failed to score more than 19 points in five straight games before that second half against Indianapolis produced their 28 points in the final score. Pittsburgh has thrown the ball 44 and 49 times in their last two games — and they have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after passing the ball at least 40 times in two straight games. The Steelers return home where they have been very tough to score on — they are holding their visitors to 18.6 PPG along with 295.1 YPG. The Under is 3-0-1 in their last 4 home games when favored. And in their last 26 games with the Total set in the 42.5 to 49 point range, Pittsburgh has played 17 of these games Under the Total. Cleveland has played 14 of their last 21 games Under the Total after playing a game that finished Over the Total. And while the Browns have not covered the point spread in their last two games, they have then played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total after failing to cover the point spread in two straight games. The COVID outbreak will certainly not make things easier for the Cleveland offense. While having offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt calling plays is a fine alternative, head coach Kevin Stefanski was hired for the job for this organization in part because of his acumen at calling plays. Having Stefanski away from the team given COVID protocols is far from ideal. Losing Pro Bowl guard Joel Bitonio to COVID also hurts this Browns’ offense. Tackle Jack Conklin is also questionable with an unrelated illness. Quarterback Baker Mayfield has averaged only 165.0 passing YPG in his three starts in Pittsburgh with a low 70.6 Passer Rating while getting sacked 11 times — he needs all the help he can get. The Cleveland defense has been playing better as of late — they have held their last three opponents to just 17.0 PPG along with 338.3 YPG. The Browns' strategy will be to lean heavily on their ground game and out-physical their divisional rival. Cleveland has played 10 of their last 14 games Under the Total as an underdog getting 3.5 to 9.5 points.

FINAL TAKE: The Steelers have played 20 of their last 27 games Under the Total when avenging a narrow loss by a field goal or less. 25* AFC North Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Cleveland Browns (151) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (152). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 1:05 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Baltimore Ravens (147) and the Tennessee Titans (148). THE SITUATION: Baltimore (11-5) has won five games in a row with their 38-3 win at Cincinnati last Sunday as a 13.5-point favorite. Tennessee (11-5) has won three of their last four games after their 41-38 win at Houston as a 7-point favorite as a 7-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Titans have played straight games Over the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 10 of their last 12 games Over the Total after a point spread loss. Tennessee has also played 20 of their last 26 games Over the Total after a narrow win by 3 points or less in their last contest. This Titans’ offense is a juggernaut deploying the running game behind Derrick Henry that also sets up the play-action pass for Ryan Tannehill. Tennessee scores 30.7 PPG — and they are scoring 32.9 PPG at home. They are also scoring 33.7 PPG in their last three games. They generated 492 yards last week against the Titans — and they have then played 5 straight games Over the Total after gaining at least 350 yards in their last contest. Tennessee has also played 7 of their last 8 games Over the Total after scoring at least 30 points in their last contest. But the Titans defense cannot generate a pass rush — they gave up 457 yards to the Texans last week. Tennessee has then played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total after allowing at least 450 yards in their last game — and the Over is 8-3-1 in their last 12 games after giving up 30 points in their last contest. Green Bay put up 40 points against them in their previous game — and they have played 9 of their last 11 games Over the Total after allowing at least 30 points in two straight contests. The Titans give up 28.3 PPG along with 414.6 total YPG when playing at home — and they have allowed 445.0 YPG in their last three contests. They return home where the Over is 15-5-1 in their last 21 home games — and the Over is 6-1-1 in their last 8 road games against teams with a winning record on the road. Baltimore has played 4 of their last 6 games Over the Total after not allowing more than 9 points in their last contest. After playing three straight Overs, the Ravens have played their last two games Under the Total — but they have then played 5 of their last 8 games Over the Total after playing two straight Unders. Over their last five games, they are averaging 37.2 PPG while converting 61.3% of their third-down opportunities. They stay on the road where they are scoring 29.3 PPG. Baltimore has played 4 of their last 5 road games Over the Total as a favorite laying up to 3 points — and the Over is 3-1-1 in their last 5 road games in the playoffs.

FINAL TAKE: The Titans have played 6 straight games Over the Total as an underdog — and in their last 5 games when playing at home as a dog, all 5 games finished Over the Total. I think both teams score above 25 points in this game which should push the final score at least into the mid-50s. 25* NFL Wildcard Playoff Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Baltimore Ravens (147) and the Tennessee Titans (148). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 1:05 PM ET, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Los Angeles Rams (143) and the Seattle Seahawks (144). THE SITUATION: Los Angeles (10-6) snapped a two-game losing streak on Sunday with their 18-7 win against Arizona as a 1-point favorite. Seattle (12-4) has won four games in a row with their 26-23 win at San Francisco as a 7-point favorite on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Rams have played 10 of their last 16 games Over the Total after a win at home — and they have played 5 straight games Over the Total after a win at home over an AFC North foe. This is a bit contrarian play with the number dropping into the 42 range. Los Angeles has played four straight Unders — but they have then played 11 of their last 15 games Over the Total after playing at least four straight Unders. Granted, the Rams are averaging only 15.7 PPG in their last three games — and head coach Sean McVay has not committed to a starting quarterback with Jared Goff getting screws in his throwing hand and John Wolford having no experience in the playoffs. But the offense is getting healthier around these quarterbacks with left tackle Andrew Whitworth and wide receiver Cooper Krupp expected back on the field for this one and rookie running back Cam Akers established their lead running back. McVay seems to like Wolford — he can make some throws that Goff is not great at executing. The Rams are scoring 25.8 PPG on the road — and their pass attack is predicated on their play-action from their rushing attack being credible which should be the case in this game. Los Angeles has played 4 of their last 5 road games Over the Total against teams with a winning record at home. The Rams have also played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total as an underdog — and they have played 5 of their last 6 road games Over the Total as a dog. Seattle has played 6 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a win over a divisional rival — and they have played 8 of their last 9 games Over the Total after a narrow win by a field goal or less. The Seahawks have also played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a game where they won but did not cover the point spread as a favorite. Russell Wilson seems to be in a slump with the team scoring only 22.0 PPG in their last three games. But he did not suddenly forget how to play football — and the Seahawks were cruising into the playoffs in the second half of the season while intentionally working on improving their running game (which will help their defense). Yet Seattle remains a team that is scoring 29.6 PPG at home — and I have full faith in Wilson to continue to score points if the Rams are scoring in a competitive game. The Seahawks are dealing with injuries on defense including Jamal Adams dealing with a shoulder. Their win over the 49ers did finish Over the Total — and they have then played 4 of their last 6 games Over the Total after playing an Over in their last game.

FINAL TAKE: Seattle has played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total in January — and they have played 8 of their last 11 games Over the Total in the playoffs. These teams did just play to a 20-9 score two weeks ago — and their first meeting this season finished Under the Total with the Rams’ 23-16 win. I think this one goes Over — with both teams scoring at least 20 points. 25* NFC Wildcard Playoff Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Los Angeles Rams (143) and the Seattle Seahawks (144). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:35 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Charlotte Hornets (545) and the New Orleans Pelicans (546). THE SITUATION: Charlotte (3-5) snapped a three-game losing streak on Wednesday with their 102-94 upset win at Atlanta as a 5.5-point underdog. New Orleans (4-4) has lost two in a row with their 111-110 upset loss to Oklahoma City on Wednesday as an 8-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Pelicans nailed 49.4% of their shots on Wednesday which was their second-best mark all season. But they also allowed the Thunder to make 46.0% of their shots which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage in their last five games. First-year head coach Stan Van Gundy was livid with the effort of his team that allowed 27 fast break points. Expect a better effort on defense on getting back to the other end of the court tonight after this team has been upset twice in a row after a narrow 2-point loss to Indiana before their setback to OKC. New Orleans has played 12 of their last 16 games Under the Total after suffering two straight upset losses at home. The Pelicans have also played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total after a point spread setback. They also have played 10 of their last 14 games Under the Total when playing with one day of rest. Van Gundy has made an immediate impact on the defensive improvement of this team — they are not fouling as much, they are crashing the defensive glass, and they are working harder in defending the perimeter. They have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage of 40% or lower. Charlotte played their best defensive game of the season on Wednesday with them holding the Hawks to just 37.5% shooting. Third-year head coach James Borrego hopes that effort will carry over tonight. The Hornets have played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 9 of their last 12 games Under the Total after a point spread victory. Despite the win, Charlotte is struggling to score baskets. They are making only 42.5% of their shots in their last five games which has resulted in only 105.2 PPG. The Under is 7-2-1 in their last 10 games when playing with one day of rest — and they have played 6 of their last 8 games Under the Total on the road when playing their fourth game in seven days.

FINAL TAKE: The Hornets have played 8 of their last 11 road games Under the Total as an underdog — and New Orleans has played 6 of their last 8 home games Under the Total as a favorite. 25* NBA Friday ESPN Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Charlotte Hornets (545) and the New Orleans Pelicans (546). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:00 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Washington State Cougars (761) and the California Golden Bears (762). THE SITUATION: Washington State (8-1) lost their first game of the season on Saturday in their 86-82 loss at home to Arizona as an 8-point underdog. California (5-6) has lost their last two games with their 73-64 loss at Oregon State on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: There are two unusual circumstances to this situation that make a mathematical projection for the total in question. First, the Golden Bears will be without their top two scorers in Matt Bradley and Grant Anticevich. Bradley played only 13 minutes on Saturday before injuring his ankle that will keep him out tonight. Anticevich is still recovering from an appendectomy from last month. Their absences remove 28.1 PPG combined from their lineup. And they will be playing a Cougars team that is allowing only 60.8 PPG on 34.2% shooting from the field. But Washington State has played a very soft strength of schedule that is largely responsible for those gaudy defensive numbers. Ken Pomeroy’s metrics calculate that the Cougars’ strength of schedule has been the 309th easiest in the nation. The number is in the high-120s — and dropping. I think it is too low for this Pac-12 clash. California has played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after a loss — and they have played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total after a point spread loss. Additionally, the Bears have played 16 of their last 22 home games Over the Total when playing their second game in seven days. Losing Bradley and Anticevich is a two-sided coin because Cal also loses their defensive contributions. As it is, the Golden Bears are allowing their Pac-12 opponents to score 74.4 PPG while making 48.7% of their shots in five games. If Washington State approaches those numbers, this game flies Over. They return home where the players asked to make up for the baskets Bradley and Anticevich would be making will feel more comfortable. This team did make 51.2% of the shots against the Beavers. California has played 6 of their last 8 games Over the Total at home — and they have played 6 straight home games Over the Total as an underdog getting up to 6 points. Washington State has played 12 of their last 14 games Over the Total after a straight-up loss. They have also played 10 of their last 11 games Over the Total after winning four or five of their last six-game. Now they go on the road for the first time all season — and I suspect this will impact their defensive numbers. The Cougars have played 6 of their last 8 road games Over the Total after playing at least three straight games at home. Additionally, Washington State has played 4 straight games Over the Total on the road — and they have played 4 straight road games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage of over 60% at home (Cal is 4-1 at home).

FINAL TAKE: I value team trends for two reasons: (1) they can identify a personality of a team regarding how they respond to certain situations and (2) they can expose biases in how the market perceives certain teams. The latter is particularly in play here. The market tends to overestimate the value of the Washington State defense. That means a soft number for us — which is what I think were are experiencing tonight. Cal has played 9 of their last 13 games Over the Total against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. I think they find enough scoring from their remaining roster to push this game into the 130s. 25* CBB Pac-12 Total of the Month with Over the Total in the game between the Washington State Cougars (761) and the California Golden Bears (762). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Wichita State Shockers (685) and the Houston Cougars (686). THE SITUATION: Wichita State (6-2) has won five games in a row after their 83-79 upset win at Ole Miss on Saturday as an 8-point underdog. Houston (8-1) rebounded from their first loss of the season at Tulsa by defeating SMU on the road on Sunday by a 74-60 score as a 2-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Shockers made 9 of their 20 shots from the behind the arc on Saturday against the Rebels despite going into that game with a 33% shooting percentage from downtown. Expect the Regression Gods to make an appearance tonight — especially against this Cougars team that is 13th in the nation by holding their opponents to just 24.5% shooting from 3-point land. Wichita State made 52% of their shots in that game in what was their best offensive performance of the season. But Wichita State has then played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 7 of their last 11 games Under the Total after an upset victory. The Shockers have also played 6 straight games Under the Total after a win on the road. And while Wichita State has scored at least 81 points in three straight games, they have then played 7 of their last 10 games Under the Total after scoring at least 75 points in their last two games. The Shockers allowed Mississippi to make 41.5% of their shots which was the highest opponent’s field goal percentage they allowed in their last four games. Wichita State holds their opponents to 38.9% shooting — and their last five opponents are shooting just 36.0%. Now they go back on the road where they have played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total — and they have played 7 of their last 9 road games Under the Total against teams with a winning record at home. The Shockers have also played 9 of their last 10 road games Under the Total with the number set in the 135 to 139.5 range. Houston has played 13 of their last 18 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have also played 9 of their last 10 games Under the Total after a double-digit win on the road. The Cougars made 39.1% of their shots which was actually their best shooting mark in their last three games. Houston has only had preseason American Athletic Conference Player of the Year for four games this season — and now Caleb Mills has decided to transfer. Head coach Kelvin Sampson’s team is now, more than ever, defined by their play on defense. They are seventh in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency — and they rank seventh in the nation with an opponent’s effective field goal percentage of 42.0%. They hold their opponents to only 55.0 PPG on their home court on 36.2% shooting. The Under is 21-5-1 in their last 27 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. Houston has also played 7 of their last 9 home games Under the Total as a favorite.

FINAL TAKE: The Cougars have played 12 of their last 13 games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage of 60% or higher. 25* CBB American Athletic Conference Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Wichita State Shockers (685) and the Houston Cougars (686). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between Liverpool (200133) and Southampton (200134). THE SITUATION: Liverpool (W9-D6-L1) comes off a 0-0 draw at Newcastle United last Wednesday. Southampton (W7-D5-L4) is winless in their last four matches after their 0-0 draw with West Ham United last Monday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: If this was football and I saw two teams coming off scoreless games (or uber-low scoring), I would be skeptical of taking the Under. But soccer is different — the total has fallen given market pressures in response to the recent scores. In fact, there are a lot more 3.25s out there than there were at my bedtime last night when there were 3s and 2.75s. These are two sides struggling with their form in the attack while simultaneously very deliberating playing a more cautious approach. Southampton played a nil-nil draw with Fulham in their previous match where they only generated 0.33 expected goals (xG). They did get their best striker, Danny Ings, back last week. Yet this remains a team that is averaging only 1.10 xG per match this season which is the sixth-lowest mark in the league. The Saints were always due to see some regression from the strong scoring numbers over the summer in Project Restart. They have now not scored in three straight matches. But they are playing better defensively with two straight clean sheets. They have an expected goals allowed per game mark of 1.25 xGA. They have held their last five opponents to 1.0 or lower xG. The high press of manager Ralph Hassenhuttl is being deployed more judiciously this season. Keep Alex McCarthy is out because of COVID but his backup is Ben Forster who is a quality keeper with years of starting experience in the EPL (that knowledge is the small reward of years of playing EPL fantasy …). Liverpool is dealing with a bevy of injuries in their back end with Virgil Van Dijk and Joe Gomez out long-term — and center back Joe Matip will miss this game. The good news for manager Jurgen Klopp is that Thiago Alcantara returned for that match against Newcastle — the former Bayern Munich holding midfielder is an excellent defensive player. Klopp has shifted tactics this season with his team playing far less aggressively with pressing tactics to compensate for the losses in their backline. Since the injury to Van Dijk, the Reds had allowed 1.20 expected goals per match which would be good for top-five in the league — and that was before holding the Magpies to just 0.79 xG. And since October 24th, Liverpool has not allowed more than one goal in any of their eleven league matches — and they have four clean sheets over that span. This focus on defense has taken away from the offensive prowess of this Reds’ side. Liverpool has scored more than two goals in just three of those eleven league contests. And while they exploded for seven goals in their last match on the road against Crystal Palace, that was likely an aberration that spoke more about the defensive effort of the Eagles that day. The Reds have scored just three combined goals in their previous three matches on the road before that showing. Liverpool is not playing great away from Anfield — they have only won two of their eight EPL matches on the road. Klopp will not likely feel ambitious about an aggressive attack today against a quality side that will burn them in the counterattack.

FINAL TAKE: Klopp’s tactics usually work against Southampton. They have held the Saints to only two goals in their last eight matches with six clean sheets. Maybe Southampton scores — but I don’t see this Liverpool offense bagging more than two goals on the road. 25* EPL Monday NBC Sports Network Total of the Month with Under the Total in the match between Liverpool (200133) and Southampton (200134).  Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:20 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Washington Football Team (101) and the Philadelphia Eagles (102). THE SITUATION: Washington (6-9) has lost two straight games with their 20-13 loss to Carolina as a 1-point underdog. Philadelphia (4-10-1) has lost two straight games as well as six of their last seven games after their 37-17 upset loss at Dallas as a 3-point underdog. Washington must win this game to win the NFC East and make the playoffs.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Eagles declared nine players out yesterday — and this list includes running back Miles Sanders, wide receiver DeSean Jackson, and tight end Dallas Goedert. Philadelphia is getting very thin when it comes to injuries their skill position and offensive line units. They have played 9 straight games Under the Total when playing at home after losing two of their last three games. Quarterback Jalen Hurts has played quite well in his first three starts at quarterback — he led the Philly offense to 477 total yards last week. But the Eagles have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after gaining at least 350 yards in their last game. Expect head coach Ron Rivera and the Washington defensive staff to have a good game plan against Hurts. It is usually about three games worth of tape in the NFL before opposing defenses begin to get a good book on quarterbacks to design more effective schemes. The Philly defense also gave up 513 yards to the Cowboys last week — but they have played 5 straight games Under the Total after allowing at least 350 yards in their last game. They return home where they hold their guests to just 23.4 PPG along with 336.3 YPG. The Eagles have played 21 of their last 29 games Under the Total at home — and they have played 13 of their last 16 home games Under the Total against teams with a losing record on the road. The Football Team has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss. Washington has also played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after failing to score more than 14 points in their last game. The Football Team has managed only 15 and 13 points in their last two games — and they have played 9 of their last 12 games Under the Total after not scoring more than 17 points in two straight games. Washington did gain 386 yards last week but they have then played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after gaining at least 350 yards in their last game. It does look like it will be Alex Smith back under center for this game with his taking part in a limited practice on Friday after missing the last two games with a calf injury. With second-year QB Dwayne Haskins cut earlier this week, it will be Taylor Heinicke as the backup quarterback if Smith gets re-injured. Look for a conservative game plan that limits mistakes and leans heavily on the Football Team’s outstanding defense that ranks 4th in the NFL by allowing 310.5 total YPG. Washington is scoring only 17.0 PPG while averaging 310.7 YPG in their last three games. They go back on the road where they have played 7 of their last 10 road games Under the Total against teams with a losing record at home.

FINAL TAKE: Washington has played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total as a favorite. They upset the Eagles by a 27-17 score as a 5.5-point favorite on September 3rd - and Philly has played 3 straight games Under the Total when avenging a loss on the road. 25* NFC East Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Washington Football Team (101) and the Philadelphia Eagles (102). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 4:25 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars (103) and the Indianapolis Colts (104). THE SITUATION: Jacksonville (1-14) lost their fourteenth straight game this season with their 41-17 loss to Chicago as a 9.5-point underdog last Sunday. Indianapolis (10-5) saw their three-game winning streak snapped on Sunday with their 28-24 upset loss at Pittsburgh as a 1-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Jaguars’ soft-tanking job consists of somehow deciding Mike Glennon is a better choice to be their quarterback than Gardner Minshew. Sure, if the goal is to never score enough points to threaten to win a second game this season. Jacksonville has scored 41 combined points in their last three games while never topping 17 points in those three contests. They are averaging only 300.0 YPG in those games. To make matters worse this week, running back James Robinson and wide receiver D.J. Chark are out with injuries. The Jaguars defense is a mess — but they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after allowing at least 40 points in their last game — and they have played 11 of their last 15 games Under the Total after a game where at least 50 combined points were scored. And while Jacksonville has played two straight Overs, they have then played 15 of their last 20 games Under the Total after playing an Over — and they have played 30 of their last 46 games Under the Total on the road after playing two straight Overs. The Jags have not covered the point spread in three straight games — and they have played 8 of their last 9 games Under the Total after failing to cover the point spread in three of their last four games. Additionally, Jacksonville has played 9 of their last 13 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total in January. Indianapolis has played 17 of their last 25 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss. The Colts’ offense has taken a massive blow with left tackle Anthony Castonzo who went on Injured Reserve this week with a knee injury. The strength of the Indianapolis offense is their line with Castonzo being the key member. Indianapolis still has a strong defense that is 8th in the NFL by allowing only 335.3 YPG. The Colts return home where they have played 5 of their last 7 home games Under the Total against teams with a losing record on the road. They also have played 20 of their last 28 home games Under the Total in the last two weeks of the season.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams have played 7 of their last 9 games Under the Total when playing in Indianapolis. With Buffalo beating Miami, it looks like the Colts will already be in the playoffs before this game kicks off — and that may come to head coach Frank Reich to bench Philip Rivers and other key starters on offense. Indy will likely run and grind their way to victory. 25* AFC South Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars (103) and the Indianapolis Colts (104). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 4:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (331) and the Alabama Crimson Tide (332) in the Rose Bowl in the College Playoff Semifinals. THE SITUATION: Notre Dame (10-1) looks to bounce back from their 34-10 loss to Clemson in the ACC Championship Game as an 11.5-point underdog on December 19th. Alabama (11-0) won the SEC Championship on December 19th with their 52-46 win over Florida as a 16.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Crimson Tide are going to score their share of points. They have scored at least 38 points in all eleven of their games while reaching at least 41 points in each of their games since their opening contest. They have the top Success Rate in the country which suggests they will convert first downs and score touchdowns in the Red Zone. Alabama has played 17 of their last 26 games Over the Total after scoring at least 42 points in their last game — and they have scored at least 11 of their last 16 games Over the Total after scoring at least 50 points in their last contest. And while they have scored at least 42 points in five straight games, they have then played 5 of their last 7 games Over the Total after scoring at least 42 points in four straight contests. They raced out to a 35-17 lead at halftime against Florida — and they have played 18 of their last 24 games Over the Total after leading by at least 17 points at halftime of their last game. Both Florida and OIe Miss proved that good offenses can move the ball against their defense: the Gators generated 462 yards of offense (with their 46 points) while the Rebels gained a whopping 647 yards against them for 48 points. The other nine teams Alabama played this season combined to average only 13.3 PPG along with just 4.5 Yards-Per-Play. The Tide’s defensive numbers appear inflated by a weak strength of schedule. Can Notre Dame approach 30 points in this game? I think so. The most impressive thing about their upset victory against Clemson was the 90-yard drive they executed late in the game to force overtime after the Tigers had rallied in that game after their offense slowed down. The Fighting Irish scored less than 27 just twice this season. Perhaps head coach Brian Kelly will try to slow this game down by running the ball? Well, he didn’t try that against Clemson in that upset win. And playing conservatively fails as soon as a team trails by double-digits — so the Irish may not have a choice in how aggressive they play. Notre Dame has played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after a loss by at least 20 points in their last game. And while that game finished Under the 58 point total, the Irish have then played 4 straight games Over the Total after playing a game that finished Under the Total. Furthermore, the Irish have allowed their last two opponents to average 6.4 and 8.2 Yards-Per-Play — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total after allowing their last two opponents to average at least 6.25 YPP.

FINAL TAKE: Alabama has seen the Over go 22-8-2 in their last 32 games when playing on a neutral field — and they have played 7 of their last 9 games Over the Total in January. Notre Dame has played 5 of their last 6 games Over the Total when playing on the faster field turf rather than the grass field like at their home field. 25* CFB New Year’s Six Bowl Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (331) and the Alabama Crimson Tide (332). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between Liverpool (200089) and Newcastle United (200090). THE SITUATION: Liverpool (W9-D5-L1) comes off a 1-1 draw against West Brom on Sunday. Newcastle (W5-D3-L6) is winless in their last three matches after a 2-0 loss at Manchester City on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Liverpool is dealing with a bevy of injuries in their back end with Virgil Van Dijk and Joe Gomez out long-term — and center back Joe Matip will miss this game. The good news for manager Jurgen Klopp is that Thiago Alcantara might be fit enough to return — the former Bayern Munich holding midfielder is an excellent defensive player. Even if Thiago cannot take the pitch, this game should still be a lower-scoring match. Klopp has shifted tactics this season with his team playing far less aggressively with pressing tactics to compensate for the losses in their backline. Since the injury to Van Dijk, the Reds are allowing 1.20 expected goals per match which would be good for top-five in the league. And since October 24th, Liverpool has not allowed more than one goal in any of their ten league matches — and they have three clean sheets over that span. This focus on defense has taken away from the offensive prowess of this Reds’ side. Liverpool has scored more than two goals in just three of those ten league contests. And while they exploded for seven goals in their last match on the road against Crystal Palace, that was likely an aberration that spoke more about the defensive effort of the Eagles that day. The Reds have scored just three combined goals in their previous matches on the road before that showing. Liverpool is not playing great away from Anfield — they have only won two of their seven EPL matches on the road. Klopp will not likely feel ambitious about an aggressive attack today. Newcastle is third-to-last in the EPL with 1.14 expected goals (xG) per match. The Magpies will be without two of their more talented offensive players in this match with Allan Saint-Maximin and Jamaal Lascelles injured — but manager Steve Bruce should insert Callum Wilson back into the starting XI after he did not play against Man City. Newcastle does not engage in an ambitious approach on the pitch. They have scored only seven goals in their nine home matches in the EPL this season. But their defense has been solid — they are 10th in the league by allowing 1.42 expected goals allowed (xGA) per contest.

FINAL TAKE: These are also two teams that are being worked hard right now. This is Liverpool’s third match in ten days while Newcastle is playing their fourth match in ten days. The wear and tear tires out the legs with the players having just a little less energy on the pitch. This should be a lower-scoring match with a Liverpool clean sheet very possible. 25* EPL Wednesday Afternoon O/U Special Feature with Under the Total in the match between Liverpool (200089) and Newcastle United (200090). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:05 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the New Orleans Pelicans (567) and the Phoenix Suns (568). THE SITUATION: New Orleans (2-1) has won two of their last three games with their 98-95 win at San Antonio as a 4.5-point favorite on Sunday. Phoenix (2-1) rebounded from their first loss in nine games going back to the bubble by avenging their loss to the Kings with a 116-110 win in Sacramento as a 3.5-point favorite on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Suns made 48.9% of their shots which was the best shooting mark so far in their three games this season. But Phoenix has played 33 of their last 52 games Under the Total after scoring at least 115 points in their last game. The Suns saw the Kings make 47.4% of their shots which was their worst defensive effort of the young season as well. Phoenix has played of their last 9 games Under the Total after a win against a Pacific Division rival — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a double-digit win on the road. Now after playing their last two games on the road, the Suns return home where they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total — and they have played 9 of their last 12 home games Under the Total when favored. New Orleans has played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after a point spread win. This game flew Under the 227.5 point total as well — and the Pelicans have played 25 of their last 37 games Under the Total after playing a game that finished Under the Total. New Orleans made only 38.3% of their shots which is concerning since they made only 39.7% of their shots in their previous game at Miami. They go back on the road where they have played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total. The Pelicans have also played 4 straight games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage at 60% or higher — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: New Orleans has seen only 204.7 combined points in their first three games — and Phoenix has seen only 211.0 combined points in their first three games. While matchups make fights, the Pelicans are clearly emphasizing defense under first-year head coach Stan Van Gundy and the Suns’ improvement in the bubble that seems to be carrying over was in part because of improved emphasis on their defensive play (particularly in the emergence of Mikal Bridges). Nice value here. 25* NBA TNT Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the New Orleans Pelicans (567) and the Phoenix Suns (568). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:15 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Buffalo Bills (481) and the New England Patriots (482). THE SITUATION: Buffalo (11-3) has won four straight games with their 48-19 win at Denver last Saturday as a 6-point favorite. New England (6-8) has lost two games in a row after their 22-12 upset loss at Miami as a 1.5-point favorite at the kickoff of that game.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Patriots have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a double-digit loss. New England has also played 20 of their last 27 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss — and they have played 20 of their last 26 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. The Patriots’ offense is sputtering with mediocre quarterback play combining with a lack of talent at the skill positions. They are generating just 271.3 total YPG in their last three games which is resulting in just 20.0 PPG. Head coach Bill Belichick has been coy this week about who his starting quarterback will be as he may use these final two games to let Jarett Stidham audition for the job next season now that they have been eliminated from the playoffs. Stidham is completing just 54.5% of his passes in limited action this season while lacking the mobility of Newton. New England has played 9 of their last 11 games Under the Total after not scoring more than 14 points in their last game. And while the Patriots have played six straight games Under the Total, they have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total after playing at least two straight Unders. New England is playing well on defense — they have held their last three opponents to just 15.3 PPG along with 319.7 YPG. They did give up 383 yards to the Dolphins last week but they have then played 4 straight games Under the Total after allowing at least 350 yards in their last game. Now after playing their last three games on the road, the Patriots return home where they holding their guests to just 19.3 PPG. New England has played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total after playing their last two games on the road — and they have played 10 of their last 11 games Under the Total after losing two in a row away from home. The Patriots have played 5 of their last 6 games Under the Total at home — and they have played 4 of their last 5 home games Under the Total against teams with a winning record on the road. The Patriots have also played 4 straight games Under the Total as an underdog. Buffalo has played 4 straight games Under the Total after a win by at least two touchdowns. And while the Bills have covered the point spread in six straight games, they have then played 8 of their last 12 games Under the Total after playing at least two straight Unders. Buffalo held the Broncos to just 255 yards of offense including only 115 yards in the air. The Bills have then played 4 straight games Under the Total after allowing no more than 150 passing yards in their last game. Buffalo has steadily improved their play on defense after seeing some significant turnover from that unit from last season. They have held their last three opponents to just 19.3 PPG along with 293.7 total YPG. Head coach Sean McDermott is making things easier on his defense by leaning more on their running game. The Bills are second in the NFL in passing but just 21st in rushing YPG. But Zack Moss rushed for 81 yards last week which was a season-high for the former Utah running back. Look for Buffalo to use this game to continue to develop and fine-tune their ground game as they prepare to make a deep playoff run — and this commitment to running the football will burn time off the clock to help our Under. The Bills have played 11 of their last 14 games Under the Total with the number in the 42.5 to 49.5 range — and they have played 7 of their last 8 games Under the Total on the road with the total in that 42.5 to 49.5 point range.

FINAL TAKE: Buffalo won the first meeting between these two teams by a 24-21 score on November 1st. New England has played 8 of their last 9 games Under the Total when playing with revenge — and they have played 6 straight games Under the Total when avenging a loss on the road. 25* AFC East Total of the Year with Under the Total in the game between the Buffalo Bills (481) and the New England Patriots (482). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:30 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Memphis Grizzlies (541) and the Brooklyn Nets (542). THE SITUATION: Memphis (0-2) has lost their first two games of the season after their 122-112 upset loss to Atlanta as a 2-point favorite. Brooklyn (2-1) lost their first game of the season yesterday with their 106-104 upset loss at Charlotte as an 11.5-point favorite.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Grizzlies have played 13 of their last 16 games Under the Total after a straight-up loss. Memphis has also played 16 of their last 22 games Under the Total after a double-digit loss — and they have played 4 straight games Under the Total after a double-digit loss at home. Furthermore, the Grizzlies have played 20 of their last 25 games Under the Total after allowing at least 120 points in their last game. Memphis is throwing up a bunch of shots — they have launched 95 and 93 shots in their first two games. But the Grizzlies have played 19 of their last 27 games Under the Total after taking at least 90 shots in two straight games. Furthermore, Memphis has played 5 straight games Under the Total against teams with a winning  percentage over 60% — and they have played 8 of their last 10 games Under the Total as an underdog. Brooklyn has made it point to play outstanding defense according to Kevin Durant. They have held their first three opponents to just 39.9% shooting — and these three foes have scored only 100.0 PPG against them. The Hornets shot 44.8% from the field which was the worst defensive performance for the Nets this season. Look for this Brooklyn team to tighten things up on defense. They have played 14 of their last 22 games Under the Total after a loss by three points or less — and they have played 4 of their last 5 games Under the Total after a point spread loss. The Nets have also played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total when playing without rest. UPDATE: Head coach Steve Nash has announced that both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will get the night off given load management after playing yesterday. With the team already missing Dinwiddie, that is plenty of scoring not available tonight. The team trends above capture the personality of this Nets’ team playing in the bubble without Durant and Irving last season — so the Under situation remains very good.

FINAL TAKE: Brooklyn suffered terrible news earlier today with the announcement that Spencer Dinwiddie will be out the season with a torn ACL that he suffered yesterday. Memphis has played 19 of their last 27 games Under the Total with the number set at 230 or higher. 25* NBA Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between the Memphis Grizzlies (541) and the Brooklyn Nets (542). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:20 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the game between the Tennessee Titans (479) and the Green Bay Packers (480). THE SITUATION: Tennessee (10-4) has won four of their last five games with their 46-25 win over Detroit last Sunday as a 9.5-point favorite. Green Bay (11-3) has won four straight games as well as six of their last seven with their 24-16 win over Carolina as a 9.5-point favorite last Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Titans have scored at least 30 points in five straight games while averaging a robust 37.4 PPG over that stretch. Yet the Tennessee defense has allowed at least 24 points in five of their last six games. The Titans lack a pass rush — even when their supposed specialist, Jadeveon Clowney was not on Injured Reserve. When Tennessee takes the lead, their opponents are able to keep scoring relying on their passing attack. The Titans are 29th in the NFL by allowing 276 passing YPG — and opposing quarterbacks are completing 66% of their passes against their defense. Tennessee is 27th in the league by allowing 390.5 total YPG — and they are giving up 414.0 YPG over their last three contests. The Over is 18-7-1 in the Titans’ last 26 games after a straight-up win — and the Over is 6-0-1 in their last 7 games after a point spread victory. Furthermore, Tennessee has played 4 straight games Over the Total after a win by at least two touchdowns. Additionally, the Over is 5-1-1 in their last 7 games after scoring at least 30 points in their last game. And while the Titans ran for 195 yards led by Derrick Henry’s 147 yards, they have played 4 straight games Over the Total after rushing for at least 150 yards in their last game. Henry’s rushing sets up Ryan Tannehill’s play-action passing — there is a reason that Tennessee is scoring 31.1 PPG. They go back on the road where they have played 4 of their last 5 games Over the Total on the road. Green Bay is scoring 31.0 PPG themselves. They have played 9 of their last 13 games Over the Total after a point spread loss. And while the Packers have played three straight Unders, they have then played 21 of their last 30 games Over the Total after playing at least three straight games Under the Total. Their 24 points scored last week was the first time in their last five games where they did not score at least 30 points. Once Green Bay gets rolling with Aaron Rodgers under center, they are happy to engage in scoring contests if necessary. The Packers have played 19 of their last 27 home games Over the Total after winning at least four in a row. Furthermore, Green Bay has played 9 of their last 13 games Over the Total when listed in the +/- 3-point range. And while it might snow tonight at Lambeau Field, Rodgers has thrown 99 touchdown passes in his 43 games played inclement weather at home in Green Bay.

FINAL TAKE: Bad weather will also likely play right into the hands of Henry and the Titans’ play-action game — so I see the potential for snow as a net-plus regarding this Over play. Tennessee has played 5 straight games Over the Total as an underdog and 5 straight games Over the Total against teams with a winning record. And in their last 10 games played in December, the game finished Over the Total 8 times. 25* NFL Sunday Night Football Total of the Year with Over the Total in the game between the Tennessee Titans (479) and the Green Bay Packers (480). Best of luck for us — Frank.