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I understand these are the two best defensive teams in the country and that obviously the intensity is going to be at its highest level. But the oddsmaker and early marketplace activity is overreacting to this driving this total to this number. It's the lowest of the season for Texas Tech and second-lowest for Virginia.  Texas Tech has been a decent scoring team. The Red Raiders are averaging 76.3 points during their past 13 games.  The Cavaliers have reached at least 63 points in all but two of their last 13 games.  The overtime also is  more of a possibility given the close point spread. So is excessive fouling at the end with this being the championship game. 

Texas Tech plus 1 1/2 vs. Virginia

Duke had its scare surviving Central Florida, 77-76, in its last game. The Blue Devils pulled that one out down three points with 14.4 seconds left. 

Texas is home and the superior team. The Longhorns rank 30th, according to Kenpom ratings, while Colorado checks in at No. 63. 

Both teams have outstanding defenses and play at slow tempos. They aren't going to change their styles. Given the importance of this matchup, Under is the right way to look.

These two teams have been about offense rather than defense. But both have been in better defensive form and their intensity is way up with this being the MAC Tournament. 

There is a good reason why Northern Colorado has gone Under in 17 of its last 22 games. The Bears have the best defense in the Big Sky Conference. They also play at a very slow tempo. The Bears are a heavy favorite in this matchup. So they certainly aren't going to be rushing shots especially if they built up a solid lead as expected. 

Ambush time for Colorado State. The Rams have covered 11 of their last 15 Mountain West Conference matchups, including three of the last four. They draw Utah State off a huge home win from Saturday against Nevada in what was an intense, bitterly fought game. That victory moved the Aggies into first place in the Mountain West and puts them in a letdown spot here. The Rams have revenge motivation and are playing for playoff seeding in the Mountain West Conference Tournament.  

If you go by won-lost records then this point spread is justified. Long Beach State is 11-18 overall and 5-8 in the Big West Conference. Cal Santa Barbara is 19-8 and 8-5 in league. 

Old Dominion has lost just once in its last 12 games. That loss, though, occurred to Texas San Antonio. I see the Monarchs getting their revenge here. Old Dominion shot just 30 percent from the field in that defeat while the Roadrunners were on fire from long distance connecting on 16 of 31 3-pointers. The Monarachs are the superior defense ranking in the top-10 in scoring defense and defensive field goal percentage. 

I am riding MIchigan here. The Wolverines are 16-0 at home. They have covered six of their last seven home games and have owned the Spartans recently beating them by double digits during each of the past three meetings. 

The Spartans are dealing with key injuries. Against some opponents they could get away with it. Not here, though, 

Yale and Harvard are the class of the Ivy League. Harvard buried Brown, 68-47, as six-point home chalk on Feb. 2. So laying this short price on the road is more than fair. 

Missing 17 of 21 shots from beyond the arc, Illinois lost 72-60 to Wisconsin on Jan. 23. Since then the Illini have gone 5-1 SU, 4-2 ATS as their talented but inexperienced freshmen have matured and become more consistent. 

The oddsmaker opened this total too low. VCU won the first meeting between the two teams, 76-71. Dayton has scored at least 75 points in three of its past five games. The Flyers average 74 points on the season, while VCU averages nearly 71 points per game. The Rams are an up-tempo team, too. The Over has cashed in four of their last five games. The Over also has won the past six times these teams have met. 

This is a dangerous spot for 10th-ranked Marquette traveling after a huge home nationally televised victory against Villanova this past Saturday. DePaul is much improved. The Blue Demons have five wins in Big East play this season, which is their second-highest win total during the past 11 seasons. They have won two in a row.  The Blue Demons are 13-3 when outrebounding their opponents. They outrebounded Marquette in the first meeting, but lost 79-69 on Jan. 23. DePaul made 15 of 19 free throws in that game. Marquette, however, was 28-for-32 from the foul line for 87.5 percent. 

I see excellent value here with Princeton. The Tigers have won seven in a row while covering in their last five games. They are 20-8-1 ATS following a victory. 

Yale is strong, too. But the Bulldogs can be vulnerable defensively. I prefer Princeton's defense. I'm expecting a slow pace, which is a plus, too, for an underdog taking this many points. The Tigers are giving up only 55.5 points per game in Ivy League play this season. 

Princeton is in excellent form winning five in a row. I'm going to ride the Tigers here as they have an excellent track record in these type of spots going 6-1 ATS the past seven times meeting an opponent that has a losing won/lost record. The Tigers are 5-2 on the road with a winning ATS away record, too. Columbia is 2-7 ATS at home versus a foe with a winning away mark. Princeton has dominated this series, too, covering eight of the last nine times.