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Mike Tierney
Mike Tierney
Top Dog
A veteran sportswriter whose work appears periodically in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, Mike Tierney has covered the NFL for decades and reported from seven Super Bowls. Mike does not consider himself a pet lover. But he likes 'dogs, preferring to evaluate each game from the underdog's point of view. Mike is coming off a typically strong 2022 NFL season in which he went 68-54-6, returning $815 to $100 players. For Mike Tierney media inquiries, contact SportsLine@CBSInteractive.com.
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CBB | Miami 59 @ UConn 72 | 04/02 | 1:16 AM UTC

UNDER 149

WIN

ANALYSIS: The public appears all aboard on the Over -- for good reason. Both sides average 80-plus points and are ablaze offensively. Yet the teams' practices this week surely focused on defense. (UConn is good at it, Miami not so much). Playing in a cavernous building can inhibit outside shooting. The Huskies' marksman, Jordan Hawkins, is fighting a stomach ailment and could be limited. Hurricanes' games against foes with winning records have gone Under in six of the last eight.

+400 4-0 IN LAST 4 UCONN O/U PICKS
+90 2-1 IN LAST 3 MIAMI O/U PICKS

CBB | FAU 71 @ San Diego St. 72 | 04/01 | 10:09 PM UTC

UNDER 132

LOSS

ANALYSIS: The hottest streak in the NCAA Tournament is San Diego State and Unders. It has scored in a dozen straight. The Aztecs are 266th in possessions per game, but it's not just pace of play. They embrace lock-down defense. FAU has gone 5-2 on Unders in the postseason. While the Owls carry an up-tempo tag, they rank just above the midway point for average possessions. This matchup resembles FAU versus Tennessee, a game that produced 117 points. Shooters can get befuddled in football arenas, so the setting in Houston could depress scoring.

CBB | UAB 61 @ North Texas 68 | 03/31 | 1:42 AM UTC

UAB -2

LOSS

ANALYSIS: Give me a cougar-paced offense (UAB, tied for 19th most possessions per game) against a snail-paced one (North Texas, dead last) anytime. The Mean Green is 2-1 straight up against the Blazers this season. However, the first win came with UAB star Jordan Walker out. The second decision happened in double-overtime, and UAB was outscored at the foul line 23-5. The Blazers semi-evened the score in the CUSA tournament as Walker combined for 52 points in the latter two matchups. Mean Green forward Abou Ousmane, their top rebounder and a double-digit scorer, participated in all three games and will sit out here. Wisconsin essentially gifted North Texas its semifinal win by falling into a coma the last 10 minutes.

+90 2-1 IN LAST 3 NTEXAS ATS PICKS

CBB | Utah Valley 86 @ UAB 88 | 03/29 | 1:30 AM UTC

UAB -3

LOSS

ANALYSIS: UAB has blown through three NIT opponents, winning by an aggregate 54 points. The offense is high-octane, and the defense has yet to yield more than 60 points. The Blazers have a go-to scorer, Jordan Walker, in the clutch. It’s not too often to see an NIT entrant ranked in the top 50 for both offensive and defensive efficiency. Utah Valley has overachieved in getting to this stage. Its coach, Mark Madsden, might be distracted in light of his offer from Cal.

CBB | North Texas 54 @ Wisconsin 56 | 03/28 | 11:00 PM UTC

OVER 115.5

LOSS

ANALYSIS: This is an almost unfathomably low total for a college hoops matchup. Both teams play at a tortoise pace but, in a projected close game, surely there will be some late whistles that result in foul shots. North Texas games have stayed low-scoring in the NIT as the Mean Green have soldiered on without defensive ace Abou Ousmane. He is a likely scratch against Wisconsin, so the Badgers should get to the rim more freely.