Free Pick - Rickenbach CBB Game #711 Thursday - OVER the total in Florida International Golden Panthers vs Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders @ 7 ET - The Golden Panthers could be without Donte McGill again tonight but, including the game he got hurt, he has now missed about two and a half games and yet Florida International has still averaged 69 points per game in these three games and they were all on the road! Now the Panthers are back home where they are hitting 48% of their field goal attempts on the season. Also, FIU's defense has been a concern. Prior to their ugly low-scoring loss at UTSA Saturday, the Golden Panthers had allowed 4 straight opponents to connect on 47% or better from the field. Florida International gave up an average of 81 points per game in those 4 games and now host a 15-3 Middle Tennessee team that is averaging 75 points per game on the season. The Blue Raiders offense will prove to be too much for the FIU defense but the real value i this game appears to be with the total because I do expect the Golden Panthers to continue their high-scoring ways in home games. The Panthers are a bad team but they can but up big points and, even though their game at UTEP went into double OT they did have 66 points at the end of regulation. The over is 4-1 in FIU's conference games this season and the over is on a 9-3 run when the Golden Panthers are off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. Look for the over to improve to 4-1 in Blue Raiders games this season where they are off of a win against a conference rival. Free Pick on OVER the total in Florida International Thursday. Best of luck, Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach