Slow tempo. Tough defense. Excellent coaching. Those are trademarks of the Missouri Valley Conference. Now throw in a tough-to-shoot venue, which Enterprise Center in St. Louis is, and you should have an Under the total game betwen Bradley and Missouri State in its quarterfinal Missouri Valley Conference Tournament game. Note this is a day game.

Yes, the oddsmaker knows all about this conference. So I'm not giving away any secrets here. But this total still opened too high. Here's why:

Bradley ranks 47th in scoring defensive giving up 66 points a game. The Braves play at a very deliberate pace. They rank among the bottom 18 percent in terms of tempo. They held Missouri State to an average of 62 points in the two meetings the teams had this season.

Missouri State also plays extremely slow, milking the shot clock. The Bears rate No. 2 in defensive efficiency in the Missouri Valley. They held Bradley to an average of 50 1/2 points in the two meetings this season.

These two teams are all about defense not offense. Playing during the day in the conference tournament - where the stakes are the highest - should only reinforce that especially considering the site.

Enterprise Center is primarily a hockey arena. It's where the St. Louis Blues play their home games. The backdrop there for basketball is notorious for poor shooting. The Under has won 62 percent of the time during the past 82 instances when the total has been 120 or higher.