Take the over? Betting markets adjust to higher scoring

NBA teams are averaging 113.8 points a game this season. It's the highest since the 1969-70 season when the average was 116.7. Scoring averages have surpassed 110 points for five straight seasons. Sportsbooks try to even out the betting as much as possible.  The lowest total for Wednesday’s NBA games was 229. Chris Andrews, sportsbook director of the South Point in Las Vegas, says it wouldn't have been so unusual in the mid-80s.

There were 14 50-point games through Thursday and 90 40- point performances. Teams are averaging 3.17 goals a game, the highest since 1993-94 season. Alex B. Smith, one of the nation’s top NHL handicapping experts, says the number of high-skilled players is the primary reason more pucks are going into the net. He also cites the depth scoring for the Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers as primary examples. The number is also due to more offensive defensemen and more cross checks and goalie interference. It's the fourth time in five years the figure is north of 3,0.

Georgia and TCU won the College Football Playoff semifinals. The betting total for Monday's national title game is 62 1/2. This is also the consensus number at Las Vegas sportsbooks. The overall scoring trend in college football this season wasn't higher than in recent years. However, the challenge for sportsbook directors and bettors is identifying what is a small sample size compared to a general trend.