Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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02-08-21 | Raptors v. Grizzlies OVER 223.5 | Top | 128-113 | Win | 100 | 23 h 19 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #563 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Memphis Grizzlies vs Toronto Raptors @ 8 ET - The Grizzlies have trended under this season but Memphis has scored an average of 113.8 points during their current 7-3 run their last 10 games. The Grizzlies are on a 3-game losing streak, in part, because they have allowed 122.3 points their last 3 games. Now they host a Raptors team that is on a 5-0 run to the over and is 8-4 to the over in road games this season. Toronto has scored an average of 121.2 points per game their last 5 games. But the Raptors have allowed 121.5 points their last 4 road games. We get a rather low total here because of the long-term reputation of the Grizzlies. The key here in this situation is the set-up is perfect for big points from Memphis but the Raptors will not slow down either. As a result the Grizzlies and Raptors get into a back and forth tussle here with plenty of scoring. 10* OVER the total in Memphis |
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02-08-21 | Islanders +102 v. Rangers | Top | 2-0 | Win | 102 | 21 h 47 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #67 Monday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (+) @ New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - These rivals faced off in their first two games this season and the Islanders won the first in a shutout but then the Rangers took the 2nd game in an embarrassing 5-0 loss for the Isles. That said, the payback is coming here. The road team had won 4 straight meetings prior to the Rangers taking that game back on the 16th of January. Look for the road team dominance in this series to resume here. The Islanders got back on track with a win versus the Penguins Saturday and I look for the Isles to now build on that. They were so close with back to back losses coming after regulation and now that they got the over the hump they won't look back. This is a hockey club much better than the 5-game losing streak would lead you to believe. They were right on the cusp of turning things around and, now that they have done it, they keep it going while getting some revenge here. The Isles catch the Rangers at the right time as the Blueshirts are off key back to back wins over the Penguins and Capitals. The Pens had beaten them 3 straight times so they really wanted that one badly and then got the win over the Caps despite being outshot. The Rangers are still young defensively and the Islanders have the better blue line in my opinion which should key this revenge win. In the Isles 5-0 loss to the Rangers in their most recent meeting the Islanders actually had 20 blocked shots compared to just 6 for the Rangers and they out-hit them 31-22. Look for a physical revenging road team to key the payback here as well after that whitewashing. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS |
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02-08-21 | SMU v. East Carolina OVER 139 | Top | 71-56 | Loss | -110 | 19 h 29 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #845 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in East Carolina Pirates vs SMU Mustangs @ 5 ET - Don't be fooled by the total here. The game between odds makers and the betting markets can be a funny thing. That said, why did this total open at a 139 when each of the Pirates 7 games in 2021 have had a posted total below that? Exactly! The average total posted in those 7 games was just 132.3 points. That said, do not let the number fool you as this one should fly over. The Pirates do hit a respectable 35% of their threes when at home and the Mustangs are hitting 35% of threes on the season even on the road where they are at 36% on the season. SMU is off a low-scoring hard-fought win that was their 2nd straight under but this followed 3 straight road overs that saw the Mustangs average 76.3 points per game. The Pirates will get their points at home but this is an East Carolina team that, prior to a low-scoring loss at Memphis, allowed 75.3 points their 4 prior games. So this game should be in the 76-70 range in my opinion and actually cracking the 150 mark would not surprise me at all. That said, the value is here for us. 10* OVER the total in East Carolina |
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02-08-21 | Crystal Palace v. Leeds United OVER 2.75 | Top | 0-2 | Loss | -118 | 19 h 1 m | Show |
TV Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach EPL Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Leeds United vs Crystal Palace @ 3 PM ET - I am well aware of the fact that each club has some injuries including the Crystal Palace leading scorer, Wilfried Zaha, but this one has over written all over it! Crystal Palace has scored 5 goals their last 3 matches but this is also a club that has conceded 8 goals their last 4 matches. Leeds United has seen their matches average 3.5 goals per fixture on the campaign. 10 of the last 12 matches across all competitions for Leeds United have totaled at least 3 goals so there is excellent value here with this total. These clubs each have the same total points in the table at 29 and, that said, neither team wants to settle for a draw here. It is also unlikely that either club produces a clean sheet here as these two clubs have been two of the worst this season in terms of goals allowed. That said, at least a 2-1 final is highly likely here and I am fully expecting 4 or more goals in this one. 10* OVER the total in Leeds United |
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02-07-21 | Chiefs -3 v. Bucs | Top | 9-31 | Loss | -107 | 79 h 0 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #101 Sunday 10* Top Play Kansas City Chiefs (-) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ 6:30 ET - The irony here is incredible. The Chiefs are looking to become the first team to win back to back Super Bowls since the Tom Brady-led Patriots beat the Andy Reid-led Eagles back in 2004. This is Andy Reid's 3rd Super Bowl in his career and he finally gets his shot at Super Bowl revenge against Brady and, in getting a win here, would displace a Brady-led team in the record books as the most recent one to go back to back in the biggest game of them all in all of sports. I don't see Reid and the Chiefs being denied. This will be Reid's 32nd playoff game as a head coach and, as noted above, his 3rd Super Bowl. Tampa Bay is led by Bruce Arians and he is making his Super Bowl debut as a head coach and also entered this post-season 1-2 as a head coach in playoff action. I know this post-season has gone well for Arians and the Bucs but lets take a closer look. They faced a Redskins team without their starting QB and that didn't even belong in the playoffs really. Then they had a +4 turnover ratio against the Saints. Then they got outgained by the Packers in Green Bay but won the game thanks in part to horrible coaching on the part of GB. That will not happen here against Andy Reid and the Chiefs. Also, I love the fact that the Chiefs are just 2-8 ATS their last 10 games while the Buccaneers are on a 6-2 ATS run their last 8 games. Watch that flip in the final game of the year. Also, we certainly do not want a push but do note that 4 of the 5 Bucs losses came by 3 or more points while 15 of the Chiefs 16 wins have come by 3 or more points. This line was a 3.5 earlier but has come down to a solid -3 as of the Thursday before Super Bowl weekend. In other words, it is now "go time" for us. Time to pull the trigger. The fact the regular season meeting was only a 3 point win for the Chiefs despite a yardage edge of 114 is also helping to give us line value here. In what should be a very entertaining game, don't be surprised if coaching and special teams play a key factor in the final outcome and BOTH of those factors FAVOR the Chiefs in a big way here. 10* KANSAS CITY |
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02-07-21 | Kings v. Clippers -8.5 | Top | 113-110 | Loss | -105 | 17 h 59 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #560 Sunday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Clippers (-) vs Sacramento Kings @ 3:05 ET - The Kings have won and covered 7 in a row so, in typical contrarian fashion, I am on the other side here. Sacramento is in a very tough spot here as this game starts at Noon local time and this is after the Kings were in action yesterday at home against Denver. Sacramento did get an upset win in that game while LA enters this game angry off an upset loss so the situation is perfect. That is why I am willing to lay points here as I expect the Clippers to go all out here and roll to a win by at least a dozen points. Los Angeles does not play again until Wednesday and also they do not have another home game until next Sunday. Also, they were off yesterday so they are rested and ready to go all out here and they are not happy about their home loss to a Celtics team that was without Jaylen Brown. Look for them to make up for that here as the Clippers are a perfect 6-0 this season when off a loss! The Clips have won the last two meetings by an average margin of 28.5 points and roll again here. 10* LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS |
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02-07-21 | Georgetown v. Villanova OVER 142 | Top | 74-84 | Win | 100 | 16 h 3 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #811 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Villanova Wildcats vs Georgetown Hoyas @ 2:30 ET - The Wildcats are off just their 2nd loss of the season. When they lost their first game they responded by scoring 87 points in their next game. At home and not happy about scoring just 59 points in their loss to St John's, Villanova will take a very aggressive approach here and won't take their foot off the gas. However, don't be surprised if the Hoyas run right along with the Cats! Georgetown, after a long layoff due to postponed games, has come back with a perfect 2-0 SU mark even though they were a big dog in each game. The Hoyas are playing with a ton of confidence as a result especially since they are coming off a red-hot shooting effort against Creighton. Look for the Hoyas to carry some momentum from that one right into this one and I am looking for a very high-scoring affair as a result. We are getting some value here with the low total because this series has trended under in recent meetings. The value is there because the situation is telling me this should be an over. The Cats are angry and want to put up 90+ if they can but Georgetown comes in with confidence and hot shooting. 10* OVER the total in Villanova |
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02-07-21 | Flyers -112 v. Capitals | Top | 7-4 | Win | 100 | 15 h 34 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #51 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) @ Washington Capitals @ 12:05 ET - Flyers favored on the road after back to back losses? Must be some kind of mistake, right? In typical contrarian fashion I am backing the side many will not want here. Philadelphia actually has won 4 straight against the Capitals and the last 3 victories have come by a combined margin of 15 to 5. In other words, that is domination and here Philly comes in angry after back to back games they essentially gave away against the Bruins. This followed the Flyers winning 4 straight games and they should get right back on track here. Vitek Vanecek has allowed 7 goals in his last two starts and Ilya Samsonov is still out. Conversely the Flyers should have Carter Hart back in goal for this one plus key D-man Phillip Myers could be back and also center Sean Courturier is nearing a return. Road team rolls the Caps again here just as they have been doing in recent meetings. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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02-06-21 | Penguins v. Islanders -105 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 21 h 31 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #42 Saturday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (-) vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - How can the Islanders open up as a pick'em here considering they have lost 5 straight games? Exactly! The odds maker knows that this team is much better than their record shows and they will be extra hungry here after back to back losses that each came in overtime against the Flyers. Note that part of the reason the Islanders have struggled out of the gates this season could be attributed to a road-heavy schedule as well. By the way, note that the home team is now a perfect 8-0 in the Islanders last 8 games so betting on home ice in Isles games early this season has been a big money maker. The Islanders have now had a layoff of nearly week but so too have the Penguins. By the way, Pittsburgh will attract market attention here because they had won 5 of 7 before a loss to the Rangers in their most recent game. However, the Penguins 5 wins have featured only 1 in regulation and that one was a bit fortunate by the way too! The other 4 victories have all come in overtime or the shootout. The Pens have been living dangerously without a single win by a multiple-goal margin while 4 of their 5 losses this season have been by 2 or more goals. There is some "sneaky value" here with the Islanders is the point I am making and I'll take it for a top play here! 10* ISLANDERS |
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02-06-21 | Nuggets -3 v. Kings | Top | 114-119 | Loss | -100 | 19 h 44 m | Show |
NBA TV Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #531 Saturday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (-) @ Sacramento Kings @ 5 ET - The Kings are hot so they are garnering the attention of the betting markets and I fully understand that. But in typical contrarian fashion, I like the Nuggets here. Denver is really ticked off heading into this game as they were up nicely at halftime against the Lakers Thursday and then had a horrific 2nd half. The Nuggets also play this game with double revenge against Sacramento. These teams met twice earlier this season and the Kings won each game including a 2 point win at Denver when the Nuggets were an 8 point favorite. The Nuggets have had enough of this Sacramento team this season plus are in a foul mood after what happened against the Lakers Thursday. Denver had won 11 of 15 before the collapse against the defending champs. Also, the Kings were on a 2-9 SU run before covering 6 straight games heading into this one. I am not totally sold on Sacramento just yet and feel the odds makers are on to something considering the Nuggets have lost both match-ups to the Kings and yet are now favored by more than the -1 they laid in the first meeting at Sacramento. Trust me it is not a mistake and I feel the road team wins by 7 to 10 here. 10* DENVER |
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02-06-21 | Wisconsin v. Illinois OVER 136 | Top | 60-75 | Loss | -105 | 17 h 37 m | Show |
Big Ten Total of the Year - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #657 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Illinois Illini vs Wisconsin Badgers @ 2:30 ET - The Badgers generally are known for defense and for tough play at home. Also, when off a loss, Wisconsin has really shown a knack to D up in their next game. But in this case they are off a win and the O/U is 5-2 in the Badgers last 7 games they have entered off a win. Also, on the road this season the Badgers are allowing 68 points and 36% shooting from three point land. Neither one of those stats is overly impressive and now Wisconsin faces a red hot Illinois team that is confidence offensively. The Illini average 82.2 points per game this season. Also, Illinois has won 7 of 9 games and have averaged 78 points in those 7 wins. The Illini, not including OT, have allowed 74 points per game their last 4 games. I like taking overs when teams are off wins. They tend to put a little more reliance on their offense when they are rolling and pay a little less attention to the defensive side of the game. It is just a natural thing and I feel the Illini, at home, will also dictate the pace and flow of this game and they will force it to be a higher-scoring game. Getting this total in the mid-130s is a solid value. 10* OVER the total in Illinois |
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02-06-21 | Brighton & Hove Albion v. Burnley +0.25 | Top | 1-1 | Win | 53.5 | 13 h 22 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach EPL Saturday 10* Top Play Burnley +0.25 +107 vs Brighton & Hove @ 10 AM ET - Brighton & Hove is off a huge upset win versus Liverpool. That makes this a great spot to fade Brighton & Hove. Burnley is off back to back losses but faced a resurgent Chelsea team with a new manager and a strong Manchester City team. In other words, no shame in those defeats and that was on the heels of 3 straight victories for Burnley across all competitions. As a result, I feel Burnley is still flying under the radar a bit and they have played a little better than most realize. Note that no team in the premier league has as many draws this season as Brighton & Hove with 9 thus far. The Albion have only 5 victories in 22 matches this season. That is why I like the value here with the "plus plus" on Burnley. A win or even a draw gives us a winning wager here and Burnley has won 4 and drawn once in 10 home matches this season. You can see why I like the odds here with the home dog especially given the huge victory that the visitor is coming off of. 10* BURNLEY +0.25 GOALS |
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02-05-21 | Bruins v. Flyers +117 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -100 | 21 h 18 m | Show |
NHL Network Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #24 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - The Bruins completely outplayed the Flyers in the 1st period of Wednesday's game. However, the Flyers were the better team for the 2nd period and most of the 3rd period. For the game Philadelphia outscored Boston 3-1 in 5 on 5 hockey. The difference in the game? 3 power play goals for the Bruins after the Flyers had a 3-1 lead with about 8 minutes to go in the game. Boston got a power play goal after a "closing the hand on the puck" penalty which was really unintentional and no one one wanted to take a penalty at that point in the game for the Flyers. That got the Bruins back in it but the Flyers still hung on to the lead until the Bruins got the equalizer, also on the power play, with just seconds left in the game. Then Boston got the game winner in overtime on, you guessed it, the power play! The Flyers are extremely fired up heading into this revenge game. They are very strong on home ice. Carter Hart is very sharp on home ice throughout his career. They were the better team Wednesday and deserved a win and didn't get it. This will be payback big time as the Flyers also lost both games at Boston earlier this season and one of those was after regulation too. So Philly has tremendous motivation here and proved in the 2nd and most of the 3rd period (again before some nonsense started) that they absolutely are capable of outplaying the Bruins for very long stretches. After deserving a win and not getting it, you know what is coming here on home ice for the Flyers. This is a payback game where we get the money line at a payback price. I certainly will not pass up on this and certainly have no hesitation in going with a top play here. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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02-05-21 | Pelicans v. Pacers OVER 226 | Top | 114-113 | Win | 100 | 23 h 38 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #515 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Indiana Pacers vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 7:05 ET - The posted total on this one is much higher than the first meeting between these teams a month ago. Big mistake by the odds makers right? Of course not. The fact is that both these teams have been trending over the total since that meeting and that game also flew well over the total. The Pelicans are off a high-scoring win and the Pacers are off a high-scoring loss. The over is now 13-2 in the last 15 games for New Orleans. The over is now 8-2 in the last 10 games for Indiana. Last season both meetings went over the total and I look for another season series sweep for the over this season as well! The Pacers will score well at home but they have allowed 117.1 points per game their last ten games. The Pelicans have allowed 116.9 points per game their last 15 games. You can easily see why I would not be surprised to see this game get into the mid-230s and yet we are dealing with a total in the mid-220s. I'll take it! 10* OVER the total in Indiana |
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02-05-21 | Maryland v. Penn State -2 | Top | 50-55 | Win | 100 | 23 h 7 m | Show |
Early TV Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #860 Friday 10* Top Play Penn State Nittany Lions (-) vs Maryland Terrapins @ 7 ET - Why is a 6-8 team favored over a 10-8 team? Precisely why I am playing the 6-8 team. The fact is the Nittany Lions are off a bad loss at Wisconsin and in bounce back mode. Before the ugly loss to the Badgers, Penn State had beaten Wisconsin as part of a 3-1 SU and ATS run and that victory over the Badgers was at home where the Lions have won 3 straight and they should make it 4 in a row Friday. The Terrapins are off a win versus Purdue by the slimmest of margins but are on a 2-6 ATS run and off the nail-biter win, will fall flat here. Maryland averaging just 62.6 points per game on the road this season while the Nittany Lions are averaging 81.1 points per game at home this season. The Terps are the better team defensively but the home/road dichotomy for PSU is a big one and they again come up big at home with a strong shooting performance off a loss. 10* PENN STATE |
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02-04-21 | Jazz -7 v. Hawks | Top | 112-91 | Win | 100 | 24 h 9 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #506 Thursday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz @ Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET - The Hawks are in a very tough spot here. Even though they are at home and it is the Jazz who are the travelers, Atlanta had to do battle with Dallas last night while Utah was resting. The Jazz have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA for awhile and have won 12 of their past 13 games. The Hawks have been a little short-handed of late and now playing a back to back certainly won't help matters. Atlanta entered last night's game against the Mavericks having lost each of their past two home games so playing at home certainly hasn't translated to an automatic W for the Hawks this season. In fact they already had a 3-game losing streak in home games earlier this season. 11 of the last 12 wins for the Jazz have come by a double digit margin. Look for this one to as well. 10* UTAH |
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02-04-21 | Capitals +100 v. Rangers | Top | 2-4 | Loss | -100 | 21 h 19 m | Show |
East Div Game of the Month - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #9 Thursday 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line (+) @ New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - Great spot here. The Capitals are off their very first regulation loss of the season. Not only that it came by virtue of blowing a 3-0 lead against the Bruins and losing 5-3! Keep in mind that came against the January NHL rookie of the month - Caps goalie Vitek Vanecek. I fully expect he and the Capitals to bounce back huge here. Washington is catching the Rangers at the perfect time for a bounce back effort. New York is off a much-wanted win over the Penguins. The Rangers had lost each of their first three games against Pittsburgh this season before finally breaking through with a 3-1 win on Tuesday. That sets this one up perfectly. Also, the Rangers won each of the last two meetings with the Capitals last season so Washington certainly won't take them lightly. New York, prior to beating the Pens, had won just 2 of 8 games this season. Great value with the road team here. 10* WASHINGTON |
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02-04-21 | Cincinnati v. Temple +2.5 | Top | 63-60 | Loss | -109 | 23 h 37 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #736 Thursday 10* Top Play Temple Owls (+) vs Cincinnati Bearcats @ 7 ET - I am a Philly guy and was surprised the Owls didn't get it done on Sunday against Tulane. The game meant a little something extra after the passing of John Chaney whose name is synonymous with Temple basketball. The fact is that Sunday's disappointing result had a lot do with getting outrebounded and also the Green Wave shot much better. The Owls actually had just as many shot attempts as Tulane did in the game. Now Temple catches a break with facing a Cincinnati team that has not played in 3 and 1/2 weeks. Not only that, the Bearcats have lost 6 of their last 7 games. The Owls had won 3 of 4 before Sunday's loss and will respond big at home here. Cincinnati will struggle after the long layoff. Temple head coach Aaron McKie is also an Owls grad and the loss of Cheney means something extra to him for sure and I really look for a tremendous effort from the home team here and, unlike Sunday, they are catching the right team at the right time and they are a dog. I will take it. 10* TEMPLE |
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02-04-21 | Chelsea +116 v. Tottenham Hotspur | Top | 1-0 | Win | 116 | 20 h 16 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach EPL Thursday 10* Top Play Chelsea Money Line (+) @ Tottenham @ 3 ET - The Hotspur are just not the same club at all without Harry Kane. At the same time, Chelsea has responded very well under new manager Thomas Tuchel who took over for the fired Frank Lampard. Chelsea has played two fixtures and has yet to concede a goal. Also, Chelsea is off a 2-0 win in their most recent match and though that followed a scoreless draw, they dominated possession and shots on goal in each of the two matches under Tuchel. This looks like a mismatch given the current form as Tottenham have looked out of sorts ever since Kane got hurt in the match with Liverpool. The respect the betting markets are giving Tottenham here is based on their full campaign results. These clubs are level in the table with Tottenham also having a match in hand plus this fixture is on their home pitch. However, there is a reason Chelsea is the favorite on the road here and they should prove to be the play as I again look for them to go without conceding a goal here. Look for another clean sheet and a 1-0 or 2-0 win here. 10* CHELSEA |
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02-03-21 | Bruins v. Flyers +120 | Top | 4-3 | Loss | -100 | 22 h 29 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #76 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs Boston Bruins @ 8:05 ET - The Bruins are off a huge win versus the Capitals where they rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win 5-3 at Washington. Boston has been playing very well but they now take on a Flyers team that is out for revenge after losing both games at Boston less than two weeks ago. Philadelphia lost the first game in a shootout but then got drilled 6-1 in the second game. The Flyers have since won 4 straight games and have allowed only 2.2 goals per game during this hot streak. Keep in mind, Boston had lost 3 straight road games prior to the break through game at Washington. That big rally after being down 3-0 could leave the Bruins a little "spent" here. That was a tremendous rally. The Flyers have big-time revenge on their mind here and while I certainly respect Boston and know they have played well recently, Philly is tough on home ice. Goalie Carter Hart has phenomenal numbers at home in his career and he and the Flyers offer great value here as a home dog. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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02-03-21 | Mavs -120 v. Hawks | Top | 122-116 | Win | 100 | 23 h 47 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #567 Wednesday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks (-) @ Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET - A team that has lost 6 straight games both SU and ATS is a small road favorite? Exactly! In typical contrarian fashion I will grab the team that has lost 6 in a row and yet is favored here. Keep in mind, as a general rule, the odds makers are quite sharp! That said, the Mavericks are favored here for a reason and I am going to recommend a play on the money line here as it is available as low as a -120 price as of Tuesday evening. Why lay 1.5 or 2 points when you can lay a -120 price instead of a -110 price and than any SU win is also a winning ticket for your bankroll. I like the fact that De'Andre Hunter is likely to miss another game here plus the Hawks have some other injury issues. The Mavericks are the healthier team coming into this game and also very hungry as the losing has them fired up. This is a Dallas team that, prior to losing 2 straight road games to Utah (the Jazz are playing VERY well right now) had gone 5-2 SU in its 7 preceding road games. Also, Atlanta has lost back to back home games and remember they had a 3-game home losing streak early last month. Deja vu here? Yes I fully expect it as the underlying theme here is the Mavs are favored on the road for a reason. Lay it! 10* DALLAS |
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02-03-21 | Seton Hall +1 v. Providence | Top | 60-43 | Win | 100 | 23 h 48 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #681 Wednesday 10* Top Play Seton Hall Pirates (+) @ Providence Friars @ 7 ET - When I see two teams with similar records and yet the game is around a pick'em, I will immediately be looking at the road team. In other words the odds makers are telling us who the better team is just by the fact that the road team is not a dog even though they are away from home and facing a team with a similar record. In this case, I was already looking at this game as the Pirates fell just short of the cover for me against Villanova on Saturday. That game saw Seton Hall hurt by one long scoreless drought that ended up being the difference in the game. The fact is the Pirates had 6 more shot attempts from the field in the game but the Wildcats shot a ridiculous 10 of 22 from three point land. Now Seton Hall is taking on a Providence team that has lost 5 of its last 7 and 1 of those 2 wins came in OT! In fact, the Friars are 5-6 in their last 11 games but 3 of the 5 wins came in extra time including one was a double OT game. Included in this stretch was an OT win at Seton Hall and the Pirates will now take advantage of their shot at revenge here. 10* SETON HALL |
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02-03-21 | West Ham United v. Aston Villa OVER 2.5 | Top | 3-1 | Win | 100 | 20 h 35 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach EPL Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Aston Villa vs West Ham United @ 3:15 ET - West Ham is fired up off their 3-1 loss to Liverpool as they had been running hot. The Hammers had won 4 straight matches across all competitions and had averaged scoring 3 goals per match in their 3 most recent victories. We have great value with this total available as low as a 2.5 as I am fully expecting at least 3 goals here. West Ham's last 4 matches across all competitions have each totaled at least 3 goals and had averaged a total of 4 goals. Both clubs are going hard here for the valuable 3 points in the table and I don't expect a clean sheet here so a 1-1 match will turn into a 2-1 match at some point as neither team willing to settle for splitting the spoils here. Aston Villa has only had 2 draws in 19 matches this season and has average scoring 2 goals per match on their home pitch thus far this campaign. At the same time I just don't see a West Ham United club, motivated by the loss to Liverpool, giving in here so it could be quite a match with a lot of aggression in terms of attacking and counter-attacks. 10* OVER the total in Aston Villa |
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02-02-21 | Grizzlies v. Pacers -5.5 | Top | 116-134 | Win | 100 | 23 h 8 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #550 Tuesday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers (-) vs Memphis Grizzlies @ 8:05 ET - The Pacers will certainly be ready to go here. They are off a bad loss to Philadelphia where they blew a big lead late courtesty of a horrible 4th quarter and bad play in the final minutes. Now Indiana will take advantage of hosting a Memphis team that, after nearly two weeks off, will be playing the 2nd game of a back to back plus it is their 3rd game in 4 nights plus they have division rival Houston on deck. Horrible spot for Grizzlies and the Pacers come in angry after blowing that game against the 76ers Sunday. 10* INDIANA |
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02-02-21 | Canucks v. Canadiens OVER 6 | Top | 3-5 | Win | 100 | 21 h 40 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #59 Tuesday 10* OVER the total in Montreal Canadiens vs Vancouver Canucks @ 7 ET - Yesterday's game totaled 8 goals and now each of the four meetings between these games has totaled at least 7 goals this season. Not only that, these 4 games have averaged 9 goals per game. It has simply been crazy scoring when the Habs and the Canucks have met this season. Also, Vancouver had scored an average of 5 goals per game in a 4-game winning streak prior to yesterday's loss. The Canucks have plenty of confidence and will bounce back here with a response but they simply have not proven the ability to stop the Canadiens yet this season and I don't see that changing in this one. Montreal has scored 4 or more goals in 7 of their last 9 games. More of the same here and great value with this total available at a 6 goals. Hurry as it will likely move to a solid 6.5 in my opinion. 10* OVER the total in Montreal |
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02-02-21 | Butler v. Marquette OVER 129.5 | Top | 67-70 | Win | 100 | 20 h 37 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #603 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Marquette Golden Eagles vs Butler Bulldogs @ 5 ET - This total has been adjusted to low. It has been set low because Butler tends to play lower-scoring games and because the under has cashed 4 straight times and 6 of the last 7 in Marquette games. However, note that the Golden Eagles have allowed at least 68 points in each of their last 5 games. On the season Marquette is allowing 70 points per game. On the other end of the court, this is a team that averages 72 points per game and you can see from that why I am expecting this game to get into the 140 range. Bulldogs games are trending under in a big way with 8 of their last 9 falling short of the total. However, the Golden Eagles will dictate the flow of this game and they have scored at least 76 points in each of their last 4 meetings with Butler. Each of those 4 games totaled at least 133 points and this one will too. 10* OVER the total in Marquette |
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02-02-21 | Southampton v. Manchester United OVER 3 | Top | 0-9 | Win | 101 | 20 h 48 m | Show |
TV Total Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach EPL Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Manchester United vs Southampton @ 3:15 ET - When these clubs match up there tends to be plenty of goals. 4 of the last 5 meetings have totaled at least 4 goals and that includes Manchester United's 3-2 win at Southampton in December. Manchester United has added motivation from losing its last home game to Sheffield United plus coming into this game off a scoreless draw. I look for them to be on the attack early and often here and they have had plenty of success against Southampton in the past. Plus the visitor enters this game having allowed an average of 2 goals per game its last 3 matches. Manchester United gets at least 2 here but really I expect 3 or more given the hunger and motivation and the situation but here's the key - I also expect Southampton to get in on the action. They traveled very well last season and this club still has a beat of that moxie when on the road even though they haven't performed as well this season. Having scored just 1 goal in its last 3 premier league matches, Southampton is on the attack here as well. The series history suggests 4 or more here and I concur. 10* OVER the total in Manchester United |
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02-01-21 | Rockets v. Thunder +5 | Top | 136-106 | Loss | -104 | 13 h 40 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #540 Monday 10* Top Play Oklahoma City Thunder (+) vs Houston Rockets @ 8:05 ET - The Rockets are on a roll with 5 straight wins but 2 of the wins came by a margin of 3 or less points and the most recent one, though by double digits, had a lot do with being an ideal situation. Houston is off a win at New Orleans where the caught the Pelicans off a huge upset win over the Bucks and completely out of gas in a back to back. That said, the value here is with the home dog. Oklahoma City might have been looking ahead to this game when they got throttled and allowed 147 points to Brooklyn Friday. Either way, that kind of ugly loss certainly caught their attention after entering that game off back to back road wins that were outright upsets as underdogs. That said, I look for the revenge-minded Thunder to get right back on track here. I know each of these teams are different in terms of their rosters compared to August through early September when the Rockets ousted them from the playoffs. However, there is no doubt this game means a little extra something to Oklahoma City and, coming off that ugly loss, they respond large here and very likely even get the outright win for some true payback. For added insurance, I am grabbing the points here. 10* OKLAHOMA CITY |
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02-01-21 | Bruins -137 v. Capitals | Top | 5-3 | Win | 100 | 12 h 34 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #43 Monday 10* Top Play Boston Bruins Money Line (-) @ Washington Capitals @ 7 ET - The Bruins lost to the Capitals on an overtime goal but outshot Washington substantially in each of the 3 periods. Boston, for the game, had a 43-23 edge in shots on goal. I liked what I have been seeing from the Bruins recently and now they welcomed back Pastrnak as well. The Bruins, prior to the tough loss to the Caps, had won 4 straight games and scored an average of 4 goals per game during this streak. Boston allowed 2 or less goals in 6 of their first 7 games prior to the 4-3 OT loss Saturday. The Capitals, conversely, have allowed 3 or more goals in 7 of their 9 games this season. I know this is a bit of a price to lay but the revenge-minded Bruins are out for blood on Monday and they will avenge Saturday's loss. That shots on goal edge was no fluke. 10* BOSTON |
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02-01-21 | Georgia Tech +4.5 v. Louisville | Top | 58-74 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 33 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #853 Monday 10* Top Play Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+) @ Louisville Cardinals @ 2 ET - The Yellow Jackets should have Bubba Parham back for this one as he is making the trip to Louisville after missing the last game to attend his cousin's funeral. I like the set up here as this is a classic case of two teams going the opposite direction and this is particularly true as it pertains to the betting window. The Cardinals are off a loss that dropped them to 1-3 SU and ATS in their last 4 games. They scored only 50 points in that game and it was against a Clemson team that just got waxed at Duke. For some more comparative reasoning though that is the same Tigers team that Georgia Tech just beat by 18 points. Also, the Yellow Jackets just beat Florida State by double digits while one of Louisville's 3 recent losses was against the same Seminoles team and they lost by double digits. The Jackets really stepped up without Parham in their most recent game to beat the Noles and now they get a boost with his return. I like those factors as well as the fact we're getting some points here against a team that has not covered any of the last 4 times they were favored in the -3 to -6 range. Cardinals fade continues as the Yellow Jackets improve to 3-0 ATS in their last 3 meetings with Louisville. 10* GEORGIA TECH |
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01-31-21 | Islanders +108 v. Flyers | Top | 3-4 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 58 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #31 Sunday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (+) @ Philadelphia Flyers @ 7:05 ET - The Islanders, on Thursday, blew a 3-0 lead at Washington and lost 6-3. I was really unimpressed with New York and figured they would be flat Saturday and they were at first and got down 2-0 to the Flyers. Though we did win with Philadelphia 3-2 yesterday in overtime the fact is the Islanders were the much better team from the 2nd period on. The Isles outscored the Flyers 2-0 in the 2nd period and then dominated the play in the 3rd too even though it was a scoreless period. The Islanders did a great job of bottling up the Flyers attack and Philadelphia continues to be heavily outshot in games. That said, I fully expect a huge bounce back win for the Islanders here as they have now lost 4 straight games but yesterday, in the final two periods and overtime period, certainly looked nothing like a team that has gone winless in 4 straight. The Isles are ready to turn this around and that showed yesterday and I fully expect that today it will translate to a win. The Flyers will have Brian Elliott in goal here and he is solid but he doesn't have the phenomenal numbers that Carter Hart does when he is at home. Also, the Flyers are still really missing Sean Couturier's presence on the ice. He was the Selke Trophy winner last season. The Isles showed me a lot yesterday and I expect an even more determined effort from the road dog today after falling just short yesterday. This team is very hungry now and had won 7 of the last 10 meetings, including playoff meetings, in this series prior to yesterday. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS |
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01-31-21 | 76ers v. Pacers OVER 223.5 | Top | 119-110 | Win | 100 | 10 h 55 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #519 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Indiana Pacers vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:05 ET - The 76ers are off back to back unders but this was preceded by a 9-2 run to the over. The Pacers are off an under but this was preceded by a 5-1 run to the over. Philadelphia allowed just 94 points to a bad Minnesota team Friday but this was preceded by allowing 115.6 points per game their preceding dozen games. Also, the Pacers have allowed 115.1 points per game their last 7 games. Given the above as well as the fact each team is averaging 113 points per game on the season, I expect this game to get well into the 230s. Look for the over to improve to 5-1 in Indiana's last 6 games. The Pacers have scored 120 or more points in 2 of their last 3 games but this is a team that has been struggling defensively. Also, the 76ers are known for their struggles on the defensive end when away from home. Consider their game against the Timberwolves an aberration as Philadelphia entered that game having allowed 106 points or more in a dozen straight games. Both teams are rested plus neither team has a game tomorrow either so they can each go all out here. Look for a high-scoring game as a result. 10* OVER the total in Indiana |
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01-31-21 | St. John's +4.5 v. Marquette | Top | 75-73 | Win | 100 | 5 h 10 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #819 Sunday 10* Top Play St John's Red Storm (+) @ Marquette Golden Eagles @ 3:30 ET - The last time the Red Storm lost a game it was at home against the Golden Eagles by a bucket. The last time Marquette won a game was that tight victory at St John's. The point is that now we get a chance at right back revenge and can ride a hot team and fade a cold team. That said, I like our chances here. In that first match-up the Red Storm actually had 13 more field goal attempts than Marquette but simply had an off shooting night. But this is a St John's team that is now surging with confidence courtesy of a 3-game winning streak and they have won 4 of their last 5 overall and are on a 5-0 ATS run. The Golden Eagles have lost back to back games and 6 of their last 9 SU. During this 9-game run, Marquette has covered just ONCE! Grab the value with the road dog in this one as they are primed for an upset so I will gladly take the points here. 10* ST JOHN'S |
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01-31-21 | Tottenham Hotspur +139 v. Brighton & Hove Albion | Top | 0-1 | Loss | -100 | 7 h 33 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach EPL Sunday 10* Top Play Tottenham Hotspur Money Line +140 @ Brighton & Hove Albion @ 2:15 ET - We are getting some line value here because Harry Kane is out for the visitors in this one. I know being without Kane is a significant loss for the Hotspur but watch them step up in this fixture after a disappointing effort when he got hurt and left the match against Liverpool. That ended up a 3-1 loss for Tottenham and has them motivated here. Also, they have been very strong travelers this season with only 1 loss in 9 games and a +11 goal differential which is one of the top away marks in the table. I am well aware that Brighton & Hove have had many matches end in draws thus far this campaign but I foresee Tottenham going very hard for the full 3 points in this fixture. Additionally, let us not forget that the Albion are the only club this season that has yet to win on their home pitch. The Hotspur have scored an average of 2 goals in away matches this season while Brighton & Hove have tallied an average of just 1 goal per match on their home pitch in this campaign. I am predicting a 2-1 final here and feel we have great value with a motivated traveler in this one as a result of the Kane injury giving us even more line value. 10* TOTTENHAM |
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01-31-21 | Drexel v. James Madison OVER 141 | Top | 64-73 | Loss | -115 | 4 h 3 m | Show |
Philly Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #809 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in James Madison Dukes vs Drexel Dragons @ 2 ET - The fact that the Dragons are allowing just 64 points per game this season is a bit of a misnomer as they are allowing 44% shooting from the field. So that is helping to give us line value here because I fully expect the Dukes to score plenty against Drexel in this one. James Madison is at home here and they have averaged 82 points per game at home this season plus shot 48% from the field as a host. As for Drexel, they have averaged 75.6 points per game their last 7 games. James Madison is off an under but this was on the heels of a 5-1 run to the over. Drexel has seen 3 of its last 4 road games go over the total. More of the same expected here. 10* OVER the total in James Madison |
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01-30-21 | Blazers +2.5 v. Bulls | Top | 123-122 | Win | 100 | 12 h 2 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #501 Saturday 10* Top Play Portland Trail Blazers (+) @ Chicago Bulls @ 8 ET - As long-time followers know I often like to go against the grain and I like the fact that this line is moving toward the Bulls in early market activity. I will fade the move and grab the extra value with the Trail Blazers. Portland was up by 20 in the first quarter of their eventual 3-point loss at the Rockets and they know they let one slip away there. Look for the Blazers to be extremely focused on getting back into the win column here. Portland is on a 5-2 ATS run in road games and had won 4 of 6 SU away from home prior to the tight loss at Houston. As for Chicago, they are just 2-5 SU in home games this season and plus the Trail Blazers have revenge from a home loss to the Bulls early this month. Payback time is here. 10* PORTLAND |
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01-30-21 | Islanders v. Flyers -120 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 9 h 40 m | Show |
10* PHILADELPHIA Money Line -120 - The Flyers have playoff revenge here. The Islanders eliminated from the post-season less than 5 months ago so Philly surely hasn't forgotten it. This season New York appears to have taken a step back while the Flyers still appear very solid. These teams have played almost the exact same number of games yet the Islanders have only scored half as many goals. Also, the Isles once vaunted defense and goaltending certainly doesn't look like it once did after a disappointing effort versus the short-handed Capitals saw the Islanders blow a 3-0 lead and lose 5-3. The Flyers are known for being very tough at home where goalie Carter Hart excels and Philly is off back to back wins entering this contest plus has won 3 of their 4 games on home ice this season. New York, on the other hand, has been slipping and has lost 3 straight games and has been outscored 11-5 in the process. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-30-21 | Kansas v. Tennessee OVER 130 | Top | 61-80 | Win | 100 | 9 h 58 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #713 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Tennessee Volunteers vs Kansas Jayhawks @ 6 ET - Where is the motivation to play defense here? This is an SEC-Big 12 match-up and neither team is going anywhere fast this season. Yes I know they are ranked teams but the Jayhawks had lost 3 straight before their win over TCU while Tennessee had endured an unimpressive 3-3 stretch before their win over Mississippi State. Last season when these teams met they had a similar total posted in the 130 range and yet the game totaled 142 points. I expect a similar result this time around too and I love taking advantage of the value in a match-up when both teams are off a very unusual result. In this case, the Vols are off a game that totaled just 109 points after they had allowed more than 70 points in 4 of their most recent 6 games. Also, before the low-scoring win over the Bulldogs, the Volunteers had scored an average of 76.2 points per game their most recent 10 games. The Jayhawks are off a game that totaled just 110 points but that was preceded by Kansas allowing at least 75 points in 3 straight games. Also, the Jayhawks entered that game having scored an average of 72.6 points per game their preceding 5 games. If each team gets into the mid-60s here we can not lose this play and I see no reason each team won't get close to the 70 mark here. 10* OVER the total in Tennessee |
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01-30-21 | Villanova v. Seton Hall +6 | Top | 80-72 | Loss | -110 | 19 h 16 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #648 Saturday 10* Top Play Seton Hall Pirates (+) vs Villanova Wildcats @ 3:30 ET - Seton Hall is loaded with seniors and juniors and that is the key to why they will bounce back here. The Pirates just lost an unbelievable game at home against Creighton Wednesday. Seton Hall had a huge lead rather late in the 2nd half and then witnessed a miraculous comeback as the Bluejays just had one of those shooting stretches where they could not miss. A younger team would be in trouble in their next game but Seton Hall is loaded with upperclassmen who know how to respond in a situation like this. The Pirates are at home which helps here and they also have plenty of confidence against the Wildcats. Though only 2-3 SU in the last 5 games against Villanova, Seton Hall has a knack for playing the Cats tough as the 3 losses each came by just 2 points apiece. The Wildcats are off a dominating win versus Providence but that was driven by a 19-9 turnover edge. They won't have that edge against the Pirates and, in fact, the turnovers are about equal in the last 4 meetings between these two teams. I expect Seton Hall to be very focused and motivated at home here after the way they lost to Creighton Wednesday and with the fact this is also a revenge game as the Pirates lost a tight one less than 2 weeks ago at Villanova. Payback time. Grab the generous points. 10* SETON HALL |
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01-30-21 | Manchester United v. Arsenal OVER 2.5 | Top | 0-0 | Loss | -115 | 5 h 60 m | Show |
TV Total Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach EPL Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 2.5 goals in Arsenal vs Manchester United @ 12:30 ET - Good news for Manchester United as they are NOT at home for this match. But, in all seriousness, they have struggled at home this season and that was evident again in their most recent match as it was a shocking 2-1 loss to Sheffield United. I fully expect Manchester United, such strong travelers thus far in this campaign, to respond strongly here at Emirates Stadium in London. Manchester United has scored more goals than any other club in road matches thus far this season and are averaging 2.4 goals per match on enemy pitch. Arsenal full campaign numbers show they have struggled to score goals but they have been better of late including scoring 3 goals in each of their last 2 matches in league competition. In fact, Arsenal has scored 16 in their last 6 matches as they have found their game as the season has gone on. As for Manchester United, they have been road warriors all season and found the back of the net often. More of the same here and certainly we should see at least 3 goals in this one. 10* OVER 2.5 goals in Arsenal |
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01-29-21 | Blue Jackets v. Blackhawks OVER 5.5 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 2 m | Show |
NHL Network Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #61 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Blackhawks vs Columbus Blue Jackets @ 8:05 ET - This one is all about the value and we get that value in two ways here. One is that Columbus is known for playing tight, low-scoring games so that is why this total is a 5.5 even though the game involves a Chicago team that often gets involved in high-scoring games. The second type of value here is simply situational value as the fact is that the Blue Jackets are off a very hard-fought shootout win 3-2 over Florida last night and could be a little flat defensively after they fought so hard to get the win last night versus the Panthers. So the fact is the Blue Jackets have a pair of very solid goaltenders and after Merzlikins was in goal last night, we are likely to see Korpisalo here. Both are strong but ANY goalie can be exposed if the defense in front of him is not on top of their game and I truly expect Columbus to struggle some defensively in this one. It is their 3rd game in 4 nights and each of the last two games went to shootouts which means they were hard-fought games that included an OT period as well. As for the Blackhawks, they have one solid goalie so far this season as Lankinen has really stepped up and been impressive. However, Chicago has still allowed an average of 40.5 shots on goal their past two games. Opponents are getting chances because the Blackhawks are simply not that good defensively. Don't be surprised if the Blue Jackets are afforded (and cash in on) some great scoring chances here. The fact this total is a 5.5 is a great value as the Blackhawks have scored an average of 5 goals per game in their two home games this season so they are very confident at the United Center but this is still a team that has allowed an average of 3.5 goals per game this season. I fully expect a 4-3 type game here. 10* OVER the total in Chicago |
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01-29-21 | 76ers v. Wolves OVER 224 | Top | 118-94 | Loss | -109 | 9 h 41 m | Show |
Non-Conf Total of the Year - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #577 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Timberwolves vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 8:05 ET - I know that between covid and injuries, there are couple of big names on the injury report for tonight's game. However, ask yourself this question...who is going to play defense and why? This is a non-conference game for one thing. For another thing, the 76ers are off a massive win over the Lakers that will likely leave them flat-footed defensively after giving so much effort against LeBron and Company. As for the Timberwolves, they will simply be running and gunning here because what do they have to lose? Minnesota has lost 13 of its last 15 games and is going nowhere this season. So Minny is 3-0 to the over in their last 3 games and has allowed an average of 120 points per game their last 4 games. Philly is off an under in their hard-fought win versus LA but the Sixers entered that game on a 9-2 run to the over. Philadelphia allowed an average of 117.4 points per game during that 11 game run and I expect this game to get into the 230s and possibly even the 240s as I just don't foresee much defense in this non-conference affair. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota |
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01-29-21 | Detroit v. Youngstown State OVER 150 | Top | 78-75 | Win | 100 | 8 h 51 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #833 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Youngstown State Penguins vs Detroit Mercy Titans @ 5 ET - Both teams off confidence-boosting wins which followed a 2-5 SU run for Detroit and an 0-4 SU run for Youngstown State. That said, I like the value here with the over. The Titans allowed an average of 85 points per game in those 5 losses and the Penguins have allowed 80 points per game their last 5 games. Both teams can be expected to score well based on facing sub-par defensive play plus the fact they each can score quite well and they play at a fast pace. The Titans are averaging 75 points in road games this season and the Penguins are averaging 81 points per game in home games this season and their O/U record is 8-3 this season. 10* OVER the total in Youngstown State |
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01-28-21 | Blazers v. Rockets OVER 228.5 | Top | 101-104 | Loss | -115 | 7 h 19 m | Show |
TNT Smash Pass - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #561 Thursday NBA 10* Top Play OVER the total in Houston Rockets vs Portland Trail Blazers @ 7:35 ET - I am very much aware of the fact that Rockets games have been trending under but the Blazers are in town and this one promises to get quite wild in terms of scoring. Portland is averaging 120 points per game on the road this season but allowing 116 when away from home! The Trail Blazers defensive numbers are ugly including allowing opponents to hit 48% from the field. As for the Rockets, they are scoring an average of 113 points per game their last 5 games and the last match-up between these teams a month ago totaled 254 points. Both teams have fresh legs as they come in rested and also do not have a game on deck for tomorrow either. All out effort with plenty of points and this one will surprise some by turning into a bit of a track meet with quick running and gunning. The over improves to 4-0 in Portland's last 4 games with a high-scoring shootout here. 10* OVER the total in Houston |
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01-28-21 | Panthers v. Blue Jackets -109 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 6 h 53 m | Show |
COLUMBUS - The Blue Jackets jumped out to a 2-0 lead Tuesday and never trailed the entire game. In fact, a game-tying goal with just 3 seconds left in the game is the only reason it went to overtime. The Panthers then went on to win in the shootout and can you imagine how ticked off coach John Tortorella was in the locker room after this one? The fiery head coach will have the Jackets ready to respond here and Jack Roslovic, Columbus native acquired from Winnipeg, is expected to be available to go tonight. Looking at their last 5 games, the Blue Jackets have a pair of wins by a combined score of 8 to 4 and 3 losses ALL coming AFTER regulation. Look for Columbus to come out hungrier than ever tonight and improve to 3-1 the last 4 times they were off a loss. Florida is a perfect 3-0 this season but two of the wins came after regulation and 2 of of the victories came against a struggling Blackhawks team. The Blue Jackets are the better hockey club and we are getting line value here as a result of some early season unusual results that will NOT continue so lets grab the exceptional value with the home team here. 10* COLUMBUS |
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01-28-21 | Michigan State v. Rutgers -2.5 | Top | 37-67 | Win | 100 | 7 h 20 m | Show |
Big Ten Blowout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #720 Thursday 10* Top Play Rutgers Scarlet Knights (-) vs Michigan State Spartans @ 7 ET - The Spartans are 10-0 SU against the Scarlet Knights and yet are the underdog in this match-up! Big mistake by the odds makers, right? Of course not! Long time followers know how I feel about "mistakes" by odds makers and the fact is Rutgers is in the better situation right now and at home and they are catching a Michigan State team that hasn't played in nearly 3 weeks due to covid issues. The Scarlet Knights lost by 23 at Michigan State earlier this month but actually took 10 more shots from the field in that game but simply had one of those games where the hoop seems so small and they could not get shots to drop. Also, Rutgers made a ridiculous 6 of 17 from the free throw line. Yes they are not a good free throw shooting team but they are not normally that bad of course. They are hitting 60.4% from the charity stripe at home games this season. The Scarlet Knights have also faced the tougher schedule than the Spartans this season and enter this game bolstered by a road win at Indiana. 10* RUTGERS |
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01-28-21 | Liverpool v. Tottenham Hotspur OVER 2.5 | Top | 3-1 | Win | 100 | 5 h 40 m | Show |
TV Total Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach EPL Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Tottenham vs Liverpool @ 3 ET - Liverpool could get a boost with the return of their captain Jordan Henderson. Even if he does not play here, the fact he has returned to training is a big boost for them no doubt. Liverpool and Tottenham have each had goal-scoring struggles of late but I look for that to change here and feel we have great value with this low total. Don't be surprised if Mourinho employs an aggressive style here for Tottenham and that could result in a lot of attacking and counter-attacking for both clubs in what will turn into an entertaining match as a result. Each club is scoring an average of 2 goals per match this season and, as a result, asking this one to get to 3 goals for us to get a win is certainly not asking too much! Given the circumstances, I expect both clubs to be more aggressive in this fixture as each is desperate for the full 3 points in the table. 10* OVER the total in Tottenham |
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01-27-21 | Lakers v. 76ers +3 | Top | 106-107 | Win | 100 | 10 h 59 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #540 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 7:35 ET - The Lakers are in the middle of a 7-game road trip and when you look at this trip a couple of games caught LA's attention. One was at Milwaukee as they are considered the best team in the east and another was at Cleveland because of the LeBron connection there. That said, off a win over the Cavaliers and still undefeated in road games this season, Los Angeles opened up as a very small road favorite here with good reason. That reasoning is that this is actually a tough spot for them. The 76ers want this game and a very tough at home. They went 31-4 at home last season and are 9-1 at home this season. Joel Embiid will be back after missing the last game which was as much rest as it was anything else. The Sixers have actually won 3 of their last 4 with LA both SU and ATS plus the home team won each meeting last season by a double digit margin. I like the home edge and the situational edge and the markets of course will be backing the small road favorite here that is 10-0 SU in road games this season. That is why this line is moving higher and I'll gladly grab the additional value with the home dog that will prove to be the more motivated team here. Remember Sixers coach Doc Rivers was the Clippers coach and has extra motivation facing the Lakers as they battled hard again for LA supremacy last season before the Lakers of course ultimately prevailed and went on to win it all while Rivers and the Clippers parted ways. Big motivation here. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-27-21 | Blackhawks v. Predators OVER 6 | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -107 | 8 h 11 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #29 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Nashville Predators vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 7:35 ET - The Blackhawks had leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in yesterday's game. Each time they tried to sit on them and it ultimately cost them in the 3-2 OT loss. Chicago is a young team and not very good defensively and they saw last night once again that they are not the kind of hockey club that can just sit back and try to protect a 1-goal lead. The Blackhawks are simply not build that way. So, after last night's loss and getting outshot by about a 2-1 ratio, look for Chicago to be much more aggressive tonight. I expect a lot more scoring as a result. The goalie match-up is likely to be Kevin Lankinen versus Juuse Saros. The Hawks goalie does not have much NHL experience and he got blitzed in his lone road start this season and allowed 5 goals. The Predators Saros is a solid netminder but is also streaky and he comes into this one struggling as he has allowed 8 goals in his last two appearances. I am expecting plenty of goals here with it being a back to back and the way last night's game played out gives the Predators a lot of confidence and they will be aggressive tonight after getting the OT winner thanks to their captain last night. The Blackhawks must be more aggressive and attack more but this is also a team that, though they still have some offensive firepower, have shown early this season that they give up far too many great scoring chances and the goals against keep piling up here. 10* OVER the total in Nashville |
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01-27-21 | Creighton -1.5 v. Seton Hall | Top | 85-81 | Win | 100 | 8 h 16 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #669 Wednesday 10* Top Play Creighton Bluejays (-) @ Seton Hall Pirates @ 7 ET - Revenge is often overplayed and I believe that will prove to be the case again here. Many will back Seton Hall seeking revenge for getting blasted at Creighton 3 weeks ago. However, there are multiple problems with that. The Bluejays have now won 3 straight over the Pirates and part of the reason is that it is a match-up issue. Creighton is a 3-point shooting team and Seton Hall tends to struggle to defend the arc. The other issue for the Pirates here is that this will be just their 2nd game played in 18 days as they have been dealing with multiple cancellations. As for the Bluejays, their schedule has been flowing just fine and that means the shots - just like the first meeting - will also be flowing just fine as well. 10* CREIGHTON |
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01-27-21 | Sheffield United v. Manchester United OVER 3 | Top | 2-1 | Push | 0 | 7 h 52 m | Show |
TV Total Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach EPL Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 3 goals in Manchester United vs Sheffield United @ 3:15 ET - Manchester United can move to the top of the table again with a victory here and I am confident of a strong attacking effort from the home side as they look to make sure they move back into first place. The hosts will take advantage of a Sheffield United club having an awful campaign so far. I like the over here though because the travelers got a boost of confidence with 3 wins in their last 4 matches. Yes 2 were in English FA Cup action against lesser foes but it is building some confidence for Sheffield United as they have now scored 7 goals in their last 4 matches across all competitions. The problem for the away club here is they will not be able to stop a determined host. Manchester United has not scored all that well on their home pitch this season but can atone for that here with a huge effort and they are off a 3-2 win over Liverpool in English FA Cup action plus a 2-1 win over Fulham in Premier League action that easily could have been a higher scoring match as there were a number of missed opportunities for both clubs in that one. Getting this total at a 3 considering all of the above is a great value as this match should be a 3-1 type affair at the very least and the hosts actually have a shot at getting this game over the total all by themselves as they know what is at stake here and Sheffield United is vulnerable to say the least! 10* OVER 3 goals in Manchester United |
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01-26-21 | Maple Leafs v. Flames +104 | Top | 4-3 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 46 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #24 Tuesday 10* Top Play Calgary Flames Money Line (+) vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 9:05 ET - The Maple Leafs hung on for a tight win when these teams met at Calgary on Sunday. Now this is the Flames final home game until February 6th and I fully expect revenge-minded Calgary to make the most of it. Leafs goalie Jack Campbell got hurt late in the game and his status is uncertain for tonight. Frederik Andersen is the normal top netminder and so he might be between the pipes anyway here but note that he had a rough road game (5 goals allowed) in his only start away from home this season. Andersen also allowed 4 goals in his lone appearance at Calgary last season. I really like the way Jacob Markstrom has been playing between the pipes for the Flames early this season and expect him to win the goaltending battle tonight. Calgary's two wins this season have come by a combined score of 8 to 2 while their two defeats each came by the slimmest of margins. As a result, the Flames are still a little undervalued right now. Give Toronto credit as they did play a hard-fought game Sunday as they were outhit but dominated in terms of blocked shots. The Flames now come back strong as they were not happy with losing the game Sunday thanks to a very late power play goal in the 2nd period that shifted momentum. Payback time from a determined Flames team Tuesday. They raise their level of play here to again bounce back off a loss. 10* CALGARY |
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01-26-21 | Knicks +11.5 v. Jazz | Top | 94-108 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 56 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #527 Tuesday 10* Top Play New York Knicks (+) @ Utah Jazz @ 9:05 ET - There are two ways to look at this game but I am choosing the latter. The first way to look at this match-up is that the Jazz are on an 8-0 SU and ATS run. Not only that, the 8-game run dates back to a loss against, you guessed it, the Knicks! So this is a revenge game for a red hot Utah team. However, here is how I look at this one. The Jazz are laying too many points here. They are off a string of big Western Conference wins and now face a non-conference opponent plus have back to back big games on deck against the Mavericks. I like the fact that the Knicks are on a 4-1 ATS run. Also, not only are 3 SU wins included in that run, note that the Knicks last 4 SU losses have all been by a single digit margin. The average margin of defeat for NY during this run was just 5.5 points. The Knicks have gone 7 straight games without a single loss by more than 9 points. I am grabbing the big underdog here. 10* NEW YORK KNICKS |
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01-26-21 | Southern Illinois v. Indiana State OVER 134.5 | Top | 59-71 | Loss | -110 | 6 h 27 m | Show |
MVC Total of the Year - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #603 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Indiana State Sycamores vs Southern Illinois Salukis @ 5 ET - Back to back match-up and yesterday's game between these teams had 98 points with about 14 minutes to go. With the game ending 69-66 for a total of 135 points that means the teams combined to average only about 2.5 points per minute over the final 14 minutes of the game. Very unusual and won't be repeated here as the first 26 minutes of the game averaged 3.77 points per minute. It was on pace for about 150 points at that point. We should see at least 140 here. Since the calendar turned the page to 2021, the Sycamores had one low-scoring game that was a complete aberration. In the other 6 games Indiana State has averaged 72 points per game. Southern Illinois has allowed an average of 78 points per game their last 4 games but are a very strong 3-point shooting team and will get their fair share of points in this one too. This total opened up in the upper 130s but has dropped into the mid-130s and is offering excellent line value as a result. 10* OVER the total in Indiana State |
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01-26-21 | Manchester City v. West Bromwich Albion OVER 3 | Top | 5-0 | Win | 100 | 7 h 40 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach EPL Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER 3 goals in West Bromwich vs Manchester City @ 3:15 ET - The last time these teams met it was a 1-1 draw and that was at Manchester City last month. In their other 9 home fixtures this season Manchester City has won 7. In other words, that result was unacceptable. That is why Manchester City will not take their foot off the gas in this one and I am expecting plenty of goals. I know that Manchester City does not score a lot of goals on the road, at least so far this season, but this match-up is different. No team in the league has conceded more than West Bromwich's 43 goals on the campaign. Also, Manchester City wants payback for the 1-1 home draw plus they can move to the top of the table by picking up all 3 points here. Will West Bromwich get on the scoresheet here? I say yes as they have scored an average of 2 goals per match over their last 3 matches across all competitions. Look for West Bromwich to score at least 1 goal in this one and I fully expect Manchester City to score at least 3 goals as well. Prior to the 1-1 draw between these clubs the 3 most recent meetings in Premier League action averaged a total of 4 goals per fixture. I am looking for at least 4 in this one today as well. 10* OVER 3 goals in West Bromwich |
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01-25-21 | 76ers -6.5 v. Pistons | Top | 104-119 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 44 m | Show |
Professional Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #503 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - The Pistons are still without Derrick Rose for this one. Blake Griffin is expected back tonight but he has not been as effective as in years past. As for the 76ers I am aware of the Joel Embiid situation but he might play with tomorrow being an off day for Philly too. Plus Dwight Howard has really raised his level of play at times when Embiid is out. The Pistons did get the cover on Saturday but Detroit outscored Philly by 18 points from 3-point land in that one. Had they simply been dead even from beyond the arc, the Sixers win that game by 22 points. Also, lets look at this match-up from another vantage point as well. Philadelphia is currently at the very top of the Eastern Conference standings while Detroit - you guessed it - is at the very bottom of those same standings. Yes the Pistons have a home court "edge" here but have lost 7 of 9 games on their home floor this season! The 76ers, were it not for the 3-point shooting disparity, would have won Saturday's game by 22 which is not a huge surprise as their other road wins this season have come by an average of 22 points per game too! When these teams met over the weekend, the Sixers were of back to back huge wins against the Celtics so it was the perfect spot to fade them and, indeed, the Pistons delivered the ATS cover. Now, things are back to normal and we can lay a rather small number here and have the best team in the east against the worst team in the east so far this season. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-25-21 | Loyola Marymount v. Portland +10 | Top | 75-50 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 32 m | Show |
Early Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #850 Monday 10* Top Play Portland Pilots (+) vs Loyola Marymount Lions @ 5 ET - The Pilots perfectly fit the classic ugly home dog theory. Yes Portland enters this game on a long losing streak but the Pilots are 5-4 SU at home this season and they have revenge from a home loss in the most recent meeting between these West Coast rivals. Inexplicably, the Pilots lost that game to the Lions despite having 20 more shot attempts from the field. It was a terrible shooting nigh for Portland from everywhere on the floor and they lost the game despite only having 9 turnovers while Loyola Marymount actually had 22 turnovers in that game! Coming into this game the Lions are on an overall 0-4 ATS run plus this is a team that has gone 0-4 SU on the road this season. Of course Loyola Marymount is the better team and that is why they are favored big on the road but I feel the points will prove to be far too many and that the Pilots will be tough to put away in this one. I know the Lions rate as the better team defensively but also note that Portland is averaging 76 points per game at home this season while Loyola Marymount is averaging just 61 points in road games. The Lions may defeat the Pilots here but I expect the game to be decided by a very slim margin. 10* PORTLAND |
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01-24-21 | Rangers +118 v. Penguins | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 32 m | Show |
Payback Smash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #51 Sunday 10* Top Play New York Rangers Money Line (+) @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7 ET - The Rangers are hungry for payback here. The Penguins are dealing with some injuries to their defense and that was already an area of concern for Pittsburgh heading into this season. New York is fired up after blowing a 3-1 lead in this match-up Friday and going on to lose in overtime. The Rangers have been getting the better goaltending than the Pens so far this season and I look for New York to again build a solid lead in this one and this time they hold on! There is a reason the Penguins are priced so short here at home. In other words, don't let the line fool you. Many will be on Pittsburgh here but they have had some very fortunate wins of late and their luck runs out here as the Rangers come in fired up and won't stop until the final seconds run off the clock in what should be a solid road victory for this motivated bunch. 10* NEW YORK RANGERS |
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01-24-21 | Bills v. Chiefs -3 | Top | 24-38 | Win | 100 | 35 h 13 m | Show |
Playoff Game of the Year – Scott “The Bulldog” Rickenbach NFL Rotation #314 Sunday 10* Top Play Kansas City Chiefs (-) vs Buffalo Bills @ 6:40 ET – We are getting some line value here because of the Mahomes situation but honestly I expect the Chiefs to comfortably win this game even if Henne had to play the entire contest. But look for Mahomes to be back and just fine. As for the Bills, I do respect them but they have been living a charmed life. Teams that gained over 450 yards in a game and did not turn the ball over had been 11-0 all-time until the Colts did that to Buffalo in the Wild Card round and yet lost the game. Then Buffalo followed up that questionable win with another win. The Bills beat the Ravens thanks in large part to a 101 yard interception return for a TD that totally changed the game around. For the game, Buffalo was outgained 340 to 220 by Baltimore and yet still won. Again, charmed life so far for the Bills but now they face the defending Super Bowl champs off a non-covering win versus the Browns. That failed cover, despite a big half-time lead, has led to solid line value this week and the Chiefs at home are the play in this one. In their last 3 home games that matter (game versus Chargers was meaningless), KC allowed 17 points or less in each game. This is a Chiefs offense that averaged 33 points per game in their final 7 road games of the season. That is the sign of a powerhouse when you can score like that away from home and now the Chiefs are at home and off a frustrating offensive performance which is absolutely going to bring out the best in them today. I have not been as impressed with the Bills offense of late and that is why I see KC pulling away as this one goes on and I expect a win by a double digit margin and, at the very least, a TD margin for the home team. 10* KANSAS CITY |
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01-24-21 | Thunder +13 v. Clippers | Top | 100-108 | Win | 100 | 8 h 28 m | Show |
Early Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #573 Sunday 10* Top Play Oklahoma City Thunder (+) @ Los Angeles Clippers @ 4:05 ET - The Clippers beat the Thunder by 14 points on Friday. They outscored them by 14 points at the free throw line. Also, Los Angeles dominated Oklahoma City on the boards. The Thunder will respond after losing badly in those two key stat departments on Friday. Neither one of those stats was expected when you look at the full season statistics for these two teams. No I do not expect OKC to win this game outright but I do expect the points to prove to be too many for LAC to cover in the rematch. The Clippers 5 most recent home games preceding the blowout win included 1 outright losses and 2 wins by a margin of 5 or less points. Look for this one to fall into that latter category or very close to that in terms of the final margin here. 10* OKLAHOMA CITY |
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01-24-21 | Bucs v. Packers OVER 51.5 | Top | 31-26 | Win | 100 | 32 h 0 m | Show |
Total of the Month – Scott “The Bulldog” Rickenbach NFL Rotation #311 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Green Bay Packers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ 3:05 ET – As of Friday evening, the forecast is for some snow in Green Bay Sunday but it should be finished by game time. Also, winds are not expected to be an issue at all. That said, I expect both offenses to have no issues in this one. The over is 3-0 in the Packers last 3 games and Green Bay has scored an average of 32 points per game this season and has averaged 36 points per game their last 3 games. The Buccaneers also have caught fire at the right time and have averaged 36.6 points per game their last 5 games. Of course I am not expecting 70s here in terms of total points but you can see why, based on the above, the number in the 52 range does indeed seem too low. The over was 5-1 in Tampa Bay’s last 6 road games prior to the game at New Orleans staying under the total. Of course the key reason that game stayed under is Drew Brees was turnover prone and the Saints turned it over 4 times in that one. He was not healthy this season. Aaron Rodgers is healthy and this offense is firing on all cylinders and the Packers will score plenty here but don’t be surprised when Tom Brady and the Bucs match them score for score too. Keep in mind, Tampa Bay hung 38 on the Pack when these teams met a few months ago down in Florida. 10* OVER the total in Green Bay |
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01-24-21 | Davidson v. Massachusetts OVER 143.5 | Top | 69-60 | Loss | -109 | 4 h 58 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #813 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Massachusetts Minutemen vs Davidson Wildcats @ Noon ET - The Minutemen are off a 65-46 win so things must be getting much better for UMass in terms of their play on the defensive end, right? No, actually what happened is they faced a Fordham team that is simply awful this season and can not score points. Now Massachusetts faces a solid Davidson team whose games are on an O/U run of 5-2 and they have scored at least 73 points in 6 of those 7 games. They will score plenty against UMass team that is allowing 82 points per game at home this season. The Minutemen are averaging 87.4 points per game this season so you can see the kind of game we should expect here...fast paced with a lot of run and gun. The result should be a solid over in this one. 10* OVER the total in Massachusetts |
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01-22-21 | Celtics +5 v. 76ers | Top | 110-122 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 51 m | Show |
Early Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #535 Friday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (+) @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:35 ET - Grabbing a good team off a loss is always worth a look. When that team is getting points it is even better. When that team is also playing with revenge against a divisional foe that is better still. Finally, it gets even stronger when the teams just met. The Celtics loss at Philly Wednesday is certainly fresh in their minds as they blew a 6-point lead they had entering the 4th quarter. Here is a stat too that is unlikely to be repeated tonight: the 76ers had 45 free throw attempts compared to just 20 for the Celtics. You think a shot an extra 25 points might have helped Philly in their eventual 8 point win? Of course it did and, even though Boston is still without Jayson Tatum, the Celtics are perfect ATS this season when off back to back ATS losses and also perfect SU when they enter a game off a SU loss. Payback time here and, keep in mind, the Celtics had won 5 straight games against Philadelphia before that loss Wednesday. 10* BOSTON |
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01-22-21 | Sabres -109 v. Capitals | Top | 3-4 | Loss | -109 | 7 h 18 m | Show |
10* BUFFALO - The guys that the Capitals lost are VERY significant. Due to a health protocol violation, this is expected to be the first of 4 games for the Caps without Ovechkin and Kuznetsov (two of their top forwards), Orlov (one of their top defensemen) and Samsonov (their #1 goalie). That is why the odds makers were correct in pricing this line at around a -135 on Buffalo and I saw it as high as a -145 earlier. Now it is down to where the Sabres are practically a pick'em and this is offering significant value on Buffalo in this spot. The Sabres have revenge from losing each of the first two games of the season against the Capitals in Buffalo. In that 2nd game they faced the goalie they will face again tonight and that is Vanecek. The young netminder is getting his first taste of the NHL and did beat the Sabres in their first meeting but Buffalo outshot the Caps 31 to 21 and I expect Vanecek won't fare nearly as well in the 2nd meeting. He is now "the guy" with Samsonov out and that puts a lot of pressure on the young netminder. Also, he certainly didn't look overly great against the Penguins when they hung 5 goals on him Tuesday. Situational value here is off the charts. 10* BUFFALO |
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01-22-21 | IUPU Ft Wayne v. Green Bay OVER 152 | Top | 59-77 | Loss | -109 | 6 h 38 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #831 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in WI-Green Bay Phoenix vs IPFW Mastodons @ 5 ET - This is a big total but it has dropped from its opening number in the mid-150s and I love the situation here. Green Bay is off back to back losses on the road but now back home where they are scoring an average of 78 points per game this season. As for the defense of the Phoenix, they rank as one of the worst in the nation for defensive efficiency and they face a major challenge here. IPFW is one of the best three point shooting teams in the nation at 44% from beyond the arc and they do not miss a beat when on the road either in terms how well they shoot from outside. The Mastodons are averaging 79 points per game this season and have averaged 86.5 points per game their last 4 games. The Phoenix have scored 85.5 points per game their last two home games. UWGB is allowing 80 points per game this season but is a small home favorite here with good reason. In other words, expect a high-scoring shootout as the Phoenix defense leaves a lot to be desired but the odds maker expect them to battle tooth and nail all the way with IPFW in this one. 10* OVER the total in Wisconsin-Green Bay |
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01-21-21 | Lakers v. Bucks +105 | Top | 113-106 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 17 m | Show |
Early Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #524 Thursday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (-) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 7:35 ET - Finally the Bucks chance they missed out on last season and I fully expect them to make the most of it. Milwaukee was on a collision course last year in hopes of facing LeBron James and company for a shot at the NBA title but then got knocked out too soon in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Now the Bucks will look to make the most of this regular season opportunity against the current NBA champs. Helping matters a bit is the fact that James and Anthony Davis, though playing, are dealing with ankle ailments. I like the fact that Milwaukee has taken 3 of the last 4 meetings both SU and ATS. They are a confident bunch especially when playing at home. Both LA and the Bucks are entering this game off a loss but the Lakers were nearly a double digit favorite while Milwaukee faced a tougher match-up with Brooklyn. The Bucks also could have gotten caught looking ahead to this game and this one absolutely means more to the host than it does to the visitor. Look for that extra hunger to be the difference here in an other equal match-up. This line has gone from Bucks -2.5 to a pick'em and I have no hesitation in stepping in and fading the move. 10* MILWAUKEE |
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01-21-21 | Flyers +121 v. Bruins | Top | 4-5 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 18 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #3 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - When a team is struggling to score goals they will often start to squeeze the sticks a little too tight until they can snap out of it. Essentially they start pressing until they can get back on track. That said, I don't see the bounce back happening for the Bruins tonight. They are facing a tough Flyers team that is playing with plenty of confidence thanks to being one of the highest scoring teams in league so far and coming off a 3-0 shutout win. Philadelphia is scoring an average of nearly 4 goals per game while, at the other end of the spectrum, the Bruins are averaging only about 1 goal per game thus far. In fact, the only team that has scored less than the 4 goals that Boston has on the season is Dallas and that is because they have yet to play a game because of health protocols relating to covid. Getting Philly at an underdog price here when you consider the current trending of the offensive production of these two teams is simply too good to pass up. Yes the Flyers have a couple injury issues but so too do the Bruins including David Pastrnak and that is a big absence for them. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-21-21 | Burnley v. Liverpool -1.75 | Top | 1-0 | Loss | -125 | 5 h 48 m | Show |
Goal Line Dominator - EPL 10* Top Play Liverpool -1.75 goals vs Burnley @ 3 ET Thursday - Look for Liverpool to win this one by at least 2 goals. In recent seasons they have been the best home team in the premier league. Also, they are coming off a scoreless draw in their most recent match and will be hungry to respond here as goal-scoring has been a problem of late for Liverpool. The good news for Liverpool here is they are facing a Burnley squad that always has trouble scoring goals and has just 4 in their 9 games on enemy pitch this season. Compare that with a Liverpool club that has scored 21 times in their 9 games on their home pitch on the campaign. I fully expect something along the lines of a 3-0 or 4-1 type win for the hosts in this one as Burnley can be strong on defense at times that is for certain but Liverpool is going to be very aggressive on the attack in this one knowing that Burnley is unlikely to burn them on the other end of the pitch. The host is very much in need of a big win and they get it here. 10* LIVERPOOL |
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01-20-21 | Celtics v. 76ers -4.5 | Top | 109-117 | Win | 100 | 9 h 24 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #502 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Boston Celtics @ 7:05 ET - This is a rivalry that goes back a long way as you know. But last season put an exclamation point on how one-sided things can be at times. Boston swept the Sixers out of the playoffs and that led to the firing of coach Brett Brown. Now Doc Rivers is the new man in charge and his players want revenge here. Yes the Sixers just struggled at Memphis but Joel Embiid did not play. He is back and is listed as probable for this game. Also, it is a home game for Philly and they are known for dominating at the Wells Fargo Center. Additionally, the Celtics are still without Jayson Tatum and he is not even making the trip to Philly due to health protocols. That is a major loss for the Celtics as he was on fire this season. Speaking of major losses, Boston just got blasted at home by 30 points by Orlando. Of course that makes this a bounce back spot for the Celtics but, keep in mind, their ATS losses have come in pairs this season and I look for the loss to the Magic to be the first of two as the hungry 76ers get their playoff revenge in a big way here. Embiid on the floor for Philly and Tatum not on the floor for the Celtics is absolutely a big deal! Home team by double digits in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-20-21 | Oilers v. Maple Leafs OVER 6.5 | Top | 3-1 | Loss | -111 | 11 h 31 m | Show |
NBCSN Blowout Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #77 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 6.5 goals in Toronto Maple Leafs vs Edmonton Oilers @ 7:05 ET - One of the great things about the divisional realignment for this season is we'll get to see Shane Matthews and the Maple Leafs match up with Connor McDavid and the Oilers 9 times this season! Normally in different conferences they would be meeting just twice a season. One thing is for sure, I expect plenty of fireworks to result as these are two of the most highly skilled players in the game. When these teams last met in Toronto it was a 6-4 Oilers win. While we may not again see double digits in goals tonight I certainly do expect at least 7 goals. Edmonton coach Dave Tippett has been questioning the compete level of his team but has also said they were at their best in their 5-2 win. Keep in mind, in their three losses they have allowed 3 goals once and 5 goals twice. The issue for Edmonton is questionable goaltending and defense. That said, even with a high compete level you see the biggest benefit for the Oilers on the offensive end with guys like McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. I do expect Edmonton's compete level to be very high in this game as it is a high-profile match-up that will bring out the best in both hockey clubs. The result will be plenty of goals as I expect the Oilers to respond after being held to just 1 goal by Montreal in each of their two games with the Canadiens. So Edmonton responds here in the offensive zone but I don't see them stopping the Leafs at the other end. Toronto has scored at least 3 goals in every single game this season and has averaged 3.7 goals in their 3 victories. The Maple Leafs will be on the attack early and often in this one on home ice but the Oilers respond as well. The result will likely be a 4-3 or 5-4 type game in my opinion. Very entertaining barnburner likely. 10* OVER 6.5 goals in Toronto |
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01-20-21 | St. Joe's v. George Mason UNDER 149 | Top | 85-87 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 3 m | Show |
Philly Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #684 Tuesday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in George Mason Patriots vs St Joseph's Hawks @ 7 ET - This total has climbed from the mid-140s to the 150 range and I certainly understand the move based on the Hawks defensive woes this season and they are coming off a very high-scoring game. However, George Mason is going to dictate the flow of this game at home and they are off an 80-60 road loss that will bring out the best in terms of their effort on defense in this one. The Patriots are allowing just 64 points per game when at home and the O/U is 0-5-1 as a host this season. Yes, no overs in a half dozen home games this season for George Mason. Also, they allowed just 42 points to LaSalle in their most recent home game. That is the same Explorers team that just put up 90 on the Hawks! The point is that the Patriots can play a little defense. As for St Joseph's, as bad as their full season numbers are on on defense, Hawks games have stayed under the total each of the last 3 times they were off a game in which they allowed 83 or more points. That is the situation here and all signs point to this total offering solid value on the short side. 10* UNDER the total in George Mason |
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01-20-21 | Manchester United v. Fulham OVER 2.5 | Top | 2-1 | Win | 100 | 8 h 32 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach EPL Rotation #200095 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 2.5 goals in Fulham vs Manchester United @ 3:15 ET - Manchester United is off a scoreless draw versus Liverpool while Fulham just battled but only to fall short 1-0 versus Chelsea over the weekend. With each club off low-scoring matches, I am expecting this one to play out much differently. Keep in mind, no team has scored more road goals than Manchester United this season as, before being held scoreless at Liverpool, they had averaged scoring nearly 3 goals per match with 22 goals in 8 matches on enemy pitch. As for Fulham, they have not been conceding many goals of late but they realize what they are doing - focusing too much on defense - is not helping them too much as they have not won a premier league match since November. I look for Fulham to get at least 1 goal here as they are averaging nearly 1 goal per match this season. But I don't expect them to be able to stop Manchester United either as they have dominated this series to the tune of averaging 3 goals per match in the last 4 meetings at Fulham - all victories. Additionally, when facing a club that was just promoted up to the premier league, like Fulham for this season, they have won 8 straight matches and scored an average of 3 goals per match. We are seeing some 3's start to pop up on this total as well which means some sharp action coming in on the over and I expect that sharp action to prove correct as the highest-scoring traveler so far this season gets it done again here after being stifled at Liverpool. 10* OVER 2.5 in Fulham |
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01-19-21 | Pelicans +6.5 v. Jazz | Top | 102-118 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 41 m | Show |
Double Perfect Play - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #571 Tuesday 10* Top Play New Orleans Pelicans (+) @ Utah Jazz @ 9:05 ET - I have had great success with each of these teams as I am 3-0 my last 3 involving the Pelicans and 5-0 my last 5 sides involving the Jazz. Putting both of those streaks to the test here because I really like the value with the points being offered in this one. The last 4 meetings between these clubs have all been decided by a single digit margin. That includes 2 of the last 3 decided by just 2 points with the outlier decided by 6 points. All 3 of those results would get us a win in this one tonight. That said, the Pelicans come into this game off a confidence boosting win and 4 of their last 5 losses were by a single digit margin with 3 of the 4 decided by a margin of 5 or less. The Jazz have been hot and that is what has driven this line higher but their 5-game winning streak started with a win over the Bucks. Since then the last 4 teams they have faced all currently have losing records and a combined record of 21-31. I know the Pelicans also have a losing record so far this season but, without a doubt, they have underachieved. That is what is leading to value in this spot and I look for the revenge-minded Pelicans to get revenge for the July 30th loss to the Jazz. If they do fall short look for them to stay inside the number as they improve to 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games. 10* NEW ORLEANS |
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01-19-21 | Capitals +120 v. Penguins | Top | 4-5 | Loss | -100 | 7 h 5 m | Show |
NBCSN Blowout Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #69 Tuesday 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line (+) @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - Sometimes you get extra value from unlikely sources and that is what happened here and I am stepping in. You see, this was the perfect spot to back Washington and yet the line moved toward Pittsburgh. Why did that happen? It is because Kasperi Kapanen is expected to make his season debut for the Penguins. However, did all those betting the Pens watch the game on Sunday? The thing is Pittsburgh was in a great spot there and gave a rather solid effort and managed to eke out a shootout win. But the fact is the Capitals spent much of that game looking like the better team and they are the more physical team and Alex Ovechkin had own that hit both sides of the cross bar before ringing out and that was late in regulation and likely would have given the Caps the win. Now after losing their first game of the season and getting another crack at a bitter rival, Washington will not be denied tonight in my opinion. The Capitals look hungry early this season. I like what I saw from them in Buffalo to open the season and I also feel the Penguins are still looking a little "off" early this season and they certainly weren't too impressive in dropping their first two games at Philly to open the season. So, all in all, this one is all about the situational value and we even get some extra money line return here due to Kapanen's expected return. I'll take the extra value as his presence isn't going to completely change everything else going on the ice right now for the Pens and I feel the Caps are looking like the better team at this early point in the season. 10* WASHINGTON |
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01-19-21 | Buffalo v. Kent State OVER 162 | Top | 81-84 | Win | 100 | 6 h 22 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #603 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Kent State Golden Flashes vs Buffalo Bulls @ 5 ET - The Bulls are scoring an average of 83 points per game on the road this season and the Golden Flashes are scoring an average of 86 points per game at home this season. Yes this is a high total but based on those numbers you can see exactly why that is. Also, as crazy as those numbers are it gets even crazier. Why? Because Buffalo has allowed only 26.6% shooting from beyond the arc this season and yet they are allowing 78 points per game when on the road. Imagine if they face a team actually knocking down threes! Kent State also has some strong defensive numbers but they still are allowing 69 points per game this season. That said, and with how fast these teams play, I am expecting an absolute shootout in this one. The Bulls are off a loss in which they were held to just 69 points but this followed 4 straight games in which Buffalo scored at least 85 points. As for the Golden Flashes, they have scored at least 80 points in 4 straight games and averaged 86 points per game in doing so. This could very easily end up in the 170s. The Bulls are off an under but previously were 5-0 to the over this season. 10* OVER the total in Kent State |
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01-19-21 | Chelsea v. Leicester OVER 2.5 | Top | 0-2 | Loss | -107 | 5 h 22 m | Show |
TV Total of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach EPL Rotation #200161 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Leicester vs Chelsea @ 3:15 ET - Chelsea can raise their game when they need to and after a listless performance against Fulham in which they scored just 1 goal and were fortunate to win courtesy of a red card making it an 11 on 10 match, I look for a much better effort from Chelsea here. However, this should be quite the entertaining affair because Leicester is enjoying a huge campaign and has moved their way well up in the table and could even take the top spot, at least for 24 hours, with a win here. Whether they do that or not remains to be seen but I am expecting both teams to be quite aggressive on the attack here and looking for a 2-2 type match. Each club has seen their matches average exactly 3 goals per match so far this season and we have got a total of 2.5 to work with here. I feel that gives us great value here because I can't foresee either team producing a clean sheet here and also the magnitude of this contest means neither one wants to settle for a draw here. That means once it gets to 1-1 we'll next see a strong push for that difference-making goal. I expect at least a 2-1 final here but really we should see even more in the way of goals. That said, great line value here in what should be a very entertaining affair. 10* OVER the total in Leicester |
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01-18-21 | Hurricanes -120 v. Predators | Top | 4-2 | Win | 100 | 8 h 12 m | Show |
No Doubt Blowout Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #49 Monday 10* Top Play Carolina Hurricanes Money Line (-) @ Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET - Both of these hockey clubs are off games that were tied 2-2 in the 3rd period on Saturday. However, the difference is that the Hurricanes ended up on the wrong end of a 4-2 final and the Predators ended up on the right end of a 5-2 final. The fact is Carolina outshot the Red Wings by a double digit margin and could just as easily be 2-0 on the season and it would be Nashville (outshot by double digits by Blue Jackets) that would be 1-1. The fact that is not the case is what is helping to give us excellent line value here with the short road favorite. If Carolina was at home we would have a big price to lay. Instead, with them on the road, we get a good low price on the Hurricanes and I love this spot. The Canes came into the season expected to challenge Tampa Bay for the top spot in the Central Division while the Preds could very easily end up near the bottom of the division. Yes Nashville is better than Detroit and Chicago but not the rest of the division and the fact they managed to steal the game on Saturday from Columbus is merely serving to give us line value. Facing an undefeated team and coming off a loss, the Hurricanes know how important this game is and they will make the most of the opportunity. 10* CAROLINA |
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01-18-21 | Suns v. Grizzlies OVER 218.5 | Top | 104-108 | Loss | -109 | 6 h 10 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #560 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Memphis Grizzlies vs Phoenix Suns @ 5:05 ET - The last time I checked Jonas Valanciunas gets a lot of rebounds and is a key part of the Grizzlies defense around the rim and in the paint. In all seriousness though it is sometimes almost comical how the markets react to things. This total has been driven down severely because Jonas Valanciunas is out and everyone just looks at his offensive production. Let me remind you that Ja Morant just came back for Memphis and his game against the Sixers was only his 4th game out of 12 Grizzlies games this season. The point is that Morant is a huge scorer that Memphis just got back plus they are going to have play a bit of small ball in this one plus the Suns offense is going to take advantage of Jonas Valanciunas being out and will be able to score more than usual around the rim. So you combine all those factors plus about a 5 point drop on this total and you can count me in every single time. Yes the recent match-ups between these teams have trended under but each of the last 3 totaled at least 223 points which of course would put this one into the win column. Also, the Suns have allowed 116.4 points per game their last 5 games and 4 of the 5 went over the total. Phoenix will score well against a Grizzlies interior defense that has been depleted but the Suns certainly haven't been playing good defense of late as you can see. That said, the play here is the over. Phoenix has averaged 113 points per game their last 5 road games. The Grizzlies enter this game on a 4-game winning streak in which they have averaged 107.5 points per game and 3 of those games were without Ja Morant. This one, per the above, should get well into the 220s. 10* OVER the total in Memphis |
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01-18-21 | St. Joe's v. La Salle OVER 145 | Top | 83-90 | Win | 100 | 5 h 34 m | Show |
Philly Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #865 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in LaSalle Explorers vs St Joseph's Hawks @ 4 ET - LaSalle is off a ridiculous performance at home where they scored just 53 points. Now they are home again and, prior to that, the Explorers had scored and average of 76.5 points per game at home this season. This is an all-Philly match-up and I expect it to bring out the best in both teams. The problem for LaSalle is they can stop nobody and they have allowed an average of 78.3 points per game their last 3 games. The Hawks have allowed an average of 85.3 points per game this season so they are not exactly known for their defensive prowess either. The O/U is 5-1 in St Joseph's road game this season. The Hawks have scored an average of only 70.5 points per game this season but will take advantage of recent poor play in the defensive end for the Explorers. This match-up is part of The Philadelphia 5 or the Big 5 in Philly and each team will be looking to one up the other and 3 of the last 4 meetings between these foes have gone over the total. Also, 6 of the last 9 at Tom Gola Arena have gone over the total. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in LaSalle |
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01-17-21 | Blackhawks v. Panthers OVER 6.5 | Top | 2-5 | Win | 100 | 10 h 39 m | Show |
NHL Network Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 6.5 goals in Florida Panthers vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 7:05 ET - the Blackhawks are 0-2 to start the season and they allowed 5 goals in each game, the Panthers first two games were cancelled due to covid issues impacting the Stars in Dallas, that means Florida is finally playing their season opener and we already saw early on that - for the most part - teams playing their first games saw plenty of goals scored and there were mistakes on the ice leading to more scoring opportunities than usual, the Panthers are known for solid offensive play but struggling in their own end, look for Chicago to fare much better in the goal-scoring department here as a result as they are no longer facing a tough TB defense nor a top goalie named Vasilevskiy, so the Hawks will see more scoring chances here and should cash them in but they are a young team with defensive and goaltending weaknesses and that should mean plenty of goals here, 10* OVER the total in Florida |
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01-17-21 | Bucs v. Saints -2.5 | Top | 30-20 | Loss | -118 | 9 h 45 m | Show |
Primetime Punisher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NFL Rotation #308 Sunday 10* Top Play New Orleans Saints (-) vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ 6:40 ET - there can be two theories as to why this line is dropping to a 2.5 on gameday morning, one would be that the Buccaneers are attracting some attention and primed for an upset, however the other theory is the one I am going with which I believe will prove true in this case, I believe the sharps are setting this one up by knocking it down a little to get that 2.5 everywhere and then they will pound it and we'll see this game at a -3 again before too long and certainly at kickoff, I could be wrong of course but we'll see and either way I like New Orleans a ton here, the Saints have owned the Buccaneers in recent meetings and also all the pressure is on Tom Brady and Tampa Bay here, that is because so much is expected of them and Brady wants to atone for a horrific performance the last time the Bucs were in TB, all that pressure is not going to help the Buccaneers and this is a team that went 1-4 in games against teams with a winning record this season, keep in mind TB lost to NO twice plus lost to KC and the Rams and another loss to a playoff team was to the Bears, though the Saints were not overly impressive last week the Bucs were arguably much worse, Tampa Bay should have annihilated Washington last week but struggled to put them away and I am just not sold on this TB team as they were facing a Washington team that had a ton of issues and question marks for that game, also the Saints defense has allowed 16 points or less in 7 of last 10 games while the Bucs have allowed 23 points or more in 8 of last 10 game, I will gladly lay the short home price here, 10* NEW ORLEANS |
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01-17-21 | Virginia Tech v. Wake Forest OVER 139.5 | Top | 64-60 | Loss | -112 | 7 h 5 m | Show |
Total Blowout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs Virginia Tech Hokies @ 6 ET - The Demon Deacons have seen each of their last 3 games go over the total. Defensively they have not impressed as Wake Forest has not been generating many turnovers and also they have allowed an average of 74 points per game their last 4 games. Speaking of sub-par defense we might see a bit of a dropoff here from the Hokies. Not only is Virginia Tech off a big win versus Duke, they also have dominated Wake Forest in recent meetings. Also, the Demon Deacons enter this game on a losing streak which makes it easier to overlook them especially after a big win over the Blue Devils. That said, I am expecting a rather free flowing game and the over is 7-0 in the Hokies last 7 games! With all this over trending and the Hokies scoring well and the Demon Deacons generally scoring better when at home, you have all the right ingredients for the home dog to hang around in this one and turn it into a high-scoring shootout. The Hokies could pull away late for a bigger margin so my play here is the over rather than the side and I expect quite a shootout. Virginia Tech has averaged 83.5 points in their last two meetings with Wake Forest plus enters this game averaging 80.5 points per game their last 6 games overall. 10* OVER the total in Wake Forest |
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01-17-21 | Crystal Palace v. Manchester City -2 | Top | 0-4 | Win | 100 | 5 h 23 m | Show |
Goal Line Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach EPL Sunday 10* Top Play Manchester City Goal Line -2 goals -105 vs Crystal Palace @ 2:15 ET - Manchester City are one of the hottest clubs in the Premier League right now and are on their home pitch here and are a -500 money line favorite with good reason. I am going to lay the goal line here to take advantage of a great situation and a spot in which I am expecting a blowout win for the home side. Manchester City has lost and had a draw in their two most recent home meetings with Crystal Palace. That will insure the proper focus here and Manchester City has scored 15 goals in their last 6 matches across all competitions. Crystal Palace can be stingy on defense but Manchester City is simply too hot on the attack right now and they are seeking a big payback win here. Also, Crystal Palace's problem is they have been struggling to score goals. They have scored a total of only 5 goals in their last 8 matches across all competitions. Also, in their last 3 losses Crystal Palace has allowed an average of 3.7 goals per match. With this one expected to be a defeat you can also plainly see why I am expecting it to also be by a blowout margin. 10* MANCHESTER CITY goal line -2 goals |
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01-16-21 | Ravens +2.5 v. Bills | Top | 3-17 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 20 m | Show |
Primetime Punisher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NFL Rotation #303 Saturday 10* Top Play Baltimore Ravens (+) @ Buffalo Bills @ 8:15 ET - The Colts last weekend were the first team ever to have over 450 yards of offense in a game with zero turnovers and still lose the game. Teams with those stats had been 11-0. In other words, the Bills got lucky...very lucky! Now their luck runs out this week. While I absolutely respect Buffalo QB Josh Allen and all this offense has done, there is simply no comparison between these defenses. The Ravens have the much better defense. Also, in terms of the Baltimore offense, a running QB like Lamar Jackson gives a defense like the Bills have absolute nightmares. The Bills have allowed 21 points or more in 6 of their last 8 home games. The Ravens have allowed 19 points or less in 6 of their last 7 games. In fact, Baltimore allowed an average of 13 points in those 6 games. Buffalo allowed an average of 27 points per game in those aforementioned 6 home games. I know the full season numbers make the defenses look comparable but I feel strongly they are not. Also, the Ravens had to battle with the Steelers and the Browns in their division while the Bills took advantage of a weaker division. Of course the Jets were garbage, the Patriots ended with a losing record, and the Dolphins (despite a winning record) were pretenders whose full season stats told the full story. Off the fortunate win last week, Buffalo's luck runs out this week and the Ravens advance to the AFC Championship Game. 10* BALTIMORE |
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01-16-21 | Blue Jackets +108 v. Predators | Top | 2-5 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 37 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #25 Saturday 10* Top Play Columbus Blue Jackets Money Line (+) @ Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET - The Blue Jackets lost their opening game at Nashville Thursday by a 3-1 count but that game was 1-1 heading to the 3rd period. Now Columbus gets another shot at the Predators. I know these teams are considering roughly equal but I also like the Blue Jackets strong blue line with Seth Jones and Zach Werenski. The Jackets had a solid start in the game Thursday but really looked a bit listless in the 3rd period. That said, you know fiery coach John Tortorella is going to have the Blue Jackets ready to go here. Columbus, prior to their season-ending loss in Game 5 of their series with Tampa Bay (whom went on to win the Stanley Cup), had been on a 3-0 run when off a loss in which they were held to 1 goal or less. After scoring just 1 goal against the Preds Thursday, the Blue Jackets respond big here and get into the win column. 10* COLUMBUS |
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01-16-21 | Rockets v. Spurs OVER 217 | Top | 91-103 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 24 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #521 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in San Antonio Spurs vs Houston Rockets @ 5 ET - These teams just met Thursday and that game stayed just under the total despite the complete reshuffling of the Rockets roster (the big Harden trade) plus some unusual shooting stats. The Spurs shot just 29% from three point land and Houston shot just 63% from the free throw line. Keep in mind San Antonio is shooting 37% from beyond the arc this season and the Rockets are knocking down 75% of their free throws. After those unusual stats and the fact that the Spurs are hungry and playing with revenge here after the upset loss, look for this one to easily fly over the total. This total is even lower than the Thursday one but that is simply not justified and we'll step in and take advantage of the corresponding value. 10* OVER the total in San Antonio |
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01-16-21 | Davidson v. La Salle OVER 133 | Top | 77-53 | Loss | -111 | 4 h 52 m | Show |
Philly Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #657 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in LaSalle Explorers vs Davidson Wildcats @ 2 ET - LaSalle is off a horrible effort in their most recent game but that was on the road at George Mason. The Explorers scored just 49 points in that game but now they are back home in Philadelphia where they have averaged 76.5 points per game their last 4 games. The problem for LaSalle is their defensive play and that is the part of the reason they were on a 4-0 run to the over before the loss to the Patriots. As for Davidson, they have scored 74 points or more in 4 of their last 5 games and those 4 went 4-0 to the over. With the Explorers scoring much better at home but their defense unable to stop the Wildcats, I feel this is absolutely a bargain number on this low total which is in the 133 range. 10* OVER the total in LaSalle |
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01-16-21 | Chelsea v. Fulham OVER 2.5 | Top | 1-0 | Loss | -116 | 5 h 3 m | Show |
National TV Blowout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach EPL Rotation #200001 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 2.5 goals in Fulham vs Chelsea @ 12:30 ET - Fulham comes into this game with plenty of confidence thanks to a hard-fought draw against Tottenham on Wednesday. That followed a victory for Fulham in English FA Cup action. I am well aware that Fulham has switched to a style of play that is focused on eliminating opponents chances. However, Chelsea is loaded with firepower and comes into this match not only off a 4-0 win English FA Cup action but also wanting to respond big in Premier League action where they have not registered many victories of late. In other words, Chelsea wants to take care of business against London rivals in this one and I feel strongly they will press the issue here which means a lot of attacking and we'll see at least 3 goals in this one. Chelsea is averaging about 2 goals per game this season while Fulham has averaged scoring about a goal per game in this campaign. Also, Chelsea has a history of dominating in this rivalry and has scored an average of 2.4 goals per match in the last 5 meetings. Fulham should also get on the board here as Chelsea has allowed 21 goals in 17 matches this season and I doubt they will produce a clean sheet here. With their manager feeling some pressure about this club performing better in league action, look for the visitors to be on the attack throughout this game and dictate the pace and flow of this one. 10* OVER the total in Fulham |
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01-15-21 | Blues v. Avalanche -137 | Top | 0-8 | Win | 100 | 13 h 31 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #12 Friday 10* Top Play Colorado Avalanche Money Line (-) vs St Louis Blues @ 9:05 ET - If you look at the final score of Wednesday's season opener (4-1) it looks like the Avalanche got blasted. Trust me, they did not. Did they get outplayed? Yes, they did. But this was still a 2-1 game in the 3rd period and I know the Avs will play much better tonight. They will respond on home ice coming off a loss in which too many players were guilty of expecting the win to come easily to them. That happens sometimes and teams need a wake up call and Colorado just got theirs. They are one of the top choices to win the Stanley Cup this season. Dating back to last season and including the playoffs, the Avalanche have won 6 of 7 (86%) when coming off a loss. The Blues are a high-quality team no doubt and they proved that again Wednesday. But the Avalanche got their wake up call and respond here and it won't be too many times this season that you can get the Avs in the -140 price range on home ice and coming off a loss. This is a value spot. Lay it. 10* COLORADO |
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01-15-21 | Marshall v. Western Kentucky OVER 150 | Top | 73-81 | Win | 100 | 6 h 20 m | Show |
Early Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #841 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs Marshall Thundering Herd @ 5 ET - The Hilltoppers are off an ugly home loss in which they were held to 58 points. The only other time Western Kentucky was held below 60 points they exploded for 96 points in their next game and it flew over the total. I look for a big response from the Hilltoppers here on the offensive end but don't be surprised if Marshall scores plenty as well. The Thundering Herd have scored 80 or more points in 7 of their last 8 games. This one has the makings of a game that could get into the 160s and yet the total is in the 150 range. I know that total may seem a little big on the surface but you can see from the above why I am expecting much more as the situation is ideal and I also like the fact that both of these teams have struggled to defend the 3-ball this season. Marshall is making 35% of threes on the road this season but also allowing 35% on the season. Western Kentucky is making only 32% of their threes at home this season but should improve on that given the situation and given facing the Thundering Herd perimeter defenders. The weakness for the Hilltoppers is they are allowing 39% from the 3-point land. It should be raining threes tonight plus we should see a fast-paced game as Marshall plays quick and the host is ready to play fast and bounce back from a rare dismal effort on the offensive end. 10* OVER the total in Western Kentucky |
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01-14-21 | Hornets v. Raptors OVER 219 | Top | 108-111 | Push | 0 | 8 h 9 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #569 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:35 ET - Charlotte's game died in the 4th quarter last night in terms of scoring and that cost us our play on the over. However, that 38 point 4th quarter is now serving us to give us some value here as this total has plummeted by a couple buckets from its opener and I am happy to jump in on the lower number. Toronto is back "home" in Tampa for this one and certainly happy to be back on the East Coast after a West Coast trip. Look for the Raptors, averaging 117.5 points their last 6 games, to put up plenty here as they catch the Hornets in a back to back. As for Charlotte, they had averaged 113.3 points per game their last 3 games before that horrible effort against the Mavericks last night. The Raptors have allowed 118.3 points per game their last 6 games. Look for a high-scoring affair as both teams look to respond off losses. The Raptors have lost two straight by just a single point each defeat while the Hornets are off the 93 point effort last night. Both teams get back on track offensively here. 10* OVER the total in Toronto |
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01-14-21 | Capitals -119 v. Sabres | Top | 6-4 | Win | 100 | 8 h 19 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #53 Thursday 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line (-) @ Buffalo Sabres @ 7:05 ET - This line has been steadily dropping this morning and I understand the move because Buffalo had a solid home record last season. However, all those home games were played in front of fans. Now the Sabres are playing for the first time since March as they did not play in the bubble games. For the Capitals, they played plenty of hockey right up until the latter half of August. That said, Washington is likely much more "game ready" and I also feel the Caps are very hungry entering this season. Alex Ovechkin certainly not getting any younger and they added Zdeno Chara from the Bruins who is turning 44 years old in March. These guys, among others, want to make one last push for a Stanley Cup. The Sabres, of course, don't have the normal fan support in the building so home ice will feel different plus lets not forget that the Capitals had one of the best road records in the NHL last season. Also, coming into this season the Caps (along with the Pens and Flyers) are expected to challenge the Bruins for the top spot in the East Division. As for the Sabres, they are projected to battle with the Devils to try and stay out of the basement. The point is that, particularly after the downward line move, we have excellent line value with the small road favorite in this one. 10* WASHINGTON |
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01-14-21 | Santa Clara v. Pacific +3 | Top | 58-79 | Win | 100 | 5 h 35 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #716 Thursday 10* Top Play Pacific Tigers @ 5 ET - I fully understand the line move here. Pacific hasn't played in a very long time and has only played one game in about 6 weeks. So I get it. But this is a Tigers team that went 11-5 in conference action last season and Santa Clara went just 6-10 in conference games last season. Not only that, the Broncos have only played 1 conference game this season. The point is that Pacific isn't that far behind everyone else in terms of conference games played and they are raring to go for their conference opener and they are at home and it is a day game. This is a very competitive team with a lot of heart and passion for the game. Having them at a home dog in this spot is something I won't pass up on. The Broncos are a decent program but I still expect more from Pacific than Santa Clara by the time this season goes into the books. As for this match-up in particular, even if the Tigers start a little slow they will eventually get back into a good rhythm within this game and on their home floor. The Tigers catch the Broncos off an upset win at St Mary's and that make this a great spot to fade them. Santa Clara was off back to back losses by double digit margins prior to that win over the Gaels. 10* PACIFIC |
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01-14-21 | Crystal Palace v. Arsenal OVER 2.5 | Top | 0-0 | Loss | -103 | 5 h 50 m | Show |
Daytime TV Blowout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach EPL Rotation #200145 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Arsenal vs Crystal Palace @ 3 ET - I am aware of the missing players here for Crystal Palace but everyone will be stepping up and doing their best here though that is unlikely to be enough to slow down red hot Arsenal. That is why the play here is the over. Keep in mind, Crystal Palace matches have averaged 3 goals this season. This total is only a 2.5 partially due to the situation but also because there has been an overall scoring drought going on in the Premier League overall. We just aren't seeing as many goals as we were seeing earlier in the campaign. Of course these things don't go on forever and this looks like a game that blows the recent trend out of the water. This match has the makings of a 3-1 win for Arsenal. They are a pricey favorite with good reason. Arsenal has won 4 straight matches across all competitions and scored an average of 2.5 goals per game in doing so. In Premier League matches, Arsenal has seen 3 of their last 4 total at least 4 goals. As for Crystal Palace, they have not been scoring well but, prior to a 1-1 draw in the last meeting between these clubs, each of their last 4 meetings had totaled 4 or more goals. Also, Crystal Palace has given up an average of 5 goals in their last two Premier League defeats. This one could get ugly the way the home team has been firing on all cylinders and, at the same time, I don't see the road team being kept off the scoresheet as they have averaged scoring 2 goals per game in their last 4 meetings with Arsenal. 10* OVER 2.5 goals in Arsenal |
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01-13-21 | Mavs v. Hornets OVER 219.5 | Top | 104-93 | Loss | -107 | 9 h 35 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #549 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Charlotte Hornets vs Dallas Mavericks @ 7:05 ET - As long-time followers know I like taking overs particularly when each team is off a win and, if they are on a winning streak, it is even better. That is because winning can mask other issues and then there just tends to be a natural tendency to relax on the defensive end because you are so confident you are going to win the game with your play at the other end. The Mavericks have won 3 straight games and averaged 116.3 points per game in doing so. The Hornets have won 4 straight games and averaged 110.5 points per game in doing so. That puts this game in the 227 range and it did open up in the low 220s but the markets are pushing it below 220 now which means even more value for us. Note that the Mavericks offense has been better on the road than at home this season as they are averaging 114.3 points per game away from home plus shooting 47% from the field as travelers. As for the Hornets, they are hitting 37% from three point land at home this season. Also, look for the Mavs to get an additional boost with the return of Kristaps Porzingis expected tonight. He will be making his season debut and this is a big boost for the energy of the club even if he is on a minutes restriction. The Mavs will feed off the positive energy and I look for a back and forth high-scoring affair here. By the way, when on the road this season and coming off an under (which is the situation for this game), the Mavericks have gone a perfect 3-0 to the over this season. Also in match-ups between these teams last season that had a posted total of 220 or less, the over went a perfect 2-0. Double perfect spot and I love this situation and the value. 10* OVER the total in Charlotte |
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01-13-21 | La Salle v. George Mason OVER 135 | Top | 42-75 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 9 m | Show |
Philly Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #673 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in George Mason Patriots vs LaSalle Explorers @ 7 ET - The Patriots will be ready for an offensive explosion here. George Mason has faced 3 straight particularly tough match-ups with Dayton, Virginia Commonwealth, and Richmond. Prior to that, the Patriots were averaging 74.5 points per game this season and that was even with leading scorer Jordan Miller missing two of those games! George Mason will absolutely take advantage of a step down in level of competition in this one and I expect a high-scoring match-up. The last time these teams met in Philly the game only totaled 139 points but that is still enough for our purposes here plus this one is in Fairfax, VA where the last meeting totaled 160 points! LaSalle enters this game having gone over the total in 4 straight games. The Explorers enter this game having scored at least 67 points in 5 straight games and they have averaged 73 points during this stretch. LaSalle has shot the 3-ball well this season and the Patriots have struggled to defend the 3-ball so the match-up sets up well for the road team to score plenty but the home team is favored here with good reason. In other words, plenty of points expected in this one! 10* OVER the total in George Mason |
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01-13-21 | Penguins v. Flyers -110 | Top | 3-6 | Win | 100 | 8 h 31 m | Show |
TV Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #42 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 5:35 ET - The home team won all 3 games last season by a combined score of 14 to 4. Pittsburgh continues to show signs of being on the fade while Philadelphia responded very well with a new head coach last season and is on their way up. The Penguins brought in some new blood to add to guys like Crosby and Malkin but an important addition, Kasperi Kapanen, is out for this game due to quarantine requirements. Kapanen was possibly going to be on the top line for the Pens and his absence is a key one for sure. Overall, I like the fact that the Penguins are getting a little long in the tooth while the Flyers are up and coming. The long-time gap in this rivalry is certainly closing and note that Philadelphia goalie Carter Hart is known for struggling on the road but has been fantastic on home ice. When the Flyers faced the Penguins early in the season they were still adjusting to the coaching change. As the season went on, Philly turned into a well-oiled machine and that continued into the post-season as well whereas the Penguins got bounced by, of all teams, the Canadiens! About how Philly turned things on as the season went on, they also outshot the Penguins by a 60-39 combined count over their final two meetings. Tristan Jarry is now the undisputed #1 goalie for Pittsburgh but he was better at home than on the road last season. In away games, Jarry went 7-7 with a 2.66 GAA. The Flyers Hart went 20-3-2 with a 1.63 GAA in games at Wells Fargo Center last season while compiling a .943 save percentage! The home team gets the season-opening win in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-13-21 | Fulham v. Tottenham Hotspur OVER 2.5 | Top | 1-1 | Loss | -125 | 6 h 9 m | Show |
TV Total of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach EPL Rotation #200091 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Tottenham vs Fulham @ 3:15 ET - Just as in other sports I love fading the line moves when the situation is right. In this case we have a total that opened up at a 3 and has dropped to a 2.5 and I feel we have great value with the over here. Fulham is off a 2-0 win in English FA Cup action and brings some confidence into this match-up and should score at least 1 goal. However, Tottenham is nearly a 2 to 1 money line favorite for a reason and I do not foresee them being denied the spoils here. That means we should see at least a pair of goals from the Hotspur in this one. Note that Tottenham has scored 14 goals in going 4-0 with 1 draw in their last 5 matches across all competitions. After having hit a rough patch earlier this season Tottenham absolutely is back on track and feeling confident and they certainly should have plenty of confidence about a visit from Fulham here. The Hotspur have won each of the last 5 meetings and, by the way, all 5 of those games totaled 3 or more goals. The way I see it, this one absolutely will as well. Keep in mind this was a hastily arranged match as Tottenham was originally supposed to face Aston Villa but that opponent had to cancel the match due to health protocol concerns. That said, the way this match came about on short notice, with Fulham instead of Aston Villa, also helps our cause in my opinion as Tottenham had been preparing to defend against a different club and don't be surprised if Fulham enjoy some surprising success on the attack but the Hotspur will not be denied either. The result is plenty of goals. 10* OVER the total in Tottenham |
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01-12-21 | Heat v. 76ers -5.5 | Top | 134-137 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 46 m | Show |
PA Insider - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #534 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Miami Heat @ 7:05 ET - The Heat simply missing too many guys due to health protocols in this covid-impacted world we currently live in. Additionally, the Sixers are off a road loss last night in which they got blasted. They will now bounce back at home where they went 31-4 last season plus are 5-1 this season. While the 76ers have only 1 home loss this season, Miami has only 1 road win this season and plus Philadelphia has revenge from getting blasted by 31 points the last time they faced the Heat. This is actually a triple revenge spot as Philly has lost 3 straight against Miami and the set-up and the situation is perfect with the Heat outmanned in this game to a large extent. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-12-21 | St. Joe's v. Davidson OVER 144 | Top | 66-80 | Win | 100 | 9 h 26 m | Show |
Philly Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #609 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Davidson Wildcats vs St Joseph's Hawks @ 7 ET - Davidson is off a loss but now can take out their frustration on a St Joseph's team that does not play defense but is off their first win of the season. The Hawks won because they are at home and facing Albany. Now St Joseph's is on the road where they have allowed 90 points per game this season! Not only that, they face a Wildcats team that won't take their foot off the gas here. Prior to a loss to Dayton Friday, the Wildcats were on a 5-2 run. St Joseph's had allowed at least 80 points in all their games this season until the win over Albany. The Hawks getting a win could help them a little with confidence in the offensive end but their porous defensive play insures a run and gun type affair here. Adding to the likelihood of "no mercy" from the Wildcats here is the fact that Davidson lost to the Hawks in Philly in the teams most recent meeting. Now they meet up at John M. Belk Arena and the over is a perfect 5-0 when the Wildcats have hosted St Joseph's. Look for that perfect streak to remain intact when the final horn sounds on this one. 10* OVER the total in Davidson |