Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
12-03-18 | Lightning v. Devils OVER 6.5 | Top | 5-1 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 3 m | Show |
NHL Network Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New Jersey Devils vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:05 ET - Not only are the Lightning without #1 goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, they also are missing a key defenseman as Anton Stralman is out too. The Devils have had issues with their blue line this season too as defenseman Sami Vatanen is on the shelf along with Steve Santini and Ben Lovejoy. Entering this season those 3 guys were all listed in the top 7 defensemen on the New Jersey roster. This is taking a toll as the season has gone on and the Devils have allowed 4.6 goals per game during their current 5-game losing streak. The over is now a perfect 6-0 in New Jersey's last 6 games. As for the Lightning, the over is 6-2 in Louis Dominque's road starts this season and he has an ugly .879 save percentage away from home. The Lightning have scored 4 goals or more in 12 of their last 15 games. However, they've also allowed 4 goals in each of their last two games and Dominque will be challenged by the Devils early and often in this one. The over is 9-3-2 in Tampa Bay's last 14 games. The over is 9-4-1 in the Bolts games against teams with a losing record this season. The over is 9-2-1 when the Devils are off a game in which they allowed 4 or more goals. NJ is also 8-3 to the over this season when facing a team with a winning record. Look for a 7th straight over involving he Devils! 10* OVER the total in New Jersey |
|||||||
12-03-18 | Iowa v. Michigan State -10 | Top | 68-90 | Win | 100 | 9 h 56 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #516 Monday 10* Top Play Michigan State Spartans (+) vs Iowa Hawkeyes @ 6:30 ET - The Spartans have opened up as a double digit favorite even though the Hawkeyes are very close to them in the rankings. Must be a mistake, right? Of course it is not a mistake but bettors will be attracted to Iowa as a result. Don't be fooled here as Michigan State should win this game in an absolute annihilation. The Spartans have played a tougher schedule than Iowa and also are the much deeper and much more veteran team. The Hawkeyes also were hoping for key contributions in the front-court this season from Jack Nunge and Cordell Pemsl. Both guys are out for the season. Granted they were not their stars but Iowa could ill afford to lose depth. Keep in mind this is the Hawkeyes first true road game of the season and they are 4-17 SU and 4-15 ATS in road games the past two seasons. The Spartans are a dominating 15-1 SU (and 12-4 ATS) in their last 16 home games versus Iowa. Also, Michigan State has already had wake-up calls with a loss at Louisville and a tight win at Rutgers. Remember the Spartans did lose their season opener (by just 5 points against powerful Kansas). In other words, this is a team that has already been battle tested and has proven worthy of respect. In this game, their Big Ten home opener, look for the Spartans to put one foot on the throats of the Hawkeyes and they won't take their other foot off the gas either! In other words, they dominate this one and win by 15 to 20 points. Michigan State is the much better team in terms of shooting and defense plus they've played the tougher schedule as noted above. Look for the Spartans to improve to 7-1 SU (and 6-2 ATS) on the season when favored. 10* MICHIGAN STATE |
|||||||
12-02-18 | Chargers v. Steelers OVER 51.5 | Top | 33-30 | Win | 100 | 11 h 37 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NFL Game #353 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Pittsburgh Steelers vs Los Angeles Chargers @ 8:20 ET - The Steelers pulled off the unbelievable last Sunday. Pittsburgh scored just 17 points on 527 yards of offense. I remember it vividly (and sickeningly) as the Steelers Over was my Top Play last Sunday. The final nail in the coffin (among 4 Pittsburgh turnovers) was when the Steelers ended up blowing a 1st and goal from the 3 opportunity in the final minutes by throwing a pick in the end zone on a horrible pass from Ben Roethlisberger. Just a completely stupid pass that never should have been thrown and that cost me a sure totals winner. But we get our money back this week as the Steelers offense is likely to again move the ball very well (especially now that they are back home) but this time look for a lot less in the way of turnovers and missed opportunities. Not only should Pittsburgh put up a ton of points, Philip Rivers and Company certainly are going to be hard to stop. The Chargers offense has plenty of momentum after scoring 45 points last week and this match-up features two of the top passing offenses in the league. The over is 10-2 in the Steelers last 12 home games. Also, when Pittsburgh is a home favorite of more than 3 points against an AFC foe and it is after Game 6 in a season, the over has gone a stellar 10-1 in Steelers games! I know the Chargers have trended under in recent games as well as in December games the past two seasons but this particular match-up is set up perfectly to be a Rivers vs Roethlisberger shootout. The loss of LA running back Melvin Gordon to a knee injury means that Los Angeles will rely even more heavily on the pass in this one. 10* OVER the total in Pittsburgh |
|||||||
12-02-18 | Flames v. Blackhawks OVER 5.5 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -130 | 9 h 54 m | Show |
NHL Network Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #9 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Blackhawks vs Calgary Flames @ 7:05 ET - The Blackhawks are 4-0-2 to the their last 6 games and the Flames are 4-2 to the over their last 6 games. Chicago has allowed an average of 5.2 goals per game their last 6 games and the Hawks have allowed at least 4 goals in all six games! The Blackhawks will have trouble slowing down a Calgary team that has averaged scoring 4.3 goals per game in their last 7 games! The Flames also have averaged scoring 4 goals per game in their last 4 games versus Chicago. Only 2 of the last 7 meetings between these clubs has resulted in an under. The Blackhawks and Calgary are two of the worst teams in the league on the penalty kill this season. Also, Chicago seems to be in disarray since the abrupt firing of their long-time veteran head coach. Disarray often leads to high-scoring games as players end up out of position and odd man rushes and great scoring opportunities result. I expect more of the same on Sunday as the Flames won't hesitate to push the tempo in this game and force the Blackhawks to try and keep up. 10* OVER the total in Chicago |
|||||||
12-02-18 | Vikings v. Patriots -4.5 | Top | 10-24 | Win | 100 | 7 h 15 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NFL Game #376 Sunday 10* Top Play New England Patriots (-) vs Minnesota Vikings @ 4:25 ET - The Patriots have won 7 of their last 8 games and when they win SU they almost always cover. The SU winner in New England's games this season is, in fact, 10-1 ATS this season and I fully expect a dominating home win and cover here. The Patriots are 8-2 ATS as a home favorite of 3.5 to 7 points and also have gone 8-2 ATS in December games the past two seasons. The Vikings wins this season have all come against teams that currently have a losing record on the year. In their 3 games against teams that currently have a winning record on the season, Minnesota has gone 0-3 and all 3 losses came by 5 or more points. Those Vikings losses came against the Bears, Saints, and Rams. As for the Patriots they've played 4 games against teams that currently have a winning record. New England has gone 4-0 in those games and only one win came by less than 7 points. The average margin of victory in those 4 games was 8 points. The Pats have beaten the Colts, Texans, Bears, and Chiefs. I'll take the team that has risen to the occasion when its been required this season and I feel we're getting good value here as the spread on this game has dropped through the week. The Patriots are 12-1-1 ATS when they are off a divisional road game and now facing a non-divisional opponents. Look for the Pats to do it again Sunday after last week's blowout win at New York against the Jets. Note that last week's win for the Vikings over Green Bay was the first time in 5 tries that Minnesota has covered a game following a divisional game. After that big win over the Pack, look for the Vikes to fall flat here against a Patriots team on a typical December "mission" as the Pats are known for late season success, especially at Foxboro! 10* NEW ENGLAND |
|||||||
12-01-18 | Fresno State +1 v. Boise State | Top | 19-16 | Win | 100 | 13 h 27 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CFB Game #317 Saturday 10* Top Play Fresno State Bulldogs (+) vs Boise State Broncos @ 7:45 ET in MWC Championship Game at Albertson's Stadium in Boise, ID - The Broncos continue to find a way to get past the Bulldogs in recent meetings despite the great improvement we've seen from Fresno State recently. I feel strongly however that Boise State's "luck" runs out here. The Broncos are a great team but they are not on the level they were in other recent campaigns. Though Boise State has beaten Fresno State in each of their 2 most recent meetings, the Bulldogs have had a lead in each of the last 3 games (including leads at half-time and beyond and into 4th quarter) and yet have lost each of the last 2 games. It is payback time here. I know that Boise has the location edge here but the Broncos strength is their passing game and Fresno State has a strong pass defense. That said, the key edge here is the Bulldogs potent passing attack going against a Boise State pass defense that has struggled at times this season. Winds will be light for this game so despite chilly temperatures and some light snow or light rain, the passing game can flourish with no impact expected from wind here. That said, the Bulldogs hold a big edge thanks to being the much better pass defense. Finally they get their revenge here. Boise State is 1-5 ATS in home games with a posted total between 49.5 and 56 points. Fresno State is 12-2 ATS in games against teams with a winning record. Road team revenge here for the Bulldogs. 10* FRESNO STATE |
|||||||
12-01-18 | Clemson v. Pittsburgh OVER 52.5 | Top | 42-10 | Loss | -107 | 13 h 43 m | Show |
Total of the Year - Rickenbach CFB Game #319 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in ACC Championship Game: Clemson Tigers vs Pittsburgh Panthers @ Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC @ 8:00 ET - There is rain in Charlotte today but it is expected to be lighter when game time rolls around for this one. Also, the winds are expected to be light and temperatures rather mild. The key to the value here is that Clemson's D is so strong that the Panthers will be forced to get their yardage through the passing game. Also, Pittsburgh is likely to be playing catch-up in this game so they'll be forced to the air for that reason too. Note that Panthers QB Pickett has thrown more the past two weeks and that included a huge 23 for 30 performance for 316 yards and 0 ints and 3 tds. Clemson's offense is one of the most efficient in the nation and, keep in mind, the Panthers allowed and average of 593.5 yards in games against Duke and Central Florida. In other words, the Tigers should move the ball very easily in this match-up and they won't take their foot off the gas either. Why? Because their only loss in their national championship season in 2016 came against Pittsburgh 42-41. This is a payback spot for Clemson and they've scored an average of 51.1 points their last 7 games. In other words, the Tigers could actually get this total all by themselves. However, I do feel we'll get plenty of contribution from a Panthers team that, prior to last week's ugly loss at Miami (clearly they were disinterested), had averaged 40.8 points per game their 4 prior games. Plenty of points in this one! 10* OVER the total in ACC Championship Game |
|||||||
12-01-18 | Flyers +160 v. Penguins | Top | 4-2 | Win | 160 | 9 h 11 m | Show |
NHL Network Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #63 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers blew a 3-1 third period lead against the Senators in a 4-3 loss hosting Ottawa Tuesday. This is likely rock bottom for Philly. They have fired their general manager (and others!) and have been cleaning house at the management level. Suffice to say, the players know it is time to respond. Getting goalie Michal Neuvirth back is a positive plus another positive is that #1 goalie Brian Elliott is likely to be back in the near future. The Penguins have goalie issues of their own here as Matt Murray is out with an injury. The Pens have been struggling too and that is what I like about the big dog value here with the more desperate and hungry team, the Flyers, on the road and looking to avenge the playoff ouster at the hands of the Penguins last season. The road team has won 5 straight meetings between these teams and 7 of the last 9. Also, Pittsburgh is 1-5 this season when off a loss by a multiple goal margin in their prior game. The Penguins are also 1-6 this season in games against teams with a losing record! The Flyers have won 17 of 27 December games the past two years. Look for them to get this December off to a positive start as well as they get a measure of revenge against their hated in-state rivals! 10* PHILADELPHIA |
|||||||
12-01-18 | Cincinnati v. UNLV +6.5 | Top | 65-61 | Win | 100 | 9 h 35 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game # 580 Saturday 10* Top Play UNLV Rebels (+) vs Cincinnati Bearcats @ 6 ET - It wasn't that long ago that Bearcats head coach Mick Cronin supposedly had accepted the UNLV job and yet, when he did not, speculation ran rampant that he merely used the Rebels to gain leverage with his contract situation at Cincinnati. Note that Cronin did get a 2-year extension with the Bearcats after the UNLV "debacle". Suffice to say, emotions will be running high for this one as UNLV now hosts Cronin's Bearcats Saturday afternoon at 3 PM local time here in Vegas. Rebels head coach Marvin Menzies has done a great job rebuilding the UNLV basketball program. Even though they lost some key players from last year's team, they had a great recruiting class and have plenty of talent this season. With the young Rebels able to play host in this one, I see them holding the edge over a Cincinnati team playing its first true road game of the season. Note that the Bearcats have covered 4 straight games but they were favored my more than a dozen points in 3 of the 4 games. The Rebels are off a loss but previously had won 4 straight games and I look for them to bounce back strong here. Grab the big points here. 10* UNLV |
|||||||
12-01-18 | Bucks v. Knicks OVER 230.5 | Top | 134-136 | Win | 100 | 7 h 15 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Knicks vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 5:05 ET - The Bucks are averaging 120.8 points per game this season. However, their defense has been sub-par over the past week and they certainly are unlikely to be overly "amped up" about facing a 7-16 Knicks team. In other words, this one is likely to be played at a fast pace with plenty of open floor for New York to "run and gun". Milwaukee has allowed 48.9% shooting and 117 points per game in its last 4 contests. The over is a perfect 3-0 in the last 3 meetings between the Bucks and Knicks. Milwaukee is also 4-0 to the over in games against Atlantic Division opponents this season. Saturday games for the Bucks are a long-term 24-9 to the over and December games are 22-7 to the over the past two seasons. The Knicks most recent game stayed under the total but they entered that contest having gone 6-2 to the over in their prior 8 games. New York is also an incredible 17-6 to the over in Saturday games and 15-6 to the over when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. 10* OVER the total in New York |
|||||||
11-30-18 | Ducks +170 v. Hurricanes | Top | 2-1 | Win | 170 | 9 h 20 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Friday 10* Top Play Anaheim Ducks Money Line (+) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:35 ET - Both teams have won 4 of their last 5 games but it is the Ducks whom are a huge dog here just because the game is being played at Carolina. Keep in mind, the Ducks have won 4 straight meetings with the Hurricanes and, also, Anaheim has won each of their last 4 visits to Carolina. In other words, this is phenomenal line value on the Ducks and I love this big dog opportunity because we also have a goal-tending edge here. Carolina is likely to go with Curtis McElhinney between the pipes. He has just an .854 save percentage against Western Conference teams this season. Anaheim is likely to go with John Gibson in the crease for this one. The Ducks have won 4 of his 6 starts against Eastern Conference teams this season and Gibson has a stellar .941 save percentage in those games. Carolina has lost 22 of 38 when playing with 2 days of rest between games. While the Canes are off two days of rest and playing what is just a standalone home game, Anaheim is in a rhythm right now and making the most of their season long 5-game road trip. The Ducks make it 5 in a row against the Canes! 10* ANAHEIM |
|||||||
11-30-18 | Jazz +2 v. Hornets | Top | 119-111 | Win | 100 | 10 h 14 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #707 Friday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz (+) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - The Jazz got Donovan Mitchell back in their most recent game as he saw his first significant action in the past 4 games. Utah could also have newly acquired Kyle Korver on the floor for this game too. Of course he is going to be a big boost to the 3-point shooting woes the Jazz have experience. The Hornets are off back to back wins for the 4th time this season. That holds significance here as Charlotte has yet to win 3 straight games so far this season. I don't expect that to change here. Look for the Jazz to improve to 5-2 SU and ATS when coming off a non-conference game this season. The Hornets are 13-23 SU and ATS when off a divisional game. This game also involves the East vs West theory which is one that, in recent seasons, favors the West as they've been the stronger conference for many consecutive seasons now. Look for Charlotte to drop to 0-3 SU this season in games against non-conference foes. The Jazz are 13-7 SU their last 20 against Southeast Division opponents and also 40-22 SU when off a win by a double digit margin. Look for another road rout for the Jazz here. 10* UTAH |
|||||||
11-30-18 | Mississippi State -3.5 v. Dayton | Top | 65-58 | Win | 100 | 9 h 29 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #725 Friday 10* Top Play Mississippi State Bulldogs (-) @ Dayton Flyers @ 7 ET - This is a revenge game for the Flyers as they lost at Mississippi State last season. However, though that was only a 2-point loss for Dayton, the Flyers were actually down by 15 points at the half. The Bulldogs let them back in the game in the second half but I expect this year's match-up to play out much differently. Mississippi State is loaded with returning talent and veteran leadership while Dayton lost some key pieces compared to the team they were two seasons ago. That said, I have no hesitation in laying the short number on the road in this one. The Bulldogs are the better team, the bigger team, and the more veteran team. Also, Mississippi State is a fantastic 32-15 ATS when they enter a game having failed to cover the spread in 3 or more consecutive games. Additionally, the Bulldogs are on a 4-0 ATS run in Friday games. The Flyers are on a 3-7 ATS run when playing with 5 or 6 days of rest between games. Look for Dayton to show some "rust" here as they have not played in a week and I expect the Flyers to drop to 3-6 ATS the last 9 times they've been a home dog in a range of 3.5 of 6 points. 10* MISSISSIPPI STATE |
|||||||
11-29-18 | Saints -7 v. Cowboys | Top | 10-13 | Loss | -115 | 26 h 50 m | Show |
Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach NFL Game #301 New Orleans Saints (-) @ Dallas Cowboys @ 8:20 ET - The Saints are 10-0 SU their last 10 games and 9-0 ATS their last 9 games. While the Cowboys certainly deserve some respect here, I am happy to lay the points here (currently some 7's available as of Wednesday evening) with one of the best and most balanced offenses in the league. Not only does that describe New Orleans, the Saints also are the #1 rush defense in the NFL! That is significant here because the Cowboys are one of the worst passing teams in the leagues. Dallas relies on Ezekiel Elliott and the ground game for success on offense and that is a problem here. Not only is Elliott up against the #1 ranked run defense, he also has been a little bothered by his hip heading into this game. Elliott is probable but is he really 100%? It may not matter anyway as the Saints are just too much offense for other teams to keep up with. The fact is that New Orleans is firing on all cylinders right now and I also like the fact that the Saints are 4-0 ATS in road games with a posted total of 49.5 points or more this season. The Cowboys are on a 1-4 ATS run in home games with a posted total of 49.5 points or more. Also, the Saints are a long-term 9-3 SU and ATS in their last dozen meetings with the Cowboys. Dallas has won 3 straight games and faced the Redskins, Falcons and Eagles. The Cowboys average margin in those 3 games was 6 points. The Saints also have recently faced the Falcons and Eagles plus also faced the Redskins in early October. The average margin of New Orleans 3 victories was 26 points - a 20 point variance from the Cowboys margin. The fact is I would not be surprised to see the Saints win this one by 20 but certainly I am expecting at least a double digit margin here. 10* NEW ORLEANS |
|||||||
11-29-18 | Warriors +9.5 v. Raptors | Top | 128-131 | Win | 100 | 10 h 53 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Thursday 10* Top Play Golden State Warriors (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 8:05 ET - It is the wounded dog that bites the hardest! In other words, just because Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are likely out for this game it does not mean the Warriors are going to be a push-over for the Raptors. Golden State has been getting the job done even without these guys and I like the fact that the Warriors have held their last 3 opponents to a combined 42.9% from the field. The Raptors burned me at Memphis Tuesday as they rallied from a 17 point deficit and they got the win and cover at the Grizzlies despite Toronto attempting just 69 shots from the field. The fact is that the Raptors have allowed 10 field goal attempts more than they've taken in their last 3 games combined. Were it not for a ridiculous 61% shooting percentage from the field at Memphis Tuesday, the Raptors never would have won that game and they're certainly not repeating that effort against the Warriors tonight. Golden State will be "dialed in" on defense tonight because, even with missing a few guys, the last thing they want to do is get blown out in a possible NBA finals preview. The Warriors will bring their "A game" for this one. When GS is on an over streak of 3 or more consecutive overs, they've gone 14-6 ATS in recent seasons including a perfect 3-0 ATS this season! Toronto is 0-3 ATS this season in home games against Western Conference opponents. More of the same here. 10* GOLDEN STATE |
|||||||
11-29-18 | Blackhawks v. Jets OVER 6 | Top | 5-6 | Win | 100 | 9 h 60 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Game #59 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Winnipeg Jets vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 8:05 ET - These teams had 5 meetings last season and the winning team scored at least 4 goals in 4 of the 5 meetings. Look for plenty of goals again in the first meeting between these divisional foes this season. Winnipeg is on a run of 4-0-1 to the over in their last 5 games as they averaged scoring 4.4 goals per game but have allowed 4.1 goals per game. The Blackhawks finally are starting to turn the corner in the offensive zone as they've averaged 4 goals per their past two games and 3 goals per game their past five games. The issue for Chicago is they can't keep the puck out of their own net. That will again be an issue here as the Jets offensive production has been on fire and the Blackhawks have allowed an average of 5 goals per game their past 4 games. The over is 4-2 this season in Chicago's divisional games. The over is 8-3 this season in Jets games against teams with a losing record. More of the same here as the Jets blew a lead and lost to the Penguins in their most recent game and that means they won't slow down tonight no matter what the score is! The result will be plenty of goals! 10* OVER the total in Winnipeg |
|||||||
11-29-18 | Alabama v. UCF OVER 133.5 | Top | 64-70 | Win | 100 | 10 h 32 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #507 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Central Florida Golden Knights vs Alabama Crimson Tide @ 7 ET - The Golden Knights are known for their defense but they've also been shooting the ball very well this season and have averaged 75.3 points per game thus far. That is noteworthy here in terms of looking for a high-scoring game because the Crimson Tide have scored 78 points or more in 5 of their 6 games this season. Alabama is struggling on the defensive end this season and I expect Central Florida to take advantage. However, Crimson Tide also has plenty of confidence from their offensive production leading the way to a 5-1 start. These teams met last season and that familiarity with what to expect will also help each team better attack the defense in this rematch. I know last year's game played out to an under but the Tide are quite a different team this season and I expect them to push the pace much more in this rematch after falling short in a low-scoring battle last season at home. The over is 3-0 this season in Alabama's games with a posted total in the 130s. Look for UCF to improve to 3-1 to the over in home games this season. Before a low-scoring win over Northern Kentucky last week, the Golden Knights had scored 77 points or more in 4 of their first 5 games. 10* OVER the total in Central Florida |
|||||||
11-28-18 | Wizards v. Pelicans -6 | Top | 104-125 | Win | 100 | 11 h 31 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Game #716 Wednesday 10* Top Play New Orleans Pelicans (-) vs Washington Wizards @ 8:05 ET - The Wizards have shot a ridiculously high percentage from the field in their last two games. One of those was against the Pelicans. However, both of those games were in Washington and I don't expect the Wizards to stay hot now that they are on the road for this one. The Wizards are just 2-7 SU on the road this season while New Orleans is 8-2 SU at home this season. Now, of course, we need more than just a SU win to get the cash here. However, note that Washington is 0-7 ATS when they lose on the road. In other words, when the Wizards lose, they don't cover either when away from home! As for the Pelicans, the average margin of their 8 home wins this season is 11 points and I expect another double digit win as they are in full-on revenge mode for this one. The Pelicans have been swept in each of the past two seasons by the Wizards and they want to avoid that same fate this season by coming up with a huge win here. I expect them to do just that! Washington is 0-3 SU and ATS in road games with a posted total of 230 points or more this season. Look for the Pelicans to improve to 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS in home games with a posted total of 230 points or more this season. Payback revenge game on tap here and the half-dozen points means a very manageable line for what should be a home blowout. 10* NEW ORLEANS |
|||||||
11-28-18 | Sharks +140 v. Maple Leafs | Top | 3-5 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 39 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Wednesday 10* Top Play San Jose Sharks Money Line (+) @ Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:35 ET - I am well aware of the fact that Auston Matthews may come back for Toronto tonight. However, the Maple Leafs are off back to back wins including a key divisional win over the Bruins in their most recent game. That said, look for San Jose to prove to be the hungrier team tonight. The Sharks are in a back to back spot here but are off a loss last night at Buffalo where they rallied from a 2-goal deficit in the 3rd period to earn one point before falling in OT against the Sabres. San Jose is fired up after it was too little too late last night and they also are playing with revenge here because the Maple Leafs beat the Sharks 5-3 out west two weeks ago. Now meeting again back east look for payback for San Jose. The Sharks are off back to back losses and that certainly holds significance here as they are a perfect 3-0 this season when off back to back losses. The combined score of those 3 victories was 12 to 5. Also, San Jose has won 8 of 11 games this season when off a non-conference game. The Maple Leafs are off back to back home wins but previously were just 5-5 in their last 10 home games. Truly they've been a better team away from home this season and I feel we've got great line value here with a Sharks team that has underachieved so far this season and is in the perfect spot for a bounce back. Yes, #2 goalie Aaron Dell struggled in his most recent start but this two prior starts saw him produce a shutout each time! 10* SAN JOSE |
|||||||
11-28-18 | Syracuse +5.5 v. Ohio State | Top | 72-62 | Win | 100 | 11 h 44 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #737 Wednesday 10* Top Play Syracuse Orange (+) @ Ohio State Buckeyes @ 7:15 ET - Coming into the season I had Syracuse ranked much higher than Ohio State. So far this season the Orange have underachieved while the Buckeyes overachieved. The result is that Ohio State is ranked and Syracuse unranked heading into this match-up. Keep in mind, the Orange just got back senior guard Frank Howard and he had 5 assists in 19 minutes in his first game back. Syracuse, with Howard back, is a much different team. The Orange have plenty of talent and plenty of veteran leadership to beat a team like the Buckeyes on Ohio State's home floor. That said, the fact that we're getting about a half-dozen points here too make this one a "must play" in my book. Syracuse is well-rested here and they've gone 6-2 SU and ATS the past two seasons when they enter a game with 5 or 6 days of rest between games. The Buckeyes are 8-14 ATS in games with a posted total in the 130s and Ohio State is an ugly 11-18 ATS their last 29 non-conference games. Big time line value with the underdog Orange in this one. 10* SYRACUSE |
|||||||
11-27-18 | Lakers v. Nuggets -4 | Top | 85-117 | Win | 100 | 12 h 47 m | Show |
Rickenbach NBA Game #510 Tuesday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (-) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 9:05 ET - While the Lakers are off a loss and looking to bounce back here, they are still without guard Rajon Rondo. Playing without your starting point guard is never fun but this is particularly true when you are on the road at Denver! Not only is Denver a tough place to play, the Nuggets have revenge on their minds here and they are likely to have guard Gary Harris back in the lineup for this one. Even if they don't, other stepped up in his absence Saturday as the Nuggets upset the Thunder at Oklahoma City. Denver is back on track with 3 straight wins and they are hungry for revenge here against LeBron James and company! The home team is 7-1 SU (and ATS!) in the last 8 meetings between these teams. Also, the Nuggets are 4-0 SU and ATS this season when they enter a game on an "under" streak of 3 or more games. The fact is that Denver has been playing very well on the defensive end and that is noteworthy here as the Lakers are having issues with turnovers in recent games. The Lakers are just 5-9 ATS their last 14 games and this is not the time or place for them to turn things around! 10* DENVER |
|||||||
11-27-18 | Hurricanes v. Canadiens +103 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 57 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL Game #56 Tuesday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line (+) vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:35 ET - The Canadiens have lost 4 straight games but they have faced a tough slate of games and I expect Montreal to bounce back strong here on home ice. Keep in mind the Hurricanes are an ugly 2-6 in their last 8 road games! As for the Habs, they were 6-3 in their last 9 home games prior to losing by a single goal to both the Stanley Cup Champion Capitals and tough division rival Bruins. Tuesday I look for Montreal to get sweet revenge for getting swept last season in their three games against Carolina. The Canadiens have won 6 of 8 games this season when off a divisional game. The Hurricanes have lost 34 of 56 road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. Also, Carolina has lost 30 of their last 43 Tuesday games. More road struggles expected for the Canes tonight against a VERY hungry revenge-seeking Canadiens team. 10* MONTREAL |
|||||||
11-27-18 | Virginia Tech v. Penn State +2.5 | Top | 62-63 | Win | 100 | 11 h 34 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #518 Tuesday 10* Top Play Penn State Nittany Lions (+) vs Virginia Tech Hokies @ 7 ET - The public will be backing the ranked road team in this one. However, the home dog should prove to be the correct side. The Hokies are still without guard Chris Clarke and Virginia Tech is facing an angry Penn State team here. The Nittany Lions are off a low-scoring loss to Bradley where they shot horribly and, as a result, they can't wait to get back on the floor. Keep in mind, Penn State won 26 games last season and they are being undervalued here in this spot. The Nittany Lions are 13-7 ATS when off a game in which they allowed 60 points or less. Also, PSU is 5-1 ATS when off a game in which they scored 60 points or less. In road games with a posted total between 140 and 144.5 points, the Hokies are a long-term 9-20 SU and that includes 2-4 SU in recent seasons. The home team has won 3 of the 4 meetings between these teams and I look for that trend to continue here as Virginia Tech has enjoyed particular success with 3-pointers (41.4% this season) but they're facing a Nittany Lions perimeter defense that has surrendered just 22.9% from beyond the arc this season! 10* PENN STATE |
|||||||
11-26-18 | Titans v. Texans OVER 42 | Top | 17-34 | Win | 100 | 12 h 37 m | Show |
MNF Dominator - Rickenbach NFL Game #273 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Houston Texans vs Tennessee Titans @ 8:15 ET - The Texans are 8-1 to the over in home games against a divisional opponent in which the posted total is less than 43 points. The fact is that this total is too low especially considering that Titans QB Marcus Mariota is now expected to play. Tennessee has gone 11-2 to the over when they are playing the 2nd of back to back road games. Last week they were at Indianapolis (and gave up 38 points by the way) so the system is in play this week! The Titans had a poor game on offense against the Colts but Mariota got hurt in the first half and that was a factor. The two prior games Tennessee had averaged 31 points per game. As for Houston, they enter this game on a 7-0 game winning streak and their offense has its stride. The Texans have averaged 28 points per game their last 3 games. The over is 11-5 in the meetings between these teams in Houston. 10* OVER the total in Houston |
|||||||
11-26-18 | Wolves v. Cavs OVER 215 | Top | 102-95 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 36 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Minnesota Timberwolves @ 7:05 ET - The over is a perfect 7-0 in the last 7 meetings between these teams and that includes a perfect 4-0 in meetings in Cleveland. Both these teams have trended under this month and that has resulted in this total being set lower than it should be. The Cavaliers have averaged 119 points per game their last two games. However, the Cavaliers have also given up an average of 112 points per game their last five games. The Timberwolves have played at a fast pace in recent games and also Minnesota has averaged 93 field goal attempts per game their last 7 road games. The Cavaliers have averaged 95 field goal attempts per game their last 3 games. Look for a good pace to this game and plenty of points as the long term high-scoring trend in this series continues. 10* OVER the total in Cleveland |
|||||||
11-26-18 | Capitals v. Islanders +101 | Top | 4-1 | Loss | -100 | 6 h 35 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL Game #8 Monday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (+) vs Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - I love this match-up with Coach Barry Trotz on home ice with the Islanders taking on the club that wouldn't reward him for his work leading the team to the Stanley Cup Championship last season. So Trotz ended up with the Islanders and is doing a great job there showing the value of his coaching. Though Washington is starting to turn the corner after a slow start, I feel this is a bad spot for them. The Capitals have lost 4 of 5 this season when off a divisional game plus they are likely without Evgeny Kuznetsov tonight as the center is listed as doubtful. The Islanders have won 9 of 10 divisional games this season and you know Trotz (and other coaching staff he also brought from the Caps) have had this particular divisional game circled in red! Also, the Isles have won 42 of 67 (including 6 of 9 this season) when they are off a divisional game. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS |
|||||||
11-26-18 | Nebraska v. Clemson UNDER 139 | Top | 68-66 | Win | 100 | 9 h 27 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #716 Monday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Clemson Tigers vs Nebraska Cornhuskers @ 7 ET - This total opened up at a 137 and has climbed as high as 139 as of early Monday morning. The fact is that both of these teams play strong defense and I feel we're getting excellent value with the under here. Both teams showed great improvement on the defensive end last season and that has continued into this season. The Cornhuskers are allowing just 51.7 points per game on shooting of 32.4% from the field and 22.4% from beyond the arc. The Tigers are off a rare poor game defensively against Creighton but this was preceded by Clemson allowing an average of only 57 points per game in their 4 prior games. When these teams most recently met (2 years ago) they combined for only 118 points and I expect another "grinder" here in this one Monday. The Cornhuskers are on short rest and have gone under in 7 of their last 10 when playing with just 1 day of rest between games. Nebraska has stayed under in 5 of their 6 games this season. Also, the past two seasons the Huskers played 5 road games that had a posted total between 135 and 139.5 points. The result of those games from a totals standpoint was 0 overs and 5 unders! Look for that trend to remain perfect here. 10* UNDER the total in Clemson |
|||||||
11-25-18 | Packers +3.5 v. Vikings | Top | 17-24 | Loss | -105 | 13 h 31 m | Show |
Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Game #271 Sunday 10* Top Play Green Bay Packers (+) @ Minnesota Vikings @ 8:20 ET - Both the Packers and Vikings are off losses last week and, as a result, with the Bears win over the Lions on Thanksgiving Day, Chicago is running away with the NFC North Division. That means this game features a match-up of two teams desperately trying to stay alive in the playoff picture. Even though the first game between these teams this season finished in a tie, this truly is a revenge game for the Packers. Green Bay, at home, had a 13-point lead entering the 4th quarter of that match-up. Also, the Packers gave up a touchdown AND the 2-point conversion with less than a minute to go in the game. Suffice to say, Aaron Rodgers and Company have had this game circled in red ever since! Keep in mind the Vikings were also helped in that 4th quarter comeback by a controversial roughing the passer penalty. I am well aware of the fact that Green Bay is 0-5 SU on the road this season. As long-time followers know I tend to be a contrarian and this is particularly true in the NFL. Ask yourself this: how can the Vikings be favored by only about a FG here when they are 9-2 SU their last 11 at home and Packers are 0-5 SU their last 5 on the road? Exactly! When things look too easy they truly never are and I expect Green Bay to finally get that first road win Sunday night in a crucial game. I will grab the points, currently available at +3.5, as added "insurance" though should the Packers fall just short. GB is off a Thursday game so they do have extra rest and the Packers are 5-0 ATS when off a Thursday game. The Packers match-up very well with the Vikings and their biggest weakness (run defense) is one the Vikings (#31 out of 32 for rush offense) are unlikely to be able to take advantage of. That said, I'll take Rodgers over Kirk Cousins as the Vikings QB is 4-12 in primetime games in his career! 10* GREEN BAY PACKERS |
|||||||
11-25-18 | Ottawa v. Calgary OVER 53 | Top | 16-27 | Loss | -105 | 8 h 15 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFL Game #667 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Grey Cup: Calgary Stampeders vs Ottawa Redblacks @ 6 ET in Edmonton, Alberta - The CFL Grey Cup Final is being played in Edmonton and the weather can certainly be frigid and ugly in late November. However, the offenses caught a break here as skies will be clear, temperatures will be just below freezing, and winds will light. This has led to line value with the over in this one in my opinion. The Redblacks have an offense firing on all cylinders after crushing Hamilton last week. The Stampeders of course were the top team in the league this season and their offense is very dynamic and averaged 34.3 points per game in their last 6 games against Ottawa. This is a rematch of the 2016 Grey Cup which the Redblacks won 39-33. Of course the Stamps are seeking revenge here and are 3-0-1 in the 4 regular season meetings with Ottawa since that 2016 Final. They are expected to get revenge here but I feel this game is going to be a shootout (similar to the 2016 Grey Cup) that could go either way and I like the over. The over is 7-2 in the last 9 meetings between these teams and that includes 5-1 when the Redblacks face the Stampeders away from Ottawa. 10* OVER the total in Grey Cup |
|||||||
11-25-18 | Steelers v. Broncos OVER 46.5 | Top | 17-24 | Loss | -115 | 9 h 56 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach NFL Game #269 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Denver Broncos vs Pittsburgh Steelers @ 4:25 ET - Perfect weather in Denver this afternoon. Light winds, no precipitation and temperatures in the forties. You really can't ask for much better in the Rocky Mountains in late November. That said, the offenses should thrive in this match-up. I like the fact that both teams are off of last second wins last week as well. That means plenty of confidence for each offense here and a possible letdown from each defense after the Steelers took advantage of facing a slumping Jaguars offense while the Broncos did allow 479 yards to the Chargers last week and were fortunate to win. Pittsburgh, dating back to last season and including post-season action, is on an 8-4 run to the over their last dozen games. The over is 6-2 the last 8 times the Broncos and Steelers have met. Denver is in the lower third of the NFL for defense but actually in the top third of the league for offense. The point is that the fact that Broncos have trended under this season is a bit of a statistical anomaly and we can take advantage here as it has resulted in a posted total that is lower than it should be in this one. Pittsburgh has one of the top passing attacks in the league and Rivers and company threw for nearly 400 yards in the Chargers loss to the Broncos last week and I expect Roethlisberger and company to have similar production in this one. 10* OVER the total in Denver |
|||||||
11-25-18 | Flames -117 v. Coyotes | Top | 6-1 | Win | 100 | 6 h 29 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Sunday 10* Top Play Calgary Flames Money Line (-) @ Arizona Coyotes @ 3:05 ET - The Flames lost their last visit to Arizona by 3 goals. Calgary also lost their most recent game against the Coyotes and that was on home ice in April. The point is that the Flames have plenty of motivation here and I also like backing them off a shutout loss. Calgary lost at Vegas Friday and needs to bounce back here. The Flames will take advantage of facing a Coyotes team that has lost 3 straight games and 7 of their last 9. Calgary, prior to being shutout by the Golden Knights, had won 3 straight games and 8 of their last 11. Look for the Flames to improve to 6-2 this season when off a divisional game. As for the Coyotes, they have lost 60 of 89 games when they face a team with a winning record. Also, Arizona has lost 60 of 88 long-term when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. They Coyotes have scored an average of only 1.4 goals per game their last 5 games. The Flames, prior to the shutout loss in Sin City, had scored an average of 5.7 goals per game their last 3 games. This one has the makings of a road rout. 10* CALGARY |
|||||||
11-25-18 | Drexel v. Bowling Green OVER 151 | Top | 71-81 | Win | 100 | 5 h 8 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #517 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Bowling Green Falcons vs Drexel Dragons @ 3 ET - First off I am aware of the injury situation with Dragons guard Kurk Lee but he truly hasn't played much of a factor this season as he has totaled only 12 minutes on the floor in Drexel's last 3 games. As a result, he is not much of a factor in terms of this total and the Dragons are on a 3-0 run to the over. Also, Drexel gave up 78 points to the Falcons last season in Philly and now they face them at Bowling Green which means even more points likely here! That's because the Falcons are happy to be back on their home floor and they're also coming off a loss where they had a rare poor night and scored just 67 points. Prior to that low-scoring defeat, BG had scored at least 75 points in 4 of their first 5 games plus they had reached the 80 point mark 3 times. The Dragons have averaged 98 points their last 3 games and yes one of those games was against a very weak foe but, even taking that out of the equation Drexel has averaged 87.5 points their last two games. The over is a long-term 14-6 when the Dragons are off a non-conference game. The over is 15-9 when Bowling Green is off a game in which they allowed 80 points or more. Also the Falcons are 14-7 to the over when facing a team that is averaging 77 points or more per game. In other words, they have not been (and still are not) afraid to get into "run and gun" type games with teams like Drexel and that is what I expect here. 10* OVER the total in Bowling Green |
|||||||
11-24-18 | Utah State +3 v. Boise State | Top | 24-33 | Loss | -110 | 29 h 52 m | Show |
The CFB Game of the Year - Rickenbach CFB Game #181 Saturday 10* Top Play Utah State (+) over Boise State @ 10:15 ET - Utah State's ground game is producing 217 yards per game and 5.7 yards per carry. Boise State's rushing attack is producing 159 yards per game and 4.2 yards per carry. The Aggies also have an edge in terms of pass defense on the season. Utah State is allowing only 52.3% pass completions and 6.6 yards per pass attempt. Boise State is allowing 63% pass completions and 8.2 yards per pass attempt. The winner of this game goes to the Mountain West title game (will face Fresno State) and Boise State is a popular choice here due to their very successful home record over many seasons. This home factoring for the Broncos is of course already playing a big role in the line because the Aggies are such a strong team and yet are getting points here due to Boise State's high success rate in home games.. The result here is line value with Utah State. The Aggies are seeking revenge for a blowout loss at home versus Boise State last season. Utah State was out-gained by only 26 yards in the prior year's meeting (at Boise State) and the year before that the Aggies blew out the Broncos 52-26. The point is that Utah State (last year notwithstanding) was starting to turn the corner in this series (under head coach Matt Wells) and I expect that to continue here on Saturday night. Also, the Broncos are off a big win at New Mexico and they are on an 0-5 ATS run when off a game against the Lobos. Of course that 5-0 ATS play against situation is in play here as Boise State is off a trip to New Mexico. The Aggies do enter this game on a 10-game winning streak SU. Also, the Broncos are 4-8 ATS their last 12 games against teams with a winning record. I expect an upset win here and won't be surprised when the Aggies win this game in a road rout. 10* Utah State |
|||||||
11-23-18 | Magic v. Nuggets OVER 214 | Top | 87-112 | Loss | -115 | 14 h 39 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #523 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Denver Nuggets vs Orlando Magic @ 9:05 ET - The Magic are off a low-scoring loss at Toronto Tuesday as they had a horrific shooting night. Orlando entered that game red hot from the floor in their 6 prior games and scoring an average of 119 points per game during that stretch. That said, the low-scoring loss was surprising and I expect the Magic to get right back on track here (offensively) in this one. The Nuggets may have trouble staying fully focused here as they are off a win at Minnesota and have a game at Oklahoma City on deck. That said, this is a "sandwich game" against an Eastern Conference foe so it is unlikely to bring out the best in terms of defensive intensity. In fact 3 of the 4 meetings between these teams have gone over the total (including 2 for 2 at Denver). The over is 17-7 when the Nuggets enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. The over is 20-11 when Denver is off a divisional game. Also, the over is 51-26 when the Nuggets face a team that is scoring an average of 106 points or more per game. 10* OVER the total in Denver |
|||||||
11-23-18 | Northern Iowa v. Old Dominion -7 | Top | 65-72 | Push | 0 | 11 h 37 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #534 Friday 10* Top Play Old Dominion Monarchs (-) vs Northern Iowa Panthers @ 7 ET - Had my eyes on this match-up all along as these teams were in a tournament in the Virgin Islands and did end up meeting already this season in that tourney. Old Dominion lost that game by a single point to Northern Iowa even though the Monarchs had a dozen more shot attempts from the field than the Panthers in that one. The point is that it was simply an "off" shooting night for Old Dominion but now they get a chance at revenge and the opportunity comes on their home floor where the Monarchs are fully capable of a dominating effort. Yes, Old Dominion lost some talent from last season's very successful team but they've "reloaded" well and Northern Iowa lost much more and certainly has been in a bit of a stagnant cycle in recent seasons. Note also that the Panthers are 9-21 ATS as an underdog, 5-18 ATS in road games, 3-12 ATS in road games with a posted total in the 120s, and 5-18 ATS when off a game in which they were held to 60 points or less! Long-term the Monarchs are 45-9 SU as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points. Couple that with Northern Iowa's poor ATS record as an underdog (plus the strong situational edge here) and you can see why a big home win (and cover!) is in the forecast for this one! 10* OLD DOMINION |
|||||||
11-23-18 | Central Florida v. South Florida +14.5 | Top | 38-10 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 23 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CFB Game #134 Friday 10* Top Play South Florida Bulls (+) vs Central Florida Knights @ 4:15 ET - South Florida started the season 7-0 but has now lost 4 straight games. Certainly the Bulls were over-rated earlier this season. However, they are now at home catching 14.5 points (as of early Friday morning) in this rivalry game with Central Florida and they are catching the Knights at the perfect time. That is because UCF is off a huge win over Cincinnati last week. That game was expected to be a war (Knights at home and favored by just 7) and yet Central Florida won easily. It is off that type of game (with so much anticipation leading into it) that a team can end up struggling in the very next game. I do expect UCF to get the win here but by just a single score! South Florida is 8-2 (80%) ATS when they are facing a team with a winning record that is off a SU win by a double digit margin. Of course that system fits here for the Bulls and that was truly a massive victory for UCF last week. Long-term USF is on an 8-4 ATS run in games against teams with a winning record. Also, the Bulls are 3-0 ATS as an underdog in a range of 10.5 to 21 points and 2 of the 3 wins were outright upsets! Don't be surprised if USF gives Central Florida all they can handle in this one and it goes down to the wire. 10* SOUTH FLORIDA |
|||||||
11-23-18 | Rangers v. Flyers OVER 6 | Top | 0-4 | Loss | -109 | 4 h 37 m | Show |
TV Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia Flyers vs New York Rangers @ 1 PM ET - The Rangers are 38-18 to the over in divisional games including 4-1 to the over this season. New York is 8-3 to the over when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games at home. Also, the Rangers are 15-8 to the over when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 or more games. The Flyers are 7-2 to the over in games against teams with winning record. Also, Philadelphia is 5-2 to the over when they're off a loss by a margin of 2 or more goals in their prior game. The Flyers continue to have issues in between the pipes and the over is 39-23 in games against divisional foes. Off 4 straight losses Philly is primed to give a huge effort against one of their fiercest rivals. However, the Flyers have allowed 11 goals in their past two games and that is why the play here is the over. Philly has scored 5.3 goals per game in their last 3 meetings with the Rangers. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia |
|||||||
11-22-18 | Falcons +13.5 v. Saints | Top | 17-31 | Loss | -120 | 13 h 34 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NFL Game #109 Thursday 10* Top Play Atlanta Falcons (+) @ New Orleans Saints @ 8:20 ET - The Saints are stream-rolling everyone right now so, of course, they're a popular choice in this match-up. However, their line is truly over-inflated and New Orleans is facing a division rival that, before a tight loss earlier this season, had beaten them in 3 of the last 4 games. Also, 2 of the Falcons last 4 visits to New Orleans have resulted in outright wins. I am not necessarily expecting an upset here but I am expecting the Falcons to stay well within this large number. How many times has Atlanta lost by more than 10 points to the Saints in the past 13 meetings? ZERO! Also, the Falcons are on an 11-3 ATS run in Thursday games. The Saints, under coach Sean Payton, are an ugly 1-10 ATS when they are off a SU win by double digits, and facing an opponent off back to back SU losses! Also, under coach Payton, New Orleans is a poor 2-13 ATS as a favorite off a non-divisional game and facing a divisional opponent whom is playing with revenge. These are strong systems that each favor the big road dog Falcons here. The Saints are also 5-13 ATS as a favorite of 10 or more points. Statistically these teams match up much more closely than their won-loss records would lead you to believe. Look for this one to be tight all the way which means HUGE value with the BIG points. 10* ATLANTA |
|||||||
11-22-18 | Mississippi State -12 v. Ole Miss | Top | 35-3 | Win | 100 | 11 h 0 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFB Game #113 Thursday 10* Top Play Mississippi State Bulldogs (+) @ Ole Miss Rebels @ 7:30 ET - As a general rule, it is a good idea to at least take a look at the underdog in rivalry games. That's because rivalry games have a bit of an "anything can happen" theme and also because they tend to play out "tighter" than many other games with less blowouts. However, just as with anything "typical" there are exceptions and this is one of them. Last year the Rebels upset the Bulldogs at Mississippi State and this is a legitimate revenge situation and the situation is absolutely perfect to back the revenging team. Why? Because the Bulldogs are so much better than the Rebels this season! Ole Miss is on an 0-4 SU run. Also, the Rebels have gone 0-7 ATS in SEC games this season! Mississippi is allowing nearly 500 yards per game this season! Conversely, Mississippi State's fantastic defense has allowed just 12.8 points per game and only 275.6 yards per game. The Bulldogs defense gave up just 24 points when they faced Alabama while the Rebels defense game up 62 points when they faced the Crimson Tide! Mississippi State has allowed 13 points or less in 8 of 11 games this season. Ole Miss has allowed at least 31 points in 5 straight games! The Rebels are allowing 36.3 points this season. The Bulldogs are 6-2 ATS as a favorite this season while Mississippi is 0-5 ATS as an underdog this season. After losing QB Fitzgerald to injury in last season's game against the Rebels and eventually losing the game too (by 3 as a double digit favorite) it is payback time in 2018's meeting! 10* MISSISSIPPI STATE |
|||||||
11-22-18 | Redskins v. Cowboys OVER 40.5 | Top | 23-31 | Win | 100 | 9 h 17 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NFL Game #107 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Dallas Cowboys vs Washington Redskins @ 4:30 ET - Washington QB Colt McCoy hasn't shown the ability at the NFL level to really stretch the defense downfield with long passes. However, he has been in Redskins head coach Jay Gruden's system during Gruden's entire time with Washington and "dink and dunk" passes and quick short strikes and screen plays actually could give the aggressive defense of the Cowboys some issues here. Dallas likes to use their defensive line to create havoc but McCoy also is a mobile QB and I strongly believe that the Redskins offense is going to have success today. The problem for Washington today is going to be that they'll struggle to stop a Dallas offense that is hitting their stride and playing with confidence. Hence, the play on the over in this one. The Cowboys have won 3 of their last 5 games and have averaged 30 points per game in those 3 wins. Also, the earlier match-up this season stayed under the total but had a last-second field goal been made, the game would have gone over the total. That is noteworthy because this series was on a 5-0 run to the over heading into that one and I expect the high-scoring ways to resume here. The Redskins defense has allowed 338 passing yards per game their last 3 road games. Washington is 8-4 to the over in Thursday games. The Redskins are also 8-2 to the over in games played in weeks 10 through 13 of a season. The Cowboys are 3-1 to the over in home games this season and a long-term 7-3 to the over when they are a home favorite in a range of 3.5 to 7 points. 10* OVER the total in Dallas |
|||||||
11-21-18 | Pelicans +4.5 v. 76ers | Top | 120-121 | Win | 100 | 11 h 58 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Wednesday 10* Top Play New Orleans Pelicans (+) @ Philadelphia 76'ers @ 7:05 ET - The 76'ers will be the popular choice here as they are yet to lose a game at home this season. However, the Pelicans are 4-0 SU in games against Eastern Conference foes this season and that includes 3-0 SU versus Atlantic Division opponents. Those wins including a double digit victory for New Orleans at Toronto last week. The Pelicans have been red hot with their shooting and the 76ers certainly haven't been known for their defense this season. The Sixers added Jimmy Butler in the huge deal with Minnesota but the Markelle Fultz saga continues and J.J. Redick is listed as questionable for tonight's game. Philly is 1-6 ATS this season after scoring 115 points or more in their prior game. The Pelicans are 4-1 SU (and ATS) when off a win by a double digit margin this season. Rolling with momentum after knocking off the Spurs Monday, the Pelicans get the job done again on the road at Philly Wednesday. 10* NEW ORLEANS |
|||||||
11-21-18 | CS-Fullerton +4.5 v. Hofstra | Top | 71-80 | Loss | -105 | 10 h 9 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #531 Wednesday 10* Top Play Cal State Fullerton Titans (+) @ Hofstra Pride @ 7 ET - Though the Titans are all the way on the East Coast for this game they were already out east for a tournament in Myrtle Beach, SC that wrapped up over the weekend. That said, this is not too bad of a travel situation for Cal State Fullerton. I like the fact that the Titans have veteran leadership, strong guard play and are the better team defensively in comparison with Hofstra. The Pride have allowed 47.8% shooting in their games this season while the Titans have allowed only 36.1% from the field! Cal State Fullerton took Arizona State to double OT in their first game this season and also is battle-tested after games against Wake Forest and Central Florida in the just-completed Myrtle Beach tourney. The Pride have been a covering machine this season (4-0 ATS thus far) but I have not been impressed with their play on the defensive end thus far and that will prove to be their undoing here. As a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points, the Pride are on a 16-27 ATS run. Hofstra also is on an ugly 4-12 ATS run in home games with a posted total between 145 and 149.5 points. I am expecting an upset here but will gladly grab the points. 10* CAL STATE FULLERTON |
|||||||
11-21-18 | Flyers +100 v. Sabres | Top | 2-5 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 16 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #11 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Buffalo Sabres @ 7 ET - Oftentimes the first game back on home ice after a lengthy road trip is the toughest. That said, though Buffalo has won 6 straight games (including all 3 on a just-completed road trip), this is likely a tough spot for the Sabres. The Flyers are making a change at goalie to Alex Lyon and I like this move. Philly has been generating a lot of offense in recent games but troubles between the pipes have been a big issue for Philadelphia and I expect this move to pay immediate dividends. Many times a goalie change can spark a team and the Flyers need that change inside their own zone to complement how well they've been playing in the offensive zone. Philadelphia is 3-0-1 in their last 4 road games and they come into this game extra hungry off an OT loss to the Lightning on home ice. As for Buffalo, they just beat the Penguins in comeback fashion and that type of win over a perennial Stanley Cup contender could leave the Sabres flat here. All in all, a very nice set up for the Flyers. Philly has taken 2 of 3 games with Buffalo each of the past two seasons. The Sabres have lost 34 of 50 when off a game where they scored 4 or more goals. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
|||||||
11-20-18 | Oilers v. Sharks OVER 5.5 | Top | 4-3 | Win | 100 | 13 h 5 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in San Jose Sharks vs Edmonton Oilers @ 10:35 ET - The Sharks have scored an average of 4.5 goals in their last 4 games versus the Oilers. Edmonton has scored an average of 3.5 goals per game in their last 4 games versus San Jose. Not only is the trend between these teams in favor of high-scoring match-ups. The over is 3-1 this season in Sharks home games versus Western Conference teams. The Oilers can do some damage against a San Jose team that had allowed 4 or more goals in 8 of 12 games before a shutout win in their most recent game. The issue for Edmonton is that they have allowed at least 4 goals in 6 of their last 7 games. This one has the makings of another high-scoring barn-burn between these two Western Conference foes. Ever since these teams met in the 2017 playoffs, they've had very exciting high-scoring games ever since. The trend continues here. 10* OVER the total in San Jose |
|||||||
11-20-18 | Northern Illinois v. Western Michigan +6 | Top | 21-28 | Win | 100 | 11 h 28 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFB Game #102 Tuesday 10* Top Play Western Michigan Broncos (+) vs Northern Illinois Huskies @ 7 ET - The Broncos have a number of situational edges here. The Huskies already have clinched a spot in the MAC Championship Game so they really have nothing to play for there. The Broncos, though they do have 6 wins to have already clinched bowl eligibility, would certainly like to improve their bowl possibilities. Also, it is Western Michigan that is playing with revenge here as they lost last year's game by 4 points at Northern Illinois. Though the Broncos have lost 3 straight games they didn't play as bad in the two ugly losses as what the final scores from those games show. Additionally, in last week's 1 point loss to Ball State, Western Michigan actually outgained the Cardinals by about 200 yards. Also, the Huskies are averaging just 308 yards per game on the road this season and it will be tough for them to get much of a margin in this game (if they even do prevail) as, other than a big win at Akron, Northern Illinois has averaged just 16.6 points per game in their other 5 road games. The home team in this series has won 4 of the last 5 games SU in this series and the Broncos are catching about 6 points in this one. The Huskies are on a 3-7 ATS run as a favorite of 7.5 to 10 points. This is an "ugly home dog" play but this is the kind of late season situation that gets the cash more often than not. I expect an upset with the Broncos but will grab the extra insurance with the generous points being offered. 10* WESTERN MICHIGAN |
|||||||
11-20-18 | Bradley +3 v. SMU | Top | 75-62 | Win | 100 | 9 h 60 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #757 Tuesday 10* Top Play Bradley Braves (+) vs SMU Mustangs @ 6 ET in the Cancun Challenge - Riviera Division at Hard Rock Arena @ Riviera Maya Cancun - The Braves finally turned the corner last season in their multi-season rebuild. Now they return most of their key talent from last year and it has already been a 3-1 start to this season. Look for Bradley to stay hot here as SMU is dealing with some injury issues and the Mustangs just haven't looked as strong early this season as the Braves have. SMU is allowing 44.4% from the field this season and 39.2% from three point land. Bradley is allowing just 41.4% from the field and only 30.9% from three point land. In a neutral court game with a posted total between 130 and 134.5 points, the Braves are 7-3 ATS. The Mustangs are 19-36 ATS in neutral court games. SMU is also a long-term 28-40 ATS in November games. The early line move has been toward the Mustangs here and I am going contrarian and grabbing the value on the other side with the mid-major school, the Braves. 10* BRADLEY |
|||||||
11-19-18 | Chiefs v. Rams OVER 62.5 | Top | 51-54 | Win | 100 | 23 h 22 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NFL Game #475 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Los Angeles Rams vs Kansas City Chiefs @ 8:15 ET - I know this total seems "nuts" but the fact is both teams play fast, both teams have great offenses, both teams have very suspect defenses, and the weather in Los Angeles is going to be perfect for this game. Add up all these factors and I just don't see very many defensive stops at all. Both teams will move the ball extremely well and we should see plenty of touchdowns in this one. The over is 5-0 (including 3-0 this season) when the Chiefs are an underdog in a range of 3.5 to 9.5 points. Overall, the over is 8-2 the last 10 times Kansas City has been an underdog. The Rams are 7-2 to the over when off a win over a division rival. Also, Los Angeles is 29-15 as a home favorite of 3.5 to 7 points (including 4-1 to the over in recent seasons). The Rams are 22-6 to the over when they are a non-divisional favorite of more than 3 points! The Chiefs are allowing 30.4 points per game on the road this season. The Rams have allowed 34.3 points per game their last 3 games. These two teams each average at least 33.5 points per game on offense too. In other words, this is simply a shootout in the making. Adding to the value is the fact that each team has a bye week on deck. What that means is that each of these defenses has had week after week of action and is pretty worn down at this point in the year. Yes this total is big but it is fully justified. I am expecting this one gets well into the seventies! 10* OVER the total in Los Angeles Rams |
|||||||
11-18-18 | Vikings +2.5 v. Bears | Top | 20-25 | Loss | -102 | 12 h 32 m | Show |
Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Game #457 Sunday 10* Top Play Minnesota Vikings (+) @ Chicago Bears @ 8:20 ET - Huge game in the NFC North and a rare situation in that the Vikings are having to look UP in the standings at the Bears! Minnesota has won 3 straight games against Chicago and the Vikings are also off their bye week. They will be "more than ready" in this opportunity to leapfrog the Bears for the top spot in the division. Even though Chicago has won 3 straight games, those victories all came against teams that not only have losing records on the season but actually each have only 3 wins on the season! The Vikings have played a tougher schedule than the Bears this season and yet have managed to hang "right there" with Chicago in the standings. Keep in mind the Vikings got an ATS win (or at worst "push") at the LA Rams earlier this season, they also beat the defending Super Bowl Champions in an outright upset AT Philly, and they also outgained the Saints by over 150 yards in their loss to New Orleans! Those are some strong performances against respectable teams and I feel we're getting great value here against a Bears team that, though improved, still has to show they can rise up in a huge game like this. Keep in mind that Chicago hasn't played a playoff game since 2010. The Vikings have played in 3 playoff games in the past 3 seasons under head coach Mike Zimmer. The reason I mention this is because this game is going to be played at a "playoff-level intensity" and the battle-tested Vikings have an edge in this type of game in my opinion. Note that head coach Zimmer has produced a 13-1 ATS record his last 14 in games against teams that are off a SU win by a double digit margin in their prior game. Also, Zimmer is 16-5 ATS when off a divisional game. The Bears are on a 5-16 ATS run when playing the 2nd of B2B home games. Last, but certainly not least, here is an interesting "kicker" to wrap this one up. Chicago is 0-12 ATS in divisional games when they are off a double digit SU win in which they also scored more than 28 points. Beautiful set-up here. 10* MINNESOTA |
|||||||
11-18-18 | Eagles +8 v. Saints | Top | 7-48 | Loss | -105 | 8 h 27 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NFL Game #459 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Eagles (+) @ New Orleans Saints @ 4:25 ET - The Saints are on a tremendous roll and looking like the best team in the NFL. The Eagles have played this season as just a shadow of the team that, in February, staked their claim as the best team in the NFL. Now Philadelphia gets a chance to knock their replacement, New Orleans, off their pedestal. I know this is a contrarian play but it is the type of situation that has cashed for me so many times in the past, it is the reason it is worthy of big investment for me in this situation Sunday. The Saints have won 8 straight games SU and they've won 7 straight games ATS. Conversely, the Eagles have lost 4 of their last 6 games SU. Also, Philadelphia is on an ugly 2-6 ATS skid since winning and covering their opening game this season. Why then the play on the Eagles? There is still plenty of talent on this team. Ever since the ugly road loss at Tampa Bay they've played better away from Philly this season than they have at home. They lost in OT at Tennessee but crushed the Giants in New York and beat the Jaguars in London. Granted not great teams but they've not lost a road game by more than 6 points all season. Even that ugly loss to TB was decided by just 6 points. In fact, the Eagles blowout win over the Giants is the only game they've been involved in this season that was decided by more than 7 points. The point is that these are still the defending super bowl champs and they are not an easy team to blowout no matter who you are. They are a strong team in the trenches on both sides of the ball and offensive lineman Lane Johnson has been upgraded to probable for this game. The Eagles are a much better team (proven by long-term records) when Johnson is out there. This is a key to success on offense, and keep in mind, the Saints defense ranks 27th based on points allowed this season. Yes New Orleans has a fantastic offense but the Eagles defense ranks 5th based on points allowed this season. Philadelphia has a dangerous pass rush and also does a great job of stopping the run. The Saints defense is one of the worst in the league for qb sacks. New Orleans is 3-7 ATS as a home favorite in non-divisional action and they have a big divisional game with Falcons on deck. The Eagles are 4-1 ATS as a road dog. Also, under coach Doug Pederson, Philly is 5-1 ATS when off a SU loss and facing an opponent that is off a SU win by double digits. That system fits perfectly here as the Saints blasted the Bengals last week. Also, one final "kicker" here that is also in play. New Orleans is 0-7 ATS when off a SU win by double digits and facing a non-divisional opponent that has a looking record on the season! Don't be surprised if the Eagles pull off the shocker here and win this game outright to improve on the ugly 4-5 season record they have. At the very least, they should get the cover and stay inside this inflated number! 10* PHILADELPHIA |
|||||||
11-17-18 | Iowa State +3 v. Texas | Top | 10-24 | Loss | -120 | 12 h 3 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CFB Game #417 Saturday 10* Top Play Iowa State Cyclones (+) @ Texas Longhorns @ 8 ET - This is the classic situation where I like backing the underdog. The higher ranked team is at home and is laying (in many spots) less than a field goal. Also, the team that is ranked higher is also off a big road win. This is the type of situation where many are enticed to simply lay the small number with the home team when the reality is there is good reason the line is so low. I expect a lot of points to be scored in this game and I expect that to favor Iowa State. The Cyclones come into this game extremely confident with wins in 5 straight games and averaging 35 points per game during this winning streak. It is no coincidence that this 5-game run has come with Brock Purdy at QB. The Iowa State quarterback has been red hot and I look for him to take advantage of a struggling UT defense today. The Longhorns are banged up in the secondary and, since their bye week on October 20th, the Horns have had to play 3 straight tough offenses. This wears a defense down as Texas has tried to stop Oklahoma State, West Virginia and Texas Tech the past 3 weeks. The Longhorns, though the beat the Red Raiders last week, certainly have struggled to get stops! Texas has allowed 38 points per game their last 3 games and over 500 yards of offense in 4 of their last 5 games including each of these last 3. The Horns are beat up and road-weary as this will be just their 3rd home game since blasting TCU nearly two months ago! Iowa State has lost both match-ups with Texas since Matt Campbell took over as head coach. This game today has "payback" written all over it as the Cyclones are surging! The Longhorns, though they won in this role last week, are still an ugly 2-11 ATS when they are off a game in which they scored more than 35 points and are now facing a team playing with revenge. Like I said, UT got the job done in that role last week but this is rare for them and, this week, Iowa State gets their revenge! The Cyclones are on a 13-3 ATS run in games against teams with a winning record under coach Campbell and they get the job done again here. 10* IOWA STATE |
|||||||
11-17-18 | Oregon State v. Washington OVER 58 | Top | 23-42 | Win | 100 | 9 h 35 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach CFB Game #403 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Huskies vs Oregon State Beavers @ 4:30 ET - Beautiful weather in Seattle, WA for this game and the Huskies should have no problem rolling right through the Beavers defense. The thing that I feel will surprise many in this one is that Oregon State should also score well against the Washington defense. The Huskies are in a tricky scheduling spot. Even though Washington is off a bye week they have a huge rivalry game on deck with Washington State. It is nearly impossible for the Huskies to avoid looking ahead to the Cougars, especially if they get a sizable lead in this game which they certainly should as evidenced by the point spread of nearly 5 TDs! Washington, even if distracted, will have no trouble scoring on the Beavers as they're allowing 45 points per game this season. However, what is intriguing here is that Oregon State has averaged 440 yards per game this season on the road! Also the Beavers had scored an average of 33.3 points per game in their 3 road games prior to being held to 17 points at Stanford last week. The over is a perfect 5-0 in Oregon State's road games this season. Long-term the Beavers are 10-2 to the over in road games where they are an underdog of 21.5 points or more! Washington State is 3-1 to the over when off a bye week and the Huskies are 4-2 to the over when they are a favorite of 31 points or more. The over is 11-6 in match-ups between these teams and the Huskies have averaged scoring 48 points per game in the last 5 meetings. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Washington |
|||||||
11-16-18 | Kings v. Blackhawks OVER 5.5 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 42 m | Show |
TV Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #55 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Blackhawks vs Los Angeles Kings @ 8:35 ET - This total opened up at a 6 but dropped to a 5.5 and it is understandable because the Blackhawks are off a 1-0 win and the Kings have had trouble scoring goals of late. However, Los Angeles is currently down to their #3 goalie as back-up Jack Campbell got hurt and #1 netminder Jonathan Quick is still out. Quick is supposed to resume skating by the end of the week so he is certainly not ready yet. As a result, Peter Budaj and the Kings gave up 5 goals in his first start. Los Angeles is tired of the losing and wants to use this road trip as a chance to turn things around. However, the Kings are going to have to do it with production on offense given their current goal-tending situation. As for the Blackhawks, they had allowed an average of 4 goals per game in their 8 game losing streak. In other words the market is over-reacting to one shutout win for Chicago. This team still has issues in their own zone and LA is going to be in full "attack mode" in this game. The over is 4-1 this season when Los Angeles is playing with two days of rest between games. The over is 6-1 this season in Kings games versus teams with a losing record. The last game between these teams totaled 8 goals and I look for at least 6 here as the Kings have scored 3 goals in each of their last 3 games against the Blackhawks. 10* OVER the total in Chicago |
|||||||
11-16-18 | Jazz v. 76ers -3 | Top | 107-113 | Win | 100 | 11 h 53 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #706 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Utah Jazz @ 7:05 ET - Both teams are looking to bounce back but the Jazz are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Utah is off an unbelievable 118-68 loss at Dallas. Though they are hungry to get back on track after that, the Jazz now visit Philly where the 76ers are also in bounce back mode. Philadelphia just dropped Jimmy Butler's debut game at Orlando Wednesday despite having a double digit lead heading into the 4th quarter! Now Butler makes his home debut for the Sixers. Not only is Philly 7-0 SU at home this season, they're going to take advantage of a Jazz team that has struggled to score on the road in 3 straight games! In Utah's last 3 road games they are averaging just 84 points per game and they've been held to 37% shooting from the field. The 76ers are averaging 118 points per game at home this season! In other words, there is a significant home/road dichotomy factor in looking at these two teams. Though the Jazz will be looking to get back on track they are actually 12-20 ATS when off an upset loss as a favorite. Also, Philly is a long-term 40-22 ATS in non-conference games and the Sixers are a long-term 60-33 ATS in home games! 10* PHILADELPHIA |
|||||||
11-16-18 | St. John's v. Rutgers +3 | Top | 84-65 | Loss | -104 | 10 h 48 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #730 Friday 10* Top Play Rutgers Scarlet Knights (+) vs St John's Red Storm @ 7 ET - The Red Storm are getting a lot of love from the betting markets early this morning and that doesn't come as a big surprise considering they've enjoyed long-term success against the Scarlet Knights and that includes games at Rutgers. Of course this little push by the markets has resulted in even more line value here with the home dog Scarlet Knights. The key here is that Rutgers has started the season really hot with their shooting and they get this game at home. St John's and the Scarlet Knights have played roughly equal teams so far in terms of strength of schedule so certainly one should not discount what Rutgers has done early this season. They are off to a red hot start with their shooting including from three point land. The Scarlet Knights also have a big edge in terms of size in this match-up. Rebounding deficits have been a recurring them for the Red Storm in recent seasons and that is likely to continue to be an issue in this match-up. Plus the aggressive Knights (added some talented scorers coming into this season) can attack the rim easier when there are not big guys down there. The size issue for St John's has been exasperated even more because they were counting on 6'9 250 Sedee Keita for key minutes in the rotation but he is now out with a knee injury. The Red Storm are 10-25 ATS in Friday games long-term and are 7-12 ATS in recent seasons when off a game where they scored 80 points or more. The Scarlet Knights are 6-1 ATS when off a game where they scored 80 points or more plus they are 10-2 ATS in non-conference games. I like the hot home team with the bigger bodies and with the extra line value. 10* RUTGERS |
|||||||
11-15-18 | Packers +3 v. Seahawks | Top | 24-27 | Push | 0 | 32 h 13 m | Show |
Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Game #307 Thursday 10* Top Play Green Bay Packers (+) @ Seattle Seahawks @ 8:20 ET - Seattle has home field edge here but, really, what else do they have? That is my point in looking at the Seahawks this season. Yes, they burned me last week as they stayed inside the big number at LA against the Rams. However, Seattle is still one of the worst teams in the league in terms of sack percentage allowed while Green Bay ranks roughly in the middle. Also, the Seahawks sack percentage on defense is strong but the Packers are even stronger. I will also take Aaron Rodgers over Russell Wilson any day of the week as my QB. I respect Wilson but the point is Seattle plays in a very weak NFC West because it only has the Rams as the Cardinals and 49ers struggles continue. Conversely, the Packers are annually dealing with the Vikings and now the Bears have risen up from the depths of mediocrity. Statistically, in terms of yardage allowed, these two defenses are very similar. Offense is where the edge goes to the Packers are they are averaging nearly 100 yards more through the air than the Seahawks are this season. I realize Seattle put up some big numbers last week on offense but they did take advantage of catching the Rams off that tough game with the Saints (LA still nearly covered anyway). The Seahawks last 3 wins have come against 3 teams that have a combined record of 6-18 SU on the season. I know the Packers haven't been world-beaters either but I like the fact they were absolutely "in the game" in their losses to the Rams and Patriots and their loss to Detroit was despite the Packers outgaining the Lions by 257 yards! I know they are NOT (and it is in black and white what matters most) but Green Bay could easily be 6-0 their last 6 games. With Rodgers at the helm they are always a threat and the Packers, ever since the lost to the Seahawks twice in 2014 (reg ssn and P/O) have dominated Seattle since. GB is 3-0 with the 3 victories over Seattle coming by a combined score of 82-36. The Packers are 6-3 ATS their last 9 played in weeks 10 through 13. This is their time of year for their annual playoff push! The last 26 times Seattle has been a favorite they have covered just 10 times! 10* GREEN BAY |
|||||||
11-15-18 | Ohio State -120 v. Creighton | Top | 69-60 | Win | 100 | 8 h 38 m | Show |
Zig Zag Best Bet - Rickenbach CBB Game #507 Thursday 10* Top Play Ohio State Buckeyes (-) @ Creighton Bluejays @ 7 ET - The Buckeyes line has moved low enough (from an opener of -2.5) to where now it makes sense to look at the money line (as low as -120 as of 11 AM ET) for those of you whom have access to it. The markets are liking Creighton in early betting as, of course, the Bluejays have a long history of success when playing on their home floor. Also, in true "zig zag theory" fashion, the markets are backing the 0-2 ATS Bluejays over the 2-0 ATS Buckeyes figuring that Creighton is "due" for a cover. We'll fade that theory here as Ohio State is simply playing great basketball on both sides of the floor. Their confidence is sky high after they went into Cincinnati and played stellar defense to ruin opening night for the Bearcats in their newly renovated ($87 million worth) Fifth Third Arena. The Buckeyes then got the job done again with their defense in their very next game as their high pressure defense led to plenty of quick transition points. Ohio State also knocked down 15 three-pointers in that game, a big win over IPFW. Granted IUPU-Fort Wayne is a step down in level of competition to say the least but that 107-61 blowout win goes a long way in giving a young Buckeyes team a ton of confidence. Also, keep in mind the Bluejays are also a young team this season and Creighton has won both their games early this season but in much less impressive fashion. Also, the Bluejays are an ugly 5-14 ATS as an underdog the past two seasons. Ohio State is 13-4 SU in November games. Also, the Buckeyes are 8-3 ATS in road games with a posted total between 145 and 149.5 points. 10* OHIO STATE |
|||||||
11-14-18 | 76ers -5.5 v. Magic | Top | 106-111 | Loss | -112 | 10 h 16 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - Jimmy Butler's first game with the 76ers. The fact it is on the road is even better as it is keeping this line at a reasonable number. I look for Philly to win this game in blowout fashion. The Sixers now have a "Big 3" with Butler joining Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. This team is poised to be a force in the East to be reckoned with and Butler is likely to "go off" tonight and have a massive performance as he is thrilled to finally be out of Minnesota. The Magic should provide the perfect "punching bag" as Orlando. Entering Wednesday, the Magic are just 5-8 SU in their last 13 games. Orlando has just 3 ATS wins in its last 10 games. The Magic are 11-23 ATS when off a divisional game. Orlando is also a horrible 32-56 ATS in home games including 2-6 ATS this season. The 76ers are 25-13 ATS when off an upset win as an underdog and also 28-13 ATS in games with a posted total of 220 points or more. Offensively the Sixers are averaging nearly 10 points more per game than Orlando. Defensively Philly is allowing just 43% from the field while the Magic are allowing 46% from the field. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
|||||||
11-14-18 | Buffalo +2.5 v. Ohio | Top | 17-52 | Loss | -105 | 9 h 27 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFB Game #303 Wednesday 10* Top Play Buffalo Bulls (+) @ Ohio University Bobcats @ 7 ET - This line has gone from a pick'em to Ohio becoming nearly a field goal favorite in this one. In typical contrarian fashion I am fading the line move here and, as always, it is certainly not without reason! This Buffalo team is on a mission. Bulls head coach Lance Leipold is in his 4th year at Buffalo and the Bulls have yet to reach the post-season. Keep in mind this is the same Leipold who won FIVE Division III national championships at Wisconsin-Whitewater. That said, it is no surprise to me that Buffalo is having their best season yet under Leipold. That fact is that even if the Bulls lose this game they can still clinch the MAC East even if Ohio wins again next week. Buffalo could do that by virtue of defeating a bad Bowling Green team next week. However, the Bulls don't want to go that route. They want to clinch this right here right now on the Bobcats own field. Keep in mind Buffalo, under Leipold, has won both home match-ups with the Bobcats but they lost the lone meeting at Ohio University by 24 points in 2016. They must have been dominated, right? Actually the Bulls outgained Ohio in that game but were done in by turnovers. Buffalo atones for that road loss with a road win here. The Bulls are 6-0 ATS in MAC games this season and 4-0 ATS in road games on the year. They are also the healthier team entering this match-up. Buffalo also has an extra day of rest compared to Ohio heading into this one. The Bulls are 6-1 ATS when off a game against Kent State. Also, though some would argue these teams schedules are roughly equal this season in terms of strength, the numbers tell a different story. For the 2nd straight year the Bobcats schedule included just 2 teams that had a winning record last season. As for the Bulls, their schedule included 5 teams that had a winning record last season. I like having the points here as the Bulls "mission" under Leipold continues! 10* BUFFALO |
|||||||
11-14-18 | Michigan +7.5 v. Villanova | Top | 73-46 | Win | 100 | 8 h 4 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #723 Wednesday 10* Top Play Michigan Wolverines (+) @ Villanova Wildcats @ 6:30 ET - This a rematch of last year's national championship game. The Wildcats defeated the Wolverines handily by 17 points. However, just how solid was that victory really? Certainly some credit is owed to the Villanova defense for it but the fact that Michigan only made 3 of 23 three pointers certainly had something to do with it too. The Wildcats outscored the Wolverines by 21 points from 3-point land as the Cats made 10 three points in the game! The point is that the game could have gone either way were it not for the disparity from beyond the arc. Now, this season, each of the teams are a little younger and less experienced but one could argue that Villanova lost more from their roster than did Michigan. I have plenty of respect for coach Jay Wright and his Wildcats but the Wolverines are led by a great coach of their own in John Beilein. Michigan, and Beilein, have had their sites set on this rematch. So much so in fact that they were down big at the half against Holy Cross in their most recent game. Of course the Wolverines responded and blew out the Crusaders in the second half but, the point is, this game has been circled in red ever since the schedules come out. Perhaps the Wolverines do fall short here but, if they do I expect the loss to be by only a bucket or two. Great value with the big dog here and Michigan is 12-6 ATS their last 18 as an underdog. I'll grab the generous points being offered. 10* MICHIGAN |
|||||||
11-13-18 | Lightning v. Sabres OVER 6 | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -108 | 10 h 28 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #9 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Buffalo Sabres vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:35 ET - The Sabres and Lightning last met in April and the game totaled 12 goals! The last time these teams met in Buffalo the game totaled 8 goals! Tampa Bay enters this game having averaged scoring 4.3 goals per game their last 7 games! The Sabres enter this one having scored an average of 4 goals per game their last 10 games. In other words, look for the lamp to be lit early and often in this one. The over is 3-0-1 in the Bolts last 4 games. The over is 8-2-1 in Buffalo's last 11 games. The Sabres are a perfect 6-0 to the over this season in games against teams with a winning record. The Lightning, when off a game where they allowed 4 goals or more, have had just 22 unders the last 64 times. This season in that situation Tampa Bay is 3-1 to the over and I look for the high-scoring ways of both of these hockey clubs to continue Tuesday! 10* OVER the total in Buffalo |
|||||||
11-13-18 | Hornets v. Cavs +7 | Top | 89-113 | Win | 100 | 11 h 21 m | Show |
NBA TV Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Game #502 Tuesday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - Of course the Cavs 1-11 SU record on the season makes them look very uninviting to the betting markets. The result is line value in a situation like this because they have been a different team since the coaching change. The Cavaliers last 3 losses have come by an average margin of defeat of only 4 points. Cleveland has been playing better on the defensive end and has allowed an average of just 99 points per game in their last 3 losses. The Hornets are in a tough scheduling spot as they are off a big win at Detroit and have a big revenge game with the 76ers on deck. Charlotte just recently lost to Philly by a single point and can't help but be anticipating the big match-up with newly acquired Jimmy Butler and the Sixers. The Hornets are also having to deal with a revenge-minded Cavs team here. Cleveland trailed Charlotte by just 7 points at the half in their meeting earlier this month but then got blown out by 32 by the time the final horn sounded. Time for some payback here and the Cavaliers improve to 3-0 ATS this season when playing with revenge. 10* CLEVELAND |
|||||||
11-13-18 | Wisconsin -120 v. Xavier | Top | 77-68 | Win | 100 | 10 h 1 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #507 Tuesday 10* Top Play Wisconsin Badgers (-) @ Xavier Musketeers @ 6:30 ET - The first viewpoint on this would be with consideration to how strong Xavier was last season and the fact they are a home underdog here, they simply "must" be the play here. Of course the contrarian viewpoint is to not be fooled! The fact is that the Badgers are a much more cohesive unit right now plus playing with revenge here plus will take advantage of an Xavier team dealing with a major transition period. Not only did the Musketeers lose head coach Chris Mack, Xavier also lost key players Trevon Bluiett and J.P. Macura. That said, they're going to have trouble with a Badgers team that is much healthier now than they were last season when their backcourt was ravaged by injuries. Also, Wisconsin still has big man Ethan Happ and he creates a troublesome match-up for the Musketeers. Another key variable in favor of the Badgers here is that the injuries last season helped younger players get some valuable playing time which will now pay dividends this season. This line is very close to a pick'em and the Badgers have gone 12-1 SU the past two seasons when off a game where they scored 80 points or more. Also, Xavier is 0-2 ATS this season and also went 0-2 ATS the past two seasons when the Musketeers were at home with a line ranging from pick'em to +3. Xavier will get better as the season goes on but they're going to endure some growing pains early on and the Badgers take advantage on Tuesday. 10* WISCONSIN |
|||||||
11-12-18 | Giants v. 49ers OVER 45 | Top | 27-23 | Win | 100 | 12 h 17 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NFL Game #275 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in San Francisco 49ers vs New York Giants @ 8:15 ET - Both teams come in with extra rest as the Niners last game was a Thursday game when they demolished the Raiders as QB Nick Mullens had a huge debut. As for the Giants, they are coming off their bye week and now QB Eli Manning will be going for his 3rd straight game with at least 300 passing yards. I expect him to get it and for that to be a difference maker here. Last week's game for San Francisco saw them face an Oakland team that has been dysfunctional. That is why the Raiders managed a meager 3 points in that contest. The Giants, though they have issues, still have guys like Odell Beckham Jr that love the Monday night spotlight and can make big plays and the fact is the 49ers defense is nothing special. In fact, San Francisco's last two games were against the bumbling Raiders and the near-death offense of the Cardinals! That is why the 49ers recent numbers on defense look good. Prior to this, San Francisco allowed an average of 31 points per game in the first 7 games this season! As for the Giants defense, they've allowed at least 20 points in all 8 of their games this season. Also, prior to holding the Redskins to 20 points in their final game before the bye week, New York had allowed an average of 31 points per game in their 4 prior games. The Giants over is 2-0 this season in road games with a posted total between 42.5 and 45 points and also 2-0 the past two seasons when off their bye week. The 49ers last 3 games have remained under the total but, prior to this, the over was 7-1 in their 8 previous games! That type of trending resumes tonight. 10* OVER the total in San Francisco |
|||||||
11-11-18 | Cowboys v. Eagles OVER 43.5 | Top | 27-20 | Win | 100 | 23 h 12 m | Show |
Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Game #273 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia Eagles vs Dallas Cowboys @ 8:20 ET - Philadelphia is always fired up when the Eagles host the Cowboys. However, last season's match-up in Philly was a RARE exception! It was the final regular season game and meant nothing to the Eagles as their playoff position was clinched and they were more concerned with marching toward the super bowl than facing the Cowboys. Not surprisingly the game ended up an ugly 6-0 Dallas win. This game will play out much differently as it has plenty of meaning and, of course, the Eagles are ready for payback after Dallas handed them their only home loss last season. Though I do expect Philadelphia to win this game, they are a very pricey favorite and I feel the best value will prove to be with the total. The Eagles averaged 29 points per game in their last 3 meetings with Dallas that actually were meaningful games. As for the Cowboys, they only scored 14 points last week but they moved the ball a little better than that point total would indicate. Remember that Dallas had previously averaged 25 points per game in their 4 prior games. I know a lot of trends and angles are pointing to the under here but I don't see the Cowboys D stopping a very determined (and talented) Eagles offense that has even more weapons now thanks to acquisitions and improved health. At the same time the Cowboys should enjoy success against an Eagles D that has collapsed at times in recent home games (losses to Carolina and Minnesota). Look for plenty of points here as the trends pointing to under just don't matter here based on the situational aspects of this match-up. 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia |
|||||||
11-11-18 | Seahawks v. Rams -9 | Top | 31-36 | Loss | -114 | 19 h 19 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NFL Game #272 Sunday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Rams (-) vs Seattle Seahawks @ 4:25 ET - Surprisingly the early indication on this one, prior to gameday, is that the Seahawks are the popular choice. Of course it makes sense as many remember that Seattle lost by just two points in the prior meeting this season plus many are feeling the Rams will suffer "unbeaten letdown" after their undefeated start to the season ended last week in New Orleans. Ladies and gentlemen, that game against the Saints was a hard-fought battle and Los Angeles has nothing to hang their heads about in regards to that defeat. In other words, look for the Rams to come out blazing hot here looking to atone for that defeat and there is no way the Seahawks can match them score for score. That is why I am very willing to lay a sizable number here as this game has rout written all over it. Some are even mentioning that the Rams have the trip to Mexico City on deck against the Chiefs, one of the AFC's best. The fact is that a non-conference match-up, no matter where it is played, does not take precedence over a divisional match-up! Also, this is especially true this time around because the Seahawks beat the Rams in their last visit to LA! The Seahawks are on a 3-8 ATS run in games played on grass. The Rams are 7-0 SU and 4-2-1 ATS in games played on grass this season. Los Angeles has the much stronger passing attack in this match-up and, off a loss, they won't take their foot off the gas in this match-up. The Seahawks are averaging just 23 points per game this season. The Rams have scored at least 33 points in 7 of their 9 games. I like my odds for a double digit cover in this one! 10* LOS ANGELES RAMS |
|||||||
11-10-18 | California v. USC OVER 45.5 | Top | 15-14 | Loss | -110 | 32 h 33 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach CFB Game #195 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in USC Trojans vs California Golden Bears @ 10:30 ET - This total has gone from being closer to 50 to now closer to 45. This is completely understandable because Cal has played very solid defense this season and is coming of a pair of strong efforts in that regard. However, this is leading to huge value in this match-up in my opinion. I know USC tends to play at a slower pace than most teams when you look at their stats this season. However, Trojans head coach Clay Helton took over play-calling duties for last week's game and also the offensive line coach was fired prior to that game. In other words, coach Helton certainly means "business" when it comes to lighting a fire under this offense. Right on cue USC responded by putting up 38 points last week. Now guys of course I am no fool and realize that strong performance was against the weak defense of Oregon State. However, I love the set-up here because not only are the Trojans back home and feeling confident after that win, they catch a Golden Bears defense that has gone very hard for 3 straight weeks and that is playing in their 4th location in 4 weeks! Cal traveled to Oregon State then came home to face Washington and then headed north again to face Washington State and now they head south to faced the Trojans. Give the Bears defense credit for holding up in these 3 games but note that they did allow 334 yards passing last week. Also, the Southern Cal defense allowed over 300 passing yards last week for the 2nd time in 3 games. Also, though their run defense was strong last week, USC previously allowed an average of 241.5 rushing yards per game in their two prior games. With big games for the Trojans against rival UCLA and undefeated Notre Dame on deck, the USC defensive focus may not be at its absolute best here. At the same time, with the Bears off such a grueling stretch, I think this is the week Cal's defense finally collapses. Combining all these factors with the downward line move and the spectacular weather expected in LA Saturday night and you have the perfect scenario for a solid over. These teams have averaged scoring 65 points per game in their last 5 meetings and none of the games totaled less than 48 points. The Golden Bears are a long-term 11-5 in road games with a posted total between 42.5 and 49 points. Also, California is 6-3 to the over as an underdog in a range of 3.5 to 10 points. The Trojans are 3-1 to the over in their last 4 home games. I know this is a contrarian play in many ways but, from a situational perspective these are the types of spots that offer the greatest value. Also note that Cal's offense is averaging 426 yards per game on the road this season and Southern Cal's offense has averaged 32.5 points per game their last 6 games and there is a lot of confidence with Helton calling plays again. Cal will be forced to air it out some to try to match the Trojans and so look for more points here than many are expecting! 10* OVER the total in USC |
|||||||
11-10-18 | Clemson v. Boston College +20 | Top | 27-7 | Push | 0 | 28 h 1 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFB Game #122 Saturday 10* Top Play Boston College Eagles (+) vs Clemson Tigers @ 8 ET - I have a ton of respect for Clemson. The Tigers are a tremendous football team. However, they have enjoyed a string of blowout wins now that has resulted in an inflated line in a situation that truly is likely to be one of their toughest games, from a situational standpoint, of this season. A night game in mid-November at Boston College means temperatures likely starting out in the upper 30s and possibly falling to near freezing as well as some extra wind chill with some pretty stiff winds blowing through Chestnut Hill as well. The point is that this is certainly not typical weather for Clemson to deal with. Now certainly this doesn't stop Clemson dead in their tracks. They're very talented, very fast, and very skilled. The point is that the Tigers will score some points. But for them to go to Boston College and blast the Eagles by a 3 touchdown margin is something I don't see happening. The Eagles have a solid defense that has also shown a lot of "bend but don't break" this season. BC is allowing just 20.8 points per game their last 4 games. Also, the Eagles are solid in the trenches on both sides of the ball. This includes an offensive line that returned all 5 starters from last season and is loaded with experience. The Eagles have averaged over 500 yards of offense per game at home this season. Granted the Clemson defense is tough so there will be many challenges in this game for the BC offense but they have the veterans and the physicality to get some push against this tough Tigers defense. Boston College is 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games against teams with a winning record and that includes 3-0 ATS this season. Long-term the Eagles are 3-1 ATS as a home dog in a range of 17.5 to 21 points. They lost all 4 of those games SU but the point is they covered all but 1 and I love the value here on a cold night at Chestnut Hill with a very physical team capable of winning battles in the trenches. Grab the big points! 10* BOSTON COLLEGE |
|||||||
11-09-18 | Hornets v. 76ers OVER 225 | Top | 132-133 | Win | 100 | 9 h 41 m | Show |
NBA TV Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia 76ers vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - The last time these two teams met the game stayed well under the total but the pacing of the game should have sent it flying over the total. The problem, for over players, in that game was that both teams shot under 40% from the field. Even with that the game totaled 208 points and I feel the situation here is conducive to an over. The set up here is ideal for plenty of points. The 76ers, after a very sloppy game against Brooklyn, cleaned up their game and also played solid defense in a win at Indiana Wednesday. Now I would not be surprised to see them somewhat complacent here after finally notching their first road win of the season. As for the Hornets, they roll into this game off back to back wins. While it is true that the competition certainly was not fierce. It is also true that Charlotte has been able to build up confidence by getting those two victories. Taking a look at the Hornets last 6 games, the one poor shooting effort was against Philly but Charlotte has shot 49.2% from the field in the other 5 games combined. As for the Sixers, they are averaging 115 points per game at home this season. Look for the over to improve to 5-2 in Philly's games versus teams with a winning record this season. As for the Hornets, the over is 3-1 this season in their games as an underdog. The lone under was the aforementioned 105-103 loss at Philly. Charlotte and the Sixers make up for that here with a high-scoring shootout! 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia |
|||||||
11-09-18 | Blue Jackets +115 v. Capitals | Top | 2-1 | Win | 115 | 9 h 2 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Friday 10* Top Play Columbus Blue Jackets Money Line (+) @ Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - Revenge game for Columbus as the Capitals eliminated from the post-season last year. The Blue Jackets actually had a 2-0 lead in the series before losing 4 straight games. The road team won 5 of the 6 games in the series and I am happy to grab the underdog money line value here with the road team in this first match-up of this season as well. Columbus catches the Capitals off a win over the Penguins and that is always a big game for the Caps. Washington won 2-1 thanks to a late goal but they were outplayed in the game and were outshot 42-22. The Blue Jackets are well-rested here and have won 29 of 44 when they enter a game having had two days of rest between games. The Capitals are off back to back wins for the first time this season but, as you can see from the shots on goal, they were fortunate to beat the Penguins. Also, prior to these back to back wins in Washington, the Caps had lost 3 of their last 4 on home ice and 6 of their last 9 overall. Fiery Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella will have his boys ready to go here and I don't see them being denied in this key revenge opportunity. 10* COLUMBUS |
|||||||
11-09-18 | Indiana State v. Green Bay | Top | 78-74 | Win | 100 | 7 h 4 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #517 Friday 10* Top Play Indiana State Sycamores (pick'em) @ Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix @ 4:30 ET - UWGB is attracting some betting attention here because they are off a blowout win in their season opener while the Sycamores are off a blowout loss in their season opener. However, there is much more than meets the eye at first glance in terms of this match-up. First off, the Phoenix took advantage of playing a Division III school as they crushed Wisconsin-Lutheran to open up the season. Secondly, Indiana State played a Ball State team that is expected to be on of the top teams in the MAC. The Sycamores, even though they were on the road for that game too, were tied at the half with the Cardinals and also were down by just 7 at about the mid-way point of the 2nd half. After a disappointing effort on defense in the 2nd half of that game, the Sycamores are hell-bent on rectifying the situation here. Also, Indiana State was at a size disadvantage at Ball State but now it is the Sycamores whom will have the size edge in this match-up with UWGB. Also, this is game is an early start Friday due to a conflict with the Volleyball schedule for the Phoenix and so the game goes at 3:30 ET. A day game on campus isn't going to help the atmosphere here for UWGB either. With the Sycamores not playing again until the 14th, they are highly motivated to atone for their poor 2nd half performance at Ball State. The Phoenix are 2-6 ATS in Friday games and I look for the Sycamores to improve to 3-0 ATS in games with a posted total in the 150s in recent seasons. 10* INDIANA STATE |
|||||||
11-08-18 | Panthers v. Steelers -3.5 | Top | 21-52 | Win | 100 | 26 h 31 m | Show |
Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Game #108 Thursday 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Steelers (-) vs Carolina Panthers @ 8:20 ET - Everyone is looking to fade the Steelers here because they're off the big game against the Ravens. However, when they faced Baltimore earlier this season they then blasted an NFC South foe in their very next games as Pittsburgh crushed the Falcons 41-17. In fact it was that very game that began the current run for the Steelers and they've never looked back. Very quietly this team has made tremendous progress on defense but many are not taking notice. Pittsburgh has allowed just 18 points per game their last 4 games and the yardage allowed is even more impressive. The Steelers have given up only 276 yards per game in their last 4 games, all wins! Those who like historical data will like the fact that Pittsburgh is 6-0 ATS in its last 6 games versus the Panthers. Overall, the Steelers have excelled against the NFC with a 10-5 ATS in their last 15. Carolina is 2-7 ATS long-term in Thursday games including 0-3 ATS in recent seasons. The Panthers road games this season saw them lose at Atlanta and at Washington. The only road win they had was at Philly and, though they certainly deserve some credit for the comeback, the Eagles certainly "helped" Carolina rally late from a 17-0 deficit. The point is that the markets are giving a little too much credit to the Panthers right now in my opinion and not enough to a Steelers team that is really starting to put it together on defense plus has the home field edge here. The Panthers are off 3 straight wins but they aren't known for rattling off long winning streaks. Prior to last week's win and cover Carolina was 3-7 SU and 2-8 ATS when entering a game on a winning streak of 2 or more games. The Steelers have the better passing attack offensively and, in terms of pass defense, the Panthers have allowed an average of 285 passing yards in 6 of their 7 last games (they had one exceptional game against the Redskins in this stretch). The Steelers have allowed just 192 passing yards per game their last 3 games. I respect the Panthers but this is the only home game for Pittsburgh between late October and early December and they're ready to make the most of it. 10* PITTSBURGH |
|||||||
11-08-18 | Wake Forest v. NC State OVER 69 | Top | 27-23 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 28 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CFB Game #109 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in North Carolina State Wolfpack vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons @ 7:30 ET - With Demon Deacons QB Sam Hartman out for the season and a very high total posted on this game, the first reaction would be that there is value with the under. However, in typical contrarian fashion I am going with the over in this match-up. First off, Wake Forest does have other options at QB. Secondly, the weather is going to be great in Raliegh, NC Thursday evening. Thirdly, both teams have been piling up yardage on offense. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, both teams have been giving up a ton of yardage and have been struggling to get stops. This is one of the those games where both teams should move the ball up and down the field with plenty of points scored. Wake Forest has averaged 512.5 yards and 40 points their last two games. NC State has averaged 479 yards and 44 points their last two games. The Wolfpack have averaged 38 points per game their last 4 games at home. The issue for North Carolina State is a defense that has allowed an averaged of 492 yards and 40 points per game their last 3 games. As the season has gone on, they have worn down and this game is on a short week. As for Wake Forest, they've had issues on defense all season long but, like the Wolfpack, the Demon Deacons D also appears especially vulnerable of late. Wake Forest has given up 44 points and 534 yards per game their last 4 games. The over is 4-1 the last 5 times the Wolfpack have been a favorite. The over is 6-2 in the Demon Deacons last 8 games. Also, Wake Forest is 2-0 in road games with a posted total between 63.5 and 70 points. This number is big for Thursday's game with good reason! 10* OVER the total in NC State |
|||||||
11-07-18 | 76ers +2.5 v. Pacers | Top | 100-94 | Win | 102 | 10 h 36 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #513 Wednesday 10* Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Indiana Pacers @ 8:05 ET - The 76ers are off an embarrassing loss at Brooklyn where Philly turned the ball over 27 times compared to just 9 for the Nets! Philadelphia has had two days off since then and can't wait to get back on the floor and atone for that performance. As for the Pacers, though they've been winning more regularly than the Sixers have of late, they are having shooting issues. Indiana has struggled at the free throw line this season and they've also made just 42% of their shots from the field in their last 3 home games! The Pacers are 0-3-1 ATS this season when off a home game. Also, Indiana is an ugly 1-4 ATS in games against teams that average 106 points or more per game. The 76ers are a long-term 49-26 ATS in games against teams that average 106 points or more per game. Also, Philadelphia is 3-1 SU when off a loss this season. The public and betting markets are likely to back the Pacers here since the Sixers still have not won a road game this season. I am fading the masses, as per usual, because Philly got demolished by the Nets in their most recent game. As a result, they are incredibly focused for this game and the finally get a road win on the board. Now, though I do expect an outright upset, I am grabbing the available points here as the Pacers are only 3-2 SU in their last 5 games and 2 of those SU wins came by 2 points or less. In other words, getting 2.5 points or more here could prove to be very valuable. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
|||||||
11-06-18 | Kent State +22.5 v. Buffalo | Top | 14-48 | Loss | -109 | 34 h 36 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFB Game #101 Tuesday 10* Top Play Kent State Golden Flashes (+) @ Buffalo Bulls @ 7:30 ET - When you are a huge underdog, you welcome all the help that you can get from Mother Nature. In this case, this game at Buffalo is offering plenty of help based on the weather forecast. The Bulls, as you would expect for a MAC team, play in a rather small home venue. That means that when the winds are whipping through there it can create havoc for the passing and kicking game. Winds are expected to be in the 25 to 35 mph range on Tuesday night in Amherst in the Buffalo area. I love the big dog in a spot like this catching more than 3 TDs. The Golden Flashes have been playing a little better in recent weeks. One of their biggest weaknesses on the season is pass defense but, again, based on the strong winds forecast for Tuesday night, Buffalo is likely to keep the ball on the ground a lot. In comparing these two teams, they are nearly equal in terms of the ground game both on offense and defense. The big edge the Bulls would have is the passing game but, again, that is going to be at least somewhat (if not significantly) impacted by the weather in this one. The Golden Flashes have played better in recent weeks even though they've had a road-heavy schedule (they finish the season with two home games). Kent State is only 1-3 SU their last 4 games but two of those three losses came by just a single point. Another key here is that Buffalo is in a sandwich spot. The two teams closest to the Bulls in the MAC East standings are Miami-Ohio and Ohio U. With Buffalo off a key win over the Redhawks last Tuesday and having a huge game on deck with the Bobcats next Wednesday, this is a "tricky" scheduling spot for the Bulls. The Golden Flashes are playing hard for head coach Sean Lewis. At the age of 31 he is the youngest head coach in the nation and has brought a lot of positive energy to the program and they are heading in the right direction despite their unimpressive W-L record. Another key to the value here is that Bulls linebacker (2nd in the NATION in tackles last season) Khalil Hodge is out for the 1st half of this game due to a targeting suspension. Look for the Golden Flashes to keep this game much closer than many are expecting. 10* KENT STATE |
|||||||
11-06-18 | Stars +140 v. Blue Jackets | Top | 1-4 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 13 m | Show |
Next Level - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Tuesday 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Money Line (+) @ Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:05 ET - The Stars are off a tough loss at Boston last night where they allowed the game-winning goal late in overtime when the Bruins were on a two-man advantage. This will only strengthen the resolve of Dallas here as the Stars have been playing extremely well and they have revenge on their minds here. Columbus has held the upper hand in recent seasons against the Stars. However, the Blue Jackets just returned from a West Coast trip. The first game back east after a trip out west is often the toughest and Columbus wasn't overly impressive on their trip. In fact they were fortunate to salvage a point out of the final game of the trip and easily could have ended up 1-2 on the 3-game roadie. Dallas is 5-1-1 their last 7 games and is going to take advantage of a Blue Jackets team that has lost 5 of its last 8 games. So far this season the Stars power play has been much better than that of Columbus. Additionally, the Dallas penalty kill also rates the edge over that of the Blue Jackets. It has been over two weeks since the Stars have lost B2B games and I expect them to get right back on track tonight. 10* DALLAS |
|||||||
11-05-18 | Rockets v. Pacers OVER 213 | Top | 98-94 | Loss | -105 | 10 h 22 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Indiana Pacers vs Houston Rockets @ 7:05 ET - The Rockets now have James Harden back and, after shaking off some rust in his first game back, he'll be ready to go strong tonight. Keep in mind that was a crazy low-scoring result at Chicago in Houston's most recent game and it is helping to give us line value here. The fact is that the game was on pace for 220 points at half but then the Bulls scored just 7 points in the 3rd quarter. Some credit is due to the Rockets defense but it was also a lot of horrific shooting from Chicago that led to that result. The rest of the game the Bulls scored at least 25 points in each of the other 3 quarters. We all know what this Houston offense is capable of and I expect them to start clicking tonight as the Pacers D may not be at its strongest in a non-conference affair like this. Additionally, we all know Indiana can light up the scoreboard - particularly when at home - and the result of the above is that we should see a shootout between these non-conference foes Monday. The Rockets first 3 road games had all totaled at least 227 points. That "ugly" win at Chicago was Houston's 1st under in 4 road games this season. As for the Pacers, they are averaging 109.5 points per game at home this season and are knocking down 42.6% of their threes when at home! The Rockets have scored 118 points in each of their last two games versus the Pacers. Look for more of the same here as I expect, per all of the above, that each team gets to the 110 range in this one! 10* OVER the total in Indiana |
|||||||
11-05-18 | Oilers v. Capitals OVER 6 | Top | 2-4 | Push | 0 | 11 h 57 m | Show |
Next Level - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Capitals vs Edmonton Oilers @ 7:05 ET - The over is 3-1 in the Oilers last 4 road games and those 3 overs averaged a total of 8 goals scored per game! The over is 6-1 in the Capitals last 7 games overall and, amazingly, only 1 game out of 12 this season for Washington has finished with a total of less than 6 goals scored. Ironically, that was the Caps game at Edmonton a little over a week ago. That 4-1 Oilers win is the only game that hasn't amassed a total of at least 6 goals. With this total currently sitting at 6, as of early Monday morning, I am happy to invest in the over here as you know that the Capitals (especially off B2B losses including an OT home loss) are ready to respond here. The issue for the Caps is that they can't keep the puck out of their own net. This is not the same Capitals team that won the Stanley Cup in June. The coaching change has had a huge impact on the team and their just not playing anywhere close to as crisp as they have in the past. This leads to turnovers (like in the home loss to Dallas) which leads to opponents goals! Both the Capitals and the Oilers have struggled on the penalty kill this season and both have been strong on the power play (Caps especially). With all of the above factored in, look for plenty of goals in this one Monday. The over is 4-1 this season in Caps home game with a posted total of 6 or more goals. Also, the over is 4-1 in Washington's non-conference games this season and the over is 5-1 in Capitals games when they are off a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. 10* OVER the total in Washington |
|||||||
11-04-18 | Rams v. Saints +2.5 | Top | 35-45 | Win | 100 | 20 h 57 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NFL Game #470 Sunday 10* Top Play New Orleans Saints (+) vs Los Angeles Rams @ 4:25 ET - When an 8-0 team opens up at nearly a pick'em line it is not a mistake. However, the markets usually jump all over these types of situations and, sure enough, that is precisely what happened here. LA has gone from roughly a pick to a -2.5 as of Saturday night and I love the value we're getting here with the Saints. How many teams go undefeated in an NFL season? It is RARE as you know and, the point is, even though this is only the half-way point of the season, you know a loss is likely coming for LA sooner rather than later and this look likes the perfect spot for it! The Saints are on a roll and I know they were out-gained significantly by the Vikings last week but, the point is, New Orleans continues to find a way to win and their confidence is sky-high and they are at home for this one! A lot of factors going in their favor here. Also, for a FIFTH straight week, the Rams are playing in a different city. Seattle has gone from Seattle to San Francisco to Denver to home in Los Angeles and now right back on the road again at New Orleans. The Saints are on a 6-0 SU run and 5-0 ATS run so they are the ideal team to step up and knock off the Rams here on Sunday. Also, New Orleans is 6-2 ATS their last 8 as a home dog. The Saints have a long-term reputation for stepping up in games against winning teams. Not only did they knock off the Vikings last week but also the Redskins early this season. In fact New Orleans entered this season 12-1 ATS in games against NFC foes with a winning percentage greater than 66.6% and I look for another cover here as I do expect the upset win but definitely will grab the points for insurance. With last week's win and cover against a Vikings team that was on a winning streak, the Saints are now 14-3 ATS under head coach Sean Payton when they're on a SU winning streak of 2 or more games and also facing an opponent on a winning streak of 2 or more games. Keep in mind, though the Rams are 8-0 SU on the season they've covered just once in their last 5 games. Great home dog value with the Saints in this one. 10* NEW ORLEANS |
|||||||
11-04-18 | Chiefs v. Browns OVER 52 | Top | 37-21 | Win | 100 | 17 h 45 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NFL Game #453 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Browns vs Kansas City Chiefs @ 1 ET - This may seem like a lot of points since the game involves the perennially awful Browns. However, Cleveland's offense has looked a little better at times this season and this is an interesting match-up as it features Baker Mayfield's Browns going against Pat Mahomes' Chiefs. Keep in in mind these guys last met in 2016 when Mayfield was at Oklahoma and Mahomes was at Texas Tech. That game totaled a ridiculous 1,700 yards of offense. Now, of course, we're not likely to see more than a third of that total in this "rematch" but just now that these guys are doing to do everything they can to outdo each other there. Also, as November days go in Cleveland, Sunday is going to be one of the more exceptionally nice days you'll have there. Mild air with highs in the upper 50s and a south wind and no precipitation. It sets up well for both of the offenses to thrive. The Chiefs rank among the best offenses in the league but also among the worst defenses! The Browns offense, as noted above, has been "spotty" but they'll take advantage of facing a weak defense in this one while, at the same time, Cleveland's biggest weakness is their defense. Going through a coaching change is unlikely to help in terms of "continuity on defense" and Mahomes and the Chiefs pick them apart all day long in this one. Look for the over to improve to 4-1 in Kansas City's road games this season while the Browns O/U improves to 5-2 in games against AFC opponents on the year. 10* OVER the total in Cleveland |
|||||||
11-03-18 | Stanford v. Washington OVER 45.5 | Top | 23-27 | Win | 100 | 30 h 20 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach CFB Game #385 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Huskies vs Stanford Cardinal @ 9 ET - Newsflash...it could be raining in Seattle Saturday night. Guys, all kidding aside, as everyone knows...it rains very often in Seattle. It is not a big deal especially with the rain is likely to be rather light and especially when the winds are light. The heaviest rain and best chances for rain are during the day but when this game kicks off at 6 pm local time it is likely to be very light rain even if that. The reason I mention all this is because I feel the weather forecast has had a lot to do with the drop on the total on this one and I am happy to step in and take advantage! Ladies and gentleman the Stanford defense is atrocious! The Cardinal were in a must win game last week, had a huge lead at the half, and they blew it and lost to Washington State. That was the 4th time in the last 5 games that the once vaunted Stanford defense has allowed 31 points or more. I don't even have to tell you, with those kinds of numbers, that this Cardinal defense has issues. What I will say is a positive for Stanford is their production on offense. They've averaged 27.3 points per game their past 6 games. Also, a Cardinal offense once known for Bryce Love and the run game really is pass-intensive now and they've averaged 287.2 passing yards their past 5 games. Of course a pass-heavy offense is good for an over. The over is 4-1 in Stanford's last 5 games. Now I am well aware that the Huskies have put impressive numbers on defense this season. However, prior to holding the Golden Bears to 12 points in a loss at Cal last week, Washington had allowed an average of 355 yards per game their 3 prior games. Also, the Huskies have trended under heavily this season despite the fact that their offensive production has been good. Before being shutdown by Cal's solid defense last week, Washington was averaging 430.5 yards per game this season. Considering how bad the Cardinal defense has been of late, we can count on plenty of points from the Huskies here but don't be surprised if Stanford is matching them score for score in this one. This one will be much higher-scoring than many are expecting. 10* OVER the total in Washington |
|||||||
11-03-18 | Notre Dame v. Northwestern +10.5 | Top | 31-21 | Win | 100 | 29 h 38 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CFB Game #356 Saturday 10* Top Play Northwestern Wildcats (+) vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ 7:15 ET - The Fighting Irish are 8-0 SU on the season but are 3-4 ATS their last 7 and truly are over-priced here. Notre Dame is known for sliding at this point in the season and this certainly could be "upset week" for them as they are just 3-5 SU (and 1-7 ATS!) the past two Novembers. Conversely, the Wildcats are in their most relished role. As an underdog, Northwestern is now 10-3 ATS their last 13 and that includes 4-0 this season! 3 of the 4 this season were outright upset wins! The Wildcats are also a long-term 11-3 ATS as home dog of 7.5 to 10 points and 9 of those 11 wins were outright upsets! Northwestern also is known for staying hot once they get hot! The Cats enter this game having won 4 straight and they are 9-1 SU and (8-2 ATS!) their last 10 when they enter a game on a SU winning streak of 2 or more games. Ever since losing RB Jeremy Larkin for the season (career ended) this Wildcats team has bonded tremendously. They lost (but covered) their first game without him in a hard-fought 3-point loss to mighty Michigan and they've since won 4 straight games! Of course there will be plenty of Notre Dame fans here but certainly it still is not the same as the Wildcats having to face the Fighting Irish in South Bend. That said, I also like the fact that we've got some more technical data supporting this play. ND is 3-10 ATS the game after facing Navy. Notre Dame is also just 1-5 ATS when on the road after scoring more than 35 points and now facing a team that is playing with revenge. The Irish are also on an 0-5 ATS run as a favorite of more than 6 points against a Big Ten team! 10* NORTHWESTERN |
|||||||
11-02-18 | Pittsburgh +7.5 v. Virginia | Top | 23-13 | Win | 100 | 12 h 38 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CFB Game #315 Friday 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Panthers (+) @ Virginia Cavaliers @ 7:30 ET - Yes, Virginia has been red hot and many are looking to ride the Cavaliers here. This is especially true as Pittsburgh, despite an ultra-impressive performance on offense (and a win), gave up a ton of yardage last week. The facts that matter the most here are the Panthers are a very physical football team and while I greatly respect Cavs coach Bronco Mendenhall, he and the Cavaliers have lost to Pitt in each of his first two seasons. Coming into this season Virginia was pegged by most prognosticators to finish dead last in the Coastal Division of the ACC. Now both the Cavs and the Panthers have just 1 ACC loss heading into this battle. The Cavaliers are also ranked! However, I fully believe this is a case of a little too much too respect too soon for the Cavaliers. I am calling for the upset here but, of course, I am grabbing the points. Currently this line is at 7.5 as of early gameday morning and that is a great value. The Cavs, for all their accolades, actually have only averaged 346 yards per game their last 4 games. The Panthers, on the other hand, have averaged 479 yards of offense per game in their last 3 ACC games! Pitt is loaded with confidence after their huge performance at Duke and they also have confidence at Virginia due to recent success in this match-up. Under head coach Pat Narduzzi, the Panthers have gone 11-6 ATS in their last 17 as a road dog. Virginia is on a 2-6 ATS run in November games and is a long-term 4-7 ATS as a home favorite in a range of 7.5 to 10 points. The Panthers are 10-3 ATS their last 13 games against teams with a winning record and get the job done again here. 10* PITTSBURGH |
|||||||
11-02-18 | Panthers v. Jets OVER 6 | Top | 4-2 | Push | 0 | 5 h 20 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Winnipeg Jets vs Florida Panthers @ Hartwell Arena in Helsinki, Finland @ 2 PM ET - Yesterday's game ended up being a push (for most) on the total as it landed on 6 goals. There have only been 2 unders in the last 10 meetings between these two non-conference opponents. The average goal total in these 10 games is 6.9 goals scored. I am expecting at least 7 today. Connor Hellebuyck was fantastic between the pipes yesterday for the Jets and now, with this being a back to back, Laurent Brossoit is likely to get the start today. Brossoit has played very well this season but I really don't see him performing any better than Hellebuyck did yesterday. That said, the Panthers are going to come out even stronger today looking to earn the split of this 2-game set in Finland. Watching them yesterday Florida did impress me with how well they skated and they played fast. The Jets did too of course and Winnipeg took advantage of power play opportunities and got the 4-2 win. I expect them to find the back of the net plenty today as well. That's because the Panthers are likely to go with Michael Hutchinson between the pipes with this being a back to back and Roberto Luongo still being out and James Reimer having played yesterday. The over is a perfect 3-0 in Hutchinson's starts this season and he has struggled badly with an .839 save percentage thus far. Facing a potent attack like the Jets possess is the last thing a goalie wants to see when he is struggling. Yesterday's marked the 4th time in the last 5 meetings between these teams in which there were more than 70 shots on goal registered. Look for another fast-paced game today and I am confident that at least 7 light the lamp in this one as a result given the goalie situation in this one. The over is 24-12 when, in the first half of a season, Florida is playing a team with a winning record. Winnipeg should score at least 4 again. 10* OVER the total in the NHL game in Finland EARLY Friday |
|||||||
11-01-18 | Raiders v. 49ers OVER 45.5 | Top | 3-34 | Loss | -104 | 24 h 29 m | Show |
Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach NFL Game #307 Thursday NFL 10* Top Play OVER the total in San Francisco 49ers vs Oakland Raiders @ 8:20 ET - The Niners CJ Beathard is likely to play here. The fact is that even if Nick Mullens got the call at QB is there really anybody that can not move the ball on this Raiders defense. Oakland has been awful on that side of the ball as they keep trying different combinations and nothing is working and the unit is truly in disarray. The Raiders have allowed an average of 31.1 points per game this season. The Niners haven't been much better in that department as they've allowed 29.5 points per game so far on the year. One thing that is going well for the Raiders is that they're offense got going last week as QB Derek Carr threw for 3 TDs and Oakland scored 28 points. I am well aware of the fact that the numbers on offense for each of these teams in the season leave something to be desired, to say the least. However, you simply can't ignore how bad these defenses have been. Yes the Niners held the Cards in check last week but everybody shuts down Arizona this season. The fact is that the 49ers previously allowed 28 points or more in 5 straight games! Prior to last week's under, the over was 5-1 in San Francisco's 6 prior games. Also, the lone under in that stretch did total 49 points. The over is 7-3 the last 10 49ers non-conference games. The over is 5-2 the last 7 times that Oakland has been a road dog of 3 points or less. Take advantage of the drop on this O/U as the defensive play of these two teams simply does not justify it and the weather will be great for this one too. 10* OVER the total in San Francisco |
|||||||
11-01-18 | Nuggets v. Cavs OVER 222 | Top | 110-91 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 2 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #505 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Denver Nuggets @ 7:05 ET - Yes, the Nuggets are in a back to back and off an OT game. Yes, the Cavaliers have a new head coach so "focus" could change for the team. However, lets address those two factors because this total has dropped significantly early this morning and this has led to strong line value on the over. First off, the Cavs first game with Larry Drew instead of Tyronn Lue calling the shots resulted in a win and Cleveland's defense did create turnovers. However, the Cavaliers still allowed their opponent (the Hawks) to make a high percentage of their shots. In other words perhaps the aggressive defense did result in transition points for the Cavs but it also resulted in more open looks for the opponents shooters when they did get past the over-aggressive defenders. The fact is that the Cavaliers game with Atlanta still totaled 250 points and I feel this game with Denver is going to be a shootout as well. The Nuggets defense could be lacking here after putting a ton of effort into the win over the Bulls last night. Also, note that Denver is 14-7 to the over in games against Central Division opponents in recent seasons. Also, over this same time frame, the Nuggets are 46-23 to the over BOTH against teams that allow 106 points or more per game and also teams that score 106 points or more per game. Of course the Cavs fall into both of those categories this season. Additionally, the Cavaliers are on an 11-2 run to the over when off a game where they scored 130 points or more. 10* OVER the total in Cleveland |
|||||||
11-01-18 | Ohio v. Western Michigan OVER 64.5 | Top | 59-14 | Win | 100 | 10 h 1 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFB Game #309 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Western Michigan Broncos vs Ohio University Bobcats @ 7 ET - The strength of each of these teams is clearly on the offensive side of the ball while the defense is a weakness. Yes, against weaker teams like Bowling Green and Ball State (plus those games were at home), Ohio U allowed low point totals and less yardage. However, the Broncos do have a solid offense and yes I am fully aware that QB Jon Wassink is out for this one. By the way, the odds makers were well aware too when they set this total so this number is a big one for a reason. The key here is that Western Michigan back-up QB Kaleb Eleby is a hightly-touted recruit and played quite well (on the road at Toledo!) last week when he had to come in to replace the injured Wassink. Eleby is a legitimate dual threat QB and will give the Bobcats defense trouble here. Note that, in games played away from home, Ohio U has allowed an average of 462 yards per game this season. The Bobcats D will struggle again here but their potent offense (ran for average of 401.5 yards per game last 2) should have no trouble shredding the Broncos weak defense. Western Michigan had one strong game on defense since MAC action began as they held a weak Central Michigan team to just 10 points. However, in their other 4 MAC games, the Broncos have allowed 37.3 points per game. I am aware of the weather forecast in Kalamazoo tonight but the rain is expected to be light showers and winds are not expected to be a factor either as they are forecast to be rather light. The over is 12-3 in the Broncos last 15 home games. Look for the over to improve to 6-3 in the Bobcats last 9 Thursday games. 10* OVER the total in Western Michigan |
|||||||
10-31-18 | Pacers v. Knicks OVER 210.5 | Top | 107-101 | Loss | -108 | 11 h 31 m | Show |
Grim Reaper ESPN Smash - Rickenbach NBA Game #705 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Knicks vs Indiana Pacers @ 8:05 ET - The Pacers are off a rare poor shooting game and will bounce back strong here. Even though Indiana is on the road for this one, the Pacers actually have averaged 117.5 points per game in their last two road games. On the season Indiana is hitting 50% from the field overall and 43% from three point land. They'll take advantage of a Knicks team that is allowing 110.7 points per game this season on 47% shooting from the field including 38% from beyond the arc. Although New York's defense leaves a lot to be desired, the Knicks are averaged 110.5 points per game at home this season. I feel we're getting great line value here considering both teams are off a day of rest, the Pacers should be burning up the nets tonight with hot shooting, and New York score very well at home. All these factors combined with a total in the 210 range means excellent line value here! The Pacers are 3-0 to the over this season when off a non-conference game. The Knicks are 2-0 to the over this season in games against teams with a winning record. Indiana is 3-0 to the over in Eastern Conference match-ups this season. The over is 2-0 in the last two meetings between these teams. That means we have combined edges here of 10-0 / 100% PERFECT supporting this selection! Look for a shootout in this one. 10* OVER the total in New York |
|||||||
10-31-18 | Ball State v. Toledo -18 | Top | 13-45 | Win | 100 | 11 h 8 m | Show |
All Treat No Trick Best Bet - Rickenbach CFB Game #306 Wednesday 10* Top Play Toledo Rockets (-) vs Ball State Cardinals @ 7:30 ET - Ball State has been ravaged with injuries and now they are forced to go with Drew Plitt at QB because Riley Neal has been downgraded to out for this game. The Cardinals also have injury issues at RB and WR. Not only that, the Cards have been hurt by injuries on the offensive line and on defense too. All the way around this is not a good spot for Ball State. As for Toledo, QB Mitchell Guadagni left the Rockets most recent game with a shoulder injury. However, even if he did not play in tonight's game, back-up QB Eli Peters has played plenty this season (including last week) and he has played well. Peters plays with confidence too and, at home, versus an over-matched Cardinals team, the Rockets can essentially "name the score" in this one. I look for them to get a huge lead and then, though they will be in a certain respect "coasting to victory" I still them piling up points. Even when Toledo turns to their ground game to grind out clock, they are likely to break off big runs. The Rockets have run for 229 yards or more in 3 of their last 4 games. The Cards defense has allowed 227 yards or more in 3 of their last 4 games and that includes 411 rushing yards in their most recent game. Though I generally don't lay big numbers, this is a rare case where everything does point to a blowout and Ball State, without their top QB (and other skill position guys) just doesn't have a lot of "backdoor cover" potential here. Look for the Cardinals to drop to 2-10 (SU and ATS) in October games! Note that the Rockets are 10-0 / 100% PERFECT ATS when they are a home favorite of more than 8 points and coming off a win that was by a double digit margin both SU and ATS. That system fits here as they blasted Western Michigan last week by 27 points as an underdog! There is another perfect system here too as Ball State is 0-9 ATS when they are playing with revenge against a team that is off a SU win by a double digit margin in their prior game. That means this spot is a combined 19-0 / 100% PERFECT! Lay the points! 10* TOLEDO |
|||||||
10-30-18 | Miami-OH v. Buffalo -7 | Top | 42-51 | Win | 100 | 35 h 32 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFB Game #302 Tuesday CFB 10* Buffalo Bulls (-) vs Miami-OH Redhawks @ 8 ET - First off, lets talk about the current injury report here. The Bulls have no one listed while the 3 guys for the Redhawks all quite important and all 3 are seniors. Of course WR James Gardner has been out since earlier this season but that was a crushing blow as he was the leader of the receiving group. The other two players are on defense and are both listed as questionable for this week. Liinebacker Junior McMullen is the middle linebacker and certainly a crucial piece of the LB corps. The defensive back is Deondre Daniels and he was the top returning cornerback. Now even without all this I still love Buffalo here. They had won 4 straight in this series but now have lost back to back games to Miami-Ohio (Bulls were down to 3rd string QB in last year's meeting). So this is a double-revenge situation and Buffalo is at home and they are laying a TD. Good value here. The Bulls are 7-1 this season and Miami-OH is just 3-5. Granted the Redhawks have played better since MAC play began but the Bulls have been playing even better (on both sides of the ball) and have the home field edge and high motivation factor here. In terms of technical support, the Redhawks are on a 1-3 ATS run in Tuesday games while the Bulls are on a 6-3 ATS run in Tuesday games. Buffalo is also 4-1 ATS as a favorite in a range of 3.5 to 10 points and 6-1 ATS when they enter a game on a winning streak of 2 or more games. Also, the Bulls are 8-1 ATS when they are off B2B SU wins and facing an opponent off a SU loss. Buffalo is also 7-1 ATS when they are a home favorite of more than 2 points and are playing with revenge! 10* BUFFALO |
|||||||
10-30-18 | 76ers +6.5 v. Raptors | Top | 112-129 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 37 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #509 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:35 ET - Kawhi Leonard sat for the Raptors last night (just for rest) but that is no excuse for getting blown out at Milwaukee as the Bucks were without their star player as well as Giannis Antetokounmpo did end up going in concussion protocol. Also, the Sixers Joel Embiid did play in Philly's first back to back this season and I expect he will do so again here after Philadelphia blew out the Hawks in the 2nd half last night and they were able to rest starters in the 4th quarter. Embiid clearly was "saving up" for this game as he had his lowest point total and rebound total of the season in last night's game. Milwaukee, Toronto, Detroit, and Boston are the top 4 teams in the NBA East right now based on records. Why do I bring that up? Because the Sixers have already lost to Boston, Detroit (in OT thriller), and the Bucks. Philadelphia has this game at Toronto circled in blood as a result! The 76ers know they need to prove they can be a quality team in the East as so far they have looked like the weakest of all the aforementioned teams and Philly is supposed to be a legit contender in the East this season. With Ben Simmons playing very well, Markelle Fultz off a strong game, and Embiid having (in my opinion) saved up for this one, I am expecting a Sixers upset tonight but certainly like the value with the points. By the way, Raptors only had 2 players score 11 points or more last night while the 76ers had 6 players score at least 11 points last night. Balanced scoring certainly is an important factor and Philly was all over the boards last night too. They are hungry and in need of a statement win. The Raptors are on an 8-18 ATS run in Tuesday games while the Sixers are on a 13-7 ATS run in Tuesday games. Also, the 76'ers are 46-24 ATS their last 70 games versus teams that score an average of 106 points or more per game. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
|||||||
10-30-18 | Bruins +115 v. Hurricanes | Top | 3-2 | Win | 115 | 9 h 5 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Tuesday 10* Top Play Boston Bruins Money Line (+) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - This is the perfect spot for a big play on Boston. The Bruins are off a home shutout loss versus the Canadiens despite having a double digit edge in shots on goal. Boston has had two days of rest since then and this game is followed by 3 days of rest which precedes a game against a Western Conference foe. In other words, there is no doubt that the Bruins are fully focused on this game. That is bad news for the Hurricanes as Carolina lost all 3 games with Boston last season and the Canes allowed an average of 5.7 goals per game in those 3 contests. Carolina has lost 4 of its last 6 games and they have lost 53 of their last 88 against teams with a winning record. The Hurricanes also have lost 28 of 41 Tuesday night games. Boston is the much better team on special teams in comparison with the Canes as they have a strong edge early this season both on the power play and on the penalty kill. The Bruins also have won 20 of 27 when playing with two days of rest between games. Look for a road rout here. 10* BOSTON |
|||||||
10-29-18 | Patriots v. Bills +14.5 | Top | 25-6 | Loss | -115 | 12 h 23 m | Show |
Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Game #276 Monday 10* Top Play Buffalo Bills (+) vs New England Patriots @ 8:15 ET - This one falls under the old "ugly home dog" theory but it fits well. The team nobody wants, Buffalo, is at home in a divisional game and down to their 2nd string quarterback, and they're hosting the almighty Patriots - a public team that people love to bet. You can see where I am going with this as, in typical contrarian fashion, I am backing the unpopular team. Of course this is not without good reason. For one thing, I fully expect the Bills to get a much better game from back-up QB Derek Anderson as he now makes his 2nd start. Additionally, Buffalo's defense has played much better than many realize. Looking at their points allowed this season (25 per game and similar to Patriots) you'd probably be surprised to hear that the Bills defense is allowing only 321 yards per game while the Pats are allowing 390 yards per game. Of course the Patriots are the much better offense but I love the fact we're getting the Bills plus two touchdowns now as a divisional home dog in their only primetime game of the season and they are at home. Having a rough start to the season, this a rare chance for Buffalo to truly shine with the ESPN cameras rolling and facing Tom Brady and Co. You know the Bills are going to bring a huge effort here and are highly motivated. The Bills are 10-0 ATS when they are off B2B SU losses and facing a team with a winning record. Remember that game at Minnesota this season? The Vikings were 1-0-1 at the time and the Bills were off B2B SU losses. That was the 10th straight ATS win for Buffalo in this situation and I look it go to 11-0 ATS tonight as the Bills keep this one much closer than many are expecting. By the way, in addition to the 10-0 ATS factor tonight, there are two other perfect ones worth noting! The Patriots are 0-6 ATS as divisional road favorite of more than 8 points. Also, NE head coach Bill Belichick is 0-7 ATS in road games versus a divisional opponent when that divisional foe is off a double digit loss and playing with revenge. Of course that system fits perfectly here as Buffalo got blasted by 32 at Indianapolis last week and have revenge against the Pats as they got swept by them last season. Combined edges above are 23-0 / 100% for the ugly road dog! Grab the points. 10* BUFFALO |
|||||||
10-29-18 | Raptors v. Bucks OVER 222 | Top | 109-124 | Win | 100 | 10 h 39 m | Show |
NBA Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #709 Tuesday NBA 10* Top Play OVER the total in Milwaukee Bucks vs Toronto Raptors @ 8:05 ET - Yes, I am aware of the head injury suffered by Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks but he is NOT in the concussion protocol and I just do not see him missing a huge game like this. The last two undefeated teams in the league are meeting in Milwaukee tonight in what should be a fantastic game with plenty of points scored! The over went 3-0 in meetings between these teams last season. Also, after I got burned on the Raptors over in their most recent game (only went over the closing number but should have finished with 240 points) I have had my eyes on this match-up. Each team, compared to the opening number at least, has stayed under in each of its last two games. However, the pacing of the game has been conducive to an over for each of those games and also each of these teams started the season with 4 straight overs. The first total that popped up on this game was 223 but it has dropped to 221.5 since then and there is huge value here with the over in my opinion. The Bucks have allowed an average of 101 shots per game their last 4 games! The Raptors have allowed an average of 95 shots per game their last 3 games! On the other end of the floor, of course, both teams can fill it up! The Bucks are averaging 119.3 points per game this season and Toronto is averaging 116.8 points per game this season. The over is a long-term 37-25 when the Raptors are off a game where they scored 115 points or more. Also, the over is 20-10 in Toronto's games when they have two days of rest between games. The over is a long-term 47-25 in Bucks games played in the first half of a season. This should be a VERY entertaining shootout tonight! 10* OVER the total in Milwaukee |
|||||||
10-28-18 | Saints -115 v. Vikings | Top | 30-20 | Win | 100 | 23 h 0 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NFL Game #273 Sunday 10* Top Play New Orleans Saints (-) @ Minnesota Vikings @ 8:20 ET - Huge revenge game for Saints as, of course, they were knocked out of the playoffs last year by the Vikings. The way long-time New Orleans QB Drew Brees is playing right now I just don't see any way anyone could go against him. The Saints offense has been a machine of late and their defense also has been much improved. Of course there is no shortage of motivation here either. The kicker is that, since this game is on the road, we're getting line value as the Saints are as little as a 1 point favorite. In fact for those of you that have access to the money line, that is the way to play this one as the money line is in the pick'em range which is a great value! In terms of technical value here, the Saints last two wins have come against teams that currently have a winning record this season and that includes a blowout victory over a Redskins team that is currently 4-2. As for the Vikings, they have not beaten a team this season that currently has a winning record entering this week's action. In fact, the teams the Vikes have victories over has a combined 8-20 SU record this season. I also love the fact that New Orleans is 9-0 ATS in October games! Also, the Saints are 5-0 ATS as road favorites versus the NFC North and their head coach Sean Payton is 13-3 ATS in his career when his team is off B2B SU wins and facing a team that is also off B2B SU wins. Both teams are on winning streaks here so that system fits and I look for a road rout here. 10* NEW ORLEANS |
|||||||
10-28-18 | Red Sox +131 v. Dodgers | Top | 5-1 | Win | 131 | 11 h 54 m | Show |
NOTE: The Red Sox have decided to start David Price here and that is perfectly fine with me. The southpaw is whom sent the Red Sox into the World Series with his huge effort at Houston in the ALCS. He also has fared well against the Dodgers in this World Series. Overall, in his last 3 appearances on the mound Price has allowed just 2 earned runs on only 7 hits while striking out 14 in 12 and 2/3 innings. Grab the underdog VALUE here. ORIGINAL write-up: Game of the Month - Rickenbach MLB Game #907 Sunday 10* Top Play Boston Red Sox Money Line (+) @ Los Angeles Dodgers @ 8:05 ET - It was Chris Sale whom fired up the Red Sox in the dugout in the latter innings of last night's huge come from behind win. That said, you know Boston's ace lefty is highly unlikely to "lay an egg" on the mound after all of his "antics" yesterday as he is the type of ace that backs up his talk with his performances on the field. With all due respect to the Dodgers Clayton Kershaw, the fact is that when both he and Sale struggled in Game 1, Kershaw was the lesser of the two in that game. The big key to the value here is more than just Sale outpitching Kershaw though. The big keys are that the Red Sox have had the better bats at the plate throughout this series. They also have had the better bullpen performances. They certainly also have momentum on their side after last night's huge win. I also like the fact that Boston is 5-0 in Sale's last 5 road starts and 12-2 in his last 14 starts overall. As for Kershaw, the Dodgers have now lost 2 of his last 3 starts. There is a reason that Los Angeles is priced as such a small home favorite here. Don't be fooled by the small line. This series is highly likely to end tonight ladies and gentlemen. 10* BOSTON |
|||||||
10-28-18 | Sharks -135 v. Ducks | Top | 4-3 | Win | 100 | 11 h 1 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #11 Sunday 10* Top Play San Jose Sharks Money Line (-) @ Anaheim Ducks @ 8:05 ET - On the season it is a miracle that the Ducks even have the "decent" record they do. No team is putting fewer pucks on net and no team is allowing more shots on goal than Anaheim. That said, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the Ducks have lost 4 straight games and 6 of their last 8. Now they must face an angry bunch of Sharks on Sunday and I don't expect this to go well for Anaheim. San Jose is off a road loss at Carolina (in OT) where they had leads of 2-0 and 3-1 and yet only could earn a point with the regulation tie. Coming off a loss is not the only motivation of the Sharks here. San Jose lost 5-2 to the Ducks to ruin their home opener and that was despite a 33-15 edge in shots on goal. Of course Anaheim was seeking revenge for last season's playoff sweep at the hands of the Sharks and they got it even though they were outshot by a more than 2 to 1 ratio! The fact is San Jose deserved better in that game and they will get the better of the Ducks in "round two" of their regular season match-ups tonight! Prior to the early October loss to the Ducks, San Jose had won 6 straight games against them. Also, the Sharks are 5-1 in their last 6 games at Anaheim. Lay it! 10* SAN JOSE SHARKS |
|||||||
10-28-18 | Broncos v. Chiefs OVER 53.5 | Top | 23-30 | Loss | -100 | 16 h 42 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NFL Game #255 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Kansas City Chiefs vs Denver Broncos @ 1 ET - Fantastic weather in Kansas City expected on Sunday afternoon with high temperatures rising to near 70 degrees and no precipitation and winds expected to top out at 10 to 12 mph. That said, the Broncos aren't going to stop the Chiefs on their home field. I am well aware of what happened at Denver early this season but that late rally was a sign of things to come from this powerhouse KC offense and they're not going to be stopped at Arrowhead. Besides that Denver's defense is still over-rated. The Broncos D just doesn't have the same level of personnel they had in the "glory years" and their dominating effort against a league-worst Cardinals team doesn't really tell you much. What does tell you a lot is that, prior that game, the Broncos defense had been gouged for an average of 467.3 yards per game and that included the game versus KC as well as a game against the Jets! You read that right, the Broncos allowed over 500 yards to the New York Jets! So while Kansas City is sure to get their points here the key to the value is that the Chiefs defense can't stop anybody. Well, let me correct that, just like the Broncos, they are off of one good game on defense as KC just stopped the Bengals last week. But lets not forget they previously allowed 475 yards or more in 4 of their first 6 games this season! KC averages 313 passing yards per game but is giving up 316 passing yards per game. That my friends is an invitation for an over. Of course the Broncos have revenge here and Denver is 8-3 to the over when playing with revenge. The over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings between these teams and I look for another one here. 10* OVER the total in Kansas City |
|||||||
10-27-18 | NC State v. Syracuse OVER 65 | Top | 41-51 | Win | 100 | 23 h 39 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach CFB Game #125 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Syracuse Orange vs NC State Wolfpack @ 7 ET - Syracuse, with QB Eric Dungey leading the way, has a great offense but their defense is nothing special. That said, NC State is going to struggle to stop the Orange but, at the same time, the Wolfpack attack should have no problem putting up big points on Syracuse here. Prior to being held to just 7 points last week (faced a tough Clemson team), NC State was 5-0 this season and scoring an average of 33 points per game. The Wolfpack have allowed 26 points per game their last 4 games. Of course a big total is posted on this game but that is because there simply is unlikely to be many stops. NC State should be averaging even more points than they are as they are averaging 450 yards per game. That is nearly as much as Syracuse (475) and the Orange are averaging 43 points per game. There is not much in the way of historical or current trend data that supports the over but this is one of those games where there is more than meets the eye on the surface. NC State is going to bounce back after a frustrating game against Clemson where the Wolfpack managed just 7 points while also note that 5 of the 7 games the Orange have played this season have totaled more than 70 points! 10* OVER the total in Syracuse |
|||||||
10-27-18 | BC +4.5 v. Saskatchewan | Top | 16-35 | Loss | -105 | 8 h 38 m | Show |
CFL Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFL Game #663 Saturday 10* Top Play BC Lions (+) @ Saskatchewan Roughriders @ 7 ET - Saskatchewan is known for being a tough place to play for the visitors. However, there is also a lot of pressure on the Roughriders here. Both BC and the Riders are in the playoffs already. However, while the Lions are able to play loose here because they've clinched a spot and are unlikely to change their playoff positioning in any greatly significant manner, the situation for Saskatchewan is much different. This is the Roughriders final game of the season and, with a win, they have a shot at the West Division title! If Calgary would lose at BC (ironically) next week than the Riders would win the division. Again, that is IF the Roughriders can win tonight in what is their final game of the season. That said, the Lions are playing their best football of the season and I love the value we're getting with them here as a sizable dog. BC has won 6 of its last 7 games SU and is also on a 5-2 ATS run. The Riders, conversely, enter this game on a 2-4 ATS run. Also, the Lions are 7-2 SU (and ATS) in their last 9 games with the Roughriders. In meetings at Saskatchewan, the Lions are 5-1 ATS the last 6. This should be a close battle all the way through and the loose and more relaxed team truly makes for a dangerous dog. All the pressure on Saskatchewan here, give me the confident road dog that also has a rest edge of an additional day. The Lions are 4-0 ATS in games against teams with a winning record and the Riders are 2-6 ATS their last 8 as a favorite in a range of 3.5 to 9.5 points. 10* BC LIONS |
|||||||
10-27-18 | Washington v. California +12.5 | Top | 10-12 | Win | 100 | 22 h 57 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFB Game #166 Saturday 10* Top Play California Golden Bears (+) vs Washington Huskies @ 6:30 ET - Simply too many points here. You know California head coach Justin Wilcox (formerly a defensive coordinator at Washington in 2012-13) wants this game badly. The Huskies are having a solid season in Pac-12 action while Cal has been struggling but the Golden Bears can make a statement right here right now by getting revenge for beatdowns taken at the hands of Washington each of the past two seasons. This year's defense is much improved and I don't see the Huskies enjoying the success they have in past match-ups. Coach Wilcox is doing a great job with the D this season and California is allowing 24 points per game on average on the season and has held all but 2 of 7 opponents to 24 points or less this season. The Huskies have been held to 27 points or less in 5 of their 7 games against FBS foes this season and Washington has not scored more than 35 points against an FBS school this season. Based on Cal's improvements on D and the fact that the Huskies O has not been a powerhouse, I expect Washington to struggle just to win this game let alone cover the big spread. The Huskies only big road win (@ Utah by 14) was fueled by turnovers. Washington's other road games included a win by 7 and a loss at Oregon. Look for a tight one here as the Golden Bears struggles this season have been fueled by turnovers but they are off a game at Oregon State where they played a complete game on both sides of the ball. Look for that huge win over the Beavers to provide the confidence boost this team needed and the defense, solid, is already there. Now with the offense playing a complete game and building off last week's strong effort, the Bears are a dangerous home dog in this spot. In fact, the Golden Bears are 12-1 ATS when they are double digit dog and are coming off a SU win that was also an ATS cover. The system fits here and this is a superb value spot. 10* CALIFORNIA |