Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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02-16-17 | Flyers +143 v. Oilers | Top | 3-6 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 22 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Game #63 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Edmonton Oilers @ 9:05 ET - Even though this is a back to back spot for the Flyers it is not a tough travel spot as they Calgary to Edmonton is a short trip. Also, the Flyers schedule has been light prior to this and, after this game, the Flyers have 2 days off then a game then another 2 days off then a game and then yet another 2 days off before their outdoor game at Pittsburgh. That said, with the Flyers off of a loss last night and desperate to pick up points in the standings, I expect a huge game from them here. They catch Edmonton off of a win but the Oilers had previously lost 4 of their last 5 games and averaged only 1 goal per game in those 5 games. That said, the Oilers also have a big game road trip on deck which begins with a revenge game versus the Blackhawks in Chicago on Saturday. Don't be surprised if the Flyers come out as the better skating team and much more aggressive hockey club given the scheduling dynamics of this situation. Philly has won 8 of their last 12 when playing the 2nd game of a back to back this season and the Oilers have lost 21 of their last 32 February games. The Flyers have allowed just 1.9 goals per game in their last 10 games while Edmonton, before their win over Arizona, had lost 3 straight home games by a combined score of 13-5. This situation is set up perfectly for the upset. 10* PHILADELPHIA FLYERS |
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02-16-17 | Texas-San Antonio v. Rice -12.5 | Top | 68-80 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 21 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #730 Thursday 10* Top Play Rice Owls (-) vs UTSA Roadrunners @ 8 ET - This line has been dropping early this morning and it has opened up additional line value on Rice. The reason for the move is because the big points certainly caught the attention of the marketplace considering that UTSA has won 2 of their last 3 games and is on a 3-0-1 ATS run. However, the markets often have a short-term memory and UTSA was on a 4-game homestand that led to that run. This Roadrunners team is still 1-12 SU away from home this season and their 4 CUSA road losses have come by an average margin of 18.5 points per game. Every single CUSA road defeat for UTSA came by at least 15 points and the line on Rice has dropped from up near 15 down to near a 12 and this is simply great line value considering the fact that the Owls are rolling right now! Rice has won and covered 4 straight games and the last 3 have all been on the road! The Owls have held 5 of their last 6 opponents to 40% or less from the field and UTSA is not known for shooting the ball well. In fact, the Roadrunners have been held under 40% from the field in 7 of their last 8 games. UTSA has averaged just 59 points per game in those 7 games and they now face an Owls team that has averaged 84 points per game (that does factor in removing OT from the equation) during their 4 game winning streak. The Owls are happy to be back home for a 4-game homestand that follows their perfect 3-game road trip and they only have UTEP on deck. That said, UTSA has their full attention and the Roadrunners just don't have the offensive skills to keep up with an Owls team that is averaging 82 points per game on the season. UTSA is 2-6 ATS their last 8 games against teams averaging 77 points or more per game. Also, this season, the Roadrunners are 3-7 ATS on the road. The Owls are 3-0 SU and ATS when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. Rice also has taken care of business against lesser foes this season as the Owls are 11-0 SU and 5-1 ATS against teams with a losing record! 10* RICE OWLS |
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02-16-17 | Wizards v. Pacers +2.5 | Top | 111-98 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 35 m | Show |
Eastern Conference Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Game #702 Thursday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers (+) vs Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - Most likely, no one will want Indiana here. The Pacers are in a back to back while the Wizards have had two days off heading into this one. Indiana is on a 5-game losing streak while Washington has been one of the hottest teams in the league for many weeks now. Of course you know what usually happens when everyone is going one way...it usually doesn't pan out too well. In typical contrarian fashion I am going with the Pacers here. However, it is certainly not without reason. For one thing, the Pacers got very bad shooting nights from George and Teague last night at Cleveland. Even with that, Indiana was in that game for 3 quarters before having a horrible 4th quarter. Also, the hunger of the Pacers is a key here as the last thing they want to do is go into the All Star break having lost 6 straight! Conversely, though they would say otherwise, the Wizards can't help but already be looking ahead to the break. They are very comfortable with where they're at now and likely are already "halfway in" to All Star break mode coming into this one because this will be just the 2nd game for Washington in 6 days. In fact it was last Friday that the Wizards knocked off the Pacers in Washington. Look for some revenge to be served in Indiana tonight. The Pacers will prove to be the hungrier team tonight and, keep in mind, they are 20-9 at home this season while the Wizards are 9-14 on the road this season. 10* INDIANA PACERS |
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02-15-17 | St. John's +10.5 v. Butler | Top | 86-110 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 52 m | Show |
TV Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #563 Wednesday 10* Top Play St John's Red Storm (+) @ Butler Bulldogs @ 8:30 ET - This is a big revenge game for Butler but not only have they lost 3 of their last 4 (both SU and ATS), the Bulldogs simply are not a powerhouse. Yes, I am well aware of the fact that this was a team that was 18-3 on the season before this tough stretch creeped up on them, but just look at their point differentials. Butler's last 7 wins have come by an average margin of just 5.9 points per game. Only 3 of the Bulldogs 15 wins (dates all the way back to Thanksgiving) have come by a margin of more than 10 points. That said, the Red Storm are a formidable opponent that is continuing to get stronger as this season has gone on as they do rely on some key freshmen scoring power. LoVett and Ponds are both freshman and are the leading scorers for St John's and combine to average 35 points per game! As you would expect, these young stars have grown their game as the season has gone on and this makes the Red Storm and even more "upset ready" team than they were earlier in the season. St John's comes into this game having covered 5 straight games. They have 4 SU wins in their last 7 games and this is even though tonight's game will mark their 7th straight game as a dog. With each win, the confidence of this young team is growing and head coach Chris Mullins has this team buying into playing better team defense. Their last 3 games have included a pair where the Red Storm allowed 40% or less from the field even though those match-ups were against the solid offenses of Seton Hall and Marquette. Butler has been held to 41.1% or less from the field in 4 of their last 6 games and that included a home game versus Creighton and the Bluejays are not nearly the same without their star point guard. That said, the Bulldogs will be battling hard just to win this game let alone cover the inflated spread. Butler is 0-3 ATS against teams with a losing record this season while the Red Storm are a solid 11-5 ATS against teams with a winning record this season. 10* ST JOHN'S RED STORM |
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02-15-17 | Blues -101 v. Red Wings | Top | 2-0 | Win | 100 | 7 h 1 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Wednesday 10* Top Play St Louis Blues Money Line (-) @ Detroit Red Wings @ 8:05 ET - This is a classic case of hot versus not and I look for St Louis to keep rolling. The Blues have responded well since the firing of Ken Hitchcock and they head to Joe Louis Arena on a 4-game winning streak. Also, the Blues have not just been winning they've been getting the job done in blowout fashion. St Louis has won 4 straight by a combined score of 14-3 and the Blues last 6 wins have been by a combined margin of 18 goals (22-4). While the Red Wings will do their best to put up a fight (particularly on home ice) they are short-handed with some injury issues (and a possible suspension) and note that the road team has won each of the last 3 meetings between these clubs. Detroit has lost 4 straight games and the Red Wings have given up 4 goals or more in 6 of their last 9 games. Conversely, Blues goalie Jake Allen comes into this game on a red hot run. The Red Wings have lost 32 of their last 48 games while the Blues are playing some of their best hockey this season. Even though Detroit is well rested here, they have actually lost 27 of their last 43 when they enter a game with 2 days of rest. The Blues have won 21 of 33 road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals and they are positioned well to get another one here. 10* Top Play ST LOUIS BLUES money line |
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02-15-17 | Bucks v. Nets +5.5 | Top | 129-125 | Win | 100 | 12 h 37 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #508 Wednesday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (+) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:35 ET - Classic case of an ugly dog here. Yes, the Nets have a long losing streak going, both overall and at home, but Brooklyn should take care of business here. 11 of the 13 losses in their current losing streak have come by single digits. The Nets have been on the cusp of getting over the hump and, going "all out" in their final game before the All Star break is a given here. Brooklyn wants to put an end to the "nonsense" and they are catching the right team at the right time to do it! The Bucks come into this game off of a divisional win over Detroit. Surprisingly, Milwaukee held the Pistons to only 89 points but that was the first time since January 2nd that the Bucks have held a team under 100 points. Also, you have to go all the way back to December 16th to find a game where Milwaukee gave up less than 94 points. As you can see, Monday's win over Detroit was a rare gem for the Bucks and this is a team that is 1-10 ATS against Atlantic Division opponents this season. Also, Milwaukee is an ugly 4-8 SU (and 3-9 ATS!) in road games where the posted total is 210 points or more. The Nets are undoubtedly one of the worst teams in the NBA and I won't try to convince you otherwise. But the fact remains that Brooklyn has been going very hard for weeks now and just hasn't been able to get into the win column. After so many close calls, they catch a Bucks team that is overconfident off of back to back divisional wins (big win at Indiana before knocking off Detroit) and that sets this up as a "dangerous game" for Milwaukee. The Bucks had lost 7 straight road games before notching wins at Phoenix and Indiana. Look for the upset here with a gritty, determined effort from the home dog here but grab the available points. 10* BROOKLYN NETS |
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02-14-17 | Ducks +137 v. Wild | Top | 1-0 | Win | 137 | 10 h 13 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #61 Tuesday 10* Top Play Anaheim Ducks Money Line (+) @ Minnesota Wild @ 8:05 ET - The Wild are coached by former Ducks head coach Bruce Boudreau and so far the Minnesota head coach has gotten revenge on his former team twice already this season. I expect the 3rd time to be the charm for the Ducks players as they now get revenge on the former Anaheim coach. The Ducks are off of an ugly 6-4 loss at Washington Saturday but may have been peeking ahead at this game. Anaheim has won 9 of 11 games this season when they are off of a loss by a multiple goal margin. The Ducks did outshoot the Wild in their loss at Minnesota in late January. Make no mistake the Wild have been playing solid hockey but they have been giving up quite a few goals. In other words, they've been on the edge of getting knocked off had they not scored a pile of goals themselves. That is significant here because the Ducks had allowed an average of only 2.4 goals per game in their 5 games prior to losing badly at Washington. As for the Wild, even though they've won 4 of their last 6 games they've allowed an average of 3 goals per game during this stretch. Look for the revenge-minded Ducks to prove to be the hungrier team here and Minnesota has had some injury issues become quite impacting to their blue line as some defensemen are dealing with injuries. This is definitely a contrarian play but it is a situation offering tremendous line value and appears to be the perfect spot for an upset! 10* Top Play ANAHEIM DUCKS money line |
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02-14-17 | Tennessee +14 v. Kentucky | Top | 58-83 | Loss | -104 | 11 h 35 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #729 Tuesday 10* Top Play Tennessee Volunteers (+) @ Kentucky Wildcats @ 7 ET - This is a big revenge game for the Wildcats but they are over-priced here. This is especially true when you consider how Kentucky has been playing and the fact that Tennessee has won 2 of the last 3 meetings and none of the 3 games were decided by more than 10 points. Kentucky is only 3-3 in their last 6 games and none of the 3 Wildcat wins were by more than 9 points. Kentucky has had trouble with holding big leads and, that said, even if the Cats are fortunate enough to get up big in this game they are unlikely to be able to maintain the lead. The Volunteers have also had trouble with holding big leads in recent games but of course they are a double digit dog here so that is less of a concern as is simply being competitive. That said, after Tennessee blew a big lead and lost to Georgia by a single point Saturday, there is no doubt about the hunger they will bring to this game. A key for the Vols in terms of the big points here is the fact that they have not lost a game by more than 13 points this entire season! Head coach Rick Barnes is really getting the best out of his players and this is not a team that is going to lay down for anyone. In other words, look for the Vols to be fighting hard throughout this game no matter what the score is. That certainly makes for a dangerous double digit dog. The Volunteers had covered 5 of their last 6 before the loss to the Bulldogs. The Wildcats, even with a rare cover in their win at Alabama Saturday, are on an ugly 2-8 ATS run. Even though Kentucky is playing this game with road loss revenge for the loss at Tennessee last month, the fact is that the Wildcats are 0-4 ATS this season when looking to avenge a road defeat. The Vols are a solid 8-3 ATS as an underdog this season and I look for another solid cover here. 10* Top Play TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS |
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02-13-17 | Coyotes v. Flames OVER 5.5 | Top | 5-0 | Loss | -100 | 14 h 31 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Monday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals (+) in Calgary Flames vs Arizona Coyotes @ 9:05 ET - Calgary will be ready to make a big push here as they return from their bye week. Right now the Flames are a team that is not sure if they need to be a buyer or a seller as the trade deadline approaches quickly. Certainly the players are hungry to make a push for a playoff spot and Calgary has won 4 of its last 5 games. The Coyotes, though long eliminated from playoff discussions, have also been playing better with wins in 5 of their last 8 games. Both teams have improved production on offense to thank for notching a few more victories of late. Amazingly, Arizona has scored 3 goals or more in 9 of their last 10 games. Not surprisingly, the Coyotes have had just 1 under in those 10 games! The point is that the Coyotes are no longer the doormats of the league when it comes to scoring goals, at least not based on their current form. As for the Flames, they have scored 3 goals or more in 8 of their last 10 games and have gone 7-3 to the over during this stretch. Of course a 3-3 game guarantees us of no less than a 4-3 final here and I like the value with the over 5.5 currently available at plus money for this one. Calgary has allowed an average of nearly 4 goals per game in its last 9 games while Arizona has allowed an average of nearly 4 goals per game in its last 8 road games. The over is 4-1 this season in Flames games when they are off of 3 or more days of rest. More of the same here. 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Calgary |
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02-13-17 | West Virginia +5 v. Kansas | Top | 80-84 | Win | 100 | 12 h 52 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #539 Monday 10* Top Play West Virginia Mountaineers (+) @ Kansas Jayhawks @ 9 ET - First lines that came out on this game yesterday had it at a -2.5 and sure enough the markets got "baited" and jumped all over the revenge-seeking Jayhawks at home and drove the line all the way up to a -5. I'll gladly take advantage of the value on the other side. Even though Kansas is at home and playing with revenge they certainly have some "issues" right now. First off the Jayhawks just aren't playing all that well as, even though they are 4-2 in their last 6 games, the 4 wins have come by an average margin of only 3.75 points while the losses included a 16-point blowout defeat at West Virginia. Perhaps the even bigger issue for Kansas here is the fact that, even though each team is in the same scheduling situation (one day of rest) the short amount of time off is likely to be more impacting to the Jayhawks. Their star player, Frank Mason is dealing with an illness and that was evident on Saturday as he struggled in the game and eventually fouled out. Against the relentless pressure defense of the Mountaineers, Kansas will find knocking off West Virginia much tougher than the Red Raiders. The Jayhawks only beat Texas Tech by a single point and have now failed to cover 12 of their last 17. Kansas has a great SU record at home but note that they are just 2-8 ATS at home this season! The Mountaineers only have 5 losses on the season and 4 of the 5 came by 4 points or less. This is likely to be war because even though the Jayhawks have revenge, the Mountaineers also are sick of looking up in the standings at Kansas and West Virginia also was knocked out of the Big 12 conference tourney by the Jayhawks last spring. Look for the Mountaineers pressure defense and the fact that Mason is not 100% to be the two key factors for a potential upset here. If West Virginia does fall short of the upset, I expect it to only be by a single bucket. A lot of points expected here and the Mountaineers are an incredible 27-12 ATS long-term in games with a posted total in the 150s. 10* Top Play WEST VIRGINIA |
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02-13-17 | Pistons +3 v. Bucks | Top | 89-102 | Loss | -105 | 9 h 51 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Game #511 Monday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 8:05 ET - Many will likely be looking to Milwaukee today after the Pistons rallied late and got the upset win at Toronto yesterday. However, this is not a "normal" in-season situation here. The All Star break begins later this week and so players aren't "holding anything back" and, right now, Detroit has been playing much better ball than Milwaukee. Not only that, the Pistons suffered one of their worst home defeats of the season in late December when the Bucks defeated them by 25 points. The Pistons haven't forgotten that game as, of course, Milwaukee is a division rival. Now Detroit gets their shot at revenge and, even though it is a back to back, only one guy played more than 32 minutes for the Pistons yesterday. Also, Milwaukee is off of a big upset win too as they won at Indiana on Saturday. One of the key differences though is the Bucks recent wins have been "fortunate" ones where they simply shot the ball extremely well. Milwaukee's win over the Pacers saw them knock down 54.8% of their three pointers and that was just the 3rd win for the Bucks in their last 15 games. Conversely, Detroit was held to 43% from the field and 26% from three point land and yet still won at Toronto yesterday. The Pistons are winning the "hustle points" and are playing much better team basketball than the Bucks right now. Detroit is on a 6-2 ATS run and are 5-2 SU and ATS in their last 7 games against teams with a losing record. Conversely, Milwaukee is an ugly 1-5 ATS and SU in their last 6 games against teams with a losing record. This is a classic case of "hot versus not" and "hungry versus complacent" and, even though it is a back to back for Detroit, they did play early yesterday and each of these teams are playing their 3rd game in 4 days. Advantage to the road dog Pistons and I expect them to get their revenge here against the struggling Bucks. Talking about the "stronger level of play" angle above. The Bucks have been outshot by 40 shots over their last 8 games. The Pistons have outshot their opponents by 44 shots in their last 4 games. The road team is clearly getting more scoring opportunities while also allowing less. More of the same here. 10* DETROIT PISTONS |
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02-12-17 | Pelicans v. Kings -3 | Top | 99-105 | Win | 100 | 13 h 41 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Game #838 Sunday 10* Top Play Sacramento Kings (-) vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 9:05 ET - The Pelicans have the full attention of the Kings because New Orleans has given them trouble in recent meetings. Sacramento finally ended a Pelicans "run" in this series with a home win over New Orleans in their most recent meeting in November. The Kings won that game by 8 and, with this being Sacramento's last home game until after the All Star break, I fully expect huge effort from them here. Though both teams have played rather well their last couple games, I like the fact that the Kings have averaged 10 more field goal attempts per game than their opponent in their last 2 games. The Pelicans have been at the other end of the spectrum on that stat as they have given up an average of 9 more field goal attempts per game than what they've taken. Of course limiting the number of opportunities for your opponent while also maximizing your own is a key to success and the Kings come in strong and have won 3 of their last 4 games. Not only does Sacramento have the back to back wins, they also have had a win over Golden State in this four game stretch. The Pelicans, prior to their road win at Minnesota, had lost 5 straight road games. Overall, New Orleans had failed to cover 4 straight games before the win over the Timberwolves. Sacramento is 20-8 ATS long-term in their home games against New Orleans and the Kings have shot at least 47.5% from the field in 7 of their last 9 games. The Pelicans, before erupting at Minnesota, had been held under 46% from the field in 5 of their last 6 games. 10* Top Play SACRAMENTO KINGS minus the short number Sunday night |
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02-12-17 | Northwestern v. Wisconsin -10 | Top | 66-59 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 17 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #856 Sunday 10* Top Play Wisconsin Badgers (-) vs Northwestern Wildcats @ 6:30 ET - At first glance this line may appear a little high considering the fact that the Badgers have not been shooting well recently, the Wildcats are 18-6 on the season, and Wisconsin is laying double digits here. However, there are some key factors that are pointing to an absolute rout here. First off, Northwestern's leading scorer Scottie Lindsey is out for this game (mononucleosis) and this will be the 3rd straight game he's missed. Not only did the Wildcats lose their first two games without him, the results weren't even closed. They lost by 21 at Purdue as a 9.5 point dog and they lost to Illinois by 7 as a 6 point favorite. More struggles for the Cats can be expected today as the Badgers are happy to finally be back home. This is just their 2nd home game since January 24th so, over a span of 3 weeks Wisconsin has been away from home for nearly every game. They'll be fired up to make the most of this game at home and, keep in mind, much of their recent shooting woes can be attributed to being away from Madison. At home this season the Badgers are averaging 79 points per game this season and shooting 48% from the field including 38% from beyond the arc! Northwestern has struggled on both ends of the floor in these last two games without Lindsey and a trip to Madison isn't going to help matters for the Wildcats. The Badgers are 7-3 ATS at home this season and the Wildcats run at the betting windows is likely over. They were on a 15-3 ATS run before Lindsey went down. Look for them to now drop to 0-3 ATS without him. 10* WISCONSIN BADGERS minus the points Sunday evening |
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02-11-17 | Bucks +7 v. Pacers | Top | 116-100 | Win | 100 | 11 h 5 m | Show |
Contrarian Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Saturday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (+) @ Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - This is a contrarian pick all the way. The fact is that the Bucks have been struggling badly and Jabari Parker was just lost for the season and, even though Khris Middleton finally played in last night's game, he did not travel with the team to Indiana. All that said, this line opened up at "only" a 6 and that is a strange line considering the Pacers have the much better record and also are at home. Considering the home/road dichotomy of the way these two teams play home versus away you can see why the betting markets already pushed this to the 7 in early action. Nothing is ever as "easy" as it seems and my expectation is that this game tonight is absolutely going to turn into a divisional dogfight. Milwaukee simply got done in last night by the Lakers hitting a ridiculous 15 of 30 three pointers. The Bucks got down early and then rallied late but they'll be ready to bounce back after being outscored by 21 points from three point land (Lakers hit 7 more threes than Milwaukee) last night. Even though this is a back to back for the Bucks, it is also a back to back for the Pacers and they are the ones laying 7 points here even though they are 3-7 SU (and 2-8 ATS) this season in the 2nd game of a back to back! Even though this is part of 3 games in 4 days for the Bucks they previously had 3 full off days. As for the Pacers, they are playing their 6th game in 9 nights. Look for the Pacers to be a little weary in this one and they're missing Thaddeus Young (wrist) and have been playing a little soft in the middle. The Bucks are 6-3 SU and ATS in divisional games this season and they'll push Indiana to the limit in this one. The Pacers are only 2-2 in the last 4 meetings between these clubs and the two Indiana victories each came by only 5 points. 10* Top Play MILWAUKEE BUCKS plus the points Saturday evening |
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02-11-17 | Green Bay v. Wright State -3 | Top | 79-88 | Win | 100 | 13 h 46 m | Show |
No Doubt Blowout Rout - Rickenbach CBB Game #634 Saturday 10* Top Play Wright State Raiders (-) vs Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix @ 7 ET - Wright State is at home where they are 10-3 on the season and they are hosting a Wisconsin-Green Bay team that is only 6-8 away from home this season. The Raiders come into this game off having shot the ball very well in 6 of their last 7 games. Wright State averaged 84.5 points per game in those 6 games and they now face a Phoenix team that rallied for a road cover at Northern Kentucky Thursday. The fact that UWGB got in the backdoor for the cover there is helping to keep this line lower than it should be. Don't be surprised if 3 point shooting plays a role in this one. UWGB has only made 30% of their threes on the road this season while Wright State shoots a hot 40% at home from beyond the arc. The biggest key of all to this play is the revenge factor. Not only did the Raiders lose at Green Bay in January, they also were knocked out of the Horizon League tourney by the Phoenix last March. UWGB shot surprisingly well from three point land in their home win over the Raiders in January and in the Horizon League tourney last March. However, in their last two visits to Wright State UWGB has been held to 25% or less from three point land in each game. Green Bay lost their most recent visit to Wright State and the Raiders have payback on their minds in a big way here. The Raiders are 7-3 SU and ATS in games with a posted total in the 150s this season. They are also 2-0 SU this season when playing with road loss revenge. UWGB has suffered the SU loss in 21 of their last 32 games as an underdog. That said, and with this spread only around a 3, I like the odds of the Raiders getting a solid, revenging home cover in this one. 10* Top Play WRIGHT STATE minus the short number Saturday evening |
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02-11-17 | Saint Louis Cardinals +145 v. Canadiens | Top | 4-2 | Win | 145 | 10 h 51 m | Show |
NHL Network Smash - Rickenbach NHL Game #13 Saturday 10* Top Play St Louis Blues Money Line (+) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - The Blues recently fired coach Ken Hitchock and it certainly has grabbed the club's attention. St Louis enters this game having won 3 straight and the Blues have allowed 1 goals or less in 4 of their last 5 games. The scheduling situation here is ideal for St Louis to stay hot and yet we're able to get a big plus money price on the underdog Blues here. Montreal just got back from a trip out west and the first game back is often the toughest. Not only that, unlike the Blues, the Canadiens have been struggling in their own end as they've allowed 3 goals or more in 4 of their last 5 games. The Habs were somewhat fortunate to escape Arizona with a 5-4 win and that snapped a 4 games losing streak for slumping Montreal. The Canadiens had lost 10 of 15 prior to defeating the Coyotes and this a Montreal team that has not managed to win consecutive games since early January. The Habs have lost 15 of 25 games against teams with a winning record and I feel strongly that they are not priced properly here. The Blues have won 39 of 60 Saturday games the past 3 seasons combined and they'll be fired up for Hockey Night in Canada. Grab the big dog value here. 10* ST LOUIS BLUES MONEY LINE early Saturday evening |
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02-11-17 | Louisiana Tech -7.5 v. Texas-San Antonio | Top | 72-66 | Loss | -110 | 17 h 9 m | Show |
CUSA Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Game #585 Saturday 10* Top Play Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (-) @ UTSA Roadrunners @ 4 ET - This one is set up perfectly. This is a huge revenge game for the Bulldogs as they suffered a rare home loss to UTSA last month. In that game they blew a huge lead. Louisiana Tech also comes into this one off of a game where they blew a big lead in a tight one-point win at UTEP Thursday. The Roadrunners are at the other end of the spectrum as they rallied from a 2nd half deficit to get a 6-point win versus Southern Mississippi Thursday. The Golden Eagles are one of the worst teams in CUSA but, the point is, even they "had them on the ropes" before ultimately falling short on Thursday. The other point is that there is some extra line value here as a result of those recent games. The fact is that, even on the road, the Bulldogs could have easily been installed as a double digit favorite and yet the line opened up at 8.5 and then dropped to 7.5 which is something I'll gladly take advantage of here. Louisiana Tech is fired up and they are hungry for revenge and the Bulldogs defense will bring it's "A game" for this one. That's bad news for a Roadrunners team that generally does not execute well on offense and that was evident again Thursday in UTSA's ugly tight win over Southern Miss. Louisiana Tech is 11-1 SU (and 4-2 ATS) in their games against teams with a losing record and each of their 4 prior wins over UTSA had come by a double digit margin. The Bulldogs are knocking down 46.7% of their field goal attempts this season. UTSA is shooting only 38.2% and averaging just 63 points per game in conference action. The Roadrunners have been held to 39.3% or less from the field in 6 of their last 7 games. Though they got a tight, low-scoring win Thursday, they are 2-11 SU and 2-8 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. That includes 0-4 ATS this season and this one turns into a road rout for the revenge-minded Bulldogs. 10* Top Play LOUISIANA TECH minus the points Saturday afternoon |
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02-10-17 | Blackhawks v. Jets OVER 5.5 | Top | 5-2 | Win | 100 | 12 h 18 m | Show |
Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Friday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Winnipeg Jets vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 8:05 ET - The Blackhawks have gone over the total in 3 straight games and 6 of their last 7. Chicago comes into this one seeking revenge as the Jets have had their number in recent meetings but it will still be difficult for the Hawks to keep their defensive intensity high after their revenging win over Minnesota. The Wild are currently at the top of the division and that was a big win for Chicago. That said, the Blackhawks are going to likely end up having to rely on their offense to get the job done here and that should not be a problem. Winnipeg comes into this one having gone over the total in 6 straight games and 9 of their last 10. The Jets have an amazing run going whereby they have allowed at least 3 goals in 13 straight games. Winnipeg has allowed an average of nearly 4 goals per game during this long streak and the over, going even further back, is 15-3-1 in their last 19 games! The Blackhawks have allowed at least 3 goals in 10 of their last 12 games. The over is 10-2-1 in their last 13 games. Of course a 3-3 game guarantees us no worse than a 4-3 final and I like the odds of this game getting over the posted total of 5.5 goals. One other note here, the Jets just lost starting goalie Ondrej Pavelec to injury too and the Jets defense had not been playing well in front of him so no matter who is between the pipes Winnipeg's struggles keeping pucks out of their own net is likely to continue here. 10* OVER the total in Winnipeg Friday |
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02-10-17 | Nuggets +2.5 v. Knicks | Top | 131-123 | Win | 100 | 9 h 12 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #855 Friday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (+) @ New York Knicks @ 7:35 ET - Denver is 9-17 SU on the road this season and yet the Knicks are a very small home favorite here. Looks easy to play New York, right? Exactly! That is why I am on the Nuggets here in typical contrarian fashion. The key here is that the Knicks are just a huge mess right now. The Charles Oakley situation (in the stands) just adds even more fuel to the fire and the fact is that the Knicks truly would be better off on the road right now than playing again at home where turmoil has gripped this team. New York comes into this one having lost 3 straight games and they are now 6-19 dating back to Christmas Day! Even though the Nuggets are off of a loss they had previously won 9 of their last 14 games and gone 10-4 ATS at the betting window during this solid stretch. Though their road record looks poor they have been playing quite well on the road. The trouble has been that recent games have included a pair of trips to San Antonio and a trip to Atlanta. Only 3-5 SU in their last 8 games played away from Denver but note that the 3 of the 5 losses came by 6 points or less and the Nuggets will take advantage of facing a struggling Knicks team in this one. Denver has won each of its last 3 meetings with the Knicks and that includes their last visit to New York. Also, the Nuggets are 7-3 SU and ATS (including 3-1 SU and ATS this season) when they are a road dog of 3 points or less. The Knicks are 3-0 to the over in their L3 games because their defense has given up 117 points per game! We're not playing the over here as you can but the significance in that is that New York is 5-12 SU and ATS the L3 seasons when they enter a game on an "over streak" of 3 games or more. The lackluster play on that end of the floor will again cause the demise of the Knicks tonight and I expect the road dog to get the upset win. 10* DENVER NUGGETS plus the points Friday |
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02-10-17 | Dayton v. Rhode Island UNDER 141 | Top | 75-74 | Loss | -108 | 9 h 60 m | Show |
ESPN2 Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #870 Friday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Rhode Island Rams vs Dayton Flyers @ 7 ET - This total went from a 138 to 141 and this is offering us even more line value on the under in what should be a game played with plenty of defensive intensity. Both of these teams are up near the top of the Atlantic Ten standings and both teams are very strong defensively. Even though the over is 3-2 in the last 5 meetings between these teams note that not a single one of those games totaled more than 141 points and 4 of the 5 totaled 134 points or less. That said, there would have not been a single over in any of the 5 prior meetings at this high number posted on today's total. Of course the reason this total is higher is each team has some solid offensive stats this season but not enough credit is being given to the defenses here in a game where defensive intensity will be at max level. The Rams are allowing just 66 points per game this season and the Flyers are allowing only 64 points per game this season. Rhode Island shot surprisingly well from three point land in the prior meeting this season in Dayton and yet the game stayed under the total. That says a lot right there and certainly a 47.6% performance from beyond the arc is unlikely from either team today. The Flyers are allowing only 31% from three point land on the season and the Rams are allowing only 30.4% from downtown! Rhode Island has really turned up the defensive intensity in recent weeks and they've held 3 of their last 4 opponents under 36% from the field and 4 of their last 6 have been held under 39.8% from the field. The under is 4-1 in the Rams last 5 games. Also, as home fave of 3 points or less, the under is on a 3-1 run in Rhode Island games. The Flyers bring their "A game" in terms of defensive intensity when they are up against quality competition. So far this season, the under is 10-5 in Dayton's games against teams with a winning record. More of the same expected here. 10* UNDER the total in Rhode Island Friday |
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02-09-17 | Wisconsin v. Nebraska +8.5 | Top | 70-69 | Win | 100 | 10 h 24 m | Show |
Big Ten Network Smash - Rickenbach CBB Game #746 Thursday 10* Top Play Nebraska Cornhuskers (+) vs Wisconsin Badgers @ 9 ET - Looking at the rest of their regular season schedule, this is clearly the Cornhuskers "game of the year" and they've been known to rise up against quality competition. With this line moving all the way up to an 8.5 as of mid-morning on gameday we are capturing excellent line value here with a dangerous home dog. Nebraska is 6-1 ATS the last 7 times they have been a dog of 7 points or more. The last 5 times they were a dog of 7 points or more they have recorded the outright win 3 times! The Cornhuskers remaining home games don't include a single Big Ten team that currently has a wining record in conference action. In other words, this is indeed "the game" for Nebraska and they could be catching Wisconsin at the ideal time for an upset. The Badgers are off of a big home win versus Indiana and they have a tough home game with Northwestern on deck. This one game road "trip" is truly a dangerous spot in their schedule and the Badgers last 3 games featured two teams (Indiana and Illinois) certainly not known for their defense and another team (Rutgers) that is just a bad basketball team. With that said, the fact that Wiscy was held under 40.8% from the field in all 3 games and also shot horribly from three point land during this three-game stretch is a legitimate cause for concern. The way I see it, Wiscy is going to have to scratch and claw for a hard-fought victory here and they may not even escape with that. In a situation that has "upset" written all over it (keep in mind Huskers already upset Purdue, Maryland, and upset Hoosiers at Indiana) there is tremendous line value with the big points here. Look for the Cornhuskers to improve to 7-1 ATS the last 8 times they've been a dog of 7 points or more. 10* NEBRASKA plus the points Thursday night |
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02-09-17 | Jazz v. Mavs +3.5 | Top | 105-112 | Win | 100 | 12 h 24 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #708 Thursday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks (+) vs Utah Jazz @ 8:35 ET - The Jazz are off of a huge win last night at New Orleans. That makes this a tough back to back spot for Utah and the Jazz are on a 1-6 ATS run in the 2nd night of back to backs. They face a Dallas team that has been playing much better of late and was off last night. The scheduling and situational edge is big here for the Mavericks who are on an 11-3 ATS run. The Mavs are playing this game with home loss revenge and Dallas has gone a fantastic 8-2 ATS when playing with home loss revenge this season. Look for the Mavericks to tighten things up defensively after allowing 114 to the Trail Blazers in a one point loss Tuesday. The Mavs are 12-6 ATS this season when off of a game where they allowed 105 points or more. After this game against a Western Conference foe, the Mavericks won't face another team from their conference for two weeks. Couple that with the home loss revenge factor as well as the back to back spot for Utah and you have the perfect situational advantages that dictate playing on the Mavericks in this one. They are off of back to back losses and haven't lost three straight since early January. Look for the Mavs to get back on track with a W here. 10* DALLAS MAVERICKS plus the points Thursday night |
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02-09-17 | Kings +100 v. Panthers | Top | 6-3 | Win | 100 | 8 h 36 m | Show |
Situational Shocker - Rickenbach NHL Game #17 Thursday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Kings Money Line (+) @ Florida Panthers @ 7:35 ET - Even though the Panthers have won 3 straight and also welcomed back some key personnel in their most recent game, the trouble for Florida is their last game was Friday! After their mandatory "bye week" that became part of the NHL schedule this season for each team, the Panthers are likely to come out a little sluggish here. That is going to spell trouble against a Kings team that, inexplicably, is off of back to back 5-0 shutout losses! Another key to the motivation for Los Angeles here is the fact that they don't play again until next Thursday as their bye week starts after this game. Look for LA to bring plenty of resolve to the rink tonight and "leave it all on the ice" because the last thing the Kings want to do is go into their bye week off of a 3rd straight poor effort! Keep in mind, Los Angeles had won 5 straight games before their 2-game skid while the Panthers had lost 4 straight games before their 3-game run prior their bye week. The Kings entered Tuesday's game at Tampa Bay having won 9 of 13 this season when off of a loss by a multiple goal margin. They were unable to get the job done. They are in the same spot again here and you will see a Kings team going "all out" this time. Given the situation, the Kings will prove to be the much hungrier team in this spot. 10* LOS ANGELES KINGS money line early Thursday evening |
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02-08-17 | Iowa v. Minnesota -6.5 | Top | 89-101 | Win | 100 | 10 h 37 m | Show |
Big Ten Network Smash - Rickenbach CBB Game #562 Wednesday 10* Top Play Minnesota Golden Gophers (-) vs Iowa Hawkeyes @ 9 ET - Good spot for Minnesota here. The Golden Gophers have gone through a tough stretch but 4 of their 6 games were on the road. They did get back on track with a solid road win at Illinois Saturday and that was a big confidence booster for Minnesota. They had suffered a number of tight recent losses with their last 4 defeats coming by an average of 4 points per game. Now they are off of a win, back at home, and hosting an Iowa team that just isn't what it use to be and yet the Golden Gophers are currently looking up in the standings at the Hawkeyes. Minnesota's defense got back on track against the Illini and they'll be fired up about turning up the pressure on their home court to make up for a tight loss to Maryland in their most recent home game. Keep in mind the Golden Gophers two most recent home games were against a ranked Terrapins team and a ranked Wisconsin team. Prior to losing those 2 home games Minnesota was 12-1 at home with their only loss coming in overtime versus Michigan State. The Gophers will now take advantage of facing a lesser foe (in comparison with Badgers and Terps) and I look for them to get a big home win here. Iowa is off of a home win against Nebraska but the Hawkeyes are 2-7 away from home this season. Though they did win their most recent road game that was against a bad Rutgers team. The Hawkeyes lost each of their four prior road games in Big Ten action and the defeats came by an average margin of 18 points per loss! Before the win over a bad Scarlet Knights team, Iowa was winless both SU and ATS in true road games this season! The Golden Gophers last 8 wins have featured 7 victories by 7 points or more and this one is well within being a manageable number to lay with the hungry home team seeking revenge for a tight road loss at Iowa last season. 10* MINNESOTA |
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02-08-17 | Raptors v. Wolves +3.5 | Top | 109-112 | Win | 100 | 12 h 4 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #518 Wednesday 10* Top Play Minnesota Timberwolves (+) vs Toronto Raptors @ 8:05 ET - This is the classic case of the ugly home dog. Few will want Minnesota here as they recently lost PG Zach LaVine to season-ending injury and the Timberwolves come into this game having lost 4 straight. However, Minny is fired up for responding here after their defense let them down in their most recent game, a tight home loss to a red hot Miami team. The T-wolves caught an earful from their head coach about playing well on BOTH ends of the floor just one and Minnesota will be ready to go here. Keep in mind, the Timberwolves had held 3 of their 4 prior opponents under 45% from the field. Even though Toronto enters this game off of back to back wins, they faced a Clippers team struggling without Chris Paul and they faced the Nets (one of the worst teams in the league). Prior to those wins the Raptors had lost 8 of its last 10 and they're still trying to "work out the kinks" as they welcome back players who had missed some time due to injury. The home team has won each of the last 3 meetings between these teams and Toronto is playing their 3rd game in 4 nights and each game has been in a different city. Against teams with a losing record the Raptors have failed to cover 4 of its last 6. The Timberwolves, seeking revenge for a loss at Toronto in December, are 7-4 SU and ATS in home games with a posted total of 210 or more. Also, when Minny enters a game off of 3 or more consecutive losses, they are 7-2 ATS this season. Being a contrarian generally pays off well and I love fading the line move in this particular situation that favors the home dog! 10* MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES |
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02-08-17 | Blackhawks -102 v. Wild | Top | 4-3 | Win | 100 | 7 h 5 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Wednesday 10* Top Play Chicago Blackhawks Money Line (+) @ Minnesota Wild @ 8:05 ET - This is a very strong situation for the Blackhawks. Even though Minnesota is a quality hockey club and is on home ice, there is a reason that this game is basically priced as a "pick'em" and that is the fact that the Blackhawks have a huge scheduling edge here and certainly have revenge on their minds. Even though Chicago has dominated the Wild in recent playoff meetings, these teams have played a lot since their most recent post-season meeting and the Minnesota has held the upper hand. In fact, Minny has now won 8 straight regular season meetings with the Blackhawks! Not only is that enough to have Chicago fired up for this game, the Hawks also are looking up in the standings at Minnesota in the top spot in the Central Division right now. That is certainly atypical as well and the Blackhawks have had this game circled as "their game of the year" for the past few weeks. Keep in mind Chicago lost at home to Minnesota in mid-January. That immediately added to the intensity of this revenge game for the Blackhawks as they know they must gain ground on Minnesota in the division and head to head match-ups tonight and in two weeks from now give the Hawks the coveted opportunity to pick up 4 points on their division rivals. The big scheduling edge here is that the Blackhawks have had a full 3 days off to get geared up both physically and emotionally for this game whereas the Wild had to play at Winnipeg last night! Minnesota is only a .500 team in back to back spots this season. Chicago is off of a big win at Dallas Saturday and the Blackhawks have won 8 of 12 this season when off of a win by a multiple goal margin. Also, Chicago has won 14 of 19 when they are off of a divisional game this season! When playing with home loss revenge the Blackhawks have won 9 of 14 games this season and they want this one badly! 10* CHICAGO on the money line Wednesday night |
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02-07-17 | Blazers -110 v. Mavs | Top | 114-113 | Win | 100 | 13 h 40 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Game #705 Tuesday 10* Top Play Portland Trail Blazers (+) @ Dallas Mavericks @ 8:35 ET - Big revenge spot for Portland and Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard as he had one of his worst games of the season versus Dallas Friday night. In that very same game, Yogi Ferrell (on a 10 day contract!) had a ridiculously big game and scored 32 points including hitting a ridiculous 9 of 11 from three point land. No disrespect to Ferrell as he appears to be on his way to earning a 2-year deal with the Mavericks but this guy was in the D-league this season prior to coming to Dallas due to their injury situation. The fact is that this game is about much more than Lillard vs Ferrell but look for the entire Trail Blazers team to be focused on home loss revenge here and get the big win at Dallas. This is a tough back to back spot for the Mavericks as they were in Denver last night and got throttled 110-87. After playing in the thin air of Denver, the Mavs are likely to struggle in this back to back spot even though they are back home. Although the Nuggets won the 2nd game of their most recent back to back, that certainly has been the exception rather than the norm this season. In fact, Dallas was 0-9 in the 2nd game of back to backs this season before that win over the Cavaliers last week. The Mavericks recent numbers on defense (45.5% or more FG % in 6 straight games) also is a concern for the Mavs here as the Blazers have been better on that end of the floor. The Trail Blazers have held 4 of their last 8 opponents under 40.9% from the field. Look for the Mavericks to drop to 1-10 SU on the season when in the 2nd game of a back to back. 10* PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS Tuesday |
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02-07-17 | Blue Jackets v. Red Wings +106 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -100 | 7 h 6 m | Show |
Situational Shocker - Rickenbach NHL Game #12 Tuesday 10* Top Play Detroit Red Wings Money Line (+) vs Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:35 ET - The Blue Jackets are off of a 5-1 home loss to New Jersey so many may be looking to back them here. However, that was the 4th loss for Columbus in their last 5 games and the Jackets have now allowed 4 goals or more in 6 straight games! That spells trouble against a Red Wings team that is seeing Petr Mrazek start to get hot between the pipes. He's been playing better over the past month but it didn't always show up in the box score. Last week at Nashville it certainly did as Detroit got a 1-0 win over the Predators. A team can ride a hot goalie and, even though the Red Wings have been outshot 78 to 43 in their past two games they won both games thanks, in part, to Mrazek. This is the Red Wings final home game for more than a week as they have a tough road trip on deck. That further increases the important of this game for Detroit. Conversely, the Blue Jackets a have a long homestand on deck and could get caught peeking ahead to that as I am predicting they'll get outplayed by a hungry Red Wings team looking to make sure they make a run toward notching a 26th straight playoff appearance. Detroit was embarrassed at home by the Blue Jackets in December and the Red Wings have won 9 of 13 this season when playing with home loss revenge. Columbus has lost 46 of 74 when off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. 10* Top Play DETROIT RED WINGS on the money line Tuesday evening |
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02-07-17 | Western Michigan -2 v. Miami (OH) | Top | 72-55 | Win | 100 | 8 h 50 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #725 Tuesday 10* Top Play Western Michigan Broncos (-) @ Miami-Ohio Redhawks @ 7 ET - I lost with the Broncos on Friday and had my eyes on this match-up as the perfect spot to get some payback with Western Michigan. Keep in mind the Broncos played very well at Central Michigan Friday but then gave up a huge game-ending run to the Chippewas and lost the game by 4 as a 3.5 point dog. This was certainly a tough beat for the Broncos (and for me) but they've now had 3 full days since then to get fired up for a shot at redemption. Keep in mind this is a Western Michigan team that is still winless (0-9 SU) on the road this season! That said, one need not be concerned that there is anything wrong with this line. The Broncos are favored for a number of reasons. They are fired up after the way they lost at Central Michigan. They are ready to exact revenge against a Miami-Ohio team that beat them last year at Western Michigan in an ugly 45-44 game. The Broncos did defeat the Redhawks by a double digit margin in their most recent visit here. Miami-Ohio has faced a weaker schedule in comparison with the Broncos and yet the Redhawks are on an ugly 1-8 SU run. In home games the Redhawks have been held under 38% in each of their past two games and they averaged just 59.5 points in those two games and these were at home! The Broncos come in having shot 50% or better in 3 of their last 4 road games. Western Michigan's last two road games this season are at Toledo and Northern Illinois and, though they certainly are not looking ahead you can bet they are fully aware that this game at Miami-Ohio represents their best shot at notching a road victory. No team wants to go 0-fer on the road for an entire season and the Broncos last 5 road losses have seen 4 come by a margin of 7 points or less. As they proved at Central Michigan, Western Michigan is on the cusp of getting that elusive road win and this is the perfect spot to do just that. I'll gladly lay the small number with a hungry road team that is ready to blast a struggling opponent. 10* WESTERN MICHIGAN minus the short number early Tuesday evening |
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02-05-17 | Patriots v. Falcons UNDER 59.5 | Top | 34-28 | Loss | -120 | 51 h 46 m | Show |
Rickenbach NFL 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Super Bowl LI @ 6:30 ET Sunday 5 February, 2017 - Both teams certainly respect their opponents offense in this match-up. In other words, the Falcons know they need to keep Tom Brady off of the field as much as possible and, likewise, the Patriots know they need to keep Matt Ryan off of the field as much as possible. That said, even though the story line for this Super Bowl match-up is the two star QBs and the potent offenses they operate, I won't be surprised to see a fair amount of emphasis on the ground game for both these teams. Don't get me wrong, each QB will still be looking for opportunities to attack downfield but one of the keys here is that whoever has the lead throughout this game (and this could be back and forth in that regard) is going to look to run the ball as much as possible to keep their opponents strength (for each team it is the offense) off of the field. The reason this total got so high is all the crazy scores we saw in this post-season and the fact that the Falcons have been an "over machine" this season as well as the fact that public oftentimes makes its biggest wagers on the Super Bowl and is known for having an affinity for the overs (particularly in the Super Bowl). With all that said, the odds makers were forced to hang a high total on this game just to generate balanced action which, of course, is their ultimate goal. That said, note that Atlanta is fully capable of running the ball with success and has averaged 29 rushing attempts per game in their last 5 games. The Patriots also have been running the ball plenty and are averaging 32.4 rushing attempts per game in their last 5 games. On the defensive side of the ball both teams have been good of late about being "bend but don't break" and that has resulted in the Pats allowing only 10.6 points per game in their last 5 games and the Falcons allowing a respectable average of 19.3 points per game in their last 6 games. The last 4 times the Super Bowl has had a total in the 50s the under has cashed in every single time - a perfect 4-0 mark to the under. Also, the under is 10-4 in the Falcons games played on grass the last 3 seasons combined and the under is 4-1 in Patriots games played on grass this season. 10* UNDER the total in Super Bowl LI |
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02-05-17 | Patriots v. Falcons +3 | Top | 34-28 | Loss | -100 | 50 h 3 m | Show |
Rickenbach NFL 10* Top Play Atlanta Falcons (+) vs New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI @ 6:30 ET Sunday - The Patriots have only gained 155 yards on 54 carries in this post-season. The Falcons have not only gained 200 yards on 59 carries in the post-season, their rushing attack was stronger at the end of the regular season too. Atlanta has averaged 148.4 yards per game on the ground over their last 5 games. The reason I am talking so much about the ground game here is because I do feel it could be a key in this game. Both teams are led by tremendous quarterbacks with Tom Brady for the Patriots and Matt Ryan for the Falcons and each head coach knows the key to winning this game is keeping those guys off of the field. That said, a heavy dose of ground game is likely to be key from both sides here and I expect Atlanta to enjoy more success on the ground which could be the key here. Another angle I like is certainly the underdog mentality (hunger) of the Falcons here and the fact that QB Ryan has faced the Pats just twice in his career (2009 and 2013) and Atlanta lost both match-ups. Not only is it double revenge in that regard but Falcons coach Dan Quinn was the defensive coordinator with Seattle when the Seahawks faced the Patriots two years ago in the Super Bowl. Keep in mind Seattle was up 24-14 through 3 quarters in that game before the Pats rallied for the win in the 4th quarter. That experience will help Quinn here and the Falcons are "only" a 3 point dog here with good reason. This is an excellent football team and the Patriots strength of schedule this year has not been as strong as Atlanta's schedule. Also, for all that is made of how "dominant" the Patriots are (and certainly their amazing seasons and overall playoff performances are noteworthy) they are only 4-4 in their 8 Super Bowl appearances and the 4 wins have ALL come by 4 points or less. The aforementioned win over Seattle was the only 4 point win and the other 3 all came by just 3 points. Of course the Patriots are the "popular choice" here due to the public loving to back the "been there, done that" mentality but I really like the Quinn angle here against the Pats and the fact that New England is without Gronkowski and the fact that Atlanta will play up the underdog "us against the world" mentality for this game. QB Ryan has had a phenomenal season and, with all due respect to Brady, the Falcons weapons at the skill positions (guys like Julio Jones just to name one) are likely to be the ones that make the big plays necessary to win this game. I'll grab the points because in 8 Super Bowls the Patriots have only one win by more than 3 points so certainly there is value in having the field goal on our side BUT certainly I am playing this expecting the outright win for the underdog. 10* ATLANTA FALCONS plus the points |
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02-05-17 | Colorado +6.5 v. California | Top | 66-77 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 7 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #865 Sunday 10* Top Play Colorado Buffaloes (+) @ California Golden Bears @ 4:30 ET - There is a lot of value with the points here. Colorado is off of 3 straight wins. After a 10-3 start to the season the Buffaloes then lost 7 straight but they've responded by rattling off 3 wins. It was evident the Buffs might be about to turn the corner as 4 of their past 6 defeats had come by 3 points or less. Of course what that means is that the Buffaloes, if priced at the point spread range they are in today, would be 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games. Ultra competitive Colorado has indeed turned the corner and they now take on a Cal team that, although winning, continues to be gauged incorrectly by the markets. California has won 6 of its last 7 games but they enter this Sunday match-up on a 1-5 ATS run. The Golden Bears were held to 40.3% in their tight non-covering win over Utah on Thursday. That marked the 7th time in their last 11 games that Cal was held under 40.4% from the field. Not surprisingly they've gone 4-7 ATS during this stretch and they now take on a Colorado team that is averaging 78 points per game (and shooting 45.8% in conference action). Compare this to California who is averaging just 69 points (and shooting 42.5% in PAC-12 action). The Golden Bears are just 5-12 ATS as a favorite this season. Also, over the past 3 seasons combined, Cal is 15-24 ATS in games with a posted total in the 130s. The Bears will struggle to create much separation on the scoreboard in this one as Colorado is a dangerous dog. The Buffaloes have a 25-11 SU record the past 3 seasons combined when they are off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. The Buffs roll into Cal with plenty of confidence and this one should go down to the wire with an outright win for the underdog (surging with confidence) certainly not out of the question. 10* Top Play COLORADO BUFFALOES plus the points Sunday afternoon |
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02-05-17 | Blazers +4.5 v. Thunder | Top | 99-105 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 23 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #855 Sunday 10* Top Play Portland Trail Blazers (+) @ Oklahoma City Thunder @ 3:05 ET - This series has been dominated by the home team in recent match-ups but there are number of indicators pointing to an upset in this one. Portland comes into this one having gone 4-2 SU and ATS in their last 6 games. One key for the Trail Blazers, in comparison with the Thunder, has been turnovers. In their last 5 games, the Blazers have turned the ball over only 9.6 times per game. Conversely, Oklahoma City has turned the ball over an average of 16.2 times per game in their last 6 games. In 2 of their last 3 games the Thunder have turned it over 20 times. OKC enters this game having gone 1-3 SU and ATS in their last 4 games. The Thunder have been held to 38% or less from the field in 3 of their last 4 games. The Trail Blazers have been consistently at the other end of the spectrum of late. Portland is averaging 47% from the field over their last 6 games and has not been held below 45% in any of those games. This is also a tough scheduling spot for the Thunder as it's the 4th game of a stretch of 5 games in 7 days which is never easy on a team. As for the Blazers, this is one of only two games they have in the first 6 days of this month. Oklahoma City was a small home dog versus Memphis and the Thunder are an ugly 7-11 ATS when off of an upset win as an underdog. The Trail Blazers have excelled in divisional games with a 27-11 SU mark the past 3 seasons combined and they are 4-2 ATS in divisional games this season. 10* PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS plus the points Sunday |
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02-05-17 | Flames +141 v. Rangers | Top | 3-4 | Loss | -100 | 7 h 8 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Sunday 10* Top Play Calgary Flames Money Line (+) @ New York Rangers @ 2:05 ET - The Rangers beat the Flames in Calgary early this season but New York comes into this one struggling a bit. The Rangers have lost 5 of their last 9 games. New York is off of a win but it came by a 2-1 count and the Rangers are averaging just 2 goals per game in their last 5 games. The Flames have won 8 of 11 this season when they are playing with home loss revenge. Even though the Rangers come into this game with 2 days of rest, surprisingly they have lost 5 of 9 this season (-3.7 net units) when they enter a game off of 2 days of rest. The point is that, even with fresh legs, the Rangers really don't belong in this price range here. The Flames have won 3 straight games heading into this one and have averaged 4 goals per game during the hot streak. Overall, Calgary has scored at least 3 goals in 6 of their last 8 games. With the hotter offense and their goal-tending rounding into form, the Flames are well worth the investment here as a road dog. Calgary did outshoot the Rangers by 8 shots on goal in the loss earlier this season and the Flames come into this one having outshot their opponents by an average of 7 shots per game in their last 8 games. I look for their strong play to continue here and for the result to be an upset win on the road as the Rangers lookahead to what they perceive to be a tougher match-up Tuesday when Anaheim will be in town. 10* Top Play CALGARY FLAMES money line Sunday afternoon |
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02-04-17 | Blackhawks v. Stars OVER 5.5 | Top | 5-3 | Win | 100 | 9 h 46 m | Show |
NHL Network Smash - Rickenbach NHL Game #71 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Dallas Stars vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 8:05 ET - After opening up at a 6 this total dropped to a 5.5 and I see great line value here with 6 now being a "win number" with this over. The Stars are 10-4 to the over since the calendar turned the page to 2017. In their 8 home games in 2017 Dallas has scored an average of 3.8 goals per game. However, the Stars continue to give up too many goals and, overall, have allowed 3 goals or more in 9 straight games and 13 of their last 15. The Blackhawks also have been an "over machine" of late with the over going 8-2-1 in their last 11 games. Chicago has won 8 of its last 13 games and has averaged 3 goals per game during this stretch but the Hawks have also allowed 3 goals or more in 8 of their last 10 games. The over is 4-1 in the Blackhawks last 5 games against teams with a losing record and the Stars are wrapping up a long homestand and have gone 20-11 to the over when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on home ice. 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Dallas Saturday evening |
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02-04-17 | St. John's +18 v. Villanova | Top | 79-92 | Win | 100 | 9 h 19 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #675 Saturday - 10* Top Play St John's Red Storm (+) @ Villanova @ 8 ET - The Red Storm are much improved this season and yet they are still flying under the radar which is why we're able to get exceptional line value in a spot like this. Villanova has failed to cover 4 straight games and has appeared shaky of late with an upset loss at Marquette, a fortunate win versus Virginia, and then having to rally to hold off Providence. The Wildcats just aren't "in the zone" like the way earlier this season in terms of playing their best basketball. With that said, this is a tough spot for the Cats to be expected to cover a large spread because St John's is playing their best basketball of the season and the confidence is enough to make them a legitimate threat to hang around in this game. While the Red Storm have been much better offensively than in year's past the key indicator that makes St John's dangerous here is a "buy in" into playing better on defense. After a win at Providence that was a shootout and then a tight home loss to Xavier, the Red Storm finally realized they must play better defense if they want to win the big games and they looked sharp in their win over Marquette as they held the dangerous shooting of the Golden Eagles to just 37.1% from the field. The Red Storm have now covered three straight games and with St John's on ATS winning streak and the Wildcats slumping at the betting window, this is the perfect spot to grab the value with the big dog before the betting markets catch up. Keep in mind, Villanova is 1-4 ATS in recent seasons (and 20-40 ATS long-term) when they enter a game on an ATS losing streak of 3 games or more. The point is that the Wildcats are well-known for being a streaky team and they just are not playing "crisp" basketball right now like they were at times earlier in the season. As for the Red Storm, they are 9-5 ATS against teams with a winning record and they are 3-1 ATS (and SU!) when playing with home loss revenge this season. Now I certainly don't foresee them getting the outright upset here but I do expect the surging Red Storm to keep this game much closer than many are expecting. 10* Top Play ST JOHN'S plus the big points Saturday evening. |
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02-04-17 | 76ers v. Heat OVER 208.5 | Top | 102-125 | Win | 100 | 7 h 31 m | Show |
PA Insider - Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Miami Heat vs Philadelphia 76'ers @ 7:35 ET - The 76'ers had gone over the total in 7 straight games and then had an ugly game at San Antonio Thursday where they fell apart after a strong 1st half. Look for the over streak to resume here after that ugly 102-86 loss to the Spurs. The Sixers have gone over the total EACH of the last 6 times they were off of a game where they were held to 93 points or less. Overall, that system has a 12-3 mark on the season as Philadelphia has gone over the total in 12 of 15 games this season when they enter off of a game where they scored 93 points or less. The Sixers come into this game having allowed 113.4 points per game in their last 8 games and the Heat offense is literally at full HEAT! Miami has won and covered 9 straight games and they've averaged 107.5 points per game in their last 10 games. The Heat have been shooting the ball very well and I doubt the Sixers will be able to put up much resistance. As well as Philly had been playing it truly has been big offense rather than solid defense that led the way and I look for a very free-flowing high-scoring game here as Miami is off of a divisional game where they certainly brought the defensive intensity. They'll let up against the Sixers. The over is 6-1 in 76'ers road games with a posted total between 205 and 209.5 points this season. The over is 4-1 in Miami's home games with a posted total between 205 and 209.5 points this season. Look for more of the same here. 10* Top Play OVER the total in Miami Saturday evening |
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02-04-17 | Pelicans +7.5 v. Wizards | Top | 91-105 | Loss | -108 | 6 h 14 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #505 Saturday 10* Top Play New Orleans Pelicans (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - This is one of my typical contrarian plays as certainly the line had to look a little "funny" to most when the hot Wizards opened up as only an 8 point choice even though they are at home against a slumping Pelicans team. Of course, whenever line look a little "off" it merits additional investigation and, in this case, I certainly like what I found. The Wizards are off of their non-covering win over the Lakers and have a huge game on deck with the Cavaliers. This is clearly a tough scheduling spot for Washington. Look for the Wizards to look right past a 19-31 New Orleans team that they've dominated in recent meetings. That makes the Pelicans a very dangerous dog in this spot. New Orleans is off of an ugly effort at Detroit and that was their 3rd straight SU loss. However, the Pelicans had gone 11-6 ATS prior to that non-cover against the Pistons and, after losing by 20, I look for N.O. to come out with plenty of fire in this one. New Orleans is 15-9 ATS in non-conference games this season and has played a tougher overall schedule than Washington this season. Look for the old West vs East disparity to play a factor in this one as well as, generally, the Western Conference teams face tougher competition than the East. The Wizards get caught looking ahead to the Cavs. 10* NEW ORLEANS plus the big points Saturday evening |
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02-03-17 | Pacers -7 v. Nets | Top | 106-97 | Win | 100 | 9 h 0 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Game #855 Friday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers (-) @ Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - This is a classic case of two teams heading in opposite directions so the only concern in laying the points would have to be motivation. But you can also "check the box" on that factor as well - for multiple reasons - and that is why I am laying the points with the Pacers in this one. Even though Indiana has a home game with Detroit on deck there is no way they'll look past the Nets here. That's because the Pacers have lost their last two visits to Brooklyn including their lone match-up there this season. That was Indiana's road opener and started a stretch of 5 straight road losses to begin the season. The other key factor is that the Pacers have been getting tremendous production of late from Paul George but he was held to a season-low 8 points at Orlando Wednesday and Indiana still won the game by double digits. That tells us two things as it relates to tonight's game: the Pacers supporting cast is fully capable of stepping up on an off night for George AND look for one of the NBA's best players to absolutely "go off" tonight with a huge game against one of the worst teams in the league. The Nets come into this game having gone 1-18 SU in their last 19 games. Brooklyn is also 4-14 ATS in their last 18 games. This is in stark contrast to a Pacers club that has won 11 of its last 15 games SU and has gone 4-0 ATS in its last 4 games. When Indiana enters a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more they've gone 3-1 ATS this season. When Brooklyn enters a game on a losing streak of 3 games or more, they've gone 6-16 ATS this season. The Pacers have beaten the Nets by a combined 33 points in their last two home meetings but they've lost their last two road meetings by a combined 19 points and it is time for some road revenge here. 10* INDIANA PACERS minus the points |
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02-02-17 | Senators v. Lightning -130 | Top | 5-2 | Loss | -130 | 11 h 58 m | Show |
Early Blowout - Rickenbach NHL Game #56 Thursday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line -130 vs Ottawa Senators @ 7:35 ET - Former Lightning coach Guy Boucher, now the head coach for the Senators, makes his first return to Tampa Bay since being fired about 4 years ago by the Bolts. In his time with Tampa, Boucher worked closely with Jon Cooper (current Lightning head coach) for more than two years and that makes this game even bigger for Cooper. The Bolts need this game in more ways than one but especially with Cooper going up against Boucher this game has extra meaning for the Tampa Bay organization. The Lightning have won 4 of the last 5 meetings overall and also have won 3 of the last 4 match-ups in Tampa. The Senators come into this game having lost 3 of their last 4 games and allowing 5.3 goals per game in the 3 defeats. Though Tampa Bay has also certainly been under-performing they know it is not too late to make a run at getting into playoff position and this is the 1st of 3 remaining games on this critical 4-game homestand for the Lightning. After dropping the first game 4-3 to Boston, look for the Bolts to respond here. Tampa Bay has won 43 of 66 games the past 3 seasons when they are off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. On the other hand, Ottawa has actually underperformed against teams that are struggling this season as they have lost 12 of 20 games against teams with a losing record this season. I like the low price on home ice with Tampa in this one. They got back to the basics in yesterday's practice and had great practice sessions. Physically they are certainly ready here and the Lightning also are ready mentally after "clearing their heads" a bit in good working sessions with coach Cooper yesterday. He has this team ready to defend their home ice against a former coach in Boucher. The Senators run into a buzzsaw in this one tonight as the Bolts will be flying all over the ice at home. 10* TAMPA BAY on the money line |
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02-02-17 | Lakers +11 v. Wizards | Top | 108-116 | Win | 100 | 12 h 11 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Thursday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Lakers (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - The Wizards have won 15 straight home games which is the longest current home winning streak in the NBA. The Lakers have won only 5 road games this season which is fewer than any other team in the Western Conference. The combination of these two factors is likely going to have many jumping all over Washington in this one but this situation favors Los Angeles and I'll gladly grab the big points here. While the Lakers will be playing just their 2nd game in the past 7 days, the Wizards will be playing their 4th game in 7 days. Also it is easy for Washington to overlook a 17-34 team like the Lakers. I wouldn't be surprised to see a slow start for the Wizards in this one and though they should pull out the win in the end it is likely going to be by single digits as the Lakers are going to given them a tough game. Los Angeles welcomed back D'Angelo Russell in their most recent game and got the win over Denver Tuesday. Also, the Lakers could have Julius Randle back tonight. Whether Randle is back or not, I like the fact that LA has some momentum coming in off of their win over the Nuggets and I also like the fact that 4 of the Lakers last 5 defeats have come by 8 points or less. The Lakers last road trip started horribly with a bad loss at Dallas but that is the only game in their last 7 games that has resulted in a loss by more than 8 points. Lakers are playing better and are fully focused as they want to get this 5-game road trip started on the right foot. The fresher legs will prove to help as well as they had 4 days off before that victory over Denver. It is going to be difficult for a superior Eastern Conference foe to maintain their intensity against a Pacific Division opponent. In fact, the Lakers have gone 5-2 ATS this season (and 17-9 ATS the past 3 seasons) in games against Southeast Division foes. They "sneak up" on the Wizards here and end their 10-0 ATS run! 10* LOS ANGELES LAKERS |
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02-02-17 | Michigan State v. Nebraska OVER 135 | Top | 72-61 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 57 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #723 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Michigan State Spartans @ 7 ET - The Spartans are off of a big rivalry win versus Michigan and that game stayed under the total. However, that was due to a solid effort on defense from Michigan State and that has been the exception rather than the norm of late. The Spartans had allowed 79.3 points per game in their three prior games and opponents shot better than 46% in all three of those games. Each of those three went over the total as Michigan State has been hot on offense as well. In their last 4 games the Spartans have averaged 71 points per game and they've shot better than 44% from three point land in all four games! Overall from the field this season Michigan State has knocked down 47.5% of their shots including 38% from beyond the arc. Nebraska allows opponents to hit 39.4% of three pointers this season and that bodes well for a big game from the Spartans here. The Huskers have allowed 78 points per game in their last 4 homes games and 3 of the 4 went over the total. Nebraska isn't known for being a powerhouse offensively but I look for the Spartans to have a slip up in defensive intensity here after their big rivalry win over the Wolverines. Before knocking off Michigan, Sparty hadn't been overly impressive on the defensive end as noted above. The over is a perfect 4-0 in Spartans road games this season. Also, when Michigan State's line in a road game is between pick'em and +3 the over has gone a perfect 6-0 the last 3 seasons. Overall, in games where the Spartans are an underdog the over is 15-4 the last 3 seasons combined. The first numbers that came up on this total yesterday were 138.5 but the O/U quickly got pushed down to 135. I'll gladly take advantage of the extra line value here as the Cornhuskers are averaging 73 points per game at home this season and they are hosting a hot-shooting Michigan State team Thursday. 10* OVER the total in Nebraska |
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02-01-17 | Pacers -2.5 v. Magic | Top | 98-88 | Win | 100 | 11 h 19 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Wednesday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers (-) @ Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - The Pacers are a much better home team than road team. There is no doubt about that. However, Indiana has won 10 of its last 14 games overall, including 3 in a row, and Paul George has been red hot and certainly seems to be rounding into top form again. The Pacers have won 3 of their last 5 road games and Orlando is only 8-15 at home this season. Even though the Magic just recently got Evan Fournier back, he'll take some time to round back into top form and the backcourt depth has been hurt with the absence of CJ Wilcox and Jodie Meeks. Indiana is 8-1 (SU and ATS!) in its last 9 meetings with the Magic and this is an Orlando team that enters this game having lost 13 of its last 17 games. All 13 losses for the Magic during this rough stretch have come by at least 6 points so the small point spread here certainly should not prove to be an obstacle. The Magic are 7-15-1 ATS in home games this season and have field to cover 2 of 7 as a home dog of 3 points or less. The Pacers are on a 4-1 ATS run when off of a game where they allowed 104 points or less. Orlando has been held to 98 points or less in regulation in 10 of its last 14 games. This is in stark contrast to a high-powered Indiana offense that has scored at least 100 points in 17 of its last 20 games. Lay the small number with the small road fave in this one. 10* INDIANA PACERS |
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02-01-17 | Penn State v. Indiana -6 | Top | 102-110 | Win | 100 | 10 h 59 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #526 Wednesday 10* Top Play Indiana Hoosiers (-) vs Penn State Nittany Lions @ 6:30 ET - The Hoosiers are without James Blackmon Jr. and he is their leading scorer. However, after back to back road losses (including one without Blackmon at Northwestern Saturday), Indiana will respond at home. Certainly it helps the Hoosiers that they are back home but what also helps is that they played a game without him at Northwestern Saturday. Indiana played respectable defense in that game but they shot very poorly. The Hoosiers will get back on track at home as they still have a number of solid players that can "fill it up" as guys like Robert Johnson, Thomas Bryant, Josh Newkirk, and Juwan Morgan are all capable of getting double digits in points. Also, freshman Devonte Green is likely to shoot much better at home after the guard had a tough road game against the Wildcats in his first game with extended minutes due to the Blackmon injury. Penn State is off of a home win versus Illinois but they lost their past two road games by a combined 52 points! Before a rare strong shooting night versus the Illini, the Nittany Lions had been held under 38.9% in four straight games! Look for the Lions shooting struggles to resume on the road tonight. The Hoosiers, off of back to back losses, will bring the intensity on defense for this one and this is an Indiana team that has averaged 87.3 points per game at home this season. Even without Blackmon, the Hoosiers will be able to score plenty and knock off a Penn State team that does not travel well. Even though the Nittany Lions are playing this game with home loss revenge from a month ago, PSU is an ugly 2-11 SU and 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games played with home loss revenge! That includes 0-2 SU and ATS so far this season. Indiana is on a 44-6 SU run in home games and they've gone 8-4 ATS in home games this season. Of course we're getting supreme line value here on the Hoosiers because of the Blackmon injury. A line that first opened up at 9 is all the way down to a 6 and I'll gladly fade the move and grab the great line value with the home fave that is ready to step up tonight. Lay it! 10* INDIANA HOOSIERS |
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01-31-17 | Miami (OH) v. Bowling Green -5 | Top | 72-83 | Win | 100 | 11 h 34 m | Show |
Early Blowout - Rickenbach CBB Game #726 Tuesday 10* Top Play Bowling Green Falcons (-) vs Miami-Ohio Redhawks @ 7 ET - Ugly records here overall for both teams but that doesn't diminish the importance of this game to either school as this is a big rivalry match-up. From a situational perspective, this one sets up perfectly for the Falcons. Bowling Green is off of an embarrassing home loss but the key was that 4 players were suspended before that game. Two were starters including the Falcons leading scorer. How diminished was the BG roster? They actually suited up two football players just so that they could have 9 players available and one of those was a walk-on. The point is that the 96-72 home loss was not a surprise given the circumstances but the key is how that impacts this game. It probably kept this line a little lower than it should be and I expect Bowling Green to come out with a ton of fire and emotion after what happened Saturday. The Falcons are hosting a Redhawks team that is 0-8 on the road this season. Also, Miami-Ohio comes into this game having lost 6 of its last 7 overall. 6 of their 8 road losses this season have come by 7 points or more! The Falcons have won 7 of their last 10 home games and 5 of the last 6 home wins have come by double digit margins and none of the 6 victories came by less than 5 points. Look for the Redhawks to drop to 7-12 ATS when they are off of a game where they were held to 60 points or less while the Falcons improve to 4-0 ATS when this season when they are off of a game where they allowed 83 points or more. 10* BOWLING GREEN |
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01-30-17 | Nets v. Heat OVER 217.5 | Top | 96-104 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 57 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Miami Heat vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - The Heat are 7-0 SU and ATS in their last 7 games. They're now hosting a Brooklyn team they just beat again last week. Miami is now 8-1 SU and ATS in their last 9 games against the Nets. That said, I don't expect a lot of defensive intensity from the Heat in this one. Miami knows "they got this" and they'll simply "run and gun" and that should be more than to enough for the Heat to keep enjoying their winning ways. After all, the Nets are the worst team defensively in the entire league. Brooklyn has been particularly bad on that end of the floor of late as they have allowed an average of 121 points per game in their last 9 games. Miami, thanks to winning, has lost a little bit of its intensity on the defensive end and, surprisingly, the Heat have allowed 102 points or more in 6 of their last 9 games. Miami's defense certainly could be stretched a bit by a Brooklyn offense that has averaged 111 points per game in their last 9 games. As bad as the Nets defense is, they have definitely proven capable of putting up some big points. The over is 5-1 in Brooklyn's last 6 road games. The over is 4-0 in Miami's last 4 home games against Eastern Conference foes. Though this total may seem high, note that Brooklyn is 15-7 to the over in their road games with a posted total of 210 or more this season. Also, when the Nets enter a game on a losing streak of 3 games or more, the over has gone 14-6 this season. 10* OVER the total in Miami |
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01-29-17 | 76ers v. Bulls OVER 205 | Top | 108-121 | Win | 100 | 11 h 5 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #843 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Bulls vs Philadelphia 76'ers @ 7:05 ET - The Sixers, even though off of a loss, continue to be a "story" in the NBA as they are playing their best basketball of the season. Each of the 76'ers last 4 games have gone over the total and they've shot 50% or better in each of their last 3 games. The fact that Joel Embiid is going to sit for this game doesn't necessarily hurt our play on the over because that is a significant defensive presence that now won't be out there to disrupt shots or clear the defensive glass. I expect the Sixers to continue their hot shooting but their defense will struggle to stop a determined Bulls team. Chicago is coming off of an ugly home loss to Miami and that was a game in which Wade and Butler did not start. There was/is a lot of in-fighting going on among Bulls players right now but now that a "statement" was sent in their last game, and Chicago was held to 88 points, look for the Bulls to get back on track here. They have a history of success putting up big numbers against the Sixers and that has played a key role in 7 straight overs before November's Bulls win (Chicago totaled 105 points) stayed under the total. I'll gladly test the 7-1 over streak with this match-up as I expect Wade and Butler to come out with fire in this one. Overall, the over is 29-12 in Bulls games against the Atlantic Division and the over is a perfect 3-0 in Chicago's Sunday games this season. The over is 4-1 this season in Sixers road games with a posted total between 205 and 209.5 points. The way Philadelphia has been moving the ball on offense and getting open looks, I look for another strong effort here. The 76'ers averaged 117.7 points in their last 3 games while the Bulls averaged 105.3 points per game in their 3 games before the debacle against the Heat. Look for a great pace to this game to help our cause as the Bulls come out fired up to attack on offense. 10* OVER the total in Chicago |
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01-29-17 | South Florida +24.5 v. Cincinnati | Top | 53-94 | Loss | -105 | 6 h 25 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #869 Sunday 10* Top Play South Florida Bulls (+) @ Cincinnati Bearcats @ 4 ET - The Bulls definitely fit the bill as an "ugly dog" as they are still winless in conference action while Cincinnati is undefeated in American Athletic Conference action. However, the set-up here is perfect for a South Florida team (playing a little better since coach change) to keep this one well within the inflated spread range. For the Bulls, this is an opportunity to go hard against a ranked conference foe. For the Bearcats, they just want to win and move on. The Cats are off of a huge win over Xavier in their city rivalry game that just took place Thursday. Not only was that a big win for the Bearcats, Cincinnati has a road game up next with Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane only have 2 losses in conference action and will present a formidable challenge for the Cats. With that said, this is a true "sandwich spot" as Cincy is off of a tight, emotional win over a city rival and has a big road conference game on deck. Even if the Bearcats do get up big in this game there is simply no reason to "pour it on" and I see this game being decided by no more than 18 points. Cincy blew out the Bulls in their most recent match-up but the two prior games were Bearcats wins by an average margin of just 4 points a game. South Florida is on a 12-4 ATS run as a road dog of 12.5 points or more. The Bulls have shot the ball a little better and averaged 63 points per game in their last 6 games and if they hit that average the Bearcats would have to get to nearly 90 points to cover in this one. That has only happened once in Cincinnati's last 8 games. Grab the big points in this one. 10* SOUTH FLORIDA BULLS |
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01-29-17 | Virginia v. Villanova -5 | Top | 59-61 | Loss | -110 | 4 h 3 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #850 Sunday 10* Top Play Villanova Wildcats (-) vs Virginia Cavaliers @ 1 ET - The Cavaliers are known for their defense but they've actually allowed opponents to connect in the mid-forties from the field over their last 8 games - basically since conference action got underway. The Wildcats aren't quite as heralded for their defense but yet, prior to the upset loss at Marquette, they had allowed only about 40% from the field over their last 10 games. Villanova is fired up to respond after a very rare poor shooting night resulted in a loss to the Golden Eagles. The Wildcats shot a ridiculous 17.6% from three point land. The Cavaliers, again even though known for defending well, had struggled against the three ball in their last 6 games prior to a dominating win at Notre Dame. With the Cavs off of that big win and the Cats off of an upset loss, this one sets up nice. We get some extra line value as a result of those most recent games and, keep in mind, the Wildcats are at home and are seeking revenge for a loss at Virginia last season. The Cats show the ball very well in five straight games before the loss in Milwaukee and they'll get right back on track here. Nova is 6-0 SU (and 5-1 ATS) when off of a loss to a conference foe. Also, the Cavs are 10-30 SU (and 15-25 ATS) as a road dog of 3.5 to 6 points. The Cavaliers are also on a long-term 7-17 ATS run against Big East opponents. Payback is on order here and I look for the Wildcats to get it as this team is strong off of a loss! 10* VILLANOVA |
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01-28-17 | Celtics +1.5 v. Bucks | Top | 112-108 | Win | 100 | 8 h 27 m | Show |
THE Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Game #505 Saturday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 8:05 ET - Both teams are in a back to back. The Celtics won in a blowout and the Bucks lost in a blowout. That will likely have many backing Milwaukee since they are at home for this one. However, neither team had to go extended minutes on any of their players last night and the Celtics are the better team and playing the much better basketball. More on that shortly. First off, lets also note the following stats in the 2nd day of back to backs: The Bucks are 2-7 ATS this season and 17-33 SU the past 3 seasons combined! The Celtics are a phenomenal 7-3 SU this season and 31-15 ATS the past 3 seasons combined! You can see that back to back spots have clearly favored Boston over Milwaukee. Also, the Bucks come into this game slumping and their defense has been atrocious of late. This has played a large role in Milwaukee going 1-7 (both SU and ATS) in their last 8 games. As for the Celtics, they are expected to have Al Horford back for this game and certainly they've adjusted well since Avery Bradley got hurt. Long-term the Celtics are on a 15-6 SU run and, on the road, Boston has gone 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games. This line has been flip-flopping this morning but, no matter what, it is still noteworthy that in road games where the Celtics line is between a pick'em and -3 Boston has gone 7-0 SU and ATS this season! The Bucks are a horrible 1-9 ATS against Atlantic Division opponents this season. The Celtics have averaged just 12.7 turnovers per game in their last 7 games. The Bucks have turned the ball over 19 times in each of their last 3 games. Boston has held 10 of its last 12 opponents to 47.1% or less from the field. Milwaukee has allowed 3 of its last 4 foes to knock down better than 50.5% of their shots from the field. This one has the makings of a road rout. 10* BOSTON |
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01-28-17 | Pistons v. Heat OVER 203 | Top | 103-116 | Win | 100 | 9 h 49 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Miami Heat vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:35 ET - Both teams are playing very well on the offensive end right now. The Pistons have won 3 of their last 4 games and have averaged 109 points per game during this 4-game stretch. The Heat have won 6 straight games and have shot the ball very well over their last 7 games while averaging 105.6 points per game in these 7 games. Surprisingly, though they've been hot on offense, big posted totals have led to the under actually going a perfect 3-0 in Miami's last 3 games. This only the 5th time that has happened this season. The first four times it happened the Heat have gone a perfect 4-0 to the over in their next game! Also, the over is 5-3 in the 2nd game of back to backs for Miami and the Heat are 5-1 to the over in Saturday games this season. The Pistons come into this game with fresh legs as they have been off since Monday. Detroit has gone over the total in 3 straight games and 10 of its last 13 games! The over is 15-8 when the Pistons enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games at home. Also, the over is 9-3 in Detroit's last 12 games against Southeast Division opponents. Both teams have been winning plus shooting the ball very well. That leads to defensive lapses and I expect plenty of offense in this one especially with Hassan Whiteside of the Heat still dealing with an ankle injury and that limits the Heat defensively and on the defensive glass. 10* OVER the total in Miami |
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01-28-17 | Kansas +7 v. Kentucky | Top | 79-73 | Win | 100 | 9 h 42 m | Show |
THE GAME KU/UK - Rickenbach CBB Game #703 Saturday 10* Top Play Play Kansas Jayhawks (+) @ Kentucky Wildcats @ 6:15 ET - With all the distractions going on the best possible thing for the Jayhawks is to simply "play basketball" and that is why I love Kansas in this spot. With the suspension of Carlton Bragg and then the investigation into a dorm incident (unrelated to the Bragg suspension) there has been a lot of "noise" around the KU basketball program right now. Of course coach Bill Self just wants to get his team back on the floor and "see how they respond" Saturday but I have very little doubt about how they'll respond. The Jayhawks are off of an embarrassing loss by a double digit margin at West Virginia Tuesday and they're fired up and ready to go for this opportunity to atone for that loss on the biggest possible stage. This shot at the Wildcats truly could not have come at a better time for a Jayhawk program that needs to make some positive headlines after all that has transpired just recently. Keep in mind Kansas had won 18 in a row before the loss to the Mountaineers and the Jayhawks have knocked down 40% or better from beyond the arc in 6 of their last 7 games. The Wildcats have been held to 26.3% or worse from 3-point land in three of their last six games. Kentucky's defense, including perimeter D, has truly struggled over these 6 games as well. The Jayhawks have played a slightly tougher schedule this season and I like the fact that KU is undervalued by the betting markets right now because of what just happened at Huntington and the fact that Kansas is only 6-12 ATS on the season. The Jayhawks are 9-0 SU when off of a loss to a conference rival and also 9-0 SU (and 7-2 ATS) when they are off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. Kentucky may eke out a win here but, this one should go to the wire and be decided only by a possession (or two at the most) and that means value with the big points. Look for the Wildcats to drop to 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games as their slump continues. 10* KANSAS JAYHAWKS |
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01-28-17 | St. Louis v. George Washington OVER 128 | Top | 55-63 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 2 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #571 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in George Washington Colonials vs St Louis Billikens @ 4 ET - This game is a little "off of the beaten path" but oftentimes that is where the best value is found, especially for a total play. In this particular match-up we have a situation where both teams are coming off of wins where they each put up a bunch of points. That helps because it not only boosts the confidence of the offense but it can also lead, sometimes unconsciously, to more relaxed defense. The key to play here is, of course, line value. The Colonials are favored by 14 points here and the Billikens have scored 65 points in each of their last two meetings with George Washington. I see no reason why St Louis shouldn't again get to that number today and that means if the odds makers are right (as they so often are) we should see a 79-65 type game here. Of course that totals 144 points which is well above the 128 total that has been placed on this game. The reason for the low posted total here is the fact that the Billikens recently lost their top scorer and, overall, haven't scored well on the season. But what I like about St Louis here is the fact they are off of a game where they just made a ton of trips to the free throw line plus knocked down threes at a respectable rate (7 of 20). St Louis has hit at least 35% from three point land in 9 of its last 11 games. The Billikens will take advantage of a George Washington team not known for its perimeter defense as GW has allowed 37.5% threes on the season. The Colonials offense has been hot from long range as they've knocked down at least 40% from three point land in 8 of their last 11 games! George Washington has only seen 2 of their 20 games this season finish with a total of less than 128 points this season. I know the posted total is low here because of St Louis but it is simply too low in my opinion. The Billikens have allowed an average of nearly 73 points per game in their last 8 games and their D has not impressed during this run. The over is 5-2 in George Washington home games with a posted total in the 120s. Also, the over is 10-5 when GW is off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. When facing a team that averages less than 64 points per game, the Colonials have gone 5-1 to the over. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in George Washington |
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01-27-17 | Nets +15 v. Cavs | Top | 116-124 | Win | 100 | 12 h 44 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #857 Friday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (+) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:35 ET - The Cavaliers are struggling and, as a result, many will likely be looking to back them here after a home loss. However, there are a number of issues with that. Historically, playing teams off of an overtime loss is often a dicey play as OT losses are toughest on a team's psyche and, the fact is the Cavs were already fragile before losing at home to the Kings on Wednesday. Another factor going against Cleveland here is simply the large spread. The Cavaliers are not only trying to get back on track here but they're being asked to cover a 15 point spread. This seems to be far too much considering Brooklyn has been playing a little bit better. The Nets actually led the Heat by 18 points in what was an eventual 3 point loss at Miami Wednesday. That means that 3 of Brooklyn's last 4 losses were decided by an average of 6.7 points per game. By the way, the one win in their there was a Nets "explosion" on offense as they erupted for 143 points at New Orleans last Friday. Certainly the Brooklyn D is not a strength but their offense has averaged 110.6 points per game in their last 7 games and it is that type of offensive production that makes a team dangerous in terms of a backdoor cover as well. The point is that even if the Cavs are fortunate enough to get up by 20 points in this game, when they start emptying the bench and looking ahead to a weekend showdown with OKC, the Nets can very easily get this one back to a 10 or 12 point game. The fact is I feel this one will be decided by single digits as the Cavs are just looking to get back into the win column after losing 3 straight and 6 of their last 8. Cleveland's ATS numbers are even worse as they've covered only 3 times in their last 15 games - a 20% ATS clip! Other than a blowout loss versus San Antonio (one of the hottest teams in the league) the Nets have looked much better over the past week and a half and everyone gets up for facing the Cavs. In other words, look for another strong effort from the hungry road dog in this one as Cleveland's issues continue. The Cavaliers are an ugly 6-14 ATS in their games against teams with a losing record this season. The Nets are 8-4 ATS when playing with home loss revenge and they lost to the Cavs by 8 points in Brooklyn three weeks ago. I wouldn't be surprised to see another 8 point loss for the Nets here and that means plenty of line value with the big points here. 10* BROOKLYN NETS |
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01-27-17 | Dartmouth v. Columbia -7.5 | Top | 54-66 | Win | 100 | 12 h 44 m | Show |
Earliest Cash Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #874 Friday 10* Top Play Columbia Lions (-) vs Dartmouth Big Green @ 7 ET - Columbia entered Saturday's match-up versus the Big Red having won 3 straight games and covered 3 straight games. This included Friday's outright upset win at Cornell. After three straight victories, the Lions did not get the job done on their home floor Saturday and that sets this one up perfectly. Columbia is at home, off of a home loss, they are well rested, and they are facing a bad Dartmouth team. Coming into the season the Big Green knew that their biggest need was a playmaking guard. That hasn't materialized for coach David McLaughlin as his team has 15 turnovers compared to just 11 assists per game and their leading assist man is only averaged 2 assists per game. Columbia, though they lost a lot of talent from last season's team, are in a much better spot for success this season. Their new coach, Jim Engles, was an assistant with the Lions from 2003 to 2008 and then went on to have a successful run as a head coach at NJIT. He's now back with Columbia but, thanks to his familiarity with the program, there wasn't much of a transition period. As a result, the Lions may surprise some teams in conference action this season and certainly they should have no trouble with a Big Green team they annihilated by an average of 18 points per game in last season's two meetings. In lined games this season, Dartmouth is 0-7 SU (and only 1-6 ATS). As a road dog of 6.5 to 9 points in recent seasons, the Big Green have gone 0-5 SU (and 1-4 ATS). The Lions have a long-term mark of 23-6 SU (and 18-11 ATS) in games where they are a home favorite in a range of 6.5 to 9 points. Columbia is at home and the Lions defend better, shoot better, have more playmaking ability, take better care of the basketball, and are motivated off of a loss that snapped a 3-game winning streak. Look for a blowout home win here. 10* COLUMBIA LIONS |
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01-26-17 | Sabres v. Stars OVER 5.5 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 109 | 9 h 49 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL Game #21 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Dallas Stars vs Buffalo Sabres @ 8:35 ET - The Stars are getting healthier up front but now the injury issues are focused more on the blue line. That makes this the perfect spot to back the over as the Stars should resume their long-term ways of getting involved in high-scoring games and Buffalo comes into this one with some extra confidence as they have been on a winning run. The Sabres have won 7 of their last 11 games and Buffalo has scored at least 3 goals in 9 of those 11 games. Buffalo's last three games have all been wins and they have scored an average of 3.6 goals per game in their last 5 games. The Sabres faced a hungry Dallas team that is off of back to back home losses and will push hard to get into the win column before the All Star break. While the Stars should score well here (3.4 goals per game in their last 5 home games), Dallas has allowed at least 3 goals in 10 of its last 12 games. As you can see from all the stats above, there is really no reason we shouldn't see each team get to 3 goals in this game. Adding to the support for this play is the fact that the over was 7-3 in the Stars last 10 games before their game against Minnesota Tuesday stayed just under the total. Also, Buffalo has some injuries impacting their defensive corps and they are 6-2 to the over this season in road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. The over is also 3-1 this season when the Stars enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Dallas |
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01-26-17 | Texas-San Antonio v. Marshall -14 | Top | 71-92 | Win | 100 | 9 h 57 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #724 Thursday - 10* Top Play Marshall Thundering Herd (-) vs UTSA Roadrunners @ 7 ET - The Thundering Herd have been getting off to slow starts in their games and so they aim to come out strong from the opening tip in the middle game of a 3-game homestand. Marshall also has revenge against UTSA as the Roadrunners handed the Thundering Herd a loss in Huntington in their only trip here. I see this spot as a great spot for Marshall to not only get revenge but to get it in blowout fashion. They are motivated to start out strong, as noted above, and their #1 C-USA ranked offense is simply going to be too much for the Runners to keep up with. Marshall is averaging 92 points per home game while UTSA is averaging only 61 points per road game this season. As you can see that is a 31-point differential but, what is keeping this line in check is the fact that the Roadrunners have some solid defensive numbers on the season. However, that has been helped by facing a weak schedule thus far (including the C-USA opponents that UTSA has faced). In other words, the Runners defense, although improved, is simply over-rated right now and their offense is too anemic to keep up with the high-powered Herd in this one. The Roadrunners are 2-10 SU (and 2-7 ATS) when off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. Also, the Runners are 2-8 SU (and 2-5 ATS) in their games against teams averaging 77 points or more per game. The Thundering Herd are on a long-term 24-9 ATS run as a favorite and Marshall is on a long-term 26-12 ATS run when they are off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. Look for the Thundering Herd to stay hot and add to their fantastic mark of 10-0 SU (and 7-0 ATS) in home games this season! 10* MARSHALL |
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01-25-17 | 76ers +11 v. Bucks | Top | 114-109 | Win | 100 | 10 h 11 m | Show |
Contrarian Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76'ers (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 8:05 ET - The Bucks will be a popular play here since they are at home, seeking revenge, and catching the Sixers in a back to back. However, the 76'ers are on the top of roll right now that, no matter the situation, they are going to be a tough out for anyone. Philadelphia has now won 9 of its last 12 games and they've gone 10-2 ATS during this stretch. Also, Philly has covered 3 of its last 4 match-ups with the Bucks including winning in Milwaukee earlier this month. Though Joel Embiid is expected to miss again tonight, the Sixers got huge frontcourt production from Noel and Holmes last night and Okafor may be available tonight. Even though this a back to back spot for the Sixers they did have have a pair of off days prior to this and they have a non-conference game on deck. Even though the Sixers are off of a big upset win last night (over the Clippers) they have gone 9-5 ATS this season when off of an upset win as an underdog. Also, the 76'ers are 12-6 ATS this season when playing against teams with a losing record. Philadelphia is 6-1 ATS against Central Division opponents this season and Milwaukee is 1-7 ATS against Atlantic Division opponents this season. The Bucks also are a long-term 19-37 ATS as a home favorite of 9.5 to 12 points. Milwaukee is only 8-15 ATS this season against teams with a losing record and, off of a big win over Houston and with a tough match-up at Toronto on deck, the Bucks may struggle to fully focus on the Sixers in this one. Milwaukee was 2-8 ATS before their win and cover over the Rockets and this pointspread tonight is heavily inflated considering the way the 76'ers are playing right now. Also, only one player logged more than 29 minutes for Philly in last night's win over the Clippers. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-25-17 | Flyers +129 v. Rangers | Top | 2-0 | Win | 129 | 9 h 2 m | Show |
TV Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Wednesday - 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ New York Rangers @ 8:05 ET - This is a revenge game for the Flyers as they were demolished by the Rangers 5 to 2 in Philly earlier this month. Though a lot of value is given to home ice when lines are made, the fact is that provides value in certain situations and this is one of those spots. It is the road team that is seeking revenge, these teams are close in proximity, and the road team has won 5 of the last 6 meetings. That said, home ice tends to be overemphasized in games like this and we can take advantage by grabbing the value on the other side. The Flyers have had two days off after a much needed win (in OT) over the Islanders Sunday. Look for Philadelphia to build off of that win and the Flyers have outshot their opponents 83 to 67 in their two games since returning from their "bye week" which is new to the NHL this season. Philly has come back from the bye rejuvenated and refreshed and playing with good energy again. As for the Rangers, they enter this game on a 3-game winning streak but they've lost 6 of 8 this season when they enter a game on a winning run of 3 games or more. Also, the Rangers have been outshot 59 to 36 in their past 2 games and this will be their 3rd game in 4 days. Look for the recent road domination in this series tonight. 10* PHILADELPHIA on the money line Wednesday |
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01-25-17 | Creighton -130 v. Georgetown | Top | 51-71 | Loss | -130 | 10 h 48 m | Show |
Big East Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Game #539 Wednesday - 10* Top Play Creighton Bluejays (-) @ Georgetown Hoyas @ 7 ET - Georgetown is currently among the cellar dwellers of the Big East as their 1-6 conference record ranks them at the bottom with DePaul and the Hoyas are just behind St John's - the only other team in Big East that doesn't have an overall winning record this season. The significance in this is an amazing factoid relating to this game. On January 26th of last year, the Hoyas beat Creighton 74-73 right here in Georgetown. Since that game, the Hoyas have lost 16 straight Big East games against teams not named DePaul or St John's. In other words, the Hoyas have proven unable to get the job done against the better teams in the Big East and I look for that record to fall to 0-17 for Georgetown in a game where the spread on Creighton has dropped so low (from opener of -4 down to a -1.5) that it is offering the opportunity to simply play the Bluejays on the money line in this one. Of course I am aware of the career ending injury for Maurice Watson but Creighton was not winning games because of one player and one player only. The Bluejays have plenty of talent and they'll be ready to go after a tight loss to Marquette in a game where the Golden Eagles simply shot phenomenally well. That loss also looks a lot better now too after the Eagles also knocked off the #1 team in the nation with their upset win over Villanova last night. The point is that Creighton is still a very good team, even without Watson, and I am going to challenge the Hoyas to try and keep up in this game. Keep in mind, the Bluejays scored 94 points Saturday and that was without Watson. Also, they held on to win at Xavier in their prior game and that was the game in which they lost Watson to injury in the first half. That is also the same Musketeers team that just beat the Hoyas by double digits even though Georgetown shot 54% from the field in the game and that says a lot that they shot so well and still lost. The Hoyas have problems throughout their game right now and I look for Creighton to get revenge for the loss here last year plus the fact they were knocked out of the Big East tourney by Georgetown two years ago. That will take the aforementioned "play against" angle involving the Hoyas to 17-0 as they continue to struggle against all Big East foes other than the cellar dwellers. The Bluejays are 5-0 SU and ATS on the road this season so we are testing angles that are a combined 21-0 with this top play selection. 10* CREIGHTON |
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01-24-17 | Lightning +140 v. Blackhawks | Top | 5-2 | Win | 140 | 10 h 13 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #19 Tuesday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (+) @ Chicago Blackhawks @ 8:35 ET - Two years ago the Bolts lost 4 games to 2 in the Stanley Cup Finals. Needless to say this is the kind of revenge that doesn't go away easily and, as they enter this game off of 3 straight losses (despite outshooting their foes by a combined 101 to 68), look for the Lightning to "bring it" tonight. It should be a huge effort from a Tampa Bay team that has under-performed this season but was hopeful of "kicking things up a notch" on this road trip. The Bolts have won 6 of 9 (including 4 of 6 this season) when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 games or more. Also, Tampa Bay has won 33 of 49 (including 5 of 6 this season) when they enter a game off of 2 days of rest. When the Lighting are off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more, they have won 42 of 65 the past 3 seasons combined. Tampa Bay lost badly at Arizona Friday despite outshooting the Coyotes 48 to 23. Chicago is off of a 4-2 home win over Vancouver but don't be fooled by the final score. That game was a 2-2 game very late. Also, the Blackhawks scored very late to win their prior game 1-0. Previous to that the Hawks had lost 4 of their 9 prior games so it's not like Chicago has been rolling of late. That said, we are getting tremendous line value here with a very hungry revenging road dog. I'll take it! 10* TAMPA BAY |
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01-24-17 | Villanova v. Marquette OVER 152.5 | Top | 72-74 | Loss | -105 | 12 h 41 m | Show |
TV Top Game - Rickenbach CBB Game #737 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Marquette Golden Eagles vs Villanova Wildcats @ 8 ET - The Golden Eagles defense and rebounding are both glaring concerns. Marquette is not going to stop Villanova from scoring a ton of points in this one. However, the Wildcats defense may not be at it's sharpest here. Keep in mind, Nova already obliterated the Golden Eagles 93-81 two and a half weeks ago in Philly. Note the Wildcats led that game by as much as 30 points and the final score is not fully indicative of just how much of a blowout win it was for Villanova. As a result, it is going to be difficult for the Wildcats to have the mindset of a team that is going to come in to Milwaukee and play with a lot of defensive intensity tonight. Complicating the situation for Villanova is that they have a date with a ranked Virginia team on deck. That game is being played at Villanova on Sunday and may very well end up being the highest ranked team that the Wildcats face on their home floor this entire season. As a result, that game is of the utmost importance to Villanova and I would not be surprised to see the Wildcats not fully focused on the Golden Eagles here as they start peeking ahead to the big match-up with the Cavaliers. Though the Wildcats are a strong team all the way around (including defense) they did allow Marquette to hit 45% of their threes in the match-up earlier this month. A repeat performance would not surprise because now the Golden Eagles are at home and they have been nailing threes like crazy this season. It's now 13 straight games that Marquette has shot at least 37.5% from three point land! In 10 of those 13 games the Golden Eagles shot at least 42.9% from beyond the arc! Marquette does tend to put up a lot of points but they have allowed 80 points or more in 4 of their last 5 games. One of those games did go to OT but they allowed 77 points in regulation of that game. Look for a high-scoring shootout here as the Golden Eagles will be amped up for hosting the #1 team in the nation but their only hope here is to have a huge game offensively because their porous defense won't be able to stop the Wildcats. The over is 15-7 in Wildcats games where they are a road fave of 3.5 to 6 points. The over is 17-10 in Villanova's road games the past 3 seasons. The over is 5-1 this season in games where Marquette is an underdog. The over is 14-7 the past 3 seasons when the Golden Eagles are off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. 10* OVER the total in Marquette |
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01-23-17 | Spurs v. Nets +12.5 | Top | 112-86 | Loss | -115 | 11 h 41 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #506 Monday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (+) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 7:35 ET - The Nets are hell-bent on turning things around and I like what I have been seeing from them. Brooklyn is coming off of a pair of road games where they won big at New Orleans (143-114) and then showed a lot of heart in their next game even though it was a back to back situation. After the big win over the Pelicans, the Nets visited Charlotte the next night and they got down huge early (not surprising given the rare road win the night before) but they battled all the way back to eventually take a lead in the 4th quarter. Granted the lead was brief but the resilience and mettle that Brooklyn showed in that game was something to take note of. I expect another huge effort from the Nets here and they are a big home dog to the Spurs so it is a perfect spot to take Brooklyn. While the Nets will be fully focused on this "opportunity" against one of the best teams in the NBA, it is a tough situational spot for the Spurs. They are off of their big OT win at Cleveland Saturday night and Kawhi Leonard logged a career-high 46 minutes in that game. In terms of team depth San Antonio is still without Pau Gasol and Tony Parker. The poor scheduling spot for the Spurs is because, not only did they beat the Cavs in OT Saturday, they have a trip to Toronto on deck to face the Raptors tomorrow. These are the types of games where coach Gregg Popovich will alter his playing rotations and minutes to make sure the Spurs have a lot left in the tank for the tough match-up with Toronto that is immediately on deck. San Antonio is likely to win this but only by single digits. 10* BROOKLYN |
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01-23-17 | Hurricanes v. Capitals OVER 5.5 | Top | 1-6 | Win | 118 | 9 h 40 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Monday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals (+115) in Washington Capitals vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - Washington is 11-0-2 in their last 13 games and they have scored 59 goals during this streak. That is an incredible 5.4 goals per game just for the Capitals alone as they continue their torrid hot streak. The key to the play on the over here is the fact that, after a red-hot run by Braden Holtby between the pipes (as well as some solid fill-in duty from Philipp Grubauer) both netminders are off of some tough efforts. The Capitals have given up 14 goals in their last 3 games. The Hurricanes come into this game having allowed 26 goals in their last 7 games. They have won 4 of the 7 games but, even in the games they won, the Canes were allowing too many to find the back of the net. Carolina should score their fair share this evening as they have averaged 4 goals per game in their two meetings with the Caps this season. Also, the Hurricanes outshot the Blue Jackets 37-20 in their loss at Columbus Saturday. The Canes have allowed 4.5 goals per game in their last 4 games and with both clubs struggling a bit in their own zone recently (far too many goals allowed for both the Hurricanes and Capitals) this one should fly over the total. Carolina, thanks to 2 wins in their last 4 games against Washington, comes into this one with confidence in their offensive zone production. For the Capitals (having scored 4 goals or more in 9 of their last 10 games) there is no doubt about the confidence they bring to this one Monday as they are also happy to be back on home ice. In 16 divisional games this season, the Hurricanes have had just 5 unders. As for the Caps, they are on a 6-1 run to the over. 10* OVER 5.5 goals (+115) in Washington |
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01-23-17 | NC State v. Duke OVER 160.5 | Top | 84-82 | Win | 100 | 11 h 13 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #519 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Duke Blue Devils vs NC State Wolfpack @ 7 ET - The Wolfpack seek revenge for being knocked out of the ACC Tourney by Duke last spring. While I do expect NC State to certainly put up a valiant effort tonight, they don't have the defensive mindset necessary to slow down the Blue Devils. Couple that with the fact that this total opened up at 163.5 and has since dropped down to the 160 range and we have some nice value here in a game that is likely to be played at a frenetic pace. NC State has averaged 81.6 points per game on the season while the Blue Devils are averaging 82.9 points per game this season. The reason the Wolfpack are 2-5 in ACC action is they allow 84.7 points per game. Duke is averaging 91 points per game in their 3 home games in ACC action and, though they are off of an under versus Miami Saturday, the Blue Devils entered that game on a 5-0 run to the over. The Wolfpack are off of a home loss to Wake Forest and NC State is 17-9 to the over when off of a loss in ACC action the past 3 seasons combined. Overall, the over is 11-6 in Wolfpack games this season. Duke is on a long-term run of 21-13 to the over when they are a home favorite in a range of 15.5 to 18 points. Look for the Blue Devils totals record to go to 6-1 to the over in ACC action with an extremely high-scoring game Monday against a revenge-minded Wolfpack team that will score well but has "earned" their ranking as the worst defense in the ACC so far this season with allowing 77.2 points per game on the season thus far. 10* OVER the total in Duke |
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01-22-17 | Arizona State +8.5 v. USC | Top | 79-82 | Win | 100 | 13 h 31 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #865 Sunday 10* Top Play Arizona State Sun Devils (+) @ USC Trojans @ 8:30 ET - While this looks like a bounce back spot for Southern Cal, keep in mind two key factors. One is that USC has now lost 4 of 6 games after starting the season 14-0. In other words, reality is setting in that the Trojans were a little over-hyped. The second factor is that Southern Cal has a huge game on deck as they are hosting UCLA on Wednesday. That makes this spot a lookahead spot for USC. Though the Trojans played very well in non-conference action, the concern from them in Pac-12 action is they've been held under 42.2% in 6 of their 7 games. In 5 of those 6 the percentage was under 39.5%. Their home loss to Arizona Thursday was the 4th time in their last 7 games that they've been held under 37.4% from the field. USC is known for their defense but, in Pac-12 action, looking at their last 6 games they've allowed 45.5% or better in 4 of the 6 games. The Sun Devils have a dangerous offense that, prior to their Thursday loss at UCLA, had shot at least 45.7% from the field in 6 of their last 7 games. Arizona State is going to challenge USC here because this is a classic case of two teams heading in opposite directions when it comes to scoring capabilities. The Sun Devils are averaging 80 points per game in conference games while the Trojans are averaging 68 points per game in Pac-12 action. Again, USC does have the better defense but the ASU offense is going to test them early and often and the Trojans will be in a dogfight just to try to win this game let alone cover the big spread. The Sun Devils are a long-term 26-13 ATS as a road dog of 6.5 to 9 points. The Trojans are on an overall 2-9 ATS run their last 11 games. 10* ARIZONA STATE |
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01-22-17 | Predators +117 v. Wild | Top | 4-2 | Win | 117 | 9 h 10 m | Show |
Divisional Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Sunday 10* Top Play Nashville Predators Money Line (+) @ Minnesota Wild @ 8:05 ET - The Predators are finally heating up. They have won 5 of their last 6 games including 3 of 4 so far on this road trip. They also just go PK Subban back which is also a huge boost for this hockey team. The Preds wrap up this 5-game road trip with this game here in Minnesota and they have the scheduling edge as Nashville was off yesterday while the Wild were locked into an intense battle with a Ducks team that was hell-bent on extracting some revenge. The fact that Minny fought off Anaheim in their revenge bid and got the W yesterday makes this spot even stronger for the Predators. The Preds are now catching the Wild off of a win and in a back to back spot. Minnesota has lost 2 of 3 this season when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games on home ice. Nashville has won 4 of 6 this season (and 21 of 34 the past 3 seasons) when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. Nashville took 3 of the 4 meetings last season but Minnesota has now beaten the Predators in each of the first two match-ups this season and both of those were at Nashville. That makes this a huge revenge spot for the Preds and, with the way their playing right now coupled with scheduling edge, this looks like the perfect spot for a road rout. 10* NASHVILLE |
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01-22-17 | Steelers +6 v. Patriots | Top | 17-36 | Loss | -100 | 49 h 24 m | Show |
PA Insider Top Play - Rickenbach NFL 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Steelers (+) @ New England Patriots @ 6:40 ET Sunday - New England knocked off Pittsburgh earlier this season but the Steelers were without QB Ben Roethlisberger in that game. I know it is difficult to knock the Patriots but, one thing I will say is that they sure got a fortunate match-up last week. The only reason Houston was in New England is because Oakland fell apart once they lost their QB. That is what allowed a Texas team with a nightmare (Osweiler) at QB to venture up to Foxboro. Finally, this week, New England will be tested and it could be tough on them as they have had so many easy match-ups since Tom Brady returned early this season after his 4-game suspension. The Pats rarely have been challenged and arguably, their toughest match-ups did not end up impressing. The Patriots, in addition to facing the Steelers at Pittsburgh when Roethlisberger was on the shelf, had only two other truly tough games that were home games this season. In those, they lost to Seattle and they snuck by Baltimore by 7 points as a 6 point favorite. As usual, the Patriots are a public team and very few people will want to bet against Brady and coach Belichick in Foxboro in January. However, if any team can knock them off there, it is this Steelers team and they are healthy again at the skill positions and come into this game having won 9 straight games! Pittsburgh's defense has been phenomenal in their last 6 road games as they've allowed 310 yards or less in all 6 games. Of course the Steelers want revenge badly against the "mighty Pats" who always seem to find their way to the top and that only intensifies the defensive effort here. Keep in mind too that New England was okay without Rob Gronkowski for getting past a team like the Texans but facing the Steelers is a much tougher task! Pittsburgh has faced the tougher strength of schedule this season and the Patriots are in for a war in this one. I do expect the Steelers to win this one outright but I will, of course, grab all the available points as that is where the huge value is in this one, the generous points. 10* PITTSBURGH STEELERS plus the points Sunday evening |
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01-22-17 | Suns +11.5 v. Raptors | Top | 115-103 | Win | 100 | 9 h 54 m | Show |
Shotgun Shellacking - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 6:05 ET - Many are likely to back the Raptors here as they look for the bounce back from Toronto after back to back ugly losses at Philly and Charlotte. However, the Raptors actually don't have a good history in spots like this. In fact, when off of a game where they scored 85 points or less, Toronto has gone 1-9 ATS the past 3 seasons. Also, the Raptors are hosting a Suns team that has been tough on them in recent meetings. Phoenix has won 3 of the last 5 meetings and they have gone a perfect 5-0 ATS in those games. The last 3 games have all been decided by 8 points or less. That said, there is significant line value with the large spread posted on this game. The Suns will be fired up for this game as they enter off of a double digit loss at Cleveland. Prior to that loss to the Cavs, Phoenix was on a 7-2 ATS run and had been playing some of their best basketball of the season with a 3-3 SU run where all 3 losses came by 5 points or less. The point is that the Suns have been playing ultra-competitive basketball and I don't foresee them getting blown out here. Phoenix is actually a solid 10-4 ATS in non-conference games this season. The Raptors are only 6-8 ATS in their last 14 games and only had 2 SU wins by more than 10 points during this stretch. In other words, laying points in the price range they are in today would have had Toronto on a 2-12 ATS run. Look for this game to be much closer than most are expecting. 10* PHOENIX |
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01-22-17 | Packers v. Falcons OVER 60 | Top | 21-44 | Win | 100 | 46 h 53 m | Show |
NFL Playoff Total of the Year - Rickenbach NFL 10* Top Play OVER the total in Atlanta Falcons vs Green Bay Packers @ 3:05 ET - Huge number (60) posted as the total on this game but it is absolutely justified. The Packers have won 8 straight games and have averaged 35 points per game in their last 6 games. The Falcons have won 5 straight games and have averaged 38 points per game. The funny thing about those numbers is the fact that a 38-35 type game would not be a surprise at all. Atlanta's Matt Ryan and Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers are certainly two of the best QBs in the league and also two of the hottest. I don't see the Falcons as being able to slow down the Packers as Atlanta's pass defense has been exploited in a number of games this season. As for Green Bay, they are so banged up on defense that they aren't going to be able to stop Ryan and Company in this one. Of course another real positive for the over is the fact this game is being played indoors on the fast turf in Atlanta. The Falcons have completed 80 of 106 passes in their last 3 games. The Packers are are well known for the fact that they have allowed ridiculously high completion rates this season. Of course the key for Green Bay staying in this game is their own offensive production and they throw much more than they run (another significant positive for an over). All 11 games that Atlanta has played on turf this season (including their 9 home games) have gone over the total - a perfect 11-0 mark. The over is 7-2 in Packers road games this season. Even though these teams each have some decent defensive numbers in recent weeks, those came against inferior competition and neither defense is built well enough (nor is healthy enough) to stop what they're going to be facing on Sunday. Look for VERY few punts in this one as both teams move the ball quickly up and down in the field in a track meet. 10* OVER the total in Atlanta Sunday afternoon |
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01-21-17 | Ducks +155 v. Wild | Top | 3-5 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 59 m | Show |
No Doubt Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Anaheim Ducks Money Line (+) @ Minnesota Wild @ 9:05 ET - This line has been going up, up, up all morning long as everyone is grabbing the Wild at home. I'll gladly grab a revenging Ducks team that had won 3 straight games before losing at home to Minnesota on January 8th. Since that game, Anaheim has gone 5-0-1 their last 6 games. As you can see, the only regulation loss that the Ducks have in their last 10 games came at the hands of the Wild but their revenge goes far deeper than just that. Minnesota is coached by their former coach, Bruce Boudreau, and the Ducks players want this game badly and it looks like their catching the Wild at the perfect time to get revenge. Minnesota has given up 13 goals in their last 4 games. The Wild ended up winning but they did blow a 3-1 lead against the lowly Coyotes. Also, they just lost defenseman Jonas Brodin to injury. Overall there is no debating the fact that Minny has been one of the top teams in the league this season. However, they have allowed 3.1 goals per game in their last 10 games and, on Saturday, they host a Ducks team that has only given up 2 goals or less in 9 straight games! Speaking of Saturday, that is the one day of the week where, oddly enough, things have not gone well for Minnesota with 7 losses in 11 Saturday games this season. Anaheim has won 4 of 5 this season when playing with home loss revenge and the Ducks have won 23 of their last 32 January games. I love the revenge angle here as well as the line value as I'll gladly grab the hungrier team that is also doing a better job of keeping pucks out of their own net. 10* ANAHEIM on the money line Saturday night |
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01-21-17 | Spurs v. Cavs -2 | Top | 118-115 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 7 m | Show |
National TV Blowout - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (-) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 8:35 ET Saturday - The Cavaliers have won 2 of their last 3 games but those wins came against weak competition - the Suns and the Kings. The only game that really mattered to Cleveland was their game at Golden State and they got blown out in that game. The Cavaliers shot just 35% in that game while the Warriors knocked down 50.5% of their shots. On deck after this game for the Cavs is trio of three straight weak foes. The point is that Cleveland is absolutely going to go "all out" in this game against the Spurs after getting thoroughly embarrassed by Golden State earlier this week. The Cavs need an opponent against whom they can get a "statement win" and into Cleveland comes the 33-9 Spurs. The Cavaliers covered both meetings with San Antonio last season and the Spurs are without big man Pau Gasol (hand injury). Tony Parker is also dealing with an ankle injury. This game means A LOT to Cleveland given the recent circumstances and they were able to "rest up" in their blowout win over the Suns Thursday. The Cavs have gone 9-4 ATS when off of a win by a double digit margin. The Spurs are off of a "miracle cover" against the short-handed Nuggets Thursday as the way the last few minutes played out was rather "miraculous" for Spurs backers. Now they face a tough test on the road and San Antonio had failed to cover 3 of their last 4 before sneaking out a cover versus Denver. This game means more to the Cavs who are out to redeem themselves against a Western Conference power after the embarrassment at Golden State. 10* CLEVELAND |
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01-21-17 | Wyoming +8 v. New Mexico | Top | 71-78 | Win | 100 | 10 h 16 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #659 Saturday - 10* Top Play Wyoming Cowboys (+) @ New Mexico Lobos @ 8 ET - The road team has gotten the cash in 6 of the Lobos last 7 games so certainly home court has meant very little. New Mexico is off of back to back road wins but they shot the ball extremely well in those games (including from three point land) and they can't maintain that type of clip long-term. The Lobos now face a team that plays much better defense than they do. The Cowboys are allowing just 39.5% from the field and 29.8% from beyond the arc while New Mexico is allowing 43.5% and 38.2%, respectively. Wyoming also heads into this game with confidence off of a big road win and their match-ups with the Lobos have been tight as the Cowboys are known for giving them tough games. Overall, the last 3 match-ups between these teams have been decided by a TOTAL of only 6 points so that's an average of just 2 points per game and yet this line currently sits at an 8. Also, New Mexico is only 1-5 ATS at home this season and also only 1-5 ATS in games with a posted total in the 150s. Conversely, the Cowboys have thrived in games projected to be high-scoring as they are 6-3 ATS this season in games where the posted total is in the 150s. Wyoming is also 6-3 ATS in their games against teams with a winning record this season. The Cowboys have been better on the boards this season than the Lobos with a 39-34 edge in rebounding. Look for another close game between these rivals and that means excellent line value with the big points. 10* WYOMING plus the big points Saturday evening |
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01-20-17 | Blackhawks +140 v. Bruins | Top | 1-0 | Win | 140 | 9 h 56 m | Show |
NHL Network Crusher - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Chicago Blackhawks Money Line (+) @ Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET Friday - There has been a big line move on this game for two reasons and none of them is a completely "justifiable" reason in my opinion. That said, we are getting fantastic line value in being able to take the Blackhawks as a big dog in this game. The Bruins opened up as a -125 favorite in this game and the line is now as high as -160 on Boston. This is because there are rumors floating around the Bruins as to the possible firing of head coach Claude Julien. Of course now the betting markets are viewing this as "Boston must bring their A game or else" and I see it differently. The last thing this Bruins team needs is more pressure and this is only going to put more pressure on them. Tuukka Rask has been struggling badly between the pipes and now there is added pressure of what is swirling through the media in Boston and it truly would be better for the Bruins if they were on the road rather than "under the microscope" at TD Garden. The other reason for the big line move is because the Blackhawks are going with their back-up goalie Scott Darling this evening. But that is actually good news for Chicago as Corey Crawford has been struggling between the pipes. The fact that Darling is getting the start tonight is actually a positive if you're backing the Hawks and I am doing just that tonight! Chicago is off of a win at Colorado Tuesday and the Blackhawks have won 13 of 17 this season when they are off of a divisional game. Also, Chicago has won 7 of 10 this season when off of a win by a multiple goal margin and the Hawks have won 17 of 25 games against teams with a losing record on the season. The Bruins have lost 6 of their last 9 games and they've allowed at least 3 goals in 7 of those 9 games. Boston is off of a demoralizing loss at Detroit where they blew a huge lead and those expecting a bounce back here should keep in mind that the Bruins have lost 9 of 12 this season when they are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. Also, Boston has lost 42 of 70 non-conference games the past 3 seasons combined. The Bruins also have the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins on deck as well. Tremendous situational line value on the road dog in this one. 10* Top Play CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS on the money line early Friday evening |
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01-20-17 | Eastern Michigan +5.5 v. Akron | Top | 63-70 | Loss | -103 | 10 h 6 m | Show |
CBS Sports Network Smash - Rickenbach CBB Game #885 Friday 10* Eastern Michigan Eagles (+) @ Akron Zips @ 6:30 ET - Akron has a long home winning streak going with 26 straight wins at Rhodes Arena. Not surprisingly, after opening up at a -5, this line has jumped up to a -6 on the Zips and certainly could move higher. This is offering tremendous line value to a revenge-seeking Eastern Michigan team. The Eagles were knocked out of the MAC Tourney by Akron last spring and the perfect revenge would be to put an end to the Zips 26-game home winning streak. This is a veteran Eastern Michigan team that also has a solid backcourt. With strong guard play and, the fact that the Eagles play better defense than the Zips, an upset here would certainly not be a complete surprise. Eastern Michigan is holding opponents to 40.9% from the field and 32.8% from three point land. Akron has allowed 44.0% and 35.6%, respectively, in those same categories. The Eagles are averaging 82 points per game compared to 79 points per game for the Zips. Talk around Akron is already about where the Zips would fit into the Big Dance seedings, etc. I am not saying it is too early for that but I am saying that Eastern Michigan is likely to prove to be the hungrier team here after being knocked out of the conference tourney in March by these Zips. Also, Akron comes into this one a little over-confident because of their lengthy home winning streak. Note that the Zips are an ugly 2-6 ATS this season when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. Eastern Michigan is on a solid 5-2 ATS run when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. Also, the Eagles are a perfect 4-0 (SU and ATS) in their games against teams averaging 77 points or more per game this season. I am looking for an upset but certainly grabbing all the points I can get here. 10* Top Play EASTERN MICHIGAN plus the points very early Friday evening |
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01-19-17 | Nuggets +12.5 v. Spurs | Top | 104-118 | Loss | -104 | 12 h 54 m | Show |
Western Conference Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (+) @ San Antonio Spurs @ 8:35 ET Thursday - Good spot for an upset here and the fact is that if the Nuggets do fall short of the big upset win, they should keep this one to single digits. Denver is seeking revenge for one of their most embarrassing home losses of the season as they got drilled 127-99 in Colorado exactly two weeks ago. In that game, San Antonio had their best shooting night of the season with 56.7% from the field including 50% (12 of 24) from three point land. The Spurs are just 2-2 in their last 4 games and their most recent win came by just 8 points as they were definitely challenged by Minnesota Tuesday. San Antonio has now failed to cover 3 of its last 4 games and they have a huge game on deck as Saturday they are in Cleveland for their first shot of the season at the World Champion Cavaliers. It will be hard for the Spurs, as disciplined as they are, to be able to avoid at least peeking ahead to the Cavs. The Nuggets will be the hungrier and more focused team tonight and Denver didn't have power forward Kenneth Faried in the meeting two weeks ago. He's scored 15 points or more in 3 straight games and the Nuggets have won and covered all 3 games. Denver is full of confidence coming into this game having knocked down 57% of their shots in their last 3 games. The Nuggets also have dominated the glass over their last four games. Denver is 8-4 ATS as a road dog of 12.5 or more points. The Nuggets are also 8-4 ATS when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more. Ride the revenging dog in this one as they will surprise the Spurs with how far they've come in the 2 weeks since these teams last met. 10* DENVER plus the big points Thursday |
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01-19-17 | Maryland +2.5 v. Iowa | Top | 84-76 | Win | 100 | 9 h 42 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #715 Thursday - 10* Top Play Maryland Terrapins (+) @ Iowa Hawkeyes @ 7 ET - The very first lines to come out on this game had the Terps as a 1.5 point favorite. From that point forward the line has now moved a full 4 points as the Terrapins are now a 2.5 point underdog in this match-up. I love to fade moves like this where the game swings strongly and I see great line value here with a solid 16-2 Maryland team. The only two losses the Terps have this season came against Pittsburgh and a 2-point defeat versus Nebraska. The point is that at +2.5 in all game this season the Terrapins would have a 16-1 ATS record. Couple that with the fact that the Hawkeyes are being a bit over-rated here, and you have fantastic line value. Iowa has managed to 'rise up' on a couple of occasions and get big home wins over Iowa State and Purdue. However, this Hawkeyes team is, overall, certainly not at the level of prior Iowa teams. The Hawkeyes are coming off of an 89-54 demolishing defeat at Northwestern. Though many will look for the bounce back here, the fact is that it was the 5th time in the last 6 games that Iowa has allowed 78 points or more! This is in stark contrast with a Maryland team that has only allowed more than 75 points a single time in 18 games this season! The Terrapins are allowing just 65 points per game this season while the Hawkeyes are giving up 78 points per game this season. Maryland is a perfect 6-0 away from home this season. The Terrapins are also a perfect 6-0 SU and ATS in their games as an underdog this season. The Hawkeyes are 3-9 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more and Iowa is also an ugly 1-5 ATS when off of a game where they scored 60 points or less. I'll gladly challenge this over-rated team to try and bounce back here because they've proven unable to do just that time and time again in recent seasons as you can see from those ATS numbers. 10* MARYLAND plus the points Thursday |
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01-18-17 | Loyola-Chicago v. Northern Iowa OVER 136 | Top | 69-72 | Win | 100 | 12 h 51 m | Show |
MVC Total of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #543 Wednesday - 10* Top Play OVER the total in Northern Iowa Panthers vs Loyola-Chicago Ramblers @ 8 ET - The Ramblers have gone over the total in 10 straight games and are 12-1 to the over in their last 13 games that had an O/U line. Loyola-Chicago has been shooting the ball extremely well including from three point land. The Ramblers are averaging 77.4 points per game on the season. I don't foresee Northern Iowa as being able to slow them down. The Panthers allowed 77 points to Loyola in the first match-up this season. Northern Iowa didn't shoot very well in that game (though it still went over the total) but I look for the Panthers to shoot the ball much better at home. The Panthers overall numbers on offense this season do not impress but they are a "different team" when they are at home. On the season, Northern Iowa's home games have seen the Panthers average 71 points per game while knocking down 46% of their shots from the field including 37% of their shots from beyond the arc. The over is 3-0 this season when the Panthers are off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. Also, the over is 4-2 in Northern Iowa's home games and all 5 of their conference games had gone over the total prior to their under versus Drake Sunday. The Ramblers are 6-0 to the over in road games this season and 6-0 to the over in their conference games and 5-1 to the over in their games against teams with a losing record. They are shooting so well that they are full of confidence and will score well even though they are on the road while I look for the Panthers to also play very well on the offensive end as they continue to enjoy success on their home floor. Look for the over to go to 11-0 in Loyola-Chicago's last 11 games with another high-scoring shootout here. 10* OVER the total in Northern Iowa |
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01-18-17 | Penguins v. Canadiens OVER 5.5 | Top | 4-1 | Loss | -110 | 14 h 34 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Montreal Canadiens vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:35 ET - After Monday's crazy 8-7 OT win for Pittsburgh over Washington, many may be hesitant to pull the trigger on another "over" here as it would seem like all the goal-scoring in Penguins games would have to "run out" at some point. However, I am certainly not going to try to predict when that will end and, rather, I will ride the streak! Pittsburgh has now given up 23 goals in its last 4 games but the Penguins have also scored 36 goals in their last 9 games. The over is on a 5-1 run in the Pens last 6 games and, this season, when they are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more, they have gone 17-3 to the over! As for Montreal, their most recent game was at the opposite end of the spectrum as they are off of a 1-0 home loss to Detroit Tuesday. However, you can bet the Habs will now be emphasizing scoring after that home shutout and, in fact, the numbers do support that. The Canadiens are 6-1 to the over this season when off of a game where they held to 1 goal or less! Also, Montreal is 11-6 to the over this season in their games against teams with a winning record and, when playing with revenge the Habs are 13-6 to the over this season. That 1-0 result Tuesday stopped a string of 6 straight overs in Canadiens games. Look for the next streak of "overs" to start immediately. 10* OVER the total in Montreal |
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01-18-17 | Grizzlies +3.5 v. Wizards | Top | 101-104 | Win | 100 | 12 h 1 m | Show |
Earliest Cash Top Play - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET Wednesday - The Wizards have won 12 straight home games and yet they're only laying 3 points in this one in Washington. It is "interesting" to say the least and I am calling for the upset here. The Wizards were simply on fire with their shooting from the opening tip in their big MLK day victory over Portland. Washington knocked down a ridiculous 9 of 13 three pointers to begin the game. The Wizards have been hot from three point land but they now face a Memphis team that is known for its defense and is coming off of a loss. The Grizzlies will be hungry here after catching an earful from their head coach due to poor defense both in the 2nd and 4th quarters of their most recent game - a home loss to Chicago. Prior to that defeat, Memphis had won 3 of their last 4 games and that included road wins at Houston and Golden State! If the Grizzlies can get road wins against the Rockets and Warriors, they certainly can knock off the Wizards. In fact, Washington is 1-5 ATS (and 0-6 SU!) in their games against Southwest Division opponents this season. Memphis is allowing only 99 points per game this season while the Wizards are allowing 106 points per game. The Grizzlies are holding opponents to 43.5% from the field while Washington is allowing 46.5% from the field. The Grizz have gone 39-25 (SU and ATS) when off of a game where they allowed 105 points or more. 10* MEMPHIS |
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01-17-17 | Devils v. Wild OVER 5 | Top | 4-3 | Win | 100 | 10 h 15 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play OVER 5 goals (+100) in Minnesota Wild vs New Jersey Devils @ 8:05 ET Tuesday - As you've probably heard by now, Minnesota has been one of the hottest teams in the league for quite some time now. Of course that is why they are a prohibitive favorite in this match-up as more than a 2 to 1 choice. However, where value can often be found in situations like this is the overlooked O/U lines. In this case, there is significant value with the over. The Wild are 10-2-3 to the over in their last 15 games. That's right, they've had only 2 unders in their last 15 games. Minnesota has won 19 of their last 24 games and, incredibly, during this nearly 2 month stretch of success, the Wild have averaged scoring nearly 4 goals per game. Now, of course, I am well aware of the fact that New Jersey is generally an 'under team' involved in a lot of low-scoring games. However, keep in mind, a 2-2 game guarantees of no less than a 3-2 final. Now, of course we do not want a push here but to have strong odds of being guaranteed not to lose is certainly worth something. That said, note that Minnesota has scored at least 2 goals in 26 straight games. The Devils have scored at least 2 goals in 32 of their last 41 games. Combining those numbers of 26-0 and 32-9 one could easily argue that this play has a 58-9 (87%) chance of each team scoring at least two goals and, once again if each teams gets at least 2 goals, we can't lose this play! 7 times this season New Jersey has entered a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. Out of those 7 occurrences, only 1 of the 7 has resulted in an under. As for the Wild, they are 8-3 to the over when off of a divisional game and they enter this one off of a big road win at Chicago. 10* OVER the total Minnesota |
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01-17-17 | Raptors -11 v. Nets | Top | 119-109 | Loss | -115 | 12 h 42 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play Toronto Raptors (-) @ Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 Tuesday - Normally the only concern in a game like this is that Toronto would not be motivated and may overlook Brooklyn. However, that is unlikely to happen for two reasons. For one thing, tomorrow's Raptors opponent is the 76'ers so certainly there is no concern about Toronto looking ahead to a match-up with another team near the bottom of their division. Secondly, the Raptors lost their most recent road game and, in fact, have lost 4 of their last 5 road games. This ensures the proper focus from Toronto here and this is a Raptors team that is a perfect 8-0 in divisional games this season and has produced a 7-1 ATS mark in those games. Toronto is an overall 19-7 in their last 26 games and their average margin of victory in those 19 wins is 16 points! The Raptors are well known for their blowout wins and I just don't see the Nets being able to hang around in this one. Recently Brooklyn has had some winnable home games against teams like the Sixers and Pelicans and yet they've still ended up getting crushed in those games. They are struggling from three point land, their defense has been pathetic, and they have also been losing the battle of the boards. This will continue to be an issue tonight as they are clearly out-classed in this match-up and the Raptors have added focus on the road due to recent losses away from home. Toronto is 11-3 ATS when off of a win by a double digit margin. The Raptors also are 4-2 ATS when on the road and favored in a range of 9.5 to 12 points. The Nets are 0-7 in divisional games this season and have covered only 2 of those games. After being obliterated by Houston in their most recent game, note that Brooklyn is 3-11 ATS when off of a non-conference game. 10* TORONTO |
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01-17-17 | Bowling Green v. Toledo -8.5 | Top | 73-85 | Win | 100 | 8 h 37 m | Show |
Early ATS Blowout - Rickenbach CBB Game #726 Tuesday 10* Top Play Toledo Rockets (-) vs Bowling Green Falcons @ 7 ET - Oftentimes in rivalry games I like to side with the dogs but this one sets up much differently than most and, as a result, I expect the favorite to win this one in an absolute blowout. The I-75 rivalry in Northeast Ohio between Toledo and Bowling Green resumes tonight and both the Rockets and Falcons are off of back to back losses. However, that is where the similarities between these teams end! The Falcons were at home for both of their games and yet they got completely obliterated by a combined 45 points in those games. The Bowling Green coach is trying to blame it on poor defense because they emphasized offense too much but the fact is their offense only averaged 52.5 points per game so I think he's a little out of touch with his own team here. The problem for BG is they are 1-6 on the road this season and now take on a Toledo team that is 7-1 at home on the season and whose back to back losses entering this match-up both came on the road. Unlike the Falcons, the Rockets did score well in their two defeats (81 points per game!) but they were done in by some hot shooting from their opponents. Look for Toledo (averaging 82.6 points per game on the season) to bounce back in a big way here at home. It is much easier to play at home coming off B2B road losses than to be on the road after B2B home losses. The place will be rocking in Toledo tonight and the Rockets haven't lost here against Bowling Green in 5 years! The Falcons are 9-19 ATS the past 3 seasons combined when, past the midway point of the season, they are facing a team with a winning record. The Rockets are 21-5 SU and 12-9 ATS against teams with a losing record the past 3 seasons combined and everyone is talking about how important this home game is in this rivalry series. 10* Top Play TOLEDO |
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01-16-17 | Coyotes v. Oilers OVER 5.5 | Top | 1-3 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 15 m | Show |
Top Total Smash - Rickenbach 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals (+120) in Edmonton Oilers vs Arizona Coyotes @ 9:05 ET Monday - This is another contrarian play as both of these clubs have been trending "under" on the season and, in particular, of late. There are a few key reasons why I think many are going to end up "surprised" here as this one cashes in a nice plus money return (currently +120 payback) on the over. The Coyotes are hungry to respond and put plenty of pucks on net after they were shutout on Saturday. This season, when on the road and off of a shutout loss, Arizona has scored 6 goals in the two times this occurred. The Coyotes have allowed 3 goals or more in 11 of their last 12 games so odds look good that this could be a 3-3 game at some point! The Oilers have been gutting out some tight, low-scoring wins lately but they've also been involved in a couple of 5-3 losses as well. Edmonton enters this came off of a 2-1 win over Calgary and holding opponents to just 1 goal or less has been a rarity for the Oilers. The last 4 times it has happened Edmonton's next game has gone over 3 of 4 times and the Oilers allowed an average of nearly 4 goals per game in those contests. Look for another wild one here as the Coyotes come into this one flying all over the ice in an attempt to boost their offense but the Oilers will answer them goal for goal with a strong effort at home. 10* OVER 5.5 goals (+120) in Edmonton Monday |
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01-16-17 | Providence +6.5 v. Georgetown | Top | 74-56 | Win | 100 | 10 h 22 m | Show |
Primetime TV Top Game - Rickenbach CBB Game #543 Monday - 10* Top Play Providence Friars (+) @ Georgetown Hoyas @ 9 ET - Georgetown has won two straight games but it certainly is nothing to be too excited about as Hoyas fans know all too well. These two wins came against St John's (one of the worst teams in their conference) and then against UConn (a non-conference win). Georgetown was not impressive in their win by a slim margin over the Huskies and now they certainly face a much tougher challenge today and yet many have backed the Hoyas here. The line jumped from an opener of -5 up to a -6.5 and I'll gladly grab the added value here on the underdog in a game where I don't even expect I'll need the points. Keep in mind, Georgetown is only 1-4 in Big East action this season and Providence has won 5 straight games in this series. The Friars recorded the 2-0 sweep each of the past two seasons over the Hoyas and then already beat them in Providence early this month to get this year's season series started off on the right foot. The Friars are 8-4 ATS against teams with a winning record this season while Georgetown is the polar opposite at 4-8 ATS this season against teams with a winning record. The Hoyas are 0-3 ATS in games with a posted total in the 130s this season and also are 0-4 ATS when playing with road loss revenge. With their poor performance at the betting window against winning teams, I don't see any reason for things to change here as the Friars come into this one fired up about losing their last road game by a single point. That hunger will show on the floor here as they seek back to back wins in Big East action which they know is critical to moving back up the standings. 10* PROVIDENCE |
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01-16-17 | Cavs v. Warriors -7.5 | Top | 91-126 | Win | 100 | 11 h 31 m | Show |
TNT Top Game - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play Golden State Warriors (-) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:05 ET Monday - Revenge spots don't get much better than this. Not only did the Cavs when 3 straight to rally back from a 3-1 series deficit and take the NBA Championship from the Warriors last June, they then snuck out a 1-point win on Christmas Day about 3 weeks ago in Cleveland. Now the Cavaliers are in Golden State to face a fired up Warriors team that his its sight set on big-time revenge on their home court. Even though the Cavs are off of a win at Sacramento, they came into that game having lost 3 of their last 5 games. The only two wins for Cleveland in that stretch came against Brooklyn (worst team in NBA) and Phoenix (least wins in the Western Conference). That said, the Cavaliers aren't exactly playing impressive ball of late and, in fact, enter tonight's game on a 2-8 ATS run. Off of that win over the Kings, note that Cleveland is an ugly 3-9 ATS this season when off of a non-conference game. The Warriors are 34-6 on the season and 11 of their last 12 wins have come by 8 points or more. Golden State is also 32-17 ATS their last 49 games when playing with revenge. The Warriors also are a stellar 16-7 ATS in home games where they are favored in a range of 6.5 to 9 points. Indeed, the "price is right" here with the home fave and I'll gladly lay the points Monday evening. 10* GOLDEN STATE |
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01-15-17 | Steelers +1.5 v. Chiefs | Top | 18-16 | Win | 100 | 23 h 47 m | Show |
AFC Playoff Game of the Year - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Steelers (+) @ Kansas City Chiefs @ 8:20 ET Sunday - Of course one has to respect the Chiefs and their 12-4 record but Kansas City benefited greatly from a positive turnover margin and because their special teams play is very strong. However, Pittsburgh is the stronger overall team and that should punch the Steelers ticket to the AFC Championship Game by the time this one is in the books. The Steelers, based on yardage, rank 7th in the league on offense and 12th in the league on defense. By comparison, the Chiefs rank 20th on offense and 24th on defense. Now you can see why the special teams and turnover margin have been such huge keys for the Chiefs this season. Now look for KC to be exposed by a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The Steelers already hammered the Chiefs 43 to 14 in the regular season and Pittsburgh enters this game having won 8 straight games. The Steelers offensive weaponry finally has "all hands on deck" and, in the 2nd straight game with everyone available (all skilled position starters) it is probable that Pittsburgh will prove to be even tougher to stop than they were last week against Miami. The Chiefs get a lot of "line shading" here because of their history at Arrowhead Stadium but note that Kansas City went an ugly 1-4 ATS in their home games against non-divisional foes this season! Also, the Chiefs are a long-term 2-11 ATS in playoff games. I am also well-aware of Andy Reid's long-term history of success when off of a bye week but the Steelers are the superior team on both sides of the ball and the Chiefs truly got here with some "smoke and mirrors" this season. 10* Top Play PITTSBURGH Sunday night |
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01-15-17 | Packers +6 v. Cowboys | Top | 34-31 | Win | 100 | 19 h 16 m | Show |
Texas Insider - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 10* Top Play Green Bay Packers (+) @ Dallas Cowboys @ 4:40 ET - Most people aren't giving the Packers a chance here and I realize they do have some injury issues, particularly in the secondary, that are impacting here. However, what many people don't realize is that the "anointed one" with the Cowboys is really Ezekiel Elliott rather than Dak Prescott. Dallas is where they are today because they have a powerful running game and because certainly the ball bounced their way on a number of occasions (particularly early this season) that helped give them the momentum and confidence to get this point. The fact is that all the success that came from those two factors has masked the fact that their passing attack ranks just 23rd in the league. For comparison sake, note that the Packers passing attack ranks 7th in the league. Also, the Green Bay run defense ranks 9th so that matches up well with the Cowboys ground attack which ranks 2nd in the league. As for the Cowboys the concern on defense is their pass defense which ranks 26th in the league. The way I am approaching this game is have a veteran QB (Aaron Rodgers) who has plenty of weapons even with WR Jordy Nelson out, and he's attack a weak pass defense. I have a strong ground defense (Packers) that can focus on slowing down Elliott. I'll challenge the rookie QB (Prescott) to beat Green Bay through the air because, let's not forget, this is his first ever playoff game and he is facing a team that already saw him earlier this season and certainly is fired up about the rematch. The Packers have won 7 straight games and covered 6 of their last 7. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Cowboys have failed to cover 5 of their last 6 games and yet they are the popular choice here as this line is now all the way up to a 6 as of the night before the game. The Packers are on an 8-3 ATS run when playing with revenge. The Cowboys aren't exactly a "covering machine" at home and, in fact, are on an 11-21 ATS run in games played on turf. 10* GREEN BAY plus the points Sunday afternoon |
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01-15-17 | Wolves v. Mavs OVER 195.5 | Top | 87-98 | Loss | -110 | 4 h 60 m | Show |
Earliest Cash Top Total - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play OVER the total in Dallas Mavericks vs Minnesota Timberwolves @ 2:05 ET Sunday - The Mavericks finally were getting healthy and now Andrew Bogut is out. The way that hurts the Mavs is on the defensive end. He's their leader in rebounding (including defensive caroms) and is also their top shot blocker. He doesn't score much at all so the impact of this injury is clearly that it weakens the interior defense of Dallas. Without his presence in the paint, opponents are likely to get more opportunities for scoring close to the bucket as well as second chance scoring opportunities off of offensive rebounds. The Timberwolves are red hot right now with 3 straight wins (and they are on a 4-0 ATS run) so I look for them to come in ready to take advantage of a softening Dallas defense that has allowed an average of 105 points per game in their last 9 games. The Mavericks offensive production has started to pick up as they have shot better than 45.5% from the field in 4 of their last 5 games. Also, they've hit at least 39.5% of their three pointers in 6 of their last 9 games. The Timberwolves offense is also hot as they have knocked down 52% of their shots from the field in their last 3 games and they'll stay hot here as they face a Dallas lineup that is likely to be willing to "run and gun" at home off of a big win over Phoenix that totaled 221 points. The over is 30-13 in T-wolves games against teams from the Southwest Division the past 3 seasons combined and Minnesota is a perfect 3-0 to the over when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more. 10* OVER the total in Dallas very early Sunday |
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01-15-17 | Rutgers v. Indiana OVER 143 | Top | 57-76 | Loss | -103 | 3 h 16 m | Show |
Earliest Cash Best Bet - Rickenbach CBB Game #877 Sunday - 10* Top Play OVER the total in Indiana Hoosiers vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights @ Noon ET - The oddsmakers are good at what they as we all know. That said, when they set a spread it is usually very accurate and that's why the numbers are so tough to beat. The reason I mention that here is because I think they "missed" on this total and let me explain why. They set this line at 16 and the total at 143. That means that if they truly "nailed it" Indiana wins this game 80-64 or 79-63 because those are the two final scores that gets us closest to the total they set. However, what is noteworthy about that is that the Hoosiers are averaging 85 points per game this season and they're now at home, off of a loss, and facing a Rutgers team that has lost 6 straight games and is winless in Big Ten action. On the season the Scarlet Knights are averaging 65 points per game and, even in Big Ten action they have scored at least 60 points in 3 straight games. I look for Indiana to impose their will in this game but I don't like laying big points and I would not be surprise to see the Hoosiers "sag off" on defense once this "game is in hand" which could be the case by early in the 2nd half. As a result, this one should fly over the total easily. The over is 13-3 the last 3 seasons in Rutgers games the past 3 seasons when they are a road dog of 12.5 points or more. The over is 8-2 in Indiana's home games with a posted total in a range of 140 to 144.5 the past 3 seasons. The Hoosiers are averaging 89 points per game at home this season. Indiana is shooting 54% from the field (including 42% from three point land) in home games this season. The Hoosiers offense will prove unstoppable against a Scarlet Knights defense that is allowing an average of 78 points per game on the Big Ten road and now faces the Big Ten's most potent offense. 10* Top Play OVER the total in Indiana very early Sunday |
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01-14-17 | Pelicans v. Bulls UNDER 206 | Top | 99-107 | Push | 0 | 6 h 55 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Chicago Bulls vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 5:05 ET - The Bulls have issues with the flu bug and that has impacted their star Jimmy Butler as well. However, the bigger issue for Chicago has been that, no matter who has been on the floor, they haven't been shooting the ball well for many weeks. Amazingly, the Bulls have been held under 41.8% from the field in 10 of their last 13 games. Not surprisingly, the under is on a 14-6, 70% run in their last 20 games as the shooting woes have been an issue. The Pelicans are expected to have leading scorer Anthony Davis back on the floor for this one but the over is 11-4 in the last 15 games for New Orleans. The Pelicans have been much better on the defensive end of late as they have held 7 straight teams to 43% or less from the floor. The under is 12-4 (75%) in non-conference games for New Orleans this season. The Bulls enter this game on a 3-game losing streak and the under is 13-3, 81% the past three seasons (including a perfect 4-0 this season) when Chicago enters a game on a losing streak of 3 games or more. With this total spiking up even though Davis still has a sore hip and the Bulls still are fighting off the effects of the flu, I'll gladly grab the value on the other side. 10* UNDER the total in Chicago |
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01-14-17 | Baylor +2.5 v. Kansas State | Top | 77-68 | Win | 100 | 7 h 8 m | Show |
#1 Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #607 Saturday 10* Top Play Baylor Bears (+) @ Kansas State Wildcats @ 4:30 ET - The Bears got thoroughly embarrassed in their ugly loss at West Virginia Tuesday. After allowing 63 points or less in 14 of their 15 games on the way to a 15-0 start this season, the Bears allowed 89 to the Mountaineers. We don't have to tell you that Baylor may be in "response mode" here as the ATS stats back that fact up. The past two seasons the Bears have gone 7-0 SU and 6-0 ATS when they are off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more! Baylor has won three straight games against the Wildcats and their last loss came by just 2 points at Kansas State. That said, with the line move here to a +2.5, we are getting even more line value with the Bears in this one. Baylor has played a tougher schedule than the Wildcats so far this season and, when Kansas State has stepped up (in terms of level of competition) they have failed this season. All the Cats straight-up wins have come in either non-lined games or games where their line was at least -6. The Wildcats have been a dog OR fave of 3 points or less 3 times and they went 0-3 SU in those games. Here Kansas State is catching Baylor at quite possibly the worst time as you know the Bears are going to bring their "A game" after what just happened in Morgantown earlier this week. The past two seasons Kansas State went 3-8 ATS when facing a team with a winning record in a game that was past the midway point (15 game mark) of the season. The Cats get exposed again here. 10* BAYLOR |
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01-13-17 | Hornets v. 76ers +5.5 | Top | 93-102 | Win | 100 | 11 h 28 m | Show |
Eastern Conference Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76'ers (+) vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET Friday - The Sixers are "feeling it" right now with wins in 4 of their last 5 games and, on Friday, they are hosting a Hornets team that has lost 5 of its last 6 games! The 76'ers enter this game on an overall 5-0 ATS run and Charlotte is just 1-7 ATS against Atlantic Division opponents this season. In a road game where the posted total is in a range of 205 to 209.5 points, the Hornets have gone 6-14 SU and 6-13-1 ATS the past 3 seasons combined. Even though Philadelphia is off of an outright win as a dog (beat Knicks and New York was the small fave), don't look for Philly to fall flat here. In fact, the 76'ers are 6-3 ATS when coming off of an upset win as an underdog this season. The Sixers, off of many consecutive rough seasons, still "have a ways to go" of course but, with each win, their confidence is growing. Also, Philly is playing this game with revenge on their minds as they lost at Charlotte earlier this season and the 76'ers are hungry to get some payback as the Hornets have won 7 of the last 8 meetings between these teams. At home and playing loose and confident, the Sixers are going to be tough for the slumping Hornets to get past. 10* Top Play PHILADELPHIA plus the points early Friday evening |
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01-13-17 | Maple Leafs v. Rangers OVER 5.5 | Top | 4-2 | Win | 100 | 9 h 16 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in New York Rangers vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:05 ET Friday - Fresh legs here as both teams are coming off of their bye "week" of 5 days. Perfect set up for an over here as the Rangers are expected to have wingers Rick Nash and Pavel Buchnevich back but are likely to be without defenseman Marc Staal. The Over is 7-1 in the Rangers last 9 games while the Maple Leafs come into this game having gone over the total in 4 straight games. Toronto acquired a new back-up goalie in Curtis McElhinney but, no matter who is in goal tonight, the goalies may not be as quite as sharp with the long layoff. Ironically, the last time McElhinney started was in the Rangers last game (when he was still a member of the Blue Jackets) and he gave up 5 goals in that game! The Rangers have scored 4.4 goals per game in their last 7 games and the Maple Leafs have scored 4.1 goals per game in their last 8 games. The Leafs have allowed 17 goals in their last 4 games and the Rangers have given up 4 goals per game in their last 8 games. The Blueshirts are 11-6 to the over this season when they are off of a game where they scored 4 or more goals and I look for another wild one here at Madison Square Garden. 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in New York Rangers early Friday evening. |
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01-13-17 | Detroit v. Oakland OVER 150.5 | Top | 93-88 | Win | 100 | 10 h 50 m | Show |
TV Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Oakland Golden Grizzlies vs Detroit Titans @ 7 ET - The Golden Grizzlies have been an "under team" this season but Oakland is averaging 79 points per game on the season and they're set for an offensive explosion here. The Grizzlies are off of an ugly 57-56 win at Illinois-Chicago Sunday. Oakland is 10-4 to the over as a home favorite of 12.5 or more points and the Titans defense is porous. Detroit is allowing 84.5 points per game this season and teams are hitting a ridiculous 51.2% from the field against them including 39% from three point land. The key to the over here is the fact that, as bad as the Titans defense is, they do score well. Detroit has scored 70 points or more in 5 of their last 6 games and are averaging 74 points per game this season. The over is 21-12 in Titans road games the past 3 seasons combined. Also, the over is 14-7 in Detroit games the past 3 seasons when they are off of a loss against a conference rival. The average score of the last 3 meetings between these teams is Oakland 91, Detroit 86. That's 177 points and none of those 3 games went to OT either. Look for this one to easily fly over the total as the Golden Grizzlies will be happy to run and gun at home after the ugly, low-scoring win at Illinois-Chicago. As for the Titans, free-flowing games with very little defense is truly the only way they know how to play. More of the same here. 10* Top Play OVER the total in Oakland early Friday evening |
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01-12-17 | SMU +6 v. Cincinnati | Top | 64-66 | Win | 100 | 13 h 45 m | Show |
Rickenbach CBB Game #553 Thursday 10* Top Play SMU Mustangs (+) @ Cincinnati Bearcats @ 9 ET - Great line value here with the underdog. The Mustangs have revenge from losing to the Bearcats when these teams last met in March. Both teams have been strong early this season but SMU is 6-2 ATS in their games against teams with a winning record while Cincinnati has gone only 3-4 ATS in their games against teams with a winning record. Also, as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points, the Bearcats have an ugly long-term mark of 10-22 ATS! The last 4 games between these teams have been decided by an average of 5.8 points per game. This game is projected to be a hard-fought low-scoring battle and Cincy is an ugly 18-29 ATS in home games with a posted total in the 120s. The Mustangs are a solid 30-18 ATS in road games with a posted total in the 120s. Overall, in all games with a total posted between 120 and 129.5 points the last 3 seasons, SMU has gone an incredible 19-1 SU and 14-6 ATS! The Bearcats are ranked and they are at home so they are they popular choice here but the Mustangs have a great shot at the upset here and I'll gladly grab the generous points being offered. SMU has won 10 straight games and allowed only 54.8 points per game in those 10 games. 10* SMU |
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01-12-17 | Bruins v. Predators -105 | Top | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 13 h 28 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Nashville Predators Money Line (-) vs Boston Bruins @ 8:05 ET Thursday - The struggling Predators got an improbable victory in overtime versus Vancouver Tuesday as they scored the winning goal short-handed in OT with just seconds left on the clock. That was just the 2nd win in 9 Preds games that have gone beyond regulation this season. This banged-up Nashville team certainly needed that win and I expect them to now use that as a momentum shift as they host Boston tonight and look to string together some wins. Even though the Bruins have been hot on their current road trip, Predators goalie Pekka Rinne has been sharper than Boston netminder Tuukka Rask in recent games. Rinne has a .946 save percentage compared to .902 for Rask over their last 4 starts. The Bruins suffered a couple injuries in their big 5-3 win at St Louis Tuesday and that helps "level the situation" here as the Predators continue to deal with injury issues. The end result is that I'll gladly ride the hotter goalie on home ice in a pick'em situation. The Preds win over the Canucks is the type of momentum-turning victory that Nashville needed. The Bruins have lost 8 of 11 this season when they are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. Also, Boston has lost 37 of 65 road games with posted total of 5 goals or less the past three seasons. The Predators have won 43 of 71 home games with a posted total of 5 goals or less the past three seasons. As hot as the Bruins have been, they have allowed 3 goals or more in 4 of their last 5 games. The Preds have held 5 of their last 6 opponents to 2 goals or less! 10* Top Play NASHVILLE on the money line |
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01-12-17 | Pelicans v. Nets +5 | Top | 104-95 | Loss | -107 | 9 h 40 m | Show |
Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (+) vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 7:35 ET Thursday - Pelicans star center Anthony Davis hurt his hip late in the win at New York Monday. Even if he plays tonight (didn't do much at all in practice yesterday), Davis is not likely to be as effective as he has been. Also, his history against the Nets is not that impressive anyway with only 18 points per game in his 6 games. While New Orleans has a definite health concern here, Brooklyn is expected to get healthier as Trevor Booker (the Nets leading rebounder) is expected back tonight. The Nets have been a disappointment this season but this is a good spot for them to get back on track with the Pelicans off of a big road win and with Davis now hurting. The Pelicans had lost 3 straight prior to that win and that was just their 5th win in 18 road games this season! Even though New Orleans comes into this game off of two days rest, they are only 2-6 SU in that situation this season. The Nets had won 3 of 4 home games (with the lone loss to Golden State) in a stretch from December 7th to the 26th. Since then they have lost 4 straight at home but the losses included defeats against Utah, Atlanta, and Cleveland. Here they are facing a much less formidable foe and they were 7-8 at home this season before losing 4 straight. With road wins few and far between for the Pelicans and with the Nets ultra hungry to get back into the win column, this is the perfect spot to back the home dog getting generous points. 10* BROOKLYN |
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01-11-17 | LSU +10.5 v. Texas A&M | Top | 62-92 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 0 m | Show |
SEC Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #751 Wednesday - 10* Top Play LSU Tigers (+) @ Texas A & M Aggies @ 8:30 PM ET - Not only is this a revenge game for LSU, it certainly is anything but "normal" revenge. The Tigers lost to Texas A & M in the SEC Tourney by a final score of 71 to 38 last spring. The Aggies, in that game, held LSU to a season-low in points and also a season-low in field goals made (13). Not only that but it also marked the fewest points scored by a team in any major conference for the entire season. You can bet that LSU got caught looking ahead to this revenge game in their poor effort at home against Mississippi State Saturday. The Tigers are only 9-5 this season but they will bring a much stronger effort on defense here after what happened against the Bulldogs Saturday and also after the way they played against the Aggies in the SEC Tourney. Keep in mind that the Tigers did beat A & M when they faced them at LSU last season and now it's time for a little "road payback". Of course a big key here is that the Aggies certainly aren't the level of team they were last season. Texas A & M is winless so far in the SEC and all 3 losses have come by double digits. Now they're being asked to win by double digits against a hungry, revenge-minded underdog and I just don't see that happening here. The Aggies are only 2-6 SU (and 1-6 ATS) in their games against teams with a winning record this season. Also, the Tigers are 12-4 SU (and 10-5 ATS) the past 3 seasons combined when they are off of a loss in SEC action. LSU is also 4-1 SU and ATS this season when they are off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. Look for the Tigers to get back on track in a big way here and, if they do fall short, it will be single digits. They are highly motivated for this one. 10* Top Play LSU |
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01-11-17 | Penguins v. Capitals -119 | Top | 2-5 | Win | 100 | 22 h 17 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line (-) vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 8:05 ET Wednesday - Both teams come in red hot but the Capitals have the home ice edge, the hotter goalie, and they still have playoff revenge on their minds. Yes, Washington certainly got some revenge with a 7-1 drubbing of the Penguins back in November but the Capitals did lose their first chance at revenge (3-2 loss at Pittsburgh in October) and, overall, there is no way they can not be fired up about any chance to host the defending Stanley Cup Champs. The Caps want to make their move this season and get that top spot. The Pens do have a few concerns heading into this one as goalie Matt Murray has been dealing with a lower body injury and a number of Penguins are also battling an illness that has gripped a few players. The Penguins have won 5 straight games but they've allowed 9 goals in their last 4 games while the Capitals have won 6 straight games and have allowed 1 goal or less in 4 of their last 5 games. Including playoff games, the home team has won 6 straight match-ups between these teams. The Penguins have lost 29 of their last 50 road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. The Capitals have won 10 of 14 games this season when they are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. Caps goalie Braden Holtby is 4-0 and has allowed a total of just 4 goals in his last 4 starts. 10* WASHINGTON money line Wednesday |