Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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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 |
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01-11-17 | Knicks v. 76ers OVER 209.5 | Top | 97-98 | Loss | -110 | 21 h 41 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia 76'ers vs New York Knicks @ 7:05 ET Wednesday - New York and Philadelphia rank near the top of Eastern Conference for pace. Of course that's why this total is up "rather high" as you would expect when teams like this match-up. The key to the over is the fact that their defense also leaves a lot to be desired as the Knicks are one of the worst teams in the league for defensive efficiency while the Sixers also rank in the lower half of the league. New York will be happy to push the pace in this one as they are fired up after being held to just 96 points in their most recent game. The Knicks had averaged 110.8 points per game in their 5 prior games. New York has allowed an average of 115.5 points per game in their last 6 games. As for Philly, they have allowed 107.4 points per game in their last 11 games. The last 3 meetings between these teams have all resulted in an over. The Sixers are off of a double digit win at Brooklyn. The over is now 4-2 in 76'ers divisional games this season. Also, the over is 8-5 the L13 times the Sixers were off of a game they won by 10 points or more. Look for New York to respond off of their poor effort against the Hornets as they are 11-5 to the over when they are off of a non-conference game. Also, both Derrick Rose and Carmelo Anthony are listed as probable for this game (at least as of Tuesday night) and it's "go time" for me as this total is likely to move upward on gameday. 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia |
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01-10-17 | Red Wings v. Blackhawks OVER 5.5 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 135 | 10 h 50 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals (+135) in Chicago Blackhawks vs Detroit Red Wings @ 8:35 ET Tuesday - Both Justin Abelkader and Mike Green skated with the Red Wings yesterday and I would not be surprised to see both guys back on the ice tonight. However, even if they don't return, just the fact they are both very close to returning is going to boost this Detroit team. The Red Wings are off of a 6-3 loss at San Jose. The encouraging take-away for the Wings in that game is the fact that they have now scored 3 goals or more in 6 of their last 7 games. However, Detroit has allowed 3 goals or more in 12 of their last 16 games and that is what is leading me to the over in this match-up. The Blackhawks are 16-4-4 at home this season and they score a ton of goals there. Chicago has averaged 3.2 goals per game at the United Center this season and they are coming off of a 5-2 win over Nashville Sunday. The over is 16-8 in their home games this season. Petr Mrazek is expected to get the start for Detroit tonight and the over is 5-2 in his starts in non-conference action this season. Also, in his Mrazek's last 4 games (including 2 starts) he has struggled with an .852 save percentage! His most recent start stayed under the total but NONE of his 5 prior starts resulted in an under! The Red Wings ugly loss Sunday was the 12th time this season that they have lost a game by a margin of 2 goals or more. They'll be ready to respond and, after the first 11 this season, only 3 of 11 times has their next game stayed under the total. Look for a ton of goals here as Detroit is going to go hard and the Hawks have scored 9 goals in their last two games against the Red Wings. I know there is some 5 out there but I am recommending grabbing the 5.5 and going for the big plus money payback here rather than laying big juice! 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Chicago |
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01-10-17 | Hawks v. Nets +7.5 | Top | 117-97 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 51 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (+) vs Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET Tuesday - With the Hawks having won six straight and the Nets having lost six straight, this is definitely a contrarian choice. Of course we are already getting extra line value here as a result. Atlanta was a low as a 6-point favorite and the line is already up to a 7.5 as of early Tuesday morning. The Nets are coached by Kenny Atkinson and he was an assistant with the Hawks for 4 seasons before coming to Brooklyn this season. As a result, he certainly knows a thing or two about the Xs and Os that Atlanta will employ in this match-up. This game means a lot more to the Nets than the Hawks. It is difficult for Atlanta not to look past the 8-28 Nets as they have a much bigger game (home versus Boston) on deck. That said, the Nets are likely to step up and surprise some people in this one! Brooklyn has been playing better on the defensive end as they have held their opponents to 41.5% field goal shooting in their last 3 home games. Opponents did include Utah and Cleveland! Even though Atlanta has won 6 straight, 4 of the 6 wins have come by 7 points or less. The Hawks have stayed under the total in 3 straight games and, when that has been the case this season, they have gone 2-5 ATS (and 1-6 SU) in their next game! In other words don't be surprised if the Nets gets the upset. However, I am certainly grabbing the points. The Nets are 3-1 ATS this season as a home dog of 6.5 to 9 points. 10* Top Play BROOKLYN |
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01-10-17 | Kentucky v. Vanderbilt OVER 158 | Top | 87-81 | Win | 100 | 11 h 36 m | Show |
Earliest Cash ESPN - Rickenbach CBB Game #537 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Vanderbilt Commodores vs Kentucky Wildcats @ 7 ET - This total opened up at a 160 and has already been pushed down a little to 158 at the time of this write-up. We get some value here because Vandy is off of an ugly game at Alabama. That was a hard-fought loss that the Crimson Tide won 59 to 56. That is helping to impact the markets here when, the fact is, we should see this game top out in the 175 range! The Commodores have averaged 79.4 points per game this season (and shot 47.6%) in their home games. The Wildcats come in with the most dangerous offense in the nation. UK has averaged 94.2 points per game this season and they are hitting 49% from the field. They can beat you anywhere on the floor and the over is 7-3 in their games against teams with a winning record this season. For Vanderbilt, when they are passed the midway point of the season and facing a team with a winning record, the over has gone 16-10 the past two seasons. The Commodores, other than the Crimson Tide game of course, have had good ball movement on offense and they've shot well from three point land - 40.3% this season! The Wildcats have scored 96 points or more in 5 of their last 6 games. The over is 14-9 in Kentucky's road games the past three seasons. UK has revenge for a loss at Vanderbilt last season. That said, I don't expect the Cats to let up at all at any point in this game. However, the Commodores also have a 7-footer inside who has been scoring well of late to complement their hot shooting from beyond the arc and I expect Vandy to hang around in this one. They lose by double digits but they score enough to send this one flying over the total because I expect Kentucky to "put on a clinic" on offense. 10* OVER the total in Vanderbilt |
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01-09-17 | Clemson +7 v. Alabama | Top | 35-31 | Win | 100 | 34 h 33 m | Show |
National Championship Game - Rickenbach CFB 10* Top Play Clemson Tigers (+) vs Alabama Crimson Tide @ Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on Monday @ 8:30 PM ET - Alabama, it goes without saying, is a phenomenal football program. There is no doubt about that fact. However, that doesn't mean that value can't be had in going against them. The Crimson Tide are here because they got by Washington last weekend. I want to remind everyone though that the Huskies come from the Pac-12 and that conference went 0-6 ATS in the bowls! In other words, one could argue that Alabama certainly should have done a lot more damage than they did against Washington last week. Yes, the Crimson Tide did get enough for the cover in the 24-7 win but their offense only gained 326 yards in that game. Believe it or not, that was the 4th time in their last 6 games that Alabama has been held to less than 373 yards of offense! That said, is the firing of offensive coordinator Kiffin and his replacement with Sarkisian really going to be a good thing before a huge match-up with a high-quality foe? I highly doubt that! The Clemson D just stepped up HUGE against the Buckeyes last week in their 31-0 win as the Tigers held Ohio State to just 215 yards. In fact, in 4 of their last 6 games, Clemson held their opponents under 278 yards of offense! I expect the Tigers, playing with revenge and playing their best defense of the season, to bring their "A game" again in this one. As for their offense, it is one of the most dynamic in the country and Clemson has also been amazingly consistent. They have averaged 502.9 yards per game this season and, they have gained over 441 yards per game in each of their last 12 games. While one could argue that Alabama faced the tougher schedule this season, the SEC overall was not nearly as strong as it was in past seasons. The "playing field" here has truly leveled out and the value is with the revenging dog getting a full TD in this one. The Tigers are on a 6-1 ATS run as an underdog and a long-term run of 31-14 ATS as an underdog in a range of 3.5 to 10 points. The Crimson Tide had just 18 first downs in last year's Championship game while allowing 31. The Tigers had to get in the backdoor for that cover but the stats do tell a better story here. This year I would not be surprised to see the outright upset and will gladly grab the big points here. 10* Top Play CLEMSON on Monday Night |
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01-09-17 | Thunder v. Bulls OVER 207.5 | Top | 109-94 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 48 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Bulls vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 8:05 ET Monday - Even though the Bulls game Saturday went into overtime and that contributed to the big final score, the fact is the game was well over the total by the end of regulation. Chicago games have now gone over the total in 4 of their last 5. The Bulls have allowed 48% from the field in their last 5 games and that trend is unlikely to stop here. The Thunder come into town having averaged 115.7 points per game in their last 3 games and both Russell Westbrook of OKC and Jimmy Butler of the Bulls are looking to stay red hot and will be eager to put on another "show" in this one. Both guys have been two of the hottest scorers in the league recently. Oklahoma City has allowed 49% from the field in their last 4 road games and the over is 3-0 in the last 3 games for the Thunder. Both these teams are very confident right now with the way they have been clicking in the offensive end and, with both teams off of wins (including 3 straight for the Bulls), defense could be an "afterthought" tonight. Oklahoma City likes to play at a fast pace (their pace factor of 100.2 is higher than any other Eastern Conference team other than Brooklyn) so look for the Eastern Conference Bulls to be pushed into playing this one at a little higher pace than they usually do. That will only help our cause here of course and the Bulls will be happy to run and gun a bit since they've been putting up huge points in their win streak! 10* OVER the total in Chicago Monday |
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01-09-17 | Flames v. Jets OVER 5.5 | Top | 0-2 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 43 m | Show |
Contrarian Top Play - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Winnipeg Jets vs Calgary Flames @ 8:05 ET Monday - Winnipeg has revenge here from a 6-2 loss at Calgary earlier this season. The Flames have given the Jets a lot of trouble though as they have scored 14 goals in the last 3 meetings! Look for plenty of offense again in this one as Winnipeg is off of a 4-3 loss at Buffalo and the over is 11-6 this season in Jets games when they are off of a non-conference match-up. Winnipeg comes into this game on a 4-1 run to the over because they've been struggling to keep pucks out of their own net with 4 or more goals allowed in 4 of their last 5 games. The Jets have been scoring well as they've potted 3 or more goals in 8 of their last 10 games! The Flames also come into this game with plenty of confidence in the offensive zone as they have scored 3 or more goals in 8 of their last 12 games. With Calgary also having enjoyed such strong success in recent match-ups with the Jets, look for this game to be played at a fast pace with plenty of scoring opportunities here. The Flames are confident when they face Winnipeg as they've won 5 of the last 7 meetings. The over is 3-0-1 in Calgary's last 4 road games. The over is 5-2-1 in the Jets last 8 home games. Plenty of offense here and a nice plus money return on the high side of this one which means we are going the contrarian way here as many will be backing the under! 10* Top Play OVER the total in Winnipeg Monday |
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01-09-17 | St. John's v. Georgetown UNDER 154.5 | Top | 55-83 | Win | 100 | 9 h 58 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Georgetown Hoyas vs St John's Red Storm @ 6:30 ET Monday - The Hoyas are very hungry for a win so I expect them to really have the defensive intensity turned up for this game. This is even more likely because they have a non-conference game on deck so Georgetown knows that it's now (or having to wait another week) if they want to notch a W in Big East action. The Johnnies also are going to turn up the heat defensively. Their coach ripped them about defense after they allowed 97 to Xavier on Saturday. Look for the Red Storm to bring a better effort here and they had been a little better on that end of the floor early this season. They just didn't "bring it" on Saturday. The Hoyas are allowing only 41.3% from the field this season. St John's has allowed 43.4% from the field and I expect a big performance from the defense here after back to back poor efforts versus Creighton and Xavier. The under is 4-1 when the Red Storm are a road dog in a range of 6.5 to 9 points. The under is 11-4 when St John's is off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. Georgetown is 5-1 to the under this season in games with a posted total in the 150s. Also, the under is 9-3 in Hoyas games against teams with a losing record. That means we have a combined 29-9 mark in favor of the under in this one and I look what both coaches are saying heading into this match-up. It should be a game with plenty of defensive intensity. 10* UNDER the total in Georgetown early Monday evening |
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01-08-17 | Giants +4.5 v. Packers | Top | 13-38 | Loss | -105 | 50 h 59 m | Show |
NFL Playoff Game of the Year Sunday - 10* Top Play New York Giants (+) @ Green Bay Packers @ 4:40 ET - The Packers secondary is banged up. Yes it will be cold in Green Bay Sunday but no precipitation is expected and winds are not expected to be significant enough to impact the aerial attack. In other words, look for the Pack to struggle to stop Eli Manning, Odell Beckham Jr. and company in this one. The Packers do enter the post-season on a 6-game winning streak but they've certainly had some good fortune on their side during the streak and they have allowed over 1,000 passing yards in their last 3 games! Of course Aaron Rodgers has been the key as he's seemingly willed this Packers team to victories throughout this winning streak. I have plenty of respect for Rodgers and his weapons in the receiving game as well but this Giants defense is going to give them some problems. New York is one of the top defenses in the league against the run and they also came on strong against the pass as the season went on. In their last 4 games of the regular season, the Giants allowed only 834 passing yards total! I am well aware of the fact that Green Bay beat the Giants earlier this season but, keep in mind, New York had a lot of new faces on defense early this season and it took this unit quite some time to jell. The Giants loss at Green Bay earlier this season dropped New York to 2-3 on the season. Since then, the Giants have gone 9-2. Also, the Giants have allowed only 15.3 points per game in their last 10 games. Green Bay has allowed an average of 25.3 points per game in their last 3 games. Also, the Giants have allowed more than 24 points only one time this entire season. The Packers have allowed 24 points or more in 7 of their last 10 games. Green Bay's average points per game allowed during this stretch was 26.5 points in the 10 games. Now for some history that is hard not to ignore here. Eli Manning and the Giants have been a machine in the playoffs as long as they've avoided their nemesis (division rival Eagles). Philadelphia knocked New York out of the post-season in 2006 and 2008. Prior to that, way back in 2005, Eli Manning made his playoff debut and he had an ugly game. So chalking up 1 game to the rookie experience and 2 games to facing a hated division rival that always gives them trouble, how have the Giants fared in all their other post-season experiences with Manning? 8-0 SU and 8-0 ATS. 7 of the games saw the Giants as a dog and, as you can see, they won all 7 outright. The lone time they were a small fave they won by 22 points! Green Bay lost to the Giants for two of those post-season New York victories and they would love to get revenge here. However, the defense (including the cluster of injuries that have hurt the secondary so badly) is going to prove to be the Packers downfall here. Green Bay is 3-5 in their last 8 playoff games and, in their last 5 home playoff games, the Pack covered the spread just once, that's 20% ATS! The Giants are 5-1 ATS when off of a win against a division rival and look for them to add another cover to that mark here. 10* Top Play NEW YORK GIANTS late afternoon Sunday |
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01-07-17 | Hawks v. Mavs OVER 197 | Top | 97-82 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 5 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play OVER the total in Dallas Mavericks vs Atlanta Hawks @ 8:35 ET Saturday - The first total seen on this game was a 201 but it got knocked down quickly. The markets were trying to say that the odds makers were making a mistake and I am here to say that they weren't! This game should easily get well over 200. The long-standing reputation of Dallas this season has been as an "under team" because they were involved in so many ugly, low-scoring games in the first couple months of the season. However, the Mavericks have averaged 103 points per game in their last 6 games and they've allowed an average of 106 points per game in their last 6 games. As for Atlanta, the over is 6-3 in their last 9 road games after an "under driven" trend on the road earlier this season. The Hawks are averaging 104 points per game in their last 7 games and they've allowed an average of 106 points per game in their last 13 games. There is just no reason not to expect this game to get over the total the way these two teams have been trending of late. Yes, they've each had some unders of late but look at the actual numbers and you'll see that this total has been pushed to low by the marketplace. The over is 6-3 in the Mavericks last 9 home games and also 3-1 this season in the Mavs games against teams from the Southeast division. 10* Top Play OVER the total in Dallas Saturday |
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01-07-17 | Lions +8 v. Seahawks | Top | 6-26 | Loss | -105 | 31 h 49 m | Show |
NFL Value Game of the Week Saturday - Rickenbach NFL 10* Top Play Detroit Lions (+) @ Seattle Seahawks @ 8:15 ET - No one will want the Lions here and you know what that means at this time of year. Yes, I am being a contrarian and grabbing Detroit plus the big points. Of course it is certainly not without support! One of the biggest keys is that if you look at who Seattle has played this year you become much less impressed with them. The Seahawks certainly benefited in their own division because the Rams and 49'ers were awful this season. Those teams combined for a 6-26 record this season. Of course the other divisional foe was Arizona and Seattle did not defeat the Cardinals in either game. The Seahawks lost at home to the Cards just a few weeks ago and they tied the Cardinals at Arizona much earlier this season in a game where Seattle didn't even deserve to get the tie. The point is that Seattle ended up 3-2-1 in a division where the other teams were a combined 13-34-1. That is NOT impressive. Outside of their division the Seahawks lost to New Orleans and Tampa Bay (non-playoff teams with combined 16-16 record). Seattle did get to face a couple playoffs team and most of the results were not overly impressive when you try to justify laying big points here with the Seahawks. They beat Houston by 2 points, beat Atlanta by 2 points and lost at Green Bay by 28 points! Their only impressive win was of course the revenging win they got at New England in a primetime game where they played their best game of the season and managed to hang on for the win. While Detroit struggled to finish out the season those defeats against 3 straight playoff teams truly "swung" on big plays that shifted the momentum in each game. The playoffs are here, the Lions are battle-tested, and they'll hang in this one all the way. Detroit does have a solid defense and they only lost 2 games by more than 7 points this entire season. The Lions have some playoff experience under coach Jim Caldwell (lost by just 4 at Dallas two years ago) and the Seahawks are getting priced here as if they're the powerhouse they were two and three seasons ago when they made the Super Bowl each year. This team is not as that level. Grab the value here with the big dog. 10* Top Play DETROIT LIONS Saturday night |
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01-07-17 | Stars +133 v. Blues | Top | 3-4 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 31 m | Show |
Central Division Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET Saturday - These division rivals are meeting for the last time this season. Dallas won the first game this season and that earned them some measure of revenge for last spring's playoff ouster at the hands of the Blues. However, St Louis has now taken the last two meetings this season and the last thing the Stars want is to lose the season series to the Blues after also getting knocked of out of last season's post-season at the hands of St Louis. That said, there is considerable line value here on the Stars as a sizable dog in this match-up. Dallas wrapped up a 3-game homestand with back to back losses after it began with a 3rd straight overall win for the Stars. The past three seasons combined, when Dallas enters a game having played each of their three prior games on home ice, the Stars have won 19 of 28 games! Also, Dallas has fresh legs here after back to back day off and the Stars have won 28 of 44 games when playing with two days of rest between games. The Blues have lost 7 of their last 11 games and goalie Jake Allen is likely distracted here (if he even plays). He is about to become a father for the first time and is listed as questionable for tonight's game. In losing 7 of their last 11 games, the Blues have allowed an average of 3.6 goals per game during this stretch. More of the same Saturday. 10* Top Play DALLAS STARS money line |
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01-07-17 | St. John's +14 v. Xavier | Top | 82-97 | Loss | -110 | 5 h 47 m | Show |
Big East Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #763 Saturday 10* Top Play St John's Red Storm (+) @ Xavier Musketeers @ 2:30 ET - The Red Storm are coming off of an awful season and, as a result, we're still getting line value with them early this season. They've added some size and length inside which certainly has improved the interior defense. In fact, on the season, the Johnnies are allowing the same field goal percentage (42%) as the Musketeers so this shows how far they've come. Xavier lost some of their "length" from last year's team and this has impacted their defense. Don't get me wrong, the Musketeers are certainly still the superior team in comparison with St John's but, what we're seeing here is that the gap between these teams has truly narrowed. That said, the Red Storm also have toughened up thanks to some tough early season road games and tournament battles with teams like Michigan State and Virginia Commonwealth. The Red Storm already have an impressive win over Syracuse and upset win over Butler on their resume this season. The fact that St John's just lost their most recent game (hosting Creighton) by 13 points is helping lead to additional line value here. Even as bad as the Johnnies were last year they lost their two games with Xavier by 8 points or less. The prior year St John's actually won both games with the Musketeers. They are undervalued here and Xavier is on a 1-5 ATS run as a home fave in a range of 12.5 to 15 points. The Red Storm have gone 4-0 ATS on the road this season and are a long term 16-6 ATS in road games where the total is between 145 and 149.5 points. More of the same Saturday. 10* ST JOHN'S plus the big points |
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01-06-17 | Maple Leafs -110 v. Devils | Top | 4-2 | Win | 100 | 23 h 60 m | Show |
No Doubt Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Toronto Maple Leafs Money Line -110 vs New Jersey Devils @ 7:35 ET Friday - The Maple Leafs are fired up after "letting one slip away" in a 6-5 loss at Washington on Tuesday. Toronto had won 5 straight before that loss and they're also playing this game with revenge on their minds as they lost at New Jersey 5-4 early this season. While the Leafs are off of a loss, the Devils have actually won back to back games which is quite surprising considering they had previously lost 19 of their last 24 games! The line value here is swaying heavily in favor of the Maple Leafs because we are getting a short price with them since they're on the road and yet the situational edges are largely in their favor. Only once this entire season have the Devils had a winning streak of more than 2 games. As for the Maple Leafs, they haven't lost back to back games since mid-December and they have won 8 of 12 this season when playing with 2 days of rest between games. Toronto also has won 6 of 9 this season when they are off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. The Devils have lost 4 of 5 Friday night games this season and 24 of 34 Friday games the past 3 seasons combined. They've lost both home games this season that have had a posted total of 5.5 goals. With the odds makers calling for a higher scoring game here (hence the 5.5 total) you know it is likely that the better offensively skilled team is the one likely to be doing most of the damage! 10* TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS money line Friday |
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01-06-17 | Wolves v. Wizards OVER 211.5 | Top | 105-112 | Win | 100 | 22 h 41 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Wizards vs Minnesota Timberwolves @ 7:05 ET Friday - Both teams come into this game with fresh legs as each team is off of back to back off-days. The Wizards are an incredible 24-8 to the over the past 3 seasons combined when they enter a game off of two days off. The Timberwolves come into this one ready to get back on track after a rare occurrence in that they have been held to 91 points or less in back to back games. Of course the T-wolves lost both games and I look for them to ready to get back on track tonight in a big way but they'll be in for a shootout with a Wizards teams that loves to "run and gun" in spots like this as evidenced by their past history. Minnesota is 15-8 to the over the past 3 seasons when they are off of an upset loss as a favorite. The Timberwolves are 4-1 to the over on Friday nights this season. The Wizards have scored 105 points or more in 14 of their last 18 games! The over is 13-5 in those 18 games and I look for another Washington game to end up soaring over the total by the time this one is in the books Friday night. This season, when off of a game where they allowed 105 points or more, the Wizards have gone 14-8 to the over. Fresh legs, non-conference game, each team has a conference foe on deck in their next game...all these factors should equate to plenty of scoring in tonight's match-up. 10* OVER the total in Washington Friday |
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01-05-17 | Sabres v. Blackhawks OVER 5 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 28 h 29 m | Show |
Rickenbach Thursday NHL 10* Top Play OVER 5 goals in Chicago Blackhawks vs Buffalo Sabres @ 8:35 ET - The Blackhawks are off of a 4-1 loss at St Louis in the outdoor game Monday. Though that game got "crazy" late and really had no business ending with 5 goals scored, the fact is that it was the 6th time in their last 9 games that Chicago has allowed at least 3 goals. That said, I do look for the Blackhawks to come out fired up here and looking to score early and often as this games is the first of a 4-game homestand and Chicago knows they need to get rolling after losing 5 of their past 6 games. However, in addition to the Blackhawks aggressive approach I look for their recent struggles to keep pucks out of their own net to continue. The Sabres are off of a big 4-1 win at New York over the Rangers and Buffalo has now averaged 2.63 goals per game in their last 8 road games. The Sabres have scored a power play goal in 3 of their last 4 games but they allowed a power play goal in 4 straight games before killing off the lone power play of the Rangers Tuesday. With the Blackhawks hungry to get back on track on home ice and the Sabres defense "ripe for the picking" after a strong game against the Rangers, look for this one to play out at a very fast pace with plenty of good scoring chances for both clubs. 10* Top Play OVER 5 goals in Chicago Thursday |
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01-05-17 | Texas-San Antonio -2 v. Southern Miss | Top | 59-77 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 42 m | Show |
CUSA Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #741 Thursday - 10* Top Play UTSA Roadrunners (-) @ Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles @ 8 ET - Most will look at this game and just say it's plain ugly and want to stay away. However, I see great opportunity here with a low number on an improving team that is building up in confidence under a new coach with a new system. Steven Henson, a Lon Kruger protege, has done a great job already with the Roadrunners and his team is now going to be playing their 15th game of the season and they are at the point where they have bought into his systems and defense has improved as a result. UTSA has won 3 straight games and 4 of its last 5. Winning, especially notching victory in their conference opener against UTEP, has done wonders for the confidence of this Roadrunners team and they are ready to go and get an elusive road win. I am well aware of the fact that UTSA hasn't won on the road yet this season but they are facing a Southern Mississippi program that is still trying to find its footing after the scandal that has left them on probation until 2020. This team has only won 3 games this season and those were all non-lined games (which shows you how weak the opposition was). The Golden Eagles are 0-9 SU in lined games this season and here we have a very small line on this game so the SU winner is likely to get the cash and I look for UTSA to get the big road win they are so hungry for. Coach Henson has won this team over and they head to Hattiesburg, Miss. with plenty of confidence in tow. The Runners have held their last 3 opponents to 38.4% from the field and just 63.3 points per game. The Golden Eagles have averaged just 56.6 points per game in their last 12 games and they come into this game having lost 9 straight. UTSA's Gino Littles has combined with Giovanni De Nicolao to give the Roadrunners a solid 1-2 punch at point guard because both players have proved very capable of running the offense with precision. I am well aware of the fact that the Runners 2nd leading scorer, Nick Billingsley, did not make this road trip (academics) but senior guard JR Harris is about to return from a leg injury. Harris could be back as soon as tonight and just the fact that UTSA's leading returning scorer from last year is almost back and the team has won three straight has got the Roadrunners believing they can go and take down this road win. The Golden Eagles were projected by most to finish dead last in CUSA this season and Southern Miss is certainly the perfect spot for the Runners to notch that highly sought-after road win. Look for the Eagles to drop to 0-4 SU and ATS in home lined games this season. 10* UTSA Roadrunners Thursday |
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01-05-17 | Jazz v. Raptors -5.5 | Top | 93-101 | Win | 100 | 26 h 27 m | Show |
Non-Conf Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play Toronto Raptors (-) vs Utah Jazz @ 7:35 ET Thursday - With both teams off of losses, this may not seem like such a strong situation (on the surface!) for Toronto. However, when you dig a little deeper there is plenty of reason to be very "bullish" on the Raptors for Thursday night! Utah is off of a loss where they allowed 55.4% shooting from the field and 115 points. This season, when the Jazz are off of a loss where they allowed 111 points or more, they've actually gone 0-3 ATS in their next game. When Utah has allowed an opponent to shoot over 51.1% from the field, the Jazz have also gone 0-3 ATS in their next game. Also, Utah is 2-8 ATS as an underdog this season and that includes 0-3 ATS this season as a road dog of 3.5 to 6 points. The Raptors are fully focused on this home game after struggling on their recent road trip. Toronto has another road game coming up before finally settling in for a 4-game homestand so they want to make the most of this game versus the Jazz. The Raptors are 5-1 ATS this season when they are off of a game where they allowed their opponent to connect at a rate of 51.1% or better from the field. After getting thoroughly embarrassed by the hot shooting of the Spurs in San Antonio Tuesday, the Raptors are going to "bring it" on Thursday night. The Raptors are still 8-4 ATS this season against teams with a winning record while the Jazz are only 6-9 ATS this season. Toronto has won 7 of its last 9 home games. The Jazz had a 4-game losing streak before losing at Boston Tuesday but note that the wins came against Brookyn, Phoenix, Philadelphia, and the Lakers. Those are 4 of the worst teams in the league. Even if George Hill is back for the Jazz tonight, they are running into an angry Raptors team here that will take advantage of their home court edge to get back on track. 10* TORONTO Thursday evening |
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01-04-17 | Rangers v. Flyers -110 | Top | 5-2 | Loss | -110 | 26 h 40 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs New York Rangers @ 8:05 ET Wednesday -This one is a bit of a contrarian play because, even though it will be the 2nd night of a back to back situation, the Rangers have played very well in back to backs this season. Also, New York has excelled in road games this season. However, the Flyers have the big rest edge here as they have been off since a tough New Year's Day loss at Anaheim. The Flyers held a 55-25 edge in shots on goal and yet lost so they're fired up to respond here after playing so well and yet not getting 2 points against the Ducks. Of course no extra motivation is really needed when the Rangers are in town as this is a huge rivalry. The Flyers have the rest edge, they also get a boost with the expected (or imminent) return of goalie Michal Neuvrith, and they get revenge for a 3-2 loss to the Rangers earlier this season where Philly outshot them 42-23. It is payback time here and the situation is perfect. 10* PHILADELPHIA on the money line Wednesday |
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01-03-17 | Canadiens +114 v. Predators | Top | 2-1 | Win | 114 | 22 h 23 m | Show |
NHL Non-Conf Game of the Month - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line (+) @ Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET Tuesday - Perfect set up here as the Predators are off of a 4-0 shutout win over a divisional rival and have lost 10 of 11 this season when off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. As usual, look for the Predators to struggle off of a big game where they scored big goals. As for the Canadiens, they certainly won't be complacent in this one. Montreal lost both games to Nashville last season and they also come into this game fired up because they are off of an OT loss to Pittsburgh where they allowed the tying goal with less than a minute to go in the game! The Habs have won 6 of 9 this season when off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. Also, Montreal has won 9 of 13 this season in their games against teams with a losing record. Note that the Predators also have lost 11 of 16 this season when off of a game against a divisional rival and the Preds have lost all 3 games this season when they enter with 3 or more days of rest. Nashville hasn't played since Friday and will be rusty here. The fired up revenge-minded Canadiens are the play here. 10* MONTREAL CANADIENS money line Tuesday |
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01-03-17 | Wolves v. 76ers OVER 203.5 | Top | 91-93 | Loss | -110 | 21 h 41 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia 76'ers vs Minnesota Timberwolves @ 7:05 ET Tuesday - This one sets up well for a shootout. The Timberwolves opened up as a 4-point choice here and the over is 6-0 the past 3 seasons combined in games where Minnesota is a road favorite in a range of 3.5 to 6 points. The 76'ers are 14-6 to the over in games where they are a home underdog in a range of 3.5 to 6 points. The Timberwolves are fired up and should come up with a big performance on offense here as they lost (and scored just 89 points) as a home favorite versus Portland Sunday. Minnesota has gone 15-7 to the the past three seasons combined when they are off of an upset loss as a favorite. Also, the over is 16-6 in Timberwolves games the past three seasons combined when they are on the road and the total is between 200 and 204.5 points. The 76'ers are 9-5 to the over the past 3 seasons in home games where the posted total is in that same range. Minny is averaging 104 points per game this season but both the T-wolves and Sixers allow about 105 points per game. The 76'ers are averaging 103.4 points per game in their last 8 games and this game should be very free-flowing as neither team excels on defense. Philly has allowed 110.6 points per game in their last 8 games. Minnesota has allowed 5 of their last 6 opponents to shoot at least 49% from the field. Look for more of the same tonight. 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia Tuesday |
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01-03-17 | Arkansas v. Tennessee -1.5 | Top | 82-78 | Loss | -110 | 19 h 0 m | Show |
SEC Rivalry Rout - Rickenbach CBB Game #720 Tuesday - 10* Top Play Tennessee Volunteers (-) vs Arkansas Razorbacks @ 6:30 ET - As I wrote in my write-up last Thursday when I rode the Vols to victory over the Aggies, head coach Rick Barnes is in his 2nd season at Tennessee but, though the Volunteers are certainly still rebuilding, they did notch a few victories over SEC rivals like Florida, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt last season. Though not a traditional SEC rival like those, Arkansas has been in the SEC long enough to get under the skin of Tennessee fans and this is especially true considering that the Razorbacks have won 4 straight meetings with the Volunteers. Those wins included knocking the Vols out of the SEC Tourney 2 years ago. As for coach Barnes experience against the Hogs, he is certainly not happy about dropping both match-ups with them last season. That said, the Razorbacks absolutely have the full attention of coach Barnes. Keep in mind, this is their SEC home opener and after an embarrassing loss to open up the season (against Chattanooga), coach Barnes has the Vols settled in. They have gone 8-4 since then and the only 4 losses were to teams ranked in the top 20 in the nation. While the Vols have been battle-tested this season, Arkansas only has one win against a major conference foe and most of their early season wins have come against weak competition. In their first SEC game of the season Arkansas already found out just how tough it's going to be as they step up in competition and Florida handled them rather easily and Arky was home for that game! Now they're on the road and facing a hungry team that is looking for revenge and that has been playing well. The "cherry on top" here is that Arkansas has a game at highly ranked Kentucky on deck and just lost to a ranked Florida team that also knocked the Razorbacks out of the SEC Tourney last spring. That said, this could easily be an emotional letdown game for Arky and the Vols will gladly take advantage. The Volunteers are 5-1 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. The Razorbacks are 1-4 ATS this season in games with a posted total in the 150s. Look for plenty of points here as the Vols pull away and win this in a blowout. 10* TENNESSEE |
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01-02-17 | UL-Lafayette -1.5 v. Arkansas-Little Rock | Top | 69-52 | Win | 100 | 22 h 0 m | Show |
Sun Belt Conf Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #533 Monday - 10* Top Play UL-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (-) @ Arkansas Little Rock Trojans @ 9 ET Monday - The set-up here is fantastic. The Ragin Cajuns are highly motivated as they have revenge from the Trojans knocking them out of Sun Belt Conference tourney spring. Also, UL-Lafayette comes into this game off of a tight 3-point loss at Arkansas State but previously had won 10 of their last 11 games. They now visit Little Rock looking for revenge and they catch the Trojans off of an OT win @ UL-Monroe. That was the same Warhawks team that Arkansas-Little Rock had beaten last spring in the SBC tourney to make it to the Big Dance. Make no mistake that was an intense hard-fought win for the Trojans Saturday and now they won't be able to match the intensity of the hungry, revenge-minded Ragin Cajuns Monday night. Louisiana is 3-0 ATS as a favorite this season while the Trojans are a long-term 1-7 ATS in home games with a posted total between 145 and 149.5 points. Both teams lost some key personnel from last year's squads but the Ragin' Cajuns are a pleasant surprise so far this season and they are fired up for this revenge game. The set up is perfect. I'll take it! 10* UL-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns |
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01-02-17 | Auburn v. Oklahoma OVER 64.5 | Top | 19-35 | Loss | -107 | 24 h 43 m | Show |
Bowl Total of the Month - Rickenbach 10* Top Play OVER the total in Oklahoma Sooners vs Auburn Tigers in Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, LA @ 8:30 ET Monday - While it may seem surprising to see a big O/U line posted on this game the odds makers know what they are doing here. Auburn's numbers on offense may have looked putrid at times late in the season but the key here is their health on offense has improved tremendously heading into this game. QB Sean White (shoulder) is ready to go after missing the Alabama game and RB Kamryn Pettway is also ready to go after playing against the Crimson Tide but being nowhere close to 100%. In other words, don't be surprised if the Tigers offense, in this bowl game, looks like it did during Auburn's 6-game winning streak earlier this season. In their 8 wins this season Auburn scored 38 points or more in 6 of the games! The Tigers, before the season-ending loss to Alabama, had gained 228 yards or more on the ground in 8 of their 10 prior games. On the season they have averaged 279 rushing yards per game and they'll be ready to go here. Oklahoma's defense is a weakness as they allowed huge yardage in all their games against quality offenses. However, I certainly respect the Sooners offense and they have averaged 44.7 points per game this season on 557.3 yards per game. Auburn's D is not going to be stop the dynamic offense of the Sooners! This game should turn into an absolute "track meet" on the turf at the Superdome and look for a huge shootout here. The over is 4-2 in Tigers games played on turf and the over is 9-2 in Sooners games played on turf. Those records are over the past 3 seasons combined and this again will be another "track meet" on turf with plenty of big plays. 10* OVER the total in the Sugar Bowl |
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01-02-17 | Jazz v. Nets UNDER 203.5 | Top | 101-89 | Win | 100 | 19 h 15 m | Show |
Total Annihilation Top - Rickenbach 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Brooklyn Nets vs Utah Jazz @ 7:35 ET Monday - Look for this to be a hard-fought, ugly, low-scoring game. Utah has revenge from a home loss to Brooklyn last spring in the most recent meeting between these teams. The Jazz also are expected to be without point guard George Hill for this game and their depth at point guard was already being tested with Dante Exum still out. Recent Utah games have been very methodical and played at a very slow pace. The under is 9-2 in the last 11 Jazz games and they've averaged a ridiculously low 73 field goal attempts per game in their last 10 games. Of course they're taking on a Nets team that gives up a ton of points and is one of the worst defenses in the league so they should be fine, right? Not in this case. Brooklyn held a players only meeting after their embarrassing road loss at Washington and I look for a much stronger effort on the defensive end as a result tonight. Also impacting the total in this game is the fact that Jeremy Lin is still out and the Nets scored 120 with him in the lineup when they beat Charlotte but they've since lost back to back games without him and have averaged just 97 points per game without him. Utah is unlikely to allow the Nets to get that many here. The Jazz have held have of their last 12 opponents to 94 points or less and are holding teams to just 42.9% from the field this season. The under is 13-5 in Jazz games when Utah enters on a winning streak of 3 games or more. 3 of the last 4 meetings between these teams have stayed under the total. The under is 6-1 in the Nets last 7 games. 10* UNDER the total in Brooklyn |
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01-02-17 | USC v. Penn State +7 | Top | 52-49 | Win | 100 | 20 h 6 m | Show |
Bowl Game of the Year - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Penn State Nittany Lions (+) vs USC Trojans in Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA @ 5 ET Monday - The Nittany Lions, as usual, are getting no respect. The Buckeyes got invited to the CFB Playoffs, instead of Penn State who beat them head to head and then also won the Big Ten Championship over Wisconsin. Regardless of the "ugly" win over Ohio State and the fact that they had some "luck" in the rally over the Badgers for the conference championship, this is a strong Nittany Lions team. They are confident, their defense is solid, their offense is surging, AND perhaps most important of all, they're playing with a chip on their shoulder here. They feel disrespected and are out to make a statement in this game by knocking off USC. The Trojans certainly got hot this season and I have plenty of respect for them. However, the Pac-12 has looked weaker and weaker the more the bowl performances have come in. Washington couldn't move the ball in their bowl game. Colorado got crushed by Oklahoma State in their bowl game. Washington State lost to Minnesota in their bowl game. Utah won their bowl game by only 2 points and Stanford won their bowl game by just 2 points. The point is that these are the types of teams that USC played all season long and yet now they're supposed to beat the Big Ten Champion Nittany Lions by more than a TD. I feel the Trojans are being over-rated here. They built up their stats with games against Pac-12 weaklings like UCLA, Oregon, Cal, Arizona, and Arizona State. Those teams had a combined record of 21-39 this season. In tougher games away from home, the Trojans lost at Utah and at Stanford and got absolutely crushed in a neutral site game versus Alabama. Does that sound like a team a that is a full TD better than the Big Ten champs? I say no way. Another thing that is hard to put a measurement on is momentum and confidence and moxie. Penn State has all 3 as they have rallied from huge deficits to win the biggest of games and they've won 9 straight games after a 2-2 start. As you can see, the Nittany Lions have momentum, confidence and they "never say never" as shown in the Big Ten Championship Game. Look for USC to drop to 0-5 in their last 5 neutral field games. As for the Nittany Lions, I look for them to improve to 5-1 SU in neutral site games but I'll definitely grab all the points I can get with this dangerous dog. They have averaged 328 passing yards per game in their last 4 games and look for RB Saquon Barkley to have a huge game as he is refreshed after the break. 10* PENN STATE |
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01-01-17 | Packers v. Lions +3.5 | Top | 31-24 | Loss | -115 | 22 h 39 m | Show |
Primetime Punisher Top - Rickenbach NFL Sunday Night 10* Top Play Detroit Lions (+) vs Green Bay Packers @ 8:30 ET - No matter what happens earlier in the day Sunday this game will of course decided who wins the NFC North. However, it is also quite likely that this game will end up resulting in the loser staying home for the post-season! That said, this is a huge game no matter what and I expect it to be a huge battle. That is all the more reason that there is tremendous line value with being able to grab the Lions at +3.5 in this game. Getting the home dog in that price range is a huge edge. Green Bay enters this game on a 5-game winning streak but 3 of the games were against teams that will not end the season with a winning record. Also the Packers have benefited greatly from turnovers in many of their recent wins. That is why they keep on winning despite their biggest overall yardage edge in any of their last 4 games being just 2 yards (twice). The Packers actually were outgained in the other two games! A high total is posted on this game and the Lions are 7-0 (ATS and SU) in games with a posted total of 49.5 or more points the past 3 seasons. Detroit has lost the past two weeks but they were on the wrong end of the turnovers (2-0) in each game. Green Bay rates the better offense but is Aaron Rodgers really healthy? Also, the Lions do rate the edge on defense and special teams. Don't be surprised if the Lions get revenge for their loss at Green Bay earlier this season. However, I am certainly grabbing all the points I can get here in case the Lions fall just short. Home dog value! 10* DETROIT |
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01-01-17 | Raiders v. Broncos UNDER 40.5 | Top | 6-24 | Win | 100 | 16 h 28 m | Show |
Rickenbach NFL 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Denver Broncos vs Oakland Raiders @ 4:25 ET - Make no mistake about it, the Broncos want this game! The issue for them though is that they have one of the worst offenses in the NFL and the Raiders defense has shown improvement late in the season. That said, this has the makings of a low-scoring grudge match because the Broncos have a fantastic defense and will be going against an Oakland offense that is going to struggle badly in their first game without the injured QB Carr as the reins have now been handed over to Matt McGloin. He couldn't ask for a tougher assignment than to have to start at division rival Denver who would love nothing more than to spoil the Raiders hopes of an AFC West title. That said, this game means an awful lot to the Broncos who also have revenge for a loss at Oakland earlier this season. Sure the Broncos season has been a disappointment but they can still put a damper on the Raiders plans by getting a win here. That is what has led me to the under here as I don't trust Denver's offense at all but I do feel strongly that their D is going to make life miserable for McGloin and Company. That means the under should come in solid here. The under is a perfect 3-0 this season when the Broncos are off of a loss to a division rival. Also, the under is 5-2 this season in Denver games where their line is in a range of +3 to -3. Denver's offense is one of the league's worst and the Raiders offense is going to be completely different after the Carr injury. 10* UNDER in Denver |
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01-01-17 | Chiefs v. Chargers +4.5 | Top | 37-27 | Loss | -105 | 16 h 25 m | Show |
Rickenbach NFL 10* Top Play San Diego Chargers (+) @ Kansas City Chiefs @ 4:25 ET Sunday - This is another one of those "danger spots" for a playoff bound team. Even though the Chiefs have locked in a playoff spot they still know that a win coupled with a Raiders loss would give them the AFC West Division. That said, Kansas City has all the pressure on them here while the Chargers would love nothing more than to make sure that they're hated division rival does not win the division. San Diego also has revenge from a loss at KC very early this season where the Chargers blew a big lead and then lost in OT. Look for San Diego to be amped up for this opportunity as it's the best way to finish their season (by making sure the Chiefs don't win the division) after the disappointment of losing at Cleveland last week. As ugly as San Diego's overall season record is, they've been "in" virtually every game this season and 5 of their last 9 losses all have come by 4 points or less. All but one of their 10 losses has been decided by 8 points or less. The Chargers will bring their A game this week and the Chiefs are one of the most over-rated 11-5 teams in league history as, based on yardage, they rank 20th on offense and 24th on defense in the league! San Diego actually ranks higher in both categories and the Chiefs special teams edge isn't enough to warrant them being this sizable of a favorite on the road. Ugly home dog likely to get the job done once again in a season finale (they beat Miami by 16 in LY's season finale). 10* SAN DIEGO |
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12-31-16 | Ohio State v. Clemson +2.5 | Top | 0-31 | Win | 100 | 12 h 18 m | Show |
Playoff Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach CFB 10* Top Play Clemson Tigers (+) vs Ohio State Buckeyes in Fiesta Bowl @ University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ @ 7 ET - I am not going to waver from my pre-season prediction which did have Clemson in the national championship game. That said, I do expect them to grab the outright victory in this match-up but will certainly take any and all available points here! Both the Buckeyes and the Tigers lost a lot of key talent from last season's teams and yet all the younger players certainly gained valuable experience this season as the year went on and each team is here after losing only 1 game apiece this entire season. The key for Clemson is their dynamic offense as they did return 8 starters on that side of the ball and QB Deshaun Watson has delivered another huge season. The Tigers have the much better passing attack in this game (they average 333 passing yards per game whereas the Buckeyes average only 221 passing yards a game). Certainly I have a ton of respect for coach Urban Meyer and his long-term success (including bowl games) in his career. However, the Buckeyes loss to Penn State (coupled with the fact that the Nittany Lions won the Big Ten Championship) means Ohio State truly shouldn't even be here. Trust me I understand how the system works but a team that won the conference (PSU) and also beat the Buckeyes head to head is the team that should represent in the playoffs. I am not saying that this is on the minds of OSU, not in the least. I am just saying that "turnabout is fair play" and the Buckeyes didn't deserve to get their ticket punched to the playoffs and I look for the bounces of the ball to go Clemson's way in this one. The Tigers can certainly "make their own breaks" in this one as the speed of their offense all over the field is going to give the vaunted defense of OSU plenty of trouble in this one. Also, don't underestimate the strength of the defensive line of of the Tigers. Their rush defense is arguably just as good as that of the Buckeyes and, in terms of QB pressure, Clemson had 46 sacks this season while Ohio State only had 26 sacks. Looking at their final 7 games of the season, the Buckeyes did have 2 blowout wins but the other 5 games included a pair of overtime victories, a pair of wins by a combined total of only 5 points, and the loss to the Nittany Lions. This Ohio State team is clearly not the dominant team of old and I like Clemson (only loss was by a single point in a game they out-yarded Pitt by 166 yards) to be in this one all the way and to get the W thanks to their potent offense leading the way. The Tigers are on a 5-1 ATS run as an underdog and long-term it is a 58-35 ATS run in the underdog role. 10* CLEMSON plus the points Saturday night |
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12-31-16 | Bucks v. Bulls -2.5 | Top | 116-96 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 19 m | Show |
Divisional Dominator Top - Rickenbach NBA 10* Chicago Bulls (-) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:05 ET - Both teams were in action yesterday but this back to back spot is offering multiple edges for the Bulls. For one thing, Chicago's game started 4 hours earlier than the Bucks game yesterday. Also, the Bulls are now back home where they've won 10 of 16 games this season while Milwaukee is still on the road where they've lost 9 of 14 this season. The Bulls also have revenge on their minds here and it is "significant" revenge. What I mean by that is that Chicago was thoroughly embarrassed by the Bucks in a home and home set two weeks ago. Not only did the Bulls lose by double digits at Milwaukee but they then lost the rematch in Chicago by an embarrassing score of 95-69. The Bulls attempted 10 more shots from the field than did the Bucks in that game but Chicago "couldn't hit the broad side of a barn" in that game as they shot a ridiculous 30.4% from the field. You can bet (literally!) that the Bulls will respond in a big way Saturday. Chicago is 3-0 ATS this season (and 12-5 ATS the past 3 seasons) when they are a home favorite of 3 points or less! The Bucks are 1-5 (SU and ATS) when playing the 2nd game of a back to back this season. Also, the past three seasons combined, Milwaukee is just 16-31 SU when playing the 2nd game of a back to back. That said, laying the small number with the revenge-minded Bulls is absolutely the way to go here. 10* CHICAGO |
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12-31-16 | Islanders v. Jets OVER 5.5 | Top | 6-2 | Win | 105 | 7 h 3 m | Show |
Top Total Saturday - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Winnipeg Jets vs New York Islanders @ 7:05 ET - The NHL is starting a new scheduling change this year that is effecting all teams as they each get at least a "bye week" of 5 days or more in January or February. The Islanders are one of the first teams to have a bye week as the Isles and Pens start their bye weeks tomorrow. With that said, the Isles are going to leave it "all on the ice" here Saturday with a huge effort before their break on deck. The Islanders have been scoring well this month but they can't keep the puck out of their own net and that is why the over is 10-3 in the Isles 13 games this month. As for the Jets, they are looking to bounce back off of a 5-3 home loss to Columbus. That was the 5th time in their last 6 games that Winnipeg has scored at least 3 goals. The Jets have allowed at least 3 goals in 6 of their last 10 games. These non-conference foes match-up twice a season and each of the last two seasons both games went over the total. That's a perfect 4-0 run to the over that should keep rolling here on Saturday. The over is 9-4 in Jets non-conference games this season. The Islanders over run is 12-4 dating back to Nov. 23rd and I expect another here as they go "all out" before their break. 10* Top Play OVER the total in Winnipeg |
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12-31-16 | Temple +1 v. UCF | Top | 53-77 | Loss | -115 | 6 h 39 m | Show |
Philly's Finest Top - Rickenbach CBB Game #575 Saturday - 10* Top Play Temple Owls (+) @ Central Florida Knights @ 4 ET - Central Florida is currently playing with only six scholarship players because they have a number of transfers having to sit out and then they're also dealing with a couple of key injuries. The Knights are currently without Chance McSpadden and leading scorer BJ Taylor. While UCF is off of a win in their AAC opener, they had the benefit of facing a Tulane team that is now 3-10 on the season and easily the worst team in the conference. Temple is 0-1 in conference action after their loss to open up the AAC schedule so they'll be fired up to get back on track here. They shot horribly in that game but, keep in mind, they played Cincinnati and the Bearcats are one of the top teams in the conference. Overall, the Knights have the better record so far this season but the Owls have played the tougher schedule. Also, Temple has gone 4-0 the last 2 seasons against Central Florida. When off of a game where they scored 60 points or less, the Owls have gone 14-5 SU the past three seasons. This line is right around a pick'em so that trend certainly fits here and Temple is fired up after the ugly loss at Cincinnati. This game is expected to be a grind it out, low-scoring affair and UCF is only 2-5 SU in games with a posted total in the 120s while Temple has gone 18-8 SU the past three seasons in such games. Also, in home games with a total in the 120s, Central Florida is 0-3 ATS the past 3 seasons. More of the same here and the hungry Owls get the W over the short-handed Knights. 10* TEMPLE |
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12-30-16 | Florida State v. Michigan -7 | Top | 33-32 | Loss | -105 | 13 h 38 m | Show |
#1 Bowl Top Side - Rickenbach CFB 10* Top Play Michigan Wolverines (-) vs Florida State Seminoles in Orange Bowl @ Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL @ 8 ET Friday - Many seem surprised to see Michigan as a TD favorite over Florida State in this match-up. As a result, it also seems that the Seminoles are an extremely popular choice in this game. Certainly the dogs have dominated the bowls thusfar but what I see in this match-up is a game that will be dominated by the defense of the Wolverines. Michigan allowed just 12.5 points per game and only 252.7 yards per game this season. The Wolverines allowed only 280 yards per game in their two losses this season. Compare this with Florida State's three losses where their porous defense allowed over 500 yards in every single game! The Noles also are the much more banged up team heading into this bowl game as one can plainly see by comparing the two injury reports of these teams. All of Michigan's wins this season came by a double digit margin and fiery head coach Harbaugh is hungry (and has his team hungry) after that tough OT loss to Ohio State that prevented "bigger things" for the Wolverines. Can you imagine the pent up anger and frustration that this Wolverines defense is about to unleash on the Seminoles in this game? This is a fired up team and I also expect a big game from a much healthier Wilton Speight (QB) in this game for Michigan. It's amazing he even tried to play against Ohio State with the shoulder injury. He's had 5 weeks since then to heal up and a solid Wolverines ground game will also keep the FSU defense off balance. Don't be fooled by the solid season-ending performance of FSU as they faced 3 weak offenses. This is an FSU defense that, prior to that 3-0 ATS run had given up 450 yards or more in 5 of their 7 prior games and the two games they didn't were one played in a hurricane and one played against the weak offense of Wake Forest. Make no mistake, the Seminoles defense is vulnerable here and the Wolverines defense is anything but! Look for the Michigan D, their solid edges in the trenches, their special teams advantage, and their high level of motivation to prove to be the big keys in this one. FSU is on a 1-4 ATS run in games played on a neutral field. The Wolverines are 5-2 SU and ATS in games played after a loss to a conference rival. 10* MICHIGAN |
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12-30-16 | Nets +8.5 v. Wizards | Top | 95-118 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 36 m | Show |
The Game of the Month - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET Friday - The Wizards Bradley Beal injured his ankle in Washington's most recent game and he's listed as doubtful for tonight's game. The Wizards also are in a "flat spot" here as they are off of a back to back wins and have a tough team (Houston) on deck and could easily overlook the Nets here. That is particularly true because Washington has won each of the past 4 meetings between these teams. A flat Wizards team could be upset here as Brooklyn very nearly upset Chicago in their most recent game and the Nets did upset Charlotte in their prior game. Since Christmas, Brooklyn has come out with extra energy and motivation and they're surely going to again be highly motivated here after they "let one slip away" in their two point loss to the Bulls Wednesday plus the Nets have the revenge angle in their favor here. That is significant here because Brooklyn is 7-2 ATS this season when playing with home loss revenge. The Wizards, as a home fave of 6.5 to 9 points, are on a 7-11 ATS run. 10* BROOKLYN |
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12-30-16 | La Salle v. Dayton OVER 151 | Top | 55-66 | Loss | -105 | 6 h 21 m | Show |
CBS Sports Network Top - Rickenbach CBB Game #729 Friday - 10* Top Play OVER the total in Dayton Flyers vs La Salle Explorers @ 6 ET - Each of the last 4 meetings between these teams has stayed under the total and not a single game totaled more than 118 points. That said, the odds makers opened up this total at 154.5 and, as you would expect, the markets have reacted and the total has dropped down to a 151. In typical contrarian fashion, I'll gladly fade the move here. La Salle is averaging 84.2 points per game this season but also allowing 83.2 points per game! While the Explorers certainly have their fair share of scoring threats and guys who can "create" on offense, they are sorely lacking in terms of strong defenders on the other end of the floor. Dayton is the superior team here by far so the Flyers won't be "scared" to run and gun with the Explorers here. Dayton knows they can outpace the Explorers in this one and both these teams are hitting at least 37.5% from three point. What is simply incredible is the fact that La Salle is allowing opponents to hit 43.1% from beyond the arc. The over is 5-1 in Explorers games this season and they're facing a Dayton team that is averaging 77.4 points per game this season. The past 3 seasons combined La Salle has gone 9-5 to the over in games against teams who average 77 points or more per game. The Flyers are a perfect 3-0 to the over this season in games where they are favored by 9 points or more. I expect these trends to continue tonight and will take advantage of the increased line value here. 10* OVER the total in Dayton Friday |
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12-30-16 | South Alabama v. Air Force OVER 57.5 | Top | 21-45 | Win | 100 | 10 h 4 m | Show |
Bowl Total of the Year - Rickenbach 10* Top Play OVER the total in Air Force Falcons vs South Alabama Jaguars in Arizona Bowl in Tuscon @ 5:30 ET Friday - I don't care how much time a team has to prepare for it, the triple option offense of Air Force is ultra difficult to face until you've gotten "up close and personal" with it and the South Alabama defense is in trouble here. The Jaguars are a Sun Belt team whose weakness on defense is against the run. They were gouged for 359 yards in their season-ending win over New Mexico State and allowed an average of 212.6 rushing yards per game on the season. Under head coach Troy Calhoun, Air Force bowl games have totaled at least 62 points in 6 of their 8 bowls! Other than bowl games against Georgia Tech and Rice (two teams that because of their own offenses certainly knew the option well), Air Force's offense exploded in their bowl games. In those 6 other bowl games Air Force averaged 37.7 points per game! The weakness for the Falcons is their pass defense and I expect South Alabama to exploit that. The Jaguars overall numbers on offense may not be that impressive but the Jags passing attack started strong this season and now finished strong as well so they have great momentum heading into this game. They gained an average of 274.4 yards through the air in their first 5 games this season and then look at their last 4 games of the year. They didn't have to throw against Presbyterian because that was a blowout win but in their other 3 games to wrap up the season, South Alabama averaged 300.3 passing yards per game. The Falcons final 6 games of the season saw them face Army (who doesn't throw the ball much at all) but in the other 5 games Air Force pass defense was ripped for 330.8 passing yards per game! With perfect weather in Tuscon expected, this game should absolutely be a back and forth high scoring affair. The Falcons can't stop the Jaguars passing attack and South Alabama can't stop the the Air Force ground game! The over is 7-2 when the Jags are an underdog 10.5 to 21 points and also 7-2 in their last 9 games against teams with a winning record. The over is a perfect 5-0 this season in games where the Falcons are favored by 10.5 to 21 points. 10* OVER the total in the Arizona Bowl |
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12-29-16 | Oklahoma State +3 v. Colorado | Top | 38-8 | Win | 100 | 14 h 44 m | Show |
Bowl Insider Top Play Thursday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Oklahoma State Cowboys (+) vs Colorado Buffaloes in the Alamo Bowl @ the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX @ 9 ET Thursday - The Cowboys certainly have more bowl experience. This is the Buffaloes first bowl since 2007 whereas Oklahoma State is in its 11th straight bowl. Certainly OSU is looking to atone for last year's poor result in the Sugar Bowl as they lost 48 to 20 to Ole Miss. There are some key match-up edges here. Even though the Buffaloes pass defense was fantastic this season, they lost their defensive coordinator heading into this bowl game as Jim Leavitt took a job in Oregon. The Buffs defense is going to be kept off balance because the Oklahoma State offense is so well-balanced. On the ground they have the elusive speedster in Justice Hill and then the pounding punisher in senior Chris Carson. Their ground game will open things up for the aerial attack on the Colorado defense and OSU QB Mason Rudolph has thrown for 25 TD's and just 4 INT's this season. Overall, Oklahoma State averages nearly 500 yards of offense per game. Even though the Cowboys lost at Oklahoma to wrap up the regular season, they gained over 400 yards. Comparing that to Colorado' last game, the Buffaloes were held to just 163 yards of offense in the Pac-12 Championship game where they were blasted by Washington. The Cowboys have the edge not only on offense but also special teams and there are a lot of OSU fans in Texas...much more than Colorado and, as a result, the site edge here (in San Antonio) also goes to Oklahoma State. The Buffaloes are 0-3 ATS when off of a bye week and the Cowboys are 3-0 ATS this season in games where the line is between +3 and -3. Getting the +3 here with OSU is simply an added bonus as I do expect them to win outright. Grab the +3 here just in case though. 10* OKLAHOMA STATE |
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12-29-16 | Celtics v. Cavs UNDER 216 | Top | 118-124 | Loss | -105 | 10 h 12 m | Show |
TNT Total Annihilation - Rickenbach 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics @ 8:05 ET Thursday - Cleveland has not shot well at all in their last two games as they were held under 40% from the field in each game. The focus in tonight's game for the Cavaliers, coming off of a loss at Detroit, is to take high percentage shots and improve on the defensive end which certainly will also be the focus of the Celtics as they have allowed 111.3 points per game in their last 3 games. The fact that the most recent meeting between these teams (in early November) totaled 250 points is helping to give us line value here. The posted total on this re-match Thursday is very high and, keep in mind, 8 of 11 prior meetings between these clubs had stayed under the total. Also, the Celtics are on a 5-1 to the under this season in road games with a posted total of 210 points or more. Even though the Cavs are allowing an average of 103 points per game this season, it is certainly noteworthy that the Celtics are 14-6 to the under this season in their games against teams who allow an average of 99 points or more per game. Cleveland is on a long-term run of 36-19 to the under in their games against Atlantic Division teams. The Cavaliers will be "geared up" on defense off of the loss and I see the under improving to 3-1 this season in games where the Cavs are off of a loss by 10 points or more. 10* UNDER in Cleveland |
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12-28-16 | Kansas State v. Texas A&M OVER 56.5 | Top | 33-28 | Win | 100 | 13 h 13 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach CFB 10* Top Play OVER the total in Texas A & M Aggies vs Kansas State Wildcats in the Texas Bowl @ NRG Stadium in Houston, TX @ 9 ET Wednesday - The Wildcats are going to struggle to stop a potent SEC offense in this match-up. However, even though the Aggies offense (with QB Trevor Knight healthier and back under center for the final game of his collegiate career) is ultra-dangerous, the Texas A & M defense is truly a weakness. In the Aggies 8 SEC games and lone tough game in non-conference action (against UCLA), Texas A & M allowed an average of 506 yards per game! Kansas State is not a powerhouse offense but veteran head coach Bill Snyder can come up with plenty of ways to attack a porous defense like the Aggies have. The problem for the Wildcats will be the simple fact that the Aggies offensive juggernaut (especially with Knight being a dual-threat QB) is not going to be stopped. The Wildcats final game of the season was a good defensive showing but that was against a demoralized TCU team having a down season. Prior to that, the Cats gave up 347 passing yards per game in their 8 prior games! The Aggies are going to attack this Kansas State weakness all game long and that should turn this one into an absolute shootout. The Wildcats are a perfect 6-0 to the over when playing with 2 or more weeks of rest between games. The Aggies went 3-1 to the over this season in their games against teams with a winning record. 10* Top Play OVER the total in the Texas Bowl |
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12-28-16 | Iowa +13.5 v. Purdue | Top | 67-89 | Loss | -108 | 10 h 11 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - CBB Game #755 Wednesday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Iowa Hawkeyes (+) vs Purdue Boilermakers @ 8:30 ET - Many of you will recall that I used Iowa against Iowa State about 3 weeks ago in a game where nobody wanted the Hawkeyes as certainly it was the Cyclones that "made sense" in that match-up. The same key aspect in that game applies in this one as well. Even though Iowa is likely to have a "down year" and not be the team they've been in recent seasons, this is still an in-state rivalry game and there is no doubt that the Hawkeyes are going to bring their "A game" in this one. Iowa certainly has been playing solid defense of late and that has helped lead the way to a 5-game winning streak and 4-0-1 ATS run. The Hawkeyes have held 4 of their last 5 opponents (including Iowa State!) under 36% from the field. While I do expect Purdue to get revenge here (they lost both match-ups last season), I do not expect the Boilermakers to win by a sizable margin. With this line having jumped from 11.5 to 13.5 this morning, it has made this situation even stronger in favor of the big road dog. Purdue's only challenging games this season (where they weren't a double digit fave or it was not a non-lined game) have seen the Boilermakers go just 1-2 with a 5-point win over Notre Dame and losses to Louisville and Villanova. Now, of course, I am not saying that the Hawkeyes are on par with those teams but the point is that this is a quality Big Ten basketball program that is going to bring a huge effort and that will very likely lead to this one playing out to a similar margin (5 points) seen in the Fighting Irish game. By the way, the Boilermakers did allow at least 48% from the field in all 3 of those games. The Hawkeyes have really stepped up their defensive efforts recently (spurred on by the win over Cyclones) and I look for that trend to continue here. Purdue has a long-term 4-8 ATS mark in games with a posted total in the 150 to 159.5 range. The Hawkeyes enter on a 4-0-1 ATS run and stay hot at the cashiers window tonight! 10* IOWA |
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12-28-16 | Nets +9 v. Bulls | Top | 99-101 | Win | 100 | 8 h 18 m | Show |
Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (+) @ Chicago Bulls @ 8:05 ET Wednesday - Both teams are off of wins but look for the Nets to be the more motivated team here. After all, the Bulls beat a division rival (Indiana) and will be facing the Pacers again on Friday. That said, it is difficult for Chicago to get excited about this game. As for Brooklyn, you better believe they'll be ready. They were thoroughly embarrassed by 30 points AT HOME on Halloween night. When a team takes a beating like that in front of their home fans they don't forget about it. That was a "special" home loss to say the least but the Nets numbers are good even in "non-special" situations. Brooklyn is 6-2 ATS this season when playing with home loss revenge! As for the Bulls, they finally stepped up on defense (against Indiana) Monday and got the win. However, Chicago is 1-2 ATS (and 0-3 SU!) this season when off of a game where they held their opponent to 85 points or less. The Bulls are also known for "playing down" to the level of their competition and have gone 41-58 ATS their last 99 games against teams with a losing record. The Nets want this game. The Bulls are already looking ahead to another match-up with Indiana. Grab the generous points with the hungry big dog here. 10* BROOKLYN |
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12-27-16 | Thunder v. Heat OVER 205.5 | Top | 106-94 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 35 m | Show |
NBA TV Top Total - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play OVER the total in Miami Heat vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 7:35 ET Tuesday - Victor Oladipo is likely to still be out for this contest at Miami Tuesday night but the Oklahoma City guard has been out for each of the last 4 Thunder games and all 4 went over the total. OKC is averaging 114.4 points per game in their last 5 games. Their defense has allowed 108 points per game in their last 7 games. Though, in general, Miami has a tendency to play lower-scoring games, the Heat have recently been involved in some hot-shooting games as well. Before their low-scoring loss at New Orleans, Miami had shot 51% or better in 3 of their last 6 games. Also, the Heat defense has not been what it once was. They still hold that reputation and every once in awhile will come up with a big game but Miami, before that low-scoring loss to the Pelicans, had allowed more than 100 points in 15 of their last 19 games. That said, the way Russell Westbrook has been playing, I don't see the Heat slowing down the Thunder here. Of course the big key to the play on the over here is that fact that OKC does give up points in bunches and I am expecting more of the same on Tuesday! The Thunder haven't had to play a back to back in two weeks so they have fresh legs here. The Heat have had 3 days off leading into this one so they'll also be ready to push the pace after scoring just 87 at New Orleans Friday. 10* OVER the total in Miami Tuesday |
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12-27-16 | Washington State v. Minnesota +10.5 | Top | 12-17 | Win | 100 | 12 h 42 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFB 10* Top Play Minnesota Golden Gophers (+) vs Washington State Cougars in Holiday Bowl @ Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, CA @ 7 ET - We're getting extreme line value here because of the Minnesota suspensions that were then followed by a potential boycott by the Golden Gophers team. All that has simmered down and yet we now have a team getting double digits that originally opened up as less than a TD underdog in this game. Of course the result of all this is some great line value with a team that brings the physicality of a Big Ten unit to this match-up with a Pac 12 team that stumbled down the stretch. I do have a lot of respect for the Cougars offense but the Washington State defense is a definite weakness. Look for Minnesota's offense to take advantage of that and this is a Golden Gophers team that, prior to their loss at Wisconsin in the regular season finale, had not lost a game by more than 7 points this entire season. The Cougars have played the tougher schedule of these two schools this season but Washington State finished the regular season with back to back disappointing losses. The Cougars also didn't travel all that great this season...at least not well enough to warrant this large point spread here. Washington State went 3-2 away from home with only 1 win by more than 5 points. The Cougars last 3 games away from home produced an 0-3 ATS mark. Look for the Golden Gophers to rally around the entire "distraction" and possibly even get the upset here but certainly they should at least get the cover. The Cougars were only 1-3 ATS this season against teams with a winning record and also are on a 1-4 ATS run the past 3 seasons as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points. The Golden Gophers are on a 10-2 ATS run when off of a loss against a conference rival and they also went 4-0 ATS as an underdog this season. 10* Top Play MINNESOTA Tuesday |
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12-26-16 | Lions +6.5 v. Cowboys | Top | 21-42 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 55 m | Show |
Primetime Punisher Monday - Rickenbach NFL 10* Top Play Detroit Lions (+) @ Dallas Cowboys @ 8:30 ET Monday - Certainly the Cowboys are "saying the right things" in terms of wanting to keep playing their starters and keep the momentum going even though they've now locked up the #1 seed in the NFC. However, I just don't see Dallas as being able to truly bring forth the high level of intensity necessary to knock off the Lions in convincing fashion on Monday Night Football. Detroit needs this win and will be the hungrier team. Also, the injuries to quarterbacks Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota Saturday have to heavily weigh on the minds of the Cowboys here. It is now that fine line between maintaining momentum but trying not to get anyone hurt that is in effect for Dallas here. The key value is not only in that plus the hunger of the Lions here, but also the fact that the Cowboys truly haven't been playing all that dominant of late. Dallas has failed to cover 4 straight games and their weakness is their pass defense while the strength of the Lions offense is their aerial attack. Detroit is on a 5-1 SU run and 4-2 ATS run and they did outgain their opponent in each of the two ATS losses but the problem was turnovers as they lost the TO battle 2-0 in each of those games. The Cowboys come into this game with 6 turnovers in their last 3 games and only twice in their last eight games have they won by a margin of more than 6 points. Detroit is 7-3 ATS in games played on turf, 3-0 ATS in Monday night football, and the Lions are 5-1 ATS versus the NFC East. The Cowboys are 7-12 ATS their last 19 games against teams with a winning record and also 10-21 ATS their last 31 games played on turf. The Lions were up 17-7 at halftime in a playoff game in January of 2015 in the most recent game between these teams. That match-up ended up being a 24-20 win for the Cowboys here in Dallas and the Lions have their sights set on payback in this one. 10* DETROIT LIONS Monday |
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12-26-16 | Mavs v. Pelicans OVER 196.5 | Top | 104-111 | Win | 100 | 10 h 56 m | Show |
Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play OVER the total in New Orleans Pelicans vs Dallas Mavericks @ 8:05 ET Monday - This total has moved downward this morning and that has opened up even more line value on the over in this match-up. I am well aware of the fact that Dallas has mostly been an "under team" this season but the Mavericks have allowed 50% shooting from the field in their last 8 road games combined so it's not like they're playing stellar defense away from home. Additionally, they're now visiting New Orleans and the Pelicans are 12-2 to the over in home games where the total is between 195 and 199.5 points this season! Overall at home, New Orleans is on a incredible run of 66-35 to the over the past 3 seasons combined. The Pelicans final game before the Christmas break did stay under the total but they shot a ridiculous 37% from the field in that win. Look for them to bounce back here. The last 5 times that New Orleans is at home and off of game where they were held under 40% from the field, they have averaged 104.6 points per game in their next game. In other words, a big response on offense can be expected from the Pelicans here and, considering that they had lost 11 of 15 before that win over Miami Friday, you can fully expect the Mavericks to hang right with New Orleans in this game. That is precisely why it should fly over the total as well. Look for these teams to make it 4 overs in the last 5 meetings in New Orleans in this match-up Monday evening. Overall, the Pelicans are averaging 105 points per game in their last 9 games but they're also giving up an average of 110.7 points per game in their last 9 games! 10* OVER the total in New Orleans Monday |
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12-26-16 | Vanderbilt v. NC State -5.5 | Top | 17-41 | Win | 100 | 10 h 16 m | Show |
Monday Top Bowl Play - Rickenbach 10* Top Play N.C. State Wolfpack (-) vs Vanderbilt Commodores in the Independence Bowl @ Independence Stadium in Shreveport, LA @ 5 ET Monday - Vandy might fall into that category of "just happy to be here" considering this is their first bowl in 3 years. As for NC State, they are looking to atone for last year's 51-28 Belk Bowl loss to Mississippi State. The Wolfpack did face a tougher schedule than Vanderbilt this season and NC State has outperformed the Commodores even though both teams enter this game at 6-6. Vandy has one of the weaker offenses in the nation and getting hot in their last 2 games of the season doesn't erase the fact that the Commodores were held to 17 points or less in 7 of their first 10 games this season. Also, Vanderbilt is going up against a solid NC State defense that is very strong against the run. The Wolfpack held 9 of their 12 opponents to 24 points or less this season. On offense, though their point totals weren't that impressive as the season wore on, NC State did averaged 282 passing yards per game in their 11 games not played in a hurricane. The reason I say that is the 41 passing yards against Notre Dame in the game played during Hurricane Matthew certainly should be taken out of the equation when evaluating the strength of this NC State offense. The aerial attack as a strength is very significant here because the Commodores weakness on defense is against the pass. Vandy gives up a lot of yard through the air and they don't get many sacks. NC State's defense more than doubled Vanderbilt's sack total for the year. Vandy is on a 4-7 ATS run in non-conference games the past three seasons and also is 1-3 ATS when off of a win against a conference rival. NC State is 12-2 SU (and 10-4 ATS) in non-conference games and also the Wolfpack produced a 5-1 ATS mark when playing with 2 or more weeks of rest between games and they are 8-1 ATS in games played on turf. 10* Top Play NC STATE Monday |
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12-25-16 | San Francisco +5 v. San Diego State | Top | 48-62 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 25 m | Show |
Tourney Top Play - Rickenbach CBB 10* Top Play San Francisco Dons (+) vs San Diego State Aztecs in Diamond Head Classic @ Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, HI @ 8 ET Sunday - The Dons have certainly exceed expectations early this season and the way they've won their two games in this Diamond Head Classic certainly says a lot about this team. They beat Utah with a strong offensive performance (shot 52.5% and won 89-86) and then beat Illinois State with a huge effort on defense (held Redbirds to 30.3% and won 66-58). San Francisco is now 10-2 on the season and their two losses have come by 6 points or less. That said, getting 5 points with the Dons in the Diamond Head Classic Championship Game is the way to go here. San Francisco has played a similar strength of schedule to that of San Diego State and they are only 7-4 on the season. The Aztecs faced weaker competition in this tourney however as they were a 20 point favorite in one game and also were favored in the other. The Dons were a sizable dog in both of their games in this tournament. The Aztecs were on a 1-5 ATS run before their win Friday and the losses of Winston Shepard and Skylar Spencer have been tougher to overcome than most expected. The Aztecs are on a 2-11 ATS run in December games the past three seasons and the Dons are on a 6-1 ATS run in neutral court games the past three seasons. Give me the points with the highly motivated underdog (lost 2 prior meetings with Aztecs) that is surging with confidence right now. 10* SAN FRANCISCO |
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12-25-16 | Broncos v. Chiefs -3 | Top | 10-33 | Win | 100 | 13 h 16 m | Show |
Primetimer Punisher 10* - Rickenbach NFL 10* Top Play Kansas City Chiefs (-) vs Denver Broncos @ 8:30 ET Sunday - This is a revenge game for the Broncos as they lost a game to the Chiefs they never should have lost when Denver hosted Kansas City 4 weeks ago. However, even though the Broncos have revenge, they also are a team with a lot of issues. Those "issues" boiled over last week as there was some in-fighting on the team between offensive and defensive players after another pathetic effort for the Denver offense. The Broncos have now scored a total of just 13 points plus had 5 turnovers the past two weeks. The issue on Sunday night is that very windy conditions are expected in Kansas City and that means the running game will have some added importance in this one. Denver has run for a total of only 76 yards in their last two games and, overall, the Broncos have been held to 58 rushing yards or less in 4 of their last 7 games. The Chiefs are off of a 158 yard rushing performance against the Titans last week and that is the same Titans team against whom the Broncos could not run against and netted only 18 yards on the ground. With KC losing that game to Tennessee on a last second field goal, the Chiefs are fired up for their final home game of the regular season. Kansas City had won and covered 3 straight prior to that loss. The Chiefs are 3-0 ATS this season when off of a loss and also 4-0 SU (and 3-1 ATS) in divisional games this season. The Broncos are 1-4 SU and ATS in their games against teams with a winning record this season and also an ugly 1-3 SU and ATS in divisional games this season. Those trends continue here. 10* KANSAS CITY |
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12-25-16 | Wolves v. Thunder OVER 210.5 | Top | 100-112 | Win | 100 | 11 h 52 m | Show |
Christmas Day Top Total - Rickenbach 10* Top Play OVER the total in Oklahoma City Thunder vs Minnesota Timberwolves @ 8:05 ET - Oklahoma City's games have totaled 215 points or more in 4 straight games and have gone over the total in 3 consecutive games. They have shot over 50.5% from the field in 3 of their last 4 games. As for Minnesota, 3 of their last 4 games have totaled at least 214 points. The Timberwolves have allowed 105 points or more in 12 of their last 14 games. The Thunder defense has sagged off lately and I highly doubt they will pick up in intensity on, of all days, Christmas Day. OKC has allowed an average of 106.2 points per game their last 9 games and I look for a wild one today as both teams continue to allow way too many open looks from the outside and easy drives through the paint on the inside. The T-wolves were favored in their loss versus Sacramento Friday and the over is 15-7 the past three seasons when Minnesota is off of an upset loss as a favorite. The Thunder have averaged 109.6 points per game in their last 5 games versus the Timberwolves so this one sets up well with plenty of run and gun expected. 10* OVER in Oklahoma City |
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12-25-16 | Bulls +9 v. Spurs | Top | 100-119 | Loss | -105 | 8 h 2 m | Show |
Christmas Day Top Side - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (+) @ San Antonio Spurs @ 5:05 ET - The Spurs have revenge here as they lost at Chicago earlier this month. However, this is a tough spot for San Antonio as they just got back from a West Coast road trip and will be playing their 3rd game in 4 days. Additionally, by virtue of being at home on Christmas Day they have a few more distractions with all the Christmas festivities taking place at this time of year and having had the ability to be home with their families by virtue of being a host on Christmas Day. The last three games between these teams have been decided by an average of 5 points per game with no game decided by more than 8 points. This spread is inflated because the Bulls have struggled recently but I expect them to step up here off of the disappointing loss at Charlotte Friday. Last year on Christmas Day 4 of the 5 dogs got the cash and the lone fave that covered barely got the cash. It is difficult for teams to blow each other out in the difficult setting that is a Christmas Day game. That said, the value is with the underdog again in this one. This will be the Spurs 4th straight Christmas Day game and they've lost each of the prior three while the Bulls have won on Christmas Day each of the last three years. 10* CHICAGO BULLS |
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12-25-16 | Ravens v. Steelers -6 | Top | 27-31 | Loss | -103 | 9 h 30 m | Show |
Christmas PA Insider - Rickenbach NFL 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Steelers (-) vs Baltimore Ravens @ 4:30 ET - The Steelers will ride the momentum of last week's comeback win over Cincinnati (trailed 20-6) to get some payback against the division rival Ravens. Baltimore got the win in the first match-up but that was QB Ben Roethlisberger's first game back after returning from injury and he clearly was not 100% yet. Big Ben did lead a late comeback in that game but it fell short as the Steelers had fallen into a 21-0 hole in that game. The Ravens have taken 4 straight meetings with the Steelers and overall have won 5 of the last 6 including a playoff game in Pittsburgh in January of 2015. Needless to say, the Steelers have plenty of pent up frustration they are going to unleash today as they look for payback and Pittsburgh comes into this game as the healthier team. After the loss to the Ravens earlier this season the Steelers then lost a heartbreaker to the Cowboys but they have since won and covered 5 straight games and are now one of the hottest teams in the league. The Ravens are off of a win over a fading Eagles team. Prior to barely notching that 1 point victory, Baltimore had allowed 294 passing yards per game in their previous 4 games. Look for Roethlisberger and company to attack the Ravens with great success early and often through the air Sunday. Baltimore is on an 0-3 ATS run as a dog of 3.5 to 9.5 points this season. The Steelers are on a 10-1 SU (and 9-1 ATS) run in December games. Mild weather for late December and light winds with no precipitation will combined to allow one of the top offenses in the league (Pittsburgh) to hold the upper hand in this one. 10* PITTSBURGH |
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12-24-16 | Bucs v. Saints -3 | Top | 24-31 | Win | 100 | 7 h 3 m | Show |
Rickenbach NFL 10* Top Play New Orleans Saints (-) vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ 4:25 ET Saturday - The Saints are an amazing team in dome games. With their huge win at Arizona last week they have averaged 33.1 points per game in their 8 games played in domes this season. That win over the Cardinals was a dome game and, of course, their first 7 home games are the other part of that equation. Saturday's game in the Superdome is the Saints home finale and I expect their high-octane offense to lead the way once again. The Buccaneers certainly are the better defense when comparing these two teams but they don't have the offense to keep up in this one. This is especially true with the Saints seeking revenge for an ugly 16-11 loss to the Bucs two weeks ago in Tampa Bay. New Orleans is looking to do anything they can to play "spoiler" here against a division rival and, having lost their most recent home game (to Detroit), the last thing the Saints want to have happen is to finish the season on a 2-game home losing streak. Tampa Bay is coming off of a grueling battle with Dallas last week and I expect them to be a little deflated from the loss to the Cowboys and they took a beating up front with the bruising offensive line of the Cowboys plus running back Ezekiel Elliott pounding away. The Saints will be the fresher team and certainly have the stronger offense. In road games with a posted total of 49.5 or more the Buccaneers have gone 1-4 SU and ATS long-term. Also, long-term mark on Saturdays for the Bucs is 3-10 SU and 2-11 ATS! The Saints are 8-3 ATS the past 3 seasons when playing with revenge. 10* NEW ORLEANS |
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12-24-16 | Colts v. Raiders OVER 53.5 | Top | 25-33 | Win | 100 | 7 h 6 m | Show |
Rickenbach NFL 10* Top Play OVER the total in Oakland Raiders vs Indianapolis Colts @ 4:05 ET - The Colts defense has looked better lately but they've faced a number of weak offenses with struggling QB's. Certainly facing the Raiders - one of the top offenses in the league - is going to present a greater challenge and I expect the Indianapolis defense (ranked 28th for yards allowed) to give up plenty of big plays in this game. What is likely to keep the Colts in this game is that they do have one of the top passing offenses in the league and the Raiders defense (ranked 30th for yards allowed) is one of the worst units in the NFL. The over is 5-1 this season (and 15-5 the L3 seasons) in Raiders home games. This season the over is a perfect 4-0 in Oakland's games where they are a favorite in a range of 3.5 to 9.5 points. The over is 5-1 this season (and 15-8 the L3 seasons) in Colts road games. Also, in games played on grass Indianapolis has gone 14-4 to the over the L3 seasons including a perfect 5-0 this season. This is the biggest total on the board in this week's NFL but it is absolutely justified. Good weather, weak defenses, dangerous offenses led by solid QBs will all combine to turn this one into a shootout. 10* OVER the total in Oakland |
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12-23-16 | Avalanche v. Blackhawks OVER 5.5 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -100 | 7 h 6 m | Show |
NHL Game #65 Friday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals (+$$$) in Chicago Blackhawks vs Colorado Avalanche @ 8:35 ET - Some nice plus money available here on the over. Yes going over 5.5 can be "dangerous" with so many NHL games landing at 5 but this one appears to be destined for 6 goals or more. The Blackhawks have averaged 4.5 goals per game in their last 4 games but are off of a loss that marked the 3rd time in their last 4 games that they've allowed 4 goals. Corey Crawford may get the start here but how sharp will he be after not having started in over 3 weeks. I don't expect this to go well for him as the Avalanche come in very hungry off of a shutout loss. The Avs got drilled 6-0 on home ice last night and that is the type of ugly defeat that virtually ensures a solid effort from that team in their very next game. That means we should see Colorado bringing plenty of aggressiveness in the offensive zone tonight and they may take advantage of a rusty Crawford. However, their issue will be an inability to stop the Blackhawks. The Avalanche have given up an average of nearly 4 goals per game in their last 12 games! The 6 times this season that the Avs have entered a game on a losing streak of 3 games or more they've stayed under the total only twice. 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Chicago |
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12-23-16 | Wizards v. Bucks -3 | Top | 96-123 | Win | 100 | 10 h 23 m | Show |
NBA Game #712 Friday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (-) vs Washington Wizards @ 8:05 ET - This is a perfect set-up. The Bucks have revenge here for a December 10th loss at Washington. The Wizards ended that game on a ridiculous 11-0 run and Milwaukee certainly hasn't forgotten about it. The Bucks are entering this game on a 2-game losing streak but the losses came against Cleveland and Milwaukee played the Cavaliers very tough in both of those games. This is the front end of a home and home between these teams so the Bucks are now fully focused on the Wizards and they catch them off of a big road win at Chicago. That sets this one up nicely and the home team has won each of the past four meetings between these clubs by 5 points or more. Even though Washington has fared surprisingly well this season (3-0 ATS) when off of an upset win as an underdog that is traditionally the type of victory that leaves a team flat in the next game. The Wizards entered this season having gone 9-17 ATS the past two seasons when off of an upset win as an underdog. The Bucks will be the hungrier and more motivated team as they seek revenge tonight. Milwaukee is 11-4 SU and ATS in home games with a posted total of 210 points or more and the odds makers are calling for another high-scoring one here as you can see. I'll gladly lay the small number with the Bucks who have also gone 3-1 SU and ATS this season as home fave of 3 points or less. 10* Top Play MILWAUKEE |
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12-23-16 | Ohio v. Troy -4 | Top | 23-28 | Win | 100 | 12 h 57 m | Show |
Dollar General Bowl - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Troy Trojans (-) vs Ohio Bobcats @ Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile, AL @ 8 ET Friday - Even though Ohio University could be said to have the coaching edge here since Solich has so much experience and this will be Brown's first bowl game as a head coach, Solich's 7 trips to bowls with the Bobcats have resulted in only a 2-5 record. Certainly this venue favors Brown's Trojans as this game is being played down south and was a short trip for Troy. The biggest edge of all is the offense of the Trojans. While both teams have been solid on defense this season I am forecasting Troy to pull away in this one as their offense has been vastly superior to that of the Bobcats this season. Ohio University turned the ball over 7 times in their last 2 games played away from home while Troy State did not turn the ball over a single time in their final two road games of the season. Ohio U averaged just 302.3 yards per game in their last 3 games of the season while the Trojans averaged 438.6 yards per game on the season. Troy even put up 386 yards at Clemson earlier this season in a 6 point loss as a 5 TD underdog! The Trojans only other two losses were a turnover fueled loss to Arkansas State - whom, by the way, crushed Central Florida Saturday in bowl action - and a loss to Georgia Southern by just 4 points in their regular season finale. That loss cost the Trojans a share of their conference title and further motivates them to come up HUGE in this bowl game with a big win. Troy is on an 8-2 ATS run when off of a loss against a conference rival and the Trojans potent offense will prove to be too much for an Ohio U team that was held to 23 points or less in 7 of their last 11 games. 10* Top Play TROY minus the points in the Dollar General Bowl |
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12-23-16 | Georgia v. Oakland +2 | Top | 79-86 | Win | 100 | 7 h 53 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - CBB Game #742 Friday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Oakland Grizzlies (+) vs Georgia Bulldogs @ 7 ET - Nice situational aspects to this one. Oakland is off of a tough loss to in-state rival Michigan State. The Bulldogs are off of an easy win over in-state rival Georgia Tech. Georgia has had to travel. Oakland has stayed in their home state. The situational advantage is clearly in favor of the Grizzlies here and they also have revenge for a tight loss to Georgia in last year's meeting which also took place in December. The past three seasons combined the Bulldogs are an ugly 5-13 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. Long-term that run is an ugly 48-77 ATS with those same parameters so, as you can see, it's no fluke. As for Oakland, the Grizzlies have gone 22-8 ATS the past three seasons combined when they are an underdog. In their games against teams with a winning record, Oakland has gone 27-13 ATS. The Grizzlies have shot surprisingly poor in back to back games that occurred on back to back days. Now, after a day of rest, Oakland will be ready with fresh legs and I look for their hot shooting (in the high 40's with FG % their first 10 games this year) to resume tonight at home. Note that the Bulldogs have been held to 64 points or less in 3 of their 4 games played away from Georgia this season. More of the same here. 10* Top Play OAKLAND |
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12-22-16 | LSU +10 v. Wake Forest | Top | 76-110 | Loss | -105 | 10 h 34 m | Show |
CBB Game #531 Thursday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play LSU Tigers (+) @ Wake Forest Demon Deacons @ 9 ET - This line has gone from 8 to now double digits and the situation is offering exceptional value on the big dog. LSU only lost by 6 points to Wake Forest last season and yes this game is now on the road rather than at home but the fact is that the Tigers were outscored by 18 points on 3 pointers and that was the difference in the game. The Demon Deacons knocked down 8 threes in last season's match-up while LSU was held to an uncharacteristic 2 of 14 performance from three point land. Both teams come into this season's match-up with 8 wins but the Demon Deacons are off of a disheartening loss to Xavier in a game Wake Forest badly wanted. The fact is that Wake Forest is still a young team and that shows a lot of promise for the future but they still have struggled this season in games where they've had a chance to make a statement. They got the cover at Xavier but they lost the other two games both SU and ATS in which they've been dogs this season. Now, of course I realize Wake Forest is not a dog here but the point I am making is that they truly don't have a "signature win" yet this season as they also lost to Villanova and Northwestern. Now certainly LSU has had it's share of issues, including last year's frustrating finish but the fact is this is still a solid SEC program and I am going to challenge Wake Forest to not only win this game but to blow out the Tigers. I just don't see that happening. The Demon Deacons haven't proven capable of dismantling an opponent on the level of LSU yet this season and the Tigers have some added confidence from an 8-2 start this season and I expect them to stay within single digits all the way in this one. Overall, LSU has shot the ball just as well as Wake Forest this season and their defense has been even slightly better than that of the Demon Deacons. LSU is on a long-term run of 19-11 ATS as a road dog of 6.5 to 9 points and now this line has even moved up into double digits! A lot of points expected here and Wake Forest is 9-16 ATS (and 7-18 SU) in games with a posted total in the 150s. The Tigers are in this one all the way. 10* LSU TIGERS |
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12-22-16 | Giants v. Eagles OVER 41 | Top | 19-24 | Win | 100 | 13 h 53 m | Show |
Divisional Dominator Thursday - NFL Game #101 - Rickenbach 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia Eagles vs New York Giants @ 8:25 ET - In their one point loss at Baltimore Sunday the Eagles showed they have thrown caution to the wind as they went for the 2-point conversion after a late TD with just 4 seconds left in the game. Had they been successful they would have got the win but instead they ended up with a one point loss. Of course the decision makes sense given that their season ended a few weeks ago (in terms of playoff hopes) as losses continued to pile up. How that leads me to the over in this match-up Thursday is because you can bank on the Eagles being willing to take chances throughout this game as they would love nothing more than to knock off the divisional rival Giants and certainly Philadelphia has nothing to lose. That means opening up the playbook, trick plays, etc. Whatever it takes this will be a wide open game from the Eagles perspective. Philadelphia has averaged 29.2 points per game in their last 5 meetings with the Giants but New York is a small favorite here and rightly so. The point is that a very high-scoring game in the range of 31-28 would not surprise here. Skies will be clear with winds likely only in the 10 mph range and temps in the thirties which is not bad at all for this time of year. The over is 3-0 in Eagles December games and 4-0 in their divisional games this season. More of the same tonight. 10* OVER in Philadelphia |
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12-22-16 | Magic +5.5 v. Knicks | Top | 95-106 | Loss | -104 | 10 h 17 m | Show |
Eastern Conference Game of the Month - NBA Game #501 Thursday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Orlando Magic (+) @ New York Knicks @ 7:35 ET - The Knicks were down 8 to the Pacers at home on Tuesday and then finished the game on an insane 27-12 run to sneak out a 7 point win as, coincidentally, a 5.5 point favorite at home. New York is in the same point spread range for this one on Thursday and I see value in fading them after their miracle cover over Indiana Tuesday. The Knicks had lost 3 straight prior to that win. Also prior to that victory, 6 of New York's last 10 wins had been decided by 4 points or less. The point is that even when the Knicks do win it is often by the slimmest of margins and they're going to have their hands full with Orlando here. The Magic have won 2 of their last 3 meetings with the Knicks and that includes a visit to New York. However, Orlando enters this game with revenge on their mind after losing their most recent visit to New York - in February. The Magic are off of a confidence-boosting win at Miami Tuesday and that outright upset win brought them to 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games away from home as they truly have been road warriors over the past 5 weeks! The Knicks are on a long-term 13-28 SU run against teams from the Southeast Division and they'll have trouble just winning - let alone covering - in this battle with a motivated underdog. New York is in a bit of a sandwich spot here as they are off of the big comeback win over Indiana and then have a big division rivalry game with Boston on deck for Christmas Day. Great spot for the dangerous dog and I'll take it. 10* Top Play ORLANDO MAGIC |
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12-22-16 | Ducks v. Senators OVER 5.5 | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -100 | 6 h 28 m | Show |
NHL Game #13 Thursday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Ottawa Senators vs Anaheim Ducks @ 7:35 ET - Ottawa was already without Craig Anderson (personal leave) and now Andrew Hammond hurt his ankle. That means goalie Michael Condon gets the call here and only 1 of his last 6 starts have remained under the total. Also, the over is 5-1-1 in Condon's 7 non-conference starts this season. Non-conference match-ups have a tendency to be a little less intense in terms of physicality and defense and so the open ice often leads to more (and better) scoring chances. Look for a wild one here as the Sens are looking to avenge a 5-1 loss at Anaheim earlier this month but the Senators are going to have to outscore the Ducks because I don't foresee Condon and company shutting them down. Anaheim is off of a loss but previously had won 5 of their last 7 games and had scored an average of nearly 4 goals per game during this stretch. In other words, the Ducks can (and should) bounce right back here. Anaheim has recorded only 1 under in their last 10 games! Ottawa has recorded only 1 under in their last 8 games! Yes we have to go over 5.5 here but to get a plus money return in a game where each team is likely to get to 3 goals has me going with a top play in this one. The Senators have scored at least 3 goals in 4 straight games. More of the same here. 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 in Ottawa |
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12-22-16 | Colorado State -15 v. Idaho | Top | 50-61 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 43 m | Show |
Potato Bowl ATS Crusher Thursday - CFB Game #219 - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Colorado State Rams (-) vs Idaho Vandals in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl @ Albertsons Stadium in Boise, ID @ 7 ET - Snow is on the way but not until Friday morning. The Vandals could have used that Thursday night to possibly help them hang around in this game. While I expect both teams to score plenty with light winds and clear conditions expected in Boise tonight, I look for the Rams to pull away in the second half of this game. The points look to be asking a lot in terms of the cover here but, keep in mind, Idaho not only played a weak schedule but also their 8 wins did not include a victory over a single team with a winning record. The Vandals are on an 0-7 SU (and 1-5 ATS) run against teams with a winning record the past 3 seasons. They played one of the weakest schedules in the nation this season and I expect them to be exposed for that here. Colorado State's schedule this season was only moderately tough but they did go a perfect 4-0 ATS against teams with a winning record. Also, the Rams are 7-0 SU (and 5-2 ATS) the past three seasons combined when they are a favorite in a range of 10.5 to 21 points. Colorado State has the much stronger rushing attack in comparing these two teams and also has the better pass defense. That said, once the Rams get a big lead they'll keep pounding away on the ground to wear down the Vandals defense and Idaho will struggle to keep up as they'll be forced to turn to the air against a respectable Rams pass defense. Colorado State head coach Bobo has enjoyed a rejuvenating season with the Rams and they're fired up for this bowl game after losing in last year's Arizona Bowl. With QB nick Stevens having a phenomenal season since replacing the injured Collin Hill, the Rams will put pressure on the Vandals defense all game long as the Colorado State offense is one of the best and most balanced units in the nation. Idaho, against the better teams they faced, gave up an average of 46.5 points per game. That was against Washington, Washington State, Troy, and Appalachian State. Look for Colorado State to pummel the Vandals D in this one and win this one by at least 3 TDs. Lay the big points. 10* COLORADO STATE |
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12-21-16 | Oilers v. Coyotes OVER 5.5 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -100 | 13 h 48 m | Show |
Top Total Annihilation Wednesday - NHL Game #59 - Rickenbach 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Arizona Coyotes vs Edmonton Oilers @ 9:35 ET - The Coyotes (and coach Dave Tippett) and have enjoyed incredible success against the Oilers. However, much of that recently has had to do with how well goalie Mike Smith has played against them. That is a key to my play on the over here. Arizona only scored 2 goals in their win at Edmonton last month but, prior to that, the Coyotes had scored 22 goals in their 6 prior meetings with the Oilers. Arizona should certainly pot their fair share of goals tonight against Edmonton as they are so confident when playing the Oilers due to their incredible success in this series. However, tonight the long winning streak for Arizona could be stopped because Smith has not been as strong between the pipes as he usually is. Smith has allowed 3 goals in each of his last two starts and has now given up 3 goals or more in 5 of his last 10 games. In his last 5 appearances he was solid in two of them but in the other three Smith allowed 10 goals on 78 shots. The Coyotes have allowed 3.3 goals per game in their last 11 games and the Oilers have averaged 3 goals per game in their last 10 games and come into this game with confidence off of back to back wins. I like the fact that the Oilers have generated an average of 36.3 shots on goal per game in their last 6 meetings with the Coyotes. Look for a few more of those to get past Smith tonight and that will help lead the way to an easy over in this one. The Oilers are 4-1 to the over when playing with home loss revenge this season and also 9-5 to the over in road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Arizona |
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12-21-16 | BYU v. Wyoming +10 | Top | 24-21 | Win | 100 | 13 h 25 m | Show |
Poinsettia Bowl Wednesday - CFB Game #218 - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Wyoming Cowboys (+) vs Brigham Young Cougars @ 9 ET - BYU has been pounded up to being a double digit favorite in this game and that is offering exceptional line value here. The Cougars have lost 3 straight bowl games and are playing in a bowl game for the 12th straight season. As for the Cowboys, the situation is much different and that has them much hungrier than Brigham Young for this game. Wyoming is playing in just their 3rd bowl game in the last 22 years! It is the Cowboys first bowl invite since 2011 and that has the entire program fired up about this opportunity. Wyoming head coach Bohl ended up being named the Mountain West coach of the year. He has done a fantastic job this season and though the bowl history is minimal for the Cowboys, head coach Bohl has gone 14-1 in FCS playoff games and led the way to 3 national titles at the FCS level. The man can coach and, keep in mind, of BYU's 8 victories on the year, only 1 came against a team that ended up having a winning record on the season. That was Toledo and the Rockets already lost their bowl game (to Appalachian State!) so that further adds fuel to the fire here in terms of what strong program has BYU actually beaten this season? The Cowboys have gone 6-1 ATS as an underdog this season and, though the Cougars have the better D in this match-up, Wyoming has the edge on offense and that will keep them in this game throughout and it is quite possible that the Cowboys even spring the upset here. That 6-1 ATS mark as a dog included 5 outright upset wins. Dangerous dog here going against a BYU team that is on a 1-5 ATS run when playing with extra rest and the Cougars have not played since November 26th while the Cowboys were in action on December 3rd. Too many points here. 10* WYOMING |
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12-21-16 | Rockets -6 v. Suns | Top | 125-111 | Win | 100 | 11 h 56 m | Show |
NBA Game #711 Wednesday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (-) @ Phoenix Suns @ 9:05 ET - The Rockets are off of a brutally bad beat last night at home against the rival Spurs. Houston led the game by 13 points with under 5 minutes to go and yet still lost the game. Amazingly San Antonio hit 12 of 23 three pointers while Houston hit an insanely bad 6 of 38 three pointers last night. Needless to say the Rockets are ticked off about the loss last night as they know they let one get away that they should have easily won despite the statistical anomaly on three point shooting. Houston is facing the right team to get back on track as the Suns are only 8-20 on the season. Also, only 4 of the 20 losses that Phoenix has had this season have come by less than 6 points. Blowout defeats are normal for the Suns and they're hosting a Rockets team that is 11-3 ATS this season in road games with a posted total of 210 points or more. Houston is also 11-3 ATS this season in their games against teams with a losing record. Also, even though this is a back to back spot for Houston, the Rockets have gone 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS when playing the 2nd night of a back to back. The Suns have covered just 3 of their last 12 games! Also, the road teams has won 6 of the last 7 meetings between these teams so home court has meant very little. That said, this is also a revenge game for the Rockets as they lost at home to the Suns in April in their most recent meeting. 10* Top Play HOUSTON |
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12-21-16 | Oakland v. Michigan State -6 | Top | 65-77 | Win | 100 | 6 h 53 m | Show |
CBB Game #728 Wednesday - 10* Top Play Michigan State Spartans (-) vs Oakland (Mich) Grizzlies @ 7 ET - The Grizzlies are 9-2 on the season and the Spartans are only 7-5. However, Michigan State has played a very tough early season schedule while Oakland has played a very weak early season schedule. That is skewing the market in this one and it has led to exceptional value with the Big Ten team who is far too proud to not bring a huge effort tonight against this Horizon League team. This is an in-state match-up and the Spartans have won all 13 meetings the past 20 years. That said, we're getting exceptional line value here with this one dropping all the way down to a -6 on Michigan State. Take a look at the last two meetings as an example of the disparity between these teams in terms of talent level and how that translates to how the games play out on the floor. In last season's meeting the Grizzlies actually led by 13 at the half. However, the Spartans then outscored them by 19 points the rest of the way. In the prior season's meeting Michigan State was up by 13 points at half and then outscored them by another 13 in the 2nd half in the 26 point win. The fact is that, even if one perceives this to be a "down season" for the Spartans, they have dominated the Grizzlies in the past and they don't have to be truly "dominant" for us to get the cash in this one. That has me raising this one to Top Play level. The Spartans are 4-2 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. Michigan State will be ready to respond off of a loss to Northeastern Sunday and they have the rest edge over Oakland here as the Grizzlies just did battle with Northeastern yesterday! Plus the Grizzlies have another game on deck before Christmas (versus Georgia Friday) while this is the Spartans only chance (before the Christmas break) to respond off of a disappointing loss. 10* MICHIGAN STATE |
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12-20-16 | Creighton -8 v. Arizona State | Top | 96-85 | Win | 100 | 12 h 9 m | Show |
TV Top Play - CBB Game #541 Tuesday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Creighton Blue Jays (-) @ Arizona State Sun Devils @ 9 ET - Laying 8 on the road against a Pac-12 team with a good reputation may seem a little "scary" on the surface but this is the perfect spot for the Blue Jays. They just survived a scare at home (against Oral Roberts) and snuck out a 1-point victory. Creighton doesn't play again until after Christmas and you can be sure that they learned the lesson in their tight win over Oral Roberts and now will be be prepared to blowout the Sun Devils in this one. Arizona State beat the Blue Jays at Creighton by a bucket last December so this is a revenge game for the road fave here. Creighton is the better team on defense and an inconsistent Sun Devils team went from bad to worse as their starting small forward recently left the team. The Blue Jays only scored 66 points against Oral Roberts Saturday and the only other two times they have been held under 80 points this season they responded with big wins in their next game and scored over 100 points in each contest. This included a big win over another Pac-12 team, Washington State, and that certainly is an indication of what to expect for Creighton tonight at Arizona State. The Blue Jays have covered 5 of 7 this season against teams with a winning record. The Sun Devils have gone an ugly 2-5 ATS against teams with a winning record. Revenge is on order tonight at Arizona State as the dangerous Blue Jays offense (53.8% from the field, 89.3 points per game, 44.4% from beyond the arc) responds off of a rare, poor performance. 10* Top Play CREIGHTON |
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12-20-16 | Spurs v. Rockets +1 | Top | 102-100 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 4 m | Show |
NBA TV Blowout Smash - NBA Game #516 - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (+) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 8:05 ET - The Spurs are off of a huge win over the Pelicans on Sunday on a night in which Tim Duncan's jersey was retired. San Antonio now travels the short distance to face Houston and I don't think they'll have enough left in the tank to get past a Rockets team that has its sight set on revenge. The Rockets lost to San Antonio in early November and that was the 4th time in 5 games that the Spurs have defeated Houston. The Rockets will have something to say about that tonight as they come into this game having won 10 straight games and they are fired up about the fact that they haven't defeated the Spurs in Houston since Christmas of last year. The Rockets have played a tougher schedule than San Antonio so far this season and Houston is 9-2 ATS (and 10-1 SU) when playing with revenge this season. Also, the Rockets are 13-1 SU (and 12-2 ATS) when they are off of a game where they allowed 105 points or more. I am aware of the Clint Capela injury for Houston but they are so highly motivated for this game and so well-rested (2 days off between games) that they'll make up for the absence of this gritty "hustle" player. The Spurs have covered 4 straight games but they've faced some weak opposition during this stretch and, prior to that, San Antonio had failed to cover 9 of its 13 prior games. The value here is with the home team as the line has now moved the other way to increase the value on a team that has revenge and a 10-game winning streak and home court all on their side! 10* Top Play HOUSTON |
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12-20-16 | Sabres +145 v. Panthers | Top | 3-4 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 30 m | Show |
Contrarian Annihilation - NHL Game #9 Tuesday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Buffalo Sabres Money Line (+) @ Florida Panthers @ 7:35 ET - The Panthers are off of a win at Colorado and are now back home in Florida. However, even though the Panthers are certainly happy to be back home, the first game back east after a road trip in other time zones is often the toughest and Florida also visited Minnesota and Winnipeg on that 3-game trip. Also, Florida has not won back to back games in the past month! In fact, before the win over the Avalanche, the Panthers had lost 8 of their past 10 games. That said, they truly don't belong in this price range against an improving Sabres team. Buffalo is off of a loss at Carolina but the Sabres had previously won 7 of their last 12 games. Buff also has won 4 of their 7 Tuesday game this season (up 2.0 net games) while the Panthers have lost 7 of their 8 Tuesday games this season (and lost 6.8 net games). After playing 3 consecutive road games this season, Florida has lost 6 of 8. After a win by a margin of 2 goals or more this season, the Panthers have lost 5 of 6. Buffalo won on home ice earlier this season versus Florida. That 3-0 dominance could be repeated here as, prior to that game, the road team had gone 3-0 in the 3 prior meetings. The situation is right, the price is right (in terms of giving huge value to the dog), and I am raising this one to a top play as this is a case of hot versus not. 10* Top Play BUFFALO SABRES money line Tuesday |
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12-20-16 | Memphis +7 v. Western Kentucky | Top | 31-51 | Loss | -115 | 11 h 25 m | Show |
Boca Raton Bowl - CFB Game #215 Tuesday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Memphis Tigers (+) vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers @ FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida @ 7 ET - Waiting has paid off here as a line that was as low as a 3.5 when the bowl lines came out has now moved to as high as a 7 in many spots as of early morning on gameday. That makes it "go time" with the underdog here as I'll gladly take advantage of the generous points being offered. Both of these teams have dynamic offenses (especially through the air) so the key comes down to the better pass defense. Memphis has the better secondary and their pass defense has been solid with a 17-15 ratio this season. Additionally, the Tigers have the edges at head coach as Memphis will be going with their defensive coordinator (Holt) as the interim head coach here since Brohm was hired by Purdue. We already saw what happened in this bowl season with another team that was going through a head coaching transition (Houston going with Applewhite) and that resulted in the biggest blowout loss on the opening Saturday of bowl season. The Cougars went off the board as a 5 point favorite there but still got pummeled by San Diego State. I am not saying that this one will play out exactly the same but the point is that there is certainly value with the underdog here catching a full 7 points. This is especially true when you consider that is an additional motivating factor for Memphis. The Tigers come from the bigger conference and they are well aware that they are sizable dogs against "only" a CUSA team. That is additional motivation and certainly the Tigers played the tougher strength of schedule this year too. All signs point to the stronger team from the stronger conference (AAC) in this one. 10* Top Play MEMPHIS |
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12-18-16 | Bucs +7 v. Cowboys | Top | 20-26 | Win | 100 | 10 h 15 m | Show |
Primetime Punisher - NFL Game #305 Sunday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+) @ Dallas Cowboys @ 8:30 ET - The Cowboys only two straight-up losses this season are to the Giants after last week's loss at New York. However, last week's defeat did mark the 3rd straight ATS loss that Dallas has suffered and it is clear that rookie QB Dak Prescott has regressed a bit over the last couple weeks. Keep in mind that the pressure is more intense now too because Dallas still needs a win to clinch the NFC East and this is true even if the Giants lose to the Lions earlier in the day Sunday. I expect the pressure to start to catch up with "The Boys" here and the Dallas D was helped by facing a struggling Giants offense last week. Prior to that, Dallas allowed 1.347 passing yards their prior 4 games. That is an average of 336.8 passing yards given up per game for the Cowboys secondary. Tampa Bay's passing attack didn't have to do much last week as the Buccaneers defense did most of the "heavy lifting" to defeat the Saints last week. However, prior to that win over the Saints, the TB passing attack produced 1,417 yards in 5 games. That's an average of 283.4 passing yards per game for the Bucs offense. Don't be surprised if the Bucs (in a huge battle for the top spot in the NFC South) give the Cowboys all they can handle in this one! The Buccaneers are on a 5-1 ATS run as a road dog and all 5 wins were outright wins by an average margin of 7 points per game! That said, I'll certainly take the 7 points that are being offered here in a game where Tampa Bay could very well get the upset over the over-rated Cowboys who are starting to come back down to earth. At the very least, look for Dallas to suffer their 4th straight ATS loss. The Cowboys are on a 1-4 SU and ATS run against NFC South opponents. The Bucs are on a long-term 18-6 ATS run in road games where the posted total is between 45.5 and 49 points. More of the same Sunday night. 10* TAMPA BAY |
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12-18-16 | Patriots v. Broncos +3 | Top | 16-3 | Loss | -103 | 6 h 12 m | Show |
Game of the Month - NFL Game #326 Sunday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Denver Broncos (+) vs New England Patriots @ 4:25 ET - The Broncos are one of the few teams that has given the Patriots some trouble in recent years. Certainly I am well aware of the fact that the Broncos offense is a weakness but their defense is a tremendous strength and they have fared well against Tom Brady and Company in recent years. Yes, this is a revenge game for the Patriots (since the Broncos knocked the Pats out of the post-season in January), but the fact is this is a tough spot for New England. The Patriots are on a short week and just faced a very physical Ravens defense and now have to face another tough, physical defense in the form of the Broncos. Also, the short week issue is magnified by having to travel plus now play in the thin air of Colorado. By the way, that air is extra thin when a strong cold front has just moved through. Conditions certainly aren't expected to be brutal but it is unlikely the temperature gets above freezing today in Denver and the "Mile High" air could wear down the Pats as the game goes on. The Patriots are only 1-5 ATS (and SU!) as a road fave of 3 points or less the past three seasons. Also, the home team has won each of the last 3 meetings between these teams. The Pats are a ridiculous 10-3 ATS this season but most of their wins since Brady returned have come against losing teams. The toughest AFC team the Patriots faced was the Steelers but Pittsburgh was without Ben Roethlisberger in that game. The toughest NFC team the Pats faced was Seattle and that was the lone game that the Patriots have lost since Brady returned. This could be loss #2 since Brady's return as the Broncos are fighting for their playoff lives and they are off of a tough, tight loss at Tennessee last week where their rally fell short. The Broncos are 4-0 ATS as a home dog of 3 points or less and all 4 wins were outright victories. Grab the points! 10* DENVER |
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12-18-16 | 49ers v. Falcons OVER 50.5 | Top | 13-41 | Win | 100 | 6 h 26 m | Show |
Total of the Week - NFL Game #323 - Rickenbach 10* Top Play OVER the total in Atlanta Falcons vs San Francisco 49'ers @ 4:05 ET - The Falcons are the #1 offense in the league based on points per game. The 49'ers are the worst defense in the league based on points allowed per game and yards given up per game. This game is, of course, being played in a dome so there is no weather concern here and I look for both teams to truly "open it up" on offense. Certainly it has been a dismal season for the 49'ers but there have been a few "flickers of life" for the 49'ers offense throughout the season. Other than a 6 point effort at Chicago two weeks ago, San Francisco has averaged 20.4 points per game in their other games this season and the Niners have not been held to less than 16 points in any of those 12 games. The 49'ers offense should enjoy success against a Falcons defense that ranks as one of the league's worst and also is currently dealing with significant injury issues effecting the secondary. The issue for San Francisco is going to be in trying to stop Matt Ryan and Company through the air and I just don't see that happening. The Falcons just have too much on offense, even with Julio Jones likely out for this game. The over is 8-0 this season in Atlanta's games played on turf. Long-term the Falcons are on a 23-10 ATS run to the over in their games against NFC West opponents. Also, the 49'ers are 4-2 to the over in their road games under Chip Kelly and 3-0 t the over in their games against NFC South foes. 10* OVER in Atlanta |
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12-17-16 | Lightning +160 v. Oilers | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 54 m | Show |
Businessman's Best - NHL Game #69 Saturday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (+) @ Edmonton Oilers @ 10:05 ET - Though there has been some frustration for the Bolts lately, they were fully focused on this road trip to western Canada as an opportunity to "get right" and I look for them to get the key 2nd win in 3 games by notching a victory tonight. Even though they lost at Vancouver last night, they did outshoot the Canucks and #2 goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy was between the pipes. #1 goalie Ben Bishop will be in the crease tonight and he helped lead the way to Tampa Bay's 6-3 win at Calgary that began this road trip. The Lightning have outshot their opponents by a 62 to 46 margin so far on this road trip and I feel the Oilers are way overpriced in this spot. Keep in mind, Edmonton started the season hot but, since late October the Oilers have now lost 16 of 24 games! The Oilers simply don't merit being priced as a 2 to 1 favorite based on the way they've been playing for the past SEVEN weeks! Also, even though Edmonton is well-rested here, they have lost 7 of 10 the prior two seasons when they are enter a game with rest of 3 days or more. Additionally, the Oilers are 0-5 this season when they are off of a game where they were held to 1 goal or less! In fact, Edmonton has now lost 4 of its past 6 home games and they've averaged just 1.8 goals per game in those 6 home contests! The Bolts are 7-1 this season in road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. That means, taking the 0-5 nad 7-1 marks, we're testing a combined mark of 12-1 in favor of the big road dog in this game. I'll gladly grab that! 10* TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING money line Saturday night |
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12-17-16 | Southern Miss -6.5 v. UL-Lafayette | Top | 28-21 | Win | 100 | 29 h 56 m | Show |
Opening Day Top Play - CFB Game #211 Saturday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (-) vs UL-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns in the New Orleans Bowl in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome @ 9 ET - In looking at all the Saturday bowl match-ups this is the one that is the biggest mismatch in terms of ATS records this season. That disparity helps to give line value here because Southern Miss only went 3-9 ATS this season while Louisiana went 8-4 ATS on the season. The result is extra line value here toward the Golden Eagles and, yes, I am of course well aware of the fact that there has already been significant upward movement on the Eagles in this match-up but there is still great value here. Southern Mississippi's numbers are a bit skewed this season due to some injury issues with star senior QB Nick Mullens. When he is on the field, this is simply a different team and the Golden Eagles rolled Louisiana Tech in their final regular season game to become bowl eligible. Mullens had a huge game against the Bulldogs and I expect nothing less in this bowl game from the senior QB as he is a true "gamer". Mullens is a leader and he'll go hard here to get this bowl win as a senior. Southern Miss lost the two games he didn't play in and they also had a loss to LSU but that is a tough SEC team of course. The point is that they went 6-3 in the other 9 games that Mullens started and they now take on a rather weak Sun Belt Conference team. I know UL-Lafayette won big over rival UL-Monroe in their season finale to become bowl eligible but the Ragin' Cajuns were actually quite fortunate that game was played in a rainstorm. It benefited Louisiana in the form of them being the beneficiary of 5 UL-Monroe turnovers. However, there certainly won't be any rainstorm in this one as it is being played in a dome and I don't seee anything stopping Mullens and a strong Southern Miss offense in this one. I am aware of the Ragin' Cajuns solid bowl history but the Golden Eagles lost their bowl game last season and Mullens and company want to make up for that in a big way this season. Also, Louisiana has gone 0-2 ATS in recent seasons (and 5-15 SU) long-term in their match-ups with Conference USA opponents. The Golden Eagles are the stronger team with the better offense. Mullens has a 60-22 TD-INT ratio in his junior and senior year combined. The Ragin' Cajuns Anthony Jennings has thrown 12 picks against just 11 TDs this season! 10* Top Play SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI GOLDEN EAGLES Saturday night |
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12-17-16 | Dolphins -130 v. Jets | Top | 34-13 | Win | 100 | 34 h 24 m | Show |
Saturday NFL Blowout Rout - NFL Game #303 Saturday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Miami Dolphins (-) @ New York Jets @ 8:25 ET - With this line dropping lower (currently a -2) I would recommend playing the money line in this match-up as it is a great value on the 8-5 Dolphins. Yes, I am well aware of the fact that Ryan Tannehill is out for Miami but back-up QB Matt Moore is a veteran back-up and he was able to work out some of the rust last week in relief of Tannehill. You can bank on Moore being ready for this game and the remainder of the Dolphins roster is actually much healthier than the Jets roster and, let's not forget, New York is starting young QB Bryce Petty who has 3 picks against just 1 TD in his last two games. Also, Petty was sacked 6 times in last week's win. Even though the Jets won that game in comeback fashion it was against a 49'ers team that is now just 1-12 on the season. In fact, the hapless Jets have only 4 wins this season and one of the other victories was against the now 0-13 Browns. So, to put that in proper perspective, the Jets have two wins against teams that are a combined 1-25 on the season and, against the rest of the league, New York has gone 2-9. I'll gladly take my "chances" with the Dolphins on the road! Miami is the better team, they're fighting for a playoff spot, and they've won 7 of their last 8 games. Also, the Dolphins are on a 6-0 run against teams that currently have a losing record on the season. The only loss in Miami's last 8 games came against the Ravens. The Jets are 0-3 this season (and 3-12 the past 3 seasons combined) in games against teams with a winning record. 10* Top Play MIAMI DOLPHINS Saturday night |
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12-17-16 | Pacers v. Pistons -3.5 | Top | 105-90 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 5 m | Show |
Never Lost Top Play - NBA Game #704 Saturday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (-) vs Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - The Pistons lost at Washington last night but the Wizards simply shot lights out as they hit a ridiculous 57% of their shots including 48% (12 of 25) from beyond the arc. Detroit, even though this is a back to back, is happy to be back home tonight. On the season they are 5-0, 100% ATS was a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points. The Pistons will have extra fire and motivation for this game because they did lose their last home game (by 18 points) to the lowly Sixers so Detroit will bring a huge effort for the home fans tonight. The Pistons are hosting a Pacers team that is only 3-10 ATS on the road this season. The home team has taken each of the last three meetings between these teams and the average margin of victory in the last four meetings has been 13.5 points. I am very comfortable laying the small number with the home team in this one! 10* Top Play DETROIT PISTONS Saturday |
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12-17-16 | Rice +9.5 v. Pittsburgh | Top | 73-83 | Loss | -105 | 9 h 58 m | Show |
Non-Conf Game of the Month - CBB Game #747 Saturday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Rice Owls (+) @ Pittsburgh Panthers @ 7 ET - There is no doubt about it that even though these teams are both 8-2 on the season, the Panthers have played the much tougher schedule. However, with winning comes a lot of confidence and the Owls are filled with confidence right now. Keep in mind, this is a Rice team that returned their top five scorers from last season's team plus they brought back Marcus Jackson who had missed all of last season. So, essentially, the Owls brought back 6 top scorers as in the 2014-15 season, Jackson had averaged 14.5 points per game. Even though the Panthers have a decided edge in the frontcourt in this match-up, the weakness of Pittsburgh is that they do have some vulnerability to athletic backcourts and the Owls are certainly 'stacked' in that department! Not only is Rice full of confidence with an 8-2 record, note that their two losses came by a TOTAL of just three points! The Panthers are coming off of a full week off as they have not played since last Saturday when they defeated Penn State. That makes this a tough spot for Pittsburgh because it is tough to just hit the court and be firing on all cylinders after a long layoff and so being asked to win by 10 points or more here is asking a lot! 5 of the Panthers 8 wins this season have come by 8 points or less. They're not known for blowing teams out and lost key personnel from last season's team. Pittsburgh is actually on an ugly 12-23 ATS run in home games and poor 14-30 ATS run as a favorite. The Owls are a perfect 3-0 ATS as an underdog this season and head coach Mike Rhoades is in his 3rd season now and this team is starting to put it together as many teams often do when in the 3rd campaign of a coaching transition. 10* RICE OWLS plus the points Saturday evening |
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12-16-16 | South Dakota +4 v. Portland | Top | 82-85 | Win | 100 | 22 h 6 m | Show |
Dam City Classic - CBB Game #525 Friday - 10* Top Play South Dakota Coyotes (+) vs Portland Pilots @ Moda Center in Portland, OR @ 8:30 ET - The Pilots returned much of their playing rotation from last season's team but they have a rookie head coach in former NBA player Terry Porter. The Coyotes lost all 5 starters from last year but are a bit of a "hidden gem" as coach Craig Smith (in his 6th season) brought in 3 Division 1 transfers prior to this season. That is a big edge for South Dakota as they brought in Matt Mooney (from Air Force), Carlton Hurst (from Colorado State), and Trey Dickerson (from Iowa). Keep in mind those guys are from much bigger programs than the Summit League that the Coyotes play in and even bigger schools than the West Coast Conference where Portland resides. That said, I am not surprised that South Dakota is already 7-2 ATS this season and I would also not be surprised to see them upset Portland in this game. Even though this game is being played in Portland it is not the Pilots home venue. That said, don't expect the Pilots offense to necessarily light it up here from downtown and they do rely heavily on their three point shooting. The Coyotes thrive in games projected to be higher scoring. In games with a posted total in the 140 to 149.5 range, South Dakota has gone 12-5 ATS the past three seasons while the Pilots have a 4-12 SU record in games with a posted total in that same range over the same time period. Also, both of these teams come in with extra rest and the Coyotes are 4-1 ATS when playing with 5 or 6 days of rest. The Pilots are on a 6-12 ATS run when playing with 7 or more days of rest. Also, when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more, Portland has gone 0-2 ATS this season and an ugly 4-13 ATS the past three seasons combined. The Pilots are off of a big win but previously had lost 3 of their last 4 games. The Coyotes come into this game having covered three straight games. Look for them to make it 4 straight as they are playing very well (and with confidence) under coach Smith who just celebrated his birthday with the team and now this will be the proverbial "icing on the cake" here. 10* SOUTH DAKOTA Friday night |
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12-16-16 | Lakers v. 76ers -1 | Top | 100-89 | Loss | -110 | 23 h 42 m | Show |
ESPN Blowout Rout - NBA Game #516 Friday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76'ers (-) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 8:05 ET - The Lakers have lost (and failed to cover!) all 8 of their games so far this month. There is no reason for that to change here. Yes, it is "only" the Sixers Friday night so, on the surface, it looks like this would be an ideal spot for the Lakers to snap their streak. However, the Sixers were playing quite well until coming up just short of the cover Wednesday. Admittedly, the 76'ers didn't deserve to cover that game as their defense allowed the Raptors to hit 47.1% from the field. However, prior to that ATS loss, the Sixers had covered 3 straight games and held all 4 opponents under 39.4% from the field. Unlike Philadelphia, Los Angeles has not been playing good defense. Prior to holding Brooklyn to 38.4% from the field on Wednesday, the Lakers had allowed their last 7 opponents to average a combined 50% from the field. It is no wonder that LA has been struggling badly and the home team did win both match-ups between these teams last year and the Sixers are hungry. Philly had enjoyed back to back road wins before the home loss to Toronto so they look to make up for that defeat Friday night. Philadelphia is 9-5 ATS this season when off of a game where they allowed 105 points or more. Also, the Sixers have gone 6-3 ATS against teams with a losing record this season. The Lakers have played 4 games against Atlantic Division opponents this season and they have not gotten the cash in a single game. Look for that trend to continue tonight. The Lakers are playing their 4th game in 6 nights while the Sixers are playing just their 3rd game in 8 nights. The fresh legs get the cash on their home floor tonight. 10* Top Play PHILADELPHIA 76'ers Friday night |
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12-16-16 | Kings v. Penguins OVER 5.5 | Top | 1-0 | Loss | -100 | 22 h 22 m | Show |
Total Dominator - NHL Game #3 Friday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Pittsburgh Penguins vs Los Angeles Kings @ 7:05 ET - The Penguins have now gone over the total in 12 straight games. Until the streak is stopped, I see no reason to stop backing it. In a non-conference match-up, it is unlikely that there will be intense defense in this match-up and the over is 8-2 this season in Penguins games against Western Conference foes. The Kings are still without #1 goalie Jonathan Quick and the over is 3-1-1 in their last 5 games. Los Angeles has allowed 3 goals or more in 5 of their last 6 games and the Kings have scored at least 3 goals in 4 of their last 5 games. This is a revenge game for the Pens as they lost 3-2 at LA last month. The over is 7-2 this season when the Penguins are playing with revenge. Pittsburgh has averaged 5.6 goals per game in their current 7-game winning streak and they'll be ready to avenge last month's loss. The Penguins, as hot as they have been, have allowed 3 goals or more in 7 of their last 10 games so I look for another 4-3 type game in this one as all signs point to a 13th straight over in Pens games. 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Pittsburgh Friday |
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12-15-16 | Wild +118 v. Predators | Top | 5-2 | Win | 118 | 8 h 51 m | Show |
Divisional Dominator - NHL Game #59 Thursday - 10* Top Play Minnesota Wild Money Line (+) @ Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET - This the only road game that the Wild have in a span of two weeks. In other words, Minnesota is undoubtedly fully focused on this game and adding to that focus is the fact that Nashville has won each of the last two meetings with the Wild and the last one was via a shutout. Minnesota has payback on their minds and the Wild come into this game playing their best hockey of the season as they have won 5 straight games by a combined score of 16 to 7. Minny is catching the Predators at the perfect time for an upset win as Nashville is off of a big 6-3 win over St Louis in divisional action. Note that Nashville has lost 8 of 9 this season (and lost 40 of 60 the past 3 seasons) when they are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. Also, when off of a divisional game this season, the Preds have lost 8 of 12 (-7.0 net units) so far this season! Prior to the win over the Blues, the Predators had lost 5 of their last 7 games and this is a classic case of "hot versus not" and I'll ride the hot team at the underdog price with the motivational edge and the situational factors in their favor. 10* MINNESOTA WILD money line Thursday |
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12-14-16 | Celtics v. Spurs OVER 200.5 | Top | 101-108 | Win | 100 | 13 h 42 m | Show |
ESPN Game of the Month - NBA Game #519 Wednesday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play OVER the total in San Antonio vs Boston @ 9:35 ET - The Celtics, without Isaiah Thomas, blew out Orlando in a game that ended up being their 5th over in the last 7 games. However, that has been followed by back to back games where Boston has let big leads get away and each of those two games stayed under the total. As a result, look for the Celtics to "push" all night long in San Antonio tonight. Boston knows they must keep pushing and can't try to sit back on a lead. Of course facing the Spurs ensures that getting and maintaining a lead won't be easy. San Antonio is now 19-5 on the season after the blew out Brooklyn in a game in which they put up 130 points on the scoreboard. After the home loss to Orlando in late November, much was being made of the Spurs struggles at home this season. As a result, San Antonio is pushing a lot more at home and they've scored an average of 118.5 points per game game in their two games at the AT & T Center since the loss to the Magic. Look for the high-scoring trend to continue Wednesday as these Spurs are truly not the defensive-minded Spurs of old. They just aren't the same without Tim Duncan in the middle and Coach Popovich has even gotten a bit "softer" in his ways with this team. Off of an easy win over the Nets, the Spurs have even more reason to "relax" some on defense in this one. For the third straight time when these teams match up, look for an over to result. The Celtics are averaging 104.5 points per game this season and the over is 8-5 this season in Spurs games against teams averaging 99 or more points per game. Also, the over is a perfect 2-0 in SA's games against teams from the Atlantic Division. Boston has had two days off since the loss at Oklahoma City and I look for the Celtics to improve to 3-1 to the over this season in games where they enter with two days of rest. 10* OVER the total in San Antonio |
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12-14-16 | Bruins v. Penguins OVER 5.5 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 105 | 8 h 18 m | Show |
Total Dominator - NHL Game #3 Wednesday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Pittsburgh Penguins vs Boston Bruins @ 7:35 ET - The over is 11-0 in the Penguins last 11 games. You almost have to play a streak like this "on the blind" because it is that strong. However, as we look deeper into this one, the set-up here is also perfect. The Bruins are coming off of a 2-1 OT win at Montreal Monday and that is a big rivalry win for Boston. Prior to that stellar defensive effort the Bruins had allowed 4 goals in 3 straight games and they now face a Penguins team that is scoring a ridiculous average of 5 goals per game in their last 10 games! From a situational perspective, the Pens side of this equation is also nice as they are off of a shutout win. That is significant because Pittsburgh has allowed at least 3 goals in their next game all 5 times this season that they've been off of a game where they've allowed 1 goal or less. So the Bruins get 3 tonight and the Penguins offense stays hot and that means we will have a 12th straight over involving the Pens! Pittsburgh is 8-1 to the over in their games against teams with a winning record this season and the Bruins are 7-4 to the over this season in their games against teams with a winning record. Look for at least a 4-3 type game. The last two meetings between these teams have each totaled at least 6 goals. 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Pittsburgh |
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12-14-16 | Wisc-Milwaukee v. Ohio OVER 139 | Top | 69-71 | Win | 100 | 9 h 46 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - CBB Game #523 Wednesday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play OVER the total in Ohio University Bobcats vs Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers @ 7 ET - Wisconsin-Milwaukee is coming off of a loss at Loyola-Illinois where the Panthers allowed a ridiculous 67.5% shooting percentage from the field. Certainly UW-Milw would like to improve on that here but the problem is that they were repeatedly beaten in the paint. Not only are the Panthers small in the post they are facing an Ohio University team that has good size down low and absolutely is fully capable of dominating them in the paint just like Loyola-Chicago did on Saturday. The one thing the Panthers do have going for them is some hot shooting and this includes hitting 40% or better from three point land in four straight games. The Panthers have averaged 74.7 points per game in their 3 games prior to an ugly loss to Loyola-Illiniois. Look for Wisconsin-Milwaukee to continue the hot shooting and put up big points here but they won't be able to stop the Bobcats inside game. Ohio U is averaging 78..6 points per game this season but, as hot as their offense has been, the Bobcats are getting lax on defense and, in their last two lined games they've allowed at least 46.7% from the field and an average of 88.5 points per game. The over is 6-2 in Panthers games this season and also 14-5 the past three seasons combined in games with a posted total in the 130 to 139.5 range. Also, when off of a game where they scored 60 points or less, the Panthers have gone 3-0 to the over this season. The over is 7-3 in the Bobcats last 10 Wednesday games and this midweek match-up is conducive to another one flying past the number. 10* OVER the total in Ohio University |
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12-13-16 | Blue Jackets -105 v. Oilers | Top | 3-1 | Win | 100 | 10 h 52 m | Show |
NHL Game #69 Tuesday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Columbus Blue Jackets Money Line (+) @ Edmonton Oilers @ 9:05 ET - Columbus has won 6 straight games. They are beginning a road trip to western Canada and they are fully focused on this match-up as they have won 3 of their last 4 games against the Oilers but they lost their last trip to Edmonton by a count of 5 to 1. The Blue Jackets are catching the Oilers at the right time. Edmonton is off of a divisional win over Winnipeg but the Oilers rallied for two 3rd period goals to get that W. The point is that Edmonton certainly wasn't overly impressive in that game and this is an Oilers team that had lost 7 of their 9 prior games. The Blue Jackets have not only won 6 straight games, they've been dominating as 4 of the 6 wins have come by a margin of at least 3 goals! The Oilers have allowed 15 goals in their last 4 games while the Blue Jackets have allowed a total of only 11 goals in their last 7 games! This is clearly a case of two teams heading in opposite directions. Also, Columbus has won 4 of 5 this season when playing with 2 days of rest between games. Also, when the Blue Jackets enter a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more, they've won 14 of 20 games the past 3 seasons combined. The Oilers have lost 9 of 13 games against Eastern Conference foes this season and also have lost 28 of 36 Tuesday games the past three seasons combined. Great line value here with the "pick'em price" available on this quality road team. 10* Top Play COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS Tuesday night |
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12-13-16 | Wolves v. Bulls -7 | Top | 99-94 | Loss | -105 | 13 h 37 m | Show |
ESPN Best Bet 10* - NBA Game #706 Tuesday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (-) vs Minnesota Timberwolves @ 8:05 ET - The Bulls have had two full off days leading into this game so they are rested and ready physically. They lost both match-ups with the Timberwolves last season so they certainly are ready psychologically as well. The motivation is there, the fresh legs are there, and Minnesota is struggling badly. Not only are the T-wolves just 6-18 on the season, they have lost 8 of their last 9 games heading into this one. Also, Minnesota is on a 6-31 SU (11-26 ATS) run in December games. They're facing a Bulls team that is off of back to back wins but just had their first non-covering win of the season. Chicago's first 12 wins this season all were covers as well but they were a big home favorite versus Miami on Saturday and fell short of the cover. The Bulls are 22-8 SU (and 19-11 ATS) the past 3 seasons when they are playing with 2 days of rest between games. They have won and covered in this situation both times this year (2-0 SU and ATS) and Minnesota has gone 0-3 (SU and ATS) in road games with a posted total between 205 and 209.5 points this season. So here were are testing a combined 5-0, 100% ATS spot this season and certainly the situational factors are there for a Bulls blowout win. 10* Top Play CHICAGO BULLS Monday evening |
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12-13-16 | Temple +16.5 v. Villanova | Top | 57-78 | Loss | -105 | 10 h 23 m | Show |
PA Insider 10* - CBB Game #713 Tuesday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Temple Owls (+) @ Villanova Wildcats @ 7 ET - This is one of those Big Five games in Philly and this one is being played on the Main Line as Villanova does battle with Temple. With those not from the area or not familiar with the "Big Five" series it certainly is a big deal in the Philadelphia area. This is why, even though Villanova is currently ranked #1 in the nation and also are the reigning NCAA Champs, I have no qualms about backing the Owls in this spot. Temple won't be intimidated all in this big game and the points are simply too much here as I expect the Owls to be able to stay within single digits throughout this game. They recently welcomed back senior guard Josh Brown and he's gradually been increasing his minutes (and his overall production) in each of the four games since returning from the injury to his left Achilles. In his absence, Shizz Alston has done a great job with the ball handling and that has made the rotation even deeper in the backcourt. Daniel Dingle is a solid swingman who is a great defender and then big man Obi Enechionyia is having a huge season with big scoring (including knocking down big threes) and his rebounding and shot blocking. The point is that, while Temple is certainly not on the same level as Villanova (of course!), they definitely are a well-rounded team with good inside-out balance and they are very well coached under Fran Dunphy who is in the 28th year of his career. The Owls play solid defense and they also (just like Villanova) are knocking down 39% of their threes so far this season. The 3-ball also helps big dogs to "hang around" in a game and I like the balanced attack of Temple to make them a dangerous dog in this one. The Owls are already 5-0 ATS as an underdog this season and they've gone 9-2 ATS the last 3 seasons combined in their games against teams that are averaging 77 points or more per game. The Wildcats are 1-4 ATS this season as a favorite of 14 points or more. 10* Top Play TEMPLE OWLS Tuesday evening |
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12-12-16 | South Carolina v. Seton Hall -2.5 | Top | 64-67 | Win | 100 | 10 h 43 m | Show |
Bulldog's Best - CBB Game #520 Monday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Seton Hall Pirates (-) vs South Carolina Gamecocks @ 9 ET - The Gamecocks rallied, as teams often do, in their first game without star player, forward Sindarius Thornwell, who is current suspended. South Carolina "rallied the troops" and everyone was anxious to "pick up the slack" and the Gamecocks won 70-54 in their first game without him. That brings South Carolina to a perfect 8-0 on the season. However, that win came against Florida International and it was over a week ago. Not only could there be some "rust" here for the Gamecocks, they also are facing a much tougher foe in what will be just their 2nd game without Thornwell. Seton Hall is a solid 7-2 on the season and the Pirates brought most everybody back from the team that knocked off Villanova in the Big East tourney last spring. The point is that this is a solid Big East team that also, unlike South Carolina, has all hands on deck! Seton Hall will be playing their 4th game so far this month so, unlike the Gamecocks, there will be no rust for the Pirates. Seton Hall wrapped up a Hawaii trip on Wednesday so they've had ample time to come back and adjust their body clocks as they've had the ideal amount of rest leading into this game. Enough time off to be rested but not so much that they're not game-ready! The Pirates are amped up about an opportunity to knock off a ranked, undefeated foe. They'll be the hungrier team tonight in a game where South Carolina will really miss Thornwell. The Gamecocks have a long-term mark of 5-14 ATS when playing with 7 or more days of rest. The Pirates are 13-3 ATS when they are off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. 10* Top Play SETON HALL PIRATES Monday night |
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12-12-16 | Ravens +6.5 v. Patriots | Top | 23-30 | Loss | -113 | 12 h 29 m | Show |
Bulldog's Best - NFL Game #133 Monday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Baltimore Ravens (+) @ New England Patriots @ 8:30 ET - The Ravens are playing this game with revenge as they lost at New England by 4 points on January 10, 2015 in the divisional round of the playoffs. That was after a hard-fought win at Pittsburgh in the Wild Card round the week before. The situation is a little better this time around for Baltimore as they come into this game with extra rest and off of an easy home blowout win over the Dolphins. Also, the Pats are certainly going to miss TE Rob Gronkowski who is out with a back injury. The Ravens are on a 5-0 ATS run in Monday Night Football. Long-term the Ravens have an amazing 15-6 ATS mark on Monday Night Football. Baltimore is on a 5-1 ATS run against AFC East foes and their long-term mark against the division is a stellar 29-16 ATS. The Patriots are on an 0-3 ATS run in Monday Night Football games. Couple that with the Ravens mark and you have an 8-0 ATS spot favoring Baltimore in this one. Look for them to keep this game very close and I still feel the Patriots are over-rated. Yes, they've been great since QB Tom Brady returned but 6 of their wins came against teams with a losing record on the season and they went just 1-1 against teams with a winning record. The combined record of those 6 losing teams that Brady defeated is 20-57-1. Still impressed by the Pats? The Patriots only went 1-1 against quality teams (beating Pittsburgh without QB Ben Roethlisberger) and losing to the Seahawks and New England was outgained in BOTH of those games. The Ravens should win this one outright but grabbing the points is the way to go as I look for the 8-0 ATS spot to remain perfect. 10* Top Play BALTIMORE RAVENS plus the points Monday Night |
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12-12-16 | Bucks v. Raptors -7.5 | Top | 100-122 | Win | 100 | 6 h 16 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - NBA Game #504 Monday - 10* Top Play Toronto Raptors (-) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:35 ET - The Raptors have been a "covering machine" this season and, at some point, there is sure to be a correction. However, this is not likely to be that point. Toronto has had two full off days leading into this one and they have the "lowly" Sixers on deck. The Raptors are 4-1 SU and ATS when playing with two days of rest this season. The Bucks situation is quite different as they are off of a loss at Washington that was a hard fought defeat and Milwaukee will now be playing their 3rd game in 4 nights. Also, on deck for the Bucks is a home and home set with the Bulls and Chicago is a key division rival of Milwaukee. The Bucks are 25-65 SU in their last 90 games against teams with a winning record and this line has crept down to a 7.5 and, of course, the lower it gets the more likely any SU win will also be an ATS win. Many of the Raptors recent wins have been blowout wins so I am very comfortable stepping in at this level. Toronto's last 8 wins have come by an average margin of victory of 20 points per game! Most of the Bucks losses this season have been close but the rested Raptors have the fresh legs in this one and 8 of the Raptors 9 home wins this season have come by at least 9 points. Lay it! 10* Top Play TORONTO RAPTORS early Monday evening |
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12-11-16 | Cowboys v. Giants +4 | Top | 7-10 | Win | 100 | 13 h 21 m | Show |
NFL Sunday Night Best Bet - NFL Game #132 Sunday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play New York Giants (+) vs Dallas Cowboys @ 8:30 ET - One could look at this game and say all the pressure is on the Giants in this one but truly Dallas knows how important this game is and has to be feeling pressure too. The Cowboys have had a phenomenal season but they also keep winning with some "smoke and mirrors" too as they have had so many close victories and games where a key bounce or key momentum shift always seems to go their way. They were outgained by the Vikings in last week's non-covering win and the reason I mention the importance of this game is that the Boys have the Buccaneers and Lions on deck. Each of those teams enter this week having won 4 straight games. Then the Eagles will host the Cowboys in the final week of the regular season and you know they'd love nothing more than to knock off Dallas if that was a game the Cowboys still needed to lock up the division. The point is that the real pressure is on Dallas here who needs this win to nail down the division. The Giants already beat the Cowboys earlier this season so another win clinches the tie-breaker edge and New York would stay alive in the NFC East race. As it is, the Giants would be content just to make the post-season and they are currently in good position for that so, again, I contend the real pressure here is on Dallas. The Cowboys are starting to feel it as every team is gunning for them every week and after a ridiculous ATS run where everything was breaking their way, they've failed to cover in back to back weeks. Look for this one to make it 3 in a row. The Giants are fired up off of a loss at Pittsburgh and New York had won 6 straight before that loss. The Giants are 3-1 ATS in their last 4 games as a home dog of 3.5 to 7 points. The Cowboys fade has begun and they are 4-7 ATS their last 11 when, in the 2nd half of a season, they are facing a team with a winning record. Dallas is also on an ugly 1-10-1 ATS run as a favorite when facing an NFC foe with a winning percentage of .666 or greater. That makes this a 10-1 (91%) spot to play on the home dog in this one! 10* Top Play NEW YORK GIANTS plus the points Sunday night. |
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12-11-16 | Seahawks v. Packers +3 | Top | 10-38 | Win | 100 | 9 h 18 m | Show |
NFL Game of the Year - NFL Game #128 Sunday - Rickenbach 10* NFL Top Play Green Bay Packers (+) vs Seattle Seahawks @ 4:25 ET - Most of the snow (up to 6 inches expected) will have already fallen by the time this game kicks off but it will still be a "Green Bay" kind of day which certainly favors the home team. In fact, dating back to 2008, the Packers have won 15 of their last 16 home games! Green Bay is known for thriving on the frozen tundra at this time of year and this is a must win game for them. They are catching Seattle at the ideal time to spring the upset here as a field goal underdog. The Seahawks are off of a huge revenging win versus Carolina last week. The Hawks wanted that game badly as the Panthers knocked them out of the post-season in January. Now Seattle has to try and come up with another big game in back to back weeks and I just don't see that happening on the road against a much hungrier Green Bay team that is fighting for their playoff lives. The Packers, after a rough stretch, have gotten a little healthier and they've settled back in for solid wins in back to back weeks as they have allowed just 13 points each game. Keep in mind, the Seahawks haven't exactly been lighting up the scoreboard on the road this season. In fact, against NFC competition, the Seahawks have averaged only 8.5 points per game in 4 road games! In addition to the 15-1 stat noted above which favors the Packers. We also have a 7-0 spot facing the Seahawks here. Seattle is 0-7 ATS when they are playing with revenge, are off of a double digit cover, and their opponent has a winning percentage of .400 or greater. The Packers beat Seattle last season so this is a revenge spot. The Seahawks covered by 25+ points against the Panthers like week so that piece is in effect too and, also, the Packers are 6-6 on the year so certainly they are above .400 on the season. Green Bay is also 10-1 ATS when they are at home and off of a non-conference game. Lastly, the Packers are 6-1 ATS as dogs of more than 2 points when facing an opponent whose winning percentage is greater than .666 on the season. Combining the angles above (15-1, 7-0, 10-1, 6-1) we have a fantastic 38-3 (93%) ATS spot favoring the Packers. Yes I know the 15-1 angle is a SU angle but Green Bay is the dog here so any SU win will serve as an ATS win for the Packers. Look for them to get this key win in the playoff race as they catch the Seahawks at the perfect time. 10* GREEN BAY PACKERS plus the points on Sunday afternoon |
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12-10-16 | Penguins v. Lightning OVER 5.5 | Top | 4-3 | Win | 100 | 12 h 41 m | Show |
Top Play Crusher - NHL Game #9/10 Saturday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Tampa Bay Lightning vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - With their 5-1 win at Florida Thursday night, the Penguins have now recorded 9 straight overs and I see no reason for that streak to end here. The Lightning have revenge in this match-up as the Pens eliminated them from the post-season late last May. However, Tampa Bay is having some issues in goal as Ben Bishop's struggles with consistency have been a problem so far this season. Andrei Vasilevskiy could get the start here but he has also struggled in recent starts and each of his last 3 have gone over the total. The fact is that for the Lightning to have a shot at revenge, their going to have score plenty in this one because I don't see the Bolts as being able to shutdown a Penguins team that has scored an average of nearly 5 goals per game in their last 8 games. The over is 10-1 this season when Pittsburgh is off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. Also, the over is a perfect 4-0 the last 4 times the Lightning have been held to one goal or less in their prior game. The Bolts have gotten a little healthier even though Steven Stamkos is still out and Ryan Callaghan is unlikely to play tonight as other key cogs have returned to the ice. The over is a perfect 6-0 in the last 3 meetings between these teams in Tampa Bay and I look for another wild one down there tonight. 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 in Tampa Bay Saturday evening |