Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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03-31-17 | Devils v. Islanders OVER 5.5 | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -100 | 5 h 26 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Islanders vs New Jersey Devils @ 7:35 ET - The Islanders just got drilled out Philly last night and need to respond immediately. They'll certainly be looking to do just that tonight but the Isles goaltending is a concern and that's why the play here is the over. The Islanders, dating back to a 6-4 win over the Devils 6 weeks ago, have allowed an average of 4.5 goals per game in their last 6 home games. New Jersey is off of a 4-3 home loss to Winnipeg Tuesday which also flew over the total but their best consistency when it comes to big efforts in the offensive zone has been against divisional competition here in late season action. Of course all the Devils can do is play the role of spoiler at this point in time but that hasn't stopped them from coming up with 13 goals in 3 games against the Rangers, Penguins, and Flyers over the past two weeks. The Devils have 7 goals in their two games against the Islanders this season and Isles goalie Jaroslav Halak has seen the over go 3-0 in his last 3 starts as he's struggled. The Devils Keith Kincaid is expected to be between the pipes tonight and the over is 3-1 in his L4 starts as he's also been struggling. The over is 6-2 in Kincaid's divisional starts and 7-3 in Halak's divisional starts. More of the same Friday! 10* OVER the total in NY Islanders |
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03-30-17 | Ducks v. Jets OVER 5.5 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 113 | 6 h 9 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL Thursday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals (+110) in Winnipeg Jets vs Anaheim Ducks @ 8:05 ET - The Jets now know they officially are headed to the golf courses rather than the playoffs but, on home ice against a division leader, they'll still give a strong effort here. The result should be plenty of goals in this one. Winnipeg has averaged 3.3 goals per game over their last 19 games. The over is 26-13-1 in the Jets last 40 games. They're hosting a red hot Ducks team that has won 5 straight games and 9 of their last 11. Anaheim has averaged 3.1 goals per game in their last 15 games and have been particularly hot of late with an average of nearly 4 goals per game during their 5 game winning streak. Trying to hold off the Oilers and Sharks (plus the Flames are even in the mix) at the top of the Pacific Division, the Ducks are likely to continue their torrid scoring pace here. The Jets are off of a 4-3 win at New Jersey Tuesday and the over is 17-10-2 this season when Winnipeg is off of a non-conference game. Even though none of the last 5 meetings between these teams have totaled more than 5 goals, the odds makers hung an O/U of 5.5 on this game. This is understood though, given the situation as the Jets have injuries to their defense corps and just got eliminated from the post-season. This will impact the effectiveness and intensity of the Jets defense in this game and there is no doubt they'll take plenty or risk at the other end of the ice to try and upset the Ducks with plenty of offense in this one. 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Winnipeg |
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03-30-17 | Georgia Tech +3.5 v. TCU | Top | 56-88 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 19 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Thursday 10* Top Play Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+) vs TCU Horned Frogs @ 8 ET - Impressive win for TCU over Central Florida Tuesday. However, prior to that game, the Horned Frogs had allowed opponents to shoot 49% or better from the field in 3 of their last 4 games. By comparison, Georgia Tech's win over Cal State Bakersfield was the 5th straight game (and 10th out of last 13) where the Yellow Jackets have held their opponent under 39.8% from the field. A hard-working hustling team that plays solid defense and is also getting a handful of points in this match-up is absolutely the play here. Georgia Tech is on a 14-3 ATS run in their last 17 games against teams with a winning record. Also, the Yellow Jackets are now 11-4 ATS in March games the past 3 seasons combined. Very well coached and the players have bought into the system at Georgia Tech and their performance on the court has proven that. The Horned Frogs are on a 7-12 ATS run in their last 19 games against teams with a winning record this season and TCU's defense is simply not on par with that of the Yellow Jackets and that will prove to be a big difference maker in this match-up. 10* GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS |
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03-30-17 | Nets v. Pistons -6 | Top | 89-90 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 28 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (-) vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - The Pistons are on a losing streak but most of those defeats came on enemy hardwood. Detroit did lose their most recent home game but only by a single point to Miami and this is a Pistons team that is still 23-15 in home game this season. Thursday they host Brooklyn and the Nets are an ugly 6-30 on the road this season. We're getting line value here because of Detroit's recent losing streak and the fact that the Nets have played a little better of late. Even with Brooklyn having won 3 of their last 5 games should a team that has won only 16.7% of its road games this season really be only a +6 in this spot. This line was as high as a +7 in some spots yesterday but has come down as of very early Thursday morning and this has led to great line value with the hungry Pistons on their home floor. Detroit has been given a little extra life in terms of their playoff hopes because Indiana has lost two straight games. In other words, the Pistons certainly aren't going to stop fighting at this point and I look for them to get back on track at home in a big way Thursday after the tough one point loss to the Heat Tuesday. Detroit also plays this game with double revenge as they lost both games with the Nets this season but both of those games were in Brooklyn. The home team has now taken 5 of the last 6 meetings between these teams and I expect more of the same here. The average margin of victory in the Pistons victories the last two times they've hosted the Nets was 14 points and I expect a similar result here which is why this play is getting my Top Play rating. Brooklyn is 8-13 ATS when off of an upset loss as a favorite and they just got upset by the 76'ers Tuesday. The Pistons are 8-3 ATS this season when they are on a SU losing streak of 3 games or more and I look for them to "stop the bleeding" in a big way Thursday night. 10* DETROIT PISTONS |
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03-29-17 | Kings +125 v. Flames | Top | 4-1 | Win | 125 | 12 h 26 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Los Angeles Kings Money Line (+) @ Calgary Flames @ 9:05 ET - Two years ago these teams met late in the season and the Flames got the win to secure a playoff berth. They're trying to do the same tonight. Also, Los Angeles lost at Edmonton last night and that allowed the Oilers to secure a playoff berth. Knowing that the Kings are a quality hockey club that is battling hard and giving it their all to keep their own slim postseason chances alive, I just don't seem them falling short in this spot. To allow two teams to secure playoff spots at their own expense is something I just don't see happening especially when you consider Calgary did clinch a berth two years against LA as noted above. This is, essentially, the game of the year for Los Angeles and I expect a fantastic effort from the Kings here. Los Angeles had won 5 straight games in this series, including a 5-0 win at home early this season before the Flames now have taken two straight. As a result, the Kings have revenge on their minds here and Calgary, before back to back wins (albeit one against a bad Colorado team), had lost 3 of their last 5 games and the Flames allowed 4 goals per game in those 3 defeats. The Kings have won 14 of 22 games this season when they are off of a divisional game. The Flames have a losing record in divisional games this season and also a losing record in games this season when they are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. Look for an upset here and the odds makers are expecting it too. That's why they had to make this line so low on the Flames to encourage action and Calgary and get balanced action on this game. Look for the Kings to surprise many with a huge road effort tonight as they are playing for their playoff lives. 10* LOS ANGELES |
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03-29-17 | Hornets +6.5 v. Raptors | Top | 110-106 | Win | 100 | 9 h 50 m | Show |
Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Charlotte Hornets (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:35 ET - The Hornets are off of a tough home loss to Milwaukee as the Bucks simply shot lights out including hitting a ridiculous percentage of their threes. Charlotte played a clean game with only 4 team turnovers and the Hornets allowed just 2 fast break points. But its hard to win when a team hits 14 of 30 three pointers plus hits 73% from inside the arc. Needless to say everything was falling the Bucks way last night and Charlotte is a little under-valued tonight as a result. The Hornets are trying to stay alive in the playoff race and had won 4 of 5 before last night's disappointing results. Though the Raptors have won 4 of the last 6 meetings between these teams, 3 of the 4 wins came by a margin of 6 points or less. Toronto has allowed 48% shooting from the field in their last 4 home games while the Hornets have allowed 45.5% or less in 3 of their last 4 road games. Over the past 5 weeks Charlotte has gone 6-2 ATS when off of a loss and, coming off of an ATS loss last night, note that only 2 times this entire season have the Hornets failed to cover both games of a back to back situation. Look for the road team to prove to be the hungrier team as Raptors 6 straight wins will have them looking right past the Hornets here. 10* CHARLOTTE |
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03-28-17 | 76ers v. Nets OVER 222 | Top | 106-101 | Loss | -120 | 9 h 4 m | Show |
Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Brooklyn Nets vs Philadelphia 76'ers @ 7:35 ET - Seriously, is anybody going to play defense in this one? Why bother? Both teams long ago eliminated from post-season contention and now meeting in a meaningless late-season game. Also, both teams have fresh legs as they were off yesterday. The Sixers are allowing 110 points per game in road games this season and the Nets are allowing 113 points per game in all games this season. Even though these teams have had some recent unders heading into this game, the 76'ers have allowed an average of 90 FG attempts per game in their last 3 games and the Nets have allowed an average of 95 field goal attempts per game in their last 4 games. As you can see, neither team has been slowing down the pace nor preventing their opponent from having plenty of scoring opportunities. I look for more of the same tonight and Brooklyn is 16-9 to the over this season in games with a posted total of 220 points or more. Also, the Nets are a long-term 23-13 to the over in games against teams that allow an average of at least 106 points per game. The Sixers just got hammered at Indiana and they are 17-8 to the over this season when off of a loss by 10 points or more. Also, Philadelphia is 13-6 to the over in their last 19 games against teams with a losing record on the season. Look for more of the same tonight. 10* OVER the total in Brooklyn |
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03-28-17 | Senators v. Flyers -120 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 5 h 57 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Ottawa Senators @ 7:05 ET - While the Flyers playoff chances are certainly bleak, one thing is for certain, if they are to make it they have to keep winning. On home ice and off of a rejuvenating 6-2 win at Pittsburgh, look for Philly to take advantage of hosting an Ottawa team that has lost 5 of its last 7 games and scored a total of only 12 goals in these 7 games. Philadelphia has won 5 of its last 7 home games and they only have 2 road games left this season so they know they can still make a late-season push by continuing to defend home ice. Look for them to do just that tonight! The Flyers have won 3 of the last 4 meetings between these clubs but they did lose the last time they hosted the Senators and they'll be looking for some payback here. The Sens could be rusty as they enter this game with 2 days of rest and that has seen them lose 9 of 15 this season and 27 of 46 the last 3 seasons combined. The Flyers have won 14 of 23 when coming off of a divisional game this season. Also, the last 3 seasons combined the Flyers have won 41 of 66 home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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03-27-17 | Cavs +5 v. Spurs | Top | 74-103 | Loss | -105 | 10 h 1 m | Show |
TNT Blowout ATS Rout - Rickenbach NBA Monday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) @ San Antonio Spurs @ 8 ET - The Cavaliers seek revenge for a home loss to the Spurs two months ago. Cleveland comes into this game off of a home loss to Washington. That is significant because the regular season is almost over and yet there have been only 4 times this entire season that the Cavaliers have had a losing streak of 2 games or more. In other words, look for the Cavs to respond here. Cleveland was off yesterday and they have two days off after tonight's game so you can bet that LeBron James and company are going to go 'all out' in terms of the effort for tonight's revenge game. Though the Spurs certainly won't overlook the Cavs, San Antonio does have big games against Western Conference foes Golden State, Oklahoma City, Utah and Memphis on deck. The Warriors are up next on Wednesday and the Spurs are still hopeful of catching them for the #1 seeding in the West so that is a huge game. San Antonio has been hot but, keep in mind, they are only 11-18 ATS this season when they enter a match-up on a winning streak of 3 games or more. The Cavs are 8-3 SU this season when off of a loss by a margin of 10 points or more. The Cavaliers are also 61-31 SU the last 3 seasons combined when they are playing with revenge. I won't be surprised if they get the upset win on the road here and they are 37-18 SU when off of an upset loss as a favorite. That said, after the loss to the Wizards, look for the Cavs to bounce back here. Grab the points for the added "insurance" as I don't see the Spurs winning this by more than one possession if they even win it all! 10* CLEVELAND |
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03-27-17 | Blackhawks +100 v. Lightning | Top | 4-5 | Loss | -100 | 7 h 37 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL Monday 10* Top Play Chicago Blackhawks Money Line (+) @ Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:35 ET - The Blackhawks are off of an embarrassing loss at Florida (7-0 Saturday) and I fully expect a response here. Adding to the likelihood of a big response here is the fact that the Lightning hammered the Hawks 5-2 in Chicago two months ago. The revenge-seeking Blackhawks have won 12 of 17 games this season when playing with home loss revenge. Also, Chicago has only lost back to back games once since January. Dating back to a win on February 2nd, the Blackhawks had won 18 of 22 games prior to the ugly loss to the Panthers Saturday. Amazingly, the Bolts are currently on a 7-game run where the road team is 7-0. This includes the Bolts current 3-game losing streak on home ice and Tampa gave up 5 goals in EACH of those 3 home defeats. Tampa Bay has lost 16 of 26 non-conference games this season and also the Lightning have been defeated in 14 of their last 23 home games that had a posted total of 5.5 goals. With TB having given up 15 goals in their last 3 home games, they're in trouble here as they face an angry Blackhawks team off of a 7-0 beating. Last, but certainly not least, the Bolts are quite banged up right now and those injury issues will be magnified when facing one of the top teams in the league. Great line value here since the Hawks are on the road. Grab it! 10* CHICAGO |
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03-27-17 | Wyoming -110 v. Coastal Carolina | Top | 81-91 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 41 m | Show |
CBI Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Monday 10* Top Play Wyoming Cowboys (-) @ Coastal Carolina Chanticleers @ 7:30 ET - This is the first game of a best out of three series that will crown the CBI champion for 2017. With Coastal Carolina at home for the opening game, we are able to get line value with Wyoming as we can get them at a pick'em price in this one. The Cowboys are only 3-9 SU in true road games this season but they've played tougher competition than the Chanticleers have. The fact that Wyoming is 8-4 ATS in true road games this season shows that they have played up to the level of competition. Even though Allen Edwards is a new head coach with the Cowboys, Wyoming truly "didn't miss a beat" this season as he had already been on the staff the past 5 seasons as an assistant. Edwards is a solid basketball mind and has proven the team has bought into this methods as they've caught fire at the right time. The Cowboys have won three straight games and covered 7 of their last 8 games and they've shot 49% or better in 5 of their last 7 games. Wyoming also has held their last two opponents under 37% from the field. The Chanticleers had been playing good defense but they took a step up in competition when they faced Loyola Chicago last week and, though they won that game, they allowed the Ramblers to hit 50% from the field. Also, let's not forget that Coastal Carolina got obliterated by UT-Arlington 74-51 in the conference tourney. The Cowboys are 13-3 SU (and 11-3 ATS) in non-conference games this season and Coastal Carolina only went 8-14 SU this season against teams with a winning record while the Cowboys went 15-5 ATS! 10* WYOMING |
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03-26-17 | Pelicans v. Nuggets -5 | Top | 115-90 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 16 m | Show |
No Doubt Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (-) vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 8:05 ET - Some teams handle playoff pressure well and others handle it poorly. This season, the Nuggets certainly fall into the first category! Denver has won 6 of its last 8 games as they look to secure a post-season berth in the West and the Nuggets have also been a covering machine as they are on a 11-4 ATS run their last 15 games. Look for Denver to take advantage here of facing a Pelicans team that is in a tough scheduling spot. While the Nuggets are fully focused on this game as it is their only home game between March 22nd and April 7th, New Orleans is in a much different situation here. The Pelicans are off of a divisional loss (at Houston) Friday and they have a game at Utah tomorrow night. So New Orleans is in the midst of a 3 games in 4 night stretch and tonight's game and tomorrow's game are both played in high altitude. In other words, rather than gasping for air tonight as the game goes on, if the Pelicans are down big the smarter thing to do is to conserve energy and save it for tomorrow night's game at Utah. I just don't see the Pelicans staying within the rather small number here given the situation. Keep in mind, New Orleans is going to have to "run and gun" to keep up with the Nuggets here and the Pelicans are 2-6 SU their last 8 road games with a posted total of 220 points or more while Denver is 11-6 SU (and ATS) in home games with a posted total of 220 points or more. The Pelicans have lost 4 of their last 6 road games and are also 5-9 SU (and ATS) when off of a divisional game this season. The Nuggets are on an 11-4 ATS run in games against teams with a losing record and will take advantage of facing a Pelicans team that has gone just 11-24 SU on the road this season. 10* DENVER |
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03-26-17 | Kentucky v. North Carolina UNDER 160 | Top | 73-75 | Win | 100 | 10 h 43 m | Show |
Total of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Sunday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in North Carolina Tar Heels vs Kentucky Wildcats @ 5:05 ET - When these teams met in December it was a highly anticipated match-up of two ranked foes that each had one loss on the season. That said, the impetus was not there for playing a lot of defense. Sure, both teams wanted to win but it wasn't a situation where the loser goes home and the winner goes to the Final Four and has a shot at the national championship. That said, look for this game to play out much differently than the 103-100 wild game that was played at a neutral site earlier this season. The Wildcats have really turned up the defensive intensity to get to this point but did not fare well defensively against UCLA and yet still held the high-flying Bruins to 75 points. Prior to that game, Kentucky had allowed 67 points or less in 9 of their last 12 games. Also, the Wildcats had held 7 of their 9 prior opponents under 41.9% from the field. The under is now 8-1 in Kentucky's last 9 NCAA Tournament games and the Wildcats are on an incredible streak this season of 9 straight unders when facing a team that averages 77 points or more per game! Long-term, when UK is a neutral court dog of 3 points or less, the under has gone 10-2. This will be a fierce battle with a lot more defense than was seen when these teams met 3 months ago! North Carolina, of course, wants revenge for that defeat and the under is 3-1 this season when UNC is playing with road loss revenge. Also, when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more, the Tar Heels have gone 16-7 to the under this season. Before allowing 80 points to Butler, the Heels had held 7 of their last 9 opponents to 67 points or less. Both teams will be feeling the pressure here and shots won't be falling nearly as easily as they did in the first meeting this season. The first game was about bragging rights while this match-up is about a shot at a national championship. You'll see the difference on the floor in this one and I see this game landing in the 140s which makes this total (opened up at 156 but now in the 160 range) a great value for us. 10* UNDER the total in North Carolina |
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03-26-17 | Thunder v. Rockets OVER 231.5 | Top | 125-137 | Win | 100 | 6 h 17 m | Show |
TV Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 3:35 ET - The very first numbers that popped up on this total were 235. Of course the markets couldn't believe what they saw and it has already been bet down to a 231.5 but I am here to tell you...believe it! The huge total posted here is absolutely justified. Oklahoma City is red hot on offense right now and has shot 50% or better from the field in 6 of its last 8 games. The Thunder scored 122 against Philly Wednesday and, in their two prior road games, OKC exploded for at least 122 points in each game! The Rockets, of course, are one of the top scoring teams in the league and they are certainly not known for their focus on defense. With a huge game on deck with Golden State this certainly doesn't look like a spot for anything to change for Houston. They'll continue to play their all O / no D style and that means both teams are likely to get to at least 120 in this one in what should be a highly entertaining game with a ton of points. The Rockets are averaging 120 points over their last 14 games but they've also allowed 114 points per game in their last 8 games. The over is 10-4 this season (and 33-17 the L3 seasons) in Rockets games against Northwest Division opponents. Oklahoma City's last two visits to face the Rockets have both gone over the total and I expect another one here as this one is all about the "run and gun" offensive efficiency of each team. 10* OVER the total in Houston |
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03-26-17 | South Carolina v. Florida -3.5 | Top | 77-70 | Loss | -105 | 7 h 45 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Saturday 10* Top Play Florida Gators (-) vs South Carolina Gamecocks - These teams split their two regular season meetings but the game that the Gamecocks won at home saw the Gators go 0 for 17 from three point land. Of course that is not going to happen again here and South Carolina only won that game by 4 points despite that ridiculous result from beyond the arc for Florida. The Gators got revenge with a home win by 15 points and I like Florida's chances of another big win here. The Gamecocks are here because they faced a "no defense, no rebounding" Marquette team early on in the tourney and then, later on, a Baylor team that was known for choking in big games this season. Certainly South Carolina still deserves credit for being here and for knocking off Duke. However, any team can occasionally really rise up for one big game and get the big upset win. It happens. What I see in the Gamecocks though is a team that had lost 6 of 9 games and gone 1-9 ATS in its 10 games prior to the Big Dance. What I see in the Gators is a strong, consistent team that played a tougher schedule than South Carolina this season and that has won 13 of its last 16 games and covered 11 of those 16 games! The Gamecocks are 23-36 ATS against SEC foes the last 3 seasons combined and, though they have road loss revenge here, they are 0-2 ATS in that situation this season. The Gators have struggled in the underdog role this season but they are 19-8 ATS as a favorite this season and they get the job done again on Sunday! 10* FLORIDA |
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03-25-17 | Oregon +7.5 v. Kansas | Top | 74-60 | Win | 100 | 13 h 12 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Saturday 10* Top Play Oregon Ducks (+) vs Kansas Jayhawks @ 8:45 ET - Everyone is likely to be lining up on Kansas here and you know what that means. In typical contrarian style I'll grab the generous points with Oregon here. Riding the momentum of a tight hard-fought win over one of the hottest teams in the country (Michigan), look for the Ducks to give the Jayhawks all they can handle here. Oregon is not only 32-5 on the season, 3 of the Ducks last 4 losses have come by 4 points or less. This team just doesn't get blown out. While I certainly do respect Kansas, they got an easy draw with Cal Davis in the opening round. Then, their win over Michigan State looks great on paper (20 point margin) but that game was much closer than that throughout the first half and all the way through about the mid-point of the 2nd half before the Jayhawks pulled away. Keep in mind too, that wasn't a "typical" Spartans team either as it was definitely a down year for Michigan State basketball. Now, after a blowout win over Purdue, the fact that Kansas truly hasn't been tested for a full 40 minutes in the tourney could actually hurt them here. What is going to happen when the shots aren't falling so easily for the Jayhawks? Keep in mind they've shot 53% or better from the field (and 40% or better from three point land) in all 3 games of the Big Dance. The last time the Jayhawks had a more "normal" shooting performance they lost to TCU in the Big 12 tourney. Look for Kansas to "come back down to earth" in this one as their other-worldly shooting comes to an end against a solid defensive team. I know the Ducks defense is not the same without Chris Boucher but they've done an admirable job in this tourney and will certainly be fired up and dialed in for an opportunity against a #1 seed. While Kansas could get caught peeking ahead to what they feel would be a showdown with another #1 seed (Gonzaga) unless an upset occurs prior to this game, the fact is that the Jayhawks may underestimate just how strong this Oregon team is. The Ducks are 11-3 ATS this season (and 25-12 ATS the L3 seasons combined) in games against teams that average 77 points or more per game. The Jayhawks are 5-8 ATS this season in games with a posted total in the 150s. Too many points here in my opinion and the dog will be a "tough out" for Kansas! 10* OREGON |
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03-25-17 | Raptors +1 v. Mavs | Top | 94-86 | Win | 100 | 11 h 24 m | Show |
No Doubt Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 10* Top Play Toronto Raptors (+) @ Dallas Mavericks @ 8:35 ET - Even though this is a revenge spot for the Mavericks (lost ugly at Toronto two weeks ago), the Raptors simply are too dominant on the glass for the Mavs. In the last two meetings Dallas has been outrebounded by a combined 42 boards. Also, Toronto comes into this game having won 4 straight games and they've outrebounded their opponents by a combined 56 rebounds in their last 3 games. The Mavericks are off of a win but they failed to cover 5 of their 7 prior games and they've been outrebounded by 85 caroms in their last 6 games. Look for the rebounding edge to again be a key here as the Raptors dominate the boards. Toronto has been shooting the ball better than Dallas of late as the Mavericks seem to be wilting under the playoff pressure quite often while the Raptors (truly quite secure in their playoff position) are playing relaxed and confident and shooting the ball quite well again as they've rebounded from a recent slump. Toronto is 5-2 SU and ATS this season when off of an upset win as an underdog. The Raptors are also 14-7 ATS (and 15-6 SU) when off of a game where they won by a double digit margin. As for the Mavericks, they are 3-6 ATS against Atlantic Division opponents this season. Also, the Mavs are only 11-19 SU against teams with a winning record this season. 10* TORONTO |
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03-25-17 | Sharks +122 v. Predators | Top | 2-7 | Loss | -100 | 7 h 59 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play San Jose Sharks Money Line (+) @ Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET - San Jose lost badly at Dallas last night. As followers know I had the underdog Stars in that game and the Sharks went with back-up goalie Aaron Dell and also appeared to clearly be looking ahead to this playoff rematch from last May. Even though San Jose did get the better of Nashville to knock them out of the post-season last year, that doesn't prevent this from being a revenge spot for the Sharks. Why? Because San Jose recently lost at home to the Predators by a 3-1 count and that arguably was the beginning of some tougher times for the Sharks as they've now lost 6 of their last 8 games. The point is that San Jose needs to snap the skid before the two-day break they have coming up prior to a home date with the Rangers. That means this game is circled in red on the Sharks calendar and they'll be looking to avenge the home loss from earlier this month. #1 goalie Martin Jones will be back between the pipes for the Sharks tonight and he has been very strong in recent games but just hasn't gotten much support from the offense. That should change tonight as San Jose has scored 20 goals the last 5 times that Preds goalie Pekka Rinne has started against them. The Sharks have won 8 of 11 games this season when off of a loss by 2 goals or more in their prior game. The Predators have lost 12 of 17 Saturday games this season. Also, Nashville has lost 41 of 66 (and cost their backers 30.1 net units) the last 3 seasons when they are off of a win by a multiple goal margin. After beating Calgary 3-1 Thursday, look for the Preds to fall flat here. 10* SAN JOSE SHARKS |
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03-24-17 | UCLA v. Kentucky +1 | Top | 75-86 | Win | 100 | 14 h 38 m | Show |
Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Friday 10* Top Play Kentucky Wildcats (+) vs UCLA Bruins @ 9:35 ET - Kentucky has lost back to back games to UCLA - December of 2016 and December of 2015 - and this is even though the Wildcats took 14 more shots from the field in this season's match-up and 13 more shots from the field in last season's match-up. What happened? The Bruins simply shot "lights out" in each game. I don't expect a repeat of that here. The Cats have really dialed things up a notch on defense as the season has gone on and they've held 8 of their last 11 opponents under 41.9% from the field. While both teams have improved since they met in early December this season, the young Wildcats really needed the extra time to mature and that will pay huge dividends in this rematch. Also, unlike Kentucky, UCLA hasn't exactly been "dialed in" on defense. Conversely, the Bruins have allowed at least 43.7% from the field in 3 straight games and UCLA also has not been defending the 3-ball nearly as well as Kentucky has. The Bruins have allowed an average of 78 points per game in their last 3 games. The Wildcats haven't allowed 78 points in game in ANY of their last 12 games. Kentucky has, in fact, allowed 67 points or less in 9 of its last 12 games. UCLA has all the glitzy offensive stats so they are a popular choice but defense wins games like this at this point in the season and the Wildcats have truly come along way and definitely defend the perimeter much better than the Bruins do. UCLA is 11-8 SU in tournament games the past 3 seasons but UK is 17-2 SU in this same stretch and the Wildcats have greatly matured as this season has gone on. This is a double revenge spot for the Cats and I don't see them being denied. Lets not forget they obliterated the Bruins 83-44 three years ago and, after suffering tight losses in each of the last two meetings, though this won't be that type of blowout I do see the Wildcats winning this one large as they get their revenge when it counts the most! 10* KENTUCKY |
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03-24-17 | Nuggets +2 v. Pacers | Top | 125-117 | Win | 100 | 9 h 32 m | Show |
Rickenbach NBA Friday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (+) @ Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - Both teams dealing with playoff pressure right now as they work hard to secure a post-season berth. However, the Nuggets are dealing with the pressure much better than the Pacers and that's why you shouldn't be "fooled" by the interesting line that was posted on this game. Considering Denver is only 13-20 SU in road games this season and Indiana is 25-10 SU in home games this season, why would the Pacers have opened up at very close to the "pick'em range" in this game? Of course it is with good reason but many will feel the odds makers made a mistake here or simply "giving this one away" for the Pacers. It just doesn't work that way folks and I actually like to look for games like this for the sole intention of playing the other side. Here are the "real" keys for this one. Indiana is on a long-term 7-13 (35%) straight-up run their last 20 games. The Nuggets are 8-4 SU (and 9-3 ATS!) in their last 12 games. This is a classic case of two teams going in opposite directions but the betting markets, as usual, are likely to be slow to adjust. That is when you can find significant value which is what I believe we have here. The Pacers have been held under 44.7% from the field in 6 of their last 7 games. The hot-shooting Nuggets have knocked down over 48.7% from the field in 9 of their last 12 games! Denver is also on a 4-0 ATS run against the Pacers and a long-term 19-8 ATS run against Central Division opponents. Even though the Nuggets full season numbers are not impressive (in terms of defense), note that Indiana is 8-17 ATS (32%) in their games this season against teams that are allowing 106 points or more per game! The Pacers offense simply won't be able to keep up with the hot shooting Nuggets in this one. 10* DENVER |
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03-23-17 | Flames +127 v. Predators | Top | 1-3 | Loss | -100 | 7 h 24 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Calgary Flames Money Line (+125) @ Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET - Great spot to grab the Flames as they've been one of the hottest teams in the league but are coming off of a loss. That means you can expect a supreme effort from Calgary tonight and this is a Flames club that has not suffered back to back losses in TWO MONTHS! The Flames had won 17 of their last 21 games prior to a 4-2 loss at Washington on Tuesday. Adding to the line value here is the fact that the road team has taken 6 of the last 7 meetings between these clubs as the Predators have won 2 of the last 3 games played in Calgary while the Flames have won 4 STRAIGHT meetings at Nashville. The Preds come into this game off of a win but had lost 5 of their 8 prior games. Even though the Predators are playing this game with home loss revenge, that is a situation that has seen Nashville lose 10 of 15 times this season. Also, when off of a win by 2 goals or more, the Preds have lost 14 of 21 times this season and 41 of 65 times the last 3 seasons combined. The Flames, considering how hot they have been and the fact they're off of a loss and have had a ton of success at Nashville, are offering a lot of line value in this spot. The Predators are known for their struggles off of a big win and they have the Sharks on deck and San Jose is the team that knocked the Preds out of the post-season last spring. Tremendous situational edges here. 10* CALGARY on the money line |
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03-23-17 | West Virginia v. Gonzaga -3 | Top | 58-61 | Push | 0 | 11 h 27 m | Show |
TBS Early Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Thursday 10* Top Play Gonzaga Bulldogs (-) vs West Virginia Mountaineers @ 7:35 ET - In their first game of the tourney Gonzaga simply underestimated South Dakota State (who could blame them?) and they ended up having a poor first half. The Bulldogs responded by blowing out the Jackrabbits by 16 in the 2nd half. That momentum carried right into the game against Northwestern where Gonzaga blew out the Wildcats by 18 points but then, with big lead in hand, really let up in the 2nd half and failed to cover again as a big favorite. Now, certainly West Virginia is better than both of these teams, but for Gonzaga to be laying only 3 here definitely relates to them coming off of back to back non-covers. Now we can get a 34-1 team that basically needs to just win the game to get the cover and, keep in mind, this is a Bulldogs team that outscored its opponent by a combined 34 points over 40 minutes between the 2nd half of their first game and the first half of their second game in this tourney. Look for Gonzaga to put it all together as they will be fully focused and they know they were in for a war with the Mountaineers. The Bulldogs defense will be ready to play a full forty in this one and West Virginia allowed Iowa State to shoot 54% in the Big 12 championship game and then followed that by allowing Bucknell (yes, Bucknell!) to score 80 in the first round of the Big Dance. Had the Mountaineers not shot "lights out" against Notre Dame they wouldn't even be here for this game. Of course West Virginia has played the tougher schedule than Gonzaga on the season but the Bulldogs have the strength of a winning mindset that has been built by a 34-1 season and by being very well coached under Mark Few. The Mountaineers were on a 1-6 ATS run before the win and cover over the Fighting Irish and I feel West Virginia is again being over-valued here. The Bulldogs defense has allowed 41.3% or less in 19 of its last 20 games. The Mountaineers defense had allowed 43.5% or more in 6 of their last 9 games before holding Notre Dame to 40.7% from the field on Saturday. Have not been as impressed this season, as I typically am, with a Bob Huggins coached defense and I see them getting knocked out of the tournament tonight. Mountaineers are 4-10 ATS in games with a posted total in the 140s this season while the Bulldogs are 14-4 ATS with the same parameters this season. 10* GONZAGA |
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03-23-17 | Raptors +4.5 v. Heat | Top | 101-84 | Win | 100 | 9 h 4 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Toronto Raptors (+) @ Miami Heat @ 7:35 ET - While I successfully played against the Raptors Tuesday because their playoff seeding is highly unlikely to change a great deal, that doesn't mean there are not going to be games that Toronto will be "up for" as the regular season winds down and this is one of those! The Raptors lost at Miami by 15 points a little less than 2 weeks ago and that sets this rematch up perfectly for revenge. Even though the final margin looked ugly it had a lot do with Toronto getting outscored by 27 points from three point land as they had a horrific night shooting the 3-ball. The Raptors did win the battle of the boards in that game and had 16 more field goal attempts than the Heat in that one. Even though Serge Ibaka is likely to miss tonight's game he shot very poorly against Miami two weeks ago and was also not a big factor on the boards. With that said, his absence from tonight's game is unlikely to have the impact that many are expecting. With this line having already moved from a 3 up to a 4.5 excellent line value is being offered with the road dog. The Raptors have a SU record of 24-13 this season (and 86-34 the L3 seasons combined) in their games against teams with a losing record. The Heat are 12-21 SU this season (and 49-74 the L3 seasons combined) in their games against teams with a winning record. Miami also has a big game at Boston on deck while the Raptors have a non-conference foe up next. 10* TORONTO |
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03-22-17 | Hawks +7 v. Wizards | Top | 100-104 | Win | 100 | 13 h 23 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 8:05 ET - Both these teams have been struggling with recent losses but, as a result, that means we are getting extra line value with the revenging team that is on the road and therefore catching inflated points here. The Hawks lost by 26 points versus the Wizards in late January and that game was at Atlanta! Needless to say some home loss revenge is on order here and now they're being given points against a division rival that has covered just TWICE in their last 11 games! Though Atlanta is also in a slump I question whether Washington should really be this big of a favorite against a tough division rival whose road record this season is just as good as their home record (Hawks 2 games over .500 both away from home and at home). The Hawks have some injury issues but not enough to justify the Wizards being priced in the way they are tonight. This is not an uncommon time of year for Washington to be struggling. The Wizards are now 15-26 ATS in March games the past 3 seasons combined. The Hawks are 25-16 ATS the L3 seasons combined when they are playing with home loss revenge. Also, Atlanta is off of a loss at Charlotte and the Hawks are 9-4 ATS (and 10-3 SU!) this season when they are off of a divisional game. 10* ATLANTA HAWKS Wednesday evening |
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03-21-17 | Georgia Tech +5.5 v. Ole Miss | Top | 74-66 | Win | 100 | 13 h 37 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Tuesday 10* Top Play Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+) @ Ole Miss Rebels @ 9 ET - This line opened up at a -4.5 for Ole Miss and the Rebels have quickly moved up to being a -5.5 point favorite. The line on this one may look a little "funny" considering that Ole Miss has covered 5 straight games and the Rebels straight-up records at home are 13-5 this season and 34-14 the last 3 seasons combined. Georgia Tech has awful straight-up records on the road of 2-10 this season and 9-27 the last 3 seasons combined. That said, how could Ole Miss be such a short favorite here? As long-time followers would expect I am on the contrarian side here and grabbing the Yellow Jackets but certainly it is a selection that is not without strong merit! Georgia Tech is on a 12-3 ATS run against teams with a winning record. Also, the Jackets are on an 8-2 ATS run against teams that average 80 points or more per game. Georgia Tech comes into this game on an 8-2 ATS run overall and, looking at their last 11 games, defense has certainly played a key role. The Yellow Jackets have held 8 of their last 11 opponents under 39% from the field! As for the Rebels, they are off of a big upset win at Syracuse but allowed 80 points and are allowing an average of 78 points per game over their last 13 games. By comparison, Georgia Tech has allowed 65 points or less in 8 of their last 11 games. Look for the Yellow Jackets to drop the Rebels to 16-22 SU when they are off of a game where they scored 80 points or more but I am grabbing all the points I can get in this one should the Jackets fall just short of the outright upset. 10* Top Play GEORGIA TECH Tuesday night |
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03-21-17 | Warriors v. Mavs OVER 207 | Top | 112-87 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 32 m | Show |
Bulldogs Best - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Dallas Mavericks vs Golden State Warriors @ 8:35 ET - These teams met on December 30th and that game stayed under the total. However, prior to that, each of the last 4 meetings between these teams went over the total. The Mavericks are still fighting to have a shot at a playoff berth and they'll go hard tonight. The issue for the Mavs is they'll struggle to stop a Golden State offense that is starting to knock down shots at a high percentage again. They've adjust to life without Kevin Durant and have averaged 117 points per game in their last 3 games. The Warriors have hit 55% of their shots from the field in those 3 games and Golden State also has hit a high percentage of their three points over their last 4 games. Look for the Warriors to stay hot tonight but not also that Dallas has scored at least 111 points per game in 2 of their last 3 games and shot over 50% from the field in those 2 games plus over 40% from three point land in those two match-ups. The Mavericks have averaged 107 points per game in their last 5 home games and that recent hot shooting was coming on the road so don't look for them to slow down here. In fact, the Mavs have won 13 of their last 17 home games so they come into this match-up with plenty of confidence and won't hesitate to push the pace here. Dallas, after the midway point of a season, when facing a team that averages 106 points or more per game, has gone 18-10 to the over. Also, they've played 6 Tuesday games this season and ZERO have stayed under the total. 10* OVER the total in Dallas Tuesday night |
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03-21-17 | Senators v. Bruins OVER 5.5 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -100 | 7 h 60 m | Show |
Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals (+) in Boston Bruins vs Ottawa Senators @ 7:05 ET - Boston knows they need to do much more than they did last night at Toronto. Sitting on a 1-1 game from the first period on the very late scoring (2 minutes to go in game) went the way of the Maple Leafs as Toronto scored 3 quick goals last before the Bruins answered with a meaningless goal very late in the 4-2 final. After last night's result I look for the Bruins to be much more aggressive tonight and that should lead to a bit of a barnburner with an Ottawa team looking to bounce back off of a 4-1 loss. The Senators had won 3 straight road games (and averaged 4 goals per game) before they lost at Montreal Sunday. Their last two meetings with the Bruins at Boston have totaled 17 goals and the Sens have not recorded an under in Boston in their last 5 games there. The Bruins come into this game having allowed 4 goals per game in their last 4 games. Also, when in the 2nd game of back to back this season, Boston has had just 4 unders in 12 games! The over is 18-9 in Bruins games against teams with a winning record and the over is 58-32 the last 3 seasons combined in games versus opponents with a winning record. The Senators penalty kill has allowed 6 goals in 19 chances in their last five road games. There have been 6 special teams goals in the Bruins last 2 games. Look for a wild one tonight as these divisional foes both seek offense after rare, poor efforts in their most recent game. 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals (+) in Boston Tuesday night |
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03-20-17 | Warriors v. Thunder OVER 221 | Top | 111-95 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 4 m | Show |
TNT Top Game - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play OVER the total in Oklahoma City Thunder vs Golden State Warriors @ 8 ET - With Kevin Durant out for Golden State, this match-up will lack some of the defensive intensity that otherwise would be present. As a result, look for Oklahoma City to push the tempo extremely fast in this game as they look to create quick scoring chances against the KD-less Warriors. As for GS, their best bet will be red hot outside shooting, as usual, and Golden State comes into this one having shot a ridiculous 59% from the field in their last two games combined. Those blowout wins averaged 119.5 points per game and the Warriors now face a Thunder team that has won 5 straight games and is averaging 115 points per game in their last 6 games. That means a 118-116 type game (right in line with the current point spread on this game) would not be a surprised in this match-up and that is a double digit margin over the current total posted on this game. The result? Value for us! There have been just 4 unders in the last 16 games for the Thunder and I certainly like having 75% odds in our favor for the over in this one! OKC has shot 50% or better from the field in 4 straight games and 5 of their last 6. The Warriors are heating up again on offense and that includes shooting the 3-ball very well in their last 3 games combined. The Warriors are known for victimizing the Thunder from 3-point land and have averaged 15 three pointers per game in the last 5 meetings. With Golden State coming into this one hot, look for more of the same tonight as both teams "go off" with huge point totals amassed! 10* OVER the total in Oklahoma City |
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03-20-17 | Akron v. Texas-Arlington OVER 153 | Top | 69-85 | Win | 100 | 9 h 20 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in UT-Arlington Mavericks vs Akron Zips @ 8 ET - UT-Arlington is 13-0 in home games this season and averages a ridiculous 85 points per game! However, this will be far from a "cakewalk" for the Mavericks because the Zips are a high-scoring team that shoots surprisingly well on the road. Akron is known for their 3-point shooting prowess and, even on the road, knock down 38.3% of their three pointers. UT-Arlington won't hesitate to push the pace at the home and this one sets up well to be another shootout. The Mavericks are off of a 105-89 win at BYU and are sky-high with confidence right now. The Zips are on a 6-2 run to the over in true road games and a fantastic 24-12 to the over in all road games the past 3 seasons combined. As a road dog of 3.5 to 6 points Akron has gone 4-1 to the over. Overall, the over is 20-11 in UT-Arlington home games the past 3 seasons combined. Also, in home games where the posted total is between 150 and 154.5 points the over has gone a perfect 4-0. The Zips are 20-5 their last 25 games and, in a match-up featuring two very hot teams, both off of upset wins, the teams are brimming with confidence and the focus will be on the offensive end and less about intense defense. This is what happens when teams are rolling and confident like these two teams are. 10* OVER the total in UT-Arlington |
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03-19-17 | Cincinnati +4 v. UCLA | Top | 67-79 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 38 m | Show |
Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach CBB Sunday 10* Top Play Cincinnati Bearcats (+) vs UCLA Bruins @ 9:40 ET - The Bearcats are allowing just 61 points per game on the season. That tough defense coupled with the resolve of a team not happy about again having to go west for tourney time (despite a fantastic season) makes Cincinnati a very tough team to face in this spot. UCLA will have its hands full with a team that is 23-3 in its last 26 games. The Bearcats have allowed just 38.5% shooting on the season. The Bruins have played a tougher schedule this season (but not by a big margin) and UCLA has allowed at least 43.7% from the field in 3 of their last 6 games. Their D may not be ready for the grudge match that Cincy can turn this game into because the Bruins certainly did not impress in their win over Kent State. Had they not shot the ball ridiculously well, UCLA likely would not have pulled away from the Golden Flashes the way they did. Of course Cincy will present a much more difficult challenge and the Bearcats were fantastic (against a much more formidable foe than Kent State) when they won huge Friday over Kansas State. That was a quality Wildcats team that Cincinnati knocked off and coach Mick Cronin is doing a fantastic job with this team. The Bruins are a little banged up and that has this one set up perfectly for an upset. The Bearcats are a long-term 7-3 ATS as a neutral court dog in a range of a 3.5 to 6 points and all 7 of those wins were OUTRIGHT victories. Could this be another upset? I am grabbing all the points I can get my hands on but an outright win for Cincy is the expectation. In terms of the cover if the Cats fall short, note that UCLA is only 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games against teams with a winning record. Also, the Bruins are 3-7 ATS in games with a posted total in the 150s this season and UCLA is 3-8 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. Look for the Bruins to drop to 6-16 ATS in their last 22 games. 10* CINCINNATI |
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03-19-17 | Rhode Island v. Oregon OVER 140 | Top | 72-75 | Win | 100 | 9 h 23 m | Show |
Bulldog's Best - Rickenbach CBB Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Oregon Ducks vs Rhode Island Rams @ 7:10 ET - The Ducks were already on a strong run to the over but the value in overs involving Oregon is even stronger since the loss of key defensive post presence Chris Boucher. The Ducks game versus Iona flew over the total and, prior to that, Oregon also allowed 58% shooting from the field against Arizona. It has been 3 straight overs for the Ducks and the over is 8-1 in their last 9 games. The Rams are coming off of a result that also bodes well for another over here. Rhode Island put up 84 points on Creighton despite only connecting on 19% of their three pointers! That says a lot right there! The Bluejays put up 72 points on the Rams despite shooting a modest 40% from the field and 30% from three point land. With Boucher out for the Ducks, Rhode Island will enjoy success in the paint against Oregon but I certainly don't expect the Rams defense to be able to slow down the high-flying Ducks as they've scored at least 80 in 4 of their last 5 games. The over is 4-2 in Rams neutral site games this season and the over is 9-5 in the Ducks last 14 games against teams with a winning record. The Rams are averaging 74 points per game this season and the Ducks are averaging 80 points per game on the season but this total is being held down because each team has some decent defensive stats. But the key is the Boucher injury for Oregon and the fact that the Rams defense is not use to facing the elite level of offensive playmakers that a team like the Ducks brings to this match-up. 10* OVER the total in Oregon |
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03-17-17 | Celtics v. Nets OVER 215 | Top | 98-95 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 19 m | Show |
Market Mover - Rickenbach NBA Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Brooklyn Nets vs Boston Celtics @ 7:35 ET - The very first total that popped up on this game was a 223 yesterday and this total has now dropped a full 8 points to 215. Of course the line move is because Isaiah Thomas is expected to miss for the Celtics tonight. However, Brooklyn is one of the worst teams in the league (particularly on defense) this season and when Thomas missed earlier this season and the Celtics faced a weak foe (Orlando), Boston scored 117 points. I expect a very "loosely played" contest tonight as Boston lets up some on the defensive end after back to back big wins while Brooklyn simply continues to "run and gun" as they're certainly just "playing out the string" on the season. The Nets last 3 games have totaled an average of 230 points. The Celtics are off of a 117 point performance versus Minnesota. Also, in Boston's last 4 road games they have allowed at least 109 points in 3 of the 4 games. The over is 9-4 this season when the Celtics are off of a win by a margin of 10 points or more. The over is 15-7 this season when the Nets are facing a team that averages 106 points or more per game on the season. Keep in mind, Brooklyn is allowing 114 points per game on the season and this is a back to back spot for the Nets. Look for the over to improve to 8-4 this season when the Nets are in the 2nd game of a back to back. 10* OVER the total in Brooklyn |
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03-17-17 | Wichita State v. Dayton OVER 143.5 | Top | 64-58 | Loss | -105 | 8 h 27 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Dayton Flyers vs Wichita State Shockers @ 7:10 ET - Certainly I have plenty of respect for both of these defenses but both of these teams have potent offenses with veteran leadership and both clubs shoot the 3-ball extremely well. That said, and with a drop on the total from the 148 range to the 143 range, I won't hesitate to step in large on the over in this one. The Flyers finished the season with back to back losses and much of that had to do with struggles on defense. In fact, Dayton has now allowed at least 45.5% from the field in 3 of its last 4 games. Also, the Flyers have given up 70 points or more in 8 of their last 9 games. Wichita State has won 15 straight games and they average 82 points per game on the season. The Shockers, before their 71-51 win over Illinois State, had scored 77 points or more in 12 of their 14 prior games. Wichita State has knocked down at least 42% of their threes in 7 of their last 9 games. The Flyers have hit at least 40% of their threes in 8 straight games! This is hot shooting folks that is simply not normal! That's why I'll gladly fade the line move here because I also expect this game to be close enough late that there will be plenty of opportunity for "scramble points" with late threes from the team trailing and plenty of free throws from the team in the lead. The over was 11-0 in Dayton's 11 games prior to getting bounced out of the A-10 tourney. The over was 4-1 in Wichita State's last 5 regular season games prior to the MVC tourney. The over is 12-6 long-term when the Shockers enter a game off of 7 or more days of rest. As for the Flyers, the over is 4-2 this season in games where they were an underdog. 10* OVER the total in Dayton |
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03-17-17 | Rhode Island v. Creighton +1.5 | Top | 84-72 | Loss | -115 | 7 h 46 m | Show |
First Round Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Friday 10* Top Play Creighton Bluejays (+) vs Rhode Island Rams @ 4:30 ET - Creighton has gone from being a 2 point fave here to a 1.5 point dog as of early gameday morning. Of course the Blue Jays are not the same team without Mo Watson BUT the key is that they've had plenty of time to adjust to life without their point guard and they've actually started to gel without their floor leader. They made it all the way to the Big East Championship before losing to Villanova, the defending champs. Getting wins over Providence and Xavier to earn the right to play the Wildcats was big for the confidence of this Bluejays team heading into the Big Dance. Creighton has played a tougher schedule than has Rhode Island but the betting markets are basically saying the committee was wrong in making the Bluejays a 6 seed and the Rams an 11 see and that the odds makers were wrong in making Creighton the favorite in this match-up. As long-time followers know, I'd rather side against the public and this Rhode Island team may have already used up its good fortune in winning the A-10 championship. They certainly caught a break with Dayton getting knocked out of that tourney and they beat VCU for the championship as Virginia Commonwealth simply had a horrific shooting performance and still only lost the game by 7 points. I am not sold on Rhode Island being at quite the same level as Creighton based on level of competition faced and I look for the Rams to drop to 0-4 SU and ATS in their last 4 against Big East teams. Look for the Bluejays 7-footer to also enjoy success against a smaller RI frontcourt. By the way, the Blue Jays are 13-0 SU in non-conference action this season. I expect that record to go to 14-0 here as Rhode Island used up their "mojo" in winning the A-10 Tourney. 10* CREIGHTON BLUEJAYS |
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03-16-17 | Florida Gulf Coast v. Florida State OVER 147 | Top | 80-86 | Win | 100 | 11 h 24 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Florida State Seminoles vs Florida Gulf Coast Eagles @ 9:20 ET - Look for plenty of fireworks on offense in this one. Florida Gulf Coast is averaging 79.4 points per game this season but they won't be able to stop a Florida State offense that averages 82.5 points per game. This is the 3rd trip to the Big Dance in the last 5 years for the Eagles and they made a lot of noise as "Dunk City" a few years back. Though this team has changed its mantra from that time they are still a team that can put up a ton of points but with a defense that will struggle against ACC level competition. The over is 4-1 in the Eagles NCAA Tourney games and, long-term the over is 12-6 in Florida Gulf Coast games in non-conference action. The over is 3-1 the last 3 seasons in Noles games where they are a neutral court favorite in a range of 9.5 to 12 points. FSU enters this game on a 5-game under streak but they have allowed 71 points or more in 7 of their last 9 games. The Eagles offense has been hot (81 points per game) in their last 7 games so I would not be surprised to see an FSU win in the 87-75 ranger here which is a full 15 points above the current total posted on this game. The over is 6-2 this season in games where Florida State was favored by 11 points or more! The Seminoles averaged scoring 96.6 points per game in those 8 games. They'll score plenty here as well but the athleticism of Florida Gulf Coast will allow them to score plenty as well in a match-up that should play out as a very fast-paced affair. 10* OVER the total in Florida State |
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03-16-17 | Jazz v. Cavs OVER 206 | Top | 83-91 | Loss | -115 | 8 h 14 m | Show |
TV Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Utah Jazz @ 7:05 ET - The Jazz shut down the Pistons at Detroit last night but previously had allowed 50% or better from the field in 5 of their last 8 games. Also, after a blowout win, it is only natural that a team has a tendency to unconsciously decrease defensive intensity. As a result, Utah is 15-5 to the over this season when they are off of a win by 10 points or more. The Jazz had allowed 108 points or more in 6 of their last 8 games before yesterday's domination of Detroit. Utah now faces the red hot shooting of the Cavaliers. Cleveland comes into this game having averaged 118.7 points per game in their last 3 games. The Cavs have averaged 54% from the field in these 3 games. Also, what is interesting is that the Cavaliers defense has allowed at least 96 shots from the field in each of its last 3 games. There will be plenty of scoring opportunities for both clubs in this one and 14 of the last 19 meetings between these teams in Cleveland have resulted in an over. Look for more of the same in this one and I'll take advantage of a line drop here that has already seen this total go from an opener of 210 down to as low as a 206 as of Thursday morning. 10* OVER the total in Cleveland |
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03-16-17 | Flyers -106 v. Devils | Top | 2-6 | Loss | -106 | 7 h 43 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) @ New Jersey Devils @ 7:05 ET - Off of a big win over in-state rival Pittsburgh it may seem tough to take the Flyers here but, keep in mind, they're still fighting hard for a playoff spot and have been a very streaky team this season. Also, they get the added edge of facing a Devils team that has lost 10 straight games! Additionally, the Flyers are a respectable 8-6 (+3.0 net games) when in a back to back spot this season and also Philly is a perfect 3-0 this season when off of a shutout win! When off of a divisional game this season the Flyers have won 12 of 19. As for the Devils, they have lost 5 of 6 when they are playing with three or more days of rest between games. New Jersey has been off since Saturday at Arizona because the northeast snowstorm cancelled their most recent game. Look for the Devils to be "rusty" coming off of a west coast road trip and having not played in 5 days! The Flyers should be skating circles around the Devils here as they ride the momentum of last night's key win over the Pens as Philadelphia looks to remain alive in the playoff chase. New Jersey has lost 51 of 80 divisional games the past 3 seasons combined and the Flyers get revenge tonight for losing the first two games to the Devils this season by a combined score of 8 to 1. Payback time. 10* PHILADELPHIA on the money line Thursday |
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03-16-17 | Xavier v. Maryland -130 | Top | 76-65 | Loss | -130 | 9 h 23 m | Show |
Blowout Rout - Rickenbach CBB Thursday 10* Top Play Maryland Terrapins (-) vs Xavier Musketeers @ 6:50 ET - Both teams started hot and then struggled late in the season but for different reasons and that is the key to the value being offered here. The 6th seeded Terrapins are laying a very small number (so small in fact that I would recommend grabbing the value on the money line here) even though they're taking on an 11th seeded Xavier team that was worried late in the season about even getting an invite. The Musketeers were worried with good reason because they lost 7 of their last 10 games. This rough stretch for Xavier came after Edmond Sumner was lost to a knee injury at the end of January. Over their last 10 games of the season the Musketeers 3 wins included 2 against DePaul. The Blue Demons finished the season 9-23. In other words, the only impressive thing that Xavier has done over the past 5 weeks is beat Butler. The Bulldogs had been hot from three point land and then had a bad shooting performance against Xavier and, as a result, the Musketeers won by 5 points. Not impressed at all with what this Musketeers team has done without Sumner and Maryland comes into this one fired up after coach Turgeon laid into them after a completely unacceptable performance against Northwestern in the Big Ten tourney. The Terps did struggle down the stretch but, unlike Xavier, they have their key personnel on deck for this game and they've been much better on the defensive end than the Musketeers this season. Xaviers is 3-9 ATS as an underdog this season and 2-7 ATS when off of a loss in conference action. The Terrapins are 14-4 SU the L3 seasons combined when they are off of a loss in conference action. Turgeon has his team in full bounce back mode again here. 10* MARYLAND |
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03-15-17 | USC v. Providence +2.5 | Top | 75-71 | Loss | -104 | 12 h 51 m | Show |
First Four Best Bet - Rickenbach CBB Wednesday 10* Top Play Providence Friars (+) vs USC Trojans @ 9:10 ET - This line opened up at a pick'em and has moved to USC -3 and, of course, much of this has to do with revenge as the Trojans lost to the Friars in the Big Dance last year. Of course revenge is important in handicapping but sometimes it has a tendency to be overplayed and this results in value on the other side. That is precisely the case here. This isn't a "normal" in-season revenge situation. This is a "win or go home" game and just because the Trojans have motivation to avenge last year's loss it does not mean the Friars aren't also motivated. They want to advance! Providence has unfinished business from last year's Big Dance and they are ready to roll in this tourney. Keep in mind, 7 of the 10 Big East teams made the tournament and the reality is that the Friars played just as tough of a schedule as USC did this season. Also, even though Providence won by just a single point in last year's tourney meeting with the Trojans, they actually took 10 more shots from the field and 11 more shots from the free throw line. The point is that the Friars would have won much more easily had they shot better than 40% and had USC not shot a ridiculous 54% from the field and 46% from three point land. The Trojans are only 3-6 ATS (and 2-7 SU!) in their last 9 games against teams with a winning record. This is in stark contrast to a Friars team that is a solid 13-9 SU (and stellar 17-5 ATS!) in their games against teams with a winning record. This is a classic case where revenge has been over-played and resulted in value on the other side. I'll take it! Grab all the points you can get but the Friars do have a great shot at the outright "upset" here. 10* PROVIDENCE |
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03-15-17 | Blazers v. Spurs OVER 210 | Top | 110-106 | Win | 100 | 13 h 57 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in San Antonio Spurs vs Portland Trail Blazers @ 8:05 ET - Even though this is a back to back for the Trail Blazers they'll still have plenty of fresh legs. That's because no one had to play extended minutes last night at New Orleans because Portland had a dreadful performance and got blown out. The Blazers managed just 77 points because they shot only 30% from the field in one of the worst performances by any team this entire season in the NBA. Needless to say a bounce back can be expected here and they catch the Spurs in a bit of a downward cycle on the defensive end. Looking at the Spurs last 5 games, they had one strong performance (against Golden State) but allowed an average of 104 points per game (and 47% shooting from the field) in the other 4 games combined. Portland is now off of back to back unders but they had gone over the total in 7 straight games prior. The Trail Blazers defense is a definite weakness and they've allowed 113 points per game in their last 3 games against the Spurs. Each of Portland's last two games at San Antonio have gone over the total and, overall, the over is 7-2 in the last 9 meetings between these teams. The Blazers, when past the midway point of a season and facing a team that averages 106 points or more per game, have gone 20-8 to the over! After last night's nonsense look for a typical Trail Blazers game tonight and the Spurs will be willing to "run and gun" a bit here as they were off yesterday and have 2 off days on deck after this game. 10* OVER the total in San Antonio |
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03-14-17 | Kansas State +1 v. Wake Forest | Top | 95-88 | Win | 100 | 11 h 57 m | Show |
First Four Best Bet - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Kansas State Wildcats (+) vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons @ 9:10 ET - No disrespect intended to the Demon Deacons Danny Manning but, in my opinion, the Wildcats (with Bruce Weber at the helm) have a significant coaching edge in this match-up. Weber will be coaching in his 3rd Big Dance in 5 seasons with Kansas State. They're taking on a Wake Forest team that is a combined 43-51 (and only 16-38 in ACC) since Manning took over as the head coach. The Demon Deacons allowed at least 47.5% from the field in 5 of their last 7 games and, keep in mind, this was all during a crucial stretch for Wake Forest as they were trying to get to 20 wins. They know they were somewhat fortunate to even make the Big Dance as they finished with 19 wins. The point about the above though is that they needed strong D and it just wasn't there that often down the stretch. That doesn't bode well for their chances here as they now take on a Kansas State team that allowed only 54.3 points per game over their last 3 games as they really turned up the heat on defense. The Wildcats won 3 of their last 4 games (and went 4-0 ATS) with the lone SU loss coming by just a single point versus West Virginia. Wake Forest also finished the season on a hot run thanks to some strong shooting but they've been off since Wednesday and that very well could have cooled their hot shooting touch. Not only that but if the Wildcats continue to play defense like they have been, the Demon Deacons will really struggle to regain any type of offensive flow in this one. 10* KANSAS STATE |
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03-14-17 | Blazers v. Pelicans OVER 216.5 | Top | 77-100 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 32 m | Show |
Western Conference Total of the Year - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play OVER the total in New Orleans Pelicans vs Portland Trail Blazers @ 8:05 ET - Both of these teams have been involved in some OT games of late so that has to be factored into the handicap of this total of course. However, even after eliminating overtime from the equation, Portland has averaged 112 points per game in regulation time of their last 9 games. As for the Pelicans, they struggled on offense (as most teams do) against the Spurs and Jazz. However, other than a disappointing effort against Toronto, the Pelicans other 4 games dating back to February 26th have seen them score at least 105 points in all 4 games. New Orleans averaged 109 points per game in those 4 games. Look for more of the same in this game as the Pelicans are home where there have allowed an average of 107.4 points per game in their last 5 games. The Trail Blazers are on the road where they had allowed over 49% from the field in 4 of their last 6 games before taking advantage of facing a bad Suns team at Phoenix on Sunday. The over is 64-42 the last 3 seasons combined when Portland is an underdog. Also, the over is 73-44 in New Orleans home games the last 3 seasons combined. The Pelicans are also 8-3 to the over this season (and 29-16 to the over the past 3 seasons) when they are facing a Northwest Division opponent. A big total was set on this game but, as you can see from all of the above, it was absolutely justified. Also, with both teams off of a win, "hunger" on the defensive end simply will not be there tonight. Look for these teams to go over the total for the 4th time in their last 5 meetings. 10* OVER the total in New Orleans |
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03-14-17 | Blackhawks v. Canadiens -117 | Top | 4-2 | Loss | -117 | 8 h 53 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line (-) vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 7:35 ET - The Blackhawks are off of a key divisional win over Minnesota and could be caught flat here at Montreal. Chicago had lost two straight games before knocking off the Wild and, though they've been playing well overall, the Blackhawks are arguably not as hot as the Canadiens. Montreal comes into this game having won 7 of its last 8 games. They needed to get hot after some mid-season doldrums and they've done just that as they've won 8 of 10 the last 4 weeks. While Chicago has been solid overall defensively, they have given up 2 goals or more in 6 of their last 9 games while Montreal, amazingly, has given up 1 goal or less in 5 of their last 6 games. In fact, other than ugly loss at Calgary, the Canadiens last 6 games have seen them allow a total of 4 goals in the 5 games not against the Flames. While the Hawks are off of that big win over the Wild, the Habs have had this game circled as it is their only game between the 12th and the 18th and picking up 2 points is critical for them in this one. Look for them to get revenge for a loss at Chicago earlier this season as the Canadiens have fallen victim to the Blackhawks in recent seasons and this is the perfect spot for payback. 10* MONTREAL |
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03-13-17 | Jets v. Predators OVER 6 | Top | 4-5 | Win | 102 | 11 h 30 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play OVER the total in Nashville Predators vs Winnipeg Jets @ 8:05 ET - Of course a total of 6 goals may seem high but when that number is put out there by odds makers it is certainly not without some justification. In this case, note that the Jets are actually a perfect 3-0 to the over this season in games where their posted total is set at 6 goals. Winnipeg comes into this game off of a 3-0 home shutout versus Calgary so a bounce back can be expected here. The Jets are taking on a Predators team that has lost 35 of 68 games this season and Winnipeg is 7-1 to the over in their last 8 games against teams with a losing record. The Jets also enter this game on a 3-game losing streak and that is a situation that has seen them go 18-11 to the over the L3 seasons. The Predators come into this one off of a 3-1 win at San Jose. Even though the Preds have won only a modest 6 of 11 games the past few weeks, the offensive production has been solid. Nashville has averaged 3.7 goals per game during this 11-game stretch. The Predators long-term problem has been keeping pucks out of their own net as they've allowed an average of 3.7 goals per game in their last 15 games. The Preds are hosting a Jets team that has lost 39 of 69 games this season and the over is 7-3 in Nashville's last 10 games against teams with a losing record. Also, the Predators have had just 6 unders in their 24 divisional games this season. That equates to just a 25% under rate when the Preds are facing a divisional opponents and I look for another wild one here as, before the Predators last 2 games were tight and low-scoring, 9 of the Preds last 11 games had totaled at least 7 goals! 10* OVER the total in Nashville |
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03-13-17 | Mavs v. Raptors OVER 195.5 | Top | 78-100 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 47 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Dallas Mavericks @ 7:35 ET - The first number that popped up when the lines came out had this O/U pegged at 200. The total has moved down to a 195.5 and that's understandable given the fact that the Mavericks are on a 10-2 run to the under and the Raptors are on an 18-7 run to the under. However, the key here is both teams are off of particularly poor shooting performances and I expect a big bounce back given the situation. The Raptors are desperate to stop a recent free-fall in the standings and the Mavericks are fighting to stay alive for the 8th and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. That said, with each team off of a loss where they were held under 38% from the field, look for a big bounce back effort here. The Raptors, when off of a game where they held to 38.0% or less from the field have gone 3-2 to the over in their next game. Though the 3-2 is nothing phenomenal in terms of the record, the key is that the Raptors scored an average of 108 points per game in those 5 games. As for the Mavs, when they are held to 38.0% or less from the field, they have gone 3-1 to the over in their next game. Also, Dallas is averaging 106.6 points per game in their last 5 games but also allowing 103 points per game in their last 7 road games. I see no reason that either team should fail to get to 100 here given the situation. By the way, Toronto has allowed over 100 points in 5 of their last 6 games. The over is 3-1 this season in Raptors games when they enter the game on an under streak of 3 games or more. The over is also 17-10 in Raptors non-conference games this season. More of the same on Monday. 10* OVER the total in Toronto |
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03-12-17 | Heat +5 v. Pacers | Top | 98-102 | Win | 100 | 6 h 39 m | Show |
NBA TV Blowout ATS Rout - Rickenbach NBA Game #873 Sunday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) @ Indiana Pacers @ 6:05 ET - The Pacers are a popular choice today and that's understandable based on the situation involving Miami. On the surface, Indiana looks like the play. But when you look further into this situation, the Heat won so easily versus Toronto yesterday that key players were able to get significant rest and did not have to log big minutes. Also, Miami had two days off prior to that win over the Raptors. The Heat also have the added benefit of having two days off after this game. In other words, the situation is not nearly as bad as a "normal" back to back and, by the way, Miami has gone 10-2 ATS this season when playing the 2nd game of a back to back. Also, the Heat come into this one having won and covered 4 straight games and, of course, Miami has been one of the hottest teams in the league now for quite some time. They're taking on an Indiana team they've beaten 4 straight times and one of their two losses against the Pacers that preceded that run came by just three points. Also, Indiana comes into this game having lost 10 of their last 14 games. The Pacers are off of a loss to the division rival Bucks and are only 5-8 ATS when off of a divisional game this season. The Heat are 8-0 SU and ATS in their last 8 games played against teams with a winning record and they'll stay red hot here. 10* Top Play MIAMI |
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03-11-17 | Islanders +100 v. Blues | Top | 3-4 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 9 m | Show |
Situational Shocker - Rickenbach NHL Game #15 Saturday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - This line looked a little "funny" as it opened up at a pick'em price even though Blues have the home ice edge. Sure enough, many are now backing the home team here as the St Louis money line is getting plenty of attention from the betting markets. I am well aware of the fact that the Blues have won 3 straight games and have actually fared well in most back to back situations this season. However, St Louis more recently has not impressed. Prior to this 3-game mini-run the Blues had lost 5 straight games. Also, believe it or not, St Louis has not won consecutive home games since November 28th and December 1st. Overall, the Blues have lost 8 of 13 home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals this season and I look for the high-scoring Islanders to give them trouble here. The Isles have excelled as it relates to longer road trips and have won 21 of 29 the last 3 seasons combined when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. Look for more of the same tonight as the Isles have scored 4 goals or more in 9 of their last 18 games. By comparison, prior to scoring 4 goals last night, the Blues had averaged only 1.6 goals per game in their last 7 games! Road rout on tap with the more rested team here as St Louis again fails to win a home game when they enter having won their most recent home contest. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS |
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03-11-17 | Iowa State v. West Virginia -3 | Top | 80-74 | Loss | -105 | 9 h 34 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #750 Saturday 10* Top Play West Virginia Mountaineers (-) vs Iowa State Cyclones @ 6 ET - The Mountaineers barely got by Kansas State yesterday in an ugly game. Now they have an opportunity today to do what they've not yet done and that is earn a Big 12 Title. West Virginia last won a conference title back in 2010 when they were in the Big East. Look for the Mountaineers to make the most of this opportunity and a key edge here is that we are getting extra line value based on yesterday's results. The tight West Virginia win coupled with Iowa State's blowout win over an out-classed TCU team has definitely impacted the betting markets for this game. The fact is that the Mountaineers present a match-up issue for the Cyclones and they have won and covered 4 straight in this series. West Virginia has dominated the boards in recent meetings and they certainly have the edge on defense and on the glass when you compare these teams. The Mountaineers are off of back to back non-covering wins and only once this entire season have they failed to cover in 3 straight games. The Cyclones have been on a strong ATS run and that has forced the odds makers to adjust the number here as Iowa State will get a lot of public support here. The result is exceptional line value for a Mountaineers team hungry for their first-ever Big 12 title. West Virginia is 13-4 SU when playing with 1 day or less of rest between games the past 3 seasons combined as their style is conducive to success as their pressure defense wears down teams in short rest situations. The Mountaineers are also 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games against teams that average 77 points or more per game. Again, their defense being the key in that regard and I look for Iowa State to drop to 0-5 SU and ATS in their last 5 meetings with the Mountaineers as the match-up troubles haven't gone away! 10* WEST VIRGINIA |
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03-11-17 | Knicks v. Pistons -6.5 | Top | 92-112 | Win | 100 | 5 h 59 m | Show |
Early ATS Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #706 Saturday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (-) vs New York Knicks @ 5:05 ET - This looks like a typical spot where one would want to fade Detroit. They are off of a big win versus the defending NBA Champs and it is a trip to Cleveland that is on deck for the Pistons so they are truly in a division rival sandwich her involving the Cavaliers. However, one should not overlook the fact that the Pistons are currently fighting for their playoff lives so truly I just see no way possible that Detroit is going to overlook the Knicks here. That is especially true when they know it will be very tough to win at Cleveland Tuesday. Also, the fact that the Pistons have two days off after this means they can certainly put all energy and focus and attention into this game. The Knicks are having another "train wreck" season and, besides the enticement of fading a bad team here, it is certainly also worth noting that the home team has won each of the last 5 meetings between these teams. The Pistons are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games against teams that allow 106 points or more per game. Also, the Knicks are on a surprising 3-7 ATS run against teams with a losing record. The Pistons are hungry to get back to .500 and continue to make strides toward a playoff berth. 10* DETROIT |
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03-11-17 | UCF +8.5 v. SMU | Top | 59-70 | Loss | -105 | 6 h 12 m | Show |
Afternoon ATS Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #741 Saturday 10* Top Play Central Florida Golden Knights (+) vs Southern Methodist Mustangs @ 3 ET - SMU has had a fantastic season but, not only has won an amazing 24 of 25 games, the Mustangs also were 20-5 ATS this season before falling short in yesterday's non-covering win. Southern Methodist blew a huge lead in that game and, even though they hung on for the win, the self-doubt will be in the back of their minds here as they now take on a team fully capable of upsetting them. That said, I'll gladly grab the big points here. The Golden Knights nearly upset the Mustangs in a 5-point home loss in their regular season meeting and they are strong inside including big man 7'6 300 pound Tacko Fall. The fact he was able to play just limited minutes in yesterday's huge win for the Knights means fresh legs here for him in this big game with SMU. The Golden Knights shot the ball very well yesterday but their defense and rebounding is a key to their success. That will also be a key to keeping this game much closer than many are expecting. The Mustangs incredible ATS record is helping to inflate their line for a game like this and I'll take advantage on the other side. UCF, after yesterday's blowout win, is a perfect 6-0 ATS in tournament games the past 3 seasons combined. SMU is now a long-term 6-15 ATS in conference tournament games after losing the killer instinct in yesterday's game. It will be hard for the Mustangs to get that killer instinct back against a Golden Knights team that could very easily grind out an upset win here. That said, give me the big points in this one! 10* CENTRAL FLORIDA |
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03-10-17 | Pacers v. Bucks OVER 206 | Top | 85-99 | Loss | -115 | 9 h 48 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #509 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Milwaukee Bucks vs Indiana Pacers @ 8:05 ET - This total has dropped tremendously. Yesterday it was a high as a 210.5 and it's now down to as low as a 204.5 as of nearly noon ET on gameday. I got burned by the Bucks over when they faced the Knicks Wednesday and everything looked great at halftime and then fell apart in the 2nd half. That said, I won't hesitate to come right back with it here. The Pacers are off of a big win over Detroit (115-98) and that big win could leave them a little flat on the defensive end for this one. The over is 8-4 this season when the Pacers are off of a divisional game. As for the Bucks, they have now stayed under the total in 3 straight games and the only time that happened this season it resulted in an over in the very next game and long-term the over is 91-68 in that situation for Bucks games. Milwaukee's games have recently being staying under but it certainly hasn't had much to do with stellar defense! The Bucks have allowed 46.4% or more from the field in 8 of their last 9 games. The strength for Milwaukee, particularly at home, is their offensive production, and the Bucks have won 4 straight games and averaged 107 points per game. Indiana will be seeking to avenge a 116-100 home loss to the Bucks last month and you can bet the Pacers will put up much more than 100 in this one. By the way, the first meeting between these teams this season totaled 232 points. Given tonight's situation, look for the over to improve to 3-0 this season in match-ups between these teams. 10* OVER the total in Milwaukee Friday |
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03-10-17 | Duke v. North Carolina UNDER 155.5 | Top | 93-83 | Loss | -102 | 10 h 24 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #570 Friday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in North Carolina Tar Heels vs Duke Blue Devils @ 7 ET - Duke's win over Louisville yesterday flew over the total but the Blue Devils now face a North Carolina team fully capable of playing strong defense just as they displayed in yesterday's win versus a solid Miami team. Many were probably surprised to see this total open up at 155 given the fact that this season's match-ups involving Duke and UNC averaged 168.5 points per game. So, of course, the odds makers made a big mistake here didn't they? I jest of course because long-time followers know how I feel about odds makers and "mistakes" as more often than not it is the market movement that proves to be a mistake. In this case this total has already made an upward move this morning and the value was already with the under in my opinion because this ACC Tourney battle should feature plenty of solid defense. Duke/UNC is always a big match-up but especially when meeting in the tourney and that is going to make for a very intense game where getting defensive stops will carry more emphasis than usual for each team. Before the win versus the Hurricanes yesterday, the Blue Devils had held 5 of their last 5 opponents to 41.5% or less from the field. Duke is 15-7 to the under the past 3 seasons combined in all tournament games. The Blue Devils also are 8-4 to the under when revenging a road loss and 14-8 to the under when playing with 1 day or less of rest. The Tar Heels are 5-2 to the under this season when playing with 1 day or less of rest between games. Also, the under is 17-8 this season in UNC's games against teams with a winning record. 10* Top Play UNDER the total in North Carolina Friday |
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03-10-17 | Alabama +3.5 v. South Carolina | Top | 64-53 | Win | 100 | 7 h 57 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #555 Friday 10* Top Play Alabama Crimson Tide (+) vs South Carolina Gamecocks @ 3:30 ET - Alabama is coming off of a blowout win versus Mississippi State yesterday and is playing very well on both ends of the floor. Of course the Crimson Tide have been known for their defensive play in SEC action under coach Avery Johnson this season and that allows them to "grind it out" and win a game like this against the Gamecocks. Alabama already won at South Carolina in an epic 4-OT battle earlier this season and the Crimson Tide are now playing even more competitively than they were then. Bama has covered 4 of their last 6 games and they held Mississippi State to 39% from the field yesterday and this was after holding each of their three prior opponents to shooting percentages of 32% or less! The Gamecocks have lost 4 of their last 6 games and have failed to cover 8 of their last 9 games. Even though they play solid defense, South Carolina struggles on the offensive end and that could spell trouble against a Bama team that is getting more and more confident on the offensive end with strong performances in recent games. The Tide catch the Gamecocks in a spot where too much rest could actually be a factor and cause some rust. South Carolina is 0-2 ATS the past 3 seasons and 12-24 ATS long-term when they enter a game having been off for 5 or 6 days prior. That is a long-time to not play and stay sharp and it could be an issue here with a team that is already known for it's struggles shooting the ball. Look for the Crimson Tide to improve to 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings with South Carolina. 10* ALABAMA |
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03-09-17 | Clippers +2.5 v. Grizzlies | Top | 114-98 | Win | 100 | 10 h 46 m | Show |
No Doubt Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NBA Game #705 Thursday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Clippers (+) @ Memphis Grizzlies @ 8:05 ET - Memphis is seeking revenge for a loss at LA in early January. However, each of the two prior meetings were taken by the road team and there is actually plenty of reason to expect the "road edge" to return here. The fact is that the Grizzlies are struggling as they are currently on a 3-6 run (both SU and ATS). Also, even though the Clippers are in a back to back here and Memphis is playing with rest, the Grizzlies are a surprising 1-7 (SU and ATS) when they enter a game with 2 days of rest between games. Additionally, the fact that the Clips lost by 16 at Minnesota last night will have them fired up here. The Clippers were on a modest 7-4 winning run prior to the loss to the Timberwolves. Also, when playing the 2nd game of a back to back, the Clips are actually 34-19 SU the past 3 seasons combined. In 2017, when off of a loss where the Clippers have been held to less than 100 points (as they were last night at Minny), they have won their next game all 4 times. I look for that SU mark to improve to 5-0 here and that means the added points we are getting here should prove to just be a bonus. 10* LA CLIPPERS |
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03-09-17 | Wild v. Lightning OVER 5.5 | Top | 1-4 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 7 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals (+120) in Tampa Bay Lightning vs Minnesota Wild @ 7:35 ET - Both these teams are off of tight, low-scoring losses. That said, I like the fact that both had been scoring goals quite well before their recent defeats. The Bolts had averaged over 3 goals a game and won 6 of 9 before getting shutout by the Rangers Monday. The Wild had won 5 of 7 and averaged about 3.5 goals per game before a home loss to the Blues by a 2-1 count Tuesday. Minnesota is 15-6 to the over this season when off of a divisional game and the Wild have gone 10-3 to the over in their last 13 games against teams with a losing record this season. The Lightning are 11-7 to the over when off of a game where they were held to one goal or less this season. After being shutout on their home ice, I look for a big response from the Bolts in this one. In a late-season non-conference game both teams push hard for points and take more risk because they don't have to worry about the other teams points costing them in the standings since they are in different conferences. This does change the flow of the game in a situation like this and I do expect this one to play out with plenty of scoring chances afforded for both clubs. The Wild do have some injury/illness issues impacting their blue line and this should turn into a high-scoring barnburner. 10* OVER the total in Tampa Bay |
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03-09-17 | Tulane +5.5 v. Tulsa | Top | 60-66 | Loss | -107 | 9 h 57 m | Show |
Situational Shocker - Rickenbach CBB Game #801 Thursday 10* Top Play Tulane Green Wave (+) vs Tulsa Golden Hurricane @ 6 ET - If you operate under the theory that the sports books make huge mistakes and give away money it doesn't take long to get crushed in this business. That said, there are certainly no "sure things" in this industry but, at the same time, when something looks too good to be true I will definitely look to fade it. That is certainly the case here when you look at the American Athletic Conference Tourney action for Thursday. UConn (added benefit of home edge and 9-9 in AAC this season) is favored by 14 over SFla (1-9 in AAC this season). Makes sense based on records and home court. Temple, slightly better than East Carolina, is a small favorite of about 5 points. Another one that makes sense looking at records. Then, you have this game where Tulsa (seeking 'right back' revenge for a home loss just days ago), was only a -4.5 point favorite when lines came out yesterday even though Tulane was 2-15 in AAC action and had only 5 wins on the entire season before the Green Wave upset the Golden Hurricane Sunday. Keep in mind Tulsa is nearly a .500 team on the season and Tulane is regarded as one of the worst teams in CBB. So, did the sports books decide to give away money here with Tulsa? Why are they favored in the same price range as Temple even though they're facing the cellar dweller of the AAC and also playing with home loss revenge? I'll gladly play my often-used role of contrarian in this match-up as I look for an upset. Keep in mind, Tulsa really faded down the stretch with 8 losses in 10 games and I would not be surprised to see them still come out flat here because they simply "don't have it" this season. Frustrating season for them after starting 12-8 before the poor ending. The only Golden Hurricane wins since January came against East Carolina and South Florida (two of the worst teams in the AAC). That doesn't give Tulsa a big boost of confidence here considering they're facing a team that has proven it has some match-up edges over them. Over their last 9 games combined Tulsa is allowing a very high shooting percentage as their defense has seemingly quit as the season has gone one and become very disappointing. As for the Green Wave, they are rejuvenated after the win over Tulsa Sunday and will come in relaxed and confident as nothing is expected of them and that often makes for the most dangerous of underdogs! The Green Wave are 5-3 ATS this season against teams with a losing record while the Golden Hurricane are on a horrific 1-10 ATS run in March games. Fade the masses in this one! 10* TULANE |
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03-09-17 | Seton Hall v. Marquette OVER 150.5 | Top | 82-76 | Win | 100 | 8 h 35 m | Show |
Daytime Total Rout - Rickenbach CBB Game #729 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Marquette Golden Eagles vs Seton Hall Pirates @ 2:30 ET - After opening up at a 153.5 this total has dropped down to a 150.5 as of early gameday morning. This should prove to be another nice situation where there is value in fading the move. The Golden Eagles are known for hot shooting and big offensive production with very little attention paid to defense or rebounding. The result is some very high-scoring games and, even though the Pirates certainly pay more attention to defense, Seton Hall's recent results show trending that is likely to result in an easy over here. The Pirates, prior to their 70-64 season-ending win at Butler, had allowed 5 straight opponents to hit 46% or better from the field! Seton Hall, in this five-game stretch before wins over Georgetown and Butler to wrap up the regular season, had allowed 78 points or more in 4 of 5 games! The Pirates have been shooting the ball well (46% or better) in 5 of their last 6 games and it is unlikely the Golden Eagles will be able to slow them down. Marquette has allowed opponents to hit 47% or better in 10 of their last 13 games. Of course the key for the Golden Eagles is an offense that is again on fire from three point land with shooting a ridiculous 50% or better from beyond the arc in each of their last 4 games to wrap up the regular season. The past three seasons combined, the over is 16-9 when Marquette is off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more and the Golden Eagles are also on a 9-3 run to the over in tournament games. Seton Hall is on a 7-3 run to the over in March games and the Pirates went 4-1 to the over this season in games with a posted total in the 150s. Look for another wild one here! 10* OVER the total in Marquette (game played at MSG in NY) |
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03-08-17 | Knicks v. Bucks OVER 211 | Top | 93-104 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 44 m | Show |
Insiders Edge - Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Milwaukee Bucks vs New York Knicks @ 8:05 ET - This total opened up at a 213 and has already dropped by a bucket - down to 211 - as of early gameday morning. While certainly not a big move I'll gladly grab the value on the other side of the move because I was already looking "over" in this one. Both teams are off of wins, both teams play little defense, and both teams were off yesterday so they have fresh legs. The Bucks have their offense rolling again as they've won 3 straight games and averaged 108.3 points per game in the process. The Knicks also come into this one strong, in terms of offensive production, as they've averaged 105 points per game in their last 5 road games. New York is allowing 109 points per game on the season and the Bucks allow 105 points per game so far on the season. The Bucks had allowed their last 7 opponents to average 50% from the field before finally holding their most recent opponent in check. However, that had more to do with facing the tanking Sixers moreso than any type of stellar defense on the part of Milwaukee. The over is 22-11 in Bucks home games this season and the over is 9-4 this season when New York is off of an upset win as an underdog. After the Knicks got the outright win at Orlando Monday, look for even less emphasis than usual (which is not much) for New York in this one. 10* OVER the total in Milwaukee |
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03-08-17 | Georgetown v. St. John's OVER 153 | Top | 73-74 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 14 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #569 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in St John's Red Storm vs Georgetown Hoyas @ 7 ET - The Red Storm get the advantage of playing this Big East tourney game on their home floor. That should certainly help the St John's offense and they do have a number of dangerous scoring options but the problem for the Red Storm continues to be a lack of commitment on the defensive end. This plagued them constantly and, no matter how much they talk about it, the players just don't buy into it. St John's has potent weapons on offense but no real stoppers on the other end of the floor. This is part of the reason that the Red Storm have allowed opponents to shoot 51% or better in 5 of their last 7 games. St John's has allowed an average of 88 points in those 7 games and that included an 86-80 home loss to the Hoyas two weeks ago. Georgetown shot very well in that game and, surprisingly, has shot 49% or better from the field in 5 of their last 7 road games and they shot at least 53% from the field in 4 of those 5 games. As a result, the Hoyas come into this game confident and willing to push the pace and the Red Storm certainly love that style, particularly when on their home floor. The result should be a rather easy over in this one. The over is a perfect 4-0 this season in Hoyas games where they are facing a team that allows an average of 77 points or more per game on the season. The Red Storm, over the past 3 seasons combined, are 5-2 to the over in March games and also 6-3 to the over in games with a posted total in the 150s. Look for more of the same in this one. 10* OVER the total in St John's |
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03-07-17 | Blazers v. Thunder UNDER 223.5 | Top | 126-121 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 2 m | Show |
NBA TV Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #702 Tuesday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Oklahoma City Thunder vs Portland Trail Blazers @ 8:05 ET - The Thunder were rolling with 4 straight wins and then went on the road and lost all 3 games including the opener of the trip at Portland. That makes this a revenge spot for Oklahoma City but where I see the best value in this one is with the total. The Thunder are preaching defense as they prep for this match-up as they allowed 48.8% or better in each of the 3 games on their recent road trip. Oklahoma City got a little help in terms of having a good shot at being able to slow down the Trail Blazers tonight because of a scheduling quirk that came up last night. Portland was at Minnesota for a big game with the Timberwolves but it was cancelled due to poor floor conditions. The Blazers came into that game having won back to back games and having averaged 119 points per game in their 3 games last week as they averaged a ridiculous 53% from the field in those 3 games. Look for last night's cancelled game to throw off the timing of the Portland offense for tonight's game. When you're rolling a shooting well you want to keep on playing and that was an odd situation in Minnesota last night that will throw this team out of kilter a bit. That said, there is also added value here because this total opened at a 222 and is already up to a 223.5 as of early gameday morning. The under is 16-6 this season when the Thunder are playing with revenge. Look for more of the same in this one as a result similar to the 105-99 final the last time OKC hosted the Trail Blazers would not surprise me. 10* UNDER the total in Oklahoma City |
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03-07-17 | Pittsburgh -120 v. Georgia Tech | Top | 61-59 | Win | 100 | 11 h 30 m | Show |
ACC Slaughter - Rickenbach CBB Game #711 Tuesday 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Panthers (-) vs Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ 7 ET - The line at the time of this posting is right around a -1 or -1.5 so I am going to recommend a play on the money line (currently a -120 or -125) as it is worth it to me to make 1 a win number for us. It may seem funny to some, given the position of these teams in the ACC standings (and the fact that GT is 4-0 ATS against Pitt in ACC action) to see Pittsburgh open up as the favorite here. However, the odds makers do have it right. There are a couple of keys to this play. The Panthers have played the tougher full season schedule in comparison with the Yellow Jackets. Also, Pitt is led by a couple of seniors who know that "this is it" for them. Those seniors are their leading scorers and they have struggled recently. However, this ACC Tourney is their "last hurrah" if you will and they're going to go all out and they should prove to be difference-makers down the stretch in this game. I just don't see the Panthers being denied as they play this game with revenge from a loss at Georgia Tech last week and as they look to "make a little noise" in this tourney one last time with Michael Young and Jamel Artis leading the way. Pittsburgh is 9-3 SU as a favorite this season so, even though they've had a tough season overall, the Panthers have gotten the W's when expected to. Georgia Tech is 7-13 SU as an underdog this season and Pitt won't be denied here as Artis and Young come up huge in crunch time one last time. 10* PITTSBURGH |
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03-06-17 | Rangers v. Lightning OVER 5.5 | Top | 1-0 | Loss | -100 | 13 h 41 m | Show |
Contrarian Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Monday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals (+105) in Tampa Bay Lightning vs New York Rangers - Because the Rangers have struggled to score goals recently, they are fully focused on that as they head to Tampa Bay. Look for New York to put plenty of pucks on net in this one as they fight hard after a 4-1 home loss to the Canadiens. The Lightning are off of a tight 2-1 win at Buffalo but, prior to this, the Bolts had allowed 3 goals or more in 3 of their last 4 games. Also, TB had been on a 3-0 run to the over prior to facing the Sabres. Tampa Bay has averaged scoring 4 goals per game in their last 5 home games and the Rangers have now given up 3 goals or more in 6 of their last 9 games and NY's games have stayed under the total just 8 times in their last 32 games. Lundqvist has only an .894 save percentage in his last 4 games and Vasilevskiy home starts are 10-5 to the over this season. With the Lightning playing with a ton of confidence and scoring extremely well in recent home games, and the Rangers coming into this one fully focused on increasing scoring chances, look for this one to play out with at least 6 goals potted. 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals (+105) in Tampa Bay Monday |
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03-06-17 | Warriors v. Hawks OVER 214 | Top | 119-111 | Win | 100 | 11 h 43 m | Show |
Rickenbach NBA Game #509 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Atlanta Hawks vs Golden State Warriors @ 7:35 ET - The Warriors game should have gone over the total yesterday and didn't. The end game results were crazy the way it played out in the final minute or so at New York. As for the Hawks, they completely blew their game by getting outscored 7-0 to finish the game after having built up a 6-point lead with about a minute and a half to go in the game versus Indiana. Look for Atlanta to be more aggressive on offense after that poor effort versus the Pacers yesterday and the Warriors will happily oblige as they love run and gun fast paced affairs. Golden State called a time out about 6.5 minutes into yesterday's game. They had been struggling with their shooting in recent games and it continued early in yesterday's game. The Warriors had only 10 points in the first 6.5 minutes. From that point on, after the time out, Golden State scored 102 points in less than 3.5 quarters of play. That projects out to about 120 points and I expect the Warriors to carry that momentum into today's game while the Hawks offense also gets back on track after scoring just 96 points yesterday's game. Keep in mind, prior to yesterday's loss, Atlanta had shot the ball very well in three straight games and averaged 114.7 points per game. The total on this opened up around 216.5 yesterday and has dropped as low as 213.5 as of early gameday morning. Of course recent unders in this series have helped drive that move but the situational set-up here is trending toward a wide-open affair here with plenty of offense and I love the extra line value this move on the total has given us. The Hawks are in the middle portion of a 6 game homestand and the over is 94-62 when Atlanta enters a game having played each of their 3 prior games at home. Both these teams have played to a lot of unders recently but I like the direction that the Warriors are heading with their offense after yesterday's strong performance the last 41+ minutes and I like the fact the Hawks offense had been on fire in recent games and will bounce back after yesterday's tough loss to Indiana. 10* Top Play OVER the total in Atlanta Monday |
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03-06-17 | Central Michigan v. Kent State OVER 167 | Top | 106-116 | Win | 100 | 11 h 20 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #531 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Kent State Golden Flashes vs Central Michigan Chippewas @ 7 ET - The first total that popped up on this game yesterday was 170.5 and, of course, alarm bells went off for some as a result. Sure enough, the early action on this total has moved it down to a 167 and I can completely understand the move as the total does seem big compared to the norm. The key here is that Central Michigan is not the norm as they average 88 points per game but also allow an average of 87 points per game. In the only regular season meeting between these teams, also here at Kent State, the teams went to OT tied at 83. That said, without OT, that game would not have gotten past the current O/U posted on this rematch. However, what I have seen from the Chippewas in recent games is an even further disregard for defense than the way they were playing earlier in the season. The Chips have allowed 5 straight teams to hit at least 50% from the field against them. In their last 6 games, Central Michigan has allowed an average of 96.2 points per game! The Golden Flashes should indeed score at will in this game. Yes, some of Kent State's recent results would cause concern about their scoring abilities but they faced some tougher teams (and certainly tougher defenses) than what they will face in the form of Central Michigan tonight. The over is 13-4 in Chippewas games where they were an underdog this season. Also, 7 of the Chips last 8 games against teams with a winning record have gone over the total! As a home fave of 6.5 to 9 points, the Golden Flashes are 4-1 to the over this season. 10* OVER the total in Kent State Monday |
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03-05-17 | Hurricanes v. Coyotes OVER 5.5 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 12 m | Show |
Ugly Best Bet - Rickenbach NHL Game #13 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals (+120) in Arizona Coyotes vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 8:35 ET - Two of the worst teams in the league and playoff hopes have long ago vanished for these two clubs. Couple that with the fact that this is a non-conference match-up and very little animosity between the teams and you have the perfect set-up for a wide-open late-season "meaningless game" with plenty of open ice and very little intensity on defense. Certainly neither team is a juggernaut when it comes to scoring goals but the way that both the Coyotes and Hurricanes are giving up goals, the lamp should get lit early and often in this one. Carolina has given up 3 goals or more in 17 of its last 22 games. Arizona has given up 3.5 goals per game on average over their last 21 games. Not surprisingly, given those numbers, the Coyotes have stayed under the total in only 4 of their last 21 games! Prior to their 4-2 win (against the Hurricanes Friday in Carolina) the Yotes had allowed an average of 4 goals per game in their last 9 games. They'll be "in for it" tonight as the Canes seek revenge and will bring plenty of offensive zone pressure. Keep in mind, the Hurricanes did generate 34 shots on goal in that game and they've averaged 34 shots on goal per game over their last 7 games. The over is 27-19 the L3 seasons combined when the Canes are playing with home loss revenge. The last 9 Coyotes games against teams with a losing record have resulted in only 2 unders. Look for that trend to continue here. 10* OVER 5.5 goals (+120) in Arizona Sunday night |
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03-05-17 | Minnesota v. Wisconsin -7 | Top | 49-66 | Win | 100 | 11 h 31 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #836 Sunday 10* Top Play Wisconsin Badgers (-) vs Minnesota Golden Gophers @ 6 ET - This is another classic contrarian situation for me. In a game that certainly means a lot to both teams, many will be grabbing what appears to be generous points with the team that certainly has been the hotter team. Minnesota has won 8 straight games and has gone 7-1 ATS during this red hot run and yet the Golden Gophers are as much as a 7.5 point dog in this one as of early gameday morning? This is even though the Badgers have lost 5 of their last 6 and are on a 1-7 ATS run! It is 'head-scratchers' like these that tend to most bettors up and I fully believe the sharp money here will prove to be on the Badgers. Already we're seeing some early line movement toward Wiscy even though most of the bets are coming in on Minny. Of course that tells you where the big money is flowing and I like the fact this game means a ton for Wisconsin in addition to being Senior Day in their regular season finale. The Gophers haven't won here in Madison in nearly a decade and I don't see that changing today. As far as the Badgers covering the spread here, they actually led Iowa by 9 very late in their most recent game before an unusual late-game implosion led to them losing outright to the Hawkeyes. Prior to this defeat, Wiscy was 14-1 at home this season and they'll be ready to get back on track Sunday evening. The Badgers are allowing just 56 points per game at home this season. The Golden Gophers, by comparison, have allowed 71 points or more in 9 of their last 11 games! Even with their win and cover versus Nebraska Thursday, Minnesota is still just 2-6 SU and ATS in their last 8 March games. By comparison, the Badgers had won 13 of their last 16 March games before the ridiculous loss to the Hawkeyes. Look for a huge response from the home team here as the Badgers add to a perfect 6-0 mark (SU) and 5-1 ATS record this season in home games with a posted total in the 130 to 134.5 point range. 10* WISCONSIN BADGERS minus the points Sunday evening. |
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03-05-17 | Warriors v. Knicks OVER 220 | Top | 112-105 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 38 m | Show |
ABC Daytime Blowout - Rickenbach NBA Game #823 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Knicks vs Golden State Warriors @ 3:35 ET - Of course the big story out of Golden State has been the recent loss of Kevin Durant to injury. However, what has also made headlines is some surprisingly poor shooting performance for key players like Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. Needless to say, a bounce back looms because the Warriors are a stacked team that is certainly about much more than just KD. That said, I am looking for the sub-par Knicks defense to be the perfect antidote for the Warriors. Look for a huge performance from GS shooters today as they take advantage of a Knicks D that has had some better performances of late only because they've faced some weak teams (Philly twice and Orlando) as well as a struggling Raptors team. Prior to this, the Knicks had given up 111 points or more in 8 of their 10 previous games. The Warriors, prior to the ugly 94-87 loss at Chicago, had allowed 107 points or more in 10 of their 13 prior games. Golden State is well rested for this one and they will happily push the pace and look to put up a ton of points and get their shooters back on track. The Warriors are 9-1 to the over in their 10 games this season where they enter off of 2 days of rest. GS has been off since Thursday. The over is 4-2 in New York's home games with a posted total of 220 points or more. Also, Knicks games are 20-11 to the over this season when they are facing a team with a winning record. 10* OVER the total in New York Sunday afternoon |
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03-04-17 | Clippers -130 v. Bulls | Top | 101-91 | Win | 100 | 15 h 6 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Saturday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Clippers (-) vs Chicago Bulls @ 8:35 ET - With Chicago seeking revenge for a loss at Los Angeles earlier this coupled with the fact that the Clippers are in back to back but the Bulls were off last night, many will be backing the home team here. However, in typical contrarian fashion I am lining up on the other side. The Clips are fired up after a turnover-filled loss at Milwaukee last night. LA knows that was an unacceptable performance against the Bucks as it was also ugly at the free thrown line. The Clippers also were done in by Milwaukee shooting lights out in last night's game. After all of that, the Clip should respond in a big way at Chicago and they're catching the Bulls at the right time to get the job done. Chicago is off of a big home win versus Golden State as they got the upset of the Warriors as a sizable home dog. The Bulls are 14-25 ATS the past 3 seasons combined when they are off of an upset win as an underdog. Also, Chicago is 2-5 SU and ATS this season when they are off of a game where they allowed 90 points or less. The Clippers are 55-28 SU in non-conference games the past 3 seasons combined and, for only the 3rd time this season, LA has failed to cover the spread in 4 straight games. This entire season, the Clips have never had a 5-game ATS losing streak and I don't expect that to change today given the strong motivation for the Clippers after last night's ugly performance at Milwaukee. 10* LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS |
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03-04-17 | San Francisco v. Santa Clara +1.5 | Top | 69-76 | Win | 100 | 10 h 59 m | Show |
March Madness - Rickenbach CBB Game #664 Saturday 10* Top Play Santa Clara Broncos (+) vs San Francisco Dons @ 6:30 ET - At first glance this line looks a little off. The Dons have 20 wins on the seasons and the Broncos are only a game over .500 on the season! However, the reason the line is so low (and likely to encourage "action" on San Francisco here) is because both these teams are 10-8 in their conference games this season. The "tipping point" for me in terms of backing the Broncos in this match-up is more than just the 3 point loss at San Francisco last month resulting in a "revenge factor" here. The fact is that the Broncos have been very hot with their shooting touch of late while the Dons have truly been ice cold in many of their recent games. Couple that with the fact that this game is played at a neutral site (Orleans Arena in Las Vegas) and you have the makings of a strong edge toward the Broncos here. Retaining shooting touch is tough for teams to do when away from home and that will exasperate an already tenuous situation for San Francisco in this one. The Dons shot a more "reasonable" 43% from the field in their final regular season game but that was against league-worst Pepperdine. In their previous 4 games, San Francisco was held between 24.7% and 37.5% from the field in all 4 games. The Don't haven't truly shot the ball well in the past 4 weeks as their last hot shooting game was all the way back on February 4th. As for the Broncos, they have shot between 46.5% and 63.9% in 4 of their last 5 games. Santa Clara had won 3 of its last 4 games before running into St Mary's (one of the top teams in the conference) and I look for them to get rolling again after that loss to the Gaels. The Broncos won the first match-up between these teams by 14 points this season. Then, despite being down by 20 points at half-time at San Francisco, the Broncos came all the way back in the eventual 3-point loss to the Dons. It is evident they match up well with SF. More of the same here. 10* SANTA CLARA |
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03-04-17 | Massachusetts v. St Bonaventure -8 | Top | 56-60 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 12 m | Show |
Atlantic 10 Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Game #572 Saturday 10* Top Play St Bonaventure Bonnies (-) vs Massachusetts Minutemen @ 4 ET - Seeding can play an important role in how far a team can go in the A-10 Tourney. With that said, the Bonnies are fully focused on not only getting a big W on Senior Day but also locking up the #5 seed for the upcoming tournament. They can accomplish both objectives Saturday and they're facing the right team to get a blowout win. Massachusetts is 4-13 ATS in conference action this season. Also, the past 3 seasons combined, UMass has gone 1-7 ATS in March games. The Minutemen defense has particularly struggled over the last 8 games. During this stretch, Massachusetts has given up 80 points per game and their 6 losses during this 2-6 stretch have come by an average margin of 13 points per defeat. Only 1 of the 6 losses was by less than 8 points. The Bonnies are off of a loss coming into this one and that carries a lot of significance in terms of this play because St Bonaventure has not lost back to back games since mid-November! The Bonnies are 9-0 SU the last 9 times they've been off of a loss. In terms of covering the spread, it is noteworthy that St Bonaventure is 7-2 ATS in those 9 games and the only 2 ATS losses were both wins by double digit SU margins! In other words, the Bonnies would have covered a single digit spread in each case! After opening up at a 10 yesterday this line has moved down to an 8 and this has led to even more value here with St Bonaventure. Look for the Bonnies to improve to 7-2 ATS their last 9 games played in March. 10* ST BONAVENTURE |
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03-03-17 | Clippers v. Bucks OVER 211.5 | Top | 101-112 | Win | 100 | 10 h 36 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #829 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Milwaukee Bucks vs Los Angeles Clippers @ 8:05 ET - This total was as high as a 216 yesterday so it has come down nearly 5 points now and I'll gladly grab the over here with the "no defense" Bucks. Milwaukee has allowed 50% from the field in their last 5 games and that includes allowing at least 48% from the field in all 5 games. The Bucks have allowed an average of 108 points per game in these 5 games and now host a Clippers team that has allowed an average of 118 points per game in their 4 games since the All Star break. One of those games did go to OT but even taking the OT out of the equation it's been 116 points per game allowed by the Clips. Look for the Bucks to push the pace at home and this one to turn into a wild, high-scoring shootout. The over is 20-11 in Clippers road games this season and the over is 12-3 this season when the Bucks are off of a loss by margin of 10 points or more. Also, the Bucks are 21-10 to the over in home games this season. In non-conference action, Milwaukee has gone 13-7 to the over this season. As is typically the case, the defense played in non-conference match-ups tends to be a little less intense. In my mind, and apparently the odds makers mind as well, based on the trends noted above, we should expect a ton of points in this match-up tonight and I'll gladly fade what is a "wrong way line move" in my opinion. 10* OVER the total in Milwaukee |
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03-03-17 | Iowa State v. West Virginia -7 | Top | 76-87 | Win | 100 | 12 h 37 m | Show |
Big 12 Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #762 Friday 10* Top Play West Virginia Mountaineers (-) vs Iowa State Cyclones @ 7 ET - Many will look to back Iowa State in this spot since the Cyclones have won 6 straight games and are seeking revenge here. However, West Virginia should prove to be the play here. The Mountaineers are off of a loss at Baylor and they shot poorly in both games of that 2-game road swing as they didn't shoot well against the Bears and they weren't much better against the Horned Frogs at TCU. The key here is that West Virginia certainly doesn't want to head into tourney time on a losing streak and they've shown the ability to bounce back all season long. When at home and off of a loss, the Mountaineers have gone 4-0 and won those games by an average margin of 18.5 points per victory. Included in those 4 wins was a 16-point win over Kansas so the teams that West Virginia faced in these situations certainly weren't all cupcakes. Even though Iowa State has been winning, the Cyclones aren't known for their defense and they've allowed 47% from the field in Big 12 action this season. The Mountaineers have held opponents to just 42.6% in home games this season. Also, Iowa State has allowed 45.5% or more from the field in 4 of its last 5 games. West Virginia, before the loss to Baylor, had held 6 of its last 8 opponents to 44.9% or less from the field and 4 of those 6 were held under 39.8% from the field. The Mountaineers are 15-2 SU at home this season. Also, in all games with posted totals in the 150s the Mountaineers are a long-term 28-12 (70%) ATS. Iowa State is only 1-3 ATS and SU the past 3 seasons when playing with home loss revenge and their long-term SU mark in that role is 15-49. Cylones are set up to get rolled in this one as the Mountaineers show why they've earned their nickname of "Press Virginia" with a big win tonight. 10* WEST VIRGINIA |
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03-02-17 | Warriors v. Bulls +7.5 | Top | 87-94 | Win | 100 | 14 h 59 m | Show |
TNT ATS Blowout - Rickenbach NBA Game #702 Thursday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (+) vs Golden State Warriors @ 8 ET - Yesterday afternoon when lines first popped up on this game the Warriors were available as low as a -5. Now, as of very early gameday morning, lines as high as a -7.5 are now posted on Golden State. I completely understand the affection the markets have for the top team in the league, especially when considering that the Warriors are off of a loss. However, this is going to prove to be a tough spot for Golden State and I'll gladly grab the value being offered with the big home dog. The Warriors just lost Kevin Durant to a knee injury and will be playing their 3rd game in 4 nights. As for the Bulls, they will be playing for just the 2nd time in 5 nights and they'll certainly be motivated for this game. Teams almost always get "up" for facing the top teams in the league and Chicago also has the added revenge factor here. The Bulls got annihilated by 31 points last month at Golden State and they also got ripped by 31 points the last time they hosted the Warriors which was last January. Before Chicago's home loss to Denver Tuesday (Nuggets shot "lights out" in that one), the Bulls had won and covered 4 straight games. They've been playing very well and can resume the hot streak here. The Warriors, conversely, are on an 0-4 ATS run and they'll have their hands full as, without Durant, they take on a hungry Chicago team in this one. The Bulls are 15-9 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. Golden State is allowing 116.5 points per game in their last 4 road games. 10* Top Play CHICAGO BULLS plus the big points |
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03-02-17 | Predators +112 v. Canadiens | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 38 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #61 Thursday 10* Top Play Nashville Predators Money Line (+) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:35 ET - Both teams come in on winning streaks but the Predators have averaged 4 goals per game their last 11 games while the Canadiens have scored a TOTAL of just 4 goals in their last 5 home games! As you can see from those numbers we are getting great line value here with underdog Nashville. The red hot Preds have revenge on their minds as they lost at home to Montreal in early January. Prior to that Nashville had won the last 2 meetings by a combined score of 7-2. A lot of value is given to home ice in NHL match-ups but the road team has outshot the home team in each of the last 3 meetings by a combined tally of 109-71 in shots on goal. The Predators have won 12 of 19 when they are off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more this season. The Preds also have won 8 of their last 11 games against teams with a winning record. The Habs have lost 10 of 16 (and cost backers $6,700 at $1K a game) when they are off of a shutout win. After a revenging 1-0 win over Columbus on Tuesday, look for Montreal to fall flat tonight against the red hot offense of the revenge-minded Predators. 10* NASHVILLE money line Thursday |
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03-02-17 | Houston +8.5 v. Cincinnati | Top | 47-65 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 23 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #711 Thursday 10* Top Play Houston Cougars (+) @ Cincinnati Bearcats @ 7 ET - With Cincinnati having such a long home winning streak they are getting plenty of respect from the oddsmakers as well as the betting markets. The Bearcats strong SU record at home is overshadowing the fact that Cincy is currently on a 1-5 ATS run and that Houston is playing their best basketball of the season. The Cougars have won 7 of their last 8 games and their defense has been fantastic of late. That is going to make i tough for Cincinnati to get any sizable margin in this game. The Cougars struggled some on the defensive end in a 1 point win at Memphis Sunday but, prior to that, Houston held 6 of their last 7 opponents under 42% from the field. The Bearcats have been held to 60 points or less in 4 of their last 8 games. Now I fully realize this is a big home game and senior night for Cincy and that after this game the arena will be shut down for a year for remodeling. However, the Bearcats will have their hands full with a Houston team seeking revenge for a 9 point home loss in January where Cincy shot well from three point land and the Cougars uncharacteristically struggled to knock down 3 points. Houston is 4-0 SU this season when playing with home loss revenge. Also, the past 3 seasons combined, the Cougars are 9-3 ATS when they are seeking to avenge a home loss. The Bearcats are 8-2 ATS against teams that don't have a winning record this season but now face a 21-8 Houston team and Cincinnati is 4-11 ATS against teams with a winning record this season including failing to cover 7 of its last 8! Big dog value as Cincy is putting extra pressure on themselves about winning this game since the arena will be shutdown for a year after this for renovations. 10* HOUSTON COUGARS plus the big points early Thursday evening |
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03-01-17 | Marquette v. Xavier OVER 153 | Top | 95-84 | Win | 100 | 11 h 14 m | Show |
Big East Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #551 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Xavier Musketeers vs Marquette Golden Eagles @ 9 ET - The Golden Eagles are one of the top three point shooting teams in the nation. The Musketeers have been going through a tough losing stretch where porous defense has had a lot to do with it. Speaking of porous defense, Marquette is allowing 81 points per game and 50% free throw shooting on the road in Big East games this season. The Golden Eagles won't be able to slow down a revenge-minded Xavier team tonight in what his their home finale but I also expect Marquette to put up a ton of points on the Musketeers. The Golden Eagles have averaged 79 points per game in the last 3 meetings between the teams but Xavier has scored 90 points in each of the last two meetings not played in Milwaukee. The edges here toward the over are large, including Marquette going 3-1 to the over this season (and 10-5 to the over long-term) in road games with a posted total between 150 and 154.5 points. Also, the Musketeers are 4-2 to the over in a home game with a posted total in that same range. Additionally, when playing with road loss revenge, Xavier is on a 10-6 run to the over. The Musketeers are averaging 78 points per game at home this season and the Golden Eagles are averaging 79 points per game on the road this season. Given the situation and the fact Marquette is off of an under despite shooting very high percentages for a 2nd straight game, look for a wild one here to easily get in the 160s as we grab the value on a total that has been driven down some early today. 10* OVER the total in Xavier Wednesday night |
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03-01-17 | Pacers +10 v. Spurs | Top | 99-100 | Win | 100 | 12 h 22 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #515 Wednesday - 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers (+) @ San Antonio Spurs @ 8:35 ET - This is simply too many points for the Spurs to be giving up to a quality Pacers team. Once again, San Antonio played very well on their annual "Rodeo Road Trip" where they're forced out of their venue for a period of a few weeks due to the rodeo taking over their venue. However, the first game back home (especially with the trip wrapping up on the West Coast) is often a tough one after all the travel. I expect the Spurs will find a way to get the win here but look for the game to be decided by single digits. The Pacers are off of a confidence-boosting win at Houston Monday where Indiana rallied from a deficit and knocked off another quality Western Conference team. After tonight's game, the Pacers don't play again until Sunday at Atlanta so, with 3 days off coming up, Indiana is going to go hard in this one. Also, the Pacers are seeking revenge for a tight home loss to the Spurs two weeks ago. Indiana has been shooting quite well and they got their offense flowing against the Rockets Monday. When the Pacers are off of a game where they scored 115 points or more, they've gone 8-5 ATS this season and 16-9 SU the past 3 seasons combined. Look for the Spurs to drop to 3-7 ATS on the season when they are playing a game with 2 days of rest between games. 10* Top Play INDIANA plus the big points Wednesday night |
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02-28-17 | Jazz v. Thunder | Top | 106-109 | Win | 100 | 13 h 24 m | Show |
Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #710 Tuesday 10* Top Play Oklahoma City Thunder (-) vs Utah Jazz @ 8:05 ET - The Jazz dominated the glass against the Wizards Sunday and that helped them overcome a turnover-filled game (24 turnovers for Utah) as they got the road win at Washington. They won't be able to use rebounding to overcome another sloppy game here because the Thunder are one of the top rebounding teams in the league. Couple that with the fact that Oklahoma City is chasing the Jazz for the top spot in the division, this one is set up nicely for home dominance. The Thunder are 22-8 SU (and 20-9-1 ATS) in home games this season. OKC is also 6-3 ATS in divisional games this season whereas Utah has only covered 4 of 10 in divisional action this season. Oklahoma City has won 5 of its last 6 meetings with Utah including each of the last 4 times they've hosted the Jazz. The Thunder have been shooting the ball very well and are one of the highest scoring teams in the league. At home, Oklahoma City is averaging 110 points per game this season. The Jazz are known for struggling to keep up with fast-paced opposition as they are now 15-31 SU the L3 seasons combined in games against teams averaging 106 points or more per game. That includes covering just 9 of 24 games this season that fit those parameters. The Thunder will either pull to within 2 games of Utah in the division or they'll fall to 4 games back depending on tonight's result. As you can see, it's a huge game for OKC and I expect their home floor, rebounding edge, Utah's turnover struggles, and the extra motivation for the Thunder to all be difference makers in this one. 10* OKLAHOMA CITY for a top play selection Tuesday night |
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02-28-17 | St Bonaventure +3.5 v. Davidson | Top | 63-68 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 37 m | Show |
Early ATS Blowout - Rickenbach CBB Game #723 Tuesday 10* Top Play St Bonaventure Bonnies (+) @ Davidson Wildcats @ 7 ET - St Bonaventure is having another strong season in the Atlantic 10 as they gear up for the conference tournament. Speaking of the A-10 Tourney, that was the last time the Bonnies met up with Davidson and it was a tough loss for St Bonaventure in the A-10 quarterfinals as they got into foul trouble and that was a catalyst for blowing a sizable lead in the eventual 4 point loss. Needless to say, this game has been circled on the Bonnies calendars ever since the schedule was released and St Bonaventure wants to build some momentum for the upcoming A-10 Tourney plus they want revenge for what happened in last year's conference tourney. In other words, this is a best of both worlds opportunity for St Bonaventure and they enter this game with confidence off of back to back wins. If you look at the Bonnies results in A-10 action this season they've taken care of business against the teams they're supposed to. The losses that St Bonaventure has in A-10 action came against top tier teams like Dayton, VCU, Richmond, and Rhode Island. Not a single A-10 defeat came against a team that currently has a winning record in conference action. That said, note that Davidson is only 7-9 in Atlantic 10 action and the Wildcats only have 1 win against an A-10 team that currently has a winning record in conference action. That said, should Davidson (only 7-5 at home this season) really be favored here? I don't think so and I feel we're getting exceptional line value given the revenge angle as well. The Bonnies are 4-1 (SU and ATS) as a road dog of 3 points or less and the Wildcats are 2-6 SU and ATS in their last 8 games against teams with a winning record. More struggles for the Cats here against a solid foe. 10* ST BONAVENTURE plus the points early Tuesday evening |
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02-27-17 | Heat -115 v. Mavs | Top | 89-96 | Loss | -115 | 9 h 48 m | Show |
Insiders Edge - Rickenbach NBA Game #511 Monday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (Pick'em) @ Dallas Mavericks @ 8:35 ET - The Mavericks are off of a win against New Orleans but the Pelicans have now lost 3 straight games by an average margin of 17 points per game so I am certainly not sold yet on Nerlens Noel being a huge pick-up for the Mavs. Give credit to Dallas for making some moves to try and improve their opportunity for getting to the #8 seed in the West but the Heat are in a similar position. Miami is going for the #8 seed in the East and, not only that, they are playing the better basketball in comparison with Dallas. Many were starting to question Miami's run after back to back losses two weeks ago. However, the Heat have answered critics by reeling off 3 straight wins and they've now won 16 of 18 wins (both SU and ATS). Miami is still playing with a ton of confidence and this is a team that is 9-2 ATS when off of a win by a double digit margin this season. The Mavericks are 5-9 SU this season (and 16-23 ATS the L3 seasons combined) when they are off of an upset win as an underdog. Also, the Mavs have lost each of their last 3 meetings with the Heat. Dallas had lost 5 of 7 before upsetting New Orleans as a small home dog Saturday and we're getting line value here with a red hot Heat team being priced even better than where the New Orleans line closed at (-2) on Saturday. I'll grab the value as Noel is already talking about taking down the Heat here when he really didn't do that great at stopping the Pelicans bigs on Saturday. New Orleans lost that game for other reasons and Hassan Whiteside and the Heat are going to "take it" to the Mavs here. 10* MIAMI |
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02-27-17 | West Virginia v. Baylor +1 | Top | 62-71 | Win | 102 | 10 h 19 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #518 Monday 10* Top Play Baylor Bears (+) vs West Virginia Mountaineers @ 7 ET - Big revenge spot for Baylor and a tough scheduling spot for West Virginia. The Mountaineers are off of a hard fought victory by a single point at TCU. That marked the 3rd straight road game in which West Virginia struggled with their shooting. Over their last 3 road games combined, the Mountaineers have only connected on 39% of their shots from the field. The only other time that West Virginia had a scheduling situation comparable to this one this season was when they had back to back road games at Oklahoma State and Texas Tech right around the New Year. However, they had more time off in between those games and Baylor is much stronger than the Red Raiders. That said, with only one day off between games, the fact that the Mountaineers did lose that game in Lubbock, and the fact that Bears fans will be going crazy for revenge in Waco tonight, this is going to be a tough atmosphere for the Mountaineers to get a win. Yes, I am aware of the ankle injury involving Baylor's point guard, but I am also aware that the Mountaineers destroyed the Bears in Huntington earlier this season when Baylor was undefeated and that burst the Bears bubble and knocked them off their #1 perch. Rest assured, they haven't forgotten this! Baylor has lost 3 straight games against WV since they knocked them out of the Big 12 tourney 2 years ago. However, 2 of those 3 defeats came at West Virginia. The Bears are 8-0 SU in home games with a posted total in the 135 to 139.5 range the past 3 seasons. The Mountaineers are 2-4 SU and ATS in road games with a total in that same range. Overall, West Virginia is only 4-6 ATS when off of a win against a conference rival and the Bears are 15-3 SU at home this season. 10* BAYLOR |
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02-25-17 | UCLA v. Arizona -1 | Top | 77-72 | Loss | -115 | 13 h 54 m | Show |
Bulldog's Best - Rickenbach CBB Game #670 Saturday 10* Top Play Arizona Wildcats (-) vs UCLA Bruins @ 8:15 ET - Many will be looking at UCLA here because this is a revenge game. However, this is under-estimating the value of the home floor for Arizona. The Wildcats have won 70 of their last 71 home games and there is another big edge here in terms of key personnel. When these teams met earlier this season, it was Allonzo Trier's first action of the season for the Wildcats after sitting out the first two months of the season. He'll be even stronger in this game as he has knocked down 8 of 11 threes in his last two games and averaged 23 points per game in those two games. This is in stark contrast to the UCLA situation. I know that Lonzo Ball was only wearing a walking boot for protective measures after the win at Arizona State. However, Ball definitely tweaked his ankle and is not 100% for this game. Against the Sun Devils he scored just 4 points in 33 minutes of action. That is very concerning for UCLA here as Ball had scored 24 points on 10 of 15 shooting in the first match-up with Arizona a month ago and yet the Bruins still lost the game by double digits! You can see where I am going with this! If Trier is likely to play better and Ball could struggle and plus now this match-up is on the Wildcats home floor, how can the Cats not win again by at least the same margin as they did in the first game? Exactly! My money is on the home team that was as high as a 3 point favorite yesterday and now has come down to a -1. Excellent line value with the small home fave. Even though UCLA is playing this game with home loss revenge, that is a situation that has seen the Bruins go just 1-5 ATS the last 3 seasons combined. Also, in road games with a posted total in the 160s, UCLA is also 1-5 ATS. Look for the Wildcats home dominance to continue in a key game Saturday night. 10* ARIZONA |
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02-25-17 | Canadiens v. Maple Leafs -115 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -115 | 10 h 7 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #10 Saturday 10* Top Play Toronto Maple Leafs Money Line (-) vs Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - The reason this is a contrarian play is because many will back the Canadiens here simply based on their long history of success against the Maple Leafs. This is actually helping to make this the perfect spot to back Toronto because the line is being held lower than it should be because of Montreal's past successes in this match-up. The Maple Leafs have a great shot at finally getting into the win column against the Habs as Montreal still "can't get right" even after the coaching change. Overall it is a long, ugly stretch that has seen the Canadiens lose 8 of their last 10 games. The Leafs come into this game off of a tight loss that has them fired up as they previously had won a respectable 16 of their last 28 games. For the Leafs, that type of a stretch is progress and Toronto has won 9 of 13 this season when playing with home loss revenge. Conversely, Montreal has lost 8 of its last 12 games against teams with a losing record! The Maple Leafs have outshot the Habs in all 3 match-ups this season so they've been on the cusp of turning the corner against a hated rival. On Saturday I foresee them indeed finally turning the corner! Great line value here with the team playing the better hockey and not going through a transitional phase! 10* TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS money line |
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02-25-17 | Hornets v. Kings +3 | Top | 99-85 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 43 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #502 Saturday 10* Top Play Sacramento Kings (+) vs Charlotte Hornets @ 5:05 ET - The Hornets are in a horrible slump and have lost 12 of their last 13 games. The Kings are rejuvenated after the DeMarcus Cousins trade (won by double digits in first game after the All Star Break) and also have won and covered 4 straight home games. Sacramento should hold a big edge on the boards in this game as they have outrebounded 3 of their last 4 opponents by a solid margin while Charlotte has been outrebounded by a ridiculous 15 boards a game in their last 4 games. The Hornets are 0-4 ATS against Pacific Division foes this season and also 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games against teams with a losing record! In other words, Charlotte doesn't take care of business when they should and that is also why they are an ugly 8-17 ATS when playing with revenge this season. The Kings are 15-10 SU and ATS this season when playing against teams with a losing record so they have proven they do take care of business when they should. With that said, there is tremendous line value here with the home dog. 10* SACRAMENTO |
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02-25-17 | Marquette v. Providence OVER 146.5 | Top | 69-73 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 21 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #595 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Providence Friars vs Marquette Golden Eagles @ 4 ET - Providence is off of a big upset win at Creighton as they knocked off the Bluejays as a 7 point underdog! That could leave the Friars a little flat-footed here defensively and Marquette is certainly fully capable of lighting up sagging defenses. In fact, the Golden Eagles are averaging 82.5 points per game game to rank #1 in the Big East. The problem for Marquette is their defense is a major weakness. That is a big part of the reason they lost at home 79-78 when they hosted Providence in late January. The Friars are likely to have another strong shooting performance Saturday as this time they get the Golden Eagles at home. Providence is 9-1 to the over in their last 10 as a favorite! Also, 4 of the last 5 meetings between these teams have gone over the total. Looking even further back, 5 of the last 7 meetings between these teams in Providence have gone over the total. The Friars are shooting 47.2% at home this season including 38.5% from three point land. However, Marquette is shooting 48.5% from the field on the season and, even on the road they are knocking down a fantastic rate of 41% from beyond the arc. The hot shooting Golden Eagles are 4-2 to the over this season (and 20-10 to the over the last 3 seasons) in games where their posted total is in the 140s. Marquette is full of confidence after back to back wins where they averaged 88 points per game and the hot-shooting Golden Eagles will turn this one into a shootout with a Friars team off of a huge upset win that leaves them a little flat on the defensive end after their great effort at Creighton. 10* OVER the total in Providence |
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02-24-17 | Mavs +3 v. Wolves | Top | 84-97 | Loss | -105 | 9 h 27 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #855 Friday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks (+) @ Minnesota Timberwolves @ 8:05 ET - You have to be careful looking at full season numbers with teams. Dallas was garbage for much of this season but they were ravaged by injuries. They were playing better ball leading into the All Star break. As for Minnesota, they won 8 of their last 11 games in January but February turned into a disaster when they lost Zach LaVine early in the month to a season-ending injury. Losing your starting point guard is always tough and the Timberwolves were 2-6 in February before winning their final game before the All Star break, at Denver. The T-wolves defense has been struggling badly. They've allowed 49.4% from the field in their last 6 games. By comparison, the Mavericks (who won 11 of 16 before dropping their last 2 games before the break) have held 7 of their last 13 opponents to 45.9% or less from the field. With the #8 seed well within reach for both of these teams don't be surprised if there is great intensity for tonight's game and I like the Mavericks (healthier and playing the better overall basketball) to get the W tonight on the road. Dallas has won 8 of its last 9 meetings with Minnesota. Also, the Mavs come into this game on a 6-2 ATS run in their last 8 games against teams with a losing record this season. The Timberwolves are 9-18 ATS as a favorite this season and on an 11-28 ATS run when off of a divisional game. Also, when Minny is off of a win by 10 points or more (beat Denver by 13) they have gone 2-9 ATS this season and an ugly 5-18 ATS (2-21 SU!) the past 3 seasons combined. Road rout looks probable here. 10* DALLAS MAVERICKS |
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02-24-17 | Flames v. Panthers OVER 5.5 | Top | 4-2 | Win | 120 | 7 h 17 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Friday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals (+120) in Florida Panthers vs Calgary Flames @ 7:35 ET - The Panthers have won 8 of their last 10 games but the Flames have won 7 of their 10 after last night's 3-2 win at Tampa Bay. In a match-up of two teams playing with plenty of confidence and scoring goals at a high rate, I am going with the over in this one. Calgary has scored at least 3 goals in 8 of its last 10 games while Florida has averaged 3.8 goals per game during their 8-2 hot streak. The Panthers are seeking revenge for a 5-2 loss at Calgary January 17th but the Flames offense will be tough for Florida to slow down. Calgary has scored 14 goals in their last 3 meetings with Roberto Luongo and the Panthers. The veteran netminder is expected to get the start tonight and he has an ugly .874 save percentage in his last 4 games (3 starts). The over is 7-3 in his starts against non-conference opponents this season. Also, the over is a perfect 5-0 in the last 5 meetings between these teams. The over has gone 15-8 this season in Florida's games against teams with a winning record. Florida just recently got back from a rare perfect 5-0 road trip out west and the fact they are scoring more goals (thanks to the return of key personnel like Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau from the injured list) has certainly played a role in the Panthers resurgence. Look for Florida to enjoy success as Calgary is likely to go with back-up goalie Chad Johnson since this is a back-to-back spot. That means the Panthers will be getting a shot at a guy who has allowed 14 goals in his last 4 starts while compiling a horrific .825 save percentage. I look for another high-scoring match-up here given the situation and the added value with the plus money return on the over in this one has me going to my highest rating for this Friday beauty. 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Florida |
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02-24-17 | Pennsylvania -5 v. Cornell | Top | 69-66 | Loss | -105 | 10 h 2 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #867 Friday 10* Top Play Pennsylvania Quakers (-) @ Cornell Big Red @ 7 ET - Quakers guard Ryan Betley just earned co-Big Five player of the week and co-Ivy League rookie of the week after he poured in a season-high 28 points in a win over Brown last week and also had a solid 12 point performance with three assists in the victory over Yale. The reason I mention him here is because he led Penn with 22 points in their win over Cornell earlier this season. Considering that Betley is only a freshman, he is improving dramatically as he gets more experience. The point is that he will be even tougher for the Big Red to stop the 2nd time around and should help lead the red-hot Quakers to another win. Penn comes into this game having won and covered 4 straight games while Cornell has been at the other end of the spectrum as they have lost 5 of their last 6. The only win the Big Red got during this stretch came against a bad Dartmouth team and the 5 Cornell losses came by an average margin of 11.6 points per defeat. Every single Big Red loss came by at least 7 points and that's why I have no qualms about laying this shorter number with Penn on the road in this one. Pennsylvania is hot and they've also gone 8-4 ATS the past 3 seasons when they are off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. They're both shooting well and defending well and the same can certainly not be said for the Big Red. Also, Cornell is 4-11 ATS the past 3 seasons when playing with road loss revenge and they are also 0-4 SU this season when seeking revenge from a road defeat. This is simply not a very good Big Red team this season and I look for the Quakers to continue their dominance in this series. 10* PENNSYLVANIA |
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02-23-17 | Coyotes v. Blackhawks OVER 5.5 | Top | 3-6 | Win | 112 | 9 h 10 m | Show |
TV Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #9 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Blackhawks vs Arizona Coyotes @ 8:35 ET - Red hot Chicago has won 7 of their last 8 games and they have scored at least 4 goals in all 7 of those victories! It all began with a 4-3 win at Arizona to begin the month and certainly there is every reason to believe the Blackhawks will have another big game in terms of offensive production tonight. However, don't be surprised if the Coyotes hang around in this game. Arizona has scored at least 3 goals in 12 of its last 15 games! The Coyotes have had just 3 unders in their last 15 games and Chicago comes into this one having gone 14-3-1 to the over in their last 18 games. 6 of Arizona's last 8 games against teams with a winning record have resulted in an over. Chicago has gone over the total in 7 of its last 8 games against teams with a losing record. The Blackhawks also have averaged scoring 5 goals in their last 5 meetings with the Coyotes. Arizona has averaged 3 goals per game in its last 5 games against the Hawks. Considering Chicago is off of a big rivalry win over Minnesota and has a big game with rival St Louis on deck, don't be surprised if their defensive intensity is not at its best tonight. This is particularly likely because the Blackhawks have a history of success against the Coyotes so it's hard for the D to get particularly excited about this match-up. As a result, look for plenty of goals in this one. 10* OVER the total in Chicago |
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02-23-17 | Rockets v. Pelicans +3.5 | Top | 129-99 | Loss | -105 | 13 h 36 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #506 Thursday 10* Top Play New Orleans Pelicans (+) vs Houston Rockets @ 8:05 ET - Houston is 40-18 on the season and New Orleans is 23-34 on the season. Something looked "funny" with the opening number on this game, didn't it? Of course now, as expected, the markets have already done some early "pounding" on the Rockets side and have driven this line up. In typical contrarian fashion (hence the title - Contrarian Crusher) I am stepping in on the other side of this one. Of course the big story in New Orleans is the DeMarcus Cousins acquisition. But there is much more than "just that" to like about the Pelicans in this match-up. They went 3-1 on their 4-game road trip right before the All Star break and this is one of just 3 home games they have scheduled in the entire month of February! That said, they certainly want to make it "count" and they did lose their most recent home game. Another key here is that the Pelicans have not lost back to back home games since prior to the mid-way point of December! New Orleans had gone 9-5 in their 14 home games since December 15th but then lost to Utah two weeks ago. That adds "fuel to the fire" for the Pelicans tonight and the Rockets are only 2-5 ATS in their last 7 road games. Also, New Orleans is seeking revenge for a 22-point beating at Houston when these teams met in December. Prior to that, the last 4 games between these teams had been decided by a total of just 15 points. With Cousins now in the mix, the Pelicans are going to be tough for the Rockets to put away in this one. Look for the outright upset and if New Orleans does fall short it certainly should be by just a single possession. The Pelicans are 27-16 ATS the past 3 seasons against teams that average 106 points or more per game. Everyone will be lining up for the Rockets in this one and, from experience, I know what that usually results in...an upset! 10* NEW ORLEANS |
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02-23-17 | South Florida v. Tulsa OVER 137 | Top | 68-82 | Win | 100 | 10 h 30 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #537 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Tulsa Golden Hurricane vs South Florida Bulls @ 8 ET - The first total to come out on this game was a 140 yesterday afternoon. The total has since dropped down to a 137 and its offering up fantastic line value on the over in this match-up. The over is a perfect 4-0 all-time in this series. Also, the Golden Hurricane are 8-2 to the over as a favorite this season. This is a late season match-up involving two teams with a losing record and that tends to be a good 'recipe' for an over as defense tends to lag in games like this. Following true to that theory, Tulsa is 3-0 to the over this season (and 11-3 to the over the past 3 seasons combined) when facing a team with a losing record in a game that is past the mid-way point of the season. As for South Florida, they are 12-5 to the over the last 3 seasons combined in their games against teams with a winning record. The Bulls are also 5-1 to the over this season as a road dog of 12.5 points or more. When playing with home loss revenge, South Florida has gone 5-1 to the over this season. The over is also 10-3 this season when the Bulls are off of a loss in conference action. South Florida has allowed opponents to knock down a ridiculous 55% of their shots from the field in the Bulls last 4 road games combined. As for the Golden Hurricane, 4 of their last 5 opponents have knocked down at least 49% of their shots from the field. Look for more of the same Thursday. 10* OVER the total in Tulsa |
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02-22-17 | Minnesota v. Maryland -3.5 | Top | 89-75 | Loss | -110 | 14 h 50 m | Show |
Big Ten Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Game #732 Wednesday 10* Top Play Maryland Terrapins (-) vs Minnesota Golden Gophers @ 8:30 ET - Even though this is a revenge game for Minnesota, the Golden Gophers have gone 7-21 ATS in road games the past 3 seasons combined. Also, Minny is off of a fortunate OT win over Michigan Sunday. That victory was at home and even though the Gophers have a pair of road wins during their current 5-game winning streak, those victories came at Illinois and Rutgers! Prior to those two road wins, the Golden Gophers had lost 3 straight games away from home and had suffered 5 straight defeats overall. Now Minnesota has to face an angry Maryland team that will be fired up from the opening tip in this one. The Terrapins actually led the Badgers by 6 in Madison on Sunday but then allowed Wisconsin to go on a huge 2nd half run. This ended up leading to, not only a SU loss, an ATS loss for the Terps. Maryland is 12-3 at home this season and their only two Big Ten home losses came by a total of just 3 points. Maryland and Minnesota both play solid defense but the Terrapins are the better shooting team and the Terps have played a slightly tougher schedule thusfar. Also, Maryland is 10-3 ATS in Big Ten action this season and had covered 9 STRAIGHT games against teams with a winning record before Sunday's shocking loss. As a road dog of 3.5 to 6 points, the Golden Gophers are 1-5 SU and ATS! Minny is shooting just 40% in road games this season while Maryland has knocked down 44% of it shots at home on the season. Look for the Terrapins, who have lost back to back games only once this entire season, to get right back into the win column here. 10* MARYLAND |
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02-21-17 | Clemson +3 v. Virginia Tech | Top | 70-71 | Win | 100 | 12 h 43 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #507 Tuesday 10* Top Play Clemson Tigers (+) @ Virginia Tech Hokies @ 7 ET - I am calling this one an ESPN Smash Pass since it is on ESPNU Tuesday but it just as easily could have been called a Contrarian Crusher because I certainly am "going against the grain" here. When one looks at this game one can help but notice that Virginia Tech is 18-8 on the season and a respectable 7-7 in ACC action while Clemson is only 4-10 in conference action. Not only that, the Hokies are a fantastic 13-1 in home games and the Tigers are an ugly 3-6 in true road games this season. That said, how in the world did Virginia Tech open up as only a 2 point favorite here? Precisely! Give me Clemson! I love to fade the masses in games like this and I fully expect many will load up on the Hokies given the parameters I just outlined above. Why are the Tigers the play? For one thing Virginia Tech is off of a grueling 94-90 loss at Louisville Saturday where they lost despite shooting 59% from the field and 65% from three point land. To shoot that well and still lose says a lot about the Hokies! Another factor is the absence of Chris Clarke who recently was lost for the season. He led the team in rebounding and steals and was also one of the top players for assists and scoring! Among the starters, Clarke also led the team in FG %. His absence is a big one and Clemson could easily be coming into this game on a 7-1 run. In fact the Tigers are only 3-5 their last 8 games but 3 losses came by just 1 or 2 points and even the loss at Miami Saturday (by 6 points) was not decided until the final minute. Clemson is flying a bit "under the radar" right now as a result and I see them getting revenge for a 1 point home loss to Virginia Tech a month ago. In comparing these two teams the Tigers have played the tougher schedule this season. Additionally, the Hokies are 1-4 ATS this season when they are off of a game where they allowed 79 points or more. Virginia Tech is also an ugly 1-3 ATS when they are off of a game where they scored 89 or more points this season. The Hokies just won't have enough left in the tank after that loss to the Cardinals and the avenging Tigers are the play here. 10* CLEMSON |
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02-20-17 | Iowa State v. Texas Tech OVER 144.5 | Top | 82-80 | Win | 100 | 11 h 21 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #715 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Texas Tech Red Raiders vs Iowa State Cyclones @ 9 ET - The Red Raiders are off of a multiple OT loss at West Virginia Saturday. Being back home where they have won 3 of their last 4 and averaged 79 points per game should help them to get back on track. However, Iowa State is likely to match Texas Tech bucket for bucket in this one. The Cyclones have won 4 of their last 5 games and they have scored at least 80 points in regulation time of all 4 of those victories. Overall, Iowa State has been shooting the ball very well (including from three point land) but the Cyclones have allowed 76 points per game (in regulation time) over their last 7 games. Both teams should get into the upper 70s in this game and yet we're dealing with a total that has made a bit of a downward move this morning. This is giving us plenty of line value in a game that matches up a pair of teams both hitting 38% from three point land on the season. 5 of the Cyclones last 7 games against teams with a winning record have gone over the total. Also, the over is 5-1 in Iowa State's last 6 games where they are a road dog of 3 points or less. The over is also 5-1 this season in Texas Tech games where they are playing with road loss revenge. Both teams shot very poorly in that first match-up at Iowa State this season and that is helping to keep this total lower than it should be. The over is 5-2 in Texas Tech games where they are playing with 1 day of rest or less between games and, also, the over has gone 7-3 this season in Red Raiders games with a posted total in the 140s. 10* OVER the total in Texas Tech |
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02-19-17 | Michigan +1.5 v. Minnesota | Top | 78-83 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 59 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #861 Sunday 10* Top Play Michigan Wolverines (+) @ Minnesota Golden Gophers @ 7 ET - Michigan is 3-6 on the road this season while Minnesota is 14-3 at home this season which explains why this is another contrarian play for me. As long-time followers know, I like to go "against the grain" more often than not and this is another one of those ideal situations to do it. Even though Minnesota has won 4 in a row, the wins came against teams that are a combined 18-39 in Big Ten action this season! Prior to that the Golden Gophers had lost 5 straight games. Minny has proven time and time again that they struggle to close out games against quality competition. The Golden Gophers comes into this game as one of the worst shooting teams in the Big Ten while the Wolverines are one of the top shooting teams in the conference. Michigan is off of a big win versus Wisconsin Thursday but I certainly don't expect a letdown here. Keep in mind the Wolverines recently got a win over in-state rival Michigan State and then there was no letdown as they won on the road at Indiana. Also, on deck for Michigan is a road game at Big Ten worst Rutgers so there is certainly no lookahead either. The Wolverines are shooting 48% from the field in Big Ten action and, on the season, Michigan has knocked down 38.4% of their three pointers. Defense has been the weakness of the Wolverines but, in this late season push, they've made a conscious effort to improve on that end of the floor and they've held 2 of their last 4 opponents under 40.5% from the field. Also, they've held 3 of their last 4 opponents to 21.1% or less from the field. Michigan is on a 6-2 ATS run and they've held the upper hand in recent meetings with the Golden Gophers. The Wolverines are 4-2 ATS this season when off of a Big 10 win. Minnesota is still just 16-36 SU in conference games the past 3 seasons combined. Look for their struggles in crunch time to continue again today as they do battle with a team they are knotted up with in the standings. The Golden Gophers have not handled pressure situations well this season. 10* MICHIGAN |
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02-19-17 | Blackhawks -120 v. Sabres | Top | 5-1 | Win | 100 | 7 h 13 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #9 Sunday 10* Top Play Chicago Blackhawks Money Line (-) @ Buffalo Sabres @ 6:05 ET - It has been amazing how poorly teams have done after the mandatory bye week this season in the NHL. The Blackhawks won 5 straight games through last Saturday and then they were off all week and, sure enough, lost yesterday. That defeat for Chicago (versus Edmonton) will have the Hawks fired up to bounce back here. They're catching the Sabres red hot heading into their bye week which starts tomorrow. The Sabres have been getting strong goaltending from Robin Lehner but this is a back to back spot and he was in goal for yesterday's home win versus St Louis. With Buffalo playing a lot of games recently, this is a tough spot in terms of the goalie situation. Also, the Sabres are 0-2 this season (and 1-7 the L3 seasons combined!) when they enter a game on a 3-game winning streak. As you can see, Buffalo is not known for long losing streaks and they're in trouble here with Chicago coming into this game angry off of a loss. Also, the Sabres have lost 30 of 44 when in the 2nd game of a back to back and the Blackhawks also have a long winning streak going against Buffalo. Chicago comes into this game having won 22 of 32 games against teams with a losing record this season. Also, the Blackhawks have won 7 of 10 this season when playing the 2nd game of a back to back and the Hawks have won 32 of 45 Sunday games the past 3 seasons combined. 10* CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS on the money line |
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02-18-17 | Panthers +150 v. Kings | Top | 3-2 | Win | 150 | 12 h 11 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Saturday Florida Panthers Money Line (+) @ Los Angeles Kings @ 10:05 ET - Even though this is a back spot for Florida, they are the play here. They are on a tremendous surge thanks in part to the recent return of two of their top players, Jonathan Huberdeau and Alexander Barkov. The Panthers have now won 6 of their last 7 games and the lone loss was to the Kings in Florida. In other words, this is a revenge spot for Florida and I expect them to get it. Keep in mind, even though this is a back to back LA and Anaheim are right next to each other in Southern California so no true travel was involved here. The Kings have but one win (that victory over the Panthers) in their last 4 games and Los Angeles has been outscored 15 to 3 in their other 3 games. Both of these teams are battling for playoff spots (one in the East and one in the West) but only one team is currently playing like a true contender and that is the Panthers. That said, I'll gladly grab the underdog value in this revenge spot. The Panthers have already won 9 of 13 Saturday games this season. The Kings have also fared well on Saturdays but they come into this game struggling and their goaltending has been a major issue of late. 10* FLORIDA PANTHERS money line |
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02-18-17 | Wyoming +8.5 v. Boise State | Top | 87-91 | Win | 100 | 11 h 42 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #601 Saturday 10* Top Play Wyoming Cowboys (+) @ Boise State Broncos @ 6 ET - This line has already moved from a +7.5 to a +8.5 and I understand the move as Boise State is off of a loss so many are expecting a bounce back here. However, the Broncos are now taking on a team they already beat this season and that was their 3rd straight victory over Wyoming. Coming off of a disappointing loss to a New Mexico team that is very close to them in the standings AND with a big game on deck at Nevada (another team close to Broncos in standings), Boise State is in a "sandwich spot" here. Off of a big game and with another big game on deck, the Broncos are likely to struggle to put away the Cowboys here. Boise State has been held under 42% from the field in 6 of its last 9 games. Their D has allowed 48% or more in each of their past two games. As for Wyoming, they've held 6 of their last 7 opponents under 42.5% from the field. Also, even on the road, the Cowboys have shot the ball well of late and have averaged 74.4 points per game in MWC road games! Wyoming simply doesn't give up and they'll battle hard here in hopes of getting revenge for a home loss to the Broncos last month. The Cowboys are 3-1 ATS as a road dog of 6.5 to 9 points. Wyoming is also 9-5 ATS against teams with a winning record this season. The Broncos are 0-3 ATS as a home fave of 6.5 to 9 points this season. Also, Boise State is 0-3 ATS this month and 0-5 ATS the L3 seasons combined when they are at home with a game total posted in a range of 150 o 154.5 points. That's a combined 0-11 ATS mark which I'll gladly test here as the Cowboys will prove to be the hungrier, more focused team in this match-up and they're catching a lot of points here. Only 3 times this entire season have the Cowboys lost a game by more than 10 points. They'll battle hard again here and I expect this one to be decided by only a single possession or two when the final horn has sounded. 10* WYOMING COWBOYS |
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02-18-17 | Florida State v. Pittsburgh OVER 153.5 | Top | 66-80 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 60 m | Show |
ACC Total of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Game #579 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Pittsburgh Panthers vs Florida State Seminoles @ 4 ET - Both of these teams come into this one shooting the ball very well and another shootout can be expected here as a result. The over is 3-0 in Florida State's last 3 games and the Seminoles are on an 8-3 run to the over in their last 11 games. The Noles are averaging 84.3 points per game on the season and have shot 47% or better from the field in 4 straight games. The Panthers did struggle some offensively against Virginia Tech in a tight loss Tuesday but Pittsburgh had shot 48% or better in each of their 4 prior games. Also, the Panthers have been hot from three point land in 4 of their last 5 games. Pittsburgh scored 78 points or more in 3 of its 4 prior games before losing to the Hokies. As for Florida State, they have won 3 straight games before their loss to Notre Dame and averaged 93 points per game in the 3 wins. In their last 5 games overall, the Seminoles have averaged 81 points per game. The over is 7-3 in the Noles last 10 games against teams with a winning record. The over is a perfect 4-0 when Pittsburgh is a home dog in a range of 3.5 to 6 points. Also, the over is a perfect 3-0 the last 3 times the Panthers have hosted Florida State. Look for more of the same on Saturday afternoon. 10* OVER the total in Pittsburgh |
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02-17-17 | Penguins v. Blue Jackets -116 | Top | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 14 h 47 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #2 Friday 10* Top Play Columbus Blue Jackets Money Line (-) vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The Penguins are playing their 3rd game in 4 nights and this is a tough back to back situation for them. Pittsburgh had to battle hard to get past Winnipeg 4-3 in overtime last night. The Penguins also saw a couple of players leave yesterday's game with injury as both Justin Schultz and Olli Maatta were forced out with injuries in the 2nd period last night. Whether those players are able to go tonight or not the fact remains that the Penguins players are in a tough spot here considering the scheduling situation. The Blue Jackets were off yesterday, they are at home for this game, and they're playing it with revenge. The Pens did knock off the Jackets earlier this month but the Penguins have won just once in their last five visits to Columbus! The Blue Jackets will have #1 goalie Sergei Bobrovsky ready to go for this one after resting him Wednesday and he is 4-1 with a solid 2.16 GAA in his 5 home starts versus Pittsburgh since he came to Columbus in 2013. Certainly tonight's big divisional battle means a lot to both teams but certainly it is even bigger for the Blue Jackets as they want to make the most of hosting the Stanley Cup Champions just like they did in their only other home game with the Penguins this season: a 7-1 win on December 22nd. The Pens have lost 15 of 28 (-$8,600) Friday games the past 3 seasons while the Blue Jackets are a stellar 9-1 (+$9,400) on Fridays this season. Also, Columbus is a perfect 6-0 this season when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games on home ice. Look for the Jackets to get the job done in what is game 5 of a 7-game homestand as that record extends to 7-0 on the season. 10* COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS |