Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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03-01-20 | Michigan v. Ohio State OVER 136.5 | Top | 63-77 | Win | 100 | 8 h 1 m | Show |
Big Ten Total of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #831 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Ohio State Buckeyes vs Michigan Wolverines @ 4 ET - I am aware there are a few injury situations in this game but I feel we have great value here with this total and I don't expect Eli Brooks to play for the Wolverines while the Buckeyes only really significant absence is Kyle Young but others will step up in his place at home. In terms of the value with this low total here, the Wolverines are 7-2 their last 9 games and have averaged scoring 73 points per game during this stretch. They are about a 4 point dog in this one. Last time I checked a 77-73 final totals 150 points. In other words, if Michigan hits their recent average and the odds makers are right about the spread here, we have ourselves an easy winner. The Buckeyes have won 4 of their last 5 games and have averaged 74 points per game during this stretch. Off an easy win versus a bad Nebraska team, Ohio State could be in for a surprise here as the Wolverines are playing with a lot of a confidence and scoring very well of late. Also, Michigan has revenge from a low-scoring home loss to the Buckeyes early last month. After sub-par shooting in that meeting, watch things open up in a big way today and we'll see plenty of scoring in this one. 10* OVER the total in Ohio State |
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03-01-20 | Xavier v. Georgetown | Top | 66-63 | Win | 100 | 7 h 40 m | Show |
Afternoon TV Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #821 Sunday 10* Top Play Xavier Musketeers (-) @ Georgetown Hoyas @ 2 ET - The Musketeers are the much better team. Even though Naji Marshall is on the injury report he has been upgraded to probable. Conversely, the Hoyas Omar Yurtseven and Mac MacClung are both listed as questionable for this one. Keep in mind, Georgetown has lost 3 straight games and also is just 1-4 SU in its last 5 home games. Xavier brings momentum into this game after a home win versus DePaul in their most recent game. The Musketeers are now 5-2 SU (and 6-1 ATS) their last 7 games and clearly this is a case of two teams heading opposite directions as the regular season winds down. Xavier has dominated this series but did lose their last visit to Georgetown. Look for the Musketeers to make up for that here as they continue their surge and send the Hoyas to a 4th straight loss. The road team also holds the coaching edge in this match-up and that is not a factor to overlook especially in the case of a game with a line near pick'em. 10* XAVIER |
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02-29-20 | UNLV v. San Jose State +10 | Top | 92-69 | Loss | -115 | 8 h 7 m | Show |
MWC Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #700 Saturday 10* Top Play San Jose State Spartans (+) vs UNLV Rebels @ 5 ET - Perfect set up here. Home finale for San Jose State to wrap up another disappointing season. UNLV enters this road game having won 4 straight games. However, the key here is where this game is being played. The Spartans are much more competitive on their home floor than on the road. San Jose State has had only 4 home games since mid-January. Though only 1-3 SU in those 4 games, 2 of the 3 losses came by 6 or less points. Don't be surprised when San Jose State keeps this game much closer than many are expecting and they could even get the outright upset. The Rebels have won 4 straight games but only one (San Diego State) was truly shocking. The other 3 games all had tight low lines and could have gone either way. Now, on the road for this one and considering that the Rebels are just 4-8 SU on the road this season, there is really no justification for UNLV being a double digit favorite in this one. The line opened up at an 8.5 and moved to as high as a 10 and I am stepping in on the other side of the move and going with the "ugly home dog" theory in this one. Especially being the last game of the regular season, look for the Spartans to go all out here and keep this game much closer than many are expecting. 10* SAN JOSE STATE |
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02-29-20 | Seton Hall v. Marquette OVER 148 | Top | 88-79 | Win | 100 | 7 h 30 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #647 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Marquette Golden Eagles vs Seton Hall Pirates @ 2:30 ET - The odds makers are sharp. That said, the first game between these teams easily stayed under the total and yet this total opened up at a higher number than the first meeting! Why? Well, for one thing these teams had a ridiculous 2nd half in the first meeting. They had combined for 77 points at halftime but then the Golden Eagles scored only 18 points in the 2nd half of the game. That happened at Seton Hall and I guarantee that won't happen with Marquette as the host in the rematch. Home in Milwaukee for this one, look for the Eagles to score plenty but their weakness is they won't be able to stop Seton Hall. The Pirates have averaged 74 points per game in their last 3 meetings with Marquette. Also, Seton Hall enters this game scoring an average of 77 points per game their last 4 games. The Golden Eagles have scored an average of 80 points per game on their home floor this season. Both teams enter off a win in which they scored more than 80 points and that confidence spills right into this game and both teams continue their high-scoring ways. 10* OVER the total in Marquette |
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02-29-20 | Providence +7.5 v. Villanova | 58-54 | Win | 100 | 4 h 26 m | Show | |
PA Insider - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #607 Saturday 8* Providence Friars (+) @ Villanova Wildcats @ Noon ET - The Friars have plenty of motivation here as they have lost 5 straight games against the Wildcats. This includes getting knocked out of the Big East tourney by Villanova each of the last two years. Providence eyes payback here as they also lost at home to the Cats earlier this season. The Friars could be catching Nova at the ideal time. One of the Wildcats best players, Connor Gillespie, is questionable with a thigh injury here. 3 of the last 6 meetings between these teams have been decided by 6 or less points. Villanova does enter this game on a 5-game winning streak but that was preceded by a 3-game losing streak which was capped off by a home loss to Seton Hall. What does that have to do with this game? The Wildcats next game is at Seton Hall! This is a lookahead spot for Villanova. The Friars enter this game off 3 straight wins and having won 5 of their last 7 games. The timing is perfect and the road team is the more motivated team and playing some of their best basketball of the season. Give me the points! 8* PROVIDENCE |
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02-28-20 | Dartmouth v. Cornell OVER 124 | Top | 82-70 | Win | 100 | 10 h 36 m | Show |
Ivy Total of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #861 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cornell Big Red vs Dartmouth Big Green @ 7 ET - This total has been pushed too low. The Big Red could get Jordan Jones and/or Jimmy Boeheim back tonight. But, either way, Cornell has averaged scoring 61.5 points (in regulation time) in the two games since Boeheim got hurt. Also, this is a revenge game from the ugly 75-53 loss at Dartmouth two weeks ago which was the game in which Boeheim got hurt early. This actually increases the likelihood that he'll be back tonight to be part of the revenge attack. But again, either way, I like the over plenty in this one. The total has simply been pushed too low by over-reaction to the fact the Big Red allowed just 45 points in their most recent game. Keep in mind, Cornell had allowed 74.4 points per game in regulation time of their 7 games that preceded the low-scoring win versus Brown. Also, the Big Green enter this game having scored an average of 67 points per game in going 3-1 their last 4 contests. The issue for Dartmouth on the road has been defense. The Big Green have lost 7 straight road games and have allowed an average of 68 points per game in those 7 defeats. You can see, per the above, why I am expecting this game to get into the mid-130s and yet we're dealing with a total in the mid-120s. I'll take it! 10* OVER the total in Cornell |
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02-28-20 | Kent State +1.5 v. Ohio | Top | 69-76 | Loss | -108 | 10 h 58 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #875 Friday 10* Top Play Kent State Golden Flashes (+) @ Ohio University Bobcats @ 6:30 ET - The Golden Flashes are a perfect 2-0 SU and ATS the last two times they have been a road dog. However, their two most recent road games saw them first lose a tight one as a small favorite and then get blasted by 21 points as a small favorite at Eastern Michigan. After that embarrassing losses, the Golden Flashes have had their next road game circled blood red as a chance to redeem themselves. Riding the momentum of a home win versus Miami-Ohio, Kent State now will continue their series dominance against the Bobcats. The Golden Flashes are 6-1 SU in their last 7 meetings with Ohio University. The Bobcats are off a big home win versus Buffalo but are 1-4 SU the last 5 times they have entered a game off a SU win. The win for Ohio U over Buffalo was the first time this season that they have beaten a team that currently has a winning record in MAC games. Now the Bobcats face a Kent team that already owns wins over Buffalo and Akron this season. The fact is that the Golden Flashes are the better team and can rise to the occasion in a tough situation. That said, I have no hesitation grabbing them on the road here against an Ohio University team that has had its share of struggles on its home floor. 10* KENT STATE |
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02-27-20 | Indiana v. Purdue OVER 128.5 | Top | 49-57 | Loss | -113 | 10 h 50 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #615 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Purdue Boilermakers vs Indiana Hoosiers @ 7 ET - These teams have played some ugly games in recent meetings but that has led to this total being kept to low by the betting markets. There are plenty of signs pointing to this game getting well into the 130s and yet this total has dipped into the 120s in early market activity. The Boilermakers are on a 4-game losing streak but 2 of those defeats came on the road. Purdue has continued to score well in home games. Prior to being held to 63 points at home against Michigan, the Boilermakers averaged scoring 76.6 points per game in their 5 preceding home games. Speaking of hot scoring, Indiana is "feeling it" right now. The Hoosiers have won 3 of their last 4 games and scored an average of 75 points in those 3 wins. Indiana has allowed an average of 70.6 points per game their last 8 games. The Boilermakers have allowed an average of 74 points per game their last 4 games. Given all of the above, you can see why this game getting into the 140s would certainly not be a total shock. That is why I certainly expect this game to get well into the 130s and that makes this one a very strong play given the line value we're getting here. 10* OVER the total in Purdue |
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02-27-20 | Delaware +4 v. College of Charleston | Top | 71-80 | Loss | -105 | 9 h 22 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #601 Thursday 10* Top Play Delaware Fightin Blue Hens (+) @ College of Charleston Cougars @ 6 ET - The Cougars have won 8 straight meetings between these teams. The College of Charleston is also at home for this game. In typical contrarian fashion, I am on Delaware in this one! But certainly it is not without reason. The Fightin Blue Hens are the better team this season and they have plenty of motivation here. Delaware blew a 6 point home lead against the Cougars in late December for their 8th straight loss in this series. The key to the value in the rematch is that the College of Charleston has lost 4 straight games both SU and ATS. Additionally, the Cougars have failed to cover 9 of their last 13 games. They're simply not playing well and not faring well at the betting window either. As for Delaware, they do enter this game off a loss but the Fightin Blue Hens had won 8 of 9 SU and 6 of 8 ATS prior to the home loss to Hofstra. Off that ugly loss by a double digit margin and having not forgotten their ugly loss by a double digit margin at home against the Cougars, look for the Hens to roll on the road in this one! The last 3 times when the Fightin Blue Hens were off an ATS loss they have gone a perfect 3-0 ATS in their next game. Look for them to again thrive in that role in this one. 10* DELAWARE |
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02-26-20 | Rutgers v. Penn State -6 | Top | 64-65 | Loss | -105 | 13 h 15 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #812 Wednesday 10* Top Play Penn State Nittany Lions (-) vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights @ 7 ET - The set up here is perfect. The Nittany Lions are off back to back losses. They shot the ball poorly from long-range in a home upset loss to Illinois. That then carried over to a road loss at Indiana. Now, back at home, Penn State gets rolling again from beyond the arc. Keep in mind, prior to back to back losses, the Lions had won 8 straight games and averaged 78 points per game! Adding to the value here of the Nittany Lions laying about a half dozen points, Penn State lost at Rutgers by double digits earlier this season. This is a revenge game and now the Lions catch the Scarlet Knights having lost 5 of 7. One of those two Rutgers wins came in OT against a bad Northwestern team. In other words, the Knights aren't playing very well right now and haven't been for about 3 weeks! Look for the Nittany Lions to get payback in a big way in this one. The Scarlet Knights have lost 5 straight road games SU and also are just 1-4 ATS their last 5 games overall. Penn State has only failed to cover twice in their last 10 games. The Nittany Lions are also 17-2 SU in their last 19 home games! Only 1 of their 8 wins in the recent streak came by less than 6 points and that was a 5 point win. In other words, all signs pointing to a home win and cover in this one. 10* PENN STATE |
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02-26-20 | St. John's v. Villanova OVER 146.5 | Top | 60-71 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 7 m | Show |
PA Insider - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #781 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Villanova Wildcats vs St John's Red Storm @ 6:30 ET - The Wildcats are off a low-scoring grinder win over Xavier on Saturday. You saw how the Musketeers reacted in their next game as their match-up with DePaul last night had 80 points by half-time and went over the total rather easily. I look for a similar situation here with Villanova. We have a higher total to deal with than last night's Xavier game but that's because St John's is known for getting involved in high-scoring games. The Red Storm have allowed 81 points per game their last 4 road games. The Red Storm are off an ugly loss at Seton Hall Sunday but had scored an average of 77 points per game their 4 prior games this month. As for the Wildcats, they are off the aforementioned low-scoring win over the Musketeers, but that extended their winning streak to 4 games and they averaged scoring 80 points per game in their 3 prior wins. Also, Villanova has allowed 72 points per game in their last 3 home games. The Cats will run and gun here with the Red Storm. 10* OVER the total in Villanova |
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02-25-20 | TCU v. Iowa State -2 | Top | 59-65 | Win | 100 | 9 h 50 m | Show |
Big 12 Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #606 Tuesday 10* Top Play Iowa State Cyclones (-) vs TCU Horned Frogs @ 7 ET - Losing on your home floor is one thing. Losing by 30 points as a host is another thing! The Cyclones just got blasted at home by Texas Tech on Saturday and need to make amends for that here. Iowa State will take advantage of hosting a TCU team that is off a home win and is 0-7 SU in their last 7 road games. The Horned Frogs are also 0-7 ATS in those games! Texas Christian University has held the upper hand in recent meetings between these schools and that has led to line value here with the Cyclones as a host. Iowa State is 6-0 ATS the last 6 times they were at home and coming off an ATS loss. That means we have double perfect trends at play with the Horned Frogs in an 0-7 ATS spot and the Cyclones in a 6-0 ATS spot. Make it a triple perfect spot actually as TCU is also 0-3 ATS the last 3 times they have entered a game off a SU win. It has been a month and a half since the Horned Frogs have won back to back games and I look for them to again fail in that situation here. The Cyclones get their revenge for all the recent losses to TCU including falling just short on the road earlier this season. The home court makes all the difference here. 10* IOWA STATE |
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02-25-20 | DePaul v. Xavier OVER 136 | Top | 67-78 | Win | 100 | 8 h 58 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #609 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Xavier Musketeers vs DePaul Blue Demons @ 7 ET - Xavier needs to bounce back strong after a low-scoring home loss to Villanova Saturday. Prior to that defeat, the Musketeers had been on a 4-1 run and they averaged 70.5 points per game in the 4 victories. On the season, Xavier is averaging 71.6 points per game at home. In other words, they'll bounce back strong here. The key to the over is that DePaul has been getting involved in plenty of high-scoring games of late. The Blue Demons have scored an average of 70.3 points per game their last 4 games. The issue for DePaul is they can't stop anyone. The Blue Demons have allowed 76 points or more in 6 of their last 8 losses. DePaul has allowed an average of 84 points per game their last 3 games. That even includes a rare win, versus Georgetown, in their most recent game. I am well aware of the under trending in this series but this one is set up perfectly for an over based on the situational aspects of this one. 10* OVER the total in Xavier |
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02-24-20 | Louisville +3 v. Florida State | Top | 67-82 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 20 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #873 Monday 10* Top Play Louisville Cardinals (+) @ Florida State Seminoles @ 7 ET - The Noles are ranked higher right now than the Cards plus they are at home. However, it is with good reason that this game is priced so low. The road team has revenge and has already beaten Duke on the road this season. The Cardinals lost their two most recent road games and that further strengthens the likelihood of a massive bounce back here. This team is poised for payback here at Florida State. Yes the Seminoles got the upset win at Louisville earlier this season but shot a ridiculous 55% from the field overall and 48% from three point land in that game. You know the Cardinals are going to be in lockdown mode on D against FSU after those embarrassing results in the home loss. The Seminoles are having a great season, there is no doubt about that. But I still feel strongly that the Cardinals are the better team and the revenge angle is strengthening this play. That is the only home loss that the Cards have this season. Now they face a Florida State team that hasn't lost a home game this season. You can see where I am going with this. The Cardinals have a chance at the sweetest type of revenge here and I look for them to return the favor and hand the Seminoles their only home loss of the season. 10* LOUISVILLE |
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02-23-20 | Maryland v. Ohio State -2.5 | Top | 72-79 | Win | 100 | 8 h 56 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #858 Saturday 10* Top Play Ohio State Buckeyes (-) vs Maryland Terrapins @ 4 ET - Ohio State continues to show strong home/road dichotomy. The Buckeyes are a great team on their home floor but constantly struggle on the road. This game is at Columbus and unlike the recent miracle win for the Terps at Michigan State, there will be no miracles here. Give Maryland credit, they did play a good game against the Spartans. But they were down by 7 with just a couple minutes left and then ended the game on an insane 14-0 run. That is not happening here against an Ohio State team that is 13-2 SU (and 10-5 ATS) in home games this season. The Terrapins enter this game off a non-covering win versus a bad Northwestern team. Maryland has won 9 straight games and also defeated Ohio State when they hosted the Buckeyes early last month. Now it is time for payback and there there is a reason the higher ranked team is an underdog here. Don't let the line fool you. Ohio State gets revenge on their home floor and they get it in a big way. The Terrapins have won 3 straight match-ups including the most recent one at Columbus so payback is on order here. The Terps are shooting just 39.8% from the field in road games this season. The Buckeyes are shooting 48.9% from the field in home games this season. Look for that to be a difference-maker in the rematch. 10* OHIO STATE |
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02-23-20 | Penn State v. Indiana OVER 143 | Top | 60-68 | Loss | -105 | 4 h 21 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #821 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Indiana Hoosiers vs Penn State Nittany Lions @ Noon ET - The Nittany Lions had been rolling but enter Sunday off an ugly loss to Illinois. In that game Penn State scored only 56 points. This was preceded by a stretch in which PSU scored an average of 78 points per game during an 8-game winning streak. Now this total that opened up at 145 is down to a 143 and I feel we have great value with the over in this match-up. The Hoosiers have been scoring well at home but won't be able to stop an angry Nittany Lions team on the other end in this one. That means we should see plenty of points in this one. Indiana has scored an average of 76 points per game in its last 3 home games. You can see why I am expecting this game to get into the 150s given the above recent trending for these teams. Also, we're getting value here because the last meeting between these teams stayed well under the total but both teams had rare poor shooting nights from beyond the arc. With regards to the rematch, note that the Nittany Lions are hitting 36.3% of their threes in road games this season and the Hoosiers are knocking down 35.3% of their shots from long range in home games this season. Indiana has allowed an average of 80 points per game their last 3 games and this one has all the right ingredients to turn into a back and forth high-scoring affair. 10* OVER the total in Indiana |
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02-22-20 | Richmond -120 v. St Bonaventure | Top | 71-75 | Loss | -120 | 10 h 45 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #735 Saturday 10* Top Play Richmond Spiders (-) @ St Bonaventure Bonnies @ 6:30 ET - Great situation here for value. The Spiders are on the road so that keeps this line manageable. In fact, grabbing the money line (in the 120 range as of 9 AM ET) is a solid value here for those with access to it. Richmond has revenge on its mind here as St Bonaventure has held the upper hand in recent meetings between these teams. I like the fact the Bonnies have a respectable record but have struggled when stepping up in class in conference action and that is the case here. St Bonaventure just got hammered by Davidson and also got rolled by Dayton and Virginia Commonwealth and lost to Rhode Island this season. Dayton, Rhode Island, and Richmond are the top 3 teams in the conference standings so I am expecting the Bonnies to again struggle here. The Spiders won at Rhode Island this season and also have a recent win over VCU. Richmond enters this game on a 5-game winning streak and also has revenge on their minds here. The Spiders have lost each of their last 3 meetings with the Bonnies. One was at home, one was on the road, and one was a neutral site Atlantic Ten conference tourney loss. Payback time here. The Spiders have allowed just 52.6 points per game their last 5 games! St Bonaventure has allowed 80 points or more in 5 of their past 9 games! 10* RICHMOND |
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02-22-20 | North Carolina v. Louisville OVER 145 | Top | 55-72 | Loss | -109 | 8 h 39 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #719 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Louisville Cardinals vs North Carolina Tar Heels @ 4 ET - I used the over in Louisville's first revenge match-up this week as I knew they wouldn't take their foot off the gas with a chance to blowout Syracuse. Indeed it played out that way as the Cardinals won 90-66. Now, with a chance to get payback against the Tar Heels, I look for Louisville to again pile up the points. North Carolina has been a nemesis for Louisville in recent seasons and that includes knocking them out of the ACC Tourney last March. Now the Cards get a chance at revenge while the Heels are having a down season. They won't pass up this opportunity and, just like the game against the Orange, they won't take their foot off the gas. The Cardinals are averaging 78 points per game at home. The Cards have averaged 84 points per game in their last 4 home games. The Tar Heels are not a very good team defensively this season but are capable of putting up solid point totals in the right situation and this is one of those. Louisville is going for the home rout here and will be willing to play a fast pace with plenty of running up and down the court and quick points in transition. The over is 8-3 in the Cardinals last 11 games. There have been only 4 unders in North Carolina's last 13 games. 10* OVER the total in Louisville |
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02-22-20 | Villanova v. Xavier +1 | 64-55 | Loss | -114 | 7 h 55 m | Show | |
PA Insider - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #642 Saturday 8* Xavier Musketeers (+) vs Villanova Wildcats @ 2:30 ET - Revenge game for the Musketeers as they lost by 6 points as a 5.5 point dog at Villanova in late December. I haven't forgotten that game as I had Xavier there and have been waiting for this rematch. The Musketeers shot only 11% from 3-point land and that was the difference in the game. Though not a great shooting team, Xavier is certain to shoot much better than that on their home floor. Also, the Musketeers enter this game on a perfect 5-0 ATS run and they have won 4 of their last 5 SU too. They catch the Wildcats on a 1-4 ATS slide in Big East games and Villanova is over-valued in this spot in my opinion. Keep in mind the Cats also knocked the Musketeers out of the Big East tourney last March so this game certainly carries plenty of extra meaning for the home team. Xavier did allow 74 points in their win at St John's Monday. However, the Musketeers entered that game having allowed 62 points or less in 5 straight games! As for Villanova, they have allowed 70 points or more in 5 of their last 6 games. 8* XAVIER |
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02-21-20 | Green Bay v. Detroit OVER 165 | Top | 84-67 | Loss | -109 | 12 h 29 m | Show |
Horizon League Total of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #853 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Mercy Titans vs Wisconsin Green Bay Phoenix @ 7 ET - I know this is a very big total posted on this game but both these teams are poor defensively and the Phoenix love to run and gun. As for the Titans, they'll be bringing a strong effort right from the opening tip in this one as they were done in by a very poor first half in their most recent game here and then scored 39 in the 2nd half. Detroit can put up big points in the right situations and this is one of them. Green Bay is off a big win at rival Milwaukee. That game totaled 184 points as the Phoenix continue to rely on offense to win games and they continue to be weak on the defense end. They gave up 90 points to the Panthers in that win and no, there was no overtime! History in this series also suggests a wild game is on tap. There has been just 1 under in the last 8 meetings between these teams. Also, the average points scored in the last 10 meetings between these teams is 180.7 per game. UWGB is allowing opponents to hit 47% from the field in road games this season and 38% from three point land away from home. On the season the Titans are allowing 77.5 points per game and the Phoenix are scoring an average of 81.4 points per game. Given the situation here, as well as the series history and the recent trending for each of these teams, we should see an absolute shootout. Before a low-scoring OT loss in their most recent game, Detroit Mercy had scored an average of 75.4 points per game their 8 preceding games. Now take that level of scoring and match it up with the run and gun Phoenix and you have the makings of a game where each team is likely to get well into the 80s. Green Bay has scored more than 90 points in each of its last 3 victories and here they are taking on a 6-21 Titans team certainly not known as a defensive stalwart. 10* OVER the total in Detroit |
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02-20-20 | Ohio State +3 v. Iowa | Top | 76-85 | Loss | -115 | 10 h 43 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #623 Thursday 10* Top Play Ohio State Buckeyes (+) @ Iowa Hawkeyes @ 7 ET - The Hawkeyes have been great at home and are laying a small number here. However, don't let that fool you. There is a reason this game is priced that way. Iowa is likely to again be without CJ Fredrick. The guard is one of their top players but is dealing with a bad ankle sprain. If he does play he won't be 100%. Also, the Hawkeyes are off a road win but they've haven't won back to back games since a 5-game winning streak wrapped up 3 weeks ago. The Buckeyes come into this game rolling as they have won 5 of 6 games. However, their last road game was an ugly loss at Wisconsin. Not only does Ohio State want to make up for that here, they also haven't forgotten their last visit to Iowa. In that game the Hawkeyes blasted them by double digits in a game the Buckeyes led at halftime. It is payback time here. When Iowa is off a tight win (margin of 6 or less points) they have gone 0-8 ATS. Ohio State is 6-0 SU and ATS this season when they enter a game off 2 or more consecutive home wins. The Buckeyes are also 6-0 SU and ATS this season when off a game in which they allowed 55 points or less. 10* OHIO STATE |
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02-20-20 | Connecticut v. Temple OVER 134 | Top | 89-93 | Win | 100 | 9 h 2 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #627 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Temple Owls vs Connecticut Huskies @ 7 ET - The Owls are ready to hit the floor running tonight. They are off a home loss to Villanova Sunday in which they were really shut down in the 2nd half and managed a total of only 56 points for the game. The Huskies defense took a major blow with the loss of 6'9 shot-blocker Akok Akok in the very first minute of the game against Memphis Sunday. Connecticut managed to win without him as they defeated the Tigers but, long-term, that is going to be a major blow for the Huskies in terms of defense around the rim. Look for Temple to immediately take advantage. Also, even though the over is only 3-2 in the last 5 meetings between these teams, note that all 5 of those games totaled 138 points or more. I really like the great value here with today's posted total being held in the mid-130s. The Owls loss to the Wildcats stayed under the total but they entered that game on a 3-game over streak. The Huskies win over Memphis stayed under the total but they entered that game having gone 5-1 to the over in their 6 prior games. The Owls had averaged 79.3 points per game in regulation time of their 3 home games prior to the loss to Nova. UConn has averaged 70 points per game in its last 3 road games. 10* OVER the total in Temple |
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02-19-20 | Syracuse v. Louisville OVER 140 | Top | 66-90 | Win | 100 | 13 h 32 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #785 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Louisville Cardinals vs Syracuse Orange @ 7 ET - This total, as of very early game day morning, has dropped quite far from its opener and I won't hesitate to step in on the added value. The Orange have had just 1 under in their past 8 games. The Cardinals have seen 7 of their past 10 games result in an over. Syracuse consistently allows 70 points per game and has allowed 82.3 points per game in its last 4 games. Louisville has revenge on their mind here as they lost last season at Syracuse by 20 points. The Cardinals had been red hot all season long but now enter this game off back to back road losses. At home, angry, playing with revenge...Louisville will NOT take their foot off the gas in this game. That said, Syracuse certainly is a vulnerable defense that is capable of giving up a ton of points. At the same time though, the Orange have also scored an average of 76 points per game their past 9 games. The Cardinals have scored 80 points or more in each of their last 3 home games. Look for this one to fly over the total because, given the situation (as noted above), there will be no let up from the Cards and they'll be running hard and scoring big all night long. 10* OVER the total in Louisville |
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02-19-20 | Butler v. Seton Hall -5 | Top | 72-74 | Loss | -105 | 13 h 30 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #782 Wednesday 10* Top Play Seton Hall Pirates (-) vs Butler Bulldogs @ 6:30 ET - We're getting some line value here because Bulldogs point guard Aaron Thompson has been upgraded to probable and that has moved the line a little toward Butler. He is not a big scorer but he leads them team in assists and, as such, is attracting some attention here. Thompson had missed the Georgetown game which was the Bulldogs 6th loss in their past 10 games. However, even though he is coming back, Thompson was on the floor when Butler lost as a host versus Seton Hall earlier this season. Additionally, the last 3 road games Thompson has played in, the Bulldogs have gone 0-3 and lost all 3 by double digits. With Seton Hall still at the top of the Big East but off back to back losses, the Pirates are hell bent on a huge game at home for this one. Seton Hall is not only off B2B losses overall but also has lost each of its past two home games after starting the season 10-1 SU at home. That is why I am backing the Pirates for a huge bounce back effort here and they should cover the short number as well. Nearly all their wins have come by a margin of at least a half dozen points this season. 10* SETON HALL |
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02-18-20 | Illinois v. Penn State -6 | Top | 62-56 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 9 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #606 Tuesday 10* Top Play Penn State Nittany Lions (-) vs Illinois Illini @ 6:30 ET - Penn State has been red hot. The Nittany Lions enter this game having won 8 in a row both SU and ATS! The Illini enter this game having lost 4 in a row SU and they covered just 1 of those 4 losses. Also, Illinois has lost 6 straight games to Penn State SU and also is on an 0-7 ATS run in games against the Nittany Lions. As you can see, there are streaks galore that support a play on PSU in this one but there is also more. The leading scorer for the Illini is Ayo Dosunmu and he is listed as questionable for this game. If he plays I don't expect him to be 100% physically or mentally for that matter. He took a very nasty fall at the end of the Illinois loss to Michigan State. Though the MRI ended up showing no structural damage the fact is that it was very ugly and is not an injury you just bounce right back from. Dosunmu missed the next game, 15 point loss at Rutgers, and could miss this game as well. Again, even if he does play I do not expect him to be playing at his normal high level and he had some rough shooting performances in recent games too. Right now the Nittany Lions are roaring and I don't see them getting knocked off at home here. Penn State has Indiana on deck but that is not a big deal as they already beat them by 15 during this 8-game winning streak. In other words, there is no lookahead here, the Nittany Lions are at home, and the Illini are both slumping (0-4 SU L4) and hurting (leading scorer questionable). All signs point to a home blowout here so I have no hesitation in laying the half dozen points here. 10* PENN STATE |
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02-17-20 | North Carolina v. Notre Dame OVER 147 | Top | 76-77 | Win | 100 | 10 h 19 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #863 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs North Carolina Tar Heels @ 7 ET - The Tar Heels have had just 4 unders in their last 15 games. North Carolina takes to the road after an intense defensive effort Saturday went for naught when Virginia drained a 3-pointer to hand the Heels a last-second loss. That is the type of game that means the Tar Heels defense won't be traveling with them here per se. It is simply very difficult to come up with strong defensive efforts in back to back games and I look for this match-up with Notre Dame to turn into a run and gun affair. Keep in mind, North Carolina had allowed 79 points per game in their two prior games (not including OT versus Duke). As for the Irish, they have allowed 77 points per game in their last 4 home games. The over went a perfect 4-0 in those games as the Fighting Irish also scored an average of 83 points per game in those home games. Notre Dame is coming off a home game versus Duke in which they allowed 94 points. The Irish offensive production has been bottled up in recent games but that had a lot to do with whom they were facing. That all changes here against a Tar Heels team having a rough season. This game played very loose with plenty of points considering what these teams are coming off of. The first game between these teams this season continued the trend of unders in recent meetings between these foes. However, the pace was there for an over and the situation with both these teams is much different late in the season than it was early in the season. North Carolina becoming cemented in the bottom of the ACC standings and the Irish turn to their normally potent offense at home to carry them in this one. The result will be an absolute shootout. 10* OVER the total in Notre Dame |
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02-17-20 | Xavier -1.5 v. St. John's | Top | 77-74 | Win | 100 | 11 h 31 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #861 Monday 10* Top Play Xavier Musketeers (-) @ St John's Red Storm @ 6:30 ET - The Musketeers enter this game on a perfect 4-0 ATS run. Xavier is also a perfect 10-0 SU in the last 10 meetings between these teams. The Red Storm are 0-3 SU when off a win. Keep in mind St John's had lost 9 of their last 11 games before their rare win over Providence Wednesday. The Musketeers had won 3 in a row before their loss at Butler Wednesday. The Red Storm are also now without 2nd leading scorer Mustapha Heron. You can see that we have triple perfect support in terms of trending for this play. With the Musketeers off a loss and St John's off a rare win, I am looking for the streak to reach 11 in a row in this series! 10* XAVIER |
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02-16-20 | San Diego State v. Boise State OVER 140 | Top | 72-55 | Loss | -115 | 7 h 59 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #847 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boise State Broncos vs San Diego State Aztecs @ 4 ET - The Broncos would love to knock off the 25-0 Aztecs here. We could see a bit of a letdown from San Diego State in terms of defensive intensity too. That's because they just locked up the MWC title. Yes, they have already clinched with 4 games to go in the season. As for the Broncos, they know they're unlikely to top the Aztecs in a low-scoring grinder. They need to play fast and move the ball well to create easy scoring opportunities like they did in the second half of their win over Air Force earlier this week. Boise State is averaging 83.7 points per game at home this season. San Diego State is averaging 76.5 points per game on the road this season. The over is 5-1 in the Aztecs last 6 games. The over is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings between these teams. When these teams meet at San Diego State, the Broncos have struggled to score well at time. But in their last 4 neutral site meetings or games played at Boise State, the Broncos have averaged 79.3 points per game. Of course the Aztecs are favored here for a reason (going 25-0 is no accident!) but you can see why San Diego State is projected to have to score plenty here to topple Boise State. The Broncos are a very tough home team (12-1 this season) and score very well as a host. The result is plenty of points in this one Sunday. 10* OVER the total in Boise State |
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02-16-20 | Villanova -6.5 v. Temple | Top | 76-56 | Win | 100 | 5 h 1 m | Show |
PA Insider - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #821 Sunday 10* Top Play Villanova Wildcats (-) @ Temple Owls @ 1 ET - This is a big game as part of the Big 5 in Philly each year. The Wildcats usually win the Big 5 Title in Philly and they are 3-0 this season in Big 5 action while the Owls are 2-1. That means Temple can earn a share of the title with the upset win here. However, Villanova is going to prove to be too much here. Yes the Wildcats had endured a recent losing streak but they faced very stiff competition and their most recent 1-point win was a game in which Nova led by 18 points in the 2nd half. As for the Owls, they have started winning again but have faced weak competition too. They are off a win versus Tulane, the worst team in the AAC, and Temple actually was trailing by 13 points near the midway point of the 2nd half of that game. The point is that the Owls were well on their way to losing outright to a very bad team before they rallied while the Cats are off a game in which they were on their way to a blowout win over a quality opponent before barely hanging on. Those results give us line value here with a rather short number on Villanova. Temple is off back to back wins but had lost 8 of 10 prior to that. Also, 2 of their 3 most recent wins have come against East Carolina and the Green Wave. Those teams are a combined 6-18 in AAC action this season. The Wildcats have battled it out with 3 straight Top 25 teams and now are going to take advantage of a step down in level of competition here. Keep in mind that even though this game is at Temple, both these teams are Philly teams. In other words, it is not much of a "road game" at all. The Wildcats roll. 10* VILLANOVA |
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02-15-20 | Maryland v. Michigan State -6.5 | Top | 67-60 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 38 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #730 Saturday 10* Top Play Michigan State Spartans (-) vs Maryland Terrapins @ 6 ET - The Terrapins are ranked in the top 10 in the country right now while the Spartans have fallen out of the top 25. Maryland has won 7 straight games while Michigan State had lost 3 straight games prior to notching a tight 1-point win at Illinois Tuesday. That said, why did Michigan State open up in the range of a 7-point favorite for this one? Precisely! Don't be fooled as the Spartans are set to roll to a double digit win on their home floor here. Their most recent game as a host was a rare home loss as a surging Penn State team went into East Lansing and got the upset win. Prior to that, the Spartans were 10-1 SU at home this season. Also, their point differential is 23 points at home as Michigan State's games as a host have had an average score of 83 to 60. Even though Maryland has been hot, this is still a Terrapins team that is just 3-4 SU on the road this season. The Terps have a point differential of only 2.5 points on the road this season as they have averaged 68.9 points but allowed 66.4 points in road games this season. The Spartans are known for dominating the paint in match-ups with Maryland. The Terrapins do have 6'10 Jalen Smith but are really lacking in talented big men when it comes to depth. Look for Michigan State to, as per usual, wear down the Terps as this one goes on. The Spartans have dominated home meetings with Maryland and, overall, have won the last 3 match-ups by an average margin of 16.7 points per game. That is the range I expect this one to finish in as well. The Spartans are use to being at the top of the Big Ten but right now the Terrapins occupy that spot. Undoubtedly the home team has something to say about that here. 10* MICHIGAN STATE |
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02-15-20 | Ole Miss v. Kentucky OVER 136.5 | Top | 62-67 | Loss | -109 | 8 h 17 m | Show |
SEC Total of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #645 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Kentucky Wildcats vs Ole Miss Rebels @ 2:00 ET - Ole Miss is rolling with momentum right now. The Rebels are off a third straight win as they just knocked off rival Mississippi State Tuesday. The Rebels have averaged 78.3 points per game their last 3 games. The over is 6-3 in the last 9 meetings between these teams including a perfect 3-0 L3. Many of those overs have absolutely crushed the posted totals and I feel this one will too. The average score of the last 10 meetings between these teams is Kentucky 85, Ole Miss 71. The Wildcats also enter this game on a 3-game winning streak and they have averaged 78.3 points per game in those 3 victories. On the season the Wildcats are averaging 77.4 points per game at home. I know that the Rebels have some ugly full season numbers in terms of scoring on the road but the way they have been playing of late and the fact Kentucky has a big game on deck at LSU (also 9-2 in SEC like the Cats are) has me expecting Ole Miss to score very well in this game. The problem for the Rebels will be, like it is for most teams playing Kentucky, they won't be able to slow down the Wildcats here. UK is off a win versus Vanderbilt Tuesday which totaled 142 points. That would have gone over given today's number but though it resulted in an under in that game, the over was on a 10-3 run in Wildcats games heading into that match-up with the Commodores. 10* OVER the total in Kentucky |
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02-15-20 | Purdue +5.5 v. Ohio State | 52-68 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 59 m | Show | |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #607 Saturday 8* Purdue Boilermakers (+) @ Ohio State Buckeyes @ Noon ET - The Boilermakers are off a loss and allowed 88 points. This followed a stretch that had seen Purdue win 3 straight games. I expect them to bounce right back here as the Boilermakers are 5-0 SU the last 5 times they are off a loss in which they allowed 70 points or more. Purdue is facing a Buckeyes team today which is off a non-covering home win versus Rutgers. That dropped Ohio State to 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games. They continue to be over-valued in my opinion. Yes, I know the Buckeyes have a strong SU record at home but, in Big Ten home games prior to facing the Scarlet Knights, Ohio State was just 2-2 SU and one of those wins came against a bad Nebraska team. Also, last weekend we saw the Buckeyes get absolutely destroyed at Wisconsin as the game wasn't even as close as the 70-57 final would lead one to believe. The Boilermakers have confidence here as they won at Columbus last season plus blasted the Buckeyes when they hosted them last season. Coming off a home loss but having won their two prior road games, the Boilers get it done again on the road here. If they do fall short I expect the defeat to come by just a bucket or two. Grab the points. 8* PURDUE |
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02-14-20 | Davidson +4 v. St Bonaventure | Top | 93-64 | Win | 100 | 10 h 16 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #865 Friday 10* Top Play Davidson Wildcats (+) @ St Bonaventure Bonnies @ 7 ET - There is a reason this line is set lower than many would expect. St Bonaventure is 17-8 this season and 9-3 in conference games. Davidson is only a game above .500 on the season overall and in conference games. Also, the Wildcats are on the road here. So the Bonnies should be favored by much more than just the typical 3 or 4 points that is considered the home court edge, right? Long-time followers know how I feel about supposed "flawed lines" or "bad numbers". The fact is the line is set this way with good reason. For one thing Davidson has been a bit of a nemesis of St Bonaventure's in recent years. The Bonnies confidence tends to be "shot" when they are facing the Wildcats. Also, a big key here as it relates to the overall records of these teams and the fact that St Bonaventure enters this game on a 5-game winning streak, the Wildcats have played a much tougher schedule this season. Also all of the Bonnies A-10 wins (except one upset win by a 3-point margin over Duquesne) have come against teams at the bottom of the standings. All those teams have a record of 4-7 or worse in A-10 action. The non-conference schedule is where Davidson has faced a much tougher schedule. Also, in A-10 action the Wildcats lost at VCU by 11 points while the Bonnies lost by 28 points. Davidson's only other two losses in the past 5 weeks each came by 6 or less points. The Wildcats are a tough team to pull away from and the Bonnies haven't even been able to beat the Cats in recent meetings let alone pull away for any kind of margin. Give me the points. 10* DAVIDSON |
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02-13-20 | Wichita State -3 v. UCF | Top | 75-58 | Win | 100 | 12 h 12 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #623 Thursday 10* Top Play Wichita State Shockers (-) @ UCF Knights @ 7 ET - Perfect set up here. The Knights are off a win versus Tulsa. That is was an impressive victory for UCF. Keep in mind the only other 3 wins they have in AAC action came against the 3 worst teams in the conference: South Florida, East Carolina, Tulane. Also, prior to rare back to back wins for the Knights, they were barely a .500 team on the season. Now we can fade them with an angry Shockers team that, not too long ago, was 15-1 on the season! Wichita State is fired up after an extremely embarrassing 76-43 loss at Houston. Yes, the Shockers have lost 3 straight games now but they played 3 of the top teams in the conference: Tulsa, Cincinnati, Houston. Those 3 teams have a combined record of 26-8 in AAC action. Now, taking on a team which they are 4-0 against and a team that is only 4-7 in AAC action this season, Wichita State will take advantage. Perfect set up here as the Shockers are off their worst game in AAC action on the season while the Knights are off their best game in conference action on the season. The result here will be a road rout in this ideal scenario. 10* WICHITA STATE |
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02-13-20 | Memphis v. Cincinnati OVER 137 | Top | 86-92 | Win | 100 | 11 h 1 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #625 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cincinnati Bearcats vs Memphis Tigers @ 7 ET - When these teams met on January 16th, the very first total that popped up on the game was a 140. The game held close to that range despite the market activity that day. The end result though was a game that totaled only 109 points. Now, 4 weeks later, nearly the identical total has been posted on this game as it opened up at a 139. So clearly the odds makers don't know what they're doing, right? Of course I am being sarcastic here but the point is there is very good reason the odds makers opened this total up in nearly the identical spot despite the fact the first meeting between these teams stayed under the total by a margin of 30+ points! For one thing, despite the last game here staying under the total, the over is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings between these teams in Cincinnati. That is some historical perspective. However, the key reason this total is where it is relates to the way these two teams have been playing recently. The Bearcats, since being held to 49 points at Memphis 4 weeks ago, have scored an average of 74.5 points per game their last 6 games and that does NOT include teh OT points in the loss at Connecticut Sunday. As for the Tigers, they have scored 70 points more in 4 of their last 5 games and have averaged 74 points per game their last 3 games. Both teams enter this match-up off back to back overs. Memphis is 3-1 to the over this season in games in which they are an underdog. Also, the Tigers are 6-1 to the over when they are off an upset loss as a favorite. The Bearcats are 6-1 to the over when off a loss in AAC action. 10* OVER the total in Cincinnati |
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02-12-20 | Xavier +6 v. Butler | Top | 61-66 | Win | 100 | 8 h 24 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #781 Wednesday 10* Top Play Xavier Musketeers (+) @ Butler Bulldogs @ 6:30 ET - With each win, confidence grows. That makes for a dangerous dog here. The Musketeers have won 3 straight games and here they are catching about a half dozen points in a revenge game against a struggling Butler team. The Bulldogs have won only 3 of their past 8 games and, by the way, all 3 wins came by 5 or less points. That means if you played against Butler with +5.5 (today's dominant line) in each of their past 8 games, you have gone 8-0 ATS. Look for the Musketeers to continue that trend here as they get revenge for losing by 5 points in their most recent meeting (March) with the Bulldogs. Prior to that tight defeat, Xavier had won 4 straight meetings with Butler. Both teams have impressive defensive numbers on the season but the Bulldogs, not including OT points in the Marquette game, have allowed 73.1 points per game their past 8 games. The Musketeers have allowed an average of only 59.7 points their last 3 games and have held 5 of their last 6 opponents, not including OT points in the Marquette game, to 62 points or less! I like the value with the surging underdog looking to avenge a March loss in this one. I'll gladly grab the generous points as Butler is "pressing" a bit right now and starting to wilt under the pressure. Give me the unranked team in this one as they play well as a tenacious underdog! 10* XAVIER |
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02-12-20 | Creighton v. Seton Hall UNDER 146.5 | Top | 87-82 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 57 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #784 Wednesday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Seton Hall Pirates vs Creighton Bluejays @ 6:30 ET - The Bluejays have remained under the total in 7 of 9 road games this season. The Pirates have remained under the total in 8 of 12 home games this season. Creighton is off a very high-scoring home win versus St John's on Saturday but the Bluejays simply shot "lights out" in that game and that is unlikely to be repeated here. Creighton has not shot the ball well on the road this season. This is normal year in and year out with the Bluejays. They light it up at home but struggle to consistently score on the road. They don't shoot the 3-ball as well on the road and note that the Pirates, 10-1 in Big East action this season, have held opponents to just 27% from beyond the arc in home games this season! Seton Hall has allowed just 62.2 points per game at home this season. In the Pirates last 4 home games they have averaged scoring just 67 points per game. In other words, they've been winning at home with defense and certainly they are not interested in getting into a fast-paced transition game with the Bluejays. Seton Hall is well aware of how Creighton successfully used their transition game at home on Saturday. The Pirates will be methodical here and rely on their strong defense to frustrate the Bluejays. The last time these teams met here in Newark the game totaled only 121 points. I am not saying this one will be quite that low but I am saying it should only reach into the 130s at most given all of the above! 10* UNDER the total in Seton Hall |
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02-11-20 | St Bonaventure v. St. Joe's +8.5 | Top | 74-56 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 14 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #608 Tuesday 10* Top Play St Joseph's Hawks (+) vs St Bonaventure Bonnies @ 7 ET - I know the Hawks have had a tough season but this is a spot where this Philly team has a great shot at a big upset win at home. In comparison with St Bonaventure, St Joseph's has played the much tougher schedule this season. Also, the key here is the situation. The Bonnies blasted the Hawks in both games last season and that included an embarrassing home loss here in Philadelphia. St Joseph's will be ready to go here. As for St Bonaventure, they are off a tight upset win at Duquesne that ended an 0-3 ATS run in road games for the Bonnies. On deck is a home game with Davidson. That may not seem like a big deal BUT it is the Wildcats that swept St Bonaventure last season PLUS also eliminated them from the Atlantic 10 Tournament the prior season. Keep in mind that was the season the Bonnies made it to the NCAA Tournament and had a very strong team. Having now lost 3 straight games to Davidson, they can't help but be thinking a little bit about their upcoming home date with the Wildcats. For the Hawks, it is all about this game and getting some revenge and having a huge game on their home floor. I fully expect, given the situation, that we're going to see St Joseph's play one of their best games of the season tonight at home. If the Hawks do fall short on the scoreboard here, look for the defeat to come by a margin of just a bucket or two in a fierce end-game battle. This line has moved from as low as a 6 to as high as an 8.5 and I am grabbing the big dog value here. 10* ST JOSEPH'S |
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02-11-20 | Penn State v. Purdue OVER 135 | Top | 88-76 | Win | 100 | 8 h 29 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #601 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Purdue Boilermakers vs Penn State Nittany Lions @ 6:30 ET - The Nittany Lions are red hot and have won 6 straight games SU and ATS. The Boilermakers also are heating up again with 3 straight wins including a win at rival Indiana on Saturday. Purdue has been on fire from beyond the arc as they have hit 27 of 54 three pointers in their past two games and averaged scoring 89 points per game in the process. I don't foresee them slowing down at home either. Of course that is why the Boilers are a 5 point home favorite over a red hot Penn State team that has climbed all the way to #13 in the rankings. The Nittany Lions are in for a barrage of 3 pointers here and remember they allowed 55 points in the 2nd half of what ended up being a nail-biter win over Minnesota Saturday. That said, I expect Purdue to score plenty here but Penn State to battle back as they could also get a boost with the return of Myreon Jones for this one. Either way, the high-scoring trending in this series continues. Their last 4 meetings all have gone over the total and the one before that 4-0 run to the over totaled 144 points and so of course that would make it 5 straight overs if had a total like Tuesday's (135) game does. The over is 5-1 in the Boilermakers last 6 home games and I look for that trending to continue here as both teams stay hot with their shooting and will battle for the full 40 minutes in this one. A game likely to end up being a back and forth affair trading big buckets down the stretch. 10* OVER the total in Purdue |
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02-10-20 | Florida State v. Duke UNDER 148.5 | Top | 65-70 | Win | 100 | 11 h 18 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #866 Monday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Duke Blue Devils vs Florida State Seminoles @ 7 ET - I used this same angle (short rest) to successfully cash with the Noles UNDER last Monday and I expect it to be successful again here. Both Duke and FSU are off high-scoring wins on Saturday and now playing on short rest. The Blue Devils situation is made even tougher as their victory came in dramatic fashion and included overtime. Florida State wants to utilize their defense to try and stay close to Duke throughout this game and then swoop in late for the upset win on the road. Keep in mind the Seminoles allowed only 59 points to North Carolina last Monday. In fact that was the 3rd straight game in which the Noles allowed 63 points or less. As for Duke, they had allowed 67 points or less in 3 of 4 games prior to the wild win over the rival Tar Heels. With both teams on short rest I expect to see a bit more of a half-court battle in this one and the result should be this one falling well short of the big total posted on this match-up. We're getting line value after the wild wins these teams just had on Saturday plus because these teams have been trending to the over for many weeks. This one is all about the situation and, specifically, the situational value that has been created. 10* UNDER the total in Duke |
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02-09-20 | Ohio State +1.5 v. Wisconsin | Top | 57-70 | Loss | -105 | 5 h 13 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #839 Sunday 10* Top Play Ohio State Buckeyes (+) @ Wisconsin Badgers @ 1 ET - This is a double revenge game for the Buckeyes. Not only did the Badgers beat them at Columbus earlier this season, they also beat them there last season too! Ohio State is hell bent on revenge here and the situation is perfect for them to do just that. Wisconsin, after Kobe King left the program, has been going through some significant internal struggles. They managed to rally the troops during this tough time over the past week and a half and that led to an upset win over Michigan State. However, there is only so far that emotion can take you and that was evident when the Badgers then got blasted by 18 points at Minnesota this week. This is a Wisconsin team that has lost 3 of its past 4 games SU and also has covered just 1 of its past 7 games at the betting window. As for the Buckeyes, they have righted the ship with 3 straight wins (and covers) and now catch the Badgers at the perfect time to exact revenge. Look for the road team to stay hot here and get a convincing win as the current situation here is a case of two teams heading in opposite directions. 10* OHIO STATE |
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02-09-20 | Cincinnati v. Connecticut OVER 133.5 | Top | 71-72 | Win | 100 | 3 h 30 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #831 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Connecticut Huskies vs Cincinnati Bearcats @ Noon ET - The first time these teams met Cincinnati won 67-51 despite making just 13 of 24 free throws. The teams combined to hit just 6 of 28 three pointers and, Connecticut shot a horrific 32% from the field overall. None of these stats are likely to be repeated in this one and I am expecting this game to get into the 140s. UConn tends to score much better at home and the Bearcats also have shown that, many times, they tend to leave their high intensity defense at home when they are traveling. Cincinnati, not including OT points of course, has allowed 74.4 points per game in its last 7 games away from home. The Bearcats have scored an average of 70.4 points per game in those 7 contests played away from home. Cincy has averaged 84.5 points per game in its last two road games. The Huskies, again not including any OT points of course, have scored an average of 72 points per game in their last 6 home games. This will be a fierce battle in this game but look for more scoring than many are expecting as the first match-up this season had a total impacted by unusually low shooting percentages. 10* OVER the total in Connecticut |
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02-08-20 | St. Joe's v. La Salle OVER 147.5 | Top | 66-83 | Win | 100 | 9 h 53 m | Show |
TV Total Smash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #707 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in La Salle Explorers vs St Joseph's Hawks @ 5 ET - A battle in Philly and this rivalry will bring plenty of showmanship from the players. Both teams are enduring rough seasons but facing each other as part of the Big 5 in Philadelphia is going to turn this into a run and gun wide-open affair. The Hawks can't stop anyone. They are allowing 84 points per game on the road this season and this game is at La Salle. The Explorers have allowed 72.4 points per game in regulation time during their current 7-game losing streak. One could easily expect a game (based on the 8 point line) ranging anywhere from 81-73 to 84-76 given the above numbers. The fact is that neither team is very polished or disciplined at all when it comes to defense but each team has a combination of guys that can drive the paint or knock down open jumpers. The most recent match-up between these teams resulted in an under but the 3 prior meetings all went over the total and averaged 153 points per game. The over is 7-2 in La Salle's last 9 games and 3-0 in St Joseph's last 3 games. This total opened up at 151.5 points and has already dropped 4 points from there. The Explorers won't take their foot off the gas after losing to the Hawks in March in their most recent meetings. They want to take advantage of St Joseph's in a down season as they've won just 4 games. That means plenty of points here as the Hawks defense continues to be non-existent. 10* OVER the total in La Salle |
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02-08-20 | Purdue +3 v. Indiana | Top | 74-62 | Win | 100 | 7 h 37 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #641 Saturday 10* Top Play Purdue Boilermakers (+) @ Indiana Hoosiers @ 2 ET - We saw this last year with Indiana and it seems like deja vu. Last season, after getting off to a strong start the first couple months, the Hoosiers had losing streaks of 7 games and 5 games after the new year. Their current losing streak entering this game is "only" 3 games but, once again, Indiana's mental toughness is being questioned. Exasperating the situation here for the Hoosiers is the fact that they are facing a bitter rival that continues to have their number. The Boilermakers have won each of the last 5 meetings between these teams. Also, Purdue enters this game rolling with confidence while Indiana is again having those same feelings of self-doubt which inflicted them during last season's swoon. While the Hoosiers are on a 3-game losing streak and have lost 6 of 10, the Boilers have won 3 of 4. Yes the road win came against conference-worst Northwestern but notching a road win was a key for Purdue. As for their two home wins during this 4-game stretch, those came by a combined margin of 55 points against the Badgers and the ranked Hawkeyes. While the Boilermakers have scored an average of 74.5 points their last 4 games, Indiana has been held to an average of 54 points in its last two games. Granted those two games were on the road but also note that their most recent home win saw Joey Brunk lead the team in scoring and rebounds. He is questionable for this game and dealing with an illness. In a rivalry game I am happy to grab the points with the team that has dominated this series, is well-coached, and has the confidence level to get the job done against a team whose confidence is waning with each successive loss. 10* PURDUE |
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02-08-20 | Rhode Island v. George Washington +9.5 | 82-51 | Loss | -109 | 6 h 17 m | Show | |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #602 Saturday 8* George Washington Colonials (+) vs Rhode Island Rams @ Noon ET - This is a great spot for a home dog upset. I am expecting Armel Potter to be back on the floor today for the Colonials but, even if he does not play, I fully expect George Washington to stay within single digits in this game. The Colonials are fired up off back to back ugly losses on the road. Certainly they are happy to be back home for what is their only home game between January 29th and February 22nd. They'll make the most of this game and, prior to the B2B road losses, had won 4 of 5 games with the only loss coming by just 5 points. Also, George Washington is off for a full week after this game. It is definitely the type of set up where a team "leaves it all on the floor". Last, but certainly not least, this is a revenge game as the Colonials got blown out at Rhode Island last season. They lost the game by 27 because the Rams scored 30 points more than them from 3-point land as George Washington went 0 for 11 from beyond the arc. Of course that is not happening again here and the Colonials catch Rhode Island in a huge lookahead spot here. The Rams have won 9 straight Atlantic 10 games and have a massive game at Dayton (9-0 in Atlantic 10 action) on deck. That one sets up as a huge 1-2 battle at the top of this conference and Rhode Island can't help but to be looking ahead to that game on Tuesday. As bad as the Colonials were in recent road games they have been a much stronger team at home this season and this game has true upset potential. That said, grab the generous points. 8* GEORGE WASHINGTON |
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02-07-20 | Kent State v. Northern Illinois OVER 132 | Top | 54-57 | Loss | -109 | 11 h 12 m | Show |
Early TV Total - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #875 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Northern Illinois Huskies vs Kent State Golden Flashes @ 7 ET - The Golden Flashes jumped out to a 17-5 lead versus Ball State Tuesday. They then proceeded to have their worst shooting stretch of the season and ended up with only 54 points on their home floor in an embarrassing loss. You can bet (literally) that Kent State will respond here. The Golden Flashes have revenge from a 76-69 home loss to the Huskies a few weeks ago. Also, Kent State has a bye week on deck as, after this game, they won't play again until the 15th. In other words, there is every reason to expect the Golden Flashes to go all out for the full 40 minutes. They want to do a better job in the rebounding department (Northern Illinois dominated in first meeting) and use those boards to break out quickly in transition for easier scoring options. It is all conducive to an over because the Huskies aren't going to be push-overs at home either. Northern Illinois enters this game having won 5 straight games. The Huskies are averaging 69.4 points per game at home this season. The Golden Flashes are averaging 72.5 points per game on the road this season. I know the Huskies have had some strong defensive performances of late but their not stopping the Golden Flashes in this situation and Kent State isn't going to shoot 1 of 20 from three point land again like they did against the Cardinals Tuesday. Take advantage of the low total here as these teams should again get into the mid-140s in this one. 10* OVER the total in Northern Illinois |
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02-07-20 | Harvard v. Yale -5 | Top | 78-77 | Loss | -103 | 10 h 50 m | Show |
Early Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #852 Friday 10* Top Play Yale Bulldogs (-) vs Harvard Crimson @ 5 ET - We are getting line value here because of the revenge angle here. The revenge is actually with Harvard in this game. They finished tied with Yale for the regular season Ivy League title but then the Crimson lost to the Bulldogs in the conference tournament. So we should play Harvard to get revenge here, right? Not so fast my friends. The Crimson lost Seth Towns before the season even got going and they are currently still without their biggest star Bryce Aiken. Harvard enters this game off B2B SU losses and on an 0-5 ATS run. I know they do have two Ivy League wins but those each came by 5 or less points and that was against a bad Dartmouth team. Conversely, Yale has not just been winning, the Bulldogs have been crushing teams. Yale enters this game on a 6-game winning streak and all 6 victories came by more than 10 points. The Bulldogs have shot 43% three pointers at home and 51% from the field overall at home. Yale is allowing opponents to hit only 35% from the field when they are the host and that includes the Bulldogs defending the arc very well as they have held the opposition to 29% from 3-point land. Yes there is revenge here but the home team is currently the better team and the healthier team and the short number on this game is absolutely a bargain. 10* YALE |
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02-06-20 | Cincinnati v. Wichita State UNDER 134 | Top | 80-79 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 51 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #628 Thursday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Wichita State Shockers vs Cincinnati Bearcats @ 7 ET - This one should be an ugly low-scoring grinder and yet the total has made an upward move in early market activity. That is adding to the value here with this one. The Bearcats are off a big home win over the Cougars. For the 6th time in 7 games Cincinnati held an opponent to 62 points or less. In those 6 games the Bearcats have allowed an average of only 53.3 points per game. The Shockers are off a loss at Tulsa but they were very solid defensively. It was the 4th time in 5 games Wichita State held an opponent to 65 points or less. In those 4 games the Shockers allowed only 56.8 points per game. Each of the last 4 meetings between these teams have totaled 134 points or less. The average points scored in these 4 match-ups is 126.8 and yet this total is in the mid-130s. I like the value with the under here as the Shockers are hell-bent on revenge after losing each of their last 4 meetings with the Bearcats. At home and playing with a ton of emotion, Wichita State will bring a very intense effort on defense. Of course Cincinnati is known for their solid play on defense as well and that should turn this key AAC meeting with the Shockers into a low-scoring grinder. 10* UNDER the total in Wichita State |
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02-06-20 | James Madison v. Drexel -6 | Top | 67-78 | Win | 100 | 10 h 13 m | Show |
Dominator Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #624 Thursday 10* Top Play Drexel Dragons (-) vs James Madison Dukes @ 7 ET - Great set up here. The Dragons are off a disappointing stretch of 3 straight losses on the road. Now Drexel is back home in Philadelphia where they are a fantastic 9-2 this season. The Dukes are off a rare win. James Madison is now 2-9 in conference games this season after beating UNC-Wilmington again. That's right, the only two wins that James Madison has this season in Colonial action have come against the Seahawks and that's not saying much since UNC-Wilmington is the worst team in the conference this season. Prior to the Dukes win over the Seahawks, James Madison had lost 7 straight games and 9 of its last 10. The Dukes last 4 road losses all have come by 8 or more points. We only have to lay a half dozen points here with Drexel. Note that the Dragons last two home wins each game by more than a 20 point margin. At home off 3 straight road losses, Drexel won't take their foot off the gas in this one against James Madison. The Dukes, off a rare win, are ripe for the picking here too in terms of a being in a flat spot and being on the road where they have struggled. James Madison is 8-22 ATS (including 1-7 ATS this season) when off a win. Also, when off a game in which they scored 80 or more points, the Dukes are 4-14 ATS. The Dragons are 4-1 ATS when they are on an ATS losing streak of 3 or more games plus they are 5-1 ATS this season when off a game in which they allowed 80 or more points. 10* DREXEL |
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02-05-20 | Pittsburgh v. Notre Dame OVER 138.5 | Top | 72-80 | Win | 100 | 8 h 27 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #785 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Pittsburgh Panthers @ 6:30 ET - The Fighting Irish are going to dictate the tempo of this game on their home floor and that means plenty of points. The over is 5-0 in Notre Dame's last 5 games. The Irish have scored 78 points or more in each of their last 5 games. Also, Notre Dame has allowed 72 points or more in 6 of their past 7 games. In other words, the Panthers will "get theirs" in this game too. Pittsburgh is off a tight low-scoring win at home against Miami. However, prior to that game the Panthers had allowed 73.3 points per game their 3 prior games. The over is 5-1 this season when Pittsburgh is off a game in which they allowed 25 or less points in the first half. Watch what Notre Dame does to them in the first half of this game after that very unusual performance versus Miami for the Panthers. The over is 6-3 this season in Fighting Irish games with a posted total in the 130s. 10* OVER the total in Notre Dame |
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02-05-20 | Loyola-Chicago -120 v. Indiana State | Top | 39-68 | Loss | -120 | 7 h 20 m | Show |
MVC Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #781 Wednesday 10* Top Play Loyola-Chicago Ramblers (-) @ Indiana State Sycamores @ 6 ET - The Ramblers opened up as the favorite even though Indiana State is 9-0 at home this season. What does that tell you? Exactly! Don't be fooled here! Indeed, the road team is the play here. Loyola-Chicago is the better team. I know they lost their last two road games but that was against the two teams (Southern Illinois and Northern Iowa) that are the other two top teams (along with the Ramblers) in the conference. In Missouri Valley action, Loyola-Chicago has a history of performing well against the Sycamores (4 straight wins) and that includes winning each of their last two trips to Terre Haute as they continue to shoot well at the Hulman Center. I look for that to continue here. The Ramblers has won the last 3 games between these teams by an average margin of 21 points per game. Indiana State certainly wants to get off the schneid against Loyola-Chicago but the fact is the Ramblers are the better team and play with a ton of confidence in this venue. Also, they are anxious to get another road win after losing their past two road games against the other top tier teams in the MVC. Indiana State is a respectable team but they are not Northern Iowa and the Ramblers last two road losses came by just 5 points each. Tonight, against the Sycamores, they get over the hump and get a key MVC road win. The Ramblers, looking at FG %, have been better on both ends of the floor in comparison with the Sycamores this season and they are known for shooting well in match-ups at Indiana State. 10* LOYOLA-CHICAGO |
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02-04-20 | Ball State v. Kent State OVER 134.5 | Top | 62-54 | Loss | -109 | 9 h 27 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #605 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Kent State Golden Flashes vs Ball State Cardinals @ 7 ET - The Golden Flashes are off a hard-fought emotional 1-point win over the biggest rivals, Akron, in their most recent game. Don't be surprised if Kent State is lacking in defensive intensity after a win like that over the rival Zips. That said, I expect Ball State to score better than the normally would in this game. We've seen this total be on a bit of an uptick early this morning. That is despite the fact that Cardinals games are on an under streak of 6 straight games. Rest assured, when a team is trending under but their total is then moving toward the over, it is usually with good reason! That said, I do like the over here given this situation as I am sure the Golden Flashes are going to "get theirs" at home but I look for the Cardinals to take advantage of some lax Kent State defense and this one should turn into a bit of a run and gun track meet. The Golden Flashes were on an 8-4 run to the over prior to their game against the Zips staying under the total. Look for the trending toward the over to quickly resume in this one given the situation. The over is a perfect 6-0 in the last 6 meetings between these teams! 10* OVER the total in Kent State |
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02-04-20 | Ohio State +2.5 v. Michigan | Top | 61-58 | Win | 100 | 9 h 55 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #623 Tuesday 10* Top Play Ohio State Buckeyes (+) @ Michigan Wolverines @ 7 ET - Finally on March 1st Ohio State will host Michigan but, as for this match-up, it is the 3rd straight time these teams are meeting in Ann Arbor. The last two have not gone well at all for the Buckeyes as they have been blasted by a double digit margin in each meeting. That said, I am looking for big-time payback for Ohio State in this one. Both teams are off back to back wins but the Wolverines have their biggest rival, Michigan State, on deck. Michigan got blasted by 18 points by the Spartans in their first meeting so they're already looking forward to the rematch. As for the Buckeyes, they are off back to back wins and both were key. They finally got back on track with a road win (at Northwestern) and then beat a respectable Big Ten foe, Indiana, in their most recent game. Look for Ohio State to bring momentum from those games right into this game and deliver the road upset. The Buckeyes are the better team defensively and also shoot the 3-ball better than Michigan. Look for some solid D to lead the way to a road win here. It is payback time. 10* OHIO STATE |
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02-03-20 | Lafayette +1 v. Bucknell | Top | 65-62 | Win | 100 | 10 h 9 m | Show |
Patriot League Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #501 Monday 10* Top Play Lafayette Leopards (+) @ Bucknell Bison @ 7 ET - Revenge game for the Leopards. They blew a big half-time lead and lost by double digits to the Bison in Easton last month. Since that defeat, Lafayette has responded very well. As for Bucknell, it has been a downhill slide since then. The Bison have gone 3-5 SU since then and the only 3 victories were against the 3 worst teams in the Patriot League. Bucknell beat Holy Cross, Loyola (MD), and Lehigh. Those teams are each just 2-8 in conference games this season! Now the Bison host a revenge-minded Leopards team that is 14-7 on the season and has won 6 of 8 games since losing to Bucknell. Note that Lafayette is off a win over an American team that was 6-3 in conference action and, prior to that game, the Leopards knocked off the top team in the Patriot for a season sweep. Yes, Lafayette won at Colgate and that completed a 2-0 season series sweep over a Raiders team that is 8-0 against the rest of the Patriot League this season. The Leopards have been a pleasant surprise this season and red-hot Justin Jaworski and company get revenge here on the road in Lewisburg Monday. 10* LAFAYETTE |
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02-03-20 | North Carolina v. Florida State UNDER 143.5 | Top | 59-65 | Win | 100 | 9 h 20 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #862 Monday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Florida State Seminoles vs North Carolina Tar Heels @ 7 ET - The Tar Heels last 6 games featured an OT game and a double-OT game. That has skewed the perception of their totals higher than it should be. Note that UNC has allowed 73 points or less in regulation time of 7 straight games. The average points allowed by North Carolina in this 7-game stretch was 68 points. The Seminoles are favored by about 10 points here. No matter how you look at it...if the Heels allow their average of 68 or their 7-game regulation high of 73...if the odds makers are right about the spread here you're looking at a game ranging from 68-58 (126 points) to 73-63 (136 points) and we've got a total in the mid-140s here! I'll gladly take the under here because Florida State has a history of struggles against the Tar Heels and will most definitely take advantage of facing them in a down year. The Noles can turn up the heat on defense. FSU has allowed just 62 points per game in their past two games. Also, in 2 of their last 3 home games Florida State has allowed 58 points or less. Look for a lower-scoring game than many are expecting as, even though the Heels welcomed back Cole Anthony recently they now have senior Brandon Robinson dealing with an ankle injury. The season of frustration continues for North Carolina as the Seminoles turn up the heat on defense in this one. 10* UNDER the total in Florida State |
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02-02-20 | Miami-FL v. Pittsburgh OVER 136.5 | Top | 57-62 | Loss | -109 | 4 h 56 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #831 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Pittsburgh Panthers vs Miami Hurricanes @ Noon ET - Big mistake right? The odds makers kept this total (138) in the same range as the first meeting this season even though that game totaled just 124 points. The odds makers don't know what they're doing, right? Long-time followers know how I feel about that philosophy! That said, I am happy to fade the early line move on this one as it already came down to a 136.5 as of early game day morning. The fact is that the Panthers had a horrific shooting effort at Miami in their meeting last month. Note that Pittsburgh took 64 shots from the field so certainly the proper pace was there for an over. Of course I expect the Panthers to shoot much better from the field here. Note that Miami is allowing 78 points per game on the road this season. Also, prior to a strong effort on defense in their most recent game, the Canes had allowed an average of 86.5 points per game their 4 prior games. Their most recent game stayed under the total but that was preceded by 3 straight overs. As for the Panthers, the over is on a 6-3 run. The Panthers have scored an average of 73.2 points per game in their past 6 home games. Miami has scored 71 points or more in 3 of their last 4 games. The Hurricanes can score well here against the Panthers but, they've proven time and time again this season that they are not a very good team defensively and this has proven particularly true on the road. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Pittsburgh |
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02-01-20 | New Mexico v. Fresno State OVER 144 | Top | 77-82 | Win | 100 | 7 h 60 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #717 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Fresno State Bulldogs vs New Mexico Lobos @ 5 ET - The Lobos get involved in high-scoring games no matter whom they're playing. The Bulldogs are coming off a momentum boosting road win at Air Force in which they shot the ball very well. That certainly can continue here at home as Fresno State has knocked down 37.3% of their three pointers this season when at home. Also, New Mexico is simply a very poor team defensively. By the way, in terms of the Lobos production on offense, I am aware they are missing a couple guys right now but those guys have been out for the last few games and it was not a huge impact. Yes, New Mexico did not score well against San Diego State but the Aztecs are 22-0 this season for a reason. Prior to that, the Lobos scored an average of 80 points in two games without JaQuan Lyle and Vance Jackson. That continued a season-long trend as New Mexico is averaging 79 points per game this season. The Lobos simply don't play defense though and they are allowing an average of 97 points per game in their last 4 road games! As for the Bulldogs, they are looking to atone for a very ugly performance offensively in their most recent home game. They have struggled in recent home games against Boise State and San Diego State. Look for them to bounce back at home against the run and gun Lobos and this should turn into a wild high-scoring game. The over is 9-2 in New Mexico's last 11 games. The over is 3-0 in Fresno State's last 3 games. The Bulldogs have allowed an average of 80.3 points per game their last 3 games. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Fresno State |
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02-01-20 | UNLV +6.5 v. Colorado State | Top | 77-95 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 36 m | Show |
Afternoon Rout - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #687 Saturday 10* Top Play UNLV Running Rebels (+) @ Colorado State Rams @ 4 ET - The Rebels are off back to back losses but they faced two very tough tests as they travel to Reno to face Nevada and then were at home against San Diego State. UNLV got the cover against the Aztecs but San Diego State is now 22-0 SU on the season. In other words, no real shame in that performance. Also, Nevada is now 9-2 SU at home this season and that defeat for the Rebels was expected. Now I am not saying that Colorado State is an easy place to play but UNLV has had more success here than in Reno in recent seasons. I also like the fact that the Rebels are even deeper now since an original starting guard, Elijah Mitrou-Long, is now back from injury. He actually lost his starting job to Marvin Coleman by virtue of being out. However, he has handled it like a true professional and now the Rebels are an even stronger team as a result. This line opened up at -5 and has moved to a -6.5 and I love the value in going against the move here with a very hungry (and rested and healthy) UNLV team off back to back losses. Note that the Rams are off a non-covering 1 point win versus Nevada. That was a hard-fought win and was also a revenge game for Colorado State. Watch them now fall short here against an angry Rebels team. I expect the outright upset but will certainly be grabbing the generous points for added insurance. 10* UNLV |
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02-01-20 | Michigan State v. Wisconsin +6.5 | 63-64 | Win | 100 | 4 h 6 m | Show | |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #616 Saturday 8* Wisconsin Badgers (+) vs Michigan State Spartans @ 1 ET - There is an old saying that I associate with today's play on Wisconsin. That is: It is a wounded dog that bites the hardest. I also feel that is particularly true when that dog is guarding its home! The Badgers (by the way, known for being a fiercely aggressive animal) are backed into a corner here and ready to fight anything and everything in their path. It has been a tumultuous week with Kobe King announcing his departure from the program and Brad Davidson being suspended for this game. Also, Micah Potter is dealing with an ankle injury but he is expected to be available for this one. In their first game without King, the Badgers put up a helluva fight and actually led by 12 points in the 2nd half at Iowa before eventually falling short. Now they are back home ready to fight again and they're hosting a Spartans team that has beaten them 8 straight times. The very first line that opened up on this game was a -3 and we're now seeing numbers as high as a -6.5 on Michigan State. The fact is that playing at Wisconsin is never easy. The Badgers are 9-1 here at home this season and the lone loss came by a single point. Coach Greg Gard's remaining players are fighting hard for him. They proved that against the Hawkeyes and you'll see it again here against the Spartans. Note that Michigan State is just 2-8 ATS on the road this season. Maybe they eke out a win here but, if they do, look for it to be by only a bucket or two. 8* WISCONSIN |
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01-31-20 | Akron v. Kent State -1.5 | Top | 67-68 | Loss | -105 | 8 h 0 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #854 Friday 10* Kent State Golden Flashes (-) vs Akron Zips @ 6:30 ET - The Zips have over-achieved early this season and that has led to line value here in this spot with the Golden Flashes at home. Kent State is 13-1 at home their last 14 games and came into this season projected to finish near the top of the MAC East while Akron was projected to finish near the bottom of the MAC East. The cream eventually rises to the top and we're starting to see some signs that the Zips defense, so strong last season, is a much different animal this season. Akron had a strong game defensively at Miami-Ohio but has allowed an average of 87 points in their other 3 recent games! As for the Golden Flashes, they have allowed 70 points or less in 3 of their past 4 games. Also, their most recent home game was a loss and they'll be looking to make up for that here. Kent State had won their first 9 home games this season. This is just the 2nd home game for the Golden Flashes in a span of 3 weeks. Also, the home team has won 4 straight in this series. Look for that streak for the host to reach 5-0 by the time this one goes final this evening! 10* KENT STATE |
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01-31-20 | Harvard v. Pennsylvania OVER 142.5 | Top | 72-75 | Win | 100 | 8 h 30 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #851 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Pennsylvania Quakers vs Harvard Crimson @ 5 ET - This total opened up at a 146 and has dropped to a 142.5 in early market activity. Of course the market activity is telling the odds makers they don't know what they're doing. Long-time followers know how I feel about that. I am grabbing the value on the other side of this move and expecting plenty of points here. Yes, the Quakers are finally off a win (versus Temple) in their most recent game but the fact they allowed only 59 points in that victory was definitely an aberration. Penn actually allowed 75 shots from the field for the Owls! Also, in the Quakers prior two home games they had allowed an average of 82.5 points per game. Penn will struggle to stop Harvard here. The last two meetings between these teams stayed under the total but, prior to this, it had been 5 straight overs in this series. Also, each of the last 3 meetings between these teams in Philly have gone over the total. Look for this one to as well. The Quakers have struggled with their 3-point shot this season but normally do shoot it better at home and note that the Crimson have allowed 38% shooting from beyond the arc in road games this season. Also, before scoring just 66 points versus Temple, Penn had averaged 77.8 points per game in their 5 prior games. The Crimson enter this game having averaged 74 points per game in the 7 games since their star guard Bryce Aiken got injured. Look for both teams to get well past the 70 mark here and that sends this one flying over the total. 10* OVER the total in Pennsylvania |
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01-30-20 | Minnesota +5.5 v. Illinois | Top | 51-59 | Loss | -115 | 11 h 46 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #627 Thursday 10* Top Play Minnesota Golden Gophers (+) @ Illinois Illini @ 7:30 ET - Nice set up here with the Illini off a big win at Michigan and the Golden Gophers off an ugly loss versus Michigan State. Minnesota, after the home loss to the Spartans, should respond in a big way here. The Gophers are 6-0 SU the last 6 times they've entered a game off a loss this season. Should Minnesota fall short of the outright upset here, note that Illinois is on a 6 game winning streak but 4 of the last 5 Illini victories have come by a margin of 4 or less points! In fact, not including a blowout win over an outclassed North Carolina AT & T team, Illinois has seen only 2 of its past 8 games result in a win for the Illini by a margin of more than 4 points. Minnesota got thrashed here at Illinois by 27 points last season so revenge is on order in this one. The Golden Gophers are 3-1 SU (and 4-0 ATS!) when they enter a game having scored 65 points or less in each of their 3 prior games. Illinois is off back to back covers and that is a situation that has seen them go 0-10 ATS! Look for that perfect trend to continue as, once again, the third time is NOT the charm for the Illini. The Golden Gophers, for the 7th time, respond with a win when they are coming off a loss. 10* MINNESOTA |
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01-30-20 | College of Charleston v. James Madison OVER 151.5 | Top | 87-68 | Win | 100 | 9 h 7 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #617 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in James Madison Dukes vs College of Charleston Cougars @ 6:30 ET - Two slumping teams and James Madison is bad overall and the College of Charleston is on an 0-5 ATS run. That means plenty of points here as the Dukes have allowed 78 points or more in 7 of their past 9 games. James Madison simply doesn't focus much on the defensive end (and allowed 85 points to Cougars in first meeting) but one thing the Dukes do better at home is score plenty. James Madison is averaging 80.6 points per game at home this season. The Dukes can't stop anybody but they do score well as a host and that should lead to a very high-scoring battle here. Don't be surprised if the Cougars again eclipse the 80 point mark here but, with James Madison at home for this rematch, the Dukes should be hanging around all the way in this one. As a result, I am expecting the 160 range here and yet this total is down closer to the 150 range. I'll grab the value here as the over is 6-3 in Dukes home games and also 6-3 in Charleston conference games this season. 10* OVER the total in James Madison |
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01-29-20 | St. Joe's v. Massachusetts OVER 151.5 | Top | 76-91 | Win | 100 | 11 h 12 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #803 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Massachusetts Minutemen vs St Joseph's Hawks @ 7 ET - Two bad teams thanks in large part to horrific defense. These teams focus on scoring points and are generally very lax on the defensive end. I know UMass is off a game in which they allowed only 64 points but that is certainly the exception rather than the norm for them. The Minutemen had allowed an average of 78 points in 7 games leading up to that one. The Hawks are allowing 83.5 points per game on the road this season. St Joseph's has struggled defending the 3-point shot this season and Massachusetts is known for success from beyond the arc, particularly at home. Two of the last 3 meetings between these teams, including the most recent one here, have totaled 158 points or more. This total opened up at 154 and dropped to a 151.5 in early market action. The Hawks have averaged scoring 80 points per game in their last 3 road games. UMass is averaging 76.5 points per game at home this season where they are also knocking down 39% of their three pointers this season. The over is 7-1 in St Joseph's road games this season. The over is 4-1 when the Minutemen are off an outright upset win as an underdog. Look for these trends to continue in a high-scoring game here. 10* OVER the total in Massachusetts |
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01-29-20 | Temple +6 v. Connecticut | Top | 63-78 | Loss | -108 | 9 h 26 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #793 Wednesday 10* Top Play Temple Owls (+) @ Connecticut Huskies @ 7 ET - Kobe Bryant was a Philadelphia native. Of course the world was rocked by his untimely passing this weekend and you may ask yourself what that has to do with this play though. Plenty! Aaron McKie, the Owls coach, is also a Philly native. Of course Temple is based in Philadelphia. I know emotions and energy and passion can only take you so far on the basketball court but this is absolutely a "rally the troops" game for the Owls. This game is being played at Connecticut but you can bet that the Owls are bringing plenty of energy and passion and emotion from Philly for this game. McKie has had a great message for the team since the passing of Bryant on Sunday. Though the Owls have struggled recently, I am going to take advantage of them getting a half dozen points here against a Huskies team that has also been struggling. It is hard to justify UConn being a 6-point favorite when they have lost 6 of their past 7 games. Also, the Owls have won 3 of the last 4 meetings between these teams and the lone loss came by a margin of 6 points while the average margin of the 3 victories was 17 points. I am aware of De'Vondre Perry and Josh Pierre-Louis both being questionable on the injury report. But I really don't expect Pierre-Louis to miss this game and Perry is off a horrific shooting performance. In fact the entire team shot poorly at Penn in their most recent game and that is why they lost despite taking 20+ more shots from the field than the Quakers. After that very strange and unexpected result, the Owls bounce back here and play a solid 40 for Kobe in this one! 10* TEMPLE |
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01-28-20 | Villanova v. St. John's +3.5 | Top | 79-59 | Loss | -115 | 10 h 52 m | Show |
Big East Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #602 Tuesday 10* Top Play St John's Red Storm (+) vs Villanova Wildcats @ 6:30 ET - The Wildcats have been red hot but the Red Storm are known for giving Villanova plenty of trouble. St John's is a perfect 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings with the Cats. The Red Storm are 10-3 SU this season and all 3 home losses came by 3 or less points. Getting a big win over a solid Blue Demons team at DePaul Saturday gives the Red Storm a boost of momentum here. They have been ultra competitive but just haven't quite got over the hump in some of their tight games. They could very easily be 13-0 at home and I like the fact that both Figueroa and Heron are coming off huge games Saturday and are now back home where they should be knocking down plenty of shot. Also, the Wildcats Jermaine Samuels is listed as questionable for this game and he is a key contributor for Villanova and won't be 100 percent here if he even plays. The Wildcats defense gets a lot of praise and it is deserved but they do allow 44.2% from the field in road games and the Red Storm allow 39.2% from the field in home games. I look for an upset here. This is the perfect spot with Nova playing a 2nd straight tough road game (they were at Providence Saturday) and I am grabbing the points here. Villanova has now covered B2B games but they are 0-3 ATS in that situation this season. The Red Storm are 7-2 ATS the last 9 times they have been a home underdog. 10* ST JOHN'S |
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01-27-20 | North Carolina +5.5 v. NC State | Top | 75-65 | Win | 100 | 10 h 5 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #865 Monday 10* Top Play North Carolina Tar Heels (+) @ North Carolina State Wolfpack @ 7 ET - The Tar Heels are having a down season but that has led to great line value in a spot like this. Of course this is a rivalry game with NC State and it is a rivalry which North Carolina has dominated for many years. Now i am not saying that the Wolfpack won't find a way to get the win here but I am saying that UNC has a great shot at the outright upset and, if the Heels do fall short, I look for it to be just by a bucket or two. The Tar Heels enter this game off back to back covers. That included a 2-point loss in overtime at Virginia Tech. Two of North Carolina's last three losses have been by 3 or less points. The Wolfpack are 4-3 SU in their last 7 games but two of those four wins came by 5 or less points and only 1 of the 4 victories was by more than 6 points. A big key for the Tar Heels in their series dominance against NC State has been dominating the boards. Winning the rebounding battle has been a key to long-term success for North Carolina and they are again dominating the boards this season. Look for that to again be a key against a Wolfpack team that has a couple of rotation players (both forwards) that are listed as questionable for this game. The fact that Bates and Andree are both banged up for NC State certainly won't help them in the battle of the boards in this one. That said, I like having the underdog here in a game that means more to them this season than it has in past seasons. Because the Tar Heels are having a rare sub-par season (key early season injuries really hurt them) they have extra motivation here as a sizable dog against a team they have dominated for many seasons. Give me the generous points here! 10* NORTH CAROLINA |
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01-26-20 | Xavier v. Creighton OVER 142 | Top | 66-77 | Win | 100 | 8 h 12 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #843 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Creighton Bluejays vs Xavier Musketeers @ 4 ET - The Musketeers are off a win over Georgetown but what was surprising was how low-scoring the game was. Don't look for a repeat here and, yes, I know the history of unders between these teams. The last 7 meetings between these teams have stayed under the total but look for this one to snap the trend. Creighton has gone over the total in each of their past 3 games. Each of the 3 games totaled more than 150 points and I expect this one too as well. The Bluejays have shot 48.3% from the field at home this season including 39.6% from three point land. Creighton is averaging 82 points per game at home this season and is a 5-point favorite in this one. So if the Bluejays hit their average here and the spread is in the right range you're looking at an 82-77 type game which blows this total away. The Musketeers, prior to holding the Hoyas to 57 points had allowed an average of 82 points per game their 3 previous games. Look for a lot of points here. 10* OVER the total in Creighton |
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01-26-20 | Michigan State -3 v. Minnesota | Top | 70-52 | Win | 100 | 8 h 51 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #839 Sunday 10* Top Play Michigan State Spartans (-) @ Minnesota Golden Gophers @ 3 ET - The Spartans are off a loss at Indiana but were previously 14-4 this season. They have now lost back to back road games and, though they have a few injury concerns, this is still an ultra-talented high-quality basketball team. They are catching the Golden Gophers at the perfect time to get back on track. Minnesota is off a big win versus Ohio State. That was an upset win on the road for the Golden Gophers and now I look for the Spartans to catch Minny a little flat after that one. Not only is Michigan State 4-0 SU and ATS in their last 4 meetings with Minnesota, they have won each of those games by a margin of 16 points or more! The line opened up at a 4.5 and fell too as low as a 2.5 and, in typical contrarian fashion, I am fading the line move and grabbing the value on the other side of the move. Looking at shooting percentages on the season, the Spartans are the better shooting team and defensive team in comparison with the Golden Gophers. Look for Sparty to bring a very strong effort here off their loss. Grab them off the loss here. 10* MICHIGAN STATE |
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01-25-20 | Dayton v. Richmond OVER 144 | Top | 87-79 | Win | 100 | 10 h 12 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #721 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Richmond Spiders vs Dayton Flyers @ 6 ET - The Spiders lost leading scorer Blake Francis to injury recently. However, the over is 2-1 in the 3 games since he has gone out and Richmond has scored an average of 81 points per game in those 3 games. On the season the Spiders are averaging 80.4 points per game when at home. On Saturday they're hosting a red hot Flyers team. Dayton enters this game having won 8 straight games and they are a scoring machine. The Flyers have averaged 83 points per game on the season and are very consistent in terms of scoring. In their 8 game winning streak Dayton has scored at least 77 points in all 8 victories. This game being played at Richmond certainly is likely to continue the trend. The over is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings between these teams here and the most recent meeting saw the teams combine for 168 points. We're getting some line value here because of Francis being out. Richmond has plenty of scorers other than Francis as they have shown in recent games. At the same time, Dayton likes to play fast and is more concerned with piling up points than playing lockdown defense. That said, the Spiders should score plenty here on their home floor but the Flyers also should remain red hot. Dayton enters this game on a perfect streak of 4-0 to the over their last 4 games. 10* OVER the total in Richmond |
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01-25-20 | Villanova v. Providence +2.5 | Top | 64-60 | Loss | -110 | 6 h 59 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #616 Saturday 10* Top Play Providence Friars (+) vs Villanova Wildcats @ 1 ET - Villanova has been hot but this will be just the third true road game they have played since a "road game" at St Joseph's December 7th and that was in Philly of course. That being said, the Wildcats haven't faced a lot of truly tough road tests that past two months and they are in for one here. The Cats are facing the revenge-minded Friars in this one. Providence has lost 4 straight games to Villanova and this includes getting knocked out of the Big East tournament each of the past two seasons. The Friars are highly motivated here to say the least. Also, Providence is entering this game off B2B losses but both came on the road. The Friars are happy to be back on their home floor where they have won 8 of 10 games this season. The Wildcats are 5-3 on the road this season and their only 2 recent games away from Philly saw them split as they lost at Marquette and then barely snuck by Creighton. Villanova is allowing 71.7 points per game on the road this season while Providence is allowing an average of only 60.5 points per game at home this season. The Wildcats allow 46% shooting from the field on the road while the Friars allow just 39% shooting from the field at home this season. Home court and big-time revenge will play a role in this one and I look for the home team to prevail big here. 10* PROVIDENCE |
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01-24-20 | Kent State +4.5 v. Buffalo | Top | 70-66 | Win | 100 | 10 h 52 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #851 Friday 10* Top Play Kent State Golden Flashes (+) @ Buffalo Bulls @ 6:30 ET - The very first line that opened on this game had the Bulls, at home, as the slimmest of favorites. Now the line is all the way up to a solid 4 across the board as of early game day morning. Long-time followers know how I feel about a move like this. I like what I am seeing with the Golden Flashes here. Yes they have lost 3 straight games but this is a solid Kent State team that returned 4 starters this season while last season's MAC East champions returned just 2 starters. Yes Buffalo comes into this one as the hotter team with 4 straight wins while the Flashes have lost 3 straight. However, you don't think the odds makers were aware of this when they set the line? This is the PERFECT spot for Kent State to bounce back. The Golden Flashes also have lost 4 straight games to the Bulls including a blowout loss by 23 points in their visit here last season. The season prior to that was when Buffalo knocked Kent State out of the MAC Tournament with a 17 point blowout win. Suffice to say the Golden Flashes have had this game circled on their calendars. The Bulls had a great season last year but Kent State truly has closed the gap this season. The fact is, despite recent results, there is no gap now. I am taking the Golden Flashes plus the points but I am expecting the outright upset in a huge revenge game. Kent State is 3-0 ATS when they enter a game on a 3-game losing streak. The Golden Flashes are 3-0 ATS this season as a road dog of 6 or less points and they won all 3 of those games SU! The Bulls are 2-5 ATS when they are off an ATS win this season. 10* KENT STATE |
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01-23-20 | Minnesota v. Ohio State -8 | Top | 62-59 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 39 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #604 Thursday 10* Top Play Ohio State Buckeyes (-) vs Minnesota Golden Gophers @ 6:30 ET - Situations mean a lot in the outcome of games. The last time the Buckeyes faced the Golden Gophers it was at Minnesota and Ohio State was off a huge home blowout win over Penn State. The Buckeyes ended up getting blown out by the Gophers by double digits. This situation, which of course also now includes a revenge angle for Ohio State, is entirely different. This time the Buckeyes are off a double digit loss at Penn State and are now back home looking to bounce back strong. Ohio State is 10-1 SU in home games this season and allowing just 56.4 points per game there. I know they have struggled overall in recent weeks but look for home cooking to get them back on track in this game. It helps that they're facing a Minnesota team which is just 1-6 SU in road games this season and has allowed 70.9 points per game in those match-ups. Prior to the blowout loss at Minnesota last month, the Buckeyes won the prior two meetings each by 18 or more points! The Golden Gophers were held below 40% from the field in each of those meetings and Minnesota is not going to shoot a ridiculous 54.4% from the field again like they did in last month's meeting. The Buckeyes defense, known for being tough at home, will be in full-on lock-down mode here. 10* OHIO STATE |
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01-23-20 | Delaware v. Hofstra OVER 146 | Top | 73-71 | Loss | -109 | 10 h 58 m | Show |
CAA Total of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #601 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Hofstra Pride vs Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens @ 6:30 ET - The Fightin' Blue Hens shoot the ball very well including on the road. The Pride are not a good team defensively. Delaware's games are on an 8-2 run to the over in their past 10. Hofstra has averaged scoring 87 points per game in its last 3 meetings with the Fightin' Blue Hens. Additionally, the Pride have scored an average of 90.5 points per game in their last two home games against Delaware. Hofstra enters this game having averaged 76.5 points per game in its last 4 games and 3 of those were on the road. At home this season the Pride are averaging 81.9 points per game. Delaware is making 47.3% of its shots from the field on the road and even is hitting 36% of three pointers on the road as well. The Pride are hitting 45.6% of their shots from the field at home and they like to play with pace and will dictate an uptempo game here on their home floor. The Fightin' Blue Hens have allowed an average of 79 points per game in their past 3 games. The Pride have allowed 81.5 points per game in their last two home games. Hofstra's shooting is red hot their last 4 games. Delaware has also been shooting the ball well (as their shot has traveled well this season) in road games including knocking down 57.4% of its shots at Villanova last month. Last 5 road games the Fighting Blue Hens hitting nearly 50% from the field. When Delaware is off an ATS loss they've gone 24-11 to the over including 6-1 this season. When the Pride are off a loss they've gone 14-6 to the over including 3-1 this season. 10* OVER the total in Hofstra |
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01-22-20 | Penn State +5 v. Michigan | Top | 72-63 | Win | 100 | 9 h 7 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #787 Wednesday 10* Top Play Penn State Nittany Lions (+) @ Michigan Wolverines @ 7 ET - Yes the Nittany Lions are off a huge win over Ohio State. However, they certainly aren't going to overlook a game at Michigan either. Also, this is Penn State's final game until a week from today so they want to enter this break in the schedule by maintaining momentum after the big win over the Buckeyes. I am happy to challenge Michigan to cover this spread as they are likely to struggle just in terms of getting a SU win here. I say that because the Wolverines have struggled in games with lines in the single digits. Michigan is on a 3-5 SU streak and 2 of those wins were "gimme games" against Presbyterian and UMass-Lowell as the Wolverines were favored by 20+ in each of those contests. As for the other 6 games during this 8-game stretch, Michigan went 1-5 SU and the lone win against a quality opponent was one in which the Wolverines were a bit fortunate in beating Purdue by 6 points as that was a DOUBLE OT game. Michigan's 2nd leading scorer, Isaiah Livers, has been out and has been downgraded to doubtful for tonight's game. That is certainly hurting the Wolverines. Also, Penn State is seeking revenge from losing by a double digit margin in their last visit to Ann Arbor. The Nittany Lions are holding opponents to a 39.5% shooting percentage this season. In Michigan's last 5 games, they have allowed opponents to hit 47.6% from the field and that including the blowout win over UMass-Lowell. That said, note that the Wolverines have allowed 51% shooting or higher from the field in 3 of their last 4 games! 10* PENN STATE |
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01-22-20 | Georgetown v. Xavier OVER 148 | Top | 57-66 | Loss | -109 | 9 h 28 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #781 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Xavier Musketeers vs Georgetown Hoyas @ 6:30 ET - These teams are known for playing high-scoring games and the set-up here is perfect for another one. Not only is the over 7-1 in the last 8 meetings between these teams, the lone under did total 153 points. That means that, at the current total (148) posted on this game, the over would be on a perfect 8-0 run in this series! The reason the set-up is ideal too is because the Musketeers are at home and have lost 3 straight games. In the past two they scored just 65 points in each game and they enter this game after a week off. Xavier can't wait to get on the floor and run and gun against a Hoyas team that certainly is not known for its defense! One thing that Georgetown can do, however, is score very well as they are averaging 79 points per game on the season. The Hoyas have scored 80 points or more in 3 of their last 4 games. However, Georgetown also has allowed 80 points or more in 3 straight games. I would not be surprised to see this game get into the 160s and we only need 150s to be a winner. Recent trending toward the under over the last few weeks overall has led to a lower total here than we would have otherwise seen and I won't hesitate in taking advantage of it. 10* OVER the total in Xavier |
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01-21-20 | Butler +4.5 v. Villanova | Top | 61-76 | Loss | -101 | 12 h 6 m | Show |
PA Insider - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #601 Tuesday 10* Top Play Butler Bulldogs (+) @ Villanova Wildcats @ 7 ET - The earliest line on this game was Villanova -2.5 and, of course, it jumped up to a 4.5 as of early game day morning. Of course the move makes sense because the Wildcats have won 4 straight meetings between these teams and the Bulldogs enter this game off back to back SU losses even though they were a favorite in each game. You know how I feel about spots like these. I am happy to fade the move here as this Nova team is not as strong as those in recent seasons and yet Butler is very strong this season but coming in undervalued here because they are off those B2B losses. Of course Villanova flashes a perfect home record so the masses jumped all over them laying the short number here. The Bulldogs, prior to their loss at DePaul, were 6-1 SU on the road this season. Also, that was the first time this season that Butler suffered an ATS or SU loss when coming off an ATS loss. That said, look for the Bulldogs to respond here and improve to 5-1 SU and ATS this season when they enter a game off an ATS loss. Villanova drops to 2-7 ATS when they enter a game off a home win. Look for the outright upset here but I am grabbing the points as added insurance. 10* BUTLER |
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01-21-20 | Florida v. LSU OVER 143 | Top | 82-84 | Win | 100 | 11 h 49 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #611 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in LSU Tigers vs Florida Gators @ 7 ET - This total has dropped from an early opener of 146.5 to a 143 and there a few reasons for that. One is that the Tigers are without guard Charles Manning, Jr. However, they already won their first game without him and he is a solid player but certainly his absence is not a huge one for the team. Another reason for the downward move on this total is because Florida has allowed an average of just 51 points per game in their last two games. However, those games were at home and now the Gators are on the road and they allowed 91 points in their most recent game away from home. Florida has allowed an average of 78 points per game in its last 3 true road games. As for the other end of the floor, the Gators have averaged scoring 83.7 points per game in their last 6 games. LSU has averaged 80 points per game this season and I am looking for plenty of points here. The over is 4-1 in the Tigers last 5 games and the over is also 4-1 in the Gators last 5 games played away from home. The last 3 meetings between these teams have all gone over the total. Look for this one to fly over the total as well and we'll take advantage of the downward line move here. 10* OVER the total in LSU |
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01-20-20 | NC State +5 v. Virginia | Top | 53-51 | Win | 100 | 13 h 37 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #873 Monday 10* Top Play NC State Wolfpack (+) @ Virginia Cavaliers @ 7 ET - The Cavaliers knocked the Wolfpack out of the ACC Tourney with a dominating 20 point win in March. Virginia outscored NC State by 21 points from 3-point land and that was the difference in the game as the Wolfpack had a horrible shooting night. This season's NC State is the best Wolfpack team in terms of depth and experience that we have seen in quite some time. That said, I also like the fact that they are knocking down 33% of their threes this season while Virginia has been held to 26.7% from beyond the arc. Of course I respect the Cavs defense but this year's team is a few notches down from recent Cavaliers teams and the Wolfpack are highly motivated here. They view this game as a "measuring stick" game and want to prove they can measure up against a Virginia team that has been a bit of a nemesis for them in recent seasons. I fully expect NC State to do just that! The Cavaliers are off a tight win at Georgia Tech but had previously lost 3 straight games. Also, the Cavs had failed to cover 6 of 7 prior to getting the ATS win against the Yellow Jackets. The Wolfpack are off a non-covering win versus Clemson and are a perfect 5-0 SU and ATS this season when entering a game having failed to cover 2 of their last 3 games. Virginia is 0-9 ATS this season when they enter game having allowed 60 points or less in each of their last two games. Double perfect situation here for the road dog. Grab the points. 10* NC STATE |
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01-19-20 | Minnesota +5 v. Rutgers | Top | 56-64 | Loss | -105 | 7 h 57 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #843 Sunday 10* Top Play Minnesota Golden Gophers (+) @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights @ 1 ET - I understand where this line came from and why the betting markets are siding with Rutgers. But, of course, in typical contrarian fashion I am on the other side of the move and grabbing the added value. Yes, Minnesota has struggled on the road this season while the Scarlet Knights have been perfect at home. However, the Golden Gophers have played the tougher schedule plus there is plenty of motivation here. Last season Minnesota lost at Rutgers and the prior season the Gophers got knocked out of the Big Ten tourney by the Knights. There is no love lost between these two foes to say the least and I like having the team that is highly motivated and has played a significantly tougher overall schedule so far this season. The Golden Gophers are 6-2 SU and ATS in their last 8 games and one of the two SU losses came by just a 5 points margin. I look for Minnesota to be "in this one" all the way and am expecting the outright upset but will grab the points as added insurance. Note that the Golden Gophers had won 6 of last 8 meetings with Rutgers prior to losing the most recent meeting. Payback time. 10* MINNESOTA |
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01-18-20 | New Mexico v. UNLV -4.5 | 78-99 | Win | 100 | 10 h 25 m | Show | |
TV Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #756 Saturday 8* UNLV Runnin' Rebels (-) vs New Mexico Lobos @ 6 ET - The Lobos are in trouble while the Rebels are surging under the new coaching regime. New Mexico is off an ugly loss at Colorado State. While the Lobos would certainly love to bounce back here, they simply don't have the personnel that they had coming into this season. Note that 3 key minutes guys are out. JJ Caldwell (suspension), Carlton Bragg (dismissed), and Vance Jackson (knee injury) won't be on the floor tonight. There is a chance Jackson could play but the odds are slim. Speaking of slim odds I just don't see the Lobos going to Vegas and knocking off UNLV with the way they have been playing. The Runnin' Rebels seem to be getting stronger and stronger as they adjust to the system under their new head coach. UNLV has won 6 of their past 7 games and all 6 wins have come by 9 or more points. Look for this one too as well. 8* UNLV |
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01-18-20 | Missouri +7 v. Alabama | Top | 74-88 | Loss | -109 | 9 h 9 m | Show |
SEC Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #689 Saturday 10* Top Play Missouri Tigers (+) @ Alabama Crimson Tide @ 3:30 ET - The Crimson Tide are off a huge win over in-state rival Auburn. That was a huge win for Alabama for more reasons than one. That victory for the Tide handed the rival Tigers their very first loss of the season. Knocking off a highly ranked team that is also a huge rival is going to leave Alabama flat for this battle and that is bad news for Crimson Tide fans. That's because Missouri comes into this one angry after a 27 point beatdown at Mississippi State in their most recent game. The Tigers were off a big win versus Florida and simply fell flat against the Bulldogs. They won't be flat here however as they lost by double digits at home to the Crimson Tide last season so it is payback time here. Also, lets talk about line value here. When Missouri played at Kentucky they were an 8.5 point dog. When Alabama played at Kentucky they were a 10 point dog! These games were played within a week of each other and the lines tell you the odds makers feel the Tigers are the better team! Yet here they are, with the betting markets falling in love with the Crimson Tide, getting a full +7 in this game as of early gameday morning. I'll gladly take the points here as Missouri is undervalued and Alabama is in a true flat spot here. Yes the Crimson Tide have been very hot ATS but they are facing a tough test here with the Tigers and I expect this game to ultimately be decided by only a bucket or two. 10* MISSOURI |
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01-18-20 | Marquette v. Georgetown OVER 153 | Top | 84-80 | Win | 100 | 7 h 6 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #649 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Georgetown Hoyas vs Marquette Golden Eagles @ 2 ET - The Hoyas are averaging 82.5 points per game at home this season. The Golden Eagles are averaging 77.2 points per game this season. Trouble here because they are on the road? Not so fast my friend as Marquette actually is hitting an incredible 41.1% of their three pointers when away from home this season! Georgetown is horrible at defending the arc and the Eagles love to run and gun. The Hoyas also love to run the floor and get quick points in transition and this is particularly true when they are at home. That said, I love the over in this match-up. The Golden Eagles are off a big win versus Xavier and the over is now 7-2 in their lat 9 games as Marquette continues to pile up big points in recent weeks! The Golden Eagles most recent road game was a rare exception (at Xavier) and they make up for that effort here as they take advantage of facing a weak defense. 10* OVER the total in Georgetown |
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01-17-20 | Dayton v. St. Louis OVER 138.5 | Top | 78-76 | Win | 100 | 13 h 43 m | Show |
A10 Total of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #857 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in St Louis Billikens vs Dayton Flyers @ 7 ET - I have had my eyes on this match-up for awhile as one that is likely to lead to plenty of points. The Flyers lost to St Louis in the Atlantic 10 Tourney last season and it is payback time here. That said, I expect Dayton to score plenty in this one but the Billikens are a strong home team that can put up big points as a host. St Louis is averaging 74.5 points per game at home this season. The Flyers, even on the road, are a huge scoring team as they are averaging 81.6 points per game away from home this season. Dayton enters this game on a 6-game winning streak and has averaged 81.5 points per game in these six victories. The Billikens most recent home game was a low-scoring win but that was preceded by 3 games as a host which saw St Louis average 80.7 points per game. The over is 12-6 in Dayton's last 18 games. The over is 6-3 in the Billikens last 9 games. Also, in the last 6 meetings between these teams, 4 have gone over the total. More of the same here. The Flyers were held to just 55 points in their last match-up with STL and that means Dayton will not take their foot off the gas no matter how big their margin in this revenge game. 10* OVER the total in St Louis |
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01-17-20 | Wisconsin +9.5 v. Michigan State | Top | 55-67 | Loss | -108 | 12 h 3 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #861 Friday 10* Top Play Wisconsin Badgers (+) @ Michigan State Spartans @ 7 ET - The Spartans just got rolled at Purdue. So now everyone is jumping on Michigan State in a bounce back spot on their home floor. However, how much is too much? In this case I feel strongly that this line has been blown out of proportion. The Badgers have plenty of motivation here and are not an easy team to blowout. Wisconsin has revenge against the Spartans as Michigan State has held the upper hand in their meetings in recent seasons including knocking them out in Big Ten tourney action each of the past two years. Last March the Badgers actually had 15 more shots from the field as they dominated in terms of forcing Spartans turnovers. Wisconsin simply had an awful shooting performance and that was the difference in the game as the Badgers lost by a dozen points. Wisconsin enters this game having won 6 of their past 7 games and the lone loss came by a single point. Michigan State, while it is tempting to back them after their ugly loss to the Boilermakers, actually does not have a good history ATS in spots like this. When off an upset loss by a double digit margin in a game in which they were a favorite, the Spartans are a long-term 7-16 ATS including 1-3 ATS in recent seasons. Off an upset loss by 15 or more points as a road favorite, Michigan State has gone 0-4 ATS in their next game! More of the same here. 10* WISCONSIN |
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01-16-20 | North Texas v. Southern Miss OVER 132 | Top | 72-52 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 20 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #639 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles vs North Texas Mean Green @ 8 ET - Looking for games that are a bit "off the radar" often lead to some top value situations and that is precisely the case here. A 4-13 Southern Miss team is certainly not going to have most people lining up at the betting window but I love spots like this. The Golden Eagles should score well here at home but they are a very bad team defensively and North Texas will take advantage. The result here should be an absolute shootout and yet we have a rather low total to work with on this one. The Mean Green have averaged 82.3 points per game in their past 6 games. The Golden Eagles are off a 70 point effort at UTSA. In terms of their recent home games they had a rare dud in their most recent game as a host. Look for Southern Miss to make up for that here as, in their 3 preceding home games, the Eagles had averaged 79 points per game! On the season Southern Mississippi has averaged 73 points per game at home. But the Golden Eagles have allowed 75 points per game this season and I am expecting this game to get well into the 140s. The over is a perfect 3-0 in meetings between these teams in which the Eagles are the host. North Texas enters this game on a 6-3 run to the over. 10* OVER the total in Southern Mississippi |
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01-16-20 | Cincinnati +5.5 v. Memphis | Top | 49-60 | Loss | -114 | 13 h 55 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #629 Thursday 10* Top Play Cincinnati Bearcats (+) @ Memphis Tigers @ 7 ET - The Bearcats have won 6 straight meetings between these teams and 8 of the last 9. The lone Cincinnati loss in those 9 games came by a margin of only 4 points. Of course Memphis is highly motivated here as a result but the Tigers will be in an all-out war just to win this game let alone cover the spread. That said, I like the value here with the Bearcats plus the points. Memphis has been struggling on the offensive end and has averaged just 66 points per game in its past 3 games. Cincinnati has averaged 71.5 points per game in its past 6 games. While both teams have been strong defensively this season, the Bearcats have been the better team in the offensive end and the Tigers already have a bit of a "self-doubt complex" when it comes to beating the Cats. They just haven't been able to do it for multiple years now and when a team is pressing to make shots and also feeling the pressure to knock off a team that has been a nemesis, it certainly is not a good combination for success. Memphis is on a 3-7 ATS run in January games. The Bearcats are on an 18-2 SU run in January games and have played the slightly tougher schedule this season in comparison with the Tigers. That said, I'll grab the generous points here. 10* CINCINNATI |
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01-15-20 | Xavier +3.5 v. Marquette | 65-85 | Loss | -109 | 12 h 5 m | Show | |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #825 Wednesday 8* Xavier Musketeers (+) @ Marquette Golden Eagles @ 8 ET - On the surface it looks easy to play Marquette at home here. After all, the Musketeers are just 4-3 SU in road games while the Golden Eagles are 8-1 SU in home games. As long-time followers know, these are the exact types of situations where I look to go against the grain and play the other side. The fact is that Marquette is a little vulnerable here off back to back losses and now facing a revenge-minded Musketeers team. Xavier got swept by the Golden Eagles last season. That included an embarrassing 18 point loss here. There has been nothing embarrassing about the Musketeers recent games as a traveler. In their last 4 games away from home Xavier is just 2-2 SU but one loss came by just a bucket and the other loss came by 6 points at Villanova in a game in which they finished just shy of the cover. Xavier is 10-4 ATS the last 14 times they have been a road dog of 6 or less points. Marquette is 1-6 ATS (and SU!) when they enter a game having lost 3 of their last 4 games. The Golden Eagles struggles continue here and, while I expect the outright upset with the Musketeers, I will grab the points for added insurance. 8* XAVIER |
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01-15-20 | Virginia +6.5 v. Florida State | Top | 50-54 | Win | 100 | 12 h 3 m | Show |
ACC Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #791 Wednesday 10* Top Play Virginia Cavaliers (+) @ Florida State Seminoles @ 7 ET - This is a tremendous value spot. The Cavaliers are "off the radar" of most everyone because they have lost back to back games and also people remember them getting blasted at Purdue and also losing by double digits as a double digit home favorite versus South Carolina. However, when this Virginia team is "on" and they bring their "A game" they are still a very tough team to play against. That said, we are getting phenomenal line value here. Keep in mind this is a revenge game for the Cavs because Florida State upset them in March. Virginia had more shots from the field in that game but they simply had a horrible shooting night plus the Seminoles dominated the boards. Note that, already evident this season, the Noles are not so dominant on the boards and the Cavaliers actually have the better rebounding margin on the season entering this game. That said, I feel very strongly that the very hungry Cavs - seeking revenge and off B2B losses - have a great shot at the outright upset. The fact we can get the added insurance of at least a half-dozen points here makes the situation even that much stronger. Keep in mind, the Cavaliers are still the vastly superior defense in this match-up and I foresee FSU having a helluva time trying to put them away. Look for the Cavs to be in this one all the way. Grab the generous points. 10* VIRGINIA |
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01-15-20 | Creighton v. Georgetown OVER 151 | Top | 80-83 | Win | 100 | 12 h 43 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #789 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Georgetown Hoyas vs Creighton Bluejays @ 7 ET - I am aware of the fact that Creighton does not shoot the 3-ball as well on the road as they do at home. However, specific to playing at Georgetown, that stat has not held up! In their last two visits here, the Bluejays have shot a combined 29 of 65 for 44.5% three pointers! Georgetown is not a very good team defensively and this is particularly true when it comes to defending shots from the beyond the arc. That said, I like my chances in terms of Creighton scoring plenty in this one. Keep in mind, the Bluejays have scored an average of 87 points per game in their last 4 meetings with Georgetown. The Hoyas are happy to play at a fast pace and they are known for putting up big numbers when on their home floor. In fact, Georgetown has averaged 87 points per contest in their last 5 games on their home floor. Now you can see why the big total posted on this game is absolutely justified. The Bluejays enter this game having seen each of their last 3 games stay under the total while the Hoyas are on a 5-game under streak. Yet we see a big total posted on this game. Now you know why so don't be fooled here...this one should fly over Wednesday. 10* OVER the total in Georgetown |
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01-14-20 | Louisville v. Pittsburgh +6 | Top | 73-68 | Win | 100 | 13 h 38 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #604 Tuesday 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Panthers (+) vs Louisville Cardinals @ 7 ET - The Cardinals blasted the Panthers by 18 points in Louisville in early December and they rank among the top teams in the nation. That said, it looks easy to simply take the Cards here laying a rather short number on the road. Not so fast my friends. First off, the Cardinals outscored Pittsburgh by 24 points from 3 point land in the first meeting. That was the difference in the game and that type of disparity is highly unlikely to be repeated again tonight as this time the Cards are on the road. Additionally, Louisville has a huge game on deck with Duke! It is hard for the Cardinals to not be peeking ahead at the big match-up with the Blue Devils. That said, I love the home dog value here with a Panthers team that has been playing solid, competitive basketball ever since that blowout loss at Louisville on December 6th. Pitt, prior to a loss at Miami, had won 4 of 5 games and the lone loss came by a margin of only 4 points. The Cardinals are allowing 68 points per game on the road this season. The Panthers are allowing just 60 points per game at home this season. This one will be an all-out war and I don't see Louisville being able to gain much of (if any) margin in this game. Grab the points with the home dog. 10* PITTSBURGH |
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01-14-20 | Nebraska v. Ohio State OVER 140 | Top | 68-80 | Win | 100 | 13 h 32 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #601 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Ohio State Buckeyes vs Nebraska Cornhuskers @ 6:30 ET - Buckeyes games have stayed under the total in 4 straight games. Cornhuskers games have stayed under the total in 6 straight games. Yet this total is climbing higher in early trading action. Why would that happen? Sharp money! The fact is that the Buckeyes need a breakout game on offense as they are mired in a 4-game losing streak in which they have been held below 60 points in all 4 games. Tuesday Ohio State will take advantage of facing a Cornhuskers team which has allowed 78.4 points per game in match-ups played away from home this season. As for the Huskers offense, note that they have averaged 72.7 points per game this season. The Buckeyes offense will be in run and gun mode here and they are happy to be back home for this one. Ohio State has averaged 79.1 points per game in home games this season. The Buckeyes have hit 41.5% of their three pointers at home this season while Nebraska has hit a solid 34.5% of their three pointers on the road this season. We're getting some value here because Ohio State's most recent home game was a plodding affair against Wisconsin (Badgers like to play that way). Note that, prior to that, the Buckeyes had averaged 92 points per game in their 3 preceding home games. Look for plenty of points here! 10* OVER the total in Ohio State |
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01-13-20 | Portland State +7 v. Montana | Top | 70-85 | Loss | -110 | 16 h 36 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #861 Monday 10* Top Play Portland State Vikings (+) @ Montana Grizzlies @ 9 ET - The Vikings have the best player on the floor - Holland "Boo Boo" Woods - and he has been in top current form of late too! Woods just scored a career high 30 points in Portland State's win at Montana State on Saturday and that included a game winner in the final seconds. The Grizzlies are playing this game with revenge as they got swept by the Vikings last season. However, revenge and motivation can only take a team so far. The fact is that Montana lost 4 starters from last season's team. The Vikings are going to be tough to beat here and that means great value with the points. People are buying into the double revenge angle and this line has gone from an early opener of a -5 all the way up to a -7. This means additional value with a dangerous road dog that is playing with a lot of heart right now. Portland State is only 5-4 SU their last 9 games but looking at their past 10 games the Vikings have had only 1 loss in 10 games that came by a margin greater than 6 points. In fact, 2 of Portland State's last 3 losses have come by just a bucket. That means we have excellent underdog value here with the Vikings. They are 6-2 ATS as a road dog this season. Montana is 2-5 ATS this season when off a win and they are off a big win at Eastern Washington as a 5.5 point dog. Look for the Grizzlies pattern of faltering off a win to continue here. 10* PORTLAND STATE |
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01-12-20 | Wright State v. Illinois-Chicago OVER 145 | Top | 72-76 | Win | 100 | 12 h 44 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #841 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Illinois-Chicago Flames vs Wright State Raiders @ 4:12 ET - The Raiders bring an 8-game winning streak to Chicago for this match-up. However, when they last visited here the Flames got the win and held Wright State to just 53 points. That game will be but a distant memory after this one goes into the books. The Raiders have averaged 84.8 points per game during this 8-game winning streak. The Flames are not a very good team on the offensive end but they will put up a decent number of points here considering they are at home and facing a team that will force them to score. Wright State will push the tempo here and, keep in mind, the Raiders have allowed an average of 72.3 points per game their past 6 games. Wright State has NOT held an opponent below 69 points in ANY of those games. The Raiders last 2 games stayed under the total but this was immediately preceded by a run of 7-1 to the over in Wright State games. That type of run will resume here. While the Raiders want to make up for their 53-point effort here last time, UIC is looking to make up for a 52-point effort in their most recent home game! The Flames had averaged nearly 70 points per game over the 9-game stretch that preceded that dismal effort. 10* OVER the total in Illinois-Chicago |
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01-12-20 | Michigan State v. Purdue +4 | Top | 42-71 | Win | 100 | 8 h 5 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #822 Sunday 10* Top Play Purdue Boilermakers (+) vs Michigan State Spartans @ Noon ET - The Boilermakers are catching the Spartans at the perfect time for an upset. Michigan State comes into this game red hot as they are 5-0 in Big Ten action this season and also on an overall 8-game winning streak. Every other Big Ten team already has at least 2 losses in Big Ten action. One of those Big Ten teams, Wisconsin, is on deck for the Spartans and that makes this a potential trap game for Michigan State. That's because Purdue is better than their recent results would lead you to believe. The Boilermakers have lost 2 straight games and 4 of their last 7 but this is still a team that is 7-1 in home games this season. The Spartans are 1-6 ATS in road games this season. The home team has won each of the last 4 meetings SU and I would not be surprised to see an outright upset here from the home dog. Also note that Michigan State has covered just once in its last six meetings with Purdue! The Boilermakers have won 17 of their past 20 January games and get back on track with a big win here. Grab the points though for added insurance should the fall just short of the outright upset. 10* PURDUE |
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01-11-20 | Southern Miss +10 v. Texas-San Antonio | Top | 70-80 | Push | 0 | 17 h 53 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #677 Saturday 10* Top Play Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (+) @ UTSA Roadrunners @ 4 ET - This one sets up perfectly in my opinion. I am very aware of the fact that Southern Miss has gotten off to a rough start this season but the Eagles have played a tougher schedule than the Runners. Also, they enter this game off B2B road losses and very hungry. As for UTSA, they are off a huge upset win as the Roadrunners knocked off Louisiana Tech as a 6.5 point dog on Thursday. The Roadrunners won that game by a double digit margin. The Bulldogs team that UTSA just beat is the same one that just blasted the Golden Eagles in back to back meetings. But, as the saying goes, that is why they play the games! In other words, don't be surprised if Southern Mississippi pulls off a shocker here. I like the fact that the Runners opened up an 8.5 and are now a double digit favorite here. The Golden Eagles won both meetings last season. As a general rule, when you go against a team that is now favored by double digits after they are off an upset win by a double digit margin is a VERY strong play. I am grabbing the big dog here and look for UTSA to come out flat in this game. Look for the Runners to struggle just to win this game let alone cover the big spread. 10* SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI |
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01-10-20 | Maryland v. Iowa +2 | Top | 49-67 | Win | 100 | 11 h 21 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #838 Friday 10* Top Play Iowa Hawkeyes (+) vs Maryland Terrapins @ 7 ET - The Hawkeyes have lost some players they would certainly rather have right now as Jordan Bohannon is out for the season and CJ Fredrick is listed as doubtful for this game. However, Iowa has adequate rest heading into this game and will be able to heavily use the players they do have available and I believe this line was set the way it was (pick'em) with good reason. Since opening up at just a pick it has moved to -2 (and as high as -2.5) on Maryland. However, the Terrapins are ranked #12 in the nation and are healthier than the Hawkeyes and yet the line opened up as a pick'em. Do you think the odds makers are crazy? Of course they are not! This game was priced this way with good reason and I like backing Iowa off back to back tight losses. Also, in terms of meetings with the Terrapins, the Hawkeyes are playing this game with revenge including a 1-point home loss versus Maryland last season. I sense and upset here. Iowa is catching the Terrapins off back to back big wins over Indiana and Ohio State. Also, Maryland has a perceived "tougher game" on deck at Wisconsin. That make this game, especially with the Terrapins off the win over the Buckeyes, a spot with "upset potential" for sure. In true road games this season (not neutral site), Maryland is 0-3 ATS. Also, the Terrapins are 2-6 ATS when off B2B Big Ten wins. When the posted total is in the 140s this season, Iowa is 7-2 SU and ATS. When off a road loss in Big Ten action, the Hawkeyes are 10-5 ATS. All these trends continue here on Friday. 10* IOWA |
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01-09-20 | Purdue +5.5 v. Michigan | Top | 78-84 | Loss | -110 | 16 h 55 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #613 Thursday 10* Top Play Purdue Boilermakers (+) @ Michigan Wolverines @ 7 ET - How often does a team score just 37 points? Not very often of course! Also, how often is a team held below 40 points in a game plus ending up on the wrong end of the scoreboard by a margin of more than 25 points? Even less often of course! I love backing quality teams that are coming off a "loss for the ages" and that is case here for Purdue after they were blasted 63 to 37 at Illinois in their most recent game. Michigan is off a loss too but it is of a different variety. The Wolverines are off a crushing loss at the hands of their biggest rivals, Michigan State, and that sets this one up well. Look for the Boilermakers to come out angry and focused while the Wolverines will still be lamenting their ugly loss to the Spartans, their most hated rivals. Give me the points in a spot like this. In terms of additional situational support, I like the fact that Purdue lost by 19 points at Michigan last season and the fact that this followed the Boilermakers getting bounced from the Big Ten Tourney by the Wolverines the prior season. Double revenge spot here! The Boilers are 5-0 SU the last 5 times they have entered a game off a road loss by a double digit margin. The Wolverines are 0-3 ATS in their last 3 games with a single digit line. Michigan's only impressive victories of late have been in games in which they were favored by 20 or more points. Once again, in a game projected to be a close one, I am happy to go against the Wolverines as they drop to 0-4 ATS their L4 games with a single digit line. 10* PURDUE |
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01-08-20 | Duquesne v. St. Joe's OVER 147.5 | Top | 78-60 | Loss | -109 | 15 h 10 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #793 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in St Joseph's Hawks vs Duquesne Dukes @ 7 ET - The Hawks are not a good team defensively and the Dukes will take advantage. Though St Joseph's has unimpressive numbers on offense this season, they are a better team when at home. The Hawks average 73 points per game when at home this season. The issue for St Joseph's is they allow 82 points per game! Now the Hawks take on a Duquesne team which scores an average of 73 points per game. The last 3 meetings between these teams have averaged 168 points per game and the over went a perfect 3-0 in those contests. Look for the over streak to reach 4-0 with another high-scoring shootout here. The Dukes have scored at least 71 points in 7 of their last 9 games. The Hawks have allowed 80 points per game in their last 5 home games. Duquesne is favored by about 8 points for a good reason but I don't see St Joseph's going down without a fight. That said, the Hawks are going to have score plenty to "hang around" in this game and I absolutely expect them to do just that. 10* OVER the total in St Joseph's |
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01-08-20 | St. John's +4 v. Georgetown | 66-87 | Loss | -107 | 15 h 1 m | Show | |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #781 Wednesday 8* St John's Red Storm (+) @ Georgetown Hoyas @ 6:30 ET - Both teams are off back to back losses entering this one but the scrappy Red Storm are going to outwork the Hoyas in this one. Additionally, there are some situational edges I like here. St John's lost by double digits at home against Georgetown in their most recent meeting. It is payback time here and the Hoyas are certainly shorthanded compared to the team they were when they began this season. The biggest loss is James Akinjo as he averaged 30 minutes per game and was a significant scorer for Georgetown. However, don't discount the absence of 3 other players for the Hoyas that combined to average a full 40 minutes per game. Also now absent from this team are Josh LeBlanc, Myron Gardner, and Galen Alexander. Even if Georgetown had all hands on deck St John's is still the tougher team defensively and also a little more "hard-nosed" when the chips are down. That said, with each team off back to back losses I like having the Red Storm plus the points and playing with revenge to enjoy a strong game tonight. I expect the upset win but will grab the points as added insurance. 8* ST JOHN'S |