Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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01-15-20 | Nets v. 76ers -7.5 | Top | 106-117 | Win | 100 | 13 h 17 m | Show |
Atlantic Division Game of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #502 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:05 ET - Perfect set up here. Both teams off losses but the Nets were in action last night. Brooklyn is playing this game with no rest. Philadelphia is off back to back losses and they were off yesterday so they have the rest edge here. Also, Brooklyn got their playoff revenge over the Sixers in the first meeting this season as the Nets blasted the 76ers by a margin of 20 points. Philly hasn't forgotten that game and they are in an angry mood here because they have lost 6 of their past 8 games overall. With Joel Embiid out we're getting line value here as this line is being kept shorter than it would have been of course. That said, I am happy to lay the relatively small number when you consider the situational edges here and the fact that Brooklyn is 1-6 SU in their last 7 road games while the 76ers are 18-2 SU in home games this season. Lay it! 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-15-20 | Pistons v. Celtics OVER 218 | Top | 116-103 | Win | 100 | 13 h 40 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #503 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Celtics vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - The Celtics are known for being a solid team defensively. They have earned that reputation. But sometimes that helps lead to value going the other way when certain situations arise and that is precisely what we have here. It is hard for Boston to be be excited about facing a slumping Pistons team when they have a huge game tomorrow night at Milwaukee! Undoubtedly these are the types of games where the superior team - in this case, the Celtics - has a drop-off in defensive intensity. That said, don't be surprised when the Pistons score very well in this game. However, Detroit leaves much to be desired on the defensive end. That said, I look for a solid over in this match-up. Overall, 3 of the last 4 meetings between these teams have gone over the total. Also, 3 of the last 4 times they have met in Boston, the games have gone over the total. The over is 9-3 in the Pistons last dozen games. The Celtics have averaged 119 points per game in their past 4 home games. Look for them to get at least that here and for the Pistons to eclipse the century mark as well and, as a result, this flies over the total. 10* OVER the total in Boston |
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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 | Rockets v. Grizzlies OVER 238 | Top | 110-121 | Loss | -109 | 15 h 56 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #575 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Memphis Grizzlies vs Houston Rockets @ 8:05 ET - These are two of the fastest teams in the league in terms of possessions per game. The opening total of 238 will scare many away but the fact this game should be an absolute track meet going both ways. Memphis is a very young team and they want to play fast and look to score plenty of points in transition. Of course the Rockets are one of the top teams in the league for efficiency on offense. That said, I have no hesitation in expecting these teams to combine to average 60 or more points per quarter in this one. Memphis is playing with a lot of confidence thanks to a 5-game winning streak. The Rockets sit atop of the Southwest Division standings and enter this game having rolled to big point totals in 4 of their last 5 games. They're looking to make up for that one dud (on the road) by coming up with a huge effort in their first road game since then. In the other 4 games the Rockets have averaged 127 points per game. As for Memphis, they have averaged 127 points per game during their current 5-game winning streak. You can see why I would not be surprised to see this game get into the 255 range. The over is 4-2 in Houston's last 6 games. The over is 12-4 in the Grizzlies last 16 games. Look for the high-scoring trend to continue here. 10* OVER the total in Memphis |
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01-14-20 | Kings v. Lightning -1.5 | Top | 3-4 | Loss | -107 | 12 h 13 m | Show |
Puck Line Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #6 Tuesday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Puck Line -1.5 goals vs Los Angeles Kings @ 7:05 ET - The Kings almost always struggle to score goals. A rare exception was their recent 5-2 win at Vegas. Other than that LA seems to fall somewhere between 0 and 2 goals scored most every game. The bad news for Los Angeles is they're going to be facing Andrei Vasilevskiy in this one. He is an incredible 8-0 with a .946 save percentage in his last 8 outings. In other words, things could get worse for the Kings before they get better! Exasperating this situation for Los Angeles is the fact that they will be facing an angry Tampa Bay team. The Lightning just had their 10 game winning streak snapped at New Jersey on Monday. Curtis McElhinney got the start in that one (back to back spot) for the Bolts but Vasilevskiy should be back in the crease here. Not only is TB hungry to bounce back here after that loss, this is also their final home game until early February. In other words, the Lightning are wanting to make the most of this opportunity and I don't foresee them being denied. Prior to a 1-0 win at Philadelphia which made it 10 straight wins for Tampa, they had scored 4.7 goals per game in the first 9 wins of that streak. Keep in mind the Kings have been held to 2 or less goals in regulation time of 9 of their past 11 games. That is why I am expecting the Bolts to win this game by 3 or 4 goals and of course a win by 2 or more puts in the winners circle. Look for a home blowout here! 10* TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING Puck Line -1.5 goals |
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01-14-20 | Golden Knights v. Sabres OVER 6 | Top | 2-4 | Push | 0 | 11 h 17 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #1 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Buffalo Sabres vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 7:05 ET - The Knights are looking to bounce back off a home shutout loss to the Blue Jackets on Saturday. Prior to that defeat, Vegas had scored an average of 4 goals per game in their preceding 6 games. The issue for the Golden Knights of late has been as it relates to keeping the puck out of their own net. The Knights have allowed an average of 4 goals per game in their last 5 games. Now the face a Sabres team that has been involved in plenty of high-scoring games on home ice and I look for a real barn-burner here given the situation. Buffalo's last 15 non-road games have averaged a total of 7 goals per game. That said, I like the value we're getting here with this total at a flat 6 goals per game rather than a 6.5 as one might expect. The Knights Marc-Andre Fleury has seen Vegas concede 15 goals in his last 4 starts. The one start Malcolm Subban had during this stretch saw the Golden Knights allow 5 goals. In fact, prior to their 3-0 home loss to Columbus, the Knights preceding 8 games featured 7 games that all totaled 7 or more goals. This one will too! Buffalo is off a big 5-1 win at Detroit and this was preceded by the Sabres allowing an average of 4.2 goals per game in their 5 preceding games. The O/U is 3-0-1 this season when Vegas enters a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. The O/U is 7-3 this season when the Sabres are off a win by a multiple goal margin in their prior game. 10* OVER the total in Buffalo |
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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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01-13-20 | Clemson +6.5 v. LSU | Top | 25-42 | Loss | -110 | 16 h 1 m | Show |
The Big One - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #283 Monday 10* Top Play Clemson Tigers (+) vs LSU Tigers @ 8 PM ET in National Championship @ Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, LA - I have plenty of respect for both of these teams of course but this is simply too many points for LSU to be laying in a game that Clemson certainly has a great shot at winning outright. First off, about the points, Clemson's win over Ohio State to get here was the FIRST TIME this season that they allowed more than 20 points in a game and yet they still allowed only 23 in that game. In their first 12 games this season, Clemson allowed 14 points or less in 11 of the 12 games! To put that in proper perspective lets compare that to their opponent here. LSU has allowed 37 points or more 4 times this season and also allowed 28 points in 2 other games. That means that in nearly half their games this season LSU has allowed 28 points. Again, that is something the Clemson defense has not done a SINGLE time this season. Now I know LSU has a prolific offense but you can see why I like the defense-first dog in this match-up. The Clemson defense rates a bigger edge than the LSU offense rates when comparing these two teams. Why? Because the Clemson offense is very impressive too! They have averaged just a field goal less on offense while their defense has allowed 10 points less per game. In terms of the experience factor, I like that Clemson has been here so frequently in recent seasons. It definitely rates an edge for their program in that regard in this match-up. In terms of long-term trending here. When LSU enters a game on an ATS winning streak (as a favorite) of 3 or more games they have gone 3-8 ATS. As for Clemson, as a neutral field underdog of 3.5 to 7 points, they have gone 10-3 ATS. I expect an upset but will grab the points for extra insurance in case LSU squeaks out the SU win. 10* CLEMSON |
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01-13-20 | Bulls +9.5 v. Celtics | Top | 101-113 | Loss | -104 | 15 h 42 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #561 Monday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 7:35 ET - Bulls are off win at Detroit. While it is true that Chicago had been struggling prior to that, they did have an 18-point lead at Indiana in their prior game before faltering late in the game. That said, I feel the Bulls have been more competitive of late and they are catching the Celtics at the right time to be a dangerous underdog here. Boston is off a huge 140 to 105 win over New Orleans. That is the type of victory that can have a team feeling a little too "fat and happy" and they often have some struggles in their next game after one like that. Note that, prior to that game the Celtics had lost 3 straight games SU. Overall, Boston had lost 4 of 7 games SU prior to the win over the Pelicans. Also, 2 of those 3 wins came by a margin of 7 or less points. Per the above, you can see why I am happy to challenge the Celtics to win this game by double digits. The Bulls lost by 29 points in their lone visit here last year and did get throttled in 2 of the 3 meetings between these teams. That said, they'll be ready to go here! The Bulls stopped the bleeding with their win at Detroit Saturday and Chicago is 7-1 ATS this season when they enter a game having lost 6 or 7 of their past 8 games SU. After ending their losing streak they build some momentum with another strong effort here. Boston is 30-54 ATS long-term (and 1-3 ATS this season) when off a game in which they scored 120 points or more. 10* CHICAGO |
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01-13-20 | Bruins v. Flyers +120 | Top | 5-6 | Win | 120 | 13 h 14 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #66 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - Home dog value too strong to ignore. The Flyers are off a tough 1-0 home loss to the red-hot Lightning. Carter Hart continued his phenomenal home ice play between the pipes. That loss, as you can see 1-0, was no fault of his and Hart entered that game 12-1-2 with a 1.52 GAA and a .945 save percentage on home ice this season! I expect to see him between the pipes again here as then the Flyers have a back to back coming up and that is when Brian Elliott would likely be between the pipes again. That said, and with Boston off a tight OT win and the Flyers off a tough 1-0 home loss, I like Philly on home ice here. The Bruins are in the front end of a back to back here so the scheduling situation certainly favors the Flyers. I am aware of the injury situation with Braun and Gostisbehere for the Philadelphia blue line but the Flyers have been solid in their D zone and that strong play continues here. The Bruins will drop to 4-7 this season when playing with home loss revenge (by the way they have another revenger on deck at Columbus tomorrow). As for Philly, they improve to 9-2 in their last 11 home games as they bounce back off a rare home loss. The Flyers had one 3-game home ice losing streak this season. Other than that they have NEVER lost back to back games on home ice. They'll respond tonight after a rare home shutout Saturday that came at the hands of the hottest team in the league. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-12-20 | Clippers v. Nuggets OVER 220.5 | Top | 104-114 | Loss | -110 | 17 h 53 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #553 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Clippers @ 8:05 ET - Paul George is out for this game but of course that is factored into the side and total. Look for a higher scoring game than many are anticipating here as the Nuggets are off a home loss yesterday to Cleveland. Of course that is in an inexcusable loss and I look for Denver to respond by looking to run the Goerge-less Clippers right of the arena tonight. The Nuggets will push the pace and, prior to back to back unders (including yesterday just barely staying under) Denver had gone over the total in 6 straight games and 11 of last 13. Los Angeles. prior to their low-scoring win over Golden State Friday, had gone over the total in 3 straight games. The Clippers have allowed an average of 122 points per game in their last two visits to Denver and the Nuggets are only a 2 point favorite in this match-up. Would a 122-120 Denver win surprise me here? Not in the least! In other words I feel this total is set too low and I look for others to again step up for LA (like they did versus GS) with George being out. Plenty of points in this one. 10* OVER the total in Denver |
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01-12-20 | Hornets +8 v. Suns | Top | 92-100 | Push | 0 | 16 h 29 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #555 Saturday 10* Top Play Charlotte Hornets (+) @ Phoenix Suns @ 8:05 ET - The Hornets fit the ugly dog theory here. Sure it may seem tough to back them given their record but we're able to fade a Suns team that, in my opinion, is overvalued with this line at 8 points. Note that Phoenix is just 4-11 SU in their last 15 games and NONE of those 4 wins came by more than 8 points. In other words if you bet the Suns at today's line in each of their last 15 games you won exactly ZERO out of 15 bets. It is too much in my opinion. Keep in mind this is also a revenge game for the Hornets since the Suns beat them last month at Charlotte. That victory came by a margin of just 5 points and I expect another very close game here. I also like the fact that the Hornets are off an ugly loss at Utah while the Suns are off a home win over Orlando. Charlotte is 4-4 SU in their last 8 road games and one of those losses came by just a bucket. Also, prior to their loss to the Jazz, the Hornets were on a 2-2 SU run and one of those losses was by just 2 points to the Raptors. The road dog is motivated and ready to go here and they seek revenge plus look to make up for a poor effort at Utah. 10* CHARLOTTE |
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01-12-20 | Maple Leafs v. Panthers OVER 6.5 | Top | 4-8 | Win | 100 | 14 h 56 m | Show |
Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #59 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Florida Panthers vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:05 ET - These are two of the highest scoring teams in the league. The last time they met there were a combined 12 goals scored. The over is 4-1 in their last 5 meetings! The Maple Leafs enter this game with 8 of their last 11 games having totaled 7 or more goals. In fact, Toronto's last 15 games have seen them average scoring 4.5 goals per game! For the Panthers, 8 of their past 12 games have totaled 7 or more goals. Florida has averaged scoring 4 goals per game in their last dozen games. One could actually argue, based on the above, that 8.5 goals could be expected here and that the total should be more like a 7 or 7.5 that is posted on this game. However, we're getting a 6.5 on this one and I know it is a divisional game but there is simply too much firepower for both of these hockey clubs in the offensive zone. The goaltending simply can not keep up here and we should see a barrage of shots on goal from both clubs in this one. Even including their 5-2 win over Vancouver Thursday, the Panthers have allowed an average of 4 goals per game in their past 5 home games. As for the Maple Leafs, they have allowed an average of 3.6 goals per game their past 8 games. Keep in mind goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is listed as questionable for this game by the Panthers as he was unable to complete Saturday's practice. Even if he plays am all over this play but if he does not (or is not 100%) that makes it even stronger. Great value here with this total below a 7 in my opinion! 10* OVER the total in Florida |
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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 | Texans v. Chiefs -9.5 | Top | 31-51 | Win | 100 | 23 h 45 m | Show |
Playoff Game of the Year - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #306 Saturday 10* Top Play Kansas City Chiefs (-) vs Houston Texans @ 3:05 ET - The Texans were fortunate to rally back from a 13-0 deficit last week and eventually beat the Bills in overtime. However, Houston was fortunate that Buffalo made key mistakes that also played a role in the comeback plus the Texans were at home for that game. This is a much different situation this week. Now Houston is on the road and facing a Kansas City team which is off a bye week and also has won 6 straight games. The Chiefs are playing this game with revenge from a rare home loss to the Texans earlier this season but, revenge or not, Kansas City is destined for a blowout win here. KC has outscored the opponents by an average score of 28 to 11 during this 6-game winning streak. Their defense has been fantastic and the Texans have been at the other end of the spectrum in terms of how they finished up the season. Houston was again outgained in last week's playoff win over the Bills and the Texans have now been outgained in 6 of their past 8 games. The Texans haven't just been getting nipped in the stats department either. Houston was outgained by an average of nearly 100 yards per game in those 6 games. The Texans are 1-6 ATS this season when coming off an ATS cover. When the Chiefs are off back to back covers as a favorite they have gone 9-3 ATS including 3-1 ATS this season. The KC defense has held 3 of their last 4 opponents under 300 yards of offense. Also, the Houston defense has allowed 26.6 points per game in its last 8 games. There is simply no comparison in terms of the way these two defenses have been playing of late and the Chiefs also have the rest edge and home field edge. 10* KANSAS CITY |
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01-12-20 | Predators v. Jets +107 | Top | 1-0 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 19 m | Show |
Early Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #52 Sunday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) vs Nashville Predators @ 2:05 ET - The Predators are going to try and get going and build momentum again after the coaching change. They got it started with a big win at Chicago Thursday. However, this is not the place for Nashville to maintain momentum. They are on the road and facing a Jets team that has beaten them 4 straight times. Also, Winnipeg comes in angry off a loss at Boston Thursday. The Jets will be in bounce back mode here. Broissoit got the start in goal against the Bruins but now it will be Hellebuyck back in the crease for this one. He has looked very sharp in his last two starts and is having a strong season overall. Additionally he has been fantastic in his recent starts against the Predators. Overall, Hellebuyck and the Jets have had the Preds number of late and I see that continuing here and won't pass up on the great line value being offered for this one. 10* WINNIPEG |
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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 | Titans v. Ravens OVER 46.5 | Top | 28-12 | Loss | -112 | 22 h 49 m | Show |
Playoff Total of the Year - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #303 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Baltimore Ravens vs Tennessee Titans @ 8:15 ET - Of course the Titans would like to slow this game down by utilizing their ground game to keep the dangerous Ravens offense off the field. However, I don't see that happening here. I look for Baltimore to get a big lead and then, the only way for Tennessee to battle back will be by utilizing the aerial attack too. Prior to last week's under at New England, Titans games were on a 9-1 run to the over. Baltimore's defense has been great down the stretch run but I think one has to respect the huge point totals that Tennessee has been putting up over the latter half of this season as well. As for the Ravens offense, it is unquestionably among the most dangerous in the NFL. Considering those factors as well as the fact that unseasonably mild weather is taking hold on the east coast Saturday, this one should see points aplenty. Note that the Titans have scored at least 20 points in 11 straight games. The Ravens are favored by 10 here. You can see why I am expecting this game to get into the fifties given those numbers. The Ravens points scored ranks them #1 in the NFL this season. The over is 5-0 this season when Baltimore enters a game having won 2 of their last 3 games. The over is 9-5, including 4-2 this season, when the Ravens are off back to back games in which they have allowed 17 points or less. Big game for both offensive units in this one. 10* OVER the total in Baltimore |
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01-11-20 | Bulls v. Pistons -3.5 | Top | 108-99 | Loss | -110 | 20 h 20 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #534 Saturday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (-) vs Chicago Bulls @ 7:05 ET - The Bulls are off another loss yesterday. Not only is this a back to back spot for Chicago but they have also lost 6 straight games both SU and ATS. Look for that trend to continue here for the Bulls as they face an angry Pistons team that just lost in overtime on their home floor against the Cavaliers on Thursday. Yes it is true that Detroit hasn't been winning much of late either but they had won 2 of 3 before that loss to Cleveland and certainly they have a big edge here playing at home and catching the Bulls in a tough scheduling spot. Also this is a big-time revenge spot as Chicago has won all 3 meetings so far this season. Pistons have something to say about that today and I look for them to avenge those losses in a big way! 10* DETROIT |
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01-11-20 | Vikings +7 v. 49ers | Top | 10-27 | Loss | -105 | 19 h 43 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #301 Saturday 10* Top Play Minnesota Vikings (+) @ San Francisco 49ers @ 4:35 ET - That was a very strong Saints team which the Vikings defeated last week. Of course the 49ers have the rest edge here but I like what I have been seeing from this Minnesota team down the stretch run while the same can not be said for the 49ers. The Niners went 3-2 SU in their final 5 games of the season but all 3 wins came by 5 or less points. San Francisco is on a 1-3-1 ATS run in home games. The Vikings are 9-4 SU in their last 13 games and only 1 of the 4 losses came by more than 7 points. Both teams have solid defenses but San Francisco did give up 20 points or more in 8 of it last 9 games. The Vikings allowed 24 points or less in 14 of 17 games this season! Given those numbers, an outright upset here would not surprise and certainly value is on our side in having the full TD with the underdog. Long-term, San Francisco has covered just 5 of last 20 home games when they are a favorite. Look for that trend to continue here. 10* MINNESOTA |
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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 | Penguins +144 v. Avalanche | Top | 4-3 | Win | 144 | 13 h 39 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #27 Friday 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Penguins Money Line (+) @ Colorado Avalanche @ 9:05 ET - On the surface this may seem like a great spot to back the Avalanche off back to back losses and fade the Penguins off a huge road win at Vegas. However, Colorado has been struggling for an extended stretch and has been getting shaky goaltending from both of their netminders. Conversely, the Penguins are getting great work between the pipes from Tristan Jarry and certainly enter this game as the much hotter team. Additionally, Sidney Crosby has been practicing again with the team which, in and of itself, is already a boost to team morale. However, more than just a morale boost, here is a chance he will be back in game action tonight. Either way though, even if he does not play in this game, Crosby's Penguins are simply offering far too much value to pass up on here. Again, they are the team getting solid goaltending for weeks on end and they also have won 12 of their past 16 games. As for the Avalanche, they have lost 7 of their past 10 games! Even at home Colorado has lost 4 of its last 5 games and the Avs have allowed 5.3 goals per game their past 4 on home ice! Pittsburgh has allowed just 2.3 goals per game in going 3-0 in their past 3 road games. More of the same on tap here and I like the big dog value being offered with the Pens. I'll take it! 10* PITTSBURGH |
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01-10-20 | Heat v. Nets +3.5 | Top | 113-117 | Win | 100 | 13 h 51 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #512 Friday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (+) vs Miami Heat @ 7:35 ET - I am well aware of the fact that the Nets have lost 7 straight games but there is a reason the Heat are such a small favorite here. The fact is that Miami is in a tough situational spot as they are coming off a big win at Indiana Wednesday. As for Brooklyn, they have been off since Tuesday so they hold the rest edge here. Adding to that rest edge is that the Nets were at home Tuesday while the Heat haven't played consecutive games in the same city the past two weeks and are on the road again here. The home team is a perfect 3-0 ATS the last 3 meetings between these teams. Also, Miami had lost 3 of 5 most recent road games prior to the big win over the Pacers Wednesday. The Heat are 1-5 SU this season when off an upset win as an underdog. Also, Miami is a long-term 3-11 SU when off an outright win by a double digit margin in a game in which they were an underdog. Brooklyn is 5-0 ATS this season as a home underdog and 4 of those wins have been outright wins. The Nets are also a perfect 6-0 in Friday games this season. Look for these trends to all continue here! 10* BROOKLYN |
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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 | Stars v. Ducks OVER 5 | Top | 3-0 | Loss | -135 | 18 h 42 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #19 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Anaheim Ducks vs Dallas Stars @ 10:05 ET - I lost with the Dallas Over last night but won't hesitate to come right back with it here. Considering that Anton Khudobin was between the pipes for the Stars last night, I am expecting Ben Bishop to get the start tonight. Though he has been stronger in his last two starts that was preceded by allowing 10 goals in his two prior starts which includes his most recent road start. Overall, on the road this season, Bishop has an .895 save percentage and a 3.31 GAA. He has been much stronger at home than on the road. Now, at Anaheim, I am looking for quite the "barn-burner" tonight. The Ducks last 8 games have featured 7 that totaled 6 or more goals. In fact, those 7 games have averaged 7.6 goals per game and the total on tonight's game is just a 5 in many books. That puts this was well into "play on" range and also is why I am going to my highest level rating for this play. Look for the recent over trending of the Ducks to continue tonight in this one. 10* OVER the total in Anaheim |
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01-09-20 | Oilers +119 v. Canadiens | Top | 4-2 | Win | 119 | 15 h 14 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #5 Thursday 10* Top Play Edmonton Oilers Money Line (+) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - The Oilers do have a revenge game against their provincial rival, the Flames, in Calgary on Saturday. However, Edmonton is taking on a Canadiens team mired in a losing streak and the Oilers are playing with plenty of confidence right now. They are 3-0-1 their last 4 games and their goaltender Smith has been playing well between the pipes. Montreal feels a ton of pressure here because the losing is taking a toll on them and, when playing at home in hockey-crazed Quebec, the pressure is even more intense! Montreal has lost 7 straight games and also 4 straight games on home ice. Of course the Habs get some shading here by the odds makers because they are on home ice but, the point is, it really is not justified given the way they have been playing. Montreal has averaged just 1.8 goals per game their past 5 games. The Canadiens have allowed an average of nearly 4 goals per game their past 7 games. The Oilers have averaged scoring 4.8 goals per game their past 4 games. Also, in meetings between these teams th Oilers have taken 4 of the last 5. More of the same on tap here! 10* EDMONTON |
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01-09-20 | Cavs +7 v. Pistons | Top | 115-112 | Win | 100 | 17 h 9 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #501 Thursday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) @ Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - The Cavaliers had a double digit lead going to the fourth quarter against the Pistons on Tuesday but ended up losing the game by a bucket. It is payback time now and I don't foresee Cleveland being denied at Detroit in this one. Yes the Pistons have the better record on the season but they certainly are a different team without Blake Griffin. Also, the Pistons are just 6-11 SU in their last 17 games and only 2 of those wins came by more than 7 points and 1 of those was by just 8 points. The point is that the likelihood of a blowout by a double digit margin here for Detroit is very slim. I like the big points with the Cavaliers as despite still enduring some losses they have been much more competitive of late. Cleveland is just 4-6 SU their last 10 games but 2 of their last 4 losses have been by a margin of 3 or less points. Upset alert here! But grab the points as added insurance. The Cavaliers are 6-3 ATS in games in which the posted total is 220 points or more this season. The Pistons are 1-7 SU and ATS after a game this season in which they scored 115 points or more. 10* CLEVELAND |
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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 | Stars v. Kings OVER 5 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -125 | 17 h 28 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #73 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Los Angeles Kings vs Dallas Stars @ 10:05 ET - This total (has dropped to 5 goals) and that means we have excellent value with a low number here. I fully understand the long-term reputation of these two teams but the Stars have won 3 straight games and have scored 4 or more goals in all 3 of those. Overall, Dallas has scored 4 or more goals in 5 of their last 6 wins. The Stars have allowed an average of 6 goals per game in their last two losses. Each of the last games for Dallas have totaled at least 5 goals. As for Los Angeles, each of their last 11 games have totaled at least 5 goals. You can see the value of having a key number (5) on this total. The Kings have allowed at least 3 goals in 4 straight games. LA has averaged scoring 4 goals per game in its last 4 victories. I trust the Kings at home to find the back of the net a few times as they are hungry off back to back losses. The thing is that the Stars are favored for a reason and I look for their relatively high-scoring ways to continue here as well. 10* OVER the total in Los Angeles Kings |
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01-08-20 | Capitals v. Flyers +116 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 116 | 15 h 21 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #70 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs Washington Capitals @ 7:35 ET - The Flyers used Brian Elliott in goal in last night's 5-4 OT loss at Carolina. That means Carter Hart is expected to get the start in goal for the Flyers tonight. He has struggled all season on the road but Hart has been stellar at home where he has an 11-1-2 record on the season! Look for another strong effort from here and I like the fact that the Capitals are also in a back to back spot but off a 6-1 win over Ottawa. Look for the Flyers to be the hungrier team here as they have endured a recent tough stretch and also have revenge from a 2-1 shootout loss to the Capitals in Philadelphia earlier this season. The Caps have lost 3 of their past 5 road games and the 3 defeats have come by an average margin of 3 goals per game and there is certainly nothing "average" about that. Look for the hungry, revenge-minded Flyers to deliver a huge win in this one on home ice. This is Philly's first home game since Christmas Eve and they are sure to make the most of it. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-08-20 | Rockets v. Hawks +8 | Top | 122-115 | Win | 100 | 17 h 39 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #574 Wednesday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (+) vs Houston Rockets @ 7:35 ET - Russell Westbrook will miss this game as he rests up for a big game against his former team, Oklahoma City, tomorrow. That sets this one up well for a potential Hawks upset. I know Atlanta is off a home loss to Denver but they entered that game having gone 2-1 SU and 3-0 ATS their 3 prior games. They have a shot here against the Rockets whom already could be thinking a bit about tomorrow's game. As for the Hawks, they are sure to be fully focused. Atlanta got thoroughly embarrassed in a 158-111 shellacking at Houston earlier this season. Teams don't forget about a beating like that and you will see a VERY focused effort from the Hawks in this one. The Rockets numbers on defense are a lot worse when on the road while Atlanta's numbers on defense are much better when at home. The fact we're getting big points here in a game in which the home dog Hawks are absolutely going to be hell-bent on revenge has me elevating this play to my highest level. Grab the generous points. 10* ATLANTA |
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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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01-07-20 | Thunder v. Nets OVER 217 | Top | 111-103 | Loss | -102 | 17 h 16 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #555 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Brooklyn Nets vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 7:35 ET - Both teams in a back to back spot and coming off losses yesterday. The Thunder gave up 120 points at Philadelphia but did score 113 and should get at least that here tonight. As for the Nets, they were at Orlando and struggled but I expect a bounce back tonight at home after being held to just 89 points by the Magic last night. This was an embarrassing effort for a Brooklyn team which has averaged 110 points per game this season. The Nets should get at least that tonight after last night's poor effort but the Thunder are favored here for a reason. In other words, based on simple math you can see why I am expecting this game to get well into the 220s. The over was 3-0 in the Nets last 3 games before last night's snooze-fest at Orlando. Now playing at home and facing a Thunder team that is also happy to play at a faster tempo, look for the pace of this game to be conducive to a high-scoring battle. 10* OVER the total in Brooklyn |
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01-07-20 | Islanders v. Devils OVER 5.5 | Top | 4-3 | Win | 113 | 15 h 57 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #53 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New Jersey Devils vs New York Islanders @ 7:05 ET - The Islanders made me look like a fool last night (and that happens from time to time in this business) but I had the over and the game ended up a 1-0 defensive battle. The difference tonight is Thomas Greiss will be in the crease for the Isles. He has allowed 11 goals in his last 3 appearances and his ice time in those we was equivalent to only 2 games. In other words, Greiss has been struggling badly between the pipes. I know the Islanders do like to a play more of a methodical style of hockey and that is why lower totals tend to be available on their games. However, the Devils will push the pace at home here and I also like the "Greiss factor" in this one as well. As for New Jersey, the over is 6-2 in their past 8 games. Those 6 overs have averaged nearly 8 goals per game so it is not as if they were just "squeaking by" either. The Islanders play this game with home loss revenge and the over is 4-1 this season when they are in that situation. Look for that trend, and the Devils recent over trend, to continue in this one and we'll take advantage of the low total posted on this one. 10* OVER the total in New Jersey |
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01-07-20 | Pistons v. Cavs +3 | Top | 115-113 | Win | 100 | 17 h 10 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #552 Tuesday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - Tough spot for the Pistons. They just came back east from a tough road trip out West including wrapping up a game Sunday night versus the Lakers in Los Angeles. Also, Blake Griffin has been announced as out for this game and might even end up choosing season ending knee surgery. I know the Cavs come into this one as losers of 4 straight games but they also have a road trip on deck that will mean Cleveland's next home game is almost two weeks away. Look for the Cavaliers to make the most of this home game. They also have revenge on their minds here as they got blasted by 33 points by the Pistons right here in Cleveland in their most recent meeting which was just last month. Detroit enters this game having lost 9 of their last 11 so, as much as the Cavs have struggled, I still like the home dog here when you consider how tough of a spot this is for the Pistons. The team is really down and out with Griffin now on the shelf. 10* CLEVELAND |
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01-07-20 | Ohio State +2.5 v. Maryland | Top | 55-67 | Loss | -110 | 16 h 13 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #607 Tuesday 10* Top Play Ohio State Buckeyes (+) @ Maryland Terrapins @ 7 ET - The Buckeyes are off back to back losses and did struggle against Wisconsin in their first game without Kyle Young. However, I fully expect a bounce back effort as they'll be better adjusted in their 2nd game without him. Also, this is a double revenge spot for Ohio State as they lost both games against Maryland last season. The Terrapins are off B2B wins and the Buckeyes are off B2B losses. That sets this one up perfectly. Note that prior to covering their most recent win, the Terps had failed to cover 4 straight games. Ohio State lost both games against Maryland last season by a double digit margin. They haven't forgotten that and the Buckeyes are very hungry here off back to back losses. They catch the Terrapins at the right time for the upset since Maryland is off a big win over Indiana in Big Ten action. The Buckeyes are 1-2 in Big Ten action and the Terrapins 2-1. Time to do something about that here! Both teams are strong defensively but the Buckeyes have been the better shooting team this season and I expect a huge game from them here which means we have strong value with the road dog. 10* OHIO STATE |
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01-06-20 | West Virginia v. Oklahoma State +1.5 | Top | 55-41 | Loss | -105 | 19 h 59 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #864 Monday 10* Top Play Oklahoma State Cowboys (+) vs West Virginia Mountaineers @ 9 ET - Both teams off losses but, while the Mountaineers are off a tight hard-fought loss to Kansas, the Cowboys are off an absolutely embarrassing beating at Texas Tech. As a result I look for Oklahoma State to be the hungrier team and they will respond very well at home in this match-up. Yes, West Virginia is the ranked team but they are laying a small number in this game in what absolutely looks like a "trap spot" for the Mountaineers. Also, note that West Virginia is actually on a 5-14 SU run in January games. Additionally, the Mountaineers are 0-5 SU when they are off a game in which they were held to 55 points or less! That is the opposite of what you might expect but of course the numbers do not lie. The Cowboys are 8-3 ATS (and SU) when off a loss by a margin of 15 points or more. Big response from the home team here so don't be fooled by the fact that the ranked team is hardly favored here. 10* OKLAHOMA STATE |
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01-06-20 | Miami-OH v. UL-Lafayette OVER 54.5 | Top | 17-27 | Loss | -110 | 18 h 21 m | Show |
Bowl Total of the Year - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #279 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in UL-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns vs Miami-Ohio RedHawks @ 6:30 ET in Mobile, AL @ Alabama Bowl - The RedHawks are a scrappy underdog but the only way their going to hang around in this game is to score some big points. Miami-Ohio, even with scoring well, is still likely to lose this game by a margin of at least two touchdowns and that is why I like the over in this one. The Ragin' Cajuns are a high-scoring machine. Louisiana has averaged nearly 40 points per game their last 7 games. Keep in mind this total is only in the mid-50s. Also, in their first 5 games this season the Ragin' Cajuns averaged nearly 45 points per game. The RedHawks played 8 games away from home this season and allowed an average of 36 points per game in those. Though Miami has a rather mediocre offense, they still managed to score an average of nearly 30 points per game over their final 4 games of the season. Both teams trended under in the latter half of the season but that is merely serving to give us line value in this spot as it keeping the total lower than it should be given the above long-term stats for these teams this season. The Ragin Cajuns had one strong game on defense away from home this season but, in their other 6 games away from Louisiana, they allowed an average of 30 points per game. If the RedHawks get into the 25 to 30 point range and the odds makers are correct about UL-Lafayette being at least 2 TDs better (which I feel they are), this game gets into the 60s or 70s before all is said and done. That said, huge value with this one. 10* OVER the total in Alabama Bowl |
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01-06-20 | Jets +133 v. Canadiens | Top | 3-2 | Win | 133 | 15 h 16 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #41 Monday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - Great line value here because the Jets are on the road and the early line move has been toward Montreal. Note that these teams met two weeks ago at Winnipeg and the Jets were thoroughly embarrassed by the Canadiens. The Habs have now won 3 straight meetings and Winnipeg is ready for payback here after getting embarrassed 6-2 on home ice. The Jets were thoroughly outplayed in that game and it is the kind of defeat teams don't forget. Winnipeg will be ready to go here and I like the big plus money being offered. Both teams have endured a recent tough stretch. That said, it is hard to justify Montreal being favored this much on home ice. This is particularly true when you consider the revenge factor. Additionally, the road team has taken 6 of the last 7 meetings so home ice is not worth anything close to the way it is being favored by the betting markets in this match-up. Grab the underdog. 10* WINNIPEG |
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01-06-20 | Avalanche v. Islanders OVER 5.5 | Top | 0-1 | Loss | -116 | 15 h 46 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #39 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Islanders vs Colorado Avalanche @ 7:05 ET - I am well aware of the fact that the Islanders tend to get involved in lower scoring games but New York has scored 4 or more goals in 4 of their last 5 games against the Avalanche. Note that 4 of those 5 games did total at least 6 goals and the total posted on this game is a low as 5.5 in some books as of very early east coast time on Monday. Also, the Avs continue to trend toward high-scoring games. Colorado's games have totaled at least 7 goals in 6 of their past 7 contests. The last 7 Avalanche games have totaled an average of nearly 9 goals and, of course, there is nothing "average" about that. Not only has Colorado been trending over lately, note that their match-ups against the Islanders played at New York are on a perfect 9-0 run to the over! Look for the Islanders to respond at home off a shutout loss on the road. However, the Isles won't be able to slow down the high-powered Avs either. As a result, plenty of goals expected in this one. 10* OVER the total in New York Islanders |
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01-06-20 | Thunder v. 76ers -6.5 | Top | 113-120 | Win | 100 | 17 h 41 m | Show |
NBA TV Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #540 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 7:05 ET - No team in the NBA seems to need a home game as bad as the Sixers right now and I expect them to make the most of it. Philadelphia enters this game off of 4 straight losses - all on the road - and this included 2 by a single point. Keep in mind, the 76ers are now back home where they are 16-2 SU this season. I look for the hungry Sixers to bounce right back with a big win on their home floor and cover the number along the way in this one. Give the Thunder credit for sure as they have won 5 straight games but 4 of the victories were tight ones by slim margins and they are facing a truly tough road test in this one. Note that Oklahoma City's last 4 losses have come by an average margin of 9.5 points and only 1 of the 4 defeats came by a margin less than 7 points. The Sixers are hungry for revenge here as they lost at Oklahoma City in November despite outrebounding the Thunder by double digits and despite also attempting 14 more shots from the field than OKC did. It was simply "one of those nights" and now it is payback time for the 76ers. Lay the very fair number here with Philly and look for a home blowout in this one as the Thunder finally tire out. Oklahoma City is in the midst of a stretch that has them playing 6 of 7 games on the road and they are at Brooklyn tomorrow night for their 4th road game in 6 nights. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-06-20 | Nets v. Magic OVER 210 | Top | 89-101 | Loss | -110 | 16 h 47 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #533 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Orlando Magic vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:05 ET - This total's first move saw it drop a couple points from its opener and I feel too much weight is being given to Orlando by the betting markets. The fact is that, although the Magic tend to play lower-scoring grinder type games, the Nets "average" game this season totals 222.5 points this season. Also, Brooklyn enters this game having gone over the total in 3 straight games and 5 of their last 7. The Nets last 3 games have seen the totals average 221 points per contest (adjusted for OT in the Wolves game). Brooklyn has allowed 121 points or more in each of its past 2 games. Orlando is off B2B unders but that had a lot to do with facing Miami and Utah. Both these teams are better defensively than the Nets. I look for this game to be played with a better tempo and Brooklyn - losers of 5 straight - will be working hard to push the pace in this one. The over is 4-1 in Nets last 5 January games. 3 of the last 4 games between these teams totaled 215 or more and this one, given all of the above, should too. 10* OVER the total in Orlando |
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01-05-20 | Flames v. Wild OVER 6 | Top | 5-4 | Win | 102 | 14 h 26 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #31 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Wild vs Calgary Flames @ 7:05 ET - The Flames are off a 3-game homestand in which they allowed an average of 4.3 goals per game. Calgary has scored 3.5 goals per game in its past 4 games. Having been shutout at Minnesota about two weeks ago, the Flames make up for that here but they won't be able to stop the Wild either! Minnesota scored 3.5 goals per game in their past two games against Calgary. The Wild are known for playing tighter low-scoring games but still have allowed an average of 3.4 goals per game their past 7 games. Minnesota has averaged scoring 3.4 goals per game their past 11 games. One could argue this total should be at least 6.5 goals as 7 goals scored seems likely here. However, we get shading toward a lower total (6 goals) because of the long-term reputation of the Wild. I love the value here with the over as a result. The over is on a 15-8 run in January games for Calgary. The last 11 times Minnesota was off a win in which they allowed 2 or less goals, their next game has totaled 6 or more goals in all but 2 of 11 games! 8 of those 9 games totaled at least 7 goals and I am forecasting that this one will too! 10* OVER the total in Minnesota |
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01-05-20 | Blazers v. Heat -5.5 | Top | 111-122 | Win | 100 | 15 h 24 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #526 Sunday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (-) vs Portland Trail Blazers @ 6:05 ET - The Heat are 16-1 SU at home this season. They are coming off an ugly road loss by 20 points at Orlando. The Blazers are 7-12 SU on the road this season. They are coming off a big win at Washington Friday. Portland also covered that game but they previously were on an 0-5 SU and ATS run. Miami won both match-ups with the Trail Blazers last season and each win came by at least 9 points. I am happy to lay the short number here (early line of -5.5) because each of the Blazers last 9 games have been decided by 6 or more points. As for the Heat, they have had some tighter games of late but when off a loss by a margin of 9 or more points, they have won their next game by 8 or more points in each of the last 6 instances. Look for that record to improve to 7-0 here and, of course, a win by 8 or more points means we're cashing our ticket in this one. Miami is a perfect 9-0 SU this season when off a loss. Given that and give their 16-1 SU home record, you can see why I am happy to lay a small number and back the Heat in this one as they respond again off a loss with a big home win. 10* MIAMI |
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01-05-20 | Seahawks v. Eagles +1 | Top | 17-9 | Loss | -110 | 15 h 48 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #148 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Eagles (+) vs Seattle Seahawks @ 4:40 ET - The Eagles have that "feel" of a team of destiny again this year just like their magical run to the Super Bowl two years ago. Now, the fact is that once they run into one of the true powers in this season's loaded NFC they are likely to be in trouble. For example, a team like the Saints or the 49'ers. However, against the Seahawks and playing at home the Eagles absolutely should advance. Yes they are banged up at the wide receiver position but they are expected to have Ertz back at TE for this one plus they have a solid TE in Goedert as well. Plus at WR others have stepped up. That is why, even without Ertz, the Eagles Carson Wentz still threw for nearly 300 yards last week. Keep in mind this is a team without its top receivers. Wentz has done an incredible job and Miles Sanders and Boston Scott have been huge out of the backfield. Scott also caught 4 passes for 84 yards in the playoff-clinching win over the Giants last week. Now of course the Seahawks are a much better team than the Giants but to close the season the Eagles faced 4 straight must-win games (including a very talented Cowboys team) and all 4 were against divisional foes that wanted nothing more than to knock them off. Resilient Philly survived it all even with all the injuries on offense. I certainly respect the Seahawks offense but this is a team that lost 3 of its last 4 games plus Seattle allowed an average of 27 points per game over their final 5 games. Philadelphia, on the other hand allowed an average of only 13.3 points per game over their final 6 home games. The Eagles are very tough at home and when the Seahawks beat them here in Philly in November it was a deceiving final score. Philly had 9 more firstdowns than Seattle in that contest. The Seahawks were outgained by 371 yards over their last 4 games. The Eagles have outgained their opponents in 4 straight games by 339 yards. Philly continues to find a way to win games and I don't see Seattle winning again here. Its payback time and the Eagles are loaded with confidence right now and their defense doesn't get as much respect as it should. They're going to give Russell Wilson and company trouble in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-05-20 | St. John's +8 v. Xavier | Top | 67-75 | Push | 0 | 13 h 2 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #835 Sunday 10* Top Play St John's Red Storm (+) @ Xavier Musketeers @ 4:30 ET - The Red Storm have upgraded Mustapha Heron to probable for this game. They are 9-2 in games he has played this season and one of the two losses came by just two points. The senior guard will pay big dividends against Xavier in this match-up. St John's is a scrappy, hard-nosed team that plays solid defense. They are exactly the type of scrappy underdog I like to have in a spot like this catching significant points and with the X-factor (Heron coming back) being included in the situation. The Red Storm won't back down in this game and they catch Xavier off a hard-fought loss to Villanova. The Musketeers may have trouble responding off that loss and this is a team that has been under-performing ATS as they have failed to cover 6 of their past 9 games. The Red Storm have been the much better team ATS this season and the fact that Xavier has won 9 straight meetings between these teams has led to even more line value here as the Musketeers are priced higher than they should be. The underdog goes all out here and gets a boost from Heron and they are in this game all the way to the very end in a game likely decided by just a possession or two when all is said and done. 10* ST JOHN'S |
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01-05-20 | Vikings v. Saints OVER 49.5 | Top | 26-20 | Loss | -104 | 12 h 8 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #145 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New Orleans Saints vs Minnesota Vikings @ 1:05 ET - The Vikings offense will be strengthened by the fact that both running backs, Cook and Mattison, are healed up and ready to go here. Minnesota has averaged 31.7 points per game in their last 6 road games! The over is a perfect 5-0 in the Vikings last 5 road games! The over is 5-2 in the Saints last 7 games overall. New Orleans averaged 28.6 points per game this season. The Vikings defense is highly respected but this Saints offense generally operates at a level that is much higher than the rest of the league! New Orleans wrapped up the regular season by scoring 34 points or more in 6 of their last 7 games. The Saints allowed an average of 28 points per game in their final 4 home games of the season. Based on all of the above stats you can see why I would not be surprised to see either one of these teams, if not both, get into the 30 point range. That means great value here with this total in the upper 40s. Both games Saturday stayed under the total in the NFL post-season but this indoor game Sunday has all the makings of a shootout. New Orleans' Drew Brees is one of the best in the business. Vikings Kirk Cousins is out to prove all the doubters wrong in a big game. The over is 5-2 this season when Minnesota is off a home game. Also, the over is a long-term 5-1 when the Vikings are off consecutive home losses. The over is a long-term 6-1 when the Saints are off a blowout victory by a margin of 28 points or more over a division rival. 10* OVER the total in New Orleans |
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01-04-20 | Titans +5 v. Patriots | Top | 20-13 | Win | 100 | 16 h 5 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #143 Saturday 10* Top Play Tennessee Titans (+) @ New England Patriots @ 8:15 ET - The Patriots are at home and laying a short number in the playoffs and, of course, have the incredible long-term numbers that coach Belichick and QB Brady have put together through their many years of making New England a dynasty. However, this team is nowhere close to being a dynasty anymore. The Eagles proved that when they beat the Pats in the 2018 Super Bowl and truly it was a miracle that New England won it all again in February of 2019. The run has ended however and this Patriots team is a shell of its former self and is having major troubles on offense. Brady is not what he once was and also does not have the weapons at his disposal that he once possessed. The defense is now the Pats strength but can they hold down the Titans potent offense enough to be able to score enough points to win this game? My answer to that question is an emphatic NO! Tennessee has NOT been held below 20 points in any of their past 10 games. During this stretch the Titans have scored an average of 30.4 points per game! Compare that with a Patriots team that had a chance to secure a first round bye and possible long-term home field edge in the post-season but blew it last week by losing AT HOME to the Dolphins! Absolutely inexcusable and the Pats even scored 24 points in the defeat. The Pats have scored more than 24 points just once in the past 8 games and, prior to that contest 3 games ago, New England had been held to an average of just 17.6 points per game over a 5-game stretch. I also like the coaching angle here with Vrabel facing his former team (both as a player and a coach) and he bested Belichick and the Pats when they most recently met. That was a dominating 34-10 win last season for the Titans over the Patriots. While this game will be a lot closer I am expecting the Titans to get the win. If they do fall short look for it to be by just 3 or 4 points and this line is currently a 5. I'll gladly grab the points here as the Titans defense allowed 24 points or less in 13 of 16 games and they have the better offense in this match-up too. 10* TENNESSEE |
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01-04-20 | Flyers +117 v. Coyotes | Top | 2-6 | Loss | -100 | 14 h 15 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #19 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Arizona Coyotes @ 8:05 ET - The Flyers are very hungry for a win as this road trip out west has not gone well at all for them. I feel they are catching the Coyotes at the perfect time for an upset win on the road. Arizona is off a divisional win over Anaheim and that was preceded by a huge win over the defending Stanley Cup Champion St Louis Blues. This is the perfect spot to fade the Coyotes as a result. Philadelphia will be treating this game like a playoff game in terms of intensity and determination. Arizona, on the other hand, could get caught resting on their laurels a bit too much as they have had multiple consecutive big game wins. The Flyers had won 3 straight meetings between these teams but then lost at home to the Coyotes last month. It is payback time here. Philly had a 29-18 edge in shots on goal in that defeat last month. Arizona has lost 10 of 14 this season when off a divisional game. More of the same expected here. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-04-20 | Thunder v. Cavs +6.5 | Top | 121-106 | Loss | -108 | 14 h 29 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #508 Saturday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 7:35 ET - I like fading the Thunder off a big win at San Antonio Thursday. The Cavaliers have a bad record of course but they have actually been much more competitive of late. Cleveland is coming off a tight 3-point home loss to Charlotte on Thursday. I am aware of the Larry Nance injury but the Cavs still offer tremendous home dog value in this spot. Like I said, Cleveland has been more competitive of late and they are 3-3 SU in their last 6 home games with NONE of those 3 losses coming by more than 6 points! Overall the Cavs had won 3 straight home games prior to the loss to the Hornets Thursday. Also, though the Thunder have been winning games they have not been winning by big margins. Oklahoma City is 8-3 SU in their last 11 games. However, 7 of the 8 wins came by 6 or less points. That means if you had laid the current number (6.5) on this game in each of the past 11 games for the Thunder you would have won just ONCE in their past 11 games. Look for another close win for OKC here (ATS win here for Cleveland) or perhaps even another SU home win for Cavaliers as I would not be surprised to see them get the outright upset in this game. 10* CLEVELAND |
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01-04-20 | Villanova v. Marquette | Top | 60-71 | Win | 100 | 9 h 30 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #650 Saturday 10* Top Play Marquette Golden Eagles (-) vs Villanova Wildcats @ 2 ET - Here is a classic case of contrarian viewpoint which is a big part of my handicapping style. Here you have a ranked team that only has 1 loss on the season and so they look like an easy pick over a unranked team that has 3 losses on the season. Yes, Marquette is at home but they have 3 losses - all by 17 points or more - and Villanova has just one loss this season and it came by a single digit margin. These are the types of games that tend to persuade the majority of bettors to one side and that is most often when I am on the other side. Give me the Golden Eagles at home as they bounce back off an ugly loss at Creighton and they catch the Wildcats off a hard-fought win over Xavier. When Marquette is at home and off an ATS loss they have won SU all 3 times this season. Also, the Wildcats are off B2B hard-fought wins (SU and ATS to the closing numbers) but they had previously lost 6 in a row ATS. Value here on the home team to simply win the game! 10* MARQUETTE |
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01-04-20 | Tulane -7 v. Southern Miss | Top | 30-13 | Win | 100 | 8 h 24 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #277 Saturday 10* Top Play Tulane Green Wave vs Southern Miss Golden Eagles @ 11:30 AM ET - The Green Wave lost 5 of their last 6 games this season so it must be some kind of big mistake that this 6-6 Tulane team is favored by a TD over a 6-6 Southern Miss team, right? Of course long-time followers know how I feel about supposed mistakes by odds makers. Look for the Green Wave to blast the Golden Eagles in this one. Southern Mississippi lost their last two games each by a margin of 17 points or more and I expect a similar result here. When you look at their results this season, the Eagles wins almost always came against struggling and/or very weak teams. The Green Wave played a slightly tougher schedule and also hold a big edge in the running game in comparing these two teams. Tulane averaged more than twice as many yards per game on the ground (250) in comparison with Southern Miss (122). Look for the Green Wave to control the clock and control the ground game and wear down the Eagles as this game goes on. I look for Southern Mississippi to struggle with the QB McMillan and the option attack as the Green Wave will also do some damage through the air as the Eagles defense has to respect the ground game of Tulane. As for Southern Miss QB Abraham, he finished the season with a ration of just 6 TDs and 11 INTs in his last 6 games! I feel strongly that that Green Wave will prove to be the better team both on the ground and through the air in this one and I am aware of the fact that Southern Miss has won the last 6 meetings but these teams haven't met in nearly a decade and the Green Wave are a MUCH better football program in recent seasons than in the past. 10* TULANE |
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01-03-20 | Temple v. Tulsa +3.5 | Top | 44-70 | Win | 100 | 19 h 20 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #874 Friday 10* Top Play Tulsa Golden Hurricane (+) vs Temple Owls @ 9 ET - Not only is Tulsa 3-1 ATS in the last 4 meetings between these teams, one of Temple's SU wins in those 4 meetings came by just a single point. I love the value here with the Golden Hurricane getting nearly 2 buckets at home after this line opened up at a -2. I understand the move as the Owls are off to a great start this season and I have actually backed them multiple times. However, this is the perfect spot to fade them as they are now over-valued. Temple barely snuck by Central Florida for a win on New Year's Eve. Now they are trying to win back to back road games even though they are on shorter rest than Tulsa. Also, note that the Golden Hurricane are extra hungry after a 2-point loss as an 8-point dog in their most recent game. Tulsa is a perfect 4-0 SU and ATS in recent home meetings with Temple. The Owls drop to 0-3 ATS the last 3 times they have been off a loss in which they allowed 61 points or less. The Golden Hurricane improve to 4-1 ATS the last 5 times they have played in a game with a line in the single digits (dog or fave). Look for Tulsa to again thrive as an underdog and also to continue their home dominance of Temple. The Owls have been great on defense this season but the Golden Hurricane also have played well on that end of the floor and plus are shooting 47.6% from the field in home games while Temple is shooting just 38.8% from the field in road games. 10* TULSA |
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01-03-20 | 76ers +4.5 v. Rockets | Top | 108-118 | Loss | -105 | 18 h 56 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #569 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Houston Rockets @ 8:05 ET - This is the perfect spot to back the Sixers. They are off 3 straight losses. The first two defeats came by just a single point. The third one was an ugly one as Joel Embiid sat out with a sore knee and Philadelphia got blasted at Indiana. Embiid is expected back tonight and is no longer even listed on the injury report. The 76ers are catching the Rockets off a huge home win over Denver. Prior to that big victory for Houston, they had failed to cover 4 of their past 5 home games. The 76ers, despite the recent losses, have covered 4 of their past 5 games and had won 3 in a row straight up prior to the recent defeats. The Sixers have covered 4 of their last 5 games against Houston. The Rockets are 1-6 ATS last 7 January games and each of these teams is playing their first game of the new year. For Philly, this is their final game of a 4-game road trip and, after losing their first three, they are hell bent on getting the win here. Even if they do fall short of the SU win I would expect this one will go down to the wire in a very competitive game. I am expecting the outright upset but grabbing the points as added insurance here should the 76ers fall just short in their upset bid. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-03-20 | Capitals +109 v. Hurricanes | Top | 4-3 | Win | 109 | 17 h 44 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #75 Friday 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line (+) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:35 ET - Perfect set up here. The Capitals are off a home loss to the Islanders while the Hurricanes are off a home win versus the Canadiens. Not only that, Washington has lost both games to Carolina this season and this was after getting knocked out of the post-season in the first-round by the Canes in April. In other words, the Caps have probably never been more ready for a game this season than this very strong revenge spot here. Washington is hungry, motivated, and offering line value here since this game is at Carolina. Ironically the Hurricanes have the two wins against the Capitals but are 1-8 against the rest of the division. The Capitals have the two losses against the Canes but have a winning record against the rest of the division. Washington also has won 16 of 22 road games this season. I look for the Capitals to finally get the big revenge win over the Hurricanes in their 3rd meeting this season. The set up for this one is ideal. The Caps have won 9 of 12 this season when off a game in which they allowed 4 or more goals. Also, the Capitals have won 8 of 9 Friday games this season. The Hurricanes are off back to back wins including a big win at Washington a week ago but, prior to that, had lost 3 straight games. Capitals get back on track here. 10* WASHINGTON |
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01-03-20 | Ohio v. Nevada OVER 58.5 | Top | 30-21 | Loss | -110 | 14 h 19 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #275 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Ohio University Bobcats vs Nevada Wolfpack @ 3:30 ET - The Wolfpack are without three defensive starters for this game and another for the first half of the game due to suspensions after the ugly fight with UNLV in their season finale. That leaves the Nevada defense short-handed and they allowed 30.5 points per game their past two games. The Wolfpack had previously held down New Mexico (bad team) and San Diego State (low-scoring defensive-minded team) but this followed allowing 39.8 points per game in their 4 previous games. Certainly Nevada can give up points in a hurry. So too can this Bobcats defense. The Ohio University defense gives up too many yards per carry, struggles to get pressure on the QB, and also struggles against the run. Even playing relatively weaker competition in the MAC, the Bobcats allowed nearly 30 points per game in all their games this season prior to crushing a bad Akron team in their regular season finale. Both teams come into this one hot on offense and the over went 3-0 in Ohio U's last 3 games as they averaged scoring 50.7 points per game! The Wolfpack also saw each of their final two games go over the total as they scored an average of 32.5 points per game. Considering all of the above as well as the suspensions on defense for the team that WOULD have had the stronger defense in this match-up, I look for this one to fly over the total with good weather conditions expected in Boise, ID as well. 10* OVER the total in Potato Bowl |
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01-02-20 | Maple Leafs v. Jets OVER 6.5 | Top | 6-3 | Win | 100 | 19 h 25 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #63 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Winnipeg Jets vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 8:05 ET - This one sets up well for plenty of goals. The Jets are off a huge 7-4 win at Colorado on Tuesday. As impressive as that win was, it also marked the 6th time in the last 7 games that the Jets have allowed 4 or more goals. The good news for Winnipeg fans is that the Jets have been scoring well. They have now averaged 3.8 goals per game their past 10 games. However, Winnipeg is struggling to keep the puck out of their own net and now faces one of the top scoring teams in the league. The Maple Leafs are averaging 3.6 goals per game and enter this game having won 9 of their past 11 games. Toronto has averaged scoring 4.6 goals per game during this red hot stretch. Look for more of the same here and this one should easily get to 7 goals or more the way these two hockey clubs have been trending. 10* OVER the total in Winnipeg |
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01-02-20 | Raptors v. Heat -5.5 | Top | 76-84 | Win | 100 | 20 h 12 m | Show |
NBA TV Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #550 Thursday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (-) vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:35 ET - The Heat are a fantastic 15-1 SU at home this season. Miami enters this game off a SU loss at Washington. The Heat have been great when coming off a loss. The last 5 times the Heat are off a SU loss they have gone 4-1 ATS and a perfect 5-0 SU. I look for them to once again respond off a defeat and get the win here. Considering the current line on this game is only 5.5 the odds favor a SU win also equating to an ATS cover. The Raptors are off a big win but it came against a horrible Cleveland team. Prior to that Toronto had lost 3 of 4. Also, the Raptors continue to be without Siakam and also are now without Powell and Gasol too. The healthier team at home and in a strong situation is the play here. 10* MIAMI |
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01-02-20 | Minnesota +7.5 v. Purdue | Top | 78-83 | Win | 100 | 19 h 12 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #617 Thursday 10* Top Play Minnesota Golden Gophers (+) @ Purdue Boilermakers @ 7 ET - The Golden Gophers should have guard Payton Willis back for this game. Whether he plays or not though, I love the big dog value being offered with Minnesota in this one. The Golden Gophers have won each of the last two meetings with Purdue. I know that makes this a revenge game for the Boilermakers but Minnesota is playing very well right now and will be tough to beat in this game. That said, I like the big points being offered. Keep in mind, the Golden Gophers have won 3 straight games and they won all 3 by a double digit margin even though they were an underdog in 2 of the 3 contests! The Boilermakers are just 4-3 SU in their last 7 games and one of those 3 losses was as a double digit favorite. Minnesota has been the better shooting team this season. Purdue has the better defensive numbers on the season but the edge there is not huge. Plus the Boilermakers have allowed 70 points in 2 of their last 3 games. The Gophers have allowed 66 points or less in 5 of their past 8 games. 10* MINNESOTA |
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01-02-20 | Boston College v. Cincinnati -7.5 | Top | 6-38 | Win | 100 | 13 h 37 m | Show |
Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #272 Thursday 10* Top Play Cincinnati Bearcats (-) vs Boston College Eagles @ 3 ET - Similarly to when I used Cal over Illinois a few days ago, I really believe this is another great opportunity to fade a team that is fortunate to even be in a bowl. Yes, the Eagles finished the season with the requisite requirement of 6 wins just like the Illini did. However, just like Illinois, Boston College statistically is not a very good football team and they are fortunate to be here. The Eagles defense has been absolutely horrific this season. Now they take on a Cincinnati team known for its defense. That said, this is a big mismatch. Keep in mind, were it not for a final game upset over Pittsburgh, the Eagles would not have even made a bowl game. The Eagles are allowing 480 yards per game this season. Cincinnati, even though they had to face Memphis twice and Ohio State once, allowed 100 yards LESS per game than Boston College's defense. Other than the 2 games against the Tigers and the one against the Buckeyes, the Bearcats had one other tough performance on defense (a surprising one against East Carolina). But in their other 9 games this season Cincinnati allowed just 15 points per game. Their defense will be the difference in this game. Boston College, prior to the upset win of the Panthers, had allowed 38 points per game in their 6 prior games! The Eagles head coach Addazio was fired so Boston College is using wide receivers coach Gunnell as the interim HC in this game. All the way around this is simply not a good situation for the Eagles and I expect the Bearcats to roll. 10* CINCINNATI |
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01-01-20 | Baylor v. Georgia -4 | Top | 14-26 | Win | 100 | 30 h 13 m | Show |
Bowl Game of the Year - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #270 Wednesday 10* Top Play Georgia Bulldogs (-) vs Baylor Bears @ 8:45 ET - Value, value, value! The Bulldogs were an 8.5 point favorite and have dropped to as low as a 3.5 point favorite as of New Year's Eve before settling in at a -4. I know the prevailing theory is that Georgia is going to be so disappointed here since they had higher hopes this season before the loss to LSU in the SEC Championship. However, they were a 7 point dog in that game. Yes they got blown out by the Tigers in that game but their season is not defined by that game and it is not as if they went into the game as a 7 point favorite and then blew it. They were a 7 point dog and LSU proved to be too much. Using that as motivation as well as last season's loss to Texas right here in the Sugar Bowl, I expect the Bulldogs to come up with a tremendous effort here. Keep in mind Georgia faced a tougher schedule than Baylor. Keep in mind the Bears lost to Oklahoma twice and those were the toughest match-ups that Baylor faced this season. They fell short each time and the Bears have a history of struggling in big games against tough competition. Yes they won their bowl game last season but Baylor faced Vandy. Now they go from facing a perennial SEC doormat to an SEC team that is one of the best in the country year in and year out. I like the odds for the Bulldogs coming up with a big win here. They were upset by South Carolina this season but won the yardage battle by nearly 200 yards in that misleading game. Also, the Bulldogs only other loss was to LSU and we all saw what the Tigers just did to Oklahoma - the same Sooners team that handed the Bears their two losses this season. I feel strongly that Georgia is the better overall team in comparison with Baylor. Also, their 11 wins this season all came by 6 or more points. That is why this line move is truly giving us incredible value here. The Bulldogs remember what happened to them here in the Sugar Bowl last season and, as a results, they're playing this game with something to prove. The favorite rolls in this one. 10* GEORGIA |
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01-01-20 | South Florida v. SMU -6.5 | Top | 64-82 | Win | 100 | 5 h 27 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #828 Wednesday 10* Top Play SMU Mustangs (-) vs South Florida Bulls @ 5 ET - The Bulls leading scorer is David Collins and he missed their most recent game. Though I do expect the junior guard to be back for this game, he will not be 100% as his ankle has been bothering him. The Mustangs are the better shooting team and the better team defensively and they are at home here. Though Southern Methodist won the most recent match-up between these teams they did lose their most recent home game versus South Florida by a single point last season. They haven't forgotten that and are seeking revenge here. I like the fact that the Mustangs have been so strong defensively and the only reason that their recent win against Georgia State was as close (9 points) as it was related to the fact that the Panthers kept hitting late threes. Overall SMU does a very good job defending the 3. By the way, Southern Methodist hitting close to 80% from the free throw line while USF is hitting just 60% from the free throw line. Look for the Mustangs to pull away as this one goes on. 10* SMU |
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12-31-19 | Maple Leafs v. Wild OVER 6 | Top | 4-1 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 24 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #29 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Wild vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 6:05 ET - We're getting a low total here (6) because the Wild are involved. I say that because the Maple Leafs continue to get involved in one high scoring after another. As for Minnesota, they did deliver a recent home shutout but in their other two recent home games they allowed an average of 4.5 goals per game. Also, the Wild were on the wrong end of a recent home shutout but in their other 4 recent home games they have averaged a respectable 3.5 goals per game. Minnesota should score their fair share again in this one too because Toronto gives up goals in bunches. The Maple Leafs can score with the best teams in the league but they certainly struggle to keep the puck out of their own net. The Leafs have allowed 3 or more goals in 5 of their past 6 games. The Leafs have also allowed an average of 5 goals per game in their past 3 games. But how about Toronto's offensive production? The Maple Leafs have been red hot in the offensive zone. The Leafs have scored an average of 5 goals per game in their past 7 games. You can see exactly why I am liking the over here as 6 goals should not be a problem given the recent trending. In fact, Toronto's last 6 games have seen 5 total at least 8 goals! More of the same expected here. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota |
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12-31-19 | Kansas State +3 v. Navy | Top | 17-20 | Push | 0 | 9 h 34 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #257 Tuesday 10* Top Play Kansas State Wildcats (+) vs Navy Midshipmen @ 3:45 ET - This is an ideal situation in terms of the contrarian aspect that is a big part of my handicapping style. How in the world did an unranked 8-4 team open up as a 2 point favorite over a ranked 10-2 team? Exactly! So the whole world, of course, has jumped on Navy here and moved the line to a -3 for the Midshipmen. That means we now get Kansas State +3 when they were originally favored for a reason. Again, just reiterating I love contrarian spots like this. The fact is that the Midshipmen played a weaker schedule and, in addition to a special teams edge (often overlooked but an important aspect in football), the Wildcats are likely to be successful defending the option. Of course, as per usual heading into a bowl game, Kansas State has had extra time to prepare for Navy's option. But the big key to being able to defend it well is the fact that the Wildcats head coach Chris Klieman just came from spending 5 years as the HC at North Dakota State. He won 4 national titles in his 5 years there and the Bison had to defend the option in FCS action. Also, Klieman's staff includes personnel also experienced with defending the option. Look for Kansas State to hold this Navy offense in check throughout this game. While statistically the defenses look about equal in this match-up they really are not. It comes down to strength of schedule and the types of offenses they faced. The Wildcats faced much tougher tests in the Big 12 than what Navy faced. When the Midshipmen stepped up in level of competition they consistently allowed big point totals. Against Memphis, Tulane, Notre Dame, SMU and Houston it was an average of 39 points per game allowed by Navy. To put that in proper perspective, the Wildcats allowed 27 points or less in 10 of their 12 games this season. The only two they didn't were against Baylor and Oklahoma and it was only the high-scoring Sooners that really gave the Cats D trouble. You can see based on the defensive numbers above why it would not surprise me to see the dog win this game outright by double digits. I'll gladly grab the points here. 10* KANSAS STATE |
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12-31-19 | 76ers -1 v. Pacers | Top | 97-115 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 16 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #525 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Indiana Pacers @ 3:05 ET - The 76ers are off back to back heartbreaking 1 point losses. They have had two days off to stew about those defeats. They can't wait to get back on the floor and take care of business. Since this game is a road game against a respectable Pacers team we're getting line value in a situation that is a great spot to back the Sixers. Keep in mind, Philadelphia has won 3 straight games over Indiana by an average margin of 14.7 points per game and the 76ers are very hungry here. The Pacers are on a 1-3 SU and ATS run and have allowed 116 points per game during this stretch. The Sixers have been playing the better defense of these two teams and they won't be denied in this road contest as the 76ers knock off Indiana for the 4th straight time. Keep in mind the Pacers Macolm Brogdon is dealing with a hamstring injury and, of course, the Pacers still without Victor Oladipo too. That has been the case for months but they are simply not the same team without him. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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12-31-19 | Temple -2 v. UCF | Top | 62-58 | Win | 100 | 6 h 44 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #793 Tuesday 10* Top Play Temple Owls (-) @ UCF Knights @ 2 ET - After a long layoff, first game in 10 days for each team, the importance of defense is even greater as both teams are likely to struggle to find their shooting rhythm early on. That said, I look for the Owls to prevail in this one. They have lost recent visits to UCF as this series continues to be dominated by the host. However, this looks like the ideal spot for Temple to break that streak. The Owls have responded very well under new head coach Aaron McKie. Additionally, Temple is the much better defense in this match-up. They are allowing just 62 points per game on 36% shooting and only 28% from beyond the arc. The Knights are actually allowing 68 points per game in home games this season. Also, Central Florida has allowed 42% shooting including 32% from 3-point land in home games this season. Those are still solid numbers but the Owls hold the edge as you can see and they have really bought into McKie's system following the retirement of long time head coach Fran Dunphy. Crazy stats have cost the Owls in their last two visits to UCF. Last season saw the Knights hit a ridiculous 60% from the field and the prior season's match-up at Central Florida saw the Owls shoot only 32% from the field. It is no wonder that Temple lost both those games and they make up for it in this visit as the Knights are still trying to get over a 1-point loss at Oklahoma prior to their Christmas break. 10* TEMPLE |
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12-30-19 | Virginia v. Florida OVER 54 | Top | 28-36 | Win | 100 | 16 h 26 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #251 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Florida Gators vs Virginia Cavaliers @ 8 ET - Florida has a strong defense but Virginia dual threat QB Bryce Perkins presents a unique challenge. Even the best of defenses can struggle when facing a quarterback that has the type of ability Perkins does. Keep in mind he threw for 266 yards and ran for 58 against Clemson in the ACC Championship Game. Of course the Tigers are one of the best teams in the nation and that says a lot right there. In his final 4 regular season games prior to the ACC Championship, Perkins ran for over 105 yards in 3 of the 4 games! In terms of passing numbers, Perkins threw for an average of 286.5 yards per game in his final 4 games while completing 92 of 137 passes. I look for Perkins to have a big game here even though I certainly respect the Gators defense. The reason Florida is favored by two touchdowns here is because not many respect the Cavaliers defense and certainly I don't think too highly of them either. The Cavs defense got shredded for 62 points by Clemson. Even prior to that effort, the fact that Virginia allowed 27 points or more in 5 straight games prior to the ACC Championship says a lot! The Cavaliers faced some unimpressive competition in that 5-game stretch too. The Gators scored 38 points in 3 of their last 5 games and they can certainly get to that level here against a sub-par Cavs defense. If odds makers are right about the 2 TD spread that means you are looking at game that gets into the 60s (a 38-24 type game) and I am expecting at least that here. 10* OVER the total in Florida |
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12-30-19 | Xavier +5.5 v. Villanova | Top | 62-68 | Loss | -101 | 14 h 6 m | Show |
TV Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #725 Monday 10* Top Play Xavier Musketeers (+) @ Villanova Wildcats @ 6:30 ET - Revenge game for Xavier. I am well aware of the fact that Villanova has had their number in recent meetings and that this is particularly true when the Wildcats have the home court edge. However, the Musketeers have just two losses this season and each were by 5 or less points and Villanova is truly not quite as strong this season as they have been in other recent seasons. Remember the Wildcats have already been blasted by Ohio State this seasons and they lost by 9 points to Baylor. I project Villanova to have their hands full here with a Xavier team seeking revenge for a mid-March loss to the Wildcats. The Musketeers covered that game as they lost by just 4 as a 7 point dog. I look for the outright upset here but if Xavier does again fall just short look for it to be by just a bucket. Grab the points. The Musketeers catch the Wildcats off their big win over Kansas prior to Christmas. Prior to that victory Villanova had lost 6 straight games ATS. The ATS losing pattern resumes here for the Cats. 10* XAVIER |
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12-30-19 | Illinois v. California -6.5 | Top | 20-35 | Win | 100 | 13 h 44 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #250 Monday 10* Top Play California Golden Bears (-) vs Illinois Illini @ 4 ET - Illinois is such a bad team statistically and yet they somehow battled and made it to a 6-6 record and a bowl game. The Illini thrived on turnovers as that was a key to the few victories that they did have over quality competition. That is unlikely to work in the favor of Illinois in this one as California is known for taking good care of the ball. That said, I look for the Illini to struggle badly in this one. Cal has a great defense and also their offense - though certainly no powerhouse - does play much better when QB Garbers is healthy and under center. The Bears have the much stronger defensive line (which will be a key in this game) and they played a tougher schedule overall and this bowl game is practically a home game for Cal with how close it is to their campus. The Illini had a fluke 4-game winning streak that involved some miracle wins but their last two games of the season (both losses by 9 or more points) and the fact their 4 most recent losses have come by an average margin of 17 points tell the full story here. Also, in Big Ten action Illinois benefited from not facing Penn State or Ohio State this season. My projection is a win in the 17 point range for Cal as their defense has allowed 24 points or less in 10 of 12 games this season and the Illini defense is going to struggle to stop the Bears offense now that Garbers is healthy again. Illinois gave up an average of 37 points per game in their match-ups with E. Mich, Nebr, Minn, Mich, Mich St and Northwestern. 10* CALIFORNIA |
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12-29-19 | Flyers -106 v. Ducks | Top | 2-1 | Win | 100 | 10 h 14 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #17 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) @ Anaheim Ducks @ 8:35 ET - The Flyers didn't just lose yesterday at San Jose, they ended up getting embarrassed 6-1 when things fell apart in the 3rd period. Keep in mind, Philadelphia had been hot and won 4 in a row before that embarrassing loss. As for the Ducks, they are off a big win over Vegas 4-3 on Friday. They also have another game with those same division rival Golden Knights on deck. for Tuesday. That said, this is the ideal "flat spot" situation in which you would to fade Anahiem. Fading the Ducks makes even more sense when you consider that this is a team that lost 16 of 22 games prior to that rare win over the Knights. With the Flyers chomping at the bit to get on the ice and shake off that loss and the Ducks in a perfect fade spot, the road team at a pick'em price is offering fantastic line value here. Look for Philly to improve to 10-5 this season when off a non-conference game. Look for Anaheim to drop to 2-8 this season when off a game in which they scored 4 or more goals. Also, the Ducks are 0-6 in Sunday games this season. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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12-29-19 | 49ers -3 v. Seahawks | Top | 26-21 | Win | 100 | 12 h 43 m | Show |
Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #129 Sunday 10* Top Play San Francisco 49ers (-) @ Seattle Seahawks @ 8:20 ET - The Seahawks let an opportunity slip away with their inexcusable home loss to the Cardinals last week. Seattle has now allowed an average of 27 points per game their past 4 games and they are banged up on offense too. The Niners are ready to swoop in and take advantage of the situation. Things are very simple for the 49ers here as they control their own destiny across the board. A win not only clinches the division and a first round bye for them, it also clinches home field edge for the post-season! San Francisco is not going to let this opportunity pass them by. The Niners and the Saints look like the two best teams in the NFC hands down no questions asked. That said, I don't foresee SF slipping up here. Other than their recent game at New Orleans - an absolute shootout - the 49ers have allowed 14.3 points per game on the road this season! Compare that to a Seahawks team that has allowed 30.5 points per game in their last 6 home games. Seattle actually was better on the road than at home this season while the Niners were also better on the road than at home this season. Seattle once was a tough place to play and a tough venue to score points in but, as you can see per the above, that is no longer the case. Also, San Francisco also has revenge here from a home OT loss to the Seahawks last month. It is payback time for the Niners and they are the healthier team and are 6-1 SU on the road while Seattle is 4-3 SU at home on the season. Comparing these two defenses there is no comparison! That is why I am happy to lay the small points here with the 49ers in a game I fully expect to turn into a road rout! 10* SAN FRANCISCO |
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12-29-19 | Thunder +4 v. Raptors | Top | 98-97 | Win | 100 | 9 h 44 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #501 Sunday 10* Top Play Oklahoma City Thunder (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 6:05 ET - The Thunder have a huge scheduling edge here. Oklahoma City was off yesterday while the Raptors were at Boston. Big upset win for Toronto yesterday as they beat the Celtics by double digits even though they were a sizable underdog. That said, this is the perfect spot to fade the Raptors. The Thunder are playing with confidence as they won again Friday. What was most impressive about that win from my standpoint is that OKC won the game despite making just 5 of 31 from 3-point land. That is an impressive feat. That was the 5th win for Oklahoma City in their past 8 games. Also, the Thunder have won 5 of their past 8 road games. Don't be surprised if they step up again here for a road win. The road team won both games between these teams last season and the Thunder have won consecutive visits to Toronto. The Raptors are off back to back big games with the Celtics and the win at Boston yesterday will leave Toronto very flat for this game. Grab the points! The Thunder are 8-4 ATS as a road dog this season. The Raptors are 1-2 ATS the last 3 times they've played the 2nd game of a back to back and the lone win was a SU loss! Upset alert! 10* OKLAHOMA CITY |
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12-29-19 | Arkansas +5.5 v. Indiana | Top | 71-64 | Win | 100 | 8 h 6 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #679 Sunday 10* Top Play Arkansas Razorbacks (+) @ Indiana Hoosiers @ 6 ET - The Razorbacks are playing this game with revenge from a March Madness loss to the Hoosiers. These teams met in the regular season last year too. Both games were decided by 3 or less points and the average margin of the 2 games was just 2 points. I like the value here with this line now spiking up to 5.5 points. The Razorbacks not have revenge here, their defense has been fantastic this season. Arkansas is allowing just 59.5 points per game and only 21.8% from three point land! I am going to grab the points here with the revenge-minded Razorbacks as their strong defense leads the way to victory here. I am expecting the SU outright upset but if Arkansas does fall short look for it again be a game decided by 3 or less points. The Razorbacks are a long-term 11-2 ATS when playing with 7 or more days of rest between games. Hoosiers are off a tight win over Notre Dame as a small favorite in their most recent game. Indiana is a long-term 9-18 ATS in games against SEC opponents. 10* ARKANSAS |
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12-29-19 | Eagles -3.5 v. Giants | Top | 34-17 | Win | 100 | 10 h 49 m | Show |
Game of the Year - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #115 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Eagles (-) @ New York Giants @ 4:25 ET - The Eagles certainly have injury issues but they are not significant enough to prevent them from winning the NFC East. With a win Sunday at New York over the Giants they accomplish that goal. We are getting line value here because of the injury situation for Philadelphia. Now lets examine some important facts here. The Giants are just 4-11 this season. One of the wins came at Tampa Bay against a Buccaneers team that has won just TWO home games this season. Another Giants win came against a Dolphins team that is 4-11 this season. The other two New York victories came against the 3-12 Redskins. The point is that the Giants haven't won a challenging game all season. Sure New York would love to spoil the Giants division title hopes but I look for Philadelphia to dominate the ground game on both sides of the ball in this one and that will be a key. With rainy weather expected in East Rutherford, New Jersey this afternoon and into the evening, look for the ground game to be of particular importance. The Eagles are one of the best teams in the league at stopping the run. The Giants defense is bad overall and that includes stopping the run. New York's recent home games,, in terms of run defense, have included allowing 122 yards to Miami, 172 yards to Dallas, and 156 yards to Arizona. The Eagles run defense has had one bad game (versus Seattle) in their past 8 games. In the other 7 games they allowed 74.3 rushing yards per game. The Philadelphia defense has allowed 17 points or less in 6 of its last 8 games. The Giants defense has allowed 31 points or more in 5 of its last 8 games. Everyone focused on some Eagles injury issues here but their defense is quite healthy. The absence of CB Darby (constantly getting burned for big plays prior the injury) is honestly a case of addition by subtraction. The Philly secondary is better off without him. Look for the Eagles defense to lead the way here. The Giants D, on the other hand, has allowed an average of 29 points per game in its past 5 home games. Making that stat even more alarming is the fact that two of the games came against teams that currently have 5 or less wins on the season. This is a case of incredible line value because of the Eagles injury issues on offense. Yes, they have had injury issues at WR and now have lost TE Zach Ertz too. But Dallas Goedert has been strong at TE and Greg Ward has stepped up at WR with Whiteside also coming up with big catches. The backfield has plenty of options too with Miles Sanders, Boston Scott and now Jordan Howard is back from injury as well. The Eagles will get the ball into the hands of those guys as well including through the air. Philly has covered 5 of their last 6 as a divisional road favorite while the Giants are on a 1-4 ATS run as a divisional home dog. On both sides of the ball, the Eagles are strong in the trenches (and could have Lane Johnson back on the offensive line too) and I look for them to wear down the Giants as this game goes on. The last 15 times the Giants have been a home dog of 7 or less points they have gone 2-13 SU and 3-12 ATS. Look for the Eagles to win this one in a road rout and I'll take advantage of the small number posted on this game. Lay it! 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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12-29-19 | Raiders v. Broncos OVER 40.5 | Top | 15-16 | Loss | -109 | 8 h 14 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #131 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Denver Broncos vs Oakland Raiders @ 4:25 ET - Drew Lock has now played in 4 games at QB for the Broncos. He had one bad game at Kansas City but is almost never fun to face the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. The Raiders defense is most certainly NOT the KC defense! In his other 3 games Lock has completed 65 of 88 passes with a TD-INT ratio of 6-2. Though Denver's season is over, the Raiders still have a mathematical shot at the post-season with a win here. You know the Broncos want to reduce those odds of an Oakland post-season bid from slim to none though and they can do it with a home win here. That said, I look for a huge effort from Denver here at home. Of course the Raiders are going to want to do everything they can to give themselves a shot at the post-season but they are going to have to do it with their offense. The Oakland defense ranks among the worst in the league. As for the offense, we actually get some value with the over here because statistically the Raiders rate 14th in the league (out of 32 teams) but they just don't have the points to show for it. The point is that Oakland moves the ball better than what their scoring would lead you to believe. Though it will be cold in Denver today the winds will be 10 mph or less and yesterday's precipitation has moved out of the area. The result will be plenty of offense in this one. The over is 5-2 in the Broncos past 7 games. The Raiders have been trending under of late but this is an Oakland team that has allowed an average of 30 points per game when playing away from home this season. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Denver |
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12-28-19 | Flyers -123 v. Sharks | Top | 1-6 | Loss | -123 | 13 h 28 m | Show |
Annihilation Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #73 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) @ San Jose Sharks @ 10:35 ET - The Sharks lost again last night! Not only does that make this a back to back spot for them, it also means that San Jose has lost 10 of its last 11 games. Conversely, the Flyers come into this game well rested and they have won 4 straight games. The Sharks have been held to 2 or less goals in 9 of those 10 losses! The Flyers have scored 3 or more goals in 10 of their last 13 games. You can see, based on those stats alone, why it is highly probable that Philly outscores San Jose here. Also though the fact is that Philadelphia is highly motivated here. The Flyers have lost 3 straight match-ups with the Sharks including an embarrassing 8-3 loss in Philly last season. It is payback time here and this is a very fair price to lay on Philadelphia. I am looking for the Flyers to improve to 13-7 this season when facing a team with a losing record. Look for the Sharks to drop to 5-13 this season when facing a team with a winning record as the scoring struggles for San Jose continue in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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12-28-19 | Clemson v. Ohio State +2.5 | Top | 29-23 | Loss | -105 | 14 h 33 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #243 Saturday 10* Top Play Ohio State Buckeyes (+) vs Clemson Tigers @ 8 ET in Fiesta Bowl @ State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ - I feel we're getting excellent line value here. Of course both teams are undefeated on the season but the Buckeyes have played a much tougher schedule. The Tigers were favored by at least 24 points in 12 of their 13 games this season! Clemson really hasn't been tested this season. As for Ohio State, they faced a tough Wisconsin team twice and also did battle with Penn State and had to play at Michigan this season. All of those were true battles where the Buckeyes had to up their game. Did they do it? You bet! They didn't just win those games...they dominated. Ohio State won those 4 games - all against quality competition - by a combined score of 156-72. That works out to an "average" score of 39 to 18 and there is certainly nothing "average' about that when you consider the quality of those opponents. The only time Clemson was favored by less than 24 points was when they faced Texas A & M. Though they did win that game by 2 TDs they only won the yardage battle by 100 yards. The Aggies were hurt by 2 turnovers and 85 yards in penalties. I respect Clemson (who wouldn't respect a 13-0 team?) but I feel strongly that the battle-tested Buckeyes are going to prove to be the better 13-0 team on Saturday! Keep in mind the Tigers were lucky to beat North Carolina earlier this season and won that game by just a single point. Compare that to an Ohio State team that has, without a doubt, played the tougher schedule, and yet has won EVERY game by a double digit margin. Look for Clemson to drop to 8-14 ATS when they enter a game on an ATS winning streak of 4 or more games. The Buckeyes, when the posted total is in a range from 56.5 to 63 points, have gone an incredible 45-1 SU the last 46. They win again in that role here as the Tigers offense (held under 400 yards by A & M and UNC this season) won't be able to keep up with Ohio State in this one. Keep in mind the Buckeyes defense has been fantastic this season even against tougher competition than the types of teams that Clemson faced this season. 10* OHIO STATE |
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12-28-19 | 76ers +1 v. Heat | Top | 116-117 | Push | 0 | 12 h 56 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #563 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Miami Heat @ 8:05 ET - Perfect set-up here. The 76ers are off a 1-point loss yesterday. The Heat are off a 1-point win yesterday. Philadelphia has revenge as the Heat handed the 76ers their first home loss of the season 10 days ago in Philly. It is payback time here. The Sixers had beaten Miami SU in 6 of their last 7 meetings that preceded the home loss a week and a half ago. The 76ers, prior to a blowout loss in their last visit to Miami, had gone 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games in South Florida. The Heat are 2-4 ATS the last 6 times they have been off a win by a margin of 11 or less points. The Sixers respond off yesterday's loss and get revenge. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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12-28-19 | Louisville +2 v. Kentucky | Top | 70-78 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 2 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #629 Saturday 10* Top Play Louisville Cardinals (+) @ Kentucky Wildcats @ 3:45 ET - The Wildcats are at home and have dominated this series in recent seasons. Kentucky has won the last two games by an average margin of 21 points per game. Yet the line on this one, even though it is being played in Lexington, was a pick'em. As expected, everyone piling on UK here and the line is up to a -2. In typical contrarian fashion, I am on the other side of the move. The Cardinals are the better team so far this season and I expect that to play out as such on Saturday afternoon. Kentucky is off back to back losses while the Cards have just one loss this entire season. Louisville has been the better team on defense this season and they also have been the better shooting team including much better from three point land. The Cardinals have been hot ATS and they are 9-3 ATS the last dozen time they have entered a game having covered 4 of their last 5 games. That is the situation here and I expect another ATS cover to come via an outright upset in this game. Look for the Cards to knock off a Wildcats team which has a history of poor ATS performances in a situation like this. Kentucky drops to a long-term 4-8 ATS when entering a game off B2B close losses (by a margin of 6 or less points). 10* LOUISVILLE |
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12-27-19 | Blues v. Jets +111 | Top | 5-4 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 27 m | Show |
Divisional Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #46 Friday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) vs St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - The Blues won the Stanley Cup last season and knocked off the Jets in the first round of the playoffs on the way to doing so. St Louis has carried momentum from last season's huge finish to the regular season and huge post-season by now getting off to a red hot start this season as well. However, teams are now coming from the Christmas break and, for a team that has won 6 straight, the last thing you want is a break. But that is the situation here with St Louis. They had won 6 straight games prior the Christmas break. Now they make their return in a very tough situation and tough locale. Winnipeg is tough on home ice and you know they're going to bring their "A game" and then some in this big time playoff revenge spot. I am riding with the Jets on home ice as I fully expect them to avenge their first round playoff exit that occurred in April. It is payback time here. 10* WINNIPEG |
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12-27-19 | USC v. Iowa -2 | Top | 24-49 | Win | 100 | 13 h 45 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #233 Friday 10* Top Play Iowa Hawkeyes (-) vs USC Trojans @ 8 ET in Holiday Bowl @ SDCCU Stadium in San Diego, CA - With USC having won 5 of their past 6 games and also playing this game practically in their back yard, many will be siding with the Trojans here. In typical contrarian fashion, I am on the other side in this one. Iowa is the much better defense in this match-up and here is an intriguing stat for you about this one: the favorite won ALL 12 Hawkeyes games this season SU. Look for that trend to continue here and, as only a 2 point favorite in this one, any SU win by Iowa here is likely to also be an ATS win. After 3 straight seasons of allowing less than 400 yards per game, the Trojans defense regressed this season. USC allowed 415.2 yards per game on the year and 28 points per game. The Hawkeyes defense allowed less than HALF that average as they gave up just 13 points per game this season. Iowa is also highly motivated to try to get a 10-win season while USC's best finish would be a 9-win season and the fact is coach Helton already appears to be off the hot seat since the Trojans went 5-1 after a 3-3 start this year. Southern Cal is on a 5-15 ATS run in December games. USC also has gone 0-6 ATS the past two seasons when they entered a game on a winning streak of 3 or more games SU. The Hawkeyes are 5-1 ATS when playing with 2 or more weeks of rest between games. I am going with a motivated team that has the much better defense in this one. Look for Hawkeyes QB Stanley, whom did have some big games this season against lesser defenses, to take advantage of facing a rather mediocre defense in this one. 10* IOWA |
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12-27-19 | 76ers -2.5 v. Magic | Top | 97-98 | Loss | -109 | 11 h 53 m | Show |
NBA TV Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #547 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - At first glance this looks like a great spot to fade the Sixers. After all, the 76ers are off a huge win over the NBA-best Bucks on Christmas Day plus Philly has a revenge game on deck at Miami tomorrow night. However, upon closer inspection, there is really no way in the world you can pass up on this chance to take Philadelphia laying a small number at Orlando. Why? I say that because the 76ers also have revenge against the Magic. Yes, the Sixers lost at Orlando earlier this season and guess what ladies and gentlemen...that is the ONE AND ONLY time this season that the Magic have beaten a decent team. All their other wins this season came against teams that not only have a losing record on the season as of now...they are all teams that are well below .500 on the season! We're getting a short number with the 76ers here because of the Bucks - Heat sandwich that they are in. I won't hesitate to take advantage because the Magic have shown a consistent inability to beat good teams with one exception this season. The fact that the lone exception - in a season that is already 30 games in - came against the Sixers is what sweetens this spot even more. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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12-27-19 | Bruins v. Sabres OVER 5.5 | Top | 3-0 | Loss | -115 | 10 h 42 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #41 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Buffalo Sabres vs Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - These divisional foes have played lower scoring games in recent match-ups but the situation here has to be considered and that situation is pointing toward a high-scoring game in this one. First off these teams are coming back from the Christmas break. Teams (and the goalies) often aren't as crisp in the first game back after a layoff. You'll see some turnovers with the puck and this often leads to odd man rushes and/or great scoring chances. Additionally, the goalies just tend to not be quite so sharp in the first game back. Considering those factors as well as the low total of 5.5 goals posted on this one. Boston has been great on the power play this season and Buffalo has struggled on the penalty kill this season. The Bruins have scored an average of 3.8 goals per game in their last 5 games. Boston has allowed an average of 3.5 goals per game in their past 10 games. The key for the Sabres here is home ice as they score much better as a host. In home games this season Buffalo is averaging 3.7 goals per game. The over is 10-5 when the Sabres are playing with 3 or more days of rest between games. The over is 5-1 this season when Boston enters a game off of 3 or more consecutive home games. 10* OVER the total in Buffalo |
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12-27-19 | Oklahoma State +5.5 v. Texas A&M | Top | 21-24 | Win | 100 | 12 h 23 m | Show |
ESPN Game of the Week - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #231 Friday 10* Top Play Oklahoma State Cowboys (+) vs Texas A & M Aggies @ 6:45 ET in Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX - The Aggies went 7-5 this season. NONE of the 7 wins came against a team that finished the regular season with a winning record. All 5 times that Texas A & M stepped up in class (in terms of the level of opponent they were facing) they lost all 5 games! That said, Oklahoma State is no cupcake and I like the Cowboys in this match-up! Oklahoma State was 8-3 this season prior to losing their regular season finale to the Sooners. Though known for their offense, note that the Cowboys actually held the high-powered Oklahoma offense to their season low in total yardage this year! Though Aggies head coach Fisher led them to a big bowl win last season, he entered last year's bowl with a mediocre 4-3 record in bowls. Cowboys coach Gundy has a 9-4 record in bowls! Last year's Texas A & M bowl win was their first since 2014 and I still don't trust them in bowls. One game doesn't change everything. This is the 14th straight bowl for the Cowboys and Gundy's 9-4 mark in bowls is no fluke. The fact that we also get them as a sizable dog in this match-up and the fact that they have the definitive edge on offense is why I am backing OSU big in this one! Keep in mind the Aggies scored just 7 points against LSU in their regular season finale. That is the same LSU team that, though very powerful on offense, allowed 37 points or more 4 times this season and yet Texas A & M scored a measly 7 points against them! Aggies won't be able to keep up with the Cowboys in this one. 10* OKLAHOMA STATE |
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12-26-19 | Knicks +7.5 v. Nets | Top | 94-82 | Win | 100 | 12 h 2 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #537 Thursday 10* Top Play New York Knicks (+) @ Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - The Nets are off a win and are the better team but look for the layoff to hurt them here. While the Knicks were in action on Monday, Brooklyn has not played since Saturday. Rest is a good thing generally but not when it is too much. Look for New York to be rested but look for the Nets to be rusty. That makes a difference here. There is a bit of a rivalry here between these two teams and I love having a sizable dog in a spot like this. Keep in mind each of the first two meetings between these teams this season have been decided by 4 or less points. Brooklyn has won 4 straight meetings SU and the Knicks are hell-bent on getting revenge here. While the Nets are off a win, New York has lost 3 straight SU and ATS but they faced some tough match-ups and plus this was preceded by a 4-0 ATS run for the Knicks. I look for them to come up with a huge game in this spot after falling just short against the Wizards. Keep in mind New York's two prior games were against tough teams - the Bucks and Heat. 10* NEW YORK |
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12-26-19 | Wizards v. Pistons OVER 229.5 | Top | 102-132 | Win | 100 | 11 h 9 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #533 Thursday OVER the total in Detroit Pistons vs Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - The Pistons are mired in a 5-game losing streak both SU and ATS. During this 5 game stretch Detroit has allowed an average of 120.6 points per game. The Wizards have allowed 121.7 points per game on the season! That is why this total opened up at 233.5 (which still wasn't high enough in my opinion). Now with the total dropping to as low as 229.5 points early this morning, I won't hesitate to step in on the over in this one. The last two meetings between these teams in Detroit have both gone over the total and have averaged 242.5 points per game! Overall, the Wizards enter this game with the over having gone 5-1 in their last 6 games. The Pistons enter this home game with the over having gone 7-2 in their last 9 games as a host. With both teams in action on Monday, that means they come into this game rested but NOT rusty as they have had just 2 days off between games. Both teams will be ready to go here and I again expect a ton of points in this match-up. The over is an incredible 16-6 this season when the Wizards are an underdog. The over is 5-1 this season when the Pistons are at home and the posted total on their game is 220 or more. More of the same expected here. 10* OVER the total in Detroit |
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12-26-19 | Miami-FL v. Louisiana Tech +7 | Top | 0-14 | Win | 100 | 9 h 21 m | Show |
Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #224 Thursday 10* Top Play Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (+) vs Miami Hurricanes @ 4 ET in Independence Bowl in Shreveport, LA - The location of this game certainly favors the Bulldogs as they are about 70 miles east of Shreveport. The Hurricanes certainly have a history of disappointing in bowl games and I don't see them being too excited for this one. Also, as a favorite of 31 points or less this season, Miami went 2-6 ATS this season! 5 of those ATS losses were also SU losses as the Canes are no strangers to upsets. Another one could be on tap here! The Bulldogs have won 5 straight bowl games while the Hurricanes have lost 8 of their last 9 bowl games. Louisiana Tech is on a 4-1 ATS run in bowls while Miami is on a 1-7 ATS run in bowls. Of course looking at this regular season the Hurricanes have played the much tougher schedule but are they really ready to play here? Certainly going to the Independence Bowl in Shreveport was not something on the preseason "goals list" of the Canes. Conversely, the Bulldogs are certainly hungry to go for a 10-win season here and to be able to do that so close to home. Motivation is a key in a match-up like this and I am grabbing what is, in essence, a home dog in this one. The Bulldogs also benefit from being as high as a +7 in some spots as of game day morning. 10* LOUISIANA TECH |
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12-25-19 | Georgia Tech v. Hawaii +1.5 | Top | 70-53 | Loss | -103 | 26 h 59 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #826 Wednesday 10* Top Play Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (+) vs Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ 6:30 ET - The Yellow Jackets could have some trouble with motivation here and I love fading the line move in this one as the Rainbow Warriors have gone from being the favorite to being the dog in this one. Keep in mind Georgia Tech came here to win this tourney not to be playing for 3rd place. As for Hawaii, this is nothing new. They have NEVER played in the Championship Game of this tournament which has been going for a bout a decade now. But Hawaii has won 3rd place twice in recent seasons (2014 and 2015). In other words, they are at home and playing for pride on their home floor and have proven in the past that they can get up for a game like this. I also love the fact that the Warriors shot horrifically bad in their their loss to a ranked Washington team on Monday. That is why Hawaii lost the game by 11 points despite having 22 more shots from the field than the Huskies had! Sometimes crazy things happen in these games and the key to capitalizing is to catch the "rebound effect". In this case look for the Warriors to "bounce back" after that unusually bad shooting night on their home floor. I know that Georgia Tech has played the tougher schedule this season but the situational edges for Hawaii are the key to the value in this one. I don't see the Warriors being denied. They had won 7 of 9 before the loss to Washington. The Jackets have lost 4 of their past 5 games and all 4 defeats have come by a double digit margin. Motivated home team is the play here and they earn 3rd place for the 3rd time in the past 6 Christmas tournaments. 10* HAWAII |
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12-25-19 | Bucks v. 76ers +3.5 | Top | 109-121 | Win | 100 | 21 h 47 m | Show |
TV Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #526 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) vs Bucks @ 2:35 ET - The Bucks look like an easy choice here and, sure enough, after opening up at a -2 Milwaukee's line got driven higher. However, it was priced this way for a reason and I am grabbing the home dog. The Sixers had avoided a home loss all season before recent back to back losses. However, they have bounced back overall with back to back wins, one at home and one on the road and Philly is ready to go here in this "barometer test" game. The Sixers are anxious to see how they stack up with the NBA best Bucks and I am expecting a huge effort from Philadelphia at home in this one. Milwaukee is off a big win over the Pacers and they are 1-3 ATS this season when off a home win over a divisional foe. The Bucks are 1-3 ATS as a road favorite of 6 or less points. The 76ers are 4-2 ATS this season as an underdog. Philly is on a long-term 6-2 ATS run as a home dog. The Sixers lost to the Bucks in their most recent meeting and are hungry for revenge in this one. Milwaukee has allowed 111.2 points per game in its last 5 road games. The 76ers have allowed just 101 points per game at home this season. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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12-25-19 | Celtics v. Raptors OVER 212.5 | Top | 118-102 | Win | 100 | 19 h 1 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #523 Wednesday 10* OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Boston Celtics @ 12:05 ET - The Celtics most recent road game stayed under the total by the slimmest of margins! Prior to that the over was a perfect 3-0 in Boston's 3 previous road games. The Raptors enter this game on a perfect 3-0 streak to the over. Toronto is 8-4 to the over in their past dozen home games. The Raptors last half dozen games have averaged 117 points per game. The Celtics last eleven games have averaged 112.6 points per game. I know in an Atlantic Division battle we should see a little more defense but you can see why I going with the over here based on the above. Also, the over is 4-1 this season when the Celtics are off a blowout win by a margin of 20 or more points. The over is 5-0 this season when Toronto is revenging a loss in which they allowed 110 or more points. With the Raptors having lost at Boston in October it is payback time here and I am looking for plenty of points. They score well at home (11-5 to the over this season) but won't be able to stop the Celtics. 10* OVER the total in Toronto |
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12-24-19 | BYU -115 v. Hawaii | Top | 34-38 | Loss | -115 | 14 h 30 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #221 Tuesday 10* Top Play Brigham Young Cougars (-) @ Hawaii Rainbow Warriors @ 8 ET - Why is the team with two less wins favored here even though they are on the road? Exactly! In typical contrarian fashion I am on the side which, perhaps, on the surface seems a little off. Look for the Cougars to crush the Warriors in this one. Yes, Hawaii has the better numbers on offense but BYU is the much better team on the defensive side of the ball. The Cougars are off a low-scoring loss at San Diego State in which they held the Aztecs to 13 points. Over their final 5 games of the season, Brigham Young allowed only 17 points per game. Give the Warriors credit too as they did beat San Diego State and they held them to just 11 points. But lets talk about how Hawaii's defense performed in their other 4 home games dating back to October. In those 4 games as a host, the Warriors have allowed an average of 42 points per game! Again, you can see the huge differences in terms of the level these two defenses have been playing at. In their 5 losses this season Hawaii has allowed an average of 48 points per game! In their 5 losses this season, BYU has allowed an average of 28.6 points per game! Look for the stronger defense to be the key in this match-up. The Cougars are 6-2 ATS when off an upset loss as a favorite. When the Warriors are off a road loss in conference action they have gone 0-6 ATS in their next game. BYU has failed to cover 4 straight games while Hawaii had covered 3 in a row prior to the deflating loss to Boise State. That is helping to give us even more line value here as there is negative perception about the Cougars even though they had won 5 in a row SU prior to the loss to San Diego State. Also, Brigham Young has defeated the Warriors each of the past two seasons by an average margin of 18 points. Look for another double digit win here. 10* BYU |
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12-23-19 | Packers +5.5 v. Vikings | Top | 23-10 | Win | 100 | 12 h 3 m | Show |
Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #481 Monday 10* Top Play Green Bay Packers (+) @ Minnesota Vikings @ 8:15 ET - Winning breeds confidence no matter the opposition. The point is that Green Bay comes into this game with plenty of confidence as they are on a 3-game winning streak and allowed 15 points or less in all 3 games. Granted, none of those teams have a winning record on the season but, as my opening sentence stated, winning leads to confidence. The Packers have only lost 3 games on the season and one of those was to Philadelphia when they did outgain the Eagles by a large margin. Another loss was to a Niners team that looks like one of the best teams in the NFL this season. The Packers really have had only one ugly defeat and that was that game at LA against the Chargers when they played like a team that didn't even show up for the game. Trust me, Green Bay is showing up for this divisional showdown with the Vikings. Also, the Vikings have been hot too and are on a 4-2 SU win but two of those four wins came by just 4 points. That means that laying the points that Minnesota is in this game, they would be on just a 2-4 ATS run. Green Bay is going to be tough for the Vikings to put away here. QB Aaron Rodgers is a big game player who has had many huge efforts in primetime action. Certainly for QB Kirk Cousins that is not the case. In fact, Cousins teams are 0-8 SU and ATS in Monday Night games! 8 LOSSES and ZERO wins! The Packers have a great shot at the outright upset here and if they do fall short I expect it to be by a field goal or less. Look for quite the game in Minneapolis Monday. Look for the Pack to improve to 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings with the Vikings. 10* GREEN BAY |
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12-23-19 | Raptors v. Pacers -5.5 | Top | 115-120 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 20 m | Show |
NBA TV Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #504 Monday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers (-) vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:05 ET - Perfect set up here. The Raptors are off a win that saw them rally from 30 points down with just 3 minutes left in the 3rd quarter! That huge comeback win at home last night was their largest comeback win in franchise history. It was also the biggest comeback win in the NBA this decade! Off a huge win like that on their home floor and now going on the road in a back to back spot (and already being a bit short-handed in terms of players) this is a horrible spot for Toronto. Making the situation even tougher is that they're taking on an angry Pacers team. Indiana got blown out in the 2nd half at Milwaukee yesterday. Now they come back home ready to respond off that ugly loss. Keep in mind, the Pacers had won 5 straight and 8 of their last 13 prior to yesterday's loss to the Bucks. Also, Indiana has won 8 of its past 9 home games. The Raptors won and covered their most recent road game but Toronto had entered that one a 1-4 ATS run in road games. The series between the Raptors and Pacers has been dominated by the home team and I love the situational edge here for the host in this one. 10* INDIANA |
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12-23-19 | Georgia State v. SMU -8 | Top | 76-85 | Win | 100 | 10 h 32 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #808 Monday 10* Top Play SMU Mustangs (-) vs Georgia State Panthers @ 7 ET - The Mustangs are off a double OT loss at Georgia but they dominated the rebounds, had less turnovers, and had more field goal attempts than the Bulldogs. This SMU team is a high-quality team but off back to back losses. They have had two days to recuperate since the loss at Georgia and this is their final game until the new year. The Mustangs want to make the most of this and certainly don't want to wrap up 2019 on a 3-game losing streak. SMU has a very strong frontcourt while that is the weak area for the Georgia State team they are facing. I look for the hungry Mustangs to be very aggressive here and I look for them to dominate the glass. The Panthers are a little over-rated right now because they are off to a hot start but they are on short rest here as they hosted Texas State on Saturday. While the Mustangs are playing just their 2nd game in a span of 16 days, Georgia State is playing its 3rd game in 5 days. Big situational edge for Southern Methodist University and I look for them to dominate and win this home game by at least a dozen points. The Panthers are a good team but they are still a middle of the pack SunBelt Conference team and the Mustangs are very hungry and at home in this one. Georgia State drops to 1-4 ATS when off a game against a conference foe in which they scored 80 or more points. The Mustangs improve to 5-0 ATS when off a game in which they allowed 85 or more points. 10* SMU |
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12-23-19 | Flames v. Wild -115 | Top | 0-3 | Win | 100 | 7 h 59 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #12 Monday 10* Top Play Minnesota Wild Money Line (-) vs Calgary Flames @ 5:05 ET - The Wild are off a 6-0 home blasting they took at the hands of Winnipeg on Saturday. The Flames are off a huge upset win by a 5-1 count at Dallas yesterday! That means the set up here is perfect. Calgary is in a back to back spot and off an upset win while the Wild are rested and at home and off one of their worst games of the season. That means all signs point to a huge home win for Minnesota in this one. The Wild, prior to their loss to the Jets, were a fantastic 9-1-3 at home this season. The Flames had lost 3 straight by a combined score of 12 to 4 before the big win over the Stars last night. Calgary's next game is also against their provincial rival Edmonton so this is a bad situation all the way around for the Flames. Look for the Wild to resume their home dominance after being embarrassed in front of their home fans Saturday. 10* MINNESOTA |
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12-23-19 | Marshall +15.5 v. Central Florida | Top | 25-48 | Loss | -109 | 7 h 49 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #219 Monday 10* Top Play Marshall Thundering Herd (+) vs Central Florida Knights @ 2:30 ET in Gasparilla Bowl @ Tampa, FL - The Knights, as you can see from the big line posted on this one, are no doubt the much better team in this match-up. However, how motivated will they be here after playing on a much bigger stage in recent bowl seasons and now being relegated to the Gasparilla Bowl on the Monday before Christmas. UCF had actually been playing on New Year's Day bowls in recent seasons. As for Marshall, their certainly happy to be here and have played well in Tampa in recent bowl seasons. The Thundering Herd also are lead by a coach (Doc Holliday) whom has great success in bowls - 6-0 SU and ATS his last 6. Now I am certainly not projecting an outright upset here but I am projecting that the Herd will have no problem staying within two TDs here and I actually expect them to lose by just single digits. Marshall has a respectable defense and prior to their season-ending 30-27 win, had allowed 24 points or less in 6 of 7 games. In those 6 games the Thundering Herd allowed an average of just 17.5 points per game and keep in mind that is what the spread on this game opened up at. In other words, great value considering Marshall is certainly not going to get shutout here! The Herd are taking on a UCF defense that allowed just 7 points in their season finale but the Knights entered that game having allowed 21 points or more in 9 straight games! When coach Holliday's teams are an underdog they have produced a 10-3 ATS record the last 13 times. Look for another cover here as the Thundering Herd take advantage of a Central Florida team lacking in motivation in this one. 10* MARSHALL |
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12-22-19 | Pacers +8 v. Bucks | Top | 89-117 | Loss | -115 | 10 h 57 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #581 Sunday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:05 ET - The Bucks, it goes without saying, have been the best team in the NBA this season. But this is a tough spot for Milwaukee and I happy to grab the rested, revenge-minded divisional dog in this one. The Bucks are in a back to back spot plus travel is involved as they were at New York last night. Additionally, that big win over the Knicks was preceded by a big showdown victory over LeBron James and the Lakers. Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo has been bothered with some back discomfort and this is a back to back spot so the Bucks may be careful with him. Either way I like the rested Pacers whom also got embarrassed by Milwaukee earlier this season. Yes Indiana held the Bucks to only 102 points in the game but they themselves scored only 83 points in that one. This was despite 100 shots from the field as the Pacers had one of their worst shooting nights of the season and hit only 32% from the field. Indiana will make up for that here and will prove to be the much hungrier team. The Pacers have a great shot at the outright upset and, should they fall short, look for it to be by only a bucket or two at the most. 10* INDIANA |