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Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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02-27-21 | Cavs v. 76ers OVER 223.5 | Top | 112-109 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 18 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #549 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia 76ers vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:05 ET - This is simply one of those games that jumped off the page at me because I do not see the Sixers being interested in playing defense here. Where is the motivation for a strong effort against a bad Cavaliers team. That said, we are also getting line value because of public perception. What the markets are looking at here is that the Sixers have stayed under the total in 4 straight games and the Cavaliers have stayed under the total in 5 straight games. However, prior to holding Houston to just 96 points, Cleveland had allowed an average of 124 points per game their preceding 11 games. If you factor that in and loo at this line of a -10 then it means we should see a 124-114 type game which is well above the posted total on this one. The 76ers are off B2B wins but that was preceded by a 2-4 stretch that saw them allow 116.7 points per game in those 6 games. 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia |
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02-27-21 | Creighton v. Xavier +5 | Top | 69-77 | Win | 100 | 8 h 52 m | Show |
Big East Beast Top Side - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #684 Saturday 10* Top Play Xavier Musketeers (+) vs Creighton Bluejays @ 5 ET - Without a shadow of doubt, of course, Creighton is a very good team. Also, Xavier looks very unimpressive to the betting markets because of a recent 1-3 run. However, all that has done here is create exceptional value in my opinion. Keep in mind, the Musketeers had an unwanted two weeks off due to health protocol impacting their schedule so one could give them a mulligan for the home loss to Connecticut which followed. Since then Xavier has had two tough road games and just one home game. They won the only home game and the Musketeers are now 10-2 at home this season. Again, I know the Bluejays command (and deserve) respect but prior to a road win and cover at Georgetown in their most recent away game, Creighton was on a 1-3 ATS run in road games. This is Xavier's home finale and you know they would love nothing more than to get revenge for their road loss at Creighton earlier this season plus close the home portion of their schedule with a big win. As you would expect, the Bluejays don't shoot as well nor score as well on the road as they do at home. As you would also expect, the Musketeers do shoot better at home plus score better as a host. They have a great shot at the upset here which certainly has me liking the added value of having these points on our side too. 10* XAVIER |
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02-27-21 | Marquette v. Connecticut OVER 135 | Top | 62-80 | Win | 100 | 6 h 39 m | Show |
Big East Beast Top Total - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #645 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Connecticut Huskies vs Marquette Golden Eagles @ 2:30 ET - The first meeting between these teams stayed well under the total but look for the second one to play out much differently. Both teams enter off wins. Also, the Golden Eagles are now 3-1 to the over in their last 4 road games while the Huskies are 3-1 to the over in their last 4 home games. Additionally, Connecticut now has James Bouknight back and he is a big scorer for him. Marquette is averaging 70.8 points per game on the road and UConn is averaging 75.7 points per game at home. Don't be surprised when this game gets into the mid-140s. The Huskies are off back to back unders but those games were on the road and that stretch was preceded by a run of 6-1 to the over. That run resumes for them starting today at home. 10* OVER the total in Connecticut |
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02-27-21 | Georgetown v. DePaul +3 | 68-60 | Loss | -105 | 4 h 46 m | Show | |
Big East Beast Early - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #610 Saturday 8* DePaul Blue Demons (+) vs Georgetown Hoyas @ Noon ET - The Blue Demons might get Javon Freeman-Liberty back for this one. He has been in concussion protocol but this began exactly two weeks ago so today could be the day for him at home and in the most winnable game remaining on DePaul's schedule. Even if he does not play here, I like the fact this line has gone from a pick'em to a -3 on Georgetown. Yes the Blue Demons are at the bottom of the Big East but the Hoyas are not dominators, particularly on the road, by any stretch of the imagination. That said, taking a look at DePaul's last 6 home games, 1 was a high-scoring loss but in the other 5 games they allowed an average of only 61.2 points per game! This team does show some commitment on the defensive end. As for Georgetown, they allowed an average of 72.5 points per game in their last two games and those were at home and they got dominated on the glass by UConn in the most recent of those two games. Also, the Hoyas have allowed an average of 79 points per game in their last 3 road games. Don't be surprised when the Blue Demons prove to be the hungrier team in this one and get the job done on their home floor. 8* DEPAUL |
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02-26-21 | Rockets v. Raptors -7 | Top | 111-122 | Win | 100 | 12 h 33 m | Show |
Early Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #536 Friday 10* Top Play Toronto Raptors (-) vs Houston Rockets @ 7:35 ET - The Rockets have lost 9 straight games. Houston went 1-8 ATS during this run and the lone ATS win never should have happened. The Rockets trailed by 26 points at the half - and by as many as 29 points during the game - at Philly last week but got a bit of a miracle back door cover in that game. Even with under 10 minutes to go in the game Houston was still down 18 points. The point is that the Rockets very easily could be on an 0-9 ATS run and the fact is they are highly like to fall to their 10th straight SU loss here and I look for Toronto to win this one by double digits. The set up here is solid as the Raptors are off back to back losses and will be extra hungry here as a result. Toronto, prior to the B2B defeats, had won 9 of 12 games both SU and ATS and I fully expect them to respond here. Also, the Raptors are on a streak of 20+ games in which whoever the SU winner is in their games is also the ATS winner. Considering that as well as the fact that the Rockets have lost 9 straight games, you can see why I fully expect the home team to get the win AND cover in this one! 10* TORONTO |
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02-26-21 | Drexel v. James Madison OVER 143 | Top | 84-78 | Win | 100 | 5 h 15 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #821 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in James Madison Dukes vs Drexel Dragons @ 4 ET - Something going on here when you look at this total. It has been creeping up higher from its opener even though these teams totaled only 137 points when they met last month and that was the 5th straight under in this series. Also, James Madison's Matt Lewis is listed as questionable with a knee injury and yet still the total went higher. Part of the reason in my opinion is that both of these teams are coming off long layoffs. Drexel's is nearly 3 weeks and the Dukes is nearly 2 weeks. When teams have time off like this without games they tend to come out a little rusty and miss assignments on defense, don't switch properly in terms of defensive play, turn the ball over too often leading to quick transition points the other way. All those factors can lead to higher scoring games and are more common this season when two teams come into a game after long layoffs. So my opinion is that some sharp action is starting to come in on this total and it was already one that was on my radar for today. The Dukes have won 7 straight games and are favored to win this game at home for a reason. Note that James Madison has scored an average of 82 points per game in their last 11 wins! The Dragons have scored 73 points or more in 3 of their last 4 road games and will be in this game all the way. Getting this one to the 150 range can be expected as Drexel is hitting 48.6% from the field in road games this season and the Dukes are averaging 81.2 points per game at home this season. 10* OVER the total in James Madison |
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02-25-21 | Magic v. Nets OVER 226.5 | Top | 92-129 | Loss | -113 | 10 h 26 m | Show |
Early Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #521 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Brooklyn Nets vs Orlando Magic @ 7:35 ET - Without Kevin Durant Tuesday the Nets game still totaled 245 points and Brooklyn had a super impressive 30 assists on their 44 buckets. The Nets continue to pile up points and I don't expect that to stop now against an Orlando team they can dominate. The Magic had a ridiculous 93 point performance at home against Detroit on Tuesday so they will be happy to run and gun here with a Nets team that has been doing plenty of that this season. In fact, in Brooklyn is 23-10 to the over in their games this season including 12-5 in home games. The last time these teams met they combined for 237 points last month. That was a 7 point win for the Nets and I can't see them being overly excited about playing great defense here against an Orlando team that is 6 games below .500 on the season and has won just 5 of 15 road games this season. The Nets have won 7 straight games and have averaged 124.3 points per game their last 6 games. They are an 8 point favorite here. 124-116 sounds about right and that puts this game more than dozen points higher than the current number posted. Either way, even 230 puts us into the win column here and I am expecting at least that much here. 10* OVER the total in Brooklyn |
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02-25-21 | Iowa +5.5 v. Michigan | Top | 57-79 | Loss | -109 | 9 h 31 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #737 Thursday 10* Top Play Iowa Hawkeyes (+) @ Michigan Wolverines @ 7:30 ET - The #3 team in the nation at home where they are 11-0 this season and facing a team that is only 5-4 this season when away from home and yet this one featured a 3.5 as an opening line. The odds makers had the right idea and yet the market place things they have it all wrong and have already pushed this line to as high a 5.5 in some spots. In typical contrarian fashion I am on the other side of the move but, as always, it is not without reason. The Hawkeyes are 5-2 SU in their last 7 road games and the two losses each came by 5 or less points. That said, I love the line value here as Michigan is off of 3 straight hard fought wins and is going to be really tested now by a dynamic Iowa offense that is averaging 80 points per game its last 4 games. The Wolverines are off a high-scoring win over Ohio State but had averaged only 69 points per game in their 3 preceding games. Allowing 87 points to the Buckeyes also has to be a concern for Michigan as they now take on the highest scoring team in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes also have far and away the best assist to turnover ratio in the conference plus they lead the Big Ten in rebounding. Grab the generous points here. 10* IOWA |
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02-24-21 | Celtics v. Hawks OVER 225.5 | Top | 112-127 | Win | 100 | 9 h 29 m | Show |
Early Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #507 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Atlanta Hawks vs Boston Celtics @ 7:35 ET - These teams were both in action yesterday and each game stayed just under the total. That is part of the reason the early move on this total was from a 227.5 to a 225.5 and I am jumping in on this one. Before the Hawks game stayed under the total yesterday, the over was on a perfect 8-0 run. Also, these teams have met twice this season and both meetings were last week and both meetings went over the total. Before yesterday's under, the Celtics road games were on a 4-2 run to the over. In the Hawks 8-0 run to the over the games averaged 238 points so they aren't just going over, they are flying over! That is the type of game I am looking for here as both teams will be relentless in the offensive end after they each lost very tight games yesterday and will be pushing hard to get back into the win column here. 10* OVER the total in Atlanta |
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02-24-21 | Seton Hall v. Butler +7.5 | Top | 52-61 | Win | 100 | 11 h 47 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #684 Wednesday 10* Top Play Butler Bulldogs (+) vs Seton Hall Pirates @ 7 ET - This line is not up everywhere right now and that is because of the questionable status of three senior starters for Butler. The Bulldogs have Bo Hodges, Bryce Nze, and Aaron Thompson all listed as questionable for this one. My take on this is I don't see these guys again all missing another game. Maybe not all 3 play but I would be surprised if at least 2 of the 3 are not seeing action in this game tonight. Why? Well they are seniors and even though they have two more regular season games left this is definitely the most winnable game on their schedule that remains. Their next two games are versus Villanova and at Creighton. Yikes! By the way, even without all 3 of those aforementioned starters, the Bulldogs were down by only 5 points with a minute and a half to go in their 12 point loss to the Musketeers Sunday. Now they are at home and a big dog and could have some starting firepower back for this one and note that Seton Hall is 13-9 this season while Xavier is 12-4. The Pirates are certainly solid and have gone 10-6 in Big East action but the Musketeers are no slouches it is just their Big East schedule has been heavily impacted by covid. There is simply tremendous value with the home dog in this match-up and I suspect this line will steadily come down as the day goes on so lets jump on the early value here in a game the Bulldogs will be gunning hard for the upset win. It truly is their most winnable game left on the schedule and historically they are a tough team at Hinkle Fieldhouse. 10* BUTLER |
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02-23-21 | St. John's v. Villanova -11 | Top | 58-81 | Win | 100 | 10 h 22 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #628 Tuesday 10* Top Play Villanova Wildcats (-) vs St John's Red Storm @ 8 ET - Randomly playing revenge situations will get you in trouble in no time but finding the right revenge spots can be pure gold. The best teams in the Big East this season are Villanova and Creighton. The Wildcats lost by double digits at St John's earlier this season and now it is payback time. Why should we expect a solid home win for Villanova here? Well the best sample size to look at is how the Red Storm performed against the Bluejays this season. St John's has already faced Creighton twice and lost each game by an 18 point margin. Villanova can do the same here and this line is down to an 11 as of early game day morning. I'll take it. The Wildcats will take advantage of a Red Storm team that has allowed 86 points per game in its last two games. Villanova is a very strong shooting team at home. Also, the Wildcats are allowing just 66 points per game as a host this season. Coincidentally the posted total on this game is 152.5 and 86-66 indeed sounds about right and the expectation of that final score is justified per the above. The point is you can see why I am expecting the Cats to win this one by about 18 to 20 points. 10* VILLANOVA |
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02-23-21 | Pistons v. Magic OVER 207 | Top | 105-93 | Loss | -107 | 11 h 12 m | Show |
Eastern Conference Total of the Year - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #567 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Orlando Magic vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - These teams just met on Sunday and the game had 159 points through 3 quarters and was on pace for 212 for the game before a horrific 4th quarter kept the game under the total. When I look at the stats from that game, the teams both shot poorly from 3-point land as they combined for just 20 of 70 from downtown. If these teams hit their season averages for threes they would have knocked down 25 of those so 5 more threes which equates to 15 more points and the game would have gone over the total. We get a little line value with this total now pushed even a little lower than Sunday's and I liked the pace of Sunday's game and the fact each team only had 11 turnovers. In other words, the scoring opportunities were there but the teams were just "off" and I don't expect that to be repeated here. Look at it this way too...the Magic have won 3 straight games and 4 of their last 5. They are favored here for a reason and have averaged 115 points in those 4 victories. They are a 3-point choice in this game which put the final score at about 115-112 which is 20 points above the current number on this one. I am not expecting that many necessarily but I am expecting about 217 based on all of the above and that still puts this one at double digits above the current posted number as of early Tuesday. I'll take it! 10* OVER the total in Orlando |
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02-22-21 | Bulls v. Rockets +1 | Top | 120-100 | Loss | -103 | 7 h 25 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #554 Monday 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (+) vs Chicago Bulls @ 8:05 ET - The Rockets have had extra time off due to cancelled games. This has given them even more time to think about their current 7-game losing streak. That said, I expect a highly motivated Houston team to take the floor tonight at home against Chicago. As for the Bulls, they take the floor off a win and cover but that was at home against Sacramento. What is noteworthy about this is Chicago hasn't covered consecutive games since mid-January so, coming off an ATS win, odds favor the Bulls falling short tonight. There was a reason the odds makers opened up the team on a 7-game losing streak as the favorite here. Don't let the line fool you. Grab the Rockets as they get back on track in a big way in this one. Chicago was on a 4-9 ATS run prior to knocking off the Kings Saturday. 10* HOUSTON |
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02-22-21 | NC-Greensboro v. Western Carolina OVER 141 | Top | 77-56 | Loss | -118 | 8 h 28 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #845 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Western Carolina Catamounts vs UNC Greensboro Spartans @ 5 ET - Top team in conference standings visiting the worst team. The best comparison we have for this and, by the way, UNC Greensboro does still need to win games to lock up the top spot, is when the Spartans recently faced Samford. The Bulldogs are having a very rough season just like the Catamounts are and Greensboro blasted them in each game and both totaled at least 150 points. Note that Western Carolina enters this game having allowed 79.1 points per game their last 10 games and that does not include the OT period in their loss at Chattanooga. That said, plenty of points expected here as the Spartans enter this game off a very rare poor shooting game that resulted in a tight, low-scoring 60-55 home win. On the road, UNC Greensboro has scored at least 71 points in 10 of 11 games. In fact, the Spartans have averaged 80.3 points per game in those 10 games. This game has the makings of an 80 to 70 type affair and UNC Greensboro highly motivated after losing their most recent road game plus coming off a dismal home effort that result in a win that did not even feel like a win. The Spartans now cut loose in this one and force the Catamounts to run and gun. 10* OVER the total in Western Carolina |
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02-22-21 | North Alabama v. Liberty OVER 132.5 | 54-74 | Loss | -110 | 4 h 7 m | Show | |
Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #307219 Monday 8* OVER the total in Liberty Flames vs North Alabama Lions @ Noon ET - This total opened up in the mid 130s and then dropped back to nearly the 130 mark but is creeping back up this morning as expected. The fact is that North Alabama has allowed 79 points per game their last 4 road games. Also, the Lions are off back to back losses to a Bellarmine team that is very similar in strength to the Liberty team they are now facing. Even though North Alabama was home for those games, they allowed 76.5 points per game. Now they are on the road and expected to get blasted as the spread on this game is now up around -14. Considering that as well as the fact that the Lions have scored at least 60 points in 14 straight games, you can see why I am expecting this game to get to at least the mid-130s. Even if North Alabama has one of their worst scoring games of the season they should still get into the 60s and that should put this total close to the 140 mark at a bare minimum. The Flames sometimes play some lower scoring games but those tend to be on the road. Liberty, when at home, has scored 69 points or more in all 11 and averaged 84.4 points per game on the season as a host. The Flames are 11-0 at home for good reason and they win huge again here and that helps to insure this game flies over the total. 8* OVER the total in Liberty |
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02-21-21 | Butler v. Xavier -8 | 51-63 | Win | 100 | 12 h 18 m | Show | |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #828 Sunday 8* Xavier Musketeers (-) vs Butler Bulldogs @ 7 ET - The Musketeers are off back to back losses but that was preceded by a 13-point win at Butler that brought Xavier to 11-2 on the season. Now the Musketeers are hosting the Bulldogs and in a foul mood and, as a result, this match-up has blowout written all over it. Butler is off back to back losses and is now 1-8 SU (and 2-7 ATS) on the season in road games. Overall, 6 of the Bulldogs last 7 losses have come by at least a dozen points and I am expecting this one will as well. The Musketeers suffered a 1 point loss when they hosted Butler last season so they won't overlook this team nor will they take their foot off the gas. Blowout city in this one! 8* XAVIER |
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02-21-21 | 76ers -2.5 v. Raptors | Top | 103-110 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 51 m | Show |
Eastern Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #537 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:05 ET - The Sixers are off back to back wins but non-covers. Finally in this one they should have both Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons both on the floor together and I expect a road rout to result. Since the Raptors have had some recent wins and because the 76ers are the visitors for this one, we are getting a low number to work with. That said, I won't hesitate to step in as there is great value with this line opening up at a 2.5 this morning. 6 of the Raptors last 7 losses have come by 4 or more points. Each of Philly's last 7 wins have come by 5 or more points. Toronto is playing their home games in Tampa this season and they have certainly not held the same home court edge as in years past. The Raptors enter this game 1-3 SU last 4 home games and the lone win was against an Orlando team this is winning just 40 percent of their games this season. Now Toronto is facing a 76ers team that is 19-5 SU this season in games in which Embiid has played. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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02-21-21 | Rhode Island v. George Washington OVER 139.5 | Top | 70-78 | Win | 100 | 13 h 10 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #793 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in George Washington Colonials vs Rhode Island Rams @ 11:30 AM ET - When a team hasn't played a game in 5 weeks they are going to come out sloppy, there will be turnovers, there will be missed switches on defense, and the result will be opportunities for a lot of points in transition. This total first opened up at a 143 and has since dropped to a 139.5 as of the night before this early game for Sunday. I like the value after the line move here. Don't be surprised if this game turns into a bit of a run and gun affair because the Rams will look to run the Colonials right out of their own building. That is why Rhode Island is a big favorite here and they will certainly not show any mercy nor take their foot off the gas. The Rams have scored at least 80 points in each of their last two meetings with George Washington. The Colonials enter this game allowing 75 points at home this season. Rhode Island enters this game allowing 72 points per game on the road this season. The Rams allow 60 shot attempts per game on the season and GW is allowing 62 shots per game when a host this season. In other words, this game will have a better pace than you might expect and it will have a bit more run and gun too as George Washington can't afford to sit back and constantly get into half-court sets. First game after 5 weeks off is going to see a lot more of just pure talent trying to take over and score the ball quickly. 10* OVER the total in George Washington |
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02-20-21 | Warriors v. Hornets OVER 230.5 | Top | 100-102 | Loss | -112 | 11 h 2 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #523 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Charlotte Hornets vs Golden State Warriors @ 8:05 ET - The Warriors are in the 2nd game of a back to back and yesterday's game at Orlando flew over the total. Look for this to do the same as the over is 12-4 in the Hornets last 16 games. Charlotte comes in with fresh legs as they have not played in nearly a week. Look for the Hornets to push the pace here as they are averaging 119 points per game last 9 games. Golden State is averaging 123 points their last 5 road games and they continue to pile up points in recent weeks. Non-conference match-up with very little defense expected here. Recent meetings between these teams stayed under the total but the situation here as well as the way these teams have been playing of late dictates an over. 10* OVER the total in Charlotte |
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02-20-21 | Texas Tech +1.5 v. Kansas | Top | 61-67 | Loss | -109 | 6 h 48 m | Show |
Big 12 Game of the Year - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #639 Saturday 10* Top Play Texas Tech Red Raiders (+) @ Kansas Jayhawks @ 2 ET - The Red Raiders have had a layoff due to a combination of weather and covid issues forcing postponements. That can, of course, be detrimental to a team. However, Texas Tech is not a normal team as they are one of the best teams in the nation and they are also fighting mad here. Their most recent game left the players and the coach fuming and they have been waiting a long time to get back on the floor and they will make the most of this opportunity today. The Red Raiders also have lost 3 games against Kansas including the most recent one by a single point in December. That said, Texas Tech is hell bent on revenge here and I am well aware of the fact that the Jayhawks have been playing better and winning some games. The key here though is who they faced. Now Kansas is in more of a dog fight style of game here and the last 5 times they have played a game with a spread either way that was 5 or less points, they have gone 0-5 SU and ATS. The Jayhawks simply aren't the same team they used to be and they already got blasted at Allen Fieldhouse earlier this season. I am not saying Kansas will get blasted here but I am saying the Red Raiders get the road win. Payback time here. 10* TEXAS TECH |
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02-20-21 | Connecticut v. Villanova -6.5 | 60-68 | Win | 100 | 5 h 27 m | Show | |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #614 Saturday 8* Villanova Wildcats (-) vs Connecticut Huskies @ 1 ET - The Huskies got their star player, James Bouknight back in their most recent game and that is keeping this line lower. I know Connecticut is a respectable team, especially with Bouknight back healthy again. However, the Wildcats are off just their 3rd loss of the season and will be ready to respond here just like they did after their first two losses. Keep in mind, Villanova entered that game with a 13-2 record on the season. The Huskies have lost 2 of last 3 road games and each defeat came by at least 8 points. The Wildcats two wins when off a loss this season each came by double digits and had an average margin of victory of 22 points per game. 11 of Villanova's 13 wins have come by a margin of at least 8 points and this one will too. UConn is on a 3-4 SU and ATS run and each of their last 3 losses have come by at least 7 points. With the spread on this one sitting right around a half-dozen points, we have solid value with a home team angry off a loss. 8* VILLANOVA |
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02-19-21 | Bulls v. 76ers -9 | Top | 105-112 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 48 m | Show |
Eastern Conference Game of the Year - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #506 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Chicago Bulls @ 7:35 ET - Two games ago the Sixers had Ben Simmons on the floor but played without Joel Embiid. Then the very next game Embiid was back but Simmons missed. The 76ers still built a 29 point lead in that game and led by about 15 to 20 points at a minimum from that point on but found a way to blow the cover late against the Rockets. I do not expect a repeat of that here with both stars back together on the floor tonight. Also, the Bulls are still without Lauri Markkanen and Otto Porter and those two forwards average a combined 30.7 points and 12.4 rebounds a game. This one sets up well, as a result, to be a home blowout. Prior to the non-covering win versus Houston, the 76ers had been a perfect 4-0 ATS run when at home off an ATS loss. Once again off a non-cover and with big personnel edges in this one in terms of the injury situation, the 76ers roll and get a solid cover to improve to 5-1 ATS last 6 when at home and off a non-cover. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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02-19-21 | IUPU-Indianapolis v. Youngstown State OVER 150.5 | Top | 72-70 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 23 m | Show |
Horizon League Total of the Year - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #825 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Youngstown State Penguins vs IUPUI Jaguars @ 5 ET - Both of these teams struggle defensively. IUPUI is allowing 75 points per game and 49% shooting when on the road. Youngstown State allowing 46% shooting on the season including 35% from three point land. The threes should be flying for the road team in this one as the Jaguars are hitting 39% of their 3-pointers in road games this season! The over is 5-0 in the Jags last 5 games and on an overall 7-1 run their last 8 games. I don't see that slowing down here. The Penguins are off an under at home but that was preceded by just 2 of their 7 preceding home games staying under the total. The Pens last 4 lined home games have seen them average 75.8 points per game. IUPUI has averaged scoring 81 points per game their last 5 games and, again, all 5 of those went over the total. Last season's meetings between these teams both flew over the total and averaged 161.5 points per game. This one will likely get into that range as well. Look for another high-scoring shootout here. 10* OVER the total in Youngstown State |
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02-18-21 | Raptors v. Bucks -6.5 | Top | 110-96 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 24 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #570 Thursday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (-) vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:35 ET - The Bucks just lost to the Raptors by a double digit margin on Tuesday. They were favored by about a half dozen points in that game and yet got crushed. In Thursday's rematch, Milwaukee again favored by a similar amount. Must be a huge mistake by the odds makers, right? Long-time followers know how I feel about supposed mistakes by odds makers! The point is that this is set this way with good reason and, in typical contrarian fashion, I am backing the team no one will want here. The Bucks have lost 4 straight games but note that they are 2-0 this season when off a home loss and both victories came by a double digit margin. I expect this one will too. Lay it. 10* MILWAUKEE |
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02-18-21 | Iowa v. Wisconsin OVER 144.5 | Top | 77-62 | Loss | -115 | 10 h 25 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #739 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Wisconsin Badgers vs Iowa Hawkeyes @ 7 ET - The Badgers are known for low-scoring games generally speaking but the Hawkeyes are at the other end of the spectrum for sure. That said, and with this total dropping from the upper 140s to the mid 140s, I like the value with the over in this one. These teams have trended under in recent meetings but 3-point shooting has had a lot do with it. For example, in their most recent meeting they totaled 130 points but had they made a normal percentage of the threes they took in that game it would have totaled 151 points. Iowa enters this game having averaged 87.4 points per game and knocking down 39.6% of three pointers on the season. Wisconsin enters this game with some respectable numbers on offense in home games as they have averaged 73.5 points per game and knocked down 40.3% of three pointers as a host this season. Poor shooting both inside and outside the arc is why their most recent meeting totaled just 130 but don't be surprised if this one makes up for that. The Hawkeyes have averaged 82.6 points per game their last 5 road games and are off a huge performance at Michigan State. The Badgers are off an ugly home performance versus Michigan but will make up for that here and did average 70.6 points per game in last 5 home games prior to facing the Wolverines. Look for the Badgers to take advantage of a Hawkeyes defense allowing 77.6 points per game as travelers this season. 10* OVER the total in Wisconsin |
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02-17-21 | Rockets v. 76ers -10.5 | Top | 113-118 | Loss | -105 | 10 h 44 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #556 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Houston Rockets @ 7:35 ET - 76ers will have Joel Embiid back tonight plus they are back on their home floor where they are known for dominating. After 3 straight losses - all on the road - the Sixers can't wait to come out strong at home and take out their frustration someone. That someone is the downtrodden Rockets and they should provide the perfect punching bag for Philly to take advantage. Houston has cleaned house this season and now is struggling ever since. The Rockets enter this game having lost 6 straight games. Also, Houston's last five road losses have all come by 12 or more points and, in fact, the average margin of defeat has been a very ugly 21 points per loss! That said, you can see why I am expecting a blowout home win for Philly here and this is a rare case in which I am willing to lay big points. The 76ers need a big win and the Rockets continue to get crushed in road games. More of the same here. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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02-17-21 | Marquette v. Butler -2 | Top | 73-57 | Loss | -108 | 10 h 16 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #672 Wednesday 10* Butler Bulldogs (-) vs Marquette Golden Eagles @ 6:30 ET - The Bulldogs lost by 3 at Marquette two weeks ago but couple of important notes about that. One is that this is the only win that the Golden Eagles have had in their last 7 games! Another is that when you look at the box score for that game it is somewhat of a miracle that Marquette even won that game. The Golden Eagles took only 39 shots from the field but hit 61% of them. That high shooting percentage will most definitely not be repeated on the road. Also, the Bulldogs had just 9 turnovers in the game while Marquette had 22. Again, bit of a miracle that the Golden Eagles somehow held on to win that game. Now it is payback time and I like the fact that Butler is at home for this one. The Bulldogs have won 6 of 9 home games this season while Marquette is just 2-6 ATS in road games on the season. Butler has won 3 of its last 4 home games and that included knocking off Creighton when the Bluejays were ranked #8 in the nation. They can play with anyone here at Hinkle Fieldhouse and I expect a solid home win here after they arguably deserved much better in the first meeting in Milwaukee a few weeks ago. 10* BUTLER |
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02-16-21 | Nuggets v. Celtics OVER 221.5 | Top | 99-112 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 30 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #535 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Celtics vs Denver Nuggets @ 7:05 ET - The Celtics are off back to back unders but this was preceded by a 4-1 run to the over. Also, after an embarrassing loss at Washington where they scored just 91 points, Boston will bounce back on the offensive end and score a pile of points here at home. However, the Nuggets will score plenty here as well even if down a few guys. Keep in mind, players missing for Denver can also impact defensive play and I am certain that is why this total is in the 220 range even though the Nuggets are without some guys. The fact is that Denver is on a 10-3 run to the over. The Nuggets have scored an average of 120.4 points per game in those 10 games that went over the total. The Celtics respond off the embarrassing loss to the Wizards but do not be surprised if the Nuggets continue their high-scoring ways as well and this turns into a shootout. I also do not expect the defensive intensity of Denver to be at its best (not even close actually) considering that they are coming of a huge revenge win over the Lakers. 10* OVER the total in Boston |
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02-16-21 | Providence v. Connecticut -5.5 | Top | 61-73 | Win | 100 | 10 h 38 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #608 Tuesday 10* Top Play Connecticut Huskies (-) vs Providence Friars @ 6:30 ET - The Huskies seek revenge for a loss by a double digit margin at Providence last week. Connecticut actually had 9 more shots from the field but the Friars had 18 more free throw attempts. That latter statistic will not be repeated here at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT. Also note that Connecticut's James Bouknight is very close to returning from his elbow injury. The Friars are off a road win but entered that game having lost 4 of last 5 away from home. Huskies are averaging 76 points per game at home this season while Providence has been held to an average of 62 points per game in last 3 road games. The revenge-minded home team gets a boost with the imminent return of Bouknight even if he is yet on the floor this evening. There is a mental aspect to this as well that their star's return is imminent. 10* CONNECTICUT |
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02-15-21 | Bulls v. Pacers OVER 226.5 | Top | 120-112 | Win | 100 | 10 h 58 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #519 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Indiana Pacers vs Chicago Bulls @ 7:05 ET - The Bulls Markkanen got hurt a few games back and including that game and through their most recent game Chicago has also been without Porter and Carter. That said, the Bulls scoring must be way down, right? After all, these are 3 of their top scorers. That is what is funny about how things often work. Without these guys one could say Chicago has been a little more disjointed. What happens then? Teams play a different style often when guys are out and others are stepping in. For the Bulls, this has led to them still scoring quite well - 114.6 ppg their last 5 games - but really starting to slip up on the defensive end as Chicago has allowed 120.5 ppg their last two games. Long-term the over is 6-2 in Bulls road games as their defense certainly is not known for traveling well and that is even when their healthy. That said, and with this total dropping from a 230 to the mid-220s this morning, we have excellent line value here. The Pacers have averaged 118 points their last two games plus are off a very high-scoring win at Atlanta which totaled 238 points. The over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these teams and they totaled 231 points in their only meeting this season. Their most recent home game was low-scoring but it came against a strong Utah team. Prior to that, 6 of Indiana's last 7 home games totaled at least 227 points and this one will too! 10* OVER the total in Indiana |
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02-15-21 | Virginia v. Florida State UNDER 130 | Top | 60-81 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 31 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #844 Monday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Florida State Seminoles vs Virginia Cavaliers @ 7 ET - Big game involving top two teams in the ACC. I am well aware of the fact that the Seminoles are on an over streak but the Cavaliers are going to dictate that this game will be an ugly grinder. It is just the way Virginia games are and, especially in a big one like this, I do not see the Cavs allowing there to be any tempo in this game. The Cavaliers are so good at dictating tempo and forcing a slow pace. Virginia's last 5 games have resulted in 4 unders and those games have averaged just 112.7 points per game. We are getting extra value with this total posted in the 130 range because of the Seminoles long-term scoring process. However, do not overlook the Noles defensive play! FSU is off a high-scoring OT win versus Wake Forest but that was an usual situation for them Saturday as it was their first game in over two weeks. Prior to the shootout with WF, the Seminoles 10 prior wins saw them allow just 64.4 points per game. Now ratchet that down many notches because of playing slow-paced Virginia and you can see why I would not be surprised to see this game fall into the 115 to 120 range for total points. 10* UNDER the total in Florida State |
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02-14-21 | Spurs v. Hornets OVER 229 | Top | 122-110 | Win | 100 | 21 h 5 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #507 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Charlotte Hornets vs San Antonio Spurs @ 7:05 ET - The Spurs are off a big win at Atlanta where they totaled 125 points despite being able to back off and score only 15 in the 4th quarter! The Hornets are also off a big win as they scored 120 points in their win over Minnesota which was also on Friday like the Spurs. That said, I like to look for overs when teams are off of high-scoring wins as there tends to be a natural let up on defense. Essentially it is just a case of thinking your offense can bail you out of anything so why worry too much about defense? Note that the Hornets have scored an average of 120 points their past 8 games. Also, holding true to what I mentioned earlier, when Charlotte is 5-1 to the over the last 6 times when off a win. Being at home here, the Hornets will continue to push the pace and the Spurs come into this one with plenty of confidence after their big win at Atlanta. Overall, the Hornets are 11-3 to the over their last 14 games. 10* OVER the total in Charlotte |
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02-14-21 | Marquette +7.5 v. Seton Hall | Top | 51-57 | Win | 100 | 18 h 31 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #803 Sunday 10* Top Play Marquette Golden Eagles (+) @ Seton Hall Pirates @ 3 ET - The Golden Eagles will be ready to bounce back after an embarrassing blowout loss at Villanova by a 32-point margin. That was their first really bad loss of the new year as in 2021 the average margin of defeat had been 6.4 points per game. That said, and considering they are in a good spot, Marquette is offering significant line value here after opening up at about an 8 point dog. The Pirates are in the perfect spot to struggle as they are off back to back wins on the road as a very small favorite. Now Seton Hall has not played in over a week while Marquette played on Wednesday. After that blowout loss to the Wildcats, the Golden Eagles will be ready to respond here as they look for some revenge against the Pirates. Seton Hall has actually won 5 straight games against Marquette so payback is on order here. Look for the Pirates to fall to 0-3 ATS in their last 3 home games as they have lost back to back games both SU and ATS and the Golden Eagles challenge them all the way after getting embarrassed on Wednesday. 10* MARQUETTE |
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02-13-21 | Villanova v. Creighton OVER 143.5 | Top | 70-86 | Win | 100 | 8 h 13 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #693 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Creighton Bluejays vs Villanova Wildcats @ 5 ET - Villanova's defensive numbers haven't been nearly as strong as in recent seasons. The Wildcats are allowing opponents to hit 45.5% from the field including 37.2% from three point land. Creighton loves to fire up 3-balls, particularly when at home, and the Bluejays are hitting 50% from the field including 37% from beyond the arc in their home games this season. Creighton is averaging 83 points per game this season when at home but Villanova is winning a ton of games again this season thanks to very consistent scoring. The Wildcats are scoring an average of 79 points per game this season. The over is 7-4 in Bluejays home games this season and 6-3 in Villanova's conference games this season. Look for these trends to continue here as I expect both teams to get into the 70s in this one. The Cats have been into the 70s in all but 2 of their 15 games this season. The Jays have scored at least 70 in 9 of their last 10 home games. 10* OVER the total in Creighton |
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02-13-21 | 76ers -110 v. Suns | Top | 111-120 | Loss | -110 | 5 h 25 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #563 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Phoenix Suns @ 3 ET - The 76ers are off a loss at Portland Thursday but the Trail Blazers made 11 more three pointers than cold-shooting Philly did that night. The fact that Philadelphia lost the game by a margin of only 4 points despite getting outscored by 33 points from beyond the arc says a lot actually! Plus, keep in mind, the Sixers had won 4 straight road games heading into that one. That said, I like the value here with Philly now available at essentially a pick'em price and coming off a loss. Philly is a perfect 4-0 the last 4 times they have entered a game off a loss. This is a double revenge game for the Sixers as the Suns took both meetings last season. I know Phoenix comes into this game on a hot streak but their two most recent wins have seen them allow an average of 118.5 points per game. The 76ers will be in lockdown mode on defense after the loss to the Blazers. Philly has allowed just 107.7 points per game the last 3 times they have entered a game off a loss. Steals, blocks, rebounding...the Sixers have the edge in this match-up in all 3 categories and I like the situational edge here as well. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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02-13-21 | Butler v. Georgetown -1 | 63-78 | Win | 100 | 16 h 12 m | Show | |
Big East Best - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #630 Saturday 8* Georgetown Hoyas (-) vs Butler Bulldogs @ 1:30 ET - Georgetown is off an ugly home loss to Creighton in which they suffered from very cold shooting and scored just 48 points. However, in their 3 prior games heading into that one, the Hoyas scored an average of 77.7 points per game. Georgetown, after beating Providence, then faced ranked teams in 3 straight games. The Hoyas are off back to back losses but now will take advantage of a stepdown in level of competition here. Georgetown is hosting a Butler team that is off back to back wins but the most recent one was a fortunate one as they were getting hammered by St John's but then rallied in the 2nd half, tied it with just a few seconds left, and then won by 3 in overtime. Also, the Bulldogs have not won 3 straight games this entire season and I do not expect that to change here as their 2-game winning streak comes to an end. Also, Butler did beat Georgetown by 8 points earlier this season but the Bulldogs are just 1-7 SU on the road this season. Grab the Hoyas in this one. 8* GEORGETOWN |
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02-12-21 | Spurs +2 v. Hawks | Top | 125-114 | Win | 100 | 23 h 53 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #545 Friday 10* Top Play San Antonio Spurs (+) @ Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET - The Spurs are off home loss and it was a bad one as they lost by a margin of 23 points. That type of loss often easier to bounce back from than the one the Hawks just had which was a one point loss at Dallas. Atlanta did win their most recent home game but that was preceded by 4 straight losses for the Hawks as a host. As for the Spurs they have been road warriors this season with a 7-3 mark away from home both SU and ATS. San Antonio has played the tougher schedule so far this season. Also, the Spurs are at that time of the year where they would take their annual rodeo trip and they will not be back in San Antonio until their game over two weeks from now on the 27th. Traditionally the Spurs have done very well on this annual road trip and this is the first of 7 away games. Also, Atlanta is just 4-6 SU against Western Conference teams this season while the Spurs are a perfect 3-0 SU against Eastern Conference teams this season. Look for that trend to reach 4-0 after the final horn sounds on this one. 10* SAN ANTONIO |
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02-12-21 | Temple +6.5 v. Cincinnati | Top | 69-71 | Win | 100 | 23 h 1 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #897 Friday 10* Top Plays Temple Owls (+) @ Cincinnati Bearcats @ 7 ET - The last 4 games between these teams have been decided by an average of just 3.8 points and now the Owls are a 6.5 dog in this one and it is a revenge spot. Temple lost at home against Cincinnati a week ago. The Owls enter this one off 3 straight losses but they got the big dog cover with a strong effort at Wichita State on Sunday. Temple is now on a 3-0 ATS run in road games and I look for the Owls to continue that strong run as travelers here. Though the Bearcats got the cover at Temple a week ago, Cincinnati is 2-9 ATS in their other games this season and I feel they are over-valued in this one. Opponents are actually shooting 47.5% against the Bearcats in their home games this season while the Owls are holding opponents to 40.9% in their road games this season. I am grabbing the hungry, undervalued dog in this one. 10* TEMPLE |
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02-11-21 | Pacers v. Pistons +3 | Top | 111-95 | Loss | -109 | 23 h 23 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #534 Thursday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (+) vs Indiana Pacers @ 8 ET - While it might seem hard to trust a 6-18 team against a team playing around .500 this season, in typical contrarian fashion I am on the ugly dog here. In this case the Pistons have a rest edge as they were off last night after hosting the Nets on Tuesday. As for the Pacers, they were at Brooklyn last night to face those same Nets. That said, tough spot for Indiana here. Also, as bad as the Pistons full season record is, they have been more competitive of late. Detroit has won 3 straight home games outright as home dogs and that was against tough teams - Nets, Lakers, 76ers! Going further back, the Pistons are on a 7-2 ATS run last 9 home games so they have been strong as a host this season. The Pacers entered last night's game at Brooklyn on a 3-9 ATS run and I look for Indiana's covering struggles to continue here. 10* DETROIT |
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02-11-21 | Purdue +2.5 v. Minnesota | Top | 68-71 | Loss | -115 | 20 h 33 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #737 Thursday 10* Top Play Purdue Boilermakers (+) @ Minnesota Golden Gophers @ 5 ET - Early line movement toward Minnesota already and I understand that because of the revenge angle. However, there is a match-up issue here. The Boilermakers outrebounded the Golden Gophers by 17 in the first meeting and it was not entirely a fluke. Minnesota has been outrebounded by a margin of 2 boards per game this season while Purdue is outrebounding opponents by 7 boards a game on the season. Comparing these two teams' stats on the season, the Boilermakers are also the better shooting team. Purdue has won 6 of 8 games entering this one while Minnesota is off a win but that was preceded by 6 losses in 8 games. The Boilermakers also have a rest edge here having not played since the 6th while the Gophers just played on the 8th. Minnesota has a great home record this season but the odds maker set this line very low with good reason. Don't let the number scare you away. Look for the road team to roll in this one. 10* PURDUE |
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02-10-21 | Hawks v. Mavs -4 | Top | 117-118 | Loss | -110 | 25 h 29 m | Show |
Non-Conf Game of the Year - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #520 Wednesday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks (-) vs Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET - The Hawks are off a big win versus the Raptors Saturday and that snapped a 3-game losing streak for Atlanta. That said everything must be "all good" again and the Hawks back on track, right? No, not at all! They were very fortunate to not only beat the Raptors but especially by a double digit margin! Toronto had 97 shots from the field compared to just 74 for Atlanta. The Hawks had 18 turnovers compared to just 6 for the Raptors. So how did this win happen? Insane shooting that will not be repeated for Atlanta on the road here. The Hawks shot 57% from the field and made a ridiculous 19 of 36 from three point land. Just crazy numbers for shooting and that leads to value here with the Mavs as short home favorite. Dallas has gotten back on track with wins in 3 of its last 4, including a win at Atlanta, but the Mavericks are still flying under the radar with the betting markets because they are on a long-term poor ATS run. That can lead to special value in certain situations and that is precisely what we are seeing right here. Lay it! 10* DALLAS |
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02-10-21 | Connecticut v. Providence +1.5 | Top | 59-70 | Win | 100 | 21 h 1 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #644 Wednesday 10* Top Play Providence Friars (+) vs Connecticut Huskies @ 4 ET - The Huskies are a different team without leading scorer James Bouknight and he is out indefinitely with an elbow injury. Connecticut is now on a 1-3 SU/ATS run without him. As for Providence, reinforcements are very near to returning as both Jared Bynum and Jimmy Nichols are nearing returns. So when someone casually looks at this game, they see an 8-4 team laying just 1.5 points at a 9-10 team. However, as you can see, there is absolutely a reason this game is priced this way so do not be fooled by the 4-win team in this range. The Friars are off a home loss in which they allowed 92 points and they will be ready to respond big here and improve to 5-0 this season when off a game in which they allowed 79 or more points. Another disadvantage for UConn here is this is just their 2nd game in the past 2 weeks. The home team in a much better spot here from a situational and personnel perspective. 10* PROVIDENCE |
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02-09-21 | St. John's +2.5 v. Butler | Top | 73-76 | Loss | -106 | 13 h 6 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #631 Tuesday 10* Top Play St John's Red Storm (+) @ Butler Bulldogs @ 9 ET - The Red Storm are red hot entering this game on a 6-0 SU run and 8-0 ATS run. St John's next game after this is not for a full week. That said, the Red Storm can absolutely lay it all on the line here with a strong aggressive effort. Speaking of aggressive play, that is the reason St John's is averaging twice as many (10) steals per game as Butler is (5) this season. Turnovers were a key in the first meeting between these teams and that was a Red Storm home win by double digits. Now in this second meeting, because Butler is at home, the host is a popular choice. The line opened up with St John's -1.5 but has flipped and is now up to a -2.5 on the Bulldogs! Love the added value here with the road dog. Butler enters this game off a home win versus DePaul but this was preceded by a stretch that saw the Bulldogs go 3-7 over 10 games. Butler is simply not as strong this season and the Red Storm are surging. Not only do they do a better job in terms of steals and blocked shots, St John's also has been the better shooting team this season across all categories - from the field, free throws, and three pointers. Grab the road dog Red Storm here plus the points but expect an outright win. 10* ST JOHN'S |
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02-09-21 | Knicks v. Heat OVER 207 | Top | 96-98 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 31 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #503 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Miami Heat vs New York Knicks @ 7:30 ET - We have got a low total to work with here and I know it is because of the Knicks long-term reputation this season as they have a penchant for unders. However, the fact is there is great value here. The total has gone from as high as a 209 to as low as a 206.5 and even though the Knicks are on a run that is only 2-3 to the over, all 5 of those games totaled at least 209 points. Also, even though the Heat have long been known as a lower-scoring grinder-type team, that has not been the case this season. Miami has averaged 110.3 points per game their last 6 games. The Heat have allowed an average of 112.1 points per game their last 16 games. These teams just met on Sunday and the game totaled "only" 212 points but that was enough for the over and was the 3rd straight over in meetings between these teams. That game was on pace for 238 points as of halftime and I feel the fact the scoring pace died in the 2nd half helps to give us even more value here in coming right back with another over. Look for the over trend to reach 4-0 in meetings between these teams. 10* OVER the total in Miami |
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02-08-21 | Raptors v. Grizzlies OVER 223.5 | Top | 128-113 | Win | 100 | 23 h 19 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #563 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Memphis Grizzlies vs Toronto Raptors @ 8 ET - The Grizzlies have trended under this season but Memphis has scored an average of 113.8 points during their current 7-3 run their last 10 games. The Grizzlies are on a 3-game losing streak, in part, because they have allowed 122.3 points their last 3 games. Now they host a Raptors team that is on a 5-0 run to the over and is 8-4 to the over in road games this season. Toronto has scored an average of 121.2 points per game their last 5 games. But the Raptors have allowed 121.5 points their last 4 road games. We get a rather low total here because of the long-term reputation of the Grizzlies. The key here in this situation is the set-up is perfect for big points from Memphis but the Raptors will not slow down either. As a result the Grizzlies and Raptors get into a back and forth tussle here with plenty of scoring. 10* OVER the total in Memphis |
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02-08-21 | SMU v. East Carolina OVER 139 | Top | 71-56 | Loss | -110 | 19 h 29 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #845 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in East Carolina Pirates vs SMU Mustangs @ 5 ET - Don't be fooled by the total here. The game between odds makers and the betting markets can be a funny thing. That said, why did this total open at a 139 when each of the Pirates 7 games in 2021 have had a posted total below that? Exactly! The average total posted in those 7 games was just 132.3 points. That said, do not let the number fool you as this one should fly over. The Pirates do hit a respectable 35% of their threes when at home and the Mustangs are hitting 35% of threes on the season even on the road where they are at 36% on the season. SMU is off a low-scoring hard-fought win that was their 2nd straight under but this followed 3 straight road overs that saw the Mustangs average 76.3 points per game. The Pirates will get their points at home but this is an East Carolina team that, prior to a low-scoring loss at Memphis, allowed 75.3 points their 4 prior games. So this game should be in the 76-70 range in my opinion and actually cracking the 150 mark would not surprise me at all. That said, the value is here for us. 10* OVER the total in East Carolina |
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02-07-21 | Kings v. Clippers -8.5 | Top | 113-110 | Loss | -105 | 17 h 59 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #560 Sunday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Clippers (-) vs Sacramento Kings @ 3:05 ET - The Kings have won and covered 7 in a row so, in typical contrarian fashion, I am on the other side here. Sacramento is in a very tough spot here as this game starts at Noon local time and this is after the Kings were in action yesterday at home against Denver. Sacramento did get an upset win in that game while LA enters this game angry off an upset loss so the situation is perfect. That is why I am willing to lay points here as I expect the Clippers to go all out here and roll to a win by at least a dozen points. Los Angeles does not play again until Wednesday and also they do not have another home game until next Sunday. Also, they were off yesterday so they are rested and ready to go all out here and they are not happy about their home loss to a Celtics team that was without Jaylen Brown. Look for them to make up for that here as the Clippers are a perfect 6-0 this season when off a loss! The Clips have won the last two meetings by an average margin of 28.5 points and roll again here. 10* LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS |
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02-07-21 | Georgetown v. Villanova OVER 142 | Top | 74-84 | Win | 100 | 16 h 3 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #811 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Villanova Wildcats vs Georgetown Hoyas @ 2:30 ET - The Wildcats are off just their 2nd loss of the season. When they lost their first game they responded by scoring 87 points in their next game. At home and not happy about scoring just 59 points in their loss to St John's, Villanova will take a very aggressive approach here and won't take their foot off the gas. However, don't be surprised if the Hoyas run right along with the Cats! Georgetown, after a long layoff due to postponed games, has come back with a perfect 2-0 SU mark even though they were a big dog in each game. The Hoyas are playing with a ton of confidence as a result especially since they are coming off a red-hot shooting effort against Creighton. Look for the Hoyas to carry some momentum from that one right into this one and I am looking for a very high-scoring affair as a result. We are getting some value here with the low total because this series has trended under in recent meetings. The value is there because the situation is telling me this should be an over. The Cats are angry and want to put up 90+ if they can but Georgetown comes in with confidence and hot shooting. 10* OVER the total in Villanova |
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02-06-21 | Nuggets -3 v. Kings | Top | 114-119 | Loss | -100 | 19 h 44 m | Show |
NBA TV Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #531 Saturday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (-) @ Sacramento Kings @ 5 ET - The Kings are hot so they are garnering the attention of the betting markets and I fully understand that. But in typical contrarian fashion, I like the Nuggets here. Denver is really ticked off heading into this game as they were up nicely at halftime against the Lakers Thursday and then had a horrific 2nd half. The Nuggets also play this game with double revenge against Sacramento. These teams met twice earlier this season and the Kings won each game including a 2 point win at Denver when the Nuggets were an 8 point favorite. The Nuggets have had enough of this Sacramento team this season plus are in a foul mood after what happened against the Lakers Thursday. Denver had won 11 of 15 before the collapse against the defending champs. Also, the Kings were on a 2-9 SU run before covering 6 straight games heading into this one. I am not totally sold on Sacramento just yet and feel the odds makers are on to something considering the Nuggets have lost both match-ups to the Kings and yet are now favored by more than the -1 they laid in the first meeting at Sacramento. Trust me it is not a mistake and I feel the road team wins by 7 to 10 here. 10* DENVER |
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02-06-21 | Wisconsin v. Illinois OVER 136 | Top | 60-75 | Loss | -105 | 17 h 37 m | Show |
Big Ten Total of the Year - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #657 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Illinois Illini vs Wisconsin Badgers @ 2:30 ET - The Badgers generally are known for defense and for tough play at home. Also, when off a loss, Wisconsin has really shown a knack to D up in their next game. But in this case they are off a win and the O/U is 5-2 in the Badgers last 7 games they have entered off a win. Also, on the road this season the Badgers are allowing 68 points and 36% shooting from three point land. Neither one of those stats is overly impressive and now Wisconsin faces a red hot Illinois team that is confidence offensively. The Illini average 82.2 points per game this season. Also, Illinois has won 7 of 9 games and have averaged 78 points in those 7 wins. The Illini, not including OT, have allowed 74 points per game their last 4 games. I like taking overs when teams are off wins. They tend to put a little more reliance on their offense when they are rolling and pay a little less attention to the defensive side of the game. It is just a natural thing and I feel the Illini, at home, will also dictate the pace and flow of this game and they will force it to be a higher-scoring game. Getting this total in the mid-130s is a solid value. 10* OVER the total in Illinois |
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02-06-21 | Seton Hall +2 v. Connecticut | 80-73 | Win | 100 | 15 h 59 m | Show | |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #609 Saturday 8* Seton Hall Pirates (+) @ Connecticut Huskies @ Noon ET - The Pirates are 9-5 their last 14 games and here is the key. 4 of those 5 losses came against ranked teams. The only other loss was in overtime. That said, you can see why I expect Seton Hall to now take advantage of facing an unranked UConn team and we get some line value based on the Pirates being on the road so the points are on our side. Seton Hall off a dominating win in which they allowed only 43 points and forced plenty of turnovers. The Pirates will build off that here. The Huskies are 8-3 this season while Seton Hall has 8 losses already this season and yet Connecticut is a very small favorite here even though they are at home. This is a typical contrarian situation for me and I feel the Pirates are the better team and will get the job done on the road here. The road dog is the better shooting team on the season and I like the way their defense played in their dominating win earlier this week. 8* SETON HALL |
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02-05-21 | Pelicans v. Pacers OVER 226 | Top | 114-113 | Win | 100 | 23 h 38 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #515 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Indiana Pacers vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 7:05 ET - The posted total on this one is much higher than the first meeting between these teams a month ago. Big mistake by the odds makers right? Of course not. The fact is that both these teams have been trending over the total since that meeting and that game also flew well over the total. The Pelicans are off a high-scoring win and the Pacers are off a high-scoring loss. The over is now 13-2 in the last 15 games for New Orleans. The over is now 8-2 in the last 10 games for Indiana. Last season both meetings went over the total and I look for another season series sweep for the over this season as well! The Pacers will score well at home but they have allowed 117.1 points per game their last ten games. The Pelicans have allowed 116.9 points per game their last 15 games. You can easily see why I would not be surprised to see this game get into the mid-230s and yet we are dealing with a total in the mid-220s. I'll take it! 10* OVER the total in Indiana |
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02-05-21 | Maryland v. Penn State -2 | Top | 50-55 | Win | 100 | 23 h 7 m | Show |
Early TV Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #860 Friday 10* Top Play Penn State Nittany Lions (-) vs Maryland Terrapins @ 7 ET - Why is a 6-8 team favored over a 10-8 team? Precisely why I am playing the 6-8 team. The fact is the Nittany Lions are off a bad loss at Wisconsin and in bounce back mode. Before the ugly loss to the Badgers, Penn State had beaten Wisconsin as part of a 3-1 SU and ATS run and that victory over the Badgers was at home where the Lions have won 3 straight and they should make it 4 in a row Friday. The Terrapins are off a win versus Purdue by the slimmest of margins but are on a 2-6 ATS run and off the nail-biter win, will fall flat here. Maryland averaging just 62.6 points per game on the road this season while the Nittany Lions are averaging 81.1 points per game at home this season. The Terps are the better team defensively but the home/road dichotomy for PSU is a big one and they again come up big at home with a strong shooting performance off a loss. 10* PENN STATE |
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02-04-21 | Jazz -7 v. Hawks | Top | 112-91 | Win | 100 | 24 h 9 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #506 Thursday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz @ Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET - The Hawks are in a very tough spot here. Even though they are at home and it is the Jazz who are the travelers, Atlanta had to do battle with Dallas last night while Utah was resting. The Jazz have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA for awhile and have won 12 of their past 13 games. The Hawks have been a little short-handed of late and now playing a back to back certainly won't help matters. Atlanta entered last night's game against the Mavericks having lost each of their past two home games so playing at home certainly hasn't translated to an automatic W for the Hawks this season. In fact they already had a 3-game losing streak in home games earlier this season. 11 of the last 12 wins for the Jazz have come by a double digit margin. Look for this one to as well. 10* UTAH |
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02-04-21 | Cincinnati v. Temple +2.5 | Top | 63-60 | Loss | -109 | 23 h 37 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #736 Thursday 10* Top Play Temple Owls (+) vs Cincinnati Bearcats @ 7 ET - I am a Philly guy and was surprised the Owls didn't get it done on Sunday against Tulane. The game meant a little something extra after the passing of John Chaney whose name is synonymous with Temple basketball. The fact is that Sunday's disappointing result had a lot do with getting outrebounded and also the Green Wave shot much better. The Owls actually had just as many shot attempts as Tulane did in the game. Now Temple catches a break with facing a Cincinnati team that has not played in 3 and 1/2 weeks. Not only that, the Bearcats have lost 6 of their last 7 games. The Owls had won 3 of 4 before Sunday's loss and will respond big at home here. Cincinnati will struggle after the long layoff. Temple head coach Aaron McKie is also an Owls grad and the loss of Cheney means something extra to him for sure and I really look for a tremendous effort from the home team here and, unlike Sunday, they are catching the right team at the right time and they are a dog. I will take it. 10* TEMPLE |
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02-03-21 | Mavs -120 v. Hawks | Top | 122-116 | Win | 100 | 23 h 47 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #567 Wednesday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks (-) @ Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET - A team that has lost 6 straight games both SU and ATS is a small road favorite? Exactly! In typical contrarian fashion I will grab the team that has lost 6 in a row and yet is favored here. Keep in mind, as a general rule, the odds makers are quite sharp! That said, the Mavericks are favored here for a reason and I am going to recommend a play on the money line here as it is available as low as a -120 price as of Tuesday evening. Why lay 1.5 or 2 points when you can lay a -120 price instead of a -110 price and than any SU win is also a winning ticket for your bankroll. I like the fact that De'Andre Hunter is likely to miss another game here plus the Hawks have some other injury issues. The Mavericks are the healthier team coming into this game and also very hungry as the losing has them fired up. This is a Dallas team that, prior to losing 2 straight road games to Utah (the Jazz are playing VERY well right now) had gone 5-2 SU in its 7 preceding road games. Also, Atlanta has lost back to back home games and remember they had a 3-game home losing streak early last month. Deja vu here? Yes I fully expect it as the underlying theme here is the Mavs are favored on the road for a reason. Lay it! 10* DALLAS |
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02-03-21 | Seton Hall +1 v. Providence | Top | 60-43 | Win | 100 | 23 h 48 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #681 Wednesday 10* Top Play Seton Hall Pirates (+) @ Providence Friars @ 7 ET - When I see two teams with similar records and yet the game is around a pick'em, I will immediately be looking at the road team. In other words the odds makers are telling us who the better team is just by the fact that the road team is not a dog even though they are away from home and facing a team with a similar record. In this case, I was already looking at this game as the Pirates fell just short of the cover for me against Villanova on Saturday. That game saw Seton Hall hurt by one long scoreless drought that ended up being the difference in the game. The fact is the Pirates had 6 more shot attempts from the field in the game but the Wildcats shot a ridiculous 10 of 22 from three point land. Now Seton Hall is taking on a Providence team that has lost 5 of its last 7 and 1 of those 2 wins came in OT! In fact, the Friars are 5-6 in their last 11 games but 3 of the 5 wins came in extra time including one was a double OT game. Included in this stretch was an OT win at Seton Hall and the Pirates will now take advantage of their shot at revenge here. 10* SETON HALL |
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02-02-21 | Grizzlies v. Pacers -5.5 | Top | 116-134 | Win | 100 | 23 h 8 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #550 Tuesday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers (-) vs Memphis Grizzlies @ 8:05 ET - The Pacers will certainly be ready to go here. They are off a bad loss to Philadelphia where they blew a big lead late courtesty of a horrible 4th quarter and bad play in the final minutes. Now Indiana will take advantage of hosting a Memphis team that, after nearly two weeks off, will be playing the 2nd game of a back to back plus it is their 3rd game in 4 nights plus they have division rival Houston on deck. Horrible spot for Grizzlies and the Pacers come in angry after blowing that game against the 76ers Sunday. 10* INDIANA |
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02-02-21 | Butler v. Marquette OVER 129.5 | Top | 67-70 | Win | 100 | 20 h 37 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #603 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Marquette Golden Eagles vs Butler Bulldogs @ 5 ET - This total has been adjusted to low. It has been set low because Butler tends to play lower-scoring games and because the under has cashed 4 straight times and 6 of the last 7 in Marquette games. However, note that the Golden Eagles have allowed at least 68 points in each of their last 5 games. On the season Marquette is allowing 70 points per game. On the other end of the court, this is a team that averages 72 points per game and you can see from that why I am expecting this game to get into the 140 range. Bulldogs games are trending under in a big way with 8 of their last 9 falling short of the total. However, the Golden Eagles will dictate the flow of this game and they have scored at least 76 points in each of their last 4 meetings with Butler. Each of those 4 games totaled at least 133 points and this one will too. 10* OVER the total in Marquette |
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02-01-21 | Rockets v. Thunder +5 | Top | 136-106 | Loss | -104 | 13 h 40 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #540 Monday 10* Top Play Oklahoma City Thunder (+) vs Houston Rockets @ 8:05 ET - The Rockets are on a roll with 5 straight wins but 2 of the wins came by a margin of 3 or less points and the most recent one, though by double digits, had a lot do with being an ideal situation. Houston is off a win at New Orleans where the caught the Pelicans off a huge upset win over the Bucks and completely out of gas in a back to back. That said, the value here is with the home dog. Oklahoma City might have been looking ahead to this game when they got throttled and allowed 147 points to Brooklyn Friday. Either way, that kind of ugly loss certainly caught their attention after entering that game off back to back road wins that were outright upsets as underdogs. That said, I look for the revenge-minded Thunder to get right back on track here. I know each of these teams are different in terms of their rosters compared to August through early September when the Rockets ousted them from the playoffs. However, there is no doubt this game means a little extra something to Oklahoma City and, coming off that ugly loss, they respond large here and very likely even get the outright win for some true payback. For added insurance, I am grabbing the points here. 10* OKLAHOMA CITY |
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02-01-21 | Georgia Tech +4.5 v. Louisville | Top | 58-74 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 33 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #853 Monday 10* Top Play Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+) @ Louisville Cardinals @ 2 ET - The Yellow Jackets should have Bubba Parham back for this one as he is making the trip to Louisville after missing the last game to attend his cousin's funeral. I like the set up here as this is a classic case of two teams going the opposite direction and this is particularly true as it pertains to the betting window. The Cardinals are off a loss that dropped them to 1-3 SU and ATS in their last 4 games. They scored only 50 points in that game and it was against a Clemson team that just got waxed at Duke. For some more comparative reasoning though that is the same Tigers team that Georgia Tech just beat by 18 points. Also, the Yellow Jackets just beat Florida State by double digits while one of Louisville's 3 recent losses was against the same Seminoles team and they lost by double digits. The Jackets really stepped up without Parham in their most recent game to beat the Noles and now they get a boost with his return. I like those factors as well as the fact we're getting some points here against a team that has not covered any of the last 4 times they were favored in the -3 to -6 range. Cardinals fade continues as the Yellow Jackets improve to 3-0 ATS in their last 3 meetings with Louisville. 10* GEORGIA TECH |
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01-31-21 | 76ers v. Pacers OVER 223.5 | Top | 119-110 | Win | 100 | 10 h 55 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #519 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Indiana Pacers vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:05 ET - The 76ers are off back to back unders but this was preceded by a 9-2 run to the over. The Pacers are off an under but this was preceded by a 5-1 run to the over. Philadelphia allowed just 94 points to a bad Minnesota team Friday but this was preceded by allowing 115.6 points per game their preceding dozen games. Also, the Pacers have allowed 115.1 points per game their last 7 games. Given the above as well as the fact each team is averaging 113 points per game on the season, I expect this game to get well into the 230s. Look for the over to improve to 5-1 in Indiana's last 6 games. The Pacers have scored 120 or more points in 2 of their last 3 games but this is a team that has been struggling defensively. Also, the 76ers are known for their struggles on the defensive end when away from home. Consider their game against the Timberwolves an aberration as Philadelphia entered that game having allowed 106 points or more in a dozen straight games. Both teams are rested plus neither team has a game tomorrow either so they can each go all out here. Look for a high-scoring game as a result. 10* OVER the total in Indiana |
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01-31-21 | St. John's +4.5 v. Marquette | Top | 75-73 | Win | 100 | 5 h 10 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #819 Sunday 10* Top Play St John's Red Storm (+) @ Marquette Golden Eagles @ 3:30 ET - The last time the Red Storm lost a game it was at home against the Golden Eagles by a bucket. The last time Marquette won a game was that tight victory at St John's. The point is that now we get a chance at right back revenge and can ride a hot team and fade a cold team. That said, I like our chances here. In that first match-up the Red Storm actually had 13 more field goal attempts than Marquette but simply had an off shooting night. But this is a St John's team that is now surging with confidence courtesy of a 3-game winning streak and they have won 4 of their last 5 overall and are on a 5-0 ATS run. The Golden Eagles have lost back to back games and 6 of their last 9 SU. During this 9-game run, Marquette has covered just ONCE! Grab the value with the road dog in this one as they are primed for an upset so I will gladly take the points here. 10* ST JOHN'S |
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01-31-21 | Drexel v. James Madison OVER 141 | Top | 64-73 | Loss | -115 | 4 h 3 m | Show |
Philly Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #809 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in James Madison Dukes vs Drexel Dragons @ 2 ET - The fact that the Dragons are allowing just 64 points per game this season is a bit of a misnomer as they are allowing 44% shooting from the field. So that is helping to give us line value here because I fully expect the Dukes to score plenty against Drexel in this one. James Madison is at home here and they have averaged 82 points per game at home this season plus shot 48% from the field as a host. As for Drexel, they have averaged 75.6 points per game their last 7 games. James Madison is off an under but this was on the heels of a 5-1 run to the over. Drexel has seen 3 of its last 4 road games go over the total. More of the same expected here. 10* OVER the total in James Madison |
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01-30-21 | Blazers +2.5 v. Bulls | Top | 123-122 | Win | 100 | 12 h 2 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #501 Saturday 10* Top Play Portland Trail Blazers (+) @ Chicago Bulls @ 8 ET - As long-time followers know I often like to go against the grain and I like the fact that this line is moving toward the Bulls in early market activity. I will fade the move and grab the extra value with the Trail Blazers. Portland was up by 20 in the first quarter of their eventual 3-point loss at the Rockets and they know they let one slip away there. Look for the Blazers to be extremely focused on getting back into the win column here. Portland is on a 5-2 ATS run in road games and had won 4 of 6 SU away from home prior to the tight loss at Houston. As for Chicago, they are just 2-5 SU in home games this season and plus the Trail Blazers have revenge from a home loss to the Bulls early this month. Payback time is here. 10* PORTLAND |
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01-30-21 | Kansas v. Tennessee OVER 130 | Top | 61-80 | Win | 100 | 9 h 58 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #713 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Tennessee Volunteers vs Kansas Jayhawks @ 6 ET - Where is the motivation to play defense here? This is an SEC-Big 12 match-up and neither team is going anywhere fast this season. Yes I know they are ranked teams but the Jayhawks had lost 3 straight before their win over TCU while Tennessee had endured an unimpressive 3-3 stretch before their win over Mississippi State. Last season when these teams met they had a similar total posted in the 130 range and yet the game totaled 142 points. I expect a similar result this time around too and I love taking advantage of the value in a match-up when both teams are off a very unusual result. In this case, the Vols are off a game that totaled just 109 points after they had allowed more than 70 points in 4 of their most recent 6 games. Also, before the low-scoring win over the Bulldogs, the Volunteers had scored an average of 76.2 points per game their most recent 10 games. The Jayhawks are off a game that totaled just 110 points but that was preceded by Kansas allowing at least 75 points in 3 straight games. Also, the Jayhawks entered that game having scored an average of 72.6 points per game their preceding 5 games. If each team gets into the mid-60s here we can not lose this play and I see no reason each team won't get close to the 70 mark here. 10* OVER the total in Tennessee |
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01-30-21 | Villanova v. Seton Hall +6 | Top | 80-72 | Loss | -110 | 19 h 16 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #648 Saturday 10* Top Play Seton Hall Pirates (+) vs Villanova Wildcats @ 3:30 ET - Seton Hall is loaded with seniors and juniors and that is the key to why they will bounce back here. The Pirates just lost an unbelievable game at home against Creighton Wednesday. Seton Hall had a huge lead rather late in the 2nd half and then witnessed a miraculous comeback as the Bluejays just had one of those shooting stretches where they could not miss. A younger team would be in trouble in their next game but Seton Hall is loaded with upperclassmen who know how to respond in a situation like this. The Pirates are at home which helps here and they also have plenty of confidence against the Wildcats. Though only 2-3 SU in the last 5 games against Villanova, Seton Hall has a knack for playing the Cats tough as the 3 losses each came by just 2 points apiece. The Wildcats are off a dominating win versus Providence but that was driven by a 19-9 turnover edge. They won't have that edge against the Pirates and, in fact, the turnovers are about equal in the last 4 meetings between these two teams. I expect Seton Hall to be very focused and motivated at home here after the way they lost to Creighton Wednesday and with the fact this is also a revenge game as the Pirates lost a tight one less than 2 weeks ago at Villanova. Payback time. Grab the generous points. 10* SETON HALL |
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01-29-21 | 76ers v. Wolves OVER 224 | Top | 118-94 | Loss | -109 | 9 h 41 m | Show |
Non-Conf Total of the Year - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #577 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Timberwolves vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 8:05 ET - I know that between covid and injuries, there are couple of big names on the injury report for tonight's game. However, ask yourself this question...who is going to play defense and why? This is a non-conference game for one thing. For another thing, the 76ers are off a massive win over the Lakers that will likely leave them flat-footed defensively after giving so much effort against LeBron and Company. As for the Timberwolves, they will simply be running and gunning here because what do they have to lose? Minnesota has lost 13 of its last 15 games and is going nowhere this season. So Minny is 3-0 to the over in their last 3 games and has allowed an average of 120 points per game their last 4 games. Philly is off an under in their hard-fought win versus LA but the Sixers entered that game on a 9-2 run to the over. Philadelphia allowed an average of 117.4 points per game during that 11 game run and I expect this game to get into the 230s and possibly even the 240s as I just don't foresee much defense in this non-conference affair. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota |
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01-29-21 | Bucks v. Pelicans +8 | 126-131 | Win | 100 | 9 h 31 m | Show | |
ESPN Smash Pass - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #572 Friday 8* New Orleans Pelicans (+) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:35 ET - Too many points here. Of course the Bucks are the better team but they are on the road where they were only 2-5 ATS in road games this season prior to their win at Toronto on Wednesday. As for the Pelicans, they are only 3-3 SU in home games this season but all 3 losses came by a single digit margin and two of the defeats were by a margin of 2 points and 1 point, respectively. The point is that New Orleans generally does not get blown at home and Milwaukee generally does not blow teams out on the road. Also, this is part of a 3 games in 4 nights stretch for the Bucks as they are at Charlotte tomorrow. The Pelicans build off Wednesday's big win and will be difficult for Milwaukee to put away here. 8* NEW ORLEANS |
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01-29-21 | Detroit v. Youngstown State OVER 150 | Top | 78-75 | Win | 100 | 8 h 51 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #833 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Youngstown State Penguins vs Detroit Mercy Titans @ 5 ET - Both teams off confidence-boosting wins which followed a 2-5 SU run for Detroit and an 0-4 SU run for Youngstown State. That said, I like the value here with the over. The Titans allowed an average of 85 points per game in those 5 losses and the Penguins have allowed 80 points per game their last 5 games. Both teams can be expected to score well based on facing sub-par defensive play plus the fact they each can score quite well and they play at a fast pace. The Titans are averaging 75 points in road games this season and the Penguins are averaging 81 points per game in home games this season and their O/U record is 8-3 this season. 10* OVER the total in Youngstown State |
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01-29-21 | North Texas -7 v. Rice | 79-74 | Loss | -110 | 6 h 20 m | Show | |
Daytime Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #897 Friday 8* North Texas Mean Green @ Rice Owls @ 3 ET - The Owls have 6 players averaging 19 or more minutes per game this season and 3 of them are on the injury report for this game. Evee (covid), Havsa (ankle), and Mullins (toe). That said, this is not an ideal set up for a Rice team that has lost 3 straight games and hosts a North Texas team seeking revenge for a loss in their last visit here. Also, the Mean Green have won 6 of their last 8 games and I have been particularly impressed with their defensive play as they have allowed just 62.8 points per game this season. North Texas has allowed just 49 points per game in their last two games. I know they have had a layoff here between games but that has become the new norm in 2021 and they are rested and ready to go here. Lay it. 8* NORTH TEXAS |
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01-28-21 | Blazers v. Rockets OVER 228.5 | Top | 101-104 | Loss | -115 | 7 h 19 m | Show |
TNT Smash Pass - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #561 Thursday NBA 10* Top Play OVER the total in Houston Rockets vs Portland Trail Blazers @ 7:35 ET - I am very much aware of the fact that Rockets games have been trending under but the Blazers are in town and this one promises to get quite wild in terms of scoring. Portland is averaging 120 points per game on the road this season but allowing 116 when away from home! The Trail Blazers defensive numbers are ugly including allowing opponents to hit 48% from the field. As for the Rockets, they are scoring an average of 113 points per game their last 5 games and the last match-up between these teams a month ago totaled 254 points. Both teams have fresh legs as they come in rested and also do not have a game on deck for tomorrow either. All out effort with plenty of points and this one will surprise some by turning into a bit of a track meet with quick running and gunning. The over improves to 4-0 in Portland's last 4 games with a high-scoring shootout here. 10* OVER the total in Houston |
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01-28-21 | Michigan State v. Rutgers -2.5 | Top | 37-67 | Win | 100 | 7 h 20 m | Show |
Big Ten Blowout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #720 Thursday 10* Top Play Rutgers Scarlet Knights (-) vs Michigan State Spartans @ 7 ET - The Spartans are 10-0 SU against the Scarlet Knights and yet are the underdog in this match-up! Big mistake by the odds makers, right? Of course not! Long time followers know how I feel about "mistakes" by odds makers and the fact is Rutgers is in the better situation right now and at home and they are catching a Michigan State team that hasn't played in nearly 3 weeks due to covid issues. The Scarlet Knights lost by 23 at Michigan State earlier this month but actually took 10 more shots from the field in that game but simply had one of those games where the hoop seems so small and they could not get shots to drop. Also, Rutgers made a ridiculous 6 of 17 from the free throw line. Yes they are not a good free throw shooting team but they are not normally that bad of course. They are hitting 60.4% from the charity stripe at home games this season. The Scarlet Knights have also faced the tougher schedule than the Spartans this season and enter this game bolstered by a road win at Indiana. 10* RUTGERS |
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01-28-21 | Oregon State v. USC OVER 136 | 62-75 | Win | 100 | 6 h 1 m | Show | |
Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #713 Thursday 8* OVER the total in USC Trojans vs Oregon State Beavers @ 5 ET - These teams combined for just 114 points when they met earlier this month. The Beavers got the upset win as a nearly double digit dog and I look for another strong game from Oregon State here as they are surging with confidence in the offensive end right now. The Beavers have won 3 straight games, all as an underdog, and they averaged 77.5 points per game in the other two victories. The Trojans, out for revenge here, are averaging 80 points per game when on their home floor this season and I expect them to look to run the Beavers right out of the Galen Center this afternoon in Los Angeles. The over is on a 5-1 run in Oregon State's came with the lone under being the game against Southern Cal. Look for this one to make up for that aberration with a very high-scoring contest. 8* OVER the total in USC |
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01-27-21 | Lakers v. 76ers +3 | Top | 106-107 | Win | 100 | 10 h 59 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #540 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 7:35 ET - The Lakers are in the middle of a 7-game road trip and when you look at this trip a couple of games caught LA's attention. One was at Milwaukee as they are considered the best team in the east and another was at Cleveland because of the LeBron connection there. That said, off a win over the Cavaliers and still undefeated in road games this season, Los Angeles opened up as a very small road favorite here with good reason. That reasoning is that this is actually a tough spot for them. The 76ers want this game and a very tough at home. They went 31-4 at home last season and are 9-1 at home this season. Joel Embiid will be back after missing the last game which was as much rest as it was anything else. The Sixers have actually won 3 of their last 4 with LA both SU and ATS plus the home team won each meeting last season by a double digit margin. I like the home edge and the situational edge and the markets of course will be backing the small road favorite here that is 10-0 SU in road games this season. That is why this line is moving higher and I'll gladly grab the additional value with the home dog that will prove to be the more motivated team here. Remember Sixers coach Doc Rivers was the Clippers coach and has extra motivation facing the Lakers as they battled hard again for LA supremacy last season before the Lakers of course ultimately prevailed and went on to win it all while Rivers and the Clippers parted ways. Big motivation here. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-27-21 | Creighton -1.5 v. Seton Hall | Top | 85-81 | Win | 100 | 8 h 16 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #669 Wednesday 10* Top Play Creighton Bluejays (-) @ Seton Hall Pirates @ 7 ET - Revenge is often overplayed and I believe that will prove to be the case again here. Many will back Seton Hall seeking revenge for getting blasted at Creighton 3 weeks ago. However, there are multiple problems with that. The Bluejays have now won 3 straight over the Pirates and part of the reason is that it is a match-up issue. Creighton is a 3-point shooting team and Seton Hall tends to struggle to defend the arc. The other issue for the Pirates here is that this will be just their 2nd game played in 18 days as they have been dealing with multiple cancellations. As for the Bluejays, their schedule has been flowing just fine and that means the shots - just like the first meeting - will also be flowing just fine as well. 10* CREIGHTON |
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01-27-21 | Rhode Island v. La Salle OVER 139 | 73-60 | Loss | -112 | 7 h 34 m | Show | |
Philly Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #657 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in LaSalle Explorers vs Rhode Island Rams @ 5 ET - The Explorers are red hot right now as they are shooting the ball very well and confidence is sky high after back to back wins in which they have averaged 87 points per game. Playing at home this evening means LaSalle will not miss a beat today either. As for Rhode Island, they are off an uncharacteristically low-scoring win in their most recent game which is helping to give us line value here with a rather low total here. The Rams will open things back up here on Wednesday. Rhode Island's 6 games prior to the low-scoring win saw them score an average of 78 points per game and the Explorers sub-par defense and willingness to run and gun means this game turns into a shootout. 8* OVER the total in LaSalle |
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01-26-21 | Knicks +11.5 v. Jazz | Top | 94-108 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 56 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #527 Tuesday 10* Top Play New York Knicks (+) @ Utah Jazz @ 9:05 ET - There are two ways to look at this game but I am choosing the latter. The first way to look at this match-up is that the Jazz are on an 8-0 SU and ATS run. Not only that, the 8-game run dates back to a loss against, you guessed it, the Knicks! So this is a revenge game for a red hot Utah team. However, here is how I look at this one. The Jazz are laying too many points here. They are off a string of big Western Conference wins and now face a non-conference opponent plus have back to back big games on deck against the Mavericks. I like the fact that the Knicks are on a 4-1 ATS run. Also, not only are 3 SU wins included in that run, note that the Knicks last 4 SU losses have all been by a single digit margin. The average margin of defeat for NY during this run was just 5.5 points. The Knicks have gone 7 straight games without a single loss by more than 9 points. I am grabbing the big underdog here. 10* NEW YORK KNICKS |
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01-26-21 | Southern Illinois v. Indiana State OVER 134.5 | Top | 59-71 | Loss | -110 | 6 h 27 m | Show |
MVC Total of the Year - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #603 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Indiana State Sycamores vs Southern Illinois Salukis @ 5 ET - Back to back match-up and yesterday's game between these teams had 98 points with about 14 minutes to go. With the game ending 69-66 for a total of 135 points that means the teams combined to average only about 2.5 points per minute over the final 14 minutes of the game. Very unusual and won't be repeated here as the first 26 minutes of the game averaged 3.77 points per minute. It was on pace for about 150 points at that point. We should see at least 140 here. Since the calendar turned the page to 2021, the Sycamores had one low-scoring game that was a complete aberration. In the other 6 games Indiana State has averaged 72 points per game. Southern Illinois has allowed an average of 78 points per game their last 4 games but are a very strong 3-point shooting team and will get their fair share of points in this one too. This total opened up in the upper 130s but has dropped into the mid-130s and is offering excellent line value as a result. 10* OVER the total in Indiana State |
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01-25-21 | 76ers -6.5 v. Pistons | Top | 104-119 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 44 m | Show |
Professional Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #503 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - The Pistons are still without Derrick Rose for this one. Blake Griffin is expected back tonight but he has not been as effective as in years past. As for the 76ers I am aware of the Joel Embiid situation but he might play with tomorrow being an off day for Philly too. Plus Dwight Howard has really raised his level of play at times when Embiid is out. The Pistons did get the cover on Saturday but Detroit outscored Philly by 18 points from 3-point land in that one. Had they simply been dead even from beyond the arc, the Sixers win that game by 22 points. Also, lets look at this match-up from another vantage point as well. Philadelphia is currently at the very top of the Eastern Conference standings while Detroit - you guessed it - is at the very bottom of those same standings. Yes the Pistons have a home court "edge" here but have lost 7 of 9 games on their home floor this season! The 76ers, were it not for the 3-point shooting disparity, would have won Saturday's game by 22 which is not a huge surprise as their other road wins this season have come by an average of 22 points per game too! When these teams met over the weekend, the Sixers were of back to back huge wins against the Celtics so it was the perfect spot to fade them and, indeed, the Pistons delivered the ATS cover. Now, things are back to normal and we can lay a rather small number here and have the best team in the east against the worst team in the east so far this season. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-25-21 | Loyola Marymount v. Portland +10 | Top | 75-50 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 32 m | Show |
Early Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #850 Monday 10* Top Play Portland Pilots (+) vs Loyola Marymount Lions @ 5 ET - The Pilots perfectly fit the classic ugly home dog theory. Yes Portland enters this game on a long losing streak but the Pilots are 5-4 SU at home this season and they have revenge from a home loss in the most recent meeting between these West Coast rivals. Inexplicably, the Pilots lost that game to the Lions despite having 20 more shot attempts from the field. It was a terrible shooting nigh for Portland from everywhere on the floor and they lost the game despite only having 9 turnovers while Loyola Marymount actually had 22 turnovers in that game! Coming into this game the Lions are on an overall 0-4 ATS run plus this is a team that has gone 0-4 SU on the road this season. Of course Loyola Marymount is the better team and that is why they are favored big on the road but I feel the points will prove to be far too many and that the Pilots will be tough to put away in this one. I know the Lions rate as the better team defensively but also note that Portland is averaging 76 points per game at home this season while Loyola Marymount is averaging just 61 points in road games. The Lions may defeat the Pilots here but I expect the game to be decided by a very slim margin. 10* PORTLAND |
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01-24-21 | Thunder +13 v. Clippers | Top | 100-108 | Win | 100 | 8 h 28 m | Show |
Early Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #573 Sunday 10* Top Play Oklahoma City Thunder (+) @ Los Angeles Clippers @ 4:05 ET - The Clippers beat the Thunder by 14 points on Friday. They outscored them by 14 points at the free throw line. Also, Los Angeles dominated Oklahoma City on the boards. The Thunder will respond after losing badly in those two key stat departments on Friday. Neither one of those stats was expected when you look at the full season statistics for these two teams. No I do not expect OKC to win this game outright but I do expect the points to prove to be too many for LAC to cover in the rematch. The Clippers 5 most recent home games preceding the blowout win included 1 outright losses and 2 wins by a margin of 5 or less points. Look for this one to fall into that latter category or very close to that in terms of the final margin here. 10* OKLAHOMA CITY |
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01-24-21 | Davidson v. Massachusetts OVER 143.5 | Top | 69-60 | Loss | -109 | 4 h 58 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #813 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Massachusetts Minutemen vs Davidson Wildcats @ Noon ET - The Minutemen are off a 65-46 win so things must be getting much better for UMass in terms of their play on the defensive end, right? No, actually what happened is they faced a Fordham team that is simply awful this season and can not score points. Now Massachusetts faces a solid Davidson team whose games are on an O/U run of 5-2 and they have scored at least 73 points in 6 of those 7 games. They will score plenty against UMass team that is allowing 82 points per game at home this season. The Minutemen are averaging 87.4 points per game this season so you can see the kind of game we should expect here...fast paced with a lot of run and gun. The result should be a solid over in this one. 10* OVER the total in Massachusetts |
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01-23-21 | 76ers v. Pistons +7 | 114-110 | Win | 100 | 9 h 3 m | Show | |
Early Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #558 Saturday 8* Detroit Pistons (+) vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 8:05 ET - You likely have heard the expression when talking about the NFL "on any given Sunday". Well this may be a Saturday rather than a Sunday and it may be the NBA rather than the NFL but that expression is likely to hold true here. I would not be surprised at all to see the downtrodden Pistons upset the 76ers here because situations simply do not get much better than this. Last season Philadelphia was eliminated from the playoffs by their long-time rivals, the Celtics. Now, the last 3 days the Sixers have faced Boston twice and they rallied yesterday to make it a clean 2-0 sweep. Now Philly is in a back-to-back plus playing their 3rd game in 4 nights and one can argue that the Pistons are in the exact same situation here from a scheduling standpoint and that is somewhat true but not entirely. The Pistons were already in Detroit last night at home here hosting the Rockets. Also, Detroit is on a losing streak while Philly enters off back to back key wins. The hungry home dog may not get the upset here but they should at least get the cash and keep this game much closer than one would normally expect in this match-up. Note that the Sixers have lost 3 straight road games and 4 of their last 5 on enemy hardwood. 8* DETROIT |
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01-23-21 | IUPU Ft Wayne v. Green Bay OVER 150 | 72-87 | Win | 100 | 7 h 39 m | Show | |
Total Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #719 Saturday 8* OVER the total in WI-Green Bay Phoenix vs IPFW Mastodons @ 5 ET - SAME PLAY as yesterday as it was an aberration that the Mastodons scored just 59 points on one of the worst defenses in the nation in terms of defensive efficiency. After yesterday's game stayed well under the total, trust me there is a reason this total was posted again in the 150 range for today. The odds makers know yesterday was just an aberration. We'll get payback today and my reasoning for this pick from yesterday still will prove to ring true, albeit a day later. Here is that ORIGINAL write-up: This is a big total but it has dropped from its opening number in the mid-150s and I love the situation here. Green Bay is off back to back losses on the road but now back home where they are scoring an average of 78 points per game this season. As for the defense of the Phoenix, they rank as one of the worst in the nation for defensive efficiency and they face a major challenge here. IPFW is one of the best three point shooting teams in the nation at 44% from beyond the arc and they do not miss a beat when on the road either in terms how well they shoot from outside. The Mastodons are averaging 79 points per game this season and have averaged 86.5 points per game their last 4 games. The Phoenix have scored 85.5 points per game their last two home games. UWGB is allowing 80 points per game this season but is a small home favorite here with good reason. In other words, expect a high-scoring shootout as the Phoenix defense leaves a lot to be desired but the odds maker expect them to battle tooth and nail all the way with IPFW in this one. 8* OVER the total in Wisconsin-Green Bay |
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01-23-21 | Providence v. Villanova OVER 138.5 | 56-71 | Loss | -110 | 4 h 57 m | Show | |
Philly Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #651 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Villanova Wildcats vs Providence Friars @ 2:30 ET - Villanova seeking revenge for losing at home to the Friars last season and being held to just 54 points in that game. Prior to that low-scoring loss, the Wildcats match-ups with Providence in Philly had seen the over on a 9-2 run the last 11. The Cats are favored by double digits here for good reason as they are looking to put a thrashing on the Friars and that will mean plenty of points here. The over is 4-0 in the Wildcats last 4 games and they have scored at least 85 points in 3 of those games. The Friars are off an under but that was the first one for Providence in their last 6 road games. They averaged scoring 73 points per game in those half dozen away match-ups. More of the same here and this one should fly over the total as a result. 8* OVER the total in Villanova |
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01-22-21 | Celtics +5 v. 76ers | Top | 110-122 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 51 m | Show |
Early Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #535 Friday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (+) @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:35 ET - Grabbing a good team off a loss is always worth a look. When that team is getting points it is even better. When that team is also playing with revenge against a divisional foe that is better still. Finally, it gets even stronger when the teams just met. The Celtics loss at Philly Wednesday is certainly fresh in their minds as they blew a 6-point lead they had entering the 4th quarter. Here is a stat too that is unlikely to be repeated tonight: the 76ers had 45 free throw attempts compared to just 20 for the Celtics. You think a shot an extra 25 points might have helped Philly in their eventual 8 point win? Of course it did and, even though Boston is still without Jayson Tatum, the Celtics are perfect ATS this season when off back to back ATS losses and also perfect SU when they enter a game off a SU loss. Payback time here and, keep in mind, the Celtics had won 5 straight games against Philadelphia before that loss Wednesday. 10* BOSTON |
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01-22-21 | IUPU Ft Wayne v. Green Bay OVER 152 | Top | 59-77 | Loss | -109 | 6 h 38 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #831 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in WI-Green Bay Phoenix vs IPFW Mastodons @ 5 ET - This is a big total but it has dropped from its opening number in the mid-150s and I love the situation here. Green Bay is off back to back losses on the road but now back home where they are scoring an average of 78 points per game this season. As for the defense of the Phoenix, they rank as one of the worst in the nation for defensive efficiency and they face a major challenge here. IPFW is one of the best three point shooting teams in the nation at 44% from beyond the arc and they do not miss a beat when on the road either in terms how well they shoot from outside. The Mastodons are averaging 79 points per game this season and have averaged 86.5 points per game their last 4 games. The Phoenix have scored 85.5 points per game their last two home games. UWGB is allowing 80 points per game this season but is a small home favorite here with good reason. In other words, expect a high-scoring shootout as the Phoenix defense leaves a lot to be desired but the odds maker expect them to battle tooth and nail all the way with IPFW in this one. 10* OVER the total in Wisconsin-Green Bay |
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01-21-21 | Lakers v. Bucks +105 | Top | 113-106 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 17 m | Show |
Early Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #524 Thursday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (-) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 7:35 ET - Finally the Bucks chance they missed out on last season and I fully expect them to make the most of it. Milwaukee was on a collision course last year in hopes of facing LeBron James and company for a shot at the NBA title but then got knocked out too soon in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Now the Bucks will look to make the most of this regular season opportunity against the current NBA champs. Helping matters a bit is the fact that James and Anthony Davis, though playing, are dealing with ankle ailments. I like the fact that Milwaukee has taken 3 of the last 4 meetings both SU and ATS. They are a confident bunch especially when playing at home. Both LA and the Bucks are entering this game off a loss but the Lakers were nearly a double digit favorite while Milwaukee faced a tougher match-up with Brooklyn. The Bucks also could have gotten caught looking ahead to this game and this one absolutely means more to the host than it does to the visitor. Look for that extra hunger to be the difference here in an other equal match-up. This line has gone from Bucks -2.5 to a pick'em and I have no hesitation in stepping in and fading the move. 10* MILWAUKEE |
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01-20-21 | Celtics v. 76ers -4.5 | Top | 109-117 | Win | 100 | 9 h 24 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #502 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Boston Celtics @ 7:05 ET - This is a rivalry that goes back a long way as you know. But last season put an exclamation point on how one-sided things can be at times. Boston swept the Sixers out of the playoffs and that led to the firing of coach Brett Brown. Now Doc Rivers is the new man in charge and his players want revenge here. Yes the Sixers just struggled at Memphis but Joel Embiid did not play. He is back and is listed as probable for this game. Also, it is a home game for Philly and they are known for dominating at the Wells Fargo Center. Additionally, the Celtics are still without Jayson Tatum and he is not even making the trip to Philly due to health protocols. That is a major loss for the Celtics as he was on fire this season. Speaking of major losses, Boston just got blasted at home by 30 points by Orlando. Of course that makes this a bounce back spot for the Celtics but, keep in mind, their ATS losses have come in pairs this season and I look for the loss to the Magic to be the first of two as the hungry 76ers get their playoff revenge in a big way here. Embiid on the floor for Philly and Tatum not on the floor for the Celtics is absolutely a big deal! Home team by double digits in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-20-21 | St. Joe's v. George Mason UNDER 149 | Top | 85-87 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 3 m | Show |
Philly Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #684 Tuesday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in George Mason Patriots vs St Joseph's Hawks @ 7 ET - This total has climbed from the mid-140s to the 150 range and I certainly understand the move based on the Hawks defensive woes this season and they are coming off a very high-scoring game. However, George Mason is going to dictate the flow of this game at home and they are off an 80-60 road loss that will bring out the best in terms of their effort on defense in this one. The Patriots are allowing just 64 points per game when at home and the O/U is 0-5-1 as a host this season. Yes, no overs in a half dozen home games this season for George Mason. Also, they allowed just 42 points to LaSalle in their most recent home game. That is the same Explorers team that just put up 90 on the Hawks! The point is that the Patriots can play a little defense. As for St Joseph's, as bad as their full season numbers are on on defense, Hawks games have stayed under the total each of the last 3 times they were off a game in which they allowed 83 or more points. That is the situation here and all signs point to this total offering solid value on the short side. 10* UNDER the total in George Mason |
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01-19-21 | Pelicans +6.5 v. Jazz | Top | 102-118 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 41 m | Show |
Double Perfect Play - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #571 Tuesday 10* Top Play New Orleans Pelicans (+) @ Utah Jazz @ 9:05 ET - I have had great success with each of these teams as I am 3-0 my last 3 involving the Pelicans and 5-0 my last 5 sides involving the Jazz. Putting both of those streaks to the test here because I really like the value with the points being offered in this one. The last 4 meetings between these clubs have all been decided by a single digit margin. That includes 2 of the last 3 decided by just 2 points with the outlier decided by 6 points. All 3 of those results would get us a win in this one tonight. That said, the Pelicans come into this game off a confidence boosting win and 4 of their last 5 losses were by a single digit margin with 3 of the 4 decided by a margin of 5 or less. The Jazz have been hot and that is what has driven this line higher but their 5-game winning streak started with a win over the Bucks. Since then the last 4 teams they have faced all currently have losing records and a combined record of 21-31. I know the Pelicans also have a losing record so far this season but, without a doubt, they have underachieved. That is what is leading to value in this spot and I look for the revenge-minded Pelicans to get revenge for the July 30th loss to the Jazz. If they do fall short look for them to stay inside the number as they improve to 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games. 10* NEW ORLEANS |
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01-19-21 | Buffalo v. Kent State OVER 162 | Top | 81-84 | Win | 100 | 6 h 22 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #603 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Kent State Golden Flashes vs Buffalo Bulls @ 5 ET - The Bulls are scoring an average of 83 points per game on the road this season and the Golden Flashes are scoring an average of 86 points per game at home this season. Yes this is a high total but based on those numbers you can see exactly why that is. Also, as crazy as those numbers are it gets even crazier. Why? Because Buffalo has allowed only 26.6% shooting from beyond the arc this season and yet they are allowing 78 points per game when on the road. Imagine if they face a team actually knocking down threes! Kent State also has some strong defensive numbers but they still are allowing 69 points per game this season. That said, and with how fast these teams play, I am expecting an absolute shootout in this one. The Bulls are off a loss in which they were held to just 69 points but this followed 4 straight games in which Buffalo scored at least 85 points. As for the Golden Flashes, they have scored at least 80 points in 4 straight games and averaged 86 points per game in doing so. This could very easily end up in the 170s. The Bulls are off an under but previously were 5-0 to the over this season. 10* OVER the total in Kent State |
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01-18-21 | Suns v. Grizzlies OVER 218.5 | Top | 104-108 | Loss | -109 | 6 h 10 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #560 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Memphis Grizzlies vs Phoenix Suns @ 5:05 ET - The last time I checked Jonas Valanciunas gets a lot of rebounds and is a key part of the Grizzlies defense around the rim and in the paint. In all seriousness though it is sometimes almost comical how the markets react to things. This total has been driven down severely because Jonas Valanciunas is out and everyone just looks at his offensive production. Let me remind you that Ja Morant just came back for Memphis and his game against the Sixers was only his 4th game out of 12 Grizzlies games this season. The point is that Morant is a huge scorer that Memphis just got back plus they are going to have play a bit of small ball in this one plus the Suns offense is going to take advantage of Jonas Valanciunas being out and will be able to score more than usual around the rim. So you combine all those factors plus about a 5 point drop on this total and you can count me in every single time. Yes the recent match-ups between these teams have trended under but each of the last 3 totaled at least 223 points which of course would put this one into the win column. Also, the Suns have allowed 116.4 points per game their last 5 games and 4 of the 5 went over the total. Phoenix will score well against a Grizzlies interior defense that has been depleted but the Suns certainly haven't been playing good defense of late as you can see. That said, the play here is the over. Phoenix has averaged 113 points per game their last 5 road games. The Grizzlies enter this game on a 4-game winning streak in which they have averaged 107.5 points per game and 3 of those games were without Ja Morant. This one, per the above, should get well into the 220s. 10* OVER the total in Memphis |
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01-18-21 | St. Joe's v. La Salle OVER 145 | Top | 83-90 | Win | 100 | 5 h 34 m | Show |
Philly Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #865 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in LaSalle Explorers vs St Joseph's Hawks @ 4 ET - LaSalle is off a ridiculous performance at home where they scored just 53 points. Now they are home again and, prior to that, the Explorers had scored and average of 76.5 points per game at home this season. This is an all-Philly match-up and I expect it to bring out the best in both teams. The problem for LaSalle is they can stop nobody and they have allowed an average of 78.3 points per game their last 3 games. The Hawks have allowed an average of 85.3 points per game this season so they are not exactly known for their defensive prowess either. The O/U is 5-1 in St Joseph's road game this season. The Hawks have scored an average of only 70.5 points per game this season but will take advantage of recent poor play in the defensive end for the Explorers. This match-up is part of The Philadelphia 5 or the Big 5 in Philly and each team will be looking to one up the other and 3 of the last 4 meetings between these foes have gone over the total. Also, 6 of the last 9 at Tom Gola Arena have gone over the total. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in LaSalle |
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01-17-21 | Virginia Tech v. Wake Forest OVER 139.5 | Top | 64-60 | Loss | -112 | 7 h 5 m | Show |
Total Blowout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs Virginia Tech Hokies @ 6 ET - The Demon Deacons have seen each of their last 3 games go over the total. Defensively they have not impressed as Wake Forest has not been generating many turnovers and also they have allowed an average of 74 points per game their last 4 games. Speaking of sub-par defense we might see a bit of a dropoff here from the Hokies. Not only is Virginia Tech off a big win versus Duke, they also have dominated Wake Forest in recent meetings. Also, the Demon Deacons enter this game on a losing streak which makes it easier to overlook them especially after a big win over the Blue Devils. That said, I am expecting a rather free flowing game and the over is 7-0 in the Hokies last 7 games! With all this over trending and the Hokies scoring well and the Demon Deacons generally scoring better when at home, you have all the right ingredients for the home dog to hang around in this one and turn it into a high-scoring shootout. The Hokies could pull away late for a bigger margin so my play here is the over rather than the side and I expect quite a shootout. Virginia Tech has averaged 83.5 points in their last two meetings with Wake Forest plus enters this game averaging 80.5 points per game their last 6 games overall. 10* OVER the total in Wake Forest |
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01-16-21 | Rockets v. Spurs OVER 217 | Top | 91-103 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 24 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #521 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in San Antonio Spurs vs Houston Rockets @ 5 ET - These teams just met Thursday and that game stayed just under the total despite the complete reshuffling of the Rockets roster (the big Harden trade) plus some unusual shooting stats. The Spurs shot just 29% from three point land and Houston shot just 63% from the free throw line. Keep in mind San Antonio is shooting 37% from beyond the arc this season and the Rockets are knocking down 75% of their free throws. After those unusual stats and the fact that the Spurs are hungry and playing with revenge here after the upset loss, look for this one to easily fly over the total. This total is even lower than the Thursday one but that is simply not justified and we'll step in and take advantage of the corresponding value. 10* OVER the total in San Antonio |
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01-16-21 | Davidson v. La Salle OVER 133 | Top | 77-53 | Loss | -111 | 4 h 52 m | Show |
Philly Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #657 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in LaSalle Explorers vs Davidson Wildcats @ 2 ET - LaSalle is off a horrible effort in their most recent game but that was on the road at George Mason. The Explorers scored just 49 points in that game but now they are back home in Philadelphia where they have averaged 76.5 points per game their last 4 games. The problem for LaSalle is their defensive play and that is the part of the reason they were on a 4-0 run to the over before the loss to the Patriots. As for Davidson, they have scored 74 points or more in 4 of their last 5 games and those 4 went 4-0 to the over. With the Explorers scoring much better at home but their defense unable to stop the Wildcats, I feel this is absolutely a bargain number on this low total which is in the 133 range. 10* OVER the total in LaSalle |
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01-15-21 | Marshall v. Western Kentucky OVER 150 | Top | 73-81 | Win | 100 | 6 h 20 m | Show |
Early Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #841 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs Marshall Thundering Herd @ 5 ET - The Hilltoppers are off an ugly home loss in which they were held to 58 points. The only other time Western Kentucky was held below 60 points they exploded for 96 points in their next game and it flew over the total. I look for a big response from the Hilltoppers here on the offensive end but don't be surprised if Marshall scores plenty as well. The Thundering Herd have scored 80 or more points in 7 of their last 8 games. This one has the makings of a game that could get into the 160s and yet the total is in the 150 range. I know that total may seem a little big on the surface but you can see from the above why I am expecting much more as the situation is ideal and I also like the fact that both of these teams have struggled to defend the 3-ball this season. Marshall is making 35% of threes on the road this season but also allowing 35% on the season. Western Kentucky is making only 32% of their threes at home this season but should improve on that given the situation and given facing the Thundering Herd perimeter defenders. The weakness for the Hilltoppers is they are allowing 39% from the 3-point land. It should be raining threes tonight plus we should see a fast-paced game as Marshall plays quick and the host is ready to play fast and bounce back from a rare dismal effort on the offensive end. 10* OVER the total in Western Kentucky |
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01-14-21 | Hornets v. Raptors OVER 219 | Top | 108-111 | Push | 0 | 8 h 9 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #569 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:35 ET - Charlotte's game died in the 4th quarter last night in terms of scoring and that cost us our play on the over. However, that 38 point 4th quarter is now serving us to give us some value here as this total has plummeted by a couple buckets from its opener and I am happy to jump in on the lower number. Toronto is back "home" in Tampa for this one and certainly happy to be back on the East Coast after a West Coast trip. Look for the Raptors, averaging 117.5 points their last 6 games, to put up plenty here as they catch the Hornets in a back to back. As for Charlotte, they had averaged 113.3 points per game their last 3 games before that horrible effort against the Mavericks last night. The Raptors have allowed 118.3 points per game their last 6 games. Look for a high-scoring affair as both teams look to respond off losses. The Raptors have lost two straight by just a single point each defeat while the Hornets are off the 93 point effort last night. Both teams get back on track offensively here. 10* OVER the total in Toronto |
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