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Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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02-14-20 | Davidson +4 v. St Bonaventure | Top | 93-64 | Win | 100 | 10 h 16 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #865 Friday 10* Top Play Davidson Wildcats (+) @ St Bonaventure Bonnies @ 7 ET - There is a reason this line is set lower than many would expect. St Bonaventure is 17-8 this season and 9-3 in conference games. Davidson is only a game above .500 on the season overall and in conference games. Also, the Wildcats are on the road here. So the Bonnies should be favored by much more than just the typical 3 or 4 points that is considered the home court edge, right? Long-time followers know how I feel about supposed "flawed lines" or "bad numbers". The fact is the line is set this way with good reason. For one thing Davidson has been a bit of a nemesis of St Bonaventure's in recent years. The Bonnies confidence tends to be "shot" when they are facing the Wildcats. Also, a big key here as it relates to the overall records of these teams and the fact that St Bonaventure enters this game on a 5-game winning streak, the Wildcats have played a much tougher schedule this season. Also all of the Bonnies A-10 wins (except one upset win by a 3-point margin over Duquesne) have come against teams at the bottom of the standings. All those teams have a record of 4-7 or worse in A-10 action. The non-conference schedule is where Davidson has faced a much tougher schedule. Also, in A-10 action the Wildcats lost at VCU by 11 points while the Bonnies lost by 28 points. Davidson's only other two losses in the past 5 weeks each came by 6 or less points. The Wildcats are a tough team to pull away from and the Bonnies haven't even been able to beat the Cats in recent meetings let alone pull away for any kind of margin. Give me the points. 10* DAVIDSON |
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02-13-20 | Thunder +2.5 v. Pelicans | Top | 123-118 | Win | 100 | 14 h 4 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #525 Thursday 10* Top Play Oklahoma City Thunder (+) @ New Orleans Pelicans @ 8:05 ET - The Thunder are off back to back home losses. That is a situation that has seen them go 6-2 SU in recent seasons. This season Oklahoma City is 8-3 SU when off a home loss so the loss to the Spurs (after falling just a point short against the Celtics) was a rarity in and of itself. The Thunder simply had a bad night offensively (except for Chris Paul) against San Antonio. I look for Oklahoma City to respond in a huge way tonight. They are an incredible 20-5 ATS in road games this season. The Thunder are a fantastic 24-5 SU this season in games against teams with a losing record. I know that New Orleans has been playing a bit better of late but Brandon Ingram is still questionable with an ankle injury and, even if he plays, won't be 100% here. The Pelicans have survived without him recently but that will be tougher tonight if he is out or limited as Oklahoma City comes in angry off back to back losses and is already 3-0 this season against New Orleans. The Pelicans are off a high-scoring win but are 1-4 SU this season when off a game in which they scored 130 points or more. The Thunder are the better team defensively and New Orleans is 10-20 SU after a game in which they allowed 115 points or more. Also, even though they are playing with revenge, the Pelicans are 11-24 SU this season when playing with revenge. 10* OKLAHOMA CITY |
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02-13-20 | Wichita State -3 v. UCF | Top | 75-58 | Win | 100 | 12 h 12 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #623 Thursday 10* Top Play Wichita State Shockers (-) @ UCF Knights @ 7 ET - Perfect set up here. The Knights are off a win versus Tulsa. That is was an impressive victory for UCF. Keep in mind the only other 3 wins they have in AAC action came against the 3 worst teams in the conference: South Florida, East Carolina, Tulane. Also, prior to rare back to back wins for the Knights, they were barely a .500 team on the season. Now we can fade them with an angry Shockers team that, not too long ago, was 15-1 on the season! Wichita State is fired up after an extremely embarrassing 76-43 loss at Houston. Yes, the Shockers have lost 3 straight games now but they played 3 of the top teams in the conference: Tulsa, Cincinnati, Houston. Those 3 teams have a combined record of 26-8 in AAC action. Now, taking on a team which they are 4-0 against and a team that is only 4-7 in AAC action this season, Wichita State will take advantage. Perfect set up here as the Shockers are off their worst game in AAC action on the season while the Knights are off their best game in conference action on the season. The result here will be a road rout in this ideal scenario. 10* WICHITA STATE |
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02-12-20 | Wizards +2.5 v. Knicks | Top | 114-96 | Win | 100 | 12 h 59 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #505 Wednesday 10* Top Play Washington Wizards (+) @ New York Knicks @ 7:35 ET - I know the Wizards are in a back to back spot but, in typical contrarian fashion, that is the team I am backing here. The fact is Washington has been building up momentum with wins in 4 of its last 6 games. They are still very much alive in the playoff race for the #8 spot in the east. Also, they are 2-0 SU the last two times they have played the 2nd night of a back to back. The Knicks are off a double OT loss Sunday so they come into this one as the more rested team. Also, New York had won 4 straight games before that loss. However, the problem with the Knicks is they are mired in turmoil right now about their head coach. That is doing nothing to help the confidence of the team or how they will play for their current coach. Additionally, an illness bug is going around the New York locker-room right now. Also, even though this is a back to back for Washington, these teams have the long All-Star break on deck after this game. In other words, the Wizards aren't going to play any less harder just because this is a back to back. Also, Washington has been using plenty of bench minutes and essentially running with a 10 man rotation. The Wizards had 10 players who all played at least 16 minutes last night. That certainly helps the fatigue factor as well as none of the starters saw truly heavy minutes. I am going to ride the hot team with the more stable coaching situation as they continue to close the gap on the #8 seed in the playoff race and I am happy to have the points here as the Knicks recent wins have all been tight. The Wizards have won 10 of their last 11 visits to New York and that strong trend continues here. 10* WASHINGTON |
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02-12-20 | Xavier +6 v. Butler | Top | 61-66 | Win | 100 | 8 h 24 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #781 Wednesday 10* Top Play Xavier Musketeers (+) @ Butler Bulldogs @ 6:30 ET - With each win, confidence grows. That makes for a dangerous dog here. The Musketeers have won 3 straight games and here they are catching about a half dozen points in a revenge game against a struggling Butler team. The Bulldogs have won only 3 of their past 8 games and, by the way, all 3 wins came by 5 or less points. That means if you played against Butler with +5.5 (today's dominant line) in each of their past 8 games, you have gone 8-0 ATS. Look for the Musketeers to continue that trend here as they get revenge for losing by 5 points in their most recent meeting (March) with the Bulldogs. Prior to that tight defeat, Xavier had won 4 straight meetings with Butler. Both teams have impressive defensive numbers on the season but the Bulldogs, not including OT points in the Marquette game, have allowed 73.1 points per game their past 8 games. The Musketeers have allowed an average of only 59.7 points their last 3 games and have held 5 of their last 6 opponents, not including OT points in the Marquette game, to 62 points or less! I like the value with the surging underdog looking to avenge a March loss in this one. I'll gladly grab the generous points as Butler is "pressing" a bit right now and starting to wilt under the pressure. Give me the unranked team in this one as they play well as a tenacious underdog! 10* XAVIER |
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02-11-20 | Clippers v. 76ers +1.5 | Top | 103-110 | Win | 100 | 10 h 12 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #580 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) vs Los Angeles Clippers @ 7:05 ET - Public enemy #1 in Philly is Kawhi Leonard. He hit the unreal shot as a member of the Raptors that knocked the 76ers out of the playoffs in clutch fashion in Toronto last year. Of course the Sixers haven't forgotten this and that gives this game some extra intrigue for sure. This is a fantastic situation in which to back Philadelphia. First off, we don't have to lay any points even though the 76ers are 24-2 at home this season while the Clippers are 15-11 on the road. Also, Los Angeles is playing its 3rd road game in 4 nights plus they have a game at Boston on deck for Thursday. I know the Clippers blew out Cleveland Sunday and so they were able to rest starters but they also are still without Patrick Beverley and he has been ruled out for this game. They haven't needed him against truly bad teams the last two games but they sure would have liked to have him tonight for facing a Sixers team that is 24-2 as a host this season. For Philly, this is actually their final game until after the All Star break. The Sixers don't play again until the 20th so they definitely are going to go hard for the full 48 minutes tonight and they want their revenge against Kawhi even if that now comes with him in a different uniform this season. Payback time here. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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02-11-20 | St Bonaventure v. St. Joe's +8.5 | Top | 74-56 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 14 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #608 Tuesday 10* Top Play St Joseph's Hawks (+) vs St Bonaventure Bonnies @ 7 ET - I know the Hawks have had a tough season but this is a spot where this Philly team has a great shot at a big upset win at home. In comparison with St Bonaventure, St Joseph's has played the much tougher schedule this season. Also, the key here is the situation. The Bonnies blasted the Hawks in both games last season and that included an embarrassing home loss here in Philadelphia. St Joseph's will be ready to go here. As for St Bonaventure, they are off a tight upset win at Duquesne that ended an 0-3 ATS run in road games for the Bonnies. On deck is a home game with Davidson. That may not seem like a big deal BUT it is the Wildcats that swept St Bonaventure last season PLUS also eliminated them from the Atlantic 10 Tournament the prior season. Keep in mind that was the season the Bonnies made it to the NCAA Tournament and had a very strong team. Having now lost 3 straight games to Davidson, they can't help but be thinking a little bit about their upcoming home date with the Wildcats. For the Hawks, it is all about this game and getting some revenge and having a huge game on their home floor. I fully expect, given the situation, that we're going to see St Joseph's play one of their best games of the season tonight at home. If the Hawks do fall short on the scoreboard here, look for the defeat to come by a margin of just a bucket or two in a fierce end-game battle. This line has moved from as low as a 6 to as high as an 8.5 and I am grabbing the big dog value here. 10* ST JOSEPH'S |
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02-10-20 | Nets +7 v. Pacers | Top | 106-105 | Win | 100 | 13 h 35 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #559 Monday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (+) @ Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - The Nets play this game with double revenge as they lost each of the first two meetings this season even though those were in Brooklyn. Actually that continues a strong road team trend in this series as the traveler is now 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings between these teams. The Nets lost the most recent meeting by 29 points and will be seeking payback here. They are catching the Pacers at the right time for an upset. Indiana has lost 5 straight games. Brooklyn is off a hard-fought 1-point loss at Toronto and will again show no quit here. That means the Nets should be in this one all the way. Brooklyn had gone 4-1 SU in their 5 games preceding the 1-point loss to the Raptors. Also, the cover in that game brings the Nets to 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games. Look for them to improve on that mark here as Indiana's struggles continue. 10* BROOKLYN |
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02-09-20 | Grizzlies v. Wizards +2 | Top | 106-99 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 45 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #552 Sunday 10* Top Play Washington Wizards (+) vs Memphis Grizzlies @ 6:05 ET - This is a contrarian play as many are looking to play Memphis off their loss at Philly and fade Washington off their last second win over the Mavericks. However, the Wizards have now won 7 of their last 9 home games, are getting stronger bench play, and with wins in 3 of their last 4 games overall they are truly starting to believe. The Grizzlies are a talented but very young team and they struggle to win on the road. In fact Memphis does have a losing record on the road this season. The Grizzlies are 2-5 ATS this season when they enter a game having covered 6 or 7 of their past 8 games. In other words, Memphis has been hot at the betting window but has cooled down when in this situation this season. As for the Wizards, I am looking for them to win for the 8th time in their past 10 home games as they continue to get strong shooting off the bench and Bradley Beal continues his torrid stretch. The bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff race is still very much alive for the Wizards and they have proven over the past week that they aren't done battling! 10* WASHINGTON |
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02-09-20 | Ohio State +1.5 v. Wisconsin | Top | 57-70 | Loss | -105 | 5 h 13 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #839 Sunday 10* Top Play Ohio State Buckeyes (+) @ Wisconsin Badgers @ 1 ET - This is a double revenge game for the Buckeyes. Not only did the Badgers beat them at Columbus earlier this season, they also beat them there last season too! Ohio State is hell bent on revenge here and the situation is perfect for them to do just that. Wisconsin, after Kobe King left the program, has been going through some significant internal struggles. They managed to rally the troops during this tough time over the past week and a half and that led to an upset win over Michigan State. However, there is only so far that emotion can take you and that was evident when the Badgers then got blasted by 18 points at Minnesota this week. This is a Wisconsin team that has lost 3 of its past 4 games SU and also has covered just 1 of its past 7 games at the betting window. As for the Buckeyes, they have righted the ship with 3 straight wins (and covers) and now catch the Badgers at the perfect time to exact revenge. Look for the road team to stay hot here and get a convincing win as the current situation here is a case of two teams heading in opposite directions. 10* OHIO STATE |
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02-08-20 | Bucks v. Magic +9.5 | Top | 112-95 | Loss | -105 | 13 h 46 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #528 Saturday 10* Top Play Orlando Magic (+) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 5:05 ET - The Bucks are 1-6 ATS this season when they enter a game on an ATS run of 3 or more consecutive wins. Milwaukee is 2-6 ATS this season when they enter a game off 3 straight SU wins by a double digit margin. In other words "the buck" stops here! The Magic have been struggling lately but they view this 4-game homestand as a chance to get back on track. Orlando is coming off a 3-game road trip that was punctuated by a 2-point loss to the Knicks and that has the Magic fired up to get back on track here. When on an ATS losing streak of 2 or more games Orlando is 8-4 ATS this season. Also, the Magic are 5-2 SU and ATS this season when off 2 or more consecutive road losses. Motivation matters in a game like this and Orlando may not win this game outright but they'll battle all the way through and keep it within single digits. The big win the Bucks just had over the 76ers was a revenge win from a Christmas Day loss at Philadelphia. This game is a true flat spot for Milwaukee. 10* ORLANDO |
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02-08-20 | Purdue +3 v. Indiana | Top | 74-62 | Win | 100 | 7 h 37 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #641 Saturday 10* Top Play Purdue Boilermakers (+) @ Indiana Hoosiers @ 2 ET - We saw this last year with Indiana and it seems like deja vu. Last season, after getting off to a strong start the first couple months, the Hoosiers had losing streaks of 7 games and 5 games after the new year. Their current losing streak entering this game is "only" 3 games but, once again, Indiana's mental toughness is being questioned. Exasperating the situation here for the Hoosiers is the fact that they are facing a bitter rival that continues to have their number. The Boilermakers have won each of the last 5 meetings between these teams. Also, Purdue enters this game rolling with confidence while Indiana is again having those same feelings of self-doubt which inflicted them during last season's swoon. While the Hoosiers are on a 3-game losing streak and have lost 6 of 10, the Boilers have won 3 of 4. Yes the road win came against conference-worst Northwestern but notching a road win was a key for Purdue. As for their two home wins during this 4-game stretch, those came by a combined margin of 55 points against the Badgers and the ranked Hawkeyes. While the Boilermakers have scored an average of 74.5 points their last 4 games, Indiana has been held to an average of 54 points in its last two games. Granted those two games were on the road but also note that their most recent home win saw Joey Brunk lead the team in scoring and rebounds. He is questionable for this game and dealing with an illness. In a rivalry game I am happy to grab the points with the team that has dominated this series, is well-coached, and has the confidence level to get the job done against a team whose confidence is waning with each successive loss. 10* PURDUE |
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02-07-20 | Grizzlies v. 76ers -5.5 | Top | 107-119 | Win | 100 | 10 h 31 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #514 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Memphis Grizzlies @ 7:05 ET - Since the Grizzlies have been playing well that is keeping this line lower than it should be. Yes, the 76ers are on a 4-game losing streak but all 4 losses came on the road. This is still a Philly team that is 22-2 SU at home this season. They have had a wake up call with the recent results on the road and will be ready to respond huge at home. Having made some trade moves here within the past 24 hours it is also a wake up call for the entire team. They will not stand pat. It is time to get the wheels in motion and play hungry and focused and for the full 48. The fresh blood in house will help insure that happens starting tonight whether the new guys are on the floor or not. Heads are rolling in Philly and now they play like a team possessed tonight. They are at home and off 4 straight road losses and laying less than a half dozen points. This is the perfect spot to back a hungry and angry team as they take on a Grizzlies team off an outright upset win at Dallas in their most recent game. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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02-07-20 | Harvard v. Yale -5 | Top | 78-77 | Loss | -103 | 10 h 50 m | Show |
Early Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #852 Friday 10* Top Play Yale Bulldogs (-) vs Harvard Crimson @ 5 ET - We are getting line value here because of the revenge angle here. The revenge is actually with Harvard in this game. They finished tied with Yale for the regular season Ivy League title but then the Crimson lost to the Bulldogs in the conference tournament. So we should play Harvard to get revenge here, right? Not so fast my friends. The Crimson lost Seth Towns before the season even got going and they are currently still without their biggest star Bryce Aiken. Harvard enters this game off B2B SU losses and on an 0-5 ATS run. I know they do have two Ivy League wins but those each came by 5 or less points and that was against a bad Dartmouth team. Conversely, Yale has not just been winning, the Bulldogs have been crushing teams. Yale enters this game on a 6-game winning streak and all 6 victories came by more than 10 points. The Bulldogs have shot 43% three pointers at home and 51% from the field overall at home. Yale is allowing opponents to hit only 35% from the field when they are the host and that includes the Bulldogs defending the arc very well as they have held the opposition to 29% from 3-point land. Yes there is revenge here but the home team is currently the better team and the healthier team and the short number on this game is absolutely a bargain. 10* YALE |
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02-06-20 | 76ers +9 v. Bucks | Top | 101-112 | Loss | -105 | 13 h 55 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #505 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 8:05 ET - The Bucks do have revenge here from a loss on Christmas Day at Philadelphia. However, the 76ers come into this game fired up as they are off 3 straight losses on this 4-game road trip. The ugliest loss just happened on Monday when they allowed 137 points at Miami. That is the kind of defeat that grabs a teams attention and the Sixers will be fighting mad by the time they take the court for this one. I know Milwaukee is a great team and wants revenge here but they are over-priced in this spot and I am going to challenge the Bucks to win this game by double digits. Philly has won 2 of the 3 last meetings and that includes winning at Milwaukee too and the lone loss in that 3 game stretch for the 76ers came by just 6 points. The Bucks are off back to back wins and covers (including one at home) but prior to that had been on a 2-5 ATS run in home games. The Sixers are 5-1 SU and ATS when they enter a game on an ATS losing streak of 4 or more games. The Bucks are 1-3 ATS this season when revenging a loss by a double-digit margin. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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02-06-20 | James Madison v. Drexel -6 | Top | 67-78 | Win | 100 | 10 h 13 m | Show |
Dominator Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #624 Thursday 10* Top Play Drexel Dragons (-) vs James Madison Dukes @ 7 ET - Great set up here. The Dragons are off a disappointing stretch of 3 straight losses on the road. Now Drexel is back home in Philadelphia where they are a fantastic 9-2 this season. The Dukes are off a rare win. James Madison is now 2-9 in conference games this season after beating UNC-Wilmington again. That's right, the only two wins that James Madison has this season in Colonial action have come against the Seahawks and that's not saying much since UNC-Wilmington is the worst team in the conference this season. Prior to the Dukes win over the Seahawks, James Madison had lost 7 straight games and 9 of its last 10. The Dukes last 4 road losses all have come by 8 or more points. We only have to lay a half dozen points here with Drexel. Note that the Dragons last two home wins each game by more than a 20 point margin. At home off 3 straight road losses, Drexel won't take their foot off the gas in this one against James Madison. The Dukes, off a rare win, are ripe for the picking here too in terms of a being in a flat spot and being on the road where they have struggled. James Madison is 8-22 ATS (including 1-7 ATS this season) when off a win. Also, when off a game in which they scored 80 or more points, the Dukes are 4-14 ATS. The Dragons are 4-1 ATS when they are on an ATS losing streak of 3 or more games plus they are 5-1 ATS this season when off a game in which they allowed 80 or more points. 10* DREXEL |
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02-05-20 | Pacers +6.5 v. Raptors | Top | 118-119 | Win | 100 | 12 h 17 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #575 Wednesday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:35 ET - The Raptors have won 11 straight games so they are the popular choice here. In typical contrarian fashion, I am grabbing the Pacers plus the points. Indiana is off back to back losses and that is a situation that has seen them go 4-1 SU and ATS this season. Also, the Pacers most recent loss was an outright upset as a home favorite. That is a situation that has seen Indiana go 12-6 SU (13-5 ATS). Also, this is a real rarity as the Pacers are off back to back home losses. That is a situation that has seen Indiana go a perfect 3-0 SU and ATS. The Raptors have been red hot and enter this game off B2B wins by double digit margins. However, they are 0-3 ATS this season when off consecutive victories by 10 or more points. Also, Toronto is 3-6 ATS when they are a home favorite of 6 or less points this season. Look for this one to go down to the wire and I look for the fired up Pacers to get the outright upset but will gladly grab the points as added insurance. 10* INDIANA |
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02-04-20 | Bucks v. Pelicans +7 | Top | 120-108 | Loss | -115 | 11 h 25 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #564 Tuesday 10* Top Play New Orleans Pelicans (+) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:35 ET - The Bucks are the best team in the NBA but there is a time and place for upsets of the top teams and this is one of those spots. Milwaukee has a revenge game against the 76ers on deck. The Bucks lost at Philadelphia on Christmas Day by a dozen points and it is a home date for Milwaukee hosting the Sixers that is up next on the docket. That said, traveling to New Orleans for a non-conference match-up that is a single road game in the midst of a home-heavy portion of the schedule is not a good situation for bringing out the best in the Bucks. Look for the Pelicans to take advantage. Keep in mind, the Bucks most recent game away from home was against a Hornets team that has now lost 17 of 20 games and yet Charlotte actually led Milwaukee much of the first 3 quarters of that game. The Bucks pulled away in the 4th but there will be no pulling away in this one at New Orleans. The Pelicans are coming off a tough loss at Houston but had won 14 of 21 games heading into that match-up with the Rockets. Also, New Orleans enters this game having gone 6-4 in their last 10 home games with the 4 losses coming by an average margin of 4 points per game. The biggest margin of defeat was 7 points and 3 of the 4 defeats came by 4 or less points. If the Pelicans do fall short of the outright upset here, look for this to be another tight loss by 4 or less points. In other words, great value with the home dog in this one. 10* NEW ORLEANSÂ |
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02-04-20 | Ohio State +2.5 v. Michigan | Top | 61-58 | Win | 100 | 9 h 55 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #623 Tuesday 10* Top Play Ohio State Buckeyes (+) @ Michigan Wolverines @ 7 ET - Finally on March 1st Ohio State will host Michigan but, as for this match-up, it is the 3rd straight time these teams are meeting in Ann Arbor. The last two have not gone well at all for the Buckeyes as they have been blasted by a double digit margin in each meeting. That said, I am looking for big-time payback for Ohio State in this one. Both teams are off back to back wins but the Wolverines have their biggest rival, Michigan State, on deck. Michigan got blasted by 18 points by the Spartans in their first meeting so they're already looking forward to the rematch. As for the Buckeyes, they are off back to back wins and both were key. They finally got back on track with a road win (at Northwestern) and then beat a respectable Big Ten foe, Indiana, in their most recent game. Look for Ohio State to bring momentum from those games right into this game and deliver the road upset. The Buckeyes are the better team defensively and also shoot the 3-ball better than Michigan. Look for some solid D to lead the way to a road win here. It is payback time. 10* OHIO STATE |
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02-03-20 | 76ers +3.5 v. Heat | Top | 106-137 | Loss | -115 | 12 h 53 m | Show |
NBA TV Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #553 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Miami Heat @ 7:35 ET - The 76ers enter this game off back to back losses. Philly is also playing this game with double revenge. Philadelphia lost at home to the Heat by 4 points in mid-December and then the Sixers lost by a single point at Miami in late December. While the 76ers are fired up to get back in the win column and avenge those losses, note that the Heat are only 4-3 SU in their last 7 games and the wins came against teams with a losing record. Every time Miami has faced a tougher opponent of late they have lost. The 76ers are off a loss at Boston to begin February but they do have recent wins (January) over the Celtics as well as Oklahoma City and the Lakers. They will again step up here to get revenge and to get back to their winning ways as they are healthy again now. Other than the continued absence of Josh Richardson, it is again "all hands on deck" for the Sixers. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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02-03-20 | Lafayette +1 v. Bucknell | Top | 65-62 | Win | 100 | 10 h 9 m | Show |
Patriot League Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #501 Monday 10* Top Play Lafayette Leopards (+) @ Bucknell Bison @ 7 ET - Revenge game for the Leopards. They blew a big half-time lead and lost by double digits to the Bison in Easton last month. Since that defeat, Lafayette has responded very well. As for Bucknell, it has been a downhill slide since then. The Bison have gone 3-5 SU since then and the only 3 victories were against the 3 worst teams in the Patriot League. Bucknell beat Holy Cross, Loyola (MD), and Lehigh. Those teams are each just 2-8 in conference games this season! Now the Bison host a revenge-minded Leopards team that is 14-7 on the season and has won 6 of 8 games since losing to Bucknell. Note that Lafayette is off a win over an American team that was 6-3 in conference action and, prior to that game, the Leopards knocked off the top team in the Patriot for a season sweep. Yes, Lafayette won at Colgate and that completed a 2-0 season series sweep over a Raiders team that is 8-0 against the rest of the Patriot League this season. The Leopards have been a pleasant surprise this season and red-hot Justin Jaworski and company get revenge here on the road in Lewisburg Monday. 10* LAFAYETTE |
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02-01-20 | Heat -1.5 v. Magic | Top | 102-89 | Win | 100 | 12 h 49 m | Show |
Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #517 Saturday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (-) @ Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - The Heat should have Kendrick Nunn back for this one. That is a key as he is the 2nd leading scorer on the team plus also averages 3.5 assists per game. A rookie, Tyler Herro, had been starting in his place the last 3 games. The Heat only went 1-2 in those games. The lone win was against the Magic and it came by a big margin. This one likely to be tighter because it is in Orlando, but I still expect the Heat to prevail by very close to double digits in this one. That said, lay the small number. The Magic have lost 6 of their past 7 games including 3 straight games at home. The Heat lost at Orlando by 20 points early last month. It is payback time here and, keep in mind, the road team had won 3 straight meetings in this series prior to that January 3rd home win for the Magic. Jimmy Butler and a healthy Nunn will help lead the way to a road rout here. 10* MIAMI |
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02-01-20 | UNLV +6.5 v. Colorado State | Top | 77-95 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 36 m | Show |
Afternoon Rout - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #687 Saturday 10* Top Play UNLV Running Rebels (+) @ Colorado State Rams @ 4 ET - The Rebels are off back to back losses but they faced two very tough tests as they travel to Reno to face Nevada and then were at home against San Diego State. UNLV got the cover against the Aztecs but San Diego State is now 22-0 SU on the season. In other words, no real shame in that performance. Also, Nevada is now 9-2 SU at home this season and that defeat for the Rebels was expected. Now I am not saying that Colorado State is an easy place to play but UNLV has had more success here than in Reno in recent seasons. I also like the fact that the Rebels are even deeper now since an original starting guard, Elijah Mitrou-Long, is now back from injury. He actually lost his starting job to Marvin Coleman by virtue of being out. However, he has handled it like a true professional and now the Rebels are an even stronger team as a result. This line opened up at -5 and has moved to a -6.5 and I love the value in going against the move here with a very hungry (and rested and healthy) UNLV team off back to back losses. Note that the Rams are off a non-covering 1 point win versus Nevada. That was a hard-fought win and was also a revenge game for Colorado State. Watch them now fall short here against an angry Rebels team. I expect the outright upset but will certainly be grabbing the generous points for added insurance. 10* UNLV |
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01-31-20 | Raptors v. Pistons +5 | Top | 105-92 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 8 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #502 Friday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (+) vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:05 ET - The Raptors have won 9 straight games but they are a banged up team right now and playing the 2nd night of a back to back. Toronto did win the 2nd game of their very first back to back this season but, since then, the Raptors are only 3-3 in the 2nd game of a back to back. Not only that, 2 of those 3 wins came by 2 or less points! That is why I see value here at home with a hungry and rested Pistons team catching about 5 points as of early this morning. Detroit has lost both meetings with Toronto this season and also enters this game on an 0-4 SU and ATS run. To say the least, the Pistons are due for a big game and I expect them to get it here in an ideal situation. Note that last night's non-covering win for the Raptors dropped them to 1-3 ATS in their last 4 road games. They are over-priced here and Toronto will struggle just to win, let alone cover, this game. Grab the points with the home dog. 10* DETROIT |
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01-31-20 | Akron v. Kent State -1.5 | Top | 67-68 | Loss | -105 | 8 h 0 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #854 Friday 10* Kent State Golden Flashes (-) vs Akron Zips @ 6:30 ET - The Zips have over-achieved early this season and that has led to line value here in this spot with the Golden Flashes at home. Kent State is 13-1 at home their last 14 games and came into this season projected to finish near the top of the MAC East while Akron was projected to finish near the bottom of the MAC East. The cream eventually rises to the top and we're starting to see some signs that the Zips defense, so strong last season, is a much different animal this season. Akron had a strong game defensively at Miami-Ohio but has allowed an average of 87 points in their other 3 recent games! As for the Golden Flashes, they have allowed 70 points or less in 3 of their past 4 games. Also, their most recent home game was a loss and they'll be looking to make up for that here. Kent State had won their first 9 home games this season. This is just the 2nd home game for the Golden Flashes in a span of 3 weeks. Also, the home team has won 4 straight in this series. Look for that streak for the host to reach 5-0 by the time this one goes final this evening! 10* KENT STATE |
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01-30-20 | 76ers -7.5 v. Hawks | Top | 117-127 | Loss | -109 | 12 h 9 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #573 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET - At first glance this would look like a great spot to back the home dog Hawks since the 76ers have a huge game on deck at Boston. However, Atlanta is ravaged by injuries right now and Philadelphia is simply the must healthier team right now and, of course, the much stronger team. Yes it is true that the Sixers might rest Al Horford here but fellow big man Joel Embiid is back and likely to be even stronger in this game than he was in his first game back after the time off due to injury. Also, even though the 76ers are embarking on a big road trip with big games on deck at Boston, Miami, and Milwaukee, none of the games are back to back. Philly, including Embiid, will be going all out here and the injury-riddled Hawks roster won't be able to stop them. Keep in mind Atlanta has allowed 120 points or more in 6 of its last 7 games. The 76ers have allowed an average of only 100.3 points per game their last 10 games. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-30-20 | Minnesota +5.5 v. Illinois | Top | 51-59 | Loss | -115 | 11 h 46 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #627 Thursday 10* Top Play Minnesota Golden Gophers (+) @ Illinois Illini @ 7:30 ET - Nice set up here with the Illini off a big win at Michigan and the Golden Gophers off an ugly loss versus Michigan State. Minnesota, after the home loss to the Spartans, should respond in a big way here. The Gophers are 6-0 SU the last 6 times they've entered a game off a loss this season. Should Minnesota fall short of the outright upset here, note that Illinois is on a 6 game winning streak but 4 of the last 5 Illini victories have come by a margin of 4 or less points! In fact, not including a blowout win over an outclassed North Carolina AT & T team, Illinois has seen only 2 of its past 8 games result in a win for the Illini by a margin of more than 4 points. Minnesota got thrashed here at Illinois by 27 points last season so revenge is on order in this one. The Golden Gophers are 3-1 SU (and 4-0 ATS!) when they enter a game having scored 65 points or less in each of their 3 prior games. Illinois is off back to back covers and that is a situation that has seen them go 0-10 ATS! Look for that perfect trend to continue as, once again, the third time is NOT the charm for the Illini. The Golden Gophers, for the 7th time, respond with a win when they are coming off a loss. 10* MINNESOTA |
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01-29-20 | Temple +6 v. Connecticut | Top | 63-78 | Loss | -108 | 9 h 26 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #793 Wednesday 10* Top Play Temple Owls (+) @ Connecticut Huskies @ 7 ET - Kobe Bryant was a Philadelphia native. Of course the world was rocked by his untimely passing this weekend and you may ask yourself what that has to do with this play though. Plenty! Aaron McKie, the Owls coach, is also a Philly native. Of course Temple is based in Philadelphia. I know emotions and energy and passion can only take you so far on the basketball court but this is absolutely a "rally the troops" game for the Owls. This game is being played at Connecticut but you can bet that the Owls are bringing plenty of energy and passion and emotion from Philly for this game. McKie has had a great message for the team since the passing of Bryant on Sunday. Though the Owls have struggled recently, I am going to take advantage of them getting a half dozen points here against a Huskies team that has also been struggling. It is hard to justify UConn being a 6-point favorite when they have lost 6 of their past 7 games. Also, the Owls have won 3 of the last 4 meetings between these teams and the lone loss came by a margin of 6 points while the average margin of the 3 victories was 17 points. I am aware of De'Vondre Perry and Josh Pierre-Louis both being questionable on the injury report. But I really don't expect Pierre-Louis to miss this game and Perry is off a horrific shooting performance. In fact the entire team shot poorly at Penn in their most recent game and that is why they lost despite taking 20+ more shots from the field than the Quakers. After that very strange and unexpected result, the Owls bounce back here and play a solid 40 for Kobe in this one! 10* TEMPLE |
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01-28-20 | Pelicans v. Cavs +8 | Top | 125-111 | Loss | -105 | 12 h 47 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #546 Tuesday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 7:35 ET - The Cavaliers snapped their losing streak with a big win at Detroit last night. Even though that make this a back to back spot for Cleveland, note that only 1 player logged more than 26 minutes in last night's victory over the Pistons. That player was Collin Sexton and he has played extremely well this season in back to back spots so I have no concern that he logged 38 minutes yesterday. The earliest number on this game had the Pelicans as a 4.5 point favorite but the line is now up to an 8 and this is simply too many points to be giving home dog Cleveland. Yes, I know they have had some ugly losses during their losing streak but coming off a big road win last night will have the confidence of the Cavs trending the right direction. Look for the Cavaliers to go very hard here in a quest for their first home win since prior to Christmas! The Pelicans took both match-ups last season so Cleveland is seeking payback here. The Pelicans are off a big win versus Boston and have a Western Conference foe (Memphis) on deck. Will New Orleans be able to maintain full focus against a 13-34 Cavaliers team? I say absolutely not and this game goes down to the wire. Give me the points! 10* CLEVELAND |
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01-28-20 | Villanova v. St. John's +3.5 | Top | 79-59 | Loss | -115 | 10 h 52 m | Show |
Big East Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #602 Tuesday 10* Top Play St John's Red Storm (+) vs Villanova Wildcats @ 6:30 ET - The Wildcats have been red hot but the Red Storm are known for giving Villanova plenty of trouble. St John's is a perfect 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings with the Cats. The Red Storm are 10-3 SU this season and all 3 home losses came by 3 or less points. Getting a big win over a solid Blue Demons team at DePaul Saturday gives the Red Storm a boost of momentum here. They have been ultra competitive but just haven't quite got over the hump in some of their tight games. They could very easily be 13-0 at home and I like the fact that both Figueroa and Heron are coming off huge games Saturday and are now back home where they should be knocking down plenty of shot. Also, the Wildcats Jermaine Samuels is listed as questionable for this game and he is a key contributor for Villanova and won't be 100 percent here if he even plays. The Wildcats defense gets a lot of praise and it is deserved but they do allow 44.2% from the field in road games and the Red Storm allow 39.2% from the field in home games. I look for an upset here. This is the perfect spot with Nova playing a 2nd straight tough road game (they were at Providence Saturday) and I am grabbing the points here. Villanova has now covered B2B games but they are 0-3 ATS in that situation this season. The Red Storm are 7-2 ATS the last 9 times they have been a home underdog. 10* ST JOHN'S |
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01-27-20 | North Carolina +5.5 v. NC State | Top | 75-65 | Win | 100 | 10 h 5 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #865 Monday 10* Top Play North Carolina Tar Heels (+) @ North Carolina State Wolfpack @ 7 ET - The Tar Heels are having a down season but that has led to great line value in a spot like this. Of course this is a rivalry game with NC State and it is a rivalry which North Carolina has dominated for many years. Now i am not saying that the Wolfpack won't find a way to get the win here but I am saying that UNC has a great shot at the outright upset and, if the Heels do fall short, I look for it to be just by a bucket or two. The Tar Heels enter this game off back to back covers. That included a 2-point loss in overtime at Virginia Tech. Two of North Carolina's last three losses have been by 3 or less points. The Wolfpack are 4-3 SU in their last 7 games but two of those four wins came by 5 or less points and only 1 of the 4 victories was by more than 6 points. A big key for the Tar Heels in their series dominance against NC State has been dominating the boards. Winning the rebounding battle has been a key to long-term success for North Carolina and they are again dominating the boards this season. Look for that to again be a key against a Wolfpack team that has a couple of rotation players (both forwards) that are listed as questionable for this game. The fact that Bates and Andree are both banged up for NC State certainly won't help them in the battle of the boards in this one. That said, I like having the underdog here in a game that means more to them this season than it has in past seasons. Because the Tar Heels are having a rare sub-par season (key early season injuries really hurt them) they have extra motivation here as a sizable dog against a team they have dominated for many seasons. Give me the generous points here! 10* NORTH CAROLINA |
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01-26-20 | Raptors v. Spurs +3 | Top | 110-106 | Loss | -103 | 9 h 21 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #514 Sunday 10* Top Play San Antonio Spurs (+) vs Toronto Raptors @ 4:05 ET - The Spurs are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 meetings with the Raptors. Here San Antonio is at home and coming off a home loss. Nice set up for them. Yes Toronto has been hot but they've played a lot of weak teams lately too. As for the Spurs, they had won 6 of 9 games prior to their home loss to Phoenix. The 6 wins included victories over the Celtics and Bucks and Heat as well as these Raptors. As for Toronto nearly all their recent wins have come against teams with very poor records. That means this situation is flying "under the radar" a bit and I look for the Spurs to take their run to 8-0 ATS in games against Toronto. The Raptors are 4-9 ATS this season in games with a posted total of 220 or more. The Spurs are 14-5 ATS (and SU!) as a home underdog of 6 or less points. I do expect yet another outright upset in that role for SA here but will grab the points as added insurance. 10* SAN ANTONIO |
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01-26-20 | Michigan State -3 v. Minnesota | Top | 70-52 | Win | 100 | 8 h 51 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #839 Sunday 10* Top Play Michigan State Spartans (-) @ Minnesota Golden Gophers @ 3 ET - The Spartans are off a loss at Indiana but were previously 14-4 this season. They have now lost back to back road games and, though they have a few injury concerns, this is still an ultra-talented high-quality basketball team. They are catching the Golden Gophers at the perfect time to get back on track. Minnesota is off a big win versus Ohio State. That was an upset win on the road for the Golden Gophers and now I look for the Spartans to catch Minny a little flat after that one. Not only is Michigan State 4-0 SU and ATS in their last 4 meetings with Minnesota, they have won each of those games by a margin of 16 points or more! The line opened up at a 4.5 and fell too as low as a 2.5 and, in typical contrarian fashion, I am fading the line move and grabbing the value on the other side of the move. Looking at shooting percentages on the season, the Spartans are the better shooting team and defensive team in comparison with the Golden Gophers. Look for Sparty to bring a very strong effort here off their loss. Grab them off the loss here. 10* MICHIGAN STATEÂ |
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01-25-20 | Mavs +4 v. Jazz | Top | 107-112 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 35 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #501 Saturday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks (+) @ Utah Jazz @ 5:05 ET - The Mavericks have Kristaps Porzingis back as he will be playing his 3rd game since returning from injury. That is a key "value add" for Dallas and, while Utah has certainly been very hot there is a key to note about the schedule these two teams have faced over the last 6 weeks. Note that the Jazz have played only 3 games against teams that currently have a winning record during this 6 week stretch. As for the Mavs, over the same period of time, they have played 10 teams that currently have a winning record! The point is that a significant reason that Utah has been so hot is their schedule! I like the fact too that this line has gone from a -2.5 to a -4 for the Jazz. The markets are loving the red hot Jazz at home and I am not surprised. But Dallas lost their last visit here by 16 points and it is now payback time here. The Mavericks are an incredible 15-5 SU and 16-4 ATS this season in their road games. Grab the underdog as the fact they have Kristaps Porzingis is being underestimated by the betting markets in this one. I'll gladly the points with the road dog in this one as they have a great shot at the outright upset. 10* DALLAS |
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01-25-20 | Villanova v. Providence +2.5 | Top | 64-60 | Loss | -110 | 6 h 59 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #616 Saturday 10* Top Play Providence Friars (+) vs Villanova Wildcats @ 1 ET - Villanova has been hot but this will be just the third true road game they have played since a "road game" at St Joseph's December 7th and that was in Philly of course. That being said, the Wildcats haven't faced a lot of truly tough road tests that past two months and they are in for one here. The Cats are facing the revenge-minded Friars in this one. Providence has lost 4 straight games to Villanova and this includes getting knocked out of the Big East tournament each of the past two seasons. The Friars are highly motivated here to say the least. Also, Providence is entering this game off B2B losses but both came on the road. The Friars are happy to be back on their home floor where they have won 8 of 10 games this season. The Wildcats are 5-3 on the road this season and their only 2 recent games away from Philly saw them split as they lost at Marquette and then barely snuck by Creighton. Villanova is allowing 71.7 points per game on the road this season while Providence is allowing an average of only 60.5 points per game at home this season. The Wildcats allow 46% shooting from the field on the road while the Friars allow just 39% shooting from the field at home this season. Home court and big-time revenge will play a role in this one and I look for the home team to prevail big here. 10* PROVIDENCE |
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01-24-20 | Kent State +4.5 v. Buffalo | Top | 70-66 | Win | 100 | 10 h 52 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #851 Friday 10* Top Play Kent State Golden Flashes (+) @ Buffalo Bulls @ 6:30 ET - The very first line that opened on this game had the Bulls, at home, as the slimmest of favorites. Now the line is all the way up to a solid 4 across the board as of early game day morning. Long-time followers know how I feel about a move like this. I like what I am seeing with the Golden Flashes here. Yes they have lost 3 straight games but this is a solid Kent State team that returned 4 starters this season while last season's MAC East champions returned just 2 starters. Yes Buffalo comes into this one as the hotter team with 4 straight wins while the Flashes have lost 3 straight. However, you don't think the odds makers were aware of this when they set the line? This is the PERFECT spot for Kent State to bounce back. The Golden Flashes also have lost 4 straight games to the Bulls including a blowout loss by 23 points in their visit here last season. The season prior to that was when Buffalo knocked Kent State out of the MAC Tournament with a 17 point blowout win. Suffice to say the Golden Flashes have had this game circled on their calendars. The Bulls had a great season last year but Kent State truly has closed the gap this season. The fact is, despite recent results, there is no gap now. I am taking the Golden Flashes plus the points but I am expecting the outright upset in a huge revenge game. Kent State is 3-0 ATS when they enter a game on a 3-game losing streak. The Golden Flashes are 3-0 ATS this season as a road dog of 6 or less points and they won all 3 of those games SU! The Bulls are 2-5 ATS when they are off an ATS win this season. 10* KENT STATE |
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01-24-20 | Bucks v. Hornets +14 | Top | 116-103 | Win | 100 | 8 h 50 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #562 Friday 10* Top Play Charlotte Hornets (+) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 3:05 ET (game play in Paris) - Sometimes strange results happen. That was evident in the first meeting between these teams this season. On the final day of November, these teams met in Milwaukee. The Hornets had 5 more shot attempts from the field than the Bucks and yet lost the game by a margin of 41 points! That is helping to offer line value here as now this game is being played on a neutral floor and yet the the line is in the 14 range just like the first meeting at Milwaukee. The fact this game is in Paris makes it practically a "Super Bowl" game for Charlotte. In an otherwise disappointing season, the Hornets know this is an opportunity to win a huge game on "the big stage" in the first ever regular season game played in France. The Hornets are still alive in the Eastern Conference playoff race but odds are not good with the way their season has been going. This includes a current 7-game losing streak for Charlotte while Milwaukee enters this game having won 7 straight. Also, the Bucks have their sights set on an NBA Championship. I foresee them winning this game of course but only by single digits as the Hornets aren't going to go down without a helluva fight. Ugly losses for Charlotte in their two most recent games and also in that first meeting at Milwaukee. Before failing to cover their most recent road game, the Hornets were on a 4-1 ATS run in road games. The Bucks are on a 2-5 ATS run in games in which they are a double digit favorite. Milwaukee is 1-4 ATS this season when off a home win against a divisional foe. The Hornets are 3-0 ATS this season when off a loss against a divisional foe. 10* CHARLOTTE |
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01-23-20 | Minnesota v. Ohio State -8 | Top | 62-59 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 39 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #604 Thursday 10* Top Play Ohio State Buckeyes (-) vs Minnesota Golden Gophers @ 6:30 ET - Situations mean a lot in the outcome of games. The last time the Buckeyes faced the Golden Gophers it was at Minnesota and Ohio State was off a huge home blowout win over Penn State. The Buckeyes ended up getting blown out by the Gophers by double digits. This situation, which of course also now includes a revenge angle for Ohio State, is entirely different. This time the Buckeyes are off a double digit loss at Penn State and are now back home looking to bounce back strong. Ohio State is 10-1 SU in home games this season and allowing just 56.4 points per game there. I know they have struggled overall in recent weeks but look for home cooking to get them back on track in this game. It helps that they're facing a Minnesota team which is just 1-6 SU in road games this season and has allowed 70.9 points per game in those match-ups. Prior to the blowout loss at Minnesota last month, the Buckeyes won the prior two meetings each by 18 or more points! The Golden Gophers were held below 40% from the field in each of those meetings and Minnesota is not going to shoot a ridiculous 54.4% from the field again like they did in last month's meeting. The Buckeyes defense, known for being tough at home, will be in full-on lock-down mode here. 10* OHIO STATE |
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01-22-20 | 76ers +6.5 v. Raptors | Top | 95-107 | Loss | -104 | 11 h 14 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #539 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76'ers (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7 ET - Both teams come into this one on 4-game winning streaks but each have played weak teams so call that a draw. That said, even without Joel Embiid, the Sixers offer great value as a sizable dog in this spot. They were knocked out of the post-season by the Raptors in May. They got some revenge with an early December home win over the Raptors but they did lose their earlier match-up this season at Toronto. The 76ers have a recent history of struggling in games played at Toronto. As a result, look for a highly motivated and intense road dog taking the court at Scotiabank Arena tonight. The Raptors are just 2-4 SU in their last 6 games against teams with a winning record. The Sixers are 10-5 ATS (11-4 SU) this season when off a game in which they scored 115 points or more. Toronto is as high as a 6.5 point favorite in spots this morning but many books have them at -6. I would not be surprised if the line stays there or falls even lower. The Raptors are 3-6 ATS this season when they are a home favorite of 6 points or less. That said, Toronto is in for an all-out war here and I am grabbing the value with the underdog. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-22-20 | Penn State +5 v. Michigan | Top | 72-63 | Win | 100 | 9 h 7 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #787 Wednesday 10* Top Play Penn State Nittany Lions (+) @ Michigan Wolverines @ 7 ET - Yes the Nittany Lions are off a huge win over Ohio State. However, they certainly aren't going to overlook a game at Michigan either. Also, this is Penn State's final game until a week from today so they want to enter this break in the schedule by maintaining momentum after the big win over the Buckeyes. I am happy to challenge Michigan to cover this spread as they are likely to struggle just in terms of getting a SU win here. I say that because the Wolverines have struggled in games with lines in the single digits. Michigan is on a 3-5 SU streak and 2 of those wins were "gimme games" against Presbyterian and UMass-Lowell as the Wolverines were favored by 20+ in each of those contests. As for the other 6 games during this 8-game stretch, Michigan went 1-5 SU and the lone win against a quality opponent was one in which the Wolverines were a bit fortunate in beating Purdue by 6 points as that was a DOUBLE OT game. Michigan's 2nd leading scorer, Isaiah Livers, has been out and has been downgraded to doubtful for tonight's game. That is certainly hurting the Wolverines. Also, Penn State is seeking revenge from losing by a double digit margin in their last visit to Ann Arbor. The Nittany Lions are holding opponents to a 39.5% shooting percentage this season. In Michigan's last 5 games, they have allowed opponents to hit 47.6% from the field and that including the blowout win over UMass-Lowell. That said, note that the Wolverines have allowed 51% shooting or higher from the field in 3 of their last 4 games! 10* PENN STATE |
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01-21-20 | Butler +4.5 v. Villanova | Top | 61-76 | Loss | -101 | 12 h 6 m | Show |
PA Insider - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #601 Tuesday 10* Top Play Butler Bulldogs (+) @ Villanova Wildcats @ 7 ET - The earliest line on this game was Villanova -2.5 and, of course, it jumped up to a 4.5 as of early game day morning. Of course the move makes sense because the Wildcats have won 4 straight meetings between these teams and the Bulldogs enter this game off back to back SU losses even though they were a favorite in each game. You know how I feel about spots like these. I am happy to fade the move here as this Nova team is not as strong as those in recent seasons and yet Butler is very strong this season but coming in undervalued here because they are off those B2B losses. Of course Villanova flashes a perfect home record so the masses jumped all over them laying the short number here. The Bulldogs, prior to their loss at DePaul, were 6-1 SU on the road this season. Also, that was the first time this season that Butler suffered an ATS or SU loss when coming off an ATS loss. That said, look for the Bulldogs to respond here and improve to 5-1 SU and ATS this season when they enter a game off an ATS loss. Villanova drops to 2-7 ATS when they enter a game off a home win. Look for the outright upset here but I am grabbing the points as added insurance. 10* BUTLER |
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01-20-20 | NC State +5 v. Virginia | Top | 53-51 | Win | 100 | 13 h 37 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #873 Monday 10* Top Play NC State Wolfpack (+) @ Virginia Cavaliers @ 7 ET - The Cavaliers knocked the Wolfpack out of the ACC Tourney with a dominating 20 point win in March. Virginia outscored NC State by 21 points from 3-point land and that was the difference in the game as the Wolfpack had a horrible shooting night. This season's NC State is the best Wolfpack team in terms of depth and experience that we have seen in quite some time. That said, I also like the fact that they are knocking down 33% of their threes this season while Virginia has been held to 26.7% from beyond the arc. Of course I respect the Cavs defense but this year's team is a few notches down from recent Cavaliers teams and the Wolfpack are highly motivated here. They view this game as a "measuring stick" game and want to prove they can measure up against a Virginia team that has been a bit of a nemesis for them in recent seasons. I fully expect NC State to do just that! The Cavaliers are off a tight win at Georgia Tech but had previously lost 3 straight games. Also, the Cavs had failed to cover 6 of 7 prior to getting the ATS win against the Yellow Jackets. The Wolfpack are off a non-covering win versus Clemson and are a perfect 5-0 SU and ATS this season when entering a game having failed to cover 2 of their last 3 games. Virginia is 0-9 ATS this season when they enter game having allowed 60 points or less in each of their last two games. Double perfect situation here for the road dog. Grab the points. 10* NC STATE |
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01-20-20 | 76ers v. Nets +2.5 | Top | 117-111 | Loss | -109 | 9 h 17 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #506 Monday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (+) vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 3:05 ET - The Nets have extra motivation against the 76ers and are getting much healthier. They recently welcomed back Kyrie Irving plus Caris LeVert. Additionally, Joe Harris and Garrett Temple - both missed Saturday's blowout loss versus Bucks - are expected back here. So, while the Sixers are still without big man Joel Embiid, Brooklyn is getting healthy again and they are motivated not only by last season's playoff series loss to Philly, the Nets also seek revenge for a loss at Philadelphia last week punctuated by a bad fourth quarter. Brooklyn knows they let one slip away and they want to make up for that here with a huge effort here at home where they blasted the 76ers by a 20 point margin earlier this season. The Sixers are off a tight road win at the Knicks and that was Philadelphia's 5th consecutive ATS loss on the road. Though Philly won the game straight up at New York, they entered that game with a 7-14 SU record on the road this season. Up next for the 76ers is a big game at Toronto - the city where their season ended last year on that playoff series-clinching shot (the infamous one) by Kawhi Leonard. That said, this is a very bad spot for the Sixers and a good one for a Nets team that is home off an ugly loss and getting key rotation players back on the floor. 10* BROOKLYN |
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01-19-20 | Minnesota +5 v. Rutgers | Top | 56-64 | Loss | -105 | 7 h 57 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #843 Sunday 10* Top Play Minnesota Golden Gophers (+) @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights @ 1 ET - I understand where this line came from and why the betting markets are siding with Rutgers. But, of course, in typical contrarian fashion I am on the other side of the move and grabbing the added value. Yes, Minnesota has struggled on the road this season while the Scarlet Knights have been perfect at home. However, the Golden Gophers have played the tougher schedule plus there is plenty of motivation here. Last season Minnesota lost at Rutgers and the prior season the Gophers got knocked out of the Big Ten tourney by the Knights. There is no love lost between these two foes to say the least and I like having the team that is highly motivated and has played a significantly tougher overall schedule so far this season. The Golden Gophers are 6-2 SU and ATS in their last 8 games and one of the two SU losses came by just a 5 points margin. I look for Minnesota to be "in this one" all the way and am expecting the outright upset but will grab the points as added insurance. Note that the Golden Gophers had won 6 of last 8 meetings with Rutgers prior to losing the most recent meeting. Payback time. 10* MINNESOTA |
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01-18-20 | Pistons v. Hawks +2 | Top | 136-103 | Loss | -109 | 15 h 32 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #552 Saturday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (+) vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:35 ET - The Hawks off big upset win at San Antonio last night. With Atlanta in a back to back and Detroit having been off each of the past two days, the Pistons are getting all the attention from the betting markets here. However, Detroit is also off a big upset win at Boston and that was preceded by a 3-15 ATS run for a slumping Pistons team. As for the Hawks, yesterday's win brings them to 6-3 ATS their last 9 games and they're also off back to back straight-up wins and could have Jeff Teague (acquired in trade with Wolves) available tonight as well. Atlanta is starting to build a little momentum and they have revenge against the Pistons thanks to a 25 point loss at Detroit two months ago. Prior to that the Hawks had covered 5 of their last 6 games against the Pistons. Look for them to resume that ATS dominance in this series tonight. 10* ATLANTA |
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01-18-20 | Missouri +7 v. Alabama | Top | 74-88 | Loss | -109 | 9 h 9 m | Show |
SEC Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #689 Saturday 10* Top Play Missouri Tigers (+) @ Alabama Crimson Tide @ 3:30 ET - The Crimson Tide are off a huge win over in-state rival Auburn. That was a huge win for Alabama for more reasons than one. That victory for the Tide handed the rival Tigers their very first loss of the season. Knocking off a highly ranked team that is also a huge rival is going to leave Alabama flat for this battle and that is bad news for Crimson Tide fans. That's because Missouri comes into this one angry after a 27 point beatdown at Mississippi State in their most recent game. The Tigers were off a big win versus Florida and simply fell flat against the Bulldogs. They won't be flat here however as they lost by double digits at home to the Crimson Tide last season so it is payback time here. Also, lets talk about line value here. When Missouri played at Kentucky they were an 8.5 point dog. When Alabama played at Kentucky they were a 10 point dog! These games were played within a week of each other and the lines tell you the odds makers feel the Tigers are the better team! Yet here they are, with the betting markets falling in love with the Crimson Tide, getting a full +7 in this game as of early gameday morning. I'll gladly take the points here as Missouri is undervalued and Alabama is in a true flat spot here. Yes the Crimson Tide have been very hot ATS but they are facing a tough test here with the Tigers and I expect this game to ultimately be decided by only a bucket or two. 10* MISSOURI |
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01-17-20 | Bulls +7.5 v. 76ers | Top | 89-100 | Loss | -109 | 13 h 22 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #531 Friday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (+) @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:05 ET - The line looks low right? A bad Bulls team facing a 76ers team that is 19-2 SU at home this season and yet the line, as of early Friday morning, is only a 7.5 across the board. In typical contrarian fashion I am grabbing the points with the team most won't want! Note that Philadelphia pulled away late for the win and cover against Brooklyn Wednesday. As impressive as the final score may have been, the Nets were actually in that game all the way. The Sixers simply aren't the same team without Joel Embiid and he is currently out with an injury. The Bulls have been scrappy recently and are exactly the type of team that will sneak up on a good team like Philly in a spot like this and give them all sorts of trouble. Chicago has won and covered 2 of its last 3 games and note that the Sixers, prior to their win over Brooklyn, had lost 6 of their past 8 games SU. The Bulls are 8-2 ATS this season when they enter a game having lost 6 or 7 of their past 8 games. The 76ers are 4-7 ATS this season as a home favorite in a range of 6.5 to 12 points. Grab the points with the scrappy underdog in this one. 10* CHICAGO |
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01-17-20 | Wisconsin +9.5 v. Michigan State | Top | 55-67 | Loss | -108 | 12 h 3 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #861 Friday 10* Top Play Wisconsin Badgers (+) @ Michigan State Spartans @ 7 ET - The Spartans just got rolled at Purdue. So now everyone is jumping on Michigan State in a bounce back spot on their home floor. However, how much is too much? In this case I feel strongly that this line has been blown out of proportion. The Badgers have plenty of motivation here and are not an easy team to blowout. Wisconsin has revenge against the Spartans as Michigan State has held the upper hand in their meetings in recent seasons including knocking them out in Big Ten tourney action each of the past two years. Last March the Badgers actually had 15 more shots from the field as they dominated in terms of forcing Spartans turnovers. Wisconsin simply had an awful shooting performance and that was the difference in the game as the Badgers lost by a dozen points. Wisconsin enters this game having won 6 of their past 7 games and the lone loss came by a single point. Michigan State, while it is tempting to back them after their ugly loss to the Boilermakers, actually does not have a good history ATS in spots like this. When off an upset loss by a double digit margin in a game in which they were a favorite, the Spartans are a long-term 7-16 ATS including 1-3 ATS in recent seasons. Off an upset loss by 15 or more points as a road favorite, Michigan State has gone 0-4 ATS in their next game! More of the same here. 10* WISCONSIN |
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01-16-20 | Celtics v. Bucks -8.5 | Top | 123-128 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 31 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #524 Thursday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (-) vs Boston Celtics @ 8:05 ET - What happens when the best team in the NBA is at home and playing with revenge and catching a struggling team off a loss and in the 2nd night of a back to back? You're about to see first-hand that the result is an absolute annihilation! When the Bucks faced the Celtics in Boston on October 30th it was a revenge game for the home team as they had been eliminated by Milwaukee in the playoffs in May. Even with all the motivation and revenge angle for the Celtics, the Bucks still raced out to a 16-point lead at the half. However, Milwaukee then got outscored by 27 points in the second half and lost by double digits. That said, this is payback time for the Bucks and I don't see them being denied. 5 of the last 6 meetings between these teams have been decided by double digits. Also, 4 of the Celtics last 5 losses have come by double digits. 13 of the Bucks last 15 wins have come by a margin of 9 or more points. Milwaukee is 19-2 at home this season while the Celtics are barely above .500 in road games this season. Boston has lost 4 of its last 6 games and the Bucks have the rest edge and are motivated here. Blowout time. 10* MILWAUKEE |
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01-16-20 | Cincinnati +5.5 v. Memphis | Top | 49-60 | Loss | -114 | 13 h 55 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #629 Thursday 10* Top Play Cincinnati Bearcats (+) @ Memphis Tigers @ 7 ET - The Bearcats have won 6 straight meetings between these teams and 8 of the last 9. The lone Cincinnati loss in those 9 games came by a margin of only 4 points. Of course Memphis is highly motivated here as a result but the Tigers will be in an all-out war just to win this game let alone cover the spread. That said, I like the value here with the Bearcats plus the points. Memphis has been struggling on the offensive end and has averaged just 66 points per game in its past 3 games. Cincinnati has averaged 71.5 points per game in its past 6 games. While both teams have been strong defensively this season, the Bearcats have been the better team in the offensive end and the Tigers already have a bit of a "self-doubt complex" when it comes to beating the Cats. They just haven't been able to do it for multiple years now and when a team is pressing to make shots and also feeling the pressure to knock off a team that has been a nemesis, it certainly is not a good combination for success. Memphis is on a 3-7 ATS run in January games. The Bearcats are on an 18-2 SU run in January games and have played the slightly tougher schedule this season in comparison with the Tigers. That said, I'll grab the generous points here. 10* CINCINNATI |
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01-15-20 | Nets v. 76ers -7.5 | Top | 106-117 | Win | 100 | 13 h 17 m | Show |
Atlantic Division Game of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #502 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:05 ET - Perfect set up here. Both teams off losses but the Nets were in action last night. Brooklyn is playing this game with no rest. Philadelphia is off back to back losses and they were off yesterday so they have the rest edge here. Also, Brooklyn got their playoff revenge over the Sixers in the first meeting this season as the Nets blasted the 76ers by a margin of 20 points. Philly hasn't forgotten that game and they are in an angry mood here because they have lost 6 of their past 8 games overall. With Joel Embiid out we're getting line value here as this line is being kept shorter than it would have been of course. That said, I am happy to lay the relatively small number when you consider the situational edges here and the fact that Brooklyn is 1-6 SU in their last 7 road games while the 76ers are 18-2 SU in home games this season. Lay it! 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-15-20 | Virginia +6.5 v. Florida State | Top | 50-54 | Win | 100 | 12 h 3 m | Show |
ACC Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #791 Wednesday 10* Top Play Virginia Cavaliers (+) @ Florida State Seminoles @ 7 ET - This is a tremendous value spot. The Cavaliers are "off the radar" of most everyone because they have lost back to back games and also people remember them getting blasted at Purdue and also losing by double digits as a double digit home favorite versus South Carolina. However, when this Virginia team is "on" and they bring their "A game" they are still a very tough team to play against. That said, we are getting phenomenal line value here. Keep in mind this is a revenge game for the Cavs because Florida State upset them in March. Virginia had more shots from the field in that game but they simply had a horrible shooting night plus the Seminoles dominated the boards. Note that, already evident this season, the Noles are not so dominant on the boards and the Cavaliers actually have the better rebounding margin on the season entering this game. That said, I feel very strongly that the very hungry Cavs - seeking revenge and off B2B losses - have a great shot at the outright upset. The fact we can get the added insurance of at least a half-dozen points here makes the situation even that much stronger. Keep in mind, the Cavaliers are still the vastly superior defense in this match-up and I foresee FSU having a helluva time trying to put them away. Look for the Cavs to be in this one all the way. Grab the generous points. 10* VIRGINIA |
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01-14-20 | Louisville v. Pittsburgh +6 | Top | 73-68 | Win | 100 | 13 h 38 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #604 Tuesday 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Panthers (+) vs Louisville Cardinals @ 7 ET - The Cardinals blasted the Panthers by 18 points in Louisville in early December and they rank among the top teams in the nation. That said, it looks easy to simply take the Cards here laying a rather short number on the road. Not so fast my friends. First off, the Cardinals outscored Pittsburgh by 24 points from 3 point land in the first meeting. That was the difference in the game and that type of disparity is highly unlikely to be repeated again tonight as this time the Cards are on the road. Additionally, Louisville has a huge game on deck with Duke! It is hard for the Cardinals to not be peeking ahead at the big match-up with the Blue Devils. That said, I love the home dog value here with a Panthers team that has been playing solid, competitive basketball ever since that blowout loss at Louisville on December 6th. Pitt, prior to a loss at Miami, had won 4 of 5 games and the lone loss came by a margin of only 4 points. The Cardinals are allowing 68 points per game on the road this season. The Panthers are allowing just 60 points per game at home this season. This one will be an all-out war and I don't see Louisville being able to gain much of (if any) margin in this game. Grab the points with the home dog. 10* PITTSBURGH |
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01-13-20 | Portland State +7 v. Montana | Top | 70-85 | Loss | -110 | 16 h 36 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #861 Monday 10* Top Play Portland State Vikings (+) @ Montana Grizzlies @ 9 ET - The Vikings have the best player on the floor - Holland "Boo Boo" Woods - and he has been in top current form of late too! Woods just scored a career high 30 points in Portland State's win at Montana State on Saturday and that included a game winner in the final seconds. The Grizzlies are playing this game with revenge as they got swept by the Vikings last season. However, revenge and motivation can only take a team so far. The fact is that Montana lost 4 starters from last season's team. The Vikings are going to be tough to beat here and that means great value with the points. People are buying into the double revenge angle and this line has gone from an early opener of a -5 all the way up to a -7. This means additional value with a dangerous road dog that is playing with a lot of heart right now. Portland State is only 5-4 SU their last 9 games but looking at their past 10 games the Vikings have had only 1 loss in 10 games that came by a margin greater than 6 points. In fact, 2 of Portland State's last 3 losses have come by just a bucket. That means we have excellent underdog value here with the Vikings. They are 6-2 ATS as a road dog this season. Montana is 2-5 ATS this season when off a win and they are off a big win at Eastern Washington as a 5.5 point dog. Look for the Grizzlies pattern of faltering off a win to continue here. 10* PORTLAND STATE |
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01-13-20 | Bulls +9.5 v. Celtics | Top | 101-113 | Loss | -104 | 15 h 42 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #561 Monday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 7:35 ET - Bulls are off win at Detroit. While it is true that Chicago had been struggling prior to that, they did have an 18-point lead at Indiana in their prior game before faltering late in the game. That said, I feel the Bulls have been more competitive of late and they are catching the Celtics at the right time to be a dangerous underdog here. Boston is off a huge 140 to 105 win over New Orleans. That is the type of victory that can have a team feeling a little too "fat and happy" and they often have some struggles in their next game after one like that. Note that, prior to that game the Celtics had lost 3 straight games SU. Overall, Boston had lost 4 of 7 games SU prior to the win over the Pelicans. Also, 2 of those 3 wins came by a margin of 7 or less points. Per the above, you can see why I am happy to challenge the Celtics to win this game by double digits. The Bulls lost by 29 points in their lone visit here last year and did get throttled in 2 of the 3 meetings between these teams. That said, they'll be ready to go here! The Bulls stopped the bleeding with their win at Detroit Saturday and Chicago is 7-1 ATS this season when they enter a game having lost 6 or 7 of their past 8 games SU. After ending their losing streak they build some momentum with another strong effort here. Boston is 30-54 ATS long-term (and 1-3 ATS this season) when off a game in which they scored 120 points or more. 10* CHICAGO |
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01-12-20 | Hornets +8 v. Suns | Top | 92-100 | Push | 0 | 16 h 29 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #555 Saturday 10* Top Play Charlotte Hornets (+) @ Phoenix Suns @ 8:05 ET - The Hornets fit the ugly dog theory here. Sure it may seem tough to back them given their record but we're able to fade a Suns team that, in my opinion, is overvalued with this line at 8 points. Note that Phoenix is just 4-11 SU in their last 15 games and NONE of those 4 wins came by more than 8 points. In other words if you bet the Suns at today's line in each of their last 15 games you won exactly ZERO out of 15 bets. It is too much in my opinion. Keep in mind this is also a revenge game for the Hornets since the Suns beat them last month at Charlotte. That victory came by a margin of just 5 points and I expect another very close game here. I also like the fact that the Hornets are off an ugly loss at Utah while the Suns are off a home win over Orlando. Charlotte is 4-4 SU in their last 8 road games and one of those losses came by just a bucket. Also, prior to their loss to the Jazz, the Hornets were on a 2-2 SU run and one of those losses was by just 2 points to the Raptors. The road dog is motivated and ready to go here and they seek revenge plus look to make up for a poor effort at Utah. 10* CHARLOTTE |
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01-12-20 | Michigan State v. Purdue +4 | Top | 42-71 | Win | 100 | 8 h 5 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #822 Sunday 10* Top Play Purdue Boilermakers (+) vs Michigan State Spartans @ Noon ET - The Boilermakers are catching the Spartans at the perfect time for an upset. Michigan State comes into this game red hot as they are 5-0 in Big Ten action this season and also on an overall 8-game winning streak. Every other Big Ten team already has at least 2 losses in Big Ten action. One of those Big Ten teams, Wisconsin, is on deck for the Spartans and that makes this a potential trap game for Michigan State. That's because Purdue is better than their recent results would lead you to believe. The Boilermakers have lost 2 straight games and 4 of their last 7 but this is still a team that is 7-1 in home games this season. The Spartans are 1-6 ATS in road games this season. The home team has won each of the last 4 meetings SU and I would not be surprised to see an outright upset here from the home dog. Also note that Michigan State has covered just once in its last six meetings with Purdue! The Boilermakers have won 17 of their past 20 January games and get back on track with a big win here. Grab the points though for added insurance should the fall just short of the outright upset. 10* PURDUE |
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01-11-20 | Bulls v. Pistons -3.5 | Top | 108-99 | Loss | -110 | 20 h 20 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #534 Saturday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (-) vs Chicago Bulls @ 7:05 ET - The Bulls are off another loss yesterday. Not only is this a back to back spot for Chicago but they have also lost 6 straight games both SU and ATS. Look for that trend to continue here for the Bulls as they face an angry Pistons team that just lost in overtime on their home floor against the Cavaliers on Thursday. Yes it is true that Detroit hasn't been winning much of late either but they had won 2 of 3 before that loss to Cleveland and certainly they have a big edge here playing at home and catching the Bulls in a tough scheduling spot. Also this is a big-time revenge spot as Chicago has won all 3 meetings so far this season. Pistons have something to say about that today and I look for them to avenge those losses in a big way! 10* DETROIT |
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01-11-20 | Southern Miss +10 v. Texas-San Antonio | Top | 70-80 | Push | 0 | 17 h 53 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #677 Saturday 10* Top Play Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (+) @ UTSA Roadrunners @ 4 ET - This one sets up perfectly in my opinion. I am very aware of the fact that Southern Miss has gotten off to a rough start this season but the Eagles have played a tougher schedule than the Runners. Also, they enter this game off B2B road losses and very hungry. As for UTSA, they are off a huge upset win as the Roadrunners knocked off Louisiana Tech as a 6.5 point dog on Thursday. The Roadrunners won that game by a double digit margin. The Bulldogs team that UTSA just beat is the same one that just blasted the Golden Eagles in back to back meetings. But, as the saying goes, that is why they play the games! In other words, don't be surprised if Southern Mississippi pulls off a shocker here. I like the fact that the Runners opened up an 8.5 and are now a double digit favorite here. The Golden Eagles won both meetings last season. As a general rule, when you go against a team that is now favored by double digits after they are off an upset win by a double digit margin is a VERY strong play. I am grabbing the big dog here and look for UTSA to come out flat in this game. Look for the Runners to struggle just to win this game let alone cover the big spread. 10* SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI |
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01-10-20 | Heat v. Nets +3.5 | Top | 113-117 | Win | 100 | 13 h 51 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #512 Friday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (+) vs Miami Heat @ 7:35 ET - I am well aware of the fact that the Nets have lost 7 straight games but there is a reason the Heat are such a small favorite here. The fact is that Miami is in a tough situational spot as they are coming off a big win at Indiana Wednesday. As for Brooklyn, they have been off since Tuesday so they hold the rest edge here. Adding to that rest edge is that the Nets were at home Tuesday while the Heat haven't played consecutive games in the same city the past two weeks and are on the road again here. The home team is a perfect 3-0 ATS the last 3 meetings between these teams. Also, Miami had lost 3 of 5 most recent road games prior to the big win over the Pacers Wednesday. The Heat are 1-5 SU this season when off an upset win as an underdog. Also, Miami is a long-term 3-11 SU when off an outright win by a double digit margin in a game in which they were an underdog. Brooklyn is 5-0 ATS this season as a home underdog and 4 of those wins have been outright wins. The Nets are also a perfect 6-0 in Friday games this season. Look for these trends to all continue here! 10* BROOKLYN |
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01-10-20 | Maryland v. Iowa +2 | Top | 49-67 | Win | 100 | 11 h 21 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #838 Friday 10* Top Play Iowa Hawkeyes (+) vs Maryland Terrapins @ 7 ET - The Hawkeyes have lost some players they would certainly rather have right now as Jordan Bohannon is out for the season and CJ Fredrick is listed as doubtful for this game. However, Iowa has adequate rest heading into this game and will be able to heavily use the players they do have available and I believe this line was set the way it was (pick'em) with good reason. Since opening up at just a pick it has moved to -2 (and as high as -2.5) on Maryland. However, the Terrapins are ranked #12 in the nation and are healthier than the Hawkeyes and yet the line opened up as a pick'em. Do you think the odds makers are crazy? Of course they are not! This game was priced this way with good reason and I like backing Iowa off back to back tight losses. Also, in terms of meetings with the Terrapins, the Hawkeyes are playing this game with revenge including a 1-point home loss versus Maryland last season. I sense and upset here. Iowa is catching the Terrapins off back to back big wins over Indiana and Ohio State. Also, Maryland has a perceived "tougher game" on deck at Wisconsin. That make this game, especially with the Terrapins off the win over the Buckeyes, a spot with "upset potential" for sure. In true road games this season (not neutral site), Maryland is 0-3 ATS. Also, the Terrapins are 2-6 ATS when off B2B Big Ten wins. When the posted total is in the 140s this season, Iowa is 7-2 SU and ATS. When off a road loss in Big Ten action, the Hawkeyes are 10-5 ATS. All these trends continue here on Friday. 10* IOWA |
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01-09-20 | Cavs +7 v. Pistons | Top | 115-112 | Win | 100 | 17 h 9 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #501 Thursday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) @ Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - The Cavaliers had a double digit lead going to the fourth quarter against the Pistons on Tuesday but ended up losing the game by a bucket. It is payback time now and I don't foresee Cleveland being denied at Detroit in this one. Yes the Pistons have the better record on the season but they certainly are a different team without Blake Griffin. Also, the Pistons are just 6-11 SU in their last 17 games and only 2 of those wins came by more than 7 points and 1 of those was by just 8 points. The point is that the likelihood of a blowout by a double digit margin here for Detroit is very slim. I like the big points with the Cavaliers as despite still enduring some losses they have been much more competitive of late. Cleveland is just 4-6 SU their last 10 games but 2 of their last 4 losses have been by a margin of 3 or less points. Upset alert here! But grab the points as added insurance. The Cavaliers are 6-3 ATS in games in which the posted total is 220 points or more this season. The Pistons are 1-7 SU and ATS after a game this season in which they scored 115 points or more. 10* CLEVELAND |
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01-09-20 | Purdue +5.5 v. Michigan | Top | 78-84 | Loss | -110 | 16 h 55 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #613 Thursday 10* Top Play Purdue Boilermakers (+) @ Michigan Wolverines @ 7 ET -Â How often does a team score just 37 points? Not very often of course! Also, how often is a team held below 40 points in a game plus ending up on the wrong end of the scoreboard by a margin of more than 25 points? Even less often of course! I love backing quality teams that are coming off a "loss for the ages" and that is case here for Purdue after they were blasted 63 to 37 at Illinois in their most recent game. Michigan is off a loss too but it is of a different variety. The Wolverines are off a crushing loss at the hands of their biggest rivals, Michigan State, and that sets this one up well. Look for the Boilermakers to come out angry and focused while the Wolverines will still be lamenting their ugly loss to the Spartans, their most hated rivals. Give me the points in a spot like this. In terms of additional situational support, I like the fact that Purdue lost by 19 points at Michigan last season and the fact that this followed the Boilermakers getting bounced from the Big Ten Tourney by the Wolverines the prior season. Double revenge spot here! The Boilers are 5-0 SU the last 5 times they have entered a game off a road loss by a double digit margin. The Wolverines are 0-3 ATS in their last 3 games with a single digit line. Michigan's only impressive victories of late have been in games in which they were favored by 20 or more points. Once again, in a game projected to be a close one, I am happy to go against the Wolverines as they drop to 0-4 ATS their L4 games with a single digit line. 10* PURDUE |
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01-08-20 | Rockets v. Hawks +8 | Top | 122-115 | Win | 100 | 17 h 39 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #574 Wednesday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (+) vs Houston Rockets @ 7:35 ET - Russell Westbrook will miss this game as he rests up for a big game against his former team, Oklahoma City, tomorrow. That sets this one up well for a potential Hawks upset. I know Atlanta is off a home loss to Denver but they entered that game having gone 2-1 SU and 3-0 ATS their 3 prior games. They have a shot here against the Rockets whom already could be thinking a bit about tomorrow's game. As for the Hawks, they are sure to be fully focused. Atlanta got thoroughly embarrassed in a 158-111 shellacking at Houston earlier this season. Teams don't forget about a beating like that and you will see a VERY focused effort from the Hawks in this one. The Rockets numbers on defense are a lot worse when on the road while Atlanta's numbers on defense are much better when at home. The fact we're getting big points here in a game in which the home dog Hawks are absolutely going to be hell-bent on revenge has me elevating this play to my highest level. Grab the generous points. 10* ATLANTA |
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01-07-20 | Pistons v. Cavs +3 | Top | 115-113 | Win | 100 | 17 h 10 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #552 Tuesday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - Tough spot for the Pistons. They just came back east from a tough road trip out West including wrapping up a game Sunday night versus the Lakers in Los Angeles. Also, Blake Griffin has been announced as out for this game and might even end up choosing season ending knee surgery. I know the Cavs come into this one as losers of 4 straight games but they also have a road trip on deck that will mean Cleveland's next home game is almost two weeks away. Look for the Cavaliers to make the most of this home game. They also have revenge on their minds here as they got blasted by 33 points by the Pistons right here in Cleveland in their most recent meeting which was just last month. Detroit enters this game having lost 9 of their last 11 so, as much as the Cavs have struggled, I still like the home dog here when you consider how tough of a spot this is for the Pistons. The team is really down and out with Griffin now on the shelf. 10* CLEVELAND |
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01-07-20 | Ohio State +2.5 v. Maryland | Top | 55-67 | Loss | -110 | 16 h 13 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #607 Tuesday 10* Top Play Ohio State Buckeyes (+) @ Maryland Terrapins @ 7 ET - The Buckeyes are off back to back losses and did struggle against Wisconsin in their first game without Kyle Young. However, I fully expect a bounce back effort as they'll be better adjusted in their 2nd game without him. Also, this is a double revenge spot for Ohio State as they lost both games against Maryland last season. The Terrapins are off B2B wins and the Buckeyes are off B2B losses. That sets this one up perfectly. Note that prior to covering their most recent win, the Terps had failed to cover 4 straight games. Ohio State lost both games against Maryland last season by a double digit margin. They haven't forgotten that and the Buckeyes are very hungry here off back to back losses. They catch the Terrapins at the right time for the upset since Maryland is off a big win over Indiana in Big Ten action. The Buckeyes are 1-2 in Big Ten action and the Terrapins 2-1. Time to do something about that here! Both teams are strong defensively but the Buckeyes have been the better shooting team this season and I expect a huge game from them here which means we have strong value with the road dog. 10* OHIO STATE |
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01-06-20 | West Virginia v. Oklahoma State +1.5 | Top | 55-41 | Loss | -105 | 19 h 59 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #864 Monday 10* Top Play Oklahoma State Cowboys (+) vs West Virginia Mountaineers @ 9 ET - Both teams off losses but, while the Mountaineers are off a tight hard-fought loss to Kansas, the Cowboys are off an absolutely embarrassing beating at Texas Tech. As a result I look for Oklahoma State to be the hungrier team and they will respond very well at home in this match-up. Yes, West Virginia is the ranked team but they are laying a small number in this game in what absolutely looks like a "trap spot" for the Mountaineers. Also, note that West Virginia is actually on a 5-14 SU run in January games. Additionally, the Mountaineers are 0-5 SU when they are off a game in which they were held to 55 points or less! That is the opposite of what you might expect but of course the numbers do not lie. The Cowboys are 8-3 ATS (and SU) when off a loss by a margin of 15 points or more. Big response from the home team here so don't be fooled by the fact that the ranked team is hardly favored here. 10* OKLAHOMA STATE |
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01-06-20 | Thunder v. 76ers -6.5 | Top | 113-120 | Win | 100 | 17 h 41 m | Show |
NBA TV Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #540 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 7:05 ET - No team in the NBA seems to need a home game as bad as the Sixers right now and I expect them to make the most of it. Philadelphia enters this game off of 4 straight losses - all on the road - and this included 2 by a single point. Keep in mind, the 76ers are now back home where they are 16-2 SU this season. I look for the hungry Sixers to bounce right back with a big win on their home floor and cover the number along the way in this one. Give the Thunder credit for sure as they have won 5 straight games but 4 of the victories were tight ones by slim margins and they are facing a truly tough road test in this one. Note that Oklahoma City's last 4 losses have come by an average margin of 9.5 points and only 1 of the 4 defeats came by a margin less than 7 points. The Sixers are hungry for revenge here as they lost at Oklahoma City in November despite outrebounding the Thunder by double digits and despite also attempting 14 more shots from the field than OKC did. It was simply "one of those nights" and now it is payback time for the 76ers. Lay the very fair number here with Philly and look for a home blowout in this one as the Thunder finally tire out. Oklahoma City is in the midst of a stretch that has them playing 6 of 7 games on the road and they are at Brooklyn tomorrow night for their 4th road game in 6 nights. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-05-20 | Blazers v. Heat -5.5 | Top | 111-122 | Win | 100 | 15 h 24 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #526 Sunday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (-) vs Portland Trail Blazers @ 6:05 ET - The Heat are 16-1 SU at home this season. They are coming off an ugly road loss by 20 points at Orlando. The Blazers are 7-12 SU on the road this season. They are coming off a big win at Washington Friday. Portland also covered that game but they previously were on an 0-5 SU and ATS run. Miami won both match-ups with the Trail Blazers last season and each win came by at least 9 points. I am happy to lay the short number here (early line of -5.5) because each of the Blazers last 9 games have been decided by 6 or more points. As for the Heat, they have had some tighter games of late but when off a loss by a margin of 9 or more points, they have won their next game by 8 or more points in each of the last 6 instances. Look for that record to improve to 7-0 here and, of course, a win by 8 or more points means we're cashing our ticket in this one. Miami is a perfect 9-0 SU this season when off a loss. Given that and give their 16-1 SU home record, you can see why I am happy to lay a small number and back the Heat in this one as they respond again off a loss with a big home win. 10* MIAMI |
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01-05-20 | St. John's +8 v. Xavier | Top | 67-75 | Push | 0 | 13 h 2 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #835 Sunday 10* Top Play St John's Red Storm (+) @ Xavier Musketeers @ 4:30 ET - The Red Storm have upgraded Mustapha Heron to probable for this game. They are 9-2 in games he has played this season and one of the two losses came by just two points. The senior guard will pay big dividends against Xavier in this match-up. St John's is a scrappy, hard-nosed team that plays solid defense. They are exactly the type of scrappy underdog I like to have in a spot like this catching significant points and with the X-factor (Heron coming back) being included in the situation. The Red Storm won't back down in this game and they catch Xavier off a hard-fought loss to Villanova. The Musketeers may have trouble responding off that loss and this is a team that has been under-performing ATS as they have failed to cover 6 of their past 9 games. The Red Storm have been the much better team ATS this season and the fact that Xavier has won 9 straight meetings between these teams has led to even more line value here as the Musketeers are priced higher than they should be. The underdog goes all out here and gets a boost from Heron and they are in this game all the way to the very end in a game likely decided by just a possession or two when all is said and done. 10* ST JOHN'S |
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01-04-20 | Thunder v. Cavs +6.5 | Top | 121-106 | Loss | -108 | 14 h 29 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #508 Saturday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 7:35 ET - I like fading the Thunder off a big win at San Antonio Thursday. The Cavaliers have a bad record of course but they have actually been much more competitive of late. Cleveland is coming off a tight 3-point home loss to Charlotte on Thursday. I am aware of the Larry Nance injury but the Cavs still offer tremendous home dog value in this spot. Like I said, Cleveland has been more competitive of late and they are 3-3 SU in their last 6 home games with NONE of those 3 losses coming by more than 6 points! Overall the Cavs had won 3 straight home games prior to the loss to the Hornets Thursday. Also, though the Thunder have been winning games they have not been winning by big margins. Oklahoma City is 8-3 SU in their last 11 games. However, 7 of the 8 wins came by 6 or less points. That means if you had laid the current number (6.5) on this game in each of the past 11 games for the Thunder you would have won just ONCE in their past 11 games. Look for another close win for OKC here (ATS win here for Cleveland) or perhaps even another SU home win for Cavaliers as I would not be surprised to see them get the outright upset in this game. 10* CLEVELAND |
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01-04-20 | Villanova v. Marquette | Top | 60-71 | Win | 100 | 9 h 30 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #650 Saturday 10* Top Play Marquette Golden Eagles (-) vs Villanova Wildcats @ 2 ET - Here is a classic case of contrarian viewpoint which is a big part of my handicapping style. Here you have a ranked team that only has 1 loss on the season and so they look like an easy pick over a unranked team that has 3 losses on the season. Yes, Marquette is at home but they have 3 losses - all by 17 points or more - and Villanova has just one loss this season and it came by a single digit margin. These are the types of games that tend to persuade the majority of bettors to one side and that is most often when I am on the other side. Give me the Golden Eagles at home as they bounce back off an ugly loss at Creighton and they catch the Wildcats off a hard-fought win over Xavier. When Marquette is at home and off an ATS loss they have won SU all 3 times this season. Also, the Wildcats are off B2B hard-fought wins (SU and ATS to the closing numbers) but they had previously lost 6 in a row ATS. Value here on the home team to simply win the game! 10* MARQUETTE |
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01-03-20 | Temple v. Tulsa +3.5 | Top | 44-70 | Win | 100 | 19 h 20 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #874 Friday 10* Top Play Tulsa Golden Hurricane (+) vs Temple Owls @ 9 ET - Not only is Tulsa 3-1 ATS in the last 4 meetings between these teams, one of Temple's SU wins in those 4 meetings came by just a single point. I love the value here with the Golden Hurricane getting nearly 2 buckets at home after this line opened up at a -2. I understand the move as the Owls are off to a great start this season and I have actually backed them multiple times. However, this is the perfect spot to fade them as they are now over-valued. Temple barely snuck by Central Florida for a win on New Year's Eve. Now they are trying to win back to back road games even though they are on shorter rest than Tulsa. Also, note that the Golden Hurricane are extra hungry after a 2-point loss as an 8-point dog in their most recent game. Tulsa is a perfect 4-0 SU and ATS in recent home meetings with Temple. The Owls drop to 0-3 ATS the last 3 times they have been off a loss in which they allowed 61 points or less. The Golden Hurricane improve to 4-1 ATS the last 5 times they have played in a game with a line in the single digits (dog or fave). Look for Tulsa to again thrive as an underdog and also to continue their home dominance of Temple. The Owls have been great on defense this season but the Golden Hurricane also have played well on that end of the floor and plus are shooting 47.6% from the field in home games while Temple is shooting just 38.8% from the field in road games. 10* TULSA |
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01-03-20 | 76ers +4.5 v. Rockets | Top | 108-118 | Loss | -105 | 18 h 56 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #569 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Houston Rockets @ 8:05 ET - This is the perfect spot to back the Sixers. They are off 3 straight losses. The first two defeats came by just a single point. The third one was an ugly one as Joel Embiid sat out with a sore knee and Philadelphia got blasted at Indiana. Embiid is expected back tonight and is no longer even listed on the injury report. The 76ers are catching the Rockets off a huge home win over Denver. Prior to that big victory for Houston, they had failed to cover 4 of their past 5 home games. The 76ers, despite the recent losses, have covered 4 of their past 5 games and had won 3 in a row straight up prior to the recent defeats. The Sixers have covered 4 of their last 5 games against Houston. The Rockets are 1-6 ATS last 7 January games and each of these teams is playing their first game of the new year. For Philly, this is their final game of a 4-game road trip and, after losing their first three, they are hell bent on getting the win here. Even if they do fall short of the SU win I would expect this one will go down to the wire in a very competitive game. I am expecting the outright upset but grabbing the points as added insurance here should the 76ers fall just short in their upset bid. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-02-20 | Raptors v. Heat -5.5 | Top | 76-84 | Win | 100 | 20 h 12 m | Show |
NBA TV Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #550 Thursday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (-) vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:35 ET - The Heat are a fantastic 15-1 SU at home this season. Miami enters this game off a SU loss at Washington. The Heat have been great when coming off a loss. The last 5 times the Heat are off a SU loss they have gone 4-1 ATS and a perfect 5-0 SU. I look for them to once again respond off a defeat and get the win here. Considering the current line on this game is only 5.5 the odds favor a SU win also equating to an ATS cover. The Raptors are off a big win but it came against a horrible Cleveland team. Prior to that Toronto had lost 3 of 4. Also, the Raptors continue to be without Siakam and also are now without Powell and Gasol too. The healthier team at home and in a strong situation is the play here. 10* MIAMI |
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01-02-20 | Minnesota +7.5 v. Purdue | Top | 78-83 | Win | 100 | 19 h 12 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #617 Thursday 10* Top Play Minnesota Golden Gophers (+) @ Purdue Boilermakers @ 7 ET - The Golden Gophers should have guard Payton Willis back for this game. Whether he plays or not though, I love the big dog value being offered with Minnesota in this one. The Golden Gophers have won each of the last two meetings with Purdue. I know that makes this a revenge game for the Boilermakers but Minnesota is playing very well right now and will be tough to beat in this game. That said, I like the big points being offered. Keep in mind, the Golden Gophers have won 3 straight games and they won all 3 by a double digit margin even though they were an underdog in 2 of the 3 contests! The Boilermakers are just 4-3 SU in their last 7 games and one of those 3 losses was as a double digit favorite. Minnesota has been the better shooting team this season. Purdue has the better defensive numbers on the season but the edge there is not huge. Plus the Boilermakers have allowed 70 points in 2 of their last 3 games. The Gophers have allowed 66 points or less in 5 of their past 8 games. 10* MINNESOTA |
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01-01-20 | South Florida v. SMU -6.5 | Top | 64-82 | Win | 100 | 5 h 27 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #828 Wednesday 10* Top Play SMU Mustangs (-) vs South Florida Bulls @ 5 ET - The Bulls leading scorer is David Collins and he missed their most recent game. Though I do expect the junior guard to be back for this game, he will not be 100% as his ankle has been bothering him. The Mustangs are the better shooting team and the better team defensively and they are at home here. Though Southern Methodist won the most recent match-up between these teams they did lose their most recent home game versus South Florida by a single point last season. They haven't forgotten that and are seeking revenge here. I like the fact that the Mustangs have been so strong defensively and the only reason that their recent win against Georgia State was as close (9 points) as it was related to the fact that the Panthers kept hitting late threes. Overall SMU does a very good job defending the 3. By the way, Southern Methodist hitting close to 80% from the free throw line while USF is hitting just 60% from the free throw line. Look for the Mustangs to pull away as this one goes on. 10* SMU |
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12-31-19 | 76ers -1 v. Pacers | Top | 97-115 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 16 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #525 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Indiana Pacers @ 3:05 ET - The 76ers are off back to back heartbreaking 1 point losses. They have had two days off to stew about those defeats. They can't wait to get back on the floor and take care of business. Since this game is a road game against a respectable Pacers team we're getting line value in a situation that is a great spot to back the Sixers. Keep in mind, Philadelphia has won 3 straight games over Indiana by an average margin of 14.7 points per game and the 76ers are very hungry here. The Pacers are on a 1-3 SU and ATS run and have allowed 116 points per game during this stretch. The Sixers have been playing the better defense of these two teams and they won't be denied in this road contest as the 76ers knock off Indiana for the 4th straight time. Keep in mind the Pacers Macolm Brogdon is dealing with a hamstring injury and, of course, the Pacers still without Victor Oladipo too. That has been the case for months but they are simply not the same team without him. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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12-31-19 | Temple -2 v. UCF | Top | 62-58 | Win | 100 | 6 h 44 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #793 Tuesday 10* Top Play Temple Owls (-) @ UCF Knights @ 2 ET - After a long layoff, first game in 10 days for each team, the importance of defense is even greater as both teams are likely to struggle to find their shooting rhythm early on. That said, I look for the Owls to prevail in this one. They have lost recent visits to UCF as this series continues to be dominated by the host. However, this looks like the ideal spot for Temple to break that streak. The Owls have responded very well under new head coach Aaron McKie. Additionally, Temple is the much better defense in this match-up. They are allowing just 62 points per game on 36% shooting and only 28% from beyond the arc. The Knights are actually allowing 68 points per game in home games this season. Also, Central Florida has allowed 42% shooting including 32% from 3-point land in home games this season. Those are still solid numbers but the Owls hold the edge as you can see and they have really bought into McKie's system following the retirement of long time head coach Fran Dunphy. Crazy stats have cost the Owls in their last two visits to UCF. Last season saw the Knights hit a ridiculous 60% from the field and the prior season's match-up at Central Florida saw the Owls shoot only 32% from the field. It is no wonder that Temple lost both those games and they make up for it in this visit as the Knights are still trying to get over a 1-point loss at Oklahoma prior to their Christmas break. 10* TEMPLE |
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12-30-19 | Xavier +5.5 v. Villanova | Top | 62-68 | Loss | -101 | 14 h 6 m | Show |
TV Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #725 Monday 10* Top Play Xavier Musketeers (+) @ Villanova Wildcats @ 6:30 ET - Revenge game for Xavier. I am well aware of the fact that Villanova has had their number in recent meetings and that this is particularly true when the Wildcats have the home court edge. However, the Musketeers have just two losses this season and each were by 5 or less points and Villanova is truly not quite as strong this season as they have been in other recent seasons. Remember the Wildcats have already been blasted by Ohio State this seasons and they lost by 9 points to Baylor. I project Villanova to have their hands full here with a Xavier team seeking revenge for a mid-March loss to the Wildcats. The Musketeers covered that game as they lost by just 4 as a 7 point dog. I look for the outright upset here but if Xavier does again fall just short look for it to be by just a bucket. Grab the points. The Musketeers catch the Wildcats off their big win over Kansas prior to Christmas. Prior to that victory Villanova had lost 6 straight games ATS. The ATS losing pattern resumes here for the Cats. 10* XAVIER |
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12-29-19 | Thunder +4 v. Raptors | Top | 98-97 | Win | 100 | 9 h 44 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #501 Sunday 10* Top Play Oklahoma City Thunder (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 6:05 ET - The Thunder have a huge scheduling edge here. Oklahoma City was off yesterday while the Raptors were at Boston. Big upset win for Toronto yesterday as they beat the Celtics by double digits even though they were a sizable underdog. That said, this is the perfect spot to fade the Raptors. The Thunder are playing with confidence as they won again Friday. What was most impressive about that win from my standpoint is that OKC won the game despite making just 5 of 31 from 3-point land. That is an impressive feat. That was the 5th win for Oklahoma City in their past 8 games. Also, the Thunder have won 5 of their past 8 road games. Don't be surprised if they step up again here for a road win. The road team won both games between these teams last season and the Thunder have won consecutive visits to Toronto. The Raptors are off back to back big games with the Celtics and the win at Boston yesterday will leave Toronto very flat for this game. Grab the points! The Thunder are 8-4 ATS as a road dog this season. The Raptors are 1-2 ATS the last 3 times they've played the 2nd game of a back to back and the lone win was a SU loss! Upset alert! 10* OKLAHOMA CITY |
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12-29-19 | Arkansas +5.5 v. Indiana | Top | 71-64 | Win | 100 | 8 h 6 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #679 Sunday 10* Top Play Arkansas Razorbacks (+) @ Indiana Hoosiers @ 6 ET - The Razorbacks are playing this game with revenge from a March Madness loss to the Hoosiers. These teams met in the regular season last year too. Both games were decided by 3 or less points and the average margin of the 2 games was just 2 points. I like the value here with this line now spiking up to 5.5 points. The Razorbacks not have revenge here, their defense has been fantastic this season. Arkansas is allowing just 59.5 points per game and only 21.8% from three point land! I am going to grab the points here with the revenge-minded Razorbacks as their strong defense leads the way to victory here. I am expecting the SU outright upset but if Arkansas does fall short look for it again be a game decided by 3 or less points. The Razorbacks are a long-term 11-2 ATS when playing with 7 or more days of rest between games. Hoosiers are off a tight win over Notre Dame as a small favorite in their most recent game. Indiana is a long-term 9-18 ATS in games against SEC opponents. 10* ARKANSAS |
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12-28-19 | 76ers +1 v. Heat | Top | 116-117 | Push | 0 | 12 h 56 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #563 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Miami Heat @ 8:05 ET - Perfect set-up here. The 76ers are off a 1-point loss yesterday. The Heat are off a 1-point win yesterday. Philadelphia has revenge as the Heat handed the 76ers their first home loss of the season 10 days ago in Philly. It is payback time here. The Sixers had beaten Miami SU in 6 of their last 7 meetings that preceded the home loss a week and a half ago. The 76ers, prior to a blowout loss in their last visit to Miami, had gone 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games in South Florida. The Heat are 2-4 ATS the last 6 times they have been off a win by a margin of 11 or less points. The Sixers respond off yesterday's loss and get revenge. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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12-28-19 | Louisville +2 v. Kentucky | Top | 70-78 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 2 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #629 Saturday 10* Top Play Louisville Cardinals (+) @ Kentucky Wildcats @ 3:45 ET - The Wildcats are at home and have dominated this series in recent seasons. Kentucky has won the last two games by an average margin of 21 points per game. Yet the line on this one, even though it is being played in Lexington, was a pick'em. As expected, everyone piling on UK here and the line is up to a -2. In typical contrarian fashion, I am on the other side of the move. The Cardinals are the better team so far this season and I expect that to play out as such on Saturday afternoon. Kentucky is off back to back losses while the Cards have just one loss this entire season. Louisville has been the better team on defense this season and they also have been the better shooting team including much better from three point land. The Cardinals have been hot ATS and they are 9-3 ATS the last dozen time they have entered a game having covered 4 of their last 5 games. That is the situation here and I expect another ATS cover to come via an outright upset in this game. Look for the Cards to knock off a Wildcats team which has a history of poor ATS performances in a situation like this. Kentucky drops to a long-term 4-8 ATS when entering a game off B2B close losses (by a margin of 6 or less points). 10* LOUISVILLE |
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12-27-19 | 76ers -2.5 v. Magic | Top | 97-98 | Loss | -109 | 11 h 53 m | Show |
NBA TV Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #547 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - At first glance this looks like a great spot to fade the Sixers. After all, the 76ers are off a huge win over the NBA-best Bucks on Christmas Day plus Philly has a revenge game on deck at Miami tomorrow night. However, upon closer inspection, there is really no way in the world you can pass up on this chance to take Philadelphia laying a small number at Orlando. Why? I say that because the 76ers also have revenge against the Magic. Yes, the Sixers lost at Orlando earlier this season and guess what ladies and gentlemen...that is the ONE AND ONLY time this season that the Magic have beaten a decent team. All their other wins this season came against teams that not only have a losing record on the season as of now...they are all teams that are well below .500 on the season! We're getting a short number with the 76ers here because of the Bucks - Heat sandwich that they are in. I won't hesitate to take advantage because the Magic have shown a consistent inability to beat good teams with one exception this season. The fact that the lone exception - in a season that is already 30 games in - came against the Sixers is what sweetens this spot even more. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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12-26-19 | Knicks +7.5 v. Nets | Top | 94-82 | Win | 100 | 12 h 2 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #537 Thursday 10* Top Play New York Knicks (+) @ Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - The Nets are off a win and are the better team but look for the layoff to hurt them here. While the Knicks were in action on Monday, Brooklyn has not played since Saturday. Rest is a good thing generally but not when it is too much. Look for New York to be rested but look for the Nets to be rusty. That makes a difference here. There is a bit of a rivalry here between these two teams and I love having a sizable dog in a spot like this. Keep in mind each of the first two meetings between these teams this season have been decided by 4 or less points. Brooklyn has won 4 straight meetings SU and the Knicks are hell-bent on getting revenge here. While the Nets are off a win, New York has lost 3 straight SU and ATS but they faced some tough match-ups and plus this was preceded by a 4-0 ATS run for the Knicks. I look for them to come up with a huge game in this spot after falling just short against the Wizards. Keep in mind New York's two prior games were against tough teams - the Bucks and Heat. 10* NEW YORK |
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12-25-19 | Georgia Tech v. Hawaii +1.5 | Top | 70-53 | Loss | -103 | 26 h 59 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #826 Wednesday 10* Top Play Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (+) vs Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ 6:30 ET - The Yellow Jackets could have some trouble with motivation here and I love fading the line move in this one as the Rainbow Warriors have gone from being the favorite to being the dog in this one. Keep in mind Georgia Tech came here to win this tourney not to be playing for 3rd place. As for Hawaii, this is nothing new. They have NEVER played in the Championship Game of this tournament which has been going for a bout a decade now. But Hawaii has won 3rd place twice in recent seasons (2014 and 2015). In other words, they are at home and playing for pride on their home floor and have proven in the past that they can get up for a game like this. I also love the fact that the Warriors shot horrifically bad in their their loss to a ranked Washington team on Monday. That is why Hawaii lost the game by 11 points despite having 22 more shots from the field than the Huskies had! Sometimes crazy things happen in these games and the key to capitalizing is to catch the "rebound effect". In this case look for the Warriors to "bounce back" after that unusually bad shooting night on their home floor. I know that Georgia Tech has played the tougher schedule this season but the situational edges for Hawaii are the key to the value in this one. I don't see the Warriors being denied. They had won 7 of 9 before the loss to Washington. The Jackets have lost 4 of their past 5 games and all 4 defeats have come by a double digit margin. Motivated home team is the play here and they earn 3rd place for the 3rd time in the past 6 Christmas tournaments. 10* HAWAII |
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12-25-19 | Bucks v. 76ers +3.5 | Top | 109-121 | Win | 100 | 21 h 47 m | Show |
TV Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #526 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) vs Bucks @ 2:35 ET - The Bucks look like an easy choice here and, sure enough, after opening up at a -2 Milwaukee's line got driven higher. However, it was priced this way for a reason and I am grabbing the home dog. The Sixers had avoided a home loss all season before recent back to back losses. However, they have bounced back overall with back to back wins, one at home and one on the road and Philly is ready to go here in this "barometer test" game. The Sixers are anxious to see how they stack up with the NBA best Bucks and I am expecting a huge effort from Philadelphia at home in this one. Milwaukee is off a big win over the Pacers and they are 1-3 ATS this season when off a home win over a divisional foe. The Bucks are 1-3 ATS as a road favorite of 6 or less points. The 76ers are 4-2 ATS this season as an underdog. Philly is on a long-term 6-2 ATS run as a home dog. The Sixers lost to the Bucks in their most recent meeting and are hungry for revenge in this one. Milwaukee has allowed 111.2 points per game in its last 5 road games. The 76ers have allowed just 101 points per game at home this season. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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12-23-19 | Raptors v. Pacers -5.5 | Top | 115-120 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 20 m | Show |
NBA TV Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #504 Monday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers (-) vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:05 ET - Perfect set up here. The Raptors are off a win that saw them rally from 30 points down with just 3 minutes left in the 3rd quarter! That huge comeback win at home last night was their largest comeback win in franchise history. It was also the biggest comeback win in the NBA this decade! Off a huge win like that on their home floor and now going on the road in a back to back spot (and already being a bit short-handed in terms of players) this is a horrible spot for Toronto. Making the situation even tougher is that they're taking on an angry Pacers team. Indiana got blown out in the 2nd half at Milwaukee yesterday. Now they come back home ready to respond off that ugly loss. Keep in mind, the Pacers had won 5 straight and 8 of their last 13 prior to yesterday's loss to the Bucks. Also, Indiana has won 8 of its past 9 home games. The Raptors won and covered their most recent road game but Toronto had entered that one a 1-4 ATS run in road games. The series between the Raptors and Pacers has been dominated by the home team and I love the situational edge here for the host in this one. 10* INDIANA |
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12-23-19 | Georgia State v. SMU -8 | Top | 76-85 | Win | 100 | 10 h 32 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #808 Monday 10* Top Play SMU Mustangs (-) vs Georgia State Panthers @ 7 ET - The Mustangs are off a double OT loss at Georgia but they dominated the rebounds, had less turnovers, and had more field goal attempts than the Bulldogs. This SMU team is a high-quality team but off back to back losses. They have had two days to recuperate since the loss at Georgia and this is their final game until the new year. The Mustangs want to make the most of this and certainly don't want to wrap up 2019 on a 3-game losing streak. SMU has a very strong frontcourt while that is the weak area for the Georgia State team they are facing. I look for the hungry Mustangs to be very aggressive here and I look for them to dominate the glass. The Panthers are a little over-rated right now because they are off to a hot start but they are on short rest here as they hosted Texas State on Saturday. While the Mustangs are playing just their 2nd game in a span of 16 days, Georgia State is playing its 3rd game in 5 days. Big situational edge for Southern Methodist University and I look for them to dominate and win this home game by at least a dozen points. The Panthers are a good team but they are still a middle of the pack SunBelt Conference team and the Mustangs are very hungry and at home in this one. Georgia State drops to 1-4 ATS when off a game against a conference foe in which they scored 80 or more points. The Mustangs improve to 5-0 ATS when off a game in which they allowed 85 or more points. 10* SMU |
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12-22-19 | Pacers +8 v. Bucks | Top | 89-117 | Loss | -115 | 10 h 57 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #581 Sunday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:05 ET - The Bucks, it goes without saying, have been the best team in the NBA this season. But this is a tough spot for Milwaukee and I happy to grab the rested, revenge-minded divisional dog in this one. The Bucks are in a back to back spot plus travel is involved as they were at New York last night. Additionally, that big win over the Knicks was preceded by a big showdown victory over LeBron James and the Lakers. Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo has been bothered with some back discomfort and this is a back to back spot so the Bucks may be careful with him. Either way I like the rested Pacers whom also got embarrassed by Milwaukee earlier this season. Yes Indiana held the Bucks to only 102 points in the game but they themselves scored only 83 points in that one. This was despite 100 shots from the field as the Pacers had one of their worst shooting nights of the season and hit only 32% from the field. Indiana will make up for that here and will prove to be the much hungrier team. The Pacers have a great shot at the outright upset and, should they fall short, look for it to be by only a bucket or two at the most. 10* INDIANA |
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12-22-19 | Xavier +3 v. TCU | Top | 67-59 | Win | 100 | 8 h 35 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #787 Sunday 10* Top Play Xavier Musketeers (+) @ TCU Horned Frogs @ 5 ET - The Musketeers are the stronger team and are expected to have leading scorer Naji Marshall back for this one after he missed their previous game. The Horned Frogs are a little over-rated right now as they have played a much weaker schedule in comparison with Xavier. I had the Musketeers as a Top 25 team entering this season. As for TCU, they came into this season projected to be at the bottom of the Big 12 standings this season. The Horned Frogs are off to a strong start this season but it is because of their schedule. The only two times TCU has had a single-digit line this season they lost both games outright! Every other game this season Texas Christian has been favored by a dozen or more. The Musketeers, on the other hand, have played 5 games with a single digit line this season and have won 3 of them. The other two games were the only 2 losses that Xavier has this season and each defeat came by 5 or less points. As a road dog of 6 or less points the Musketeers are on a 9-3 ATS run including a perfect 3-0 ATS run the last 3 time they have been a road dog of 3 or less points. TCU faced Lamar over a week ago so they could be a bit rusty. Lamar is not a good team so it is not a big surprised that the Horned Frogs held them to just 50 points. Note that Texas Christian is a long-term 20-40 ATS including a long-term 0-3 ATS in recent seasons when they are off a game in which they allowed 55 points or less. 10* XAVIER |
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12-20-19 | SMU +5 v. Georgia | Top | 85-87 | Win | 100 | 9 h 20 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #843 Friday 10* Top Play SMU Mustangs (+) @ Georgia Bulldogs @ 7 ET - The Mustangs were 8-0 SU on the season and allowing an average of only 59.6 points per game on the season. They then faced Georgetown in a game in which the Hoyas were hitting everything in sight. It simply did not matter what SMU did, Georgetown was on fire in that game including hitting 14 of 27 three pointers. These types of games happen from time to time. But the point is that Southern Methodist is a great defensive team and they are in bounce back mode here and I am happy to take the points and go against Georgia in this one. The Bulldogs are also off an ugly loss. However, Georgia is a much different team from the Mustangs. The Bulldogs don't focus much on the defensive end. In fact, Georgia has had just two games this season in which they've allowed less than 72 points in game. In their other 7 games they have allowed an average of 80.7 points per game. SMU is allowing just 38.6% from the field this season while the Bulldogs are allowing 45.4% from the field. Also, the Mustangs are the much better team in terms of defending the arc. SMU also shoots the 3-ball better and is much better at the free thrown line (79%) than the Bulldogs (67%). I am going with the defensive-minded road dog in this one. Also, they have only had leading scorer and leading assist man Kendric Davis for the past 5 games. The Bulldogs have been without Amanze Ngumezi for the past two games due to suspension. He is not a star for Georgia but he is a key rotation player. Mustangs getting stronger, Bulldogs getting weaker. Give me the hungry dog. 10* SMU |
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12-19-19 | Jazz v. Hawks +6.5 | Top | 111-106 | Win | 100 | 13 h 32 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #532 Thursday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (+) vs Utah Jazz @ 7:35 ET - This is the perfect spot to back an ugly home dog. The Hawks are not a very good team of course but, after allowing 143 points on the road at New York, professional pride kicks in as they are back on their home floor for this one. After getting thoroughly embarrassed by the Knicks, look for a much stronger game from Atlanta in this one. They have won (SU and ATS) 3 of the last 4 meetings between these teams. The Jazz enter this game on a 3-game winning streak but that is a situation that has seen them go 1-3 (SU and ATS) this season. In non-conference games Utah is 2-6 ATS this season. The Hawks are 13-6 ATS when off a game in which they allowed 130 points or more. Atlanta is 3-1 ATS this season as a home dog of 6.5 to 12 points. Yes the Hawks are on a losing streak but they are 8-4 ATS this season when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. This is the Hawks final home game until after Christmas. They are focused here. The Jazz have tougher road games coming up after this one as they face Charlotte and then Miami. Look for Utah to get caught sleep-walking a bit in this game. 10* ATLANTA |
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12-19-19 | William & Mary v. St. Joe's +2.5 | Top | 69-84 | Win | 100 | 11 h 41 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #704 Thursday 10* Top Play St Joseph's Hawks (+) vs William & Mary Tribe @ 7 ET - Set-ups don't get much better than this one. Yes the Hawks have struggled this season but the Tribe come into this game over-rated and the situation here strongly favors St Joseph's. The Hawks are off an embarrassing 108 to 61 loss at Temple on the 10th. Looking at that score it seems hard to believe but it is true that St Joseph's had just as many field goal attempts in the game as did the Owls. The problem was that Temple made twice as many shots as the Hawks! That said, after that horrific loss and knowing that this is their only game between the 10th of December and 2nd of January, St Joseph's is going to make the most of this opportunity which is also their only home game in a span of 4 weeks! The Hawks don't want to go into this winter break period on a 9-game losing streak. Yes it has been a rough start to the season for St Joseph's with the coaching change and player losses from last season but they have played a much tougher schedule than William & Mary. The Tribe enter this game off a huge 90-30 win over Goucher. Of course there is a reason you have never heard of Goucher! Overall William & Mary has a great record this season but they entered the season projected to be one of the worst teams in the Colonial Athletic Association and certainly the Atlantic Ten is the tougher conference. Last season these teams met at William & Mary and the Hawks led by 14 at the half but ended up losing a heartbreaker. It is payback time here. Off a home win by a double digit margin the Tribe are just 5-8 SU their last 13 and here they are laying points on the road too. As for the Hawks, they are 4-1 ATS after allowing 90 points or more and also 8-3 SU and ATS when off a road loss by a double digit margin. Bounce back time and payback time for the home team! 10* ST JOSEPH'S |
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12-18-19 | Tennessee v. Cincinnati +1.5 | Top | 66-78 | Win | 100 | 9 h 16 m | Show |
TV Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #660 Wednesday 10* Top Play Cincinnati Bearcats (+) vs Tennessee Volunteers @ 7 ET - Everyone jumping on Tennessee here as they are a ranked team and coming off a big season plus they enter this game off a loss. Additionally, Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes is in search of his 700th victory. The Bearcats don't want that happening on their home floor and I love home dogs in a spot like this. Look for the Cats to scratch and claw their way to victory in this one. Cincinnati is 4-1 at home this season. Tennessee is playing their first true road game of the season. All the Vols other games were at home or at a neutral site. On the season the Bearcats have faced a tougher schedule and the Volunteers are a highly regarded team but enter this game having lost 2 of 4 and one of the two wins was by the slimmest of margins. I look for UC, off back to back losses including an embarrassing one as a double digit favorite against Colgate, to bounce back strong here on their home floor and get a big win. They returned more starter this season than did the Vols and this is the type of game - especially since they are at home - where I expect Jarron Cumberland to step up and have a huge game. He has struggled in head coach's John Brannen first season with the Cats but watch him come up big at home in a game like this. The Volunteers are on a 1-4 ATS run. I know the Bearcats are on an ugly ATS run too BUT this is still a team that is 18-2 SU in their last 20 home games. I love having them on their home floor as an underdog in a game in which they will absolutely be amped up and ready to go! Off back to back losses, the Cats come out fighting in this one and they do have the size edge in the paint too. They win the front court battles and Cumberland and company come up big on the wings also! 10* CINCINNATIÂ |
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12-17-19 | Kings -4.5 v. Hornets | Top | 102-110 | Loss | -106 | 11 h 58 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #501 Tuesday 10* Top Play Sacramento Kings (-) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - The early line move was toward the Hornets here. Certainly I can understand the move as Charlotte is getting Marvin Williams back tonight most likely and they are coming off an ugly loss. The Kings are coming off a blowout win on the road at Golden State Sunday so now they go coast to coast. I can see what some are looking at here and why they're backing the home dog. However, in typical contrarian fashion I am on the other side of the line move but it is not without good reasoning. For one thing the Kings are also expected to get a key player back tonight. De'Aaron Fox is expected to be back in the lineup and the point guard will certainly help as Sacramento's win over the Warriors was an ugly one in terms of turnovers. Another reason I like the Kings here is they have won 3 straight road games and the other two wins came over Dallas and Houston! Sacramento has a lot of momentum right now and positive energy is evident with this team as recent wins pile up. Last but certainly not least, the Kings have revenge here as they lost at home to the Hornets in late October. It is time for payback here and we've got a great small number to work with in this one. The Hornets are struggling without PJ Washington and even could use the help of role player Nicolas Batum but he is doubtful for tonight's contest. The Hornets have been held to 85 points or less in their past two games. The Kings have averaged 110 points per game their past 5 road games. Charlotte won't be able to keep up here and the road favorite eventually pulls away to win comfortably. 10* SACRAMENTO |
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12-16-19 | Heat v. Grizzlies +5.5 | Top | 111-118 | Win | 100 | 11 h 36 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #584 Monday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies (+) vs Miami Heat @ 8:05 ET - When you look at this game it looks so easy to take Miami (19-7) over Memphis (9-17) based on their overall SU records this season. However, you know what usually happens when something looks easy! In typical contrarian fashion I am on the other side of public perception here. First off the Heat are off an OT win at Dallas. Not only do teams generally have a tendency to struggle after an OT road win like that, also note that the Mavericks lost star player Luka Doncic very early in the 1st quarter of that game. That certainly had a lot to do with the Heat victory. Speaking of injuries, Miami is without both Goran Dragic and Justise Winslow for this game Memphis will have both Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke on the floor for this one. They missed the only game recently that the Grizzlies have lost (to Milwaukee). In their last 3 games with both Morant and Clarke playing, Memphis is a perfect 3-0 SU and ATS. One of Miami's worst losses this season was by 27 points at Philadelphia. On deck for the Heat is another trip to Philly so they could be peeking ahead at that game for sure. As for Memphis, there is no way they are focused on anything but this game. One of their ugliest losses this season was on opening night at Miami when they lost by 19. Payback time here and if they do fall short look for it to be by just a single possession. I am grabbing the points here! 10* MEMPHIS |
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12-15-19 | Ohio State v. Minnesota +7.5 | Top | 71-84 | Win | 100 | 7 h 17 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #804 Sunday 10* Top Play Minnesota Golden Gophers (+) vs Ohio State Buckeyes @ 6:30 ET - The Buckeyes have been red hot but the Golden Gophers are also a much better team than they showed in their Big Ten opener on the road at Iowa. With this game being at home for Minnesota and with Ohio State possibly being rusty after not playing at all since the 7th, the Golden Gophers could surprise here. Minnesota also has revenge from losing last season at Ohio State and also losing to the Buckeyes in a neutral site game the prior season. The Golden Gophers have played the tougher schedule in comparison with Ohio State early this season. The Buckeyes are 0-3 SU and ATS in a road game with a posted total in the 120s and the fact the odds makers set such a low total here confirms the fact that Minnesota is expected to turn up the heat on defense in their own barn here on Sunday. The Golden Gophers are 5-1 ATS when off a road loss in which they were held under 60 points. I know it may seem tough to fade a streak Ohio State team but with a little rust on their part after the layoff coupled with an intense effort from the hungry dog here, I look for this one to go down to the wire! That means we have great value with having the points on our side here. 10* MINNESOTA |
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12-15-19 | 76ers v. Nets +5.5 | Top | 89-109 | Win | 100 | 7 h 20 m | Show |
Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #570 Sunday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (+) vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 6:05 ET - Playoff revenge game for Brooklyn. This is the first shot at the 76ers for the Nets since Philadelphia won 4 straight games to knock them out of the playoffs after Brooklyn scored the upset win in Game 1 of April's first round series. I know this is a back to back for the Nets but nobody played truly excessive minutes in yesterday's loss at Toronto. Also, the Sixers Horford is dealing with a hamstring injury. The 76ers are hot right now but they have been helped by a home heavy schedule of late. Philadelphia, in fact, has lost 7 of its past 10 road games SU. I am going to challenge the 76ers (most recent road game was a win at Boston) to actually win consecutive road games for the first time since the opening weeks of the season. I am fading the line move here too as Philly is attracting some betting action here. Keep in mind the Nets are off B2B losses but only one time this season have they lost 3 straight games. Prior to these B2B defeats the Nets had won 8 of 10 and I look for them to bounce back here with a strong effort. Philadelphia can't help but be peeking ahead at a much tougher match-up on deck as they host Miami on Wednesday. That said, the Nets are the more focused team for this match-up and if they fall short of avenging their playoff exit I do expect them to stay inside the number here in a game that they will play with a warrior-like mentality...desperate for a win. 10* BROOKLYN |
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