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Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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04-21-21 | Suns v. 76ers +1 | Top | 116-113 | Loss | -105 | 8 h 21 m | Show |
Earliest Dominator - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) vs Phoenix Suns @ 7:10 ET - This line is right around a pick'em and so we don't have to worry about a point spread. At the time of this posting the line is a +1 on the Sixers. Philadelphia enters this game off a home loss to the Warriors. That is noteworthy for multiple reasons. One is that Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris did not play but one, or both, should be back for tonight's game. But is also noteworthy because each of the last 7 times the 76ers have been at home and coming off a loss, they have gone 7-0 / 100% PERFECT straight-up. Certainly very strong odds as Philly is known for being very strong on their home floor and they have been particularly strong when off a loss! Look for this one to make it 8 in a row as they catch the Suns off another showdown against a top Eastern team and that was a one point win for Phoenix at Milwaukee. Also note that the Suns are 0-7 ATS the last 7 times they have entered a game off an ATS cover. So we have double 7-0 PERFECTION trends working in our favor here. I also like the fact that Philly lost at Phoenix earlier this season and also lost last season's home match-up with the Suns played in August with no fans. All signs pointing to a big home win here. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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04-16-21 | Clippers v. 76ers -2 | Top | 103-106 | Win | 100 | 11 h 53 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #536 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Los Angeles Clippers @ 7:10 ET - I still can not believe that Philadelphia did not cover against the Nets Wednesday night as they let the easy cover slip away late. Much less to worry about here as we have a very small number to work with and the Clippers have injury issues. I know LA comes into this one having won 7 straight but Leonard is questionable (foot) and Ibaka and Beverley are both out with injuries. The Sixers are the much healthier team and also have two off days on deck as they do not play again until Monday. The 76ers are on a 3-game winning streak and are 4-1 this season when they entered a game having won 3 straight. The home team has been the winning team in recent meetings between these teams and here Philly gets revenge for the double digit loss at Los Angeles 3 weeks ago. Situation and injuries strongly favor the home team here. Lay the small number. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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04-14-21 | Nets v. 76ers -6.5 | Top | 117-123 | Loss | -107 | 10 h 22 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - NBA Rotation #502 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:10 ET - This is a big showdown for Eastern Conference dominance but the problem is that it may not live up to its billing. It is a back to back spot for the Nets. Kevin Durant played yesterday. Playing in a back to back would be rare for him and he might be limited or certainly not at his best. Kyrie Irving missed yesterday's game for personal absence. He might be in Philly physically tonight but will he be there mentally? LaMarcus Aldridge dealing with an illness (missed yesterday's game) may not seem like a big deal but actually the Nets were hoping he could guard Joel Embiid who is becoming the most dominant big man in the NBA. That said, the fact Aldridge might miss or be limited or not be 100% is another issue for Brooklyn in this one. Of course James Harden is out for sure with his hamstring injury. So the Sixers hold a ton of edges here in the health department and situational department as they are at home and were able to rest yesterday. These teams are tied for the top spot in the East with identical 37-17 records. The 76ers are the much healthier team and the home team has won both meetings by more than a dozen points this season. Different night, same result here as the injury factor is just too much for the Nets to overcome against a highly motivated Sixers team. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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04-04-21 | Nets -2.5 v. Bulls | Top | 107-115 | Loss | -112 | 6 h 3 m | Show |
Big East Beast - NBA Rotation #501 Sunday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (-) @ Chicago Bulls @ 2 ET - I am aware that James Harden is out for the Nets and, of course, Kevin Durant is still out. However, there is still plenty of talent on this Brooklyn team and others are stepping out with key guys out. Long-term the Nets have won 12 of 14 games and they enter this game on a 4-game winning streak. We are simply getting line value here because of the injury situation for Brooklyn because the fact is the Bulls are struggling badly. Chicago has lost 5 straight games and 7 of their last 8 games. Lay the small number with the Nets in this one as this is a classic case of hot versus not. 10* BROOKLYN |
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04-03-21 | UCLA +14.5 v. Gonzaga | Top | 90-93 | Win | 100 | 13 h 51 m | Show |
Game of the Month - CBB Rotation #803 Saturday 10* Top Play UCLA Bruins (+) vs Gonzaga Bulldogs @ 8:34 ET - All you here about is Gonzaga and going for the undefeated season and how great they are. I get all that and the Bulldogs indeed just might do it. But they are over-priced here as a large favorite against a Bruins team that is doing a great job of playing with an "us against the world" mentality. When Alabama drilled that 3-pointer against UCLA at the buzzer to force OT in the Sweet 16 most teams would not have been able to overcome that. But the Bruins are proving to not be "most teams" as they calmly gathered themselves and beat the Crimson Tide handily in the OT period. That would have left most teams out of gas and unable to duplicate the effort against an even tougher foe, Michigan, in their next game but again "most teams" does not define this Bruins team. UCLA continues to surprise and they will be more competitive in this game than many people are expecting. I know Gonzaga just beat USC handily as they blitzed them early and the team could not recover. The Bulldogs outshot the Trojans as Southern Cal struggled to hit shots. I see the Bruins getting more clutch shots. It has been the nature of this team throughout the tournament and I see it continuing here. Of course I am not calling for an upset here. I am just saying I absolutely do expect the Bruins to hang within a single digit margin in this one. 10* UCLA |
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04-02-21 | Mavs -6 v. Knicks | Top | 99-86 | Win | 100 | 9 h 51 m | Show |
NBA TV Game of the Month - NBA Rotation #547 Friday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks (-) @ New York Knicks @ 7:40 ET - The Mavericks only won by 5 points at Boston Wednesday but anyone who watched the game realizes it could have (and should have) been by much more. That said, there is value here with this rather low number as Dallas takes on a much lesser team in New York. The fact is the Knicks are fourth quarter failures this season and proved that again with an inexcusable loss at Minnesota in their most recent game. I haven't looked this up because whether they are dead last or not is besides the point but I just know that the Knicks have to be one of the worst scoring teams in the 4th quarters of games in the NBA this season. I just see it time and time again that this team chokes and even if they hang around with the Mavs through 3 quarters in this one then they will get obliterated in the 4th quarter like they have done so often this season. This is the first of two meetings between these teams this season and with the Mavericks just 1-3 SU and ATS the past two seasons against the Knicks, New York has their full attention here. I know the Knicks have a decent record and particularly at home but the Mavericks are on a mission to win their division and have won 16 of their last 23 games. They will stay hot here! 10* DALLASÂ |
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04-01-21 | 76ers -8 v. Cavs | Top | 114-94 | Win | 100 | 11 h 10 m | Show |
Big East Beast - NBA Rotation #529 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:10 ET - The 76ers are on the road for this one but I am mentioning their home record (19-4) here because only one team in the NBA, Utah, has fewer home losses and so the Sixers certainly remember theirs. One of those four defeats as a host came at the hands of the Cavaliers in late February. Now it is time for payback. Even though Embiid is still out for Philadelphia, he is expected back this weekend. Just the fact his return is imminent is a big boost to the spirits of his Sixers teammates and they are still much more talented than this Cleveland team even though the Cavaliers have won both meetings this season (one in OT). Another issue for the Cavs is they have a number of players listed as questionable for tonight's game. Look for the 76ers to take advantage! The Sixers are off back to back losses but they were road games against the Nuggets and Clippers. Though still on the road for this one, Philly will take advantage of facing one of the worst teams in the league. Philadelphia had won 12 of 14 games before the back to back losses and Cleveland has lost 9 of 12 games and the average margin of defeat has been 16 points per loss. Look for another ugly Cavaliers loss here as the 76ers get their revenge. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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03-30-21 | USC +8.5 v. Gonzaga | Top | 66-85 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 44 m | Show |
CBB Rotation #657 Tuesday 10* Top Play USC Trojans (+) vs Gonzaga Bulldogs @ 7:15 ET - Gonzaga is a great team of course. They are undefeated on the season. However, the public bettors - and there a lot of them throwing plenty of money around during March Madness - are all over the Bulldogs. That said, even with that, this line is moving toward USC. Why is that? The sharps are on the Trojans here and you can include me in that group as well. The Trojans have played a tougher schedule. Also, Southern Cal matches up better with Gonzaga then any other team left in the tournament except perhaps Baylor would have a decent shot against the Bulldogs. We all know how rare undefeated seasons are. The point is that if Gonzaga was going to get upset this would likely be the game and truly I would not be surprised to see that happen here. Sprinkling a little on the money line here too is not a bad idea at all. The Trojans allow less points per game, allow a lower shooting percentage from the field, rebound the ball just as well, and also get more blocked shots on the defensive end than the Bulldogs. Again, Gonzaga is a great team but don't lose sight of all of the above plus the fact that the Dogs are being asked to win this game by double digits. I just don't see that happening and expect Southern Cal to be in this one all the way. USC is 25-7 on the season and only 1 loss was by more than 10 points. UCLA lost to the Trojans in both meetings this season and one of those was an 18-point lambasting. What does that have to do with this play? Well the Bruins knocked BYU out of the tourney with a win by nearly double digits. BYU is the best team, other than Gonzaga, in the Bulldogs conference. The Cougars lost all 3 games against Gonzaga this season - once in tournament - but the average margin was 12 points. Like I said, UCLA knocked out Brigham Young and Southern Cal better than UCLA. This game in Elite 8 action going to be much closer than the public thinks. 10* USC |
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03-30-21 | Hornets -2.5 v. Wizards | Top | 114-104 | Win | 100 | 10 h 27 m | Show |
NBA Rotation #501 Tuesday 10* Top Play Charlotte Hornets (-) @ Washington Wizards @ 7:10 ET - Washington off a crazy win over Indiana yesterday. Why was it crazy? The Wizards are one of the worst teams in the NBA and were without Bradley Beal but shot a ridiculous 56% from the field including 53% from three-point land and also outrebounded the Pacers by a huge margin. None of those things are likely to be repeated here. This is a divisional game and the Hornets, leaders in the division, will come in focused. They have won 6 of 7 divisional games this season while the Wizards have lost 6 of 7 divisional games. Washington is off back to back wins but this was preceded by a 2-10 stretch and we have got a low number to work with here with Charlotte. The Hornets are angry off an OT loss and that defeat was preceded by a 7-3 run. They resume their divisional dominance here with another convincing win over the Wizards similar to the 119-97 victory in their earlier meeting this season. 10* CHARLOTTE |
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03-29-21 | Pacers -5 v. Wizards | Top | 124-132 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 21 m | Show |
#559 NBA 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers (-) @ Washington Wizards @ 7:10 ET - Great spot to fade a bad team and lay a short number. Yes the Wizards are off a win but it came against a very bad Pistons team and Washington almost blew that game before recovering just in time to secure the win after blowing a massive halftime lead. The Wizards are just 6-20 in Eastern Conference games this season! They had lost 10 of 12 games prior to the win over Detroit. They are hosting a Pacers team that has the most road wins (13) of all but one other team in the entire Eastern Conference. Indeed Indiana has been better on the road than at home this season the Pacers enter this game on an overall run of 4 wins in their last 5 games. 3 of Indiana's last 4 road wins have come by a double digit margin. The Wizards most recent loss was by a margin of just 4 points but this was preceded by a stretch in which 7 of Washington's last 8 losses were by a margin of 6 or more points. Look for this one to turn into a road rout as the Pacers also have fresh legs as they have not played since Friday. The Wizards also have a key injury (Beal - hip) to deal with. 10* INDIANA |
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03-28-21 | UCLA +7 v. Alabama | Top | 88-78 | Win | 100 | 10 h 59 m | Show |
Sweet 16 Game of the Year - NCAA 10* Top Play UCLA Bruins (+) vs Alabama Crimson Tide @ 7:15 ET - This line has consistently climbed and is now a full +7 as of gameday morning. Look for the underdog Bruins to surprise some people in this one. I know that Alabama is on an 8-game winning streak but 4 of their last 9 wins have been by a margin of 5 or less points. Also, the Crimson Tide final two wins of the SEC tourney came by a combined 6 points. One of those wins was over LSU who just got bounced by a Big Ten foe in this tourney and the Big Ten has underachieved in this tourney this season. Also, the other win was over Tennessee and the Vols just got bounced from this tourney by Oregon State. Coincidentally now another SEC team takes on a Pac-12 team and I expect this to be another very challenging game for the favorite. The Crimson Tide are a solid team but coach Cronin has this Bruins team believing. Though they entered the tourney on a losing streak their recent Pac-12 losses were by a combined 5 points the last 2 games and were against USC and Oregon State. Both the Trojans and Beavers are still alive in this tournament. The loss before that was Oregon, also still alive in this tournament. And all these losses were by a single digit margin. Alabama only had to beat Iona and Maryland (again, Big Ten struggling) to get to this point and the Tide face a dangerous Pac-12 underdog in this one. All the pressure is on Bama here and the Bruins shot the ball very well this season, even in road games, and with an underdog "nothing to lose" mentality could give Alabama fits here as all the pressure is on the favorite. Upset alert but I will grab the points as added insurance as the Pac-12 ATS dominance continues. 10* UCLA |
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03-28-21 | Blazers +1 v. Raptors | Top | 122-117 | Win | 100 | 9 h 52 m | Show |
Big East Beast - NBA 10* Portland Trail Blazers (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:10 ET - I was looking to fade the Raptors after they so luckily got the back door cover against the Suns on Friday and now I have the perfect situation to do so. To the public it looks easy to take Toronto at nearly a pick'em price on their home floor. After all, most bettors love the home court "edge" but this season the Raptors have not even been playing in Toronto. That said, is it any surprise they are only 9-11 at home this season? Also, this is a Raptors team that is only 6-11 against Western Conference teams. Also Toronto enters this game on a 2-12 SU run. As for the Trail Blazers, they are on a 9-4 SU run their last 13 games and also are a rock solid 12-6 against Eastern Conference teams. Damon Lillard missed the last game for the Blazers but they still beat Orlando. However, they did not cover in that game which is also helping to give us line value in this one. Portland only beat the Raptors by a single point when these teams met in January so there is no way the Blazers will overlook them here. Look for a road rout as a result as Toronto's losing stretch goes to 2-13 last 15 games. 10* PORTLAND |
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03-27-21 | Pistons v. Wizards -3.5 | Top | 92-106 | Win | 100 | 10 h 38 m | Show |
Big East Beast - NBA 10* Top Play Washington Wizards (-) vs Detroit Pistons @ 8 ET - The Pistons burned me yesterday as they rallied for the backdoor cover. On that note the Raptors did the same thing to me yesterday but they are not in action tonight. Detroit is in action and we are going to get our money back by fading this weak team. I know the Wizards are not a great team but they are better than Detroit and also a better team when they are on their home floor. Washington is off 3 straight losses but those games were on the road. The Wizards most recent home game was a win over Utah - one of the best teams in the league! Now Washington hosts one of the worst teams in the league and I expect them to take full advantage. The Pistons are 5-19 SU in road games this season and the Wizards are laying only 3.5 points here. Washington is a respectable 8-9 SU last 17 home games and the average margin of victory in the 8 wins is 9.8 points per game. Look for a win by a double digit margin as the Wizards have played just 3 games the last 8 days while Detroit is playing the 2nd game of a back to back and it will be their 3rd game in 4 days! 10* WASHINGTON |
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03-27-21 | Oral Roberts +11.5 v. Arkansas | Top | 70-72 | Win | 100 | 11 h 39 m | Show |
Top Play - 10* Oral Roberts Golden Eagles (+) vs Arkansas Razorbacks @ 7:25 ET - Arkansas is off a tight win over Texas Tech but the Big 12, other than Baylor, really ended up being a dud in this tournament. What I like about Oral Roberts here is they score so well and are dangerous with their 3-point shooting. I don't expect them to have the same scoring droughts that Colgate had in the opening round against the Razorbacks. Keep in mind, Colgate led Arkansas 33-19 before allowing a 17-0 run to end the half. Then, after tying the game at 58 more than halfway through the 2nd half, Colgate allowed a game-ending 27-10 run. Those two 17 point differentials were, of course, the key to the Razorbacks win and cover. That is not happening against Oral Roberts and I feel Arkansas is a little over-rated in this match-up. I expect them to win this game but only by a single digit margin as the Golden Eagles will put up a helluva fight. Only 4 of the last 13 games for the Razorbacks have resulted in an Arkansas win by more than 11 points. The Golden Eagles lost by 11 at Arkansas in December but got dominated on the glass in that one. They are well aware of that fact and though the Razorbacks will hold a rebounding edge thanks to their size and athleticism edges, you can bet the hungry underdog is going to be much better on the glass in this one than they were in the first meeting. 10* ORAL ROBERTS |
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03-26-21 | Suns -4.5 v. Raptors | Top | 104-100 | Loss | -108 | 9 h 22 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #515 Friday 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns (-) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:30 ET - Ideal set-up for a road rout here. The Suns are off a 1-point loss at Orlando but that was preceded by wins in 12 of their last 15 games both SU and ATS. As for the Raptors, they are off a rare win as they knocked off Denver in convincing fashion on Wednesday. The blowout win over the Nuggets followed a 9 game losing streak for Toronto and a 1-5 ATS run their last 6. That ugly run for the Raptors even included an 18-point loss to a Rockets team that had lost 20 straight games! In fact, that Toronto loss immediately preceded the win over Denver and now I look for the Suns to immediately return the Raptors to their losing ways. Phoenix is angry here and will not take their foot off the gas in this one. Each of the Suns last 14 wins have come by at least a 6 point margin and all signs point to that streak reaching 15 in a row here! 10* PHOENIX |
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03-25-21 | NC State v. Colorado State +2 | Top | 61-65 | Win | 100 | 7 h 20 m | Show |
NIT Game of the Year - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #614 Thursday 10* Top Play Colorado State Rams (+) vs NC State Wolfpack @ 7 ET - The Wolfpack have played a tougher schedule than the Rams this season but I am fading the line move here and grabbing the team that has proven to be more committed to defense. On the season Colorado State allowed 66 points per game. Note that North Carolina State allowed 74 points in games away from home this season! The Rams held opponents to lower shooting percentages from the field including beyond the arc. While the Wolfpack were in the mid-40s and mid-30s respectively in those two categories, the Rams were closer to 40% and 30% respectively. Before a high-scoring win over Buffalo last week, Colorado State allowed 62 points or less in 5 of 7 games. NC State, on the other hand, allowed an average of 79 points per game the two games preceding the win over Davidson last week. The Rams find a way here and get more stops when it counts. 10* COLORADO STATE |
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03-24-21 | Coastal Carolina +5.5 v. Pepperdine | Top | 61-84 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 7 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #609 Wednesday 10* Top Play Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (+) vs Pepperdine Waves @ 8 ET - Coastal Carolina blew a late lead and had to go to OT to beat Stetson yesterday. Yes the Waves are a better team than the Hatters. However, the Chanticleers won that game yesterday despite making just 4 of 16 three-pointers and 17 of 32 free throws. On the season Coastal Carolina hits 36% of threes and 72% of free throws. In other words, yesterday's poor shooting unlikely to be repeated here and I also do not expect Pepperdine to have a big rebounding edge like they did yesterday. The Chanticleers are a solid rebounding team. Also, though the Waves won yesterday's game by double digits, they actually had 5 less shots from the field than Bellarmine. Also, Pepperdine hit 46% of their threes. That is unlikely to be repeated here and Coastal Carolina is a solid team defensively. The Chanticleers allowed 67.6 points this season on just 38.5% from the field and only 30.8% from three point land. Grab the points in this one and don't be surprised if the underdog wins this one outright. If not, the loss likely to be by the slimmest of margins. 10* COASTAL CAROLINA |
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03-24-21 | Pistons v. Pacers -6 | Top | 111-116 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 50 m | Show |
Earliest Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #560 Wednesday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers (-) vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - The Pacers are not just off a loss here, they are off a thorough beatdown. That said, they certainly should respond huge here. Indiana just allowed 140 points in a loss at Milwaukee but this was on the heels of back to back wins over a Miami team that knocked them out of the playoffs last season. In other words, perhaps the beatdown made sense. But now the Pacers go from facing of the league's best teams to facing one of the league's worst. Indiana has not tasted victory on their home floor since the beginning of February so I know they are going to bring a huge effort here. The Pacers will take advantage of hosting a Pistons team that is the only team in the NBA that is still winless in their own division. Detroit is 0-8 this season in divisional play and also 5-18 in road games. This one gets ugly! 10* INDIANA |
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03-23-21 | Nuggets -7.5 v. Magic | Top | 110-99 | Win | 100 | 8 h 7 m | Show |
Earliest Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #547 Tuesday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (-) @ Orlando Magic @ 7:10 ET - The Nuggets are off a loss and that sets this one up perfectly. Denver is a perfect 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS the last 4 times when off a defeat. Also, they are on the road here so we get a manageable line and they are facing a Magic team that is enduring a horrific long-term run. Orlando is 1-10 SU their last 11 games. The Magic have been held to an average of just 97 points per game their last 5 games. Denver, when off a loss, averaged 119.5 points per game the last 4 times after tasting defeat. Look for the Nuggets to cruise to a double digit victory here. 10* DENVER |
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03-23-21 | Stetson +7.5 v. Coastal Carolina | Top | 72-77 | Win | 100 | 6 h 4 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #601 Tuesday 10* Top Play Stetson Hatters (+) vs Coastal Carolina Chanticleers @ 5:30 ET - The Hatters beat Bellarmine in the Atlantic Sun conference tourney and, of course, that is the same Bellarmine team that is taking on Pepperdine in the other CBI game going today. The point being that Stetson is better than their record indicates and are playing solid basketball at the right time of the season for sure. That does not mean they will upset Coast Carolina here but it does mean there are strong odds this is going to be a helluva game that goes down to the wire. That said, I don't see the Chanticleers covering this big number and they actually played a slightly weaker schedule than Stetson did this season. Also, the Hatters have won 3 of 4 games and their only loss was to Liberty who ended up in the NCAA Tourney. The 3-1 run by Stetson was preceded by a 1-2 stretch but both losses came by 5 or less points and the Hatters should be in this one all the way with Coastal Carolina as well. 10* STETSON |
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03-22-21 | Colorado +2 v. Florida State | Top | 53-71 | Loss | -112 | 8 h 16 m | Show |
Pac-12 Game of the Year - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #827 Monday 10* Top Play Colorado Buffaloes (+) vs Florida State Seminoles @ 7:45 ET - I am going with Colorado again here after successfully using them against Georgetown on Saturday. In that write-up I mentioned the following: "The Buffaloes are a strong team in both defensive and offensive efficiency. Also, they are a top free throw shooting team. They will be very focused here coming off a disappointing 2-point loss in the Pac-12 tourney to Oregon State who, by the way, is a pretty good team as shown yesterday. The Beavers won outright versus Tennessee by double digits as nearly a double digit dog!" Keep in mind Oregon State followed up the win over the Volunteers with another upset win over Oklahoma State yesterday. The Pac-12 is showing in this tournament that it is quite strong and I look for that trend to continue in this match-up. The Buffaloes will take advantage of a Seminoles team that is strong but has a couple of key weaknesses. Florida State often allows teams too many second chance scoring opportunities. In games away from home this season the Noles allowed 13 offensive boards this season which is nearly double what the Buffs allowed as travelers. Also, FSU known for turning the ball over too much. Florida State pulled away very late in their game against UNC Greensboro but now faces a much tougher opponent and the Seminoles have failed to get the cash in 4 straight games while the Buffaloes are on a 5-2 ATS run and get the job done again there. 10* COLORADO |
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03-22-21 | Kings -4 v. Cavs | Top | 119-105 | Win | 100 | 8 h 51 m | Show |
Earliest Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #531 Monday 10* Top Play Sacramento Kings (-) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:40 ET - The Kings are off a bad loss at Philly but entered that game 9-13 against the East this season. That is noteworthy here because the Cavaliers are just 4-14 against the West this season. Also, Cleveland is in a back to back spot here plus off a big win versus Toronto. Sacramento is 4-1 SU the last 5 times they were off a loss and I expect them to bounce back here and take advantage of a Cavs team in the 2nd game of a back to back and known for struggling against Western Conference teams. 10* SACRAMENTO |
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03-21-21 | North Texas v. Villanova -5 | Top | 61-84 | Win | 100 | 12 h 43 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #804 Sunday 10* Top Play Villanova Wildcats (-) vs North Texas Mean Green @ 8:45 ET - Villanova keeps catching breaks. Yes they are without Collin Gillespie and that has derailed their bigger hopes and dreams for this season but I don't see them bowing out just yet. Their first match-up was against Winthrop and, though a quality team, that was a smaller school program that the Wildcats could handle. Now they were supposed to be facing Purdue in this round. A dangerous Big Ten team would have been tough on the short-handed Cats. However, Nova caught a break as North Texas upset the Boilermakers in the first round! The Mean Green, don't get me wrong, are certainly a quality team but they are similar to Winthrop in that they don't come from a Power Five conference and lets not forget how strong Villanova is. Yes the Gillespie injury is a significant issue for them but lets not forget the other talent that is on this team. The Mean Green played a much weaker schedule than the Wildcats did this season and I know they are well-coached and play solid defense but both those two items describe the Wildcats as well. So what is the difference then? The level of players the Wildcats have. That is why the Cats are in the Big East and the Mean Green are in Conference USA. Again, not knocking the team, just saying that there is a difference in talent level and we are now getting solid line value here since the Wildcats are without Gillespie and North Texas just upset Purdue in OT in the first round. Now the Cats are laying just 5 points as the markets love the dog in this one. Everything clicked for the Mean Green in their upset of the Boilermakers. This is still a North Texas team that lost 3 straight games to close out the regular season prior to making a run through their conference tourney. 10* VILLANOVA |
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03-21-21 | Pacers v. Heat -4.5 | Top | 109-106 | Loss | -110 | 3 h 17 m | Show |
Earliest Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #512 Sunday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (-) vs Indiana Pacers @ 1:10 ET - These teams just met Friday and the Pacers were seeking revenge for last year's playoff exit. They got it in a big way but it was a bit of a fluke. Give Indiana credit for sure but it was also just one of those nights where everything was falling. Indiana made 20 of 36 three pointers while Miami made just 9 of 34. The Pacers won the game by a 27 point margin but they outscored the Heat by 33 points from beyond the arc! Suffice to say that kind of disparity is not happening again and you know Miami will be hungry today after suffering such an embarrassing loss on their home floor Friday! The Heat are now off back to back losses and will be out for blood after one of their worst defeats of the season. That said, lay the short number here. 10* MIAMI |
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03-20-21 | Maryland +3.5 v. Connecticut | Top | 63-54 | Win | 100 | 11 h 47 m | Show |
Big East Beast Top Side - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #791 Saturday 10* Top Play Maryland Terrapins vs Connecticut Huskies @ 7:10 ET - Both teams play solid defense and struggle some in the offensive end. In a game likely to be a low-scoring grinder, there is even more value than usual with having the points on your side. I especially like having the points in this case because the Terrapins do have a great shot at the outright upset here. The Huskies rely heavily on James Bouknight and he has not been himself in recent games. He has only had one strong shooting performance in his last 4 games. In those 3 games Bouknight combined to go 12 of 38 from the field and averaged just 13.3 points per game! Connecticut needs him but the Terps have the defenders to shut him down plus he has had just one big game from 3-point land last 10 games. In the other 9 games he has gone a combined 5 of 31 from downtown. Overated? Sure looks like it but it could be a health issue right now. Either way the Huskies are not necessarily the better team here and, especially with consideration to the Bouknight situation, a well-coached Terrapins team that has bought into a commitment to defense makes the underdog the play here. 10* MARYLAND |
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03-19-21 | Winthrop v. Villanova -6.5 | Top | 63-73 | Win | 100 | 13 h 26 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #730 Friday 10* Top Play Villanova Wildcats (-) vs Winthrop Eagles @ 9:57 ET - The Wildcats are in trouble here according to many people. That is because they lost Collin Gillespie to a season-ending injury two weeks ago. I know he was a very important player but do people realize the disparity between these two teams in terms of level of opposition they face each year? Yes Winthrop went 23-1 this season but they played no one of any significance. I am serious. Give them credit for a strong season as they took care of business for sure but again their "business" was nothing like what Villanova faces in the Big East. In fact, even comparing non-conference schedules, there is simply no comparison. The toughest game for Winthrop this season was UNC Greensboro. The Wildcats, conversely, were facing teams like Texas and a team that was ranked 18th when they faced them and a Virginia Tech team that is now ranked 25th. That was their non-conference schedule and, again, the Big East competition they faced all season was tougher than the Big South competition the Eagles faced. The fact the Wildcats are without Gillespie here actually helps us in terms of ATS value here in my opinion. We get a lower line as a result as a 6.5 is much more manageable than a double digit line where the back door cover always looms with "meaningless" late buckets. At the same time, you know Villanova will not overlook Winthrop either because, without Gillespie, the Wildcats know they must maintain proper focus here. Nova by double digits! 10* VILLANOVA |
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03-18-21 | Drake v. Wichita State +2.5 | Top | 53-52 | Win | 100 | 8 h 48 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #714 Thursday 10* Top Play Wichita State Shockers (+) vs Drake Bulldogs @ 6:27 ET - Here is another one with a classic line flip. Wichita State was favored by 2.5 points and now the line has swung the other way and it is Drake favored by 2.5 points! I know the Bulldogs have the better record on the season but they closed the season going 7-4 last 11 games including losing 2 of last 3. Wichita State closed the season with a loss to Cincinnati by just a single point in the AAC Tourney but this followed an 8-game winning streak for the Shockers! In fact, Wichita State was on a 15-2 run prior to the loss to the Bearcats. The Shockers and Bulldogs are former rivals in the Missouri Valley Conference but Wichita State is now in the AAC and did play the tougher schedule this season. I do not believe the betting markets are practically factoring that into this match-up and we'll take advantage of that here. 10* WICHITA STATE |
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03-17-21 | Bucks v. 76ers +6 | Top | 109-105 | Win | 100 | 10 h 30 m | Show |
Earliest Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #532 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:05 ET - Well aware of the fact that Philly is in a back to back spot and playing 5th game in 7 days and still without Embiid. However their key guys did not play huge minutes yesterday and Philadelphia has won 6 straight games. Yes the Bucks are on a winning streak too but Milwaukee's road cover at Washington was their first ATS win in their last six road games. That's right...Bucks had been on an 0-5 ATS run in away games. The 76ers are off a non-covering win but have not had back to back ATS losses since mid-February. They may not get the outright win here but I look for at least a cover in this one. The Bucks, prior to huge win over Wizards, had seen 4 of last 5 wins come by 6 or less points. Look for the home team to get the cover for the 4th straight time in this series as the host is 3-0 ATS last 3 meetings between these teams. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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03-17-21 | Toledo v. Richmond +3 | Top | 66-76 | Win | 100 | 9 h 31 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #706 Wednesday 10* Top Play Richmond Spiders (+) vs Toledo Rockets @ 7 ET - I understand the line flip here but the Spiders opened up as the favorite for a reason. Now Richmond is a 3 point dog and I won't hesitate to step in. The Spiders have had about two weeks off and normally that is a bad thing but that is not the case here! Senior big man Grant Golden (finger) and senior guard Blake Francis (hip) have both been able to recover better from injuries as a result of the extra time off. These two are the top two scorers for Richmond and Golden is also solid in terms of assists and rebounds. I know each of these guys have been listed as a game time decision for this evening but I would be very surprised if they miss this game. Keep in mind, the NIT is down from the usual 32 teams to just 16 for this season. The Spiders certainly want to make a run at it and I just don't see these guys missing this game. I know Richmond is on a 3-game losing streak but Francis missed the most recent game and played only 9 minutes in the prior game (got hurt) and with Francis in the lineup for a full game the Spiders have never lost back to back games. I feel strongly that both guys will play but even if 1 of the 2 misses, Richmond will have 4 guys on the floor that average double digits in points, and again I do expect this number to be 5 though! The Spiders are undervalued here against a MAC team that, in regulation time, has allowed an average of 77 points per game last 4 games. The Rockets will struggle to do enough on the defensive end against a Spiders team that has allowed an average of only 65.6 points per game even during a rough 4-4 stretch to end the season! 10* RICHMOND |
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03-15-21 | Kings +3.5 v. Hornets | Top | 116-122 | Loss | -107 | 9 h 35 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #503 Monday 10* Top Play Sacramento Kings (+) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - The low line on this game makes no sense and, in typical contrarian fashion, I am fading public perception and fading the line move as this one has moved up a little higher this morning. Charlotte is a very small favorite here even though they are at home where they are 11-8 this season and even though the Kings are on the road where they are 6-11 this season. Additionally, the Hornets are on a 9-5 run and have won 3 straight games while Sacramento is on a 3-12 run. Given all of the above the line makes no sense here, right? Exactly! Give me the team no one wants here! The Kings are off a loss but are 3-0 L3 when off a loss. Also, Sacramento does have revenge in this one for a 1 point home loss to the Hornets earlier this season. Charlotte does have a long road trip on deck and could look right past the Kings here. Grab the points! 10* SACRAMENTO |
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03-14-21 | Spurs v. 76ers -2.5 | Top | 99-134 | Win | 100 | 8 h 29 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #562 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 6:35 ET - The Spurs blasted Orlando without DeMar DeRozan but that game was at home and the 76ers are not the Magic. That said, the reason for this low line on the Sixers is that Joel Embiid is out. I know that Philly has often struggled in games without Embiid in the lineup this season. However, the 76ers will have Ben Simmons back for this one and the Spurs being without DeRozan is a key loss. The Spurs had lost back to back games and 4 of 6 prior to the win over the Magic. The Sixers have won 4 straight and 8 of their last 10 games. They won both match-ups last season including by 11 when the teams met here in Philly. Look for another double digit win in this one as well as a well-rested Simmons takes over with Embiid out and look for Dwight Howard, as he so often does, to have another huge game with the big man out. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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03-14-21 | Ohio State v. Illinois -6 | Top | 88-91 | Loss | -107 | 6 h 3 m | Show |
Championship Best Bet - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #658 Sunday 10* Top Play Illinois Illini (-) vs Ohio State Buckeyes @ 3:30 ET - The Buckeyes upset Michigan yesterday thanks to hitting a ridiculous 12 of 22 three pointers! The Illini hung on to beat Iowa yesterday despite making only 3 of 15 three pointers! You see the difference? This is helping to create line value here because Ohio State scored a total of only 32 points yesterday from inside the arc. Illinois scored a total of 73 points yesterday from inside the arc. Recent meetings between these teams have been tight but I look for the Illini to pull away as this one goes on. The Buckeyes are playing for 4th time in 4 days and their game prior to upsetting the Wolverines went into overtime too. Conversely, the Illini are playing just their 3rd game in 3 days and their first one was a blowout win over Rutgers. Strong situational edge here for the favorite. Lay it. 10* ILLINOIS |
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03-12-21 | 76ers -4 v. Wizards | Top | 127-101 | Win | 100 | 9 h 43 m | Show |
Earliest Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #529 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Washington Wizards @ 8:05 ET - The 76ers rolled the Bulls last night despite being without Joel Embiid plus Ben Simmons and despite the fact Chicago made 14 of 29 three pointers. The Sixers still won the game by 22 points. Now they could have Embiid back tonight plus the Wizards have a very concerning situation with Bradley Beal. A top scorer for Washington, he is currently being limited by a knee injury that is lingering and this is even after the All Star break was able to give him some rest too so this is certainly not a good sign. That plus the fact the Wizards just got blasted by 15 points at Memphis Wednesday is not a good sign for Washington as they now host a tough Philly team. Philadelphia has beaten the Wizards 4 straight times by an average margin of 9 points per game. That said, I am happy to lay the short number on the road in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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03-12-21 | Georgetown v. Seton Hall -2.5 | Top | 66-58 | Loss | -103 | 9 h 30 m | Show |
Big East Beast Top Side - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #848 Friday 10* Top Play Seton Hall Pirates (-) vs Georgetown Hoyas @ 6 ET - The Pirates are off a hard-fought OT win but the Hoyas have the disadvantage of playing a 3rd game in 3 days. Also, Georgetown is off a huge upset win over Villanova. Conversely, Seton Hall's win over St John's did not come easily but the fact is the Pirates had finished the regular season on a 4-game losing streak. As a result, Seton Hall felt some extra pressure in their 1st game of the Big East tourney. With that first win now out of the way, and with the Pirates the only team other than Villanova to win this tourney in recent years, Seton Hall knows they have a real shot at winning this tournament thanks to the Wildcats being knocked out of it. I like the fact that the Pirates reached double digits in shots blocked yesterday plus held the Red Storm to just 24% from beyond the arc. The Hoyas benefitted from hitting 41% from three point land yesterday plus going 23 for 23 from the line against Nova. Neither of those stats likely to be repeated here and I expect the Pirates to roll in this one as a result. They beat the Hoyas when they faced them away from Georgetown and the only reason they lost the game in which they visited them is because the Hoyas made a ridiculous 10 of 16 shots from beyond the arc. That is not being repeated here. 10* SETON HALL |
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03-10-21 | Wizards +3.5 v. Grizzlies | Top | 112-127 | Loss | -109 | 9 h 8 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #501 Wednesday 10* Top Play Washington Wizards (+) @ Memphis Grizzlies @ 8:05 ET - This line looked funny based on its opener and of course the masses are going one way and I am going the other in a typical fade the masses contrarian situation for me. The Grizzlies just beat the Wizards by double digits before the All Star break. That game was at Washington and now this game is at Memphis and the line opened up at nearly a pick'em. This is despite the Grizzlies having the much better record plus being at home plus having just destroyed the Wizards. Something seems odd about that right? Do not let the odds fool you! The road dog is the play here. The Wizards want revenge and the all star break was a good reset point for them plus they have been playing much better overall of late with 8 wins in last 11 games and 1 of the losses was the loss to Memphis and one of the other defeats came by just a single point. 10* WASHINGTON |
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03-08-21 | Elon +5 v. Hofstra | Top | 76-58 | Win | 100 | 8 h 14 m | Show |
Earliest Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #779 Monday 10* Top Play Elon Phoenix (+) vs Hofstra Pride @ 6 ET - The Pride took advantage of a Delaware team yesterday that had not played a game in 5 weeks. Even with that edge, Hofstra was nearly upset and had to pull away late. They were fortunate that the Fightin' Blue Hens lost by 8 points despite the Pride missing 12 free throws out of 29! That poor free throw shooting and the fact that Burgess and Ray played the whole game - all 40 minutes - could come back to bite Hofstra here. Elon has the lesser record on the season but keep in mind they were also priced this way in the game against James Madison yesterday and the Dukes were the #1 seed in this tournament. That said, I feel we have some solid line value here with the Phoenix. That is particularly true because Elon won yesterday's game despite shooting only 32% from inside the arc! That is right, the Phoenix made just 8 of 25 shots from 2-point land and yet still beat James Madison. It is now a 6-0 SU and ATS run for Elon entering this one. Look for that streak to reach 7-0 for the Phoenix here. I do expect an outright upset but will grab the points just in case. 10* ELON |
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03-07-21 | Texas Tech +8 v. Baylor | Top | 73-88 | Loss | -108 | 8 h 14 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #741 Sunday 10* Top Play Texas Tech Red Raiders (+) @ Baylor Bears @ 4 ET - The Bears check the box on a number of things here that make it hard for me to imagine them winning this game by much of a margin. They already have a loss this season so it is not like they are motivated by going for an undefeated record. Baylor also already won at Texas Tech this season so there is no revenge angle in play here for the Bears. Also, they already locked up the Big 12 title. With all of the above factored in, look for the Red Raiders to prove to be the team that wants this one a little more! Of course that does not mean they will win this game outright but I do expect Texas Tech to put up a helluva fight and for this game to likely be decided by a final margin of just a bucket or two. The Red Raiders last 7 losses have featured 6 by a margin of 8 or less points and 2 of those defeats were in overtime. In fact, other than the 8 point loss to Baylor, the other 5 of those tight losses were decided by an average margin of just 3.6 points. Look for another tight one here as the Red Raiders are back on track and playing as a confident bunch as they enter this game on a 3-0 run with an average margin of victory of 18.7 points per game. 10* TEXAS TECH |
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03-05-21 | Georgia Tech v. Wake Forest +9 | Top | 75-63 | Loss | -102 | 11 h 17 m | Show |
ACC Game of the Month - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #840 Friday 10* Top Play Wake Forest Demon Deacons (+) vs Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ 8 ET - Of course it has been a disappointing finish to the regular season for Wake Forest. However, the Demon Deacons are not going to lay down here in their home finale. That said, this is simply too many points in my opinion. Georgia Tech is only 3-5 in road games this season while Wake Forest is 5-5 in home games. Also, the Yellow Jackets are off a huge home win versus Duke. Not sure how excited the Jackets are going to be about this game as a result. That said, the Demon Deacons are likely to prove to be the hungrier team and they lost the first match-up with Georgia Tech this season largely due a big disparity in 3-point shooting as they had a horrific shooting night. However, Wake Forest is hitting 34% from beyond the arc this season and Georgia Tech is shooting 35% from beyond the arc this season. In other words, and particularly with this rematch being at Winston-Salem, the Yellow Jackets are unlikely to hold such an edge from 3-point land in this one. Look for this one to go down to the wire as the Demon Deacons are a very hungry home dog here and I just do not see them losing this game by double digits on their home floor. 10* WAKE FOREST |
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03-03-21 | Pacers v. Cavs +7 | Top | 114-111 | Win | 100 | 8 h 7 m | Show |
Earliest Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #532 Wednesday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) vs Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - The Pacers are on a 4-game SU and ATS losing streak while the Cavaliers have won and covered 4 straight. Of course Indiana would love to reverse this trend but this is Cleveland's last game before the All-Star break and they are hungry to keep the winning going and enter the break on a 5-game run. The Pacers have their home finale before the break on deck for tomorrow so this situation favors the Cavs in my opinion. Cleveland had a horrific losing streak going before starting this win streak and they do not want to lose that winning feeling right before the break. They will go all out here and if they do fall short look for it to be by only a bucket or two. The Pacers are just 3-9 SU their last dozen games and one of the wins was by just 6 points. That said, I love the valuable with the sizable home dog in this one. 10* CLEVELANDÂ |
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03-02-21 | Xavier v. Georgetown +2 | Top | 66-72 | Win | 100 | 11 h 59 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #618 Tuesday 10* Top Play Georgetown Hoyas (+) vs Xavier Musketeers @ 7 ET - Georgetown leading scorer Jahvon Blair will be back for senior night in Washington DC tonight. The Hoyas still managed to get by without him at DePaul on Saturday afternoon. Georgetown now faces a much tougher challenge then they did with the Blue Demons but I don't see the Hoyas being denied in their home finale. Georgetown should hold a rebounding edge here and the Musketeers are not quite the same team without guard Nate Johnson. I know they just upset the Bluejays but that makes me like going against Xavier even more here as they could be a little flat after upsetting Creighton. That was the Musketeers home finale and now they face a team highly motivated to win their home finale as well. Keep in mind, Xavier was on an 0-4 ATS run prior to knocking off the Bluejays. Also, the Hoyas enter this game on a solid 6-2 ATS run at the betting window. With the early line move toward Xavier, I like this one even more. Grab the home dog in this one as they have gone from being a slight favorite to now being the underdog in this one. Traditionally going against moves like this works out very well and I love this spot for all the reasons noted above too. 10* GEORGETOWN |
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03-01-21 | Pacers v. 76ers -5 | Top | 114-130 | Win | 100 | 10 h 51 m | Show |
Earliest Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #504 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - The Sixers are normally fantastic on their home floor. But they just gave a horrific effort versus the Cavaliers on Saturday and lost the game in OT outright as a double digit home favorite! Suffice to say, Philadelphia was not happy with that result and will be ready to go here after a very rare home loss. The 76ers beat Brooklyn by 16 points the last time they entered a game off a home loss. Also, here they can take advantage of an Indiana team that has lost 10 of its last 14 games. The Pacers Malcolm Brogdon is dealing with a knee injury and missed their last game. Even if he goes tonight he is unlikely to be 100 percent and this is an angry Sixers team that Indiana will be facing here. Look for the home team, 14-3 this season and 31-4 last season as a host, to roll by double digits in this one! 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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02-27-21 | Creighton v. Xavier +5 | Top | 69-77 | Win | 100 | 8 h 52 m | Show |
Big East Beast Top Side - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #684 Saturday 10* Top Play Xavier Musketeers (+) vs Creighton Bluejays @ 5 ET - Without a shadow of doubt, of course, Creighton is a very good team. Also, Xavier looks very unimpressive to the betting markets because of a recent 1-3 run. However, all that has done here is create exceptional value in my opinion. Keep in mind, the Musketeers had an unwanted two weeks off due to health protocol impacting their schedule so one could give them a mulligan for the home loss to Connecticut which followed. Since then Xavier has had two tough road games and just one home game. They won the only home game and the Musketeers are now 10-2 at home this season. Again, I know the Bluejays command (and deserve) respect but prior to a road win and cover at Georgetown in their most recent away game, Creighton was on a 1-3 ATS run in road games. This is Xavier's home finale and you know they would love nothing more than to get revenge for their road loss at Creighton earlier this season plus close the home portion of their schedule with a big win. As you would expect, the Bluejays don't shoot as well nor score as well on the road as they do at home. As you would also expect, the Musketeers do shoot better at home plus score better as a host. They have a great shot at the upset here which certainly has me liking the added value of having these points on our side too. 10* XAVIER |
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02-26-21 | Rockets v. Raptors -7 | Top | 111-122 | Win | 100 | 12 h 33 m | Show |
Early Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #536 Friday 10* Top Play Toronto Raptors (-) vs Houston Rockets @ 7:35 ET - The Rockets have lost 9 straight games. Houston went 1-8 ATS during this run and the lone ATS win never should have happened. The Rockets trailed by 26 points at the half - and by as many as 29 points during the game - at Philly last week but got a bit of a miracle back door cover in that game. Even with under 10 minutes to go in the game Houston was still down 18 points. The point is that the Rockets very easily could be on an 0-9 ATS run and the fact is they are highly like to fall to their 10th straight SU loss here and I look for Toronto to win this one by double digits. The set up here is solid as the Raptors are off back to back losses and will be extra hungry here as a result. Toronto, prior to the B2B defeats, had won 9 of 12 games both SU and ATS and I fully expect them to respond here. Also, the Raptors are on a streak of 20+ games in which whoever the SU winner is in their games is also the ATS winner. Considering that as well as the fact that the Rockets have lost 9 straight games, you can see why I fully expect the home team to get the win AND cover in this one! 10* TORONTO |
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02-25-21 | Iowa +5.5 v. Michigan | Top | 57-79 | Loss | -109 | 9 h 31 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #737 Thursday 10* Top Play Iowa Hawkeyes (+) @ Michigan Wolverines @ 7:30 ET - The #3 team in the nation at home where they are 11-0 this season and facing a team that is only 5-4 this season when away from home and yet this one featured a 3.5 as an opening line. The odds makers had the right idea and yet the market place things they have it all wrong and have already pushed this line to as high a 5.5 in some spots. In typical contrarian fashion I am on the other side of the move but, as always, it is not without reason. The Hawkeyes are 5-2 SU in their last 7 road games and the two losses each came by 5 or less points. That said, I love the line value here as Michigan is off of 3 straight hard fought wins and is going to be really tested now by a dynamic Iowa offense that is averaging 80 points per game its last 4 games. The Wolverines are off a high-scoring win over Ohio State but had averaged only 69 points per game in their 3 preceding games. Allowing 87 points to the Buckeyes also has to be a concern for Michigan as they now take on the highest scoring team in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes also have far and away the best assist to turnover ratio in the conference plus they lead the Big Ten in rebounding. Grab the generous points here. 10* IOWA |
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02-24-21 | Seton Hall v. Butler +7.5 | Top | 52-61 | Win | 100 | 11 h 47 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #684 Wednesday 10* Top Play Butler Bulldogs (+) vs Seton Hall Pirates @ 7 ET - This line is not up everywhere right now and that is because of the questionable status of three senior starters for Butler. The Bulldogs have Bo Hodges, Bryce Nze, and Aaron Thompson all listed as questionable for this one. My take on this is I don't see these guys again all missing another game. Maybe not all 3 play but I would be surprised if at least 2 of the 3 are not seeing action in this game tonight. Why? Well they are seniors and even though they have two more regular season games left this is definitely the most winnable game on their schedule that remains. Their next two games are versus Villanova and at Creighton. Yikes! By the way, even without all 3 of those aforementioned starters, the Bulldogs were down by only 5 points with a minute and a half to go in their 12 point loss to the Musketeers Sunday. Now they are at home and a big dog and could have some starting firepower back for this one and note that Seton Hall is 13-9 this season while Xavier is 12-4. The Pirates are certainly solid and have gone 10-6 in Big East action but the Musketeers are no slouches it is just their Big East schedule has been heavily impacted by covid. There is simply tremendous value with the home dog in this match-up and I suspect this line will steadily come down as the day goes on so lets jump on the early value here in a game the Bulldogs will be gunning hard for the upset win. It truly is their most winnable game left on the schedule and historically they are a tough team at Hinkle Fieldhouse. 10* BUTLER |
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02-23-21 | St. John's v. Villanova -11 | Top | 58-81 | Win | 100 | 10 h 22 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #628 Tuesday 10* Top Play Villanova Wildcats (-) vs St John's Red Storm @ 8 ET - Randomly playing revenge situations will get you in trouble in no time but finding the right revenge spots can be pure gold. The best teams in the Big East this season are Villanova and Creighton. The Wildcats lost by double digits at St John's earlier this season and now it is payback time. Why should we expect a solid home win for Villanova here? Well the best sample size to look at is how the Red Storm performed against the Bluejays this season. St John's has already faced Creighton twice and lost each game by an 18 point margin. Villanova can do the same here and this line is down to an 11 as of early game day morning. I'll take it. The Wildcats will take advantage of a Red Storm team that has allowed 86 points per game in its last two games. Villanova is a very strong shooting team at home. Also, the Wildcats are allowing just 66 points per game as a host this season. Coincidentally the posted total on this game is 152.5 and 86-66 indeed sounds about right and the expectation of that final score is justified per the above. The point is you can see why I am expecting the Cats to win this one by about 18 to 20 points. 10* VILLANOVA |
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02-22-21 | Bulls v. Rockets +1 | Top | 120-100 | Loss | -103 | 7 h 25 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #554 Monday 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (+) vs Chicago Bulls @ 8:05 ET - The Rockets have had extra time off due to cancelled games. This has given them even more time to think about their current 7-game losing streak. That said, I expect a highly motivated Houston team to take the floor tonight at home against Chicago. As for the Bulls, they take the floor off a win and cover but that was at home against Sacramento. What is noteworthy about this is Chicago hasn't covered consecutive games since mid-January so, coming off an ATS win, odds favor the Bulls falling short tonight. There was a reason the odds makers opened up the team on a 7-game losing streak as the favorite here. Don't let the line fool you. Grab the Rockets as they get back on track in a big way in this one. Chicago was on a 4-9 ATS run prior to knocking off the Kings Saturday. 10* HOUSTON |
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02-21-21 | 76ers -2.5 v. Raptors | Top | 103-110 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 51 m | Show |
Eastern Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #537 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:05 ET - The Sixers are off back to back wins but non-covers. Finally in this one they should have both Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons both on the floor together and I expect a road rout to result. Since the Raptors have had some recent wins and because the 76ers are the visitors for this one, we are getting a low number to work with. That said, I won't hesitate to step in as there is great value with this line opening up at a 2.5 this morning. 6 of the Raptors last 7 losses have come by 4 or more points. Each of Philly's last 7 wins have come by 5 or more points. Toronto is playing their home games in Tampa this season and they have certainly not held the same home court edge as in years past. The Raptors enter this game 1-3 SU last 4 home games and the lone win was against an Orlando team this is winning just 40 percent of their games this season. Now Toronto is facing a 76ers team that is 19-5 SU this season in games in which Embiid has played. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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02-20-21 | Texas Tech +1.5 v. Kansas | Top | 61-67 | Loss | -109 | 6 h 48 m | Show |
Big 12 Game of the Year - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #639 Saturday 10* Top Play Texas Tech Red Raiders (+) @ Kansas Jayhawks @ 2 ET - The Red Raiders have had a layoff due to a combination of weather and covid issues forcing postponements. That can, of course, be detrimental to a team. However, Texas Tech is not a normal team as they are one of the best teams in the nation and they are also fighting mad here. Their most recent game left the players and the coach fuming and they have been waiting a long time to get back on the floor and they will make the most of this opportunity today. The Red Raiders also have lost 3 games against Kansas including the most recent one by a single point in December. That said, Texas Tech is hell bent on revenge here and I am well aware of the fact that the Jayhawks have been playing better and winning some games. The key here though is who they faced. Now Kansas is in more of a dog fight style of game here and the last 5 times they have played a game with a spread either way that was 5 or less points, they have gone 0-5 SU and ATS. The Jayhawks simply aren't the same team they used to be and they already got blasted at Allen Fieldhouse earlier this season. I am not saying Kansas will get blasted here but I am saying the Red Raiders get the road win. Payback time here. 10* TEXAS TECH |
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02-19-21 | Bulls v. 76ers -9 | Top | 105-112 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 48 m | Show |
Eastern Conference Game of the Year - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #506 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Chicago Bulls @ 7:35 ET - Two games ago the Sixers had Ben Simmons on the floor but played without Joel Embiid. Then the very next game Embiid was back but Simmons missed. The 76ers still built a 29 point lead in that game and led by about 15 to 20 points at a minimum from that point on but found a way to blow the cover late against the Rockets. I do not expect a repeat of that here with both stars back together on the floor tonight. Also, the Bulls are still without Lauri Markkanen and Otto Porter and those two forwards average a combined 30.7 points and 12.4 rebounds a game. This one sets up well, as a result, to be a home blowout. Prior to the non-covering win versus Houston, the 76ers had been a perfect 4-0 ATS run when at home off an ATS loss. Once again off a non-cover and with big personnel edges in this one in terms of the injury situation, the 76ers roll and get a solid cover to improve to 5-1 ATS last 6 when at home and off a non-cover. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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02-18-21 | Raptors v. Bucks -6.5 | Top | 110-96 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 24 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #570 Thursday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (-) vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:35 ET - The Bucks just lost to the Raptors by a double digit margin on Tuesday. They were favored by about a half dozen points in that game and yet got crushed. In Thursday's rematch, Milwaukee again favored by a similar amount. Must be a huge mistake by the odds makers, right? Long-time followers know how I feel about supposed mistakes by odds makers! The point is that this is set this way with good reason and, in typical contrarian fashion, I am backing the team no one will want here. The Bucks have lost 4 straight games but note that they are 2-0 this season when off a home loss and both victories came by a double digit margin. I expect this one will too. Lay it. 10* MILWAUKEE |
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02-17-21 | Rockets v. 76ers -10.5 | Top | 113-118 | Loss | -105 | 10 h 44 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #556 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Houston Rockets @ 7:35 ET - 76ers will have Joel Embiid back tonight plus they are back on their home floor where they are known for dominating. After 3 straight losses - all on the road - the Sixers can't wait to come out strong at home and take out their frustration someone. That someone is the downtrodden Rockets and they should provide the perfect punching bag for Philly to take advantage. Houston has cleaned house this season and now is struggling ever since. The Rockets enter this game having lost 6 straight games. Also, Houston's last five road losses have all come by 12 or more points and, in fact, the average margin of defeat has been a very ugly 21 points per loss! That said, you can see why I am expecting a blowout home win for Philly here and this is a rare case in which I am willing to lay big points. The 76ers need a big win and the Rockets continue to get crushed in road games. More of the same here. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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02-17-21 | Marquette v. Butler -2 | Top | 73-57 | Loss | -108 | 10 h 16 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #672 Wednesday 10* Butler Bulldogs (-) vs Marquette Golden Eagles @ 6:30 ET - The Bulldogs lost by 3 at Marquette two weeks ago but couple of important notes about that. One is that this is the only win that the Golden Eagles have had in their last 7 games! Another is that when you look at the box score for that game it is somewhat of a miracle that Marquette even won that game. The Golden Eagles took only 39 shots from the field but hit 61% of them. That high shooting percentage will most definitely not be repeated on the road. Also, the Bulldogs had just 9 turnovers in the game while Marquette had 22. Again, bit of a miracle that the Golden Eagles somehow held on to win that game. Now it is payback time and I like the fact that Butler is at home for this one. The Bulldogs have won 6 of 9 home games this season while Marquette is just 2-6 ATS in road games on the season. Butler has won 3 of its last 4 home games and that included knocking off Creighton when the Bluejays were ranked #8 in the nation. They can play with anyone here at Hinkle Fieldhouse and I expect a solid home win here after they arguably deserved much better in the first meeting in Milwaukee a few weeks ago. 10* BUTLER |
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02-16-21 | Providence v. Connecticut -5.5 | Top | 61-73 | Win | 100 | 10 h 38 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #608 Tuesday 10* Top Play Connecticut Huskies (-) vs Providence Friars @ 6:30 ET - The Huskies seek revenge for a loss by a double digit margin at Providence last week. Connecticut actually had 9 more shots from the field but the Friars had 18 more free throw attempts. That latter statistic will not be repeated here at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT. Also note that Connecticut's James Bouknight is very close to returning from his elbow injury. The Friars are off a road win but entered that game having lost 4 of last 5 away from home. Huskies are averaging 76 points per game at home this season while Providence has been held to an average of 62 points per game in last 3 road games. The revenge-minded home team gets a boost with the imminent return of Bouknight even if he is yet on the floor this evening. There is a mental aspect to this as well that their star's return is imminent. 10* CONNECTICUT |
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02-14-21 | Marquette +7.5 v. Seton Hall | Top | 51-57 | Win | 100 | 18 h 31 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #803 Sunday 10* Top Play Marquette Golden Eagles (+) @ Seton Hall Pirates @ 3 ET - The Golden Eagles will be ready to bounce back after an embarrassing blowout loss at Villanova by a 32-point margin. That was their first really bad loss of the new year as in 2021 the average margin of defeat had been 6.4 points per game. That said, and considering they are in a good spot, Marquette is offering significant line value here after opening up at about an 8 point dog. The Pirates are in the perfect spot to struggle as they are off back to back wins on the road as a very small favorite. Now Seton Hall has not played in over a week while Marquette played on Wednesday. After that blowout loss to the Wildcats, the Golden Eagles will be ready to respond here as they look for some revenge against the Pirates. Seton Hall has actually won 5 straight games against Marquette so payback is on order here. Look for the Pirates to fall to 0-3 ATS in their last 3 home games as they have lost back to back games both SU and ATS and the Golden Eagles challenge them all the way after getting embarrassed on Wednesday. 10* MARQUETTE |
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02-12-21 | Spurs +2 v. Hawks | Top | 125-114 | Win | 100 | 23 h 53 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #545 Friday 10* Top Play San Antonio Spurs (+) @ Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET - The Spurs are off home loss and it was a bad one as they lost by a margin of 23 points. That type of loss often easier to bounce back from than the one the Hawks just had which was a one point loss at Dallas. Atlanta did win their most recent home game but that was preceded by 4 straight losses for the Hawks as a host. As for the Spurs they have been road warriors this season with a 7-3 mark away from home both SU and ATS. San Antonio has played the tougher schedule so far this season. Also, the Spurs are at that time of the year where they would take their annual rodeo trip and they will not be back in San Antonio until their game over two weeks from now on the 27th. Traditionally the Spurs have done very well on this annual road trip and this is the first of 7 away games. Also, Atlanta is just 4-6 SU against Western Conference teams this season while the Spurs are a perfect 3-0 SU against Eastern Conference teams this season. Look for that trend to reach 4-0 after the final horn sounds on this one. 10* SAN ANTONIO |
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02-12-21 | Temple +6.5 v. Cincinnati | Top | 69-71 | Win | 100 | 23 h 1 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #897 Friday 10* Top Plays Temple Owls (+) @ Cincinnati Bearcats @ 7 ET - The last 4 games between these teams have been decided by an average of just 3.8 points and now the Owls are a 6.5 dog in this one and it is a revenge spot. Temple lost at home against Cincinnati a week ago. The Owls enter this one off 3 straight losses but they got the big dog cover with a strong effort at Wichita State on Sunday. Temple is now on a 3-0 ATS run in road games and I look for the Owls to continue that strong run as travelers here. Though the Bearcats got the cover at Temple a week ago, Cincinnati is 2-9 ATS in their other games this season and I feel they are over-valued in this one. Opponents are actually shooting 47.5% against the Bearcats in their home games this season while the Owls are holding opponents to 40.9% in their road games this season. I am grabbing the hungry, undervalued dog in this one. 10* TEMPLE |
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02-11-21 | Pacers v. Pistons +3 | Top | 111-95 | Loss | -109 | 23 h 23 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #534 Thursday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (+) vs Indiana Pacers @ 8 ET - While it might seem hard to trust a 6-18 team against a team playing around .500 this season, in typical contrarian fashion I am on the ugly dog here. In this case the Pistons have a rest edge as they were off last night after hosting the Nets on Tuesday. As for the Pacers, they were at Brooklyn last night to face those same Nets. That said, tough spot for Indiana here. Also, as bad as the Pistons full season record is, they have been more competitive of late. Detroit has won 3 straight home games outright as home dogs and that was against tough teams - Nets, Lakers, 76ers! Going further back, the Pistons are on a 7-2 ATS run last 9 home games so they have been strong as a host this season. The Pacers entered last night's game at Brooklyn on a 3-9 ATS run and I look for Indiana's covering struggles to continue here. 10* DETROIT |
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02-11-21 | Purdue +2.5 v. Minnesota | Top | 68-71 | Loss | -115 | 20 h 33 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #737 Thursday 10* Top Play Purdue Boilermakers (+) @ Minnesota Golden Gophers @ 5 ET - Early line movement toward Minnesota already and I understand that because of the revenge angle. However, there is a match-up issue here. The Boilermakers outrebounded the Golden Gophers by 17 in the first meeting and it was not entirely a fluke. Minnesota has been outrebounded by a margin of 2 boards per game this season while Purdue is outrebounding opponents by 7 boards a game on the season. Comparing these two teams' stats on the season, the Boilermakers are also the better shooting team. Purdue has won 6 of 8 games entering this one while Minnesota is off a win but that was preceded by 6 losses in 8 games. The Boilermakers also have a rest edge here having not played since the 6th while the Gophers just played on the 8th. Minnesota has a great home record this season but the odds maker set this line very low with good reason. Don't let the number scare you away. Look for the road team to roll in this one. 10* PURDUE |
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02-10-21 | Hawks v. Mavs -4 | Top | 117-118 | Loss | -110 | 25 h 29 m | Show |
Non-Conf Game of the Year - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #520 Wednesday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks (-) vs Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET - The Hawks are off a big win versus the Raptors Saturday and that snapped a 3-game losing streak for Atlanta. That said everything must be "all good" again and the Hawks back on track, right? No, not at all! They were very fortunate to not only beat the Raptors but especially by a double digit margin! Toronto had 97 shots from the field compared to just 74 for Atlanta. The Hawks had 18 turnovers compared to just 6 for the Raptors. So how did this win happen? Insane shooting that will not be repeated for Atlanta on the road here. The Hawks shot 57% from the field and made a ridiculous 19 of 36 from three point land. Just crazy numbers for shooting and that leads to value here with the Mavs as short home favorite. Dallas has gotten back on track with wins in 3 of its last 4, including a win at Atlanta, but the Mavericks are still flying under the radar with the betting markets because they are on a long-term poor ATS run. That can lead to special value in certain situations and that is precisely what we are seeing right here. Lay it! 10* DALLAS |
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02-10-21 | Connecticut v. Providence +1.5 | Top | 59-70 | Win | 100 | 21 h 1 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #644 Wednesday 10* Top Play Providence Friars (+) vs Connecticut Huskies @ 4 ET - The Huskies are a different team without leading scorer James Bouknight and he is out indefinitely with an elbow injury. Connecticut is now on a 1-3 SU/ATS run without him. As for Providence, reinforcements are very near to returning as both Jared Bynum and Jimmy Nichols are nearing returns. So when someone casually looks at this game, they see an 8-4 team laying just 1.5 points at a 9-10 team. However, as you can see, there is absolutely a reason this game is priced this way so do not be fooled by the 4-win team in this range. The Friars are off a home loss in which they allowed 92 points and they will be ready to respond big here and improve to 5-0 this season when off a game in which they allowed 79 or more points. Another disadvantage for UConn here is this is just their 2nd game in the past 2 weeks. The home team in a much better spot here from a situational and personnel perspective. 10* PROVIDENCE |
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02-09-21 | St. John's +2.5 v. Butler | Top | 73-76 | Loss | -106 | 13 h 6 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #631 Tuesday 10* Top Play St John's Red Storm (+) @ Butler Bulldogs @ 9 ET - The Red Storm are red hot entering this game on a 6-0 SU run and 8-0 ATS run. St John's next game after this is not for a full week. That said, the Red Storm can absolutely lay it all on the line here with a strong aggressive effort. Speaking of aggressive play, that is the reason St John's is averaging twice as many (10) steals per game as Butler is (5) this season. Turnovers were a key in the first meeting between these teams and that was a Red Storm home win by double digits. Now in this second meeting, because Butler is at home, the host is a popular choice. The line opened up with St John's -1.5 but has flipped and is now up to a -2.5 on the Bulldogs! Love the added value here with the road dog. Butler enters this game off a home win versus DePaul but this was preceded by a stretch that saw the Bulldogs go 3-7 over 10 games. Butler is simply not as strong this season and the Red Storm are surging. Not only do they do a better job in terms of steals and blocked shots, St John's also has been the better shooting team this season across all categories - from the field, free throws, and three pointers. Grab the road dog Red Storm here plus the points but expect an outright win. 10* ST JOHN'S |
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02-07-21 | Kings v. Clippers -8.5 | Top | 113-110 | Loss | -105 | 17 h 59 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #560 Sunday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Clippers (-) vs Sacramento Kings @ 3:05 ET - The Kings have won and covered 7 in a row so, in typical contrarian fashion, I am on the other side here. Sacramento is in a very tough spot here as this game starts at Noon local time and this is after the Kings were in action yesterday at home against Denver. Sacramento did get an upset win in that game while LA enters this game angry off an upset loss so the situation is perfect. That is why I am willing to lay points here as I expect the Clippers to go all out here and roll to a win by at least a dozen points. Los Angeles does not play again until Wednesday and also they do not have another home game until next Sunday. Also, they were off yesterday so they are rested and ready to go all out here and they are not happy about their home loss to a Celtics team that was without Jaylen Brown. Look for them to make up for that here as the Clippers are a perfect 6-0 this season when off a loss! The Clips have won the last two meetings by an average margin of 28.5 points and roll again here. 10* LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS |
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02-06-21 | Nuggets -3 v. Kings | Top | 114-119 | Loss | -100 | 19 h 44 m | Show |
NBA TV Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #531 Saturday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (-) @ Sacramento Kings @ 5 ET - The Kings are hot so they are garnering the attention of the betting markets and I fully understand that. But in typical contrarian fashion, I like the Nuggets here. Denver is really ticked off heading into this game as they were up nicely at halftime against the Lakers Thursday and then had a horrific 2nd half. The Nuggets also play this game with double revenge against Sacramento. These teams met twice earlier this season and the Kings won each game including a 2 point win at Denver when the Nuggets were an 8 point favorite. The Nuggets have had enough of this Sacramento team this season plus are in a foul mood after what happened against the Lakers Thursday. Denver had won 11 of 15 before the collapse against the defending champs. Also, the Kings were on a 2-9 SU run before covering 6 straight games heading into this one. I am not totally sold on Sacramento just yet and feel the odds makers are on to something considering the Nuggets have lost both match-ups to the Kings and yet are now favored by more than the -1 they laid in the first meeting at Sacramento. Trust me it is not a mistake and I feel the road team wins by 7 to 10 here. 10* DENVER |
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02-05-21 | Maryland v. Penn State -2 | Top | 50-55 | Win | 100 | 23 h 7 m | Show |
Early TV Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #860 Friday 10* Top Play Penn State Nittany Lions (-) vs Maryland Terrapins @ 7 ET - Why is a 6-8 team favored over a 10-8 team? Precisely why I am playing the 6-8 team. The fact is the Nittany Lions are off a bad loss at Wisconsin and in bounce back mode. Before the ugly loss to the Badgers, Penn State had beaten Wisconsin as part of a 3-1 SU and ATS run and that victory over the Badgers was at home where the Lions have won 3 straight and they should make it 4 in a row Friday. The Terrapins are off a win versus Purdue by the slimmest of margins but are on a 2-6 ATS run and off the nail-biter win, will fall flat here. Maryland averaging just 62.6 points per game on the road this season while the Nittany Lions are averaging 81.1 points per game at home this season. The Terps are the better team defensively but the home/road dichotomy for PSU is a big one and they again come up big at home with a strong shooting performance off a loss. 10* PENN STATE |
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02-04-21 | Jazz -7 v. Hawks | Top | 112-91 | Win | 100 | 24 h 9 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #506 Thursday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz @ Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET - The Hawks are in a very tough spot here. Even though they are at home and it is the Jazz who are the travelers, Atlanta had to do battle with Dallas last night while Utah was resting. The Jazz have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA for awhile and have won 12 of their past 13 games. The Hawks have been a little short-handed of late and now playing a back to back certainly won't help matters. Atlanta entered last night's game against the Mavericks having lost each of their past two home games so playing at home certainly hasn't translated to an automatic W for the Hawks this season. In fact they already had a 3-game losing streak in home games earlier this season. 11 of the last 12 wins for the Jazz have come by a double digit margin. Look for this one to as well. 10* UTAH |
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02-04-21 | Cincinnati v. Temple +2.5 | Top | 63-60 | Loss | -109 | 23 h 37 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #736 Thursday 10* Top Play Temple Owls (+) vs Cincinnati Bearcats @ 7 ET - I am a Philly guy and was surprised the Owls didn't get it done on Sunday against Tulane. The game meant a little something extra after the passing of John Chaney whose name is synonymous with Temple basketball. The fact is that Sunday's disappointing result had a lot do with getting outrebounded and also the Green Wave shot much better. The Owls actually had just as many shot attempts as Tulane did in the game. Now Temple catches a break with facing a Cincinnati team that has not played in 3 and 1/2 weeks. Not only that, the Bearcats have lost 6 of their last 7 games. The Owls had won 3 of 4 before Sunday's loss and will respond big at home here. Cincinnati will struggle after the long layoff. Temple head coach Aaron McKie is also an Owls grad and the loss of Cheney means something extra to him for sure and I really look for a tremendous effort from the home team here and, unlike Sunday, they are catching the right team at the right time and they are a dog. I will take it. 10* TEMPLE |
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02-03-21 | Seton Hall +1 v. Providence | Top | 60-43 | Win | 100 | 23 h 48 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #681 Wednesday 10* Top Play Seton Hall Pirates (+) @ Providence Friars @ 7 ET - When I see two teams with similar records and yet the game is around a pick'em, I will immediately be looking at the road team. In other words the odds makers are telling us who the better team is just by the fact that the road team is not a dog even though they are away from home and facing a team with a similar record. In this case, I was already looking at this game as the Pirates fell just short of the cover for me against Villanova on Saturday. That game saw Seton Hall hurt by one long scoreless drought that ended up being the difference in the game. The fact is the Pirates had 6 more shot attempts from the field in the game but the Wildcats shot a ridiculous 10 of 22 from three point land. Now Seton Hall is taking on a Providence team that has lost 5 of its last 7 and 1 of those 2 wins came in OT! In fact, the Friars are 5-6 in their last 11 games but 3 of the 5 wins came in extra time including one was a double OT game. Included in this stretch was an OT win at Seton Hall and the Pirates will now take advantage of their shot at revenge here. 10* SETON HALL |
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02-02-21 | Grizzlies v. Pacers -5.5 | Top | 116-134 | Win | 100 | 23 h 8 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #550 Tuesday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers (-) vs Memphis Grizzlies @ 8:05 ET - The Pacers will certainly be ready to go here. They are off a bad loss to Philadelphia where they blew a big lead late courtesty of a horrible 4th quarter and bad play in the final minutes. Now Indiana will take advantage of hosting a Memphis team that, after nearly two weeks off, will be playing the 2nd game of a back to back plus it is their 3rd game in 4 nights plus they have division rival Houston on deck. Horrible spot for Grizzlies and the Pacers come in angry after blowing that game against the 76ers Sunday. 10* INDIANA |
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02-01-21 | Rockets v. Thunder +5 | Top | 136-106 | Loss | -104 | 13 h 40 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #540 Monday 10* Top Play Oklahoma City Thunder (+) vs Houston Rockets @ 8:05 ET - The Rockets are on a roll with 5 straight wins but 2 of the wins came by a margin of 3 or less points and the most recent one, though by double digits, had a lot do with being an ideal situation. Houston is off a win at New Orleans where the caught the Pelicans off a huge upset win over the Bucks and completely out of gas in a back to back. That said, the value here is with the home dog. Oklahoma City might have been looking ahead to this game when they got throttled and allowed 147 points to Brooklyn Friday. Either way, that kind of ugly loss certainly caught their attention after entering that game off back to back road wins that were outright upsets as underdogs. That said, I look for the revenge-minded Thunder to get right back on track here. I know each of these teams are different in terms of their rosters compared to August through early September when the Rockets ousted them from the playoffs. However, there is no doubt this game means a little extra something to Oklahoma City and, coming off that ugly loss, they respond large here and very likely even get the outright win for some true payback. For added insurance, I am grabbing the points here. 10* OKLAHOMA CITY |
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02-01-21 | Georgia Tech +4.5 v. Louisville | Top | 58-74 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 33 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #853 Monday 10* Top Play Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+) @ Louisville Cardinals @ 2 ET - The Yellow Jackets should have Bubba Parham back for this one as he is making the trip to Louisville after missing the last game to attend his cousin's funeral. I like the set up here as this is a classic case of two teams going the opposite direction and this is particularly true as it pertains to the betting window. The Cardinals are off a loss that dropped them to 1-3 SU and ATS in their last 4 games. They scored only 50 points in that game and it was against a Clemson team that just got waxed at Duke. For some more comparative reasoning though that is the same Tigers team that Georgia Tech just beat by 18 points. Also, the Yellow Jackets just beat Florida State by double digits while one of Louisville's 3 recent losses was against the same Seminoles team and they lost by double digits. The Jackets really stepped up without Parham in their most recent game to beat the Noles and now they get a boost with his return. I like those factors as well as the fact we're getting some points here against a team that has not covered any of the last 4 times they were favored in the -3 to -6 range. Cardinals fade continues as the Yellow Jackets improve to 3-0 ATS in their last 3 meetings with Louisville. 10* GEORGIA TECH |
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01-31-21 | St. John's +4.5 v. Marquette | Top | 75-73 | Win | 100 | 5 h 10 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #819 Sunday 10* Top Play St John's Red Storm (+) @ Marquette Golden Eagles @ 3:30 ET - The last time the Red Storm lost a game it was at home against the Golden Eagles by a bucket. The last time Marquette won a game was that tight victory at St John's. The point is that now we get a chance at right back revenge and can ride a hot team and fade a cold team. That said, I like our chances here. In that first match-up the Red Storm actually had 13 more field goal attempts than Marquette but simply had an off shooting night. But this is a St John's team that is now surging with confidence courtesy of a 3-game winning streak and they have won 4 of their last 5 overall and are on a 5-0 ATS run. The Golden Eagles have lost back to back games and 6 of their last 9 SU. During this 9-game run, Marquette has covered just ONCE! Grab the value with the road dog in this one as they are primed for an upset so I will gladly take the points here. 10* ST JOHN'S |
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01-30-21 | Blazers +2.5 v. Bulls | Top | 123-122 | Win | 100 | 12 h 2 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #501 Saturday 10* Top Play Portland Trail Blazers (+) @ Chicago Bulls @ 8 ET - As long-time followers know I often like to go against the grain and I like the fact that this line is moving toward the Bulls in early market activity. I will fade the move and grab the extra value with the Trail Blazers. Portland was up by 20 in the first quarter of their eventual 3-point loss at the Rockets and they know they let one slip away there. Look for the Blazers to be extremely focused on getting back into the win column here. Portland is on a 5-2 ATS run in road games and had won 4 of 6 SU away from home prior to the tight loss at Houston. As for Chicago, they are just 2-5 SU in home games this season and plus the Trail Blazers have revenge from a home loss to the Bulls early this month. Payback time is here. 10* PORTLAND |
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01-30-21 | Villanova v. Seton Hall +6 | Top | 80-72 | Loss | -110 | 19 h 16 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #648 Saturday 10* Top Play Seton Hall Pirates (+) vs Villanova Wildcats @ 3:30 ET - Seton Hall is loaded with seniors and juniors and that is the key to why they will bounce back here. The Pirates just lost an unbelievable game at home against Creighton Wednesday. Seton Hall had a huge lead rather late in the 2nd half and then witnessed a miraculous comeback as the Bluejays just had one of those shooting stretches where they could not miss. A younger team would be in trouble in their next game but Seton Hall is loaded with upperclassmen who know how to respond in a situation like this. The Pirates are at home which helps here and they also have plenty of confidence against the Wildcats. Though only 2-3 SU in the last 5 games against Villanova, Seton Hall has a knack for playing the Cats tough as the 3 losses each came by just 2 points apiece. The Wildcats are off a dominating win versus Providence but that was driven by a 19-9 turnover edge. They won't have that edge against the Pirates and, in fact, the turnovers are about equal in the last 4 meetings between these two teams. I expect Seton Hall to be very focused and motivated at home here after the way they lost to Creighton Wednesday and with the fact this is also a revenge game as the Pirates lost a tight one less than 2 weeks ago at Villanova. Payback time. Grab the generous points. 10* SETON HALL |
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01-28-21 | Michigan State v. Rutgers -2.5 | Top | 37-67 | Win | 100 | 7 h 20 m | Show |
Big Ten Blowout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #720 Thursday 10* Top Play Rutgers Scarlet Knights (-) vs Michigan State Spartans @ 7 ET - The Spartans are 10-0 SU against the Scarlet Knights and yet are the underdog in this match-up! Big mistake by the odds makers, right? Of course not! Long time followers know how I feel about "mistakes" by odds makers and the fact is Rutgers is in the better situation right now and at home and they are catching a Michigan State team that hasn't played in nearly 3 weeks due to covid issues. The Scarlet Knights lost by 23 at Michigan State earlier this month but actually took 10 more shots from the field in that game but simply had one of those games where the hoop seems so small and they could not get shots to drop. Also, Rutgers made a ridiculous 6 of 17 from the free throw line. Yes they are not a good free throw shooting team but they are not normally that bad of course. They are hitting 60.4% from the charity stripe at home games this season. The Scarlet Knights have also faced the tougher schedule than the Spartans this season and enter this game bolstered by a road win at Indiana. 10* RUTGERS |
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01-27-21 | Lakers v. 76ers +3 | Top | 106-107 | Win | 100 | 10 h 59 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #540 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 7:35 ET - The Lakers are in the middle of a 7-game road trip and when you look at this trip a couple of games caught LA's attention. One was at Milwaukee as they are considered the best team in the east and another was at Cleveland because of the LeBron connection there. That said, off a win over the Cavaliers and still undefeated in road games this season, Los Angeles opened up as a very small road favorite here with good reason. That reasoning is that this is actually a tough spot for them. The 76ers want this game and a very tough at home. They went 31-4 at home last season and are 9-1 at home this season. Joel Embiid will be back after missing the last game which was as much rest as it was anything else. The Sixers have actually won 3 of their last 4 with LA both SU and ATS plus the home team won each meeting last season by a double digit margin. I like the home edge and the situational edge and the markets of course will be backing the small road favorite here that is 10-0 SU in road games this season. That is why this line is moving higher and I'll gladly grab the additional value with the home dog that will prove to be the more motivated team here. Remember Sixers coach Doc Rivers was the Clippers coach and has extra motivation facing the Lakers as they battled hard again for LA supremacy last season before the Lakers of course ultimately prevailed and went on to win it all while Rivers and the Clippers parted ways. Big motivation here. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-27-21 | Creighton -1.5 v. Seton Hall | Top | 85-81 | Win | 100 | 8 h 16 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #669 Wednesday 10* Top Play Creighton Bluejays (-) @ Seton Hall Pirates @ 7 ET - Revenge is often overplayed and I believe that will prove to be the case again here. Many will back Seton Hall seeking revenge for getting blasted at Creighton 3 weeks ago. However, there are multiple problems with that. The Bluejays have now won 3 straight over the Pirates and part of the reason is that it is a match-up issue. Creighton is a 3-point shooting team and Seton Hall tends to struggle to defend the arc. The other issue for the Pirates here is that this will be just their 2nd game played in 18 days as they have been dealing with multiple cancellations. As for the Bluejays, their schedule has been flowing just fine and that means the shots - just like the first meeting - will also be flowing just fine as well. 10* CREIGHTON |
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01-26-21 | Knicks +11.5 v. Jazz | Top | 94-108 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 56 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #527 Tuesday 10* Top Play New York Knicks (+) @ Utah Jazz @ 9:05 ET - There are two ways to look at this game but I am choosing the latter. The first way to look at this match-up is that the Jazz are on an 8-0 SU and ATS run. Not only that, the 8-game run dates back to a loss against, you guessed it, the Knicks! So this is a revenge game for a red hot Utah team. However, here is how I look at this one. The Jazz are laying too many points here. They are off a string of big Western Conference wins and now face a non-conference opponent plus have back to back big games on deck against the Mavericks. I like the fact that the Knicks are on a 4-1 ATS run. Also, not only are 3 SU wins included in that run, note that the Knicks last 4 SU losses have all been by a single digit margin. The average margin of defeat for NY during this run was just 5.5 points. The Knicks have gone 7 straight games without a single loss by more than 9 points. I am grabbing the big underdog here. 10* NEW YORK KNICKS |
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01-25-21 | 76ers -6.5 v. Pistons | Top | 104-119 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 44 m | Show |
Professional Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #503 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - The Pistons are still without Derrick Rose for this one. Blake Griffin is expected back tonight but he has not been as effective as in years past. As for the 76ers I am aware of the Joel Embiid situation but he might play with tomorrow being an off day for Philly too. Plus Dwight Howard has really raised his level of play at times when Embiid is out. The Pistons did get the cover on Saturday but Detroit outscored Philly by 18 points from 3-point land in that one. Had they simply been dead even from beyond the arc, the Sixers win that game by 22 points. Also, lets look at this match-up from another vantage point as well. Philadelphia is currently at the very top of the Eastern Conference standings while Detroit - you guessed it - is at the very bottom of those same standings. Yes the Pistons have a home court "edge" here but have lost 7 of 9 games on their home floor this season! The 76ers, were it not for the 3-point shooting disparity, would have won Saturday's game by 22 which is not a huge surprise as their other road wins this season have come by an average of 22 points per game too! When these teams met over the weekend, the Sixers were of back to back huge wins against the Celtics so it was the perfect spot to fade them and, indeed, the Pistons delivered the ATS cover. Now, things are back to normal and we can lay a rather small number here and have the best team in the east against the worst team in the east so far this season. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-25-21 | Loyola Marymount v. Portland +10 | Top | 75-50 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 32 m | Show |
Early Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #850 Monday 10* Top Play Portland Pilots (+) vs Loyola Marymount Lions @ 5 ET - The Pilots perfectly fit the classic ugly home dog theory. Yes Portland enters this game on a long losing streak but the Pilots are 5-4 SU at home this season and they have revenge from a home loss in the most recent meeting between these West Coast rivals. Inexplicably, the Pilots lost that game to the Lions despite having 20 more shot attempts from the field. It was a terrible shooting nigh for Portland from everywhere on the floor and they lost the game despite only having 9 turnovers while Loyola Marymount actually had 22 turnovers in that game! Coming into this game the Lions are on an overall 0-4 ATS run plus this is a team that has gone 0-4 SU on the road this season. Of course Loyola Marymount is the better team and that is why they are favored big on the road but I feel the points will prove to be far too many and that the Pilots will be tough to put away in this one. I know the Lions rate as the better team defensively but also note that Portland is averaging 76 points per game at home this season while Loyola Marymount is averaging just 61 points in road games. The Lions may defeat the Pilots here but I expect the game to be decided by a very slim margin. 10* PORTLAND |
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01-24-21 | Thunder +13 v. Clippers | Top | 100-108 | Win | 100 | 8 h 28 m | Show |
Early Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #573 Sunday 10* Top Play Oklahoma City Thunder (+) @ Los Angeles Clippers @ 4:05 ET - The Clippers beat the Thunder by 14 points on Friday. They outscored them by 14 points at the free throw line. Also, Los Angeles dominated Oklahoma City on the boards. The Thunder will respond after losing badly in those two key stat departments on Friday. Neither one of those stats was expected when you look at the full season statistics for these two teams. No I do not expect OKC to win this game outright but I do expect the points to prove to be too many for LAC to cover in the rematch. The Clippers 5 most recent home games preceding the blowout win included 1 outright losses and 2 wins by a margin of 5 or less points. Look for this one to fall into that latter category or very close to that in terms of the final margin here. 10* OKLAHOMA CITY |
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01-22-21 | Celtics +5 v. 76ers | Top | 110-122 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 51 m | Show |
Early Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #535 Friday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (+) @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:35 ET - Grabbing a good team off a loss is always worth a look. When that team is getting points it is even better. When that team is also playing with revenge against a divisional foe that is better still. Finally, it gets even stronger when the teams just met. The Celtics loss at Philly Wednesday is certainly fresh in their minds as they blew a 6-point lead they had entering the 4th quarter. Here is a stat too that is unlikely to be repeated tonight: the 76ers had 45 free throw attempts compared to just 20 for the Celtics. You think a shot an extra 25 points might have helped Philly in their eventual 8 point win? Of course it did and, even though Boston is still without Jayson Tatum, the Celtics are perfect ATS this season when off back to back ATS losses and also perfect SU when they enter a game off a SU loss. Payback time here and, keep in mind, the Celtics had won 5 straight games against Philadelphia before that loss Wednesday. 10* BOSTON |
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01-20-21 | Celtics v. 76ers -4.5 | Top | 109-117 | Win | 100 | 9 h 24 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #502 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Boston Celtics @ 7:05 ET - This is a rivalry that goes back a long way as you know. But last season put an exclamation point on how one-sided things can be at times. Boston swept the Sixers out of the playoffs and that led to the firing of coach Brett Brown. Now Doc Rivers is the new man in charge and his players want revenge here. Yes the Sixers just struggled at Memphis but Joel Embiid did not play. He is back and is listed as probable for this game. Also, it is a home game for Philly and they are known for dominating at the Wells Fargo Center. Additionally, the Celtics are still without Jayson Tatum and he is not even making the trip to Philly due to health protocols. That is a major loss for the Celtics as he was on fire this season. Speaking of major losses, Boston just got blasted at home by 30 points by Orlando. Of course that makes this a bounce back spot for the Celtics but, keep in mind, their ATS losses have come in pairs this season and I look for the loss to the Magic to be the first of two as the hungry 76ers get their playoff revenge in a big way here. Embiid on the floor for Philly and Tatum not on the floor for the Celtics is absolutely a big deal! Home team by double digits in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-19-21 | Pelicans +6.5 v. Jazz | Top | 102-118 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 41 m | Show |
Double Perfect Play - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #571 Tuesday 10* Top Play New Orleans Pelicans (+) @ Utah Jazz @ 9:05 ET - I have had great success with each of these teams as I am 3-0 my last 3 involving the Pelicans and 5-0 my last 5 sides involving the Jazz. Putting both of those streaks to the test here because I really like the value with the points being offered in this one. The last 4 meetings between these clubs have all been decided by a single digit margin. That includes 2 of the last 3 decided by just 2 points with the outlier decided by 6 points. All 3 of those results would get us a win in this one tonight. That said, the Pelicans come into this game off a confidence boosting win and 4 of their last 5 losses were by a single digit margin with 3 of the 4 decided by a margin of 5 or less. The Jazz have been hot and that is what has driven this line higher but their 5-game winning streak started with a win over the Bucks. Since then the last 4 teams they have faced all currently have losing records and a combined record of 21-31. I know the Pelicans also have a losing record so far this season but, without a doubt, they have underachieved. That is what is leading to value in this spot and I look for the revenge-minded Pelicans to get revenge for the July 30th loss to the Jazz. If they do fall short look for them to stay inside the number as they improve to 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games. 10* NEW ORLEANS |
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01-14-21 | Santa Clara v. Pacific +3 | Top | 58-79 | Win | 100 | 5 h 35 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #716 Thursday 10* Top Play Pacific Tigers @ 5 ET - I fully understand the line move here. Pacific hasn't played in a very long time and has only played one game in about 6 weeks. So I get it. But this is a Tigers team that went 11-5 in conference action last season and Santa Clara went just 6-10 in conference games last season. Not only that, the Broncos have only played 1 conference game this season. The point is that Pacific isn't that far behind everyone else in terms of conference games played and they are raring to go for their conference opener and they are at home and it is a day game. This is a very competitive team with a lot of heart and passion for the game. Having them at a home dog in this spot is something I won't pass up on. The Broncos are a decent program but I still expect more from Pacific than Santa Clara by the time this season goes into the books. As for this match-up in particular, even if the Tigers start a little slow they will eventually get back into a good rhythm within this game and on their home floor. The Tigers catch the Broncos off an upset win at St Mary's and that make this a great spot to fade them. Santa Clara was off back to back losses by double digit margins prior to that win over the Gaels. 10* PACIFIC |
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01-12-21 | Heat v. 76ers -5.5 | Top | 134-137 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 46 m | Show |
PA Insider - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #534 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Miami Heat @ 7:05 ET - The Heat simply missing too many guys due to health protocols in this covid-impacted world we currently live in. Additionally, the Sixers are off a road loss last night in which they got blasted. They will now bounce back at home where they went 31-4 last season plus are 5-1 this season. While the 76ers have only 1 home loss this season, Miami has only 1 road win this season and plus Philadelphia has revenge from getting blasted by 31 points the last time they faced the Heat. This is actually a triple revenge spot as Philly has lost 3 straight against Miami and the set-up and the situation is perfect with the Heat outmanned in this game to a large extent. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-11-21 | Connecticut v. DePaul +5.5 | Top | 60-53 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 19 m | Show |
Perfection Play - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #866 Monday 10* Top Play DePaul Blue Demons (+) vs Connecticut Huskies @ 6 ET - The set up here is a perfect one. The Huskies blasted the Blue Demons by 21 points when these teams met earlier this season but that was at Connecticut and DePaul simply had an off shooting game. Now the Blue Demons are at home plus star Huskies guard James Bouknight might miss this game. He scored 20 in the first meeting but is dealing with an elbow injury now. With UConn not scheduled to play again until a week from tonight it would make the most sense for the Huskies to keep him out of tonight's game and try to get better recovery for him before putting Bouknight back in game action. That said, the play here is the hungry home underdog that is entering this game off a home loss. The Blue Demons are playing just their 3rd home game of the season and do shoot better at home plus have more confidence on their home floor. It all adds up to substantial line value here with DePaul now catching nearly a half dozen points in this one. You have a 1-loss team facing a 1-win team here and this is going to get the attention of the betting markets and I love fading the masses here given the above situational value aspects we have in play for this one. The Huskies are off back to back road wins and I foresee a let up here while the hungry Blue Demons respond off of 3 straight losses including a home defeat and, in the process, get some revenge too. If the host does fall short I expect it to be by the slimmest of margins. Grab the points. 10* DEPAUL |
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01-10-21 | Nuggets v. Knicks +6.5 | Top | 114-89 | Loss | -107 | 8 h 25 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #508 Sunday 10* Top Play New York Knicks (+) vs Denver Nuggets @ 6:05 ET - The Nuggets are in a back to back spot and off a big win at Philly yesterday and have a challenging match-up at Brooklyn on deck. That said this is absolutely a flat spot for them. After all, they blasted the Knicks by a 37 point margin the last time they faced them in New York. However, that was then and this is now and this is a different New York team and the Knicks are off a home loss Friday that ended a stretch of 3 straight wins SU and ATS and an overall 5-1 SU/ATS stretch. That said, I fully expect a big bounce back effort from the rested Knicks here at home and they'll take advantage of catching the Nuggets in a back to back. Also, Denver was just 3-5 SU this season entering yesterday's match-up with the 76ers and the Nuggets also have played a weaker schedule than the Knicks have. All signs here are point to great line value with the home underdog and I will take it. 10* NEW YORK KNICKS |
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01-09-21 | Suns +3.5 v. Pacers | Top | 125-117 | Win | 100 | 9 h 7 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #569 Saturday 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns (+) @ Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - As a general rule I love taking a look at winning teams as underdogs. Of course that is because you have a team that wins more than the lose SU and they are also getting points to work with as well. So this game already caught my eye and I am well aware of the fact the Suns are off an OT game last night. However, a few keys from that game: the Suns lost, the Suns blew a 23 point lead, and no one played ridiculously high minutes for Phoenix. In other words, the Suns will be ready to go tonight and they are fired up and they are hungry for a victory after letting that game slip away last night. Note that Phoenix is 2-0 this season when playing the 2nd game of a back to back and also 2-0 this season when off a loss. Indiana is a quality team too of course but will they be complacent here off back to back wins? Also, the Pacers are 4-2 SU their last 6 games but two of those wins came by a victory margin of 2 or less points. That said, if you had played Indiana at -3 or more in each of their last 6 games you went just 2-4 ATS. I know the Pacers have a scheduling edge but I love the hunger factor for a Suns team whose starters didn't play all that well last night. The bench actually was better and now I look for the starters to come out hungry tonight and the bench to continue their strong play. Grab the points! 10* PHOENIX |
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01-08-21 | Purdue +5.5 v. Michigan State | Top | 55-54 | Win | 100 | 8 h 4 m | Show |
Big Ten Punisher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #859 Friday 10* Top Play Purdue Boilermakers (+) @ Michigan State Spartans @ 7 ET - Both these teams have been struggling ATS and I have no hesitation in fading a ranked Michigan State team in this one. The Spartans are ranked and at home and yet opened up as a rather small favorite here. Sure enough the early market move here is on Michigan State and yet, prior to back to back wins, the Spartans had lost 3 straight games SU. Also, prior to a rare cover in their most recent game, Michigan State had failed to cover 7 straight games! As noted above, Purdue has also had ATS problems this season but I like the fact the Boilermakers are off back to back SU losses for the first time this season. They are in the perfect bounce back spot here considering the situation and they have won each of their last two meetings with Michigan State. The Boilermakers also have played the tougher schedule so far this season and I feel the betting markets aren't properly factoring that in as they pound the Spartans here. We have excellent line value here with Michigan State off a huge blowout win where everything went right while Purdue is off back to back losses. By the way, the Spartans have a huge game on deck with red hot Iowa so this is a good spot for the Boilermakers from a situational advantage too. 10* PURDUE |
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01-07-21 | Cavs v. Grizzlies -4.5 | Top | 94-90 | Loss | -115 | 10 h 39 m | Show |
Blowout Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #536 Thursday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies (-) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:05 ET - Even though the Grizzlies are still without Ja Morant, they are certainly in much better shape than the Cavaliers right now. Yes, Memphis is off back to back losses but they faced the Lakers and lost the 2nd of the 2 games by just a bucket. Prior to those 2 losses the Grizzlies had won 2 of 3 and that included a 15-point blowout win over Charlotte. As for Cleveland, they have lost 4 of their last 5 games and all 4 of the losses have come by a margin of at least 9 points. In fact, the average margin of the 4 defeats was 15 points and I would not be surprised to see another big loss here as the Grizzlies are anxious to bounce back after back to back losses. Memphis has not lost 3 straight games yet this season. The set up here is perfect as the Grizzlies are 0-4 at home this season and desperate for a big home win and the wounded Cavaliers come in here as the perfect punching bag for the home team to take out their frustrations. 10* MEMPHIS |
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01-07-21 | Iowa v. Maryland +6 | Top | 89-67 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 3 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #730 Thursday 10* Top Play Maryland Terrapins (+) vs Iowa Hawkeyes @ 7 ET - The Terrapins are off back to back losses and have not lost 3 straight games all season. Maryland had a great first half at Indiana on Monday but then fell apart in the 2nd half of the game. Fired up about the horrific 2nd half on the road against the Hoosiers, the Terps respond in a big way at home on Thursday. I know Iowa ranks as one of the top teams in the nation but they are on the road and off a hard-fought 2-point win in their most recent game. Also, the Hawkeyes have one Big Ten loss this season and it came at Minnesota. Up next for Iowa is a home game against, you guessed it, the Golden Gophers. That said, I really like the situational value here with the home dog Terrapins in this one. This is particularly true as the line on the Hawkeyes has been climbing this morning and Iowa is now favored by as many as a half dozen points in this one. We're getting some line value here because of the way Maryland's most recent game finished so poorly for them in the 2nd half. That said, we won't see that happen again here as now the Terrapins are at home and also lost their most recent home game against a red hot Michigan team. The situation is perfect for a home dog bounce back here and I would not be surprised to see an outright upset here but will grab the points just in case the Terrapins fall just short. 10* MARYLAND |
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01-06-21 | Celtics +2.5 v. Heat | Top | 107-105 | Win | 102 | 11 h 46 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #517 Wednesday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (+) @ Miami Heat @ 7:35 ET - This is a revenge game from the post-season as the Heat took the series 4 games to 2 back in September. Revenge is never an automatic but I like this spot quite a lot because I have tremendous respect for Brad Stevens as a coach and I know he'll have his guys ready for this one. Yes I know Marcus Smart missed Boston's most recent game but that was precautionary more than anything else. It was a back to back spot and it was facing a struggling Raptors team and Smart has been dealing with a thumb injury so they let him rest it. I know he listed as questionable for tonight as of early game day morning but I am quite positive he'll be playing tonight and I know Boston very hungry for payback here. Also, the Heat have been quite unimpressive early this season. Miami is off a win and is 3-3 this season and has yet to win back to back games. I look for that trend to continue here as the Heat again follow a win with a loss but I am grabbing the points as added insurance in case the Celtics fall short by the slimmest of margins in this one. In looking at the hustle stats for this one, Boston has been the better rebounding team, they have been getting many more blocks and also turning over the ball less in comparison with the Heat. We're getting line value here with the Celtics courtesy of the injury situation. Lets take advantage and fade Miami in this one! 10* BOSTON |
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01-05-21 | Jazz v. Nets +4.5 | Top | 96-130 | Win | 101 | 9 h 30 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #502 Tuesday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (+) vs Utah Jazz @ 7:35 ET - Brooklyn will be without Kevin Durant (covid protocol) but the markets have over-reacted in my opinion. Now the Nets are as much as a 5 point home dog in this game and, keep in mind, others are going to step up big with KD being out. Especially in the first game without a superstar, you often see the rest of the team give a massive effort. So this may not last for the full 7 days he is out but I certainly expect it to be the case in this first game. That said, I feel the Jazz are being vastly over-valued here. We are getting line value here because they just blasted the Spurs by a 21 point margin courtesy of red hot outside shooting. I don't expect a repeat of that here as I expect some solid defense from an inspired Brooklyn team that is off back to back losses. 3 of the Nets 4 losses this season have come by a margin of 5 or less points and I am well aware of their 5-game ATS skid. Keep in mind that skid came with Durant on the floor. All I am saying is just watch how everyone steps and gives a huge effort tonight with KD absent. I am expecting an outright upset but will bet this one at plus the points for the added insurance. Look for a valiant effort from the hungry home dog in this one as they get some payback against a Jazz team that has held the upper hand in recent meetings between these two non-conference foes. When Utah has won a game this season and scored at least 110 points in that victory they are 0-2 SU and ATS in their next game. The Nets won the only time they entered a game off B2B losses this season. Look for them to again respond in that situation as they once again avoid a 3-game SU losing streak. 10* BROOKLYN |
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01-04-21 | Maryland +5 v. Indiana | Top | 55-63 | Loss | -105 | 9 h 52 m | Show |
Big Ten Punisher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #869 Monday 10* Top Play Maryland Terrapins (+) @ Indiana Hoosiers @ 8 ET - The Terrapins are off a double digit home loss to Michigan and have had to wait 3 full days for this chance to atone for that defeat. Maryland has held the upper hand in this series and has beaten Indiana 3 straight times. The Hoosiers are priced this way today because they are at home but this situation should favor the hungry road dog. Indiana comes into this game quite content after finally getting a W in their most recent game, albeit by only a bucket versus Penn State. That, however, was preceded by B2B losses for the Hoosiers and, overall, they have failed to cover in 3 straight games. I look for that trend to reach 4 straight games with another ATS loss here. The Terps were off B2B covers before the loss to the Wolverines who continue a surprisingly impressive start to the season. That said, lets not put too much weight into that loss and I look for the hungry Terrapins to bounce right back here. 10* MARYLAND |
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01-04-21 | Hornets +9.5 v. 76ers | Top | 101-118 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 32 m | Show |
Philly Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #573 Monday 10* Top Play Charlotte Hornets (+) @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:05 ET - The Hornets are off back to back losses by a double digit margin which included getting beaten badly at Philly on Saturday. However, that was the 2nd night of a back to back for Charlotte and, after getting down huge in the first quarter, the Hornets actually played even with the Sixers the rest of the way. That said, the value is with the big dog here as now Charlotte comes into this game rested and they were 2-2 SU in their first two games this season with each loss by 7 or less points. As for Philadelphia, they have gone 5-1 SU this season but 2 of their first 3 wins came by a margin of 7 or less points. Now, after back to back blowout wins for the 76ers but back to back blowout losses for Charlotte, I look for the Hornets to prove to be the hungrier team in this one tonight. That does not mean an outright win but it does mean, unlike Saturday's loss, they should stay within single digits throughout this one. 10* CHARLOTTE |
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01-03-21 | Northwestern +9 v. Michigan | Top | 66-85 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 48 m | Show |
Big Ten Punisher - Michigan has my respect but they are a little overvalued here based on their hot start to the season. Keep in mind, the Wolverines finished in the lower half of the Big Ten and were projected to again finish there this season. In the early going this season they are 8-0 and they are off a big win at Maryland. That is helping lead to line value here because Northwestern is improved this season but coming off a loss to a very strong Iowa team. Look for the Wildcats to bounce back here and they have been the better 3-point shooting team in comparison with Michigan early this season and also have defended the arc better as well so far in this campaign. That said, the Wolverines might still win this but only by a bucket or two and I like the value with the hungry road dog coming off a loss. Michigan also has another big game, Minnesota, on deck. 10* NORTHWESTERN |
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01-03-21 | Lakers v. Grizzlies +11 | Top | 108-94 | Loss | -109 | 8 h 42 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Memphis already adjusting to life with out Ja Morant - at least for a bit - and I expect the Lakers to be a bit disinterested here. Los Angeles is off back to back wins over San Antonio and also they know Morant is not playing here. Could Le Bron Jams skip this game or be limited with his ankle injury? Either way I do expect LA to get the win here but not to cover this enormous spread on the road. The fact that the Grizzlies are off a win in their most recent game also helps their confidence levels heading into this one. 10* MEMPHIS |
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01-02-21 | Iowa v. Rutgers +3.5 | Top | 77-75 | Win | 100 | 4 h 46 m | Show |
ESPN Punisher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #634 Saturday 10* Top Play Rutgers Scarlet Knights (+) vs Iowa Hawkeyes @ 2 ET - I don't expect Ron Harper Jr to miss another game. I am well aware of his ankle injury situation. Even if Harper does miss this one note that Mathis really stepped up in his absence in the win over Purdue a few days ago. Overall this Rutgers team has great depth in the backcourt so they can get the job done here even without Harper but I am expecting him back here. This is a scrappy Scarlet Knights team that hung it's hat on defense and playing hard last season. This season they have been more about the offensive production but still their defensive numbers are more impressive than that of Iowa. Of course the Hawkeyes offensive production has been incredible again this season but this is still a team that is allowing opponents to hit 35.3% from beyond the arc plus that lost 2 of 3 games preceding the home win versus Northwestern a few days ago. Rutgers has revenge from losing a tight one at Iowa in their most recent meeting. Speaking of tight ones, the Scarlet Knights have a 6-2 ATS record against the Hawkeyes because they have historically played them tough and I look for that to continue here. Not only that, this is the best Rutgers team we have seen in many seasons and they are at home and, after the line move toward Iowa, the Scarlet Knights are now catching 3.5 points in this one. This looks like a great spot for the scrappy underdog! I'll take it! 10* RUTGERS |
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01-01-21 | Grizzlies +4.5 v. Hornets | Top | 108-93 | Win | 100 | 10 h 35 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #529 Friday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies (+) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7 ET - Of course this is a contrarian play as Ja Morant is out for the Grizzlies. The odds makers were aware of this when they set this line with Charlotte favored by only a bucket. Of course the betting markets though are all over the Hornets here and the line is now up to a 4.5 which is offering great value on the underdog in my opinion. Keep in mind, after an ugly first half at Boston on Wednesday the Grizzlies did outplay the Celtics in the 2nd half as they started to adjust to being without Morant. I like backing Memphis here, hungry off a loss, while Charlotte comes into this game perhaps feeling a little too good about themselves. The Hornets enter this one off back to back wins plus this is a front end of a back to back as they are at Philly tomorrow. The only other time this season that Charlotte was in the front end of a back to back they suffered a home loss. This could be another one here and, if the Grizzlies do fall short look for it to be by only a bucket in a game that is likely to be a tight one and has potential for an upset. 10* MEMPHIS |
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