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Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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01-01-21 | Old Dominion +1.5 v. Florida International | Top | 67-82 | Loss | -106 | 9 h 14 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #873 Friday 10* Top Play Old Dominion Monarchs (+) @ Florida International Golden Panthers @ 7 ET - This line opened up with Old Dominion favored by about a bucket and now they are an underdog by about a bucket. Long time followers know I love fading the moves in situations like this and this one certainly fits the bill nicely. Florida International beat Old Dominion when these teams last met about a year ago and that makes this a revenge spot. Also, the Monarchs have played the tougher schedule so far this season so, in my opinion, they are more battle tested and proven than the Golden Panthers. I also like the fact that FIU is off a huge win over an overmatched opponent (Carver Bible!) but that followed losses in 2 of their 3 immediately preceding games. Also, the Golden Panthers allowed 84 points per game in those 3 games. Note that Old Dominion has allowed 66 points or less in 3 of their last 4 games and their only loss during that stretch was to a tough VCU team. Fade the line move here and grab the road dog. 10* OLD DOMINION |
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12-31-20 | Michigan v. Maryland +2 | Top | 84-73 | Loss | -109 | 9 h 25 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #738 Thursday 10* Top Play Maryland Terrapins (+) vs Michigan Wolverines @ 8 ET - The Wolverines are ranked and 7-0 this season plus playing with revenge from losing the most recent match-up between these teams. The Terrapins are off an upset win at Wisconsin which was preceded by losing 3 of 4 games. In other words, this seems like the perfect situation for the Wolverines and yet the line opened up as only a pick'em in this game. Get the feeling someone knows something? Exactly! The odds makers are very sharp and they set this line this way for a reason. Of course the markets are jumping all over it and the line is now up to a -2 on Michigan. I will gladly go with home dog Maryland in this one. The Terrapins actually will use the one over the Badgers to get a jump start with their momentum and between December 22nd and January 7th this is the only home game for the Terps. That said, they definitely want to make the most of it and I look for them to play with plenty of confidence here following the big win at Madison. Also, Michigan has not been a dog all season and has been favored by at least 7 points in all games. Conversely, this is the 4th time already that the Terrapins have been a dog and, also, the Terps were a very short favorite one time too. Suffice to say it is the home dog that has played the tougher schedule so far this season and that helps our cause here too. They are battle tested. 10* MARYLAND |
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12-30-20 | Seton Hall +2.5 v. Xavier | Top | 85-68 | Win | 100 | 6 h 2 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #685 Wednesday 10* Top Play Seton Hall Pirates (+) @ Xavier Musketeers @ 7 ET - Bad news for Xavier here. This game is at Cincinnati! But in all seriousness, the road team has won and covered 4 straight in meetings between these two and I am looking for that trend to continue here in a big way on Wednesday. The Pirates have revenge from losing at home to the Musketeers in their most recent meeting and now they can return the favor here right before the New Year. Seton Hall's only loss (SU or ATS) in their last 6 games was the loss to Xavier. That said, I am looking for revenge bounce back here as the Pirates improve to an overall 6-1 SU/ATS their last 7 games with an upset win here at the Cintas Center. Look for Xavier to suffer "unbeaten letdown" here as they were a perfect 8-0 on the season entering their last game but then got upended by Creighton. In typical contrarian fashion, I am playing on a 4-loss team that is on the road and facing a 1-loss team and yet with a spread of only 2.5 on the game. Something looks "fishy" doesn't it? Of course you know what that usually means! Lets fade the masses here and look for a huge game from the Pirates in this one. 10* SETON HALL |
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12-29-20 | Raptors v. 76ers -2 | Top | 93-100 | Win | 100 | 8 h 17 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #558 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:05 ET - the 76ers are off a loss but it was without joel embiid...the sixers are 2-0 su in games he has played this season and they are just a 2 point favorite in this match-up...the raptors are 0-2 su this season even though they played two teams that finished with a losing record last season...now toronto faces a philly team that went 31-4 in home games last season...the sixers were very tough at home up until the mid-march point of last season when our world got changed by covid...philly will come up with a big home win here to respond after the bad loss at cleveland...i like taking quality teams off a loss and this is a great spot with embiid expected back and having fresh legs and also the revenge factor...yes the sixers can't forget the playoff loss at toronto back when kawhi leonard was there in the spring of 2019...that infamous series defeat ending philly's season...they didn't get the payback they wanted last season but did win the only game played in philadelphia and i expect them to get this one as well on their home floor...10* PHILADELPHIA |
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12-28-20 | Drake v. Indiana State +4.5 | Top | 73-66 | Loss | -109 | 5 h 17 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #824 Monday 10* Top Play Indiana State Sycamores (+) vs Drake Bulldogs @ 5 ET - The Bulldogs are now 10-0 this season after beating the Sycamores by 18 points yesterday. The key for Drake was dominating the boards plus knocking down 9 of 18 three pointers. The fact is that they opened as a small favorite here despite being undefeated on the season. Long time followers know I am a contrarian and grabbing Indiana State in this spot is certainly going against the grain. Yes I know they are only 3-3 on the season but they have played a tougher schedule than Drake and it will be tough for the Bulldogs to beat them easily on consecutive days. I expect Indiana State to win outright but am happy to grab the points as any Sycamores loss is likely to be much closer than yesterday's result. I like the fact that Indiana State did a much better job of getting to the free throw line in yesterday's game. More of the same expected here and I am fading the 10-0 team and expecting an outright underdog upset in this one. Grab the points here. 10* INDIANA STATE |
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12-26-20 | Hawks +3 v. Grizzlies | Top | 122-112 | Win | 100 | 6 h 6 m | Show |
Earliest Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #501 Saturday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (+) @ Memphis Grizzlies @ 5:05 ET - The Hawks won big in their opening game while the Grizzlies fell short against the Spurs. I know that would make this a bounce back game for Memphis at home but there is a reason the odds makers opened up Atlanta as the favorite in this one. Now with the line move all the way up to a 3 there is excellent line value with the underdog Hawks. Getting a big win like Atlanta did gives them confidence and certainly the Spurs team that the Grizzlies got hammered by is not the strong San Antonio level of team which use to see in years past. That said, the fact that Ja Morant had a huge game versus SA but Memphis still got hammered is absolutely not a good sign. Simply put, the Grizzlies are being over-valued here and I am happy to fade them in this spot with a Hawks team that will be playing with extra confidence and got a lot of contributions from all over the floor in their season opening win. 10* ATLANTA |
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12-25-20 | Iowa v. Minnesota +7 | Top | 95-102 | Win | 100 | 29 h 36 m | Show |
Contrarian Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #758 Friday 10* Top Play Minnesota Golden Gophers (+) vs Iowa Hawkeyes @ 8 ET - The first time the Golden Gophers got tested this season it was a disaster but that was on the road as they got hammered at Illinois. After that wake-up call, I look for Minnesota to respond much better the 2nd time around and it certainly helps that they are at home this time. This line opened up at a 5 and then flew up to as high as a 7 as of Thursday afternoon. I love fading the line move here. Certainly I understand the move as the Hawkeyes are a great team but also this is a potential trouble spot for them. Iowa is off a dominating win versus Purdue and that was a bounce back game for them after they had lost to Gonzaga in their prior game. Now the Hawkeyes are in a potential flat spot and playing their 3rd game since the 19th while the rested Golden Gophers are playing for just the 2nd time since the 20th. Of course it goes without saying that the highly-ranked Hawkeyes are the better team but this is one of those situational plays that is loaded with value and is too good to pass up on. The Golden Gophers lost by just 3 points to the Hawkeyes last season at home and the prior season when they hosted Iowa they got the win. Grab the big dog value here and fade the line move as the high-scoring Hawkeyes are not going to go away without a fight in this one. An outright upset certainly would not be a complete shock and even if the home dog does fall short here I expect it to be by just a bucket or two. 10* MINNESOTA |
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12-25-20 | Pelicans v. Heat -4.5 | Top | 98-111 | Win | 100 | 23 h 1 m | Show |
Early Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #578 Friday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (-) vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 12:05 ET - Perfect set up here. The Heat lost outright as a favorite in their season opener on Wednesday at Orlando while the Pelicans got a huge outright upset win as an underdog in their season opener Wednesday at Toronto (game played at Tampa Bay). The Pelicans made only 50% of their free throws but knocked down 45% of their threes while the Raptors shot only 30% from beyond the arc. Of course that was the difference in the game. Adding some additional value here is that the Heat lost their most recent game against the Pelicans. Look for Miami to avenge that road loss with a huge win here at home. The Heat were a little sloppy in their opening game loss but the Pelicans had even more turnovers (24) in their season opening win. New Orleans survived that thanks to strong 3-point shooting but don't look for a repeat of that here against a determined home team that is angry off a season opening loss after playing in the NBA finals last season! 10* MIAMI |
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12-23-20 | Wizards v. 76ers -7 | Top | 107-113 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 4 m | Show |
Philly Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #558 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76'ers (-) vs Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - We saw yesterday that teams that re-tooled or re-shuffled after disappointing finishes to last season really responded in a big way. The Clippers knocked off the Lakers and the Nets blasted the Warriors. Look for this trend to continue as remaining teams start getting their season underway and that includes the Sixers tonight. Philadelphia has new management and a new head coach and I expect the personnel on the roster to respond very well. Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are both on the injury report for tonight but those two stars are both listed as probable for Philly. As for the Wizards, they now have Russell Westbrook joining Bradley Beal. However there is a problem because there is still just one basketball to share and this could be problematic with those two and certainly there will be some growing pains early in the season. Each of the last 3 times the 76ers have hosted the Wizards they have gotten the win and cover. Look for that trend to continue here as Philly, similar to Brooklyn and the Clips yesterday, open the season with a big resounding win tonight...a statement victory if you will. Look for Doc Rivers to help Philly be "all business" tonight and finally start to play in a way they are fully capable of but simply couldn't under prior coach Brett Brown. Philly set up much better now for success and it shows right away here at home on Wednesday. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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12-22-20 | East Tennessee State +15 v. Alabama | Top | 69-85 | Loss | -109 | 10 h 31 m | Show |
Contrarian Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #667 Tuesday 10* Top Play East Tennessee State Buccaneers (+) @ Alabama Crimson Tide @ 7:30 ET - The Crimson Tide are off a loss but actually are now 1-5 ATS their last 6 games and have lost 2 of their last 3 SU. Additionally, this is their final game before Christmas and the SEC schedule beckons after that. In other words, how focused can they really be here? Exactly! That said, I look for the Buccaneers to surprise in this one. Even though they lost a lot of talent from last season's team and have a new coach, they did reload with solid talented newcomers including a number of Division I transfers. Additionally, their coach was not new to the program, he had already been with them. That said, after getting throttled in their season opener (an excellent wake-up call) I like what I have seen from East Tennessee State. They have won 4 of their last 5 games and their only 2 losses since the season opener have come by a combined margin of only 5 points. ETSU is in the same conference as Furman and they are two of the top teams in the Southern Conference. What does that have to do with this game? Furman recently played Alabama and they lost by just 3 points. I look for a much tighter game here than many are expecting. If you look at the offensive shooting percentages of these two teams, Alabama and East Tennessee State are nearly identical. On the other end of the floor, the Crimson Tide are allowing 43% from the field while the Bucs are allowing just 36% from the field. I also expected ETSU to be the more motivated team here and I like the way the players have responded to their new head coach this season. Ever since game one of the season, East Tennessee State has been very competitive and I fully expect that to continue here as Alabama continues to be inconsistent and will struggle to pull away in this game. Grab the big points with the motivated big dog as the Buccaneers are looking to make the most of this opportunity against an SEC program. 10* EAST TENNESSEE STATE |
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12-21-20 | St. Joe's +22 v. Tennessee | Top | 66-102 | Loss | -108 | 7 h 45 m | Show |
Philly Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #773 Monday 10* Top Play St Joseph's Hawks (+) @ Tennessee Volunteers @ 6 ET - The Volunteers are 4-0 both SU and ATS but have played a much weaker schedule than the Hawks have faced. St Joseph's is 0-4 SU on the season but this will be the 4th time in 5 games that they have been a sizable underdog. This is too many points in my opinion. I know the Hawks are allowing a ton of points this season but they also can score well as they have plenty of starting experience on this team. St Joseph's is averaging 77 points per game on the season and Tennessee has another game scheduled for Wednesday. In other words, the Volunteers will want to save a little in tank for that game. That said, with a huge lead the Vols will take their foot off the gas and St Joseph's has enough scoring firepower to make plenty of runs in this game. The Hawks, if it comes down to it, can absolutely get in the backdoor here with this pointspread in the low 20s. The Volunteers are a high-quality team but they are being over-valued here because of their strong ATS start this season. Grab the big dog value on the other side in this one. 10* ST JOSEPH'S |
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12-18-20 | Loyola-Chicago +3.5 v. Richmond | Top | 73-75 | Win | 100 | 12 h 9 m | Show |
Contrarian Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #855 Friday 10* Top Play Loyola Chicago Ramblers (+) vs Richmond Spiders @ 6 PM ET - This is a neutral site game being played in Indiana but that location still favors the Ramblers plus lets not forget they have an extra day of rest compared to the Spiders heading into this game. Also, I like the fact that Richmond is off a win that saw them bounce back from their first loss of the season while Loyola now enters this game off their first loss of the season. Also, even though they lost at Wisconsin, Loyola Chicago played quite well and the key difference was 3-point shooting. The Badgers shot a ridiculous 56% from beyond the arc in that game. The Ramblers played well overall and, had they shot the same percent from 3 point land that Wisconsin did, they would have won the game outright and they were a 7 point dog in that one. Here Loyola is a much smaller dog but I sense an upset is coming in this one. Richmond really misses guard Nick Sherod (out for the season - knee). Of course the Spiders are still a very talented and experienced team but so too are the Ramblers. Also, Loyola is shooting better from three point land than Richmond is plus they are allowing only a 39.4 field goal percentage while the Spiders are allowing 44.4% from the field so far this season. With this line having gone from a 2 to as high as a 3.5 in early market activity, there is even more value in a game I am expecting the Ramblers to win outright. 10* Loyola (IL) Chicago Ramblers |
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12-16-20 | Duke v. Notre Dame +4 | Top | 75-65 | Loss | -108 | 10 h 23 m | Show |
ACC Game of the Year - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #694 Wednesday 10* Top Play Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+) vs Duke Blue Devils @ 9 ET - Duke blasted Notre Dame again last season and has now won the last two meetings by an average margin of 28 points per game. Additionally, the Blue Devils are a ranked team heading into this game while the Fighting Irish are projected to finish near the bottom of the ACC again this season. That said, this line opened up at a 3.5 and appeared to be a gift to those wanting to back Duke, right? Well you know what that usually means and, in this match-up there is definitely more than meets the eye. First off Duke big man Jalen Johnson is out with an injury. He was leading the teams in blocks, tied for team lead in rebounds, and one of the top scorers for the Blue Devils. That holds even more significance here because Notre Dame has been getting big games from 6'10 Nate Laszewski both on the boards and in terms of scoring. He should have a big game here and I also like the fact the Blue Devils have had a lot of recent cancellations and will be playing for the first time in over a week. Also, the Fighting Irish have played the tougher schedule early this season. Revenge game and the home team wants this one badly. Grab the points. 10* NOTRE DAME |
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12-14-20 | Rutgers v. Maryland -2.5 | Top | 74-60 | Loss | -107 | 14 h 12 m | Show |
TV Punisher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #814 Monday 10* Top Play Maryland Terrapins (-) vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights @ 6 ET - The Terrapins certainly are NOT on the level of last year's team. However, coming off an embarrassing loss at Clemson in which the Terps were never in it on the road, they will respond in a big way at home here. Maryland has revenge here against Rutgers as the Scarlet Knights beat them last season. Keep in mind that followed 8 straight wins for the Terrapins in his series. Also, though Rutgers is improved this season, they have a couple injury issues. Caleb McConnell is out indefinitely with a back issue and he is a key player. Also, one of their biggest stars, Geo Baker, is doubtful for this game because of an ankle injury. He had hope to go but he has actually been downgraded in terms of his injury status. That said, note that Rutgers is ranked and they are undefeated on the season and yet they are an underdog here against a Terrapins team that already has a loss and that everyone knows is a step down from where they once were. Looks funny doesn't it? Exactly! In typical contrarian fashion I am on the perceived "wrong side" of what looks a little off here and will gladly lay it with Maryland given all of the above. Note that the Terps simply had an awful game at Clemson in their most recent game and also had an awful shooting night the last time they faced the Scarlet Knights which was at Rutgers in March. This one is at College Park and it is payback time. 10* MARYLAND |
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12-09-20 | Maryland +2 v. Clemson | Top | 51-67 | Loss | -105 | 10 h 20 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #607 Wednesday 10* Top Play Maryland Terrapins (+) @ Clemson Tigers @ 5 ET - Both of these teams are playing solid defense early this season but it is the production on the offensive end that is going to be a difference maker in this one. The Tigers are scoring 69.7 points per game on 43.9% shooting from the field including just 30% from three point land. The Terrapins, on the other hand, are scoring 84 points per game on 56% shooting from the field including 42.5% from beyond the arc. When Maryland needs a bucket, they have guys who have been able to consistently get it. I do not believe that the same holds true for Clemson in terms of the number of scoring options. I also like the line here as, of course, it looks easy to take the small home favorite in a match-up of undefeated teams early this season. Another edge to the road dog here is the fact that the Tigers have not played in a week and this will be only their 2nd game since November 26th! Conversely, the Terrapins just played on December 4th plus will be playing their 4th game since November 27th. Big edges for the road dog in this one and I expect them to get the win in convincing fashion. 10* MARYLAND |
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12-08-20 | Creighton v. Kansas -3.5 | Top | 72-73 | Loss | -102 | 13 h 50 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #794 Tuesday 10* Top Play Kansas Jayhawks (-) vs Creighton Bluejays @ 5 ET - At first glance it might seem enticing to take Creighton here. After all, the Bluejays have had blowout wins in each of their first 3 games. However, the Jays have faced much weaker competition than Kansas has. So even though these teams are very close in the rankings right now and even though Creighton is certainly a strong team, only the Jayhawks have been truly battle tested early this season. Kansas has faced Gonzaga and Kentucky already this season. Also, while the Jayhawks have only Nebraska-Omaha on deck, Creighton has instate rival Nebraska on deck. Of course the Bluejays won't overlook playing a highly ranked Kansas team but the point is that another big game does loom for the Jays while that is not the case for the Jayhawks. Traditionally Creighton relies heavily on their 3-point shooting but they are only making 33% of their threes this season while the Jayhawks, despite facing tougher competition, are making 39% of their three-points so far this season. Don't be surprised if that is a difference maker in this game. The Bluejays are a strong team but they are a little over-rated and un-tested early this season and that is giving us excellent line value here with a short number to lay on a high-quality favorite. Lay it! 10* KANSAS |
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12-05-20 | BYU v. Utah State +1 | Top | 67-64 | Loss | -111 | 11 h 13 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #666 Saturday 10* Top Play Utah State Aggies (+) vs BYU Cougars @ 9 ET - I love when lines flip like this as Utah State has gone from being a 2.5 point favorite to now being a 1 point dog. When you have a core nucleus of leadership in guys like Bean, Queta, and Miller you are in good shape. That said, those guys weren't even the leading scorers in the Aggies most recent game which also was their first win of the season. Utah State has played a tougher schedule than BYU early this season but now has some momentum with their win over a solid Northern Iowa team in which the leading scorers were Anthony and Worster who combined for 39 points while the aforementioned 3 key guys combined for 39 points as well. Great team effort and this is a quality team that is looking for revenge against a BYU team that has defeated them in each of the last two meetings. The Cougars lost a lot of key senior leadership from last year's team. Though they are 4-1 SU so far this season, BYU has played a softer schedule. There were two challenges among the 5 games as Brigham Young faced USC and St John's. In those two games the Cougars scored an average of 63.5 points per game and allowed 73.5 points per game game. Look for a similar deficit here as the Aggies, building off their first win of the season and having already endured their early season growing pains, pull away as this game goes on. 10* UTAH STATE |
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12-04-20 | Oregon v. Seton Hall +3.5 | Top | 83-70 | Loss | -115 | 12 h 30 m | Show |
TV Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #824 Friday 10* Seton Hall Pirates (+) vs Oregon Ducks @ 9 PM ET @ CHI Health Center Omaha in Nebraska - The Pirates are just 1-2 SU on the season but their first loss came by just a single point to a solid Louisville team. Now, off a loss by double digits to Rhode Island - a respectable Atlantic 10 team in their own right - I expect a huge response from Seton Hall here. Keep in mind, the Pirates game prior to that was a big win by a 22 point margin over a well-coached Iona team as Rick Pitino is one of the, if not the, best in the business in terms of college hoops coaches. I feel Seton Hall has an edge over the Ducks here because the Pirates have 3 games under their belt already while Oregon has played only 1 game. For the Ducks that was a loss to a Missouri team likely to finish near the bottom of the SEC. Oregon came into this season highly regarded but the fact that Will Richardson is out for 6 to 8 weeks is a big loss for their backcourt. They opened up as nearly a pick'em in this game and, as usual, the betting markets 'took the bait' and this line has risen to as high as a 3.5 as of early Friday morning. I'll gladly grab the value with the underdog Pirates in this one. 10* SETON HALL |
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12-03-20 | Connecticut v. USC +1.5 | Top | 61-58 | Loss | -106 | 20 h 18 m | Show |
ESPN Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #752 Thursday 10* Top Play USC Trojans (+) vs Connecticut Huskies @ 7 ET @ Mohegan Sun Arena @ Uncasville, CT - The location of this game would seem to favor Connecticut of course. However, USC is the play here. Not only do the Huskies have a couple guys banged up, I also feel we have some value here in terms of who these teams have played so far. The Huskies haven't really been tested yet as they faced overmatched foes in Central Connecticut State and Hartford. Conversely, USC faced a tough BYU team in its most recent game. In fact, the Trojans were an underdog in that game and yet they dominated and won the game by 26 points. Whenever I see a line like this (UConn playing what is, in essence a home game and yet hardly favored) it grabs my attention. Upon closer inspection I see the contrarian value here given the situation. Having already been tested by Brigham Young, the Trojans will be better prepared to handle a challenging game. Also, the way Southern Cal played against the Cougars, they showed they came to Uncasville, CT to compete at the highest level and I expect that to lead to another convincing win in this one. 10* USC Trojans |
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12-01-20 | Kentucky +5 v. Kansas | Top | 62-65 | Win | 100 | 11 h 37 m | Show |
ESPN Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #627 Tuesday 10* Top Play Kentucky Wildcats (+) vs Kansas Jayhawks @ 9:30 ET @ United Center in Chicago, IL - Each team has an early season loss but the Jayhawks lost to Gonzaga and Kansas was an underdog in that big match-up. Converesely, the Wildcats lost to Richmond and they were favored by a half dozen points in that game. As a result, there is some anti-Kentucky sentiment impacting this line as it has risen from near a 3 to as high as a 5 as of gameday morning and I like the value with the underdog in this one as I fade the line move. Kentucky took the last meeting between these teams in January of 2019 and the Wildcats did it with physicality. The Cats shot poorly from three point land but won the game because they got to the free throw line more than the Jayhawks plus they dominated the glass. Don't be surprised if we see a similar approach here and I'll grab the aggressive (and highly talented) underdog in this one. There is a reason this line was priced so low despite Kansas having a much higher ranking. I would not be surprised to see an outright upset here and am happy to grab all the points I can get with this one. 10* KENTUCKY |
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11-28-20 | Rhode Island +1 v. South Florida | Top | 84-68 | Win | 100 | 9 h 38 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #723 Saturday 10* Top Play Rhode Island Rams (+) vs South Florida Bulls @ 5:30 PM ET in the Air Force Reserve Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic @ Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT - The location of this game certainly favors the Rams and I also love the situation here. While Rhode Island is 0-2 this season they faced Arizona State and Boston College and they lost those games by an average margin of just 5.5 points. While the Bulls won their only game so far this season, it was against Florida College and South Florida actually trailed that game at half time! The Bulls were facing a much tougher battle-tested team here as they take a major step up in class for this one. South Florida is seeing Alexis Yetna and Xavier Casteneda both try to battle through injuries. They may not be 100% here. As for Rhode Island, they have played tough in each of their first two games even though they have been without starting forward Jermaine Harris but they could get him back here. Either way, I look for them to get the big win as, off back to back losses but having played much tougher competition, the Rams respond in a big way here and take it to South Florida. The Bulls have only played 1 game and that was 3 days ago and they will be a little rusty here and are facing a tough Rams team that is hungry for a win. 10* RHODE ISLAND |
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11-27-20 | Pepperdine +7.5 v. UCLA | Top | 98-107 | Loss | -108 | 4 h 43 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Rotation #621 Friday 10* Top Play Pepperdine Waves (+) vs UCLA Bruins @ 3 ET - The Waves get a shot against the big boys here and I expect them to make the most of it. Pepperdine comes from a smaller conference of course but they returned 4 starters from last season's team and I feel strongly that they are on their way up this season. Already the Waves looked strong with a win over UC Irvine Wednesday. The Bruins entered the season ranked but lost their season opener Wednesday. Granted they played a strong San Diego State team but it was certainly not impressive that they lost by 15 points to the Aztecs as a 3 point favorite. Johnny Juzang was expected to be a contributor for UCLA this season and he is out with a foot injury. Also, big man Jalen Hill is a starter but he is dealing with a knee injury right now and is questionable for this game. I like the fact the Waves are coming off a big win by a double digit margin to start the season and they want this game against their "big brother" whose campus is very nearby. This game played at a neutral site and the scrappy underdogs get the win here. If not an outright upset win look for them to at least stay inside the number. 10* PEPPERDINE |
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10-11-20 | Lakers v. Heat +5.5 | Top | 106-93 | Loss | -102 | 10 h 55 m | Show |
ABC Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #712 Sunday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 7:30 ET - This line is now moving to 5.5 as of early game day morning and that means even more value with Miami. The Heat are resilient, hungry and determined. Those are all attributes you want when backing an underdog and I love getting significant points again with these scrappy guys as they are proving they won't go down without a fight. I would not be surprised to see them force a Game 7 but also certainly don't expect them to lose this game by more than a bucket or two even if they do fall short of the upset. Keep in mind that Miami is now 14-6 SU in the post-season and two of the losses were very tight games (one in OT) decided by an average margin of 4.5 points. Look for another tight game here as the Lakers last 7 games played on "regular rest" of 2 or less days between games are just 4-3 SU. Los Angeles has cooled off from their early post-season dominance and each loss shakes their confidence a little more while we're also seeing the confidence of the Heat grow with wins in 2 of the last 3 games. More of the same here. 10* MIAMI |
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10-09-20 | Heat +7.5 v. Lakers | Top | 111-108 | Win | 100 | 12 h 35 m | Show |
ABC Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #709 Friday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 9 ET - The Heat don't get blown out often. They have had a very solid post-season and I would not be surprised to see them dig deep and extend this series. The extra time off certainly was welcome for Miami as they have been battling through injuries. That said, having been off since Tuesday's game, this Friday match-up might end up going to the hungrier team. Even if the Heat are unable to extend the series, I expect a very tightly contested game decided by only a bucket or two. Again, Miami will dig deep here. The Heat have played 19 post-season games and only 4 of the 19 have resulted in a loss by more than 6 points. The line on this game, as of early gameday morning, is available as high as a 7.5 and I'll gladly grab the points here given the above. Having Bam Adebayo back, and now playing his 2nd game since coming back, will be a key for the Heat in this one. Again, the extra rest between games could help Adebayo and the Heat get over the hump in this one. Either way I do NOT see the Lakers winning this one by a big margin. 10* MIAMI |
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10-06-20 | Lakers v. Heat +7.5 | Top | 102-96 | Win | 100 | 12 h 19 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #708 Tuesday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) vs Los Angles Lakers @ 9 PM ET - This is from my write-up on Sunday's game and, not only did most of these things hold true, I expect it it continue in Game 4 now that Miami has momentum on their side in this series after the outright upset win in Game 3: **Couple of unlikely stats so far in this series as the Lakers are getting better 3-point shooting than expected from unexpected sources and also have dominated the offensive glass. Having a slight edge in either one of those categories is not a surprise but to have a huge edge in both of them is highly unlikely to continue. The Heat, now down 0-2 in this series, are extremely hungry. Miami also could get Bam Adebayo back for this one (expected) as well as Goran Dragic (possible). Either way, whatever Heat players are on the floor are going to give a valiant effort in this must win situation. I am expecting huge games from Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Jae Crowder and Duncan Robinson. Look for role players like Kelly Olynyk, Kendrick Nunn, and Andre Iguodala to also come up big if called upon. This is a "rally the troops" game for a well-coached Heat team that shouldn't be catching nearly double digits again in this spot. We have seen what this team is capable of throughout this post-season and I wouldn't count a resilient bunch like this just yet. A lot of line value here, given the situation, with this under-valued hungry big dog.** Again, they got Game 3 and will follow the same recipe in looking to get Game 4 as well which would not surprise me. What would surprise me is that if they do fall short it is by more than a handful of points. I just don't see that happening here. The Heat are in this one all the way and just might pull off another shocker. Grab the points with the still-hungry dog as Jimmy Butler again looks to will his team to victory. They have the right pieces around him to surprise again here! 10* MIAMI |
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10-04-20 | Lakers v. Heat +9.5 | Top | 104-115 | Win | 100 | 9 h 23 m | Show |
ABC Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach Rotation #706 Sunday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 7:30 ET - Couple of unlikely stats so far in this series as the Lakers are getting better 3-point shooting than expected from unexpected sources and also have dominated the offensive glass. Having a slight edge in either one of those categories is not a surprise but to have a huge edge in both of them is highly unlikely to continue. The Heat, now down 0-2 in this series, are extremely hungry. Miami also could get Bam Adebayo back for this one (expected) as well as Goran Dragic (possible). Either way, whatever Heat players are on the floor are going to give a valiant effort in this must win situation. I am expecting huge games from Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Jae Crowder and Duncan Robinson. Look for role players like Kelly Olynyk, Kendrick Nunn, and Andre Iguodala to also come up big if called upon. This is a "rally the troops" game for a well-coached Heat team that shouldn't be catching nearly double digits again in this spot. We have seen what this team is capable of throughout this post-season and I wouldn't count a resilient bunch like this just yet. A lot of line value here, given the situation, with this under-valued hungry big dog. 10* MIAMI |
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10-02-20 | Heat +10 v. Lakers | Top | 114-124 | Push | 0 | 13 h 43 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #715 Friday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 9 ET - Ever heard the expression that it is the wounded dog that bites the hardest? It is very true! The Heat are wounded in more ways than one here as they got embarrassed by their ugly loss in Game 1 plus suffered multiple injury issues. With the situations involving Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo look for Kelly Olynyk and Kendrick Nunn to step up big time in Game 2. The Heat still have plenty of talent on this team and they are very upset that they played like garbage after jumping out to a solid double digit lead in the first quarter. Keep in mind the line on Game 1 ended up at 4.5 but now the line on Game 2 is up to a 10 as of early Friday morning. I understand the viewpoint of the marketplace but that doesn't mean I agree with it. The Heat didn't get this far without being well-coached and making proper adjustments and they will be ready for Game 2. Do they win this one outright? Probably not BUT it would not totally shock me that is for sure. The fact is I do expect them to keep this game to a single digit margin as they fight all the way through it. There is no quit in this Miami team and they have yet to lose back to back games in this post-season. Watch Heat players simply playing out of their minds in this game! They will be that fired up and ready to respond and will stay aggressive throughout this game! The Lakers 4 games prior to the blowout win in Game 1 featured 1 SU loss and 3 SU wins ALL by 10 or less points. We've got great line value here. I'll take it. 10* MIAMI |
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09-30-20 | Heat +5 v. Lakers | Top | 98-116 | Loss | -115 | 12 h 11 m | Show |
Perfect Matchup - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #701 Wednesday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 9 ET - The Heat are 12-3 SU in the post-season and one of those 3 defeats came by just 3 points in overtime. Miami got past the Bucks and Celtics. The Lakers are a bit fortunate as they missed facing Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers and, instead, got a tired Nuggets team. Denver had gone too far in seeing each of their first two series turn into 3-1 deficits before rallying to win each series in 7 games. That left them out of gas in terms of facing the Lakers and once Anthony Davis hit that game-winning last second shot in Game 2 of the series that was the handwriting on the wall for a tired Nuggets team. Denver managed just 1 win in the series with Los Angeles. The only time the Lakers won Game 1 of the series in this post-season was when they caught the Nuggets in a very tough spot for Denver as they were worn out after rallying against the Clippers to take that series in 7 games. The Lakers now face a much tougher test than a tired Nuggets team. Just like their first two series of this post-season, Los Angeles drops this opening game. As added insurance I am grabbing the points here but I am expecting an outright upset. The Heat present some different defensive looks that could give the Lakers some trouble until they adjust. By the time they do, it could be too late for Game 1 and this Heat team has been shooting lights out from beyond the arc. More of the same here. 10* MIAMI |
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09-27-20 | Celtics v. Heat +3.5 | Top | 113-125 | Win | 100 | 10 h 52 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #718 Sunday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 7:30 ET - The Heat were outrebounded by a double digit margin in the Game 5 loss. Miami also made just 19% of their 3-pointers in Friday's loss. The Heat lost the game by 13 points but were outscored by 15 points (5 threes) from beyond the arc as the Celtics were the better shooting team Friday. If you think any of the above stats are going to be repeated on Sunday you have another thing coming. The fact is that Miami is the better team in this series and now, after a loss and wanting to avoid a Game 7 where anything can happen, the Heat are the hungrier team. Boston was a little hungrier in Game 5. Now the shoe is on the other foot. This one is all Heat. I am expecting an outright win as I just don't see Jimmy Butler and Company being denied in this one but I will grab the insurance of having the points - as high as 3.5 as of game day morning - as added insurance in this one. 10* MIAMI |
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09-26-20 | Nuggets +5 v. Lakers | Top | 107-117 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 4 m | Show |
TNT Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #711 Saturday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (+) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 9 ET - Though the Lakers Anthony Davis is listed as questionable I am sure he is going to play here. Still I like the Nuggets in this one. Even though LA had a dozen more free throw attempts in Game 4, the Lakers still only won the game by a half dozen points. That says something right here. What we also know about this Denver team is there is no quit in them. They were down 3-1 in each of the prior two series and rallied to win both. I am not saying that happens here but I am expecting them to go toe to toe with the Lakers in this one all the way. If the Nuggets do fall short look for it to be on a buzzer beater type scenario like how Davis beat them on the late 3 in Game 2. The fact is the Nuggets have been hanging tough with the Lakers in each of the past 3 games and I see no reason that won't continue here. That being the case, give me the points! 10* DENVER |
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09-25-20 | Heat +3.5 v. Celtics | Top | 108-121 | Loss | -106 | 27 h 27 m | Show |
Scott “The Bulldog” Rickenbach NBA Rotation #715 Friday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 8:30 ET – This line opened up at a -2 on Boston and is already up to a 3.5 as of Thursday afternoon. I fully understand the line move since the Celtics are in a “win or go home” situation but the odds makers set this number very low for a reason. In typical contrarian fashion I am against the move here. I will gladly grab the extra points being offered but it is certainly not without reasoning! The fact is that the Heat seem to have Boston’s number. No matter the situation, no matter the score, Miami just keeps battling and finding a way and they have frustrated this Celtics team and shattered its confidence. Look at the box score from Wednesday’s Game 4 and you will see that Boston actually shot better from 3-point land than the Heat did plus the Celtics made 4 more 3-pointers than did Miami and yet they still lost the game. It speaks volumes that Boston outscored the Heat by 12 points from beyond the arc and yet still lost the game by 3 points. Whether it is Herro or Butler stepping up, the Heat just keep coming at the Celtics and keeping them on their heels and that makes for a very dangerous underdog. I’ll take the points here. 10* MIAMI |
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09-24-20 | Lakers v. Nuggets +6.5 | Top | 114-108 | Win | 100 | 11 h 7 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #710 Thursday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (+) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 9 ET - The Nuggets were in a bit of a tough spot in Game 1 as they were off a grueling 7 game series where they rallied from a 3-1 deficit against the Clippers. Likewise, in that series they had lost Game 1 to the Clippers after rallying from a 3-1 deficit to knock the Jazz out of the post-season. The point is that maybe the Lakers weren't really that good in Game 1 of this series but rather that Denver was simply out of gas. The Nuggets have now been the better team in each of the last two games and only lost Game 2 because of a miraculous last second shot by Anthony Davis. In other words, there is no way I would lay big points here with a Lakers team that has been the lesser team so far in this series and that has given all the momentum to the Nuggets in this series. Denver believes. Let me repeat that...Denver believes! They have confidence because of what they've been able to accomplish when everyone has counted them out throughout this post-season. As a result, even if they did go down 3-1 in this series they still would not be shaken in their confidence. I actually don't expect that though. I expect the Nuggets to continue to outplay the Lakers and to get the upset win here. I will grab the value of the points however because if the Nuggets do fall short I expect it to be by only a bucket or two. They are 4-2 SU their last 6 games and the only big loss was Game 1 of this series and we all understand that was not the best situation, to say the least, against a rested Lakers team. 10* DENVER |
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09-23-20 | Celtics -3 v. Heat | Top | 109-112 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 27 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #713 Wednesday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (-) vs Miami Heat @ 8:30 ET - The Celtics got back into the series with a win in Game 3. Keep in mind they were up 5 late in the 4th quarter of the Game 2 loss and they lost Game 1 in overtime. In other words, and considering Boston had big leads in each of the games too, the Celtics could easily be up 3-0 in this series. Now that's not to say Miami doesn't deserve to be here because they most certainly do and they have earned their 2-1 series edge. However, my key takeaway from all this is two-fold. One is that the Celtics have confidence from the ability to establish double digit leads in games. Two is that Boston has swung momentum after finally hanging on for a win in Game 3. Another added factor that has me backing the Celtics here is the extra time off. Keep in mind that gave Hayward extra rest as he recovers from injury and having him back and as healthy as he has been in a long time is a big plus for Boston. After losing Game 3 on Saturday you know Miami couldn't wait to get back on the floor. Instead they've had to wait around for extra days due to the scheduling quirk. This favors a Celtics team and head coach Brad Stevens as he was able to make even more adjustments and is generally regarded (and rightfully so) as the best coach in the NBA. I wish the number was a little lower but even at the -3 range the Celtics are the play here for sure as they should take this one by at least half a dozen points. 10* BOSTON |
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09-22-20 | Lakers v. Nuggets +6.5 | Top | 106-114 | Win | 100 | 10 h 41 m | Show |
Game of the Year - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #708 Tuesday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (+) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 9 ET - Murray and Jokic combined to hit just 3 of 13 from beyond the arc in Game 2 and yet the Nuggets still should have won the game outright. Denver was outrebounded by a double digit margin Sunday night by the Lakers and yet still should have won the game outright. Only an incredible clutch shot by Anthony Davis bailed out Los Angeles in that one and I am expecting another strong game from a desperate Nuggets team here. Look for Denver to be stronger on the boards here and also hit better from long-range. Additionally, one has to like the fact that the Nuggets had 33 free throw attempts compared to just 19 for the Lakers. I liked the way Denver was aggressive and attacking and resilient as the game went on. They just never gave up and it has been their MO throughout the playoffs and they are showing they are certainly not going to stop now in the Western Conference Finals either...not on your life! There is simply no quit in this resilient Nuggets team and I am expecting their best game of the series tonight. Denver, including regular season and post-season, is 7-3 SU when they enter a game on a SU losing streak of 2 or more games. The 3 losses saw 2 of the defeats come by 5 or less points. The Lakers are favored by 6.5 in this game. I feel the Nuggets have a great shot at the outright upset here and, as you can see from the above, +6.5 in this situation would have netted a 9-1 ATS record in the Nuggets 10 such prior occurrences. Like I said, you are going to see the best of this hungry underdog tonight! 10* DENVER |
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09-20-20 | Nuggets +7.5 v. Lakers | Top | 103-105 | Win | 100 | 10 h 46 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #705 Sunday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (+) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 7:30 ET - The Lakers shot 53% from the field, 42.3% from beyond the arc, had 37 free throw attempts...and still only won Game 1 by a dozen points. If I am Los Angeles that is cause for concern. Don't be surprised when the Nuggets get an upset win here in Game 2 but if they do fall short it will be by much less than a dozen points because I don't expect any of those ridiculous stats to be repeated for the Lakers in Game 2. Give me the generous points here in this one as the Nuggets are 3-1 SU the last 4 times they have been off a SU loss and they respond big in this one. Everyone watched the Lakers blast Denver in Game 1 but this line has not moved from the Friday number for a reason. The sharps are on the Nuggets in this one while the public will continue its love affair with the Lakers here. I expect this to cash easily as we grab an angry, hungry, and determined underdog in this one. 10* DENVER |
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09-19-20 | Celtics -2.5 v. Heat | Top | 117-106 | Win | 100 | 13 h 5 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #703 Saturday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (-) vs Miami Heat @ 8:30 ET - The Celtics have blown huge leads (each were double digit margins) to lose each of the first two games in this series. Certainly credit is owed to Jimmy Butler and the Heat but the Celtics have the best coach, Brad Stevens, in the NBA. Also, Boston's players are fired up and were angry after the game two loss. In that game, after blowing yet another double digit lead, the Celtics battled back to go up by 5 points with about 3 minutes to go in the game. Boston still ended up on the wrong end of the final score and now it is payback time. The only time the Celtics were off back to back losses in this post-season they then blasted the Raptors by 22 points in the next game. Including regular season occurrences too, Boston is 7-2 SU this season when they enter a game off 2 or more consecutive losses. With this line having dropped down from a 3 to a 2.5 there is even more value with taking the Celtics to bounce back large in this game. Look for them to do just that. 10* BOSTON |
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09-18-20 | Nuggets +7 v. Lakers | Top | 114-126 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 2 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #733 Friday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (+) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 9 ET - The Lakers have won 8 of 9 games and all 8 wins have come by 8 or more points. So what did the books use as an opener for this game? 6.5 which of course is already attracting Lakers money. That opening line tells me the book makers (arguably the "sharpest people in the room") like the Nuggets here. Going against the public bettors in typical contrarian fashion here I am with the book makers and on the other side of the public. I am grabbing the Nuggets - currently a +7 as of early Friday morning. Keep in mind the Lakers did lose Game 1 of each of their series OUTRIGHT and I am not saying that will happen here but that is certainly a good sign that Denver could surprise the Lakers a bit in this first game. There could be some rust for Los Angeles too since they have not played since Saturday - a span of nearly a full week. A little rest is good but too much rest is certainly not. As for the Nuggets, they have won 3 straight and 7 of 10 games. Also, in those 10 games only 2 were defeats by more than 6 points. Additionally, Denver has a good cycle of consistently playing without any long layoffs. That is because the Nuggets have seen each of their first two series go 7 games. Everyone continues to doubt Denver but they just beat the Clippers. Yes, the LA team led by Kawhi Leonard who knows a thing or two about winning NBA championships. In other words, give the Nuggets some credit and don't be surprised when they are in this game to the final buzzer. 10* DENVER |
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09-15-20 | Heat +2 v. Celtics | Top | 117-114 | Win | 100 | 11 h 21 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #731 Tuesday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 6:40 ET - The Celtics are off a 5-point win to close out Toronto but that was preceded by losing 3 of 4 to the Raptors. Also, Boston's win that preceded the tough 1-3 stretch came by just 3 points. The point is that the Celtics have only 1 blowout win in their last 6 games and I like having the value of the couple points here with the rested Heat in this one. I know one could argue that Miami has had too much rest and could be rusty here but I just don't see Jimmy Butler and company staying rusty for more than a few minutes into this game - if even that! The Heat are 8-1 in the playoffs and the lone loss came in overtime! Miami won the one game between these teams in the bubble (August 4th victory) and I look for them to get the upset win in Game One of the Eastern Conference finals as well. Grab the points with the Heat on Tuesday. 10* MIAMI |
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09-12-20 | Rockets +6.5 v. Lakers | Top | 96-119 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 38 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #723 Saturday 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (+) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 8 ET - The Rockets lost Game 4 by 10 points and that was with Harden making just 2 of 11 shots from the field! That said, and in a "win or go home" situation for Houston in Game 5, I am looking for an underdog bounce back in this game. After getting the upset win in Game 1, the Rockets have lost 3 straight games but none by more than 10 points. I realize the smallest margin of defeat in this series has been 8 points but if Houston falls short in this one look for it to be by a bucket or two. When the Rockets have entered a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games this season they went 4-2 SU and one of the two losses came by just 5 points which means, at today's number, Houston would be 5-1 ATS in this role. After a disappointing effort in Game 4, look for the Rockets to respond here. Keep in mind, prior to that one, they had won Game 1, led Game 2 going to 4th quarter, and were tied in Game 3 going to 4th quarter. I don't see the Lakers being able to pull away again here against a fired up and determined underdog playing for their playoff lives. 10* HOUSTON |
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09-11-20 | Celtics v. Raptors +3 | Top | 92-87 | Loss | -115 | 12 h 49 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #718 Friday 10* Top Play Toronto Raptors (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 9 ET - The Raptors have won 3 of the last 4 games but the public doesn't want to hear that. Undoubtedly Toronto is certainly no longer an attractive team to the betting masses as Kawhi Leonard jettisoned to LA to join the Clippers after winning it all with the Raptors. Now the Celtics are the popular choice in the east and have some of the bigger stars that the betting masses tend to fall in love with when the reality is something different. Grit, hard work, determination, momentum...those are some of the key factors that lead to wins in games like this. That said, when Boston was up 2-0 in this series and felt like they could take their foot off the gas they ultimately paid for it by losing 3 of the next 4 games in this series. That has not only, of course, given the Raptors life it has also given them confidence. I expect them to close out a great comeback with yet another win tonight but if they do fall short it will be by the slimmest of margins in my opinion. That said, there is value in having the points on your side in this one. Grab the underdog as the Raptors proved again in Game 6, there is no quit in this team. I really like what I am seeing from this group and expect it continue with a Game 7 win. So, as per usual, I am going contrary to the popular choice, give me the points. 10* TORONTO |
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09-09-20 | Raptors +3.5 v. Celtics | Top | 125-122 | Win | 100 | 11 h 21 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #709 Wednesday 10* Top Play Toronto Raptors (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 6:30 ET - Brad Wanamaker scored 15 points off the bench for the Celtics on Monday. The rest of the Boston bench scored a TOTAL of 3 points! To put that in proper perspective, the Raptors bench scored 44 points in Monday's loss. Yes, the Celtics starers vastly outplayed Toronto's starters in Game 5 but I don't see that happening again here in Game 6. You know the Raptors, whom had won 2 straight before Monday's ugly loss, will respond big. I also certainly don't expect the Celtics to shoot 49.4% from the floor while the Raptors shoot just 38.8% from the floor like we saw in Game 5. Nor do I expect the Celtics to go to the line 27 times while the Raptors get just 13 free throw attempts. Boston is a popular choice in this one but the line move is giving us even more value with the Raptors now getting as much as 3.5 points as of early game day morning. I'll take it! I am expecting a Game 7 to result in this series and if the Raptors do fall short here look for it to be by just a bucket. Grab the points! 10* TORONTO |
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09-07-20 | Celtics v. Raptors +2 | Top | 111-89 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 9 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #702 Monday 10* Top Play Toronto Raptors (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 6:30 ET - Sometimes a series can turn on one shot and that is what you're seeing here in this one. When the Raptors got the last second 3 to win Game 3, they took that momentum right into Game 4 and now have won back to back games. Keep in mind, Toronto won 7 of 8 regular season games in the bubble, had won 4 straight regular season games prior to the pandemic-forced shutdown and now have won 6 of 8 playoff games. In other words, this is a Raptors team that has won 17 of its last 20 games. Certainly Boston is a very good team and also has the best coach in the NBA. However, some self-doubt is creeping in as they are not knocking down shots like they had been and the Raptors are the much more confident team right now. That said, I am happy to fade the line move here and grab the couple points now being offered with Toronto. Keep in mind the Raptors also led Game 2 by 8 points heading into the 4th quarter. It is a tight series and I like having the momentum and the points on my side! 10* TORONTO |
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09-04-20 | Bucks -5 v. Heat | Top | 100-115 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 31 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #745 Friday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (-) vs Miami Heat @ 6:30 ET - Now we play the Bucks. After losing Game 1 everyone jumped on Milwaukee in Game 2. I had the Heat as you know. Why? Because I am a contrarian capper by nature and I saw the world jumping on the Bucks so, of course, I was on the other side. Now you have a case where there are finally non-believers about this Milwaukee team and we're seeing a lot more attention on Miami. So what do I do? Pound the Bucks here! After coming so close to a win in Game 2 but ultimately falling just short, Milwaukee puts it all together here and gets a resounding win by a double digit margin. You can almost feel it before it happens and there will just be a special focus from the Bucks (a very talented team of course) in this one after the way the game on Wednesday was decided late in such frustrating fashion for Milwaukee. Now it is payback time. The last 3 times the Bucks entered a game on a losing streak of 2 or more games they are a perfect 3-0 SU and the average margin of those 3 wins was 11.3 points per game with none of the victories coming by less than 7 points. That certainly works for our purposes here! 10* MILWAUKEE |
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09-02-20 | Heat +5 v. Bucks | Top | 116-114 | Win | 100 | 11 h 30 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #729 Wednesday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 6:30 ET - Everyone will be on the Bucks to bounce back here in Game 2. In typical contrarian fashion, I'll be on Miami! The Heat played (and swept) a tough team in round one of the post-season when they knocked off the Pacers. Milwaukee got a "cake walk" match-up with facing the lowly Magic and yet they struggled to pull away from Orlando often in those games. Yes, the Bucks did win 4 straight from the Magic after dropping the opener but I am just talking about the fact that there were long stretches where Milwaukee just looked a bit "out of sorts" in that series. The bad news for Bucks fans is now they are facing a Heat team that is much stronger than the Orlando team they faced in round one. Miami is scrappy and that helped lead the way to a lot of Bucks turnovers in Game 1 and the Heat were active on the offensive glass. Jimmy Butler is a very driven player and is helping lead his teammates to victory. Until (unless?) Giannis Antetokounmpo does the same for the Bucks there is some concern in Milwaukee for sure. Also, the Bucks Eric Bledsoe is dealing with a strained hamstring too and will not be 100 percent even if he plays tonight. As I mentioned in the intro here, the world will be lining up on the Bucks off a loss but there is a reason the odds makers opened up Game 2 with a line of Milwaukee -4. As fully expected, the betting markets feel the odds makers made a mistake and have run this line to a -5 and I would not be surprised to see it go higher as the day goes on but I want to get this play out to all customers early. 10* MIAMI |
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08-31-20 | Heat +5.5 v. Bucks | Top | 115-104 | Win | 100 | 10 h 25 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #719 Monday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 6:30 ET - The Heat are well-rested after sweeping the Pacers in the first round. The Bucks did win 4 straight over the Magic after the losing the first game but went stretches where they truly didn't play that well against an Orlando team that they really should have dominated. Keep in mind, Miami faced a much tougher team in the first round than did Milwaukee. The Heat took on an Indiana team that finished 17 games over .500 while the Bucks took on an Orlando team that finished 7 games under .500 in the regular season. Also, Milwaukee seems more distracted by the incidents taking place in Kenosha, WI which makes sense, of course, because that city is practically a suburb of Milwaukee. The Heat didn't have that distraction come up until after they had already finished off the Magic in round one and I like what I am hearing and seeing with the Miami players heading into this first game of the round two series. Combining the factors above with the fact we get a handful of points here and I have no hesitation in grabbing the dog in this one. 10* MIAMI |
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08-30-20 | Nuggets +2.5 v. Jazz | Top | 119-107 | Win | 101 | 13 h 0 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #713 Sunday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (+) vs Utah Jazz @ 8:30 ET - The Nuggets won Game 5 and this followed a Game 4 loss that came by a margin of just 2 points. Denver also could get Gary Harris back for this game. He has worked his way back to be being closer and closer to a return. Now, after some extra time off because of the postponement of games, Harris might actually be ready to see some action here. The return of a starter, though he would likely come off the bench in this one, would be a boost to the Nuggets for sure. Either way, I like Denver in this one as they most certainly have proven they are not going down without a fight in this one. Remember Games 2 and 3 were blowout losses for the Nuggets but they have responded since then for sure. A Game 7 in a first round playoff series would be good for the NBA wouldn't it? Looks like they just might get it with this series. Keep in mind the Nuggets were a 4.5 point favorite in Game 1 of this series which they won in overtime. Now they are a 2.5 point dog in Game 6 of this series. I feel the line value here is clearly with Denver in this spot. The Nuggets, as noted above, got their tails kicked in with the ugly losses in Games 2 and 3 but they have since responded and the hungry dog bites the hardest as they say. Great line value with the underdog in this one especially when you factor in the potential return of Harris. Either way, for me, this is a great situation for backing the dog that is still down 3-2 in this series and welcomed the extra rest. 10* DENVER |
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08-29-20 | Thunder +5.5 v. Rockets | Top | 80-114 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 41 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #703 Saturday 10* Oklahoma City Thunder (+) vs Houston Rockets @ 6:30 ET - Now, thanks to the extra time off afforded by the boycotts and resulting postponement of NBA games, Russell Westbrook is expected back for the Rockets for this one. However, he could be on a minutes limitation and also will Houston be able to seamlessly adjust with him back on the floor? Keep in mind, we're still seeing a struggling James Harden from 3-point land as Luguentz Dort continues his strong defensive play on the perimeter for the Thunder. After falling into an 0-2 hole, Oklahoma City changed things up in a bit and went to a smaller lineup at times and it has certainly worked as this series is now tied up at 2 games apiece. Chris Paul and Dennis Schroder, a pair of point guards, have picked up their level of play and the small ball approach has paid dividends for OKC. I am expecting more of the same here in Game 5 and am happy to grab the handful of points being offered. We're getting even more value here now because the markets have reacted to the Westbrook news and have pushed the Houston spread higher. The Rockets continue to jack up a lot of threes and I fully understand that is part of their normal game but with Harden making just 11 of 39 the last three games (thanks in part to Dort covering him in these games) Houston is just a bit "off" right now. Will they be able to easily adjust to Westbrook being back on the floor? I am not so sure about that! This (Rockets being just a bit "off" in recent games) has opened the door for the Thunder to take advantage and they will do so again here. Grab the points! 10* OKLAHOMA CITY |
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08-25-20 | Jazz v. Nuggets +3 | Top | 107-117 | Win | 100 | 9 h 19 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #714 Tuesday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (+) vs Utah Jazz @ 6:30 ET - The Nuggets had a miracle cover in Game 4 when Murray hit a "meaningless" 3-pointer in the final seconds to get in the backdoor for the cash for Denver backers. From that standpoint, it would seem that Utah would be the play here. After all, the Jazz had no business not winning ATS in Game 4. However, a closer look shows something very different. The Nuggets had 100 shots from the field and shot 49% while the Jazz had just 73 shots from the field and yet Denver did not win that game outright! Are you kidding me? So what happened is that the Jazz hit a ridiculous 14 of 29 three pointers. Also, Utah had 36 free throw attempts compared to just 13 for the Nuggets. These unusually statistical disparities are highly unlikely to repeated here in Game 5 and I am riding with the highly motivated underdog here in Game 5. Not only did Denver come up just short in Game 4, the Nuggets are also highly motivated as this a win or go home game. The Jazz have a 3-1 series lead. Look for that to be a 3-2 lead for Utah after tonight's game goes into the books. 10* DENVER |
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08-23-20 | Clippers v. Mavs +8 | Top | 133-135 | Win | 100 | 7 h 28 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #744 Sunday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks (+) vs Los Angeles Clippers @ 3:30 ET - The Mavericks announced that Luka Doncic's MRI showed "nothing alarming" and that he would be a game-time decision. That is another way of saying everything is fine but we just don't to announce it yet so everyone can wonder whether Doncic will play or not. Of course his ankle was hurting him bad after he got hurt and then it stiffens up on you and you can't move well out there on the floor once that happens. But now after receiving treatment ever since, Doncic will be ready to go here I am sure. We have strong big dog value here with the Mavericks in my opinion. The two losses they have had in this series each came by 8 points and that includes Friday's loss which featured a team-record 45 point 2nd quarter from the Clippers. Note that the Mavs beat the Clips by double digits in Game 2. Now, down 2-1 in this series and facing a key Game 4, Dallas is going to battle tooth and nail throughout this contest with Kawhi Leonard and company. That said, if the Mavericks do fall short look for it to be by a margin of only a bucket or two. Grab the big points! 10* DALLAS |
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08-22-20 | Rockets v. Thunder +3.5 | Top | 107-119 | Win | 100 | 10 h 10 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #736 Saturday 10* Top Play Oklahoma City Thunder (+) vs Houston Rockets @ 6 ET - The Thunder got a boost defensively in Game 2 as Dort returned to the lineup. He is the best perimeter defender Oklahoma City has and he was a big part of the reason the Rockets Harden was held to 5 of 16 from the field. Though the Thunder still ultimately lost the game their confidence is up after leading the game going to the 4th quarter. The Thunder had too many turnovers compared to Houston and that cost OKC the game. Oklahoma City is a perfect 5-0 SU the last 5 times they have entered Game 3 of a playoff series down 2 games to none. This is a contrarian play as the line has moved toward the Rockets and I love the Thunder in this spot as they finally put it all together on both ends of the floor after playing much better defense in Game 2. Look for Game 3 to be a complete game for the underdog. 10* OKLAHOMA CITY |
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08-20-20 | Magic v. Bucks -12.5 | Top | 96-111 | Win | 100 | 10 h 18 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher – Scott “The Bulldog” Rickenbach NBA Rotation #716 Thursday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (-) vs Orlando Magic @ 6 ET – It was the first game in a week for Giannis Antetokounmpo on Tuesday (he missed the final game of the regular season after the head butt incident) and, overall, the Bucks looked like the same team that casually went through bubble play as there was no real need to push hard. Now, the push needs to come after they got embarrassed by the Magic and lost by a double-digit margin as a double-digit favorite. While many will look to again grab the big dog here (how can they again be favored by so much after Game 1 played out like it did?) I am on the other side of this game in typical contrarian fashion. Remember last season the Magic beat the Raptors in a Game 1 upset and then proceeded to lose the next 4 and get ousted from the playoffs. I am not saying the same thing happens in this one but I just know the Bucks got their “wake up call” and will be ready to respond in a big way here on Thursday. Look for Milwaukee to be much better on the defensive end and I also do not expect Middleton and Lopez to again combine for 6 for 21 from the field. Off the bench Connaughton and DiVincenzo combined for 2 for 10 from the field. Again, unlikely to be repeated! Giannis Antetokounmpo and his Bucks teammates bring their “A game” to this one and the Magic aren’t going to again hit nearly 50% from the field, 40% from 3-point land, nor 95% from the free throw line. Everything clicked for Orlando in Game 1 but the Bucks give them a dose of reality here and that is why I am more than willing to play the big number for a top play in this one. 10* MILWAUKEE |
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08-19-20 | 76ers +5 v. Celtics | Top | 101-128 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 49 m | Show |
TNT Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Rotation #705 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 6:30 ET - This line makes no sense really except that sentiment is very anti-Sixers right now. The fact is this line is very close to the same it was for Game 1 even though the 76ers led Game 1 outright by 6 points early in the 4th quarter. Additionally, Gordon Hayward (played 34 minutes in Game 1) is now out for the rest of the series with a Grade 3 ankle strain. He'll be replaced by Marcus Smart but that further weakens a Celtics bench that the Sixers Alec Burks outscored all by himself as he had 18 points and the Boston bench had just 8 points in the opener. As much as I don't 100% trust Joel Embiid I do expect him to finish this game much better than he finished the Game 1 match-up as he couldn't get the big buckets when he needed to. The Sixers are desperate to even this series up and the situation is perfect for them to do just that after falling just short in Monday's game and now Hayward being out. The Celtics are short-handed and Philly is hungry and did win 3 of the 4 regular season match-ups between these teams. I'll gladly grab the points here. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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08-18-20 | Thunder v. Rockets +2.5 | Top | 108-123 | Win | 100 | 11 h 19 m | Show |
TNT Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #772 Tuesday 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (+) vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 6:30 ET - The big story for Game 1 of this series is the Rockets Russell Westbrook not playing. The story that is not getting as much press but is a key factor here is Luguentz Dort not playing. The Thunder guard is earning a reputation as a lockdown defender and did a fantastic job stifling James Harden when these teams met in January. However, he is not going to play in this game and a massive game from Harden can be expected. The Rockets version of small ball is not easy to play against and Oklahoma City head coach Billy Donovan spoke about the length and physicality that Houston plays with even though they are not a big team. Yes the Rockets enter the post-season off 3 straight losses but how motivated were they for those games? Houston did beat the Lakers and the Bucks earlier in bubble action. Also, the Rockets just wrapped up a 72-game season and only twice did they have a 4-game losing streak. I don't see this streak reaching that 4-game mark as you can see Houston having a 4-game losing streak is rare. We are getting some extra value here because the market move is toward OKC in early trading action. In typical contrarian fashion, I am grabbing the value on the other side as Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni (2x NBA Coach of the Year winner) wins the Xs and Os battle in this one. 10* HOUSTON |
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08-17-20 | 76ers +6 v. Celtics | Top | 101-109 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 41 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #755 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 6:30 ET - The 76ers won 3 of the 4 meetings in the regular season but lost the most recent game after winning the first 3. Philly is also seeking revenge for their 2018 playoff ouster at the hands of the Celtics. That series turned when Boston rallied from a 22 point deficit to win Game 2 and then took Game 3 in an overtime win. Now the Sixers have Al Horford going against his former team and seek payback beginning Monday evening. There is a lot of anti-Sixer sentiment since Ben Simmons was lost to injury but the 76ers have shown signs of playing better since he went out. They raise their game to another level here and possibly shock the Celtics in game one. Look for a tight game here late and if the Sixers fall short I expect it only be by a bucket or two. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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08-15-20 | Grizzlies +6 v. Blazers | Top | 122-126 | Win | 102 | 8 h 39 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #723 Saturday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies (+) vs Portland Trail Blazers @ 2:30 ET - Portland was the much hotter team in the bubble but they certainly haven't looked that impressive recently in terms of blowing teams out. Yes, the Trail Blazers are on a 3-game winning streak but the 3 wins came by a combined total of 7 points! The Blazers barely got by a Brooklyn team that was playing for nothing on Thursday night! Now Portland comes into this game favored by a half-dozen points and I understand that from the standpoint that the Grizzlies have underachieved under the bubble. However, lets not forget that Memphis is the better team on the defensive end and, though just 2-2 in their last 4 games, this a must win game or their season is over. Perhaps the Grizzlies ultimately fall short by a bucket or two but, again, I am happy to take the better defensive team in a game that could turn into more of a "grinder" than most are expecting based on the high total posted on this game. Look for the dog to stay within this number and possibly even spring the upset! Give me the points! 10* MEMPHIS |
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08-12-20 | Raptors v. 76ers +6.5 | Top | 125-121 | Win | 100 | 9 h 21 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #764 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) vs Toronto Raptors @ 6:35 ET - The Raptors are locked into the #2 seed for the post-season and already know they'll be facing the Nets to open up the playoffs. The 76ers are dealing with injury issues and certainly can't afford to lose any more key players. That said, this game is a battle of back-ups. Keep in mind yesterday the 76ers played back-ups against a very hungry Suns team that was highly motivated and undefeated under the bubble. Phoenix finally pulled away in the 4th quarter but the Sixers were down by just 3 points with under 8 minutes to go in that game. Keep in mind, that was a game the Suns had to have while the 76ers were just playing back-ups for the most part. Now today's game is a game of back-ups and Toronto is not motivated. That said, I love the underdog value being offered to Philly in this one. Don't be surprised if they get an upset win but certainly they should manage at least the cover against the Raptors in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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08-09-20 | 76ers +3.5 v. Blazers | Top | 121-124 | Win | 100 | 8 h 47 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #731 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) vs Portland Trail Blazers @ 6:35 ET - As I suspected the 76ers, whom have won 3 straight games SU but had not been covering, finally got their first cover in their most recent game. They played an Orlando team desperate for wins and it did not matter. With Al Horford back in the starting lineup because of Ben Simmons likely being out for the year, the Sixers played loose and relaxed and got the win. Look for a similar result here. Portland is desperate for wins and will be a popular choice here but a lot of pressure is on them to win and they are in a back to back spot. They totally blew their game against the Clippers and LA didn't even play Kawhi Leonard as he was rested. That was inexcusable on the part of the Blazers and now they are in a back to back spot and facing a rested 76ers team that has nothing to lose and is playing winning basketball and I look for them to make it 4 straight SU wins but will gladly grab the points being offered. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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08-03-20 | Spurs v. 76ers -6.5 | Top | 130-132 | Loss | -115 | 13 h 40 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #748 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 8 ET - This one is all about the value. Yes, the Sixers lost to the Pacers Saturday but Philly led that game by 10 points with under 9 minutes to go. Now Philadelphia catches the Spurs in the 2nd night of a back to back. Also, the 76ers dominated the glass and outrebounded Indiana by about 20 boards in the defeat but were done in by a late collapse and by being outscored by 15 points from 3-point land. Here is what is most interesting about this spot and is why there is so much value here. The 76ers are favored by nearly the identical spread in this game that they were favored by in the game against the Pacers. Anybody looked at the standings lately? Yes the Spurs are off back to back wins but their record is not even close to the Pacers. Also, San Antonio beat two teams (Kings and Grizzlies) that each have losing records and they barely won each game. Give them credit of course but the point is that they are very over-valued here especially with this being a back to back spot. Look for an angry Sixers team to take out their frustration on a short-handed San Antonio team that will grow weary as this game goes on. Keep in mind the Spurs do not have Aldridge plus Belinelli and Forbes have been banged up. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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08-02-20 | Spurs v. Grizzlies -4 | Top | 108-106 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 51 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #732 Sunday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies (-) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 4:05 ET - Memphis is off a tough OT loss to Portland Friday and it was a game that the Grizzlies allowed to get away from them late in regulation. They'll make up for that here. Even though Memphis fell short to the Trail Blazers they did a great job of getting to the free throw line. They simply were outdone from three point land. The difference in 3-point shooting means so much in the NBA game and the Spurs hot hand from beyond the arc certainly played a role in their win over the Kings on Friday. From a situational perspective, this one sets up well with the Grizzlies off a tight loss but against a stronger team (in my opinion) than the Spurs faced. Also, San Antonio pulled away late in that game so don't be fooled by the final score. Again, the 3-point shooting was also a factor and, in other words, I like the "overall game" of the Grizzlies better than the Spurs and barring another unusual 3-point disparity look for Memphis to win this one by double digits. While I respect San Antonio's veteran coach Popovich, Grizzlies young head coach Jenkins has impressed this season and was a Bucks assistant last season (and what season it was!) plus started his career in the San Antonio organization. Jenkins and his Grizzlies have taken 2 of 3 from the Spurs this season and get another one here to solidify their edge over the Spurs in the standings as Memphis looks to pull away from the field battling for the #8 spot out west. Grizzlies respond off loss. 10* MEMPHIS |
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08-01-20 | 76ers -5.5 v. Pacers | Top | 121-127 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 0 m | Show |
Game of the Week Eastern Conference - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #723 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Indiana Pacers @ 7 ET - All you hear people talking about with the Sixers entering this NBA restart is how bad their road record was this season. Well guess what folks? This is NOT a road game. Not even close. There is NO TRAVEL between games. You are in a bubble and once you are there you stay there. No catching a flight between games, no changing from one hotel to another, no raucous fans for the opposition. This is a neutral site game with NO TRAVEL involved and there will be no travel throughout the remainder of the NBA season including playoffs. That said, lets now analyze this match-up for the teams involved. What I am hearing is Joel Embiid's calf strain is very minor and I feel they simply gave the big man some extra rest before this NBA restart got underway. The fact is that he has been looking to be in the best shape of his young NBA career as the time off during the sports shutdown really helped him. Another key here in comparing these Sixers to the team we saw pre-shutdown is that Ben Simmons is now back and healthy. That is huge for this team. For the Pacers the news is not so good. Domantas Sabonis, an All-Star, is out for this game. Myles Turner and Victor Oladipo both should play here for Indiana but neither is 100%. So while this line may look a little "off" to many, I absolutely not only see the logic with the line but embrace it. Look for the Sixers to make a HUGE statement in this opening game as they are sick of hearing about not winning away from Philly and they are the healthier and more talented team in this match-up and that will show today. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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07-31-20 | Celtics v. Bucks -4.5 | Top | 112-119 | Win | 100 | 10 h 20 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #712 Friday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (-) vs Boston Celtics @ 6:30 ET - The Bucks have two objectives here in the "regular season" portion of the NBA restart. #1 is to stay healthy and #2 is to lock up the top seed in the East. They are close to meeting that 2nd objective but they can't do it without risking the 1st one. In other words, I don't foresee the Bucks holding back until they've locked in that #1 seed and they are fired up and ready to go here. They were not happy with their performance in the scrimmage against the Pelicans earlier this week as they lost big. Yes it was only a scrimmage but they're also letting it serve as a "wake up call" and you'll see them play much better basketball here in this one now that it is time for games that count. The Celtics can't catch the Bucks for the top spot but the Raptors can. Even as unlikely as it is that Toronto would catch the Bucks for the top spot, until they've nailed it down, Milwaukee will give top effort. That is bad news for an outclassed Boston team. Yes the Celtics are well-coached and are a quality team but they are certainly not at the same level as the Bucks. What I also like about Milwaukee here is that they lost their final 3 games before the unexpected and sudden NBA shutdown. The Bucks have had plenty of time to think about their 3-game losing streak and how they will need to prove again that they can win again away from Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. With all of the above factored into this one, I feel we have great line value with a determined Bucks team laying a short number and, though this is my only NBA play Friday, it has easily earned top play status! 10* MILWAUKEE |
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07-30-20 | Jazz +2.5 v. Pelicans | Top | 106-104 | Win | 100 | 55 h 32 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #701 Thursday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz (+) vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 6:30 ET - I am wasting no time in coming out with a big play to open up the NBA restart in Orlando but it comes with plenty of good reason. This line opened up in Vegas with the Jazz originally as a 1.5 point favorite but the line flipped and New Orleans is now up to a -2.5 choice as of Tuesday morning. Zion Williamson is back inside the NBA bubble in Orlando and is expected to be able to practice Wednesday. However, he has been away from the team for some time now and how effective (and how long) will he even be able to play in Thursday's opener. This is a very short turnaround for him. I am well aware of the fact of how important this game is for the Pelicans. However, this early line move is telling me people are overlooking the fact that the Jazz have 41 wins on the season and are the #4 seed currently in the West but have 3 teams with 40 wins hot on their tails. Do you really think Utah wants to possibly drop to the #7 seed which would lead to a match-up against a #2 seed to open up the playoffs in a couple weeks from now? That would likely mean a date with Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers. The Jazz absolutely do not want that to happen. In other words they are more motivated here than many realize and they're also hungry to let their play on the court do the talking to put an end to all chatter about the Donovan Mitchell - Rudy Gobert highly publicized "internal conflict" back in the spring at the time the entire pandemic and NBA shutdown started. The Pelicans won 10 of 19 games that Zion played in but there are a lot of question marks about him leading into this game. Additionally, the Jazz (even though without Bojan Bogdanovic) have a quality team. Bogdanovic averaged just 16 points and shot just 40% from the field over the last 10 games. Utah will be just fine without him here and this is a Jazz team that is 18 games over .500 for a reason! They lost their final game before the shutdown but that was preceded by a 5-game winning streak and the Jazz get right back to their winning ways immediately here to get the restart off to a strong start. 10* UTAH |
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03-11-20 | Pistons v. 76ers -10.5 | Top | 106-124 | Win | 100 | 8 h 25 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #550 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - The Pistons have been more competitive of late but they are still losing and, in this case, are in the wrong place at the wrong time. This one has blowout written all over it. Detroit is visiting Philly and the Sixers are at home off a loss and playing their one and only game in a span of a week. Between the 7th and the 14th this is the 76ers only game and they have had a chance to get healthier with the time off. Joel Embiid might be back for this one and Josh Richardson has been upgraded to probable. If both Embiid and Richardson play then Philadelphia will be fully healthy expect for Ben Simmons. That said, they won't show any mercy on a Pistons team they routinely dominate. The Sixers are 28-2 SU at home this season and they are 9-1 both SU and ATS in their last 10 games against the Pistons. In other words, the odds favor that any 76ers SU win is also likely to translate to an ATS cover! Detroit is an ugly 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games against an Eastern Conference foe. In February there were 3 occurrences in which the Sixers were at home off a loss. They went a perfect 3-0 SU and ATS in that situation and do it again in their first such situation in the month of March. Blowout time. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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03-11-20 | Georgia +3.5 v. Ole Miss | Top | 81-63 | Win | 100 | 9 h 8 m | Show |
Power Five Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #671 Wednesday 10* Top Play Georgia Bulldogs (+) vs Ole Miss Rebels @ 7 ET - The Bulldogs just got hammered in their season finale against LSU but Georgia actually had 10 more field goal attempts than the Tigers and yet lost the game by 30 points. It was simply "one of those games" and is now giving us some line value here as a result. This is a revenge game for the Bulldogs as they have lost 3 straight meetings with Ole Miss. What better time for payback than the SEC tourney? Georgia finished the regular season with back to back losses to Florida and LSU but this was preceded by a 3-1 stretch in which they only loss the Bulldogs had was in overtime! The Rebels enter this game off a disheartening blowout loss to Mississippi State as those Bulldogs are their biggest rivals. That was the 5th straight loss for the Rebels in games played away from Ole Miss. The Rebels have allowed 73.2 points per game their last 5 games. The Bulldogs have averaged scoring 75.2 points per game in regulation of their last 6 road games prior to the ugly season-ending loss at LSU. The Dawgs were ultra-competitive in all those road games and the last five included an outright win and an OT loss. They get over the hump again here in a revenge game against a Rebels team getting a little too much respect from the betting markets in this one. The Bulldogs average 10.5 points per game more than the Rebels in comparing games played away from home this season for these two SEC foes. 10* GEORGIA |
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03-10-20 | Celtics v. Pacers +3 | Top | 114-111 | Push | 0 | 9 h 3 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #530 Tuesday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 7:05 ET - I am aware that the Pacers have some injury issues but the Celtics haven't exactly been 100% healthy either. Even guys that are playing are being limited somewhat. That said, I am going contrarian here (as usual) and fading this big move toward Boston. The line opened up around a pick'em but now the Celtics are all the way up to a 3-point favorite. Keep in mind, even as they have dealt with injury issues, the Pacers have been hot and have won 8 of their past 10 games. Boston, on the other hand, has lost 4 of its last 5 games. Also, after tonight's game, Indiana has only one game between now and the 18th. They can go all out here considering the situation and the Pacers still remember getting knocked out of the playoffs by the Celtics in April. Yes, Indiana already got some measure of revenge with beating Boston here in Indiana 3 months ago but, suffice to say, seeing the Celtics come to town brings out a little extra intensity from the Pacers. This is the team that ended their season last year. This is a key battle in the Eastern Conference playoff position standings and I am riding with the under-valued home underdog in this one. 10* INDIANA |
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03-10-20 | Illinois-Chicago v. Northern Kentucky -4 | Top | 62-71 | Win | 100 | 8 h 24 m | Show |
Tourney Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #616 Tuesday 10* Top Play Northern Kentucky Norse (-) vs Illinois-Chicago Flames @ 7 ET - The Norse had a long layoff before yesterday's game and actually were playing just their 2nd game in a span of over 2 weeks! It showed as they struggled in the first half against Wisconsin-Green Bay. Once Northern Kentucky worked off the rust in the first half, they were a different team in the second half. The Norse rolled to a huge win over the Phoenix and will carry that momentum right into the Championship Game today. Northern Kentucky exploded for 51 points in the 2nd half of their win over UWGB yesterday. They catch Illinois-Chicago at the perfect time for a rout. The Flames got the upset win over Wright State yesterday. Certainly the Flames deserve credit for that and for playing a strong game against the Raiders. However, now UIC faces a Norse team which they blasted by 30 points at Northern Kentucky a little over 3 weeks ago. Keep in mind the Norse went 13-5 in Horizon action this season while Illinois-Chicago went 10-8. Northern Kentucky enters this game on a 13-3 SU run. UIC has also been playing well but the Norse are the better team and playing with revenge and I like the value with this line coming down from a -5 to a -4 here. We'll take it! 10* NORTHERN KENTUCKY |
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03-09-20 | Delaware +4.5 v. Hofstra | Top | 61-75 | Loss | -108 | 8 h 25 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #865 Monday 10* Top Play Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens vs Hofstra Pride @ 6 ET - Hofstra knocked Delaware out of the CAA Tourney last season. It is payback time here for the Fightin' Blue Hens. These teams met twice in the regular season and split the series. In the game in which Delaware won, leading scorer Nate Darling scored just 13 points! That is bad news for Hofstra as he made 5 of 8 three pointers in yesterday's win over College of Charleston and scored 25 points. If he is "on" again today and the rest of the Fightin Blue Hens play like they did in the first victory over the Pride this season, this one will be an upset by at least a half dozen points in my opinion. I like the fact Darling will be playing with a ton of confidence here because he is a big-time scorer when he is hot and he'll be tough for the Pride to slow down. I know Hofstra has been hot but the Fightin' Blue Hens had played them very well for 4 straight halves before a horrible 2nd half in the most recent meeting. Prior to that Delaware had outscored the Pride by 10 points over the 4 prior halves dating back to the 2nd half of last season's match-up in the CAA Tourney. I feel we've got great underdog value here with a very determined and confident Fightin' Blue Hens team that is poised for revenge here. 10* DELAWARE |
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03-08-20 | Ohio State +7 v. Michigan State | Top | 69-80 | Loss | -109 | 7 h 15 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #843 Sunday 10* Top Play Ohio State Buckeyes (+) @ Michigan State Spartans @ 4:30 ET - Both teams are red hot. Give me the points in a spot like this! The Buckeyes have won 9 of their last 11 games and are playing this game with revenge. The Spartans have won each of the last 3 meetings including knocking Ohio State out of the Big Ten tourney last spring. Michigan State does enter this game having won 4 straight. However, this was preceded by a tough 1-4 stretch for the Spartans. As for the Buckeyes, they started the season 11-1 and then hit one rough patch mid-season but are now wrapping up the regular season on a 9-2 run. Ohio State has been a streaky team this season as you can see and I look for that to continue here and am happy to have the 7 points on my side in this one. Look for it to be tough for Michigan State to pull away in this one. The Spartans have had struggles in tight late-game situations this season just like the collapse at home against Maryland three weeks ago. Michigan State is off back to back covers but this was preceded by a 1-6 ATS stretch and they are over-valued here by the betting markets. Upset alert here and, if the Buckeyes do fall short, I expect it to be by only a bucket or two. 10* OHIO STATE |
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03-08-20 | Pelicans v. Wolves +7 | Top | 120-107 | Loss | -105 | 7 h 54 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #506 Sunday 10* Top Play Minnesota Timberwolves (+) vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 3:35 ET - Of course many are backing the Pelicans here as they have revenge against the Timberwolves from the recent upset loss in New Orleans. That is why this line has risen from a 5.5 to a 7 as of early Sunday morning. In typical contrarian fashion, I am on the other side of the move. Minnesota is playing without pressure and looking to play the role of spoiler. The Wolves know they aren't going to the playoffs but if they can help further diminish an opponents chances they'll gladly do it. It is the Pelicans feeling all the pressure here and they had lost 3 straight games prior to beating the Heat on Friday. That said, I like the value here with the big home dog as Minnesota is hungry to redeem themselves following an embarrassing loss by 14 points against Orlando on Friday. That game followed back to back wins for the Timberwolves and they had been playing more competitive too with wins in 2 of their last 3 road games. So with this game at home and off a loss where they didn't show up at all on the defensive end, the Wolves come up with a much better effort in hopes of continuing to further spoil the New Orleans fading playoff hopes. If Minny does fall short here I expect it to be by only a bucket or two. In other words, great line value here for the home dog. 10* MINNESOTA |
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03-07-20 | Jazz v. Pistons +8 | Top | 111-105 | Win | 100 | 11 h 56 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #566 Saturday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (+) vs Utah Jazz @ 7:05 ET - This one is all about the situational value. The Jazz are off hard-fought win at Boston last night where they held the Celtics to just 94 points. Utah is 8-9 SU in their last 17 games and 5 of those 8 wins have been by 8 or less points. In fact 4 of them were by 5 or less points. Ton of value with scrappy Detroit as a home dog. The Pistons, unlike the Jazz, are rested here as they have been off since Wednesday. 6 of Detroit's last 9 losses have been by 7 or less points. With the rest edge and the situational edge, the home dog value here with the Pistons is far too much to pass up. They also have a 3-game road trip on deck so they want to make the most of this opportunity on their home floor. 10* DETROIT |
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03-07-20 | Villanova -7.5 v. Georgetown | Top | 70-69 | Loss | -108 | 15 h 24 m | Show |
Game of the Year - Rickenbach NCAAB Rotation #601 Saturday 10* Top Play Villanova Wildcats (-) @ Georgetown Hoyas @ Noon ET - Huge coaching edge for the Wildcats here with Jay Wright over Georgetown's Patrick Ewing. However, the Hoyas had a rare "step up" game the last time Villanova visited DC and Georgetown won by a dozen points. Note that Hoyas wins in this series have been quite rare of late (Villanova beat them at home earlier this season) and now it is payback time for the Wildcats on this floor. As noted above, the Cats beat them in Philly earlier this season but the loss on this floor last season ended a streak of 9 straight wins for Nova in this series. When a team that has dominated a series like this loses on that opponent's floor they don't forget it about the very next time they visit. Villanova remembers the last time they stepped on this floor they were a ranked team that got upset by these Hoyas. They absolutely don't want a repeat of that here in what is their first trip to Georgetown since that meeting. Situations don't get much better than this. The Wildcats have road payback on their minds and they also are motivated by still having a shot at the regular season title for the Big East. With a win here and a Seton Hall loss at Creighton, the Wildcats would share the Big East title with the Bluejays and Pirates. Adding to the value here is that both Mac MacClung and Amer Yurtseven are listed as doubtful in this game. MacClung is Georgetown's leading scorer and Yurtseven is also a key player. I really don't expect the Hoyas to "force the issue" with those two guys as the smarter move would be to rest them in hopes of a return for the Big East tournament. That said, the Wildcats offer a lot of value here in a game which, though they on the road, they can still easily win by double digits. This game has road payback, motivation, health, coaching, all in favor of a road team that is favored by single digits! I'll take it! The Hoyas have lost 5 straight games and the only two closer losses were by 3 versus Xavier and 6 at DePaul. Villanova has won 6 of 7 and just won at Xavier by 9 and at DePaul by 20. So compare how those teams have performed recently against the same opponents. Yes, big difference between the level of these two programs and all the right ingredients are there to step up LARGE with this one. 10* VILLANOVA |
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03-05-20 | Clippers +1 v. Rockets | Top | 120-105 | Win | 100 | 14 h 18 m | Show |
TNT Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #537 Thursday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Clippers (+) @ Houston Rockets @ 8:05 ET - The Clippers have won 5 straight games. They had one "slip up" in the streak where they allowed 130 points to a wounded Sixers team. Other than that, the Clips allowed an average of only 96.5 points per game in the other 4 victories. The Rockets truly can only dream of defensive efforts like that. Houston has allowed 120.5 points per game in their last 17 games and that does not include the OT points allowed in their recent win at Boston. The Rockets will face a bound and determined Clippers team here as Houston has taken 2 of the 3 meetings this season including the most recent one at Los Angeles. It is payback time here. The road team has covered 4 of the last 5 meetings and that trend continues here as the Clips take their winning streak to 6 games with a big effort on both ends of the floor in this one. 10* LA CLIPPERS |
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03-05-20 | Illinois v. Ohio State -6 | Top | 63-71 | Win | 100 | 12 h 35 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #664 Thursday 10* Top Play Ohio State Buckeyes (+) vs Illinois Illini @ 7 ET - Yes the Illini have been hot but they faced some weak competition too. Now Illinois faces a real test and Ohio State is well aware that they can play the role of spoiler here in terms of running the Big Ten regular season title hopes of the Illini. The Buckeyes don't even need that extra motivation either. Why? Because Ohio State lost outright at home to Illinois as nearly a double digit favorite in the teams most recent meeting which was last February. Finally the Buckeyes get their shot at payback here. Not only was that upset unlikely, note that another upset here is just as unlikely. Ohio State is 13-2 SU at home while Illinois is just 6-6 SU on the road. That said, I'll lay the half dozen points here with the Buckeyes. Two of the last 3 wins for the Illini came against Northwestern and Nebraska. The Wildcats and Cornhuskers are a combined 4-33 in Big Ten games this season. Give Illinois credit for recent wins versus Indiana and Penn State but the win over the Hoosiers came at home while the win over the Nittany Lions was a case of catching a flat opponent at the right time. The Buckeyes, most definitely, will not be flat here. Payback time here. 10* OHIO STATE |
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03-04-20 | Villanova +4.5 v. Seton Hall | Top | 79-77 | Win | 100 | 11 h 28 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #781 Wednesday 10* Top Play Villanova Wildcats (+) @ Seton Hall Pirates @ 8:30 ET - The Wildcats are off a loss but very well could have been caught looking ahead to this game as the Pirates handed Villanova a rare home loss in their earlier meeting this season. Ironically, Seton Hall also has a revenge game on deck as their Big East regular season finale is at Creighton and the Blue Jays handed them a rare home loss. In my eyes the set up here is ideal for a road upset and I'll gladly grab the points with Nova. The Cats are 5-1 SU and ATS in their last 6 road games and the lone loss came by just 3 points at Butler. The Pirates have covered just ONCE in their past SIX home games! Seton Hall is the higher ranked team in this match-up and they are at home but Villanova comes into this game fighting mad and playing with home loss revenge. Look for the Wildcats to send the Pirates to their 3rd SU home loss in their last 5 games as a host but I am grabbing the points as added insurance in this one. The Cats did knock the Pirates out of the Big East tourney last year but Nova has the home revenge here from this season plus also lost their visit to Seton Hall last season. It is payback time here and I like backing the Wildcats off a loss in which they scored only 54 points! 10* VILLANOVA |
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03-04-20 | Celtics v. Cavs +1.5 | Top | 112-106 | Loss | -105 | 12 h 25 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #518 Wednesday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 7:05 ET - The Cavaliers are off 3 consecutive losses but come into this game rested and expected to be much healthier for this game than they were against the Jazz on Monday. While Cleveland is rested and getting healthier, the Celtics are banged up and in a tough back to back situation. Boston blew a huge 4th quarter lead at home against Brooklyn last night and then lost in OT. That is a very deflating loss and Kemba Walker did play last night but won't make this trip to Cleveland. Also, the Celtics Marcus Smart might be facing a suspension after getting into it with the officials! Boston is expected to be without Jayson Tatum tonight too plus both Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward seemed to be less than 100% as they were dealing with nagging injuries as last night's game got away from the Celtics. With the Cavs getting healthier and having won 4 of 5 before dropping 3 in a row, this is the perfect spot for them to get back on track on their home floor. 10* CLEVELAND |
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03-03-20 | Michigan State -1 v. Penn State | Top | 79-71 | Win | 100 | 12 h 47 m | Show |
Big Ten Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #621 Tuesday 10* Top Play Michigan State Spartans (-) @ Penn State Nittany Lions @ 7 ET - The road team has covered each of the last 3 meetings between these teams. That includes the Nittany Lions winning at Michigan State early last month. That means it is revenge time for the Spartans and the timing is perfect. While Penn State has lost 3 of 4 games SU and is on an 0-4 ATS run, Michigan State enters this game having won 3 in a row SU. The line on this game is as low as a -1 early this morning and I am taking advantage of grabbing the revenge-minded Spartans in this one. Michigan State was sloppy with the ball in the first meeting and lost the game by 5 points largely due to losing the turnover battle 15-9. I like what I have seen from the Spartans over the past two weeks while the Nittany Lions are showing signs of wilting under the late season pressure. Of course we get line value here because this game is at State College where Penn State has been so strong this season. The fact is that the Nittany Lions last two home games saw them lose outright to Illinois and barely sneak out a 1-point win over Rutgers. Now PSU faces a much tougher challenge here and I look for the Spartans to turn this one into a road rout. 10* MICHIGAN STATE |
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03-02-20 | Jazz v. Cavs +8.5 | Top | 126-113 | Loss | -109 | 12 h 21 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #582 Monday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) vs Utah Jazz @ 7:05 ET - The Cavaliers are off consecutive losses but it was a back to back situation. Cleveland was competitive in both games and continues to play much better overall. The back to back losses were preceded by winning 4 of 5 games including defeating both the Heat and the 76ers. Since they added Andre Drummond, the Cavs are a different team. Now, after a day off following the consecutive defeats plus the fact they are on their home floor, the Cavaliers will give the Jazz all they can handle in this one. The line opened up at a 7.5 but has risen to an 8.5 and this is giving us great line value with the home dog. The Jazz are off a win but that was preceded by 4 straight losses. Also, all those games were at home where Utah is known for being a stronger team. In other words, now that the Jazz are taking to the road the recent slump is likely to continue. I am not saying Utah loses this game outright (although there is a decent chance of that) but I am saying that Cleveland is going to keep this game much closer than many are expecting. The markets haven't adjusted properly yet to the fact that the Cavaliers are playing better basketball of late and I am going to fade a large road favorite here that has lost 4 of its last 5 games. 10* CLEVELAND |
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03-01-20 | Pistons +7.5 v. Kings | Top | 100-106 | Win | 100 | 12 h 56 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #569 Sunday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (+) @ Sacramento Kings @ 6:05 ET - The Pistons will build off Friday's win at Phoenix. While it is true that Detroit is only 3-8 SU their last 11 games, 4 of their last 7 losses have come by 7 or less points. The Kings are over-valued here. Sacramento is 4-3 SU in their last 7 games but 2 of the 4 wins came by 4 or less points. Only 1 of those 4 wins came by a double digit margin and I look for the Pistons to be in this one all the way. The Kings just got back home from a 4-game road trip that wrapped up in Memphis on Friday. The first game back home after a lengthy road trip is often the toughest and the odds makers opened this game up at a 6.5 for a reason. In typical contrarian fashion, I am grabbing the line value here on the other side of the line move. The Kings are 2-6 ATS (and 1-7 SU) when off a road win by 3 or less points. After sneaking by the Grizzlies by 3 points on the road Friday, Sacramento falls flat here. 10* DETROIT |
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03-01-20 | Xavier v. Georgetown | Top | 66-63 | Win | 100 | 7 h 40 m | Show |
Afternoon TV Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #821 Sunday 10* Top Play Xavier Musketeers (-) @ Georgetown Hoyas @ 2 ET - The Musketeers are the much better team. Even though Naji Marshall is on the injury report he has been upgraded to probable. Conversely, the Hoyas Omar Yurtseven and Mac MacClung are both listed as questionable for this one. Keep in mind, Georgetown has lost 3 straight games and also is just 1-4 SU in its last 5 home games. Xavier brings momentum into this game after a home win versus DePaul in their most recent game. The Musketeers are now 5-2 SU (and 6-1 ATS) their last 7 games and clearly this is a case of two teams heading opposite directions as the regular season winds down. Xavier has dominated this series but did lose their last visit to Georgetown. Look for the Musketeers to make up for that here as they continue their surge and send the Hoyas to a 4th straight loss. The road team also holds the coaching edge in this match-up and that is not a factor to overlook especially in the case of a game with a line near pick'em. 10* XAVIER |
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02-29-20 | UNLV v. San Jose State +10 | Top | 92-69 | Loss | -115 | 8 h 7 m | Show |
MWC Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #700 Saturday 10* Top Play San Jose State Spartans (+) vs UNLV Rebels @ 5 ET - Perfect set up here. Home finale for San Jose State to wrap up another disappointing season. UNLV enters this road game having won 4 straight games. However, the key here is where this game is being played. The Spartans are much more competitive on their home floor than on the road. San Jose State has had only 4 home games since mid-January. Though only 1-3 SU in those 4 games, 2 of the 3 losses came by 6 or less points. Don't be surprised when San Jose State keeps this game much closer than many are expecting and they could even get the outright upset. The Rebels have won 4 straight games but only one (San Diego State) was truly shocking. The other 3 games all had tight low lines and could have gone either way. Now, on the road for this one and considering that the Rebels are just 4-8 SU on the road this season, there is really no justification for UNLV being a double digit favorite in this one. The line opened up at an 8.5 and moved to as high as a 10 and I am stepping in on the other side of the move and going with the "ugly home dog" theory in this one. Especially being the last game of the regular season, look for the Spartans to go all out here and keep this game much closer than many are expecting. 10* SAN JOSE STATE |
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02-28-20 | Wolves v. Magic -7.5 | Top | 125-136 | Win | 100 | 12 h 51 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #528 Friday 10* Top Play Orlando Magic (-) vs Minnesota Timberwolves @ 7:05 ET - This line opened up at a -9 but has dropped to a -7.5 as of early Friday morning. Just because the Timberwolves are off a big upset win at Miami Tuesday does not mean they are deserving of this type of respect. The Wolves entered that game having lost 18 of 19 games! That included Minnesota having lost 5 straight games prior to beating the Heat and 4 of those 5 losses came by a double digit margin. Orlando is hanging onto the #8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race and the Magic have been rejuvenated by winning 4 of their past 5 games. Orlando is 10-1 SU in their last 11 home games versus the T-wolves. Also, the Magic have covered 7 of the last 10 meetings. We're getting some extra value here because of Minnesota being off a rare win. This one has home blowout written all over it as I look for the home team to D up strong in this one and defense is something the Wolves certainly don't play much of. That will be the difference in this game. 10* ORLANDO |
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02-28-20 | Kent State +1.5 v. Ohio | Top | 69-76 | Loss | -108 | 10 h 58 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #875 Friday 10* Top Play Kent State Golden Flashes (+) @ Ohio University Bobcats @ 6:30 ET - The Golden Flashes are a perfect 2-0 SU and ATS the last two times they have been a road dog. However, their two most recent road games saw them first lose a tight one as a small favorite and then get blasted by 21 points as a small favorite at Eastern Michigan. After that embarrassing losses, the Golden Flashes have had their next road game circled blood red as a chance to redeem themselves. Riding the momentum of a home win versus Miami-Ohio, Kent State now will continue their series dominance against the Bobcats. The Golden Flashes are 6-1 SU in their last 7 meetings with Ohio University. The Bobcats are off a big home win versus Buffalo but are 1-4 SU the last 5 times they have entered a game off a SU win. The win for Ohio U over Buffalo was the first time this season that they have beaten a team that currently has a winning record in MAC games. Now the Bobcats face a Kent team that already owns wins over Buffalo and Akron this season. The fact is that the Golden Flashes are the better team and can rise to the occasion in a tough situation. That said, I have no hesitation grabbing them on the road here against an Ohio University team that has had its share of struggles on its home floor. 10* KENT STATE |
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02-27-20 | Knicks v. 76ers -6 | Top | 106-115 | Win | 100 | 9 h 5 m | Show |
Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #520 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs New York Knicks @ 7:05 ET - I am well aware of the injury situation for the Sixers. I faded them last night with Cleveland partially because Ben Simmons was out but also because the Cavaliers have been hot since they made some roster moves. The 76ers then proceeded to lose Joel Embiid to injury in that game. So they are really hurting now but they are also back home where they are 27-2 this season. Also, instead of facing a surging Cavs team they are facing a slumping New York team. The Knicks have lost 5 straight games and, just like Philly, New York is in the 2nd night of a back to back here. The Knicks last 6 losses have come by an average margin of 11.5 points per game and I am projecting a double digit loss here for New York. The 76ers last 7 wins have all come by 7 or more points and this line has plummeted to as low as a -6 as of early this morning after opening up at -8 this morning after the injury news was ALREADY out about Embiid. I feel we're getting solid value with a Sixers team that is angry off a loss and will have other players step up at home in this one to make up for the injury absences. Philly has 2 days off after this game and then will be on a West Coast road trip. The 76ers aren't going to be denied tonight at home given this situation. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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02-27-20 | Delaware +4 v. College of Charleston | Top | 71-80 | Loss | -105 | 9 h 22 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #601 Thursday 10* Top Play Delaware Fightin Blue Hens (+) @ College of Charleston Cougars @ 6 ET - The Cougars have won 8 straight meetings between these teams. The College of Charleston is also at home for this game. In typical contrarian fashion, I am on Delaware in this one! But certainly it is not without reason. The Fightin Blue Hens are the better team this season and they have plenty of motivation here. Delaware blew a 6 point home lead against the Cougars in late December for their 8th straight loss in this series. The key to the value in the rematch is that the College of Charleston has lost 4 straight games both SU and ATS. Additionally, the Cougars have failed to cover 9 of their last 13 games. They're simply not playing well and not faring well at the betting window either. As for Delaware, they do enter this game off a loss but the Fightin Blue Hens had won 8 of 9 SU and 6 of 8 ATS prior to the home loss to Hofstra. Off that ugly loss by a double digit margin and having not forgotten their ugly loss by a double digit margin at home against the Cougars, look for the Hens to roll on the road in this one! The last 3 times when the Fightin Blue Hens were off an ATS loss they have gone a perfect 3-0 ATS in their next game. Look for them to again thrive in that role in this one. 10* DELAWARE |
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02-26-20 | 76ers v. Cavs +7.5 | Top | 94-108 | Win | 100 | 15 h 45 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #502 Tuesday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:05 ET - The Cavaliers made some recent roster moves and it is already paying dividends. Though they are building for the future, there is a renewed enthusiasm in Cleveland and it is translating to much better play on the floor. The Cavs have won 3 of their last 4 games both SU and ATS. The Cavaliers have struggled against the 76ers this season and the most recent loss is one a team doesn't forget. Despite having 6 more shot attempts from the field, Cleveland lost by 47 points in their most recent game against the Sixers! That was in Philadelphia and now the 76ers come to Cleveland and they'll be without Ben Simmons. That is a big loss for them and this is a Philly team that is an ugly 9-20 SU and ATS in road games this season. The Cavaliers have won their last two home games and that including defeating a solid Miami team Monday. Don't be surprised if the Cavs come up with another home dog upset here but I am grabbing the points for added insurance. 10* CLEVELAND |
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02-26-20 | Rutgers v. Penn State -6 | Top | 64-65 | Loss | -105 | 13 h 15 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #812 Wednesday 10* Top Play Penn State Nittany Lions (-) vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights @ 7 ET - The set up here is perfect. The Nittany Lions are off back to back losses. They shot the ball poorly from long-range in a home upset loss to Illinois. That then carried over to a road loss at Indiana. Now, back at home, Penn State gets rolling again from beyond the arc. Keep in mind, prior to back to back losses, the Lions had won 8 straight games and averaged 78 points per game! Adding to the value here of the Nittany Lions laying about a half dozen points, Penn State lost at Rutgers by double digits earlier this season. This is a revenge game and now the Lions catch the Scarlet Knights having lost 5 of 7. One of those two Rutgers wins came in OT against a bad Northwestern team. In other words, the Knights aren't playing very well right now and haven't been for about 3 weeks! Look for the Nittany Lions to get payback in a big way in this one. The Scarlet Knights have lost 5 straight road games SU and also are just 1-4 ATS their last 5 games overall. Penn State has only failed to cover twice in their last 10 games. The Nittany Lions are also 17-2 SU in their last 19 home games! Only 1 of their 8 wins in the recent streak came by less than 6 points and that was a 5 point win. In other words, all signs pointing to a home win and cover in this one. 10* PENN STATE |
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02-25-20 | Bucks v. Raptors | Top | 108-97 | Win | 100 | 11 h 30 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #577 Tuesday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (-) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:35 ET - This line has gone from a -3 down to as low as a pick'em. I am well aware of the fact that the Bucks are in a back to back spot and their win at Washington last night came in overtime! However, no one on Milwaukee played more than 33 minutes except Middleton. That said, the Bucks are in better shape from a rest standpoint than would normally be the case in a situation like this. Also, Milwaukee is a perfect 7-0 SU this season when playing the second game of a back to back. Additionally, the Bucks are 16-0 SU this season in road games with a posted total of 230 or more. The biggest key of all for this game, in my opinion, is that this is where Milwaukee's season ended last year in May. The Bucks were ousted from the playoffs in Toronto last season. Though they got some measure of revenge with a win at home earlier this season, they still want to get revenge on the very floor where their season ended last year. In other words, a road rout likely in this one. Adding to the odds that one will occur is the fact that the Raptors are a little banged up right now. Gasol and Powell are out and McCaw is questionable for tonight's game. 10* MILWAUKEE |
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02-25-20 | TCU v. Iowa State -2 | Top | 59-65 | Win | 100 | 9 h 50 m | Show |
Big 12 Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #606 Tuesday 10* Top Play Iowa State Cyclones (-) vs TCU Horned Frogs @ 7 ET - Losing on your home floor is one thing. Losing by 30 points as a host is another thing! The Cyclones just got blasted at home by Texas Tech on Saturday and need to make amends for that here. Iowa State will take advantage of hosting a TCU team that is off a home win and is 0-7 SU in their last 7 road games. The Horned Frogs are also 0-7 ATS in those games! Texas Christian University has held the upper hand in recent meetings between these schools and that has led to line value here with the Cyclones as a host. Iowa State is 6-0 ATS the last 6 times they were at home and coming off an ATS loss. That means we have double perfect trends at play with the Horned Frogs in an 0-7 ATS spot and the Cyclones in a 6-0 ATS spot. Make it a triple perfect spot actually as TCU is also 0-3 ATS the last 3 times they have entered a game off a SU win. It has been a month and a half since the Horned Frogs have won back to back games and I look for them to again fail in that situation here. The Cyclones get their revenge for all the recent losses to TCU including falling just short on the road earlier this season. The home court makes all the difference here. 10* IOWA STATE |
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02-24-20 | Magic v. Nets -3 | Top | 115-113 | Loss | -101 | 15 h 35 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #566 Monday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (-) vs Orlando Magic @ 7:35 ET - This is a case of two teams trending opposite directions and I expect it to continue here. Brooklyn has won 8 of its past 12 games while the Magic have lost 11 of their past 15 games. Also, the Nets have revenge from a loss at Orlando in their only prior meeting this season. That one took place last month and Brooklyn had 21 more attempts from beyond the arc in that game but shot a horrible 21% from 3-point land. That was the difference in the game as the Nets lost by a double digit margin. Much has changed since then and the Nets are playing with a lot more confidence of late. Brooklyn is a perfect 5-0 SU and ATS in its last 5 home games. Orlando is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 road games. Overall, the Magic are on a 3-12 ATS run their last 15 games. Lay the small number with the surging Nets in this one as Orlando's free-fall continues. 10* BROOKLYN |
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02-24-20 | Louisville +3 v. Florida State | Top | 67-82 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 20 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #873 Monday 10* Top Play Louisville Cardinals (+) @ Florida State Seminoles @ 7 ET - The Noles are ranked higher right now than the Cards plus they are at home. However, it is with good reason that this game is priced so low. The road team has revenge and has already beaten Duke on the road this season. The Cardinals lost their two most recent road games and that further strengthens the likelihood of a massive bounce back here. This team is poised for payback here at Florida State. Yes the Seminoles got the upset win at Louisville earlier this season but shot a ridiculous 55% from the field overall and 48% from three point land in that game. You know the Cardinals are going to be in lockdown mode on D against FSU after those embarrassing results in the home loss. The Seminoles are having a great season, there is no doubt about that. But I still feel strongly that the Cardinals are the better team and the revenge angle is strengthening this play. That is the only home loss that the Cards have this season. Now they face a Florida State team that hasn't lost a home game this season. You can see where I am going with this. The Cardinals have a chance at the sweetest type of revenge here and I look for them to return the favor and hand the Seminoles their only home loss of the season. 10* LOUISVILLE |
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02-23-20 | Wizards v. Bulls | Top | 117-126 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 31 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #553 Sunday 10* Top Play Washington Wizards (+) @ Chicago Bulls @ 7:05 ET - I know the Wizards road record is ugly this season but, overall, Washington had been playing better ball before their home loss to Cleveland Friday. Keep in mind, that was a rejuvenated and strengthened Cavaliers team which the Wizards faced on Friday. Now look for the Wizards, whom had won 5 of 7 games prior to losing to the Cavs, to now take advantage of a struggling and hurting Chicago team. The Bulls lost at home to Phoenix last night. They are dealing with a lot of injury issues and now in a back to back spot plus overall Chicago was already struggling badly. The Bulls have now lost 8 straight games. Chicago has won 4 of the last 5 meetings between these teams so the Wizards, also still alive in the playoff race, have plenty of motivation here. Washington has lost their last two visits here. Now it is payback time. Look for the Wizards send the Bulls to their 9th straight loss. 10* WASHINGTON |
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02-23-20 | Maryland v. Ohio State -2.5 | Top | 72-79 | Win | 100 | 8 h 56 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #858 Saturday 10* Top Play Ohio State Buckeyes (-) vs Maryland Terrapins @ 4 ET - Ohio State continues to show strong home/road dichotomy. The Buckeyes are a great team on their home floor but constantly struggle on the road. This game is at Columbus and unlike the recent miracle win for the Terps at Michigan State, there will be no miracles here. Give Maryland credit, they did play a good game against the Spartans. But they were down by 7 with just a couple minutes left and then ended the game on an insane 14-0 run. That is not happening here against an Ohio State team that is 13-2 SU (and 10-5 ATS) in home games this season. The Terrapins enter this game off a non-covering win versus a bad Northwestern team. Maryland has won 9 straight games and also defeated Ohio State when they hosted the Buckeyes early last month. Now it is time for payback and there there is a reason the higher ranked team is an underdog here. Don't let the line fool you. Ohio State gets revenge on their home floor and they get it in a big way. The Terrapins have won 3 straight match-ups including the most recent one at Columbus so payback is on order here. The Terps are shooting just 39.8% from the field in road games this season. The Buckeyes are shooting 48.9% from the field in home games this season. Look for that to be a difference-maker in the rematch. 10* OHIO STATE |
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02-22-20 | Nets -3 v. Hornets | Top | 115-86 | Win | 100 | 12 h 0 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #533 Saturday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (-) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - The Hornets have won 3 straight games but they faced 3 poor teams. Charlotte's 3-game win streak has featured wins over Detroit, Minnesota, and Chicago. Prior to this run over poor teams, the Hornets had lost 5 straight games (SU and ATS). Now Charlotte is hosting a Nets team seeking revenge for a loss in Brooklyn when these teams most recently met. Brooklyn is currently seeded 7th in the East and is hell-bent on making the playoffs this season. They are off a loss by 8 points at Philadelphia Thursday but that game actually went to OT and the Nets played very well against the 76ers. They now know Kyrie Irving is out for the season and can focus on getting the job done with the players on hand. Look for Brooklyn to resume the winning here at Charlotte. The Nets had won 6 of 8 games prior to the loss to the Sixers. Unlike the Hornets, Brooklyn's most recent wins included tougher teams like Toronto and Indiana. Grab the value here with the Nets, courtesy of being on the road, installed as a very short favorite here. 10* BROOKLYN |
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02-21-20 | Cavs +6 v. Wizards | Top | 113-108 | Win | 100 | 10 h 43 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #513 Friday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - Wizards coach Scott Brooks commented on the solid guard play of the Cavaliers. Keep in mind this is a team that also has Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson in the front court plus the recently acquired Andre Drummond. Love missed the Cavs most recent game but is expected back tonight and this team is looking much better than their record. Look for the coaching change that took place during the All Star break to pay immediate dividends for Cleveland. I know Washington has been winning some games and is still alive in the playoff race but there is renewed enthusiasm with the Cavaliers. The Cavs got a dominating win over Atlanta just before the All Star break and I would not be surprised to see another big win here. That said, I am certainly happy to grab the half dozen points being offered. The Wizards have been playing a little better of late but they are still a tough team to trust as their defense often leaves a lot to be desired! The road team has won and covered both meetings between these teams this season and I look for that trend to continue here. 10* CLEVELAND |
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02-20-20 | Ohio State +3 v. Iowa | Top | 76-85 | Loss | -115 | 10 h 43 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #623 Thursday 10* Top Play Ohio State Buckeyes (+) @ Iowa Hawkeyes @ 7 ET - The Hawkeyes have been great at home and are laying a small number here. However, don't let that fool you. There is a reason this game is priced that way. Iowa is likely to again be without CJ Fredrick. The guard is one of their top players but is dealing with a bad ankle sprain. If he does play he won't be 100%. Also, the Hawkeyes are off a road win but they've haven't won back to back games since a 5-game winning streak wrapped up 3 weeks ago. The Buckeyes come into this game rolling as they have won 5 of 6 games. However, their last road game was an ugly loss at Wisconsin. Not only does Ohio State want to make up for that here, they also haven't forgotten their last visit to Iowa. In that game the Hawkeyes blasted them by double digits in a game the Buckeyes led at halftime. It is payback time here. When Iowa is off a tight win (margin of 6 or less points) they have gone 0-8 ATS. Ohio State is 6-0 SU and ATS this season when they enter a game off 2 or more consecutive home wins. The Buckeyes are also 6-0 SU and ATS this season when off a game in which they allowed 55 points or less. 10* OHIO STATE |
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02-19-20 | Butler v. Seton Hall -5 | Top | 72-74 | Loss | -105 | 13 h 30 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #782 Wednesday 10* Top Play Seton Hall Pirates (-) vs Butler Bulldogs @ 6:30 ET - We're getting some line value here because Bulldogs point guard Aaron Thompson has been upgraded to probable and that has moved the line a little toward Butler. He is not a big scorer but he leads them team in assists and, as such, is attracting some attention here. Thompson had missed the Georgetown game which was the Bulldogs 6th loss in their past 10 games. However, even though he is coming back, Thompson was on the floor when Butler lost as a host versus Seton Hall earlier this season. Additionally, the last 3 road games Thompson has played in, the Bulldogs have gone 0-3 and lost all 3 by double digits. With Seton Hall still at the top of the Big East but off back to back losses, the Pirates are hell bent on a huge game at home for this one. Seton Hall is not only off B2B losses overall but also has lost each of its past two home games after starting the season 10-1 SU at home. That is why I am backing the Pirates for a huge bounce back effort here and they should cover the short number as well. Nearly all their wins have come by a margin of at least a half dozen points this season. 10* SETON HALL |
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02-18-20 | Illinois v. Penn State -6 | Top | 62-56 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 9 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #606 Tuesday 10* Top Play Penn State Nittany Lions (-) vs Illinois Illini @ 6:30 ET - Penn State has been red hot. The Nittany Lions enter this game having won 8 in a row both SU and ATS! The Illini enter this game having lost 4 in a row SU and they covered just 1 of those 4 losses. Also, Illinois has lost 6 straight games to Penn State SU and also is on an 0-7 ATS run in games against the Nittany Lions. As you can see, there are streaks galore that support a play on PSU in this one but there is also more. The leading scorer for the Illini is Ayo Dosunmu and he is listed as questionable for this game. If he plays I don't expect him to be 100% physically or mentally for that matter. He took a very nasty fall at the end of the Illinois loss to Michigan State. Though the MRI ended up showing no structural damage the fact is that it was very ugly and is not an injury you just bounce right back from. Dosunmu missed the next game, 15 point loss at Rutgers, and could miss this game as well. Again, even if he does play I do not expect him to be playing at his normal high level and he had some rough shooting performances in recent games too. Right now the Nittany Lions are roaring and I don't see them getting knocked off at home here. Penn State has Indiana on deck but that is not a big deal as they already beat them by 15 during this 8-game winning streak. In other words, there is no lookahead here, the Nittany Lions are at home, and the Illini are both slumping (0-4 SU L4) and hurting (leading scorer questionable). All signs point to a home blowout here so I have no hesitation in laying the half dozen points here. 10* PENN STATE |
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02-17-20 | Xavier -1.5 v. St. John's | Top | 77-74 | Win | 100 | 11 h 31 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #861 Monday 10* Top Play Xavier Musketeers (-) @ St John's Red Storm @ 6:30 ET - The Musketeers enter this game on a perfect 4-0 ATS run. Xavier is also a perfect 10-0 SU in the last 10 meetings between these teams. The Red Storm are 0-3 SU when off a win. Keep in mind St John's had lost 9 of their last 11 games before their rare win over Providence Wednesday. The Musketeers had won 3 in a row before their loss at Butler Wednesday. The Red Storm are also now without 2nd leading scorer Mustapha Heron. You can see that we have triple perfect support in terms of trending for this play. With the Musketeers off a loss and St John's off a rare win, I am looking for the streak to reach 11 in a row in this series! 10* XAVIER |
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02-16-20 | Villanova -6.5 v. Temple | Top | 76-56 | Win | 100 | 5 h 1 m | Show |
PA Insider - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #821 Sunday 10* Top Play Villanova Wildcats (-) @ Temple Owls @ 1 ET - This is a big game as part of the Big 5 in Philly each year. The Wildcats usually win the Big 5 Title in Philly and they are 3-0 this season in Big 5 action while the Owls are 2-1. That means Temple can earn a share of the title with the upset win here. However, Villanova is going to prove to be too much here. Yes the Wildcats had endured a recent losing streak but they faced very stiff competition and their most recent 1-point win was a game in which Nova led by 18 points in the 2nd half. As for the Owls, they have started winning again but have faced weak competition too. They are off a win versus Tulane, the worst team in the AAC, and Temple actually was trailing by 13 points near the midway point of the 2nd half of that game. The point is that the Owls were well on their way to losing outright to a very bad team before they rallied while the Cats are off a game in which they were on their way to a blowout win over a quality opponent before barely hanging on. Those results give us line value here with a rather short number on Villanova. Temple is off back to back wins but had lost 8 of 10 prior to that. Also, 2 of their 3 most recent wins have come against East Carolina and the Green Wave. Those teams are a combined 6-18 in AAC action this season. The Wildcats have battled it out with 3 straight Top 25 teams and now are going to take advantage of a step down in level of competition here. Keep in mind that even though this game is at Temple, both these teams are Philly teams. In other words, it is not much of a "road game" at all. The Wildcats roll. 10* VILLANOVA |
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02-15-20 | Maryland v. Michigan State -6.5 | Top | 67-60 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 38 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #730 Saturday 10* Top Play Michigan State Spartans (-) vs Maryland Terrapins @ 6 ET - The Terrapins are ranked in the top 10 in the country right now while the Spartans have fallen out of the top 25. Maryland has won 7 straight games while Michigan State had lost 3 straight games prior to notching a tight 1-point win at Illinois Tuesday. That said, why did Michigan State open up in the range of a 7-point favorite for this one? Precisely! Don't be fooled as the Spartans are set to roll to a double digit win on their home floor here. Their most recent game as a host was a rare home loss as a surging Penn State team went into East Lansing and got the upset win. Prior to that, the Spartans were 10-1 SU at home this season. Also, their point differential is 23 points at home as Michigan State's games as a host have had an average score of 83 to 60. Even though Maryland has been hot, this is still a Terrapins team that is just 3-4 SU on the road this season. The Terps have a point differential of only 2.5 points on the road this season as they have averaged 68.9 points but allowed 66.4 points in road games this season. The Spartans are known for dominating the paint in match-ups with Maryland. The Terrapins do have 6'10 Jalen Smith but are really lacking in talented big men when it comes to depth. Look for Michigan State to, as per usual, wear down the Terps as this one goes on. The Spartans have dominated home meetings with Maryland and, overall, have won the last 3 match-ups by an average margin of 16.7 points per game. That is the range I expect this one to finish in as well. The Spartans are use to being at the top of the Big Ten but right now the Terrapins occupy that spot. Undoubtedly the home team has something to say about that here. 10* MICHIGAN STATE |
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