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Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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01-19-20 | Heat v. Spurs OVER 221 | Top | 102-107 | Loss | -109 | 10 h 31 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #567 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in San Antonio Spurs vs Miami Heat @ 3:05 ET - The Spurs are off back to back losses and they continue to respond off losses with more offense rather than defense. San Antonio games are 8-1 to the over the last 9 times they've been off a loss. Also, when off a loss by 6 or less points this season the Spurs are 8-0 to the over (1 push). In non-conference action this season, San Antonio's games are 13-4 to the over with one push. The Spurs enter this game have averaged 117.5 points per game their last 10 games. The Heat have been red hot on the offensive end and have averaged 116.5 points per game their last 6 games. Both of these teams, overall, have trended over the total this season. They just met in Miami on Wednesday and that game stayed under the total but that has been the exception, rather than the norm, for both of these teams of late. Heat road games with a total posted at 220 points or more are 4-1 to the over. Miami's games against teams with a losing record this season have gone 13-5 to the over. You can tell by the line (roughly pick'em) on this game that it is expected to be a tight battle. That said, I have no hesitation in expecting each of these teams to get to at least 110 points here and, of course, that would result in an over in this match-up. 10* OVER the total in San Antonio |
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01-19-20 | Minnesota +5 v. Rutgers | Top | 56-64 | Loss | -105 | 7 h 57 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #843 Sunday 10* Top Play Minnesota Golden Gophers (+) @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights @ 1 ET - I understand where this line came from and why the betting markets are siding with Rutgers. But, of course, in typical contrarian fashion I am on the other side of the move and grabbing the added value. Yes, Minnesota has struggled on the road this season while the Scarlet Knights have been perfect at home. However, the Golden Gophers have played the tougher schedule plus there is plenty of motivation here. Last season Minnesota lost at Rutgers and the prior season the Gophers got knocked out of the Big Ten tourney by the Knights. There is no love lost between these two foes to say the least and I like having the team that is highly motivated and has played a significantly tougher overall schedule so far this season. The Golden Gophers are 6-2 SU and ATS in their last 8 games and one of the two SU losses came by just a 5 points margin. I look for Minnesota to be "in this one" all the way and am expecting the outright upset but will grab the points as added insurance. Note that the Golden Gophers had won 6 of last 8 meetings with Rutgers prior to losing the most recent meeting. Payback time. 10* MINNESOTA |
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01-18-20 | Pistons v. Hawks +2 | Top | 136-103 | Loss | -109 | 15 h 32 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #552 Saturday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (+) vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:35 ET - The Hawks off big upset win at San Antonio last night. With Atlanta in a back to back and Detroit having been off each of the past two days, the Pistons are getting all the attention from the betting markets here. However, Detroit is also off a big upset win at Boston and that was preceded by a 3-15 ATS run for a slumping Pistons team. As for the Hawks, yesterday's win brings them to 6-3 ATS their last 9 games and they're also off back to back straight-up wins and could have Jeff Teague (acquired in trade with Wolves) available tonight as well. Atlanta is starting to build a little momentum and they have revenge against the Pistons thanks to a 25 point loss at Detroit two months ago. Prior to that the Hawks had covered 5 of their last 6 games against the Pistons. Look for them to resume that ATS dominance in this series tonight. 10* ATLANTA |
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01-18-20 | 76ers v. Knicks OVER 220 | Top | 90-87 | Loss | -109 | 14 h 8 m | Show |
Atlantic Division Total of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #553 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Knicks vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:35 ET - The Knicks will be in "run and gun" mode as they are at home and catching the Sixers in the 2nd night of a back to back situation. Philadelphia allowed just 89 points in their home win over the Bulls last night. However, Philly used a lot of defensive energy in holding Chicago to just 18 points in the 4th quarter and to 24 points or less in each of the other 3 quarters as well. Sometimes a team needs a "night off" from the defensive intensity even when they're playing. In other words, the 76ers still have another game to be played tonight but don't be surprised if it is a much more open-floor affair after last night's grinder game with the Bulls. The Sixers have allowed an average of 112 points per game in their last 5 road games. The Knicks have allowed an average of 124 points per game their last 8 games. 76ers Saturday games are 6-2 to the over this season. New York is off an embarrassing home loss to the Suns on Thursday and they are 4-2 to the over this season when off a home loss by a double digit margin. Plenty of points in this one! 10* OVER the total in New York |
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01-18-20 | Missouri +7 v. Alabama | Top | 74-88 | Loss | -109 | 9 h 9 m | Show |
SEC Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #689 Saturday 10* Top Play Missouri Tigers (+) @ Alabama Crimson Tide @ 3:30 ET - The Crimson Tide are off a huge win over in-state rival Auburn. That was a huge win for Alabama for more reasons than one. That victory for the Tide handed the rival Tigers their very first loss of the season. Knocking off a highly ranked team that is also a huge rival is going to leave Alabama flat for this battle and that is bad news for Crimson Tide fans. That's because Missouri comes into this one angry after a 27 point beatdown at Mississippi State in their most recent game. The Tigers were off a big win versus Florida and simply fell flat against the Bulldogs. They won't be flat here however as they lost by double digits at home to the Crimson Tide last season so it is payback time here. Also, lets talk about line value here. When Missouri played at Kentucky they were an 8.5 point dog. When Alabama played at Kentucky they were a 10 point dog! These games were played within a week of each other and the lines tell you the odds makers feel the Tigers are the better team! Yet here they are, with the betting markets falling in love with the Crimson Tide, getting a full +7 in this game as of early gameday morning. I'll gladly take the points here as Missouri is undervalued and Alabama is in a true flat spot here. Yes the Crimson Tide have been very hot ATS but they are facing a tough test here with the Tigers and I expect this game to ultimately be decided by only a bucket or two. 10* MISSOURI |
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01-18-20 | Marquette v. Georgetown OVER 153 | Top | 84-80 | Win | 100 | 7 h 6 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #649 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Georgetown Hoyas vs Marquette Golden Eagles @ 2 ET - The Hoyas are averaging 82.5 points per game at home this season. The Golden Eagles are averaging 77.2 points per game this season. Trouble here because they are on the road? Not so fast my friend as Marquette actually is hitting an incredible 41.1% of their three pointers when away from home this season! Georgetown is horrible at defending the arc and the Eagles love to run and gun. The Hoyas also love to run the floor and get quick points in transition and this is particularly true when they are at home. That said, I love the over in this match-up. The Golden Eagles are off a big win versus Xavier and the over is now 7-2 in their lat 9 games as Marquette continues to pile up big points in recent weeks! The Golden Eagles most recent road game was a rare exception (at Xavier) and they make up for that effort here as they take advantage of facing a weak defense. 10* OVER the total in Georgetown |
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01-17-20 | Wizards v. Raptors OVER 228.5 | Top | 111-140 | Win | 100 | 14 h 0 m | Show |
Eastern Conference Total of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #533 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - The over is a perfect 5-0 in the last 5 meetings between these teams. The Wizards are one of the worst teams in the NBA defensively as they are allowing 120 points per game on the season. The Raptors are a big favorite here with good reason and they won't take their foot off the gas in this one. Toronto's games are 7-2 to the over this season when they are a home favorite in a range of 6.5 to 12 points. Washington's games are 12-4-1 to the over this season when they are playing against a team with a winning record. Also, the Wizards are off back to back non-covers and that is a situation that has seen the over go 7-0-1 in Washington's game this season. When these teams get together it has been a track meet in recent match-ups and I am expecting another one tonight with plenty of run and gun action. Will gladly test the perfect trends noted above. 10* OVER the total in Toronto |
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01-17-20 | Bulls +7.5 v. 76ers | Top | 89-100 | Loss | -109 | 13 h 22 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #531 Friday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (+) @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:05 ET - The line looks low right? A bad Bulls team facing a 76ers team that is 19-2 SU at home this season and yet the line, as of early Friday morning, is only a 7.5 across the board. In typical contrarian fashion I am grabbing the points with the team most won't want! Note that Philadelphia pulled away late for the win and cover against Brooklyn Wednesday. As impressive as the final score may have been, the Nets were actually in that game all the way. The Sixers simply aren't the same team without Joel Embiid and he is currently out with an injury. The Bulls have been scrappy recently and are exactly the type of team that will sneak up on a good team like Philly in a spot like this and give them all sorts of trouble. Chicago has won and covered 2 of its last 3 games and note that the Sixers, prior to their win over Brooklyn, had lost 6 of their past 8 games SU. The Bulls are 8-2 ATS this season when they enter a game having lost 6 or 7 of their past 8 games. The 76ers are 4-7 ATS this season as a home favorite in a range of 6.5 to 12 points. Grab the points with the scrappy underdog in this one. 10* CHICAGO |
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01-17-20 | Dayton v. St. Louis OVER 138.5 | Top | 78-76 | Win | 100 | 13 h 43 m | Show |
A10 Total of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #857 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in St Louis Billikens vs Dayton Flyers @ 7 ET - I have had my eyes on this match-up for awhile as one that is likely to lead to plenty of points. The Flyers lost to St Louis in the Atlantic 10 Tourney last season and it is payback time here. That said, I expect Dayton to score plenty in this one but the Billikens are a strong home team that can put up big points as a host. St Louis is averaging 74.5 points per game at home this season. The Flyers, even on the road, are a huge scoring team as they are averaging 81.6 points per game away from home this season. Dayton enters this game on a 6-game winning streak and has averaged 81.5 points per game in these six victories. The Billikens most recent home game was a low-scoring win but that was preceded by 3 games as a host which saw St Louis average 80.7 points per game. The over is 12-6 in Dayton's last 18 games. The over is 6-3 in the Billikens last 9 games. Also, in the last 6 meetings between these teams, 4 have gone over the total. More of the same here. The Flyers were held to just 55 points in their last match-up with STL and that means Dayton will not take their foot off the gas no matter how big their margin in this revenge game. 10* OVER the total in St Louis |
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01-17-20 | Wisconsin +9.5 v. Michigan State | Top | 55-67 | Loss | -108 | 12 h 3 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #861 Friday 10* Top Play Wisconsin Badgers (+) @ Michigan State Spartans @ 7 ET - The Spartans just got rolled at Purdue. So now everyone is jumping on Michigan State in a bounce back spot on their home floor. However, how much is too much? In this case I feel strongly that this line has been blown out of proportion. The Badgers have plenty of motivation here and are not an easy team to blowout. Wisconsin has revenge against the Spartans as Michigan State has held the upper hand in their meetings in recent seasons including knocking them out in Big Ten tourney action each of the past two years. Last March the Badgers actually had 15 more shots from the field as they dominated in terms of forcing Spartans turnovers. Wisconsin simply had an awful shooting performance and that was the difference in the game as the Badgers lost by a dozen points. Wisconsin enters this game having won 6 of their past 7 games and the lone loss came by a single point. Michigan State, while it is tempting to back them after their ugly loss to the Boilermakers, actually does not have a good history ATS in spots like this. When off an upset loss by a double digit margin in a game in which they were a favorite, the Spartans are a long-term 7-16 ATS including 1-3 ATS in recent seasons. Off an upset loss by 15 or more points as a road favorite, Michigan State has gone 0-4 ATS in their next game! More of the same here. 10* WISCONSIN |
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01-16-20 | Celtics v. Bucks -8.5 | Top | 123-128 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 31 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #524 Thursday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (-) vs Boston Celtics @ 8:05 ET - What happens when the best team in the NBA is at home and playing with revenge and catching a struggling team off a loss and in the 2nd night of a back to back? You're about to see first-hand that the result is an absolute annihilation! When the Bucks faced the Celtics in Boston on October 30th it was a revenge game for the home team as they had been eliminated by Milwaukee in the playoffs in May. Even with all the motivation and revenge angle for the Celtics, the Bucks still raced out to a 16-point lead at the half. However, Milwaukee then got outscored by 27 points in the second half and lost by double digits. That said, this is payback time for the Bucks and I don't see them being denied. 5 of the last 6 meetings between these teams have been decided by double digits. Also, 4 of the Celtics last 5 losses have come by double digits. 13 of the Bucks last 15 wins have come by a margin of 9 or more points. Milwaukee is 19-2 at home this season while the Celtics are barely above .500 in road games this season. Boston has lost 4 of its last 6 games and the Bucks have the rest edge and are motivated here. Blowout time. 10* MILWAUKEE |
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01-16-20 | North Texas v. Southern Miss OVER 132 | Top | 72-52 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 20 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #639 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles vs North Texas Mean Green @ 8 ET - Looking for games that are a bit "off the radar" often lead to some top value situations and that is precisely the case here. A 4-13 Southern Miss team is certainly not going to have most people lining up at the betting window but I love spots like this. The Golden Eagles should score well here at home but they are a very bad team defensively and North Texas will take advantage. The result here should be an absolute shootout and yet we have a rather low total to work with on this one. The Mean Green have averaged 82.3 points per game in their past 6 games. The Golden Eagles are off a 70 point effort at UTSA. In terms of their recent home games they had a rare dud in their most recent game as a host. Look for Southern Miss to make up for that here as, in their 3 preceding home games, the Eagles had averaged 79 points per game! On the season Southern Mississippi has averaged 73 points per game at home. But the Golden Eagles have allowed 75 points per game this season and I am expecting this game to get well into the 140s. The over is a perfect 3-0 in meetings between these teams in which the Eagles are the host. North Texas enters this game on a 6-3 run to the over. 10* OVER the total in Southern Mississippi |
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01-16-20 | Cincinnati +5.5 v. Memphis | Top | 49-60 | Loss | -114 | 13 h 55 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #629 Thursday 10* Top Play Cincinnati Bearcats (+) @ Memphis Tigers @ 7 ET - The Bearcats have won 6 straight meetings between these teams and 8 of the last 9. The lone Cincinnati loss in those 9 games came by a margin of only 4 points. Of course Memphis is highly motivated here as a result but the Tigers will be in an all-out war just to win this game let alone cover the spread. That said, I like the value here with the Bearcats plus the points. Memphis has been struggling on the offensive end and has averaged just 66 points per game in its past 3 games. Cincinnati has averaged 71.5 points per game in its past 6 games. While both teams have been strong defensively this season, the Bearcats have been the better team in the offensive end and the Tigers already have a bit of a "self-doubt complex" when it comes to beating the Cats. They just haven't been able to do it for multiple years now and when a team is pressing to make shots and also feeling the pressure to knock off a team that has been a nemesis, it certainly is not a good combination for success. Memphis is on a 3-7 ATS run in January games. The Bearcats are on an 18-2 SU run in January games and have played the slightly tougher schedule this season in comparison with the Tigers. That said, I'll grab the generous points here. 10* CINCINNATI |
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01-15-20 | Nets v. 76ers -7.5 | Top | 106-117 | Win | 100 | 13 h 17 m | Show |
Atlantic Division Game of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #502 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:05 ET - Perfect set up here. Both teams off losses but the Nets were in action last night. Brooklyn is playing this game with no rest. Philadelphia is off back to back losses and they were off yesterday so they have the rest edge here. Also, Brooklyn got their playoff revenge over the Sixers in the first meeting this season as the Nets blasted the 76ers by a margin of 20 points. Philly hasn't forgotten that game and they are in an angry mood here because they have lost 6 of their past 8 games overall. With Joel Embiid out we're getting line value here as this line is being kept shorter than it would have been of course. That said, I am happy to lay the relatively small number when you consider the situational edges here and the fact that Brooklyn is 1-6 SU in their last 7 road games while the 76ers are 18-2 SU in home games this season. Lay it! 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-15-20 | Pistons v. Celtics OVER 218 | Top | 116-103 | Win | 100 | 13 h 40 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #503 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Celtics vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - The Celtics are known for being a solid team defensively. They have earned that reputation. But sometimes that helps lead to value going the other way when certain situations arise and that is precisely what we have here. It is hard for Boston to be be excited about facing a slumping Pistons team when they have a huge game tomorrow night at Milwaukee! Undoubtedly these are the types of games where the superior team - in this case, the Celtics - has a drop-off in defensive intensity. That said, don't be surprised when the Pistons score very well in this game. However, Detroit leaves much to be desired on the defensive end. That said, I look for a solid over in this match-up. Overall, 3 of the last 4 meetings between these teams have gone over the total. Also, 3 of the last 4 times they have met in Boston, the games have gone over the total. The over is 9-3 in the Pistons last dozen games. The Celtics have averaged 119 points per game in their past 4 home games. Look for them to get at least that here and for the Pistons to eclipse the century mark as well and, as a result, this flies over the total. 10* OVER the total in Boston |
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01-15-20 | Virginia +6.5 v. Florida State | Top | 50-54 | Win | 100 | 12 h 3 m | Show |
ACC Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #791 Wednesday 10* Top Play Virginia Cavaliers (+) @ Florida State Seminoles @ 7 ET - This is a tremendous value spot. The Cavaliers are "off the radar" of most everyone because they have lost back to back games and also people remember them getting blasted at Purdue and also losing by double digits as a double digit home favorite versus South Carolina. However, when this Virginia team is "on" and they bring their "A game" they are still a very tough team to play against. That said, we are getting phenomenal line value here. Keep in mind this is a revenge game for the Cavs because Florida State upset them in March. Virginia had more shots from the field in that game but they simply had a horrible shooting night plus the Seminoles dominated the boards. Note that, already evident this season, the Noles are not so dominant on the boards and the Cavaliers actually have the better rebounding margin on the season entering this game. That said, I feel very strongly that the very hungry Cavs - seeking revenge and off B2B losses - have a great shot at the outright upset. The fact we can get the added insurance of at least a half-dozen points here makes the situation even that much stronger. Keep in mind, the Cavaliers are still the vastly superior defense in this match-up and I foresee FSU having a helluva time trying to put them away. Look for the Cavs to be in this one all the way. Grab the generous points. 10* VIRGINIA |
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01-15-20 | Creighton v. Georgetown OVER 151 | Top | 80-83 | Win | 100 | 12 h 43 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #789 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Georgetown Hoyas vs Creighton Bluejays @ 7 ET - I am aware of the fact that Creighton does not shoot the 3-ball as well on the road as they do at home. However, specific to playing at Georgetown, that stat has not held up! In their last two visits here, the Bluejays have shot a combined 29 of 65 for 44.5% three pointers! Georgetown is not a very good team defensively and this is particularly true when it comes to defending shots from the beyond the arc. That said, I like my chances in terms of Creighton scoring plenty in this one. Keep in mind, the Bluejays have scored an average of 87 points per game in their last 4 meetings with Georgetown. The Hoyas are happy to play at a fast pace and they are known for putting up big numbers when on their home floor. In fact, Georgetown has averaged 87 points per contest in their last 5 games on their home floor. Now you can see why the big total posted on this game is absolutely justified. The Bluejays enter this game having seen each of their last 3 games stay under the total while the Hoyas are on a 5-game under streak. Yet we see a big total posted on this game. Now you know why so don't be fooled here...this one should fly over Wednesday. 10* OVER the total in Georgetown |
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01-14-20 | Rockets v. Grizzlies OVER 238 | Top | 110-121 | Loss | -109 | 15 h 56 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #575 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Memphis Grizzlies vs Houston Rockets @ 8:05 ET - These are two of the fastest teams in the league in terms of possessions per game. The opening total of 238 will scare many away but the fact this game should be an absolute track meet going both ways. Memphis is a very young team and they want to play fast and look to score plenty of points in transition. Of course the Rockets are one of the top teams in the league for efficiency on offense. That said, I have no hesitation in expecting these teams to combine to average 60 or more points per quarter in this one. Memphis is playing with a lot of confidence thanks to a 5-game winning streak. The Rockets sit atop of the Southwest Division standings and enter this game having rolled to big point totals in 4 of their last 5 games. They're looking to make up for that one dud (on the road) by coming up with a huge effort in their first road game since then. In the other 4 games the Rockets have averaged 127 points per game. As for Memphis, they have averaged 127 points per game during their current 5-game winning streak. You can see why I would not be surprised to see this game get into the 255 range. The over is 4-2 in Houston's last 6 games. The over is 12-4 in the Grizzlies last 16 games. Look for the high-scoring trend to continue here. 10* OVER the total in Memphis |
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01-14-20 | Louisville v. Pittsburgh +6 | Top | 73-68 | Win | 100 | 13 h 38 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #604 Tuesday 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Panthers (+) vs Louisville Cardinals @ 7 ET - The Cardinals blasted the Panthers by 18 points in Louisville in early December and they rank among the top teams in the nation. That said, it looks easy to simply take the Cards here laying a rather short number on the road. Not so fast my friends. First off, the Cardinals outscored Pittsburgh by 24 points from 3 point land in the first meeting. That was the difference in the game and that type of disparity is highly unlikely to be repeated again tonight as this time the Cards are on the road. Additionally, Louisville has a huge game on deck with Duke! It is hard for the Cardinals to not be peeking ahead at the big match-up with the Blue Devils. That said, I love the home dog value here with a Panthers team that has been playing solid, competitive basketball ever since that blowout loss at Louisville on December 6th. Pitt, prior to a loss at Miami, had won 4 of 5 games and the lone loss came by a margin of only 4 points. The Cardinals are allowing 68 points per game on the road this season. The Panthers are allowing just 60 points per game at home this season. This one will be an all-out war and I don't see Louisville being able to gain much of (if any) margin in this game. Grab the points with the home dog. 10* PITTSBURGH |
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01-14-20 | Nebraska v. Ohio State OVER 140 | Top | 68-80 | Win | 100 | 13 h 32 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #601 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Ohio State Buckeyes vs Nebraska Cornhuskers @ 6:30 ET - Buckeyes games have stayed under the total in 4 straight games. Cornhuskers games have stayed under the total in 6 straight games. Yet this total is climbing higher in early trading action. Why would that happen? Sharp money! The fact is that the Buckeyes need a breakout game on offense as they are mired in a 4-game losing streak in which they have been held below 60 points in all 4 games. Tuesday Ohio State will take advantage of facing a Cornhuskers team which has allowed 78.4 points per game in match-ups played away from home this season. As for the Huskers offense, note that they have averaged 72.7 points per game this season. The Buckeyes offense will be in run and gun mode here and they are happy to be back home for this one. Ohio State has averaged 79.1 points per game in home games this season. The Buckeyes have hit 41.5% of their three pointers at home this season while Nebraska has hit a solid 34.5% of their three pointers on the road this season. We're getting some value here because Ohio State's most recent home game was a plodding affair against Wisconsin (Badgers like to play that way). Note that, prior to that, the Buckeyes had averaged 92 points per game in their 3 preceding home games. Look for plenty of points here! 10* OVER the total in Ohio State |
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01-13-20 | Portland State +7 v. Montana | Top | 70-85 | Loss | -110 | 16 h 36 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #861 Monday 10* Top Play Portland State Vikings (+) @ Montana Grizzlies @ 9 ET - The Vikings have the best player on the floor - Holland "Boo Boo" Woods - and he has been in top current form of late too! Woods just scored a career high 30 points in Portland State's win at Montana State on Saturday and that included a game winner in the final seconds. The Grizzlies are playing this game with revenge as they got swept by the Vikings last season. However, revenge and motivation can only take a team so far. The fact is that Montana lost 4 starters from last season's team. The Vikings are going to be tough to beat here and that means great value with the points. People are buying into the double revenge angle and this line has gone from an early opener of a -5 all the way up to a -7. This means additional value with a dangerous road dog that is playing with a lot of heart right now. Portland State is only 5-4 SU their last 9 games but looking at their past 10 games the Vikings have had only 1 loss in 10 games that came by a margin greater than 6 points. In fact, 2 of Portland State's last 3 losses have come by just a bucket. That means we have excellent underdog value here with the Vikings. They are 6-2 ATS as a road dog this season. Montana is 2-5 ATS this season when off a win and they are off a big win at Eastern Washington as a 5.5 point dog. Look for the Grizzlies pattern of faltering off a win to continue here. 10* PORTLAND STATE |
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01-13-20 | Bulls +9.5 v. Celtics | Top | 101-113 | Loss | -104 | 15 h 42 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #561 Monday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 7:35 ET - Bulls are off win at Detroit. While it is true that Chicago had been struggling prior to that, they did have an 18-point lead at Indiana in their prior game before faltering late in the game. That said, I feel the Bulls have been more competitive of late and they are catching the Celtics at the right time to be a dangerous underdog here. Boston is off a huge 140 to 105 win over New Orleans. That is the type of victory that can have a team feeling a little too "fat and happy" and they often have some struggles in their next game after one like that. Note that, prior to that game the Celtics had lost 3 straight games SU. Overall, Boston had lost 4 of 7 games SU prior to the win over the Pelicans. Also, 2 of those 3 wins came by a margin of 7 or less points. Per the above, you can see why I am happy to challenge the Celtics to win this game by double digits. The Bulls lost by 29 points in their lone visit here last year and did get throttled in 2 of the 3 meetings between these teams. That said, they'll be ready to go here! The Bulls stopped the bleeding with their win at Detroit Saturday and Chicago is 7-1 ATS this season when they enter a game having lost 6 or 7 of their past 8 games SU. After ending their losing streak they build some momentum with another strong effort here. Boston is 30-54 ATS long-term (and 1-3 ATS this season) when off a game in which they scored 120 points or more. 10* CHICAGO |
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01-12-20 | Clippers v. Nuggets OVER 220.5 | Top | 104-114 | Loss | -110 | 17 h 53 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #553 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Clippers @ 8:05 ET - Paul George is out for this game but of course that is factored into the side and total. Look for a higher scoring game than many are anticipating here as the Nuggets are off a home loss yesterday to Cleveland. Of course that is in an inexcusable loss and I look for Denver to respond by looking to run the Goerge-less Clippers right of the arena tonight. The Nuggets will push the pace and, prior to back to back unders (including yesterday just barely staying under) Denver had gone over the total in 6 straight games and 11 of last 13. Los Angeles. prior to their low-scoring win over Golden State Friday, had gone over the total in 3 straight games. The Clippers have allowed an average of 122 points per game in their last two visits to Denver and the Nuggets are only a 2 point favorite in this match-up. Would a 122-120 Denver win surprise me here? Not in the least! In other words I feel this total is set too low and I look for others to again step up for LA (like they did versus GS) with George being out. Plenty of points in this one. 10* OVER the total in Denver |
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01-12-20 | Hornets +8 v. Suns | Top | 92-100 | Push | 0 | 16 h 29 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #555 Saturday 10* Top Play Charlotte Hornets (+) @ Phoenix Suns @ 8:05 ET - The Hornets fit the ugly dog theory here. Sure it may seem tough to back them given their record but we're able to fade a Suns team that, in my opinion, is overvalued with this line at 8 points. Note that Phoenix is just 4-11 SU in their last 15 games and NONE of those 4 wins came by more than 8 points. In other words if you bet the Suns at today's line in each of their last 15 games you won exactly ZERO out of 15 bets. It is too much in my opinion. Keep in mind this is also a revenge game for the Hornets since the Suns beat them last month at Charlotte. That victory came by a margin of just 5 points and I expect another very close game here. I also like the fact that the Hornets are off an ugly loss at Utah while the Suns are off a home win over Orlando. Charlotte is 4-4 SU in their last 8 road games and one of those losses came by just a bucket. Also, prior to their loss to the Jazz, the Hornets were on a 2-2 SU run and one of those losses was by just 2 points to the Raptors. The road dog is motivated and ready to go here and they seek revenge plus look to make up for a poor effort at Utah. 10* CHARLOTTE |
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01-12-20 | Wright State v. Illinois-Chicago OVER 145 | Top | 72-76 | Win | 100 | 12 h 44 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #841 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Illinois-Chicago Flames vs Wright State Raiders @ 4:12 ET - The Raiders bring an 8-game winning streak to Chicago for this match-up. However, when they last visited here the Flames got the win and held Wright State to just 53 points. That game will be but a distant memory after this one goes into the books. The Raiders have averaged 84.8 points per game during this 8-game winning streak. The Flames are not a very good team on the offensive end but they will put up a decent number of points here considering they are at home and facing a team that will force them to score. Wright State will push the tempo here and, keep in mind, the Raiders have allowed an average of 72.3 points per game their past 6 games. Wright State has NOT held an opponent below 69 points in ANY of those games. The Raiders last 2 games stayed under the total but this was immediately preceded by a run of 7-1 to the over in Wright State games. That type of run will resume here. While the Raiders want to make up for their 53-point effort here last time, UIC is looking to make up for a 52-point effort in their most recent home game! The Flames had averaged nearly 70 points per game over the 9-game stretch that preceded that dismal effort. 10* OVER the total in Illinois-Chicago |
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01-12-20 | Michigan State v. Purdue +4 | Top | 42-71 | Win | 100 | 8 h 5 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #822 Sunday 10* Top Play Purdue Boilermakers (+) vs Michigan State Spartans @ Noon ET - The Boilermakers are catching the Spartans at the perfect time for an upset. Michigan State comes into this game red hot as they are 5-0 in Big Ten action this season and also on an overall 8-game winning streak. Every other Big Ten team already has at least 2 losses in Big Ten action. One of those Big Ten teams, Wisconsin, is on deck for the Spartans and that makes this a potential trap game for Michigan State. That's because Purdue is better than their recent results would lead you to believe. The Boilermakers have lost 2 straight games and 4 of their last 7 but this is still a team that is 7-1 in home games this season. The Spartans are 1-6 ATS in road games this season. The home team has won each of the last 4 meetings SU and I would not be surprised to see an outright upset here from the home dog. Also note that Michigan State has covered just once in its last six meetings with Purdue! The Boilermakers have won 17 of their past 20 January games and get back on track with a big win here. Grab the points though for added insurance should the fall just short of the outright upset. 10* PURDUE |
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01-11-20 | Bulls v. Pistons -3.5 | Top | 108-99 | Loss | -110 | 20 h 20 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #534 Saturday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (-) vs Chicago Bulls @ 7:05 ET - The Bulls are off another loss yesterday. Not only is this a back to back spot for Chicago but they have also lost 6 straight games both SU and ATS. Look for that trend to continue here for the Bulls as they face an angry Pistons team that just lost in overtime on their home floor against the Cavaliers on Thursday. Yes it is true that Detroit hasn't been winning much of late either but they had won 2 of 3 before that loss to Cleveland and certainly they have a big edge here playing at home and catching the Bulls in a tough scheduling spot. Also this is a big-time revenge spot as Chicago has won all 3 meetings so far this season. Pistons have something to say about that today and I look for them to avenge those losses in a big way! 10* DETROIT |
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01-11-20 | Southern Miss +10 v. Texas-San Antonio | Top | 70-80 | Push | 0 | 17 h 53 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #677 Saturday 10* Top Play Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (+) @ UTSA Roadrunners @ 4 ET - This one sets up perfectly in my opinion. I am very aware of the fact that Southern Miss has gotten off to a rough start this season but the Eagles have played a tougher schedule than the Runners. Also, they enter this game off B2B road losses and very hungry. As for UTSA, they are off a huge upset win as the Roadrunners knocked off Louisiana Tech as a 6.5 point dog on Thursday. The Roadrunners won that game by a double digit margin. The Bulldogs team that UTSA just beat is the same one that just blasted the Golden Eagles in back to back meetings. But, as the saying goes, that is why they play the games! In other words, don't be surprised if Southern Mississippi pulls off a shocker here. I like the fact that the Runners opened up an 8.5 and are now a double digit favorite here. The Golden Eagles won both meetings last season. As a general rule, when you go against a team that is now favored by double digits after they are off an upset win by a double digit margin is a VERY strong play. I am grabbing the big dog here and look for UTSA to come out flat in this game. Look for the Runners to struggle just to win this game let alone cover the big spread. 10* SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI |
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01-10-20 | Heat v. Nets +3.5 | Top | 113-117 | Win | 100 | 13 h 51 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #512 Friday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (+) vs Miami Heat @ 7:35 ET - I am well aware of the fact that the Nets have lost 7 straight games but there is a reason the Heat are such a small favorite here. The fact is that Miami is in a tough situational spot as they are coming off a big win at Indiana Wednesday. As for Brooklyn, they have been off since Tuesday so they hold the rest edge here. Adding to that rest edge is that the Nets were at home Tuesday while the Heat haven't played consecutive games in the same city the past two weeks and are on the road again here. The home team is a perfect 3-0 ATS the last 3 meetings between these teams. Also, Miami had lost 3 of 5 most recent road games prior to the big win over the Pacers Wednesday. The Heat are 1-5 SU this season when off an upset win as an underdog. Also, Miami is a long-term 3-11 SU when off an outright win by a double digit margin in a game in which they were an underdog. Brooklyn is 5-0 ATS this season as a home underdog and 4 of those wins have been outright wins. The Nets are also a perfect 6-0 in Friday games this season. Look for these trends to all continue here! 10* BROOKLYN |
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01-10-20 | Maryland v. Iowa +2 | Top | 49-67 | Win | 100 | 11 h 21 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #838 Friday 10* Top Play Iowa Hawkeyes (+) vs Maryland Terrapins @ 7 ET - The Hawkeyes have lost some players they would certainly rather have right now as Jordan Bohannon is out for the season and CJ Fredrick is listed as doubtful for this game. However, Iowa has adequate rest heading into this game and will be able to heavily use the players they do have available and I believe this line was set the way it was (pick'em) with good reason. Since opening up at just a pick it has moved to -2 (and as high as -2.5) on Maryland. However, the Terrapins are ranked #12 in the nation and are healthier than the Hawkeyes and yet the line opened up as a pick'em. Do you think the odds makers are crazy? Of course they are not! This game was priced this way with good reason and I like backing Iowa off back to back tight losses. Also, in terms of meetings with the Terrapins, the Hawkeyes are playing this game with revenge including a 1-point home loss versus Maryland last season. I sense and upset here. Iowa is catching the Terrapins off back to back big wins over Indiana and Ohio State. Also, Maryland has a perceived "tougher game" on deck at Wisconsin. That make this game, especially with the Terrapins off the win over the Buckeyes, a spot with "upset potential" for sure. In true road games this season (not neutral site), Maryland is 0-3 ATS. Also, the Terrapins are 2-6 ATS when off B2B Big Ten wins. When the posted total is in the 140s this season, Iowa is 7-2 SU and ATS. When off a road loss in Big Ten action, the Hawkeyes are 10-5 ATS. All these trends continue here on Friday. 10* IOWA |
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01-09-20 | Cavs +7 v. Pistons | Top | 115-112 | Win | 100 | 17 h 9 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #501 Thursday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) @ Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - The Cavaliers had a double digit lead going to the fourth quarter against the Pistons on Tuesday but ended up losing the game by a bucket. It is payback time now and I don't foresee Cleveland being denied at Detroit in this one. Yes the Pistons have the better record on the season but they certainly are a different team without Blake Griffin. Also, the Pistons are just 6-11 SU in their last 17 games and only 2 of those wins came by more than 7 points and 1 of those was by just 8 points. The point is that the likelihood of a blowout by a double digit margin here for Detroit is very slim. I like the big points with the Cavaliers as despite still enduring some losses they have been much more competitive of late. Cleveland is just 4-6 SU their last 10 games but 2 of their last 4 losses have been by a margin of 3 or less points. Upset alert here! But grab the points as added insurance. The Cavaliers are 6-3 ATS in games in which the posted total is 220 points or more this season. The Pistons are 1-7 SU and ATS after a game this season in which they scored 115 points or more. 10* CLEVELAND |
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01-09-20 | Purdue +5.5 v. Michigan | Top | 78-84 | Loss | -110 | 16 h 55 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #613 Thursday 10* Top Play Purdue Boilermakers (+) @ Michigan Wolverines @ 7 ET -Â How often does a team score just 37 points? Not very often of course! Also, how often is a team held below 40 points in a game plus ending up on the wrong end of the scoreboard by a margin of more than 25 points? Even less often of course! I love backing quality teams that are coming off a "loss for the ages" and that is case here for Purdue after they were blasted 63 to 37 at Illinois in their most recent game. Michigan is off a loss too but it is of a different variety. The Wolverines are off a crushing loss at the hands of their biggest rivals, Michigan State, and that sets this one up well. Look for the Boilermakers to come out angry and focused while the Wolverines will still be lamenting their ugly loss to the Spartans, their most hated rivals. Give me the points in a spot like this. In terms of additional situational support, I like the fact that Purdue lost by 19 points at Michigan last season and the fact that this followed the Boilermakers getting bounced from the Big Ten Tourney by the Wolverines the prior season. Double revenge spot here! The Boilers are 5-0 SU the last 5 times they have entered a game off a road loss by a double digit margin. The Wolverines are 0-3 ATS in their last 3 games with a single digit line. Michigan's only impressive victories of late have been in games in which they were favored by 20 or more points. Once again, in a game projected to be a close one, I am happy to go against the Wolverines as they drop to 0-4 ATS their L4 games with a single digit line. 10* PURDUE |
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01-08-20 | Rockets v. Hawks +8 | Top | 122-115 | Win | 100 | 17 h 39 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #574 Wednesday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (+) vs Houston Rockets @ 7:35 ET - Russell Westbrook will miss this game as he rests up for a big game against his former team, Oklahoma City, tomorrow. That sets this one up well for a potential Hawks upset. I know Atlanta is off a home loss to Denver but they entered that game having gone 2-1 SU and 3-0 ATS their 3 prior games. They have a shot here against the Rockets whom already could be thinking a bit about tomorrow's game. As for the Hawks, they are sure to be fully focused. Atlanta got thoroughly embarrassed in a 158-111 shellacking at Houston earlier this season. Teams don't forget about a beating like that and you will see a VERY focused effort from the Hawks in this one. The Rockets numbers on defense are a lot worse when on the road while Atlanta's numbers on defense are much better when at home. The fact we're getting big points here in a game in which the home dog Hawks are absolutely going to be hell-bent on revenge has me elevating this play to my highest level. Grab the generous points. 10* ATLANTA |
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01-08-20 | Duquesne v. St. Joe's OVER 147.5 | Top | 78-60 | Loss | -109 | 15 h 10 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #793 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in St Joseph's Hawks vs Duquesne Dukes @ 7 ET - The Hawks are not a good team defensively and the Dukes will take advantage. Though St Joseph's has unimpressive numbers on offense this season, they are a better team when at home. The Hawks average 73 points per game when at home this season. The issue for St Joseph's is they allow 82 points per game! Now the Hawks take on a Duquesne team which scores an average of 73 points per game. The last 3 meetings between these teams have averaged 168 points per game and the over went a perfect 3-0 in those contests. Look for the over streak to reach 4-0 with another high-scoring shootout here. The Dukes have scored at least 71 points in 7 of their last 9 games. The Hawks have allowed 80 points per game in their last 5 home games. Duquesne is favored by about 8 points for a good reason but I don't see St Joseph's going down without a fight. That said, the Hawks are going to have score plenty to "hang around" in this game and I absolutely expect them to do just that. 10* OVER the total in St Joseph's |
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01-07-20 | Thunder v. Nets OVER 217 | Top | 111-103 | Loss | -102 | 17 h 16 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #555 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Brooklyn Nets vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 7:35 ET - Both teams in a back to back spot and coming off losses yesterday. The Thunder gave up 120 points at Philadelphia but did score 113 and should get at least that here tonight. As for the Nets, they were at Orlando and struggled but I expect a bounce back tonight at home after being held to just 89 points by the Magic last night. This was an embarrassing effort for a Brooklyn team which has averaged 110 points per game this season. The Nets should get at least that tonight after last night's poor effort but the Thunder are favored here for a reason. In other words, based on simple math you can see why I am expecting this game to get well into the 220s. The over was 3-0 in the Nets last 3 games before last night's snooze-fest at Orlando. Now playing at home and facing a Thunder team that is also happy to play at a faster tempo, look for the pace of this game to be conducive to a high-scoring battle. 10* OVER the total in Brooklyn |
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01-07-20 | Pistons v. Cavs +3 | Top | 115-113 | Win | 100 | 17 h 10 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #552 Tuesday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - Tough spot for the Pistons. They just came back east from a tough road trip out West including wrapping up a game Sunday night versus the Lakers in Los Angeles. Also, Blake Griffin has been announced as out for this game and might even end up choosing season ending knee surgery. I know the Cavs come into this one as losers of 4 straight games but they also have a road trip on deck that will mean Cleveland's next home game is almost two weeks away. Look for the Cavaliers to make the most of this home game. They also have revenge on their minds here as they got blasted by 33 points by the Pistons right here in Cleveland in their most recent meeting which was just last month. Detroit enters this game having lost 9 of their last 11 so, as much as the Cavs have struggled, I still like the home dog here when you consider how tough of a spot this is for the Pistons. The team is really down and out with Griffin now on the shelf. 10* CLEVELAND |
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01-07-20 | Ohio State +2.5 v. Maryland | Top | 55-67 | Loss | -110 | 16 h 13 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #607 Tuesday 10* Top Play Ohio State Buckeyes (+) @ Maryland Terrapins @ 7 ET - The Buckeyes are off back to back losses and did struggle against Wisconsin in their first game without Kyle Young. However, I fully expect a bounce back effort as they'll be better adjusted in their 2nd game without him. Also, this is a double revenge spot for Ohio State as they lost both games against Maryland last season. The Terrapins are off B2B wins and the Buckeyes are off B2B losses. That sets this one up perfectly. Note that prior to covering their most recent win, the Terps had failed to cover 4 straight games. Ohio State lost both games against Maryland last season by a double digit margin. They haven't forgotten that and the Buckeyes are very hungry here off back to back losses. They catch the Terrapins at the right time for the upset since Maryland is off a big win over Indiana in Big Ten action. The Buckeyes are 1-2 in Big Ten action and the Terrapins 2-1. Time to do something about that here! Both teams are strong defensively but the Buckeyes have been the better shooting team this season and I expect a huge game from them here which means we have strong value with the road dog. 10* OHIO STATE |
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01-06-20 | West Virginia v. Oklahoma State +1.5 | Top | 55-41 | Loss | -105 | 19 h 59 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #864 Monday 10* Top Play Oklahoma State Cowboys (+) vs West Virginia Mountaineers @ 9 ET - Both teams off losses but, while the Mountaineers are off a tight hard-fought loss to Kansas, the Cowboys are off an absolutely embarrassing beating at Texas Tech. As a result I look for Oklahoma State to be the hungrier team and they will respond very well at home in this match-up. Yes, West Virginia is the ranked team but they are laying a small number in this game in what absolutely looks like a "trap spot" for the Mountaineers. Also, note that West Virginia is actually on a 5-14 SU run in January games. Additionally, the Mountaineers are 0-5 SU when they are off a game in which they were held to 55 points or less! That is the opposite of what you might expect but of course the numbers do not lie. The Cowboys are 8-3 ATS (and SU) when off a loss by a margin of 15 points or more. Big response from the home team here so don't be fooled by the fact that the ranked team is hardly favored here. 10* OKLAHOMA STATE |
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01-06-20 | Thunder v. 76ers -6.5 | Top | 113-120 | Win | 100 | 17 h 41 m | Show |
NBA TV Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #540 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 7:05 ET - No team in the NBA seems to need a home game as bad as the Sixers right now and I expect them to make the most of it. Philadelphia enters this game off of 4 straight losses - all on the road - and this included 2 by a single point. Keep in mind, the 76ers are now back home where they are 16-2 SU this season. I look for the hungry Sixers to bounce right back with a big win on their home floor and cover the number along the way in this one. Give the Thunder credit for sure as they have won 5 straight games but 4 of the victories were tight ones by slim margins and they are facing a truly tough road test in this one. Note that Oklahoma City's last 4 losses have come by an average margin of 9.5 points and only 1 of the 4 defeats came by a margin less than 7 points. The Sixers are hungry for revenge here as they lost at Oklahoma City in November despite outrebounding the Thunder by double digits and despite also attempting 14 more shots from the field than OKC did. It was simply "one of those nights" and now it is payback time for the 76ers. Lay the very fair number here with Philly and look for a home blowout in this one as the Thunder finally tire out. Oklahoma City is in the midst of a stretch that has them playing 6 of 7 games on the road and they are at Brooklyn tomorrow night for their 4th road game in 6 nights. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-06-20 | Nets v. Magic OVER 210 | Top | 89-101 | Loss | -110 | 16 h 47 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #533 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Orlando Magic vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:05 ET - This total's first move saw it drop a couple points from its opener and I feel too much weight is being given to Orlando by the betting markets. The fact is that, although the Magic tend to play lower-scoring grinder type games, the Nets "average" game this season totals 222.5 points this season. Also, Brooklyn enters this game having gone over the total in 3 straight games and 5 of their last 7. The Nets last 3 games have seen the totals average 221 points per contest (adjusted for OT in the Wolves game). Brooklyn has allowed 121 points or more in each of its past 2 games. Orlando is off B2B unders but that had a lot to do with facing Miami and Utah. Both these teams are better defensively than the Nets. I look for this game to be played with a better tempo and Brooklyn - losers of 5 straight - will be working hard to push the pace in this one. The over is 4-1 in Nets last 5 January games. 3 of the last 4 games between these teams totaled 215 or more and this one, given all of the above, should too. 10* OVER the total in Orlando |
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01-05-20 | Blazers v. Heat -5.5 | Top | 111-122 | Win | 100 | 15 h 24 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #526 Sunday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (-) vs Portland Trail Blazers @ 6:05 ET - The Heat are 16-1 SU at home this season. They are coming off an ugly road loss by 20 points at Orlando. The Blazers are 7-12 SU on the road this season. They are coming off a big win at Washington Friday. Portland also covered that game but they previously were on an 0-5 SU and ATS run. Miami won both match-ups with the Trail Blazers last season and each win came by at least 9 points. I am happy to lay the short number here (early line of -5.5) because each of the Blazers last 9 games have been decided by 6 or more points. As for the Heat, they have had some tighter games of late but when off a loss by a margin of 9 or more points, they have won their next game by 8 or more points in each of the last 6 instances. Look for that record to improve to 7-0 here and, of course, a win by 8 or more points means we're cashing our ticket in this one. Miami is a perfect 9-0 SU this season when off a loss. Given that and give their 16-1 SU home record, you can see why I am happy to lay a small number and back the Heat in this one as they respond again off a loss with a big home win. 10* MIAMI |
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01-05-20 | St. John's +8 v. Xavier | Top | 67-75 | Push | 0 | 13 h 2 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #835 Sunday 10* Top Play St John's Red Storm (+) @ Xavier Musketeers @ 4:30 ET - The Red Storm have upgraded Mustapha Heron to probable for this game. They are 9-2 in games he has played this season and one of the two losses came by just two points. The senior guard will pay big dividends against Xavier in this match-up. St John's is a scrappy, hard-nosed team that plays solid defense. They are exactly the type of scrappy underdog I like to have in a spot like this catching significant points and with the X-factor (Heron coming back) being included in the situation. The Red Storm won't back down in this game and they catch Xavier off a hard-fought loss to Villanova. The Musketeers may have trouble responding off that loss and this is a team that has been under-performing ATS as they have failed to cover 6 of their past 9 games. The Red Storm have been the much better team ATS this season and the fact that Xavier has won 9 straight meetings between these teams has led to even more line value here as the Musketeers are priced higher than they should be. The underdog goes all out here and gets a boost from Heron and they are in this game all the way to the very end in a game likely decided by just a possession or two when all is said and done. 10* ST JOHN'S |
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01-04-20 | Thunder v. Cavs +6.5 | Top | 121-106 | Loss | -108 | 14 h 29 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #508 Saturday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 7:35 ET - I like fading the Thunder off a big win at San Antonio Thursday. The Cavaliers have a bad record of course but they have actually been much more competitive of late. Cleveland is coming off a tight 3-point home loss to Charlotte on Thursday. I am aware of the Larry Nance injury but the Cavs still offer tremendous home dog value in this spot. Like I said, Cleveland has been more competitive of late and they are 3-3 SU in their last 6 home games with NONE of those 3 losses coming by more than 6 points! Overall the Cavs had won 3 straight home games prior to the loss to the Hornets Thursday. Also, though the Thunder have been winning games they have not been winning by big margins. Oklahoma City is 8-3 SU in their last 11 games. However, 7 of the 8 wins came by 6 or less points. That means if you had laid the current number (6.5) on this game in each of the past 11 games for the Thunder you would have won just ONCE in their past 11 games. Look for another close win for OKC here (ATS win here for Cleveland) or perhaps even another SU home win for Cavaliers as I would not be surprised to see them get the outright upset in this game. 10* CLEVELAND |
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01-04-20 | Villanova v. Marquette | Top | 60-71 | Win | 100 | 9 h 30 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #650 Saturday 10* Top Play Marquette Golden Eagles (-) vs Villanova Wildcats @ 2 ET - Here is a classic case of contrarian viewpoint which is a big part of my handicapping style. Here you have a ranked team that only has 1 loss on the season and so they look like an easy pick over a unranked team that has 3 losses on the season. Yes, Marquette is at home but they have 3 losses - all by 17 points or more - and Villanova has just one loss this season and it came by a single digit margin. These are the types of games that tend to persuade the majority of bettors to one side and that is most often when I am on the other side. Give me the Golden Eagles at home as they bounce back off an ugly loss at Creighton and they catch the Wildcats off a hard-fought win over Xavier. When Marquette is at home and off an ATS loss they have won SU all 3 times this season. Also, the Wildcats are off B2B hard-fought wins (SU and ATS to the closing numbers) but they had previously lost 6 in a row ATS. Value here on the home team to simply win the game! 10* MARQUETTE |
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01-03-20 | Temple v. Tulsa +3.5 | Top | 44-70 | Win | 100 | 19 h 20 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #874 Friday 10* Top Play Tulsa Golden Hurricane (+) vs Temple Owls @ 9 ET - Not only is Tulsa 3-1 ATS in the last 4 meetings between these teams, one of Temple's SU wins in those 4 meetings came by just a single point. I love the value here with the Golden Hurricane getting nearly 2 buckets at home after this line opened up at a -2. I understand the move as the Owls are off to a great start this season and I have actually backed them multiple times. However, this is the perfect spot to fade them as they are now over-valued. Temple barely snuck by Central Florida for a win on New Year's Eve. Now they are trying to win back to back road games even though they are on shorter rest than Tulsa. Also, note that the Golden Hurricane are extra hungry after a 2-point loss as an 8-point dog in their most recent game. Tulsa is a perfect 4-0 SU and ATS in recent home meetings with Temple. The Owls drop to 0-3 ATS the last 3 times they have been off a loss in which they allowed 61 points or less. The Golden Hurricane improve to 4-1 ATS the last 5 times they have played in a game with a line in the single digits (dog or fave). Look for Tulsa to again thrive as an underdog and also to continue their home dominance of Temple. The Owls have been great on defense this season but the Golden Hurricane also have played well on that end of the floor and plus are shooting 47.6% from the field in home games while Temple is shooting just 38.8% from the field in road games. 10* TULSA |
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01-03-20 | 76ers +4.5 v. Rockets | Top | 108-118 | Loss | -105 | 18 h 56 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #569 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Houston Rockets @ 8:05 ET - This is the perfect spot to back the Sixers. They are off 3 straight losses. The first two defeats came by just a single point. The third one was an ugly one as Joel Embiid sat out with a sore knee and Philadelphia got blasted at Indiana. Embiid is expected back tonight and is no longer even listed on the injury report. The 76ers are catching the Rockets off a huge home win over Denver. Prior to that big victory for Houston, they had failed to cover 4 of their past 5 home games. The 76ers, despite the recent losses, have covered 4 of their past 5 games and had won 3 in a row straight up prior to the recent defeats. The Sixers have covered 4 of their last 5 games against Houston. The Rockets are 1-6 ATS last 7 January games and each of these teams is playing their first game of the new year. For Philly, this is their final game of a 4-game road trip and, after losing their first three, they are hell bent on getting the win here. Even if they do fall short of the SU win I would expect this one will go down to the wire in a very competitive game. I am expecting the outright upset but grabbing the points as added insurance here should the 76ers fall just short in their upset bid. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-02-20 | Raptors v. Heat -5.5 | Top | 76-84 | Win | 100 | 20 h 12 m | Show |
NBA TV Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #550 Thursday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (-) vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:35 ET - The Heat are a fantastic 15-1 SU at home this season. Miami enters this game off a SU loss at Washington. The Heat have been great when coming off a loss. The last 5 times the Heat are off a SU loss they have gone 4-1 ATS and a perfect 5-0 SU. I look for them to once again respond off a defeat and get the win here. Considering the current line on this game is only 5.5 the odds favor a SU win also equating to an ATS cover. The Raptors are off a big win but it came against a horrible Cleveland team. Prior to that Toronto had lost 3 of 4. Also, the Raptors continue to be without Siakam and also are now without Powell and Gasol too. The healthier team at home and in a strong situation is the play here. 10* MIAMI |
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01-02-20 | Minnesota +7.5 v. Purdue | Top | 78-83 | Win | 100 | 19 h 12 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #617 Thursday 10* Top Play Minnesota Golden Gophers (+) @ Purdue Boilermakers @ 7 ET - The Golden Gophers should have guard Payton Willis back for this game. Whether he plays or not though, I love the big dog value being offered with Minnesota in this one. The Golden Gophers have won each of the last two meetings with Purdue. I know that makes this a revenge game for the Boilermakers but Minnesota is playing very well right now and will be tough to beat in this game. That said, I like the big points being offered. Keep in mind, the Golden Gophers have won 3 straight games and they won all 3 by a double digit margin even though they were an underdog in 2 of the 3 contests! The Boilermakers are just 4-3 SU in their last 7 games and one of those 3 losses was as a double digit favorite. Minnesota has been the better shooting team this season. Purdue has the better defensive numbers on the season but the edge there is not huge. Plus the Boilermakers have allowed 70 points in 2 of their last 3 games. The Gophers have allowed 66 points or less in 5 of their past 8 games. 10* MINNESOTA |
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01-01-20 | South Florida v. SMU -6.5 | Top | 64-82 | Win | 100 | 5 h 27 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #828 Wednesday 10* Top Play SMU Mustangs (-) vs South Florida Bulls @ 5 ET - The Bulls leading scorer is David Collins and he missed their most recent game. Though I do expect the junior guard to be back for this game, he will not be 100% as his ankle has been bothering him. The Mustangs are the better shooting team and the better team defensively and they are at home here. Though Southern Methodist won the most recent match-up between these teams they did lose their most recent home game versus South Florida by a single point last season. They haven't forgotten that and are seeking revenge here. I like the fact that the Mustangs have been so strong defensively and the only reason that their recent win against Georgia State was as close (9 points) as it was related to the fact that the Panthers kept hitting late threes. Overall SMU does a very good job defending the 3. By the way, Southern Methodist hitting close to 80% from the free throw line while USF is hitting just 60% from the free throw line. Look for the Mustangs to pull away as this one goes on. 10* SMU |
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12-31-19 | 76ers -1 v. Pacers | Top | 97-115 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 16 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #525 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Indiana Pacers @ 3:05 ET - The 76ers are off back to back heartbreaking 1 point losses. They have had two days off to stew about those defeats. They can't wait to get back on the floor and take care of business. Since this game is a road game against a respectable Pacers team we're getting line value in a situation that is a great spot to back the Sixers. Keep in mind, Philadelphia has won 3 straight games over Indiana by an average margin of 14.7 points per game and the 76ers are very hungry here. The Pacers are on a 1-3 SU and ATS run and have allowed 116 points per game during this stretch. The Sixers have been playing the better defense of these two teams and they won't be denied in this road contest as the 76ers knock off Indiana for the 4th straight time. Keep in mind the Pacers Macolm Brogdon is dealing with a hamstring injury and, of course, the Pacers still without Victor Oladipo too. That has been the case for months but they are simply not the same team without him. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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12-31-19 | Temple -2 v. UCF | Top | 62-58 | Win | 100 | 6 h 44 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #793 Tuesday 10* Top Play Temple Owls (-) @ UCF Knights @ 2 ET - After a long layoff, first game in 10 days for each team, the importance of defense is even greater as both teams are likely to struggle to find their shooting rhythm early on. That said, I look for the Owls to prevail in this one. They have lost recent visits to UCF as this series continues to be dominated by the host. However, this looks like the ideal spot for Temple to break that streak. The Owls have responded very well under new head coach Aaron McKie. Additionally, Temple is the much better defense in this match-up. They are allowing just 62 points per game on 36% shooting and only 28% from beyond the arc. The Knights are actually allowing 68 points per game in home games this season. Also, Central Florida has allowed 42% shooting including 32% from 3-point land in home games this season. Those are still solid numbers but the Owls hold the edge as you can see and they have really bought into McKie's system following the retirement of long time head coach Fran Dunphy. Crazy stats have cost the Owls in their last two visits to UCF. Last season saw the Knights hit a ridiculous 60% from the field and the prior season's match-up at Central Florida saw the Owls shoot only 32% from the field. It is no wonder that Temple lost both those games and they make up for it in this visit as the Knights are still trying to get over a 1-point loss at Oklahoma prior to their Christmas break. 10* TEMPLE |
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12-30-19 | Xavier +5.5 v. Villanova | Top | 62-68 | Loss | -101 | 14 h 6 m | Show |
TV Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #725 Monday 10* Top Play Xavier Musketeers (+) @ Villanova Wildcats @ 6:30 ET - Revenge game for Xavier. I am well aware of the fact that Villanova has had their number in recent meetings and that this is particularly true when the Wildcats have the home court edge. However, the Musketeers have just two losses this season and each were by 5 or less points and Villanova is truly not quite as strong this season as they have been in other recent seasons. Remember the Wildcats have already been blasted by Ohio State this seasons and they lost by 9 points to Baylor. I project Villanova to have their hands full here with a Xavier team seeking revenge for a mid-March loss to the Wildcats. The Musketeers covered that game as they lost by just 4 as a 7 point dog. I look for the outright upset here but if Xavier does again fall just short look for it to be by just a bucket. Grab the points. The Musketeers catch the Wildcats off their big win over Kansas prior to Christmas. Prior to that victory Villanova had lost 6 straight games ATS. The ATS losing pattern resumes here for the Cats. 10* XAVIER |
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12-29-19 | Thunder +4 v. Raptors | Top | 98-97 | Win | 100 | 9 h 44 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #501 Sunday 10* Top Play Oklahoma City Thunder (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 6:05 ET - The Thunder have a huge scheduling edge here. Oklahoma City was off yesterday while the Raptors were at Boston. Big upset win for Toronto yesterday as they beat the Celtics by double digits even though they were a sizable underdog. That said, this is the perfect spot to fade the Raptors. The Thunder are playing with confidence as they won again Friday. What was most impressive about that win from my standpoint is that OKC won the game despite making just 5 of 31 from 3-point land. That is an impressive feat. That was the 5th win for Oklahoma City in their past 8 games. Also, the Thunder have won 5 of their past 8 road games. Don't be surprised if they step up again here for a road win. The road team won both games between these teams last season and the Thunder have won consecutive visits to Toronto. The Raptors are off back to back big games with the Celtics and the win at Boston yesterday will leave Toronto very flat for this game. Grab the points! The Thunder are 8-4 ATS as a road dog this season. The Raptors are 1-2 ATS the last 3 times they've played the 2nd game of a back to back and the lone win was a SU loss! Upset alert! 10* OKLAHOMA CITY |
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12-29-19 | Arkansas +5.5 v. Indiana | Top | 71-64 | Win | 100 | 8 h 6 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #679 Sunday 10* Top Play Arkansas Razorbacks (+) @ Indiana Hoosiers @ 6 ET - The Razorbacks are playing this game with revenge from a March Madness loss to the Hoosiers. These teams met in the regular season last year too. Both games were decided by 3 or less points and the average margin of the 2 games was just 2 points. I like the value here with this line now spiking up to 5.5 points. The Razorbacks not have revenge here, their defense has been fantastic this season. Arkansas is allowing just 59.5 points per game and only 21.8% from three point land! I am going to grab the points here with the revenge-minded Razorbacks as their strong defense leads the way to victory here. I am expecting the SU outright upset but if Arkansas does fall short look for it again be a game decided by 3 or less points. The Razorbacks are a long-term 11-2 ATS when playing with 7 or more days of rest between games. Hoosiers are off a tight win over Notre Dame as a small favorite in their most recent game. Indiana is a long-term 9-18 ATS in games against SEC opponents. 10* ARKANSAS |
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12-28-19 | 76ers +1 v. Heat | Top | 116-117 | Push | 0 | 12 h 56 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #563 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Miami Heat @ 8:05 ET - Perfect set-up here. The 76ers are off a 1-point loss yesterday. The Heat are off a 1-point win yesterday. Philadelphia has revenge as the Heat handed the 76ers their first home loss of the season 10 days ago in Philly. It is payback time here. The Sixers had beaten Miami SU in 6 of their last 7 meetings that preceded the home loss a week and a half ago. The 76ers, prior to a blowout loss in their last visit to Miami, had gone 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games in South Florida. The Heat are 2-4 ATS the last 6 times they have been off a win by a margin of 11 or less points. The Sixers respond off yesterday's loss and get revenge. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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12-28-19 | Louisville +2 v. Kentucky | Top | 70-78 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 2 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #629 Saturday 10* Top Play Louisville Cardinals (+) @ Kentucky Wildcats @ 3:45 ET - The Wildcats are at home and have dominated this series in recent seasons. Kentucky has won the last two games by an average margin of 21 points per game. Yet the line on this one, even though it is being played in Lexington, was a pick'em. As expected, everyone piling on UK here and the line is up to a -2. In typical contrarian fashion, I am on the other side of the move. The Cardinals are the better team so far this season and I expect that to play out as such on Saturday afternoon. Kentucky is off back to back losses while the Cards have just one loss this entire season. Louisville has been the better team on defense this season and they also have been the better shooting team including much better from three point land. The Cardinals have been hot ATS and they are 9-3 ATS the last dozen time they have entered a game having covered 4 of their last 5 games. That is the situation here and I expect another ATS cover to come via an outright upset in this game. Look for the Cards to knock off a Wildcats team which has a history of poor ATS performances in a situation like this. Kentucky drops to a long-term 4-8 ATS when entering a game off B2B close losses (by a margin of 6 or less points). 10* LOUISVILLE |
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12-27-19 | 76ers -2.5 v. Magic | Top | 97-98 | Loss | -109 | 11 h 53 m | Show |
NBA TV Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #547 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - At first glance this looks like a great spot to fade the Sixers. After all, the 76ers are off a huge win over the NBA-best Bucks on Christmas Day plus Philly has a revenge game on deck at Miami tomorrow night. However, upon closer inspection, there is really no way in the world you can pass up on this chance to take Philadelphia laying a small number at Orlando. Why? I say that because the 76ers also have revenge against the Magic. Yes, the Sixers lost at Orlando earlier this season and guess what ladies and gentlemen...that is the ONE AND ONLY time this season that the Magic have beaten a decent team. All their other wins this season came against teams that not only have a losing record on the season as of now...they are all teams that are well below .500 on the season! We're getting a short number with the 76ers here because of the Bucks - Heat sandwich that they are in. I won't hesitate to take advantage because the Magic have shown a consistent inability to beat good teams with one exception this season. The fact that the lone exception - in a season that is already 30 games in - came against the Sixers is what sweetens this spot even more. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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12-26-19 | Knicks +7.5 v. Nets | Top | 94-82 | Win | 100 | 12 h 2 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #537 Thursday 10* Top Play New York Knicks (+) @ Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - The Nets are off a win and are the better team but look for the layoff to hurt them here. While the Knicks were in action on Monday, Brooklyn has not played since Saturday. Rest is a good thing generally but not when it is too much. Look for New York to be rested but look for the Nets to be rusty. That makes a difference here. There is a bit of a rivalry here between these two teams and I love having a sizable dog in a spot like this. Keep in mind each of the first two meetings between these teams this season have been decided by 4 or less points. Brooklyn has won 4 straight meetings SU and the Knicks are hell-bent on getting revenge here. While the Nets are off a win, New York has lost 3 straight SU and ATS but they faced some tough match-ups and plus this was preceded by a 4-0 ATS run for the Knicks. I look for them to come up with a huge game in this spot after falling just short against the Wizards. Keep in mind New York's two prior games were against tough teams - the Bucks and Heat. 10* NEW YORK |
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12-26-19 | Wizards v. Pistons OVER 229.5 | Top | 102-132 | Win | 100 | 11 h 9 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #533 Thursday OVER the total in Detroit Pistons vs Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - The Pistons are mired in a 5-game losing streak both SU and ATS. During this 5 game stretch Detroit has allowed an average of 120.6 points per game. The Wizards have allowed 121.7 points per game on the season! That is why this total opened up at 233.5 (which still wasn't high enough in my opinion). Now with the total dropping to as low as 229.5 points early this morning, I won't hesitate to step in on the over in this one. The last two meetings between these teams in Detroit have both gone over the total and have averaged 242.5 points per game! Overall, the Wizards enter this game with the over having gone 5-1 in their last 6 games. The Pistons enter this home game with the over having gone 7-2 in their last 9 games as a host. With both teams in action on Monday, that means they come into this game rested but NOT rusty as they have had just 2 days off between games. Both teams will be ready to go here and I again expect a ton of points in this match-up. The over is an incredible 16-6 this season when the Wizards are an underdog. The over is 5-1 this season when the Pistons are at home and the posted total on their game is 220 or more. More of the same expected here. 10* OVER the total in Detroit |
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12-25-19 | Georgia Tech v. Hawaii +1.5 | Top | 70-53 | Loss | -103 | 26 h 59 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #826 Wednesday 10* Top Play Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (+) vs Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ 6:30 ET - The Yellow Jackets could have some trouble with motivation here and I love fading the line move in this one as the Rainbow Warriors have gone from being the favorite to being the dog in this one. Keep in mind Georgia Tech came here to win this tourney not to be playing for 3rd place. As for Hawaii, this is nothing new. They have NEVER played in the Championship Game of this tournament which has been going for a bout a decade now. But Hawaii has won 3rd place twice in recent seasons (2014 and 2015). In other words, they are at home and playing for pride on their home floor and have proven in the past that they can get up for a game like this. I also love the fact that the Warriors shot horrifically bad in their their loss to a ranked Washington team on Monday. That is why Hawaii lost the game by 11 points despite having 22 more shots from the field than the Huskies had! Sometimes crazy things happen in these games and the key to capitalizing is to catch the "rebound effect". In this case look for the Warriors to "bounce back" after that unusually bad shooting night on their home floor. I know that Georgia Tech has played the tougher schedule this season but the situational edges for Hawaii are the key to the value in this one. I don't see the Warriors being denied. They had won 7 of 9 before the loss to Washington. The Jackets have lost 4 of their past 5 games and all 4 defeats have come by a double digit margin. Motivated home team is the play here and they earn 3rd place for the 3rd time in the past 6 Christmas tournaments. 10* HAWAII |
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12-25-19 | Bucks v. 76ers +3.5 | Top | 109-121 | Win | 100 | 21 h 47 m | Show |
TV Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #526 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) vs Bucks @ 2:35 ET - The Bucks look like an easy choice here and, sure enough, after opening up at a -2 Milwaukee's line got driven higher. However, it was priced this way for a reason and I am grabbing the home dog. The Sixers had avoided a home loss all season before recent back to back losses. However, they have bounced back overall with back to back wins, one at home and one on the road and Philly is ready to go here in this "barometer test" game. The Sixers are anxious to see how they stack up with the NBA best Bucks and I am expecting a huge effort from Philadelphia at home in this one. Milwaukee is off a big win over the Pacers and they are 1-3 ATS this season when off a home win over a divisional foe. The Bucks are 1-3 ATS as a road favorite of 6 or less points. The 76ers are 4-2 ATS this season as an underdog. Philly is on a long-term 6-2 ATS run as a home dog. The Sixers lost to the Bucks in their most recent meeting and are hungry for revenge in this one. Milwaukee has allowed 111.2 points per game in its last 5 road games. The 76ers have allowed just 101 points per game at home this season. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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12-25-19 | Celtics v. Raptors OVER 212.5 | Top | 118-102 | Win | 100 | 19 h 1 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #523 Wednesday 10* OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Boston Celtics @ 12:05 ET - The Celtics most recent road game stayed under the total by the slimmest of margins! Prior to that the over was a perfect 3-0 in Boston's 3 previous road games. The Raptors enter this game on a perfect 3-0 streak to the over. Toronto is 8-4 to the over in their past dozen home games. The Raptors last half dozen games have averaged 117 points per game. The Celtics last eleven games have averaged 112.6 points per game. I know in an Atlantic Division battle we should see a little more defense but you can see why I going with the over here based on the above. Also, the over is 4-1 this season when the Celtics are off a blowout win by a margin of 20 or more points. The over is 5-0 this season when Toronto is revenging a loss in which they allowed 110 or more points. With the Raptors having lost at Boston in October it is payback time here and I am looking for plenty of points. They score well at home (11-5 to the over this season) but won't be able to stop the Celtics. 10* OVER the total in Toronto |
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12-23-19 | Raptors v. Pacers -5.5 | Top | 115-120 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 20 m | Show |
NBA TV Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #504 Monday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers (-) vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:05 ET - Perfect set up here. The Raptors are off a win that saw them rally from 30 points down with just 3 minutes left in the 3rd quarter! That huge comeback win at home last night was their largest comeback win in franchise history. It was also the biggest comeback win in the NBA this decade! Off a huge win like that on their home floor and now going on the road in a back to back spot (and already being a bit short-handed in terms of players) this is a horrible spot for Toronto. Making the situation even tougher is that they're taking on an angry Pacers team. Indiana got blown out in the 2nd half at Milwaukee yesterday. Now they come back home ready to respond off that ugly loss. Keep in mind, the Pacers had won 5 straight and 8 of their last 13 prior to yesterday's loss to the Bucks. Also, Indiana has won 8 of its past 9 home games. The Raptors won and covered their most recent road game but Toronto had entered that one a 1-4 ATS run in road games. The series between the Raptors and Pacers has been dominated by the home team and I love the situational edge here for the host in this one. 10* INDIANA |
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12-23-19 | Georgia State v. SMU -8 | Top | 76-85 | Win | 100 | 10 h 32 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #808 Monday 10* Top Play SMU Mustangs (-) vs Georgia State Panthers @ 7 ET - The Mustangs are off a double OT loss at Georgia but they dominated the rebounds, had less turnovers, and had more field goal attempts than the Bulldogs. This SMU team is a high-quality team but off back to back losses. They have had two days to recuperate since the loss at Georgia and this is their final game until the new year. The Mustangs want to make the most of this and certainly don't want to wrap up 2019 on a 3-game losing streak. SMU has a very strong frontcourt while that is the weak area for the Georgia State team they are facing. I look for the hungry Mustangs to be very aggressive here and I look for them to dominate the glass. The Panthers are a little over-rated right now because they are off to a hot start but they are on short rest here as they hosted Texas State on Saturday. While the Mustangs are playing just their 2nd game in a span of 16 days, Georgia State is playing its 3rd game in 5 days. Big situational edge for Southern Methodist University and I look for them to dominate and win this home game by at least a dozen points. The Panthers are a good team but they are still a middle of the pack SunBelt Conference team and the Mustangs are very hungry and at home in this one. Georgia State drops to 1-4 ATS when off a game against a conference foe in which they scored 80 or more points. The Mustangs improve to 5-0 ATS when off a game in which they allowed 85 or more points. 10* SMU |
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12-22-19 | Pacers +8 v. Bucks | Top | 89-117 | Loss | -115 | 10 h 57 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #581 Sunday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:05 ET - The Bucks, it goes without saying, have been the best team in the NBA this season. But this is a tough spot for Milwaukee and I happy to grab the rested, revenge-minded divisional dog in this one. The Bucks are in a back to back spot plus travel is involved as they were at New York last night. Additionally, that big win over the Knicks was preceded by a big showdown victory over LeBron James and the Lakers. Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo has been bothered with some back discomfort and this is a back to back spot so the Bucks may be careful with him. Either way I like the rested Pacers whom also got embarrassed by Milwaukee earlier this season. Yes Indiana held the Bucks to only 102 points in the game but they themselves scored only 83 points in that one. This was despite 100 shots from the field as the Pacers had one of their worst shooting nights of the season and hit only 32% from the field. Indiana will make up for that here and will prove to be the much hungrier team. The Pacers have a great shot at the outright upset and, should they fall short, look for it to be by only a bucket or two at the most. 10* INDIANA |
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12-22-19 | Xavier +3 v. TCU | Top | 67-59 | Win | 100 | 8 h 35 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #787 Sunday 10* Top Play Xavier Musketeers (+) @ TCU Horned Frogs @ 5 ET - The Musketeers are the stronger team and are expected to have leading scorer Naji Marshall back for this one after he missed their previous game. The Horned Frogs are a little over-rated right now as they have played a much weaker schedule in comparison with Xavier. I had the Musketeers as a Top 25 team entering this season. As for TCU, they came into this season projected to be at the bottom of the Big 12 standings this season. The Horned Frogs are off to a strong start this season but it is because of their schedule. The only two times TCU has had a single-digit line this season they lost both games outright! Every other game this season Texas Christian has been favored by a dozen or more. The Musketeers, on the other hand, have played 5 games with a single digit line this season and have won 3 of them. The other two games were the only 2 losses that Xavier has this season and each defeat came by 5 or less points. As a road dog of 6 or less points the Musketeers are on a 9-3 ATS run including a perfect 3-0 ATS run the last 3 time they have been a road dog of 3 or less points. TCU faced Lamar over a week ago so they could be a bit rusty. Lamar is not a good team so it is not a big surprised that the Horned Frogs held them to just 50 points. Note that Texas Christian is a long-term 20-40 ATS including a long-term 0-3 ATS in recent seasons when they are off a game in which they allowed 55 points or less. 10* XAVIER |
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12-21-19 | Kentucky v. Ohio State OVER 131.5 | Top | 65-71 | Win | 100 | 12 h 39 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #737 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Ohio State Buckeyes vs Kentucky Wildcats @ 5:15 ET in Las Vegas - I understand the respect for these two defenses as it is certainly deserved. However, in my opinion, not enough respect is being given to how potent these two teams are on the offensive end and I am taking advantage of the low total posted here. The Wildcats have not shot threes well this season but they've certainly done just fine inside the arc on the year. The Buckeyes have shot the ball very well from all over the floor including inside the arc. Both teams have trended under this season but Kentucky is averaging 75.4 points per game game and Ohio State is average 80 points per game. Now I am not expecting those types of point totals here but I am expecting each team to get close to 70 in this one and that would make this ticket a winner! Kentucky has scored 66 points or more in 9 of 10 games this season. Ohio State scored "only" 64 points in their opener but they have since scored 71 points or more in 10 straight games. The last two times the Buckeyes have been a single digit favorite the game has gone over the total. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Ohio State (game played in Las Vegas) |
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12-20-19 | Grizzlies v. Cavs OVER 223 | Top | 107-114 | Loss | -104 | 10 h 13 m | Show |
East-West Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #541 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Memphis Grizzlies @ 7:05 ET - After opening up at a 224 we're going to see some downward movement on this total. The betting markets are wondering how the odds makers can "screw up" and set this total so high. But I will tell you why we have a big total here. Both the Grizz and the Cavs are having rough seasons but are playing with more confidence of late. Both teams are willing to push the tempo here and neither team is known for their defense. Look for a shootout in this one. The over is a perfect 4-0 in the Grizzlies last 4 games. Memphis is scoring an average of 117 points per game past 7 games. The Grizz have allowed 116 points per game their past 7 games. Memphis is off a loss but had won 4 of 5 prior to that defeat. The Cavaliers are off their 2nd win in 4 games and feeling a little more confident as a result. Though that victory stayed under the total it ended a 3-0 streak to the over for Cleveland. The Cavs have had one recent OT game (at San Antonio) but even subtracting out the OT points, the stats are impressive if you're looking for an over tonight! Cleveland has allowed an average of 118 points per game, not including OT points, in its past 7 games. The Cavaliers had averaged 108.5 points per game in their 4 games prior to the low-scoring win over Charlotte Wednesday. That game died late in terms of scoring. But this one won't...not with high-scoring Memphis in town. Non-conference battles have a tendency to be played with a little less defensive intensity and neither one of these teams likes to "D up" much anyway! 10* OVER the total in Cleveland |
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12-20-19 | SMU +5 v. Georgia | Top | 85-87 | Win | 100 | 9 h 20 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #843 Friday 10* Top Play SMU Mustangs (+) @ Georgia Bulldogs @ 7 ET - The Mustangs were 8-0 SU on the season and allowing an average of only 59.6 points per game on the season. They then faced Georgetown in a game in which the Hoyas were hitting everything in sight. It simply did not matter what SMU did, Georgetown was on fire in that game including hitting 14 of 27 three pointers. These types of games happen from time to time. But the point is that Southern Methodist is a great defensive team and they are in bounce back mode here and I am happy to take the points and go against Georgia in this one. The Bulldogs are also off an ugly loss. However, Georgia is a much different team from the Mustangs. The Bulldogs don't focus much on the defensive end. In fact, Georgia has had just two games this season in which they've allowed less than 72 points in game. In their other 7 games they have allowed an average of 80.7 points per game. SMU is allowing just 38.6% from the field this season while the Bulldogs are allowing 45.4% from the field. Also, the Mustangs are the much better team in terms of defending the arc. SMU also shoots the 3-ball better and is much better at the free thrown line (79%) than the Bulldogs (67%). I am going with the defensive-minded road dog in this one. Also, they have only had leading scorer and leading assist man Kendric Davis for the past 5 games. The Bulldogs have been without Amanze Ngumezi for the past two games due to suspension. He is not a star for Georgia but he is a key rotation player. Mustangs getting stronger, Bulldogs getting weaker. Give me the hungry dog. 10* SMU |
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12-19-19 | Jazz v. Hawks +6.5 | Top | 111-106 | Win | 100 | 13 h 32 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #532 Thursday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (+) vs Utah Jazz @ 7:35 ET - This is the perfect spot to back an ugly home dog. The Hawks are not a very good team of course but, after allowing 143 points on the road at New York, professional pride kicks in as they are back on their home floor for this one. After getting thoroughly embarrassed by the Knicks, look for a much stronger game from Atlanta in this one. They have won (SU and ATS) 3 of the last 4 meetings between these teams. The Jazz enter this game on a 3-game winning streak but that is a situation that has seen them go 1-3 (SU and ATS) this season. In non-conference games Utah is 2-6 ATS this season. The Hawks are 13-6 ATS when off a game in which they allowed 130 points or more. Atlanta is 3-1 ATS this season as a home dog of 6.5 to 12 points. Yes the Hawks are on a losing streak but they are 8-4 ATS this season when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. This is the Hawks final home game until after Christmas. They are focused here. The Jazz have tougher road games coming up after this one as they face Charlotte and then Miami. Look for Utah to get caught sleep-walking a bit in this game. 10* ATLANTA |
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12-19-19 | William & Mary v. St. Joe's +2.5 | Top | 69-84 | Win | 100 | 11 h 41 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #704 Thursday 10* Top Play St Joseph's Hawks (+) vs William & Mary Tribe @ 7 ET - Set-ups don't get much better than this one. Yes the Hawks have struggled this season but the Tribe come into this game over-rated and the situation here strongly favors St Joseph's. The Hawks are off an embarrassing 108 to 61 loss at Temple on the 10th. Looking at that score it seems hard to believe but it is true that St Joseph's had just as many field goal attempts in the game as did the Owls. The problem was that Temple made twice as many shots as the Hawks! That said, after that horrific loss and knowing that this is their only game between the 10th of December and 2nd of January, St Joseph's is going to make the most of this opportunity which is also their only home game in a span of 4 weeks! The Hawks don't want to go into this winter break period on a 9-game losing streak. Yes it has been a rough start to the season for St Joseph's with the coaching change and player losses from last season but they have played a much tougher schedule than William & Mary. The Tribe enter this game off a huge 90-30 win over Goucher. Of course there is a reason you have never heard of Goucher! Overall William & Mary has a great record this season but they entered the season projected to be one of the worst teams in the Colonial Athletic Association and certainly the Atlantic Ten is the tougher conference. Last season these teams met at William & Mary and the Hawks led by 14 at the half but ended up losing a heartbreaker. It is payback time here. Off a home win by a double digit margin the Tribe are just 5-8 SU their last 13 and here they are laying points on the road too. As for the Hawks, they are 4-1 ATS after allowing 90 points or more and also 8-3 SU and ATS when off a road loss by a double digit margin. Bounce back time and payback time for the home team! 10* ST JOSEPH'S |
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12-18-19 | Hornets v. Cavs OVER 213.5 | Top | 98-100 | Loss | -107 | 10 h 26 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #517 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - Two bad defenses matched up here and I like the value we're getting here with the total having dropped a little from its opener as well. The Hornets are in the 2nd game of a back to back and they are allowing 111 points per game this season while the Cavaliers are allowing 114 points per game this season. Cleveland has one OT win in recent games but other than that it has been nothing but losing. A big reason for that is the Cavs don't get defensive stops. Even removing the OT period from the equation, Cleveland has allowed 121.3 points per game its last 6 games! As for Charlotte, they had a recent ugly low-scoring win at Chicago but in their other half-dozen recent games the Hornets have gone 3-3 and allowed an average of 107 points per game. Given the season to date averages and recent averages in terms of the points these two teams have been allowing, you can see why I am expecting this game to get into the 220s. In terms of technical support for this play, the over is a perfect 3-0 the last 3 times Charlotte has played the 2nd game of a back to back. The over is 9-5 this season when the Hornets are a road dog. The over is 6-2 this season when Cleveland enters a game having allowed 105 points or more in 3 consecutive games. The Cavs are off an ugly loss and the over is 49-28 when the Cavaliers are off a game in which they allowed 115 points or more. With Charlotte having tired legs on defense after last night's upset home win, and the Cavs continued defensive ineptitude, this game should fly over the total. 10* OVER the total in Cleveland |
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12-18-19 | Tennessee v. Cincinnati +1.5 | Top | 66-78 | Win | 100 | 9 h 16 m | Show |
TV Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #660 Wednesday 10* Top Play Cincinnati Bearcats (+) vs Tennessee Volunteers @ 7 ET - Everyone jumping on Tennessee here as they are a ranked team and coming off a big season plus they enter this game off a loss. Additionally, Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes is in search of his 700th victory. The Bearcats don't want that happening on their home floor and I love home dogs in a spot like this. Look for the Cats to scratch and claw their way to victory in this one. Cincinnati is 4-1 at home this season. Tennessee is playing their first true road game of the season. All the Vols other games were at home or at a neutral site. On the season the Bearcats have faced a tougher schedule and the Volunteers are a highly regarded team but enter this game having lost 2 of 4 and one of the two wins was by the slimmest of margins. I look for UC, off back to back losses including an embarrassing one as a double digit favorite against Colgate, to bounce back strong here on their home floor and get a big win. They returned more starter this season than did the Vols and this is the type of game - especially since they are at home - where I expect Jarron Cumberland to step up and have a huge game. He has struggled in head coach's John Brannen first season with the Cats but watch him come up big at home in a game like this. The Volunteers are on a 1-4 ATS run. I know the Bearcats are on an ugly ATS run too BUT this is still a team that is 18-2 SU in their last 20 home games. I love having them on their home floor as an underdog in a game in which they will absolutely be amped up and ready to go! Off back to back losses, the Cats come out fighting in this one and they do have the size edge in the paint too. They win the front court battles and Cumberland and company come up big on the wings also! 10* CINCINNATIÂ |
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12-17-19 | Florida v. Providence OVER 132.5 | Top | 83-51 | Win | 100 | 10 h 18 m | Show |
TV Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #629 Tuesday 10* OVER the total in Providence Friars vs Florida Gators @ 7 ET @ Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY - Florida is off a long layoff and sometimes that can lead to poorer shooting results with teams. However, the Gators are actually a long-term 12-6 to the over (including 3-1 in recent seasons) when they play a game after having had at least 7 days of rest between games. Look for fresh legs to lead to plenty of points in this one. As for Providence, they do like to play higher-scoring games and they worked off the rust from their layoff by scoring 82 points in a win on Saturday. The Friars are facing a Florida team that is not afraid to D up but note the following: Providence is 3-1 to the over in recent seasons when facing a team that allows an average of 64 points or less per game. Also, Providence is on an ATS losing streak but they are hungry to snap it and will push hard in this contest. That will help the over as the Friars like to push the pace and are 9-3 to the over long-term including a perfect 3-0 to the over in recent seasons when they are on an ATS losing streak of 5 or more games. The over is also a long-term 10-5 including 3-0 in recent seasons when Providence is facing an SEC opponent. The Friars are scoring an average of 75 points per game this season. The Gators are off an ugly effort in which they were held to 62 points in their most recent game but they are still 4-0 to the over in their last 4 games. Also, Florida entered that game having scored 70 points or more in 4 straight games. The Gators have allowed 65 points or more in 3 straight games. The Friars have allowed 75 points or more in 3 straight games. I see this game climbing into the 140s. 10* OVER the total in Providence (game played in Brooklyn, NY) |
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12-17-19 | Kings -4.5 v. Hornets | Top | 102-110 | Loss | -106 | 11 h 58 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #501 Tuesday 10* Top Play Sacramento Kings (-) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - The early line move was toward the Hornets here. Certainly I can understand the move as Charlotte is getting Marvin Williams back tonight most likely and they are coming off an ugly loss. The Kings are coming off a blowout win on the road at Golden State Sunday so now they go coast to coast. I can see what some are looking at here and why they're backing the home dog. However, in typical contrarian fashion I am on the other side of the line move but it is not without good reasoning. For one thing the Kings are also expected to get a key player back tonight. De'Aaron Fox is expected to be back in the lineup and the point guard will certainly help as Sacramento's win over the Warriors was an ugly one in terms of turnovers. Another reason I like the Kings here is they have won 3 straight road games and the other two wins came over Dallas and Houston! Sacramento has a lot of momentum right now and positive energy is evident with this team as recent wins pile up. Last but certainly not least, the Kings have revenge here as they lost at home to the Hornets in late October. It is time for payback here and we've got a great small number to work with in this one. The Hornets are struggling without PJ Washington and even could use the help of role player Nicolas Batum but he is doubtful for tonight's contest. The Hornets have been held to 85 points or less in their past two games. The Kings have averaged 110 points per game their past 5 road games. Charlotte won't be able to keep up here and the road favorite eventually pulls away to win comfortably. 10* SACRAMENTO |
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12-16-19 | Heat v. Grizzlies +5.5 | Top | 111-118 | Win | 100 | 11 h 36 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #584 Monday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies (+) vs Miami Heat @ 8:05 ET - When you look at this game it looks so easy to take Miami (19-7) over Memphis (9-17) based on their overall SU records this season. However, you know what usually happens when something looks easy! In typical contrarian fashion I am on the other side of public perception here. First off the Heat are off an OT win at Dallas. Not only do teams generally have a tendency to struggle after an OT road win like that, also note that the Mavericks lost star player Luka Doncic very early in the 1st quarter of that game. That certainly had a lot to do with the Heat victory. Speaking of injuries, Miami is without both Goran Dragic and Justise Winslow for this game Memphis will have both Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke on the floor for this one. They missed the only game recently that the Grizzlies have lost (to Milwaukee). In their last 3 games with both Morant and Clarke playing, Memphis is a perfect 3-0 SU and ATS. One of Miami's worst losses this season was by 27 points at Philadelphia. On deck for the Heat is another trip to Philly so they could be peeking ahead at that game for sure. As for Memphis, there is no way they are focused on anything but this game. One of their ugliest losses this season was on opening night at Miami when they lost by 19. Payback time here and if they do fall short look for it to be by just a single possession. I am grabbing the points here! 10* MEMPHIS |
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12-16-19 | Marshall v. Morehead State OVER 145 | Top | 89-62 | Win | 100 | 10 h 11 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #821 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Morehead State Eagles vs Marshall Thundering Herd @ 7 ET - Last year these teams met and the total posted on the game was nearly 170. The game ended up totaling only 140 points and was an easy under. However, that meeting was at Marshall and this one is at Morehead State. I expect the Eagles to score much better at home in this one and, in terms of line value, this total is posted at just 145 as of early gameday morning. I know the Eagles are coming off some ugly low-scoring games but they will be a different team at home tonight and after having had a layoff to hit the "reset button" for this one. Their most recent home game was an ugly low-scoring win but prior to that Morehead State had averaged scoring 86 points per game in its first 3 home games. As for Marshall, they tend to score a lot but also allow a lot no matter where they play. It has simply been the way the Thundering Herd are known for playing. They push the tempo and aren't too focused on defense. Marshall has scored an average of 78 points per game in its past 5 games. They allowed a very low point total in their most recent game but that was against a clearly outclassed small college team. Prior to that, the Thundering Herd had allowed 78.4 points per game in its last 7 games. You can see why I am forecasting this game to get well into the 150s. The over is 4-0 in Marshall's last 4 lined games. The Thundering Herd are 17-7 to the over when coming off a blowout home win by a margin of 20 or more points. The over is 22-9 (including 3-0 in recent seasons) when the Eagles enter a game having failed to cover the spread in 4 of their last 5 games. This situation brings out the best in the home team but the Thundering Herd strong scoring ability means these teams are trading buckets all night long. 10* OVER the total in Morehead State |
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12-15-19 | Ohio State v. Minnesota +7.5 | Top | 71-84 | Win | 100 | 7 h 17 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #804 Sunday 10* Top Play Minnesota Golden Gophers (+) vs Ohio State Buckeyes @ 6:30 ET - The Buckeyes have been red hot but the Golden Gophers are also a much better team than they showed in their Big Ten opener on the road at Iowa. With this game being at home for Minnesota and with Ohio State possibly being rusty after not playing at all since the 7th, the Golden Gophers could surprise here. Minnesota also has revenge from losing last season at Ohio State and also losing to the Buckeyes in a neutral site game the prior season. The Golden Gophers have played the tougher schedule in comparison with Ohio State early this season. The Buckeyes are 0-3 SU and ATS in a road game with a posted total in the 120s and the fact the odds makers set such a low total here confirms the fact that Minnesota is expected to turn up the heat on defense in their own barn here on Sunday. The Golden Gophers are 5-1 ATS when off a road loss in which they were held under 60 points. I know it may seem tough to fade a streak Ohio State team but with a little rust on their part after the layoff coupled with an intense effort from the hungry dog here, I look for this one to go down to the wire! That means we have great value with having the points on our side here. 10* MINNESOTA |
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12-15-19 | 76ers v. Nets +5.5 | Top | 89-109 | Win | 100 | 7 h 20 m | Show |
Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #570 Sunday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (+) vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 6:05 ET - Playoff revenge game for Brooklyn. This is the first shot at the 76ers for the Nets since Philadelphia won 4 straight games to knock them out of the playoffs after Brooklyn scored the upset win in Game 1 of April's first round series. I know this is a back to back for the Nets but nobody played truly excessive minutes in yesterday's loss at Toronto. Also, the Sixers Horford is dealing with a hamstring injury. The 76ers are hot right now but they have been helped by a home heavy schedule of late. Philadelphia, in fact, has lost 7 of its past 10 road games SU. I am going to challenge the 76ers (most recent road game was a win at Boston) to actually win consecutive road games for the first time since the opening weeks of the season. I am fading the line move here too as Philly is attracting some betting action here. Keep in mind the Nets are off B2B losses but only one time this season have they lost 3 straight games. Prior to these B2B defeats the Nets had won 8 of 10 and I look for them to bounce back here with a strong effort. Philadelphia can't help but be peeking ahead at a much tougher match-up on deck as they host Miami on Wednesday. That said, the Nets are the more focused team for this match-up and if they fall short of avenging their playoff exit I do expect them to stay inside the number here in a game that they will play with a warrior-like mentality...desperate for a win. 10* BROOKLYN |
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12-14-19 | Spurs +2 v. Suns | Top | 121-119 | Win | 100 | 7 h 4 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #549 Saturday 10* Top Play San Antonio Spurs (+) vs Phoenix Suns @ Mexico City, MX @ 5 ET - Both teams coming off disappointing losses but the Spurs, even with a weaker record, opened up as a 1.5 point favorite. The markets, as if telling the odds makers they don't know what their doing, have flipped the favorite here and now the Suns are a 2 point favorite. I like to play opposite of moves like this (in typical contrarian fashion) but only when the situation makes sense and, in this case, it certainly does. The last time these teams met in Mexico the Suns got the tight win behind a 39-point effort from Devin Booker. That is the same Booker whom is the leading scorer for the Suns this season. Also, the point guard is listed as questionable for this game with a wrist injury. While I do expect him to play I expect the wrist to continue to bother him. He had trouble with getting his shots to fall against Memphis and Booker did not even practice yesterday due to the wrist injury. Facing an angry Spurs defense won't help matters. They blew their game at home against Cleveland Thursday as they had a late lead and then went on to lose in OT. Unacceptable. While San Antonio certainly has fallen off this season they had entered that game off back to back wins. Look for them to respond big here as the Booker injury is not getting the respect it should. All signs are pointing to the best player on the court for Phoenix being much less than 100%. Fade the line move here. 10* SAN ANTONIO |
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12-14-19 | Delaware +14.5 v. Villanova | Top | 70-78 | Win | 100 | 5 h 12 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #763 Saturday 10* Top Play Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens vs Villanova Wildcats @ 2 ET in the Never Forget Tribute Classic @ Newark, NJ - The Blue Hens entered this season needing to be a much better defensively and they've accomplished that goal. Granted they have faced a light schedule early this season but they had won 9 straight games before finally losing to George Washington last Saturday. Delaware is allowing just 63.3 points per game and holding opponents to 39.5% from the field. Granted, the Fightin' Blue Hens will most certainly have their hands full with a top notch opponent like Villanova but I foresee their solid defense helping to turn this game into a bit of a grinder. The Wildcats are on an 0-5 ATS run and none of those games were decided by more than a dozen points. Even the one decided by 12 points was a deceiving final score as the game was tight in the final minutes before Nova finally pulled away. The team chemistry has been fantastic for the Hens this season and they are excited about this opportunity and view it as a challenge to compete against top level competition. The way Delaware has been playing early this season and the fact they are coming off a loss, I look for a very strong effort from the big dog in this one. The Wildcats get the win but I see it coming by a single digit margin as they have bigger fish to fry. In fact the Cats next game will be against Kansas. This is a "win and move on" type game for Villanova and they are being overvalued by the betting markets here as this line has already moved up from a 13 to a 14.5 in early trading. 10* DELAWARE |
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12-13-19 | Colorado v. Colorado State UNDER 140 | Top | 56-48 | Win | 100 | 13 h 33 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #676 Friday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Colorado State Rams vs Colorado Buffaloes @ 8 ET - Look for better defense in this one than many are expecting. This is a rivalry match-up. The Rams are a home dog. Don't look for a lot of easy buckets here as Colorado State will have to try to scratch and claw their way to a home win over the superior Buffaloes here. Colorado enters this game off back to back losses but they faced a couple of tough match-ups. Keep in mind, the Buffaloes had started the season a perfect 7-0 and had allowed just 53.8 points per game in the final 6 games of that win streak. Hungry for a win here against their in-state rivals, and coming off back to back losses, look for Colorado to turn up the heat on the defensive end. Colorado State does have a tendency to get involved in higher scoring games but I feel the Buffaloes are not going to allow that to happen. Colorado will be buckling down on defense and note that the Rams, prior to a win in their most recent game, had been held to an average of 60.5 points per game in the back to back games (both losses) that preceded the win at South Dakota State. Also, in 5 of their first 7 home games this season, Colorado State had allowed 65 points or less in regulation time of those games. In fact an OT loss in which New Mexico State scored 18 points in OT certainly skewed their numbers a bit. 11 of Colorado's last 16 games have resulted in an under. In the month of December, Buffaloes games have stayed under in 7 of their last 9. When these two rivals square off, 5 of the last 7 meetings have resulted in an under. Considering all of the above as well as the total having been driven up from the mid-130s to now being in the 140 range, I love the value here with going against the line move on this one. 10* UNDER the total in Colorado State |
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12-13-19 | Pacers v. Hawks OVER 222.5 | Top | 110-100 | Loss | -109 | 13 h 38 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #535 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Atlanta Hawks vs Indiana Pacers @ 7:35 ET - The Hawks have been an over machine. The over is 15-3 in their past 18 games. The Pacers are off a high-scoring win versus Boston. Off a big win against a strong team, this is the type of letdown game where you're likely to see Indiana lacking a bit in defensive intensity. The Pacers have allowed 108 points per game their last 11 games. You can see why, especially given the situation, I would not be surprised to see the Hawks put up 110 points here. Keep in mind, Atlanta is particularly hungry because they are playing at home for just the 3rd time in about a 3-week span. The issue for the Hawks, again, will be their defense, so the Pacers getting into the 120 range here certainly would not be a surprise in the least. That puts this one into the 230 range and I like the value here with this total in the low 220s. The over is 6-3 this season when the Pacers are off a home win and, again, that was a very satisfying one for Indiana. The over is perfect 13-0 this season when the Hawks enter a game after losing 5 or 6 of their past 7 games. Look for that trend to remain perfect here as plenty of points expected in this one. 10* OVER the total in Atlanta |
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12-12-19 | 76ers +1.5 v. Celtics | Top | 115-109 | Win | 100 | 11 h 18 m | Show |
TNT Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #523 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 8:05 ET - Boston is in a back to back spot here. Also, Kemba Walker scored 44 points last night at Indiana and the Celtics still lost the game! That doesn't bode well for what to expect tonight from Boston as Walker only scored 12 points and made just 4 of 18 shots when he faced the 76ers defense in the season opener. The Sixers have the rest edge here and the health edge too. The Celtics have been without Marcus Smart (eye) and now the recently activated Gordon Hayward might miss tonight's game after taking a shot to the head in last night's game against the Pacers. Philadelphia has won 7 of its past 8 games. The Celtics are undefeated at home but there is a reason this game is priced the way it is! Philly is playing some of its best basketball of the season and they are the healthier team here plus have the rest edge. Also, I am expecting a huge game from former Celtic Al Horford in his first game back at Boston since going to the Sixers. This is an early season battle for the top spot in the division and I love being a contrarian and going against a Celtics team that is 11-0 at home this season. Boston is favored by the slimmest of margins in this one with good reason. Upset time! 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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12-11-19 | Celtics v. Pacers -110 | Top | 117-122 | Win | 100 | 12 h 18 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #502 Wednesday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers (-) vs Boston Celtics @ 7:05 ET - Great set up here with the Pacers off a home loss to a tough Raptors team and the Celtics off a blowout home win over the hapless Cavaliers. Now Boston is in for a much tougher battle and it is on the road at Indiana. With the Pacers angry off the home loss plus seeking revenge from last season's first round playoff sweep at the hands of the Celtics, this is a fantastic situation. This line is right around a pick'em and the Pacers were 9-2 at home this season prior to that loss to Toronto. Also, the Celtics are only 7-5 on the road this season. While Indiana is seeking revenge here, Boston could get caught looking ahead to a revenge match-up on tap for tomorrow. The Celtics host the division rival 76ers tomorrow and that is the same Philadelphia team that handed them a season-opening loss back in October. The set up here for the Pacers is about as good as it gets and I am backing the home team large in this one. 10* INDIANA |
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12-11-19 | Wisconsin v. Rutgers -2 | Top | 65-72 | Win | 100 | 12 h 51 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #636 Wednesday 10* Top Play Rutgers Scarlet Knights (-) vs Wisconsin Badgers @ 7 ET - Nice set up here with the Badgers off a huge 20 point win versus Indiana and the Scarlet Knights off a tough loss by a dozen at Michigan State. Note that Wisconsin has been great at home this season but has struggled (0-4 SU) in games played on the road or at a neutral site. This game is being played at Rutgers and that is noteworthy not only because of the Badgers struggles away from Madison, also note that the Scarlet Knights are a perfect 6-0 in home games this season. The home/road dichotomy is too strong to ignore here as we can lay a very small number with Rutgers whom had won 6 of 7 games this season before back to back losses (both on the road). The Badgers had lost 3 straight games before their huge win over the Hoosiers. Last season Wisconsin beat the Scarlet Knights by 5 but they were at home for that game and Rutgers actually led the game by 5 at the half. Now it is payback time for the Scarlet Knights and I expect them to take care of business on their home floor. 10* RUTGERS |
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12-10-19 | Wizards v. Hornets +2.5 | Top | 107-114 | Win | 100 | 11 h 30 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #576 Tuesday 10* Top Play Charlotte Hornets (+) vs Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - The Wizards are still without Isaiah Thomas. Another starter, Thomas Bryant, has been downgraded to out for this game. Also, in terms of depth off the bench, they were already without CJ Miles and this was already after being without star point guard John Wall. I know the Hornets are not a great team but their current situation is much better than that of the Wizards plus they are at home for this game. Now catching 2.5 points as a dog after opening up at a pick'em, I also like the added line value with Charlotte in this one. The Hornets got good news on PJ Washington (ankle) as he has been upgraded to probable for this game. I know Charlotte just got beaten badly at home by the Hawks but Atlanta got insanely hot in the 2nd half and ended up hitting 18 three-pointers. The Hornets lost because the Hawks outscored them by 21 points from beyond the arc and I look for Charlotte to bounce back here. The Hornets can (and will) take advantage of horrible defense (122.5 points per game) and a short-handed Wizards lineup. Charlotte lost the first meeting between these teams this season and this was after winning the final three meetings last season. It is payback time for the Hornets now and I look for them to improve to 4-1 SU in their last 5 meetings with division rival Washington. 10* CHARLOTTE |
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12-10-19 | St. Joe's v. Temple -12 | Top | 61-108 | Win | 100 | 10 h 46 m | Show |
TV Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #604 Tuesday 10* Top Play Temple Owls (-) vs St Joseph's Hawks @ 7 ET - The Hawks have been hurt by the loss of Taylor Funk to a hand injury as he was their leading returning scorer for this season. St Joseph's was already considering a "work in progress" for this season before he got hurt and their overall numbers are living up to the sub-par billing. The Hawks enter this game on a 7-game losing streak and each of the last 4 losses have come by at least a dozen points. Ironically that is also what this line has dropped to this morning as Temple has gone from being a 15-point favorite to a 12-point choice. I am backing the favorite here as head coach Aaron McKie has had the Owls firing on all cylinders early this season. That all came to a grinding halt however with a double digit loss to Missouri in Temple's most recent game. The Owls are still 6-2 on the season and their other loss came against Maryland, a highly ranked team. I look for Temple to take advantage of St Joe's being in a down cycle right now and the Owls are in need of a blowout win after losing by 10 to the Tigers even though they favored in the game. It was a rare hiccup for the Owls who entered that game having allowed only 56.7 points per game in their 6 wins this season. That great number in terms of defensive play certainly holds significance here as Temple is facing a St Joseph's team that has allowed 70 points or more in all 10 of their games this season. In fact the Hawks are allowing an average of 80 points per game on the season. The Owls take advantage and win this Big Five game in Philly (part of the annual Philadelphia Big Five battle) in an absolute rout. 10* TEMPLE |
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12-09-19 | Cavs +13.5 v. Celtics | Top | 88-110 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 11 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #557 Monday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 7:35 ET - This is the ideal flat spot for the Celtics and, as a result, the perfect spot to back the "ugly dog" Cavaliers in this one. Boston is viewing this game as a reprieve from their schedule and a bit of a "warm up" game if you will. That is why Gordon Hayward has been upgraded to questionable for this game. They might even try to get Hayward some time on the floor to work off some rust and get back into game shape. The fact is that the Celtics are off back to back huge wins over good teams - the Heat and the Nuggets. On deck for Boston is three more quality opponents - the Pacers, 76ers and Mavericks. The point is that this game against the Cavaliers is not one that is going to bring about a lot of energy from the Celtics. They just want to win the game and move forward and that is why I expect this win to come by a single digit margin. The Cavs are struggling of course but off a blowout of epic proportions like they just suffered at Philadelphia, I fully expect professional pride to kick in and Cleveland will play much better tonight. Keep in mind, the Cavaliers are already 2-0 ATS this season when off a game in which they allowed more than 130 points. The Celtics are 0-3 ATS this season when they enter a game on an ATS winning streak of 3 games. They've not been able to make it 4 straight this season and I look for that pattern to continue here. Boston is 1-3 ATS when off a home win by a double digit margin and also 0-2 ATS when they enter a game having scored 105 points or more in 5 consecutive games. 10* CLEVELAND |
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12-08-19 | Raptors v. 76ers -3 | Top | 104-110 | Win | 100 | 9 h 34 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #544 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Toronto Raptors @ 6:05 ET - Even though the 76ers are in a back to back spot here they so completely crushed the Cavaliers yesterday that they were able to rest guys in that game. Also, Joel Embiid did not even play in that game as he rested his hip for tonight's game. Remember he made headlines for not scoring in the 76ers first meeting with the Raptors this season. Since that game Embiid has averaged 26.8 points per game his last 5 games. I am expecting a monster game from him here. Also, the home team has won 9 of the past 12 meetings between these teams. Keep in mind this is a playoff revenge game for the Sixers as they were eliminated from the post-season in that epic last-second Game 7 loss ("the shot" by Kawhi Leonard now with the Clippers) at Toronto last spring. The 76ers first shot at revenge this season saw them lose by just 5 points and that was even with Embiid not scoring a single point plus the game was at Toronto. Now Sunday's rematch is at Philly and a rested Embiid is ready to explode here plus the Sixers catch the Raptors reeling a bit off back to back losses. This one will be ALL Philly. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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12-08-19 | North Carolina +4.5 v. Virginia | Top | 47-56 | Loss | -109 | 6 h 2 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #739 Sunday 10* Top Play North Carolina Tar Heels (+) @ Virginia Cavaliers @ 4 ET - It looks easy to take the Cavaliers here so, in typical contrarian fashion, I am on the Tar Heels in this one! Virginia is at home and has won each of the last 3 meetings between these teams and plus the Cavs are laying a short number here. That will have people looking to line up on the defensive-minded host in this one. However, I am expecting North Carolina to say "enough is enough" and come up with a huge game here. The Tar Heels have faced the tougher schedule early this season so we are getting some line value in this one in that regard. Also, the Cavaliers could have a little bit of unbeaten letdown here as they were 7-0 on the season before getting absolutely demolished by Purdue by 29 points! The Cavs are averaging just 53 points on the season. The Heels are also off an ugly loss in which they did not score well. However, prior to that defeat, UNC had scored 75 points or more in 6 of their first 7 games this season. The Cavaliers are on an 0-6 ATS run and I expect that streak to reach 7 straight ATS losses here in a game in which an outright upset for the revenge-minded road team would certainly not be a surprise. Roy Williams and the Tar Heels are highly motivated here against Tony Bennett and the Cavaliers. I feel that Virginia is going to be caught reeling a bit here and doubting themselves in terms of ability to be able to score enough here. They have always relied on defense but their offense has been a little too ugly this season to get past a team like this. Look for the Tar Heels to get it done here. 10* NORTH CAROLINA |
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12-07-19 | Pacers v. Knicks OVER 207.5 | Top | 104-103 | Loss | -109 | 12 h 40 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #533 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Knicks vs Indiana Pacers @ 7:35 ET - After having to battle in a divisional match-up with a hard-nosed Pistons team yesterday, the Pacers will now take advantage of facing the porous defense of the Knicks in this one. Additionally, I look for New York to respond on the offensive end here after being held to just 92 points on their home floor by the Nuggets on Thursday which followed a similarly poor effort at home against the powerful Bucks too. That sets this one up well for plenty of points. New York has allowed an average of 130.5 points per game their past two games. The Pacers are allowing an average of 108 points per game in the first four games of this lengthy road trip. The over was on a 5-1 run in Indiana's last 6 games before their last two match-up stayed just under the total. This one makes up for those in a big way. 10* OVER the total in New York |
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12-07-19 | Penn State +8 v. Ohio State | Top | 74-106 | Loss | -110 | 4 h 44 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #733 Saturday 10* Top Play Penn State Nittany Lions (+) @ Ohio State Buckeyes @ Noon ET - The Buckeyes are undefeated this season, at home, and ranked very high. All the pressure is on Ohio State here. Also, the Buckeyes are off a huge win over North Carolina on Wednesday night. This is a tough spot for Ohio State now as they take on a Penn State team that very quietly has also been playing a lot of ultra impressive defense and is going to be tough for the Buckeyes to pull away from in this game. Also, the Nittany Lions have been enjoying great success in recent meetings between these teams but did fall just short here last year. That makes this a revenge game for Penn State as they lost to the Buckeyes last season despite taking 16 more shots from the field in that game! It was simply "one of those nights" and yet PSU still lost the game by only 4 points. Look for a similar result here as the scrappy Nittany Lions have a great shot at the outright upset here. If they do fall short expect it only be by a bucket or two. The Buckeyes are on a great ATS run this season but they can't keep hitting the high percentage of shots they have been and the Nittany Lions come into this one having played great defense this season too! 10* PENN STATE |
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12-06-19 | Magic v. Cavs OVER 211.5 | Top | 93-87 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 52 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #511 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - The Cavs were held to just 94 points in their most recent game but, in typical contrarian fashion, I am playing their very next game to go over the total. Cleveland, prior to the ugly home loss to Detroit, had scored at least 100 points in 7 straight games and had averaged scoring 105 points per game during this stretch. The Cavaliers have allowed at least 100 points in 10 straight games. In fact they have allowed an average of 118.6 points per game during this rough stretch. Taking on a Magic team that scored 116 points against them last week won't help matters for the Cavs struggling defense. Also, Orlando scored 116 without Aaron Gordon in the lineup. He is back now from his ankle injury and Gordon scored 32 points in Wednesday's big win for Orlando over Phoenix. Now the Magic have won 4 of 5 games and have averaged 118 points per game in those 4 victories. The over is 9-3 in Orlando's last dozen games and I look for another high-scoring game here as the over improves to 6-3 in the Cavaliers last 9 games. Cavs will respond with stronger game tonight after being embarrassed and scoring just 94 points at home on Tuesday but they won't be able to stop the hot-shooting Magic as they are red hot from all the floor right now. 10* OVER the total in Cleveland |
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12-06-19 | Iowa +8 v. Michigan | Top | 91-103 | Loss | -105 | 9 h 23 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #615 Friday 10* Top Play Iowa Hawkeyes (+) @ Michigan Wolverines @ 6:30 ET - Many will be looking for the Wolverines to bounce back here after their ugly 58-43 loss at the hands of Louisville. Indeed a bounce back may be on tap for Michigan here at home but I don't see them covering this large spread. This is a revenge game for Iowa as they lost by 21 points in tournament action against the Wolverines in March. The Hawkeyes were outscored by 27 points from beyond the arc in that game as they made just 1 of 16 three pointers. In other words, inside the arc in that game Iowa actually won the game by 6 points! I am not necessarily forecasting an outright win here but I certainly wouldn't be shocked if the Hawkeyes do catch Michigan suffering from some unbeaten letdown here after the loss to the Cardinals. Iowa is a solid 6-2 SU and ATS this season and they have the talent level and coaching experience edge here to keep up with the highly talented Wolverines. Note that prior to the loss in March, the Hawkeyes had defeated Michigan in the regular season. Prior to that game the Wolverines had been on a winning streak in this series but 2 of the last 3 Iowa losses came by 7 points or less. Michigan is a little over-valued right now because they have hit 40% three pointers this season and opponents have hit only 59% of their free throws this season. Those two stats that certainly won't continue all season long have combined to give extra shading toward Michigan from the betting markets. I'll gladly step in on the other side here and grab the big points with the Hawkeyes. 10* IOWA |
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12-05-19 | Oklahoma v. North Texas +6.5 | Top | 82-80 | Win | 100 | 10 h 6 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #604 Thursday 10* Top Play North Texas Mean Green (+) vs Oklahoma Sooners @ 8 ET - This game is being played at The Super Pit as North Texas is the host for this one. That is certainly noteworthy as Oklahoma is just 7-16 SU in their last 23 lined road games. The Sooners not only are being asked to win this game but also by a margin of as high as 6.5 points after the early morning line move with this one and I just don't see that happening. I look for the layoff to hurt OU as they haven't played in over a week and the Sooners are just 3-3 SU the past two years when they enter a game with 7 or more days of rest between games. This line is currently settling back in at a -6 and the Sooners are 2-5 ATS in road games in which their line ranges from a pick'em to a -6. The Mean Green are on an 11-2 SU and 9-3 ATS run in December games. North Texas is a scrappy team that plays well together as a unit. In other words, it is not about individual stars but just that they've put together a good combination of players that mesh well together. The fact the Mean Green are just 3-5 SU this season is because of facing a very tough schedule and this situation favors them well. They just knocked off UT-Arlington outright as an underdog Sunday and they carry that momentum from the road on back home for this game. North Texas is on a 28-11 SU run in home games the past 2+ seasons. Look for the Mean Green to improve to 20-10 ATS when off a game in which they were an underdog. Back to back underdog spots and I am expecting back to back outright SU wins but will grab the points here for added insurance. 10* NORTH TEXAS |
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12-05-19 | 76ers v. Wizards +7.5 | Top | 113-119 | Win | 100 | 10 h 43 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #502 Thursday 10* Top Play Washington Wizards (+) vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:05 ET - The 76ers are getting plenty of attention here early on from the betting markets. After opening up at a 6 the line is all the way up to a 7.5 and possibly headed higher. Of course Philadelphia is the better team but certainly they have had their share of road struggles this season. Not only are the Sixers only 5-6 on the road this season, only one of those victories came by more than 6 points! That means that if you went against Philly in all their road games this season and had at least +6.5 you are 10-1 ATS so far! I like my chances here with the Wizards. I am well aware of the fact that the Wizards give up a ton of points but they're also fully capable of piling up a ton of points on the offensive end. I know they have some injury issues but the Wizards are 3-5 at home and 3 of those 5 losses came by 7 points or less. That means if you had Washington at +7.5 (the current line on this one) or more in all 8 of their home games this season you are 6-2 ATS. Again, you can see why I am liking the big points here with the home dog. The Wizards have lost 3 straight games for the 3rd time this season. The first two times it happened they ended the streak immediately in the 4th game. I expect that to again be the case here but will grab the points with the home dog as added insurance should they fall just short on the scoreboard. The Sixers go from facing a defensive-minded team at home to an offensive-minded team on the road. Don't be surprised if Philadelphia struggles some here and the home team is hungry to end their losing streak. 10* WASHINGTON |
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12-04-19 | Warriors v. Hornets OVER 209.5 | Top | 91-106 | Loss | -106 | 10 h 3 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #557 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Charlotte Hornets vs Golden State Warriors @ 7:05 ET - With the Warriors off a game in which they scored a season-low 79 points Monday and the Hornets off a game in which they were held to just 39 points in the first half Monday, it may seem enticing to take the under in this match-up. However, in typical contrarian fashion I am backing the over in this one as it is actually those low-scoring results that are leading to excellent value with this total. Both teams are determined to bounce back on the offensive end in this one and will be willing to push the pace all game long. Golden State was averaging 108 points per game their past 11 games on the road before that awful effort against the Hawks. Charlotte is averaging 109 points per game at home this season. The over is 9-5 this season when the Warriors enter a game having lost 3 of their last 4 games. The over is 6-3 this season when the Hornets enter a game on a losing streak of 2 or more games. Two teams hungry to bounce back here and you'll see that first-hand here with good tempo and plenty of scoring in this match-up. 10* OVER the total in Charlotte |
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12-04-19 | Pennsylvania v. Villanova -12 | Top | 69-80 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 47 m | Show |
PA Insider - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #808 Wednesday 10* Top Play Villanova Wildcats (-) vs Pennsylvania Quakers @ 6:30 ET - This is part of The Big Five in Philadelphia and the other teams are LaSalle, St Joseph's, and Temple. Last year the Quakers upset the Wildcats and that ended a 25-game winning streak for Villanova in Big Five games. It also allowed Pennsylvania to win the Big Five Championship for the 2018-19 season. These teams come from different conferences, etc but the City of Philadelphia embraces the rivalries the "Big Five" has created and this "unofficial" Big Five city championship series extends back to the mid-fifties! It means a lot to these schools and I look for Villanova to get a big dose of payback on their home floor in this game. Yes the Wildcats have losses to Ohio State and Baylor this season but this is a strong Villanova team that will get even stronger as the season goes on. They were ahead by 20 points against LaSalle at halftime Sunday and then only won the game by 11 points as they allowed the Explorers to make a few runs in the second half. Considering what happened at Penn last season I don't look for the Cats to be so generous in the second half here. Look for Villanova to put their foots on the throats of the Quakers early and never take their foot off the gas. Pennsylvania, an Ivy League school, has a long break from basketball coming up because of semester final exams. However, they still enter this game at a disadvantage as they just got back from a West Coast trip while Nova was already at home facing LaSalle this past weekend. The last time the Wildcats hosted the Quakers they won by 28 points. I am expecting another huge win in this revenge game. Penn is a scrappy and respectable team but there is a talent disparity here and the Wildcats are highly motivated. I don't often lay big points but this is one of the rare exceptions due to the great situational value. 10* VILLANOVA |
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12-03-19 | Magic v. Wizards OVER 226.5 | Top | 127-120 | Win | 100 | 10 h 15 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #541 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Wizards vs Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - The Magic are off a rare win and the over is 5-1 the last 6 times when Orlando enters a game off a SU victory. Though known as a lower scoring team, the Magic saw their first meeting with Washington this season fly over the total as it reached 246 points! The Wizards enter this contest off allowing 150 points to the Clippers in Los Angeles over the weekend. Washington continues to ignore the importance of playing defense as they simply try to just outscore teams. That may work against the Magic but I am not playing the Wizards as I just can not trust them to get defensive stops. The value that is created here by the way this one should play out is the situational value that is clearly available with the total in Washington. The over is now 7-3 in the Wizards past 10 games. The over is also 4-1 in Orlando's last 5 road games. With the Magic off a rare win and trending over when in that situation this season, don't look for much defense in this match-up as the Wizards will simply try to again run and gun their way past Orlando. 10* OVER the total in Washington |
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