Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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07-03-21 | Astros v. Indians OVER 9.5 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -115 | 9 h 52 m | Show |
Earliest Cash Eve - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #921 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Indians vs Houston Astros @ 7:15 ET - The Indians Eli Morgan is struggling badly and has a 10.32 ERA in his 3 home starts and all went over the total. The Astros Jake Odorizzi is coming off back to back strong outings but faced the Orioles and Tigers. He faces a much tougher test here and Odorizzi was not exactly on fire this season prior to these last two starts. I expect his struggles to resume here as the Indians bounce back from a couple recent sub-par performances at the plate. Odorizzi has seen the over go 5-2-1 in his 8 starts for Houston this season. The Indians have seen the over go 6-1-1 in their last 8 games and they'll get their bats going again here but I expect Morgan's struggles to continue so the Astros likely pound the ball too. Over the last 30 days the Houston production at the plate has been phenomenal with a .297 batting average and .498 slugging percentage. The over is on a 5-1 run in the Astros last 6 games. More of the same expected here. 10* OVER the total in Cleveland |
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07-03-21 | Mets v. Yankees UNDER 8.5 | Top | 8-3 | Loss | -100 | 4 h 36 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #930 Saturday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in New York Yankees vs New York Mets @ 1:05 ET - The Yankees Jordan Montgomery may not have flashy overall numbers but he has been rock solid at home where he has a 2.61 ERA and has held opponents to a .212 batting average. Last season he was also much better at home than on the road. The Mets Taijuan Walker has been fantastic in day games this season with a 1.89 ERA and a .190 batting average against. Overall he is having a very strong season and has a 3.26 ERA in his 4 career starts against the Yankees. Montgomery was solid in his lone career start against the Mets. This total has moved up to an 8.5 and only 7 of the Mets last 29 games have totaled 9 or more runs. The Yankees are off back to back high-scoring games but had averaged scoring only 2.5 runs per game in the 4 games immediately prior to those. 10* UNDER the total in New York Yankees |
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07-02-21 | Lightning v. Canadiens +119 | Top | 6-3 | Loss | -100 | 13 h 37 m | Show |
Playoff Game of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #12 Friday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line +120 vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 8:05 ET - Montreal dominated Game 2 and outshot the Lightning by a margin of 20 shots on goal. The Canadiens, however, still lost the game. Suffice to say it was a brutally bad beat for Montreal and I expect another determined effort from the Habs here. Being on home ice is certainly a big plus. Also, Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy has been superb between the pipes but when he does slip up it has tended to be on the road. His home numbers were much better than his road stats this season. The Canadiens will be absolutely relentless here as they fight hard to get back into the series in what is, for all intents and purposes, a must win game. They did not look in Game 1 but they looked the better team in Game 2 even though they lost. That is saying a lot about how well the Habs are capable of playing against this solid Tampa Bay team and I expect to see their best again tonight and, this time, it translates to a win. The Bolts power play has been great in the playoffs but the Canadiens penalty kill has ranked #1 throughout the post-season! Carey Price in goal for the home team comes up huge in this one too he has allowed more than 2 goals just once in 8 starts on home ice in this post-season. 10* MONTREAL |
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07-02-21 | Cardinals v. Rockies OVER 12.5 | Top | 9-3 | Loss | -109 | 11 h 54 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #961 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Colorado Rockies vs St Louis Cardinals @ 8:10 ET - This total was as low as an 11.5 when it opened up and now it is a 12.5 as of early morning Friday. The Rockies have stayed under the total in 5 straight games and the Cardinals have had just 1 over their last 7 games. In other words, the old saying of "someone knows something" holds true here. Indeed I expect the sharp money to line up on the over in this one and am expecting a wild game at Coors Field. I know the recent games there have not lived up to the billing of the usual high-scoring slugfests we see there but this one has all the right ingredients. The Cardinals Johan Oviedo has been hit hard in each of his last two starts and went 0-2 in them. He is winless with a 6.91 ERA on the road this season and the over is 4-0 in those outings. The Rockies Chi Chi Gonzalez is off a rare good start at Milwaukee but he allowed 10 earned runs in 11 and 1/3 innings spanning his two outings prior to that one. Both of those were at home and he struggled at Coors Field and I expect more of the same here. Gonzalez faced the Cardinals at St Louis in May and he allowed 7 earned runs in 4 innings! The Cards will be on him early and often again in this one. As for Oviedo, it will be his first ever start at Coors Field and that typically does not go well for pitchers and especially those in poor current form like he is. 10* OVER the total in Colorado |
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07-02-21 | Padres v. Phillies -118 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 9 h 29 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #952 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Phillies Money Line -120 vs San Diego Padres @ 6:05 ET - The Phillies game versus the Marlins yesterday was rained out but Zach Wheeler was already slated for tonight's start. Matt Moore was going to get yesterday's start and, arguably, the rain out was a good thing as they can now skip him. Wheeler has been nothing short of phenomenal. Also, he has improved with each month. Wheeler is coming off a season that saw him compile a 2.92 ERA in his first year with the Phillies. Then this season his month to month ERAs have been 3.13, 2.08, 1.44 for April, May, June respectively. Now he makes his first start of July and he is at home where he went 4-0 with a 2.38 ERA last season and this season he has a 2.05 ERA at Citizens Bank Park where Wheeler loves to pitch. Chris Paddack starts for the Padres and certainly has some impressive numbers of his own but he enters this start off a very rough outing in which he allowed 5 earned runs in just 2 and 1/3 innings. Though he has been decent on the road this season he went 1-3 with a 6.85 ERA in road starts last season and getting hit hard at home by the struggling Diamondbacks in most recent start is also a concern. San Diego has been hot but the Phillies are a solid home team and have a dominating starter on the mound and are the favorite here for a reason. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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07-01-21 | Hawks +126 v. Bucks | Top | 112-123 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 26 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #541 Thursday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks Money Line +125 @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 8:35 ET - Highly doubtful that Giannis Antetokounmpo will play here and the news gets even worse. The Bucks had him up until he got hurt about 5 minutes into the 3rd quarter. Even with him they were down 10 points at that point in the game AND the Hawks were playing without Trae Young. The fact that there is a decent chance Young will be back tonight really makes this situation tough on Milwaukee. This is particularly true because Cam Reddish is now back for Atlanta and playing well also. The Hawks now have a ton of confidence, are the healthier team, and this line is VERY small on the Bucks at home for a reason. The odds makers are enticing the betting public with the idea of taking a traditionally great home team, Milwaukee, at a number as low as -2 this morning. In my opinion the sharps will be on the Hawks here and the public will be on the Bucks at home. That said, give me the Atlanta money line as we have just not seen many games at all in this post-season where the spread has mattered so I will grab some plus money with the Hawks to win SU. Look for Atlanta to continue their ultra impressive playoff run. The Hawks got embarrassed in their last game here at Milwaukee but this followed 3 straight road wins and they will get payback after being completely obliterated in Game 2 of this series. 10* ATLANTA +125 |
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07-01-21 | Astros v. Indians OVER 8.5 | Top | 7-2 | Win | 100 | 9 h 48 m | Show |
Earliest Cash EVE - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #925 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Indians vs Houston Astros @ 7:10 ET - Something funny going on with this one. Total opened up as high as a 9.5 but has dropped to an 8.5 as of game day morning. I know that the wind is expected to be blowing in at Progressive Field for this one but the odds maker had this total right in my opinion and now we're going to take advantage of value on the other side of the line move as I fully expect double digits here. The Astros are off a 3-game sweep at the hands of the Orioles and this was at home. That said, going on the road and getting refocused with a change of scenery in a new venue should be a great thing for Houston. The Astros went 5-2 on most recent road trip and averaged scoring 6 runs per game. The Indians are off a home double-header sweep at the hands of the Tigers yesterday. That double-header was because Tuesday's game got rained out and that pushed JC Mejia's start back from Tuesday to Thursday. Anything that throws off a pitchers routine can be tough on them and this is particularly true of a rookie. Also, Mejia has struggled since moving into the starting role in June. He is winless in his 5 starts and has compiled a 6.27 ERA. He'll be opposed by Framber Valdez of the Astros. I know the Houston southpaw has been pitching well but he does tend to struggle more on the road than at home and the Indians have a .448 slugging percentage in last 12 games at home and had won 9 of 10 at home prior to yesterday's double header sweep. In those 10 home games the Indians averaged 6.2 runs per game. 10* OVER the total in Cleveland |
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07-01-21 | Royals v. Red Sox OVER 9.5 | Top | 1-15 | Win | 100 | 4 h 42 m | Show |
Earliest Cash DAY - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #919 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Red Sox vs Kansas City Royals @ 1:10 ET - Rainy weather moving into the Boston area but it should be after this one is already in the books and I look for plenty of runs here after yesterday's game was 5-2 in the top of the 6th but then saw only 1 more run scored the rest of the way. The Royals Kris Bubic has a 7.36 ERA on the road this season and a 9.49 ERA in his last 3 starts overall. Bubic had been working out of the bullpen most recently but struggled in 2 of those 3 appearances as well including a rough outing versus the Red Sox. Boston starts Nathan Eovaldi here and he has solid overall numbers this season but just recently faced the Royals and struggled in that outing with 7 hits allowed in only 4 innings on the mound. Kansas City now gets another look at him here and I expect more success for them at the plate in this one. 10* OVER the total in Boston |
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06-30-21 | Suns +1 v. Clippers | Top | 130-103 | Win | 100 | 12 h 42 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #531 Wednesday 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns (+) @ Los Angeles Clippers @ 9 ET - As you know, I am not fond of laying big juice or big points and, that said, this the perfect spot to take Phoenix to finish this series off. Since the Suns are on the road, we get great line value here with this line right around a pick'em and even available at +1 for Phoenix in some spots this morning. The Suns had won 10 of 11 prior to Monday's loss and I look for them to improve to 3-0 the last 3 times they were on the road and coming off a loss. The Clippers made 54.8% of their shots from the field and I certainly do not expect that to be repeated. In fact, LA made just 32.5% of their shots in the last game here. Considering that as well as the Suns being fired up off a loss and Los Angeles still without Kawhi Leonard, look for this series to end tonight. 10* PHOENIX +1 |
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06-30-21 | Canadiens +180 v. Lightning | Top | 1-3 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 19 m | Show |
NBCSN Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #81 Wednesday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line +180 @ Tampa Bay Lightning @ 8:05 ET - The Canadiens got blitzed in a Game 1 loss. They struggled to get many scoring chances, especially in the first period and a half of the game. At the same time, they allowed the Lightning far too many chances, especially from the slot area and TB made them pay. There was traffic in front of Montreal's fantastic goalie, Carey Price, and that made it a very difficult game for him. The loss certainly can not be blamed on him. Overall though, Montreal will make adjustments. After losing 5-1 in Game 1 Montreal would have been expected to be an even bigger dog here in Game 2. Of course the reason they are not is that the odds makers know the same things that the sharps do about this one. That is that the Habs have a great shot at the upset win here. Montreal has been playing the "us against the world underdog mentality" very well and they have been a resilient bunch ever since down 3-1 in the opening series versus Toronto. Ever since then, the Canadiens have won 11 of 14 games and they are 3-0 the last 3 times they have entered a game off a loss. As impressive as Tampa Bay has been, this is a team that is just 1-4 ATS the last five times when off a game in which they allowed 1 goal or got a shutout win. Too much big dog value to pass up on here as the road dog will make adjustments and will also come out with a lot of fire for this one - ready both mentally and physically. 10* MONTREAL +180 |
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06-30-21 | Pirates v. Rockies OVER 11 | Top | 2-6 | Loss | -115 | 5 h 46 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #955 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Colorado Rockies vs Pittsburgh Pirates @ 3:10 ET - This total opened up at an 11.5 and has dropped down to an 11 as of 5 hours prior to game time. The Pirates have been shutout by the Rockies in back to back games and almost got no-hit in last night's 8-0 loss as they only managed a 9th inning single. However, in typical contrarian fashion, I am on the over here and happy to fade the line move. The over is 8-1 in Chad Kuhl's starts this season including a perfect 6-0 in his road starts. The Pirates right-hander has a 6.04 ERA on the road this season and also was hit very hard in his lone career start at Coors Field. The Rockies Jon Gray is off a great start at Milwaukee but that was preceded by two very rough outings and that included a tough one against Pittsburgh. Something about the Pirates is probably what Gray has to be thinking as he has a 7.94 ERA in his career against them and the over is a perfect 5-0 in those 5 starts as he has complied a 1.94 WHIP too. Despite all the recent unders, this is an afternoon game at hitter-friendly Coors Field and the weather will be warm and I expect the bats to be hot. Don't be surprised if the Rockies again get to 8 runs here but, this time, the Pirates finally join the party after being shutout in the first two games of this series. Keep in mind, Pittsburgh had entered this series averaging a respectable 5.3 runs per game last 9 games. Their sticks get back on track here as they continue to give Gray trouble. 10* OVER the total in Colorado |
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06-29-21 | Bucks v. Hawks +7 | Top | 88-110 | Win | 100 | 10 h 6 m | Show |
Money Line Mauling - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #522 Tuesday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks Money Line +230 vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 8:30 ET - Of course you can grab the Hawks at +7 if you prefer but I am grabbing the money line. I am glad we won with the Clippers last night as a plus points underdog but still kicking myself for not using their big plus money line like I did on Atlanta in Game 1 of this series when they won outright at nearly +300 odds. The fact is that the Hawks are off back to back losses now and they are 5-1 SU the last 6 times they have entered a game off consecutive losses. We are getting extra line value here because of the Trae Young injury situation but I would be shocked if he did not play and/or was not effective. Either way though I expect a huge response from the Hawks here and certainly do not expect the Bucks to shoot better than 50% from the field for a 3rd consecutive game either. Milwaukee has a solid home record but Atlanta's home record even better. Also, the Hawks were the better team for the first 3 quarters of Sunday's loss before blowing the game in the 4th quarter as they were flustered by the Young injury situation. That will not impact them here as it known he has a bone bruise and he and the Hawks rally the troops for this one. 10* ATLANTA Money Line +230 |
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06-29-21 | Diamondbacks +139 v. Cardinals | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 23 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #909 Tuesday 10* Top Play Arizona Diamondbacks Money Line +140 @ St Louis Cardinals @ 8:15 ET - The Diamondbacks have been on a horrific run. I am well aware of this. However, this team has a huge pitching edge in this match-up based on current form and also the Cardinals have not exactly been setting the world on fire. St Louis got the big 7-1 win yesterday but previously had lost 8 of 10 games. Speaking of losing stretches, the Cards Carlos Martinez is 0-5 with a 13.73 ERA in the month of June and opponents hitting .352 against him. The Dbacks Caleb Smith moved into a starters role this month and, in his 5 starts, he has a 2.73 ERA and has held opponents to a .172 BAA. The Cardinals, prior to yesterday, had only 1 big game at the plate last 15 games. In the other 14 games St Louis scored an average of just 1.8 runs per game! The Diamondbacks had averaged 5 runs per game last 7 games prior to yesterday's disappointing loss. Arizona bounces back here plus gets a dominating start from Smith in this one while St Louis sees the struggles of Martinez continue here. 10* ARIZONA +140 |
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06-29-21 | Padres v. Reds OVER 10 | Top | 5-4 | Loss | -108 | 8 h 27 m | Show |
NOTE about pitching change. This is still a play for me. Craig Stammen had an ERA north of 5.00 the only two seasons he was used as a starter in his MLB career. Though he has pitched well this season out of the bullpen, he averages only 1 and 1/3 innings per outing and only 2 times in 33 appearances has he pitched more than 2 innings. Though the Padres bullpen has great numbers on the season, they have a 4.42 ERA last 15 days and opponents batting average of .292 last 7 days. Both of those numbers are poor as San Diego's pen has been trending the wrong direction as you can see. So this is still a play for me. ORIGINAL write-up: Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #903 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cincinnati Reds vs San Diego Padres @ 7:10 ET - The over is on a 10-2 run in Padres games and that includes 3-1 when they recently hosted the Reds out west. Now this game is in Cincinnati where it will be steamy and hot on Tuesday and the ball should be flying out of hitter friendly Great American Ball Park. Blake Snell starts for the Padres and the over is 6-2 in his 8 road starts this season and he is winless in them with a 10.36 ERA on the year away from home. The Reds start Tony Santillan and he has some respectable numbers since moving into the rotation but the worst of his 3 starts was at San Diego and the Padres are expected to get to him again here. Early and often plenty of runs in this one based on the pitching match-up and the weather conditions and the recent history between these teams. Reds averaging 5.8 runs per game at home this season and the Padres averaging 5.5 runs per game last dozen games. 10* OVER the total in Cincinnati |
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06-28-21 | Clippers +5.5 v. Suns | Top | 116-102 | Win | 100 | 15 h 33 m | Show |
Western Conf Finals Game of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #511 Monday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Clippers (+) @ Phoenix Suns @ 9:05 ET - This series has featured tight games and I am expecting another one here. The Clippers lone win was by 14 points but their 3 losses were by a total of only 11 points! That said, we have some value with the 5.5 points being offered here as the Suns, despite going against an LA team playing without Kawhi Leonard, has struggled to put them away in each game. Phoenix has made just 20 of 78 three pointers in the last 3 games in this series and that included one at home of course. The Clippers actually have shot better at Phoenix from downtown in this series as they have made 33 of 81 three pointers in the 2 games played here. That said, don't be surprised if Los Angeles finds away to stay alive in this series with an upset win here in Game 5. However, if LA does fall short, look for the points to be enough for the all-important cover in this one. 10* LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS |
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06-28-21 | Canadiens +177 v. Lightning | Top | 1-5 | Loss | -100 | 13 h 43 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #61 Monday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line +175 @ Tampa Bay Lightning @ 8:05 ET - Just too much value to pass up on in my opinion here. The Canadiens have had plenty of doubters in each series and yet they continue to defy logic and get the upset wins. I am not saying they will win this series and win it all. But I do sense an upset in Game One. The way Carey Price is playing, the Habs are a tough to beat right now. That does not mean the Lightning also are not a tough team to beat with Andrei Vasilevskiy between the pipes. I am just saying that the value here is in going against the defending Stanley Cup Champs as the element of surprise is at its biggest in Game One of a series and there is just something special about this Canadiens team this season that has them winning many match-ups in which they appear outclassed in terms of the way the teams match up. Having Price in the crease is a big key in that regard. I fully realize just how good this Tampa Bay team is but Montreal just beat a very good Vegas team to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Lightning are laying a -200 price here against a team that has won 11 of 13 games. Tampa Bay is off a hard-fought 7-game series against the Islanders and the Canadiens have an extra day of rest and have won 4 of 5 while the Lightning were just 3-3 last 6 prior to beating the Isles in Game Seven. 10* MONTREAL +175 |
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06-28-21 | Pirates v. Rockies OVER 11 | Top | 0-2 | Loss | -119 | 8 h 54 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #951 Monday 10* Top Play OVER 11 runs in Colorado Rockies vs Pittsburgh Pirates @ 5:10 ET - Kyle Freeland gets start for Rockies and has a 10.38 ERA at home this season and a 9.39 ERA in day games (3 pm local time start here). Last season he got hit at a .295 clip in home games. In 2019, Freeland had a 9.25 ERA and was hit at a .337 clip in home games. You can see where I am going with this and the Pirates are off a 7-2 win and have now won 6 of 9 games and scored an average of 7 runs per game in the 6 victories. The Pirates issue today will be their own pitching. Tyler Anderson used to pitch for the Rockies and was drafted by them and certainly does not have fond memories of pitching here. He regularly got crushed at Coors Field and he has struggled in road starts since leaving Colorado after a 2019 season in which he went winless with an 11.76 ERA in five starts. With the Giants in 2020, Anderson went 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA in his six road starts. This season he is 2-4 with a 6.06 ERA in his 6 road starts. Anderson has been crushed in his last two road starts and Freeland has been hammered in his only two home starts this season. More of the same expected here. Prior to a shutout loss staying under the total yesterday, the Rockies were on a 7-2-1 run to the over and should resume that trending here. Colorado has averaged nearly 7 runs per game last 6 home games and the weather will be excellent for an over in Denver today. 10* OVER the total in Colorado |
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06-27-21 | Bucks v. Hawks +165 | Top | 113-102 | Loss | -100 | 13 h 44 m | Show |
Money Line Mauling - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #502 Sunday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks Money Line +165 vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 8:35 ET - The Hawks did not just lose at Milwaukee in Game 2, they got absolutely annihilated in an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Bucks. That said, the set up here is ideal as Atlanta is back at home and in response mode. Remember that, entering March, the Hawks were just 14-20 on the season. That means they wrapped up the regular season on a 27-11 run. In fact, when at home off a loss, Atlanta is 7-1 the last 8 times. Just like I did in Game 1 when we cashed with the big dog Hawks on the money line at nearly a 3 to 1 payback, I am shunning the points again for the bigger payout with the money line. The ATS winner has also been the SU winner in 12 of last 13 Bucks games. The ATS winner has also been the SU winner in 13 straight Atlanta games. The point is that if you like the Hawks to get the cover here, the odds strongly favor that you play the money line for the bigger payout as any ATS win also likely to be a SU win. This has actually been a strong pattern throughout this post-season in nearly all the series. More of the same here and I look for the hosts to improve to 8-1 SU the last 9 times they were at home off a loss. 10* ATLANTA money line +165 |
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06-27-21 | Indians v. Twins OVER 9.5 | Top | 2-8 | Win | 100 | 5 h 39 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #925 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Twins vs Cleveland Indians @ 2:10 ET - Yesterday's game was rained out so Sam Hentges gets the start today for the Indians but the Twins decided to hold Kenta Maeda off until Monday. That means Sunday the start goes to Minnesota's originally scheduled starter which was JA Happ. That is good news for over players as the over is 10-3 in his starts this season. Happ is having a very rough time of it this season with a 6.09 ERA on the year and a 7.90 ERA in his last 3 starts. Hentges is off a rare solid road outing as his first two road starts both went over the total. Even after a good start in his last outing, the Indians southpaw still has a 6.94 ERA on the road this season. The over is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings between these teams and I look for a wild one early Sunday afternoon as both these pitchers get roughed up and we could see something similar to an 8-7 final like we saw Friday. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota |
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06-27-21 | Yankees v. Red Sox OVER 8.5 | Top | 2-9 | Win | 100 | 5 h 47 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #921 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees @ 1:10 ET - Hot afternoon at Fenway Park with the wind blowing out. Yet we get a low total because Gerrit Cole is on the mound for the Yankees. As fantastic of a hurler as he is, Cole has allowed 2 homers in each of his last 2 road starts. Also, he is facing a Red Sox team that is now 5-0 against the Yankees this season and has scored an average of 5.4 runs per game in those 5 victories. So I do fully expect Boston to get their fair share of runs but finally, today, the Yankees bats should come back to life. They will take advantage of facing a struggling Eduardo Rodriguez. The Red Sox southpaw has a 7.98 ERA in his last 3 starts. All 3 of those starts went over the total and I fully expect this one to do the same. 10* OVER the total in Boston |
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06-26-21 | Suns v. Clippers OVER 218.5 | Top | 84-80 | Loss | -103 | 13 h 42 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #591 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Los Angeles Clippers vs Phoenix Suns @ 9:05 ET - Back to back unders in this series. The only time in this post-season that the Clippers have been at home following back to back unders, the game flew over the total. The only two times that the Suns have been on the road following a streak of 2 or more consecutive unders, each time the game flew over the total. That is a combined 3-0 over trend for these teams that is perfect in this post-season and that I expect to remain perfect here as well. Phoenix, off a loss, will be more aggressive in game 4 and should get more free throw attempts as a result. In Chris Paul's second game back, I expect improvement. Also, the Suns will certainly shoot better than the 39% they shot in game 3 from the field. I certainly don't see them continuing the poor outside shooting that has seen them hit just 16 of 58 threes in the last two games. Phoenix will be much better but LA is on their home floor and looking to even this series up and I see more of a high-scoring game like we saw in Game 1 as a result of the situation and the fact we have got Suns off a loss here. 10* OVER the total in Los Angeles Clippers |
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06-26-21 | Braves v. Reds UNDER 9 | Top | 1-4 | Win | 100 | 5 h 7 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #958 Saturday 10* Top Play UNDER 9 runs in Cincinnati Reds vs Atlanta Braves @ 4:10 ET - We get a big number to work with because Luis Castillo has an ugly record and ugly ERA on the season. The long-term year over year numbers tell the real story with Castillo and the fact is that he is back in solid form this month. Castillo has a 2.19 ERA in June and opponents have only hit .155 against him! Also, in his last two starts against the Braves he has allowed 1 earned run total! As for Ian Anderson against the Reds, he pitched 6 shutout innings against them in his only career start against them. The young right-hander has been fantastic away from home this season. Anderson has a 2.37 ERA in road outings this year. Overall, in 20 career starts at the MLB level, Anderson has a 2.92 ERA and has held opponents to a .206 batting average! We get a total of 9 to work with here and I love the value because I fully expect a pitchers duel based on all of the above. Also, 8 of the last 11 meetings between these teams have resulted in an under. The Braves have not scored more than 3 runs in any of their last 8 games and have scored an average of only 2 runs per game during this stretch. The Reds have been held to just 2 runs in 5 of their last 10 games. 10* UNDER 9 runs in Cincinnati |
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06-25-21 | Hawks +8 v. Bucks | Top | 91-125 | Loss | -104 | 12 h 7 m | Show |
East Conf Finals Game of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #581 Friday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 8:35 ET - Bad news for the Bucks here. The Hawks Bogdan Bogdanovic scored just 2 points on only 1 of 6 shooting in Game One as he was bothered by a sore knee and Atlanta still won the game outright. That said, I am grabbing the points here in Game Two for the same reasons I took the Hawks to win Wednesday's game outright as a +$300 money line dog. The only reason I am grabbing the points here is I would not be surprised to see the Bucks find a way to get a SU win here but I certainly don't see them getting that win by any kind of sizable margin. As mentioned in Wednesday's write-up, the Hawks are just feeling it right now and are playing with no playoff pressure on them. The Bucks, conversely, have a ton of pressure on them because of high expectations coupled with recent post-season disappointments. The loose and relaxed team is the Hawks and that makes for a very dangerous underdog. Atlanta is 6-2 SU on the road in the playoffs and they enter this game on an overall 4-1 SU run with the only loss in that stretch coming by just 5 points. The Bucks last 7 games have resulted in 3 SU losses and only 2 of the 4 SU wins for Milwaukee were by more than 4 points. You can see the value in having the points on your side with numbers like this and you know the Bucks will be geared up to not drop a 2nd consecutive home game. But again, this Hawks team is simply incredibly resilient and Trae Young right now is playing at another level that is simply phenomenal. 10* ATLANTA |
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06-25-21 | Islanders +146 v. Lightning | Top | 0-1 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 52 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #31 Friday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line +145 @ Tampa Bay Lightning @ 8:05 ET - The Bolts are on a 13-0 run in the post-season when coming off a playoff loss. In typical contrarian fashion, I will take the Isles here as I fade that stat! Certainly it is not without good reasoning though. First off, we have excellent underdog line value with the Islanders available at +145. They could have packed it in after an 8-0 loss in Game 5 at Tampa Bay and then getting down 2-0 in Game 6. A loss there and we would not even be talking about this game! The fact is that New York rallied to tie the game and then won it in OT and now here we find ourselves getting to enjoy a Game 7. Ironically, the last time the Lightning played a Game 7 was in the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals and that was also on home ice and Tampa Bay lost the game to the Capitals. Washington's coach at the time was, you guessed it, Barry Trotz! The Isles current head coach ended up taking the Caps to a Stanley Cup win over Vegas and he has his sites set on another Stanley Cup run with these Islanders! To do it he has to do the same thing he did in 2018 and that is win a Game 7 at Tampa Bay. I expect him to do just that as the Bolts are also currently dealing with an injury to the player who is leading the post-season for most points (goals and assists combined) and Nikita Kucherov is a critical player for TB. If he even plays tonight I do not expect him to be 100%. Underdog value is off the charts in this one. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS |
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06-25-21 | Orioles v. Blue Jays OVER 10.5 | Top | 6-5 | Win | 100 | 8 h 35 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #917 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Blue Jays vs Baltimore Orioles @ 7:07 ET - Yesterday's game was 6-0 after 1 inning and 9-0 after 3 innings and yet amazingly stayed under the total! The game ended 9-0! Today's total opened up at an 11 and has settled in at a 10.5 and I expect today to make up for yesterday's dramatic shortfall with the total. Sometimes the 9-0 games like that just stay like that or with very little scoring the rest of the way but today's game should see much more balanced scoring with both teams getting in on the action. Toronto should pound the Orioles Matt Harvey as he is having a horrible season and showing no signs of improvement. He went 1-5 with a 9.64 ERA in May and now is 0-3 with an 11.20 ERA in June! The Blue Jays have won 5 straight games and averaged scoring 6 runs per game in the winning streak and should easily get to at least that again today. The difference in this one will be that the Baltimore bats get in on the fun too! The Orioles just faced Alek Manoah and got to him for 5 earned runs in 3 and 1/3 innings! Also, in his only home start this season, Manoah allowed 4 earned runs in 3 and 1/3 innings as well. This one has all the right ingredients for a slugfest! 10* OVER the total in Toronto |
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06-24-21 | Suns v. Clippers OVER 221 | Top | 92-106 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 21 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #571 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Los Angeles Clippers vs Phoenix Suns @ 9:05 ET - I think we can all agree on one thing when it comes to the odds makers and that is...they do a damn good job of making the numbers on a daily basis. That said, the line on this game being in the pick'em range is likely "spot on" in terms of this being a tight game that could go either way late in the final minutes as we have seen with so many of these games in this post-season. That said, I feel we have excellent line value here with this total. The Suns are getting Chris Paul back tonight to lead this offense. Phoenix is buoyed by a 2-0 series lead here and winning Game 2 on a last-season shot. However, even with Kawhi Leonard still out for the Clippers, LA is certainly not going to just lay down here. That said, I am fully expecting a high-scoring game here as the Suns, with Paul back, will push the pace here and look to run the Clippers right out of the building. Keep in mind, Phoenix is on a 9-game winning streak. In the 7 games preceding the tight low-scoring win in Game 2, the Suns had averaged 119 points per game. No, none of those games went to OT either. That said, a 119-118 final here certainly would not be a complete shock and yet this total is in the 221 range. I feel we have a lot of good value in this low number because let us also not forget that Kawhi Leonard is a 2-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. His absence is absolutely impactful to this D and now they face a healthy Suns team again with Paul coming back. This is going to lead to some extra scoring in my opinion as Phoenix pushes the pace but the Clippers come up big at home too. 10* OVER the total in LA Clippers |
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06-24-21 | Golden Knights v. Canadiens +131 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 131 | 12 h 11 m | Show |
Contrarian Game of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #22 Thursday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line +130 vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:05 ET - The odds makers appease the markets when they make the lines to draw equal action. That being said, it is truly the only reason the Golden Knights are a moderately priced favorite here. In my typical contrarian mindset, I am fading market perception here. The masses are still believes in Vegas but the Golden Knights internal issues started up again with the goalie change that always seems to lead to bad things for Vegas come playoff times. Now you have a team that has lost 3 of last 4 games as a -150 range favorite and it is simply not justified. The only win that the Golden Knights have in the last 4 games very easily could have been a loss as that was the game most questioned in terms of officiating and the Golden Knights scored late to tie it and then they won in OT. That said, this series could very easily be over already with Montreal advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals. Though that is not the case yet it will be after tonight in my opinion. Carey Price has been stellar between the pipes for the Habs and Vegas has scored an average of only 1.5 goals per game in regulation time of the last 4 games in this series. The Canadiens simply continue to be an "unliked" team by the betting markets but they have now won 10 of 12 games. That said, I will gladly take them as a home underdog in this one. 10* MONTREAL +130 |
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06-24-21 | A's v. Rangers OVER 8 | Top | 5-1 | Loss | -115 | 4 h 56 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #961 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER 8 runs in Texas Rangers vs Oakland A's @ 2:05 ET - Yesterday there were 13 games in MLB and this game and the Phillies match-up with the Nationals were the only two contests that saw both teams reach double digits in hits. The game in Philadelphia totaled 25 runs. This one totaled just 8 runs. The point is that I feel we have some value here after each team pounded out 10 hits in yesterday's game and yet the match-up fell just short of going over the total. I also like the fact that the total on this one opened up as high as a 9 but has now dropped to an 8. I know that both Chris Bassitt of Oakland and Kolby Allard of Texas have been pitching well this season. However, couple things about that. Bassitt has higher ERAs and higher BAA in both road games and day games this season than home games and night games. Also, the Rangers with experience against him at the plate include 4 guys who are a combined 5 for 11 against him. As for Allard, he is having a strong season but this is still a guy who has a 5.53 ERA in his 127 innings at the MLB level. Does he really merit a game total of 8 against a pretty solid Athletics lineup. In fact, Oakland's hitters with experience against him include 5 players who are a combined 8 for 17 against him. A's games were on an 8-2 run to the over prior to yesterday's under. Also, Rangers had just 2 unders last 10 games prior to yesterday's under. These teams cash more of their opportunities this afternoon than they did last night. 10* OVER 8 in Texas |
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06-23-21 | Hawks +8.5 v. Bucks | Top | 116-113 | Win | 100 | 6 h 16 m | Show |
Money Line Mauling - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #561 Wednesday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks Money Line +300 @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 8:35 ET - The Bucks beat a Nets team that was a giant mess. Kyrie Irving got hurt during series. James Harden was hurt for the key early part of the series and had no rhythm with his shooting when he came back. So basically Milwaukee beat a Brooklyn team that for much of the series was a shell of the team it should be. That does not mean the Bucks are not a rock solid team as they truly are one of the best teams in the league. But I feel strongly they are in for some "shock value" when they face Atlanta here. Yes I know the Hawks are a little banged up right now but they are not dealing with major injury issues like the Nets were. That said, Atlanta comes into this series having defeated a high-quality 76ers team that had their stars on the floor. The Hawks have plenty of momentum on their side and a confidence and a swagger that are both keys to winning on the road. Atlanta gets down double digits in a game that is still not a problem as they have shown throughout this post-season. But I actually expect the Hawks to get a great early jump on Milwaukee in this game and to play from ahead for much of the way. Trae Young is the Hawks superstar and he only played in ONE of the three games against Milwaukee in the regular season because of injuries during the year and he shot an uncharacteristic 3 of 17 in that one game. So Young essentially did nothing against the Bucks in the entire regular season series and yet Atlanta still went 1-2 in the 3 games. Also, the Hawks are on a 4-1 SU run in road games. The ATS winner has been the SU winner in 9 of Milwaukee's last 10 games. In other words, whoever you like ATS here you can certainly also feel confident about in terms of a SU win too and I am going for the big payback here. Grab the money line on the Hawks as they are rolling with confidence right now and are a cohesive group unlike the wounded and broken Nets team that the Bucks just played. 10* ATLANTA +300 |
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06-23-21 | Lightning v. Islanders +132 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 132 | 12 h 33 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #12 Wednesday 10* Top Play New York Islanders +130 vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 8:05 ET - The Islanders did not just lose Game 5, they got thoroughly embarrassed. This is a hard-nosed, resilient team with a strong head coach. The Isles will respond tonight on home ice in Game 6. They had a 3-0 lead in the eventual 3-2 win in Game 4 here and, after the Game 5 shellacking, the Islanders will refuse to be ushered out of the post-season by virtue of a loss in their own barn. I expect New York to play a fantastic game tonight and dominate. New York is 10-4 last 14 times when at home and off a loss. The Islanders are 3-1 in the post-season when off a game in which they allowed 4 or more goals. Tampa's Vasilevskiy had a 1.75 GAA at home this season but a 2.63 GAA on the road this year. The Bolts are a great team but the home dog is no slouch and responds with professional pride after Tampa Bay poured it on against them in Monday's game and this has ignited a fire in the Isles. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS +130 |
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06-23-21 | Astros v. Orioles OVER 9.5 | Top | 13-0 | Win | 100 | 8 h 13 m | Show |
Earliest Cash Total of the Week - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #909 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Baltimore Orioles vs Houston Astros @ 7:05 ET - This total opened up at a 10.5 and has dropped to a 9.5 which has opened up excellent line value on the over in my opinion. Yes the Orioles Thomas Eshelman is facing the team that drafted him and will want to come up big but sometimes pitchers tend to overthrow in situations like this. He has only made 1 start this season and in home start the past two seasons he has a 5.91 ERA. Eshelman, overall, has a 5.02 ERA and has been hit at a .282 clip in his 23 MLB appearances so those are far from dominant numbers. As for the Astros Jose Urquidy, he is 1-2 with a 4.59 ERA in his road starts this season. Last season his ERA was a run higher on the road compared to at home and he has continued that trending this season. In the year before that he was hit at a .273 clip in away games. Urquidy simply tends to be a different pitcher when on the road. Yesterday's game was a pitchers duel but Monday's game totaled 12 runs and was the 5th over in a 6-game stretch for the Orioles and 7th in 8 games for the Astros. After a 3-1 game yesterday, the big hitting resumes today. The Astros bullpen has a 4.57 ERA on the road this season and the Orioles bullpen has an overall 4.74 ERA to rank among the worst in the majors. 10* OVER the total in Baltimore |
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06-22-21 | Canadiens +209 v. Golden Knights | Top | 4-1 | Win | 209 | 15 h 53 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #81 Tuesday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line (+) @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 9:05 ET - You will see a very determined effort from the Canadiens here after they felt a bit "cheated", if you will, by the officiating in Game 4 of this series. Montreal deserved much better and could very easily be up 3-1 in this series as they also held an edge in shots on goal in the eventual OT loss on Sunday. The Golden Knights have totaled only 5 goals in regulation time of the last 3 games and are severely over-valued here. After how well Fleury had been playing I still feel it will be a mistake that Lehner was in goal in Game 4. No matter who starts Game 5 the "head games" have begun with Vegas and threaten to damage the mentality of both of these netminders now going forward. There are no such questions for Montreal where Carey Price has been fantastic between the pipes. Also, you are going to see a huge effort from an angry Habs team that will be determined to get back the lead in this series as it is tied 2-2 now but should not be. The road team has split the games in this series, home ice is way over-valued, and I am taking a shot with the big dog in Game 5 just like I successfully did in Game 2 here. Look for another upset here. 10* MONTREAL +210 |
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06-22-21 | Clippers v. Suns -5 | Top | 103-104 | Loss | -106 | 15 h 9 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #552 Tuesday 10* Phoenix Suns (-) vs Los Angeles Clippers @ 9:05 ET - Per the zig zag theory, the Clippers are the play here since they lost Game 1. However, in typical contrarian fashion, I am on the Suns here but it certainly is not without reason. I know Phoenix is still without Paul but the Clippers still being without Leonard is an even bigger factor. Also, I love the fact that the Suns won and covered the first game despite LA having nearly twice as many free throw attempts PLUS the fact that the Clippers outscored the Suns by 21 points from the 3-point line! Yes Los Angeles hit 20 threes compared to 13 threes for Phoenix and yet they still lost the game by half a dozen points! Keep in mind, the Suns are allowing only 100 points per game last 6 home games. The Clippers have allowed 115 points last 4 road games and are missing a key defender with the aforementioned absence of Kawhi. The Suns have won 8 games in a row and all have been by 6 or more points. Look for this one to fall into that category as well! 10* PHOENIX |
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06-22-21 | Reds v. Twins OVER 9 | Top | 10-7 | Win | 100 | 8 h 31 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #967 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Twins vs Cincinnati Reds @ 1:10 ET - Yesterday's game did take extra innings to get over the total and I am well aware of that. I also know Byron Buxton left the game with an injury and is likely out again but he has missed a lot of time already and the Twins are otherwise mostly returning to health in their lineup. Wade Miley has been strong for the Reds this season but his strikeout numbers are down in his last couple starts and he faces a tough road test here. The Twins have a .450 slugging percentage against lefties which is one of the best marks in baseball. Minnesota will surprise by hitting Miley well especially being buoyed by the momentum of last night's 7-5 extra innings win. Also, the Twins will need all the runs they can get because I expect Bailey Ober to struggle in this one. Ober is off a solid outing at Seattle but he entered that start getting hit at a .321 clip in his first 3 starts. He is a rookie and averaging just 4 innings per start and the Twins bullpen is not a good one and, for that matter, neither is the Reds. Each team's sub-par pen got some extra work last night too which helps our cause here. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota |
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06-21-21 | Islanders +167 v. Lightning | Top | 0-8 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 27 m | Show |
Money Line Mauling - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #71 Monday NHL 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line +165 @ Tampa Bay Lightning @ 8:05 ET - This one is all about the line value. The Islanders were up 3-0 in Game 4 and then hung on for the 3-2 win. Now the Lightning are back on home ice in a 2-2 series and so the markets will be backing them. However, just because a team is off a loss it certainly does not make it automatic that they bounce back with a win in the next game. Keep in mind, the Lightning won 2 straight in this series - Games 2 and 3 - and the Canadiens won those same 2 games in their series with the Golden Knights. That said, getting +165 with a team that has proven to be just as tough as the team they are facing is a value so strong that I will not pass up on getting involved here. Note that the road team in Tampa Bay playoff games, was on a 6-2 run prior to the Bolts losing at New York on Saturday. Also the Islanders, prior to losing game two of this series at Tampa Bay, had won 3 straight road games in the post-season and 4 of their last 5. Scrappy, defensive-minded, a hard team to play against, well-coached...all those things characterize the Islanders. Yes, the defending champion Lightning are a great team of course but this Isles team the real deal with a head coach that won the Stanley Cup with the Capitals just a few years ago. Upset alert. 10* New York Islanders Money Line +165 |
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06-21-21 | Astros v. Orioles OVER 10.5 | Top | 10-2 | Win | 100 | 9 h 18 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #909 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Baltimore Orioles vs Houston Astros @ 7:05 ET - The Astros are 6-1 to the over last 7 games. The Orioles are 4-1 to the over last 5 games. Houston has won 7 straight games courtesy of a red hot lineup as they have averaged 8 runs per game during this winning streak. Baltimore is not a great hitting team overall but they generally score better at home and that has been the case again this season. The Orioles are averaging 4.7 runs per game at home this season and enter this one on an overall 5-game stretch that has seen them average 5.6 runs per game. Jake Odorizzi starts for Houston and the past 2 seasons combined he has pitched in 11 games (10 starts) and has a 6.00 ERA. Keegan Akin starts for Baltimore in this one. The southpaw has allowed 11 earned runs in less than 10 innings of work spanning his last two starts. The Astros are hitting .287 versus lefties this season and that is tops in the majors! Houston's bullpen has struggled on the road with a 4.50 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP! That WHIP indicates that ERA could easily be higher. The Orioles bullpen has a 4.77 ERA on the season and has struggled badly with save opportunities. 10* OVER the total in Baltimore |
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06-20-21 | Golden Knights v. Canadiens OVER 5 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -123 | 10 h 44 m | Show |
NBCSN Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #61 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Montreal Canadiens vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:05 ET - The Golden Knights put 45 shots on goal in Game 3 but only had 2 goals to show for it. Vegas will undoubtedly put a ton of pressure on the Habs again in this one. Carey Price has been great in goal for Montreal but did allow 4 goals in Game 1 and the Golden Knights have scored very well this season when off back to back losses. When entering a game off 2 or more consecutive losses, Vegas has averaged 4 goals this season. 6 times this season, 24 goals. At the same time, Montreal is loaded with momentum right now playing with confidence and has won 9 of 10 games! The Canadiens have averaged 3.1 goals per game in those 10 games. Though there is plenty of deserved respect for both goalies here, you can see why I would not be surprised to see a 4-3 type game given the situation for this one. Canadiens look to take a 3-1 stranglehold on the series and the angry Golden Knights fighting hard to even up at 2 games apiece and will be relentless in creating quality scoring chances in the offensive zone. 10* OVER the total in Montreal |
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06-20-21 | Clippers v. Suns OVER 221.5 | Top | 114-120 | Win | 100 | 6 h 6 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #535 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 221.5 in Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Clippers @ 3:35 ET - Kawhi Leonard out for the Clippers. Chris Paul out for the Suns. These are two key absences for Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. So what will happen here? Others will step up with them absent. Also, let's not forget about the impact on defense without guys like that on the floor. It changes multiple aspects. That said, people often just tend to look at points scored per game when looking at the absences of key personnel but truly they impact defense, defensive rotations, etc. as well. That said, with the Suns 3-2 to the over last 5 and Clippers 4-1 to the over last 5, I like the over in this match-up! The last two match-ups stayed under the total but had 116 and 110 points, respectively, at the half of each game and should have gone over. Each of the two meetings prior to that this season did go over the total. We're getting some line value here in my opinion as a result of all of the above. 10* OVER the total in Phoenix |
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06-20-21 | Brewers v. Rockies OVER 12 | Top | 7-6 | Win | 100 | 4 h 59 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #955 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 12 runs in Colorado Rockies vs Milwaukee Brewers @ 3:10 ET - The over is 7-2-1 in the Rockies last 10 games and the situation here is perfect for another high-scoring slugfest at Coors Field. Colorado has scored an average of 7 runs per game last 5 games and is on a 5-1 run last 6 so, despite blowing last night's game, the Rockies are playing with confidence right now. The Brewers have scored 5 or more runs in 4 of last 6 road games. They should get plenty here against a struggling Chi Chi Gonzalez. He is winless with an 8.80 ERA in his 3 starts in June. Opponents are hitting .299 against him this season and hit .289 against him last season and he compiled a 6.86 ERA in the shortened 2020 season. He is 4-14 with a 5.91 ERA in his last 5 seasons at the MLB level. Also likely to struggle today is Eric Lauer of the Brewers. The Milwaukee southpaw is 0-4 with a 9.35 ERA and a 2.23 WHIP in his 7 career starts against the Rockies and has particularly struggled at Coors Field. Lauer is 0-2 with 11 earned runs allowed in 7 innings in his 2 June starts. More of the same expected here. 10* OVER the total in Colorado |
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06-19-21 | Bucks +2 v. Nets | Top | 115-111 | Win | 100 | 13 h 42 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #521 Saturday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (+) @ Brooklyn Nets @ 8:35 ET - Normally I would suggest playing the money line here but at the time of this write-up at 8 AM ET on gameday morning, the money is only +110 but the spread is +2 and that gives enough value to grab the point spread in my opinion. Why I am looking for a Milwaukee win here? As long-time followers know I am a contrarian. These teams have met 9 times this season. 3 times in the regular season and 6 times in this playoff series. The home team has won all 9 games. Then the oddsmakers opened up the Bucks as 1.5 point road favorites here. The betting markets of course are saying the oddsmakers do not know what they are doing and the line has moved 3.5 points to where it is now Brooklyn that is a 2-point favorite. Keep in mind, the Nets are without Kyrie Irving and to me the Bucks sure look like the hungrier team. They are playing with a lot of intensity and passion right now. I know Brooklyn will dig deeper at home in this Game 7 but the hungrier team and healthier team will not be denied in Game 7 no matter the venue. The Bucks did a great job in the rebounding department and in terms of getting to the free throw line in Game 6 and they will do the same here and get the road win. 10* MILWAUKEE |
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06-19-21 | Lightning v. Islanders +116 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 116 | 11 h 13 m | Show |
Semi-Finals Game of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #52 Saturday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (+) vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 8:05 ET - The Islanders are in a must win spot here after dropping Game 3 on home ice. Yes, in theory, anything is possible but coming back from a 3-1 deficit with 2 of the final 3 games at Tampa Bay would be an incredible challenge. That said, I am expecting New York to play their best game of the series tonight. I also feel strongly that they would have won Game 3 were it not for a back-breaking momentum-shifting goal very late in the 2nd period immediately after a TB penalty had been killed off. It did not go in the books as a power play goal but, for all intents and purposes, it was. That proved to be too much for the Isles to bounce back from but this is a resilient group and very well-coached. I expect a big bounce back here. The Islanders have now lost back to back games and are 5-1 the last 6 times when entering a home game on a losing streak of 2 or more games. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS +115 |
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06-19-21 | Twins v. Rangers OVER 9 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -110 | 6 h 48 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #919 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 9 runs in Texas Rangers vs Minnesota Twins @ 4:05 ET - The Rangers start Kolby Allard here. Though he has some solid numbers this season he likely will struggle here. The Twins have a .461 slugging percentage against lefties this year which ranks them #2 in the majors behind the White Sox. Also, the over is on a 7-3 run in Twins games. Minnesota has scored 7 runs in back to back road games. The over is on a 5-0-1 run in Rangers games. Texas should have success at the plate today considering they are facing a struggling Randy Dobnak. The Twins right-hander is 0-3 with a 9.36 ERA in his last 3 starts. The over is cashing at a 75% clip in Dobnak's starts this season. Overall, in his 12 appearances (8 out of the pen) this season, Dobnak has an 8.38 ERA and opponents are crushing him to the tune of a .335 batting average against. Considering all of the above as well as two bullpens that have struggled overall this season, the over trending should absolutely continue. 10* OVER 9 runs in Texas |
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06-18-21 | Golden Knights v. Canadiens OVER 5 | Top | 2-3 | Push | 0 | 10 h 21 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #41 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Montreal Canadiens vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:05 ET - Vegas needs to respond off the Game 2 loss but the Canadiens will be an even tougher team to face on their home ice. I like Montreal to be very energized here and have some success in the offensive zone and they created some strong chances against Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury in Game 2. But I am not backing them here because I know how hungry the Golden Knights will be and that they should respond well here on the road. The value of getting this total at a 5 is a big one. Of course we do not want to settle for a push here but I do feel we have a great shot at 6 or more and note that each of the Golden Knights last 9 games have totaled 5 or more goals! Those 9 games did average exactly 6 goals in regulation time (does not include the 2 OT goals) and I am expecting at least 6 in this one. Vegas has been getting their scoring chances, including in Game 2 of this series, and the Knights had won 5 straight games and averaged scoring 4 goals per game in those 5 before the loss on Wednesday. Habs will get some goals on their home ice but the hungry visitors will be right there with them and I would not be surprised to see a see-saw type battle here that gets to 3-3 at some point! 10* OVER the total in Montreal |
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06-18-21 | 76ers -3 v. Hawks | Top | 104-99 | Win | 100 | 11 h 34 m | Show |
2nd Round Game of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #511 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET - The Sixers led by 18 going to the 4th quarter Wednesday and lost. They led by 13 at the half in Atlanta Monday and lost. After blowing back to back games the 76ers are in trouble as the Hawks are in the drivers seat now. However, Philadelphia knows that with one win tonight, the Sixers can force a Game 7 which would be in Philly. I do not see them being denied in that quest. Someone, or even a few players (the star talent is there) will step up for the 76ers in the fourth quarter of this game. This team should have a "going for the kill" mentality throughout the entirety of this game. The following is an excerpt from what I mentioned in a write-up earlier in this series on Philadelphia when they took a 2-1 series lead by winning Game 3 at Atlanta: "The Hawks played in a much weaker division this season than Philadelphia did. Note that Philly played in a tough Atlantic Division but still went 10-2 in the division. Also, the 76ers went 13-2 against the weak Southeast Division. The Hawks record was helped by the fact they went 9-3 in their own division. Against the Atlantic Division, Atlanta had a losing record at 7-8." All of that still holds true here and now you have the 76ers very angry after back to back losses and they are on the road so that is keeping this game at a very playable number - currently in the -3 range. Lay it! 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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06-18-21 | Cardinals v. Braves OVER 9 | Top | 1-9 | Win | 100 | 8 h 9 m | Show |
Earliest Cash Total of the Week - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #953 Friday 10* Top Play OVER 9 runs in Atlanta Braves vs St Louis Cardinals @ 7:20 ET - Interesting total here in my opinion. This one was in the 9.5 range and it is a National League game and Carlos Martinez coming off a great start and Max Fried has allowed only 1 earned run in 5 of his last 7 starts. Also, the Cardinals have scored only 1.5 runs per game in their last 6 games. That said, of course there is more than meets the eye here and the odds makers are right in setting this one higher than most would expect. Note that Martinez is 1-5 with a 6.21 ERA in road games and 1-4 with a 7.25 ERA in night games this season! He had been rocked in back to back starts prior to the successful outing in his most recent start. As for Fried, he has allowed 6 runs (5 earned) on 12 hits in less than 10 innings of work spanning his last two home starts. Also, the Cardinals team he is facing is one of the top three slugging teams in the National League against left-handed pitching. Fried is 1-3 with a 5.11 ERA in his evening starts this season. His only career start against St Louis resulted in an over and each of the last 3 starts Martinez has made against the Braves has resulted in an over. 10* OVER 9 runs in Atlanta |
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06-17-21 | Nets +188 v. Bucks | Top | 89-104 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 34 m | Show |
Money Lin Mauling - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #501 Thursday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets Money Line +190 @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 8:35 ET - This play is very similar in thinking to my successful money line play on the Nets in Tuesday's game. The very first line to come out on this game was a 3.5 which means the game is expected to be quite tight. Yet, the line then moved the way of the Bucks to force it up into the -6 range and so the money line has also moved accordingly. So now we can get Brooklyn as a big money line dog even though the original point spread arrived at by the odds makers was telling us this should be a very close game. Couple that with the fact that so often in these playoffs - almost without fail - the team that has won SU has also won ATS. We have seen very few games where a team wins SU but does not also win ATS. Long-term, dating back to the regular season, the Bucks have been following this trend too. Here we get a chance to take a team at nearly 2 to 1 plus money odds and we're taking a team that has won 12 of 15 games! Yes Kyrie Irving is again out but James Harden will surely be much better tonight in his 2nd game back after being nothing short of awful on Tuesday. The Nets still won that game despite his struggles and that says a lot. Now I know this game is at Milwaukee of course but with Harden playing much better tonight and the Nets having swung momentum back in their favor, I am sensing a big upset win tonight. 10* BROOKLYN +190 |
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06-17-21 | Lightning v. Islanders +120 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 48 m | Show |
Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #32 Thursday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line +120 vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 8:05 ET - The Islanders got blasted in Game 2 after winning Game 1 and they will now respond on home ice. The Isles were fantastic on home ice this season. Tampa Bay has a fantastic goalie in Andrei Vasilevskiy but he is not as strong on the road as he has at home. That has been a recurring theme throughout the year for him and I expect the Islanders to take Game 3 as a home dog. They are so strong on home ice and can frustrate the Bolts just like they did in Game 1 of this series. Similar to the Canadiens upset win over the Golden Knights last night after getting blasted in the prior game, look for a defensive-minded team to get the early lead here an then grind out a win. That is Islanders hockey to a T and they are very well-coached and should come up with a big response here after Tuesday's ugly loss. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS +120 |
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06-17-21 | Yankees v. Blue Jays OVER 10.5 | Top | 8-4 | Win | 100 | 6 h 26 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #913 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Blue Jays vs New York Yankees @ 7:05 ET - Yesterday's game was a pitchers duel so today's total is more than double the total runs scored in Wednesday's 3-2 Yankees win. That said, one may be enticed to look at the under but this match-up truly has the makings of a slugfest. The Yankees Michael King is 0-2 with a 6.35 ERA in his 3 starts since taking over Corey Kluber's spot in the rotation. The Blue Jays are expected to start TJ Zeuch here and he struggled to a 6.75 ERA in his 4 appearances (2 starts) at the MLB level this season. He has had trouble with more walks than strikeouts. Also, Zeuch has allowed 5 homers in his 12 innings with the Blue Jays this season and that is bad news against the slugging Yankees. New York ranks 5th in the majors for homers in road games this season and the Blue Jays 103 homers on the season ranks them #1 overall for the season! The over was on a 7-1 run in Yankees games prior to yesterday's under. The Blue Jays have not had back to back unders in a week. That is just another reason that, after yesterday's pitchers duel, I am fully expecting a slugfest here. 10* OVER the total in Toronto |
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06-16-21 | Canadiens +230 v. Golden Knights | Top | 3-2 | Win | 230 | 12 h 35 m | Show |
NBCSN Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #21 Wednesday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line +230 @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 9:05 ET - I have a ton of respect for the Golden Knights but this play is all about the value. People do not realize this Canadiens team is quite strong and they are not hanging their heads after that Game 1 loss. The fact it was a 4-1 final gives us some extra value here as there are plenty of non-believers when it comes to Montreal and this money line is being held high as result. The Vezina trophy is awarded each year to the top goalie in the league. In 2020 Connor Hellebuyck won it. What does that have to do with this play? He plays for Winnipeg and it is that Jets team that Montreal just swept out of the playoffs in the 2nd round. Note that in the 1st round the Habs rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to upset the heavily favored Leafs. Toronto was getting much better goaltending this season too plus loaded with star power and the Canadiens still managed to win games despite being outshot. Why? A guy by the name of Carey Price is between the pipes for Montreal and he is fully capable of stealing games. Price also has a Vezina trophy win on his resume and is one of the best netminders in the game. So too is Marc-Andre Fleury of Vegas but the Canadiens did have some quality chances but the puck luck - bounces of the puck if you will - did tend to favor the Golden Knights in Game 1. I expect a very hungry Habs team to come out with a much stronger full 60 minutes here as they tapered after a strong first period in Game 1. Perhaps the week long layoff caught up with the Canadiens but they will be better tonight. I am sure of that and feel it will lead to a big upset win. The Habs had won 7 straight games overall before the Game 1 loss and were also 6-1 on the road in this post-season prior to Monday's loss. Bounce back time here. 10* MONTREAL +230 |
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06-16-21 | Hawks v. 76ers -6 | Top | 109-106 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 59 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #582 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Atlanta Hawks @ 7:30 ET - The following is an excerpt from what I mentioned in a write-up earlier in this series on Philadelphia when they took a 2-1 series lead by winning Game 3 at Atlanta: "The Hawks played in a much weaker division this season than Philadelphia did. Note that Philly played in a tough Atlantic Division but still went 10-2 in the division. Also, the 76ers went 13-2 against the weak Southeast Division. The Hawks record was helped by the fact they went 9-3 in their own division. Against the Atlantic Division, Atlanta had a losing record at 7-8." All of that still holds true here and now you have Philly, after blowing a big lead in Game 4, all of the sudden knotted at 2 games apiece in this series but back home where they are known for dominating. The 76ers have one of the best combined home records in recent seasons among any of the teams in the league. Now of course we not only need the Sixers to win this game but also cover the spread. To put your mind at ease about this but, not sure if you have noticed in this post-season, the spread has hardly ever mattered. There have been very few games where the SU winner was not also the ATS winner. That trend dates back to the regular season in 76ers games to as only 1 of their last 14 games has seen the SU winner not also be the ATS winner. Look for the home team to get right back on track here and win this one in a blowout by a double digit margin. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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06-16-21 | Padres v. Rockies OVER 12 | Top | 7-8 | Win | 100 | 5 h 43 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #955 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 12 in Colorado Rockies vs San Diego Padres @ 3:10 ET - Hot afternoon with thin air of Coors Field and a pair of struggling starting pitchers. Yes, this total is a big one but truly this game has the makings of an absolute slugfest. The Padres scored the first 4 runs early yesterday but then the Rockies doubled them up the rest of the way for an 8-4 win. That kind of total would only give us a push here but I am expecting to see this one get to the 15 range. The Padres Blake Snell is winless with a 9.23 ERA in his road starts this season and the over is 5-2 in those 7 outings. The San Diego left-hander gave up 5 hits and walked 3 in 4 innings in his prior start here this season but was fortunate to allow only 2 earned runs in that one. He will not be so fortunate here. As for the Rockies Kyle Freeland, he has struggled mightily with a 9.00 ERA so far this season. The Colorado southpaw also has allowed 7 homers in his last 2 starts and that spells trouble against a San Diego team with plenty of pop in their lineup! Freeland allowed 11 hits in 4 and 1/3 innings the last time he hosted the Padres and he was fortunate to allow only 4 earned runs in that one. The over is 4-2 in the last 6 Rockies games overall and those 4 overs averaged 14 runs per game which is the range I expect this one will get into as well. Just too many problems for each of these starting pitchers and the Rockies bullpen ranks as one of the worst in the majors and the Padres bullpen has been excellent but pitching at Coors Field is a different kind of test and San Diego's pen saw that yesterday. 10* OVER 12 in Colorado |
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06-15-21 | Bucks v. Nets +175 | Top | 108-114 | Win | 175 | 12 h 36 m | Show |
Money Line Mauling - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #572 Tuesday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets Money Line +175 vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 8:30 ET - The odds makers knew James Harden and Kyrie Irving were not expected to play when they opened up this line at a -2 for Bucks. That line is indicating a very tight game of course and it is never shocking to see a +2 underdog win outright. That said, now that the markets have said the odds makers are clueless about doing their job and have caused this line to rise all the way to a -5 on Milwaukee, I am jumping in on the other side with Brooklyn. However, on the basis the odds makers are indeed quite sharp, I am not even taking the points, I will grab the big money line - range of +175 as of 9 AM ET - with the Nets in this one. This one has value, home court edge, coaching edge, and a hungry Nets team ready to prove the naysayers wrong after what happened in Game 4 at Milwaukee once Irving got hurt. These are still professionals that surround the lone remaining star, Kevin Durant, and watch them step up and help produce a "shocking" win over the Bucks. Per the odds makers original line, that should not be a shock at all but it will be to the betting markets and the masses after this insane line movement. In contrarian fashion I am calling for the upset here. 10* BROOKLYN Money Line +175 |
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06-15-21 | Islanders v. Lightning OVER 5 | Top | 2-4 | Win | 100 | 10 h 13 m | Show |
NBCSN Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #11 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER 5 goals in Tampa Bay Lightning vs New York Islanders @ 8:05 ET - You know Tampa Bay is going to respond on home ice in Game 2 of this series after dropping Game 1. However, the way the Lightning respond is to turn to their skill and speed in the offensive zone and I am looking for a very high-scoring game here as a result. The fact is that the Islanders impressed me greatly in Game 1, a winner right here as a big dog, with their ability to get quality scoring chances on Tampa Bay netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy. With Tampa Bay emphasizing offense here - their only goal coming in the final minute of Game 1 - I do fully expect the Islanders to get plenty of quality scoring chances at the other end. The result is going to be a much higher-scoring game than we saw Sunday. 10* OVER 5 goals in Tampa Bay |
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06-15-21 | Orioles v. Indians OVER 9 | Top | 2-7 | Push | 0 | 8 h 9 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #917 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Indians vs Baltimore Orioles @ 7:10 ET - The wind will be out of the north at Progressive Field and it will be a cool evening and not so favorable for the hitters. However, sometimes that serves to give us line value and that is the case here. The total has dropped partially because of the weather factor I am sure but all other signs, in my opinion, are pointing to an over in this one. The Indians start Cal Quantrill and he has struggled in the starters role in limited action this season. That includes getting rocked at Baltimore a little over a week ago. Giving the Orioles a quick second look at him is unlikely to help matters for the right-hander. Speaking of struggles, Matt Harvey gets the ball for the O's here. He is 0-2 with a 13.00 ERA in his last three starts. Also, Harvey has a 7.90 ERA in his 6 road starts this season and the over is 5-1 in those 6 outings. I expect more of the same here as he also has been rocked in both his starts against Cleveland in his career. In starts against the Indians, Harvey is 0-2 with a 12.86 ERA. Regardless of the weather tonight, though it may prevent many homers, both these starting pitchers likely to struggle and set the tone for a high-scoring game at Progressive Field. 10* OVER the total in Cleveland |
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06-14-21 | Canadiens +1.5 v. Golden Knights | Top | 1-4 | Loss | -124 | 12 h 46 m | Show |
Puck Line Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #1 Monday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Puck Line +1.5 -125 @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 9:05 ET - The Canadiens swept the Jets in the prior round so they are well rested. They now face a very tough Golden Knights team at Vegas however and that is why they are a huge dog here. But having Carey Price between the pipes is huge as the veteran netminder has been fantastic in this post-season and certainly is capable of stealing games. Even if he does not steal this one per se, I could see it being a loss by the slimmest of margins - a one goal loss for Montreal. I am laying the -125 price to have the insurance of the goal and a half here. Keep in mind, the Canadiens have won 7 straight games. Their last 9 games have featured just one that was a Montreal loss by more than a single goal margin. Also, the Golden Knights did get a chance to rest some after knocking off Colorado but still that was an epic battle with an Avalanche team that is very tough to play against and could take something out of Vegas heading into this one. The Golden Knights did pull away for a huge win in Game 6 against the Avs but that was just the 3rd time in 9 games that Vegas has won by a multiple goal margin. That's right, just 33% of the time for a 2+ goal margin win for the Golden Knights and I like the chances of the Canadiens possibly being a surprise here in Game One. Vegas is the better team no doubt but Price and the Habs could steal one here and this should be a very tight game either way. 10* MONTREAL Puck Line +1.5 goals -125 |
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06-14-21 | Padres v. Rockies OVER 11 | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -109 | 12 h 58 m | Show |
NL West Total of the Month - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #959 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Colorado Rockies vs San Diego Padres @ 8:40 ET - Having the over in the Rockies game yesterday at Cincinnati, I painfully watched as Colorado went an incredible 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position and left a dozen men on base in the game! Now that the Rockies are back home, I look for a lot more clutch hitting today to make up for yesterday's ugly effort at the plate. Temperatures will be near 100 degrees for a high today in Denver and it will be a hitter-friendly night at a hitter-friendly ballpark. Look for both lineups to take advantage. This is a bit of a contrarian play from the standpoint that Dinelson Lamet and Austin Gomber have had some success in recent meetings against the teams they are facing today but contrarian should prove to be the way to go here. Gomber will be facing the Padres for a 3rd time in the span of 5 weeks and this tends to favor the hitters. Also, San Diego enters this game off a huge win at New York against the Mets yesterday in which they got 3 big homers from their key players and will carry confidence and momentum into Coors Field as a result. The issue for the Padres will be that Lamet has been unable to work deep into starts and the Rockies just faced him here last month. Lamet is getting hit at a .270 clip in road starts and a .271 clip in evening games this season and faces a major test on a hot night at hitter-friendly Coors Field. Given Gomber's recent success on the mound I am not surprised this total dropped from an 11.5 to an 11 and it could move even more but it should prove to be fruitful to be a contrarian on this one based on the above. The Rockies .277 batting average at home leads the majors and the Padres bats are feeling it after yesterday's big win over the Mets. 10* OVER the total in Colorado |
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06-14-21 | 76ers v. Hawks UNDER 226 | Top | 100-103 | Win | 100 | 12 h 31 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #562 Monday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Atlanta Hawks vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:35 ET - I just do not see these teams again combining for an unusually high 71 free throw attempts again like they did in Game 3. I also do not expect the torrid shooting of the Sixers to continue on the road. It was very surprising that they did make 48% of their three pointers and 58% from the field overall Friday at Atlanta. The Hawks, now down 2-1 in this series, have to come out strong here but they have averaged only 106.5 points per game last two games. So, the point is, you have Atlanta buckling down a bit for a crucial Game 4 but also having struggled a bit to get big points. Look for a solid under here as, despite 3 of the last 4 meetings between these teams resulting in an over, the odds makers have held firm in the mid-220s range with this one for a reason! The point is this game will surprise many by being a bit more of a grinder. 10* UNDER the total in Atlanta |
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06-13-21 | Suns v. Nuggets +140 | Top | 125-118 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 23 m | Show |
Money Line Mauling - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #554 Sunday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets Money Line +140 vs Phoenix Suns @ 8:05 ET - I do not see the Nuggets being swept. No points needed as Denver avoids the embarrassment of a Game 4 loss on their home floor as that is no way to get swept out of the playoffs. The Nuggets actually had 14 more shots from the floor than the Suns did in Game 3 but lost the game by double digits because Phoenix shot very well and Denver struggled to make shots. From beyond the arc, the Nuggets shot about 12 percentage points less than the Suns and the same was true from the field overall. That said the play here is on the home team to win outright. Denver had won 4 of last 5 home games versus Suns prior to that loss. In fact, heading into this series, the Nuggets had won 9 off 11 SU overall versus Phoenix. Of course being without Jamal Murray is hurting them but they entered this series on a 7-3 SU run overall and, as hot as the Suns have been, Phoenix was just 4-4 SU last 8 road games prior to the Game 3 win Friday. Again, that victory was a fortunate one for the Suns in terms of much better shooting. Give them credit for the win of course but the Nuggets won some key hustle stat battles like offensive rebounds as an example and this team will not quit! 10* DENVER Money Line +140 |
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06-13-21 | Islanders +170 v. Lightning | Top | 2-1 | Win | 170 | 6 h 19 m | Show |
NBC Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #81 Sunday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line +170 @ Tampa Bay Lightning @ 3:05 ET - These are two very strong teams. Very well-coached too. Jon Cooper let the Bolts to the Stanley Cup Championship over the Stars last season. It was only a couple years before that the Islanders coach, Barry Trotz, was head man of the Capitals and led them to the Stanley Cup Championship over the Golden Knights. That said, I feel the -200 price on TB is offering us tremendous underdog line value on the other side that is too good to pass up on! The Islanders are a tough team to play against and this will be the first meeting since the Lightning knocked them out of the post-season last year. That series was played in the bubble and I remember it well as the Islanders were handed a very tough situation with coming off a grueling 7-game series win over the Flyers that including 3 OT wins and then having to face the Lightning on short rest. The Isles got blasted in Game 1 and could never recover. They were just worn out and beat up. This situation this year is entirely different and this should be a fantastic series with a Game 1 upset setting the tone. New York is rested and ready this year and now, about that home ice, note that the Islanders have won 4 of 6 road games in this post-season. Also, the Lightning are coming off a series against the Hurricanes in which the home team won only 1 of 5 games! Prior to a win over the Canes in TB in Game 4, the Lightning had lost 3 of last 5 games on home ice. Considering all of the above, this is incredible underdog line value here. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS +170 |
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06-13-21 | Nets v. Bucks OVER 228 | Top | 96-107 | Loss | -103 | 7 h 0 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #551 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Milwaukee Bucks vs Brooklyn Nets @ 3 ET - After the horrific shooting in Game 3 there will be a turnaround in Game 4 for both teams. I know this series has been all unders so far but it does not make sense based on the pace of the games. That said, good pace again here plus much better shooting. I trust the Nets to bounce back and score much better here after the loss in Game 3. Also, the Bucks are known for shooting much better on their home floor and I fully expect that here after the unreal scoring result Thursday. 10* OVER the total in Milwaukee |
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06-13-21 | Rockies v. Reds OVER 9.5 | Top | 2-6 | Loss | -121 | 3 h 2 m | Show |
Earliest Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #907 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cincinnati Reds vs Colorado Rockies @ 1:10 ET - Antonio Senzatela of the Rockies is a bit of an anomaly as he pitches better at hitter-friendly Coors Field than he does when he is on the road. Though he was great against the Reds in Denver last month, do not be surprised when he struggles badly here. The over is a perfect 3-0 in his 3 career starts against Cincinnati and, prior to his success against them last month, Senzatela allowed 12 earned runs in 10 and 1/3 innings against the Reds in his prior two starts against them. Cincinnati is starting Tony Santillan and this is his MLB debut. I know he has been solid in the minors this season but now he takes a step up in class and he had some sub-par statistics in prior seasons in the minors. I expect the Rockies to get to him early and often. The problem for the Rockies is they have allowed double digits in runs in 3 straight games and I expect more troubles for the Colorado pitching staff today as the Cincinnati bats stay hot. The Reds have had just 1 of their last 7 home games stay under the total and, overall, have scored 7 or more runs in 4 of last 6 games. The Rockies had averaged about 5 runs per game last 9 games prior to scoring just 3 yesterday and I expect more success at the plate today as they take advantage of a rookie hurler. So, Colorado's bats will bounce back from yesterday's 3-run effort while the Reds stay hot and Senzatela's long-term road struggles resume. 10* OVER the total in Cincinnati |
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06-13-21 | Yankees v. Phillies -121 | Top | 0-7 | Win | 100 | 3 h 24 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #926 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Phillies Money Line (-) vs New York Yankees @ 1:05 ET - The Phillies are rolling right now and they are a different team when at home and Aaron Nola tends to be a different pitcher at home too. That said, though Nola has struggled some early this season, he is still very comfortable on his home mound and should be comfortable facing the Yankees too. Last season he held them to 1 earned run allowing just 3 hits in 6 innings with no walks and 12 strikeouts! The Phillies lost that game despite his masterful performance but they enter this game winners of 3 straight (all momentum-boosting walk-off wins) and now have victories in 6 of last 8 games. The Yankees, conversely, have lost 12 of last 17 games! I know Domingo German has been impressive this season but many of his road starts were against weak or struggling teams. Earlier this season when he faced some tougher teams on the road he struggled and I just do not see him enjoying success against the Phillies here with the way they are rolling right now. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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06-12-21 | Jazz +175 v. Clippers | Top | 106-132 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 28 m | Show |
Money Line Mauling - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #541 Saturday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz Money Line +175 @ Los Angeles Clippers @ 8:35 ET - The Clippers are at home and down 2-0 in this series and so automatically they must win this game, right? That is the common thinking of course but, as we all know from experience, common thinking is not what you want to have to make money long-term in sports betting and I see this spot as an excellent value spot for grabbing the Jazz. Note that Utah is on a 4-0 SU run on the road while the Clippers are on a 1-4 SU run in home games! Yet everyone will remember Los Angeles winning Game 7 of their series with Dallas in LA but forget they lost 4 straight home games preceding that. Of course this is why we get fantastic line value in this spot. Prior to that Game 7 win over the Mavericks, the road team in Clippers games had actually prevailed as the SU winner in 6 straight games and 9 of 11 games. How many times are you going to get a great team like Utah - on a 6-game winning streak and winners in 8 of 9 - at a +175 price? Exactly! I certainly respect the Clippers but feel the Jazz are the better team in this series and I look for them to continue to prove that with an upset win in Game 3 to take a stranglehold on this series as they shock the masses tonight. Note from June 4th to tonight this will be the 5th game for the Clippers while the Jazz enter this game having played only twice since their June 2nd series-clinching win over Memphis. The road team is also the team with the fresher legs in this one. 10* UTAH +175 |
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06-12-21 | Yankees v. Phillies OVER 9 | Top | 7-8 | Win | 100 | 5 h 13 m | Show |
Earliest Cash (9 inn game) - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #975 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 9 runs in Philadelphia Phillies vs New York Yankees @ 4 ET - Jameson Taillon starts for the Yankees and the road has been a nightmare for him this season. He is 0-3 with a 9.18 ERA in his 4 road starts and has allowed at least 4 earned runs in all 4 outings. Consistency from Taillon but not in the way the Yankees would want and he allowed 5 earned runs in less than 2 innings of work the last time he started at Philadelphia! The Phillies enter this game riding a wave of positive emotion as they have had back to back walk off wins in their last two games (were off Friday) and this is part of a 5-2 stretch that has seen them average 8 runs per game in the 5 victories. The Yankees enter this game on a 5-0 run to the over and should have no trouble with the offerings of Vince Velasquez. The right-hander was pitching better than expected for an extended stretch but is now coming back down to his norm - a regression to the mean if you will. Velasquez has allowed 9 earned runs in 7 innings in his last 2 starts. The Yankees averaged 7.3 runs per game in their 3 games at Minnesota and should stay hot at the plate here. 10* OVER 9 runs in Philadelphia |
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06-11-21 | Suns v. Nuggets OVER 222.5 | Top | 116-102 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 16 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #533 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Denver Nuggets vs Phoenix Suns @ 10:05 ET - The Nuggets are known for being much tougher to play against when at home and they show a strong tendency to score much better when on their home floor. After back to back frustrating performances on offense on the road in this series, I fully expect Denver to bounce back with a strong effort here and put up big points. They will need it because the Suns have been on fire offensively and that is why the over is on a 10-2 run in Phoenix road games. Prior to Game 2 of this series staying under the total, games between these teams were on an 8-4 run to the over and I look for that trend to quickly resume tonight. The Nuggets respond on their home floor but the Suns continue their red hot scoring trend away from home. 10* OVER the total in Denver |
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06-11-21 | 76ers -116 v. Hawks | Top | 127-111 | Win | 100 | 9 h 30 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #531 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers Money Line -115 @ Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET - With the Sixers available at a -1 -110 on the spread I am going to suggest laying an extra 5 cents and grabbing them on the money line at -115 in this one. I know Atlanta has a good home record but here is something interesting to note. The Hawks played in a much weaker division this season than Philadelphia did. Note that Philly played in a tough Atlantic Division but still went 10-2 in the division. Also, the 76ers went 13-2 against the weak Southeast Division. The Hawks record was helped by the fact they went 9-3 in their own division. Against the Atlantic Division, Atlanta had a losing record at 7-8. The point is that the value here because this game is at Atlanta and we can take Philly just to win the game is too much to pass up on in my opinion. I am going with the better team on the road to avoid falling into a 2-1 series deficit here. Big game and having an extra day off between games - these teams last played Tuesday - also favors the road team with Embiid getting extra rest for his knee. The big man is capable of dominating any game and has already produced huge numbers in this series and will come up big here in my opinion. 10* PHILADELPHIA money line -115 |
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06-11-21 | Braves -115 v. Marlins | Top | 3-4 | Loss | -115 | 8 h 34 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #905 Friday 10* Top Play Atlanta Braves Money Line (-) @ Miami Marlins @ 7:10 ET - Some may be enticed to take the home dog Marlins here with Sandy Alcantara on the mound but, in typical contrarian fashion for me, I am fading the early line move here and going with the small road favorite. The Braves will be "locked in" here after blowing back to back games at Philadelphia with the Phillies walking off each of the last two games in dramatic fashion. This insures the proper focus from the Braves here and I like the fact that Charlie Morton has been pitching better in recent starts as the veteran has returned to better form again. He'll be facing a Marlins team that is off a win but that victory was preceded by losses in 10 of 12 games. The Braves had won 9 of 14 before the two heartbreaking losses at Philly. These teams have records that are not too far apart but I still feel strongly that the Braves are the much better team and, as such, this is fantastic line value with Atlanta as a small favorite. Bounce back spot for the Braves and they get the job done here. 10* ATLANTA |
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06-11-21 | Cardinals v. Cubs OVER 9 | Top | 5-8 | Win | 100 | 3 h 11 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #901 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Cubs vs St Louis Cardinals @ 2:20 ET - Warm afternoon at Wrigley Field and a starting pitching match-up that certainly should lead to some solid run-scoring here. The Cardinals Johan Oviedo is off a better start but it was at home where he has been better and it was hosting a Reds team that has struggled at the plate when on the road this season. Now he faces a Cubs team known for being dangerous at the plate in their home park and Oviedo has a 7.11 ERA with a ridiculous 11 walks in his 6 and 1/3 innings on the road this season. Oviedo also struggled on the road last season as he went winless in 4 starts with a 5.95 ERA and he allowed 5 homers in those 4 outings. The Cubs go with Kohl Stewart here and he is getting this start only because of the injury to Adbert Alzolay. That is not a knock on Stewart but just a fact and he got hit at a .290 clip in his 9 appearances last season and he has been hit at a .303 clip in his 2 starts this season. St Louis enters this game on a 3-0 run to the over and the over is 5-1 in the Cardinals last 6 road games. More of the same expected here as the Cubbies are favored here for a reason and note that they have averaged scoring 6 runs per game in their last 7 games. 10* OVER the total in Chicago Cubs |
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06-10-21 | Avalanche +120 v. Golden Knights | Top | 3-6 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 22 m | Show |
West Div P/O Game of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #51 Thursday 10* Top Play Colorado Avalanche Money Line +120 @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 9:05 ET - 2-0 going to 3rd period on your home ice and you lose the game. That is the situation the Avalanche just had in Game 5 of this series to sink into a 3-2 hole. Some turnovers were the key in the game but overall Colorado looked very strong in that one and never should have lost it. They worked so hard all season to get home ice and all is not yet lost. With a win in Game 6 at Vegas, the Avs can send this series back to Colorado for a winner takes all Game 7. In other words, the Avalanche know there is still much to play for and they know they should not be down 3-2 in this series. The Avs have now lost 3 straight games and this team has not lost 4 straight games all season long. Ironically the only time the Avalanche suffered a 3rd straight loss in the regular season it was at the hands of the Golden Knights and Colorado responded with a 3-0 shutout loss in their very next game. I am expecting a similar response here. You will see the Avalanche play their best game of the post-season tonight and, while the public will be lining up on Vegas to close this out on home ice, in typical contrarian fashion I am betting big on the road dog to get it done here. 10* COLORADO +120 |
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06-10-21 | Nets v. Bucks -3.5 | Top | 83-86 | Loss | -105 | 9 h 9 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #522 Thursday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks -3.5 vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:30 ET - So far in this series, excluding 3 pointers, the Bucks have outscored the Nets by 19 points. That is crazy to think about, right? But it is true and it is even more crazy considering Brooklyn has been without James Harden. He is going to miss tonight's game too and I feel strongly that this is where it will catch up with the Nets. They are on the road facing an angry Milwaukee team and I expect a huge effort from the Bucks as Brooklyn's 3-point shooting finally settles back down from astronomical levels! In the regular season the Nets were only 20-16 SU in road games while the Bucks were 26-10 SU in home games. The home team has won and covered all 5 meetings between these teams this year and I look for that trend to continue tonight as the Bucks finally put forth a very strong effort and Brooklyn's ridiculously hot outside shooting finally cools. 10* MILWAUKEE |
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06-10-21 | Astros v. Red Sox OVER 9 | Top | 8-12 | Win | 100 | 9 h 11 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #963 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER 9 runs in Boston Red Sox vs Houston Astros @ 7:10 ET - We are getting a great number to work with on this total because of Zack Greinke being on the mound for Houston. Despite his recent successes on the mound, I would not be surprised to see him struggle. There is a mental aspect to pitching that is a critical one and Greinke has been known to have some issues from time to time with that aspect of the game. The last time he pitched at Fenway Park was a few seasons back but he got rocked for 9 earned runs and this was in less than 2 innings of work! Don't be surprised if he has some struggles tonight as the Red Sox, prior to struggling at the plate in the first two games of this series, had won 5 straight and averaged 5.6 runs per game in those victories. Boston's Eduardo Rodriguez has a 7.92 ERA in his last five starts and that included an ugly one against Houston. With the Astros having won 8 of 10 games plus averaging 6.4 runs last 11 games, do not be surprised when the struggles of Rodriguez quickly resume tonight. 10* OVER 9 runs in Boston |
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06-09-21 | Nuggets +200 v. Suns | Top | 98-123 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 49 m | Show |
Money Line Mauling - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #511 Wednesday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets Money Line +200 @ Phoenix Suns @ 9:30 ET - If you like Denver to cover in this game, and I definitely had this one circled after the Game 1 result, you may as well take a look at getting +200 on the money line. Why? Well, the ATS winner in the Nuggets last 10 games has also been the SU winner in all 10 games. In other words, the points have not mattered. In fact, dating back to May 1st, Denver has played 16 games and only 1 of the 16 was one in which the SU winner was not also the ATS winner. That was when the Nuggets won a game SU but lost ATS (they were favored by 6 and won by 5). Of course that is impossible to happen here as Denver is the dog so a SU win will be an ATS win. That said, why I am anticipating a SU win here? Well the Nuggets had won 5 of last 6 games played at Phoenix prior to Monday's loss. Also, Denver is 12-3 SU the last 15 times when off a SU loss. The Suns are 1-3 SU the last 4 times they have entered a game on a SU winning streak of 4 or more games. Phoenix is not going to shoot 54% from field again nor have a 17-5 edge in free throws either! Upset alert! 10* DENVER Money Line +200 |
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06-09-21 | Bruins -131 v. Islanders | Top | 2-6 | Loss | -131 | 9 h 60 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #41 Wednesday 10* Top Play Boston Bruins Money Line -130 @ New York Islanders @ 7:35 ET - The Bruins were on the wrong end of a 5-4 final Monday despite dominating play statistically for the 4th time in the last 6 games between these two clubs. In the last 4 games in this series, the road team has taken 3 of them and I see that trend continuing here. The Bruins are a sizable money line favorite on the road here for a reason! Don't let the line fool you. Yes the Islanders were great on home ice this season but the Bruins had won 5 of the last 6 meetings between these two clubs before losing the last 2 games. The road team trend continues here. 10* BOSTON |
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06-09-21 | Cubs v. Padres OVER 7.5 | Top | 3-1 | Loss | -112 | 4 h 22 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #901 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in San Diego Padres vs Chicago Cubs @ 4:10 ET - Yesterday's game barely stayed under the total and now we have seen today's total move from as high as an 8.5 to as low as a 7.5 in morning market movement. I realize Yu Darvish has great numbers this season but he is facing his former team and could be wound up a little too tight here. This happens to pitchers sometimes when they are so hungry to prove themselves against a former employer. Adding to the possibility of some struggles for him here is the fact that he has a 3.92 ERA in day game outings this season and has been hit at a .262 clip and last season he had a 3.27 ERA and was hit at a .267 clip in day games. While those are still respectable numbers they are far off from his numbers in evening games. Speaking of a wide variance in numbers, the Cubs Jake Arrieta is trending the wrong way big time! He started the season with a 2.57 ERA in 5 starts but now has an 8.28 ERA in the 6 starts since! Considering the above factors, this total has been pushed down far too low in my opinion. 10* OVER the total in San Diego |
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06-07-21 | Bucks +2 v. Nets | Top | 86-125 | Loss | -121 | 10 h 23 m | Show |
TNT Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #581 Monday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (+) @ Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - The Nets are without James Harden but he went out in the first minute of Game One with a hamstring injury and yet Brooklyn still ended up building a huge lead and winning the game by 8 points. That said, the Bucks are in real trouble here, right? Actually I expect them to be able to make some solid adjustments now since they know Harden is out. Also the reason they lost Game One was they made only 6 of 30 from downtown while Brooklyn made 15 of 40 from beyond the arc. When you get outscored by 27 points from three point land you actually should lose the game by a lot more than 8 points. In other words, there were some things to like in the Game One performance for Milwaukee. The Bucks were the better rebounding time and did a better job of getting to the free throw line than did the Nets. That said, I will take the road team in anticipation of a big bounce back win here in Game Two. 10* MILWAUKEE |
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06-07-21 | Islanders v. Bruins OVER 5 | Top | 5-4 | Win | 100 | 9 h 49 m | Show |
NBCSN Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #27 Monday 10* Top Play OVER 5 goals in Boston Bruins vs New York Islanders @ 6:35 ET - With the Bruins off a loss and this series shifting back to Boston for Game 5, the over is offering fantastic line value. You know the Bruins want to respond here as the Islanders have now tied the series up at 2 games apiece. However, the Islanders are proving they are not going to go away quietly. 5 of the 6 meetings this season between these teams in Boston have totaled 5 or more goals. 3 of those 5 totaled 7 goals. All we need is a 2-2 game here and we can not do worse than a push. That said, I expect an aggressive attacking response from the Bruins here on home ice and they will get their goals. However, also note that the Islanders have scored an average of nearly 3 goals per game in this series. The Isles outshot the Bruins in the most recent game and that is also a good sign for New York as Boston had been dominating that category in this series. With that said, I like the fact that the Bruins will come up big here at home but the Islanders confidence is growing as this series has gone on. It all adds up to what should be a continuing trend of higher-scoring games when these teams match-up on Bruins home ice! 10* OVER the total in Boston |
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06-07-21 | Marlins v. Red Sox OVER 9.5 | Top | 3-5 | Loss | -100 | 6 h 27 m | Show |
NOTE about starting PITCHERS: I am still personally betting this play on the OVER here in Vegas even though the Marlins are now going with Zach Thompson as the starting pitcher. Thompson has replaced Pablo Lopez whom is being given an extra day or rest and will be starting at home tomorrow where he is more comfortable anyway as noted below. So Thompson is now the starter here and he is making his MLB debut. No disrespect to Thompson but he is still living off th success he had in 2018 at the minor league level. Other than that one season - split between single A and double A ball - Thompson had struggled quite often in previous seasons and he has consistently struggled now since advancing to the AAA level. At the highest level of the minors he had a 5.50 ERA in 2019 and then after losing 2020 to covid, he has a 6.60 ERA so far this season in AAA ball. Also, he has mostly been used out of the bullpen since earlier in his career so he is unlikely to work deep here and the Marlins bullpen will be exposed. The reality is I could care or less who Miami starts here as this play has more to do with the Boston sticks crushing the ball on a hot evening at Fenway Park. ORIGINAL write-up: Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #905 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Red Sox vs Miami Marlins @ 5:10 ET - The Red Sox game went over the total yesterday against the Yankees in the Bronx but it was a fortunate winner for over players as it took extra innings to get there. However, I will not let that cloud my judgement in terms of analyzing this game because there were plenty of opportunities early in the game against the Yankees that were not cashed in. The fact is that it could have been a much easier over and it is an easy over that I am now anticipating in this make-up game that relates to a rain-out last month. The Marlins are in town for one game as a result and there are a couple of keys here that should help lead to plenty of runs in this one. One is that Boston's Nick Pivetta is a former Phillie so he faced Miami often in divisional action. That said, the Marlins do have hitters with familiarity against him. Also, Pivetta is off a strong start at Houston but he had allowed 4 earned runs in each of his two preceding outings. As for Marlins starting pitcher Pablo Lopez, he is known for success at home but he has struggled on the road throughout his career. 2018 - 4.84 ERA. 2019 - 7.36 ERA. 2020 - 4.91 ERA. 2021 - 5.04 ERA. Those are the statistics for Lopez away from home. He simply has not been the same pitcher when away from Miami and that career-long trend has continued this season. The Marlins game yesterday stayed under the total but this followed 4 straight overs. Also, the over is 5-1 in Pivetta's 6 home starts this season. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Boston |
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06-06-21 | Avalanche +101 v. Golden Knights | Top | 1-5 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 22 m | Show |
NBCSN Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #23 Sunday 10* Top Play Colorado Avalanche Money Line +100 @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:35 ET - The Avalanche outshot the Golden Knights by a huge margin in Game 1 and got a dominating win. In Game 2 they were outshot by a big margin but got away with it. So the same thing happened in Game 3 and, this time, the Avs paid for it. They surely will be much hungrier here after letting Vegas get back into this series with a 3-2 win in Game 3 that was earned via a 43 to 20 edge in shots on goal. Colorado must be much better here and they know it and caught an earful from their coach about it. I fully expect the Avalanche to be firing on all cylinders in this one as a result. The Avs are the better overall team in my opinion but truly have not "flexed their muscles" since Game One of this series. Great line value since this game is at Vegas and I will grab the Avalanche as they are known for responding very well off losses. 10* COLORADO |
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06-06-21 | Red Sox v. Yankees OVER 9.5 | Top | 6-5 | Win | 103 | 12 h 34 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #977 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox @ 7:05 ET - Boston's Garrett Richards is 0-4 with a 7.43 ERA in his career outings at Yankee Stadium. I know that the Yankees Domingo German has been pitching very well but Boston scored 7 runs in yesterday's win. The Red Sox have scored 5 or more runs in 3 straight games. The Yankees have not scored well of late but that should change in a big way here as Richards' struggles in the Bronx continue to plague him with another rough outing tonight. 10* OVER the total in New York Yankees |
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06-06-21 | Mavs +6.5 v. Clippers | Top | 111-126 | Loss | -102 | 8 h 42 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #573 Sunday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks (+) @ Los Angeles Clippers @ 3:35 ET - Too much line value to pass up on here in my opinion. The road team not only has covered all 6 games in this series they have won each game outright. That said, grabbing the Mavericks on the money line here is in a 6-0 / 100% perfect SU situation. But we can add insurance to our play by grabbing the points being offered with Dallas. The Mavs are currently a 6.5 dog in this one as of early game day morning and that is a big value. 3 of the 6 games in this series have been decided by single digit margins - an average of 6 points per game - and this should be another tight one here. I do expect the road team trend to continue but will grab the points as added insurance with this one. 10* DALLAS +6.5 |
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06-05-21 | Bucks +160 v. Nets | Top | 107-115 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 38 m | Show |
Money Line Mauling - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #561 Saturday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks Money Line +160 @ Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - The three games this season between these teams were all close games but having the points on your side did no good. The one time the dog won they won outright. The two times the favorite won they covered the small spread. That said, I like Milwaukee here and I will take them on the money line given the above. Keep in mind, the Bucks are the much more rested team here as they swept the Heat in the first round. Milwaukee has won 12 of last 14 games overall dating back to the regular season and that includes a 2-0 against the Nets in early May. I realize those games were at Milwaukee and that Brooklyn's Big Three is now healthy. However, the Bucks match up very well with the Nets and are offering a lot of line value here. I like looking for upsets in Game One of a series especially with a high quality team like the Bucks that is still very hungry after getting knocked out of the post-season last year and missing their shot to try to win it all. 10* MILWAUKEE Money Line +160 |
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06-05-21 | Diamondbacks v. Brewers UNDER 7.5 | Top | 5-7 | Loss | -105 | 4 h 26 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #908 Saturday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Milwaukee Brewers vs Arizona Diamondbacks @ 4:10 ET - The Brewers Brandon Woodruff has been phenomenal this season. He is 4-2 with a 1.27 ERA and opponents are hitting only .138 against him this season. He is taking on an Arizona team that has been in a long-term losing slump. That certainly does not set up the Diamondbacks very well for much success at the plate. 8 of Woodruff's 11 starts this season have resulted in an under. Merrill Kelly is off a tough start but this followed 6 straight starts of great success. He gave up 13 earned runs over 6 starts and has struck out 45 in 43 and 1/3 innings his last 7 starts. Kelly pitched better than his earned runs allowed would lead you to believe in his most recent start. Also, the Brewers are averaging only 3.7 runs per game this season at home and hitting only .207 at home this season which is the worst mark in the National League. 4 of the 6 road games for Kelly have resulted in an Arizona under and I look for another one this afternoon. 10* UNDER the total in Milwaukee |
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06-05-21 | Hurricanes +144 v. Lightning | Top | 4-6 | Loss | -100 | 6 h 31 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #13 Saturday 10* Top Play Carolina Hurricanes Money Line +145 @ Tampa Bay Lightning @ 4:05 ET - The Hurricanes offer tremendous value here. The road team has won all 3 games so far in this series and the final game of the regular season so the traveler is 4-0 L4 between these teams. Also, the Canes could get Vincent Trochek back for this one. Additionally, Carolina got a boost with the goalie change. The Hurricanes were outshot by the Lightning in Game 3 but Peter Mrazek came up big with a strong start. Carolina did outshoot the Bolts by a combined 106 to 72 shots on goal in the 3 meetings prior to the Game 3 win in this one. That said, it is ironic that the team that has been outshot has won each of the last 4 meetings. The Hurricanes win the shots on goal battle and the game here in my opinion as they have often looked like the better team this season plus they got a boost with Mrazek back between the pipes. So difficult for teams to repeat and that is what the Lightning are trying to do this season but I feel strongly they will struggle to get past the Canes and Game 3 was a sign of things to come. 10* CAROLINA +145 |
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06-04-21 | Clippers v. Mavs +127 | Top | 104-97 | Loss | -100 | 14 h 22 m | Show |
Money Line Mauling - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #558 Friday Top Play Dallas Mavericks Money Line +127 vs Los Angeles Clippers @ 9:05 ET - The road team is 5-0 in this series but I see that trend ending tonight as the Mavericks end the Clippers season. Last year in August in the post-season bubble, the Clippers entered a Game 6 with the Mavericks as the designated home team. Los Angeles got the win and ended their season. Now Dallas gets playoff payback for that the very next season and returns the favor with a Game 6 win tonight. The Mavericks are off a win in Game 5 and they have not had a standalone win since mid-April. In other words, when Dallas enters a game on a winning "streak" of 1 game they have won the next game each of the last 5 times and that includes when they won Game 2 of this series at LA after also beating the Clippers there in Game 1. Los Angeles enters this game on a 5-11 ATS run. Also, LA is on a 6-9 SU run. The Mavericks are the hotter team with runs of 12-5 SU and 8-5 ATS. No points needed here as each of the last ten games between these teams have been decided by 5 or more points. That said, rather than grabbing the 2.5 points here, the better value play is the money line. 10* DALLAS +127 |
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06-04-21 | Canadiens v. Jets -110 | Top | 1-0 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 16 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #12 Friday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line -110 vs Montreal Canadiens @ 7:35 ET - The Jets will be without Mark Scheifele due to suspension and also Paul Stastny (undisclosed) is a bit of an unknown. However, Winnipeg still has a guy by the name of Connor Hellebuyck between the pipes and I just do not see he and the Jets being denied in Game Two. After losing Game One on home ice, falling behind 2-0 early, look for Winnipeg to come out refocused and ready to bounce back here. There is the classic rest versus rust factor that appeared to plague the Jets in Game One. They had swept the Oilers in the first round while the Canadiens went the full seven games against the Maple Leafs. As it turns out, Montreal was able to maintain their rhythm in Game One while the Jets indeed showed a rust factor from being off for more than a week. The point is that this will not be repeated in Game Two and we also have excellent line value here with the much lower money line on the Jets because of the personnel situation. I will grab the value here as Montreal has won 4 straight games now after never winning more than 3 in a row in the regular season. The streak ends here as the Canadiens had been 0-3 this season when entering a game on a winning streak of 3 games. 10* WINNIPEG -110 |
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06-04-21 | Nationals v. Phillies -111 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -111 | 10 h 36 m | Show |
Earliest Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #952 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Phillies Money Line -110 vs Washington Nationals @ 7:05 ET - The Phillies had a rainout Wednesday and were off yesterday but I look for their lineup to build momentum from Tuesday's massive 17 to 3 win over the Reds. When every thing clicks for a team that had been slumping, a game like that can do wonders for a team. The Phillies catch a Nationals team that has lost 7 of 10 games and averaged only 1.1 runs per game in the 7 defeats. Also, Washington's Max Scherzer does have great career numbers against the Phillies but they have gotten to him for 7 earned runs in 12 innings in his last two starts against them. As for Philadelphia's Zack Wheeler, his current form is nothing short of phenomenal. Wheeler has a 1.69 ERA last 3 starts and has allowed only 12 hits while striking out 36 over 21 and 1/3 innings! Also, he has allowed only 4 earned runs in 18 and 1/3 innings in his last 3 starts against the Nationals. The Nats are 10-15 on the road this season while the Phils are 15-10 at home this season. That said, I see fantastic line value here based on the pitching match-up and team match-up and a pick'em price on the home team. 10* PHILADLPHIA -110 |
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06-03-21 | Suns +2 v. Lakers | Top | 113-100 | Win | 100 | 14 h 14 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #543 Thursday 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns (+) @ Los Angeles Lakers @ 10:35 ET - Looking at this series and looking at Anthony Davis, you can see how there is a clear relationship. Davis had a sub-par game one and the Suns won that game. Angry and motivated, Davis and the Lakers bounced back with big performances in each of the next two games. Then, still dealing with some lingering injury issues Davis was not the same guy in Game 4 and then got another injury - groin - that knocked him out of the game. However, even before the new injury, you could see Davis was not the same guy. Why does this matter? Well, the Suns went on to win Game 4 after he exited and, again, he was not himself for the 1/2 game worth of minutes he was out there. Then, without him in Game 5, the Lakers got blasted. Now, even if he comes back in Game 6, Davis is dealing with multiple injury issues. That said, I see the Lakers as "without Davis" no matter what in this game. He was not the same player in Game 4 even before he got hurt. He was playing hurt already. Now dealing with a multiple-injury situation, Davis will not be capable of a dominating performance here and, as we have seen throughout this season, Davis is the key to this team NOT LeBron James! With all of the above said, I expect the Suns to take advantage of this situation and end this series tonight. I will grab the bucket just in case they fall just short but I do expect an outright win here. 10* PHOENIX +2 |
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06-03-21 | Bruins -137 v. Islanders | Top | 2-1 | Win | 100 | 10 h 46 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #1 Thursday 10* Top Play Boston Bruins Money Line -135 @ New York Islanders @ 7:35 ET - I have plenty of respect for both of these hockey clubs but, in my opinion, the Bruins are a sizable road favorite here with good reason. In spite of the Islanders having a great season on home ice, Boston is in a bounce back spot here after the OT loss in Game 2 and I fully expect a big response here. The Bruins had won 4 straight before the overtime loss at home and note that the 4 victories came by a combined score of 15 to 5. That is an average winning margin of 2.5 goals per game and I look for another big win here for the road team. Boston has outshot the Islanders by a count of 193 to 127 in the last 5 games. That is an average margin edge of 13 shots on goal per game. The Isles have not won the shots on goal battle in any of those games. The Bruins wrapped up the regular season 8-2 the last 10 times they entered a game off a loss. Then, in the post-season, they also responded off their only loss. Look for them to do the same here. 10* BOSTON |
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06-03-21 | Nationals v. Braves OVER 9.5 | Top | 1-5 | Loss | -100 | 2 h 2 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #901 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER 9.5 runs in Atlanta Braves vs Washington Nationals @ 12:20 ET - Battle of southpaws here with not much success projected for either one. That is because both are struggling plus note that Washington is #1 in the NL for batting average versus lefties and Atlanta is #2 in the NL for slugging percentage versus lefties. In other words, reason to expect plenty of success for both teams at the plate here. Patrick Corbin has a 6.23 ERA on the season and got rocked for 5 runs in about 5 innings in his most recent start at Atlanta. Tucker Davidson is making just his 3rd MLB start and the Braves shuffled their rotation because of series with Dodgers coming up. In other words this is essentially a spot start for Davidson and I expect the inexperienced lefty to struggle with a Nats team hitting well against southpaws. The Nats have scored 6.3 runs per game so far in this series and the Braves have averaged 6.3 runs per game last 9 games. 10* OVER the total in Atlanta |
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06-02-21 | Canadiens v. Jets -136 | Top | 5-3 | Loss | -136 | 10 h 37 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #82 Wednesday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line -135 vs Montreal Canadiens @ 7:35 ET - The Canadiens won the most recent meeting between these teams but that was preceded by the Jets winning 6 of 8 match-ups and now they have a huge rest edge in this one. From a situational standpoint, Winnipeg is set up extremely well here plus they get this game on home ice. Courtesy of their 4-0 sweep over Edmonton in the first round, the Jets enter this game with a little over a week of rest. Montreal is certainly at the opposite end of the spectrum as they just faced a grueling 7-game series with the Maple Leafs in which the Habs had to rally from a 3-1 deficit which included winning games 5 and 7 at Toronto! Including action of Monday May 24th, this will be Montreal's 6th game in 9 days while it will be just the 2nd for Winnipeg since that same day, Monday May 24th. Also, in the regular season, the Canadiens went 0-3 when they entered a game on a 3-game winning streak. This one set up perfectly to be all Jets. 10* WINNIPEG |
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06-02-21 | Hawks v. Knicks -115 | Top | 103-89 | Loss | -115 | 11 h 33 m | Show |
Money Line Game of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #532 Wednesday 10* Top Play New York Knicks Money Line -115 vs Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET - The home team is 3-0 SU last 3 games in this series. Long-term it is a 5-1 SU run for the home team in match-ups between these teams. The Knicks lost both games at Atlanta but, prior to that, New York had won 5 of the last 6 meetings between these teams. I like the fact that the big difference in the last two games was the Hawks making more threes than the Knicks. With this game back in New York, the Knicks are likely to again even up that part of the equation. That said, better three point shooting from New York and rock solid defense from the hosts in an elimination game setting should lead to a comfortable home win in this one. The Knicks are 10-3-1 ATS in the last 14 meetings between these teams. 10* NEW YORK KNICKS -115 |
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06-02-21 | Padres v. Cubs OVER 7 | Top | 1-6 | Push | 0 | 4 h 30 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #953 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 7 runs in Chicago Cubs vs San Diego Padres @ 2:20 ET - Yesterday's game was 4-3 through 5 innings and then stayed that way so it never went over the total. I look for today's afternoon game to make up for that. Dinelson Lamet has never pitched at Wrigley Field but the Cubs have some hitters with experience against him and that experience has been positive. Lamet has a 5.40 ERA in his two road appearances this season and he has not been able to work deep into games yet this season. Adberto Alzolay starts for the Cubs here. He did not allow a homer in most recent start but that was against a Reds team that struggles at the plate on the road. In 5 starts that preceded that, Alzolay allowed 7 homers! I know this looks like it might be a pitchers duel on the surface but the Padres were on a 9-1 run to the over prior to the first two games of this series each staying under the total. San Diego scored an average of 7.3 runs in those 10 games. The Cubs have a top ten slugging percentage in home games this season. Also, Chicago has scored at least 4 runs in 6 of last 8 games and it will not take much to get this one over the low total. 10* OVER 7 runs in Chicago Cubs |
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06-01-21 | Lightning v. Hurricanes -109 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -109 | 10 h 34 m | Show |
NBCSN Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #72 Tuesday 10* Top Play Carolina Hurricanes Money Line -110 vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:35 ET - The Hurricanes did outshoot the Lightning in the Game 1 loss. It was a game that truly could have gone either way. It is so tough to repeat as champions in any sport and the NHL is no exception. That said, I know the Bolts are only into the 2nd round of this post-season but the point is that it is a tough climb ahead of them and I certainly don't see them blowing right past Carolina. On home ice, look for the Hurricanes to respond in a big way after the Game One loss. Carolina had won the most recent regular season meeting between these teams. Also, prior to Sunday's loss, the Canes had won 3 of the last 4 meetings when on their home ice. In fact, prior to the final regular season meeting between these teams (a Carolina win) the home team had won 5 of the last 6 meetings. The Hurricanes have outshot Tampa Bay in 4 of the last 5 meetings. The Canes have averaged an edge of 11 shots on goal in those 4 meetings in which they had the edge. Look for the Hurricanes to have the edge over the Lightning in this one again and, this time, it will translate to a win. 10* CAROLINA |
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06-01-21 | Celtics +12.5 v. Nets | Top | 109-123 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 32 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #521 Tuesday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (+) @ Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - Just too many points in my opinion. When you look at the box score from Game 4 of this series you see that the Nets made a ridiculously high percentage of 3-pointers and also just a ridiculously high percentage of shots overall. The Celtics actually had more field goal attempts and free throw attempts in the game and yet ended up on the wrong end of a blowout loss. I am not saying that Boston will not again lose this game but I am saying that they will not lose it by a double digit margin. We are currently getting 12.5 points in this one and I expect the Celtics, playing for their season here, to stay within single digits against Brooklyn. I am aware of the injury situation for Boston and that this is not the same Celtics team we have seen in recent playoff years but this is still too many points in my opinion and I just do not see the road dog being put down here without a helluva fight. Grab the big points. 10* BOSTON |
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06-01-21 | White Sox v. Indians OVER 7 | Top | 5-6 | Win | 100 | 7 h 22 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #911 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Indians vs Chicago White Sox @ 6:10 ET - I know this is a bit of a contrarian play but I feel we have excellent line value with this low total. Looks like the sharps are seeing the same thing as this, on the surface, would look like a pitchers duel plus there has been a lot of under trending involving these teams, and yet the total has gone from a 7 to a 7.5 in some books already. The under has cashed in 10 of the White Sox last 13 games. However, the over is 6-2 in Indians last 8 home games. Also, the weather is going to be very pleasant in Cleveland this evening and what I really like is the pitching match-up here. Yes, Cease and Bieber both have low ERAs this season and strong long-term reputations, particularly Bieber. However, prior to a strong start - albeit again Detroit - Bieber had allowed 31 hits in 22 and 2/3 innings spanning his 4 prior starts. As for Cease, he had been a little off in each of his 3 prior starts before shutting down a bad Orioles team in his most recent start. Cease had allowed 13 hits plus hit 2 batters and walked 9 for 24 base runners in just 15 innings of work. Don't be surprised when both Cease and Bieber have some struggles in this one and, with how low the posted total is here we should see a solid winner here. 10* OVER the total in Cleveland |
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05-31-21 | 76ers v. Wizards +8.5 | Top | 114-122 | Win | 100 | 12 h 37 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #512 Monday 10* Top Play Washington Wizards (+) vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:05 ET - The markets are on Philly in this one so waiting to game day morning paid off some in terms of additional line value here as this one is now up to an 8.5 and I am expecting the Wizards to play a strong game. You know Washington does not want to get swept out of the playoffs by losing this one on their home floor. Of course being motivated is not reason enough to win a game but I expect a hard-fought battle here and at least a cover in this one. Washington actually did find a way to cover Game 1 of this series and in the past two games they have combined for 13 more shot attempts to the Sixers. How did they lose both so badly? Well, the Wizards are a ridiculous 10 of 57 from three point land the past two games while the 76ers are an equally ridiculous (the other way) 26 of 54 from three point land. Neither one of these statistical variances is likely to continue into a third straight game and that means value here with the big dog as I expect the gap of the last two games between these two teams to be closed in a big way. The home dog will not go down without a very strong effort and I see that leading to at least a cover in this one! 10* WASHINGTON +8.5 |
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05-31-21 | Canadiens +1.5 v. Maple Leafs | Top | 3-1 | Win | 100 | 10 h 16 m | Show |
Puck Line Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #63 Monday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Puck Line +1.5 goals -135 @ Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:05 ET - The only other first round series that played out similar to this is the Wild rallied to tie the Golden Knights at 3 games apiece only to then get blasted in Game 7 at Vegas. I know many may expect a repeat here but I just do not. Part of the reasoning is Carey Price between the pipes. Montreal has him, Minnesota did not. The Canadiens did look very tired as Game 6 went on and this was particularly true in the overtime period. So, on the one hand, Montreal was fortunate to win the game after getting a 2-0 lead in the 3rd period only to then blow it and see the Leafs force overtime. However, the fact is they have now been able to rest and recharge the batteries a bit and they are happy to be in this situation! They were not supposed to take the Maple Leafs a full 7 games. That means all the pressure is on Toronto here. The Habs were not even supposed to be here and so they welcome this situation with open arms and can play much more loose and relaxed. This is in stark contrast with the heavily favored Leafs. As a result, I would not be surprised at all to see the Canadiens end up with an upset win here but I do feel that any loss will be by just a single goal as this is likely to be a tight hard-fought game. That said, I like the value of having the goal and a half with the puck line on our side. It is in a reasonable price range so I am grabbing that for the added insurance in this one. 10* MONTREAL +1.5 -135 |
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05-31-21 | Red Sox v. Astros OVER 9 | Top | 2-11 | Win | 100 | 6 h 56 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #969 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Houston Astros vs Boston Red Sox @ 4:10 ET - Astros are the #1 hitting team in the majors for batting average this season. Who is #2 thus far? Yes, you guessed it, the Red Sox. That said, we do have two strong hitting teams matched up here and considering both starting pitchers are likely to struggle I am expecting a slugfest in this one. The Red Sox Eduardo Rodriguez is 1-3 with a 6.48 ERA in the month of May. I know that the Astros Jose Urquidy has better numbers on the season but he is coming off a trip to the injured list and will be making his first start in nearly 3 weeks. The over is 4-1 in Boston's last 5 road games and the Red Sox averaged 6.4 runs per game in those contests. The over is 9-2 in Houston's last 11 games. The Astros averaged 5.2 runs per game in those 11 contests. I am looking for a 6-5 type game here and also like the fact that the over is 3-1 in Urquidy's home starts this season as well as the fact that Rodriguez has a 6.75 ERA in his 4 career starts versus the Astros. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Houston |
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05-30-21 | Golden Knights v. Avalanche -1.5 | Top | 1-7 | Win | 140 | 11 h 4 m | Show |
Puck Line Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #54 Sunday 10* Top Play Colorado Avalanche Puck Line -1.5 goals +140 vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:10 ET - The Golden Knights just came off 7-game war with the Wild and have been playing all week long. The Avalanche are coming off an ultra-easy 4-game sweep of the Blues and have been resting all week long. The rest edge and home ice edge are both with Colorado for this Sunday match-up. Also note that Vegas continues to travel constantly as Game 5 was in Vegas but then Game 6 was in Minnesota and then Game 7 back in Las Vegas again and now it is off to Denver for this series. Conversely, as noted above, Colorado has been resting up all week long and preparing for this highly coveted match-up everyone has been wanting to see. Advantage belongs to the Avs from a situational standpoint and of course that is also part of the reason they are nearly a 2 to 1 favorite on the money line in this one. That said, where we find the value in this one is on the puck line as we get into the +140 range by laying the 1.5 goals with the Avalanche. The last meeting was a 1-goal victory for Colorado but that was preceded by 3 of the last 4 meetings between these clubs all being decided by 3 or more goals. I look for a home ice win by at least a 2-goal margin in this one as the Avs are healthier than they have been in a long, long time and they will have fresh skating legs here and their speed and talent at the forward positions will prove to be too much for a tired Golden Knights hockey club in this one. 10* COLORADO Puck Line -1.5 goals +140 |
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05-30-21 | Suns +6.5 v. Lakers | Top | 100-92 | Win | 100 | 8 h 27 m | Show |
Western Conference Game of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #503 Sunday 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns (+) @ Los Angeles Lakers @ 3:35 ET - I have heard that Anthony Davis will play no matter what but could his sprained knee limit him a little bit here? Either way, the fact is the Suns are going to come out strong here after losing back to back games. Phoenix needs to be stronger on the boards and they know they can ill afford falling into a 3-1 hole in this series so I look for the Suns to play their best game of the series thus far. Maybe that still does not avoid the 3-1 series deficit but it should at least get us the cash here as they stay inside the number on this one. There were 3 times in the regular season in which the Suns entered a game off consecutive losses in which at least one of the losses was a road defeat. In all 3 instances, Phoenix won that game and I am expecting that record to reach a perfect 4-0 today but will grab the points as added insurance in this one. The Lakers are off back to back covers but this was on the heels of a 4-13 ATS stretch. It has been a very long time since Los Angeles has covered 3 straight and I do not expect that to change here either as LA falls short of the cover in this one. Look for the Suns to be very active defensively and extra aggressive on the boards in this one and I am expecting them to play a much more complete game after falling short in back to back games. 10* PHOENIX |