Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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05-30-21 | Brewers +106 v. Nationals | Top | 3-0 | Win | 106 | 4 h 23 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #901 Sunday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Brewers Money Line +105 @ Washington Nationals @ 1:05 ET - While I certainly respect the Nationals Max Scherzer, the Brewers Brandon Woodruff has been phenomenal this season. Also, Milwaukee has been the better team this season and also enters this match-up as the hotter team too. After yesterday's double-header sweep, the Brewers have now 6 of 8 games while the Nationals have lost 4 of 5 games. Woodruff has a 1.41 ERA in his 10 starts this season. Scherzer has a solid ERA as well but did allow 2 homers in his most recent start and that was also at home. He also allowed 2 homers to the Brewers the last time he faced them. As for Woodruff, the Milwaukee right-hander has a 1.59 ERA and unreal 0.53 WHIP in his 3 career starts against Washington. Speaking of unreal numbers, Woodruff has a 0.57 WHIP in his 5 road starts this season. Again, with all due respect to Scherzer, this is still too much value to pass up on here as we get the hotter team with one of the hottest pitchers in baseball at a plus money price in this one. 10* MILWAUKEE |
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05-29-21 | Maple Leafs v. Canadiens +166 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 166 | 9 h 34 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #42 Saturday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line +165 vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:35 ET - Tremendous underdog line value here. The shots on goal have been almost exactly equal in the last 3 games combined. Price has proven he can be just as good as Campbell between the pipes. The Canadiens also have the home ice edge here. When you add all those factors up, as well as a big move toward the Maple Leafs money line in this one, you definitely have a big value edge in favor of the home dog in this match-up. This series is 3-2. In the regular season the Leafs had 17 road wins and the Habs had 13 home wins. Toronto is also without Tavares right now. That said, given the above stats showing very little disparity between these teams, there is just tremendous underdog line value in this spot that I will not pass up. The fact the Canadiens really got to Campbell in the most recent game is another key here. 10* MONTREAL |
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05-29-21 | 76ers v. Wizards OVER 227.5 | Top | 132-103 | Win | 100 | 10 h 4 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #575 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Wizards vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:05 ET - Russell Westbrook (questionable) or not, I do not expect the Wizards to again shoot 2 of 22 from three point land in this one! Washington will be much better in the offensive end at home but they can not stop Philadelphia. The 76ers have averaged 128 points per game in their last 4 against the Wizards. However, it is the wounded dog that bites the hardest (as the saying goes) and I fully expect Washington to hang around in this game which means they will have to score plenty of points to do so. The over was 3-0 in the Sixers last 3 games prior to the Game 2 match-up between these teams staying under the total. Also, the Wizards have scored an average of 130 points per game in their last 3 home games. Look for a very entertaining match-up in this one with plenty of points and that is whether Westbrook plays or not as Philly is known as being a team whose defense often does not "travel well"! 10* OVER the total in Washington |
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05-29-21 | Angels v. A's OVER 8 | Top | 4-0 | Loss | -110 | 4 h 29 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #967 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Oakland Athletics vs Los Angeles Angels @ 4:07 ET - The A's and Angels both had been trending over of late. The first two games of this series stayed under the total but Oakland had been on an 8-3 run to the over and the Angels had been on a 9-2 run to the over. That said, and based on this pitching match-up, I look for a high-scoring game Saturday. We have seen this total drop from an 8.5 to an 8 so this is even more value on the over. Alex Cobb is off a solid start but he has an 8.71 ERA in his 3 road starts this season. Frankie Montas was in strong form with strikeouts in his most recent start but he got hurt by the long ball. Will he have good stuff again here and avoid the long ball this time around? I highly doubt that as Montas has a 6.17 ERA in his 7 home starts this season. Based on home/road dichotomy for these two starters plus situational value this one has caught my attention in a big way Saturday. 10* OVER the total in Oakland |
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05-28-21 | Wild +155 v. Golden Knights | Top | 2-6 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 14 m | Show |
NBCSN Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #35 Friday 10* Top Play Minnesota Wild Money Line +160 @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 9:05 ET - Momentum, goaltending situation concrete, and value. Those are the keys here. Minnesota has rallied back from a 3 to 1 deficit in the series to force Game 7. The Wild are set in goal with Cam Talbot. They win with them or they lose with him. As for Vegas, who knows? This is what happens when you go with a 2-goalie system during the regular season. Now Marc-Andre Fleury has allowed 6 goals on just 37 shots the last two games and some are calling for Robin Lehner to get the Game 7 start. This is not a knock on Fleury but just the point that now the Golden Knights option in goal or a guy who has lost 2 straight or a cold guy coming in who has not played in over two weeks and who had an .859 save percentage in the month of May! As for the value I mentioned above, it is simply hard to argue against it. Yes we take some risk in grabbing a big dog but to me the risk is much bigger with laying a big price here! The road team has won 7 of the last 10 meetings between these teams! So you have home ice being over-valued here and, as good as Vegas was in the regular season, the fact is that the Wild have continued to be a troublesome match-up for them all year long. Look for it to continue for one more night as all the pressure is on the Golden Knights to advance and avoid a monumental first round collapse. The road team has no pressure here and could play much better as a result. This series was not even supposed to go more than 5 or 6 games. To the Wild, the pressure is off and they will make the most of this opportunity. 10* MINNESOTA |
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05-28-21 | Knicks v. Hawks OVER 211 | Top | 94-105 | Loss | -107 | 12 h 43 m | Show |
1st Round Total of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #561 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Atlanta Hawks vs New York Knicks @ 7:05 ET - The Hawks are sure to respond at home off an ugly loss at New York in Game Two. However, New York has scored 55 points and 57 points, respectively, in the 2nd half of each of the first two games. So the Knicks might surprise and put up quite a fight in the 2nd half here but I expect the revenge-minded Hawks to put up a ton of points on their home floor. Atlanta has won 11 straight home games and has scored an average of 120 points per game in those 11 consecutive victories! The Knicks are known for solid defense and holding game scores down but I still feel that the 211 range this total is posted in will prove to be far too low. New York's last 6 meetings with Atlanta, prior to Game Two staying under the total, had produced 5 overs and just 1 under. Look for this high-scoring trend to resume here as the Hawks respond well at home but have trouble putting the Knicks away in the 2nd half. The spread in the range of a -4 seems about right given the way I handicap this game but I feel this total will prove to be far too low. The 6 preceding meetings, including 1 under in the bunch all totaled 212 or more and the last 5 regular season meetings had average halftime point totals of 124. With this being the post-season the totals have been adjusted down but I know how the Hawks want to play this game on their home floor and we should get a solid over here. 10* OVER the total in Atlanta |
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05-27-21 | Bucks v. Heat +2 | Top | 113-84 | Loss | -112 | 15 h 48 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #552 Thursday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:35 ET - The Heat got blasted on Monday by 32 points but were outscored by 42 points from three point land! It was just "one of those games" where the Bucks were making everything and the Heat were cold from beyond the arc. Miami actually had 35 free throw attempts compared to just 20 for Milwaukee. The Heat will be much better here after dropping the first two games of this series in Wisconsin. Miami lost Game One by only a 2-point margin. Now they are a home dog of a bucket here in a must win game. I like the Heat to get back on track in a big way here. Miami had covered 13 of 17 before the ugly loss in Game 2. Also, the Bucks had failed to cover 7 of 8 before getting that blowout win. Payback time for the Heat as they get back into the series with a key win Thursday. 10* MIAMI |
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05-27-21 | Canadiens +1.5 v. Maple Leafs | Top | 4-3 | Win | 100 | 14 h 59 m | Show |
Puck Line Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #21 Thursday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Puck Line +1.5 goals -120 @ Toronto @ 7:05 ET - The Canadiens are down 3 games to 1 in this series and off an ugly loss in Game 4 but that is helping to give us line value here. I just do not see Montreal going down without a fight in this one and in terms of ugly losses prior to Monday's defeat, lets take a closer look. Toronto had won 9 of last 14 games between these teams prior to the big Game 4 win. However, 5 of the 9 wins were by just a single goal margin. That means in the 14 most recent games prior to that big win Monday, only 4 of the 14 had resulted in a Maple Leafs win by 2 or more goals. Here we can get the Habs at +1.5 goals and lay a very small price in doing so. That said, I like the odds here of a potential upset or, at the very least, a tight 1-goal loss as I do expect the Canadiens to put up a tremendous fight in this one. Also, in 12 of the last 15 meetings between the clubs, the road team has either won the game outright or lost by just a single goal margin. Again, tremendous value here in a must win game for the Canadiens. 10* MONTREAL Puck Line +1.5 goals |
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05-27-21 | Royals v. Rays OVER 7.5 | Top | 2-7 | Win | 100 | 9 h 8 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #967 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Tampa Bay Rays vs Kansas City Royals @ 3:10 ET - I know the first two games of this series have both been 2-1 finals. I also know the Royals are not known for having a potent offense either! However, something about this match-up has me feeling strongly about an over and we have a total of only 7.5 runs to work with which is a great value. I know Brady Singer has decent numbers for the Royals but the Tampa Bay offense, this series notwithstanding, has been red hot for an extended stretch. Also, Singer is in just his 2nd season and he is squaring off with Shane McClanahan whom is a rookie making just his 6th career MLB start. That said, I feel too much respect is being given to these starting pitchers and that we have excellent line value with the lwo posted total here. Singer was having trouble with command of his pitches in his most recent start and the Rays had scored an average of 9 runs per game during their 11-game winning streak that preceded the 1-1 split so far in this series. As you can see, the Tampa Bay offense was ridiculously hot and they will make Singer pay if he is again having command issues here. As for McClanahan, I know the rookie has fantastic stuff but he is still new to the highest level of baseball and he does have a 5.79 ERA in his two home starts this season. Perhaps putting a little too much pressure on himself when pitching at home but the young southpaw has been hit at a nearly .300 clip at home but has allowed 3 homers in those 2 starts here. 10* OVER the total in Tampa Bay |
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05-26-21 | Wizards v. 76ers -8 | Top | 95-120 | Win | 100 | 10 h 23 m | Show |
1st round Game of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #542 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - In game one, the Wizards shot 56% from the field and 40% from three point land so your next question would be, okay how many points did Washington win by? Exactly...and yet the Wizards did not even win the game and barely covered as they lost by 7 points to stay just inside the number. The point of all this? Washington is in huge trouble if they can shoot like that and yet still not win the game. The Wizards had the better shooting numbers both inside and outside the 3-point line and yet still lost the game by nearly a double digit margin. That said, with the Sixers fully aware they need to D up even stronger, Philly wins this game by more than a dozen points in my opinion. The extra rest is another edge for the 76ers here as it is a key for Embiid to stay as healthy as possible and they are at home again and game one was on Sunday so two full off days in between. This is a big edge for Philly. Ride the home team to a cover here as the home team in 76ers games was on a 12-3 ATS run prior to their non-covering home win Sunday. That 80% run makes sense as Philly is known for struggling on the road but dominating as a host. Look for home domination in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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05-26-21 | Penguins v. Islanders -108 | Top | 3-5 | Win | 100 | 9 h 51 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #10 Wednesday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line -110 vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 6:35 ET - The Islanders are riding a hot goalie in Ilya Sorokin. He is 3-0 in his 3 starts in this series. The Penguins are a strong team no doubt but I give the goalie edge to the Isles no matter who they have in goal here. Tristan Jarry made an egregious error in OT of the critical game five that has now swung all momentum the way of the Islanders in this one. I look for them to finish off the Penguins tonight. Yes Pittsburgh had strong edge in shots on goal but goalies are a key in the playoffs and we have seen that trend play out in numerous series including this one thus far. Even if Semyeon Varlamov got the call here it would still favor the Isles. The Pens Jarry could be in trouble after his slip-up in Game 5 as that kind of mistake impacts a goaltenders mentality in his very next game too. As for the other Pens goalie, Casey DeSmith, he has been trying to recover from an injury. Momentum and strength of goalie play are huge factors in this one and I like the home ice value. Keep in mind the Penguins only won about half their road games in the regular season while the Isles won 75% of their games on home ice. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS |
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05-26-21 | Rangers v. Angels OVER 8.5 | Top | 8-9 | Win | 100 | 6 h 32 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #917 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Los Angeles Angels vs Texas Rangers @ 4:07 ET - The Angels won 11-5 yesterday and the over is now 8-2 their last 10 games. The over is now 4-0 the Rangers last 4 road games and these averaged 12.3 runs per game! Based on this pitching match-up too, more of the same expected here. The Rangers start Dane Dunning and he is winless with a 6.06 ERA in his 4 road starts this season. The over went 3-1 in those 4 road starts and he also struggled at home against the Angels when he faced them in Texas in late April. The Angels start Griffin Canning here and he has allowed 10 runs (7 earned) in just 7 innings spanning his last two starts against Texas. Canning enters this outing off a rough start versus Minnesota and he has a 5.87 ERA at home this season and the over is 5-2 his 7 starts this year. With the way the Angels have been hitting overall, even with Mike Trout out of the lineup, and the way the Rangers have been involved in high-scoring games consistently on the road, look for a wild afternoon slugfest here. 10* OVER the total in Los Angeles Angels |
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05-25-21 | Celtics +9.5 v. Nets | Top | 108-130 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 12 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #531 Tuesday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (+) @ Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - Yes the Nets covered Game 1 but the Celtics actually led by 6 points at the half. The teams ended up taking an equal amount of shots but poor overall shooting for Boston cost them the game and the cover. I expect Brooklyn will shoot better from three point land here and fully understand they are do for a bounce back in that regard. However, the Nets are going to see some adjustments from the Celtics who are known for making good game to game adjustments. I know it has not been the same Boston team we have seen in the past but they are well-coached and will be ready to go here and I simply do not see them losing this game by a double digit margin. I know Brooklyn has been hot but the Celtics had covered 3 straight prior to that loss and I feel the Nets are over-priced here. Market is favoring the home favorite and, in typical contrarian fashion, I am going the other way! 10* BOSTON |
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05-25-21 | Phillies +122 v. Marlins | Top | 2-0 | Win | 122 | 9 h 44 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #953 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Phillies Money Line +120 @ Miami Marlins @ 6:40 ET - I look for the Phillies to get back on track against Sandy Alcantara. They just saw him and I know he had success against them but last season when he faced the Phillies a 2nd time it was also here in Miami and they got to him in that 2nd match-up. That was still a Marlins win but it was a crazy 7-6 final. Look for the Phillies to get to him here plus get a strong start from Vince Velasquez who has been pleasant surprise. I know he had some numbness in his finger and that effected his turn in the rotation but he is good to go here and has great numbers this season. Also, the Marlins have not seen him this season whereas the Phillies just saw Alcantara last week. I feel this is an edge to the Phillies. This is another reason the Marlins are priced so low here. The odds makers know what they are doing. The Phillies have been struggling and Miami has been hot so for this game to be priced this way surely raised some eyebrows. In typical contrarian fashion, I am on the other side of this and grabbing the team no one else will want here. Velasquez has a 1.47 ERA this month and has held hitters to a .141 batting average here in May. The Phillies get the mild upset here! 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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05-24-21 | Heat v. Bucks OVER 222.5 | Top | 98-132 | Win | 100 | 12 h 54 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #521 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Milwaukee Bucks vs Miami Heat @ 7:35 ET - With Game One staying under the total by a good margin, we have seen a line move for Game Two. The result is excellent line value with the over because the pace was absolutely there for an over in Game One. The problems included the Heat making just 16 of 49 shots inside the the arc, the Bucks making just 5 of 31 shots from outside the arc, and Milwaukee making just 60% of their free throws. All of these are very unusual statistics and, with a return to normalcy in Game Two, look for this game to feature enough scoring to go over a number that has been adjusted downward for this one! Entering that game Miami road games were on an 8-2 run to the over. Look for that trending to resume in this one! 10* OVER the total in Milwaukee |
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05-24-21 | Islanders +124 v. Penguins | Top | 3-2 | Win | 124 | 8 h 11 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #73 Monday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line +125 @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - Tristan Jarry has now allowed 4 goals in 3 of 4 games in this series. If Casey DeSmith is able to go it would be his first action in awhile and he could be rusty. That said, I do feel that the Islanders have the goalie edge here and goaltending is so critical in the playoffs. We have seen this be a key in numerous series already this post-season and it will very likely be a continuing pattern. That said, I do expect the Islanders to go with Ilya Sorokin again tonight. He is 2-0 so far in the series and allowed only 1 goal in the win over Jarry and the Penguins on Saturday. That was the only win in the series by more than a 1-goal margin and I like the underdog value with the Isles again in this one. Pittsburgh has been unable to create separation from the Islanders throughout this series. In my strong opinion, the Pens were only better than the Isles in the Game Two win and this series could easily be 3-1 Islanders already. That is why I am rolling with the road dog here in Game Five. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS Money Line +125 |
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05-24-21 | Indians v. Tigers OVER 8.5 | Top | 6-5 | Win | 100 | 8 h 39 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #909 Monday 10* Top Play OVER 8.5 runs in Detroit Tigers vs Cleveland Indians @ 7:10 ET - The Tigers Spencer Turnbull is off a no-hitter. Many guys, ironically, due to tend to struggle right after delivering an incredible start like that. Also, Turnbull has a horrible history versus the Indians with an 0-6 record and 5.18 ERA in nine games against Cleveland in his career. The Tribe has hit .325 against him with a .482 slugging percentage as well against Turnbull. That said, I am looking for plenty of runs here because Sam Hentges is very likely to struggle. After a successful first start this season Hentges then got rocked in his 2nd start. Overall, in 6 appearances (2 starts) this season, Hentges has been hit at a .343 clip and has a 2.09 WHIP! The over is 7-2 in Cleveland's last 9 games. Even though off a low-scoring loss yesterday, the Tigers have scored an average of 5 runs per game their last 17 contests. The Indians do not score as well but have been trending over and this is a good match-up for them which means we should see each team get to at least 5 runs in this one! 10* OVER 8.5 runs in Detroit |
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05-23-21 | Lakers v. Suns -2.5 | Top | 90-99 | Win | 100 | 8 h 33 m | Show |
Pacific Div Game of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #514 Sunday 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns (-) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 3:35 ET - Granted they would have another chance to make the post-season by facing Memphis but that does not change the fact the Lakers were fortunate to get past the Warriors in their play-in match-up. LA barely beat Golden State and I am well aware that the Lakers now have a winning streak going but 4 of their last 6 wins in the streak were against teams that did not end up making the playoffs. Now Los Angeles faces a major challenge here. Yes they beat Phoenix earlier this month but the Suns had won the prior two meetings this season by double digits. Also, this match-up is in Phoenix where the Suns went 27-9. This line has dropped from a 3 to a 2.5 and I feel we have fantastic line value here with the small home favorite. The Suns had a week off to rest up for this game and are healthy. With the Lakers now having Anthony Davis and James back on the floor again they are getting a lot of love from the betting markets but this is a very strong Suns team that has the rest edge and is on their home floor. Lay the small number. 10* PHOENIX |
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05-23-21 | Diamondbacks v. Rockies OVER 11.5 | Top | 3-4 | Loss | -109 | 5 h 55 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #957 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 11.5 runs in Colorado Rockies vs Arizona Diamondbacks @ 3:10 ET - This is a contrarian play based on the fact that we are going over a big number even though Taylor Widener has a 2.82 ERA and Jon Gray has a 3.48 ERA. Big key here is the weather at hitter friendly Coors Field. A day game here with mild temperatures and the wind blowing out means that the ball is going to carry very very well in this one! Also, the Diamondbacks Widener is making his first start in a month and coming back from a groin strain injury. The Rockies Gray is coming off a rough outing against the Padres in which he allowed 7 runs (5 earned) on 10 hits in less than 6 innings of work. Also, this will be the 3rd time Gray has faced Arizona and they got to him for 10 hits in 6 innings in the 2nd go around so the 3rd time is certainly unlikely to go very well for the Colorado right-hander. As for Widener, he has never pitched at Coors Field and that includes his 12 appearances as a reliever last season. Young hurlers making first ever appearances at Denver's hitter-friendly venue are known for encountering struggles. More of the same here. Just 1 under in the Rockies last 6 home games and yesterday's game totaled 13 runs. I expect at least that many again today. 10* OVER 11.5 runs in Colorado |
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05-23-21 | Hurricanes v. Predators OVER 5.5 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 110 | 5 h 18 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #61 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals +110 in Nashville Predators vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 2:35 ET - Like the fact we get a good number (5.5) and at a plus money price on the over in this one. I know the first thought is that the teams might be tired after the Friday game went into double-overtime. However, they had an off day yesterday which certainly helps and another key is that this game is in the same venue so no travel was involved. Both teams are rested and ready to go strong again here and Friday's game was 3-3 before even getting to the 3rd period. The teams combined to go only 2 of 10 on the power play so it is not as if they were not generating chances 5 on 5. The fact is that 7 of the 9 goals were scored 5 on 5 in Game 3. Now a key Game 4 match-up as the Predators are working hard to get back into the series and they now have life after the win Friday in the second overtime. I like the fact that Nashville has won the last 3 home games with Carolina and has averaged scoring 4.3 goals in those 3 games. The Hurricanes will, of course, be ready to respond here after seeing Game 3 slip away and the Canes have scored 3.3 goals per game in their last dozen against the Preds and that includes an average of 4 goals per game in the last 3 match-ups. More of the same expected here. 10* OVER 5.5 goals +110 in Nashville |
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05-23-21 | Tottenham Hotspur v. Leicester OVER 3 | Top | 4-2 | Win | 100 | 15 h 4 m | Show |
Total of the Year - Rickenbach EPL Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Leicester vs Tottenham @ 11 AM ET - I do not see Tottenham laying down here in what could be Harry Kane's final game with them. Plus the Spurs are angry off a defeat in their most recent match and the Hotspur would love to play the role of spoiler. Additionally, this match is still important to Tottenham for purposes of qualifying for a Europa League spot in the table by finishing at at least seventh! Leicester is still hopeful of a top four spot but is behind Liverpool on goal differential. The difference is so great that Leicester's better hope would be a Chelsea defeat but that is not likely either. That said, Leicester just needs to go strong here and try to score as many as they can in this one. The fact is Tottenham is going to put up a fight as well and these clubs are each averaging about 1.8 goals per game so I do like our chances for a very high-scoring match in this one. This one likely to get to 5 goals in my opinion but certainly should see at least 4 and we only need 3 to avoid a loss. I'll take it! 10* OVER the total in Leicester |
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05-23-21 | Crystal Palace v. Liverpool -2.25 | Top | 0-2 | Loss | -52.5 | 15 h 35 m | Show |
Goal Line Dominator - Rickenbach EPL Sunday 10* Liverpool Goal Line -2.25 goals -105 vs Crystal Palace @ 11 AM ET - Liverpool has been on a tear and now sits in a great position for a top four spot in the table. I do not seem being denied and feel strongly that Liverpool is going to win by plenty because they know they control their own destiny here other than the outside chance that Leicester wins and also ends up with an edge on goal differential. However, Liverpool already up 4 goals in the goal differential department and so I completely expect the hosts here to blast Crystal Palace and leave no doubt. Liverpool has won 4 straight matches by a combined score of 11 to 3. Additionally, they have won last two matches against Crystal Palace by a combined score of 11 to 0. This one, given the situation, gets very ugly. Crystal Palace is capable of being competitive but Liverpool has too much of a talent edge, too much momentum, and is highly motivated. Also, keep in mind, Tottenham's Harry Kane is knotted up with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah in the race for the Golden Boot so the hosts will not hesitate to get Salah heavily involved even if this is a blowout - and a rout is precisely what I expect. Lay it! 10* LIVERPOOL goal line -2.25 goals |
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05-22-21 | Red Sox v. Phillies OVER 8.5 | Top | 4-3 | Loss | -114 | 9 h 44 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #927 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia Phillies vs Boston Red Sox @ 7:15 ET - The Phillies start Spencer Howard here and he is a solid young prospect with some MLB experience already. However, he is only getting this chance because Chase Anderson struggled in the rotation. Howard is expected to be on a pitch limit of about 60 pitches and that will end up asking too much of a Phillies bullpen that got rocked in yesterday's 11 to 3 loss to these same Red Sox. Howard has a 6.28 ERA and has a .303 BAA in his 9 MLB appearances - 6 starts. The over is 3-0 in Boston's last 3 games and they have scored an average of 9 runs per game in those 3 games. Red Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi could struggle here. In fact, the odds favor that as Eovaldi has allowed 4 or more earned runs in 4 of his last 5 starts. With this total dropping from a 9 to an 8.5 this morning, I like the over even more. This is a good match-up for the Phillies to get their bats going again at home but they also will not be able to slow down Boston. 10* OVER 8.5 runs in Philadelphia |
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05-22-21 | Mavs +5.5 v. Clippers | Top | 113-103 | Win | 100 | 8 h 13 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #509 Saturday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks (+) @ Los Angeles Clippers @ 4:35 ET - The Mavericks lost their regular season finale but how important was that game? Exactly! That said, it is playoff time now and Dallas entered that final game having won 12 of 15 games! The Mavs are out for revenge here from last year's playoff ouster at the hands of the Clippers. You can expect a very strong effort here as a result. I like the fact that Los Angeles is on a 3-8 ATS skid and I feel they are overvalued here with the line move from 4.5 now up to a 5.5 as of early game day morning. The Mavericks won 2 of the 3 meetings between these teams in the regular season and have plenty of confidence entering this post-season rematch. That makes for a very dangerous dog here. Give me the points! 10* DALLAS |
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05-22-21 | Penguins v. Islanders -110 | Top | 1-4 | Win | 100 | 6 h 58 m | Show |
East Div Game of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #54 Saturday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (-) vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 3:05 ET - The Islanders are off back to back losses and, since Feb 1st, have gone 7-2 when they enter a game off 2 or more consecutive losses. The Isles are well-coached and are a very good team and they will be ready to bounce back on home ice here. Yes the Penguins stole Game 3 on the road but now in Game 4 I look for the Islanders to bear down. Lets not forget Pittsburgh had nearly as many losses as wins on the road during the regular season and the Isles won 21 of 28 home games in the regular season. One could argue based on the above that the Islanders have 78% and 75% chances of winning this game while the Penguins are only more in the range of a "coin flip" in this game. I love the home ice value as a result here and will gladly grab the "pick 'em" pricing on a host that should be priced higher in my opinion. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS -110 |
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05-21-21 | Jets +152 v. Oilers | Top | 1-0 | Win | 152 | 11 h 25 m | Show |
NBCSN Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #45 Friday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line +150 @ Edmonton Oilers @ 9:05 ET - There is a rather simplistic theory in sports with playoff series that many employ but, in truth, the theory just does not "hold water" so to speak. The theory is that if a team is off a loss they must bounce back in the very next game. Of course sometimes this does happen but it is certainly not a "catch all" that works perfectly. For evidence of that we can look at the current post-season and note that the Penguins are off B2B wins over the Islanders, the Bruins are off B2B wins over the Capitals, the Hurricanes are up 2-0 on the Predators, the Lightning had gone up 2-0 on the Panthers before upset loss last night, Colorado is up 2-0 on St Louis, and Vegas has now won 2 straight over the Wild. The other two series that just started and have had just one game apiece include the Canadiens upsetting the Maple Leafs last night as well as this one, the Jets upsetting the Oilers Wednesday night. So the point is that there are 8 series going, and of the 6 that have played multiple games all 6 have seen a team win 2 in a row. Now, just because Winnipeg won at Edmonton in Game 1 the Oilers are supposed to get revenge tonight. I don't see it that way. What I see is we have one of the best goalies in the game, Connor Hellebuyck, against - no disrespect intended - a tandem of Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen that strikes fear in no one. That is not to say they are bad goalies but they certainly are not elite. Just like Game One I expect Edmonton to ousthoot Winnipeg but just like Game One I expect Hellebuyck to be the difference maker! That said, incredible line value with here with the Jets in the +150 range! 10* WINNIPEG |
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05-21-21 | Grizzlies +175 v. Warriors | Top | 117-112 | Win | 175 | 12 h 13 m | Show |
Money Line Mauling - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #579 Friday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies +175 @ Golden State Warriors @ 9:05 ET - The Grizzlies lost at Golden State Sunday but actually had 9 more shot attempts from the field. So what happened? Memphis made just 6 of 25 three pointers while the Warriors made 15 of 39 three pointers. Considering GS outscored the Grizz by 27 points from beyond the arc, it is a minor miracle that the game was decided by "only" a dozen points. That said, I feel we have some good value with the underdog here and feel that we are finally going to see an outright upset in this play-in tourney. So far the favorite has won every single game SU and though not all were ATS wins and I can not believe we will go all the way through this play-in tourney without a single upset. Look for the better defensive team (at least the team playing better defense of late for sure) in this match-up to get the outright win! Look for the Grizzlies team to take advantage of a Warriors team that let one slip away against the Lakers Wednesday night. Memphis off a momentum-boosting win over the Spurs that was a game featuring long stretches of dominance. The Grizzlies off a win while Golden State off a missed opportunity versus Los Angeles sets this one up well for an upset as the Warriors are feeling all the pressure here. 10* MEMPHIS Money Line +175 |
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05-21-21 | Brewers v. Reds OVER 9 | Top | 4-9 | Win | 100 | 8 h 17 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #953 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cincinnati Reds vs Milwaukee Brewers @ 7:10 ET - The Reds got blasted 19-4 yesterday by the Giants and will be looking to bounce back. However, though Cincinnati is a solid hitting team when at home, they will need better pitching to get back into the win column and I expect both hurlers to struggle in this one. The Reds are starting Jeff Hoffman and he is 0-2 with a 7.54 ERA in his last 4 starts. The Brewers Adrian Houser has good numbers but could not find the plate in his last start and walked 5 in just 3 innings of work. When he does find the plate against the Reds at hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park he could be in trouble too. That is because many of Cincinnati's players that have experience against him have hit him hard! There are 5 Reds that are a combined 17 of 38 against him for a .447 batting average with 6 homers among the hits! Look for both teams to score plenty here as the Brewers have averaged 7 runs per game in their last two games against a right-handed starter and the Reds had success against Houser both times they faced him last season. They resume their solid home hitting here! 10* OVER the total in Cincinnati |
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05-20-21 | Pacers +134 v. Wizards | Top | 115-142 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 37 m | Show |
Money Line Mauling - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #575 Thursday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers Money Line +135 @ Washington Wizards @ 8:05 ET - Incredibly all 4 hosts have won each of the play-in games SU even though the lines were rather small spreads on all games. I see that ending here. The Pacers looked great against the Hornets Tuesday and that helps them bring a ton of confidence and swagger into this game. The fact Washington won all 3 games in the regular season against Indiana actually only makes me like this one even more. It is a contrarian play all the way but, think about what the public will likely be doing here. They see all the home teams winning, they see the Wizards 3-0 against the Pacers this season, they see a small home favorite, etc. That said, not only do I want the dog here...I am taking them for the outright upset. No points needed. 10* INDIANA +135 |
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05-20-21 | Penguins v. Islanders -115 | Top | 5-4 | Loss | -115 | 9 h 59 m | Show |
NBCSN Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #36 Thursday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line -115 vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The fact the Islanders got a win at Pittsburgh in Game 1 was huge. Even though they lost Game 2, they still sit in the drivers seat right now in this series. Why is that? These are two of the best home teams in the league. Pittsburgh won 22 of 28 home games and the Isles won 21 of 28 home games. That said, the value is with the home team in this match up as the Penguins barely won half their road games. I love backing the Islanders off a loss and on their home ice and fading a team that has often struggled in road games this season. The Isles went 9-3 this season when they were on home ice and coming off a loss. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS -115 |
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05-20-21 | Astros v. A's +106 | Top | 8-4 | Loss | -100 | 7 h 14 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #916 Thursday 10* Top Play Oakland A's +105 vs Houston Astros @ 3:35 ET - After getting drilled 8 to 1 yesterday and being frustrated by Zack Greinke, I look for the A's to bounce back huge here. They will take advantage of facing Luis Garcia. I know the Astros right-hander is off a good start versus the Rangers but his velocity was quite diminished in that outing. I feel this spot sets up well for a disappointing result for him. The A's bounce back from an ugly loss and pound Garcia's slower offerings. As for Oakland starter, Cole Irvin, not only does he lead the Athletics rotation with a 3.02 ERA on the season, the southpaw also has a stellar 1.89 ERA in his last 6 starts. The point is that Irvin has been particularly "on point" over the past month! The A's are 9-3 the last dozen times when off a loss and I look for that strong trend to continue here. Houston is only 11-11 versus left-handed starters this season. Home team in a blowout here. 10* OAKLAND +105 |
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05-19-21 | Spurs +4 v. Grizzlies | Top | 96-100 | Push | 0 | 8 h 18 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #567 Wednesday 10* Top Play San Antonio Spurs (+) @ Memphis Grizzlies @ 7:30 ET - Good news for Spurs fans in this one! The game is AT Memphis! While that may seem like a facetious statement, the fact is that San Antonio went just 14-22 in home games this season and have proven to be a much better road team this season. More good news for Spurs fans is that the 3 games between these teams this season were not only ALL WON by the road team, the average margin of victory was 20 points per game! Not necessarily expecting a road rout here but I do expect the road team to find a way to get the outright win and, if they do fall short it should be by the slimmest of margins. That said, grabbing the points with the road dog in this one is the value play in my opinion as an outright upset certainly is possible, if not probable! The Grizzlies enter the post-season stumbling with a 4-9 ATS run! The Spurs went 23-13 ATS on the road this season. 10* SAN ANTONIO |
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05-19-21 | Capitals +153 v. Bruins | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -100 | 6 h 28 m | Show |
NBCSN Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #23 Wednesday 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line (+) @ Boston Bruins @ 6:35 ET - This play is all about the value. Yes the Capitals have some injury issues and this includes at the goalie position but the last time I checked (sarcasm of course) no team in the NHL won more road games in the regular season than Washington! The point is that this is far too much value to be given to the Caps in this situation. They are a +155 DOG even though they have more road wins than Boston has home wins this season! Washington had won 2 straight over the Bruins before a tight 4-3 loss Monday. Also, the Capitals did win 2 of the 4 regular season games at Boston this season and that included a blowout 8-1 win! I am certainly not expecting that type of game here but I am expecting another close game where no one can argue with me that we do not have the better value having the road dog. I expect this game to be a close one but I expect the Capitals to find a way. Note that Boston had won just 6 of 12 prior to the win in Game 2 of this series. The Bruins have not managed back to back wins in the past two weeks. The Capitals are a perfect 5-0 the last 5 times they were on the road and coming off a loss! 10* WASHINGTON +155 |
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05-19-21 | Rockies v. Padres OVER 7.5 | Top | 0-3 | Loss | -108 | 5 h 13 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach MLB 10* Top Play OVER 7.5 runs in San Diego Padres vs Colorado Rockies @ 4:10 ET - Off a 2-1 game last night and with this game, of course, at Petco Park rather than Coors Field, the first thought here is under. However, in typical contrarian fashion I am on the over in this one. Chi Chi Gonzalez is off a solid start but allowed 11 earned runs in less than 9 innings spanning his two prior starts. Joe Musgrove is also off a solid start but he allowed 10 runs (9 earned) in 10 innings spanning his two prior starts. Also, yesterday's under was the first for the Rockies in their last 6 games. As for the Padres, prior to yesterday's low-scoring win, they were on an 8-2 run to the over. Look for a return to high-scoring ways here given the pitching match-up and we do not even need much to push this one over the total. I'll take it. 10* OVER the total in San Diego |
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05-19-21 | Canucks v. Flames OVER 6 | Top | 2-6 | Win | 106 | 4 h 44 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #21 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Calgary Flames vs Vancouver Canucks @ 3:35 ET - This is the final regular season game of the season which was still going on even as the playoff began. Of course this was due to the late season covid issues that ravaged Vancouver. The Canucks are off a 4-2 home win over the Flames Monday but Calgary actually outshot them 40 to 24. I look for a very entertaining season finale. Of course there is no pressure on either team here as neither one made the post-season. However, I do expect a strong effort from Vancouver here as getting a win would allow them to escape the basement as they would move past Ottawa and into 6th place. At the same time, the Flames do not want to end the season with a home ice loss so a strong effort from them as well. In other words, look for both clubs to be aggressive on the attack. The winning team in the last 5 meetings between these teams has scored at least 4 goals and I like our chances of another high-scoring game here. Those 5 games averaged 7 goals per game and I expect this one to get there as well. We only need 6 for a push but I do expect at least 7 as we cash a ticket in the regular season finale. 10* OVER the total in Calgary |
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05-19-21 | Liverpool -1.75 v. Burnley | Top | 3-0 | Win | 100 | 6 h 22 m | Show |
Game of the Year - Rickenbach EPL Wednesday 10* Top Play Liverpool Goal Line -1.5 or -1.75 goals @ Burnley @ 3:15 ET - Earlier this season Burnley got the shocking upset win at Liverpool to end the long run of dominance the hosts had been having on their home pitch. Not only is this a revenge game, Liverpool also has been playing very well of late. They are on a big-time heater in Premier League games and now have their sights set on a top four finish! Even though Liverpool lost the first match with Burnley, they actually completely outplayed them in terms of possession and shots on goal. I do not see Liverpool being denied again and note that Burnley has had some big goals allowed totals in recent matches. Liverpool will be relentless on the attack in this one while Burnley is known for struggling to score goals and this is particularly true on their home pitch. While Liverpool has tallied 36 times away from home this season for one of the best marks in the league, Burnley has but 14 markers in 18 games on their home pitch this season. This one will be a road rout as Liverpool is focused and angry and out for revenge and I just do not seem them being denied nor do I see them settling for just a 1-goal win here. This should be a dominating road win. Lay it! 10* LIVERPOOL Goal Line -1.5 or -1.75 goals |
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05-18-21 | Lightning -110 v. Panthers | Top | 3-1 | Win | 100 | 9 h 2 m | Show |
CNBC Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #15 Tuesday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line -110 @ Florida Panthers @ 8:05 ET - This line has made a major move this morning and it is because Florida is starting Chris Driedger between the pipes for this one. I know the Panthers netminder shutout the Lightning the last time he faced them but, prior to that, he allowed 3 goals on 19 shots in a start against the Bolts. Also, the one before that when he faced Tampa Bay, Driedger allowed 4 goals. I know the Panthers are hoping for a spark with starting Driedger here after Sergei Bobrovsky allowed 5 goals in the Game 1 loss but, honestly, Bobrovsky was not the problem in Game 1. The problem for Florida is just at that Tampa is the better team overall and loaded with a history of playoff winning while the Panthers are always getting bounced early in the post-season when they even do make a playoff appearance. So, while I do respect Florida, this is a very tough match-up for them and I feel we have great line value here as the Bolts have gone from a -130 fave to nearly a pick'em now in this match-up. Keep in mind, prior to shutting out TB the last time he faced them (which will actually motivate the Bolts even more here), Driedger allowed 8 goals on just 54 shots over his last 3 appearances. That is a lousy save percentage of only .852 over those 3 appearances for Driedger. More of the same here. 10* TAMPA BAY |
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05-18-21 | Giants v. Reds OVER 8 | Top | 4-2 | Loss | -112 | 6 h 29 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #901 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER 8 runs in Cincinnati Reds vs San Francisco Giants @ 6:40 ET - Won with this match-up yesterday and coming right back with the over again today. The Reds Luis Castillo is simply not right this season and now has a 7.71 ERA on the year. This is not the right match-up for him to bounce back as the Giants just saw him last month and had success plus they also enter this game with wins in 7 of their last 10 so they have extra confidence at the plate right now. San Francisco has averaged scoring 5.5 runs per game in last 8 road games. The Giants will have former Red Anthony DeSclafani on the mound for this one. Facing his former team, do not be surprised if he struggles as he tries to do too much here. So often hurler tend to overthrow when getting their first shot at a former employer and I expect that to be the case with DeSclafani here. Even off a disappointing loss yesterday, Cincinnati has been a great home team this season and they have a .498 slugging percentage as a host and have scored 6.7 runs per game at Great American Ball Park this season. The O/U is 7-1-1 in the Reds last 9 games. The Giants bullpen has a 5.18 ERA in road games this season and the Cincy bullpen has a 6.12 ERA in home games this season. With this total also dropping from an 8.5 to an 8, I feel we have excellent value here. 10* OVER the total in Cincinnati |
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05-18-21 | Hornets +3 v. Pacers | Top | 117-144 | Loss | -102 | 7 h 0 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #559 Tuesday 10* Top Play Charlotte Hornets +3 @ Indiana Pacers @ 6:40 ET - The Pacers wrapped up the season on a 7-0 ATS run while the Hornets wrapped up the season on an 0-5 SU run. That said, it looks awful easy to take Indiana -3 at home and fade Charlotte here does it not? Exactly! This is precisely why, in typical contrarian fashion, I am on the other side of this one! Give me the Charlotte team that no one else wants. However, this is certainly not a play without some strong reasoning behind it. For one thing, the Hornets won the last meetings with the Pacers this season by an average margin of 10 points per game and they dominated with a 20-10 turnover margin edge in the most recent meeting. For another thing, out of all 20 teams that either made the playoffs already or are in this play-in tournament, Indiana has the worst home record. In fact, the only other team even close to their 13-23 SU futility as a host is the Spurs out west. All other 18 teams have at least a .500 record at home on the season. So, the point is, some home court edge is baked into this line but the Pacers do not even deserve it. If I can take a team +3 against a team that is 13-23 at home plus that appears to have some match-up issues when facing this opponent, I will take that team every single time! Grab the points. 10* CHARLOTTE |
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05-18-21 | Leicester v. Chelsea -128 | Top | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 6 h 2 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach EPL Tuesday 10* Top Play Chelsea Money Line -130 vs Leicester @ 3:15 ET - Rematch of this weekend's game in the English FA Cup Final. Even though Leicester won that one 1-0, Chelsea held the edge in possession and outshot them by about a 2 to 1 ratio. Now I see Chelsea getting payback here in what is a huge match as each club is battling hard for a top four finish with Liverpool suddenly hot on their heels in the #5 spot. I love the fact that a team who had been playing so well under new manager Thomas Tuchel has suddenly lost back to back games by a 1-0 count but that this was on the heels of a run of dominance. At the same time, Chelsea now hosts a Leicester club which is off back to back huge victories over them and over Manchester United. Keep in mind, prior to those two victories, Leicester had gone winless in back to back matches against lower-table teams Newcastle and Southampton. Leicester allowed 5 goals in those two matches. I just do not see Chelsea being denied in this bounce back spot. Not with the way these two clubs had been going prior to back to back unusual results for each club. A ton of value here with a rather small price to lay on one of the best teams in the league on their home pitch and in an immediate revenge spot. I do not see them being denied here. 10* CHELSEA |
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05-17-21 | Bruins v. Capitals OVER 5.5 | Top | 4-3 | Win | 124 | 11 h 10 m | Show |
NBCSN Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #1 Monday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Washington Capitals vs Boston Bruins @ 7:35 ET - My initial thought here was to play on Boston as the Bruins look to bounce back from the Game 1 loss and because Washington has goalie issues. Vanecek exited Saturday's game early with a lower-body injury and Samsonov has been out for a couple weeks and would be rusty and Anderson has hardly played this season and it was a surprise the 39-year old netminder fared as well as he did in Saturday's win. With all that said, I do expect the Bruins to enjoy success in the offensive zone in this one. However, how do I play against a team that found a way to win Saturday's game on home ice despite the goalie issues and despite giving up a power play goal and having only 1 power play chance while giving Boston 4 and despite losing the faceoff battle by a 3 to 2 ratio? Exactly! I just can not play against the Capitals here but I do expect them to struggle to stop the Bruins. The fact we have the over 5.5 available as high as a +125 makes this a valuable plus money bet! Remember that Game One was 2-2 going to the 3rd and only a scoreless 3rd prevented an over. Look for this one to get to at least 6 goals as Boston scores well but the Caps, so tough on their home ice in particular, answer them goal for goal! 10* OVER the total in Washington |
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05-17-21 | Mets +137 v. Braves | Top | 3-1 | Win | 137 | 9 h 53 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #953 Monday 10* Top Play New York Mets Money Line (+140) @ Atlanta Braves @ 7:10 ET - The first line to come out on this game was in the -125 range and now the money line has quickly shot up to the -150 range. Free money on the Braves, right? In typical contrarian fashion I am fading the line move here and grabbing the line value on the other side. I fully understand the line as the Braves Max Fried has looked solid since returning from injury. However, Taijuan Walker has been fantastic this season with a 2.20 ERA and holding opponents to a paltry .170 batting average! I am not saying the Mets are better than the Braves overall but I like to take dogs when there is reason to fade a favorite. That is the case here as Walker has been better overall this season in comparison with Fried. Also, the Braves have a losing record at home this season plus are an ugly 7-13 this season when facing a team with a winning record! I am aware that the Mets have some injury issues but Atlanta's Ronald Acuna Jr is dealing with an ankle injury and he is arguably the most important hitter in the Braves lineup. Atlanta has not seen Walker start against them since the 2017 season while the Mets saw Friend not just once but twice last season. In my mind there is simply no justification for Atlanta to have been adjusted up into the -150 range here as the bookmakers do not give away "free money" but that is the way the bettors have acted in the way they jumped all over Atlanta here after the odds makers said the right price was closer to -120 than -150. As usual, I am siding with the odds makers on this money line! Give me the dog! 10* NEW YORK METS +140 |
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05-17-21 | Giants v. Reds OVER 8 | Top | 6-3 | Win | 100 | 9 h 58 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #951 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cincinnati Reds vs San Francisco Giants @ 6:40 ET - The Giants Logan Webb is 0-3 with a 7.58 ERA in his 4 road starts this season. The San Francisco bullpen has a 5.02 ERA in road games this season. The Reds are averaging 7 runs per game at home this season so this will be a major challenge for Giants pitchers. However, Cincinnati has some pitching concerns of their own here. Reds starter Sonny Gray was "off" and "wild" in his most recent start. Lacking command could hurt Gray here and he got rocked for 5 earned runs in less than 4 innings of work in his only evening start this season. The Reds bullpen has a 6.21 ERA in home games this season. San Francisco has averaged 5.4 runs per game last 7 road games. We get a low total in this game to work with and I like the value because Gray was not sharp in most recent outing and you can see the pens and the Giants starter all fall into the "likely to get hit" category in this one as well. 10* OVER the total in Cincinnati |
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05-16-21 | Lightning -115 v. Panthers | Top | 5-4 | Win | 100 | 9 h 4 m | Show |
NBCSN Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #65 Sunday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line -115 @ Florida Panthers @ 7:30 ET - The Lightning got a lot of good news on the injury front entering this one. A bunch of players now listed as probable for Tampa Bay and that includes Kucherov and Stamkos. That is part of the reason you can throw Florida's dominance of the last two regular season games out the window. It is playoff time and I have plenty of respect for the Panthers but feel strongly that the defending Stanley Cup Champion Bolts are going to come out strong and make a statement in Game 1 of this series. The playoffs are an entirely different animal than regular season hockey and, at least in the opener of this one, I look for the Lightning to prevail. There is a reason that lower-seeded Tampa Bay is favored on the road at Florida in this one. Do not be fooled by the line here. The Lightning are justified in being the favorites in this one after being road dogs in the last two meetings of the regular season at Florida. 10* TAMPA BAY |
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05-16-21 | Rockets v. Hawks OVER 231.5 | Top | 95-124 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 6 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher NBA 10* Top Play OVER the total in Atlanta Hawks vs Houston Rockets @ 7:10 ET - The Hawks likely will be playing a meaningless game when this tips off. If the Knicks, favored by double digits, beat the Celtics in early action then New York locks up the #4 seed. That means Atlanta would be locked into the #5 seed. As for the Rockets, they had a bad season and so you are simply not going to see much defense from either team here given the situation. That said, we should see a ton of points in this on as I like the recent trending of Houston. They are off a SU win plus are on a red hot ATS run to close out the season and they have been doing it with offense, not defense. That is why the over is on a perfect 6-0 run in Rockets games. Also, the O/U is a white hot 9-1 in Houston's last 10 road games. More of the same here as the Hawks are likely to empty the bench in this one and I expect a lot of points as a result. This game simply highly likely to be played casually with a lot of open looks at the basket and plenty of run and gun looking for quick scoring chances. 10* OVER the total in Atlanta |
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05-16-21 | Nationals v. Diamondbacks OVER 9 | Top | 3-0 | Loss | -114 | 5 h 41 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #909 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Arizona Diamondbacks vs Washington Nationals @ 4:10 ET - Yesterday's game was the 3rd time the teams have combined for 15 runs or more in 6 meetings between these teams this season. That said, the high-scoring ways are likely to continue here with this pitching match-up. I know Fedde has some success against the Diamondbacks earlier this season but now they get a 2nd shot at him and when they faced him previous to this season they got to him for 5 earned runs in 6 innings. Fedde has allowed 3 homers in his last two starts versus Arizona and he also enters this outing with an ugly 7.20 ERA his last two starts overall. Now he faces a Diamondbacks lineup that tends to hit better when at home. Arizona certainly will need all the runs it can get here because I expect Dbacks pitcher Luke Weaver to struggle. He has 7.04 ERA and ugly 2.09 WHIP in his two career starts against the Nationals. Weaver also faced Erick Fedde and the Nationals in a match-up last month. With these lineups getting another look at the pitchers and with the long-term numbers against them and the recent history in this series, I would not be surprised to see another slugfest here. That said, the drop on this total from a 9.5 to a 9 means we are getting even more value here. I'll take it! 10* OVER the total in Arizona |
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05-16-21 | Sheffield United v. Everton OVER 2.5 | Top | 1-0 | Loss | -125 | 5 h 59 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach EPL Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 2.5 goals in Everton vs Sheffield United @ 2 ET - Sheffield certainly can play loose and relaxed as they were the first club relegated and have had a very rough season. The result of this should be plenty of goals in this one. Sheffield, as you would expect, has been one of the worst clubs in the league as far as goals allowed this season. Also, Sheffield can take advantage here of an Everton club which has been one of the worst in the league in terms of goals allowed on its home pitch this season! We have talked here before about this type of scenario and I feel it again leads to value in a spot like this. That is, I do not see Sheffield going without a goal here. I also do not see heavily favored Everton as not finding a way to win this match. That said, we should be looking at a 2-1 final at the very least and that would put us into the win column with this one. Sheffield has shipped 6 goals in its last two matches. Everton has gone 5 straight home matches without a clean sheet and has allowed 2 goals in 4 of those 5 matches. Look for this one to surprise and see more goals than you would expect even though Sheffield usually struggles to score. I feel strongly they will not have that same struggle today plus Everton should score very well. 10* OVER 2.5 goals in Everton |
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05-15-21 | Bruins v. Capitals +118 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 118 | 9 h 31 m | Show |
National TV Blowout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #48 Saturday 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line +118 vs Boston Bruins @ 7:15 ET - I have tremendous respect for both of these teams and feel both are built very well for playoff hockey. However, that said, I do feel we are getting tremendous line value here with the Caps as a home dog. One interesting item of note is that, since we are expecting tight defensive-minded playoff hockey, I did notice something about recent match-ups between these teams. There have been no shutouts in any of the last 9 meetings between these teams but 5 times a team has been held to just a single goal. 4 of the 5 times that team was Boston and they were on the wrong end of a loss to Washington. The Capitals beat the Bruins by a combined score of 14-4 in those 4 games. Now, certainly I am not expecting a blowout win here but I am just saying that the Capitals do know how to stifle the Bruins and actually have outshot them in 5 of the last 6 meetings. Look for the Caps to find a way on home ice in this one and I am grabbing the underdog in this one! 10* WASHINGTON +118 |
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05-15-21 | Angels v. Red Sox OVER 9.5 | Top | 0-9 | Loss | -104 | 5 h 32 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #965 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Red Sox vs Los Angeles Angels @ 4:10 ET - The Red Sox Martin Perez has not recorded a victory in any of his 10 starts at Fenway Park since arriving in Boston. Perez has a 5.21 ERA from 2017 to 2019. Then he came to Boston and went 0-4 with a 5.46 ERA in 6 starts at Fenway Park last season and he is winless with a 5.50 ERA in 4 starts here this season! As for the Angels Dylan Bundy, he was great in limited action last season. But are we now seeing a return to his previously poor form? Bundy went 15-30 with a 5.11 ERA in his final two seasons combined at Baltimore. Then he enjoyed some success with the Angels last year's shortened season but now this season he is 0-4 with a 5.03 ERA in his 7 starts! Both these teams have trended under recently but long-time followers know I am a contrarian and I feel strongly that lack of confidence for both these starting pitchers coupled with a pair of solid lineups will lead to plenty of runs in this one. Also, the Red Sox bullpen has ranked only in the middle of the pack this season while the Angels (5.32 ERA) have ranked as one of the worst in the majors thus far. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Boston |
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05-15-21 | West Ham United v. Brighton & Hove Albion OVER 2.5 | Top | 1-1 | Loss | -100 | 6 h 2 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach EPL Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 2.5 goals in Brighton & Hove Albion vs West Ham United @ 3 ET - With no further threat of relegation, Brighton can play loose and relaxed here. That makes for a dangerous dog but I still not see the hosts as being able to stifle a West Ham club that is desperately trying to get all 3 points from this match as they still have hopes of a top four finish in the table. That said, each club should get to a goal here and I certainly do not see either club being willing to settle for a 1-1 draw. Both clubs will be going hard for all 3 points here. Interestingly, Brighton has never lost to West Ham in 7 matches in the premier league. What have they got to lose here? Nothing of course so they will go strong here but I also expect West Ham to be relentless here in terms of pressure. Yes West Ham has been delivered a clean sheet in 2 of last 3 matches but one of those matches was against defensive-minded Chelsea. Prior to the 1-0 defeat versus Everton, West Ham matches had totaled at least 3 goals in 5 of last 6. In fact, those 5 matches averaged nearly 5 goals per match. With that said, I am looking for a surprisingly high-scoring match here. The hosts, now with no threat of relegation, do enter this one having scored 3 goals in last two matches and I expect more of the same here. 10* OVER 2.5 goals in Brighton |
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05-15-21 | Bulls v. Nets OVER 234.5 | Top | 91-105 | Loss | -109 | 3 h 59 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #527 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Brooklyn Nets vs Chicago Bulls @ 1:10 ET - This game could be all about the "show" as the Nets can no longer win the top seed in the East as Philly locked that up yesterday but Brooklyn will have their Big 3 on the floor all at the same time in a rarity this season. With Harden, Durant, and Irving all available there should be plenty of points in this one. The Bulls are simply playing out the string on a disappointing season and will not put up much resistance here. At the same time, the Nets are unlikely to play intense defense as they save that for the playoffs. All that said though, Brooklyn is a double digit favorite here with good reason and I expect this one to turn into a high-scoring shootout. There is a reason this total is set so high even though recent match-ups between these teams have trended under and even though both these teams enter this game having been trending under in recent weeks. As long-time followers know, I am a contrarian and that continues here as this game should get nuts with the points and surprise a lot of people. 10* OVER the total in Brooklyn |
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05-14-21 | Maple Leafs v. Jets +139 | Top | 2-4 | Win | 139 | 11 h 31 m | Show |
NHL Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #44 Friday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line +140 vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 8:05 ET - The Maple Leafs and Jets are both set in terms of playoff positioning. That said, this is a rather meaningless game and it is simply hard to justify Toronto being such a pricey road favorite. The Leafs have lost 5 of last 8 road games and face a Jets team that had been struggling but now has won 2 of last 3 games that Connor Hellebuyck has started and he is expected to get the call here. Winnipeg has won those two games by a combined 9-0 score. This is a tune up game for the post-season but the Jets might prove to be the more motivated team. The Maple Leafs have won 4 of the last 5 meetings and are the top team in the division. The Jets want to prove they can turn the tables on Toronto and beat them heading into the post-season and wrapping up the regular season with a winner on home ice. Too much underdog value here to pass up. 10* WINNIPEG +140 |
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05-14-21 | Phillies +142 v. Blue Jays | Top | 5-1 | Win | 142 | 8 h 11 m | Show |
ACTION on pitchers. Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #931 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Phillies Money Line +140 @ Toronto Blue Jays @ 7:35 ET - At first glance it looks easy to grab the home team here. In typical contrarian fashion, I am grabbing the road dog in this one but it is certainly not without reason. For starters, getting +140 with the Phillies in this situation is great value simply based on the value of team on team match-ups. But lets talk about the starting pitching here. Vince Velasquez has always been one of those guys that is hard to trust but has good stuff when he is locked in. In other words, he is a streaky pitcher and on rare occasions you can then ride those streaks. That is what I am looking to do here. He enters this start with a 3.20 ERA in his 4 starts since taking over Matt Moore's spot in the rotation. Also, the Blue Jays have 8 hitters with experience against them and two have fared well but the other 6 are a combined 1 for 29 against him! That certainly does not bode well for Toronto in terms of being able to sustain rallies in this one. Also, the Phillies are likely to have a huge day at the plate in this one. Steven Matz has been hit hard of late and has a 9.22 ERA in his last 3 starts. Also, the Phillies have 4 players with between 13 and 29 at bats against Matz that are all hitting between .316 and .533 against him. This is unlikely to be a good match-up for the Jays southpaw whom, as a former Met, the Phillies know very very well. 10* PHILADELPHIA +140 |
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05-14-21 | Cavs v. Wizards OVER 227 | Top | 105-120 | Loss | -106 | 9 h 37 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #501 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Wizards vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:10 ET - The Wizards are a high-scoring team coming off an under which was preceded by 6 straight overs and, overall, a run of 9-2 to the over. I know Cleveland trends toward lower-scoring games but Washington is going to dictate the pace and flow of this game on their home floor. Also, the Cavaliers had averaged 112 points per game in 3 preceding meetings with Wizards prior to a poor 2nd half of scoring leading to their most recent meeting staying under the total. Washington hasn't exactly been playing stellar defense of late and their biggest concern appeared to be getting Russell Westbrook his triple-double record rather than winning games. In any event, Washington does still need one more win to lock up a spot in the post-season and I am sure they will look to "run and gun" their way to victory in this one. That means more points than usual from a short-handed Cleveland team simply playing out the string in a disappointing season. That means very little defensive intensity in this one and the Wizards will be happy to run up the score on the way to a playoff-clinching victory as it would cement them having a spot in the upcoming play-in tournament. 10* OVER the total in Washington |
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05-14-21 | Manchester City v. Newcastle United OVER 3 | Top | 4-3 | Win | 100 | 6 h 55 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach EPL Friday 10* Top Play OVER 3 goals in Newcastle United vs Manchester City @ 3 ET - With Manchester City having locked up the #1 spot in the table for the season and with Newcastle United confirmed safe from relegation, this match should be played rather relaxed. What has been noticed with Newcastle is they are playing much better since the pressure is now off. That said, the hosts are likely to give Manchester City a challenge here and score at least 1 goal if not more. But ultimately the visitors, even with resting a couple guys for what lies ahead in other competitions, will prove to have too much firepower and should score plenty here. Manchester City is motivated to extend their winning away run and they have been phenomenal as travelers here. However, Newcastle is on a 3-1-1 run and has averaged scoring 2 goals in these 5 matches. Manchester City got stifled by Chelsea in most recent match but this followed 3 straight matches in which they had scored 2 goals in each. Also, Manchester City has averaged nearly 3 goals per match in last 4 meetings with Newcastle across all competitions. 10* OVER 3 goals in Newcastle United |
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05-13-21 | Kings v. Avalanche OVER 5.5 | Top | 1-5 | Win | 100 | 10 h 2 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #41 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Colorado Avalanche vs Los Angeles Kings @ 9:05 ET - The Avalanche are starting Jonas Johansson here. This will be just his 2nd appearance in a period of 3 weeks. That is not good in terms of a rust factor and he was playing better for Colorado when he was getting more ice time. Now he has allowed 6 goals on just 38 shots over his last two starts. Keep in mind, he went 0-5 with a 3.79 GAA in his time with the Sabres this season before coming over to the Avs. Johansson is going to be pressured by the Kings here in what is their final game of the season. Los Angeles has nothing to play for but pride and to play the role of spoiler and to prevent the Avalanche from winning the division and the Presidents Trophy for most regular season points totaled in the standings. I do not expect LA to get the upset but I do expect them to be very aggressive in wanting to score a few goals after getting shutout yesterday. At the same time, they are not going to stop an ultra talented Colorado attack that is determined to enter the playoffs as the #1 seed for this NHL season. The Avs looked fantastic yesterday and I expect more of the same today. 10* OVER the total in Colorado |
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05-13-21 | Magic v. Hawks OVER 227 | Top | 93-116 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 49 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #567 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Atlanta Hawks vs Orlando Magic @ 7:40 ET - Neither team shot well in Orlando's loss at Milwaukee Tuesday but the game still totaled 216 points. This followed a game in which the Magic allowed 128 points but the game stayed under the total. This was on the heels of a 12-2 run to the over in Orlando's games. One of the few unders in that stretch was a loss at Atlanta that was on pace for an over as of halftime but both teams shot poorly overall for the game. This ended a streak of 3 straight overs in this series and I fully expect the high-scoring ways to resume today. The Hawks are trying to secure the #4 spot in the East but they sure as hell are not playing defense in hopes of doing so. Now these tired defensive legs are playing the 2nd night of a back to back and 3rd game in 4 days and Atlanta has allowed 124.3 points per game last 3 games. The Magic have allowed 124 points per game last 4 games. Orlando has nothing to play for other than pride and the fast pace played at Milwaukee is very likely to be repeated here. Look for plenty of points as a result as both teams have been giving up a ton of points as of late. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Atlanta |
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05-13-21 | Liverpool v. Manchester United OVER 2.75 | Top | 4-2 | Win | 100 | 7 h 13 m | Show |
NOTE: This match was rescheduled from earlier this month but my original write-up still holds true. In fact, with Chelsea losing yesterday, this actually gives Liverpool a little more hope in terms of staying alive for a top four spot in the table while Manchester United can be aggressive on the attack here knowing they are very nearly already locked into the #2 spot in the table as the campaign is winding down. Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach EPL Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Manchester United vs Liverpool @ 3:15 PM ET - ORIGINAL WRITE-UP: Always a big match-up, the first one in the league action this campaign was a scoreless draw. I feel strongly that this is serving to give us excellent line value with the total in this one. Both clubs are pretty well set in the table with perhaps Liverpool having a little extra hunger but knowing that the chances of them moving into the top four rest somewhere between slim and nil! That said, there will be a little more aggression on the attack in this one from both clubs and Liverpool has been showing much stronger away form over its last 7 league matches on enemy soil. Also, on the campaign, Manchester United has averaged 2 goals per match in home matches and Liverpool has averaged 2 goals per match on the road. 2-2 final here? Certainly would not totally surprise me and we just need 3 goals here to be a winner. Manchester United has scored 2 or more goals in 6 of last 7 matches across all competitions and actually scored an average of 3 goals in those 6 matches! When these clubs met in English FA Cup action in January it was a 3-2 win for Manchester United. Liverpool's recent matches heading into this one have featured some tougher luck in scoring goals but the opportunities have been there. That said, and given this situation, Liverpool will be relentless in their quest for cashing in those opportunities in this one. 10* OVER the total in Manchester United |
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05-13-21 | Blue Jays v. Braves OVER 8.5 | Top | 8-4 | Win | 100 | 3 h 60 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #973 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Atlanta Braves vs Toronto Blue Jays @ 12:20 ET - Yesterday's game was dominated the pitchers but I expect that to change today in a big way. The Braves Charlie Morton is having trouble with his breaking stuff and that has really wrecked his current form. Morton did not even get out of the 1st inning versus the Phillies in his most recent start. Prior to that, he had allowed 9 earned runs in 10 and 2/3 innings over his two most recent outings. Against the Blue Jays, Morton has allowed 10 earned runs in 9 and 1/3 innings spanning his last two starts. Toronto will have Ross Stripling on the mound for this one. He has allowed 6 earned runs on 12 hits in a 8 and 1/3 innings spanning his last two starts against the Braves. Also, Stripling enters this start with a WHIP near 2.00 and a 6.61 ERA in his four starts this season. Poor current form for him and the Braves will take advantage with a big day at the plate here. We get line value here with the total dropping from a 9 to an 8.5 and I will step in and take advantage. 10* OVER the total in Atlanta |
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05-12-21 | Wizards v. Hawks -6 | Top | 116-120 | Loss | -115 | 9 h 45 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #552 Wednesday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (-) vs Washington Wizards @ 7:10 ET - The Wizards will again be without leading scorer Bradley Beal. The Hawks, after allowing Washington back in the game with a horrific 4th quarter performance, will be much better defensively in this game in my opinion. Speaking of defense, that is something Washington does not believe in. All kidding aside, the Wizards have indeed allowed - NOT including OT points - 124 points or more in 5 of last 6 games. In fact, Washington has allowed 127.5 points per game in those 6 games and, again, that is taking OT points out of the equation! As for the Hawks, normally they have been pretty solid defensively and, keep in mind, this is an Atlanta team that has won 8 straight home games. By the way, the 1st 7 wins in that 8-game streak all were by a margin of 7 or more points. Also, the Hawks are off back to back high scoring games but this followed Atlanta allowing an average of only 109.3 points over an 8 game stretch. Certainly the Hawks have proven much more capable of playing some respectable defense in comparison with the Wizards. Now, after back to back high-scoring thrillers, I look for the home team to absolutely turn things up a notch on the defensive end in this one and get a big blowout home win as a result. 10* ATLANTA |
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05-12-21 | Oilers v. Canadiens OVER 6 | Top | 4-3 | Win | 106 | 8 h 45 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #27 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Montreal Canadiens vs Edmonton Oilers @ 5:05 ET - Not a lot to play for here. The Oilers are locked into the #2 seed in the division and the Canadiens, by virtue of securing a point in Monday's OT loss to Edmonton, have secured the #4 spot in the division for the upcoming post-season. That also means these teams will NOT see each other in the first round. Instead Montreal will be doing battle with Toronto and the Oilers will be doing battle with Winnipeg. All that said, I expect a lot of open ice in this one and plenty of quality scoring chances. The last two meetings between these teams have each totaled 7 goals and I look for this one to get there as well. The Oilers have scored at least 3 goals in each of their last 3 games against the Habs but, at the same time, you know that the Canadiens would like to finish the regular season with a win on home ice and to get revenge for Monday's OT loss. That is why I am expecting a 4-3 type game here no matter which team ultimately prevails. 10* OVER the total in Montreal |
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05-12-21 | Arsenal v. Chelsea -116 | Top | 1-0 | Loss | -116 | 6 h 27 m | Show |
Annihilation Dominator - Rickenbach EPL Wednesday 10* Top Play Chelsea Money Line -115 vs Arsenal @ 3:15 ET - Chelsea has almost locked up a top four finish in the table. However, the key word there is almost! In other words, there is still plenty of motivation here for Chelsea. Additionally, they have revenge on their minds as they lost in the reverse fixture at Arsenal in late December. Certainly Chelsea is a different clubs now with Thomas Tuchel at the helm. They simply do not concede goals and even if this is a tight low-scoring match, the hosts should certainly do enough for a victory. Chelsea is very motivated and Arsenal has struggled to mount much of an attack recently and the hosts have been very stingy on defense almost without fail ever since Tuchel took over at manager. This is a fantastic opportunity to take the much better club on their home pitch at a great price. We get a great line here because Arsenal has performed well on enemy pitch and does have good recent history versus Chelsea. However, this merely serving to give us line value here because the hosts are clearly a different club now than they were in the most recent meetings and Arsenal has really taken a few steps back. Arsenal often has struggled against better competition of late and has only been able to knock off the lesser foes. Certainly Arsenal is facing tougher competition in this one! 10* CHELSEA |
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05-12-21 | Cubs v. Indians OVER 8 | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -105 | 5 h 24 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #923 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Indians vs Chicago Cubs @ 1:10 ET - Kyle Davies is off a strong start but it came against a bad Pirates team plus he only struck out 1 in that outing. In other words, the Indians bats will be putting the ball in play here against Davies and he lasted no more than 4 innings in any of his 4 starts that preceded the start versus Pittsburgh. He has a 6.28 ERA on the season and this total dropped from a 9 to an 8 which is offering us significant line value here. Sam Hentges is making his first ever MLB start and though he has "only" a 5.00 ERA so far this season, the Indians lefty has been fortunate the damage has not been worse! Hentges has allowed 4 homers in just 9 innings of work and, overall, opponents are hitting .350 against him. I know yesterday's game was a tight 3-2 final but, keep this in mind, the Indians entered that game having scored at least 4 runs in 6 of last 7 games and, in fact, averaged 6.3 runs per game in those 6 games. The Cubs entered yesterday's game having won 7 of 10 games and scoring an average of 5.8 runs per game in those 10 games. This total, particularly after the downward move, should prove to be far too low. 10* OVER the total in Cleveland |
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05-11-21 | Canucks v. Jets OVER 5.5 | Top | 0-5 | Loss | -117 | 11 h 5 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #25 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Winnipeg Jets vs Vancouver Canucks @ 8:05 ET - Though Connor Hellebuyck could be back for the Jets tonight there is cause for some concern either way. Why was Winnipeg's #1 goalie unavailable last night? The Jets started Laurent Brossoit and his back-up last night was Eric Comrie. That said, Vancouver is still playing hard even though their playoff fate is sealed. The Canucks will not be making the playoffs while the Jets are trying to hold off Montreal for the #3 spot in the division. Keep in mind the #4 spot will have to face top seed Toronto and Winnipeg would rather avoid that. With that said, the Jets did pepper the Canucks with a ton of shots yesterday but Thatcher Demko was fantastic between the pipes. I doubt he'll play again in the 2nd game of a back to back and that means a struggling Braden Holtby likely to get the call here. Holtby has allowed 4 goals in each of his last two starts. The Canucks, prior to yesterday's 3-1 win, had lost 7 of 8 games and had allowed an average of 4.4 goals per game in last 7 games. The Jets have lost 9 of 10 games and allowed 4 goals per game in those 9 defeats. It all adds up to great value with this total posted at a great low number and we'll take advantage. 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Winnipeg |
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05-11-21 | Nuggets v. Hornets OVER 218.5 | Top | 117-112 | Win | 100 | 9 h 51 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #531 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Charlotte Hornets vs Denver Nuggets @ 7 ET - The over is 4-1 in last 5 meetings between these teams. Denver has scored at least 110 points in 8 of last 9 games. The Nuggets have averaged 118 points in those 8 games. The Hornets have scored 107 points or more in 7 of last 10 games. Overall, Charlotte has averaged 110 points per game in these 10 games. Given the history between these teams and the fact this is a non-conference match-up and the recent high-scoring trending for each team, this total is set too low. Grab the value on the high side of this one! 10* OVER the total in Charlotte |
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05-11-21 | Phillies v. Nationals OVER 9 | Top | 6-2 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 14 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #953 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Nationals vs Philadelphia Phillies @ 7:05 ET - The Nationals Erick Fedde is 0-3 with a 6.50 ERA in his last 3 starts against the Phillies and those were all last season and he allowed 5 homers in those 3 starts. The Phillies Chase Anderson is winless with a horrific 16.40 ERA in his 3 career starts in Washington DC. He also enters this start with a 9.39 ERA on the road this season. Fedde enters this start with an 8.48 ERA at home this season. It is the ideal set up for a slugfest as the Phillies bullpen has struggled this season. Although the Nationals bullpen has been better than the Phillies this season they have still taken the loss in 4 of last 5 decisions while also blowing their only save opportunity over the past 7 days. I know recent trending for these teams has been to the under but that changes in a big way in this one and truly it is merely helping to keep this total lower than it should be. 10* OVER the total in Washington |
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05-11-21 | Crystal Palace v. Southampton OVER 2.5 | Top | 1-3 | Win | 100 | 8 h 56 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach EPL Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER 2.5 goals in Southampton vs Crystal Palace @ 3:15 ET - With no pressure on either club, I am expecting a rather wide open match here. Southampton is now safe from any relegation threat courtesy of Fulham and West Bromwich both losing their matches to join Sheffield United as the 3 clubs that have been relegated for next season. As for Crystal Palace, they are higher in the table than Southampton but not high enough to have any real incentive to move higher. The point being that both clubs play with no pressure here and I expect plenty of good scoring opportunities as a result. Southampton has Danny Ings very close to returning and he might even be back for this game. Also, the hosts should have Takumi Minamino back for this one after he missed the match with Liverpool. Southampton will be stronger on the attack here as a result. The injury situation for Crystal Palace has also recently improved as well and with some fresh legs coming in for both clubs in this one, and the rather open and attacking style I expect to see in a match with no real bearings in the table, we should certainly see at least 3 goals in this one. 10* OVER 2.5 goals in Southampton |
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05-10-21 | Pacers v. Cavs UNDER 231 | Top | 111-102 | Win | 100 | 10 h 34 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #520 Monday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Indiana Pacers @ 7:40 ET - I know both these teams have been trending over of late but Cleveland has averaged only 97 points the last 3 games. Also, though the over has cashed in 4 of last 9 meetings and 2 of last 3 the two most recent totals averaged just 221 points and neither would have gone over given the current total (231) posted on this game. In other words, the O/U trend in this series could easily be 7 unders and 2 overs the last 9 games. Either way, with Indiana having a much tougher game (Philly) on deck for tomorrow night, I could easily see the Pacers taking a bit of an "off night" for their recent torrid scoring pace. That said, good value here with a very high total set on this game when you consider the recent low point totals produced by the Cavaliers on offense. The Pacers are only about a 7 point favorite here for a reason and the Cavs just do not score a whole lot. If the oddsmakers are right about this spread, that would mean Cleveland would have to score 112 for this game to go over the total. The Cavaliers have been held to 110 points or less in 14 of last 16 games! 10* UNDER the total in Cleveland |
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05-10-21 | Oilers v. Canadiens +101 | Top | 4-3 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 36 m | Show |
THE Game of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #12 Monday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line (+) vs Edmonton Oilers @ 7:05 ET - Montreal still needs one more win to clinch a playoff spot. Edmonton not only has already clinched a playoff spot, they are locked into the #2 spot in the division. That said, the Canadiens are the much more motivated team here and have already won 5 of 7 meetings between these teams this season. I know the Oilers are a high-quality team that is dangerous in the offensive zone but I just can not foresee them bringing a huge effort here. As for the Habs, they want to lock in their playoff spot now and leave nothing to chance. Though Montreal has lost 3 straight games, those were all on the road and including two at division-leader Toronto. Now the Canadiens are back home where they have won 3 straight games. Also, Edmonton has lost its last two visits here by a combined score of 7 to 2 and they have been outshot by a combined 64 to 40 in those two games. 10* MONTREAL |
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05-10-21 | Red Sox v. Orioles OVER 9 | Top | 1-4 | Loss | -104 | 11 h 6 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #907 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Baltimore Orioles vs Boston Red Sox @ 7:05 ET - Yesterday's game stayed under the total but these teams entered that one with the over on a 5-1 run in last 6 meetings. Those 5 overs averaged 15 runs per game and another wild one should be on tap here. The Red Sox start Martin Perez and he has been roughed up in 2 of his last 3 starts against Baltimore. In those 2 ugly starts Perez allowed 11 runs (10 earned) in just 9 innings of work. The Orioles start Jorge Lopez here. Not only does he have a 9.00 ERA in his 3 home starts this season, he also got rocked for 7 earned runs in 4 innings in the one start out of those three that was against these Red Sox. In other words, do not be surprised if both of these starting pitchers encounter some trouble here after yesterday's rather low-scoring game was a bit of an aberration in my opinion. Boston entered yesterday's game on a 5-2 run to the over and scoring an average of 7.5 runs per game last 8 games. With this total opening at a 9.5 and then dropping to a 9 we have additional value here and I will not pass this up! 10* OVER the total in Baltimore |
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05-10-21 | Burnley v. Fulham OVER 2.5 | Top | 2-0 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 56 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach EPL Monday 10* Top Play OVER 2.5 goals +105 in Fulham vs Burnley @ 3 ET - I know that Fulham struggles to score goals but their season is on the line here. Without a win here, Fulham will be relegated. That said, the hosts will be going hard for a victory and the full 3 points in the table here. Despite getting shutout by Chelsea in most recent match for Fulham, they actually nearly equaled Chelsea in terms of shots and shots on goal. It was an impressive effort though Fulham ended up with nothing to show for it. They will be more rewarded for their scoring opportunities in this one as they take on a Burnley club not exactly known for shutting the opposition down. In fact, each of Burnley's last 6 matches have totaled 3 or more goals. Those 6 matches averaged 3.7 goals and I would not be surprised to see 4 here but certainly we should see at least 3. Burnley has only 1 clean sheet in last 9 matches so Fulham will get on the board here. But I do not see either club settling for a draw here and that means we should see at least a 2-1 final. On that note, Burnley has scored in 8 straight matches and has averaged nearly 2 goals per match in their last 6 matches! Burnley has conceded nearly 2 goals per match in their last 9 matches. You can see why I am expecting at least a 2-1 final here as both clubs go hard for the full 3 points. Fulham getting 3 points keeps their slim hopes alive for avoiding relegation while Burnley getting the full the 3 points means they eliminated Fulham plus moved themselves to safety and they would have no further worries about relegation. 10* OVER 2.5 goals +105 in Fulham |
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05-09-21 | Pelicans +4 v. Hornets | Top | 112-110 | Win | 100 | 9 h 49 m | Show |
NBA TV Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #507 Sunday 10* Top Play New Orleans Pelicans (+) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:10 ET - The Pelicans showed a lot of heart and got big performances from the bench in their 2-point loss at Philly Friday. New Orleans was without Williamson, Ingram, and Adams in that game. Only Adams might be back tonight but, even if he does not play, I like the Pelicans a lot here. New Orleans proved against the 76ers that they are not going down without a fight as they work hard to keep their playoff hopes alive. I was particularly impressed with their performance in the hustle stats like rebounding, steals, and blocked shots. Look for the Pelicans, also seeking revenge for a home loss to Charlotte earlier this season, to give the Hornets all they can handle here. I am grabbing the points but expecting the outright upset. 10* NEW ORLEANS |
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05-09-21 | Stars v. Blackhawks OVER 5.5 | Top | 2-4 | Win | 100 | 10 h 51 m | Show |
NHL Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #1 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Chicago Blackhawks vs Dallas Stars @ 7:05 ET - It is difficult to have a lot of defensive intensity when you just got eliminated from the playoffs and that is what happened with Dallas last night. The Stars were off last night but their season ended because Nashville beat Carolina last night. The Predators got the final playoff spot in the Central Division. As a result, do not be surprised if we see a bit of a "wide open" game here and I like the value with the total at 5.5 goals in this one. 7 of the Stars last 10 games have totaled 6 or more goals and, in fact, those 7 games averaged nearly 8 goals per game. The Blackhawks are also staying home for the post-season and they have played like it! Chicago is off a rare tight low-scoring win but this was preceded by 7 of 8 games totaling at least 7 goals and those games did average 8 goals per game. 7 or even 6 goals make this one a winner and, yet, based on the above I would not be surprised to see this game get to 8 goals. Great value with this low total given the situation and I am stepping up big on this one. 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Chicago |
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05-09-21 | Phillies -109 v. Braves | Top | 1-6 | Loss | -109 | 8 h 9 m | Show |
ESPN Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #961 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Phillies Money Line -110 @ Atlanta Braves @ 7:05 ET - The Phillies lost a heartbreaker last night as they blew a 3-1 lead in bottom of the 9th and a 4-3 lead in bottom of 11th and then, worst of all, blew a 7-4 lead in bottom of the 12th to lose 8-7. However, here is what we know. Acuna might not play today because he took a fastball off his hand in last night's game. If he does this could impact his swing either physically or mentally or both. Acuna is one of the few Braves who actually has been hitting well early this season so his loss would be significant. The Phillies, on the other hand, have gotten their lineup much healthier recently and they also entered last night's game on a solid winning streak. They will bounce back behind their ace tonight. Aaron Nola is a proven ace. I know Huascar Ynoa has been pitching well for the Braves this season but this is still a guy who entered this season with a 7.30 ERA in his 11 MLB appearances (5 starts). Lets just say these teams were equal which, from a health standpoint, I feel they are not right now. But, even if we say the teams are equal I still would take Nola over Ynoa every single time and we get great line value to back him here at about a pick'em price. 10* PHILADELPHIA -110 |
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05-09-21 | West Bromwich Albion v. Arsenal OVER 2.5 | Top | 1-3 | Win | 100 | 5 h 14 m | Show |
National TV Blowout - Rickenbach EPL Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 2.5 goals in Arsenal vs West Bromwich @ 2 ET - I know that Arsenal has not scored a lot of goals recently and West Bromwich is off a 1-1 draw. However, West Bromwich is still desperately trying to avoid relegation and their four prior matches all totaled 3 or more goals and actually averaged 4.3 goals per match. I feel we have excellent line value here with this total. No club has conceded more goals this season than West Bromwich. Arsenal is angry off a loss and will be ready to respond here and to be much more aggressive on the attack. West Bromwich, likewise, must be on the attack here as they can not afford to settle for a draw. They are desperately seeking 3 points in the table to keep their slim hopes alive in terms of avoiding relegation. Arsenal still has hopes to move up the table as well and their scoreless result in UEFA Europa League action on Thursday has the hosts fired up to respond here. I just do not see either team being held off the scoresheet here and I certainly do not see this match ending in a draw so we should see at least a 2-1 final here. Look for an aggressive attack from both clubs here and note that Arsenal won the reverse fixture 4-0 this season and the last 4 meetings between these clubs have averaged 3 goals. We should see at least that here as well. 10* OVER 2.5 goals in Arsenal |
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05-08-21 | Hurricanes v. Predators +107 | Top | 1-3 | Win | 107 | 10 h 52 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #70 Saturday 10* Top Play Nashville Predators Money Line (+) vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 8:05 ET - The Hurricanes have now locked up the #1 spot in the division. The Predators can clinch a playoff spot with a win tonight. With the Preds having won 16 of 26 on home ice and the Hurricanes having won 16 of 26 on enemy ice this season, one could argue that this line should be a pick'em under normal circumstances. That said, there is huge value here because these are not normal circumstances and yet Nashville, even after some early line movement this morning, are still a small dog here. I will grab the value with the highly motivated home dog here. Of course the Hurricanes have been hot and want to keep winning heading into the post-season, but I just do not see the Canes as being able to match the intensity of the Preds in this one as they look to punch their ticket to the post-season. 10* NASHVILLE |
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05-08-21 | Phillies v. Braves OVER 9 | Top | 7-8 | Win | 100 | 10 h 40 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #911 Saturday 10* OVER the total in Atlanta Braves vs Philadelphia Phillies @ 7:20 ET - I know that Ian Anderson has solid numbers for the Braves this season but this will be the 3rd time already that the Phillies are seeing him this year. Philadelphia got to him for 4 earned runs in 5 and 1/3 innings in most recent chance against him. Also, the Phillies lineup is getting healthier again with both Bryce Harper and Jean Segura returning yesterday. Additionally, Philly is red hot with 5 straight wins and the Phillies have scored an average of 6 runs per game last 6 games. Vince Velasquez gets the start for Philadelphia here. I do not trust this guy. I know he has had a couple of decent starts recently but he'll struggle here. He is 1-6 with a 5.02 ERA against the Braves and has allowed 6 earned runs in 7 and 1/3 innings spanning his last two starts at Atlanta. With yesterday's 12-2 Phillies win, the Braves O/U is 11-3-1 in their 15 home games this season. Look for that high-scoring trend to continue here. 10* OVER the total in Atlanta |
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05-08-21 | Pistons v. 76ers OVER 220.5 | Top | 104-118 | Win | 100 | 11 h 30 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #569 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia 76ers vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:10 ET - The Sixers could rest some players here, particularly Joel Embiid, coming off last night's game. However, keep in mind, people always seem to underestimate the defensive value of a player like that. So the total drops in cases like this but yet the weakened defense is an issue. Last night Philadelphia and New Orleans had a high-scoring game through early 4th quarter but then the game just died at that point and stayed under the total. Why? Because it ended up being a tight game late with key possessions featuring plenty of defense during the stretch run of the 4th quarter. I just do not see this game playing out that way. 7 of the last 8 meetings between the Pistons and 76ers have resulted in an over and I do not expect much defense in this one. Philly expended a lot of energy on the defensive end and now hosts a Detroit team that is simply playing out the string on the season. In other words, what do they care about defense? Exactly! So even though the Pistons come in on off a couple of unders and overall trending under in recent weeks, the play here is the over as these teams make it 8 overs in the last 9 meetings. 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia |
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05-08-21 | Southampton v. Liverpool -1.5 | Top | 0-2 | Win | 100 | 7 h 16 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach EPL Saturday 10* Top Play Liverpool Goal Line -1.5 goals -125 vs Southampton @ 3:15 ET - Liverpool has played better than their recent results would indicate. They have simply just missed converting after creating some fantastic scoring chances. I feel confident they will get their just rewards in this one and come up with a multi-goal victory over Southampton. For one thing this is a revenge match because of what happened in the reverse fixture earlier this season. Additionally, Southampton is horrible in terms of conceding goals as travelers as they have allowed 38 goals on the road this season and that is the worst mark in the league! Look for Liverpool, hungry for a dominant win to avenge the earlier season defeat with a convincing victory here. Liverpool, as host versus Southampton, has won the two most recent matches by a combined score of 7 to 0. Look for a victory for them on their home pitch by at least a 2-goal margin in this one. 10* LIVERPOOL |
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05-07-21 | Phillies +141 v. Braves | Top | 12-2 | Win | 141 | 9 h 21 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #957 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Phillies Money Line +140 @ Atlanta Braves @ 7:20 ET - The knee-jerk reaction here is to grab the Braves on their home field considering the Phillies poor road record so far this season. However, Philadelphia has actually alternated wins and losses in last 6 road games and lost their most recent road game so look for them to get right back into the win column here. There is simply too much line value being offered to Zach Eflin and the Phillies in this one. The Braves are heating up but so too are the Phillies. Also, Atlanta's Charlie Morton has given up 4 earned runs or more in 3 of his last 4 starts. Conversely, Philadelphia's Eflin has given up 2 earned runs or less in 4 of his 6 starts this season. Also, the Phillies could get both Bryce Harper and Jean Segura back for this one. Additionally the bullpen is in great shape because Zack Wheeler gave the Phils a complete game yesterday. Closer Hector Neris has been rested since his long save against the Brewers Monday while Coonrod and Alvarado picked up the saves Tuesday and Wednesday. Again, no bullpen was needed yesterday in Wheeler's shutout win over the Brewers and so the Phillies relief corps is in great shape for this one and the lineup could get a boost too as noted above. The Braves are a solid team for sure but the Phillies are right there with them and I like Wheeler over Morton here plus the situational value leading to big underdog value too good to pass up on in my opinion. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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05-07-21 | Pelicans v. 76ers UNDER 227.5 | Top | 107-109 | Win | 100 | 9 h 42 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #548 Friday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Philadelphia 76ers vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 7:10 ET - The 76ers, not including OT points of course, have allowed just 99 points per game during their current 6-game winning streak. Philadelphia is favored by 9 here. A 108-99 final would fall 20 points below the current number posted on this game. Certainly I am not saying it will necessarily be that low-scoring but the Pelicans do have some injury issues here and Philly wants revenge for losing the 1st meeting between these teams this season. By the way, that game totaled only 195 points. The 76ers have lowly Pistons on deck for tomorrow so they will be fully focused on the defensive end in this one and the Pelicans have another non-conference match-up on deck for Sunday so New Orleans should bring a fully focused effort on the defensive end for this one as well. The Pelicans have stayed under in 6 of last 7 games and the only over in that stretch was an OT game. It did go over in regulation but not by much and the point is that the Pelicans recent averages were skewed a bit by the one outlier game last 7 games. The other 6 games saw New Orleans allow an average of 108 points and score 111 points on average. That is a 219 average and, again, well below the posted total on this game. 10* UNDER the total in Philadelphia |
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05-07-21 | Flyers +166 v. Capitals | Top | 4-2 | Win | 166 | 8 h 0 m | Show |
Big East Beast - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #33 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line +165 @ Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - The Blackhawks, Canucks, and Devils all won yesterday. What in the world does that have to do with this play? A helluva lot actually! All 3 of those teams will NOT be going to the playoffs but they are playing loose and relaxed hockey as a result. I know Vancouver is still mathematically alive but, trust me, they know the handwriting is on the wall and they are not going to make it. They are on the verge of elimination. So the point is that all 3 of those aforementioned teams were on the road and they were facing playoff-bound hosts that were all favored by at least -200 and one was above the -300 mark! The point is that a lot of underdog value was there with those 3 upsets and that was on a card with 6 games yesterday. So looking for the big dogs can pay off big late in the season like this. For Friday, this is another such situation. Washington is a nearly 2 to 1 favorite and is playoff bound and they are hosting a Philly team that will not be going to the playoffs. The Flyers will play loose and relaxed. Philadelphia has a long history of rivalry with the Capitals and would love nothing more than to spoil their hopes of winning the division. The Caps are off a very emotional 2-game set with the Rangers that featured the Tom Wilson incident in the first game which spilled into all-out brawls in the 2nd game of the set. That could leave Washington a little spent here while the Flyers are well rested and have been off since Tuesday and are in bounce back mode off an ugly loss. Washington has lost 4 of last 6 on home ice. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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05-07-21 | Newcastle United v. Leicester OVER 2.5 | Top | 4-2 | Win | 100 | 7 h 23 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach EPL Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Leicester vs Newcastle @ 3 ET - Both teams gunning hard for the full 3 points in the table in this one. Leicester trying to secure a top four spot and Newcastle trying to secure safety from the relegation zone. I do not see either club earning a clean sheet in this one and I do not expect a 1-1 draw either. As a result, we should see at least a 2-1 match here. Leicester is off a 1-1 draw with Southampton and that was deeply disappointing for them. They will respond here and 8 of 10 preceding matches in Premier League action had totaled at least 3 goals. Newcastle is off a disappointing 2-0 loss to Arsenal but that followed a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Liverpool which was preceded by a run of 4 straight matches that all totaled 3 or more goals. Also, the last 3 matches between Leicester and Newcastle have all totaled 3 or more goals. Leicester home matches averaging 3 goals this season. Newcastle's road matches have seen them allow 1.6 goals per match. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Leicester |
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05-06-21 | Bulls v. Hornets OVER 217 | Top | 120-99 | Win | 100 | 11 h 55 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #533 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Charlotte Hornets vs Chicago Bulls @ 7:10 ET - The O/U is a perfect 5-0 the last 5 times these teams have met at Charlotte. The Bulls have not been scoring well recently but they should get a big boost tonight. It will be the first time in a long time that both Lavine and Vucevic will be on the floor together. They are both expected to play tonight and you will see a different Chicago team tonight than you have seen in quite some time. Though I expect this to result in the Bulls scoring much better than they have been, I also expect the Hornets to score well. Charlotte has averaged 111 points per game last 6 home games. Bulls are favored here by a bucket or so for a reason. In other words, based on the above, you can why this game is likely to get into the mid-220s and yet we are dealing with a total in the 217 range as an opener. I will grab the value for a top play. 10* OVER the total in Charlotte |
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05-06-21 | Blackhawks v. Hurricanes -1.5 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -120 | 10 h 17 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #28 Thursday 10* Top Play Carolina Hurricanes Puck Line -1.5 goals -120 vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 7:05 ET - With the way the playoffs are structured for this season, it is ultra important for the Hurricanes to finish with the top spot in their division. They fully realize that and have been taking care of business and I expect more of the same here. Carolina has won 5 straight games and 4 of the wins came by at least a 2 goal margin. Going further back, 10 of the last 11 Canes wins have come by a margin of 2 or more goals. Hence the comfort level here with laying the 1.5 goals because, of course, we are not going to be laying the huge money line price that has been set on a game like this. By utilizing the puck line, we only have to lay a price of about -120 here. While the Hurricanes have been red hot, the Blackhawks fell apart down the stretch and found themselves eliminated from post-season contention. Chicago has lost 6 straight games and 4 of the 6 were by a margin of 2 or more goals. In fact, 8 of the Blackhawks last 10 defeats have been by 2 or more goals and I expect more of the same here. 10* CAROLINA -1.5 goals -120 |
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05-06-21 | Braves v. Nationals OVER 9 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -103 | 6 h 54 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #905 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Nationals vs Atlanta Braves @ 4:05 ET - Yesterday's game barely stayed under the total. Look for today's game to make up for it. Yes, Jon Lester has good career numbers against the Braves and did have a strong first start to begin this season with the Nationals. However, couple comments on that. His only start this season came against the Marlins and that is not a team I am impressed by in terms of their lineup. Also, though Lester has had success against Atlanta, it has been awhile since he faced them. Though that most recent outing was a successful one against the Braves, it followed him allowing a combined 5 homers in his other 2 most recent outings versus Atlanta. Despite his strong career numbers, most of that success against the Braves is from many years ago and I feel strongly he is not the same pitcher he once was. Like Atlanta's lineup, Washington's lineup should also have a big game at the plate today. The Nationals will take advantage of facing a struggling Drew Smyly. Yesterday notwithstanding, the Nats have hit very well against southpaws this season and the lefty Smyly has some ugly stats of late. Smyly had a respectable start against Washington earlier this season but since then he went 0-2 with a 10.38 ERA over three starts. He allowed 8 homers in those 3 outings and I expect more struggles today. 10* OVER the total in Washington |
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05-05-21 | Celtics v. Magic OVER 218.5 | Top | 132-96 | Win | 100 | 11 h 60 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #515 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Orlando Magic vs Boston Celtics @ 7:05 ET - The Magic are 14-4 to the over last 18 games. The Celtics are 5-0 to the over last 5 games. The most recent match-up between these teams resulted in an under but this followed a run of 3 straight overs in meetings between Orlando and Boston. Not only are the Celtics 5-0 to the over last 5 games, the Magic are 5-0 to the over last 5 home games. I am going to test these two perfect trends here and look for a very high-scoring game in this one as Orlando does tend to shoot the 3-ball much better when at home. The Celtics, not including OT, have averaged 120.5 points per game last 4 games. 10* OVER the total in Orlando |
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05-05-21 | Capitals v. Rangers +125 | Top | 4-2 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 35 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #6 Wednesday 10* Top Play New York Rangers Money Line +125 vs Washington Capitals @ 7 ET - The Rangers are incensed that Tom Wilson was not suspended for the fracas in the Monday game that led to a brawl on the ice and left New York without Artemi Panarin for the rest of the season. Granted the Rangers are eliminated from the playoffs and there are only 3 games left for New York but none of this is sitting well with this team. Not only is this a big time revenge game for the Rangers after what happened on Monday, it is also their final home game of the season. I am banking on the Rangers being ready to go in a huge way. Yes Panarin is a key loss for New York but the Rangers are going to be extremely motivated to win this game! Also, the Capitals are expected to be without Kuznetsov plus Ovechkin has been downgraded to doubtful for this game. Oshie, Shultz, Samsonov also are all listed as questionable for this one. Yes the Caps are going hard for 1st place in the division but, especially after what happened Monday, you know the Rangers are going hard here in hopes of playing the role of spoiler. 10* NEW YORK RANGERS +125 |
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05-05-21 | Brewers v. Phillies +122 | Top | 4-5 | Win | 122 | 9 h 35 m | Show |
ACTION for the pitchers! Game of the Week - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #958 Wednesday 10* Philadelphia Phillies Money Line +120 vs Milwaukee Brewers @ 7:05 ET - Chase Anderson is starting to settle in a bit as a Phillies starter. He also is a former Brewer. You know he is going to be up for this start as this is his first shot at his former team since he was jettisoned from Milwaukee a couple years ago. We are getting great line value here because Freddy Peralta has great numbers for the Brewers so far this season. However, his only two road starts were at Chicago against the Cubs and that is a team that struggled badly to score runs at home early this season. Why is this so significant here? It is because Peralta is known for struggling on the road and so I am not putting too much weight into two starts at Wrigley Field when the Cubs were not hitting well. Also, they did get to him for 5 hits in 4 innings in his 2nd start there. Now take a look at Peralta's career road stats: 2020 - 5.28 ERA, 2019 - 7.04 ERA, 2018 - 5.36 ERA! As for Anderson, he has not worked too deep into games but his only truly bad start was at Colorado and Coors Field is the most hitter-friendly park in majors. As for his other 4 starts, Anderson has a 3.50 ERA. As a home dog here, the Phillies offer solid line value as they are 11-6 at home this season. Too much value, in my opinion, to pass up on given all of the above. 10* PHILADELPHIA +120 |
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05-04-21 | Indians v. Royals OVER 8.5 | Top | 7-3 | Win | 100 | 9 h 41 m | Show |
MLB is a play even though Phil Maton now expected to start for the Indians. Maton is just an opener. Sam Hentges still expected to get the bulk of the work. Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #921 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Kansas City Royals vs Cleveland Indians @ 8:10 ET - I know these are generally two of the weaker offenses in the majors but the Royals have hit pretty well at home this season and the Indians have won 6 of 8 games and have averaged scoring 6.2 runs per game in those wins. Cleveland should have no trouble with a struggling Mike Minor. The Kansas City left-hander has allowed 5 homers in his last 3 starts and that includes outings against the Tigers and Pirates which certainly are not exactly teams known to have powerhouse lineups. I know Minor has some history against the Indians but his current form is off. As for Cleveland's starting pitcher, Sam Hentges is making his first ever MLB start. He has given up 3 homers in his 3 appearances this season and, overall, has been hit quite hard. More of the same expected here as the Royals have scored an average of 6.2 runs per game last 5 games. This total opened up at a 9.5 and has dropped to an 8.5 and I like the added value here after the line move. 10* OVER the total in Kansas City |
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05-04-21 | Nets +2 v. Bucks | Top | 118-124 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 34 m | Show |
TV Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #505 Tuesday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:40 ET - Chance at immediate revenge for Brooklyn after losing a tight one at Milwaukee on Sunday. The Nets did outrebound the Bucks in that game but were done in by turnovers. Also, the Bucks were simply the better shooting team that night and, even with all that, the Nets still lost the game by just a very slim margin. I expect the Nets to shoot better tonight and get payback. Brooklyn is 5-1 SU this season when they enter a game off back to back losses. The Nets were on a 29-8 run prior to now suffering back to back defeats. They will respond here. The Bucks had lost 10 of 19 prior to now coming up with back to back wins. 10* BROOKLYN |
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05-04-21 | Penguins v. Flyers +149 | Top | 7-3 | Loss | -100 | 7 h 20 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #64 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line +150 @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - Fully understand the Flyers being a +150 dog again today but it is simply not justified. Especially this is true because Casey DeSmith left yesterday's game with an injury. That forced Tristan Jarry, today's starting goalie, into action for the Penguins. Pittsburgh is simply over-priced here. Jarry has some ugly numbers against the Flyers this season and, though Philadelphia is eliminated from post-season contention, they have already shown what they can do when motivated. Philly is always motivated when facing Crosby, Malkin, and the in-state division rival Penguins. They will bring another strong effort on home ice and have their better goalie, Brian Elliott, instead of Alex Lyon, between the pipes for this one. This is simply too much home dog value to pass up on. The markets will be all over the Penguins in this one but the goalie situation, confidence factor after yesterday's game, home ice edge, hungry dog mentality and line value all add up to a great spot to back the Flyers again. 10* PHILADELPHIA +150 |
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05-03-21 | Rangers v. Twins OVER 8.5 | Top | 5-6 | Win | 100 | 11 h 30 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #961 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Twins vs Texas Rangers @ 7:40 ET - Rangers games have stayed under in 5 of last 6 games. However, with yesterday's 5-3 win, Texas has scored a total of 13 runs last two games. I like the odds of a high-scoring match-up here even though I am not a big fan of the Rangers lineup. The fact is that the Twins lineup showed signs yesterday that they are ready for a surge. Minnesota scored 13 runs Sunday and the over is now 5-0 last 5 Twins games. With Kenta Maeda and Dane Dunning on the mound for this one, we should see plenty of fireworks from each lineup. Maeda has given up 3 homers in each of his last two starts. Those starts were on the road and normally he is a much better pitcher when at home. However, he did give up 7 hits in less than 5 innings of work in his lone home start this season. As for Dunning, he has allowed 9 earned runs in less than 8 innings of work combined in his last two outings. These lineups do not have much experience against these hurlers and that is the one drawback here. However, with the way these two starters are going and the fact that both lineups have helped produce a couple recent big wins, the over looks like a solid play in this one. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota |
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05-03-21 | Magic v. Pistons OVER 213 | Top | 119-112 | Win | 100 | 12 h 42 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #565 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Pistons vs Orlando Magic @ 7:10 ET - There are two teams that have already been eliminated from post-season contention in the Eastern Conference and here they are matched up against each other. The result? Very little defense because, seriously, who cares about this game? It should be played very freely and openly and the odds makers know this. They opened up this total higher than the closing line of the total in the first two match-ups. Both those games stayed under the total by a double digit margin. That said, why would this game have a higher total than those two games given the results of those games? Exactly! The point is that the odds maker knows the same thing we know here. There should not be a lot of defensive intensity in this one. By the way, the over is 13-4 in Orlando's last 17 games. More of the same expected here. 10* OVER the total in Detroit |
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05-03-21 | Capitals -106 v. Rangers | Top | 6-3 | Win | 100 | 9 h 42 m | Show |
WASHINGTON -105 - The Capitals could have Ovechkin back on the ice tonight but, either way, I do like the Caps a lot in this spot. For all intents and purposes, after back to back ugly losses to the Islanders, the Rangers season is over. They are not yet mathematically eliminated but the Rangers would have to win all 4 remaining games and have the Bruins not earn a single point from any of their 6 remaining games. That is not happening and the Rangers are going to struggle to pull it all together for this game. For Washington, there is no shortage of motivation as they are now in 2nd place in the division but only 2 points behind the Penguins and they have a game in hand on Pittsburgh. Also, the Caps have Ovechkin back on the ice and skating again in practices so they know his return is imminent which is also a big boost to the club. Washington is 3-1 this season when entering a game off exactly 2 consecutive losses. In other words, only once this season did the Capitals have a losing streak reach 3 or more games. Off back to back losses entering this game, look for the Caps to improve to 4-1 on the season when in this situation. 10* WASHINGTON |
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05-03-21 | Jets v. Senators OVER 6 | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 23 m | Show |
10* OVER 6 in Ottawa - The Jets Connor Hellebuyck is struggling badly. The Senators tend to score better when at home and have remained competitive late in the season as their fate for this year was sealed long ago and they actually are playing better now than they have been most of the season. Ottawa, however, still struggles to stop teams and the Jets are on a losing streak and anxious to end it here on the road. Winnipeg has been scoring better on the road than at home and I am looking for a high-scoring game tonight given all of the above. The Jets have averaged 3.7 goals per game last 11 road games. The Senators have been averaging 3 goals per game on their home ice. I am looking for a 4-3 type game here. Prior to the Jets 3-2 win staying under the total 3 weeks ago, 7 of 9 meetings between these teams had totaled at least 6 goals and I fully expect this one will as well. Winnipeg is angry and looking for a breakout game offensively but they also have allowed 4.3 goals per game last 6 games. 10* OVER 6 in Ottawa |
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05-03-21 | West Ham United v. Burnley OVER 2.5 | Top | 2-1 | Win | 100 | 18 h 5 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach EPL Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Burnley vs West Ham @ 3:15 ET - Burnley off a 4-0 win versus Wolverhampton so they will be ready to go here as they try to move further away from any threat of relegation and got a boost in confidence with the blowout win. West Ham also will be pushing hard for the full 3 points in the table here because they still have hopes of a top four finish. That took at hit with a 1-0 loss to Chelsea but there was no real shame in that as the defensive level of play since Thomas Tuchel took over at manager at Chelsea has been incredible. That said, West Ham will be looking for a breakout game on the attack in this one at Burnley after being stifled by Chelsea. You have read about this scenario with me before right here but again this is one of those spots where I do not expect either side to deliver a clean sheet. In other words, each club scores at least a goal. Additionally, neither team willing to settle for a draw here because each club needs the full 3 points in the table as noted above. So we should see at least a 2-1 final here and we are working with a total of 2.5 goals on this one. I will take it! Prior to the low-scoring loss to Chelsea, each of West Ham's last 4 matches totaled 5 or more goals! Additionally, West Ham entered the match with Chelsea on a run of 7 of 9 matches totaling at least 3 goals! Burnley is on a run of 5 straight matches totaling at least 3 goals and those actually averaged 4 goals per match. So look for plenty here as this one sets up well for plenty of offense. 10* OVER the total in Burnley |
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05-02-21 | Nets +1.5 v. Bucks | Top | 114-117 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 60 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #549 Sunday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 3:40 ET - The Nets are off a loss but it was without Kevin Durant as he was rested. He'll be back for this one and Brooklyn is 9-0 SU the last 9 times when off a loss and here we can grab them without laying any points so I am testing this 9-0 situation. I know Giannis will be back for the Bucks here too but how healthy will he be? Also, the Nets won the first meeting and I know Harden played in that one and he is out for this one but Irving did not play in that one and he is back for this one. Plus Brooklyn won that game despite a 17-5 turnover deficit. That will not happen again with Irving on the floor in my opinion. Also, the Nets were strong on the glass in that one and I look for more of the same here. Keep in mind the Bucks are just 10-10 SU last 20 games. Couple that with the fact that Brooklyn has been so strong off a loss and you have the ideal set-up here. Many will be enticed to take the Bucks here as Milwaukee is known for being so strong at home but, there is plenty of reason as to why this game is priced this way and I am going contrarian and grabbing the Nets in this one as they get it done on the road. 10* BROOKLYN |
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05-02-21 | Lightning -1.5 v. Red Wings | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -121 | 7 h 27 m | Show |
Puck Line Game of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #31 Sunday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Puck Line -1.5 -120 @ Detroit Red Wings @ 3:05 ET - The Red Wings won yesterday's game 1-0 in the shootout by a ratio of nearly 2 to 1 as the Lightning nearly doubled them up in shots on goal. Also, they used Thomas Greiss yesterday while TB used Curtis McElhinney. Certainly is was not the Tampa Bay goalie that led to the loss but, the point is, one of the best goalies in the NHL will be back in his crease for this one as Andrei Vasilevskiy gets the start for the Lightning. If Greiss goes again here it would be the 2nd game of a back to back situation and so, no matter who Detroit starts here, I like our chances for a big road rout. Tampa Bay wants payback and they know how important these points are in the standing as they still chase the #1 spot in the division as the post-season quickly approaches. Prior to yesterday's tight low-scoring loss, the Bolts had won 3 of their last 4 road games and all 4 of those games were decided by a multi-goal margin. In fact, the average margin of victory in those contests was 3 goals. Look for this one to be decided by at least a pair of goals and the road team responds with a determined effort here. 10* TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING Puck Line -1.5 goals -120 |
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05-02-21 | Cubs v. Reds OVER 8.5 | Top | 12-13 | Win | 100 | 3 h 24 m | Show |
NL Total of the Week - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #905 Sunday 10* OVER the total in Cincinnati Reds vs Chicago Cubs @ 1:10 ET - Yesterday the 3-2 Reds win over the Cubs was one of the very few games that did not go over the total on Saturday. Not surprisingly, a total here that opened up at a 9 has been bet down to an 8.5 as of early Sunday morning and I love the additional value we are getting here. Of course the odds makers opened up this total at a 9 with good reason and now we get some additional value with the 1/2 run drop on the number at the books. The fact is that the Reds have been one of the top hitting teams when at home this season and they should pound Trevor Williams. He has shown a pattern in recent seasons that has continued right into this season as well. Williams can be solid in evening starts and particularly when at home but his road starts and his day game starts have left plenty to be desired. I look for Williams to get pounded here. As for Tyler Mahle, I am well aware that he has solid numbers. But the Cubs have hitters that have enjoyed success against him. Also, even though he was able to escape his most recent start relatively unscathed, Mahle did have multiple guys on base in 3 of the 5 innings and was somewhat fortunate to escape without much damage being done. He will not be so fortunate this time around and the ball should carry well in a mild afternoon game at Great American Ballpark. 10* OVER the total in Cincinnati |