Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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08-03-20 | Pirates v. Twins OVER 9.5 | Top | 4-5 | Loss | -106 | 11 h 16 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #959 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Twins vs Pittsburgh Pirates @ 8:10 ET - I know the Pirates haven't been hitting the ball very well and are having a rough start to the season but I look for them to do some damage against Lewis Thorpe. The Twins southpaw has been solid in two outings out of the bullpen this season but now makes a rare start. Thorpe pitched in 12 games last season (2 starts) and compiled a 6.18 ERA plus was hit at a .336 clip. You can see why I am expecting the Pirates bats to make some noise here. Certainly we should also see the Twins sticks make a lot of noise too. They are coming off a low-scoring series but that came against a pitching-heavy lineup-weak Indians team. Now Minnesota, loaded with right-handed power, will take advantage of facing Bucs southpaw Derek Holland. The Pittsburgh lefty pitched with two teams last season and logged 51 games (8 starts) and ended up 2-5 with a 6.08 ERA. Facing a powerful AL lineup won't help matters for Holland. Keep in mind his last season in the American League was in 2017 with the White Sox and he went 7-14 with a 6.20 ERA. Look for both starters to get rocked here and I expect the confidence of each lineup to, as a result, grow as this game goes on and the pens will end up getting pounded too as a result. The bats come to life based on the pitching match-up at Target Field for this one. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota |
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08-03-20 | Spurs v. 76ers -6.5 | Top | 130-132 | Loss | -115 | 13 h 40 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #748 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 8 ET - This one is all about the value. Yes, the Sixers lost to the Pacers Saturday but Philly led that game by 10 points with under 9 minutes to go. Now Philadelphia catches the Spurs in the 2nd night of a back to back. Also, the 76ers dominated the glass and outrebounded Indiana by about 20 boards in the defeat but were done in by a late collapse and by being outscored by 15 points from 3-point land. Here is what is most interesting about this spot and is why there is so much value here. The 76ers are favored by nearly the identical spread in this game that they were favored by in the game against the Pacers. Anybody looked at the standings lately? Yes the Spurs are off back to back wins but their record is not even close to the Pacers. Also, San Antonio beat two teams (Kings and Grizzlies) that each have losing records and they barely won each game. Give them credit of course but the point is that they are very over-valued here especially with this being a back to back spot. Look for an angry Sixers team to take out their frustration on a short-handed San Antonio team that will grow weary as this game goes on. Keep in mind the Spurs do not have Aldridge plus Belinelli and Forbes have been banged up. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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08-03-20 | Stars +119 v. Golden Knights | Top | 3-5 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 37 m | Show |
No Doubt Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #29 Monday 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Money Line (+) vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 6:30 ET - Who is the Golden Knights goalie here? I don't know...your guess good as mine! All kidding aside folks, though Fleury played in the exhibition game it is expected to be Lehner that gets the nod here. However, I really believe that the goalie situation in Vegas is going to end up being an issue. I have seen this before with Fleury in the post-season when he is looking over his shoulder. Vegas, after the coaching change, certainly has improved and this has been particularly true on defense. However, Dallas is certainly no slouch either when it comes to defensive-minded hockey. That being said, I love the underdog value with the under-rated Stars in this one. Keep in mind, yesterday I had the Flyers in a #4 vs #1 match-up in the round-robin in the East and Philly got a solid 4-1 upset win over the Bruins. I strongly feel that the new playoff format for this strange season really favors the lower seeds. Philly gets a chance to move all the way up to the #1 seed in a span of just 3 games and the same holds true for the Stars as well. I see them being very hungry as a result and taking step one toward that goal with a win here. I am expecting a better effort from Vegas than we saw with Boston yesterday but I also expect the unsettled goalie situation for the Golden Knights to lead to an early goal for Dallas as that is a key to their success. The Stars get that early goal and then suffocate and frustrate teams. That is their game plan here and I like them to get the job done. It is with good reason that the Golden Knights were priced as such as a short favorite here and yet they are still attracting the bets in this one and the line has moved their way. i love spots like this and feel the markets are fooled on this one. Give me the very hungry dog! 10* DALLAS |
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08-02-20 | Blues v. Avalanche -110 | Top | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 23 h 47 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #20 Sunday 10* Top Play Colorado Avalanche Money Line (-) vs St Louis Blues @ 6:30 ET - The Blues did not look good in their 4-0 loss to the Blackhawks. Granted it was only an exhibition game but was not a good sign for a St Louis team that is certainly a very strong team (they are the defending champs after all) but that struggles against teams with good speed. That said, this is a really tough match-up for the Blues as the Avalanche are so dangerous with their top line of MacKinnon, Rantanen, and Landeskog. Colorado would have had an even better record to this point were it not for injuries but now, fully healthy, and with two very capable goalies too, the Avs are a real threat to win it all this season. They are fully focused on the top prize and know that earning a top seed for the post-season could go a long way toward securing that goal. The Avalanche are hungry and, for the Blues, lets just remind everyone how hard it is to repeat as Stanley Cup champs and to have a target on your back. Yes this is just one game as part of the round robin (the teams involved in the West are Vegas and Dallas) but this is a chance for the hungrier team to prove they are going to be a force to be reckoned with and, again, their team speed is going to be a problem for the Blues. This is the type of match-up that gives St Louis fits when they're firing on all cylinders and, of course, the Blues are not yet in that "mode" just yet after the long layoff. Speed kills. 10* COLORADO |
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08-02-20 | Spurs v. Grizzlies -4 | Top | 108-106 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 51 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #732 Sunday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies (-) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 4:05 ET - Memphis is off a tough OT loss to Portland Friday and it was a game that the Grizzlies allowed to get away from them late in regulation. They'll make up for that here. Even though Memphis fell short to the Trail Blazers they did a great job of getting to the free throw line. They simply were outdone from three point land. The difference in 3-point shooting means so much in the NBA game and the Spurs hot hand from beyond the arc certainly played a role in their win over the Kings on Friday. From a situational perspective, this one sets up well with the Grizzlies off a tight loss but against a stronger team (in my opinion) than the Spurs faced. Also, San Antonio pulled away late in that game so don't be fooled by the final score. Again, the 3-point shooting was also a factor and, in other words, I like the "overall game" of the Grizzlies better than the Spurs and barring another unusual 3-point disparity look for Memphis to win this one by double digits. While I respect San Antonio's veteran coach Popovich, Grizzlies young head coach Jenkins has impressed this season and was a Bucks assistant last season (and what season it was!) plus started his career in the San Antonio organization. Jenkins and his Grizzlies have taken 2 of 3 from the Spurs this season and get another one here to solidify their edge over the Spurs in the standings as Memphis looks to pull away from the field battling for the #8 spot out west. Grizzlies respond off loss. 10* MEMPHIS |
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08-02-20 | Padres v. Rockies OVER 13 | Top | 6-9 | Win | 100 | 7 h 41 m | Show |
Sunshine Smash - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #919 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Colorado Rockies vs San Diego Padres @ 3:10 ET - Huge total posted on this game and, keep in mind, the first game of the series was fortunate to go over the total as it took some 9th inning magic to send it flying over. However, even with all that said, I like the over a ton in this match-up Sunday. This will be the first day game played at Coors Field with a designated hitter. It is expected to be a warm afternoon in Denver and the ball carries particularly well here in day games. The Rockies starter is Antonio Senzatela and he had a 5.15 ERA in home games in 2017, got hit at a .316 clip in home games in 2018, and had a 9.27 ERA in day games in 2019. Even though the Padres were held to just 1 run in last night's loss here, they had been swinging the bats well and will bounce right back here. The issue for San Diego this afternoon will be their own pitching situation. I know Zach Davies had a decent first start this season but that was in a more pitcher-friendly environment for sure. This will be a tough spot for him Sunday and last season Davies had a 4.81 ERA in day games. In 2018 he had a 4.95 ERA in road games. The Rockies had double digits in hits yesterday but slowed down at the plate after scoring 6 runs in the first 5 innings. Today they will be forced to score throughout the contest because the Padres answer them run for run in this one and the first day game with a DH instead of a pitcher batting for each side will turn into a back and forth slugfest. 10* OVER the total in Colorado |
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08-01-20 | Red Sox v. Yankees OVER 10 | Top | 2-5 | Loss | -114 | 10 h 14 m | Show |
Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #969 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox @ 7:15 ET - The Red Sox are starting Zack Godley as an opener in this one. I am aware of the fact that he struck out 7 in 4 scoreless innings in his first appearance this season and that the Yankees do tend to strike out a lot. However, I am not sold on Godley after just one outing. This is still a guy whom had a 6.39 ERA in 2016, 4.74 ERA in 2018, and 6.39 ERA in 2019 with the Diamondbacks. That is an NL team and now he is pitcher in the tougher AL and facing the Yankees in the Bronx. I look for him to get tattooed here. Keep in mind, behind him is a Red Sox pitching staff that has helped lead to Boston having one of the highest ERAs in the league so far this season. So the Yankees should score plenty here and I also expect the Red Sox bats to come back to life too after yesterday's 5-1 loss. Boston will take advantage of facing a pitcher who could be struggling a bit with the mental aspect of pitching in this one. Masahiro Tanaka gets the start here and he took a vicious line drive off the head in early July from one of his own teammates as the Yankees were preparing for the season. Also, Tanaka will be facing a Red Sox team that crushed him for 22 earned runs in 8 innings last season. You read that right...22 earned runs...8 innings! Look for a slugfest in the Bronx. 10* OVER the total in New York Yankees |
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08-01-20 | 76ers -5.5 v. Pacers | Top | 121-127 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 0 m | Show |
Game of the Week Eastern Conference - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #723 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Indiana Pacers @ 7 ET - All you hear people talking about with the Sixers entering this NBA restart is how bad their road record was this season. Well guess what folks? This is NOT a road game. Not even close. There is NO TRAVEL between games. You are in a bubble and once you are there you stay there. No catching a flight between games, no changing from one hotel to another, no raucous fans for the opposition. This is a neutral site game with NO TRAVEL involved and there will be no travel throughout the remainder of the NBA season including playoffs. That said, lets now analyze this match-up for the teams involved. What I am hearing is Joel Embiid's calf strain is very minor and I feel they simply gave the big man some extra rest before this NBA restart got underway. The fact is that he has been looking to be in the best shape of his young NBA career as the time off during the sports shutdown really helped him. Another key here in comparing these Sixers to the team we saw pre-shutdown is that Ben Simmons is now back and healthy. That is huge for this team. For the Pacers the news is not so good. Domantas Sabonis, an All-Star, is out for this game. Myles Turner and Victor Oladipo both should play here for Indiana but neither is 100%. So while this line may look a little "off" to many, I absolutely not only see the logic with the line but embrace it. Look for the Sixers to make a HUGE statement in this opening game as they are sick of hearing about not winning away from Philly and they are the healthier and more talented team in this match-up and that will show today. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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08-01-20 | Panthers v. Islanders -115 | Top | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 8 h 1 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #6 Saturday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (-) vs Florida Panthers @ 4 ET - Why did this line open in the pick'em range? Well the Islanders were the coldest team in the NHL prior to the unexpected shutdown of sports back in mid-March. That said, the ugly 7-game losing streak is keeping this line lower than it should be. The Islanders, as much as any team in the NHL, really benefited from the break. Now they, of course, have had plenty of time to regroup and also they are much healthier and got some key players back they otherwise would not have had. I know the games weren't the ones that count but in action leading up to this game in the short summer camp that each team was afforded, the Panthers got blasted 5-0 by Tampa Bay while the Islanders are off a tight, morale-boosting win. Sergei Bobrovsky is the Panthers goalie and is a combined 1-5 the past 2 seasons in starts against the Islanders. His first season in Florida has been rough as he has posted the highest GAA of his 10-year career. I feel strongly that the Islanders have the edge in goal in this match-up and in a 5-game series, winning game one is so critical. I don't see the Isles being denied in this one and, just like the series 4 years ago when these teams met in the post-season, the Panthers will fall short in Game One. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS |
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07-31-20 | Padres v. Rockies OVER 11.5 | Top | 8-7 | Win | 100 | 11 h 8 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #919 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Colorado Rockies vs San Diego Padres @ 8:10 ET - This will be interesting. For the first time ever that I am aware of, a game at Coors Field will feature a designated hitter. As long-time followers know, games at Coors Field can get nuts due to the thin air in the high altitude and how well the ball carries. Now over players will also have the added benefit of the pitcher NOT batting and that means no more rally-ending situations where a pitcher that is hitting .050 walks up to the plate. For these reasons, games at Coors Field should be crazier than ever as another key comment I want to make is the way pitches break here is different too. It is not an easy park to pitch in and this will be the first time ever pitching here for the Padres Garrett Richards Though he had a successful first start against Arizona to open this season he relied heavily on his breaking pitches. Richards won't be able to have the same command of those pitches in this setting Friday night. Speaking of lacking command, the Rockies Jon Gray was a little "off" with his in his first start this season. That spells trouble here as he faces a Padres lineup "feeling it" after last night's 12-7 10th inning win at San Francisco. The Padres have scored an average of 6 runs per game this season while the Rockies enter this game on a 4-game winning streak and averaged 5 runs per game in those 4 victories and they were all on the road. Colorado should score even better here at home but the surging Padres lineup should answer them run for run as well. The result here is a high-scoring slugfest. 10* OVER the total in Colorado |
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07-31-20 | Celtics v. Bucks -4.5 | Top | 112-119 | Win | 100 | 10 h 20 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #712 Friday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (-) vs Boston Celtics @ 6:30 ET - The Bucks have two objectives here in the "regular season" portion of the NBA restart. #1 is to stay healthy and #2 is to lock up the top seed in the East. They are close to meeting that 2nd objective but they can't do it without risking the 1st one. In other words, I don't foresee the Bucks holding back until they've locked in that #1 seed and they are fired up and ready to go here. They were not happy with their performance in the scrimmage against the Pelicans earlier this week as they lost big. Yes it was only a scrimmage but they're also letting it serve as a "wake up call" and you'll see them play much better basketball here in this one now that it is time for games that count. The Celtics can't catch the Bucks for the top spot but the Raptors can. Even as unlikely as it is that Toronto would catch the Bucks for the top spot, until they've nailed it down, Milwaukee will give top effort. That is bad news for an outclassed Boston team. Yes the Celtics are well-coached and are a quality team but they are certainly not at the same level as the Bucks. What I also like about Milwaukee here is that they lost their final 3 games before the unexpected and sudden NBA shutdown. The Bucks have had plenty of time to think about their 3-game losing streak and how they will need to prove again that they can win again away from Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. With all of the above factored into this one, I feel we have great line value with a determined Bucks team laying a short number and, though this is my only NBA play Friday, it has easily earned top play status! 10* MILWAUKEE |
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07-30-20 | Indians v. Twins OVER 8.5 | Top | 2-0 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 51 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #965 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Twins vs Cleveland Indians @ 7:07 ET - This line opened up at a 9 and the whole world jumped on the under as if the odds makers don't know what they're doing. Of course all you have to do is take one look at the glitz and glamour of where I live here in Vegas (shiny hotels, beautiful sportsbooks) to know who usually wins when it comes to making lines! The point is that with this total now an 8.5 and with the over available without even laying juice at that number, it is a great value and I am going with a top play here. The Indians are off a home shutout yesterday. I love taking teams to bounce back in a situation like that and I expect Cleveland's lineup to respond in a big way here. Yes, the Twins Jose Berrios and the Indians Shane Bieber have a certain reputation but lets take a closer look at the specifics here! Berrios faded badly late last season. Just look at his numbers from August and September. In other words, the fact he struggled in his opening start this season may not be such a surprise. Berrios is battling himself a bit and his confidence is down. He also gave up 3 earned runs in each of his last two starts against Cleveland last season and that was when he was still in pretty decent form too. In other words, today's start is likely to go worse than those and yet outings like either of those should be enough for us to see this game go over the total. That's because the Indians Bieber gave up multiple homers in 3 of his last 4 starts against the Twins last season. They got to him for 2 homers in 2 of those games and 3 homers in another game. That said, and with the way Minnesota has been swinging the bats early this season, I am expecting a slugfest to erupt at Target Field on Thursday night. Most won't see this game this way but you have to dig deeper for the nuggets on games and it should pay off for us here with great value on this low total. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota |
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07-30-20 | Jazz +2.5 v. Pelicans | Top | 106-104 | Win | 100 | 55 h 32 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #701 Thursday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz (+) vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 6:30 ET - I am wasting no time in coming out with a big play to open up the NBA restart in Orlando but it comes with plenty of good reason. This line opened up in Vegas with the Jazz originally as a 1.5 point favorite but the line flipped and New Orleans is now up to a -2.5 choice as of Tuesday morning. Zion Williamson is back inside the NBA bubble in Orlando and is expected to be able to practice Wednesday. However, he has been away from the team for some time now and how effective (and how long) will he even be able to play in Thursday's opener. This is a very short turnaround for him. I am well aware of the fact of how important this game is for the Pelicans. However, this early line move is telling me people are overlooking the fact that the Jazz have 41 wins on the season and are the #4 seed currently in the West but have 3 teams with 40 wins hot on their tails. Do you really think Utah wants to possibly drop to the #7 seed which would lead to a match-up against a #2 seed to open up the playoffs in a couple weeks from now? That would likely mean a date with Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers. The Jazz absolutely do not want that to happen. In other words they are more motivated here than many realize and they're also hungry to let their play on the court do the talking to put an end to all chatter about the Donovan Mitchell - Rudy Gobert highly publicized "internal conflict" back in the spring at the time the entire pandemic and NBA shutdown started. The Pelicans won 10 of 19 games that Zion played in but there are a lot of question marks about him leading into this game. Additionally, the Jazz (even though without Bojan Bogdanovic) have a quality team. Bogdanovic averaged just 16 points and shot just 40% from the field over the last 10 games. Utah will be just fine without him here and this is a Jazz team that is 18 games over .500 for a reason! They lost their final game before the shutdown but that was preceded by a 5-game winning streak and the Jazz get right back to their winning ways immediately here to get the restart off to a strong start. 10* UTAH |
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07-29-20 | White Sox v. Indians OVER 9 | Top | 4-0 | Loss | -120 | 10 h 51 m | Show |
Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #905 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cleveland Indians vs Chicago White Sox @ 6:10 ET - analysis will be posted here by 9 AM ET; please check back then for the full write up on this top play selection; thank you and best of luck, Scott 10* OVER the total in Cleveland |
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07-28-20 | Cubs -107 v. Reds | Top | 8-5 | Win | 100 | 10 h 22 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #957 Tuesday 10* Top Play Chicago Cubs Money Line (-) @ Cincinnati Reds @ 6:40 ET - On the one hand, it is early in the season. On the other hand, it is a very short season. On the one hand, Cincinnati came into this season with a lot of praise being reaped on them. On the other hand, this is still the Reds we're talking about folks! This team just can't get it together and they dropped to 1-3 on the season after yesterday's 8-7 loss. The fact that Cincinnati did battle back certainly earns a few merit points but when you look at the way the bottom of the 9th played out that is a game the Reds should have managed to finish off and win. Instead, it was a deflating loss and now Tuesday's game has road rout written all over it. The pitching match-up here favors the Cubs in a big way and keep in mind, Chicago has scored 17 runs in its past two games. By comparison, the Reds had just 6 hits in yesterday's game and were held to a combined 6 runs in their two prior games. Those two games were against the lowly Tigers by the way and that is the same Detroit team that just got blasted 14-6 by the equally lowly Royals yesterday. That said, I am truly not impressed by what I am seeing from this Reds team early this season and feel all the momentum is with the road team in this one. Now about that pitching edge. Cincinnati is starting Tyler Mahle because Anthony DeSclafani is out for one start. Mahle has bad overall numbers but has been particularly poor in evening action. The past two seasons his night game efforts have seen him go a combined 4-13 with nearly a 6.00 ERA. Look for Mahle to struggle against the surging Cubs here. As for Chicago starter, Alec Mills, I have liked what I have seen. He is a young hurler with little experience at the MLB level but he really came on strong in his September time with the Cubs last season. Also, Mills last two appearances against the Reds saw him allow just 1 earned run while striking out 6 in 6 innings. Look for Cincinnati's early season struggles to continue here. 10* CHICAGO CUBS Money Line |
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07-27-20 | Royals v. Tigers OVER 9.5 | Top | 14-6 | Win | 100 | 23 h 43 m | Show |
Game of the Month Total - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #921 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Tigers vs Kansas City Royals @ 7:10 ET – The Tigers are off back to back wins at Cincinnati and have a little momentum on their side as they enter their home opener Monday. Thunderstorms are expected to move through the Detroit area but, as of Sunday evening, the expectation based on the forecast is that those should push through the area in the afternoon. Though Comerica Park in Detroit is generally known as a pitchers’ park as it is quite spacious, the decent westerly wind expected following the passage of the storm front will also help our cause here. This could lead to some trouble for each pitching staff. That is really the key to this play as I do feel strongly that both lineups are certainly better than what they showed yesterday (Tigers snuck by Reds 3-2 while Royals were slaughtered at Cleveland). The key here is that both teams have used a lot of bullpen over the past 3 days and neither starting pitcher is likely to go deep in this game. The Royals Michael Montgomery had some struggles in summer camp and the Tigers Michael Fullmer is only expected to go three innings at the most in this one as he is returning from multiple injuries and making his first start since 2018. The result is both sub-par bullpens (these were two of the worst teams in the majors for team ERA last season) will be put to the test here. Neither starter will last long and I like both teams to break out the big sticks here as each of these starters struggle early and the bullpens have already been used a lot in their preceding series and the managers have to be mindful of this as well. There are plenty of arms in each pen but managers want to be careful with top arms and Royals have no off days until August 10th and Tigers no off days until August 13th. With the lack of length from starting pitchers so far and the short outings likely from Montgomery and Fullmer here, the result should be plenty of runs early, often, and throughout this contest. Yes these are not the lineups of the Red Sox and Yankees but there are some respectable sticks in each of these lineups. You will see that when they go from facing tougher pitchers (in their first series of the season) and take a step down to the level of pitchers they face in this one! 10* OVER the total in Detroit |
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07-26-20 | Angels v. A's OVER 9 | Top | 4-6 | Win | 102 | 18 h 37 m | Show |
Game of the Week Total - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #973 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Oakland Athletics vs Los Angeles Angels @ 4:10 ET – Truth be told the first game of this 4-game series (finale is tomorrow on Monday) never should have gone over the total. That was the extra inning game decided on a grand slam for a 7-3 A’s win. Then Saturday’s game two was a 4-1 Angels win in which, once again, neither team hit the ball all that well. That would make one lean toward the under in this match-up but in typical contrarian fashion I am on the over here. I like this pitching match-up to result in both teams having an early explosion on offense. Los Angeles is starting Shohei Ohtani and it will be his first start since 2018. He is coming back from Tommy John surgery and he struggled quite a bit with command in summer camp. Keep in mind Ohtani was struggling in intrasquad action and now will be pitching on the road against a big rival that is coming off a 4-1 loss yesterday. I expect Ohtani to have all sorts of trouble here as Oakland responds off Saturday’s loss and the pressure is on the young right-hander on the road. The A’s are starting a veteran in Mike Fiers. The Angels have a ton of experience against him and I am looking for their big bats to finally have that “breakout game” I have been expecting to see come alive at some point in this series. Fiers struggled in the final month of last season and seemed a bit “off” in the short summer camp heading into this season too. The long ball has been an issue and in an afternoon game at Oakland with a decent westerly wind expected this could lead to some trouble for the right-hander. I like both teams to break out the big sticks here as each of these starters struggle early and the bullpens have already been used a lot in this series plus there is another game on tap in this series for tomorrow afternoon that the managers have to be mindful of as well. The result should be plenty of runs early, often, and throughout this contest. 10* OVER the total in Oakland |
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07-25-20 | Marlins v. Phillies -1.5 | Top | 1-7 | Win | 110 | 18 h 43 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #912 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Phillies Run Line -1.5 runs vs Miami Marlins @ 4:05 ET – After getting upset by the Marlins Friday night look for the Phillies to bounce right back Saturday afternoon. The Phillies struggled at the plate last night but they have hammered Miami’s Caleb Smith 2 of the 3 times they have faced him in Philly. Smith is a decent lefty but struggles on the road compared to at home and he also is known for struggling with his command at times. This is particularly true on road and that is why Smith has a knack for allowing too many homers away from home. A combination of too many free passes and missing with pitches in the strike zone will lead to some trouble at hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park Saturday afternoon. At the same time the Phillies prized offseason addition, Zack Wheeler, is ready to make a statement. He is riding an emotional high right now as he became a father earlier this week on Monday, is making his regular season debut with this new team here, and this is a guy (former Met) who loves pitching in Philly. Wheeler had a 2.37 ERA in 3 starts in this park last season and in prior seasons’ outings in Philly he has an excellent hits to innings pitched ratio. He’ll shutdown a Marlins team that just happened to catch lightning in a bottle in a 4-run 6th inning yesterday but otherwise was rather quiet at the plate. The Phillies did struggle at the plate and credit is due to Sandy Alcantara for that but Smith will be a different story Saturday as his road struggles continue. Marlins slated to be one of worst teams in baseball again. Phillies came into this season with high hopes and are very talented and have a much better manager this season too. One game (yesterday’s loss) doesn’t change all those factors and the Phillies bounce back at home at a plus money price on the run line. I don’t like laying big prices and the money line is steep (understandably!) on Philly in this one so lets take advantage of the run line value and look for the Phils to win by 2 or more runs. 10* Philadelphia Phillies Run Line -1.5 runs |
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07-24-20 | Orioles v. Red Sox OVER 9.5 | Top | 2-13 | Win | 100 | 24 h 17 m | Show |
Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Rotation #963 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Red Sox vs Baltimore Orioles @ 7:30 ET – Fenway Park is a tough place to pitch. The Orioles were supposed to have John Means going in this one. He can be tough at times. However, now it is Tommy Milone getting the start and he is likely to get crushed. Means is a solid southpaw but Milone went 4-10 with a 4.76 ERA last season. This is nothing new as, in the past 4 seasons combined, Milone has a 9-19 record with a 5.67 ERA. The 31 year old seemed to peak in 2015 and it is has been downhill ever since. Now he faces a potent Red Sox lineup that is known for crushing the ball at home. The issue for Boston this season, however, is pitching! That is no more evident than by looking at whom their opening day starter is…Nathan Eovaldi. He has a 5.62 ERA in his 9 career starts against the Orioles. Also, he has a 4.81 ERA in his career outings at Fenway Park. Last season in 23 appearances (12 starts), Eovaldi compiled a 5.99 ERA! With Eovaldi historically struggling against the Orioles and with the Red Sox being one of the best hitting teams in MLB when they are at home, I look for this game to be a little back and forth early. Then the Red Sox should eventually pull away but it is going to take a lot of runs to do so. With some 9.5 still available as of Thursday night, I am pulling the trigger now and hitting the “go button” on this one for Friday’s action! 10* OVER the total in Boston |
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03-11-20 | Jets v. Oilers -135 | Top | 4-2 | Loss | -135 | 8 h 15 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #64 Wednesday 10* Top Play Edmonton Oilers Money Line (-) vs Winnipeg Jets @ 9:05 ET - The Jets have been hot on home ice but cold on enemy ice and I look for that trend to continue here. If you had just played the home team in each of Winnipeg's last 8 games you would be a perfect 8-0. I like backing Edmonton here as they should get Connor McDavid back. He missed Monday's game against Vegas with an illness. I am expecting him back tonight but, either way, I look for the Oilers to respond big off that tough OT loss Monday. Edmonton had won 8 of 12 on home ice prior to that tough loss to the Golden Knights in which they gave up the tying goal late in the 3rd period. The Oilers had won 4 of 5 prior to the loss to Vegas. Also, the Jets have had their number in recent meetings. Edmonton got a much needed win this series on the final day of February but there is still much payback to be delivered as Winnipeg has been a nemesis in recent seasons. Coming off a loss, the Oilers come in hungry and take advantage of a Jets team that has lost 4 straight road games. 10* EDMONTON |
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03-11-20 | Sharks v. Blackhawks OVER 6 | Top | 2-6 | Win | 100 | 8 h 48 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #61 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Blackhawks vs San Jose Sharks @ 8:05 ET - The Blackhawks Corey Crawford has been playing well between the pipes but he certainly doesn't have good recent history against the Sharks. In fact, Crawford's struggles against San Jose are part of the reason 7 straight meetings between these teams have all totaled 6 or more goals. I look for Chicago to bounce back here off a shutout home loss to the Blues Sunday. That was preceded by a 2-1 shocking loss at Detroit but the Blackhawks entered that game having scored an average of 4.4 goals in 5 prior games. They'll get back on track here against a Sharks team that is off a 4-3 loss to Colorado and that has allowed 3.7 goals per game in its last 3 road games. San Jose has been scrappy and playing competitive hockey but they won't be able to slow down the Blackhawks in this one and that is why I like the over. Should be another back and forth high-scoring game between these two teams. The end result will be an 8th straight game totaling 6 or more goals between these clubs. The Sharks have scored an average of 3.2 goals per game their last 5 games. 10* OVER the total in Chicago |
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03-11-20 | Hornets v. Heat OVER 211 | Top | 109-98 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 6 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #551 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Miami Heat vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:35 ET - The Heat are off a low-scoring win over the Wizards and that was the 3rd time in the past 5 weeks they have held a team under 90 points. Their next game flew over after each of the first two occurrences and I expect the same result here. When Miami is a home favorite in a range of 6.5 to 12 points, the over is 26-11 including 11-4 this season! The Heat have averaged 121.4 points per game their last 7 games at home. Miami scored 117 points in their only other game against Charlotte this season. The Hornets, not including OT, have averaged 111 points per game their last 4 games while allowing 110 points per game during this same stretch. The over is 6-1 in the last 7 home games for the Heat. The over is 6-2 in Charlotte's divisional games this season. More of the same expected here. 10* OVER the total in Miami |
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03-11-20 | Pistons v. 76ers -10.5 | Top | 106-124 | Win | 100 | 8 h 25 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #550 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - The Pistons have been more competitive of late but they are still losing and, in this case, are in the wrong place at the wrong time. This one has blowout written all over it. Detroit is visiting Philly and the Sixers are at home off a loss and playing their one and only game in a span of a week. Between the 7th and the 14th this is the 76ers only game and they have had a chance to get healthier with the time off. Joel Embiid might be back for this one and Josh Richardson has been upgraded to probable. If both Embiid and Richardson play then Philadelphia will be fully healthy expect for Ben Simmons. That said, they won't show any mercy on a Pistons team they routinely dominate. The Sixers are 28-2 SU at home this season and they are 9-1 both SU and ATS in their last 10 games against the Pistons. In other words, the odds favor that any 76ers SU win is also likely to translate to an ATS cover! Detroit is an ugly 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games against an Eastern Conference foe. In February there were 3 occurrences in which the Sixers were at home off a loss. They went a perfect 3-0 SU and ATS in that situation and do it again in their first such situation in the month of March. Blowout time. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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03-11-20 | Georgia +3.5 v. Ole Miss | Top | 81-63 | Win | 100 | 9 h 8 m | Show |
Power Five Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #671 Wednesday 10* Top Play Georgia Bulldogs (+) vs Ole Miss Rebels @ 7 ET - The Bulldogs just got hammered in their season finale against LSU but Georgia actually had 10 more field goal attempts than the Tigers and yet lost the game by 30 points. It was simply "one of those games" and is now giving us some line value here as a result. This is a revenge game for the Bulldogs as they have lost 3 straight meetings with Ole Miss. What better time for payback than the SEC tourney? Georgia finished the regular season with back to back losses to Florida and LSU but this was preceded by a 3-1 stretch in which they only loss the Bulldogs had was in overtime! The Rebels enter this game off a disheartening blowout loss to Mississippi State as those Bulldogs are their biggest rivals. That was the 5th straight loss for the Rebels in games played away from Ole Miss. The Rebels have allowed 73.2 points per game their last 5 games. The Bulldogs have averaged scoring 75.2 points per game in regulation of their last 6 road games prior to the ugly season-ending loss at LSU. The Dawgs were ultra-competitive in all those road games and the last five included an outright win and an OT loss. They get over the hump again here in a revenge game against a Rebels team getting a little too much respect from the betting markets in this one. The Bulldogs average 10.5 points per game more than the Rebels in comparing games played away from home this season for these two SEC foes. 10* GEORGIA |
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03-11-20 | Northwestern v. Minnesota OVER 136.5 | Top | 57-74 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 56 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #651 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Golden Gophers vs Northwestern Wildcats @ 6 ET - The Wildcats won 2 of their last 3 games so they have a little momentum heading into the tournament. Northwestern has scored at least 66 points (exclusive of OT points) in 4 of its last 6 games. The Golden Gophers are favored by about 8 to 9 points here with good reason. In other words a 75-66 type game would not be unexpected to say the least and that gets us into the 140s here. The Wildcats have allowed 73.5 points per game their last 8 games and will have their hands full with the Gophers here. Minnesota beat Northwestern 83-57 late last month as the over went 2-0 in regular season meetings between these teams. That Golden Gophers win began a stretch in which they have scored an average of 79.8 points per game over their final 5 games of the season. Though scoring well, Minnesota has also allowed 71 points or more over their last 4 games of the regular season. The over is 5-0 in the Golden Gophers last 5 games and the over is 5-1 in Northwestern's last 6 games. Look for the high-scoring trend to continue in this Big Ten tourney match-up. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota |
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03-10-20 | Hurricanes v. Red Wings OVER 5.5 | Top | 5-2 | Win | 100 | 7 h 57 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #51 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Red Wings vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:35 ET - The Red Wings off huge upset win over Tampa Bay and scored 4 goals in regulation. On Tuesday they are expected to be facing former Detroit netminder Peter Mrazek as he returns from injury. The Hurricanes goalie is likely going to have to shake off some rust in his first start in awhile and he also has struggled on the road this season. Away from home on the season Mrazek is 5-8-2 with a 3.05 GAA. The Red Wings have been a scrappy team of late and have hung tough with teams in 4 straight games! Hanging tough again here means another high-scoring game is likely. That's because the Red Wings options in goal are Jimmy Howard (having an awful season) or Jonathan Bernier. Note that Bernier has allowed 3 or more goals in 9 of his last 11 full-game efforts. You can see why, given the goalie situation, I am expecting each team to get to 3 goals in those game and yet we're dealing with a total of only 5.5 goals on this one. The Canes are off back to back wins and starting to "feel it again" in the offensive zone. On the other end of the ice Carolina had allowed 3 or more goals in 6 straight games before coming up with back to back wins. I like the way both the Hurricanes and Red Wings are trending heading into this one and expect plenty of goals. 10* OVER the total in Detroit |
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03-10-20 | Bruins v. Flyers -102 | Top | 2-0 | Loss | -102 | 7 h 10 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #50 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers have defeated the Bruins 4 straight times. Philadelphia enters this game on a 9-game winning streak and has won 7 straight home games. The Flyers, on home ice this season, are a fantastic 25-5-4 this season. Boston has the best record in the NHL so of course Philly is available in a pick'em price range here even with consideration to their home ice dominance this season. The Flyers haven't missed a step even since James van Riemsdyk went down with injury. Also, the Bruins do have a few injury issues heading into this game. I expect Carter Hart to get the start for the Flyers here. The young phenom netminder is 20-2-2 with a 1.61 GAA on home ice this season! Tuukka Rask is expected to get the start for the Bruins here and he has been "hit or miss" in recent starts. Rask has allowed 4 or more goals in 3 of his last 5 starts. Boston has lost 3 of its past 7 games 3 of the 4 wins came by a single goal. 8 of the Flyers 9 wins during their current winning streak have come by a multiple goal margin. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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03-10-20 | Knicks v. Wizards OVER 227 | Top | 115-122 | Win | 100 | 10 h 49 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #531 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Wizards vs New York Knicks @ 7:05 ET - Both teams are coming off unusually low-scoring games on Sunday. The Knicks got a big home win over the Pistons and the over is 4-1 this season when they are off a home win by a double digit margin this season. The last time they faced the Wizards it was in New York and the Knicks got embarrassed in an ugly home loss. When playing with revenge from a home loss by a double digit margin, the over is 10-5 this season. The Wizards are off an ugly home loss to the Heat and are a long-term 17-6 to the over the past 3 seasons when off a loss to a division rival. Also, when Washington is off a loss this season the over is 26-13 this season. After being held to just 89 points at home on Sunday, the Wizards give a huge effort on the offensive end in this one. However, their season-long struggles in the defensive end continue here and this game turns into a shootout as a result. 10* OVER the total in Washington |
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03-10-20 | Celtics v. Pacers +3 | Top | 114-111 | Push | 0 | 9 h 3 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #530 Tuesday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 7:05 ET - I am aware that the Pacers have some injury issues but the Celtics haven't exactly been 100% healthy either. Even guys that are playing are being limited somewhat. That said, I am going contrarian here (as usual) and fading this big move toward Boston. The line opened up around a pick'em but now the Celtics are all the way up to a 3-point favorite. Keep in mind, even as they have dealt with injury issues, the Pacers have been hot and have won 8 of their past 10 games. Boston, on the other hand, has lost 4 of its last 5 games. Also, after tonight's game, Indiana has only one game between now and the 18th. They can go all out here considering the situation and the Pacers still remember getting knocked out of the playoffs by the Celtics in April. Yes, Indiana already got some measure of revenge with beating Boston here in Indiana 3 months ago but, suffice to say, seeing the Celtics come to town brings out a little extra intensity from the Pacers. This is the team that ended their season last year. This is a key battle in the Eastern Conference playoff position standings and I am riding with the under-valued home underdog in this one. 10* INDIANA |
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03-10-20 | Illinois-Chicago v. Northern Kentucky -4 | Top | 62-71 | Win | 100 | 8 h 24 m | Show |
Tourney Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #616 Tuesday 10* Top Play Northern Kentucky Norse (-) vs Illinois-Chicago Flames @ 7 ET - The Norse had a long layoff before yesterday's game and actually were playing just their 2nd game in a span of over 2 weeks! It showed as they struggled in the first half against Wisconsin-Green Bay. Once Northern Kentucky worked off the rust in the first half, they were a different team in the second half. The Norse rolled to a huge win over the Phoenix and will carry that momentum right into the Championship Game today. Northern Kentucky exploded for 51 points in the 2nd half of their win over UWGB yesterday. They catch Illinois-Chicago at the perfect time for a rout. The Flames got the upset win over Wright State yesterday. Certainly the Flames deserve credit for that and for playing a strong game against the Raiders. However, now UIC faces a Norse team which they blasted by 30 points at Northern Kentucky a little over 3 weeks ago. Keep in mind the Norse went 13-5 in Horizon action this season while Illinois-Chicago went 10-8. Northern Kentucky enters this game on a 13-3 SU run. UIC has also been playing well but the Norse are the better team and playing with revenge and I like the value with this line coming down from a -5 to a -4 here. We'll take it! 10* NORTHERN KENTUCKY |
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03-10-20 | Northeastern v. Hofstra OVER 134.5 | Top | 61-70 | Loss | -106 | 8 h 54 m | Show |
Total Blowout - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #613 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Hofstra Pride vs Northeastern Huskies @ 7 ET - This total opened up in the low 140s and has dropped into the mid 130s. This has opened up a fantastic value situation with the over. Northeastern only won yesterday's game versus Elon by 8 points but they had a 16 point lead at the half and simply coasted in the 2nd half. The Huskies had 37 points at the half and could have scored at least that much in the 2nd half too if they had wanted to. But, given the situation, Northeastern took their foot off the gas in an easy win. This has led to situational value here because, though the Huskies can score well, they now face a tough team that can match them bucket for bucket. Hofstra was very impressive yesterday in their big win over Delaware. The Pride scored 75 points and that was the 9th time in 11 games that Hofstra has scored at least 75 points. The Huskies have averaged 73.2 points per game in their last 5 games. Look for this game to get well into the 140s as each of the regular season meetings totaled 146 points and somewhere in that range for this one is what I fully expect. That means we've got great value here. 10* OVER the total in Hofstra |
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03-09-20 | Golden Knights v. Oilers -120 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -120 | 9 h 18 m | Show |
Pacific Division Game of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #40 Monday 10* Top Play Edmonton Oilers Money Line (-) vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 9:05 ET - Golden Knights blew a 3-0 lead at Calgary yesterday but managed to score late for a key divisional win over the Flames. Keep in mind this was with their hot goalie Robin Lehner between the pipes. Now Vegas is at Edmonton and the choices in the goal or Lehner in a back to back or, more likely, Marc-Andre Fleury getting the start. As I have written about in recent games involving the Knights, Fleury is struggling because of the Lehner addition. It is in his head and he has allowed 4 goals in each of his past two starts and this was even with facing a limited number of shots (an average of about 20 per game). Now Fleury faces an angry Oilers team as the Golden Knights are two points ahead of them for 1st in the division, plus shut them out at Vegas late last month, and it is payback time for Edmonton on home ice here. The only very impressive start Fleury has had in his last five starts was against the Oilers. Now Edmonton, in the rematch, has the home ice edge and the situational edge. The Oilers are at home and playing just their 2nd game in 4 days while the Golden Knights are playing their 2nd game in back to back nights and are on the road again. Vegas has done well in back to backs this season but Fleury has a capable back-up now in Lehner and this is effecting his psyche. I do expect Fleury to start (and struggle again) tonight but if Lehner does go I still like this play as he allowed 4 goals the last time he faced the Oilers and back to backs are not easy (nor typical) for goalies. 10* EDMONTON |
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03-09-20 | Hornets v. Hawks OVER 224 | Top | 138-143 | Win | 100 | 11 h 49 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #523 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Atlanta Hawks vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:35 ET - Both teams were off yesterday and both teams needed that. The Hawks in particular had some issue the last few games with injury and illness but having both Trae Young and Cam Reddish ready to go for this one is a real positive. On a 3-game losing streak, look for the Hawks to push the pace here in an effort to play the role of spoiler against a division rival. Atlanta doesn't win with defense, they win with offense. Though the Hornets playoff hopes are slim they still have some glimmer of light and the Hawks would like to turn out the lights tonight! Atlanta's last 4 home games against the Hornets have all resulted in an over. Charlotte has scored better of late and averaged 108 points per game their last 3 games after some ugly efforts. The Hornets are 3-1 in their last 4 road games and also have averaged 126 points per game in their last two visits to Atlanta while the Hawks averaged 122 points per game in those two as a host. Atlanta is favored here for a reason and they are expected to win. Why is that worthy of note? The Hawks enter this game on a 3-game losing streak and all 3 games stayed under but 6 of their last 7 SU victories have resulted in an over. Look for that trend to continue here. 10* OVER the total in Atlanta |
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03-09-20 | Capitals v. Sabres OVER 6.5 | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 40 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #35 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Buffalo Sabres vs Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - The Sabres will have Linus Ullmark back between the pipes tonight. Though that is a good thing long-term for Buffalo, don't be surprised if he has plenty of rest in his first game back. That said, facing a highly potent Capitals team is not a good match-up for him and Ullmark allowed 6 goals when he most recently faced Washington in November. The Capitals choices between the pipes are Ilya Samsonov and Braden Holtby. Note that Samsonov has a poor .866 save percentage in his last 4 starts. As for Holtby, he allowed 4 goals in his most recent start at Buffalo. Also, Holtby and the Capitals are coming off a key 5-2 win in a big divisional showdown with the Penguins on Saturday. Don't be surprised if we see a bit of a letdown in the defensive zone tonight after tremendous effort in the win at Pittsburgh. The Sabres are desperate and should score well here but the expected rust for Ullmark increases the likelihood the Capitals score plenty as well. The over is 4-0 in Washington's games this month and 6-1 their last 7 overall. The Sabres have had just 1 under in their last 4 games and their most recent home game (a push against the Pens) absolutely should have gone over the total. This one won't stall out late like that one did! 10* OVER the total in Buffalo |
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03-09-20 | Illinois-Chicago v. Wright State UNDER 149 | Top | 73-56 | Win | 100 | 8 h 22 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #882 Monday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Wright State Raiders vs Illinois-Chicago Flames @ 7 ET - This total has skyrocketed upward from its opener down around 142 to getting pushed up to around 149 as of early game day morning. I understand the move when you look at pure statistics but the situation absolutely matters here. First off it is a tourney game and those tend to see more defense. Secondly, you have a neutral site venue which often leads to poorer shooting percentages as well. Thirdly, and perhaps most important, the Raiders haven't played a game in ten days. Wright State is favored here for a reason but look for them to lean heavily on their defense as their shots are likely to be off the mark after a long layoff of 10 days without a game. Illinois-Chicago has allowed just 64 points per game in its last 4 contests. The Flames, on the other end of the floor, were held to just 58 points the last time they faced Wright State. The Raiders have averaged 67 points per game their last 3 games against UIC. The total is simply over-priced here given the situation. I know Wright State has some impressive recent numbers on the offensive end but I am looking for another under here as the under cashes for the 4th time in the last 5 meetings between these Horizon League foes. The under is a perfect 3-0 the last 3 times that the Raiders have entered a game after 5 or more off days between games. 10* UNDER the total in Wright State |
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03-09-20 | Delaware +4.5 v. Hofstra | Top | 61-75 | Loss | -108 | 8 h 25 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #865 Monday 10* Top Play Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens vs Hofstra Pride @ 6 ET - Hofstra knocked Delaware out of the CAA Tourney last season. It is payback time here for the Fightin' Blue Hens. These teams met twice in the regular season and split the series. In the game in which Delaware won, leading scorer Nate Darling scored just 13 points! That is bad news for Hofstra as he made 5 of 8 three pointers in yesterday's win over College of Charleston and scored 25 points. If he is "on" again today and the rest of the Fightin Blue Hens play like they did in the first victory over the Pride this season, this one will be an upset by at least a half dozen points in my opinion. I like the fact Darling will be playing with a ton of confidence here because he is a big-time scorer when he is hot and he'll be tough for the Pride to slow down. I know Hofstra has been hot but the Fightin' Blue Hens had played them very well for 4 straight halves before a horrible 2nd half in the most recent meeting. Prior to that Delaware had outscored the Pride by 10 points over the 4 prior halves dating back to the 2nd half of last season's match-up in the CAA Tourney. I feel we've got great underdog value here with a very determined and confident Fightin' Blue Hens team that is poised for revenge here. 10* DELAWARE |
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03-08-20 | Golden Knights v. Flames +102 | Top | 5-3 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 32 m | Show |
Money Line Insider - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #26 Sunday 10* Top Play Calgary Flames Money Line (+) vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 7:05 ET - Great spot for the Flames here. They are at home and on a 3-game winning streak and they don't play again until Thursday! Conversely, the Golden Knights are off an ugly road loss and have another road game on deck tomorrow night at Edmonton. While Calgary can lay it all on the line here knowing rest is forthcoming, Vegas has a goalie decision to make tonight. Will it be Marc-Andre Fleury or Robin Lehner. Have the Golden Knights impacted Fleury's mindset by bringing in Lehner. Note that Lehner would be making his first road start as a Knight and he has allowed 4 goals per game in his 4 road starts since the calendar hit 2020. That included allowing 4 goals here in Calgary last month. As for Fleury, he has not looked the same since Vegas acquired Lehner. The Golden Knights have lost 2 of 3 and scored a total of just 4 goals in those 3 games. I really like the firepower we have seen with the Flames in recent weeks as Calgary has averaged 4 goals per game the past 4 weeks! They stay hot here and win a key divisional battle. 10* CALGARY |
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03-08-20 | Iowa v. Illinois OVER 148 | Top | 76-78 | Win | 100 | 9 h 14 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #845 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Illinois Illini vs Iowa Hawkeyes @ 7 ET - One of the strongest handicapping angles is actually playing ON something that looks a little OFF. This is a perfect example of that. The reason it is successful is because usually something looks a little out of kilter for a good reason! In this case, you can not find a recent total posted this high (148) in an Illinois game. Yet the Illini game versus Iowa Sunday has a big total posted on it even though the first meeting only had a posted total of 140 plus it ended up staying under that total! This also was the 2nd straight under in meetings between these teams and yet this game has a higher total despite that result and also has one of the highest totals posted on an Illini game this season. Must be a huge mistake, right? Of course not. Look for this one to fly over the total. Iowa is averaging 78 points per game this season. However, the Hawkeyes have allowed 78 points or more in 4 of their last 5 road games. In fact, in those 4 road contests Iowa allowed an average of 88 points per game. Look for a shootout in Champaign tonight. 10* OVER the total in Illinois |
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03-08-20 | Lightning v. Red Wings OVER 5.5 | Top | 4-5 | Win | 100 | 6 h 17 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #23 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Red Wings vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 5:05 ET - I understand the line move here. The total went from a 6 to a 5.5 and it is likely that Jonathan Bernier will get the start in goal for Detroit. The Red Wings netminder has indeed being playing well. However, the way I see this game playing out is that Tampa Bay comes out a little flat after their huge win at Boston yesterday. That was a very important game for the Lightning and also was an extremely physical penalty-filled contest. Tampa is not going to be on top of its game in its defensive zone in this game as a result. They used up a lot of mental and physical energy in hanging on for the win against the Bruins yesterday. Also, the Bolts used their #1 netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy yesterday. That is why I would not be surprised to see the Red Wings have some scoring success on home ice in this one. Detroit has been playing better of late and is playing with more effort and energy and winning more puck battles. So look for the Red Wings to pot a few goals here and take advantage of the situation. However, at the end of the day, the Lightning are just so much better in terms of the talent level of their top lines and they're going to eventually respond and put a ton of pressure on Bernier and the Red Wings. That is why I am expecting this game to see a lot more scoring than you would normally expect in this match-up. Look for a 5-3 type game here when all is said and done. 10* OVER the total in Detroit |
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03-08-20 | Ohio State +7 v. Michigan State | Top | 69-80 | Loss | -109 | 7 h 15 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #843 Sunday 10* Top Play Ohio State Buckeyes (+) @ Michigan State Spartans @ 4:30 ET - Both teams are red hot. Give me the points in a spot like this! The Buckeyes have won 9 of their last 11 games and are playing this game with revenge. The Spartans have won each of the last 3 meetings including knocking Ohio State out of the Big Ten tourney last spring. Michigan State does enter this game having won 4 straight. However, this was preceded by a tough 1-4 stretch for the Spartans. As for the Buckeyes, they started the season 11-1 and then hit one rough patch mid-season but are now wrapping up the regular season on a 9-2 run. Ohio State has been a streaky team this season as you can see and I look for that to continue here and am happy to have the 7 points on my side in this one. Look for it to be tough for Michigan State to pull away in this one. The Spartans have had struggles in tight late-game situations this season just like the collapse at home against Maryland three weeks ago. Michigan State is off back to back covers but this was preceded by a 1-6 ATS stretch and they are over-valued here by the betting markets. Upset alert here and, if the Buckeyes do fall short, I expect it to be by only a bucket or two. 10* OHIO STATE |
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03-08-20 | Lakers v. Clippers OVER 225.5 | Top | 112-103 | Loss | -109 | 7 h 27 m | Show |
Pacific Div Total of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #503 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Los Angeles Clippers vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 3:35 ET - The first two games between these foes this season went under the total but one was way back in October when the season was first getting going and the other was on Christmas Day. That being said, this situation is much different as both teams come into this game rolling red hot and I fully expect plenty of points in quite the showdown between these two rivals. Yes the rivalry is real now that LeBron James is with the Lakers and Kawhi Leonard is with the Clippers. This battle likely goes down to the wire but with plenty of points along the way. The Lakers enter this game having scored 111 points or more in 14 of their past 15 games (no OT points included). The Lakers had one ugly game (at Memphis) during this stretch but they averaged 119.2 points in the other 14 games! The Clippers enter this game having averaged 120.5 points per game during their current 6-game winning streak. This game getting to 240 is certainly not out of the realm of possibility given those numbers and I expect 230 at a minimum. Both teams stay hot in this one. 10* OVER the total in Los Angeles |
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03-08-20 | Pelicans v. Wolves +7 | Top | 120-107 | Loss | -105 | 7 h 54 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #506 Sunday 10* Top Play Minnesota Timberwolves (+) vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 3:35 ET - Of course many are backing the Pelicans here as they have revenge against the Timberwolves from the recent upset loss in New Orleans. That is why this line has risen from a 5.5 to a 7 as of early Sunday morning. In typical contrarian fashion, I am on the other side of the move. Minnesota is playing without pressure and looking to play the role of spoiler. The Wolves know they aren't going to the playoffs but if they can help further diminish an opponents chances they'll gladly do it. It is the Pelicans feeling all the pressure here and they had lost 3 straight games prior to beating the Heat on Friday. That said, I like the value here with the big home dog as Minnesota is hungry to redeem themselves following an embarrassing loss by 14 points against Orlando on Friday. That game followed back to back wins for the Timberwolves and they had been playing more competitive too with wins in 2 of their last 3 road games. So with this game at home and off a loss where they didn't show up at all on the defensive end, the Wolves come up with a much better effort in hopes of continuing to further spoil the New Orleans fading playoff hopes. If Minny does fall short here I expect it to be by only a bucket or two. In other words, great line value here for the home dog. 10* MINNESOTA |
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03-07-20 | Canadiens v. Panthers OVER 6 | Top | 1-4 | Loss | -114 | 10 h 53 m | Show |
Total Smash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #11 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Florida Panthers vs Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - With the Panthers off a 2-1 overtime loss to the Bruins and the Canadiens off a 4-0 shutout loss at Tampa Bay, I look for a rebound here and plenty of goals from each team. Yes, Chris Driedger is back in goal for Florida but he is still a bit unproven at this young stage in his career. This will be just his 10th NHL start and, prior to the solid effort against Boston, he had allowed 4 goals in each of his two preceding starts. Montreal has allowed an average of 3.4 goals per game in its last 5 games and will struggle with the potent Panthers attack. The Habs had scored an average of 3.3 goals per game in their 8 games preceding the shutout loss to the Lightning. Both these clubs very capable of a strong bounce back in the offensive zone in this one and I am not as sold on the goaltending situation here as the markets are (total dropped from a 6.5 to a 6 in overnight trading). 10* OVER the total in Florida |
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03-07-20 | Lightning +122 v. Bruins | Top | 5-3 | Win | 122 | 9 h 28 m | Show |
Atlantic Div Game of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #9 Saturday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (+) @ Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - The Lightning are one of the best teams in the league and, after hitting a recent rough patch (which followed a torrid winning streak) they are rounding back into form even without Steven Stamkos. That said, this is a rare (and fantastic) opportunity to back them as an underdog! Because this game is at Boston (#1 record in the NHL) we're able to get the Bolts at a dog price. The Lightning are playing with revenge after losing to the Bruins at home on Tuesday in a tight 2-1 loss. Prior to that defeat, Tampa Bay had won 4 straight meetings and remember they also knocked the Bruins out of the playoffs two years ago by winning 4 straight games after dropping the season opener. The point is that the Bolts have had Boston's number but now are off a rare loss in this series. That said, remember who was the #1 regular season team by a landslide last season? Yes, it was Tampa. Now Boston has that honor with about month of regular season hockey to go. Look for the Lightning to come out playing like a team that wants to show who is still the league's best team. They are gearing up for a much better post-season performance in this post-season and the Bolts will play with a tremendous amount of effort and energy in this game. The Bruins were fortunate to beat the Panthers Thursday and Boston's two recent losses came by a combined score of 14 to 5. One of those ugly losses was on home ice too and this is great spot for Lightning to hand them another one. 10* TAMPA BAY |
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03-07-20 | Jazz v. Pistons +8 | Top | 111-105 | Win | 100 | 11 h 56 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #566 Saturday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (+) vs Utah Jazz @ 7:05 ET - This one is all about the situational value. The Jazz are off hard-fought win at Boston last night where they held the Celtics to just 94 points. Utah is 8-9 SU in their last 17 games and 5 of those 8 wins have been by 8 or less points. In fact 4 of them were by 5 or less points. Ton of value with scrappy Detroit as a home dog. The Pistons, unlike the Jazz, are rested here as they have been off since Wednesday. 6 of Detroit's last 9 losses have been by 7 or less points. With the rest edge and the situational edge, the home dog value here with the Pistons is far too much to pass up. They also have a 3-game road trip on deck so they want to make the most of this opportunity on their home floor. 10* DETROIT |
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03-07-20 | Seton Hall v. Creighton OVER 151.5 | Top | 60-77 | Loss | -109 | 8 h 48 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #635 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Creighton Blue Jays vs Seton Hall Pirates @ 2:30 ET - This is a big game with the regular season Big East title on the line. Pirates, with a win, take it. Blue Jays, with a win, get a share of it with the Pirates (and also Villanova if they beat Georgetown earlier). That said, one might expect some extra defensive intensity here but truly neither one of these teams has been defined by defense. Creighton, particularly at home, is known for piling up points and firing up threes! The Blue Jays are averaging 83.5 points per game game at home this season. They are a 3.5 point favorite in this game. Logically this game could be expected to surpass the 160 mark given those numbers. The first meeting between these teams this season did go over the total. That first match-up totaled 167 points and that was even with the teams combining to make just 15 of 52 three pointers for a poor combined 29% mark from the beyond the arc. Entering this game, the over is 5-2 in the Blue Jays last 7 games and 5-1 in the Pirates last 6 games. Look for the high-scoring trend to continue here. 10* OVER the total in Creighton |
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03-07-20 | Villanova -7.5 v. Georgetown | Top | 70-69 | Loss | -108 | 15 h 24 m | Show |
Game of the Year - Rickenbach NCAAB Rotation #601 Saturday 10* Top Play Villanova Wildcats (-) @ Georgetown Hoyas @ Noon ET - Huge coaching edge for the Wildcats here with Jay Wright over Georgetown's Patrick Ewing. However, the Hoyas had a rare "step up" game the last time Villanova visited DC and Georgetown won by a dozen points. Note that Hoyas wins in this series have been quite rare of late (Villanova beat them at home earlier this season) and now it is payback time for the Wildcats on this floor. As noted above, the Cats beat them in Philly earlier this season but the loss on this floor last season ended a streak of 9 straight wins for Nova in this series. When a team that has dominated a series like this loses on that opponent's floor they don't forget it about the very next time they visit. Villanova remembers the last time they stepped on this floor they were a ranked team that got upset by these Hoyas. They absolutely don't want a repeat of that here in what is their first trip to Georgetown since that meeting. Situations don't get much better than this. The Wildcats have road payback on their minds and they also are motivated by still having a shot at the regular season title for the Big East. With a win here and a Seton Hall loss at Creighton, the Wildcats would share the Big East title with the Bluejays and Pirates. Adding to the value here is that both Mac MacClung and Amer Yurtseven are listed as doubtful in this game. MacClung is Georgetown's leading scorer and Yurtseven is also a key player. I really don't expect the Hoyas to "force the issue" with those two guys as the smarter move would be to rest them in hopes of a return for the Big East tournament. That said, the Wildcats offer a lot of value here in a game which, though they on the road, they can still easily win by double digits. This game has road payback, motivation, health, coaching, all in favor of a road team that is favored by single digits! I'll take it! The Hoyas have lost 5 straight games and the only two closer losses were by 3 versus Xavier and 6 at DePaul. Villanova has won 6 of 7 and just won at Xavier by 9 and at DePaul by 20. So compare how those teams have performed recently against the same opponents. Yes, big difference between the level of these two programs and all the right ingredients are there to step up LARGE with this one. 10* VILLANOVA |
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03-06-20 | Golden Knights v. Jets +120 | Top | 0-4 | Win | 120 | 11 h 49 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #70 Friday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:05 ET - Marc-Andre Fleury was having a great season for the Golden Knights and had been on a strong run and the Vegas management had to go and screw it all up. At least that is my opinion with the Knights acquisition of Robin Lehner. We've seen this story before with Fleury in Pittsburgh. He did great there until they brought in a quality back and then it as if he cracked under the pressure. So now, instead of a back-up like Malcolm Subban behind him, Fleury has Lehner in the rear-view mirror. Lehner already off back to back great starts with Vegas. As for Fleury he is off an ugly effort against the division rival Kings that saw him allow 4 goals on just 17 shots! Now Fleury and the Golden Knights have to go on the road and face a hungry Jets team that has a high-quality netminder in Connor Hellebuyck between the pipes. Winnipeg is battling for their playoff lives and to get them as a home dog in a spot like this is truly a high value spot. The Jets have held the upper hand in recent meetings with Vegas and I fully expect that to continue here. The last two times Fleury was in the net against them, they won those games by a combined score of 10 to 4. Look for more dominance here as the situation is deal for a home rout. 10* WINNIPEG |
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03-06-20 | Magic v. Wolves OVER 233.5 | Top | 132-118 | Win | 100 | 13 h 33 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #553 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Timberwolves vs Orlando Magic @ 8:05 ET - Revenge game for the Wolves as they lost at Orlando last week so they won't take their foot off the gas here and they do love to run and gun. That match-up last week totaled 261 points and continued the over trending in this series. The over is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings between Minnesota and the Magic. Also, Orlando enters this game on an incredible streak with their totals. The over is now 9-0 in their last 9 games. As for the Wolves, they have also been trending the same direction. Prior to their most recent game, a win versus Chicago staying under the total, the over was on a 9-2 run in their 11 preceding games. Night in and night out, both of these teams are constantly getting involved in high-scoring games. I see no reason not to expect more of the same here! Yes the total is a big one here but the over is 8-1 this season in Magic games with a posted total of 220 or more points. The over is 7-2 this season in Timberwolves games against teams from the Southeast Division. Look for another one high-scoring shootout here! 10* OVER the total in Minnesota |
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03-06-20 | Southern Illinois v. Bradley OVER 124.5 | Top | 59-64 | Loss | -115 | 7 h 29 m | Show |
Tourney Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #865 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Bradley Braves vs Southern Illinois Salukis @ 3:35 ET - This total is priced as if Southern Illinois is going to dictate the tempo of that game and I don't see it that way. The Salukis have lost 5 of their last 6 games. The Braves have won 20 games on the season and also enter this game having won 5 of 6 games before a season-ending loss by a single point against Loyola. Two of Bradley's recent games did go to overtime but even with removing the OT points from the equation, those games totaled more than this total. One was 72-all at the end of regulation and the other was knotted at 67 at the end of regulation. So let's take a closer look at recent Bradley scores. The Braves last 8 games have all totaled 127 points or more. Given today's low total posted on this game, that would be an 8-0 run to the over. Bradley has allowed 69.4 points per game in those 8 games. The Braves have scored an average of 70.4 points per game their last 7 games. That said, even though the Salukis have a tendency toward lower scoring games, I don't see them pulling down the better team's numbers that much in this game. Bradley will dictate the flow and is a confident group of scorers with the way they have been playing in recent weeks. As for Southern Illinois, they have allowed an average of 72.4 points per game their last 5 games. Before an ugly loss at Missouri State in their regular season finale, the Salukis had scored 67 points or more in 3 of 4 games. Look for this game to get into the 130s. 10* OVER the total in Bradley (game played in St Louis - MVC Tourney) |
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03-05-20 | Clippers +1 v. Rockets | Top | 120-105 | Win | 100 | 14 h 18 m | Show |
TNT Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #537 Thursday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Clippers (+) @ Houston Rockets @ 8:05 ET - The Clippers have won 5 straight games. They had one "slip up" in the streak where they allowed 130 points to a wounded Sixers team. Other than that, the Clips allowed an average of only 96.5 points per game in the other 4 victories. The Rockets truly can only dream of defensive efforts like that. Houston has allowed 120.5 points per game in their last 17 games and that does not include the OT points allowed in their recent win at Boston. The Rockets will face a bound and determined Clippers team here as Houston has taken 2 of the 3 meetings this season including the most recent one at Los Angeles. It is payback time here. The road team has covered 4 of the last 5 meetings and that trend continues here as the Clips take their winning streak to 6 games with a big effort on both ends of the floor in this one. 10* LA CLIPPERS |
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03-05-20 | Islanders v. Senators OVER 5.5 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 11 h 57 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL Rotation #55 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Ottawa Senators vs New York Islanders @ 7:35 ET - Marcus Hogberg has been better in goal of late in comparison with Craig Anderson. However, Hogberg has been dealing with a family matter and the Senators even recently called up goalie Filip Gustavsson from the minors. No matter how you look at it, Ottawa's goalie situation is tenuous right now and the fired up Islanders will take advantage. However, the issue for New York is they can't stop anyone! The Isles have allowed 15 goals in their last 4 games as they are suddenly struggling with some goaltending issues of their own. The Islanders offensive production should come back to life against the lowly Senators but I do look for Ottawa to pot a few goals as well and that is why I am grabbing the over in this match-up. The Sens have allowed 3.64 goals per game their last 14 games. The Senators have scored 3.2 goals per game their last 5 games. Neither of those stats includes OT or SO goals of course. That said, the Sens have been scrappy of late on home ice and we'll get their fair share here but look for the desperate Islanders to answer them goal for goal. The Isles still trying to secure a playoff spot and this game will feature plenty of scoring given all of the above. 10* OVER the total in Ottawa |
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03-05-20 | Bruins v. Panthers +136 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 42 m | Show |
Rickenbach NHL Rotation #48 Thursday 10* Top Play Florida Panthers Money Line (+) vs Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - Great home dog value here. The Bruins are off a huge win over rival Tampa Bay Tuesday. The Lightning have been a thorn in the side of Boston for a long time and, after that hard-fought 2-1 win and now playing on the road yet again, the Bruins fall flat here. Another divisional foe, Florida, has been lying in wait and goalie Chris Driedger is expected back for this one. Driedger has been great and the Panthers have revenge here after losing at home to the Bruins in their most recent meeting. That was preceded by Florida winning 6 of the last 9 meetings and I like this home underdog situation for the hungry Panthers. They enter this game off a home shutout versus Calgary Sunday. In other words, Florida has a rest edge and a motivational edge and a situational edge in comparison with Bruins here. Upset alert with the Panthers! 10* FLORIDA |
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03-05-20 | Houston v. Connecticut OVER 132.5 | Top | 71-77 | Win | 100 | 12 h 7 m | Show |
AAC Total of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #665 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Connecticut Huskies vs Houston Cougars @ 7 ET - The Huskies are seeking big-time revenge here. Not only did they lose a tight one at Houston in January, Connecticut also got thoroughly embarrassed in an absolute bloodbath loss (by 39 points) in the AAC Tournament last March. The Huskies may or may not get their revenge here but one thing is for certain...UConn does not want this game to turn into a low-scoring grinder. The Huskies enter this game having won 3 straight games and 7 of their last 10. They do it with offense as Connecticut is 9-2 to the over their last 11 games. Not including overtime, the Huskies have scored 67 points or more in 6 of their last 7 games. Keep in mind, Houston is favored in this game. In other words we should see at least mid-130s and that is at a bare minimum given the above. That said, I look for this game to get well into the 140s. Houston has averaged 75 points per game in their last 4 meetings with the Huskies. Also, the Cougars enter this game having averaged 69 points per game (not including OT) their last 7 games. It is quite logical that both teams get into the 70 range here as, to reiterate, the Huskies make sure this game plays at a little faster pace if they're going to have a chance to get their revenge here. Look for UConn to continue their recent high-scoring surge. 10* OVER the total in Connecticut |
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03-05-20 | Illinois v. Ohio State -6 | Top | 63-71 | Win | 100 | 12 h 35 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #664 Thursday 10* Top Play Ohio State Buckeyes (+) vs Illinois Illini @ 7 ET - Yes the Illini have been hot but they faced some weak competition too. Now Illinois faces a real test and Ohio State is well aware that they can play the role of spoiler here in terms of running the Big Ten regular season title hopes of the Illini. The Buckeyes don't even need that extra motivation either. Why? Because Ohio State lost outright at home to Illinois as nearly a double digit favorite in the teams most recent meeting which was last February. Finally the Buckeyes get their shot at payback here. Not only was that upset unlikely, note that another upset here is just as unlikely. Ohio State is 13-2 SU at home while Illinois is just 6-6 SU on the road. That said, I'll lay the half dozen points here with the Buckeyes. Two of the last 3 wins for the Illini came against Northwestern and Nebraska. The Wildcats and Cornhuskers are a combined 4-33 in Big Ten games this season. Give Illinois credit for recent wins versus Indiana and Penn State but the win over the Hoosiers came at home while the win over the Nittany Lions was a case of catching a flat opponent at the right time. The Buckeyes, most definitely, will not be flat here. Payback time here. 10* OHIO STATE |
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03-04-20 | Blue Jackets v. Flames OVER 5.5 | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -117 | 10 h 24 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #39 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Calgary Flames vs Columbus Blue Jackets @ 8:35 ET - The Blue Jackets will build off their 5-3 win versus Vancouver Sunday as they rallied from a 3-1 deficit late in the 3rd period and scored 4 unanswered goals. That gives Columbus some momentum heading into this game but they still have a tough goaltending situation. Joonas Korpisalo is back but is still showing signs of rust from the time away when he was injured. Also, Elvis Merzlikins is now out with an injury and this is a Jackets team that has allowed 3.7 goals per game in regulation time of their last 10 games. Columbus allowed 3 goals in ALL TEN of those games. The total on this game is only a 5.5 and I feel we have great value with the over in this one. Calgary shutout the Blue Jackets at Columbus earlier this season so payback is on order here. The two meetings last season between these teams saw the clubs combine to average 10.5 goals per game! The Flames enter this game off a rare shutout as they won 3-0 at Florida Sunday. Prior to that low-scoring win, Calgary had allowed 3.7 goals per game in their 7 most recent games. While Columbus got back on track and will have extra confidence in the offensive zone in this one as a result, look for the home team to do plenty of damage in the offensive zone too! The Flames have scored an average of 4.3 goals per game their last 12 games! 10* OVER the total in Calgary |
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03-04-20 | Villanova +4.5 v. Seton Hall | Top | 79-77 | Win | 100 | 11 h 28 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #781 Wednesday 10* Top Play Villanova Wildcats (+) @ Seton Hall Pirates @ 8:30 ET - The Wildcats are off a loss but very well could have been caught looking ahead to this game as the Pirates handed Villanova a rare home loss in their earlier meeting this season. Ironically, Seton Hall also has a revenge game on deck as their Big East regular season finale is at Creighton and the Blue Jays handed them a rare home loss. In my eyes the set up here is ideal for a road upset and I'll gladly grab the points with Nova. The Cats are 5-1 SU and ATS in their last 6 road games and the lone loss came by just 3 points at Butler. The Pirates have covered just ONCE in their past SIX home games! Seton Hall is the higher ranked team in this match-up and they are at home but Villanova comes into this game fighting mad and playing with home loss revenge. Look for the Wildcats to send the Pirates to their 3rd SU home loss in their last 5 games as a host but I am grabbing the points as added insurance in this one. The Cats did knock the Pirates out of the Big East tourney last year but Nova has the home revenge here from this season plus also lost their visit to Seton Hall last season. It is payback time here and I like backing the Wildcats off a loss in which they scored only 54 points! 10* VILLANOVA |
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03-04-20 | Pacers v. Bucks OVER 222 | Top | 100-119 | Loss | -102 | 12 h 50 m | Show |
ESPN Total of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #531 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Milwaukee Bucks vs Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - The Bucks won't take their foot off the gas in this one. They are at home off an ugly road loss. Also, Milwaukee lost their most recent match-up with the rival Pacers at Indiana. We're getting some line value with this total because the Bucks are off back to back low-scoring efforts on the road. They are a different team when they are on their home floor! Milwaukee has scored an average of 125 points per game in its last 11 home games. The spread on this game is currently -11 so if the odds makers are right about the line and the Bucks hit their recent scoring average, you have this game total pushing 240. Of course we don't need that number to win but you get my point. I am aware of Victor Oladipo possibly not playing tonight but he has played in a total of only 10 games this season anyway. The Pacers, even without Oladipo, would still score a ton of points here as the Bucks are going to play an uptempo game here. Milwaukee will look like they have been shot out of a cannon throughout this game. As for Indiana, they are off back to back overs and the over is now 11-5 in their last 16 road games. That trend continues here. 10* OVER the total in Milwaukee |
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03-04-20 | Flyers +136 v. Capitals | Top | 5-2 | Win | 136 | 9 h 17 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #37 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - The Capitals have revenge from an ugly home loss the last time they faced the Flyers. However, one has to be careful just blindly playing revenge situations. Take a closer look at this game and realize that Philadelphia is on fire right now and has a chance to further close the gap on Washington for the top spot in the division by coming up with a win here. If the Flyers get a regulation win in this match-up they will be just a single point out of first place in the Metropolitan! The Capitals are off a road win at Minnesota but that was preceded by a 10-game stretch that saw Washington lose 7 games! As for the Flyers, they enter this game on a 6-game winning streak and have just 5 losses in their last 20 games! Great value with the solid road dog price and I'll back the team that has been the much better team of late as the Flyers continue to play with a ton of confidence. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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03-04-20 | Celtics v. Cavs +1.5 | Top | 112-106 | Loss | -105 | 12 h 25 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #518 Wednesday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 7:05 ET - The Cavaliers are off 3 consecutive losses but come into this game rested and expected to be much healthier for this game than they were against the Jazz on Monday. While Cleveland is rested and getting healthier, the Celtics are banged up and in a tough back to back situation. Boston blew a huge 4th quarter lead at home against Brooklyn last night and then lost in OT. That is a very deflating loss and Kemba Walker did play last night but won't make this trip to Cleveland. Also, the Celtics Marcus Smart might be facing a suspension after getting into it with the officials! Boston is expected to be without Jayson Tatum tonight too plus both Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward seemed to be less than 100% as they were dealing with nagging injuries as last night's game got away from the Celtics. With the Cavs getting healthier and having won 4 of 5 before dropping 3 in a row, this is the perfect spot for them to get back on track on their home floor. 10* CLEVELAND |
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03-04-20 | San Jose State v. New Mexico OVER 155.5 | Top | 66-79 | Loss | -125 | 9 h 11 m | Show |
Tourney Top Total - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #815 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New Mexico Lobos vs San Jose State Spartans in MWC Tourney in Vegas @ 5:30 ET - This total may seem big but it is truly justified. The Spartans simply do not play defense and this is even more true when traveling. When away from home, San Jose State has allowed an average of 90.3 points per game in their 9 games! The Lobos are about a 10 point favorite here. So if the Spartans allow their recent typical average and the odds makers are a correct about the spread here than you're looking at a 90-80 type game which crushes the total. The fact is New Mexico loves to play a run and gun style with very little focus on defense and they'll be able to that here against the Spartans. The last time San Jose State and New Mexico met the Lobos scored 86 points. In the first meeting this season the Spartans won 88 to 85. You can see why I am expecting plenty of points here. I don't expect San Jose State to be able to stop the Lobos but I also don't expect them to go down without a fight in tourney action. In other words, they should indeed do enough running and gunning of their own to hang within about 10 points here and that means this one flies over the total. New Mexico's most recent road loss was a tight low-scoring grinder but those are unusual for sure. In their 7 preceding road games in 2020, the Lobos allowed an average of 89.4 points per game. This one gets crazy. 10* OVER the total in New Mexico (game played in Vegas) |
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03-03-20 | Blues v. Rangers +127 | Top | 3-1 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 4 m | Show |
Non-Conference Game of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #18 Tuesday 10* Top Play New York Rangers Money Line (+) vs St Louis Blues @ 7:05 ET - Perfect set-up here. The Rangers had been surging but then ran into a red hot Flyers team and lost both games in a home and home set to wrap up last week. New York played better than the final score would indicate in Sunday's home loss to Philadelphia. Also, the Rangers will have Alexanadar Georgiev between the pipes for this one. He struggled against the Flyers Friday but had been red hot prior to that. Look for Georgiev to get right back on track and the Rangers are catching the Blues at the perfect time for a home dog upset. St Louis is off a key divisional win over Dallas on Saturday which saw the Blues win 4-3 in the shootout. The Rangers have revenge her as they lost at St Louis 5-2 in January. The Rangers had swept the Blues last season and won those games by a combined score of 6-3. Look for the home team to get payback here at an underdog price as St Louis is over-valued now because of their recent winning streak. The Blues had been ice cold prior to this 7-game run. The Rangers had won 9 of 10 prior the back to back losses to a red-hot Philly team. The value is clearly with the home dog here in a big way. 10* NEW YORK RANGERS |
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03-03-20 | Canadiens v. Islanders OVER 5.5 | Top | 6-2 | Win | 104 | 8 h 29 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #21 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Islanders vs Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - The under is attracting some attention here but in typical contrarian fashion I am on the over. The Islanders are though of as an "under" team but take a closer look at what they've done on home ice and you'll see why I like the over so much in this spot especially as we get value with the over 5.5 and not even having to lay any juice! The Isles are off a 4-0 home loss but that came against a tough Bruins team that was angry. Note that prior to that defeat, the Islanders had scored an average of 4.1 goals per game over their 10 prior home games! You can see that the Isles generally score well at home. The issue for New York of late has been between the pipes. The Islanders have started giving up more goals in recent games and now they face a Canadiens team that has been scoring quite well. That is why 6 of Montreal's last 7 games have totaled 7 or more goals. In 5 of those 7 games BOTH the Habs and their opponent EACH scored 3 goals. You can see why I am liking the over in this match-up as the Isles bounce back at home off a rare home ice shutout but will also struggle to stop the Canadiens here. 10* OVER the total in New York Islanders |
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03-03-20 | Spurs v. Hornets OVER 214 | Top | 104-103 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 27 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #501 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Charlotte Hornets vs San Antonio Spurs @ 7:05 ET - The Spurs are off a home loss to the Pacers last night that flew over the total. The over is now 8-2 in San Antonio's last 10 games. We're getting some line value here because this total has moved lower as a result of some recent scoring struggles for Charlotte. The Hornets have been held under 100 points in 4 of their last 5 games. However, off an ugly 85-point showing at home against the Bucks, look for Charlotte to bounce back strong here against a Spurs team that may not be at its best defensively in the 2nd game of a back to back. In fact, San Antonio is 24-10 to the over, including 6-1 to the over this season, when playing the 2nd game of a back to back. A lot of time defensive intensity is not as strong in non-conference games and the over is 5-2 in Hornets games against Southwest Division opponents. More of the same expected here. 10* OVER the total in Charlotte |
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03-03-20 | Michigan State -1 v. Penn State | Top | 79-71 | Win | 100 | 12 h 47 m | Show |
Big Ten Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #621 Tuesday 10* Top Play Michigan State Spartans (-) @ Penn State Nittany Lions @ 7 ET - The road team has covered each of the last 3 meetings between these teams. That includes the Nittany Lions winning at Michigan State early last month. That means it is revenge time for the Spartans and the timing is perfect. While Penn State has lost 3 of 4 games SU and is on an 0-4 ATS run, Michigan State enters this game having won 3 in a row SU. The line on this game is as low as a -1 early this morning and I am taking advantage of grabbing the revenge-minded Spartans in this one. Michigan State was sloppy with the ball in the first meeting and lost the game by 5 points largely due to losing the turnover battle 15-9. I like what I have seen from the Spartans over the past two weeks while the Nittany Lions are showing signs of wilting under the late season pressure. Of course we get line value here because this game is at State College where Penn State has been so strong this season. The fact is that the Nittany Lions last two home games saw them lose outright to Illinois and barely sneak out a 1-point win over Rutgers. Now PSU faces a much tougher challenge here and I look for the Spartans to turn this one into a road rout. 10* MICHIGAN STATE |
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03-03-20 | Cleveland State v. Oakland OVER 130.5 | Top | 59-80 | Win | 100 | 11 h 8 m | Show |
Tourney Top Total - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #655 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Oakland Golden Grizzlies vs Cleveland State Vikings @ 7 ET - The Vikings have only had two overtime games this season. The impact of those two OT periods in a 31-game season is minimal. That said, I feel this total is far too low because Oakland likes to play more uptempo than the Vikings do and I expect them to control the tempo in this one since this game is on their home floor. The Vikings average scoring 64.3 points per game this season but allow 71.5 points per game. Cleveland State, not including OT, scored at least 67 points in 3 of their last 4 road games. That included scoring 74 here at Oakland in a game that totaled 153 points. As for the Grizzlies, they have had 3 overtime games this season. However, just looking at points scored in regulation time, Oakland has allowed 71.3 points per game their last 8 games. The Golden Grizzlies have averaged, not including OT points, 74.2 points per game their last 5 home games. I see this game getting into the 140s or at least right around 140 and yet we've got a total right around a 130 which means solid value being offered here. I'll take it! 10* OVER the total in Oakland |
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03-02-20 | Avalanche -1.5 v. Red Wings | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -114 | 11 h 18 m | Show |
Puck Line Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #13 Monday 10* Top Play Colorado Avalanche Puck Line -1.5 goals -115 @ Detroit Red Wings @ 7:35 ET - I am well aware of the fact that many of the Avs recent wins have come by a margin of just a single goal. However, Pavel Francouz is expected to get the start between the pipes here and the Avalanche netminder has allowed 2 or less goals in 6 straight starts. In fact, Francouz has allowed an average of 1.3 goals during this 6-game stretch. The Red Wings have seen Jimmy Howard have a horrific season so, once again, Jonathan Bernier is likely to be between the pipes here for Detroit. However, he has also cooled off after some very strong work in late January and early February. Note that Bernier has consistently allowed 3 or 4 goals in his recent starts the past few weeks. That said, I look for the Red Wings to allow 4 goals here as they continue to allow far too many shots on goal while the Avalanche continue their very strong defensive-minded play and are likely to allow just 1 goal here. That said, I see great value with Colorado (a 3 to 1 money line favorite) available at very nearly a "pick'em" price on the puck line at -1.5 goals in this one. The Red Wings are off a shootout loss at Ottawa but that was just the 6th loss by a 1-goal margin out of their last 35 losses. In other words, Detroit usually gets beat by 2 or more goals and I expect that to be the case again here as the Avalanche continue to be road warriors. 10* COLORADO Puck Line -1.5 goals -115 |
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03-02-20 | Jazz v. Cavs +8.5 | Top | 126-113 | Loss | -109 | 12 h 21 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #582 Monday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) vs Utah Jazz @ 7:05 ET - The Cavaliers are off consecutive losses but it was a back to back situation. Cleveland was competitive in both games and continues to play much better overall. The back to back losses were preceded by winning 4 of 5 games including defeating both the Heat and the 76ers. Since they added Andre Drummond, the Cavs are a different team. Now, after a day off following the consecutive defeats plus the fact they are on their home floor, the Cavaliers will give the Jazz all they can handle in this one. The line opened up at a 7.5 but has risen to an 8.5 and this is giving us great line value with the home dog. The Jazz are off a win but that was preceded by 4 straight losses. Also, all those games were at home where Utah is known for being a stronger team. In other words, now that the Jazz are taking to the road the recent slump is likely to continue. I am not saying Utah loses this game outright (although there is a decent chance of that) but I am saying that Cleveland is going to keep this game much closer than many are expecting. The markets haven't adjusted properly yet to the fact that the Cavaliers are playing better basketball of late and I am going to fade a large road favorite here that has lost 4 of its last 5 games. 10* CLEVELAND |
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03-02-20 | NC State v. Duke OVER 151 | Top | 69-88 | Win | 100 | 12 h 55 m | Show |
ACC Total of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #861 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Duke Blue Devils vs NC State Wolfpack @ 7 ET - Duke is off back to back losses including a 52-50 grinder against Virginia. Now they get a chance to really open things up again. After being held to just 50 points in their most recent game, I have no doubt the Blue Devils are going to run and gun against a willing participant, NC State. The Wolfpack have gone 5-2 to the over their last 7 games. Duke is 12-4 to the over in home games this season. The Blue Devils also have revenge in this one as they lost at NC State by a count of 88-66 two weeks ago. Duke shot an uncharacteristic 4 of 17 from beyond the arc and 10 of 22 at the charity stripe! Those numbers won't happen again here. The Blue Devils are averaging 84.2 points per game at home this season. The Wolfpack have scored 77 points or more in 5 of their last 7 games. The set up here is perfect for a high-scoring match-up. Also, note that the over is a perfect 7-0 in the last 7 meetings between these teams. More of the same expected here. 10* OVER the total in Duke |
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03-01-20 | Canucks +131 v. Blue Jackets | Top | 3-5 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 16 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #5 Sunday 10* Top Play Vancouver Canucks Money Line (+) @ Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:05 ET - Count me in! I can get +130 and fade a team that has a muddled goal-tending situation and has lost 10 of its past 11 games. Not only is Columbus a mess right now with all their goalies suddenly struggling including normal #1 Joonas Korpisalo whom just got back, the Blue Jackets can't score. Perhaps the playoff pressure got to them and certainly they also got hurt by the recent losses of both Seth Jones and Cam Atkinsson to injury. Whatever the reason(s), the Jackets have scored an average of only 1.5 goals per game in their last 8 games. Also, the Canucks have revenge from a 5-0 home loss to Columbus late last season. The road team has dominated recent meetings between these teams and I look for to continue here. Not only have the Blue Jackets lost 10 of 11 games, the Canucks had won 18 of 27 games prior to suffering back to back road losses. That included a road loss yesterday at Toronto and Vancouver will be in full-on bounce back mode here. The Canucks are a solid 4-2-1 when playing on the road in the 2nd game of a back to back. With Demko getting the start yesterday we are likely to see Domingue between the pipes for Vancouver. A change of scenery can do a struggling goalie a lot of good and the Canucks picked him up specifically for the playoff push. That push resumes here while the Blue Jackets playoff fade continues. Upset time! 10* VANCOUVER |
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03-01-20 | Pistons +7.5 v. Kings | Top | 100-106 | Win | 100 | 12 h 56 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #569 Sunday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (+) @ Sacramento Kings @ 6:05 ET - The Pistons will build off Friday's win at Phoenix. While it is true that Detroit is only 3-8 SU their last 11 games, 4 of their last 7 losses have come by 7 or less points. The Kings are over-valued here. Sacramento is 4-3 SU in their last 7 games but 2 of the 4 wins came by 4 or less points. Only 1 of those 4 wins came by a double digit margin and I look for the Pistons to be in this one all the way. The Kings just got back home from a 4-game road trip that wrapped up in Memphis on Friday. The first game back home after a lengthy road trip is often the toughest and the odds makers opened this game up at a 6.5 for a reason. In typical contrarian fashion, I am grabbing the line value here on the other side of the line move. The Kings are 2-6 ATS (and 1-7 SU) when off a road win by 3 or less points. After sneaking by the Grizzlies by 3 points on the road Friday, Sacramento falls flat here. 10* DETROIT |
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03-01-20 | Flames v. Panthers OVER 6.5 | Top | 3-0 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 50 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #3 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Florida Panthers vs Calgary Flames @ 4:05 ET - The Panthers are off a 3-2 loss in the shootout versus the Blackhawks yesterday. Florida used #1 goalie Sergei Bobrovsky which means he either has to go in a back to back here or they hand the starting nod to Sam Montembeault. Neiither option is particularly appealing. Montembeault has allowed 12 goals in his last 4 games. The Flames also are in a tough spot here after David Rittich got the start yesterday. That means Cam Talbot is likely to get the nod today. He has allowed 4 goals in each of his last 3 starts. Calgary has seen 9 of their last 11 games total 7 or more goals! The Flames have allowed an average of 4 goals per game their last 7 games and the Panthers are one of the highest scoring teams in the league. Calgary has scored an average of 4.5 goals per game their last 11 games! You can see why I am expecting plenty of goals in this situation which is further strengthened by the fact that is a back to back situation which further taxes the goaltending. 10* OVER the total in Florida |
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03-01-20 | Michigan v. Ohio State OVER 136.5 | Top | 63-77 | Win | 100 | 8 h 1 m | Show |
Big Ten Total of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #831 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Ohio State Buckeyes vs Michigan Wolverines @ 4 ET - I am aware there are a few injury situations in this game but I feel we have great value here with this total and I don't expect Eli Brooks to play for the Wolverines while the Buckeyes only really significant absence is Kyle Young but others will step up in his place at home. In terms of the value with this low total here, the Wolverines are 7-2 their last 9 games and have averaged scoring 73 points per game during this stretch. They are about a 4 point dog in this one. Last time I checked a 77-73 final totals 150 points. In other words, if Michigan hits their recent average and the odds makers are right about the spread here, we have ourselves an easy winner. The Buckeyes have won 4 of their last 5 games and have averaged 74 points per game during this stretch. Off an easy win versus a bad Nebraska team, Ohio State could be in for a surprise here as the Wolverines are playing with a lot of a confidence and scoring very well of late. Also, Michigan has revenge from a low-scoring home loss to the Buckeyes early last month. After sub-par shooting in that meeting, watch things open up in a big way today and we'll see plenty of scoring in this one. 10* OVER the total in Ohio State |
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03-01-20 | 76ers v. Clippers OVER 218 | Top | 130-136 | Win | 100 | 10 h 2 m | Show |
Daytime TV Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #565 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Los Angeles Clippers vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 3:35 ET - The Sixers are without both Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons but don't look for the Clippers to show them any mercy. That said, Los Angeles is averaging 117.5 points per game at home this season and opened up as a 12.5 point favorite here. A 118-106 type game seems perfectly logical here given those numbers and yet this total is about a half dozen points below that. Also note that the Clips have averaged 123.8 points per game in their last 5 wins. The Sixers have allowed 119.8 points per game in their last 6 losses. This game could easily approach the 230 mark in total points as the Clippers won't hold back. LA is playing their final home game before a 2-game road trip and they won't be back on their home floor until next Sunday. The Clippers will make the most of the opportunity and run and gun here. The Sixers, though wounded, do have fresh legs from two off days preceding this game and we'll see plenty of points here. 10* OVER the total in Los Angeles Clippers |
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03-01-20 | Xavier v. Georgetown | Top | 66-63 | Win | 100 | 7 h 40 m | Show |
Afternoon TV Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #821 Sunday 10* Top Play Xavier Musketeers (-) @ Georgetown Hoyas @ 2 ET - The Musketeers are the much better team. Even though Naji Marshall is on the injury report he has been upgraded to probable. Conversely, the Hoyas Omar Yurtseven and Mac MacClung are both listed as questionable for this one. Keep in mind, Georgetown has lost 3 straight games and also is just 1-4 SU in its last 5 home games. Xavier brings momentum into this game after a home win versus DePaul in their most recent game. The Musketeers are now 5-2 SU (and 6-1 ATS) their last 7 games and clearly this is a case of two teams heading opposite directions as the regular season winds down. Xavier has dominated this series but did lose their last visit to Georgetown. Look for the Musketeers to make up for that here as they continue their surge and send the Hoyas to a 4th straight loss. The road team also holds the coaching edge in this match-up and that is not a factor to overlook especially in the case of a game with a line near pick'em. 10* XAVIER |
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02-29-20 | Stars +129 v. Blues | Top | 3-4 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 34 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #79 Saturday 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - The road trip between St Louis and Dallas is not too tough. That said, maybe it should not come as a surprise that the road team is 10-5 in the last 15 games between these division rivals. The Blues just hammered the Stars 5-1 in Dallas last week and this is also a revenge game for the Stars because St Louis eliminated them from the post-season last year. The road team is 3-0 in the last 3 meetings between these teams and I look for Dallas to make it 4 in a row here. The Stars are off a loss at Boston but had won 7 of 9 prior to a tight loss to a tough Bruins team. St Louis is suddenly hot and has won 6 straight games but this was preceded by a stretch in which the Blue lost 10 of 12 and I feel they are over-priced in this key divisional rivalry. I am grabbing the revenge-minded road dog that is sure to bring their A game in this one and won't be denied. 10* DALLAS |
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02-29-20 | Nets v. Heat OVER 222.5 | Top | 113-116 | Win | 100 | 12 h 25 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #549 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Miami Heat vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - Total opened up at a 225.5 and has dropped to a 222.5 as of very early game day morning. I understand this is a back to back spot but both teams were involved in high-scoring games yesterday that flew over the total and I expect more of the same today. The over is a perfect 6-0 in Miami's last 6 games. Heat home games are on a perfect 4-0 run to the over. The Nets have scored an average of 113 points per game their last 4 games. Brooklyn is a 7 point dog here. A game ending up in the 120-113 range here would not be shocking in any way whatsoever. That said, we have got a total that is now about 10 points below where it could easily land in my opinion. I'll grab the big value and look for the high-scoring trending to continue here. 10* OVER the total in Miami |
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02-29-20 | UNLV v. San Jose State +10 | Top | 92-69 | Loss | -115 | 8 h 7 m | Show |
MWC Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #700 Saturday 10* Top Play San Jose State Spartans (+) vs UNLV Rebels @ 5 ET - Perfect set up here. Home finale for San Jose State to wrap up another disappointing season. UNLV enters this road game having won 4 straight games. However, the key here is where this game is being played. The Spartans are much more competitive on their home floor than on the road. San Jose State has had only 4 home games since mid-January. Though only 1-3 SU in those 4 games, 2 of the 3 losses came by 6 or less points. Don't be surprised when San Jose State keeps this game much closer than many are expecting and they could even get the outright upset. The Rebels have won 4 straight games but only one (San Diego State) was truly shocking. The other 3 games all had tight low lines and could have gone either way. Now, on the road for this one and considering that the Rebels are just 4-8 SU on the road this season, there is really no justification for UNLV being a double digit favorite in this one. The line opened up at an 8.5 and moved to as high as a 10 and I am stepping in on the other side of the move and going with the "ugly home dog" theory in this one. Especially being the last game of the regular season, look for the Spartans to go all out here and keep this game much closer than many are expecting. 10* SAN JOSE STATE |
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02-29-20 | Flames v. Lightning OVER 6.5 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 6 h 1 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #67 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Tampa Bay Lightning vs Calgary Flames @ 4:05 ET - I am well aware of Steven Stamkos being out for this game but the Lightning are still loaded with firepower. Also, goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has suddenly fallen on hard times. As a result, the last 6 Tampa Bay games have all totaled at least 7 goals and I see every reason to believe this one will make it 7 straight! The Lightning have lost 4 straight games and that is why, no matter the score today, the Bolts won't take their foot off the gas here. In other words, look for them to score plenty but the problem is that Tampa Bay is struggling in their own zone and Calgary can certainly take advantage. The Flames have seen 12 of their last 16 games total at least 7 goals. Calgary has scored an average of 4.6 goals per game their last 10 games. The Lightning have scored an average of 4 goals per game their last 10 games. Look for a wild one Saturday afternoon. 10* OVER the total in Tampa Bay |
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02-29-20 | Seton Hall v. Marquette OVER 148 | Top | 88-79 | Win | 100 | 7 h 30 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #647 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Marquette Golden Eagles vs Seton Hall Pirates @ 2:30 ET - The odds makers are sharp. That said, the first game between these teams easily stayed under the total and yet this total opened up at a higher number than the first meeting! Why? Well, for one thing these teams had a ridiculous 2nd half in the first meeting. They had combined for 77 points at halftime but then the Golden Eagles scored only 18 points in the 2nd half of the game. That happened at Seton Hall and I guarantee that won't happen with Marquette as the host in the rematch. Home in Milwaukee for this one, look for the Eagles to score plenty but their weakness is they won't be able to stop Seton Hall. The Pirates have averaged 74 points per game in their last 3 meetings with Marquette. Also, Seton Hall enters this game scoring an average of 77 points per game their last 4 games. The Golden Eagles have scored an average of 80 points per game on their home floor this season. Both teams enter off a win in which they scored more than 80 points and that confidence spills right into this game and both teams continue their high-scoring ways. 10* OVER the total in Marquette |
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02-28-20 | Hornets v. Raptors OVER 215 | Top | 99-96 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 45 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #529 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Raptors vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:35 ET - The Raptors are off a home loss but it is because they faced the best team in the NBA, Milwaukee. Prior to that low-scoring loss to the Bucks, Toronto had scored an average of 125.6 points per game in their 7 preceding home games. The point spread in this game is 14 and a 125-111 type game certainly is not out of the question and that crushes this total and goes over by 20 points. I know Charlotte occasionally has some ugly games but the Hornets do have a good history of piling up points when facing the Raptors. That is why the over is 8-1-1 in the last 10 meetings. Also, Charlotte enters this game off a win that went over the total. When the Hornets are off a win and playing on the road, they have scored an average of 108.3 points per game the last 3 times. That would translate to a 122-108 game here if the spread is correct at 14 points. Either way, you can see why I am liking the over here given the situation. The fact is the Raptors won't take their foot off the gas considering they are off a loss. Toronto will force Charlotte into a fast-paced game and the Hornets have allowed 117.3 points per game in their last 8 losses. More of the same expected here. 10* OVER the total in Toronto |
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02-28-20 | Wild v. Blue Jackets OVER 5.5 | Top | 5-0 | Loss | -101 | 9 h 44 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #53 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Columbus Blue Jackets vs Minnesota Wild @ 7:05 ET - The Blue Jackets could have Joonas Korpisalo back between the pipes tonight but how effective will he be after all the time away due to injury? Generally netminders are not at their sharpest in their first start back after a long layoff. The other two Columbus goalies, Elvis Merzlikins and Matiss Kivlenieks have both been struggling. Plus Merzlikins left the most recent game with an injury. No matter whom the Jackets have in goal I like my chances here in terms of the Wild scoring plenty of goals. The issue for Minnesota however is their own netminding. Yes, Alex Stalock had a strong effort against a bad Red Wings team last night, but now Devan Dubnyk is likely to start the second game of this back to back and he has allowed 3 or more goals in 3 straight starts. The total on this game is posted at just 5.5 goals and that is noteworthy given the goaltending situation and the fact that this is a revenge game for the Blue Jackets and they are on home ice. I do expect Columbus to respond and score well here but the Jackets have allowed at least 3 goals in 8 straight games. The Wild had allowed 3 or more goals in 4 straight games prior to their 7-1 win at Detroit last night. Minnesota has scored an average of 4.2 goals per game in their last 5 games. Take advantage of the low total posted here. 10* OVER the total in Columbus |
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02-28-20 | Avalanche -100 v. Hurricanes | Top | 3-2 | Win | 100 | 8 h 13 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #57 Friday 10* Top Play Colorado Avalanche Money Line (-) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - Huge goalie edge expected for the Avalanche here. Yes, Philipp Grubauer is still out with injury but Pavel Francouz has been fantastic between the pipes for Colorado. Francouz is 4-0 his last 4 starts and 8-3 in non-conference starts and 9-2 in road starts this season. He has a superb .927 save percentage on the season and has been particularly sharp in recent weeks. As for the Hurricanes, they recently lost both Petr Mrazek and James Reimer to injury. This has left their goaltending situation in shambles and, unsurprisingly, Carolina is off an ugly 4-1 home loss to the Stars. It won't get any easier here as the Canes now face an Avalanche team that, like Dallas, is one of the best teams in the league. Colorado has won 4 straight games and 12 of its last 16. The Avs have also won 6 straight road games! The Avalanche have allowed a TOTAL of 6 goals in those 6 road contests. Yes, an average of just ONE goal per game and now the Avs face a Canes team dealing with a disastrous goalie situation. The result is a road rout. 10* COLORADO |
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02-28-20 | Wolves v. Magic -7.5 | Top | 125-136 | Win | 100 | 12 h 51 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #528 Friday 10* Top Play Orlando Magic (-) vs Minnesota Timberwolves @ 7:05 ET - This line opened up at a -9 but has dropped to a -7.5 as of early Friday morning. Just because the Timberwolves are off a big upset win at Miami Tuesday does not mean they are deserving of this type of respect. The Wolves entered that game having lost 18 of 19 games! That included Minnesota having lost 5 straight games prior to beating the Heat and 4 of those 5 losses came by a double digit margin. Orlando is hanging onto the #8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race and the Magic have been rejuvenated by winning 4 of their past 5 games. Orlando is 10-1 SU in their last 11 home games versus the T-wolves. Also, the Magic have covered 7 of the last 10 meetings. We're getting some extra value here because of Minnesota being off a rare win. This one has home blowout written all over it as I look for the home team to D up strong in this one and defense is something the Wolves certainly don't play much of. That will be the difference in this game. 10* ORLANDO |
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02-28-20 | Dartmouth v. Cornell OVER 124 | Top | 82-70 | Win | 100 | 10 h 36 m | Show |
Ivy Total of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #861 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Cornell Big Red vs Dartmouth Big Green @ 7 ET - This total has been pushed too low. The Big Red could get Jordan Jones and/or Jimmy Boeheim back tonight. But, either way, Cornell has averaged scoring 61.5 points (in regulation time) in the two games since Boeheim got hurt. Also, this is a revenge game from the ugly 75-53 loss at Dartmouth two weeks ago which was the game in which Boeheim got hurt early. This actually increases the likelihood that he'll be back tonight to be part of the revenge attack. But again, either way, I like the over plenty in this one. The total has simply been pushed too low by over-reaction to the fact the Big Red allowed just 45 points in their most recent game. Keep in mind, Cornell had allowed 74.4 points per game in regulation time of their 7 games that preceded the low-scoring win versus Brown. Also, the Big Green enter this game having scored an average of 67 points per game in going 3-1 their last 4 contests. The issue for Dartmouth on the road has been defense. The Big Green have lost 7 straight road games and have allowed an average of 68 points per game in those 7 defeats. You can see, per the above, why I am expecting this game to get into the mid-130s and yet we're dealing with a total in the mid-120s. I'll take it! 10* OVER the total in Cornell |
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02-28-20 | Kent State +1.5 v. Ohio | Top | 69-76 | Loss | -108 | 10 h 58 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #875 Friday 10* Top Play Kent State Golden Flashes (+) @ Ohio University Bobcats @ 6:30 ET - The Golden Flashes are a perfect 2-0 SU and ATS the last two times they have been a road dog. However, their two most recent road games saw them first lose a tight one as a small favorite and then get blasted by 21 points as a small favorite at Eastern Michigan. After that embarrassing losses, the Golden Flashes have had their next road game circled blood red as a chance to redeem themselves. Riding the momentum of a home win versus Miami-Ohio, Kent State now will continue their series dominance against the Bobcats. The Golden Flashes are 6-1 SU in their last 7 meetings with Ohio University. The Bobcats are off a big home win versus Buffalo but are 1-4 SU the last 5 times they have entered a game off a SU win. The win for Ohio U over Buffalo was the first time this season that they have beaten a team that currently has a winning record in MAC games. Now the Bobcats face a Kent team that already owns wins over Buffalo and Akron this season. The fact is that the Golden Flashes are the better team and can rise to the occasion in a tough situation. That said, I have no hesitation grabbing them on the road here against an Ohio University team that has had its share of struggles on its home floor. 10* KENT STATE |
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02-27-20 | Capitals v. Jets +140 | Top | 0-3 | Win | 140 | 9 h 36 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #48 Thursday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) vs Washington Capitals @ 8:05 ET - The Capitals opened up as a -135 favorite here and the line is all the way up to as high as a -160. While Washington certainly is a high-quality team, the Jets aren't exactly doormats and they are offering great value here as a sizable underdog on home ice. Winnipeg rallied from a 3-0 deficit to force OT in DC on Tuesday. They did end up on the wrong end of a 4-3 overtime result but the comeback gives the Jets a ton of confidence heading into this rematch. Keep in mind, Winnipeg is still very much alive in the post-season race and is fighting hard for a playoff spot. The Jets are now back on home ice where they have won two straight and 4 of their last 6. Overall, Winnipeg has had just 2 losses in regulation in its last 8 home games. While the Jets are starting #1 goalie Connor Hellebuyck here, the Capitals are expected to go with back-up Ilya Samsonov. The Caps back-up netminder is 0-3 in his last 3 starts and having a very rough February with an ugly .855 save percentage. Washington is a great team but very over-priced here and the situation is ideal for a home dog upset in this one. 10* WINNIPEG |
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02-27-20 | Maple Leafs v. Panthers OVER 7 | Top | 5-3 | Win | 108 | 8 h 1 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #35 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Florida Panthers vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:05 ET - I know this total is unusual considering it is a 7 which is very rare. However, it is justified for many reasons. The Panthers are off an unusual low-scoring win at Arizona Tuesday. Yes, Sergei Bobrovsky had a great game between the pipes but he is very inconsistent and is likely to now get pummeled by the high-scoring Maple Leafs tonight. Bobrovsky has allowed an average of nearly 5 goals per game the last 4 times he entered a start off a game in which he allowed 1 goal or less. Indeed he often gets hammered in the very next start and he did allow at least 4 goals in all 4 of those starts! As for the Maple Leafs, Frederik Andersen had a fantastic shutout win recently against the Penguins. However, other than that, Toronto has given up 19 goals in the other 4 games which Andersen has started the past two weeks. Given the above situational factors for the goaltending as well as the fact that these are two of the highest scoring teams in the league, I am rolling with the over in this one. The total is big but you can see that, per the above, it would not be a surprise to see each team give 4 goals here and that means we're talking about at least a 5-4 final. Look for a wild one in this divisional match-up. 10* OVER the total in Florida |
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02-27-20 | Knicks v. 76ers -6 | Top | 106-115 | Win | 100 | 9 h 5 m | Show |
Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #520 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs New York Knicks @ 7:05 ET - I am well aware of the injury situation for the Sixers. I faded them last night with Cleveland partially because Ben Simmons was out but also because the Cavaliers have been hot since they made some roster moves. The 76ers then proceeded to lose Joel Embiid to injury in that game. So they are really hurting now but they are also back home where they are 27-2 this season. Also, instead of facing a surging Cavs team they are facing a slumping New York team. The Knicks have lost 5 straight games and, just like Philly, New York is in the 2nd night of a back to back here. The Knicks last 6 losses have come by an average margin of 11.5 points per game and I am projecting a double digit loss here for New York. The 76ers last 7 wins have all come by 7 or more points and this line has plummeted to as low as a -6 as of early this morning after opening up at -8 this morning after the injury news was ALREADY out about Embiid. I feel we're getting solid value with a Sixers team that is angry off a loss and will have other players step up at home in this one to make up for the injury absences. Philly has 2 days off after this game and then will be on a West Coast road trip. The 76ers aren't going to be denied tonight at home given this situation. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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02-27-20 | Indiana v. Purdue OVER 128.5 | Top | 49-57 | Loss | -113 | 10 h 50 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #615 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Purdue Boilermakers vs Indiana Hoosiers @ 7 ET - These teams have played some ugly games in recent meetings but that has led to this total being kept to low by the betting markets. There are plenty of signs pointing to this game getting well into the 130s and yet this total has dipped into the 120s in early market activity. The Boilermakers are on a 4-game losing streak but 2 of those defeats came on the road. Purdue has continued to score well in home games. Prior to being held to 63 points at home against Michigan, the Boilermakers averaged scoring 76.6 points per game in their 5 preceding home games. Speaking of hot scoring, Indiana is "feeling it" right now. The Hoosiers have won 3 of their last 4 games and scored an average of 75 points in those 3 wins. Indiana has allowed an average of 70.6 points per game their last 8 games. The Boilermakers have allowed an average of 74 points per game their last 4 games. Given all of the above, you can see why this game getting into the 140s would certainly not be a total shock. That is why I certainly expect this game to get well into the 130s and that makes this one a very strong play given the line value we're getting here. 10* OVER the total in Purdue |
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02-27-20 | Delaware +4 v. College of Charleston | Top | 71-80 | Loss | -105 | 9 h 22 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #601 Thursday 10* Top Play Delaware Fightin Blue Hens (+) @ College of Charleston Cougars @ 6 ET - The Cougars have won 8 straight meetings between these teams. The College of Charleston is also at home for this game. In typical contrarian fashion, I am on Delaware in this one! But certainly it is not without reason. The Fightin Blue Hens are the better team this season and they have plenty of motivation here. Delaware blew a 6 point home lead against the Cougars in late December for their 8th straight loss in this series. The key to the value in the rematch is that the College of Charleston has lost 4 straight games both SU and ATS. Additionally, the Cougars have failed to cover 9 of their last 13 games. They're simply not playing well and not faring well at the betting window either. As for Delaware, they do enter this game off a loss but the Fightin Blue Hens had won 8 of 9 SU and 6 of 8 ATS prior to the home loss to Hofstra. Off that ugly loss by a double digit margin and having not forgotten their ugly loss by a double digit margin at home against the Cougars, look for the Hens to roll on the road in this one! The last 3 times when the Fightin Blue Hens were off an ATS loss they have gone a perfect 3-0 ATS in their next game. Look for them to again thrive in that role in this one. 10* DELAWARE |
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02-26-20 | Sabres +1.5 v. Avalanche | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 15 h 15 m | Show |
Puck Line Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #27 Wednesday 10* Top Play Buffalo Sabres Puck Line +1.5 goals (-) @ Colorado Avalanche @ 8:05 ET - There is a build up toward the playoffs at this time of year and games are tightening up as a result. 10 of 14 games so far this week have been decided by a single goal. When looking specifically at the Sabres and Avalanche you'll also see why I like having the +1.5 goals here and we're also getting value since this is priced in the -130 range as of very early game day morning. Buffalo has won 6 of its last 8 games and, in the Sabres last 9 games they have just 1 loss that came by a multiple-goal margin. Colorado has been playing well again and certainly is getting fantastic goaltending from Pavel Francouz. However, the Avalanche have not been scoring like they were earlier this season. The Avs have scored an average of only 2 goals per game their last 9 games. Colorado enters this game on a 3-game winning streak but that was preceded by 3 straight losses. Also, 4 of the last 6 Avalanche wins have come by just a single goal. Both teams made some moves at the trade deadline and I like what the Sabres did there and also they come into this game as the healthier hockey club. 10* BUFFALO Puck Line +1.5 goals |
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02-26-20 | 76ers v. Cavs +7.5 | Top | 94-108 | Win | 100 | 15 h 45 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #502 Tuesday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:05 ET - The Cavaliers made some recent roster moves and it is already paying dividends. Though they are building for the future, there is a renewed enthusiasm in Cleveland and it is translating to much better play on the floor. The Cavs have won 3 of their last 4 games both SU and ATS. The Cavaliers have struggled against the 76ers this season and the most recent loss is one a team doesn't forget. Despite having 6 more shot attempts from the field, Cleveland lost by 47 points in their most recent game against the Sixers! That was in Philadelphia and now the 76ers come to Cleveland and they'll be without Ben Simmons. That is a big loss for them and this is a Philly team that is an ugly 9-20 SU and ATS in road games this season. The Cavaliers have won their last two home games and that including defeating a solid Miami team Monday. Don't be surprised if the Cavs come up with another home dog upset here but I am grabbing the points for added insurance. 10* CLEVELAND |
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02-26-20 | Rutgers v. Penn State -6 | Top | 64-65 | Loss | -105 | 13 h 15 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #812 Wednesday 10* Top Play Penn State Nittany Lions (-) vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights @ 7 ET - The set up here is perfect. The Nittany Lions are off back to back losses. They shot the ball poorly from long-range in a home upset loss to Illinois. That then carried over to a road loss at Indiana. Now, back at home, Penn State gets rolling again from beyond the arc. Keep in mind, prior to back to back losses, the Lions had won 8 straight games and averaged 78 points per game! Adding to the value here of the Nittany Lions laying about a half dozen points, Penn State lost at Rutgers by double digits earlier this season. This is a revenge game and now the Lions catch the Scarlet Knights having lost 5 of 7. One of those two Rutgers wins came in OT against a bad Northwestern team. In other words, the Knights aren't playing very well right now and haven't been for about 3 weeks! Look for the Nittany Lions to get payback in a big way in this one. The Scarlet Knights have lost 5 straight road games SU and also are just 1-4 ATS their last 5 games overall. Penn State has only failed to cover twice in their last 10 games. The Nittany Lions are also 17-2 SU in their last 19 home games! Only 1 of their 8 wins in the recent streak came by less than 6 points and that was a 5 point win. In other words, all signs pointing to a home win and cover in this one. 10* PENN STATE |
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02-26-20 | St. John's v. Villanova OVER 146.5 | Top | 60-71 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 7 m | Show |
PA Insider - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #781 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Villanova Wildcats vs St John's Red Storm @ 6:30 ET - The Wildcats are off a low-scoring grinder win over Xavier on Saturday. You saw how the Musketeers reacted in their next game as their match-up with DePaul last night had 80 points by half-time and went over the total rather easily. I look for a similar situation here with Villanova. We have a higher total to deal with than last night's Xavier game but that's because St John's is known for getting involved in high-scoring games. The Red Storm have allowed 81 points per game their last 4 road games. The Red Storm are off an ugly loss at Seton Hall Sunday but had scored an average of 77 points per game their 4 prior games this month. As for the Wildcats, they are off the aforementioned low-scoring win over the Musketeers, but that extended their winning streak to 4 games and they averaged scoring 80 points per game in their 3 prior wins. Also, Villanova has allowed 72 points per game in their last 3 home games. The Cats will run and gun here with the Red Storm. 10* OVER the total in Villanova |
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02-25-20 | Bucks v. Raptors | Top | 108-97 | Win | 100 | 11 h 30 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #577 Tuesday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (-) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:35 ET - This line has gone from a -3 down to as low as a pick'em. I am well aware of the fact that the Bucks are in a back to back spot and their win at Washington last night came in overtime! However, no one on Milwaukee played more than 33 minutes except Middleton. That said, the Bucks are in better shape from a rest standpoint than would normally be the case in a situation like this. Also, Milwaukee is a perfect 7-0 SU this season when playing the second game of a back to back. Additionally, the Bucks are 16-0 SU this season in road games with a posted total of 230 or more. The biggest key of all for this game, in my opinion, is that this is where Milwaukee's season ended last year in May. The Bucks were ousted from the playoffs in Toronto last season. Though they got some measure of revenge with a win at home earlier this season, they still want to get revenge on the very floor where their season ended last year. In other words, a road rout likely in this one. Adding to the odds that one will occur is the fact that the Raptors are a little banged up right now. Gasol and Powell are out and McCaw is questionable for tonight's game. 10* MILWAUKEE |
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02-25-20 | Canucks v. Canadiens OVER 6 | Top | 4-3 | Win | 100 | 7 h 11 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #3 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Montreal Canadiens vs Vancouver Canucks @ 7:05 ET - Vancouver just lost #1 goalie Markstrom to injury. The Canucks picked up Domingue in a trade but he has struggled this season. The regular back-up for Vancouver is Demko and the over is 12-5 in his starts this season. The Canucks enter this game off a huge 9-3 win over the Bruins. Vancouver has scored an average of 4.4 goals per game their last 5 games. The Canucks have allowed 3 or more goals in 8 of their past 10 games. The Canadiens Price is off a shutout win but that was preceded by a stretch in which he allowed 3 or more goals in 6 straight starts. In other words, with this total posted at 6 goals and the odds favoring each netminder allowing 3 goals, we've got a great shot at a 4-3 final at the very least in this one. The Habs have scored at least 3 goals in 4 straight games. 10* OVER the total in Montreal |
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02-25-20 | Stars +106 v. Hurricanes | Top | 4-1 | Win | 106 | 6 h 19 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #7 Tuesday 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Money Line (+) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - In a very unlikely event, the Hurricanes lost both their goalies to injury and then used an emergency goalie in a 6-3 win at Toronto Saturday. Now a team without either of their two goalies is facing a team with two fantastic goalies. Dallas has Bishop as their #1 and also has a back-up delivering a great season as Khudobin has been fantastic. Additionally we're also getting great line value here since Dallas is on the road. Note that Carolina had lost 8 of 15 games prior to the win over the Maple Leafs which became the David Ayres story. Great story by the way with the emergency goaltender but now reality sets in and the Canes are truly hurting at the goalie position after losing both Mrazek and Reimer to injury. Dallas absolutely will take advantage. The Stars have won 9 of their last 13 road games and also are on overall 6-1-1 run their last 8 games! Grab the road dog in this one. 10* DALLAS |
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02-25-20 | TCU v. Iowa State -2 | Top | 59-65 | Win | 100 | 9 h 50 m | Show |
Big 12 Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #606 Tuesday 10* Top Play Iowa State Cyclones (-) vs TCU Horned Frogs @ 7 ET - Losing on your home floor is one thing. Losing by 30 points as a host is another thing! The Cyclones just got blasted at home by Texas Tech on Saturday and need to make amends for that here. Iowa State will take advantage of hosting a TCU team that is off a home win and is 0-7 SU in their last 7 road games. The Horned Frogs are also 0-7 ATS in those games! Texas Christian University has held the upper hand in recent meetings between these schools and that has led to line value here with the Cyclones as a host. Iowa State is 6-0 ATS the last 6 times they were at home and coming off an ATS loss. That means we have double perfect trends at play with the Horned Frogs in an 0-7 ATS spot and the Cyclones in a 6-0 ATS spot. Make it a triple perfect spot actually as TCU is also 0-3 ATS the last 3 times they have entered a game off a SU win. It has been a month and a half since the Horned Frogs have won back to back games and I look for them to again fail in that situation here. The Cyclones get their revenge for all the recent losses to TCU including falling just short on the road earlier this season. The home court makes all the difference here. 10* IOWA STATE |
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02-25-20 | DePaul v. Xavier OVER 136 | Top | 67-78 | Win | 100 | 8 h 58 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #609 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Xavier Musketeers vs DePaul Blue Demons @ 7 ET - Xavier needs to bounce back strong after a low-scoring home loss to Villanova Saturday. Prior to that defeat, the Musketeers had been on a 4-1 run and they averaged 70.5 points per game in the 4 victories. On the season, Xavier is averaging 71.6 points per game at home. In other words, they'll bounce back strong here. The key to the over is that DePaul has been getting involved in plenty of high-scoring games of late. The Blue Demons have scored an average of 70.3 points per game their last 4 games. The issue for DePaul is they can't stop anyone. The Blue Demons have allowed 76 points or more in 6 of their last 8 losses. DePaul has allowed an average of 84 points per game their last 3 games. That even includes a rare win, versus Georgetown, in their most recent game. I am well aware of the under trending in this series but this one is set up perfectly for an over based on the situational aspects of this one. 10* OVER the total in Xavier |