Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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01-04-20 | Titans +5 v. Patriots | Top | 20-13 | Win | 100 | 16 h 5 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #143 Saturday 10* Top Play Tennessee Titans (+) @ New England Patriots @ 8:15 ET - The Patriots are at home and laying a short number in the playoffs and, of course, have the incredible long-term numbers that coach Belichick and QB Brady have put together through their many years of making New England a dynasty. However, this team is nowhere close to being a dynasty anymore. The Eagles proved that when they beat the Pats in the 2018 Super Bowl and truly it was a miracle that New England won it all again in February of 2019. The run has ended however and this Patriots team is a shell of its former self and is having major troubles on offense. Brady is not what he once was and also does not have the weapons at his disposal that he once possessed. The defense is now the Pats strength but can they hold down the Titans potent offense enough to be able to score enough points to win this game? My answer to that question is an emphatic NO! Tennessee has NOT been held below 20 points in any of their past 10 games. During this stretch the Titans have scored an average of 30.4 points per game! Compare that with a Patriots team that had a chance to secure a first round bye and possible long-term home field edge in the post-season but blew it last week by losing AT HOME to the Dolphins! Absolutely inexcusable and the Pats even scored 24 points in the defeat. The Pats have scored more than 24 points just once in the past 8 games and, prior to that contest 3 games ago, New England had been held to an average of just 17.6 points per game over a 5-game stretch. I also like the coaching angle here with Vrabel facing his former team (both as a player and a coach) and he bested Belichick and the Pats when they most recently met. That was a dominating 34-10 win last season for the Titans over the Patriots. While this game will be a lot closer I am expecting the Titans to get the win. If they do fall short look for it to be by just 3 or 4 points and this line is currently a 5. I'll gladly grab the points here as the Titans defense allowed 24 points or less in 13 of 16 games and they have the better offense in this match-up too. 10* TENNESSEE |
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01-04-20 | Thunder v. Cavs +6.5 | Top | 121-106 | Loss | -108 | 14 h 29 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #508 Saturday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 7:35 ET - I like fading the Thunder off a big win at San Antonio Thursday. The Cavaliers have a bad record of course but they have actually been much more competitive of late. Cleveland is coming off a tight 3-point home loss to Charlotte on Thursday. I am aware of the Larry Nance injury but the Cavs still offer tremendous home dog value in this spot. Like I said, Cleveland has been more competitive of late and they are 3-3 SU in their last 6 home games with NONE of those 3 losses coming by more than 6 points! Overall the Cavs had won 3 straight home games prior to the loss to the Hornets Thursday. Also, though the Thunder have been winning games they have not been winning by big margins. Oklahoma City is 8-3 SU in their last 11 games. However, 7 of the 8 wins came by 6 or less points. That means if you had laid the current number (6.5) on this game in each of the past 11 games for the Thunder you would have won just ONCE in their past 11 games. Look for another close win for OKC here (ATS win here for Cleveland) or perhaps even another SU home win for Cavaliers as I would not be surprised to see them get the outright upset in this game. 10* CLEVELAND |
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01-04-20 | Villanova v. Marquette | Top | 60-71 | Win | 100 | 9 h 30 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #650 Saturday 10* Top Play Marquette Golden Eagles (-) vs Villanova Wildcats @ 2 ET - Here is a classic case of contrarian viewpoint which is a big part of my handicapping style. Here you have a ranked team that only has 1 loss on the season and so they look like an easy pick over a unranked team that has 3 losses on the season. Yes, Marquette is at home but they have 3 losses - all by 17 points or more - and Villanova has just one loss this season and it came by a single digit margin. These are the types of games that tend to persuade the majority of bettors to one side and that is most often when I am on the other side. Give me the Golden Eagles at home as they bounce back off an ugly loss at Creighton and they catch the Wildcats off a hard-fought win over Xavier. When Marquette is at home and off an ATS loss they have won SU all 3 times this season. Also, the Wildcats are off B2B hard-fought wins (SU and ATS to the closing numbers) but they had previously lost 6 in a row ATS. Value here on the home team to simply win the game! 10* MARQUETTE |
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01-04-20 | Tulane -7 v. Southern Miss | Top | 30-13 | Win | 100 | 8 h 24 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #277 Saturday 10* Top Play Tulane Green Wave vs Southern Miss Golden Eagles @ 11:30 AM ET - The Green Wave lost 5 of their last 6 games this season so it must be some kind of big mistake that this 6-6 Tulane team is favored by a TD over a 6-6 Southern Miss team, right? Of course long-time followers know how I feel about supposed mistakes by odds makers. Look for the Green Wave to blast the Golden Eagles in this one. Southern Mississippi lost their last two games each by a margin of 17 points or more and I expect a similar result here. When you look at their results this season, the Eagles wins almost always came against struggling and/or very weak teams. The Green Wave played a slightly tougher schedule and also hold a big edge in the running game in comparing these two teams. Tulane averaged more than twice as many yards per game on the ground (250) in comparison with Southern Miss (122). Look for the Green Wave to control the clock and control the ground game and wear down the Eagles as this game goes on. I look for Southern Mississippi to struggle with the QB McMillan and the option attack as the Green Wave will also do some damage through the air as the Eagles defense has to respect the ground game of Tulane. As for Southern Miss QB Abraham, he finished the season with a ration of just 6 TDs and 11 INTs in his last 6 games! I feel strongly that that Green Wave will prove to be the better team both on the ground and through the air in this one and I am aware of the fact that Southern Miss has won the last 6 meetings but these teams haven't met in nearly a decade and the Green Wave are a MUCH better football program in recent seasons than in the past. 10* TULANE |
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01-03-20 | Temple v. Tulsa +3.5 | Top | 44-70 | Win | 100 | 19 h 20 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #874 Friday 10* Top Play Tulsa Golden Hurricane (+) vs Temple Owls @ 9 ET - Not only is Tulsa 3-1 ATS in the last 4 meetings between these teams, one of Temple's SU wins in those 4 meetings came by just a single point. I love the value here with the Golden Hurricane getting nearly 2 buckets at home after this line opened up at a -2. I understand the move as the Owls are off to a great start this season and I have actually backed them multiple times. However, this is the perfect spot to fade them as they are now over-valued. Temple barely snuck by Central Florida for a win on New Year's Eve. Now they are trying to win back to back road games even though they are on shorter rest than Tulsa. Also, note that the Golden Hurricane are extra hungry after a 2-point loss as an 8-point dog in their most recent game. Tulsa is a perfect 4-0 SU and ATS in recent home meetings with Temple. The Owls drop to 0-3 ATS the last 3 times they have been off a loss in which they allowed 61 points or less. The Golden Hurricane improve to 4-1 ATS the last 5 times they have played in a game with a line in the single digits (dog or fave). Look for Tulsa to again thrive as an underdog and also to continue their home dominance of Temple. The Owls have been great on defense this season but the Golden Hurricane also have played well on that end of the floor and plus are shooting 47.6% from the field in home games while Temple is shooting just 38.8% from the field in road games. 10* TULSA |
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01-03-20 | 76ers +4.5 v. Rockets | Top | 108-118 | Loss | -105 | 18 h 56 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #569 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Houston Rockets @ 8:05 ET - This is the perfect spot to back the Sixers. They are off 3 straight losses. The first two defeats came by just a single point. The third one was an ugly one as Joel Embiid sat out with a sore knee and Philadelphia got blasted at Indiana. Embiid is expected back tonight and is no longer even listed on the injury report. The 76ers are catching the Rockets off a huge home win over Denver. Prior to that big victory for Houston, they had failed to cover 4 of their past 5 home games. The 76ers, despite the recent losses, have covered 4 of their past 5 games and had won 3 in a row straight up prior to the recent defeats. The Sixers have covered 4 of their last 5 games against Houston. The Rockets are 1-6 ATS last 7 January games and each of these teams is playing their first game of the new year. For Philly, this is their final game of a 4-game road trip and, after losing their first three, they are hell bent on getting the win here. Even if they do fall short of the SU win I would expect this one will go down to the wire in a very competitive game. I am expecting the outright upset but grabbing the points as added insurance here should the 76ers fall just short in their upset bid. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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01-02-20 | Raptors v. Heat -5.5 | Top | 76-84 | Win | 100 | 20 h 12 m | Show |
NBA TV Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #550 Thursday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (-) vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:35 ET - The Heat are a fantastic 15-1 SU at home this season. Miami enters this game off a SU loss at Washington. The Heat have been great when coming off a loss. The last 5 times the Heat are off a SU loss they have gone 4-1 ATS and a perfect 5-0 SU. I look for them to once again respond off a defeat and get the win here. Considering the current line on this game is only 5.5 the odds favor a SU win also equating to an ATS cover. The Raptors are off a big win but it came against a horrible Cleveland team. Prior to that Toronto had lost 3 of 4. Also, the Raptors continue to be without Siakam and also are now without Powell and Gasol too. The healthier team at home and in a strong situation is the play here. 10* MIAMI |
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01-02-20 | Minnesota +7.5 v. Purdue | Top | 78-83 | Win | 100 | 19 h 12 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #617 Thursday 10* Top Play Minnesota Golden Gophers (+) @ Purdue Boilermakers @ 7 ET - The Golden Gophers should have guard Payton Willis back for this game. Whether he plays or not though, I love the big dog value being offered with Minnesota in this one. The Golden Gophers have won each of the last two meetings with Purdue. I know that makes this a revenge game for the Boilermakers but Minnesota is playing very well right now and will be tough to beat in this game. That said, I like the big points being offered. Keep in mind, the Golden Gophers have won 3 straight games and they won all 3 by a double digit margin even though they were an underdog in 2 of the 3 contests! The Boilermakers are just 4-3 SU in their last 7 games and one of those 3 losses was as a double digit favorite. Minnesota has been the better shooting team this season. Purdue has the better defensive numbers on the season but the edge there is not huge. Plus the Boilermakers have allowed 70 points in 2 of their last 3 games. The Gophers have allowed 66 points or less in 5 of their past 8 games. 10* MINNESOTA |
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01-02-20 | Boston College v. Cincinnati -7.5 | Top | 6-38 | Win | 100 | 13 h 37 m | Show |
Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #272 Thursday 10* Top Play Cincinnati Bearcats (-) vs Boston College Eagles @ 3 ET - Similarly to when I used Cal over Illinois a few days ago, I really believe this is another great opportunity to fade a team that is fortunate to even be in a bowl. Yes, the Eagles finished the season with the requisite requirement of 6 wins just like the Illini did. However, just like Illinois, Boston College statistically is not a very good football team and they are fortunate to be here. The Eagles defense has been absolutely horrific this season. Now they take on a Cincinnati team known for its defense. That said, this is a big mismatch. Keep in mind, were it not for a final game upset over Pittsburgh, the Eagles would not have even made a bowl game. The Eagles are allowing 480 yards per game this season. Cincinnati, even though they had to face Memphis twice and Ohio State once, allowed 100 yards LESS per game than Boston College's defense. Other than the 2 games against the Tigers and the one against the Buckeyes, the Bearcats had one other tough performance on defense (a surprising one against East Carolina). But in their other 9 games this season Cincinnati allowed just 15 points per game. Their defense will be the difference in this game. Boston College, prior to the upset win of the Panthers, had allowed 38 points per game in their 6 prior games! The Eagles head coach Addazio was fired so Boston College is using wide receivers coach Gunnell as the interim HC in this game. All the way around this is simply not a good situation for the Eagles and I expect the Bearcats to roll. 10* CINCINNATI |
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01-01-20 | Baylor v. Georgia -4 | Top | 14-26 | Win | 100 | 30 h 13 m | Show |
Bowl Game of the Year - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #270 Wednesday 10* Top Play Georgia Bulldogs (-) vs Baylor Bears @ 8:45 ET - Value, value, value! The Bulldogs were an 8.5 point favorite and have dropped to as low as a 3.5 point favorite as of New Year's Eve before settling in at a -4. I know the prevailing theory is that Georgia is going to be so disappointed here since they had higher hopes this season before the loss to LSU in the SEC Championship. However, they were a 7 point dog in that game. Yes they got blown out by the Tigers in that game but their season is not defined by that game and it is not as if they went into the game as a 7 point favorite and then blew it. They were a 7 point dog and LSU proved to be too much. Using that as motivation as well as last season's loss to Texas right here in the Sugar Bowl, I expect the Bulldogs to come up with a tremendous effort here. Keep in mind Georgia faced a tougher schedule than Baylor. Keep in mind the Bears lost to Oklahoma twice and those were the toughest match-ups that Baylor faced this season. They fell short each time and the Bears have a history of struggling in big games against tough competition. Yes they won their bowl game last season but Baylor faced Vandy. Now they go from facing a perennial SEC doormat to an SEC team that is one of the best in the country year in and year out. I like the odds for the Bulldogs coming up with a big win here. They were upset by South Carolina this season but won the yardage battle by nearly 200 yards in that misleading game. Also, the Bulldogs only other loss was to LSU and we all saw what the Tigers just did to Oklahoma - the same Sooners team that handed the Bears their two losses this season. I feel strongly that Georgia is the better overall team in comparison with Baylor. Also, their 11 wins this season all came by 6 or more points. That is why this line move is truly giving us incredible value here. The Bulldogs remember what happened to them here in the Sugar Bowl last season and, as a results, they're playing this game with something to prove. The favorite rolls in this one. 10* GEORGIA |
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01-01-20 | South Florida v. SMU -6.5 | Top | 64-82 | Win | 100 | 5 h 27 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #828 Wednesday 10* Top Play SMU Mustangs (-) vs South Florida Bulls @ 5 ET - The Bulls leading scorer is David Collins and he missed their most recent game. Though I do expect the junior guard to be back for this game, he will not be 100% as his ankle has been bothering him. The Mustangs are the better shooting team and the better team defensively and they are at home here. Though Southern Methodist won the most recent match-up between these teams they did lose their most recent home game versus South Florida by a single point last season. They haven't forgotten that and are seeking revenge here. I like the fact that the Mustangs have been so strong defensively and the only reason that their recent win against Georgia State was as close (9 points) as it was related to the fact that the Panthers kept hitting late threes. Overall SMU does a very good job defending the 3. By the way, Southern Methodist hitting close to 80% from the free throw line while USF is hitting just 60% from the free throw line. Look for the Mustangs to pull away as this one goes on. 10* SMU |
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12-31-19 | Kansas State +3 v. Navy | Top | 17-20 | Push | 0 | 9 h 34 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #257 Tuesday 10* Top Play Kansas State Wildcats (+) vs Navy Midshipmen @ 3:45 ET - This is an ideal situation in terms of the contrarian aspect that is a big part of my handicapping style. How in the world did an unranked 8-4 team open up as a 2 point favorite over a ranked 10-2 team? Exactly! So the whole world, of course, has jumped on Navy here and moved the line to a -3 for the Midshipmen. That means we now get Kansas State +3 when they were originally favored for a reason. Again, just reiterating I love contrarian spots like this. The fact is that the Midshipmen played a weaker schedule and, in addition to a special teams edge (often overlooked but an important aspect in football), the Wildcats are likely to be successful defending the option. Of course, as per usual heading into a bowl game, Kansas State has had extra time to prepare for Navy's option. But the big key to being able to defend it well is the fact that the Wildcats head coach Chris Klieman just came from spending 5 years as the HC at North Dakota State. He won 4 national titles in his 5 years there and the Bison had to defend the option in FCS action. Also, Klieman's staff includes personnel also experienced with defending the option. Look for Kansas State to hold this Navy offense in check throughout this game. While statistically the defenses look about equal in this match-up they really are not. It comes down to strength of schedule and the types of offenses they faced. The Wildcats faced much tougher tests in the Big 12 than what Navy faced. When the Midshipmen stepped up in level of competition they consistently allowed big point totals. Against Memphis, Tulane, Notre Dame, SMU and Houston it was an average of 39 points per game allowed by Navy. To put that in proper perspective, the Wildcats allowed 27 points or less in 10 of their 12 games this season. The only two they didn't were against Baylor and Oklahoma and it was only the high-scoring Sooners that really gave the Cats D trouble. You can see based on the defensive numbers above why it would not surprise me to see the dog win this game outright by double digits. I'll gladly grab the points here. 10* KANSAS STATE |
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12-31-19 | 76ers -1 v. Pacers | Top | 97-115 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 16 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #525 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Indiana Pacers @ 3:05 ET - The 76ers are off back to back heartbreaking 1 point losses. They have had two days off to stew about those defeats. They can't wait to get back on the floor and take care of business. Since this game is a road game against a respectable Pacers team we're getting line value in a situation that is a great spot to back the Sixers. Keep in mind, Philadelphia has won 3 straight games over Indiana by an average margin of 14.7 points per game and the 76ers are very hungry here. The Pacers are on a 1-3 SU and ATS run and have allowed 116 points per game during this stretch. The Sixers have been playing the better defense of these two teams and they won't be denied in this road contest as the 76ers knock off Indiana for the 4th straight time. Keep in mind the Pacers Macolm Brogdon is dealing with a hamstring injury and, of course, the Pacers still without Victor Oladipo too. That has been the case for months but they are simply not the same team without him. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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12-31-19 | Temple -2 v. UCF | Top | 62-58 | Win | 100 | 6 h 44 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #793 Tuesday 10* Top Play Temple Owls (-) @ UCF Knights @ 2 ET - After a long layoff, first game in 10 days for each team, the importance of defense is even greater as both teams are likely to struggle to find their shooting rhythm early on. That said, I look for the Owls to prevail in this one. They have lost recent visits to UCF as this series continues to be dominated by the host. However, this looks like the ideal spot for Temple to break that streak. The Owls have responded very well under new head coach Aaron McKie. Additionally, Temple is the much better defense in this match-up. They are allowing just 62 points per game on 36% shooting and only 28% from beyond the arc. The Knights are actually allowing 68 points per game in home games this season. Also, Central Florida has allowed 42% shooting including 32% from 3-point land in home games this season. Those are still solid numbers but the Owls hold the edge as you can see and they have really bought into McKie's system following the retirement of long time head coach Fran Dunphy. Crazy stats have cost the Owls in their last two visits to UCF. Last season saw the Knights hit a ridiculous 60% from the field and the prior season's match-up at Central Florida saw the Owls shoot only 32% from the field. It is no wonder that Temple lost both those games and they make up for it in this visit as the Knights are still trying to get over a 1-point loss at Oklahoma prior to their Christmas break. 10* TEMPLE |
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12-30-19 | Xavier +5.5 v. Villanova | Top | 62-68 | Loss | -101 | 14 h 6 m | Show |
TV Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #725 Monday 10* Top Play Xavier Musketeers (+) @ Villanova Wildcats @ 6:30 ET - Revenge game for Xavier. I am well aware of the fact that Villanova has had their number in recent meetings and that this is particularly true when the Wildcats have the home court edge. However, the Musketeers have just two losses this season and each were by 5 or less points and Villanova is truly not quite as strong this season as they have been in other recent seasons. Remember the Wildcats have already been blasted by Ohio State this seasons and they lost by 9 points to Baylor. I project Villanova to have their hands full here with a Xavier team seeking revenge for a mid-March loss to the Wildcats. The Musketeers covered that game as they lost by just 4 as a 7 point dog. I look for the outright upset here but if Xavier does again fall just short look for it to be by just a bucket. Grab the points. The Musketeers catch the Wildcats off their big win over Kansas prior to Christmas. Prior to that victory Villanova had lost 6 straight games ATS. The ATS losing pattern resumes here for the Cats. 10* XAVIER |
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12-30-19 | Illinois v. California -6.5 | Top | 20-35 | Win | 100 | 13 h 44 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #250 Monday 10* Top Play California Golden Bears (-) vs Illinois Illini @ 4 ET - Illinois is such a bad team statistically and yet they somehow battled and made it to a 6-6 record and a bowl game. The Illini thrived on turnovers as that was a key to the few victories that they did have over quality competition. That is unlikely to work in the favor of Illinois in this one as California is known for taking good care of the ball. That said, I look for the Illini to struggle badly in this one. Cal has a great defense and also their offense - though certainly no powerhouse - does play much better when QB Garbers is healthy and under center. The Bears have the much stronger defensive line (which will be a key in this game) and they played a tougher schedule overall and this bowl game is practically a home game for Cal with how close it is to their campus. The Illini had a fluke 4-game winning streak that involved some miracle wins but their last two games of the season (both losses by 9 or more points) and the fact their 4 most recent losses have come by an average margin of 17 points tell the full story here. Also, in Big Ten action Illinois benefited from not facing Penn State or Ohio State this season. My projection is a win in the 17 point range for Cal as their defense has allowed 24 points or less in 10 of 12 games this season and the Illini defense is going to struggle to stop the Bears offense now that Garbers is healthy again. Illinois gave up an average of 37 points per game in their match-ups with E. Mich, Nebr, Minn, Mich, Mich St and Northwestern. 10* CALIFORNIA |
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12-29-19 | 49ers -3 v. Seahawks | Top | 26-21 | Win | 100 | 12 h 43 m | Show |
Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #129 Sunday 10* Top Play San Francisco 49ers (-) @ Seattle Seahawks @ 8:20 ET - The Seahawks let an opportunity slip away with their inexcusable home loss to the Cardinals last week. Seattle has now allowed an average of 27 points per game their past 4 games and they are banged up on offense too. The Niners are ready to swoop in and take advantage of the situation. Things are very simple for the 49ers here as they control their own destiny across the board. A win not only clinches the division and a first round bye for them, it also clinches home field edge for the post-season! San Francisco is not going to let this opportunity pass them by. The Niners and the Saints look like the two best teams in the NFC hands down no questions asked. That said, I don't foresee SF slipping up here. Other than their recent game at New Orleans - an absolute shootout - the 49ers have allowed 14.3 points per game on the road this season! Compare that to a Seahawks team that has allowed 30.5 points per game in their last 6 home games. Seattle actually was better on the road than at home this season while the Niners were also better on the road than at home this season. Seattle once was a tough place to play and a tough venue to score points in but, as you can see per the above, that is no longer the case. Also, San Francisco also has revenge here from a home OT loss to the Seahawks last month. It is payback time for the Niners and they are the healthier team and are 6-1 SU on the road while Seattle is 4-3 SU at home on the season. Comparing these two defenses there is no comparison! That is why I am happy to lay the small points here with the 49ers in a game I fully expect to turn into a road rout! 10* SAN FRANCISCO |
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12-29-19 | Thunder +4 v. Raptors | Top | 98-97 | Win | 100 | 9 h 44 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #501 Sunday 10* Top Play Oklahoma City Thunder (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 6:05 ET - The Thunder have a huge scheduling edge here. Oklahoma City was off yesterday while the Raptors were at Boston. Big upset win for Toronto yesterday as they beat the Celtics by double digits even though they were a sizable underdog. That said, this is the perfect spot to fade the Raptors. The Thunder are playing with confidence as they won again Friday. What was most impressive about that win from my standpoint is that OKC won the game despite making just 5 of 31 from 3-point land. That is an impressive feat. That was the 5th win for Oklahoma City in their past 8 games. Also, the Thunder have won 5 of their past 8 road games. Don't be surprised if they step up again here for a road win. The road team won both games between these teams last season and the Thunder have won consecutive visits to Toronto. The Raptors are off back to back big games with the Celtics and the win at Boston yesterday will leave Toronto very flat for this game. Grab the points! The Thunder are 8-4 ATS as a road dog this season. The Raptors are 1-2 ATS the last 3 times they've played the 2nd game of a back to back and the lone win was a SU loss! Upset alert! 10* OKLAHOMA CITY |
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12-29-19 | Arkansas +5.5 v. Indiana | Top | 71-64 | Win | 100 | 8 h 6 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #679 Sunday 10* Top Play Arkansas Razorbacks (+) @ Indiana Hoosiers @ 6 ET - The Razorbacks are playing this game with revenge from a March Madness loss to the Hoosiers. These teams met in the regular season last year too. Both games were decided by 3 or less points and the average margin of the 2 games was just 2 points. I like the value here with this line now spiking up to 5.5 points. The Razorbacks not have revenge here, their defense has been fantastic this season. Arkansas is allowing just 59.5 points per game and only 21.8% from three point land! I am going to grab the points here with the revenge-minded Razorbacks as their strong defense leads the way to victory here. I am expecting the SU outright upset but if Arkansas does fall short look for it again be a game decided by 3 or less points. The Razorbacks are a long-term 11-2 ATS when playing with 7 or more days of rest between games. Hoosiers are off a tight win over Notre Dame as a small favorite in their most recent game. Indiana is a long-term 9-18 ATS in games against SEC opponents. 10* ARKANSAS |
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12-29-19 | Eagles -3.5 v. Giants | Top | 34-17 | Win | 100 | 10 h 49 m | Show |
Game of the Year - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #115 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Eagles (-) @ New York Giants @ 4:25 ET - The Eagles certainly have injury issues but they are not significant enough to prevent them from winning the NFC East. With a win Sunday at New York over the Giants they accomplish that goal. We are getting line value here because of the injury situation for Philadelphia. Now lets examine some important facts here. The Giants are just 4-11 this season. One of the wins came at Tampa Bay against a Buccaneers team that has won just TWO home games this season. Another Giants win came against a Dolphins team that is 4-11 this season. The other two New York victories came against the 3-12 Redskins. The point is that the Giants haven't won a challenging game all season. Sure New York would love to spoil the Giants division title hopes but I look for Philadelphia to dominate the ground game on both sides of the ball in this one and that will be a key. With rainy weather expected in East Rutherford, New Jersey this afternoon and into the evening, look for the ground game to be of particular importance. The Eagles are one of the best teams in the league at stopping the run. The Giants defense is bad overall and that includes stopping the run. New York's recent home games,, in terms of run defense, have included allowing 122 yards to Miami, 172 yards to Dallas, and 156 yards to Arizona. The Eagles run defense has had one bad game (versus Seattle) in their past 8 games. In the other 7 games they allowed 74.3 rushing yards per game. The Philadelphia defense has allowed 17 points or less in 6 of its last 8 games. The Giants defense has allowed 31 points or more in 5 of its last 8 games. Everyone focused on some Eagles injury issues here but their defense is quite healthy. The absence of CB Darby (constantly getting burned for big plays prior the injury) is honestly a case of addition by subtraction. The Philly secondary is better off without him. Look for the Eagles defense to lead the way here. The Giants D, on the other hand, has allowed an average of 29 points per game in its past 5 home games. Making that stat even more alarming is the fact that two of the games came against teams that currently have 5 or less wins on the season. This is a case of incredible line value because of the Eagles injury issues on offense. Yes, they have had injury issues at WR and now have lost TE Zach Ertz too. But Dallas Goedert has been strong at TE and Greg Ward has stepped up at WR with Whiteside also coming up with big catches. The backfield has plenty of options too with Miles Sanders, Boston Scott and now Jordan Howard is back from injury as well. The Eagles will get the ball into the hands of those guys as well including through the air. Philly has covered 5 of their last 6 as a divisional road favorite while the Giants are on a 1-4 ATS run as a divisional home dog. On both sides of the ball, the Eagles are strong in the trenches (and could have Lane Johnson back on the offensive line too) and I look for them to wear down the Giants as this game goes on. The last 15 times the Giants have been a home dog of 7 or less points they have gone 2-13 SU and 3-12 ATS. Look for the Eagles to win this one in a road rout and I'll take advantage of the small number posted on this game. Lay it! 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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12-28-19 | Clemson v. Ohio State +2.5 | Top | 29-23 | Loss | -105 | 14 h 33 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #243 Saturday 10* Top Play Ohio State Buckeyes (+) vs Clemson Tigers @ 8 ET in Fiesta Bowl @ State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ - I feel we're getting excellent line value here. Of course both teams are undefeated on the season but the Buckeyes have played a much tougher schedule. The Tigers were favored by at least 24 points in 12 of their 13 games this season! Clemson really hasn't been tested this season. As for Ohio State, they faced a tough Wisconsin team twice and also did battle with Penn State and had to play at Michigan this season. All of those were true battles where the Buckeyes had to up their game. Did they do it? You bet! They didn't just win those games...they dominated. Ohio State won those 4 games - all against quality competition - by a combined score of 156-72. That works out to an "average" score of 39 to 18 and there is certainly nothing "average' about that when you consider the quality of those opponents. The only time Clemson was favored by less than 24 points was when they faced Texas A & M. Though they did win that game by 2 TDs they only won the yardage battle by 100 yards. The Aggies were hurt by 2 turnovers and 85 yards in penalties. I respect Clemson (who wouldn't respect a 13-0 team?) but I feel strongly that the battle-tested Buckeyes are going to prove to be the better 13-0 team on Saturday! Keep in mind the Tigers were lucky to beat North Carolina earlier this season and won that game by just a single point. Compare that to an Ohio State team that has, without a doubt, played the tougher schedule, and yet has won EVERY game by a double digit margin. Look for Clemson to drop to 8-14 ATS when they enter a game on an ATS winning streak of 4 or more games. The Buckeyes, when the posted total is in a range from 56.5 to 63 points, have gone an incredible 45-1 SU the last 46. They win again in that role here as the Tigers offense (held under 400 yards by A & M and UNC this season) won't be able to keep up with Ohio State in this one. Keep in mind the Buckeyes defense has been fantastic this season even against tougher competition than the types of teams that Clemson faced this season. 10* OHIO STATE |
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12-28-19 | 76ers +1 v. Heat | Top | 116-117 | Push | 0 | 12 h 56 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #563 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Miami Heat @ 8:05 ET - Perfect set-up here. The 76ers are off a 1-point loss yesterday. The Heat are off a 1-point win yesterday. Philadelphia has revenge as the Heat handed the 76ers their first home loss of the season 10 days ago in Philly. It is payback time here. The Sixers had beaten Miami SU in 6 of their last 7 meetings that preceded the home loss a week and a half ago. The 76ers, prior to a blowout loss in their last visit to Miami, had gone 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games in South Florida. The Heat are 2-4 ATS the last 6 times they have been off a win by a margin of 11 or less points. The Sixers respond off yesterday's loss and get revenge. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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12-28-19 | Louisville +2 v. Kentucky | Top | 70-78 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 2 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #629 Saturday 10* Top Play Louisville Cardinals (+) @ Kentucky Wildcats @ 3:45 ET - The Wildcats are at home and have dominated this series in recent seasons. Kentucky has won the last two games by an average margin of 21 points per game. Yet the line on this one, even though it is being played in Lexington, was a pick'em. As expected, everyone piling on UK here and the line is up to a -2. In typical contrarian fashion, I am on the other side of the move. The Cardinals are the better team so far this season and I expect that to play out as such on Saturday afternoon. Kentucky is off back to back losses while the Cards have just one loss this entire season. Louisville has been the better team on defense this season and they also have been the better shooting team including much better from three point land. The Cardinals have been hot ATS and they are 9-3 ATS the last dozen time they have entered a game having covered 4 of their last 5 games. That is the situation here and I expect another ATS cover to come via an outright upset in this game. Look for the Cards to knock off a Wildcats team which has a history of poor ATS performances in a situation like this. Kentucky drops to a long-term 4-8 ATS when entering a game off B2B close losses (by a margin of 6 or less points). 10* LOUISVILLE |
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12-27-19 | USC v. Iowa -2 | Top | 24-49 | Win | 100 | 13 h 45 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #233 Friday 10* Top Play Iowa Hawkeyes (-) vs USC Trojans @ 8 ET in Holiday Bowl @ SDCCU Stadium in San Diego, CA - With USC having won 5 of their past 6 games and also playing this game practically in their back yard, many will be siding with the Trojans here. In typical contrarian fashion, I am on the other side in this one. Iowa is the much better defense in this match-up and here is an intriguing stat for you about this one: the favorite won ALL 12 Hawkeyes games this season SU. Look for that trend to continue here and, as only a 2 point favorite in this one, any SU win by Iowa here is likely to also be an ATS win. After 3 straight seasons of allowing less than 400 yards per game, the Trojans defense regressed this season. USC allowed 415.2 yards per game on the year and 28 points per game. The Hawkeyes defense allowed less than HALF that average as they gave up just 13 points per game this season. Iowa is also highly motivated to try to get a 10-win season while USC's best finish would be a 9-win season and the fact is coach Helton already appears to be off the hot seat since the Trojans went 5-1 after a 3-3 start this year. Southern Cal is on a 5-15 ATS run in December games. USC also has gone 0-6 ATS the past two seasons when they entered a game on a winning streak of 3 or more games SU. The Hawkeyes are 5-1 ATS when playing with 2 or more weeks of rest between games. I am going with a motivated team that has the much better defense in this one. Look for Hawkeyes QB Stanley, whom did have some big games this season against lesser defenses, to take advantage of facing a rather mediocre defense in this one. 10* IOWA |
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12-27-19 | 76ers -2.5 v. Magic | Top | 97-98 | Loss | -109 | 11 h 53 m | Show |
NBA TV Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #547 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - At first glance this looks like a great spot to fade the Sixers. After all, the 76ers are off a huge win over the NBA-best Bucks on Christmas Day plus Philly has a revenge game on deck at Miami tomorrow night. However, upon closer inspection, there is really no way in the world you can pass up on this chance to take Philadelphia laying a small number at Orlando. Why? I say that because the 76ers also have revenge against the Magic. Yes, the Sixers lost at Orlando earlier this season and guess what ladies and gentlemen...that is the ONE AND ONLY time this season that the Magic have beaten a decent team. All their other wins this season came against teams that not only have a losing record on the season as of now...they are all teams that are well below .500 on the season! We're getting a short number with the 76ers here because of the Bucks - Heat sandwich that they are in. I won't hesitate to take advantage because the Magic have shown a consistent inability to beat good teams with one exception this season. The fact that the lone exception - in a season that is already 30 games in - came against the Sixers is what sweetens this spot even more. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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12-27-19 | Oklahoma State +5.5 v. Texas A&M | Top | 21-24 | Win | 100 | 12 h 23 m | Show |
ESPN Game of the Week - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #231 Friday 10* Top Play Oklahoma State Cowboys (+) vs Texas A & M Aggies @ 6:45 ET in Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX - The Aggies went 7-5 this season. NONE of the 7 wins came against a team that finished the regular season with a winning record. All 5 times that Texas A & M stepped up in class (in terms of the level of opponent they were facing) they lost all 5 games! That said, Oklahoma State is no cupcake and I like the Cowboys in this match-up! Oklahoma State was 8-3 this season prior to losing their regular season finale to the Sooners. Though known for their offense, note that the Cowboys actually held the high-powered Oklahoma offense to their season low in total yardage this year! Though Aggies head coach Fisher led them to a big bowl win last season, he entered last year's bowl with a mediocre 4-3 record in bowls. Cowboys coach Gundy has a 9-4 record in bowls! Last year's Texas A & M bowl win was their first since 2014 and I still don't trust them in bowls. One game doesn't change everything. This is the 14th straight bowl for the Cowboys and Gundy's 9-4 mark in bowls is no fluke. The fact that we also get them as a sizable dog in this match-up and the fact that they have the definitive edge on offense is why I am backing OSU big in this one! Keep in mind the Aggies scored just 7 points against LSU in their regular season finale. That is the same LSU team that, though very powerful on offense, allowed 37 points or more 4 times this season and yet Texas A & M scored a measly 7 points against them! Aggies won't be able to keep up with the Cowboys in this one. 10* OKLAHOMA STATE |
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12-26-19 | Knicks +7.5 v. Nets | Top | 94-82 | Win | 100 | 12 h 2 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #537 Thursday 10* Top Play New York Knicks (+) @ Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - The Nets are off a win and are the better team but look for the layoff to hurt them here. While the Knicks were in action on Monday, Brooklyn has not played since Saturday. Rest is a good thing generally but not when it is too much. Look for New York to be rested but look for the Nets to be rusty. That makes a difference here. There is a bit of a rivalry here between these two teams and I love having a sizable dog in a spot like this. Keep in mind each of the first two meetings between these teams this season have been decided by 4 or less points. Brooklyn has won 4 straight meetings SU and the Knicks are hell-bent on getting revenge here. While the Nets are off a win, New York has lost 3 straight SU and ATS but they faced some tough match-ups and plus this was preceded by a 4-0 ATS run for the Knicks. I look for them to come up with a huge game in this spot after falling just short against the Wizards. Keep in mind New York's two prior games were against tough teams - the Bucks and Heat. 10* NEW YORK |
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12-26-19 | Miami-FL v. Louisiana Tech +7 | Top | 0-14 | Win | 100 | 9 h 21 m | Show |
Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #224 Thursday 10* Top Play Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (+) vs Miami Hurricanes @ 4 ET in Independence Bowl in Shreveport, LA - The location of this game certainly favors the Bulldogs as they are about 70 miles east of Shreveport. The Hurricanes certainly have a history of disappointing in bowl games and I don't see them being too excited for this one. Also, as a favorite of 31 points or less this season, Miami went 2-6 ATS this season! 5 of those ATS losses were also SU losses as the Canes are no strangers to upsets. Another one could be on tap here! The Bulldogs have won 5 straight bowl games while the Hurricanes have lost 8 of their last 9 bowl games. Louisiana Tech is on a 4-1 ATS run in bowls while Miami is on a 1-7 ATS run in bowls. Of course looking at this regular season the Hurricanes have played the much tougher schedule but are they really ready to play here? Certainly going to the Independence Bowl in Shreveport was not something on the preseason "goals list" of the Canes. Conversely, the Bulldogs are certainly hungry to go for a 10-win season here and to be able to do that so close to home. Motivation is a key in a match-up like this and I am grabbing what is, in essence, a home dog in this one. The Bulldogs also benefit from being as high as a +7 in some spots as of game day morning. 10* LOUISIANA TECH |
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12-25-19 | Georgia Tech v. Hawaii +1.5 | Top | 70-53 | Loss | -103 | 26 h 59 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #826 Wednesday 10* Top Play Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (+) vs Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ 6:30 ET - The Yellow Jackets could have some trouble with motivation here and I love fading the line move in this one as the Rainbow Warriors have gone from being the favorite to being the dog in this one. Keep in mind Georgia Tech came here to win this tourney not to be playing for 3rd place. As for Hawaii, this is nothing new. They have NEVER played in the Championship Game of this tournament which has been going for a bout a decade now. But Hawaii has won 3rd place twice in recent seasons (2014 and 2015). In other words, they are at home and playing for pride on their home floor and have proven in the past that they can get up for a game like this. I also love the fact that the Warriors shot horrifically bad in their their loss to a ranked Washington team on Monday. That is why Hawaii lost the game by 11 points despite having 22 more shots from the field than the Huskies had! Sometimes crazy things happen in these games and the key to capitalizing is to catch the "rebound effect". In this case look for the Warriors to "bounce back" after that unusually bad shooting night on their home floor. I know that Georgia Tech has played the tougher schedule this season but the situational edges for Hawaii are the key to the value in this one. I don't see the Warriors being denied. They had won 7 of 9 before the loss to Washington. The Jackets have lost 4 of their past 5 games and all 4 defeats have come by a double digit margin. Motivated home team is the play here and they earn 3rd place for the 3rd time in the past 6 Christmas tournaments. 10* HAWAII |
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12-25-19 | Bucks v. 76ers +3.5 | Top | 109-121 | Win | 100 | 21 h 47 m | Show |
TV Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #526 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) vs Bucks @ 2:35 ET - The Bucks look like an easy choice here and, sure enough, after opening up at a -2 Milwaukee's line got driven higher. However, it was priced this way for a reason and I am grabbing the home dog. The Sixers had avoided a home loss all season before recent back to back losses. However, they have bounced back overall with back to back wins, one at home and one on the road and Philly is ready to go here in this "barometer test" game. The Sixers are anxious to see how they stack up with the NBA best Bucks and I am expecting a huge effort from Philadelphia at home in this one. Milwaukee is off a big win over the Pacers and they are 1-3 ATS this season when off a home win over a divisional foe. The Bucks are 1-3 ATS as a road favorite of 6 or less points. The 76ers are 4-2 ATS this season as an underdog. Philly is on a long-term 6-2 ATS run as a home dog. The Sixers lost to the Bucks in their most recent meeting and are hungry for revenge in this one. Milwaukee has allowed 111.2 points per game in its last 5 road games. The 76ers have allowed just 101 points per game at home this season. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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12-23-19 | Packers +5.5 v. Vikings | Top | 23-10 | Win | 100 | 12 h 3 m | Show |
Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #481 Monday 10* Top Play Green Bay Packers (+) @ Minnesota Vikings @ 8:15 ET - Winning breeds confidence no matter the opposition. The point is that Green Bay comes into this game with plenty of confidence as they are on a 3-game winning streak and allowed 15 points or less in all 3 games. Granted, none of those teams have a winning record on the season but, as my opening sentence stated, winning leads to confidence. The Packers have only lost 3 games on the season and one of those was to Philadelphia when they did outgain the Eagles by a large margin. Another loss was to a Niners team that looks like one of the best teams in the NFL this season. The Packers really have had only one ugly defeat and that was that game at LA against the Chargers when they played like a team that didn't even show up for the game. Trust me, Green Bay is showing up for this divisional showdown with the Vikings. Also, the Vikings have been hot too and are on a 4-2 SU win but two of those four wins came by just 4 points. That means that laying the points that Minnesota is in this game, they would be on just a 2-4 ATS run. Green Bay is going to be tough for the Vikings to put away here. QB Aaron Rodgers is a big game player who has had many huge efforts in primetime action. Certainly for QB Kirk Cousins that is not the case. In fact, Cousins teams are 0-8 SU and ATS in Monday Night games! 8 LOSSES and ZERO wins! The Packers have a great shot at the outright upset here and if they do fall short I expect it to be by a field goal or less. Look for quite the game in Minneapolis Monday. Look for the Pack to improve to 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings with the Vikings. 10* GREEN BAY |
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12-23-19 | Raptors v. Pacers -5.5 | Top | 115-120 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 20 m | Show |
NBA TV Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #504 Monday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers (-) vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:05 ET - Perfect set up here. The Raptors are off a win that saw them rally from 30 points down with just 3 minutes left in the 3rd quarter! That huge comeback win at home last night was their largest comeback win in franchise history. It was also the biggest comeback win in the NBA this decade! Off a huge win like that on their home floor and now going on the road in a back to back spot (and already being a bit short-handed in terms of players) this is a horrible spot for Toronto. Making the situation even tougher is that they're taking on an angry Pacers team. Indiana got blown out in the 2nd half at Milwaukee yesterday. Now they come back home ready to respond off that ugly loss. Keep in mind, the Pacers had won 5 straight and 8 of their last 13 prior to yesterday's loss to the Bucks. Also, Indiana has won 8 of its past 9 home games. The Raptors won and covered their most recent road game but Toronto had entered that one a 1-4 ATS run in road games. The series between the Raptors and Pacers has been dominated by the home team and I love the situational edge here for the host in this one. 10* INDIANA |
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12-23-19 | Georgia State v. SMU -8 | Top | 76-85 | Win | 100 | 10 h 32 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #808 Monday 10* Top Play SMU Mustangs (-) vs Georgia State Panthers @ 7 ET - The Mustangs are off a double OT loss at Georgia but they dominated the rebounds, had less turnovers, and had more field goal attempts than the Bulldogs. This SMU team is a high-quality team but off back to back losses. They have had two days to recuperate since the loss at Georgia and this is their final game until the new year. The Mustangs want to make the most of this and certainly don't want to wrap up 2019 on a 3-game losing streak. SMU has a very strong frontcourt while that is the weak area for the Georgia State team they are facing. I look for the hungry Mustangs to be very aggressive here and I look for them to dominate the glass. The Panthers are a little over-rated right now because they are off to a hot start but they are on short rest here as they hosted Texas State on Saturday. While the Mustangs are playing just their 2nd game in a span of 16 days, Georgia State is playing its 3rd game in 5 days. Big situational edge for Southern Methodist University and I look for them to dominate and win this home game by at least a dozen points. The Panthers are a good team but they are still a middle of the pack SunBelt Conference team and the Mustangs are very hungry and at home in this one. Georgia State drops to 1-4 ATS when off a game against a conference foe in which they scored 80 or more points. The Mustangs improve to 5-0 ATS when off a game in which they allowed 85 or more points. 10* SMU |
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12-23-19 | Marshall +15.5 v. Central Florida | Top | 25-48 | Loss | -109 | 7 h 49 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #219 Monday 10* Top Play Marshall Thundering Herd (+) vs Central Florida Knights @ 2:30 ET in Gasparilla Bowl @ Tampa, FL - The Knights, as you can see from the big line posted on this one, are no doubt the much better team in this match-up. However, how motivated will they be here after playing on a much bigger stage in recent bowl seasons and now being relegated to the Gasparilla Bowl on the Monday before Christmas. UCF had actually been playing on New Year's Day bowls in recent seasons. As for Marshall, their certainly happy to be here and have played well in Tampa in recent bowl seasons. The Thundering Herd also are lead by a coach (Doc Holliday) whom has great success in bowls - 6-0 SU and ATS his last 6. Now I am certainly not projecting an outright upset here but I am projecting that the Herd will have no problem staying within two TDs here and I actually expect them to lose by just single digits. Marshall has a respectable defense and prior to their season-ending 30-27 win, had allowed 24 points or less in 6 of 7 games. In those 6 games the Thundering Herd allowed an average of just 17.5 points per game and keep in mind that is what the spread on this game opened up at. In other words, great value considering Marshall is certainly not going to get shutout here! The Herd are taking on a UCF defense that allowed just 7 points in their season finale but the Knights entered that game having allowed 21 points or more in 9 straight games! When coach Holliday's teams are an underdog they have produced a 10-3 ATS record the last 13 times. Look for another cover here as the Thundering Herd take advantage of a Central Florida team lacking in motivation in this one. 10* MARSHALL |
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12-22-19 | Pacers +8 v. Bucks | Top | 89-117 | Loss | -115 | 10 h 57 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #581 Sunday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:05 ET - The Bucks, it goes without saying, have been the best team in the NBA this season. But this is a tough spot for Milwaukee and I happy to grab the rested, revenge-minded divisional dog in this one. The Bucks are in a back to back spot plus travel is involved as they were at New York last night. Additionally, that big win over the Knicks was preceded by a big showdown victory over LeBron James and the Lakers. Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo has been bothered with some back discomfort and this is a back to back spot so the Bucks may be careful with him. Either way I like the rested Pacers whom also got embarrassed by Milwaukee earlier this season. Yes Indiana held the Bucks to only 102 points in the game but they themselves scored only 83 points in that one. This was despite 100 shots from the field as the Pacers had one of their worst shooting nights of the season and hit only 32% from the field. Indiana will make up for that here and will prove to be the much hungrier team. The Pacers have a great shot at the outright upset and, should they fall short, look for it to be by only a bucket or two at the most. 10* INDIANA |
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12-22-19 | Xavier +3 v. TCU | Top | 67-59 | Win | 100 | 8 h 35 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #787 Sunday 10* Top Play Xavier Musketeers (+) @ TCU Horned Frogs @ 5 ET - The Musketeers are the stronger team and are expected to have leading scorer Naji Marshall back for this one after he missed their previous game. The Horned Frogs are a little over-rated right now as they have played a much weaker schedule in comparison with Xavier. I had the Musketeers as a Top 25 team entering this season. As for TCU, they came into this season projected to be at the bottom of the Big 12 standings this season. The Horned Frogs are off to a strong start this season but it is because of their schedule. The only two times TCU has had a single-digit line this season they lost both games outright! Every other game this season Texas Christian has been favored by a dozen or more. The Musketeers, on the other hand, have played 5 games with a single digit line this season and have won 3 of them. The other two games were the only 2 losses that Xavier has this season and each defeat came by 5 or less points. As a road dog of 6 or less points the Musketeers are on a 9-3 ATS run including a perfect 3-0 ATS run the last 3 time they have been a road dog of 3 or less points. TCU faced Lamar over a week ago so they could be a bit rusty. Lamar is not a good team so it is not a big surprised that the Horned Frogs held them to just 50 points. Note that Texas Christian is a long-term 20-40 ATS including a long-term 0-3 ATS in recent seasons when they are off a game in which they allowed 55 points or less. 10* XAVIER |
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12-22-19 | Cowboys v. Eagles +2.5 | Top | 9-17 | Win | 100 | 9 h 12 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #476 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Eagles (+) vs Dallas Cowboys @ 4:25 ET - The whole world seems to be lining up on the Cowboys here and you know how that usually plays out! In typical contrarian fashion I am fading the big move toward Dallas here but certainly it is not without good reasoning. Yes the Eagles have some injury issues - namely at WR but also RT Lane Johnson. However, this is a big-time revenge game for Philadelphia going against their most hated rival and this time the game is at Philly. Plus the Eagles rely a ton on their TEs and are strong at that position plus they've seen WR Greg Ward step up. Yes Dallas is off a blowout win over the Rams but they had lost 3 straight games prior to that. The Cowboys are a very inconsistent team from week to week prone to mistakes and certainly coach Jason Garrett is not exactly highly regarded. Watch him get out-coached in this one. The rematch will play out much differently than the first game. Dallas was at home last week but now returns to the road where they have lost 4 of their past 6. The Cowboys have 3 road wins on the season and ALL 3 came against teams that have just 3 wins on the season! Giants and Redskins are 3-11 and the Lions are 3-10-1. The Eagles are 18-6 SU in their last 24 home games. Philadelphia is 4-0 SU when off a game in which they scored 35 or more points. The Eagles, after failing to cover the spread in 4 out of their last 5 games, have gone 6-1 SU. Look for the Cowboys to drop to 2-5 ATS the last 7 times they've been a road favorite of 3 or less points. The Eagles defense is going to make up for an embarrassing performance the last time these teams met. Also, the Dallas defense has allowed 27 points or more in 2 of its last 3 road games. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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12-21-19 | Washington -3 v. Boise State | Top | 38-7 | Win | 100 | 14 h 19 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #215 Saturday 10* Top Play Washington Huskies (-) vs Boise State in Las Vegas Bowl @ 7:30 ET - Just one loss on the season and playing already on December 21st? Say hello to Boise State. An underdog even though playing a 7-5 team? Say hello to Boise State. Ranked and facing an unranked team and yet still not favored? Say hello to Boise State. You get the point. The Broncos might fool the masses here but they're not fooling me. This line is set this way for good reason. I am taking the unranked 7-5 team. Sure the Huskies had bigger hopes this season but when the Pac-12 portion of the schedule starts 2-4 SU your fate is pretty well sealed. What happened since then? Washington won 2 of their last 3 games including blasting rival Washington State in their season finale. The Huskies are playing hard for coach Petersen here in his final game. Lets also not forget he use to coach Boise State. Some nice added motivation here for sure. The Broncos lone loss this season was at BYU in OT. That is the same Cougars team that Washington (also facing them on the road) smashed by 26 points! The Huskies have played the much tougher schedule this season. Also their defense is very good this season. In road games the Huskies allowed an average of 19 points per game. Boise State, in road games this season, allowed 26.5 points per game this season. Strength of schedule, intangibles, the coaching factor, the neutral site, it all adds up to a ranked team being the dog here for all the right reasons. The Huskies roll by double digits in this one. 10* WASHINGTON |
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12-21-19 | Bills +6.5 v. Patriots | Top | 17-24 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 52 m | Show |
AFC East Game of the Year - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #453 Saturday 10* Top Play Buffalo Bills (+) @ New England Patriots @ 4:30 ET - The Patriots crushed Cincinnati last week but it was thanks to 5 turnovers! The Bengals actually outgained New England in that game. Speaking of misleading scoreboard results, the Patriots won the first meeting with Buffalo this season but the Bills outgained New England by 151 yards and had more than twice as many first downs. The Patriots offense continues to struggle and the Bills are a high-quality football team that is just one game in back of the Pats in the AFC East. Buffalo is on an 11-4 ATS run and also 7-1 ATS run as a divisional away dog. Don't be surprised if the Bills get the outright upset here and, if they do fall short, look for it to be by only 3 or 4 points. Grab the points in this one. 10* BUFFALO |
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12-20-19 | Kent State v. Utah State -6.5 | Top | 51-41 | Loss | -109 | 12 h 54 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #204 Friday 10* Top Play Utah State Aggies (-) vs Kent State Golden Flashes @ 7:30 ET in Frisco Bowl @ Arlington Stadium in Frisco, TX - Give Kent State credit for getting here but they were fortunate to say the least. It wasn't that long ago that the Golden Flashes sat at 3-6 on the season and they were trailing 27 to 6 against Buffalo before a fantastic rally (or collapse by the Bulls!) saw Kent State rally for a miracle win. Without that win Kent State wouldn't even be here and I feel strongly they are outclassed here and are going to get steamrolled. Aggies QB Jordan Love will be entering the 2020 NFL draft and he is about to put on a show here on Friday night. Love had a great 2018 season with a 32-6 ratio. This season his ratio is 19-17 so he had a big dropoff to say the least. Now, against a MAC defense that is one of the worst in the nation in pass defense efficiency and that also generated just 21 sacks on the year, is about to be picked apart! The Golden Flashes can't just focus on the run either. That's because Utah State has a very capable ground game and, by the way, Kent State allowed 249 rushing yards per game this season. This is a sizable mismatch and the fact the line was up near 10 was more in line with where it should be as this one will be a blowout by a double digit margin. The fact this line fallen below a 7 means superb value with the favorite and I won't hesitate to go to my highest rating in this one. 10* UTAH STATE |
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12-20-19 | SMU +5 v. Georgia | Top | 85-87 | Win | 100 | 9 h 20 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #843 Friday 10* Top Play SMU Mustangs (+) @ Georgia Bulldogs @ 7 ET - The Mustangs were 8-0 SU on the season and allowing an average of only 59.6 points per game on the season. They then faced Georgetown in a game in which the Hoyas were hitting everything in sight. It simply did not matter what SMU did, Georgetown was on fire in that game including hitting 14 of 27 three pointers. These types of games happen from time to time. But the point is that Southern Methodist is a great defensive team and they are in bounce back mode here and I am happy to take the points and go against Georgia in this one. The Bulldogs are also off an ugly loss. However, Georgia is a much different team from the Mustangs. The Bulldogs don't focus much on the defensive end. In fact, Georgia has had just two games this season in which they've allowed less than 72 points in game. In their other 7 games they have allowed an average of 80.7 points per game. SMU is allowing just 38.6% from the field this season while the Bulldogs are allowing 45.4% from the field. Also, the Mustangs are the much better team in terms of defending the arc. SMU also shoots the 3-ball better and is much better at the free thrown line (79%) than the Bulldogs (67%). I am going with the defensive-minded road dog in this one. Also, they have only had leading scorer and leading assist man Kendric Davis for the past 5 games. The Bulldogs have been without Amanze Ngumezi for the past two games due to suspension. He is not a star for Georgia but he is a key rotation player. Mustangs getting stronger, Bulldogs getting weaker. Give me the hungry dog. 10* SMU |
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12-19-19 | Jazz v. Hawks +6.5 | Top | 111-106 | Win | 100 | 13 h 32 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #532 Thursday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (+) vs Utah Jazz @ 7:35 ET - This is the perfect spot to back an ugly home dog. The Hawks are not a very good team of course but, after allowing 143 points on the road at New York, professional pride kicks in as they are back on their home floor for this one. After getting thoroughly embarrassed by the Knicks, look for a much stronger game from Atlanta in this one. They have won (SU and ATS) 3 of the last 4 meetings between these teams. The Jazz enter this game on a 3-game winning streak but that is a situation that has seen them go 1-3 (SU and ATS) this season. In non-conference games Utah is 2-6 ATS this season. The Hawks are 13-6 ATS when off a game in which they allowed 130 points or more. Atlanta is 3-1 ATS this season as a home dog of 6.5 to 12 points. Yes the Hawks are on a losing streak but they are 8-4 ATS this season when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. This is the Hawks final home game until after Christmas. They are focused here. The Jazz have tougher road games coming up after this one as they face Charlotte and then Miami. Look for Utah to get caught sleep-walking a bit in this game. 10* ATLANTA |
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12-19-19 | William & Mary v. St. Joe's +2.5 | Top | 69-84 | Win | 100 | 11 h 41 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #704 Thursday 10* Top Play St Joseph's Hawks (+) vs William & Mary Tribe @ 7 ET - Set-ups don't get much better than this one. Yes the Hawks have struggled this season but the Tribe come into this game over-rated and the situation here strongly favors St Joseph's. The Hawks are off an embarrassing 108 to 61 loss at Temple on the 10th. Looking at that score it seems hard to believe but it is true that St Joseph's had just as many field goal attempts in the game as did the Owls. The problem was that Temple made twice as many shots as the Hawks! That said, after that horrific loss and knowing that this is their only game between the 10th of December and 2nd of January, St Joseph's is going to make the most of this opportunity which is also their only home game in a span of 4 weeks! The Hawks don't want to go into this winter break period on a 9-game losing streak. Yes it has been a rough start to the season for St Joseph's with the coaching change and player losses from last season but they have played a much tougher schedule than William & Mary. The Tribe enter this game off a huge 90-30 win over Goucher. Of course there is a reason you have never heard of Goucher! Overall William & Mary has a great record this season but they entered the season projected to be one of the worst teams in the Colonial Athletic Association and certainly the Atlantic Ten is the tougher conference. Last season these teams met at William & Mary and the Hawks led by 14 at the half but ended up losing a heartbreaker. It is payback time here. Off a home win by a double digit margin the Tribe are just 5-8 SU their last 13 and here they are laying points on the road too. As for the Hawks, they are 4-1 ATS after allowing 90 points or more and also 8-3 SU and ATS when off a road loss by a double digit margin. Bounce back time and payback time for the home team! 10* ST JOSEPH'S |
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12-18-19 | Avalanche -1.5 v. Blackhawks | Top | 4-1 | Win | 165 | 9 h 2 m | Show |
TV Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #25 Wednesday 10* Top Play Colorado Avalanche Puck Line -1.5 goals +160 @ Chicago Blackhawks @ 8:05 ET - Great set up here. The Avalanche are off a loss that got away from them versus the Blues in a 5-2 defeat at St Louis Monday. The Blackhawks are coming off a big win over the Wild 5-3 on Sunday. I don't like to lay prices in money line sports so even though the Avalanche are available at a moderate price (-150 range) on the money line, I like going for the big payback here with the puck line. At -1.5 goals, the Avs are available at a great comeback price (+160 range). Note that 16 of Colorado's 21 wins this season have come by a margin of 2 or more goals. Also, the Avalanche had earned points in 9 straight games (8-0-1 run) prior to the loss to the Blues and 7 of those 8 wins came by 2 or more goals! The Blackhawks, prior to their win versus Minnesota, had lost 10 of 13 games! 7 of those 10 losses for the Hawks came by a margin of 2 or more goals. In fact 11 of Chicago's last 16 defeats have come by a margin of 2 or more goals. The Avs have won 8 of the past 12 meetings with the Hawks and EACH of the last 7 Colorado wins have come by 2 or more goals. In two meetings this season the Avalanche have won those games by a combined score of 12 to 5. The last 5 times the Avs were off a loss they won 4 of them. 3 of the 4 victories came by a margin of 2 or more goals. They are angry after what happened at St Louis and they'll make the Blackhawks pay in this one. 10* COLORADO Puck Line -1.5 goals +160 |
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12-18-19 | Tennessee v. Cincinnati +1.5 | Top | 66-78 | Win | 100 | 9 h 16 m | Show |
TV Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #660 Wednesday 10* Top Play Cincinnati Bearcats (+) vs Tennessee Volunteers @ 7 ET - Everyone jumping on Tennessee here as they are a ranked team and coming off a big season plus they enter this game off a loss. Additionally, Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes is in search of his 700th victory. The Bearcats don't want that happening on their home floor and I love home dogs in a spot like this. Look for the Cats to scratch and claw their way to victory in this one. Cincinnati is 4-1 at home this season. Tennessee is playing their first true road game of the season. All the Vols other games were at home or at a neutral site. On the season the Bearcats have faced a tougher schedule and the Volunteers are a highly regarded team but enter this game having lost 2 of 4 and one of the two wins was by the slimmest of margins. I look for UC, off back to back losses including an embarrassing one as a double digit favorite against Colgate, to bounce back strong here on their home floor and get a big win. They returned more starter this season than did the Vols and this is the type of game - especially since they are at home - where I expect Jarron Cumberland to step up and have a huge game. He has struggled in head coach's John Brannen first season with the Cats but watch him come up big at home in a game like this. The Volunteers are on a 1-4 ATS run. I know the Bearcats are on an ugly ATS run too BUT this is still a team that is 18-2 SU in their last 20 home games. I love having them on their home floor as an underdog in a game in which they will absolutely be amped up and ready to go! Off back to back losses, the Cats come out fighting in this one and they do have the size edge in the paint too. They win the front court battles and Cumberland and company come up big on the wings also! 10* CINCINNATI |
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12-17-19 | Kings -4.5 v. Hornets | Top | 102-110 | Loss | -106 | 11 h 58 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #501 Tuesday 10* Top Play Sacramento Kings (-) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - The early line move was toward the Hornets here. Certainly I can understand the move as Charlotte is getting Marvin Williams back tonight most likely and they are coming off an ugly loss. The Kings are coming off a blowout win on the road at Golden State Sunday so now they go coast to coast. I can see what some are looking at here and why they're backing the home dog. However, in typical contrarian fashion I am on the other side of the line move but it is not without good reasoning. For one thing the Kings are also expected to get a key player back tonight. De'Aaron Fox is expected to be back in the lineup and the point guard will certainly help as Sacramento's win over the Warriors was an ugly one in terms of turnovers. Another reason I like the Kings here is they have won 3 straight road games and the other two wins came over Dallas and Houston! Sacramento has a lot of momentum right now and positive energy is evident with this team as recent wins pile up. Last but certainly not least, the Kings have revenge here as they lost at home to the Hornets in late October. It is time for payback here and we've got a great small number to work with in this one. The Hornets are struggling without PJ Washington and even could use the help of role player Nicolas Batum but he is doubtful for tonight's contest. The Hornets have been held to 85 points or less in their past two games. The Kings have averaged 110 points per game their past 5 road games. Charlotte won't be able to keep up here and the road favorite eventually pulls away to win comfortably. 10* SACRAMENTO |
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12-16-19 | Colts +10 v. Saints | Top | 7-34 | Loss | -122 | 12 h 11 m | Show |
Monday Night Game of the Year - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #333 Monday 10* Top Play Indianapolis Colts (+) @ New Orleans Saints @ 8:15 ET - Both teams are off tight losses last week but the Saints are off an absolute war against the 49ers. In fact New Orleans did lose key players to injury including two starters on the defensive line both out for this game and likely for the season as well. While the Saints have already locked up their division and a playoff spot plus lost their best chance at home field edges in the post-season by losing to San Francisco last week, the Colts are fighting for their playoff lives. They should renewed spirits too as the Steelers loss to the Bills last night was good news for Indianapolis. Both Pittsburgh and Tennessee are 8-6 on the season and the Colts can move to 7-7 on the year with a win here. That would put them 1 game back of the other two teams fighting for the last wild card spot and this is with two games to go. Now I am not forecasting the outright upset here but I do feel the points being offered are very generous given the situation. Both teams are struggling on defense but those D-line injuries for the Saints move the needle a lit bit in favor of the Colts defense here. Also, the Indy offense could get a boost with TY Hilton returning at wide receiver tonight. I know that is not a certainty and the Colts are being coy about it but I am expect him not to miss a game like this. Tonight is Indy's season essentially. Of course I respect Drew Brees and the Saints offense tremendously but Indianapolis head coach Frank Reich is a great coach and will have his guys ready here. The Colts have 7 losses on the season but only ONE by more than 7 points! The Saints have 10 wins this season but only TWO by a double digit margin! I like the odds here in favor of a tight finish in this game. Look for this one to be decided by a single possession on the scoreboard. 10* INDIANAPOLIS |
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12-16-19 | Heat v. Grizzlies +5.5 | Top | 111-118 | Win | 100 | 11 h 36 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #584 Monday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies (+) vs Miami Heat @ 8:05 ET - When you look at this game it looks so easy to take Miami (19-7) over Memphis (9-17) based on their overall SU records this season. However, you know what usually happens when something looks easy! In typical contrarian fashion I am on the other side of public perception here. First off the Heat are off an OT win at Dallas. Not only do teams generally have a tendency to struggle after an OT road win like that, also note that the Mavericks lost star player Luka Doncic very early in the 1st quarter of that game. That certainly had a lot to do with the Heat victory. Speaking of injuries, Miami is without both Goran Dragic and Justise Winslow for this game Memphis will have both Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke on the floor for this one. They missed the only game recently that the Grizzlies have lost (to Milwaukee). In their last 3 games with both Morant and Clarke playing, Memphis is a perfect 3-0 SU and ATS. One of Miami's worst losses this season was by 27 points at Philadelphia. On deck for the Heat is another trip to Philly so they could be peeking ahead at that game for sure. As for Memphis, there is no way they are focused on anything but this game. One of their ugliest losses this season was on opening night at Miami when they lost by 19. Payback time here and if they do fall short look for it to be by just a single possession. I am grabbing the points here! 10* MEMPHIS |
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12-15-19 | Bills +1 v. Steelers | Top | 17-10 | Win | 100 | 10 h 21 m | Show |
Sunday Night Game of the Year - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #321 Sunday 10* Top Play Buffalo Bills (+) @ Pittsburgh Steelers @ 8:20 ET - The Steelers have won 7 of 8 games with the lone loss coming at Cleveland. However, many of those wins have been against bad teams. In fact the only team that Pittsburgh has beaten this season that currently has a winning record is the LA Rams. Note that the Steelers lost to high-quality teams like the Patriots, 49ers, Ravens and Seahawks. That said, with a 1-4 record against winning teams, the Steelers are in trouble here against a surging Bills team. I know Buffalo fell just short versus the Ravens last week but this is a very strong team that also has traveled well this season. The Bills are 5-1 SU in road games on the year. One certainly could question Buffalo's schedule as well but I like the fact that they played the Ravens very tough and also lost by just 6 to New England earlier this season when the Patriots offense was firing on all cylinders but the Bills defense stifled them. The Bills also did defeat the Titans at Tennessee. Of course this is a key battle in the playoff race and I feel the QB edge for the Bills here will prove to be huge. While the Steelers have been bouncing between Rudolph and Hodges at QB since Roethlisberger went out with injury, the Bills are set with Josh Allen under center. Allen has been even stronger on the road than at home this season. Away from home he has averaged 246.5 passing yards per game. Also, he has a 7-1 TD-INT ration in his last 5 road games. The Bills have the much better rushing offense in this match-up and that will help open up the passing attack for Buffalo downfield. The Bills have NOT had an ATS loss in any of their past 9 road games! Look for the Bills to improve to 4-0 ATS this season when off a SU loss. Pittsburgh, when they enter a game after having won 8 or more of last 10 games, has gone 1-6 ATS. Look for that trend to continue here as they are over-valued and the public money is pouring in on the Steelers. The sharp money, and ours, is on the other side! 10* BUFFALO |
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12-15-19 | Ohio State v. Minnesota +7.5 | Top | 71-84 | Win | 100 | 7 h 17 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #804 Sunday 10* Top Play Minnesota Golden Gophers (+) vs Ohio State Buckeyes @ 6:30 ET - The Buckeyes have been red hot but the Golden Gophers are also a much better team than they showed in their Big Ten opener on the road at Iowa. With this game being at home for Minnesota and with Ohio State possibly being rusty after not playing at all since the 7th, the Golden Gophers could surprise here. Minnesota also has revenge from losing last season at Ohio State and also losing to the Buckeyes in a neutral site game the prior season. The Golden Gophers have played the tougher schedule in comparison with Ohio State early this season. The Buckeyes are 0-3 SU and ATS in a road game with a posted total in the 120s and the fact the odds makers set such a low total here confirms the fact that Minnesota is expected to turn up the heat on defense in their own barn here on Sunday. The Golden Gophers are 5-1 ATS when off a road loss in which they were held under 60 points. I know it may seem tough to fade a streak Ohio State team but with a little rust on their part after the layoff coupled with an intense effort from the hungry dog here, I look for this one to go down to the wire! That means we have great value with having the points on our side here. 10* MINNESOTA |
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12-15-19 | 76ers v. Nets +5.5 | Top | 89-109 | Win | 100 | 7 h 20 m | Show |
Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #570 Sunday 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (+) vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 6:05 ET - Playoff revenge game for Brooklyn. This is the first shot at the 76ers for the Nets since Philadelphia won 4 straight games to knock them out of the playoffs after Brooklyn scored the upset win in Game 1 of April's first round series. I know this is a back to back for the Nets but nobody played truly excessive minutes in yesterday's loss at Toronto. Also, the Sixers Horford is dealing with a hamstring injury. The 76ers are hot right now but they have been helped by a home heavy schedule of late. Philadelphia, in fact, has lost 7 of its past 10 road games SU. I am going to challenge the 76ers (most recent road game was a win at Boston) to actually win consecutive road games for the first time since the opening weeks of the season. I am fading the line move here too as Philly is attracting some betting action here. Keep in mind the Nets are off B2B losses but only one time this season have they lost 3 straight games. Prior to these B2B defeats the Nets had won 8 of 10 and I look for them to bounce back here with a strong effort. Philadelphia can't help but be peeking ahead at a much tougher match-up on deck as they host Miami on Wednesday. That said, the Nets are the more focused team for this match-up and if they fall short of avenging their playoff exit I do expect them to stay inside the number here in a game that they will play with a warrior-like mentality...desperate for a win. 10* BROOKLYN |
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12-14-19 | Spurs +2 v. Suns | Top | 121-119 | Win | 100 | 7 h 4 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #549 Saturday 10* Top Play San Antonio Spurs (+) vs Phoenix Suns @ Mexico City, MX @ 5 ET - Both teams coming off disappointing losses but the Spurs, even with a weaker record, opened up as a 1.5 point favorite. The markets, as if telling the odds makers they don't know what their doing, have flipped the favorite here and now the Suns are a 2 point favorite. I like to play opposite of moves like this (in typical contrarian fashion) but only when the situation makes sense and, in this case, it certainly does. The last time these teams met in Mexico the Suns got the tight win behind a 39-point effort from Devin Booker. That is the same Booker whom is the leading scorer for the Suns this season. Also, the point guard is listed as questionable for this game with a wrist injury. While I do expect him to play I expect the wrist to continue to bother him. He had trouble with getting his shots to fall against Memphis and Booker did not even practice yesterday due to the wrist injury. Facing an angry Spurs defense won't help matters. They blew their game at home against Cleveland Thursday as they had a late lead and then went on to lose in OT. Unacceptable. While San Antonio certainly has fallen off this season they had entered that game off back to back wins. Look for them to respond big here as the Booker injury is not getting the respect it should. All signs are pointing to the best player on the court for Phoenix being much less than 100%. Fade the line move here. 10* SAN ANTONIO |
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12-14-19 | Delaware +14.5 v. Villanova | Top | 70-78 | Win | 100 | 5 h 12 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #763 Saturday 10* Top Play Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens vs Villanova Wildcats @ 2 ET in the Never Forget Tribute Classic @ Newark, NJ - The Blue Hens entered this season needing to be a much better defensively and they've accomplished that goal. Granted they have faced a light schedule early this season but they had won 9 straight games before finally losing to George Washington last Saturday. Delaware is allowing just 63.3 points per game and holding opponents to 39.5% from the field. Granted, the Fightin' Blue Hens will most certainly have their hands full with a top notch opponent like Villanova but I foresee their solid defense helping to turn this game into a bit of a grinder. The Wildcats are on an 0-5 ATS run and none of those games were decided by more than a dozen points. Even the one decided by 12 points was a deceiving final score as the game was tight in the final minutes before Nova finally pulled away. The team chemistry has been fantastic for the Hens this season and they are excited about this opportunity and view it as a challenge to compete against top level competition. The way Delaware has been playing early this season and the fact they are coming off a loss, I look for a very strong effort from the big dog in this one. The Wildcats get the win but I see it coming by a single digit margin as they have bigger fish to fry. In fact the Cats next game will be against Kansas. This is a "win and move on" type game for Villanova and they are being overvalued by the betting markets here as this line has already moved up from a 13 to a 14.5 in early trading. 10* DELAWARE |
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12-12-19 | 76ers +1.5 v. Celtics | Top | 115-109 | Win | 100 | 11 h 18 m | Show |
TNT Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #523 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 8:05 ET - Boston is in a back to back spot here. Also, Kemba Walker scored 44 points last night at Indiana and the Celtics still lost the game! That doesn't bode well for what to expect tonight from Boston as Walker only scored 12 points and made just 4 of 18 shots when he faced the 76ers defense in the season opener. The Sixers have the rest edge here and the health edge too. The Celtics have been without Marcus Smart (eye) and now the recently activated Gordon Hayward might miss tonight's game after taking a shot to the head in last night's game against the Pacers. Philadelphia has won 7 of its past 8 games. The Celtics are undefeated at home but there is a reason this game is priced the way it is! Philly is playing some of its best basketball of the season and they are the healthier team here plus have the rest edge. Also, I am expecting a huge game from former Celtic Al Horford in his first game back at Boston since going to the Sixers. This is an early season battle for the top spot in the division and I love being a contrarian and going against a Celtics team that is 11-0 at home this season. Boston is favored by the slimmest of margins in this one with good reason. Upset time! 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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12-11-19 | Wisconsin v. Rutgers -2 | Top | 65-72 | Win | 100 | 12 h 51 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #636 Wednesday 10* Top Play Rutgers Scarlet Knights (-) vs Wisconsin Badgers @ 7 ET - Nice set up here with the Badgers off a huge 20 point win versus Indiana and the Scarlet Knights off a tough loss by a dozen at Michigan State. Note that Wisconsin has been great at home this season but has struggled (0-4 SU) in games played on the road or at a neutral site. This game is being played at Rutgers and that is noteworthy not only because of the Badgers struggles away from Madison, also note that the Scarlet Knights are a perfect 6-0 in home games this season. The home/road dichotomy is too strong to ignore here as we can lay a very small number with Rutgers whom had won 6 of 7 games this season before back to back losses (both on the road). The Badgers had lost 3 straight games before their huge win over the Hoosiers. Last season Wisconsin beat the Scarlet Knights by 5 but they were at home for that game and Rutgers actually led the game by 5 at the half. Now it is payback time for the Scarlet Knights and I expect them to take care of business on their home floor. 10* RUTGERS |
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12-10-19 | Wizards v. Hornets +2.5 | Top | 107-114 | Win | 100 | 11 h 30 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #576 Tuesday 10* Top Play Charlotte Hornets (+) vs Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - The Wizards are still without Isaiah Thomas. Another starter, Thomas Bryant, has been downgraded to out for this game. Also, in terms of depth off the bench, they were already without CJ Miles and this was already after being without star point guard John Wall. I know the Hornets are not a great team but their current situation is much better than that of the Wizards plus they are at home for this game. Now catching 2.5 points as a dog after opening up at a pick'em, I also like the added line value with Charlotte in this one. The Hornets got good news on PJ Washington (ankle) as he has been upgraded to probable for this game. I know Charlotte just got beaten badly at home by the Hawks but Atlanta got insanely hot in the 2nd half and ended up hitting 18 three-pointers. The Hornets lost because the Hawks outscored them by 21 points from beyond the arc and I look for Charlotte to bounce back here. The Hornets can (and will) take advantage of horrible defense (122.5 points per game) and a short-handed Wizards lineup. Charlotte lost the first meeting between these teams this season and this was after winning the final three meetings last season. It is payback time for the Hornets now and I look for them to improve to 4-1 SU in their last 5 meetings with division rival Washington. 10* CHARLOTTE |
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12-10-19 | St. Joe's v. Temple -12 | Top | 61-108 | Win | 100 | 10 h 46 m | Show |
TV Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #604 Tuesday 10* Top Play Temple Owls (-) vs St Joseph's Hawks @ 7 ET - The Hawks have been hurt by the loss of Taylor Funk to a hand injury as he was their leading returning scorer for this season. St Joseph's was already considering a "work in progress" for this season before he got hurt and their overall numbers are living up to the sub-par billing. The Hawks enter this game on a 7-game losing streak and each of the last 4 losses have come by at least a dozen points. Ironically that is also what this line has dropped to this morning as Temple has gone from being a 15-point favorite to a 12-point choice. I am backing the favorite here as head coach Aaron McKie has had the Owls firing on all cylinders early this season. That all came to a grinding halt however with a double digit loss to Missouri in Temple's most recent game. The Owls are still 6-2 on the season and their other loss came against Maryland, a highly ranked team. I look for Temple to take advantage of St Joe's being in a down cycle right now and the Owls are in need of a blowout win after losing by 10 to the Tigers even though they favored in the game. It was a rare hiccup for the Owls who entered that game having allowed only 56.7 points per game in their 6 wins this season. That great number in terms of defensive play certainly holds significance here as Temple is facing a St Joseph's team that has allowed 70 points or more in all 10 of their games this season. In fact the Hawks are allowing an average of 80 points per game on the season. The Owls take advantage and win this Big Five game in Philly (part of the annual Philadelphia Big Five battle) in an absolute rout. 10* TEMPLE |
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12-09-19 | Giants v. Eagles -8.5 | Top | 17-23 | Loss | -110 | 13 h 39 m | Show |
Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #160 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Eagles (-) vs New York Giants @ 8:15 ET - The Eagles have won 5 straight games against the Giants. Also, in games played in Philadelphia they have won 7 straight games against New York. The Eagles are 4-1 in Monday Night games under head coach Doug Pederson. The Giants enter this game having lost 8 in a row and now have to go back to Eli Manning at QB as rookie QB Daniel Jones is injured. Manning struggled badly early this season and that is why New York turned to Jones and a look at the future. Of course Manning and company would love to play the role of spoiler here but he is likely to be rusty seeing his first game action since September and Philly enters this game angry and with plenty of motivation. Philadelphia has lost 3 straight games but keep in mind two of those defeats came against a pair of teams (Patriots and Seahawks) that entered this weeks's action with identical 10-2 records on the season. The loss to the Dolphins last week was, however, inexcusable and I expect the Eagles defense to stand up strong after that horrific effort at Miami. Note that Philadelphia is 10-1 ATS when they are off a SU loss as a non-divisional favorite and now facing a divisional foe that is off a SU loss. Of course with the Eagles ugly loss as a big favorite at Miami coupled with the Giants 8th straight SU loss last week, that 91% system fits perfectly here. The Eagles were a double digit favorite last week and lost outright to the Dolphins as Miami hung 37 points on them. That is noteworthy here as the Giants are 2-12 ATS when they face a divisional foe that is off an ATS loss by a double digit margin in a game in which they allowed more than 35 points. As you can see here we have a pair of systems combining for 22-3 (88%) ATS mark favoring the Eagles and going against New York. The points are big but Philly can tie Dallas for 1st place in the NFC East with a win here (and they face the Cowboys in two weeks too) so the highly motivated Eagles are very likely to dominate the hapless Giants here. Lay it! 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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12-09-19 | Cavs +13.5 v. Celtics | Top | 88-110 | Loss | -105 | 11 h 11 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #557 Monday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 7:35 ET - This is the ideal flat spot for the Celtics and, as a result, the perfect spot to back the "ugly dog" Cavaliers in this one. Boston is viewing this game as a reprieve from their schedule and a bit of a "warm up" game if you will. That is why Gordon Hayward has been upgraded to questionable for this game. They might even try to get Hayward some time on the floor to work off some rust and get back into game shape. The fact is that the Celtics are off back to back huge wins over good teams - the Heat and the Nuggets. On deck for Boston is three more quality opponents - the Pacers, 76ers and Mavericks. The point is that this game against the Cavaliers is not one that is going to bring about a lot of energy from the Celtics. They just want to win the game and move forward and that is why I expect this win to come by a single digit margin. The Cavs are struggling of course but off a blowout of epic proportions like they just suffered at Philadelphia, I fully expect professional pride to kick in and Cleveland will play much better tonight. Keep in mind, the Cavaliers are already 2-0 ATS this season when off a game in which they allowed more than 130 points. The Celtics are 0-3 ATS this season when they enter a game on an ATS winning streak of 3 games. They've not been able to make it 4 straight this season and I look for that pattern to continue here. Boston is 1-3 ATS when off a home win by a double digit margin and also 0-2 ATS when they enter a game having scored 105 points or more in 5 consecutive games. 10* CLEVELAND |
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12-09-19 | Blue Jackets +1.5 v. Capitals | Top | 5-2 | Win | 100 | 10 h 32 m | Show |
NHL Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #33 Monday 10* Top Play Columbus Blue Jackets Puck Line +1.5 goals -130 @ Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - You have to lay about a 130 price to have the Blue Jackets +1.5 goals but I feel strongly that having the goal and a half is well worth that price. Prior to an ugly 4-1 loss at Florida on Saturday, Columbus last 26 games had featured 11 wins, 9 losses by a single goal and just 6 defeats by a margin of 2 or more markers. The point is that if you had the Blue Jackets at +1.5 goals throughout this stretch you cashed in 20 of 26 times which is nearly an 80% win rate. Columbus is fired up after the 4-1 loss to the Panthers and I feel they're catching Washington at a great time to spring the upset here. The Capitals just got back from a long road trip out west which included a very rare sweep of the California teams. The first game back east after a lengthy road trip out west tends to be very tough on teams and Washington is feeling a little too good about themselves right now too. That said, the Blue Jackets are going to prove to be the hungrier and scrappier team in this one and I see them hanging around throughout this game. If Columbus does fall short look for the defeat to come by just a single goal. As strong as Washington has been this season note that they have only won 7 of their past 20 games by a margin of 2 or more goals. That's right, since late October the Capitals have won a game by 2 or more goals just 35% of the time. On the season Washington has played 14 home games and only 5 of the 14 have resulted in a win by two or more goals. Given the above as well as the situation, back the road dog here. 10* COLUMBUS +1.5 goals on the Puck Line |
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12-08-19 | Raptors v. 76ers -3 | Top | 104-110 | Win | 100 | 9 h 34 m | Show |
Early Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #544 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Toronto Raptors @ 6:05 ET - Even though the 76ers are in a back to back spot here they so completely crushed the Cavaliers yesterday that they were able to rest guys in that game. Also, Joel Embiid did not even play in that game as he rested his hip for tonight's game. Remember he made headlines for not scoring in the 76ers first meeting with the Raptors this season. Since that game Embiid has averaged 26.8 points per game his last 5 games. I am expecting a monster game from him here. Also, the home team has won 9 of the past 12 meetings between these teams. Keep in mind this is a playoff revenge game for the Sixers as they were eliminated from the post-season in that epic last-second Game 7 loss ("the shot" by Kawhi Leonard now with the Clippers) at Toronto last spring. The 76ers first shot at revenge this season saw them lose by just 5 points and that was even with Embiid not scoring a single point plus the game was at Toronto. Now Sunday's rematch is at Philly and a rested Embiid is ready to explode here plus the Sixers catch the Raptors reeling a bit off back to back losses. This one will be ALL Philly. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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12-08-19 | North Carolina +4.5 v. Virginia | Top | 47-56 | Loss | -109 | 6 h 2 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #739 Sunday 10* Top Play North Carolina Tar Heels (+) @ Virginia Cavaliers @ 4 ET - It looks easy to take the Cavaliers here so, in typical contrarian fashion, I am on the Tar Heels in this one! Virginia is at home and has won each of the last 3 meetings between these teams and plus the Cavs are laying a short number here. That will have people looking to line up on the defensive-minded host in this one. However, I am expecting North Carolina to say "enough is enough" and come up with a huge game here. The Tar Heels have faced the tougher schedule early this season so we are getting some line value in this one in that regard. Also, the Cavaliers could have a little bit of unbeaten letdown here as they were 7-0 on the season before getting absolutely demolished by Purdue by 29 points! The Cavs are averaging just 53 points on the season. The Heels are also off an ugly loss in which they did not score well. However, prior to that defeat, UNC had scored 75 points or more in 6 of their first 7 games this season. The Cavaliers are on an 0-6 ATS run and I expect that streak to reach 7 straight ATS losses here in a game in which an outright upset for the revenge-minded road team would certainly not be a surprise. Roy Williams and the Tar Heels are highly motivated here against Tony Bennett and the Cavaliers. I feel that Virginia is going to be caught reeling a bit here and doubting themselves in terms of ability to be able to score enough here. They have always relied on defense but their offense has been a little too ugly this season to get past a team like this. Look for the Tar Heels to get it done here. 10* NORTH CAROLINA |
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12-08-19 | Ravens v. Bills +6.5 | Top | 24-17 | Loss | -105 | 5 h 12 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #132 Sunday 10* Top Play Buffalo Bills (+) vs Baltimore Ravens @ 1 ET - The Bills have the home field edge here plus the rest edge here as they played Thanksgiving Day at Dallas. The Ravens are off a physical battle with the 49ers Sunday in Baltimore and now must go on the road knowing they have a short week ahead too as their next game is Thursday! This is a really tough spot for the Ravens and I am happy to grab the Bills catching nearly a full +7 here as a home dog. Buffalo has played very well this season and they also have had this game circled after the Ravens introduced them to the 2018 season with a 47-3 beating at Baltimore last September. Buffalo would like a little payback at home in this one. Baltimore is 10-2 on the season but, keep in mind, the Bills are 9-3 on the season and two of Buffalo's 3 losses have come by 6 or less points. The Ravens certainly have been red hot but note that the Bills are 3-0 SU and ATS their last 3 games. Baltimore is 1-9 ATS the last 10 times they have faced a non-division opponent off B2B SU/ATS wins. That system fits in this one and I look for the home dog Bills to cash in here. They have a great shot at the outright upset and if they do fall short I expect it to be by a field goal or less. 10* BUFFALO |
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12-07-19 | Georgia +7.5 v. LSU | Top | 10-37 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 53 m | Show |
Power Five Top Play - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #117 Saturday 10* Top Play Georgia Bulldogs (+) vs LSU Tigers in SEC Championship Game @ Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA @ 4 ET - LSU opened up around a 3 point favorite in this game and now the line has been driven up to the Tigers becoming a 7 point choice in this match-up. It makes sense because offense is what grabs the public's attention but it is the Bulldogs edge on defense that I feel gives the underdog a significant edge in this one. Georgia is a 7 point dog here and, keep in mind, this is a team that has NOT allowed more than 17 points in regulation time of ANY game this ENTIRE season! I know the Tigers offense has been fantastic this season but lets not discount what the Bulldogs defense is capable of here. Last year Georgia lost badly to LSU but that was a turnover-driven defeat plus this year's Bulldog's defense is way ahead of last year's D. The Dawgs are allowing an average of only 10 points per game this season! Note that LSU has allowed 28 points or more in FIVE games this season! Also, in games played away from home, the Tigers allowed 37 points or more in FOUR of FIVE games! Their offense is great but those are scary numbers for the LSU defense when they are away from home. Look for Georgia to take advantage and I would not be surprised to see the Bulldogs get the upset here and certainly they are in line for the cover. The Bulldogs are on a 7-1 ATS run in neutral site games. The Tigers are on a 1-4 ATS run when they enter a game off a 2-game homestand. The LSU defense has not traveled well this season and I look for that trend to reach 1-5 ATS when the final gun sounds on this one! 10* GEORGIA |
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12-07-19 | Penn State +8 v. Ohio State | Top | 74-106 | Loss | -110 | 4 h 44 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #733 Saturday 10* Top Play Penn State Nittany Lions (+) @ Ohio State Buckeyes @ Noon ET - The Buckeyes are undefeated this season, at home, and ranked very high. All the pressure is on Ohio State here. Also, the Buckeyes are off a huge win over North Carolina on Wednesday night. This is a tough spot for Ohio State now as they take on a Penn State team that very quietly has also been playing a lot of ultra impressive defense and is going to be tough for the Buckeyes to pull away from in this game. Also, the Nittany Lions have been enjoying great success in recent meetings between these teams but did fall just short here last year. That makes this a revenge game for Penn State as they lost to the Buckeyes last season despite taking 16 more shots from the field in that game! It was simply "one of those nights" and yet PSU still lost the game by only 4 points. Look for a similar result here as the scrappy Nittany Lions have a great shot at the outright upset here. If they do fall short expect it only be by a bucket or two. The Buckeyes are on a great ATS run this season but they can't keep hitting the high percentage of shots they have been and the Nittany Lions come into this one having played great defense this season too! 10* PENN STATE |
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12-06-19 | Oregon +7 v. Utah | Top | 37-15 | Win | 100 | 9 h 46 m | Show |
Game of the Year - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #103 Friday 10* Top Play Oregon Ducks (+) vs Utah Utes @ 8 ET in Pac-12 Championship Game @ Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA - Waiting has paid off as this line is now a 7. Keep in mind the very first line that popped on this game globally was a 2.5 and we have seen major movement ever since. Now that it has reached all the way up to a +7 it is "go time" for me with this one. The Utes have covered 8 straight games ATS and so of course they are attracting a ton of attention here. However, not enough respect is being given to an Oregon team that is having a great season too. Utah does rate the edge on defense but, keep in mind, the Ducks are at least as good, if not better, on the offensive side of the ball. Also, Oregon has the special teams edge in this match-up. The weather is not going to be great for this game with windy conditions and rain moving into the area. A lot of times that favors an underdog. Keep in mind a favorite has to not only win the game but build a margin to cash in at the window. It becomes much tougher to build a margin when you're also batting the elements. The Ducks hold the special teams edge and the kicking and punting game can become critical in a game like this where weather comes into play. I would not be surprised to see Oregon get the upset win and the fact we are not able to get +7 with the Ducks is of course a key with this game now reaching that key number as of mid-morning Friday. Oregon is 10-2 SU this season and the two losses came by 6 or less points. The pressure is on the Utes here. They still have hopes of making the CFB playoff and a huge win here is required. The Ducks are playing this game with no pressure on them. That makes a huge difference. Also, in the only two tough games that Utah has played away from home this season they beat Washington by just 5 points and they lost at USC by 7 points. Are they really going to travel outside of Utah here and beat a high quality Oregon program by more than 7 points in tough weather conditions in a game in which all the pressure is on the Utes as well? I highly doubt that. The Ducks are 5-1 SU and 4-1 ATS this season when off a home win. The Utes are a long-term 1-3 ATS as a neutral field fave in a range of 3.5 to 7 points. Utah beat Oregon last year but head coach Kyle Whittingham entered that game with a career record of 1-5 SU against the Ducks and it is payback time here. Oregon had been undefeated in Pac-12 action before their loss to Arizona State two weeks ago. That said, it is not surprising that they followed up that loss with a lackluster and sloppy effort against Oregon State last week. They turned the ball over 4 times and it was an ugly game in which the Ducks were actually even a bit fortunate to win the game by 14 points. While the Utes have already played their best football of the season, don't be surprised if that is what we now see from the Ducks in this one and I would not be surprised at all to see an upset in this game but certainly am happy to grab the 7 points as added insurance here. 10* OREGON |
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12-06-19 | Iowa +8 v. Michigan | Top | 91-103 | Loss | -105 | 9 h 23 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #615 Friday 10* Top Play Iowa Hawkeyes (+) @ Michigan Wolverines @ 6:30 ET - Many will be looking for the Wolverines to bounce back here after their ugly 58-43 loss at the hands of Louisville. Indeed a bounce back may be on tap for Michigan here at home but I don't see them covering this large spread. This is a revenge game for Iowa as they lost by 21 points in tournament action against the Wolverines in March. The Hawkeyes were outscored by 27 points from beyond the arc in that game as they made just 1 of 16 three pointers. In other words, inside the arc in that game Iowa actually won the game by 6 points! I am not necessarily forecasting an outright win here but I certainly wouldn't be shocked if the Hawkeyes do catch Michigan suffering from some unbeaten letdown here after the loss to the Cardinals. Iowa is a solid 6-2 SU and ATS this season and they have the talent level and coaching experience edge here to keep up with the highly talented Wolverines. Note that prior to the loss in March, the Hawkeyes had defeated Michigan in the regular season. Prior to that game the Wolverines had been on a winning streak in this series but 2 of the last 3 Iowa losses came by 7 points or less. Michigan is a little over-valued right now because they have hit 40% three pointers this season and opponents have hit only 59% of their free throws this season. Those two stats that certainly won't continue all season long have combined to give extra shading toward Michigan from the betting markets. I'll gladly step in on the other side here and grab the big points with the Hawkeyes. 10* IOWA |
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12-05-19 | Cowboys v. Bears +3 | Top | 24-31 | Win | 105 | 12 h 28 m | Show |
Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #102 Thursday 10* Top Play Chicago Bears (+) vs Dallas Cowboys @ 8:20 ET - The Cowboys have lost 3 of their past 4 games. The Bears have won 3 of their past 4 games. Chicago is also on a 10-5 ATS run in its last 15 home games. We're down to the clutch time of the season...the final quarter...the final 4 games of the regular season. Dallas, in Games 13 through 16 of a season, has gone 1-13 ATS when off a SU/ATS non-divisional loss and facing a team playing with revenge. Keep in mind, the Cowboys lost outright as a favorite to the Bills on Thanksgiving and also the Bears have revenge from the most recent meeting between these teams in 2016 so that system is fully in play here. Also, in the final quarter of a season, the Cowboys are 2-13 ATS when they have a losing record and are playing on the road. Now I know Dallas is at .500 on the season but the point is that you can see from that stat that the Cowboys aren't known for being stalwarts when having a mediocre or losing season and playing on the road late in the season. The Bears certainly hold the momentum edge here with wins in 3 of 4 while Dallas has losses in 3 of 4. Chicago is 7-1 ATS when off B2B SU wins and facing an NFC opponent. The Bears have held 5 of 6 opponents to 17 points or less at Soldier Field this season. The Cowboys have allowed 18 points or more in 4 of their 6 road games this season. I understand why Dallas is favored as market perception carries a lot of weight with the betting masses but I expect the Bears to win this outright and will gladly grab the added insurance of having them plus a field goal as a home dog here. 10* CHICAGO |
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12-05-19 | Oklahoma v. North Texas +6.5 | Top | 82-80 | Win | 100 | 10 h 6 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #604 Thursday 10* Top Play North Texas Mean Green (+) vs Oklahoma Sooners @ 8 ET - This game is being played at The Super Pit as North Texas is the host for this one. That is certainly noteworthy as Oklahoma is just 7-16 SU in their last 23 lined road games. The Sooners not only are being asked to win this game but also by a margin of as high as 6.5 points after the early morning line move with this one and I just don't see that happening. I look for the layoff to hurt OU as they haven't played in over a week and the Sooners are just 3-3 SU the past two years when they enter a game with 7 or more days of rest between games. This line is currently settling back in at a -6 and the Sooners are 2-5 ATS in road games in which their line ranges from a pick'em to a -6. The Mean Green are on an 11-2 SU and 9-3 ATS run in December games. North Texas is a scrappy team that plays well together as a unit. In other words, it is not about individual stars but just that they've put together a good combination of players that mesh well together. The fact the Mean Green are just 3-5 SU this season is because of facing a very tough schedule and this situation favors them well. They just knocked off UT-Arlington outright as an underdog Sunday and they carry that momentum from the road on back home for this game. North Texas is on a 28-11 SU run in home games the past 2+ seasons. Look for the Mean Green to improve to 20-10 ATS when off a game in which they were an underdog. Back to back underdog spots and I am expecting back to back outright SU wins but will grab the points here for added insurance. 10* NORTH TEXAS |
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12-05-19 | 76ers v. Wizards +7.5 | Top | 113-119 | Win | 100 | 10 h 43 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #502 Thursday 10* Top Play Washington Wizards (+) vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:05 ET - The 76ers are getting plenty of attention here early on from the betting markets. After opening up at a 6 the line is all the way up to a 7.5 and possibly headed higher. Of course Philadelphia is the better team but certainly they have had their share of road struggles this season. Not only are the Sixers only 5-6 on the road this season, only one of those victories came by more than 6 points! That means that if you went against Philly in all their road games this season and had at least +6.5 you are 10-1 ATS so far! I like my chances here with the Wizards. I am well aware of the fact that the Wizards give up a ton of points but they're also fully capable of piling up a ton of points on the offensive end. I know they have some injury issues but the Wizards are 3-5 at home and 3 of those 5 losses came by 7 points or less. That means if you had Washington at +7.5 (the current line on this one) or more in all 8 of their home games this season you are 6-2 ATS. Again, you can see why I am liking the big points here with the home dog. The Wizards have lost 3 straight games for the 3rd time this season. The first two times it happened they ended the streak immediately in the 4th game. I expect that to again be the case here but will grab the points with the home dog as added insurance should they fall just short on the scoreboard. The Sixers go from facing a defensive-minded team at home to an offensive-minded team on the road. Don't be surprised if Philadelphia struggles some here and the home team is hungry to end their losing streak. 10* WASHINGTON |
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12-04-19 | Pennsylvania v. Villanova -12 | Top | 69-80 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 47 m | Show |
PA Insider - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #808 Wednesday 10* Top Play Villanova Wildcats (-) vs Pennsylvania Quakers @ 6:30 ET - This is part of The Big Five in Philadelphia and the other teams are LaSalle, St Joseph's, and Temple. Last year the Quakers upset the Wildcats and that ended a 25-game winning streak for Villanova in Big Five games. It also allowed Pennsylvania to win the Big Five Championship for the 2018-19 season. These teams come from different conferences, etc but the City of Philadelphia embraces the rivalries the "Big Five" has created and this "unofficial" Big Five city championship series extends back to the mid-fifties! It means a lot to these schools and I look for Villanova to get a big dose of payback on their home floor in this game. Yes the Wildcats have losses to Ohio State and Baylor this season but this is a strong Villanova team that will get even stronger as the season goes on. They were ahead by 20 points against LaSalle at halftime Sunday and then only won the game by 11 points as they allowed the Explorers to make a few runs in the second half. Considering what happened at Penn last season I don't look for the Cats to be so generous in the second half here. Look for Villanova to put their foots on the throats of the Quakers early and never take their foot off the gas. Pennsylvania, an Ivy League school, has a long break from basketball coming up because of semester final exams. However, they still enter this game at a disadvantage as they just got back from a West Coast trip while Nova was already at home facing LaSalle this past weekend. The last time the Wildcats hosted the Quakers they won by 28 points. I am expecting another huge win in this revenge game. Penn is a scrappy and respectable team but there is a talent disparity here and the Wildcats are highly motivated. I don't often lay big points but this is one of the rare exceptions due to the great situational value. 10* VILLANOVA |
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12-03-19 | Pistons v. Cavs +2.5 | Top | 127-94 | Loss | -101 | 10 h 34 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #540 Tuesday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - Great home dog value here based on the situation. The Pistons are off a dominating win over the Spurs as they caught San Antonio at the perfect time to lay down a beating. That is because SA was off their big win over the Clippers and former Spur Kawhi Leonard. Give Detroit credit as they took care of business but that was a nice situation for the Pistons at home. Now Detroit is on the road and facing a Cavaliers team that has been playing better overall of late but just doesn't have the wins to show for it. The Cavs are off a home loss but it came against a Bucks team that is one of the best in the league. Now Cleveland will take advantage of facing a Detroit team that has lost 9 straight road games! Also, the Pistons have a huge game on deck with that same Milwaukee team tomorrow night. This is a bad situational spot for Detroit and Cleveland was 3-4 at home this season before getting tripped up recently including a loss to the Bucks by single digits and a lost by just a bucket versus Brooklyn. Look for the Cavaliers to get over the hump here and add to the Pistons season-long road futility. 10* CLEVELAND |
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12-02-19 | Vikings +3 v. Seahawks | Top | 30-37 | Loss | -110 | 16 h 11 m | Show |
Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #475 Monday 10* Top Play Minnesota Vikings (+) @ Seattle Seahawks @ 8:15 ET - Something seems a little "off" with this one at first glance and that is why the public is hammering Seattle but, in typical contrarian fashion, I am on the other side here. The Seahawks opened up as a 1.5 point favorite even though there are a number of factors that would have suggested they should be a much bigger favorite at home. Sure enough the betting markets have pushed the line on Seattle to as high as a -3 but don't be fooled by all this. The odds makers set the line this way for a reason. I am aware that the Vikings have a recent history of struggling after bye weeks and Minnesota QB Kirk Cousins often struggles in night games. However, this line was set like this for a reason and I am backing the Vikings here. Keep in mind, the Seahawks are only 3-2 SU at home this season and one of the wins came in OT while the other two victories each came by just a single point! What that means is that in ALL 5 home games this season, when the clock hit zeroes in regulation, Seattle has NEVER been on top by more than ONE point! As for the Vikings, they are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games and the only loss came by just 3 points. Also, 4 of those 7 games were on the road. Now you understand the line a little better and also you can see the reasoning as to why I am going with a top play here on the road dog plus the points! 10* MINNESOTA |
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12-02-19 | Jazz +5.5 v. 76ers | Top | 94-103 | Loss | -108 | 14 h 19 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #527 Monday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz (+) @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:05 ET - Yes this is a back to back spot for the Jazz but yesterday their starters didn't play nearly as many minutes as they normally would have. That's because Utah got blasted at Toronto on Sunday. In fact, the Jazz were down by 40 points at halftime which is the largest halftime deficit in Utah's history! You know that Utah is going to respond tonight after an effort like that in the first half yesterday! That said, I love having a scrappy and defensive-minded, yesterday notwithstanding, Jazz team in bounce back mode for this one! Utah has struggled on the road this season but we're not asking them to win here although I do feel they have a great shot at the outright upset. We just need the Jazz to remain competitive in this game as the line is all the way up to a 5.5 as of very early game day morning. Expecting a team to be competitive after a franchise-worst performance is a good thing to bet on! This is particularly true when you can go against a 76ers team which is 9-0 SU at home but continues to see so many of those wins go down to the wire! The 3-point win over the Pacers on Saturday means that the Sixers have played in 4 straight games decided by 6 or less points. 5 of the 76ers last 7 wins have been tight wins decided by an average margin of 4.6 points per game. The last two meetings between these teams have been ATS wins for the road team and the one prior to that was a 6-point road loss for the Jazz at Philly. Again, look for Utah to be in this one all the way and I expect the points to be enough for the cover in a game quite possibly decided in the final minute. Prior to yesterday's ugly loss, the Jazz had seen 3 of their last 6 defeats decided by 4 or less points and, again, an outright upset certainly not out of the question here. This is a highly motivated road dog in this after what happened against the Raptors yesterday. 10* UTAH |
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12-02-19 | Columbia +6 v. Delaware | Top | 76-84 | Loss | -105 | 14 h 37 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #721 Monday 10* Top Play Columbia Lions (+) @ Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens @ 7 ET - Delaware is off to a fantastic start this season as they remain undefeated at 8-0 SU plus they are at home for this game and hosting a 3-5 Columbia team. However, as per usual, there is more than meets the eye in this game. First off the Lions have played a tougher schedule than the Fightin' Blue Hens have. Additionally, this is a revenge game from last season when Columbia lost in double OT by a single point. Most of the big scoring production for Delaware (3 guys that each scored 20 or more) are gone from the team. That said, even though the Blue Hens are off to a great start this season, this is likely to be a very tough game for them and star point guard Mike Smith and the Lions are off a win and will use that as momentum heading into this revenge game. Smith has been fantastic early this season after an injury greatly impacted last season's campaign. I like having the points here in this revenge match-up as the strength of schedule comes into play here and I feel that it is with a good reasoning from the odds makers that the Blue Hens opened up as only a 6 point choice here even though they are undefeated and facing a team with a losing record. I sense an upset here and if the Lions do fall short it will be by just a bucket or two in my opinion. 10* COLUMBIA |
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12-01-19 | Spurs v. Pistons -2.5 | Top | 98-132 | Win | 100 | 7 h 34 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #518 Sunday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (-) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 5:05 ET - The Spurs just played their game of the year Friday and won it! They beat Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers in San Antonio. The Spurs wanted that game badly and got it. That will leave them flat here. Additionally, being without LaMarcus Aldridge here is going to hurt San Antonio as he is out with a thigh injury. The Pistons are off back to back losses to Charlotte in a home and home set with the Hornets. They are highly motivated here off consecutive losses as they had previously won 2 of 3 and appeared to be heading the right direction. Now they will take advantage of a Spurs team that is short-handed physically without Aldridge and mentally too after the big win over former Spur Leonard whom was booed every time he touched the ball in San Antonio Friday night. 10* DETROIT |
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12-01-19 | Rams -2.5 v. Cardinals | Top | 34-7 | Win | 100 | 9 h 3 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #467 Sunday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Rams (-) @ Arizona Cardinals @ 4:05 ET - QB Jared Goff has struggled badly in recent games but this has included facing tough defenses like the Ravens, Bears, Steelers and what started all this was a nightmare game against the tough defense of the Niners. Mixed into this stretch was a game against the Bengals and, of course, Goff took advantage of that. The point is that level of competition is an important factor when evaluating performance and I look for Goff (and the Rams) to get back up off the mat in a big way in this game. Yes LA is on the road for this one and on a short week but a road trip from Los Angeles to Arizona is not much of a road trip at all! The Cardinals are off their bye week but QB Kyler Murray is still bothered by a hamstring injury. The Cards are better this season than they've been in recent seasons but this is still an Arizona team that has won just 3 of its 11 games this season and that has been blasted by the Rams in recent meetings. Los Angeles has won the last 4 meetings by a combined score of 130 to 25. Keep in mind, LA is in an angry mood too after being embarrassed by Baltimore on Monday night football. In other words, they are not going to let up here and I look for a huge road win and will gladly take advantage of the line move here which has pushed the Rams down to as low as a 2.5 point favorite in this one. 10* LOS ANGELES RAMS |
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12-01-19 | Temple -2 v. Davidson | Top | 66-53 | Win | 100 | 5 h 53 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #693 Sunday 10* Top Play Temple Owls (-) vs Davidson Wildcats @ 4 ET in Orlando, FL - I used the Owls against Maryland earlier in this tournament and got the cover as Temple nearly got the upset too. The Owls are playing very well under new head coach Aaron McKie this season and they have covered 3 straight games and are 5-1 SU on the season. While Temple has been playing solid defense, the Wildcats are not. The Owls are allowing just 35% from the field this season while Davidson has allowed 46.6% from the field this season. The Wildcats have played a tougher schedule but only slightly more arduous and Temple's defensive numbers certainly aren't "slightly" better, they are much better. Davidson has failed to cover 5 of 7 games this season as they just haven't been able to get it done on the defensive end of the floor in the majority of their games this season. 10* TEMPLE |
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11-30-19 | Pacers v. 76ers -4 | Top | 116-119 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 56 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #504 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - Both teams were in action yesterday but the Pacers entire starting five played a ton of minutes as they had to go to overtime for the 1 point home win. Now Indiana takes to the road and takes on a 76ers team that is a perfect 8-0 at home this season. Even though Embiid may rest tonight because he was in action last night, Horford was rested last night and should be good to go here. The Sixers hold the edge coming back home for this one while the Pacers are on the road where they are just 3-4 on the season. The spread is small enough here that nearly any Sixers SU win is likely to also be an ATS cover and I like Philly laying the small number in this one as the set up favors them in this match-up. Look for the 76ers to improve to 9-0 on the season. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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11-30-19 | Sabres v. Maple Leafs -1.5 | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 10 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #64 Saturday 10* Top Play Toronto Maple Leafs Puck Line (-1.5 goals +105) vs Buffalo Sabres @ 7:05 ET - The Maple Leafs lost 6-4 at Buffalo yesterday but Toronto had been heating up since their coaching change while the Sabres have been slumping and have had an awful November. After Buffalo got the win yesterday I look for Toronto to bounce back with a huge win on home ice today. Of course the Leafs are a pricey favorite here so the way to play this one is on the puck line. By laying the 1.5 goals with Toronto we don't even have to lay any juice here. I like the set up here because the Sabres used Ullmark in goal yesterday and that means Hutton gets the start today. Hutton has allowed 4 or more goals in 4 straight games! As for the Maple Leafs they started their back-up goalie yesterday and he struggled but now Andersen gets the start here. The Maple Leafs have NOT won a game this season with a back-up goalie between the pipes. All 12 wins have come with Frederik Andersen in the crease and I expect another big win here. Prior to yesterday the Leafs had been dominating recent match-ups with Buffalo. Also, the Sabres power play has been horrible. Payback time today for the Maple Leafs. 10* TORONTO Puck Line -1.5 goals |
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11-30-19 | Wisconsin -2.5 v. Minnesota | Top | 38-17 | Win | 100 | 8 h 45 m | Show |
Rickenbach CFB Rotation #371 Saturday 10* Top Play Wisconsin Badgers (-) @ Minnesota Golden Gophers @ 3:30 ET - Minnesota is ranked higher than the Badgers and plus they have home field for this game and yet Wisconsin is favored. Must be some type of egregious mistake by the odds makers, right? You guys know how I feel about supposed "mistakes" in the marketplace. The fact is that Wisconsin is the better team and they will win the Big Ten West by getting revenge in this game for last year's loss to the Golden Gophers. Keep in mind the Badgers had beaten Minny 14 times in a row prior to last year's loss. Wisconsin has played the much tougher schedule this season and the odds makers recognize that and it is factored into this line but the betting markets are a little behind the power curve here and don't really realize that. The result is value for us here especially with the weather conditions likely limiting the only edge (passing game) that the Golden Gophers might have had in this game. The only tough win that Minnesota has is over Penn State and the Nittany Lions are proving that they are a bit over-rated. The Gophers lost to Iowa in their only other real challenge this season. As for the Badgers, they've had to battle with Ohio State, Michigan, and Iowa this season. Plus they blasted Michigan State 38-0 and the Spartans are better than their record would indicate. Though the Badgers, like everyone else, lost to Ohio State this season they beat Iowa plus crushed the Wolverines too. Wisconsin is the more battle-tested team coming into this game and they are favored with good reason. The only reason the Badgers lost last season was a 4-0 turnover deficit. The year before, at Minnesota, Wisconsin won 31-0 and held the Golden Gophers to 133 yards of offense. Minny is a better team than they use to be but they are vastly over-rated this season and the weather also will be factor in this game that favors the Badgers who will pound the Gophers defsne on the ground all game long. I like the Badgers to win this game in the trenches on both sides of the ball. 10* WISCONSIN |
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11-30-19 | NC-Greensboro +7 v. Georgetown | Top | 65-61 | Win | 100 | 4 h 12 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #607 Saturday 10* Top Play UNC Greensboro Spartans (+) @ Georgetown Hoyas @ 2 ET - The Spartans have just 2 losses on the season. One w was by a single point and the other was by a dozen points but came against one of the best teams, Kansas, in the nation. UNC Greensboro was down by just 10 with under 4 minutes to go in that game. Thanks to having a fantastic point guard in Miller and playing strong overall defense (something the Hoyas struggle to do), the Spartans absolutely are capable of an upset win here at Georgetown. The Hoyas are allowing 76 points per game this season while Greensboro is allowing just 54 points per game game. Yes Georgetown has played a tougher overall schedule but still there is a big difference between the way these teams tend to play on the defensive end of the floor. The Spartans are off an ATS loss but have not had back to back ATS losses this season. The Hoyas are off back to back covers but had started the season 0-4 ATS. Look for the road team to hang tough in this one all the way through as they have a solid 7-man playing rotation and this is a team that won 25 games last season! Small school, but strong school! 10* UNC GREENSBORO |
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11-29-19 | Red Wings v. Flyers -1.5 | Top | 1-6 | Win | 105 | 6 h 10 m | Show |
Puck Line Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #39 Friday NHL 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Puck Line -1.5 goals (+) vs Detroit Red Wings @ 4:05 ET - The Red Wings want to fix things but wanting to do it and actually doing it are two very different things and Philadelphia holds a huge edge in this match-up in terms of who is hot and who is not. The Flyers enter this game on a 4-game points streak as they are 3-0-1 their last 4 games. The Red Wings are 0-5-2 their last 7 games as they haven't won a game in over two weeks! Also, Detroit's last 3 losses have come by a combined score of 13 to 1. They are lined up to get blasted again here as they Flyers have had just 1 regulation loss in their dozen home games this season and they are rolling with momentum after knocking off the Blue Jackets at Columbus on Wednesday. Detroit has scored just 1 goal in their last 3 games combined! The Flyers have allowed an average of just 2 goals per game in their last 4 games. 14 of the Red Wings 20 losses this season have come by 2 or more goals and that 70% trend continues here! 10* PHILADELPHIA Puck Line -1.5 goals |
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11-29-19 | Iowa -5 v. Nebraska | Top | 27-24 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 13 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #327 Friday 10* Top Play Iowa Hawkeyes (-) @ Nebraska Cornhuskers @ 2:30 ET - The Hawkeyes have held their last two opponents to season lows in total points. Iowa is known for their defense and they are allowing only 115 yards on the ground per game this season. However, they are not completely inept on offense either. They didn't have the points to show it for last week against Illinois but note that QB Stanley had over 300 passing yards in that game. The Hawkeyes won't make the same mistake they made against the Huskers last season. It ended up being a 3-point win for Iowa because they allowed the Cornhuskers to rally from 15 points down to tie the game with only a few minutes left before Iowa then kicked the game-winning field goal. Nebraska is off a huge win but it came against a horrible Maryland team. Lets not forget the Huskers are on a 2-9 ATS run and also have covered just ONCE the last EIGHT times they have been a home dog. Facing the Cornhuskers at Nebraska is not what it once was in terms of being difficult on a visitor. By the way, the Hawkeyes are 18-3 ATS their last 21 games as a road favorite. Look for the visitor to improve to 6-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings between these teams. In terms of SU winner, Iowa has won 5 of the last 6 meetings. Nebraska has not beaten a good team all season. They have 5 wins and 4 came against teams with a combined record of 10-34. The other win came against a 6-5 Illinois team that is vastly over-rated and extremely fortunate to have 6 wins. Now facing an 8-3 Iowa team whose 3 losses came by a total of 14 points (against Penn State, Michigan, and Wisconsin), the Huskers will prove to be out-classed here. Nebraska has 5 losses including 3 by a total of 84 points (!) to Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Minnesota. The Golden Gophers team that beat the Cornhuskers by 27 points is the same Minnesota team that Iowa beat a few weeks ago. Big difference right now in the level of these programs right now, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. 10* IOWA |
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11-28-19 | Bills +7 v. Cowboys | Top | 26-15 | Win | 100 | 8 h 1 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #307 Thursday 10* Top Play Buffalo Bills (+) @ Dallas Cowboys @ 4:30 ET - The Bills are 8-3 this season and their defense has been great. All the pressure is on the Cowboys in this one. Keep in mind the Patriots, as usual, have a stranglehold on the top of the AFC East division but the Bills are in great shape in terms of a Wild Card spot because every other Wild Card contender has 5 losses already. As for the Cowboys, the only way to make the playoffs (most likely) is by winning the division and Dallas has the Eagles just one game in back of them even though Philadelphia is dealing with a ton of injuries and seemingly trying to hand the division to Dallas. The Cowboys simply haven't taken advantage of the situation and coach Jason Garrett is on the hot seat. Again, all the pressure here is on Dallas to perform at home and I love the Bills here as a big underdog after their dominating effort on defense versus Denver. Buffalo has just 3 losses this season and 2 of those came by 6 or less points. The Cowboys have lost 5 of their past 8 games. Dallas certainly is familiar with playing on Thanksgiving Day but that hasn't helped their results at the betting window. The Cowboys are on a 1-7 ATS run in Thanksgiving games and the only cover was a fortunate one as they beat the Redskins by 8 last year as a 7.5 point favorite. They won't be so fortunate here. Dallas has failed to cover 2 of last 3 at home and the Bills are undefeated ATS in their 5 road games this season at 4-0-1 ATS. The Cowboys are 6-11 ATS against teams with a winning record including 1-3 ATS (0-4 SU!) this season! 10* BUFFALO |
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11-28-19 | Maryland v. Temple +10 | Top | 76-69 | Win | 100 | 5 h 35 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #762 Thursday 10* Top Play Temple Owls (+) vs Maryland Terrapins @ 11 AM ET - Both teams are undefeated early this season and certainly the #5 ranked Terrapins are the better overall team. Of course that is why they're a large favorite in this neutral site game played in Florida as part of the Orlando Invitational on this Thanksgiving weekend. Don't be surprised if the Owls give Maryland all they can handle here however. Temple is off a big upset win at USC in which the Owls won by 9 as a 9 point underdog. They are responding well under head coach Aaron McKie. The Philly native was an assistant coach under Fran Dunphy and has this team playing very well early this season. The key is defense and work ethic - on the boards and elsewhere. Even when the Owls are at a size disadvantage (like they were against the Trojans) they are scrappy and work hard to get rebounds and loose balls. Temple is one of the top teams in the nation early this season in steals per game and they are going to challenge Maryland here. Yes the Terps have won all their games by double digits early this season but this will be their toughest test yet. Maryland is on a 2-5 ATS run the last 7 times they have been a neutral court favorite. The Owls got a boost in confidence with their win at Southern Cal last weekend and they are 8-4 ATS when off a road win and also 5-2 ATS when a neutral court underdog of 9.5 to 12 points. 10* TEMPLE |
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11-27-19 | Wichita State +1 v. West Virginia | Top | 63-75 | Loss | -108 | 10 h 5 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #751 Wednesday 10* Top Play Wichita State Shockers (+) vs West Virginia Mountaineers @ 8:30 PM ET in Championship Game of Riviera Division in the Cancun Challenge in Mexico - Both teams undefeated on the season but while the Shockers coasted to victory in their win over South Carolina yesterday, the Mountaineers were absolutely pushed to the limit in their win over Northern Iowa yesterday. In fact, West Virginia was actually down 15 points in the second half of that game before they went on a major rally! With under a minute and a half to go the Mountaineers were still down but they ended the game on a 7-0 run to get the win. Wichita State forced 19 turnovers in their win yesterday and completely disrupted the Gamecocks all game long. They will look for similar results here against the Mountaineers. In this tough back to back situation, the Shockers are certainly the more rested team physically based on the way their blowout win played out against South Carolina. While the Shockers have failed to cover just 4 times in their last 13 games, West Virginia has 4 ATS losses in its past 6 games. Situational value here and coach Greg Marshall's team is on a mission in this tourney and they proved that with the way the manhandled the Gamecocks yesterday. This Shockers team currently firing on all cylinders on both ends of the floor. 10* WICHITA STATE |
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11-26-19 | Clippers v. Mavs +2.5 | Top | 114-99 | Loss | -108 | 10 h 6 m | Show |
NBA TV Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #524 Tuesday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks (+) vs Los Angeles Clippers @ 8:35 ET - Much is made of "load management" when it comes to the star players and their minutes these days. Of course that has been a big key with Kawhi Leonard for quite some time now too. I firmly believe it is no coincidence that the Clippers are 0-3 SU this season when they are playing the front end of a back to back. That is the case here for Los Angeles. After facing Dallas tonight, the Clippers are at Memphis tomorrow. The Clips are 0-3 this season with the losses coming by an average margin of 9.3 points when they are playing the front end of a back to back. As for the Mavericks, they are in a very nice scheduling situation here as they have two off days after this game and then they begin a road trip. With two off days on deck the Mavs will go all out here. Dallas is 2-1 SU this season in games prior to a two day break in the schedule. I like the fact that the Mavericks have won 5 straight games both SU and ATS and have averaged 130 points per game during this winning streak. The Clippers have also won 5 straight games but have averaged 114 points per game in the last 4 games of that streak. With the home court edge and the situational edge and the fact that the Mavericks have been so hot with their shooting, I am grabbing the home dog in this match-up. The home teams has won and covered each of the last 4 meetings. More of the same here. 10* DALLAS |
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11-26-19 | Ohio v. Akron +28 | Top | 52-3 | Loss | -103 | 9 h 13 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #302 Tuesday 10* Top Play Akron Zips (+) vs Ohio University Bobcats @ 6 ET - The Zips showed last week at Miami (Ohio) that they weren't going to just lay down to end the season. It has been a miserable season for Akron and they entered that game 0-10 SU and ATS. However, as a massive underdog of 4 TDs the Zips hung tough with the RedHawks throughout that game and lost by just 3 points. Keep in mind that was on the road too and Miami has had a strong season. That is why I love taking Akron this week as a 4 TD underdog at home. Yes Ohio University needs to win this game for bowl eligibility but the Zips would love to spoil that for the Bobcats and avoid an 0-12 season in the process. While I don't see that happening, I do expect them to hang around in this game all the way through. Ohio U is off a dominating win at Bowling Green but they entered that game just 2-8 ATS this season. As bad as the Zips season has been they have had only one loss by more than 29 points in their past 10 games. Again, Akron would love to spoil the Bobcats bowl hopes and, while I don't see that happening here, I do expect them to hang within a couple scores throughout this game. The Zips are actually 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings between these teams and the last time they hosted Ohio U they won outright as a double digit dog! Last week's big Bobcats win was the first time this season they had won a game by a margin of more than 21 points. Also, Ohio U's first 4 wins this season came by an average margin of 10.5 points. This game will be much closer than many are expecting. 10* AKRON |
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11-25-19 | Ravens v. Rams +4 | Top | 45-6 | Loss | -110 | 16 h 32 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NFL Monday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Rams (+) vs Baltimore Ravens @ 8:15 ET - The odds makers were completely unaware that the Ravens have been playing better than the Rams this season so they set the odds at a pick'em in this one. I am kidding of course but you can see where I am going with this one. This game opened up with Baltimore as a picks and now the line is up to as high as a -4 as of very early game day morning even though this match-up is at Los Angeles. In typical contrarian fashion I am going against the move here as I back LA in this one. The Rams strength on offense is the pass game and the Ravens weakness on defense is against the pass. Baltimore's strength on offense is the run game while the Rams strength on defense is against the run. Per the above and the fact I am getting more than a field goal with a quality home team, I like the dog in this one! The Rams have allowed just 11 points per game in their last 4 games while the Ravens have allowed 21 points per game in their last 4 road games. The Rams defense is not getting enough respect here and don't be surprised if their passing attack does some solid damage here on offense in this one. 10* LOS ANGELES |
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11-25-19 | 76ers +1 v. Raptors | Top | 96-101 | Loss | -115 | 14 h 18 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #507 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:35 ET - The Raptors are 6-0 at home this season. Toronto also has amazingly won 13 straight regular season home games over Philadelphia as well. That said this this line must be a huge mistake, right? Long-time followers know how I feel about "mistakes" by the odds makers. The point is don't be fooled by this line. The Sixers come in rolling off a huge win over a solid Miami team. That was the type of blowout home win that can spring a team to success in their very next game even if on the road. Of course this is a massive revenge game from last year's playoff loss for the 76ers against the Raptors when Kawhi Leonard hit that amazing game-ending shot to send Philly home for the summer. The fact is Leonard is now in LA with the Clippers, Serge Ibaka has been out and if he returns tonight would be less than 100 percent and rusty, and Kyle Lowry is still out for Toronto with an injury. Even though the Raptors have had a good start to this season this is still a team that is currently a shell of its former self. As for the Sixers, in terms of key players all hands are on deck and healthy. Only Furkan Korkmaz is questionable but Jason Richardson is back so that negates the impact of the Korkmaz injury. This is a payback game for the 76ers which has been circled in blood once the schedule came out. Look for a road rout in this one as you'll see probably the most determined effort so far this season from a hungry Sixers team here. 10* PHILADELPHIA |
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11-24-19 | Hamilton v. Winnipeg +4 | Top | 12-33 | Win | 100 | 9 h 32 m | Show |
Grey Cup Dominator - Rickenbach CFL Rotation #896 Sunday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Blue Bombers (+) vs Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ 6 ET - Give Hamilton credit for being here and certainly they are a great team but I don't see Winnipeg being denied. The Tiger-Cats had the best regular season and record and then, after a bye the first week of the playoffs, they faced an Edmonton team that was truly only a mediocre team this season. But how about these Blue Bombers and what they have faced. They didn't get a first round bye they went on the road and beat a great Calgary team in the first week of the playoffs. Then last week, courtesy of some great late game defense including goal line stands, they went on the road again and beat another great team in Saskatchewan. The point is that the Blue Bombers defense is rising to the occasion at the right time and they truly seem like a team of destiny at this point. They are on a roll and playing every week and winning every week and even on the road in tough venues. I feel Hamilton, as strong as they are, may struggle here in playing their first non-home game since October! Look for the road warrior Blue Bombers to deliver the shocking upset here but of course I am grabbing the points and loving the line move here. A line that opened up with Hamilton as the slightest of favorites now has the Ti-Cats as a 4-point fave here. Fade the move, this Blue Bombers teams is special this year and has allowed just 13.5 points per game in this post-season. If Hamilton does prevail I certainly expect it to be by 3 or less points so I love the underdog value here and I expect the outright upset. Grab the points. 10* WINNIPEG |
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11-24-19 | Kings +3.5 v. Wizards | Top | 113-106 | Win | 100 | 7 h 13 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #569 Sunday 10* Top Play Sacramento Kings (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 6:05 ET - I am going to fade the line move here. Wizards opened up only favored by a bucket here but now are closer to two buckets and the fact is Washington had absolutely no business covering their game against Charlotte Friday night. That one handed me a 1/2 point ATS loss and I certainly haven't forgotten about it. The Wizards truly looked like they weren't even going to win the game let alone cover it. When a team wins a game like that it has no business winning it tends to mask issues. The fact is that Washington is a bad team defensively but they don't even realize they need to fix it because they get a fortunate win like that over the Hornets. Now here come the Kings whom, though dealing with injuries, are very scrappy and play much better defense. Prior to allowing 116 points in back to back games Sacramento had allowed less than 102 points in 5 of 7 games. Of course this was a key part of the reason the Kings had won 6 of 8 games prior to their ugly loss at Brooklyn Friday. They'll make up for that defeat here and I am expecting an outright win for a Kings team that will prove to be the much hungrier team in this match-up. They have tough games coming up at Boston and Philly and the Kings are smart enough to know this is the game they need to get. I expect them to do just that but am grabbing the points as added insurance. 10* SACRAMENTO |
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11-24-19 | Jaguars +3.5 v. Titans | Top | 20-42 | Loss | -109 | 7 h 16 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NFL Rotation #267 Sunday 10* Top Play Jacksonville Jaguars (+) @ Tennessee Titans @ 4:05 ET - Jacksonville got blown out by 20 points last week but Nick Foles returned at QB and will be even sharper in his second game back. Tennessee is off a bye week but the Titans got a miracle comeback win over the Chiefs prior to the bye. This is the type of a situation where a team often struggles and Tennessee also has failed to cover 5 of its last 6 divisional games. The Jags come in fired up off an ugly loss and Jacksonville did have a bye the prior week so they are in pretty good shape here from a health standpoint. Tennessee is playing with revenge here from a loss at Jacksonville earlier this season when Minshew was at QB. However, this Titans defeat simply continued their recurring pattern of struggling in divisional games. Also, there is a reason Tennessee opened up as only 2.5 point favorites when lines first came out on this game. They since rose to as high as a 4 and I love fading the moves in situations just like this one. By the way, the Titans are 1-9 ATS in games 9 through 12 of a season when they are off a home game. Watch that big win over the Chiefs leave Tennessee a bit flat in this one and Foles and the Jaguars are coming off hungry after getting blasted at Indianapolis. Remember that is now back to back ugly defeats for Jacksonville (also lost in London two weeks ago) and the Jaguars are 7-2 ATS in games 9 through 12 of a season when they are off a loss that came by a double digit margin both SU and ATS. 10* JACKSONVILLE |
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11-23-19 | Heat +4 v. 76ers | Top | 86-113 | Loss | -104 | 9 h 5 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #553 Saturday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:35 ET - Both teams were in action last night and Philly does have the advantage of being at home for this one. However, this is a horrible spot for the 76ers because you know they can't help but look ahead. On deck for the Sixers is a huge game Monday which is their first crack at Toronto since the infamous Game 7 knockout blow on the last second shot from Kawhi Leonard sent the Raptors to the Eastern Conference finals and sent the 76ers home for the summer. That huge game is Monday at Toronto and the last team you want to be overlooking right now is Miami but that is the situation here and I fully expect the Heat to take advantage. Though Philly has won 3 straight, this was preceded by a 2-5 stretch for the Sixers. Miami has definitely been the hotter team as they have won 5 straight games and are 11-3 on the season. The Heat shoot better overall and particularly much better from three point land. They also defend much better and that includes from three point land as well. They are the better team at this point in the season and yet we get a handful of points because the Sixers are at home. That is the perceived edge for the 76ers here but again it is a bad situational spot for them and they aren't even the better team in this match-up at this point in the season. Additionally, back to backs always seem to put a strain on Philadelphia because of Joel Embiid's conditioning issues. 10* MIAMI |
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11-23-19 | Yale +16 v. Penn State | Top | 56-58 | Win | 100 | 6 h 57 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #609 Saturday 10* Top Play Yale Bulldogs (+) @ Penn State Nittany Lions @ 4 ET - The Bulldogs lost 4 starters coming into this season but they are already exceeding early season expectations. That's because Yale has a strong foundation with its program and guys who were coming off the bench last season are now taking over key roles and they are performing extremely well. The Bulldogs are 3-2 this season and the two losses came at San Francisco and at Oklahoma State. They lost by just 5 as a 4.5 dog to SF and they lost by just 7 as a 13 point dog to OSU. The Bulldogs can hang tough here with Penn State. The Nittany Lions are simply getting a little too much love here from the betting markets. This line opened up at a 14.5 and has risen to a 16 as of this morning. Penn State, of course, is a Big Ten team but they're certainly not the upper echelon of the conference and the Bulldogs are a top team in the Ivy. Now I am not staying Yale wins this game, of course not. I am just saying I believe they will keep this loss in single digit territory just like they did against a tough Cowboys team on the road. The Nittany Lions only tough test so far this season was at Georgetown but the Hoyas are very bad on the defensive end. The Bulldogs will prove to be a stiffer challenge and the rest of the Lions early season schedule has been very light. Grab the big points here. 10* YALE |
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11-23-19 | North Texas -6.5 v. Rice | Top | 14-20 | Loss | -109 | 6 h 27 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #185 Saturday 10* Top Play North Texas Mean Green (-) @ Rice Owls @ 3:30 ET - First off QB Mason Fine is probable for this game and of course that was an important aspect of this play. With Fine at the controls the Mean Green offense is tough to stop and I don't foresee the Owls being able to keep up in this one. North Texas is angry here as they have had time to work up plenty of energy for this one. The Mean Green got demolished 52-17 by Louisiana Tech before their bye week. Keep in mind, prior to this North Texas had averaged 37 points per game in their 6 prior games. Look for their offense to bounce back huge here and keep in mind they are facing a 1-win Rice team. In similar match-ups with struggling teams in CUSA, the Mean Green annihilated UTSA 45-3 and UTEP 52-26. I know the Owls have been more competitive this season but, again, they just don't match up well here because they don't have the offense to keep up. Rice is off a shocking upset win at Middle Tennessee but the Owls were outgained in that game and won thanks to turnovers. Rice still didn't get to the 400 yard mark on offense and they allowed more than 450 yards but won the game and the point is that the Owls 377 yards was a season high. So Rice had their best game on offense and yet still were fortunate to win. They won't be so fortunate here. North Texas has defeated the Owls in each of their last 3 meetings and all wins came by 7 or more points with an average victory margin of 15.7 points! The Mean Green are 8-2 ATS when they are playing with rest and facing a team with a losing record. When Rice is off a road game (in this case was massive upset too since they were a double digit dog) they have gone 4-12 ATS! 10* NORTH TEXAS |
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11-22-19 | Hornets +6.5 v. Wizards | Top | 118-125 | Loss | -109 | 9 h 4 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Rotation #529 Friday 10* Top Play Charlotte Hornets (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - The Wizards are what one could call a false favorite. What I mean by that is this: Washington is such a poor team that it is really hard to justify them being favored over anyone. Now certainly Charlotte has had its own share of struggles this season but they still have the better record in this match-up and the Hornets are catching the Wizards off an upset win over the Spurs. Washington is just 8-21 SU when coming off an outright upset win! The Wizards were 2 point dog against San Antonio but got the win and yet they were just 1-3 SU at home this season entering that game. The Hornets are very hungry here as they are off back to back losses both SU and ATS. On the season Charlotte has not had a 3-game ATS losing streak and I don't expect that to change here. In this divisional match-up the Hornets are going to battle hard and they are also 2-0 ATS this season when they enter a game off consecutive games in which they were held to 101 points or less. Their offensive production will see a big uptick here as the Wizards certainly are not known for defense. Charlotte has allowed 106 points or less in 3 of their last 4 games. Washington has allowed 121 points or more in 7 of its last 10 games. 10* CHARLOTTE |
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11-21-19 | NC State +2 v. Georgia Tech | Top | 26-28 | Push | 0 | 11 h 49 m | Show |
ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFB Rotation #111 Thursday 10* Top Play NC State Wolfpack (+) @ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ 8 ET - The Wolfpack have struggled recently but their defense looks healthier now than it has in recent games and also it was their secondary that was injury riddled. That means they match-up better with a run-heavy team like Georgia Tech than they would against teams that like to air it out. That being said, I like this match-up for NC State. Yes both teams have had tough seasons but the Wolfpack actually outgained Louisville last week and were simply done in by a 3-0 turnover deficit. As for Georgia Tech, they got smashed by Virginia Tech last week by a count of 45-0. The Yellow Jackets are getting outgained by nearly 165 yards per game in ACC action! The Wolfpack, on the other hand, actually have a positive yardage margin in ACC games this season! The road team has won 5 straight in this series and the Wolfpack need a win here to keep their bowl hopes alive. For the Yellow Jackets, their season is over and they certainly played like it last week too! More of the same expected here. 10* NC STATE |
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11-21-19 | Duquesne v. Indiana State +7 | Top | 74-71 | Win | 100 | 8 h 39 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Rotation #788 Thursday 10* Top Play Indiana State Sycamores (+) vs Duquesne Dukes @ 6:30 ET - Everyone is on the Dukes here so you know where my money is going to go. In typical contrarian fashion I am fading the move and going with the Sycamores here. It stands to reason that everyone is loving laying the number here with a 3-0 Duquesne team against an 0-3 Indiana State team. However, lets not forget that the Sycamores have played a tougher schedule this season. Their most recent game was against a respectable MAC program, Ball State, and the Sycamores two prior games were against Dayton and Louisville! The Dukes have been battling it out with the likes of Princeton, Lamar, and Lipscomb. I feel that the markets aren't properly evaluating that aspect of this match-up and I am looking for Indiana State to view this tourney in the Bahamas as a new beginning. They'll immediately put that 0-3 start in the rear view mirror with full focus on this tournament. Keep in mind the Sycamores were a dog in all 3 of their games to begin this season while Duquesne was a favorite in all three of theirs. Also, both teams returned 4 starters this season. Look for this game to be a battle all the way to the final horn which means we've got great value with the generous points being offered here. 10* INDIANA STATE |