Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #651 Thursday 8* Purdue Boilermakers (+) vs Tennessee Volunteers @ 7:30 PM ET - A lot of people will be looking at Tennessee here after getting burned by them against Iowa. However, the fact is the Vols are fortunate to even be here after managing to gut out a win in overtime. Had the Hawkeyes managed to get that timeout called right near the end of regulation the Volunteers could have been knocked out of the tourney after blowing that massive lead. The fact is the Vols go from facing one tough Big Ten team to facing an even tougher team! Purdue faced Iowa once this season and knocked them off by double digits. The Boilers have been playing fantastic on the defensive end in this tournament and, going further back, have held 7 of their last 10 opponents under 40% from the field. In fact only one of those 10 teams shot better than 42.9% from the field. As for the Vols D, they entered the Iowa game having allowed 44.6% or more from the field in 4 of their 5 prior games. That said, though their full game numbers against the Hawkeyes look solid, the Volunteers were in full scramble mode trying to contain Iowa in what was a massive 2nd half beatdown. Truly an inexcusable performance when you're supposed to be one of the best teams in the nation. That said, just watch what happens now when the Volunteers face an even tougher opponent! The Vols are 4-9 ATS their last 13 games for a reason - they are over-rated! The Boilers are peaking at the right time and I fully expect them to improve to 6-2 ATS their last 8 games with another W here. Long-term Tennessee is on an 8-21 ATS run when their line ranges from a pick'em to a -3 on a neutral court. The Boilermakers are on a 26-14 ATS run in non-conference games and continue to be under-valued by the betting markets. 8* PURDUE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #502 Thursday 10* Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:05 ET - Enough is enough for the Sixers. After knocking off their nemesis (and long-time rival) Boston, they've lost back to back games at Atlanta and Orlando. Now they are back home and in need of a big win and the Nets are going to feel the wrath. Note that Philly is 5-0 SU this season when they enter a game off B2B SU losses. You read that right. The Sixers have NEVER lost 3 straight game this entire season and I don't expect that to change here either. However, what about the spread (currently 7.5) on this game? The fact is that the Nets are 7-26 ATS in their last 33 losses! In other words, when you're holding a Brooklyn ticket and they lose the game SU, you're only cashing your ticket about 20% of the time! I like the 76ers to roll big at home in this one as they also are playing this game with home loss revenge. That is a situation that has seen them go 37-19 ATS in recent seasons including 6-3 ATS this season. Also, when the Sixers are off a loss by a double digit margin, they've gone 37-18 in recent seasons including a superb 10-3 ATS this season. This one has home blowout written all over it. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #619 Tuesday 10* Top Play Creighton Bluejays (+) @ TCU Horned Frogs @ 9 ET - I am happy to challenge TCU here. The Horned Frogs have struggled in the biggest of games this season. TCU went a combined 0-7 against Kansas State, Texas Tech, and Kansas this season. The Horned Frogs enter this game off back to back wins and covers but they entered the NIT Tournament on a 3-11 ATS run. As for the Bluejays, they are peaking at the right time. With each win the confidence grows and Creighton enters this game having won 7 of their last 8 games both SU and ATS. Also, the lone loss during that stretch came by just 2 points and would be an ATS win based on the current number posted on this game. By the way, that number has grown too and I like fading the masses. The earliest number on this game had TCU at "just" a -3 so, of course, everyone jumped on the Horned Frogs at a small number on their home floor and drove the line to as high as a -4.5 in some spots. Creighton has a rest edge here as they have had 3 days off prior to this game while the Horned Frogs will be playing this game with just one day of rest. Note that TCU is a poor 0-5 ATS the last 5 times they've played a game with 1 day or less of rest between games. Give me the points with the rested team rolling with confidence right now. 10* CREIGHTON

Early Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #559 Tuesday 10* Top Play Orlando Magic (+) @ Miami Heat @ 7:35 ET - Many will be looking to fade Orlando here because they are off a big win over the 76ers last night so it looks like the ideal spot to go against a team in a back to back situation. However, remember that we are now at the point in the season where there are very few "tomorrows" left for a team. In other words, the Magic need to win now or their season will be coming to an end. They are in a battle with Miami for the top spot in the Southeast Division and punching their ticket to the post-season. That said, there is absolutely not going to be a letdown here from the Magic in the slightest sense of the word. The time to win is now. I also like the fact that Orlando did have two days off prior to hosting the Sixers last night so they are truly not that fatigued here. Additionally, hosting Philly last night was just the 3rd game for Orlando in the past 8 days! As for Miami, though they have been off two days heading into this one they had played 5 games in 7 days prior to the 2-day break. In fact one could argue that the Magic should have the fresher legs here overall despite being in a back to back. Orlando has played less recently than Miami has. Also, not much distance separates these instate rivals so it truly should not come as a big surprise that the road team has covered 4 of the last 5 meetings. The Heat won and covered their most recent home game but that was preceded by a 4-9 ATS run as a host! Also, the Magic are surging with confidence as they bring a 5-game winning streak into this one. If Orlando falls just short here I like the fact we've got a handful of points to work with as well but I am expecting the outright upset here. The Magic are 16-7 ATS after scoring 115 points or more and also 12-6 ATS this season after a win by a double digit margin. Last night they held Philly without a field goal for a stretch of 12 minutes! Miami is 1-6 SU and ATS in Tuesday games and the Heat are an ugly 5-10 ATS in divisional match-ups this season. 10* ORLANDO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #558 Tuesday 8* Charlotte Hornets (+) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 7:05 ET - The Spurs are off a big road win at Boston on Sunday. However, the road has not been kind to San Antonio of late. In fact the Spurs were 3-8 in their last 11 road games prior to beating the Celtics. Now instead of facing a floundering Boston team that is struggling, the Spurs visit Charlotte where the Hornets are rested and have been buzzing. Charlotte was off yesterday and they enter this game still very much alive in the 3-way race for the Southeast Division. With Miami battling Orlando tonight, the Hornets know that with a win over the Spurs they would be able to gain ground on one of those two teams for sure once tonight's results are in the books. Charlotte enters this game having won 3 straight SU and ATS. Also the Hornets have won 3 of their last 4 home games SU and they are catching a few points here. I like the home dog value being offered here with all things considered. The Spurs are 1-7 ATS the last 8 times they were off a game in which they scored 115 points or more. Look for that trend to continue here. 8* CHARLOTTE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #547 Monday 8* Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - Great line value here. Orlando is getting some attention because they've won 4 straight games. However, even with winning those 4 games the Magic still have a losing record on the season. Philadelphia is angry after losing at downtrodden Atlanta on Saturday and will atone for that performance here. The 76ers are 9-2 SU their last 11 games against a team with a losing record. Speaking of losing records, the Hawks were one of 4 teams with losing records that Orlando has beaten in their 4-game winning streak. The other 3 were the Pelicans, Grizzlies, and Cavaliers. Those 4 teams are all eliminated from post-season contention and are a combined 86 games under .500 on the season! Now the Magic host a Philly team that is angry off a loss and is 21 games over .500 on the season. This is tremendous line value to have with the Sixers laying a short number and it is because they are on the road and because of Orlando's "fools gold" 4-game winning streak. The Magic face a true test today and it is one they will fail. Philly is 5-1 their last 6 against Orlando and the 5 wins have come by an average margin of a dozen points. Keep in mind the 76ers are 20-5 SU this season when off a loss and this line is only a -2. In other words, any SU win is likely to also equate to an ATS win. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #606 Monday 8* West Virginia Mountaineers (-) vs Coastal Carolina Chanticleers @ 7 ET - Coastal Carolina has the better record on the season but West Virginia has played the much tougher schedule. The Mountaineers are a fantastic 7-1 ATS as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points. West Virginia is also 9-3 ATS in a home game where the total is 155 to 159.5 points. The Chanticleers are 0-7 ATS as a road underdog of 6.5 to 9 points. Coastal Carolina is 1-3 ATS in a road game where the total is 155 to 159.5 points. The Chanticleers enters this game on an overall 3-8 ATS run and have shot the ball poorly in 3 straight games. That is unlikely to improve in a road game at West Virginia! The Mountaineers are a perfect 3-0 ATS in their last 3 home games and the average margin of victory was a dozen points even though they were a dog in 2 of the 3 games! Home blowout here. 8* WEST VIRGINIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #607 Monday 10* Top Play Utah Valley Wolverines (-) @ South Florida Bulls @ 7 ET - The Auburn Tigers are in the Sweet 16 in the Big Dance. What does that have to do with this play? Plenty! The Tigers barely survived their first round game when they beat the New Mexico State Aggies by just a single point. That is the same Aggies team that finished ahead of Utah Valley in the WAC this season. The Wolverines faced New Mexico State twice this season and lost to them by an average margin of just 6 points. Had the Aggies got by Auburn it might be New Mexico State in the Sweet 16 and the point is that Utah Valley - a team many may not follow that closely - is actually a quality basketball program. Look for the Wolverines to upset the Bulls here. South Florida barely survived Stony Brook to get to this point. Prior to that win, the Bulls had lost 7 of their 8 prior games. They've been on a late season fade and Utah Valley's strength of schedule is NOT that much different from USF on the season. That said, the fact that the Wolverines are 24-6 in their last 30 games and the Bulls are 2-7 in their last 9 games means plenty! 10* UTAH VALLEY

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #542 Sunday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (-) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 7:35 ET - While it is true that this is a back to back spot for the Celtics, there are a number of reasons to like Boston plenty in this situation and laying a very short number. The line has dropped from a -3 to a -2 so we're getting some extra value here for sure. Keys to this play include the fact that the Celtics blew a huge late lead in their loss at Charlotte yesterday. As a result, Boston ended up with their 3rd straight SU loss. The Celtics are 9-2 SU and ATS the last 11 times they've entered a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. Boston also has no shortage of motivation here. That's because the Spurs have held the upper hand in recent meetings and that includes the first match-up this season at San Antonio. The Celtics led that game by 6 at the half but then got outscored by 15 points in the 2nd half. It is payback time here. The Spurs are off back to back losses and their recent winning streak that grabbed a lot of attention was filled with home games and a majority of soft opponents. In other words, look for San Antonio to lose their 3rd straight game here as not only are they not at home, they are also certainly not facing a soft opponent. The Spurs have lost 4 of their last 6 road games and the only two wins came at Atlanta and Dallas. Those teams are a combined 37 games under .500 on the season! The Celtics are 98-42 at home including 26-11 this season. With those types of numbers and considering the low spread on this game, I am happy to lay the short number here. 10* BOSTON

2nd Round Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Game #869 Sunday 10* Top Play Buffalo Bulls (+) vs Texas Tech Red Raiders @ 6:10 ET - The Bulls are a #6 seed for a reason. Yes they come from the MAC but no one in the MAC was anywhere close to their level this season. They were the top team in the conference by a huge margin and that truly puts them at a level of being able to compete with any team in the nation in my opinion. Buffalo is deep and loaded with scoring depth and experience. That is the type of team that can challenge a solid defense like the Red Raiders have. That said, and with this line climbing from +3 to a +4, I am happy to grab the underdog value here with Buffalo. Note that the Bulls are 9-2 ATS in non-conference games this season. Long-term Buffalo also has some impressive technical support here as the Bulls are 10-1 ATS in a neutral court game where the total is 145 to 149.5 points. The Red Raiders are 0-3 ATS (and SU!) in a neutral court game where the total is 145 to 149.5 points. Certainly I respect the Texas Tech defense but will they have enough offense to keep up with a Bulls team that has a very balanced attack on offense? I don't think so as I know that the Red Raiders have been scoring much better for an extended stretch now but they've also faced some match-ups that were very favorable for them and this one does not fall into that category in my opinion. I am expecting the upset here but will grab the points for added insurance should the Bulls fall just short. 10* BUFFALO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #865 Sunday 8* Iowa Hawkeyes (+) vs Tennessee Volunteers @ 12:10 ET - As I mentioned in my write-up Friday when I had Iowa over Cincinnati, the Hawkeyes entered the Big Dance having lost 5 of their last 6 games SU and also on a 1-9 ATS run. However, the NCAA Tournament can be a "season" in and of its own and is like a fresh start. Certainly Iowa has a renewed feeling after upsetting the Bearcats in the first round and, keep in mind, they only recently got coach Fran McCaffery back after a couple of the late season losses in their slump had a little something to do with McCaffery's absence due to a suspension. The Hawkeyes shot lights out in the 2nd half of their Friday game and that was against a Cincinnati defense that is known for being tougher than this Volunteers defense. Certainly Tennessee is likely to score well in this game but I don't see them stopping Iowa. The Vols have been horrible at defending the arc particularly when away from home as they've allowed 39% three pointers on the season. In the last 5 games alone (including an unimpressive win over a Colgate team they should have dominated), the Volunteers have allowed 36% or better from three point land in all 5 games. Also, the Vols allowed an average of 78.4 points per game in those five games. This total is in the mid 150s and Tennessee has been giving up plenty of points and Iowa averages 78.3 points on the season. In other words a 78-77 type game decided on the final possession would truly not be much of a surprise. Even if the Vols manage to get a sizable lead in this game, the Hawkeyes potent scoring attack means the backdoor will be left wide open for a cover as the Vols continue to struggle rotating properly and getting off screens on outside shots. The Hawkeyes are 11-5 ATS in neutral court games including 5-1 ATS this season while the Volunteers are an unprofitable 10-9 SU and ATS last 19 games on a neutral court. 8* IOWA

PA Insider - Rickenbach CBB Game #837 Saturday 10* Top Play Villanova Wildcats (+) vs Purdue Boilermakers @ 9 ET - Everyone is gunning for the national champions of course and it does make sense that the higher seed in this match-up would be the favorite. However, the result for us simply means exceptional line value. The defending champion Wildcats have been an underdog 5 times this season. The result has been a perfect 5-0 ATS mark in those games with 3 outright upsets. As for Purdue, they are a long-term 6-11 ATS in neutral court games where they are favored in a range of 3.5 to 6 points. Also, the most recent seasons in that role have seen the Boilermakers go 0-3 and two of the three losses were outright upsets which is what I am expecting here. Though Nova lost some key players from last season's team, they certainly are not without veteran leadership. Also, the Wildcats Jay Wright is absolutely one of the top coaches in the nation. This is a tough team to beat let alone beat by a couple buckets. Over the past 5 weeks Villanova hasn't been covering many of their games and this has resulted in diminished perception in the marketplace when it comes to the Wildcats. That leads to value in a spot like this because the Cats still have won 6 of their last 7 games SU and seem to be getting hot again at the perfect time. Purdue has not been shooting the ball well of late and they had lost 2 of 3 prior to knocking off an Old Dominion team that simply had a horrific shooting performance in their match-up Thursday. Also, the Boilers are on an 0-4 ATS run the last 4 times they've been a favorite of 6.5 points or less. Their struggles in that role continue here and I expect the upset but am happy to grab the generous points being offered. 10* VILLANOVA

Hidden Gem - Rickenbach NBA Game #519 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET - I am calling this a hidden gem because the fact it is that on a Saturday when the NCAA Tournament is going in full force there is simply very little attention being paid to the NBA. That works in our favor here as this line should be much higher than an 8. This is a revenge game for Philadelphia as they suffered a home loss at the hands of the Hawks in January. While it is true that the 76ers are off a much needed revenge win over the Celtics, it is also true that they have had two full off days since that game and after facing the Hawks they face another team, Orlando, that also has a losing record on the season. The point is that even if the Sixers start off a bit sluggish in Atlanta their superior talent level is eventually going to lead to a double digit win. Keep in mind the Hawks also, it could be argued, are in a flat spot here. That is because they just rallied for an upset win over the Jazz on Thursday. Prior to that win the Hawks had lost 10 of their last 15 games. The 76ers enter this game having won 6 straight games. Atlanta is 5-11 ATS in games against teams from the Atlantic Division this season. Philly is a long-term 37-18 ATS (including 6-2 ATS this season) when playing with home loss revenge. Also, the Sixers are 11-3 ATS when off a divisional game this season. In other words, even though they are off that big win over the Celtics, don't be surprised when the 76'ers eventually roll to a road rout win at Atlanta on Saturday night. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #840 Saturday 8* Florida State Seminoles (-) vs Murray State Racers @ 6:10 ET - The Racers are getting some love from the betting public after their big win over Marquette Thursday. However, the Golden Eagles don't have near the defensive capability that the Seminoles do. Look for Florida State's size and length to cause some issues for Murray State in this one. This line opened up as high as a 6 and has dropped to a 4.5 and there is great value here with laying a small number on FSU. The Seminoles have seen 25 of their 28 wins come by a margin of at least 5 points. In other words, if you expect the Noles to win this game, you can also can expect a high-percentage chance at covering the rather small number in this one. As for the Racers, they only have 4 SU losses on the season but all 4 came by at least a margin of 5 points. As you would expect given the different conferences these schools call home, Florida State has played a much tougher schedule than has Murray State. Also, the Racers are 2-7 ATS in a neutral court game with a posted total between 145 and 149.5 points. The Seminoles, unlike the Golden Eagles, do have the defenders needed to slow down Murray State's Ja Morant. That is a big key as to why this one will play out much differently for the Racers than their match-up with Marquette did. 8* FLORIDA STATE

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #844 Saturday 8* Kentucky Wildcats (-) vs Wofford Terriers @ 2:40 ET - The Terriers have won 22 straight games and are on a 13-1 ATS run. The betting public is well aware of that and is known for falling in love with the upstart underdog teams in the Big Dance. This has led to tremendously strong line value here on Kentucky. Yes it is the Wildcats first Big Dance for the young starters but their talent level is much greater than that of Wofford. Think about who the Terriers have played throughout this season and then think about all the quality teams that the Wildcats have gone toe to toe with throughout this season. Getting the Cats at a -5 here is an absolute bargain. Wofford actually only led Seton Hall by 1 point with under 5 minutes to go in their win over the Pirates. Certainly the Terriers deserve credit for their huge win and the fact that they close the game on a 17-2 run. However, the point is that this kind of late game run isn't happening here. This is not Seton Hall, this is a basketball program that is annually one of the best in the country. I can foresee Wofford hanging around in this one for awhile but eventually the talent of Kentucky takes over in this one. In non-conference action this season the Terriers did face some tougher teams. However, other than an upset win over South Carolina, note that Wofford lost to Mississippi State, North Carolina, Kansas, and Oklahoma. All 4 of those losses came by double digits. There is no reason to expect anything different here despite the betting markets current love affair with Wofford. 8* KENTUCKY

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #841 Saturday 8* Maryland Terrapins (+) vs LSU Tigers @ 12:10 ET - Both teams are off non-covering wins in the first round. For the Terrapins that makes them 1-4 ATS their last 5 games. On the season, when Maryland has entered a game having failed to cover the spread in 4 of their 5 prior games, they've covered their next game every single time. This will be the fourth such occurrence this season and I expect their record in this situation to improve to 4-0 ATS. As for the Tigers, they are now an ugly 5-9 ATS in neutral court games since the start of the 2016-17 season. Going further back, and specific to neutral court games where their line has ranged from a pick'em to a -3, LSU is a poor 6-10 ATS. In terms of a statistical analysis here, the Terrapins are the much better defensively and they also shoot the 3-ball better. I am expecting an upset but happy to grab the points being offered. 8* MARYLAND

1st Round Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Game #813 Friday 10* Top Play Ohio State Buckeyes (+) vs Iowa State Cyclones @ 9:50 ET - Having Kaleb Wesson back is a key for the Buckeyes and had he not had foul trouble and been limited to just 16 minutes versus Michigan State who knows how that eventual 7 point loss might have turned out. Keep in mind Wesson missed the final 3 games of the regular season and all 3 of those were losses. Certainly Wesson is an important player for Ohio State and he entered the Spartans game having scored 17 points or more in 3 of his 4 prior games. Also, Wesson had notched 5 steals, 7 assists, and 4 blocks in his 2 prior games. In his 5 prior games he had averaged 9.8 rebounds per game! The Buckeyes are 6-0 all time against the Cyclones and while I certainly respect Iowa State, did they use up all their magic in the feverish run through the Big 12 tourney? The fact is the Cyclones entered the tournament having lost 6 of their 8 prior games. I feel we're getting great line value here with the sizable points being offered to Ohio State. Iowa State is on an 0-4 ATS run in games with a posted total between 132 and 142 points. The Buckeyes physical style could take the Cyclones out of their game and Iowa State certainly is not known for their defense either so if their shots aren't falling on the other end they're in trouble here! We're getting line value here with Ohio State because they have an ugly ATS record on the season including a poor late season run at the betting window. Take advantage of the value with a team that is built well for some tournament upsets! 10* OHIO STATE

Early ATS Smash - Rickenbach NBA Game #506 Friday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) vs Los Angeles Clippers @ 7:35 ET - The Cavaliers are 4-0 SU and ATS in their last 4 home games and that included knocking off the Raptors and the Bucks! Now they host a Clippers team playing the first game of an eastern road swing. These road trips tend to be tough on west coast teams. Even if the Clippers find a way to notch a road win here I expect it to come by the slimmest of margins. Certainly with the Cavaliers confidence growing with each late season win they are playing their best basketball of the season and have a chance at the outright upset here. Kevin Love has been cleared to play and that was a key for me in backing the Cavs here. The Clippers are off a win and cover but, prior to that big home win versus the Pacers, the Clips had failed to cover 3 straight games. The Cavaliers are 10-4 ATS this season when off a divisional game. Los Angeles is 12-21 ATS when the Clippers enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games at home. 10* CLEVELAND

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #825 Friday 8* Oregon Ducks (+) vs Wisconsin Badgers @ 4:30 ET - This is another 12 through 5 match-up where even the odds makers are telling you an upset would not be a surprise. Yesterday we saw Murray State upset Marquette and New Mexico State very nearly upset Auburn. The Aggies 1 point loss to the Tigers easily got them the cover. Look for another ATS win here for a #12 seed and I expect another Wisconsin team to go down just like the Golden Eagles did against the Racers yesterday. Just a few days ago the Ducks were a 1.5 point favorite in this match-up and now they are a 2-point dog. As I so often do, I am going against the line move here and taking advantage of the value on the other side. The Badgers are led by front court star Ethan Happ but there are two issues with that in this match-up. First off, Oregon starts a point guard an then 4 guys all with height and this includes plenty of length and athleticism. They will be able to frustrate Happ to a degree. The other issue with the big man is he can't hit free throws as he is below 50% from the charity stripe. I respect the Badgers and their coach and their solid defense. But the Ducks, led by coach Dana Altman, also certainly deserve a ton of respect here and they are the much hotter team and, in my opinion, also match-up very well in what is expected to be a defensive-minded low-scoring battle. The Ducks are hot at the right time as they've won 8 straight both SU and ATS! The Badgers are a long-term 5-14 ATS in neutral court games where their line ranges from pick to a -3 and that includes 0-3 SU and ATS in recent seasons. Ride the hot Ducks! 8* OREGON

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #828 Friday 8* Kansas State Wildcats (-) vs Cal-Irvine Anteaters @ 2 ET - This line was as high as a 5.5 and is now as low as a 4 as of game day morning. I am happy to lay this number with the much superior and more battle-tested team. As you would expect, Kansas State has played a much tougher schedule than Cal-Irvine has. Also, the Catamounts come of out of the Big West and certainly won't surprise the Wildcats as they just saw them last season in November. The Cats demolished the Anteaters by a margin of 22 points. Most importantly was how consistent Kansas State was in the victory. They led at half by 13 and then won the second half by 9 points too. UC-Irvine is a popular choice for an upset here because they have a great record this season and enter the tourney on a huge long-term SU winning streak. However, those backing the Anteaters on the merits of those two factors are overlooking the difference in level of competition these two programs face. The numbers support that importance too as Cal-Irvine is a long-term 0-7 SU and 1-5 ATS in games against Big 12 opponents! UC Irvine is known for their defense but Kansas State can certainly play some D as well! Note that the Anteaters are just 1-3 ATS the last 4 times they've faced a team allowing 64 points or less per game. As for the Wildcats, they are 3-1 ATS when facing a team that is allowing 64 points or less per game. Also, the Cats are 10-4 ATS L14 games against teams with a winning record while Cal-Irvine went a modest 6-6 ATS against teams with a winning record this season. 8* KANSAS STATE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #805 Friday 8* Iowa Hawkeyes (+) vs Cincinnati Bearcats @ 12:15 ET - The Hawkeyes enter the Big Dance having lost 5 of their last 6 games SU and also on a 1-9 ATS run. However, the NCAA Tournament can be a "season" in and of its own and is like a fresh start. Post-season tournaments are also known not to go well under Mick Cronin at Cincinnati. I give Iowa a big coaching edge with Fran McCaffery and, keep in mind, he missed a couple of those late season Hawkeyes losses due to a suspension. The Bearcats finally got past Houston in the AAC Tournament and I won't be surprised if they now fall flat after that highly coveted win over the Cougars. Yes, this game is being played "close to home" for Cincinnati but the line opened up at a 3 with good reason and now that is moving to as high as a 5 in some spots, it is "go time" with the underdog Hawkeyes. The Bearcats are on a 4-11 ATS run in games against teams with a winning record. Iowa went 7-3 ATS this season as an underdog of 5.5 points or less and all 7 wins were outright upsets. I expect another upset win here but am grabbing the points with the Hawkeyes for "insurance" in this one should they fall just short. 8* IOWA

Early ATS Smash - Rickenbach NBA Game #586 Thursday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (+) vs Utah Jazz @ 7:35 ET - The Hawks are off back to back losses (SU and ATS). However, Atlanta previously was on an 11-3 ATS run. Also, though the Hawks have lost 3 straight games SU, that included match-ups with the Celtics and Rockets. Of course the Jazz also fall into the "quality team" category but I like the fact that Atlanta is at home and catching Utah in the 2nd game of a back to back. Getting 8 points with the Hawks in a spot like this is a great value. The Jazz are on a 5-game winning streak both SU and ATS but are still just 3-8 ATS when they enter a game on a SU winning streak of 3 or more games. In other words, don't be surprised when their 5-game run comes to an end tonight (at least ATS). Look for the Hawks to improve to 11-6 ATS this season when they enter a game on a losing streak (SU) of 3 or more games. 10* ATLANTA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #778 Thursday 10* Top Play Nevada Wolf Pack (-) vs Florida Gators @ 6:50 ET - The Gators are a popular choice for many due to having faced the tougher schedule this season since they come from the SEC. In typical contrarian fashion for me I am backing the Wolf Pack in this spot! The fact is that Nevada is a high-quality team and their weakness (depth/bench) won't be an issue here since they've had plenty of time off leading into this game. In fact, the Wolf Pack are 14-0 SU (11-2-1 ATS) the last 14 times they've entered a game with 5 or 6 days of rest between games. While Nevada has played an easier schedule than Florida one has to give them credit for their consistency and this Wolf Pack team has veteran players and Big Dance experience. They certainly won't be "star struck" by facing an SEC team on this stage. The Wolf Pack had one inexcusable performance (a loss to New Mexico) this season. Their other losses were to Utah State (28 wins) and San Diego State (21 wins). The Aztecs actually took 2 out of 3 from the Wolf Pack but Nevada's two losses to San Diego State were both by single digits while their win was by 28 points! Similarly, the Wolf Pack lost to the Aggies by just 5 points but their win over them came by 23 points! Nevada averages 80.7 points a game and certainly the Gators are an offensively challenged team. This game may be tight for awhile but eventually the Wolf Pack pull away and, with a small line on this game, that should translate to an easy cover. Florida is 6-18 SU (and 8-16 ATS) the last 24 times they've been an underdog. The Wolf Pack are 11-0 SU (and 8-2-1 ATS) when off a conference loss. 10* NEVADA

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #764 Thursday 8* Florida State Seminoles (-) vs Vermont Catamounts @ 2 ET - This line was as high as an 11.5 and is now as low as an 8.5 as of game day morning. I am happy to lay this number with the much superior and more battle-tested team. As you would expect, FSU has played a much tougher schedule than Vermont has. Also, the Catamounts come of out of the America East and have the full attention of the Seminoles after UMBC upset Virginia in last year's tournament. Vermont is getting a lot of positive play here from the betting markets as a result but lets not forget this team lost 4 of its top 7 scorers from last season. Now they're only getting single digits against an FSU team that reached the Elite Eight last season and knocked off top-seeded Gonzaga by a 15-point margin as part of their run. The Seminoles are loaded with talent and have great length and athleticism. The Catamounts simply don't match up well here and are not as experienced as last season's team. Florida State takes advantage. The Noles are 15-5 ATS the past few seasons, including 7-1 ATS this season, when facing a team that allows 64 points or less per game. Vermont is 1-3 ATS in their last 4 games against teams with a winning record. Also, the Catamounts are a long-term 1-3 ATS when they are a neutral court underdog in a range of 6.5 to 9 points. 8* FLORIDA STATE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #773 Thursday 8* Minnesota Golden Gophers (+) vs Louisville Cardinals @ 12:15 ET - What is fresh in the minds of many is the blowout loss that Minnesota suffered against Michigan in the Big Ten tournament. However, the Golden Gophers had won 4 of their 5 prior games. As for Louisville, they enter this match-up having won just 3 of their past 10 games. Also, even if the Cardinals find a way to win this game it is tough to cover spreads when you're not shooting the ball well. Louisville has been held to 41.7% or less from the field in 8 of their last 9 games. The Cardinals were held to 35.2% or less in 4 of those 8 games! Look for Minnesota to be a very "live dog" here and note that each of the aforementioned 4 wins did come when the Golden Gophers were an underdog. In fact, Minny has been a dog in 8 straight games and 12 of their last 13 so it is role they are certainly use to. Of course there is also the entire "Pitino Connection" that surrounds this match-up as well. Certainly the added motivation for the Golden Gophers only helps our cause here and, about that ugly loss to the Wolverines last week, note that Minny is 8-4 ATS this season when off a SU loss. Look for Louisville to drop to 5-10 ATS their last 15 neutral court games. 8* MINNESOTA

First Four Top Game - Rickenbach CBB Game #714 Wednesday 10* Top Play St John's Red Storm (+) vs Arizona State Sun Devils @ 9:10 ET - Long-term the Sun Devils are 5-9 SU and 4-8 ATS in games against teams from the Big East Conference. Also, the Pac-12 certainly was not overly impressive this season. Arizona State finished the season stronger than St John's did as the Sun Devils won 6 of their last 8 games while the Red Storm lost 4 of their last 5 games. However, when it is a "win to get in" situation, things can change in a hurry. In other words, don't be surprised when the Red Storm really raises their level of play on the defensive end in this one. Prior to an ugly loss to Xavier in their final game of February, St John's held their 6 prior opponents to an average of 40% from the field and none of those 6 shot better than 43% from the field. The Sun Devils enter this game having allowed 45% from the field over their last 7 games away from home. Arizona State beat the Red Storm when they most recently met two years ago but St John's had 9 more shots from the field but had a rare poor shooting night while the Sun Devils shot well in that match-up. The recent trending of these two teams as well as the ASU win in their most recent meeting is resulting in too much respect being given to the Sun Devils here. Grab the value with the hungry dog and, keep in mind, you hear a lot about St John's Shamorie Ponds but when Mustapha Herron plays 27 minutes or more (and he is healthier again), the Red Storm have won 4 of their last 6 games. Herron averaged 22 points per game in the 3 most recent of those 4 wins. Look for him to come up big here while Ponds and LJ Figueroa also have big games to lead the way to an "upset" here. 10* ST JOHN'S

Atlantic Division #1 Top Game - Rickenbach NBA Game #568 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Boston Celtics @ 7:05 ET - The 76ers purposely rested Joel Embiid last night in their win at Charlotte so he would be ready for this huge match-up tonight as the Sixers host the Celtics. The very first number that popped up offshore on this one had Philly -4.5 but the line has dropped down to as low as a -2.5 as of early game day morning. This is offering great line value on a Philadelphia team that has an extreme hunger about them when it comes to knocking off Boston here. Not only are the Celtics long-time rivals, not only did Boston knock the 76ers out of the post-season last spring, the C's also have won all 3 meeting this season! To say that Philadelphia "owes them one" is a colossal understatement. The fact is the Sixers owe them plenty and with Boston off a loss and having lost 7 of their last 13 games, the timing is perfect here. The Celtics games against quality opponents (Denver, Clippers, Golden State, Houston, Portland, Toronto, Milwaukee) have seen them go 1-6 SU since the All-Star break. In other words, with the exception of beating the Warriors, the only wins that Boston has been getting since the All Star break have come against weak foes. Also, the Celtics last 6 losses have come by an average margin of 14 points so the spread should not be an issue here. As for the 76ers, they have won 5 straight games. Also, the Sixers have won 14 of their last 20 home games. When playing with home loss revenge Philly is 37-17 ATS including 6-1 ATS this season. The Celtics have covered just 6 of their last 18 road games. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #716 Wednesday 8* North Dakota State Bison (-) vs North Carolina Central Eagles @ 6:40 ET - Big difference in the level of competition that these two teams have faced this season. Additionally, though the Eagles have a strong big man in Raasean Davis, the Bison hold a huge edge in the backcourt. Also, North Dakota State's two forwards that see plenty of minutes will be able to keep Davis from completely taking over the game. That said, what will become key in this match-up is the backcourt edge the Bison have. ND St holds the rest edge in this match-up and the Bison have gone 5-0 SU and 4-0 ATS when they enter a game with rest of 7 or more days between games. North Carolina Central has 15 losses this season and 12 of the 15 have come by 9 or more points. In other words, when the Eagles get beat it is almost always by a sizable margin. Also, when NCC has been a dog of 5 or more points season, they've gone 0-7 SU and 6 of those 7 losses have come by a margin of 9 or more points. The Eagles are a sizable dog here for a reason and the team that has faced the much tougher competition this season will rise to the top before this one is all said and done. I would not be surprised to see a bit of a sluggish first half for the Bison here but eventually I expect their fresher legs and superior talent to lead to a win by a double digit margin. 13 of ND State's 18 wins this season have come by a margin of 6 or more points. 8* NORTH DAKOTA STATE

Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #672 Tuesday 10* Top Play Temple Owls (+) vs Belmont Bruins @ 9:10 ET - The Bruins have the better record and the betting markets strongly favor them in this match-up. Of course you know what that usually means! The fact is that the first number that popped up off-shore on this game had the line at very nearly a pick'em. Now it has been driven all the way up to a -3.5 on Belmont! This is offering tremendous underdog line value to a Temple team that has a long-time veteran coach (Fran Dunphy) and that has played a much tougher schedule this season than the Bruins. Yes Belmont has a very high-scoring offense but keep in mind the competition that they faced. Also, the Owls are 16-6 ATS their last 22 games against teams that average 77 points or more per game! The Bruins are 3-6 ATS their last 9 tournament games. Specific to the NCAA Tourney Belmont is a long-term 0-7 SU (2-5 ATS). The Bruins are a long-term 1-3 ATS when they are a neutral court favorite in a range of 3.5 to 6 points. Temple is on a 7-3 ATS run in games with a posted total in the 150s. Additionally, the Owls went 4-0 SU in games with a posted total in the 150s this season. They will call this one an upset when it goes into the books but truly the earliest of the first numbers posted on this game (right around a pick'em) had it right! Grab the extra value of the points but we should not need them. 10* TEMPLE

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #551 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - The 76ers have Boston on deck and also will be resting Joel Embiid tonight. As a result, many will be looking the way of the Hornets in this one tonight. However, Charlotte is 0-9 SU in their last 9 games against the Sixers. Also, the Hornets play in the weakest division in the NBA. Even though Charlotte fell short at Miami Saturday, they are still 10-5 against Southeast Division opponents. That means that the Hornets are a horrible 21-33 against the rest of the league! They now host a Sixers team that is 45-25 on the season! Also, Philly is 8-1 SU its last 9 versus teams with a losing record. The Hornets are 3-10 SU their last 13 versus teams with a winning record. Charlotte is also a long-term 14-36 ATS (16-34 SU) against Atlantic Division opponents. The Hornets enter this game on a 4-10 SU run and 3-11 ATS run. Also, even though Philly has the Celtics on deck, they are well aware of the fact that they are in a huge battle with the Indiana and Boston in terms of the 3,4,5 seeding in the Eastern Conference. Dropping to 5th means no home court edge in the opening series. In other words, with just a dozen regular season games left, every W counts. Look for the 76ers to get this W against an out-classed Charlotte team as the Sixers make it 10 in a row over the Hornets. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #669 Tuesday 8* Fairleigh Dickinson Knights vs Prairie View A & M Panthers @ 6:40 ET - The Panthers have 11 games in a row. Over that same stretch the Knights are 9-2 SU. The odds makers must have made an egregious error here since they made Fairleigh Dickinson the favorite, right? Of course long-time followers know how I feel about that and, the fact is, it is with good reason that Prairie View A & M is the underdog in this match-up. Though the Panthers are solid in the backcourt their weakness is in the frontcourt. Look for the Knights to hold an edge on the glass in this one. Also, the Panthers went 2-7 ATS this season in non-conference games while the Knights went 6-3 ATS in their non-conference games this season. The Panthers are 2-8 ATS (including 1-5 ATS this season) when off a game in which they allowed 80 or more points. The Knights are an incredible 13-2 ATS (including 6-0 ATS in recent seasons) in games played in the month of March. 8* FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Game #537 Monday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 7:35 ET - Many believe the Western Conference is better than the Eastern Conference and it has been that way for many consecutive seasons. I feel we're getting great value here with a high-quality Nuggets team as a sizable underdog here. The Celtics are 10-17 ATS against the West this season. Denver enters this game having gone 16-8 SU against the East this season. Also, the Nuggets are 14-8 ATS (15-7 SU) this season when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 or more consecutive games. Boston is a long-term 11-20 ATS in home games with a posted total of 220 points or more. The Celtics are 3-8 ATS the last 11 times they've allowed 115 points or more. Boston got the sweep last season (but only by a combined margin of 7 points) and the Nuggets are looking to return the favor this season after already winning at home by 8 points earlier in the season. Based on the above trends, the situational value here, and the fact the Celtics are a little banged up, don't be surprised if the road dog wins this one outright. Grab the points! 10* DENVER

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #521 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 3:35 ET - Not only is Philadelphia 10-5 SU their last 15 games, 3 of the 5 losses came by 3 or less points. Of course that means that at +6.5 (the current line on today's game), the 76ers would be on a 13-2 ATS run. Certainly Milwaukee deserves plenty of respect and the Bucks are at home here. However, there isn't nearly enough respect being given to a Sixers team that is viewing this game as a chance to prove themselves against one of the best teams in the league. The Bucks have covered each of their last two home games but prior to that they were on an 0-3 ATS run in home games. Keep in mind, Milwaukee just returned from a 3-game road trip too. Conversely, Philly has won 3 straight games and has been enjoying the comforts of home. The 76ers have revenge from a loss by a double digit margin at Milwaukee in their first meeting this season. Philadelphia is a much different team now than they were then when these teams met in late October. Keep in mind the Bucks were only favored by 5 in that game. Now they are favored by 6.5 even though the Sixers now have Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris. You can see why the Sixers are offering great value here. Also, Philly is 38-18 ATS versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season. The Sixers are also 57-30 ATS when coming off a non-conference game. The Bucks are 2-6 ATS in a home game with a posted total of 230 points or more. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #653 Sunday 10* Top Play Cincinnati Bearcats (-) vs Houston Cougars @ 3:15 ET - This line opened up at a -4 on Houston and has been bet up to a -5.5 as of early Sunday morning. Of course the public remembers that Houston has beaten Cincinnati in both meetings this season. However, not only is it tough to win 3 straight over a conference rival in the same season, there is also the matter of the point spread here as well. The Cougars blew the cover against Memphis yesterday and the same thing is absolutely possible here as the Bearcats come into this game rolling with confidence and fully capable of an outright upset. That said, if Cincinnati does fall short of the upset bid I fully expect the defeat to be by a margin of just a single possession. The Bearcats most recent loss was an ugly one versus Houston but 2 of Cincinnati's 3 prior losses came by 3 or less points. The average margin of defeat in the Bearcats 3 prior losses was just 4 points. Cincinnati had 13 more field goal attempts than Houston in the first meeting this season. The Bearcats simply had an awful shooting performance. In the 2nd meeting the Cougars made a ridiculous 12 of 23 three pointers. That resulted in Houston having 18 more points from beyond the arc and that certainly was the key difference in the 16-point victory. The Bearcats have a history of getting to the line much more than the Cougars in their match-ups with an edge of 122 to 69 in free throw attempts in the last 5 meetings. Don't be surprised when the Bearcats gut out an upset win here with the charity stripe also being an edge. 10* CINCINNATI

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #505 Saturday 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns (+) @ New Orleans Pelicans @ 7:05 ET - The Pelicans have a winning record at home this season. The Suns are 6-30 on the road this season. So when this line opened up at nearly a pick'em, it comes as no surprise that everyone jumped all over New Orleans in this game and drove the line to as high as a -3 on the Pelicans. However, do you think the odds makers are fools? They knew what they were doing here! Anthony Davis (rest) and Jrue Holiday (abdominal) are listed as out for this game. Also, the Pelicans have lost 5 straight games overall and also 5 straight home games. The Suns have been playing better of late as they've actually won 5 of their last 9 games overall. Also, Phoenix is on a perfect 4-0 ATS run in road games and 2 of those wins were outright upset wins. Ride the hot team (Phoenix) in this one as they improve to 8-4 ATS this season when playing the 2nd game of a back to back. In the process, the Suns will drop New Orleans to 3-10 SU this season when playing the 2nd game of a back to back. 10* PHOENIX

AAC #1 Top Game - Rickenbach CBB Game #617 Saturday 10* Top Play Memphis Tigers (+) vs Houston Cougars @ 3 ET - I used the Tigers yesterday and they blasted a respectable Central Florida team. The Cougars are also off an impressive win but it came against a Huskies team that had a down season. I like this senior-laden Memphis team to give Houston all they can handle here. That said, we've got great line value with the points being offered. This one opened up at a 7.5 but is up to an 8.5 as of early this morning. The Tigers lost by double digits at Houston earlier this season but they've been playing much better on defense of late compared to how they were playing on that end of the floor in early January when they faced the Cougars. Memphis has held five straight opponents to 39.1% or less from the field. The Tigers held those 5 opponents to an average of 66 points per game and, keep in mind, Memphis is averaging a solid 81 points per game on the other end of the floor. The point is that the Tigers are currently getting the job done on both ends of the floor. Memphis is 7-2 ATS this season in games with a posted total in the 140s. Also, the Tigers are 8-4 ATS in Saturday games this season. I look for Houston's record to drop to 3-6 ATS the last 9 times they've played a neutral court game with a posted total between 145 and 149.5 points. 10* MEMPHIS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #605 Saturday 8* Wisconsin Badgers (+) vs Michigan State Spartans @ 1 ET - Of course the Spartans have had the Badgers number but do you think the odds makers aren't aware of that as well? This line has gone from an opener of 4.5 to as high as a 6.5 as of early Saturday morning and I am grabbing the valuable points here. In what should be a defensive-minded grinder, I expect having the dog getting generous points will prove to be the value play. The Badgers are 5-1 ATS (and SU!) this season when playing with home loss revenge. In that home loss earlier last month Wisconsin only made 5 of 12 from the free throw line and just 6 of 20 from beyond the arc. Those two factors, of course, were keys in the 8 point loss. The Badgers are on a 10-4 ATS run in March games. Michigan State dropped to 1-4 ATS their last 5 conference tournament games with their non-covering win versus Ohio State yesterday. 8* WISCONSIN

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #574 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Sacramento Kings @ 7:05 ET - The 76ers have revenge from a loss at Sacramento earlier this season and, keep in mind, the Kings did sweep Philly last season. It is definitely payback time here and the Sixers are catching Sacramento at the right time to exact revenge. The Kings are off a hard-fought loss at Boston last night. Note that the Kings are an ugly 2-8 ATS this season when playing the 2nd game of a back to back. Also, the Sixers SU and ATS loss at Sacramento early last month certainly appears to be an aberration. The 76ers are a fantastic 7-1 SU and ATS in their other 8 games against Pacific Division opponents this season. Philly's Ben Simmons has been upgraded to probable for this game as well and a double digit victory is in the forecast here. The Sixers playing with 2 days of rest between games while the Kings are in a back to back. 10* PHILADELPHIA

SEC #1 Top Game - Rickenbach CBB Game #817 Friday 10* Top Play Auburn Tigers (-) vs South Carolina Gameocks @ 3:30 ET - The Tigers lost their match-up at South Carolina in the regular season. In that match-up the Gamecocks Chris Silva had a season high 32 points and made 11 of 12 from the field. The rest of the team made only 19 of 52 attempts from the field. Also, the fact that game was at home also makes a difference. Though Silva had a big game in his road finale too, his 8 prior games away from home saw him average only 10.1 points per game. As you can see he is much more likely to be closer to 10 points in this game than the 32 he scored in the first meeting. Yes, the Gamecocks ended up being the higher seed in the SEC Tourney but the Tigers are the ranked team and for good reason. I look for them to blast South Carolina in the rematch. The Gamecocks have been held to 40% or less from the field in 4 of their last 5 games. The Tigers have shot over 45.2% in 4 of their last 5 games. Look for Auburn to have their physicality on the increase throughout this tourney and they showed that in their win over Missouri yesterday. The Tigers know they need that again here against Silva and Company and I expect it to be on full display as they get payback big here! The Gamecocks have a strong ATS streak against the Tigers but it ends here. Auburn is the much better team this season and the first game was truly an aberration. The Tigers are on an 11-6 ATS run when playing with road loss revenge. South Carolina is 14-25 when playing with 5 or 6 days of rest between games. That is a long-term trend but the point is that oftentimes it proves better for momentum if you keep playing and sometimes rest leads to rust. The fact that Auburn was in action yesterday arguably could end up giving them the edge in this rematch with the rusty Gamecocks. 10* AUBURN

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #793 Friday 8* Memphis Tigers (+) vs Central Florida Knights @ 2:30 ET - Two years ago the Tigers didn't just lose to the Knights in the conference tourney, they got blasted by a 30 point margin. How unlikely was that? Memphis was an underdog in the same range (2.5 to 3) as they are for this game. In other words, it was totally unexpected. This is the Tigers first chance for conference tourney revenge since that ugly defeat. This season Memphis and UCF split their games. However, the Knights won their match-up at home by 7 points thanks to outscoring the Tigers by 12 points at the free throw line. Memphis won their home game by 20 points and each team got to the line an equivalent 14 times in that game. In other words, the Tigers truly held the upper hand in the two meetings between these teams this season but the line does not reflect that. As a result, I am happy to grab the significant underdog value being offered in this one. Memphis is 6-2 ATS this season in games in which the posted total is in the 140s. Central Florida, when facing a team that averages 77 points or more and past the midway point of a season, has gone an ugly 2-8 SU and 3-7 ATS! Look for the senior-laden Tigers to hold the edge here as their offensive firepower and experience proves to be too much in this one. 8* MEMPHIS

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #684 Thursday 8* Xavier Musketeers (+) vs Creighton Bluejays @ 2:30 ET - The earliest line on this game yesterday was a -1 on Creighton. The Bluejays have since risen to as high as a 3-point favorite in this one. I'll gladly fade this move. Both these teams enter on hot streaks but this is another match-up where I like the difference in terms of recent play on defense. Xavier is 6-1 SU and ATS their last 7 games and the Musketeers have allowed approximately 40% from the field in those 7 games. Creighton enters this game on a perfect 5-0 SU and ATS run their last 5 games but the Bluejays have allowed approximately 45% from the field in their last 6 games. Another key to the value here is that the Musketeers Naji Marshall has been upgraded to probable for this game. The Bluejays are playing this game with road loss revenge but that is a situation that has seen Creighton go 1-5 SU and ATS this season! The Musketeers are 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings between these teams. That stretch includes a SU loss but ATS cover in the 2017 Big East tournament and now Xavier gets their shot at tourney revenge. I fully expect them to take advantage of it. 8* XAVIER

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #66 Wednesday 10* Top Play Toronto Maple Leafs Puck Line -1.5 goals +120 vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 7:05 ET - Perfect set up here as the Blackhawks are off a huge 7-1 win while the Maple Leafs are off a 6-2 loss. Toronto is 16-4 this season when off a game in which they allowed 4 or more goals. Chicago is playing this game with home loss revenge but that is a situation that has seen them lose 15 of 19 games this season. Also, the Blackhawks have lost 21 of 31 games against teams with a losing record this season. The Maple Leafs have won 47 of their last 74 home games with a posted total of 6 or more goals. Per the above, a Toronto bounce back here is quite likely. Of course the money line is huge here but that is where the puck line comes into play as a valuable asset. By taking the Maple Leafs at -1.5 goals we actually get a plus money return on Toronto here and any Leafs win is likely to come by 2 or more goals. The reason I say that is because the Maple Leafs last 40 wins have featured 32 (80%) by a victory margin of 2 or more goals. As for the Blackhawks losses, 5 of Chicago's 6 losses since the All Star break have come by a margin of defeat of 2 or more goals. Situation points toward a Toronto win here and the odds (as you can see immediately above) fully favor the win to come by at least two goals. 10* TORONTO Puck Line -1.5 goals +120

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #623 Wednesday 8* Miami Hurricanes (+) vs Virginia Tech Hokies @ 2:30 ET - Of course the Hokies have the advantage of being rested while the Hurricanes are in a back to back spot after beating Wake Forest yesterday. However, lets not forget the impact of Justin Robinson's foot injury for the Hokies. The Virginia Tech senior guard, prior to his injury, scored 17 points in just 19 minutes in the first meeting with Miami. He has been out since then and, prior to their season finale (also against Miami), the Hokies had won just 5 of 9 games with the 4 most recent of those victories all coming by a single digit margin. Yes, I know the Hokies beat the Canes by a double digit margin in the season finale but that game was at Virginia Tech and the Hurricanes went just 6 of 29 from beyond the arc while the Hokies knocked down 14 of 26 threes. Of course that means that Virginia Tech had 24 more points (in a 14 point win!) from 3-point land even though they took 3 less shots. The fact is that the Hokies are the better 3-point shooting team BUT they are not that much better! Virginia Tech simply was extra hot in their two wins over the Canes this season. However, the Hurricanes have now shot the ball quite well from beyond the arc in 6 of their last 9 games. Also, Miami had defended the 3-ball quite well in 7 of 9 games prior to the Hokies big effort against them last week. I also like the fact that the Hurricanes are 13-4 ATS this season when playing with road loss revenge. Virginia Tech is just 1-4 ATS in Wednesday games this season. Also, the Hokies are 3-8 ATS this season when off a win in conference action. 8* MIAMI

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #602 Tuesday 8* Miami Hurricanes (-) vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons @ Noon ET in ACC Tournament at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC - This line has gone from 7.5 to 6.5 as many are finding it hard to trust the Hurricanes in this price range. However, they become a little easier to trust when you consider that Wake Forest is on a 4-14 SU run and one of those four wins was when they hosted Miami. The Canes have road loss revenge here and that is a situation that has seen Miami go 12-4 ATS in recent seasons! Also, 12 of the aforementioned 14 Demon Deacons losses have come by a margin of 8 or more points! The Hurricanes are off a loss by a double digit margin at Virginia Tech but Miami entered that game on a 6-3 ATS run. Also, 11 of the Canes 13 wins this season have come by a margin of 7 or more points. Wake Forest is a long-term 8-21 SU (and 9-20 ATS) in conference tournament games and I look for those trends to resume here as they get bounced in the first round. 8* MIAMI

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #870 Monday 10* Top Play Central Michigan Chippewas (-) vs Western Michigan Broncos @ 7 ET - Central Michigan just played at Western Michigan Friday. Though the game was decided by a 7 point margin, the Chippewas led the game by 15 points at the half. Keep in mind, this followed a 21 point beating that the Chips put on the Broncos when they hosted them in early February. Now, in conference tournament action, the Chippewas again are the host and another beating is likely here. Central Michigan is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games against teams with a losing record. Also, the Chips are 11-4 ATS this season when off a game in which they scored 80 or more points. This line dropped from an early opener of 11 down to a 9.5 as of overnight heading into Monday. Western Michigan, versus teams that average 77 points or more, has gone 2-8 ATS this season. The Broncos are a long-term 7-14 ATS in first round tournament games. Western Michigan also is a poor 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games played in the month of March. All signs point to a home blowout here. I normally don't lay big points but the edges here are too strong. Keep in mind the Chippewas won the turnover battle 20-8 when these teams met here last month! 10* CENTRAL MICHIGAN 

PA Insider - Rickenbach NBA Game #506 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Indiana Pacers @ 3:35 ET - It looks like Joel Embiid will be back for this game. Even though the Sixers got blown out by the Rockets in their most recent game they truly were done in by poor shooting. If they had just shot "normal" Philly would have won the game outright. Instead it was a blowout loss but that helps with the line value here actually. The 76ers are a very manageable favorite against a Pacers team that they blew out by 24 in the most recent meetings at Indiana. The Pacers are on a poor 3-11 ATS run in their last 14 road games. The Sixers are very hungry for a win here and will be rejuvenated by the expected return of Embiid and the fact this game is at home. Philly is off back to back losses and they are a perfect 4-0 SU when off B2B straight-up losses this season. Indeed, the 76ers have not lost 3 straight games this entire season and I don't expect that to change here. Indiana is playing this game with home loss revenge but that is a situation that has seen them go 2-5 ATS this season. The Sixers are 36-18 ATS (including 9-3 ATS this season) when off a loss by a double digit margin. Also, Philly is 74-46 ATS long-term in home games. Look for a blowout by the host in this one with a winning margin by double digits expected. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #836 Sunday 8* Cincinnati Bearcats (-) vs Houston Cougars @ Noon ET - The Cougars already celebrated their big home win over SMU Thursday as that clinched them at least a share of the American Athletic Conference regular season title and #1 seed in the upcoming conference tournament. I expect Cincinnati to prove to be the hungrier team here as they can tie Houston for the regular season conference title by notching a win here. The Cougars cut the nets down at the Fertitta Center after their win over the Mustangs Thursday. The Bearcats are seeking revenge for a loss at Houston last month. Look for home court to be a huge difference-maker here. Cincinnati is 16-1 SU at home this season. The line on this game is only a -2 on the Bearcats. The fact that Houston is higher-ranked and also has the better record means they will still attract plenty of attention from the markets here and that is helping keeping this number very manageable on the Cats. Cincinnati had 13 more shots from the field in the loss at Houston earlier this season but the shots simply were not falling for the Bearcats. Look for them to fall much better on their home floor early Sunday. Cincinnati is 16-1 SU after being held to 60 points or less in a game. Also, the Bearcats long-term run at home is 49-2 SU. Houston is 0-2 ATS this month. 8* CINCINNATI

The Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Game #649 Saturday 10* Top Play Michigan Wolverines (+) @ Michigan State Wolverines @ 8 ET - Both teams have some injury situations but here is the key with that. The lone guy on the report for Michigan is Charles Matthews. Yes he is a starter and a solid player but he struggled and went 1 for 8 from the field with, overall, a very ugly stat line on the game, when these teams met two weeks ago in Ann Arbor. That was his 2nd straight poor game and now, without him, Michigan has won back to back games and played very well. In the loss to the Spartans two weeks ago the Wolverines actually had 10 more field goal attempts than Michigan State but were done in by some sub-par shooting and Matthews was a key contributor to that. With the Spartans currently without Joshua Langford for the season plus Nick Ward (hand) and Kyle Ahrens (back) also having issues, I would argue that the Wolverines injury situation is currently much better than that of the Spartans. At the same time, the fact this game is at Michigan State means we get additional line value as we can grab Michigan as a significant dog here. I'll gladly challenge the Spartans to win this game by more than a single possession (current line 3.5) as the fact is I expect the Wolverines to get their revenge. Michigan had won 3 straight in this series prior to the loss two weeks ago. Michigan State is on a 6-14 ATS run in Saturday games. The Spartans are on a 4-8 ATS run in March games. Michigan is on a 17-2 SU run in March games. The Wolverines also are on a sparking 14-6 ATS run as an underdog! 10* MICHIGAN

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #628 Saturday 8* Iowa State Cyclones (+) vs Texas Tech Red Raiders @ 2 ET - This is a revenge game for the Red Raiders and Texas Tech has been the much hotter team in recent weeks in comparison with the Cyclones. Also, the Red Raiders are highly ranked. That said, the odds makers opened this line at roughly a pick'em (earliest lines that came out) and, as expected, everyone is jumping all over Texas Tech in this match-up. You know what usually happens when that happens! With that said, in typical contrarian fashion I am grabbing home dog Iowa State in this one. The Cyclones are expected to have Marial Shayok back for this game. Even if he doesn't play I look for Iowa State to get the win on their home floor for senior day. Keep in mind, Shayok is a senior. If he is able to go, he's going hard for this for senior day. If he can't go, the rest of the players go hard for the senior who could not get on the floor for this game. Even though the Cyclones have been on a bit of a downward cycle, they also know they can play spoiler here as the Red Raiders are seeking a win and hoping to secure the Big 12 regular season title. Texas Tech is 2-5 ATS (including 0-2 this season) when they're playing a game with home loss revenge. Iowa State is 12-3 SU in home games this season. Also, the Cyclones are 3-1 SU and ATS this season when they are off a game in which they allowed 80 or more points. 8* IOWA STATE

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #854 Friday 10* Top Play Maryland Terrapins (-) vs Minnesota Golden Gophers @ 7 ET - With the Terrapins off back to back losses and the Golden Gophers off back to back wins, the set up here is perfect. We're getting value with a number kept lower than it should be considering this is a situation where Minnesota should get blown out on the road at Maryland. The Terrapins are 6-2 ATS this season when off a SU loss. Also, Maryland has not lost 3 straight games all season. Keep in mind, the Terrapins last two games were at Penn State and then hosting Michigan. Certainly those are not easy match-ups. Also, Maryland is now hosting a Minnesota team that, prior to winning their most recent road game, had lost 6 in a row away from home. The average margin of defeat in those road losses for the Golden Gophers was 11 points! Minnesota is a long-term 18-33 ATS as road dog in a range of 6.5 to 9 points.  In games with posted total ranging from 131 to 139.5 points, the Terrapins are on a sparkling 9-1 ATS run. The host in this one is the much better shooting team and also the better team defensively. Factoring all that in there is great value being offered here with this very manageable line. 10* MARYLAND 

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #603 Thursday 10* Top Play Temple Owls (+) @ Connecticut Huskies @ 7 ET - While it is true that the Owls have a huge game on deck, they are also well aware of the fact that the game versus Central Florida will become much less important if they don't take care of business at Connecticut. The Huskies certainly have not been the same team since Jalen Adams got hurt. UConn is coming off a win versus South Florida Sunday but that victory was preceded by 6 straight losses. Dating all the back to December 22nd, the Huskies have managed back to back wins only ONCE! You can see that, after the win over the Bulls, the odds favor a loss here versus the Owls. As for Temple, they are off a non-covering win versus Tulane. What is noteworthy about the Owls season is they have had only one standalone victory this entire season. In other words, when they get a W it is normally the beginning of a nice streak for Temple and they are hell-bent on closing the season with 3 straight victories. Before even worrying about the Saturday match-up with UCF, the Owls know they need this one. All signs point to them getting it. The Owls are 4-0 SU and ATS this season as a road dog of 3 or less points. The Huskies are 1-3 SU this season when off a game in which they scored 60 points or less. Connecticut is also 6-12 SU (and 5-13 ATS) when in that situation the last few seasons. UConn has been held to 63 points or less in 5 straight games and also managed only 63 in the first match-up with Temple this season. The Owls have scored 70 points or more in 7 of their last 8 games. 10* TEMPLE

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #539 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Chicago Bulls @ 8:05 ET - Both teams in a back to back spot here. This line opened up at a -6 and dropped to a -5 on Philly. Although the Bulls have won some games recently those victories have almost all come over poor teams with losing records. One exception was the Celtics but Boston was in a funk at the time. The fact is that Chicago is an ugly 4-24 SU this season in games against teams with a winning record. The 76ers are a solid 17-6 SU this season in games against teams with a losing record. You can see why the likelihood is high that the Sixers get the win. That said, the pointspread dropping to a -5 offers significant value here. 38 of the Bulls 46 losses this season have come by a margin of at least 5 points. Philadelphia has had a lot of rest prior to this back to back situation so that sets them up well. Yesterday's win over Orlando was just the 3rd game for the 76ers in the past 8 days. The Bulls, conversely, will be playing for the 4th time in 6 days. Chicago is 6-14 ATS (1-19 SU!) in their last 20 home games that had a posted total of 220 points or more. The Sixers are on a 23-12 ATS run in March games. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #787 Wednesday 10* Top Play LSU Tigers (+) @ Florida Gators @ 7 ET - This is a triple revenge spot for the Tigers. Not only did they lost to the Gators in their meetings each of the last two seasons, LSU also lost this season's first match-up (in OT) versus Florida two weeks ago. The fact is that the Tigers are a perfect 8-0 on the road in SEC action this season and have been playing extremely well overall with only two losses in their 19 games dating back to mid-December. The Tigers have one of the best point guards in the nation and behind him is a freshmen who played very well during his recent two game absence. The depth of LSU at the point is a key to why this offense functions as well as it does. While the Gators are averaging only 68.3 points per game on the season, the Tigers have averaged 81.8 points per game this season. The Gators are off a home loss to Georgia. Of course that should mean a bounce back is expected here. However, Florida has been on a money-burning stretch for an extended stretch now as they've failed to cover 9 of their last 12 games. LSU is on a 4-1 SU and ATS run as a road dog of 3 or less points. The Gators are 3-11 ATS in home games this season. Florida motivated here by hopes of an NCAA Tournament bid this season but Tigers highly motivated by revenge as well as being in the driver's seat for finishing at the top of the SEC standings for the regular season. 10* LSU

Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #868 Monday 10* Top Play Texas Tech Red Raiders (-) vs Texas Longhorns @ 9 ET - The Longhorns are still without the suspended Kerwin Roach. Though they won Saturday versus Iowa State, they lost their two prior games without him. I know this spread may seem "big" but it is not without support. The Longhorns and Red Raiders have a huge rivalry and the Horns had dominated Texas Tech in games played in Austin prior to the Red Raiders road win earlier this season. How does that relate to this game? The fact is that Texas Tech won't hesitate if given the chance to blowout the Longhorns in Lubbock. I feel this one is set up perfect for that to happen as the Horns do battle without their leading scorer. Texas has scored very well in their last two games but I consider that an aberration as they shot the ball ridiculously well. Prior those two games the Horns had averaged just 66.7 points in their 3 prior games and now they face the top defense in the Big 12. Texas Tech enters this game having won 7 in a row and 6 of those wins came by at least a dozen points! Though the Red Raiders most recent home win came by just 4 points, their 4 most recent home wins prior to that each came by 19 points or more! The Longhorns are 3-10 SU and 5-8 ATS their last 13 games with one day of rest or less between games. The Red Raiders, same parameters, are 8-4 SU and ATS their last dozen and that includes a perfect 3-0 SU and ATS this season! Additionally, Texas Tech is 7-0 SU (and 5-1-1 ATS) as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points in recent seasons. Red Raiders are highly motivated for #1 spot in Big 12 and put a beating on the short-handed Horns here. 10* TEXAS TECH

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #505 Monday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (+) @ San Antonio Spurs @ 8:35 ET - The Spurs are 3-0 ATS in their last 3 meetings with the Nuggets and that includes covering both match-ups this season. Those games took place in late December. The Spurs were favored by 4 when they hosted the Nuggets the day after Christmas. Now, the first lines that popped up on this game yesterday afternoon had Denver as a 2 point favorite. Of course the markets are jumping all over the perceived "mistake" and have now moved the line to San Antonio being the favorite. I understand the perception but that doesn't mean I agree with it! The Nuggets are only a game over .500 in road games this season while the Spurs are 24-7 on their home floor this season. But I am here to tell you that the Nuggets are the much better overall team in comparison with this season's version of the Spurs. Yes San Antonio is off back to back wins but they previously lost 7 of their 8 prior games. I know those games were on the road but the Spurs also got blown out by double digits by the Nets and Knicks! Catching one of the best teams in the league now off back to back losses and we're not even having to lay any points (thanks to being on the road and thanks to the market action), the Nuggets are the play here. They led the Spurs by double digits at half when these teams most recently met but had a rare bad game in terms of turnovers and allowed San Antonio to close that gap in the 2nd half and lose by just 3 points. That result also now giving us some line value here as the Nuggets have substantial edges all over the floor in this match-up. The last 6 times the Nuggets have entered a game on a losing streak of 2 or more games SU, they've gone 5-1 SU and I expect another win here in that situation. The Spurs, prior to back to back covers against the Pistons and Thunder, had gone 1-10 ATS in their 11 previous games! By the way, San Antonio was outshot by a combined 16 shots from the field in the games against Detroit and OKC. That catches up with the Spurs in this one and the Nuggets pull away as this game gets into the latter stages. 10* DENVER 

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #863 Monday 8* Virginia Cavaliers (-) @ Syracuse Orange @ 7 ET - This line opened at a 7 and is now down to a 5.5 as of early Monday morning. We're getting great line value here with the road favorite. This game carries plenty of meaning for the Cavs as they can maintain the #1 ACC spot by winning their final two games. That's because Virginia has the tiebreaker over the Tar Heels by virtue of beating North Carolina earlier this season. As for the Orange, certainly Syracuse can be a tough team and that is particularly true at home. However, Tony Bennett's Cavaliers are known for giving the Orange problems and I expect that to continue here. The Cavs are 9-1 SU and ATS in road games this season. Syracuse is 1-4 SU and ATS this season against teams that allow 60 points or less per game. Virginia, of course, is known for the stifling defense. As for the Orange, they are actually off a great effort on the defensive end in their win over Wake Forest. However, Syracuse is 0-5 ATS the last 5 times they were off a game in which they allowed 60 or less points. 8* VIRGINIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #573 Sunday 8* Portland Trail Blazers (-) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 1:05 ET - The Trail Blazers are on a 6-0 ATS run. However, they are off a tight SU loss (at Toronto) in their most recent game. That serves as plenty of motivation here as Portland had entered that game winning 5 straight. Look for the Blazers to resume the winning here. They catch the Hornets off a big road win at Brooklyn. Prior to that win Charlotte had lost 7 of their 9 previous games. The Hornets surely want revenge here as they got thrashed by the Blazers at Portland in January by 31 points. However, the Trail Blazers enter this game fired up after the loss to the Raptors and I don't see them being denied here. They are the vastly superior team to the Hornets and we get line value here since this game is at Charlotte. Lay the short number with the road favorite in this one. 8* PORTLAND

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #564 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) vs Golden State Warriors @ 8:35 ET - This line opened up at a -4 on the Warriors and quickly jumped up to a -5 as the markets are loving backing Golden State here since they have revenge from earlier this season. Also, with Joel Embiid and Boban Marjanovic out for the Sixers that has captured attention as well. What is getting overlooked however is that the Warriors are playing their 3rd game in 4 nights and Klay Thompson is dealing with a sore knee. They may rest him here. Additionally, the Sixers are at home and playing for just the 2nd time in 5 nights. This is part of a stretch where Philadelphia plays only 3 games in 8 days as they have two more days off after this game. From a scheduling standpoint this situation is a great one for Philly and you know that the Wells Fargo Center will be rocking with the defending NBA champs in town. The Sixers are hungry to prove they are a legitimate threat for the NBA title. Even without  Embiid, this team is highly talented with Jimmy Butler, Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, and JJ Redick. The betting public loves the Warriors but Golden State is on a 2-10 ATS skid. The Sixers are 7-1 SU and 6-2 ATS against Pacific Division opponents this season. The 76ers are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games overall and one of those two losses came by just points. We're catching 5 here and the home dog Sixers have a great shot at the outright upset as the Warriors have lost 4 of their last 6 SU. One of those two Golden State SU wins came by just two points. Grab the generous points being offered here. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #72 Saturday 10* Top Play Toronto Maple Leafs Puck Line -1.5 goals (+105) vs Buffalo Sabres @ 7:05 ET - Perfect set up here. The Sabres are off a huge upset win (in overtime) over the Penguins last night. The Maple Leafs were resting (physically) last night but getting fired up (emotionally) as they got blasted 6-1 by the Islanders at New York on Thursday. With Buffalo set up for a letdown and Toronto set up for a blowout home win, that is why the Leafs are a very big favorite here on the money line. Though I would never lay a huge money line price, we can still capture the value of this situation by grabbing Toronto on the puck line. Yes the Maple Leafs must now win the game by two goals but, given the situation, this absolutely should be a home blowout. The Sabres will likely start Carter Hutton tonight between the pipes since Linus Ullmark got the start last night. In Hutton's last two starts Buffalo surrendered 5 goals in each game. Both those were on the road and the Sabres have now lost 5 straight road games and only one of the 5 defeats came by a single goal. Overall, Buffalo's last 7 goals have seen 6 come by a margin of 2 or more goals. The Sabres are on a 5-19 run in road games with a posted total of 6 or more goals. Toronto is 15-4 this season after allowing 4 or more goals in their prior game. Each of the Maple Leafs last 5 wins have come by a margin of 2 or more goals. Look for this one to do just that as well! 10* TORONTO Puck Line -1.5 goals

Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #665  Saturday 10* Top Play North Carolina Tar Heels (-) @ Clemson Tigers @ 6 ET - Clemson is at home here and they've gone 12-3 at home this season while North Carolina is 10-3 away from home on the season. Of course that is what is keeping this line lower than it should be. I expect the Tar Heels to blast the Tigers here. There are a number of key factors that support that theory. One of which is that UNC lost here by 4 last season. Clemson hit 15 of 30 threes in that game. That had a lot to do with it and the Tar Heels had won 10 straight over the Tigers before that game. In other words, this is a big-time payback spot. In games against the ACC teams that currently have 20 wins, North Carolina lost to Virginia but beat Duke, Virginia Tech, NC State (twice), and Florida State. Now lets talk about how Clemson has done in facing top tier teams. The Tigers did beat Virginia Tech but they have lost to Florida State (twice), Duke, Virginia, and NC State. You can easily see that when it comes time to step in big games this season the Tar Heels have risen to the occasion while the Tigers have faltered. Look for that to be the case again Saturday. UNC still has a shot to finish at the top of the ACC if they win out and, if you were worried about motivation here, the fact the Tar Heels lost here last season dismisses that notion. As for Clemson they are surely motivated too but they have proven time and time again this season they can not beat the top tier teams in the ACC. In fact, I should have mentioned the other two 18-win teams - Syracuse and Louisville. Clemson lost to both of them as well. So the over-rated Tigers are 1-7 against top ACC competition. The Tar Heels beat Syracuse and went 1-1 against Louisville. So the deserved #5 team in the nation is a combined 7-2 against top ACC competition. Considering these factors, plus revenge, plus a short number to lay here, and we've got tremendous value here with the road favorite. Clemson is 0-7 SU and 2-5 ATS as an underdog this season. The Tar Heels are 9-2 SU and ATS in road games this season. 10* NORTH CAROLINA

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #698 Saturday 8* Iowa Hawkeyes (-) vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights @ 5 ET - Iowa’s head coach Fran McCaffery has been suspended for two games for berating an official after the ugly loss to Ohio State in the Hawkeyes most recent game. The good news for the Hawkeyes is the assistant coaches who will take over for the next two games include guys with head coaching experience and they've also each been on his staff the past 9 seasons. Additionally, McCaffery is still leading practices and film sessions and will even be in the building for this game as there is a ceremony for Hawkeyes senior Baer taking place Saturday. Of course Iowa is going to be hungry for multiple reasons here. They're not happy about the fact they just lost by 20 to Ohio State and certainly that led to the anger which further led to their coach's tirade which further led to his suspension. The Hawkeyes want to respond here after all the ugliness from the Buckeyes game and this is the final home game for Iowa. Where they hold a big edge here in this match-up is not only the home floor factor but also the fact that the Scarlet Knights struggle to defend the 3. Also, the set up is perfect with Iowa off an ugly loss and Rutgers off a rare win. The Scarlet Knights had lost 5 of 6 prior to winning their most recent game. The Hawkeyes are 7-1 ATS this season when off a game in which they allowed 80 or more points. Also, Rutgers hasn't played since Sunday and they are 2-5 ATS (including 1-3 ATS this season) when playing with 5 or 6 days of rest between games. Iowa is also 9-4 ATS in recent seasons when facing a team with a losing record. That is combined trends of 21-7 / 75% in favor of a home blowout in this one. 8* IOWA

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #541 Friday 10* Top Play Portland Trail Blazers (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 8:05 ET - Both teams are off wins over the Celtics. Even though the Raptors have an extra day of rest here in comparison with the Blazers, the fact is that the win over Boston was a much bigger victory for Toronto than Portland. Of course that is because the Celtics are divisional rivals of the Raptors. Note that the first 12 times this season that Toronto has been off a divisional game, they've covered their next game just 3 times. That is a poor 25% ATS rate for the Raptors when off a divisional game this season and, again, that win over Boston wasn't just "any" divisional game! Some will be looking to Toronto to get revenge here too because they lost the first game at Portland this season. However, that game against Boston meant a helluva lot more to the Raptors than this game does. Also, Toronto swept the Trail Blazers last season so it is Portland that is now looking to return the favor this season. The Blazers enter this game red hot as they are on a 5-0 SU and ATS run. As for the Raptors, they had failed to cover 5 straight games before the big win over the Celtics. Look for Toronto to drop to 4-9 ATS in Friday games this season while the Blazers add to an impressive record in March games that is 25-6 SU and ATS the past two seasons! Also, the Trail Blazers are 6-2 ATS (and 8-0 SU!) against Atlantic Division opponents. 10* PORTLAND

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #860 Dayton Flyers vs Rhode Island Rams @ 7 ET - The earliest number on this game was a -9 yesterday. As of this morning the line is down to a -7 on Dayton. I understand what the markets are looking at here. This is a revenge spot for the Rams considering the Flyers routed them on their home floor 3 weeks ago. However, the thought that Rhode Island automatically bounces back and gets the cover here is not that well-founded. The fact is last season the Rams beat the Flyers by double digits in both games! In other words, how these games play out has a lot to do with the talent of each team each season and, this year, it is the Flyers turn to get the sweep! They lost by 25 at Rhode Island last season and also were beaten by the Rams by 14 in Dayton. Again, the same season revenge is over-played. If anything, it is the Flyers (the far superior team this season) that really has revenge here as they remember what happened on their home floor last season. Another key to the value here is Dayton is off a game against one of the Atlantic Ten's worst teams and has another weak foe on deck. In other words, the Flyers are fully focused on the Rams here. Dayton has been shooting the ball extremely well and that includes from beyond the arc particularly when on their home floor. Rhode Island is off a rare win where they shot the ball well but they faced a bad George Washington team. Prior to that victory, the Rams were held to 37.5% or less from the field in 5 straight games! RI went 0-5 SU and ATS in those games. Rhode Island is 2-9 SU and ATS in their 11 lined road games this season. The Flyers are 8-0 SU and 6-2 ATS in their 8 line games against teams with a losing record this season. Home blowout on tap in this one! 10* DAYTON

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #852 Friday 8* Brown Bears (-) vs Columbia Lions @ 5 ET - This line has dropped from an opener of 7.5 yesterday to a 4.5 as of early this morning. Brown is 11-2 at home this season. Columbia is 2-9 on the road this season. Those are SU numbers and of course we need to cover the spread here. But those are still powerful numbers and with the line now becoming very short on this game, I am comfortable that we'll get the ATS win. The Lions are 1-7 SU in their last 8 games and those 7 losses came by an average margin of defeat of 8 points per loss. The Bears are off a 3 point win over Dartmouth Saturday but that is just the 2nd time in 11 home wins that this season that the margin of victory was less than 5 points. Brown's other 2 Ivy League home wins had each come by 8 or more points. Columbia allows 40% three pointers on the road this season while the Bears are knocking down 37.4% of their threes at home this season and have been particularly hot from beyond the arc in recent home games. The line move here has led to great line value with the small home favorite. Lay it! 8* BROWN

PA Insider - Rickenbach NBA Game #539 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Oklahoma City Thunder @ 8:05 ET - With big men Joel Embiid and Boban  Marjanovic sidelined for this one, there has been a huge jump in the line. The very first number that was posted offshore yesterday was a 5 and now this line is up to an 8. Keep in mind, the Sixers still have ton of talent on the floor with Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris, and JJ Redick. Also, Jonah Bolden and Mike Scott are capable of putting up some solid numbers with both Embiid and Marjanovic expected to be out for this game. We're getting a ton of value here with the big points being offered. The Thunder stole one from the Sixers last month in Philly and the 76ers haven't forgotten that game. The fact is that Oklahoma City has had the Sixers number in recent years but of course this season is the best 76ers team they've faced in a long time. Again, even with Embiid and Marjanovic out, I don't see this being an easy win at all for the Thunder. Philly is hell-bent on getting revenge here and Oklahoma City is on an 0-4 ATS skid as the only SU win they have during this stretch came by a single point. For those of you that like statistical odds too, the fact is that there is an interesting pattern with Philly this season. They have 39 wins on the season and, amazingly, they have had only 3 standalone wins. What I mean by that is when the Sixers are off a win that followed a loss they almost always follow it with another win. They have 14 streaks of 2 or more wins. They have had only 3 occurrences where they produced just a single win and all those were in calendar year 2018. In other words, don't be surprised if Philadelphia shocks and gets the outright upset win here but, of course, I am grabbing the points with the 76ers as added insurance! The Sixers are 36-17 ATS including 5-1 ATS (and SU!) this season when playing with home loss revenge. The Thunder are 1-9 ATS (and 3-7 SU!) when off a division game. Could be a shocker in OKC tonight. 10* PHILADELPHIA 

TV Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #667 Thursday 10* Top Play Old Dominion Monarchs (+) @ UTSA Roadrunners @ 8 ET - They were ahead by 17 points with under 3:10 to play. They were ahead by 8 points with under 1:20 to play. They were ahead by 6 points with under 45 seconds to play. They were ahead by 4 points with under 35 seconds to play. They ended up losing the game by a single point. Of course I am talking about the Monarchs first match-up with the Roadrunners which also took place at UTSA and was played in late January. That makes this a major revenge spot for Old Dominion as that game was truly one of the most insane finishes of the entire college basketball season and the Monarchs were on the wrong end of it. Because this game is again at San Antonio we're getting line value here as we don't even have to lay any points to have Old Dominion with big-time revenge on their side. Why are they again meeting in San Antonio? It is because Conference USA made a decision to go to a bonus play-in system this season which then sets the seeding for the upcoming conference tourney. There are 3 groups of seeds and Old Dominion and UTSA are in the group that is seeded 1 through 5. That means Monarchs and Roadrunners can each finish as high as #1 or as low as #5 in the seeding for the upcoming tourney. Old Dominion already won their first game Saturday. For UTSA, this is their first game of the play-in schedule. Not only do the Monarchs badly want revenge here, they also are going for the #1 seed in the tourney. Old Dominion has proven themselves as the top team in CUSA this season and they will show that on the floor in San Antonio tonight. The Monarchs have won 11 of their last 12 games and the lone loss was the ridiculous 1-point defeat at UTSA. The Roardrunners are just 5-5 their last 10 games and that includes that miracle win over Old Dominion. I am well aware of the fact that UTSA is on a 10-game winning streak on their home floor. But that is all the more incentive for the better team in this match-up as they get payback in a major way tonight. Also, the Roadrunners will be very rusty here as they have not played since the 16th - a span of nearly two weeks! 10* OLD DOMINION

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #602 Thursday 8* St John's Red Storm (-) vs Xavier Musketeers @ 6:30 ET - This is a final home game situation for the Red Storm and sets up extremely well. I know the Musketeers have been hot but I don't see them being able to rise up again here. After 4 straight upset wins, including knocking off the defending champs in their most recent game, Xavier falls short here. The Musketeers have had St John's number in recent seasons but last season they led them by only 4 at the half in Xavier before going to out to blow them away in the 2nd half and win by 28 points! The Red Storm have not forgotten that embarrassing defeat and now get a chance for revenge at home. St John's has only lost one game at Carnesecca Arena and that was a game in which leading scorer Shamorie Ponds did not play. I am aware of the fact that 2nd-leading scorer Mustapha Heron misssed the most recent game for the Red Storm and is questionable with a knee injury here. However, I don't expect him to miss this final home game situation and feel he merely needed to rest the knee. Now having not played a game in over a week, Heron should be good to go here. However, even if he misses this one, St John's just knocked off Seton Hall without him on Saturday. Many will look at this game and feel that the points look too big but this game is priced this way with good reason. Even with some recent success, the Musketeers are still just 3-6 SU and ATS in road games this season. The Red Storm, including games both at Carnesecca Arena and Madison Square Garden, are 13-3 at home this season. 10 of Xavier's 13 losses this season have come by a margin of 7 or more points. Lay it! 8* ST JOHN'S

Early Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #795 Wednesday 10* Top Play Tennessee Volunteers (-) @ Ole Miss Rebels @ 7 ET - This is a great value situation because everyone is a little down on the Vols right now while the Rebels have been getting a little extra attention thanks to some recent winning. Here is the key with those Ole Miss wins however. The Rebels have won 5 of their last 6 games but 2 of the wins came against Georgia. The Bulldogs are 1-13 in SEC action! The most impressive win would be over Auburn (7-7 in SEC) but the other two of the five wins came against A & M (5-10) and Missouri (3-12). In other words, Ole Miss has been helped by their schedule of late. As for the Volunteers, they have faced a tough schedule and the blowout loss at Kentucky recently is still fresh in the minds of the betting public. Also, Tennessee is off a very tight OT loss at LSU in their most recent games. So while it is true that the Vols have lost 2 of their last 3 games it is also true that those defeats came against a pair of teams that are EACH 13-2 in SEC action! Prior to the SU and ATS loss at LSU, Tennessee had been a perfect 4-0 ATS the last 4 times they enter a game on an ATS losing streak of 3 or more games. They get back on track in a big way here against an Ole Miss team that is over-valued right now. The Rebels have been a hot ATS team this season but they are on a long-term 8-14 ATS run in February games and the fade is on here! The Volunteers have won and covered 3 straight against Mississippi and get the job done again here in a road rout. 10* TENNESSEE

Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #617 Tuesday 10* Top Play Toledo Rockets (+) @ Ball State Cardinals @ 7 ET - The Rockets have only lost 2 home games all season. Why am I mentioning home games when they are on the road here? I mention it because one of the two home losses Toledo had was to the best team in the MAC, Buffalo. However, the other home floor defeat was at the hands of these Cardinals. In other words, it is payback time. Actually that payback has been a long time coming too! Ball State has beaten the Rockets five straight times. Some will look at this line and say it is easy just to take the Cardinals on their home floor to get the win. As you know, nothing is ever that easy and I love the value here we're getting with revenge-minded Toledo. Keep in mind, Ball State has been struggling for an extended stretch. The Cardinals have lost 9 of their last 13 games SU and 10 of their last 13 ATS. Ball State has been held under 40% from the field in 3 straight games and has shot 19% from 3-point land in their last 3 games as well. In other words, the Cardinals are slumping badly. The Rockets are offering significant value here because they are on an 0-3 ATS run at the betting window and that has the betting markets holding a negative opinion of them at the moment. Keep in mind this is a Toledo team that has already surpassed the 20 win mark this season. Additionally, since early January back to back losses to Ball State and Buffalo, the Rockets have won 9 of their past 12 games! Toledo is 4-2 SU and ATS in their last 6 road games. When off a SU win versus a conference foe this season, the Rockets have gone 6-2 SU and ATS. The Cardinals are 2-8 ATS when off a game in which they scored 60 or less points. That includes Ball State going 0-3 ATS and SU this season in this situation. More of the same here. 10* TOLEDO

PA Insider - Rickenbach NBA Game #575 Monday 8* Philadelphia 76'ers (+) @ New Orleans Pelicans @ 8:05 ET - Yes the Sixers are without Joel Embiid right now but this is still a team that is loaded with talent and yet coming off an embarrassing home loss. The 76ers lost to Portland by 15 points on Saturday. In other other words Philly is going to be read to go here. The earliest line on this game had Philadelphia favored by 1.5 points but now they are a dog by 1.5 points. As long-time followers know I love going against line moves like this and the set up here is very strong. Note that the Sixers are 9-2 ATS (and 10-1 SU!) this season when off a loss by a double digit margin. As for the Pelicans, if they win this game (by looking at the low number) odds are they get the cover. In other words, outside of a 1-point win, any Charlotte win would also be a cover based on this number. Why is that significant? Because the Pelicans are coming off a win here and they have not followed a SU win with a win and cover after ANY of their last 6 wins! Not only is that 0-6 run working in our favor here (and the Sixers 10-1 run favoring us too) but also note the simple fact that the Pelicans had lost 11 of their last 16 games before beating the Lakers Friday. New Orleans is also 1-6 SU this season when off an upset win as an underdog. From a situational standpoint, this is a great situation filled with value. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #862 Monday 10* Top Play Florida State Seminoles (-) vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ 7 ET - I successfully played against the Noles on Saturday with North Carolina and the Tar Heels delivered the beating I expected. Now it is the Seminoles turn, however, to be on the right side of a thrashing. To many bettors this line will look to big but Florida State should win this game by 20. Certainly FSU is fired up and they have but one loss on their home floor this season while Notre Dame has managed only 2 road wins this season. You can see who is very likely to win this game but, now, what about the all-important cover? As long-time followers know I rarely lay big points. When I do it has to be a situation where my team is not going to take their foot off the gas. That is the case here. Florida State didn't just lose on Saturday, they got embarrassed. Back home now with a quick turnaround chance to redeem themselves and with the eyes of the College Basketball World on them, the Seminoles are going to put on a show in this one! They are highly talented, so much moreso than the Irish, and had won 8 in a row SU (7-1 ATS) prior to the loss to UNC. As for Notre Dame, they are on a 3-11 SU run and 4-11 ATS run. 3 of their last 6 losses have come by 15 points or more. The Seminoles last 3 wins all came by 13 points or more. The average margin of those victories was 19 points. This line was as high as 13.5 and has dropped to a 12.5 in early market activity. I like the value here in a game I expect FSU to win by 20. The Fighting Irish are 3-9 ATS last 12 times they were off a game in which they were held to 60 points or less. The Seminoles are a long-term 9-4 ATS as a home favorite in a range of 12.5 to 15 points. 10* FLORIDA STATE

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #559 Sunday 10* Top Play San Antonio Spurs (-) @ New York Knicks @ 7:35 ET - The Knicks are the worst team in the NBA. Yes, this is a significant number of points to lay on the road, especially with a team that has been struggling ATS. However, the Spurs did play quite well at Toronto Friday and that is why they got the cover and very nearly got the outright win. Keep in mind that was with LaMarcus Aldridge scoring only 6 points and certainly he was not himself in that game. Aldridge has been upgraded to probable for this game. Considering he is highly likely to play much better and considering the Spurs are hungry for a win and facing an awful Knicks team, you can see why I am expecting a road win by a double digit margin in this one. The Spurs are on an 18-9 ATS run in Sunday games including 4-2 ATS this season. San Antonio is on an 18-8 ATS run against Atlantic Division foes including 5-1 ATS this season. Even though the Knicks are off a double digit loss and would love to bounce back here, note that New York is 9-19 ATS this season when they are off a game which they lost by a margin of 10 points or more. Note also that this will be New York's 29th home game this season. So far the Knicks have only 9 ATS covers this season on their home floor! The Spurs are hungry and they know they need this game tonight as tomorrow's game at Brooklyn is a much tougher match-up than this one. Coach Gregg Popovich has the troops ready for this one. 10* SAN ANTONIO

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #555 Sunday 8* Orlando Magic (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 3:35 ET - The Raptors are off a revenge minded win over the Spurs on Friday. It was a hard-fought game and you know former Spurs Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green wanted that game badly. Now the Raptors have another revenge game here but it is not nearly as motivating as the game against the Spurs was. That said, once again I look for a SU win for the Raptors but a non-covering win just like we saw in the game versus San Antonio on Friday. The fact is that Toronto is known for playing to the level of their competition. The Raptors enter this game having failed to cover 4 straight games. Also, Orlando has covered both match-ups this season and the Magic enter this game with plenty of confidence. That's because Orlando, prior to a tight 1-point home loss to Chicago on Friday, had won and covered 5 straight games and 7 of their last 8. The Magic are 8-2 ATS in Sunday games this season and also a superb 10-1 ATS versus Atlantic Division opponents this season. Not only are the Raptors off a huge win versus the Spurs, they have a massive game (versus Boston) on deck for Tuesday. From a situational perspective this is a horrible spot for Toronto. Also note that the Raptors are 5-12 ATS this season when off a game where they allowed 115 points or more. 8* ORLANDO

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #59 Sunday 8* San Jose Sharks Puck Line -1.5 goals (+155) @ Detroit Red Wings @ 3:05 ET - The Sharks are angry off a shutout loss and the Red Wings should provide the perfect remedy for what ailed San Jose yesterday. The fact is that San Jose faced a tough Columbus team yesterday but now takes on a Detroit team that has fallen out of the playoff picture. Keep in mind the Sharks still are in line for the top spot in the Western Conference which would get them home ice all the way up until the Stanley Cup finals should they go that far. The point being that San Jose has plenty to play for here while the Red Wings are merely playing for pride here. Keep in mind the Sharks fell flat at the Blue Jackets after a huge 4-0 shutout of the Penguins at Pittsburgh so that poor effort yesterday was not a total shock. They'll respond today but of course I am not laying a huge money line price (I never do). The value here is with the puck line as we can get as much as a +155 payback with the Sharks by laying the 1.5 goals. Note that San Jose's last 5 wins have come by an average margin of 3.2 goals per game and only 1 of the 5 wins came by less than a 3-goal margin! Detroit enters this game having lost 7 of their last 9 games. 3 of their last 6 losses have come by 2 or more goals and the Sharks have lost their recent visits to Detroit so there is plenty of motivation here. 8* SAN JOSE SHARKS Puck Line -1.5 goals +155

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #822 Sunday 8* Central Florida Knights (-) vs SMU Mustangs @ Noon ET - This line opened up at a 7.5 and has now dropped to as low as a 6.5 as of early game day morning. That means additional value here in what is a great spot for Central Florida. The Knights are coming off a loss at Cincinnati. That certainly holds significance here as UCF has not lost back to back games all season long! Central Florida did get the cover as a dog at Cincinnati but fell short of the SU win but the Knights have now covered 4 in a row ATS. They certainly have been heading the opposite direction of SMU. While the Mustangs are off a win and cover versus Connecticut Thursday, Southern Methodist had previously lost 7 of their last 8 SU and 9 of their last 11 ATS! Though the Mustangs have revenge here, they are 0-4 ATS when playing with home loss revenge this season. SMU is also 0-4 ATS when off a win in conference action! The Knights are a fantastic 29-3 SU and 21-9-2 ATS long-term when a home favorite in a range of 6.5 to 9 points. Lay the points here. 8* CENTRAL FLORIDA

PA Insider GOW - Rickenbach CBB Game #694 Saturday 10* Top Play Drexel Dragons (-) vs Delaware Blue Hens @ 5 ET - One of the Blue Hens best players is guard Kevin Anderson. Keep in mind he was a Rookie of the Year for the Colonial Athletic Association. Anderson, a sophomore, has missed the past two games with a knee injury. He is listed as questionable here but even if Anderson does play how effective would he be? Keep in mind he has a history of knee problems as he missed all but 11 games of his rookie season because of a knee injury. Delaware certainly wants to be careful with him and his absence or ineffectiveness really hurts the Blue Hens. They have been without him the past two games and they had to go to double OT to beat a bad Towson team and then they followed that up by losing to James Madison. The Blue Hens beat the Dragons earlier this season at Delaware but only by a single point and Anderson had 16 points in that one point win. Without Anderson, or with him limited, the Blue Hens certainly could be in trouble with the rematch being at Drexel. The home team is a perfect 7-0 SU in this series. Granted there have been some tight wins in that run but the Dragons are favored by just 3 points here. That certainly bears mentioning as 9 of Delaware's 12 losses this season have come by 6 or more points this season. As for Drexel wins, only 1 of the 12 has come by a margin of less than 4 points. Look for the Blue Hens to drop to 2-7 ATS this season in Saturday games. The Dragons are 8-1 SU and ATS as a favorite this season! 10* DREXEL

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #668 Saturday 8* North Carolina Tar Heels (-) vs Florida State Seminoles @ 3:45 PM ET - This is classic case of misguided market perception. It also follows the zig zag theory where when the markets go one way it is actually best to go the other way. In this case, the entire sports betting world watched North Caroline beat Duke on Wednesday so, of course, now everyone wants to fade the Tar Heels in this perceived "flat spot". There are multiple problems with that theory. First off, there is no way in hell that UNC is going to be flat when they're on their home floor and facing a highly regarded and ranked opponent. Adding fuel to the fire for North Carolina here is the fact that they lost to FSU last season. It was a painful loss too as the Heels simply couldn't make their shots. UNC had TWENTY more shots from the field than the Seminoles but lost the game by a single point due to a rare off shooting night. Now, instead of playing this game at Florida State, the Tar Heels get the Noles at home. Contrary to market perception here (line opened at 8 and and has dropped as low as 6.5) there is plenty of reasoning to expect the Tar Heels win this game by a double digit margin in a home blowout! The Seminoles are a quality team for sure but they're averaging 73 points per game on the road this season and North Carolina is averaging 89 points per game at home this season. That's a 16-point variance and that is a margin of victory I expect here for the Tar Heels. Even if slightly sluggish in first half (off the Duke win) the Heels will be reminded at halftime of what happened at Florida State last season. 8* NORTH CAROLINA

PA Insider - Rickenbach NBA Game #532 Saturday 8* Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Portland Trail Blazers @ 1:05 ET - The home team has won 8 straight games in this series. Couple that with the fact that this line is a very short number (thanks to Joel Embiid being out) and you have great value with the home side in this match-up. Keep in mind the Sixers also have revenge here from being thoroughly embarrassed at Portland in late December. The 76ers were down 29 points at the half and lost that game by a margin of 34 points. Philly is 24-7 SU at home this season. The Trail Blazers are on a 9-16 ATS run in February games and, prior to their win at Brooklyn Thursday, had lost 5 of their last 7 road games both SU and ATS. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #526 Friday 8* Memphis Grizzlies (+) vs Los Angeles Clippers @ 8:05 ET - As of early this morning the Clippers are favored by as little as a point and a half. Keep in mind, Los Angeles is currently in a playoff spot and 5 games above .500 while the Grizzlies are 13 games under .500 and next to last in the Western Conference. The odds makers must be "way off" on this one, right? Long-time followers know how I feel about that, as a general rule, and I am going contrarian here and going with the "ugly home dog" theory in this one. In terms of support for this play, Memphis is 3-2 SU (5-0 ATS!) in their last 5 home games. Overall the Grizzlies are on a solid 7-2-1 ATS run. The Clippers are off a SU (and ATS) win and they've been in a pattern of "win one / lose one" for awhile. Also, since the calendar turned the page to 2019, LA has managed only 2 ATS win streaks, each just 3 games. The home team has won 4 of the last 5 meetings between these teams. The Clippers had a blowout 134-107 win versus Phoenix before the All Star break and are a long-term 5-11 ATS when off a game in which they scored 130 points or more. 8* MEMPHIS

PA Insider - Rickenbach CBB Game #860 Friday 10* Top Play Penn Quakers (-) vs Columbia Lions @ 8 ET - The Quakers are still in the hunt for finishing in the top 4 of the Ivy League and qualifying for their post-season tourney. The Lions are the worst team in the conference by far. With Penn also entering this game off a tough OT loss to Harvard last week, the set up is perfect here for a home blowout win. Admittedly the Quakers have underachieved in Ivy League action thus far but they entered last weekend having had just one home game in league action thus far. Penn's schedule has been tough to say the least. They nearly pulled off the much-needed 2-0 sweep last weekend but back to back OT games (they beat Dartmouth in OT Friday) proved to be too much as you would expect. The Crimson are a tough team to face in a spot like that. Penn was 6-2 at home prior to losing to Harvard and now will take advantage of a facing a Columbia team that is just 1-8 in road games this season. I am well aware of the fact that the points seem high here but we've now seen this line drop from a 9 to a 7.5 and we're being offered great value here as the Quakers are ready for the much needed big blowout win that can keep their season alive. Keep in mind, Penn gets Cornell (5-3 in league action) tomorrow! I am well aware of the fact that both these teams are known for playing in tight games but I am calling for a win by double digits here as the Lions have shot poorly in back to back games and those were both at home! As for the Quakers, they had shot very well in 3 of their 4 games prior to the tough back to back OT situation. The hot shooting resumes tonight for the home team. 10* PENN

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #854 Friday 8* Brown Bears (+) vs Harvard Crimson @ 7 ET - This line was as low as a pick'em and has now moved as high as a -2.5 on Harvard as of early this morning. The reason for the move is that the Crimson have dominated the Bears not just in recent seasons but an entire decade. Considering that as well as the fact that Harvard is 6-2 in Ivy League action and Brown is only 3-5 in conference action this season, a major mistake has been made here by the odds makers, right? Of course long-time followers know how I feel about that and the fact is that the Bears have been viewing this game as the perfect opportunity to finally end their long losing streak against Harvard. Keep in mind, the Crimson are only 5-6 on the road this season while Brown is a solid 9-2 at home. Also, Harvard's most recent game was an emotional OT win over Penn. Additionally, the Crimson have a huge game on deck tomorrow at Yale. Of course the Bulldogs have the best record (7-1) in the Ivy League and it will not be a surprise to see Harvard looking right past a Brown team they have dominated. Lets be honest here...the concern for the Crimson is already the 1-2 battle between themselves and Yale tomorrow. Perfect scenario for an upset win here. 8* BROWN

PA Insider - Rickenbach NBA Game #502 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Miami Heat @ 7:05 ET - The fact that the Sixers are without Joel Embiid for this one is keeping this line to a very manageable number considering Philly is on their home floor and the Heat have been struggling. The 76ers, even without Embiid, are still the much more talented team here. Philadelphia has Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, Jimmy Butler, and JJ Redick. Additionally, the Sixers new reserve big man Boban Marjanovic will step up with Embiid being out. Philly is 6-1 SU and 5-2 ATS the last 7 times they've hosted Miami. Of course the Heat have revenge here as they were ousted from the playoffs by the Sixers last spring but, keep in mind, they had that revenge on their mind earlier this season too when they hosted the 76ers and yet they still lost by double digits at Miami! The Heat enter this game having lost 6 of their past 8 games. The Sixers are off a win and have won 14 of 21 in the New Year. Philly did lose their most recent home game but had won 9 of 12 prior on their home floor. 8 of the 76ers last 9 wins have come by 7 or more points and I see every reason to expect another win by at least that margin tonight! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #601 Thursday Central Florida Knights (+) @ Cincinnati Bearcats @ 7 ET - Losing is one thing...getting completely annihilated is another thing altogether. The last time the Knights visited Cincinnati they found themselves down 33-13 at the half. UCF went on to lose that game 77 to 40. Central Florida went 0 for 14 from three point land and the Bearcats made 10 threes. Simply put, it was just one of those nights that can happen from time to time but, rest assured, the Knights haven't forgotten and they look to atone for that loss here. This is the first time these teams have met since that game and it is again in Cincinnati. While I don't necessarily expect an outright upset win here in terms of revenge for UCF, I do expect Central Florida to be much more competitive. That means great line value here with the spread on this game currently sitting at +8. Keep in mind, even though Cincinnati is 9-1 SU their last 10 games, the Bearcats only won 3 of those games by more than 8 points and one of those was by 11 and another by 10. In other words, there is every reason to believe that UCF will be "right there" with this number throughout this game and I believe their highly motivated effort means this one is decided by more than a half-dozen points. The Knights are allowing just 61.8 points per game on the road this season! You can tell by the low total on this game (has dipped into the 120s) that a tight, defensive struggle is quite likely which means even more value with the generous points being offered. 8* CENTRAL FLORIDA

PA Insider - Rickenbach CBB Game #781 Wednesday 8* Villanova Wildcats (-) @ Georgetown Hoyas @ 6:30 ET - The Wildcats are off a loss at St John's Sunday where they blew a huge first half lead. The Red Storm, in my opinion, are well-coached and they are also very physical and tough. That was the difference in the 2nd half of that game (I had St John's as a premium pick in that one). This match-up is completely different and the results show it. Villanova has thoroughly dominated Georgetown time and time again in recent years. The Wildcats have a huge coaching edge with Jay Wright over the Hoyas Patrick Ewing. Also, Georgetown has the misfortune of facing Nova when they are angry off a loss. The Wildcats are 7-1 ATS this season when off an ATS loss and only lost back to back games ATS once this season and that was three months ago! The Hoyas could be rusty here as they haven't played in a week while the Wildcats are going to hit the floor running and should be firing on all cylinders from the opening tip. Villanova can't wait to get back on the floor after what happened at St John's. The Wildcats are 30-16 ATS in games with a posted total in the 140s and 53-30 ATS in games against teams with a winning record. Georgetown is playing this game with road loss revenge but that is a situation that has seen them go 6-14 ATS. Also, the Hoyas are on a horrific 13-31 ATS run in home games. Road rout expected here. 8* VILLANOVA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #601 Tuesday 8* Dayton Flyers (+) @ Davidson Wildcats @ 6 ET - The Wildcats are 12-0 at home this season and opened up as low as a 2.5 point favorite in this one. The current line on Davidson, no surprise to me, is currently up to 3.5 early game day morning. I would not be surprised if it goes higher. As usual I am in the contrarian position here and simply reminding you that the odds makers are very sharp. They opened this one with a very low number on the Cats for the same reason I like the Flyers in this match-up. That is, Dayton has a great shot at the upset here. Note that it has been over a month since Davidson hosted an Atlantic Ten team as strong as this Flyers team. The Wildcats won their two toughest home games in conference action but both were in early January and both involved their opponents have uncharacteristically poor shooting nights from three point land. Davidson beat VCU and Duquesne but the Rams and Dukes combined to shoot about 20% from beyond the arc and the Wildcats won those two games by an average margin of just 5.5 points. The point is that now Davidson hosts a strong Dayton team that is really "feeling it" right now in terms of their shooting. The Flyers have shot "lights out", including from downtown, in each of their last two games. Also, Dayton has built up some road confidence thanks to going 3-1 in their last 4 road games and with the two most recent road wins coming by an average margin of 27 points per game! The Flyers are off a 1-point loss at VCU and that holds significance here as they are 4-0 (SU and ATS) the last 4 times they were off a SU loss. 8* DAYTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #852 Monday 8* Virginia Tech Hockies (+) vs Virginia Cavaliers @ 7 ET - This line opened up as low as Virginia -3.5 but, as of early Monday morning, the line is now up to as high as -6.5 on the Cavaliers. That is because the Hokies have no chance in this match-up. I am being sarcastic of course. I love fading line moves like this and am very happy to be getting 3 more points than what the odds makers said I should be getting with Virginia Tech. You get my point? Grab the points here and take advantage of the extra points being offered! Why? First off the Hokies get this rematch at home. Yes Virginia Tech got blasted at Virginia in mid-January but the Hokies have been playing better defense of late. Also, they've gone to a "matchup zone" type of defense that has helped limit opponents scoring. Virginia Tech is sure to employ plenty of that again in this match-up and, keep in mind, the Cavaliers just faced a type of zone defense against Notre Dame Saturday and they barely won the game. Not only did the Cavs beat the Fighting Irish by only 6 points, that game was a home game for Virginia. They face a much tougher task here and I feel strongly that the Cavaliers will be locked into a fierce battle just to avoid the upset tonight let alone win this game by more than a half dozen points! You knew Virginia's hot ATS run couldn't last all season and, sure enough, they are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games. Virginia Tech is 5-0 SU and ATS the past two seasons when revenging a blowout loss vs opponent of 20 points or more. Also, the Hokies are 4-1 SU and ATS the past two seasons as a home dog of 3.5 to 6 points. Now we're even seeing 6.5 starting to pop up on this one. I'll take it! 8* VIRGINIA TECH

PA Insider - Rickenbach CBB Game #828 Sunday 10* Top Play St John's Red Storm (+) vs Villanova Wildcats @ 5 ET - Great line value here as a line that opened up as low as a -1.5 on Villanova is all the way up to as a high as a -4 on the Wildcats as of early Sunday morning. This is great home dog line value being offered to the Red Storm. While it is true that St John's lost the first meeting this season (at Villanova), the Red Storm actually had a double digit lead in the 2nd half of that game! Also, though the Wildcats are off an 18-point win versus Providence that game was much closer than that for much of the contest. In their prior game, Nova had to rally to still lose by a point at Marquette. The point is that the Cats continue to be a covering machine but they've truly been quite fortunate in recent contests and here is where that luck runs out. I actually expect an outright upset here for the Red Storm but, of course, am grabbing the generous points being offered as added insurance. Note that St John's Shamorie Ponds has had great success against the Wildcats in his career and also is known for huge performances in big games. Additionally, he is coming off a rare poor game and the fact that the Red Storm still won that game (versus Butler) says a lot. The fact is that St John's is very talented (much more than just Ponds) and they also play physical basketball and the Wildcats have been having trouble on the boards for long stretches in recent games. This one will be a fierce battle and I see the Red Storm taking advantage of this marquee opportunity on their home floor against a ranked rival. 10* ST JOHN'S

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #822 Sunday 8* Creighton Bluejays (-) vs Seton Hall Pirates @ 3 ET - This is a revenge game for the Bluejays as they lost at Seton Hall last Saturday. That defeat is a part of a 3-game losing streak that has seen Creighton struggle with a shooting slump. However, all 3 games were on the road. Keep in mind, the Bluejays are a much better shooting team when at home. In fact, Creighton won their most recent home game 76-54 versus Xavier behind a huge shooting performance at home. The Bluejays have been playing well defensively. Look for that to continue here and then the difference in the game will be Creighton again finding their shooting stroke at home. The Bluejays are off back to back ATS losses but previously had covered 4 of their last 5 games. The Pirates enter this game on a 5-game losing streak in road games. The average margin of defeat for Seton Hall in road games this year is 11 points. A double digit loss is what I expect in this one as well based on the situational aspects of this match-up. 8* CREIGHTON

PA Insider - Rickenbach CBB Game #687 Saturday 8* La Salle Explorers (+) @ St Louis Billikens @ 5 ET - Five weeks ago La Salle hosted St Louis and the line was the Billikens -4.5 on the road. Now they are at home hosting the Explorers so one would naturally expect St Louis to be favored by double digits here. They are not and, trust me, it is no mistake. This is a classic case of hot versus cold and I also like the fact that La Salle is healthier now than they were in that mid-January match-up. Additionally, they might get freshman Jack Clark back for this game and he has been a key contributor in limited action this season. The Explorers enter this game having won 5 of their last 6 games. The Billikens are in a letdown spot as they are off a win that snapped a 1-5 stretch (both SU and ATS) and they have a full week off after this game before another big game with Dayton. Will St Louis make the mistake of overlooking La Salle and trying to "coast" in their upcoming break? I would not be surprised to see this one play out exactly like that as the Billkens already won at La Salle this season plus have dominated recent meetings with the Explorers in St Louis. The situational aspects of this one mean that we have great value with the big road dog in this one. The Explorers are 6-1 ATS in road games this season and 4-1 ATS this season when off a win over a conference foe. The Billikens are 3-6 ATS this season after allowing 60 points or less in their prior game. St Louis is also an ugly 6-12 ATS as a favorite this season. 8* LA SALLE

PA Insider - Rickenbach CBB Game #853 Friday 8* St Joseph's Hawks (+) @ Davidson Wildcats @ 7 ET - This is a revenge game for the Wildcats and they are at the top of the Atlantic Ten standings while the Hawks are down near the bottom. However, this game is likely to prove troublesome for Davidson. They may get their revenge but I expect their win to be by single digits. The Wildcats have a huge game on deck with Dayton. The Flyers are just a game behind Davidson. Though the Wildcats certainly want revenge for their one point loss at St Joseph's last month, the fact is that is hard for Davidson not to already have Dayton on their mind. The Hawks just lost some bench depth with the Lodge injury and he joins an injury list that includes Kimble and Oliva. However, Lodge is a back-up and neither Kimble or Oliva were available for the first game against the Wildcats either. The Hawks are off a horrific shooting effort versus St Bonaventure Tuesday as they were held below 30% from the field. That has happened only twice before this season. Each time, St Joseph's covered their next game. Also, the Hawks allowed 51% from the field. Each of the last 4 times that St Joseph's has allowed 49% or better from the field, they've covered their next game all 4 times! The point is that this is a bounce back spot for the Hawks off a very ugly game and they don't play again for a full week after this one. In other words, St Joseph's is absolutely going to go all out here in a huge effort with a chance to again knock off the team that is at the top of the A-10 standings! The Wildcats are 9-2 SU in Atlantic Ten action but only 2 of those 9 wins have come by more than 11 points. Grab the generous points being offered to the Hawks in this one! 8* ST JOSEPH'S

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach CBB Game #877 Friday 10* Top Play Buffalo Bulls (-) @ Toledo Rockets @ 7 ET - This is a revenge game for the Rockets and, of course, they are happy to have the rematch at home. However, coming into this season Toledo was projected by most to be only about the 3rd best team in the MAC West. As for the MAC East, Buffalo was expected to be the top team there and they have met those expectations. The point is that the Bulls are doing what was expected of them while the Rockets have overachieved a bit. Overall on the season Buffalo has played a slightly tougher schedule too. These key factors, in my opinion, are combining to give us some solid line value here with the Bulls as a very short road favorite in this one. Sure the Rockets want revenge badly here but, keep in mind, this game is ultra-important to Buffalo too! It is not just about the Bulls being a Top 25 team and wanting to remain in the rankings, it is also the fact that Buffalo is currently battling with Bowling Green for the top spot in the East Division of the MAC. The Rockets have been helped by the fact that they play in the West which is the weaker division of the MAC this season. Also, note that the Bulls are a long-term 23-8 ATS in road games in which their line ranges from pick'em to a -3. As for Toledo, they could be a little rusty here with some extra time off leading into this game and the Rockets have covered just 3 of their last 9 games when they enter a match-up with 5 or 6 days of rest between games. The Bulls are 3-0 SU and ATS in the last 3 meetings between these teams and they make it 4 in a row here. 10* BUFFALO

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Game #505 Wednesday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 7:35 ET - The Celtics Gordon Hayward whom has averaged ONE made three-pointer per game in his CAREER went 6 for 7 from beyond the arc last night which was undoubtedly the difference in Boston's upset win over the 76ers. The Celtics won at Philly by 3 points yesterday and Hayward had 15 more points than usual from beyond the arc. Flip that around to normal and Boston loses the game by a DOZEN points. In any event, sometimes crazy stuff does happen in these games and, as a result of highly unlikely shooting result leading to an emotional upset win for the Celtics, this is pure and simple a flat spot for Boston. Of course that is why odds maker opened this line up with the Celtics favored by less than a half dozen points even though they are on their home floor. Keep in mind Kyrie Irving has been out for Boston and I would be very surprised to see him return tonight considering this is the Celtics final game before the All Star break. The smart thing to do is to let him continue to rest his knee and have continued rest then through the break. Boston had failed to cover 3 straight games before the unlikely upset win last night. Conversely, the Pistons enter this game having won (and covered) 4 straight games. Detroit also has covered its last two games against the Celtics and has the size in the paint to give Boston some trouble. This is especially true when the Pistons have a significant rest edge like they do here. The Celtics are 3-5 SU (and 2-6 ATS!) this season in the 2nd game of a back to back. Detroit is playing with a lot of confidence right now and has done well all season when in a situation like this. That is, the Pistons are 8-5 ATS (and 10-3 SU!) when off a game in which they scored 115 points or more! This one has upset written all over it and I am happy to grab the generous points being offered. 10* DETROIT

PA Insider - Rickenbach NBA Game #509 Wednesday NBA 8* Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ New York Knicks @ 7:35 ET - The Celtics Gordon Hayward whom has averaged ONE made three-pointer per game went 6 for 7 from beyond the arc last night which was undoubtedly the difference in the game. Boston won at Philly by 3 points and Hayward had 15 more points than usual from beyond the arc. Flip that around to normal and the Sixers win the game by a DOZEN points. In any event, sometimes crazy stuff does happen in these games and, as a result of last night's nonsense, you're going to see a HIGHLY motivated Philadelphia team taking the court in New York tonight. While the Knicks have another game tomorrow before the All Star break, this is it for the Sixers. After this game Philly doesn't play again until a full WEEK from Thursday. In other words Philly is going to make this one count and I expect them to take advantage of a very bad, and downtrodden, Knicks team. New York has lost 17 straight games. The last two losses have been tight defeats but 12 of the 15 prior losses in this streaks have all come by 9 or more points. When Philly wins, they generally cover. In fact the Sixers ATS record is 22-3 (88%) in their last 25 SU wins. Per all of the above stats you can see why that if one expects Philly to win SU one can also expect them to win ATS. This game has road rout written all over it and I don't see the 76ers being denied. 8* PHILADELPHIA

PA Insider - Rickenbach CBB Game #782 Wednesday 10* Top Play Villanova Wildcats (-) vs Providence Friars @ 6:30 ET - I got burned going against the Friars on Saturday with the Red Storm. No one expected that St John's would be without Mustapha Heron in that game but it made me feel like a fool when he was listed as the key player in my write-up and then 30 minutes before the game it was announced he wouldn't play. How important was he? Heron came back last night and scored 28 points in the OT win for the Red Storm over Butler. The point is that Providence, though they still deserve credit of course for the Saturday win, were very fortunate that Heron didn't play as it resulted in St John's being completely out of rhythm in that game. Now the Friars, after being in the right place at the right time, are in a complete 180 situation and are in the wrong place at the wrong time! Villanova is at home and coming off a one point loss at Marquette on Saturday. SU losses have been rare for the Wildcats this season and they are known for responding after a defeat. Nova is 3-0 ATS the last 3 times they were off a SU loss. This spread is double digits but it is justified. The Cats led the Friars by 18 points at halftime at Providence early last month. The Friars, at home, were able to claw back into the game in the 2nd half. However, on the road, that will not happen and this is particularly true when you consider the angry mindset of the Wildcats team they are facing here. Providence is 8-10 ATS this season against teams with a winning record. Villanova is 14-6 ATS this season against teams with a winning record. The Wildcats turn this into a home blowout. 10* VILLANOVA

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Game #574 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Boston Celtics @ 8:05 ET - The 76ers are a much different team than the ones that the Celtics have dominated in recent meetings. Not only did Boston knock Philly out of the playoffs in 5 games in May, the Celtics also have won each of the first two meetings this season. However, not only were those games at Boston and this one is in Philadelphia, the Sixers also are now stacked. Not only do they now have a "Big Four" with Embiid, Simmons, Butler and Harris, the 76ers also still have JJ Redick and the sharp-shooter is currently red hot from beyond the arc. They are loaded with weapons while the Celtics are actually down a key one today as Kyrie Irving (knee) has been downgraded to out for this game! Boston is 9-17 ATS this season in road games and also just 3-6 ATS as an underdog this season. All 3 of those wins were outright upset wins. In other words, the Celtics have not covered a single game this season that they've lost SU as an underdog. That said, note that Philly is quite likely to get the SU win here. The 76ers are 23-6 SU at home this season. In other words, the odds are heavily stacked in our favor here for a Sixers win and cover. In terms of technical support for the 76ers, Philly is 35-13 ATS versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - when the Sixers are facing them in the 2nd half of the season. Overall the 76ers are a fantastic 72-43 ATS long-term in home games. The Celtics have been slumping and are on a 5-11 ATS run and Boston is in the wrong place at the wrong time. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #602 Tuesday 10* Top Play St Joseph's Hawks (-) vs St Bonaventure Bonnies @ 6:30 ET - This line was as high as a -3 on St Joseph's early on when lines first came out yesterday afternoon. It has since dropped to very nearly a pick'em and this is offering superb line value on the home team. This is a big-time revenge game and I look for the Hawks to get home revenge in this one just like they did when they blasted the Billikens on Friday. Earlier this season St Joseph's had lost at St Louis and shot just 29.5% from the field in the embarrassing loss. The Hawks got payback in Philly Friday. Similar situation here. St Joseph's lost badly at St Bonaventure and shot 29.1% in the defeat and now it is payback time in Philly as they host the Bonnies. Though the Hawks are short-handed, including being without Lamarr Kimble, that problem is mitigated by the fact that St Joseph's enters this game with 3 days off and they have 2 days off after this. In other words, it is no problem to fully utilize all hands on deck fully in this one and that worked just fine when they blasted St Louis by 30 on Friday. The Hawks are catching the Bonnies at the right time as St Bonaventure has been held to below 30% from the field (including horrific 3-point shooting performances) in each of their last two games. Off back to back losses, St Bonaventure has scored an average of just 53 points per game in their last two games. The Bonnies are just 4-9 SU on the road this season while the Hawks are a solid 9-3 SU at home this season. St Bonaventure is just 2-4 SU and ATS this season when off a game in which they were held to just 60 points or less. The Hawks are a perfect 3-0 SU this season in a home game where the total is 135 to 139.5 points. 10* ST JOSEPH'S

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #555 Monday 8* Charlotte Hornets (+) @ Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - It looks easy to take the Pacers on their home floor here and, of course, that is what many are doing as the early line has gone from -4 to as high as a -5.5 as of early game day morning. Of course you know what happens when something looks easy. Everyone sees a Pacers team that has won 5 straight games and has a 37-19 record on the season and is hosting a Hornets teams that has an overall losing record on the year. It was easy to predict what would happen here in terms of line movement and now I am stepping in on the other side of the move and grabbing the extra value. Charlotte is hell-bent on getting revenge here after they got embarrassed by 25 points in their most recent match-up here at Indiana about 3 weeks ago. Charlotte had won and covered each of their two prior meetings with the Pacers before losing the most recent game 120-95. Look for the Hornets to improve to 10-5 ATS (and SU) against Central Division opponents with an upset win here. However, I am happy to grab the available points as added insurance should they fall short of the upset. Indiana has shot the ball extremely well the last 3 games but it is such a high percentage (55%) it is certainly not sustainable and the Pacers have been held to a combined 43.7% from the field the last two times they've hosted the Hornets. Similar result expected here! 8* CHARLOTTE

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #830 Sunday 8* Houston Cougars (-) vs Cincinnati Bearcats @ 4 ET - Solid line value here with Houston at home. The Bearcats have won 2 of the last 3 meetings between these teams even though there has been a statistical anomaly that would suggest otherwise. The Cougars have had more field goal attempts in all 3 of those games versus Cincinnati but have fallen short due to buckets not falling. The 3 meetings last season saw Houston have 25 more field goal attempts than the Bearcats yet they won only one of the games. Also, the Cougars lost the most important one (by a single point) when Cincy knocked them out of the conference tourney. It is payback time here. Houston is a perfect 3-0 ATS this season as a home favorite in a range of 3.5 to 6 points. Cincinnati is 0-3 ATS this season in games with a posted total in the 120s. Also, the Bearcats are on a 2-6 ATS run as an underdog. The Cougars are 13-2 SU (and 10-5 ATS) in February games and they get their revenge here. 8* HOUSTON

PA Insider - Rickenbach NBA Game #544 Saturday 8* Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 3:35 ET - How are good are the Sixers now after all the Tobias Harris trade? Truly, they are quite stacked and they proved that in the win over one of the top teams in the league when they won and covered against the Nuggets on Friday. What was most impressive about the win is that the Sixers Big Four of Harris, Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Jimmy Butler averaged only 15.8 points in that game. The bench scored 20 points. So what was the key to victory? The Sixers "forgotten" fifth starter as JJ Redick absolutely "went off" for a season high 34 points and was 6 for 7 from three point land. The way that game played out shows just how dangerous this Philly team can be as they truly have weapons at all 5 positions. The fact that Embiid was battling illness and made just 4 of 17 from the field and yet the 76ers still won and covered says a lot. The scary thing for opponents is that they will likely be even better today as this will be their 2nd game together with Harris as a starter and Boban Marjanovic and Mike Scott coming off the bench. Philadelphia is 22-6 SU at home this season. What about the all important cover? Dating back to late November, Philly has 21 wins and they only failed to cover in 3 of the 21 victories. In other words, when the Sixers win, they almost always get the cash. They're catching the Lakers at the perfect time for a big win as they catch LA off the big upset win at Boston. Los Angeles is still just 12-15 SU on the road this season and when they lose they rarely get the cash! The Lakers have managed the cover in only 3 of their 27 losses this season! This game has home blowout written all over it. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #651 Saturday 8* Villanova Wildcats (+) @ Marquette Golden Eagles @ 2:30 ET - This line opened up right around a pick'em and has risen now to as high as a -2 on Marquette. This is not a surprise to be as the Golden Eagles are at home and are 14-1 SU in home games this season. Also, that lone loss just happened as Marquette lost versus St John's on Tuesday. Though they rallied back in the 1-point loss lets not forget they were down 15 points to the Red  Storm in the 2nd half of their game. Now perhaps Marquette was looking ahead to this showdown with Villanova but the Wildcats also might have been looking ahead when they had to go to OT to beat Creighton on Wednesday. There is an old handicapping adage that says don't play teams off of an overtime win. However, I am here to say that there is no doubt that the Wildcats enter this game feeling much more confident heading into Marquette off an 11 point win in comparison with how the Golden Eagles feel seeing their home winning streak end. Also, that St John's team that Marquette just lost to in Milwaukee is the same Red Storm team that Villanova hosted 5 weeks ago and beat by 5. The key story line there was the Wildcats were down by 13 early in the game and also trailed by 5 with under 3 and 1/2 minutes to go. Villanova outscored St John's by 10 over the final 3 and 1/2 minutes. Not to take anything away from Golden Eagles coach Steve Wojciechowski but Wildcats coach Jay Wright is 15 years his senior. The point is Wildcats still the stronger team at closing out games and Villanova is not yet ready to relinquish their seemingly annual spot as the top team in the Big East. The Wildcats lost at Marquette two years ago but that was because they shot 17.6% from three point land while the Golden Eagles shot 47.4% from three point land. Villanova still only lost that game by two points and I don't expect a repeat of that type of shooting performance here. In fact, Marquette has not had "the touch" from three point land in home games this season that they've shown in past seasons. Against St John's, Seton Hall, Wisconsin, UTEP, Kansas State the Eagles had sub-par shooting efforts from beyond the arc and the Wildcats know they can't let Marquette beat them with wide open threes. Nova has won 12 of the last 13 meetings between these teams and the lone loss came by just 2 points on a night when the Wildcats were shooting so bad they couldn't hit the ocean standing 20 feet from the water! That won't happen again here.  8* VILLANOVA