Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CFB Game #103 Wednesday 8* Miami-Ohio Redhawks (+) vs Ohio University Bobcats @ 7 ET - The Bobcats, at least in early wagering through Tuesday evening, are the popular choice. Of course this makes sense as Ohio University has rolled 3 straight teams heading into this game and also the Bobcats have had the upper hand in this series going 11-2 in the last 13 meetings. However, in the Redhawks are a very dangerous home underdog here. This is a rivalry game and means a lot to Miami-Ohio even though they have a sub-par record on the season. The Redhawks want this game badly and Ohio U is truly in a classic lookahead spot here as the Bobcats have a huge game on deck against Buffalo. The Bulls entered Tuesday night's game versus Kent with a 5-0 record and, of course, it is hard for the Bobcats not to get caught looking ahead. For the Redhawks their full focus is certainly here and I also like the fact that Miami-Ohio has played the tougher schedule this season in terms of comparing these two teams. While it is true that Ohio U has held their last 3 opponents each to just 14 points, the Redhawks have averaged 37 points per game their last 6 games and have not been held below 30 in any of those games. The Redhawks are 4-0 ATS this season when coming off a conference game and 12-6 ATS the last 2+ seasons as an underdog. Miami-Ohio is 15-5 ATS in home games with a posted total between 56.5 and 63 points.  The Redhawks also have the rest edge here as they played last week on Tuesday while the Bobcats played on Thursday. I expect an upset but will grab the "insurance" with the FG + the hook in this one. 8* MIAMI-OHIO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #522 Wednesday 8* Cincinnati Bearcats (-) vs Ohio State Buckeyes @ 6 ET - Huge game for many reasons. For one thing, it brings back the Cincinnati / Ohio State match-up many in Ohio had been calling for (they will meet next year in Columbus). Secondly, the Bearcats had to play their home games last season on the campus of Northern Kentucky as they were waiting for the renovations ($87 million!) to be completed at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati. You know the Bearcats are excited about this opportunity being back in their true home and hosting Ohio State. Last, but certainly not least, coach Mick Cronin and his Bearcats have been waiting nearly 8 months for a chance to redeem themselves after what happened back on March 18th. That was the infamous game against Nevada in the NCAA Tourney that saw a Cincinnati team that was one of the best in the nation defensively, blow a 22-point lead with 11 minutes to go in the game! One thing impacting Ohio State here is that big man Micah Potter just announced he was transferring. Granted he only averaged 10 minutes per game last season but, as a junior now, he was expected to have a bigger role this season and the Buckeyes lost a lot of key players from last year's team prior to now losing frontcourt depth with Potter's announcement. The Bearcats are 23-2 SU in their last 25 home games and this a very manageable line especially when you consider that Ohio State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 road games. Look for the strong D and the home court edge to be the difference makers for the Bearcats here as they take advantage of a Buckeyes team that will be adjusting to life without Keita Bates-Diop and Jae'Sean Tate as well as guards Kam Williams and Andrew Dakich. Sure the Bearcats lost some players too but they are in far better shape than the Buckeyes here in the early going. 8* CINCINNATI

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFB Game #101 Tuesday 10* Top Play Kent State Golden Flashes (+) @ Buffalo Bulls @ 7:30 ET - When you are a huge underdog, you welcome all the help that you can get from Mother Nature. In this case, this game at Buffalo is offering plenty of help based on the weather forecast. The Bulls, as you would expect for a MAC team, play in a rather small home venue. That means that when the winds are whipping through there it can create havoc for the passing and kicking game. Winds are expected to be in the 25 to 35 mph range on Tuesday night in Amherst in the Buffalo area. I love the big dog in a spot like this catching more than 3 TDs. The Golden Flashes have been playing a little better in recent weeks. One of their biggest weaknesses on the season is pass defense but, again, based on the strong winds forecast for Tuesday night, Buffalo is likely to keep the ball on the ground a lot. In comparing these two teams, they are nearly equal in terms of the ground game both on offense and defense. The big edge the Bulls would have is the passing game but, again, that is going to be at least somewhat (if not significantly) impacted by the weather in this one. The Golden Flashes have played better in recent weeks even though they've had a road-heavy schedule (they finish the season with two home games). Kent State is only 1-3 SU their last 4 games but two of those three losses came by just a single point. Another key here is that Buffalo is in a sandwich spot. The two teams closest to the Bulls in the MAC East standings are Miami-Ohio and Ohio U. With Buffalo off a key win over the Redhawks last Tuesday and having a huge game on deck with the Bobcats next Wednesday, this is a "tricky" scheduling spot for the Bulls. The Golden Flashes are playing hard for head coach Sean Lewis. At the age of 31 he is the youngest head coach in the nation and has brought a lot of positive energy to the program and they are heading in the right direction despite their unimpressive W-L record. Another key to the value here is that Bulls linebacker (2nd in the NATION in tackles last season) Khalil Hodge is out for the 1st half of this game due to a targeting suspension. Look for the Golden Flashes to keep this game much closer than many are expecting. 10* KENT STATE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Tuesday 8* Atlanta Hawks (+) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - The Hawks are off a big win and ready to build some momentum. Atlanta is 3-0 ATS (and 3-0 SU!) this season when off a game where they scored 115 points or more. The Hornets are also off a big win but have only won back to back games once this season. That said, we're getting great line value here in being able to challenge the Hornets to win this game by a dozen points or more. I just don't see that happening here. Charlotte is a long-term 4-8 ATS in home games with posted total of 220 points or more. Much has been made of the Hornets improved offense this season but truly they have been a bit of sporadic. Prior to their blowout win over the Cavaliers, the Hornets had been held to 44% or less from the field in 5 of their last 7 games including being held to 41% or less in 2 of their last 3 games! The Hawks actually are the much hotter team with shooting right now as they've knocked down 51.4% of their shots from the field in their last 3 games. Of course Atlanta is one of the weaker teams in the league but lets not forget that Charlotte has won just 36 games each of the past two seasons. The Hornets certainly are not juggernauts and they're priced too high in this one. Give me the big points with the Hawks! 8* ATLANTA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #758 Tuesday 8* UCF Knights (-) vs Rider Broncs @ 6:30 ET - The Broncs are projected to be the #1 team in the MAAC this season and are getting a lot of respect from the betting markets here as a result. However, there contrarian viewpoint to this game that is getting overlooked by many is that the Knights are projected to be the #1 team in the AAC this season. Not only is UCF at home and coming from the stronger conference - American Athletic Conference over Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference - the fact is that the Knights are much healthier entering this season than they were last season. UCF managed to win 19 games last season despite enduring many injury setbacks. They enter this season with Tacko Fall and BJ Taylor both ready to be on the court at the same time (only played together in ONE game last season) and also Aubrey Dawkins (coach Johnny Dawkins son) is ready to go this season too! He transferred from Michigan to follow his father down to Central Florida so he had to sit out the first two season two years ago and then he missed last season due to a shoulder injury. Now he is ready to go as is the rest of a solid core group of Knights player. Additionally, UCF is even stronger due to some other additions (including through transfer) to an already solid basketball program. Sure Rider has impressive numbers on offense but their defense won't be able to match that of the Knights and this season's UCF team is loaded now that they are healthy. Plus, keep in mind, the Knights had added benefit of other guys getting valuable playing time last season due to the injuries. 8* UCF 

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NFL Game #473 Monday 8* Tennessee Titans (+) @ Dallas Cowboys @ 8:15 ET - Though it may seem tough to back a team off 3 straight losses, going contrarian is absolutely the way to go here. Indeed, the Titans have lost 3 straight games but 2 of the 3 losses came by 1 point. That said, there is some solid line value here with grabbing the points. Tennessee is 5-1 ATS the last 6 times they've been a dog. Also, the Titans are on a long-term 6-0 ATS run in Monday night football games. When Tennessee enters a game on a SU losing streak of 2 or more games, the Titans have gone 5-0 ATS! The Cowboys have covered just 1 game in their last 5 contests. Also, 1 of their 3 SU wins this season came by just 2 points. Again, the key point being here that there is value with having the points in this one. Both teams are very hungry as they each are coming off a bye week that followed a losing effort in their most recent game. All that untapped energy now has been building for extra time and I look for a tight, physical contest. That is precisely the type of game where, more often than not, having those points on your side proves to be key! Note that the Titans are a perfect 7-0 ATS the last 7 times they've entered a game as a dog of more than 3 points against an NFC foe that has a losing record! Also, under Jason Garrett, the Cowboys are 4-9 ATS when off a loss to a division rival in their prior game. Not only is Dallas off a loss to the Redskins, they have a big game at Philly on deck Sunday night. Grab the points. 8* TENNESSEE

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Game #471 Sunday 8* Green Bay Packers (+) @ New England Patriots @ 8:20 ET - While it is true the Packers are going all the way from a game on the West Coast to one on the East Coast, it is also true that the Patriots are coming off a Monday night game. The point is that the short rest for New England really negates any edge they would have had based on the Green Bay situation. Also, not to get too technical but, the fact is that with this being a night game, going from the West Coast to the East Coast loses some of its problem factor. As for the match-up here, I love the fact that the Patriots had a very fortunate cover last week at Buffalo. The Pats won the game by 19 points but outgained the Bills by only 54 yards. Now instead of facing a Bills team with a very tenuous back-up QB situation, the Patriots face one of the game's best in Aaron Rodgers. Also, you know that Rodgers (and the entire Packers team) is going to be extremely hungry here. Not only did they lose late at LA last week, they also suffered a fumble on the final kick-off from the Rams. It was a horrible gaffe and part of what cost that kick returner his spot on the team as he was released after that! The fact of the matter is that the Packers had plenty of time to try and get into field goal range...especially with Rodgers at the helm. As a result, there is simply no discounting the hunger that this Green Bay team has coming into this game. The Packers want this game and it is with good reason that the odds makers opened this one up with NE as less than a TD favorite. Overall the Packers pass defense ranks much better than the Patriots does. As for the offense, Green Bay holds the overall edge there as well on the season. You can see why I like getting a hungry dog like the Packers when they've got numbers like this to support them as well! There is also an interesting ATS stat here that fits perfectly. The Packers, under head coach Mike McCarthy, with last week's cover at the Rams improved to 10-1 ATS when they face an opponent that is off back to back away games. LA was off of 3 straight road games last week and note that the Pats are off B2B road games heading into this one. Grab the generous points here as an outright upset certainly would not surprise but I love the insurance of the points in this one! 8* GREEN BAY

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NFL Game #470 Sunday 10* Top Play New Orleans Saints (+) vs Los Angeles Rams @ 4:25 ET - When an 8-0 team opens up at nearly a pick'em line it is not a mistake. However, the markets usually jump all over these types of situations and, sure enough, that is precisely what happened here. LA has gone from roughly a pick to a -2.5 as of Saturday night and I love the value we're getting here with the Saints. How many teams go undefeated in an NFL season? It is RARE as you know and, the point is, even though this is only the half-way point of the season, you know a loss is likely coming for LA sooner rather than later and this look likes the perfect spot for it! The Saints are on a roll and I know they were out-gained significantly by the Vikings last week but, the point is, New Orleans continues to find a way to win and their confidence is sky-high and they are at home for this one!  A lot of factors going in their favor here. Also, for a FIFTH straight week, the Rams are playing in a different city. Seattle has gone from Seattle to San Francisco to Denver to home in Los Angeles and now right back on the road again at New Orleans. The Saints are on a 6-0 SU run and 5-0 ATS run so they are the ideal team to step up and knock off the Rams here on Sunday. Also, New Orleans is 6-2 ATS their last 8 as a home dog. The Saints have a long-term reputation for stepping up in games against winning teams. Not only did they knock off the Vikings last week but also the Redskins early this season. In fact New Orleans entered this season 12-1 ATS in games against NFC foes with a winning percentage greater than 66.6% and I look for another cover here as I do expect the upset win but definitely will grab the points for insurance. With last week's win and cover against a Vikings team that was on a winning streak, the Saints are now 14-3 ATS under head coach Sean Payton when they're on a SU winning streak of 2 or more games and also facing an opponent on a winning streak of 2 or more games. Keep in mind, though the Rams are 8-0 SU on the season they've covered just once in their last 5 games. Great home dog value with the Saints in this one. 10* NEW ORLEANS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NFL Game #461 Sunday 8* Atlanta Falcons (+) @ Washington Redskins @ 1 ET - The Falcons have an edge here coming off their bye week. The Redskins are off a big divisional battle with the Giants last week. Washington is in an ugly 2-8 ATS when they are coming off a divisional game and facing an NFC opponent. The Redskins are also 0-6 ATS in games where they are favored by more than one point against an NFC South opponent. Washington, under coach Jay Gruden, is also a disastrous 1-9 ATS when they are a home favorite against an opponent off a home game. Of course the Falcons, prior to their bye, got the win over the Giants at home in Atlanta and New York rallied for the cover in that game. In other words, there is some additional line value here because of the non-covering result in that game for Atlanta. The Falcons, under Dan Quinn, are 9-2 when they are an underdog after being a SU winner in their prior game. The Redskins defense has been strong overall this season but they rank only in the middle of the pack against the pass. That is an issue here as the Falcons strength on offense is their passing game as it ranks as one of the best in the NFL. The Redskins passing attack ranks as one of the worst in the league and I feel Washington is over-valued at this point in the season with their 4-2 record while the Falcons are much better than their 3-4 record is showing the betting markets. The result? Big value! 8* ATLANTA

Game of the Week - Rickenbach CFB Game #356 Saturday 10* Top Play Northwestern Wildcats (+) vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ 7:15 ET - The Fighting Irish are 8-0 SU on the season but are 3-4 ATS their last 7 and truly are over-priced here. Notre Dame is known for sliding at this point in the season and this certainly could be "upset week" for them as they are just 3-5 SU (and 1-7 ATS!) the past two Novembers. Conversely, the Wildcats are in their most relished role. As an underdog, Northwestern is now 10-3 ATS their last 13 and that includes 4-0 this season! 3 of the 4 this season were outright upset wins! The Wildcats are also a long-term 11-3 ATS as home dog of 7.5 to 10 points and 9 of those 11 wins were outright upsets! Northwestern also is known for staying hot once they get hot! The Cats enter this game having won 4 straight and they are 9-1 SU and (8-2 ATS!) their last 10 when they enter a game on a SU winning streak of 2 or more games. Ever since losing RB Jeremy Larkin for the season (career ended) this Wildcats team has bonded tremendously. They lost (but covered) their first game without him in a hard-fought 3-point loss to mighty Michigan and they've since won 4 straight games! Of course there will be plenty of Notre Dame fans here but certainly it still is not the same as the Wildcats having to face the Fighting Irish in South Bend. That said, I also like the fact that we've got some more technical data supporting this play. ND is 3-10 ATS the game after facing Navy. Notre Dame is also just 1-5 ATS when on the road after scoring more than 35 points and now facing a team that is playing with revenge. The Irish are also on an 0-5 ATS run as a favorite of more than 6 points against a Big Ten team! 10* NORTHWESTERN

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFB Game #379 Saturday CFB 8* Utah Utes (-) @ Arizona State Sun Devils @ 4 ET - Utah just wrapped up a dominating month of October as they won all 4 games both SU and ATS. Now the Utes eye revenge at Arizona State. Last year, the Sun Devils knocked off the Utes in Salt Lake City and it is time for payback here. The road team has won each of the last two meetings between these teams by a margin of 20 points or more and I am forecasting another road rout here. The Utes are catching ASU at the perfect time to get a big road win. The Sun Devils are off a revenging win over a USC team that was quite banged up heading into that one. Give ASU credit nonetheless but lets not forget that the Sun Devils entered  that game having lost 4 of their last 5 games. All 4 losses came by 7 points apiece. Coincidentally, 7 is the exact line on this game in most places as of Friday afternoon but I certainly am not posting this expecting a push. The Utes won their 4 games in October by an average margin of 24 points per game. In comparing these teams the Utes have a large edge on defense. Utah is 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games played on grass. Also, the Utes are 8-2 ATS the last 10 times they've entered a game on SU winning streak of 2 or more games. Arizona State is 3-6 ATS (and 2-7 SU!) when off a win versus a Pac-12 foe. The Sun Devils are a long-term 10-17 ATS in home games with a posted total between 52.5 and 56 points. Grabbing a red hot road team that is running the ball extremely well and also has the vastly superior defense and that is also seeking revenge is absolutely the way to go here. 8* UTAH

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CFB Game #351 Saturday 8* West Virginia Mountaineers (+) @ Texas Longhorns @ 3:30 ET - The Longhorns are off a loss at Oklahoma State. I won't be surprised to see Texas come out flat in this one after "unbeaten letdown" with the loss to the Cowboys being their first Big 12 loss of the season. It was no fluke as the Horns were outgained by 100 yards by OSU. Also, note that Texas was outgained in their wins over TCU and Oklahoma as well. Simply put, I feel that the Longhorns are a bit over-rated right now. As for West Virginia, they are truly flying "under the radar" right now as the Mountaineers are 6-1 SU on the season and, other than one embarrassing effort at Iowa State (the lone loss), they've played extremely well. The Mountaineers average margin of victory is 26.3 points per win in their 6 victories. West Virginia is 7-3 SU (and 8-2 ATS) as a road dog of 3 points or less their last ten! Look for a typical November fade from the Longhorns here (2-6 ATS last 8 in November) after last week's loss at Oklahoma State sets the tone for typical late season disappointment for the Horns. Also, Texas is 1-5 ATS their last 6 as a favorite and 2-5 ATS in home games with a total posted between 56.5 and 63 points. Look for the road team to improve to 3-0 SU and ATS in the last 3 meetings between these teams. Will Grier and the Mountaineers offense will prove to be too much here. 8* WEST VIRGINIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #502 Saturday 8* Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Detroit Pistons @ 1:05 ET - This is a revenge game for the 76ers from that unreal OT loss to the Pistons a little over a week ago when Blake Griffin had an unbelievable performance for Detroit. Undoubtedly, Griffin is a fantastic player. However, not only is a repeat of that type of performance unlikely, a look at some key stats can tell you why the Sixers should win this game handily. The Pistons, other than that win over Philly, have been held under 42.5% from the field in 5 of their other 6 games including 3 in a row. When a team is not shooting well, they're going to have trouble getting past a Philadelphia team that is averaging 116.6 points per game at home on 44.5% from the field and 38.4% from three point land! Also, in terms of defense, the Sixers are allowing just 43.6% from the field while the Pistons are allowing 46.7% from the field. Prior to the loss on October 23rd, by a single point in OT, the 76ers had defeated Detroit 4 straight times by an average margin of 15 points per game. The Sixers are 15-6 ATS in home games with a posted total of 220 points or more and I am forecasting a revenging home rout in this one! 8* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CFB Game #315 Friday 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Panthers (+) @ Virginia Cavaliers @ 7:30 ET - Yes, Virginia has been red hot and many are looking to ride the Cavaliers here. This is especially true as Pittsburgh, despite an ultra-impressive performance on offense (and a win), gave up a ton of yardage last week. The facts that matter the most here are the Panthers are a very physical football team and while I greatly respect Cavs coach Bronco Mendenhall, he and the Cavaliers have lost to Pitt in each of his first two seasons. Coming into this season Virginia was pegged by most prognosticators to finish dead last in the Coastal Division of the ACC. Now both the Cavs and the Panthers have just 1 ACC loss heading into this battle. The Cavaliers are also ranked! However, I fully believe this is a case of a little too much too respect too soon for the Cavaliers. I am calling for the upset here but, of course, I am grabbing the points. Currently this line is at 7.5 as of early gameday morning and that is a great value. The Cavs, for all their accolades, actually have only averaged 346 yards per game their last 4 games. The Panthers, on the other hand, have averaged 479 yards of offense per game in their last 3 ACC games! Pitt is loaded with confidence after their huge performance at Duke and they also have confidence at Virginia due to recent success in this match-up. Under head coach Pat Narduzzi, the Panthers have gone 11-6 ATS in their last 17 as a road dog. Virginia is on a 2-6 ATS run in November games and is a long-term 4-7 ATS as a home favorite in a range of 7.5 to 10 points. The Panthers are 10-3 ATS their last 13 games against teams with a winning record and get the job done again here. 10* PITTSBURGH

All Treat No Trick Best Bet - Rickenbach CFB Game #306 Wednesday 10* Top Play Toledo Rockets (-) vs Ball State Cardinals @ 7:30 ET - Ball State has been ravaged with injuries and now they are forced to go with Drew Plitt at QB because Riley Neal has been downgraded to out for this game. The Cardinals also have injury issues at RB and WR. Not only that, the Cards have been hurt by injuries on the offensive line and on defense too. All the way around this is not a good spot for Ball State. As for Toledo, QB Mitchell Guadagni left the Rockets most recent game with a shoulder injury. However, even if he did not play in tonight's game, back-up QB Eli Peters has played plenty this season (including last week) and he has played well. Peters plays with confidence too and, at home, versus an over-matched Cardinals team, the Rockets can essentially "name the score" in this one. I look for them to get a huge lead and then, though they will be in a certain respect "coasting to victory" I still them piling up points. Even when Toledo turns to their ground game to grind out clock, they are likely to break off big runs. The Rockets have run for 229 yards or more in 3 of their last 4 games. The Cards defense has allowed 227 yards or more in 3 of their last 4 games and that includes 411 rushing yards in their most recent game. Though I generally don't lay big numbers, this is a rare case where everything does point to a blowout and Ball State, without their top QB (and other skill position guys) just doesn't have a lot of "backdoor cover" potential here. Look for the Cardinals to drop to 2-10 (SU and ATS) in October games! Note that the Rockets are 10-0 / 100% PERFECT ATS when they are a home favorite of more than 8 points and coming off a win that was by a double digit margin both SU and ATS. That system fits here as they blasted Western Michigan last week by 27 points as an underdog! There is another perfect system here too as Ball State is 0-9 ATS when they are playing with revenge against a team that is off a SU win by a double digit margin in their prior game. That means this spot is a combined 19-0 / 100% PERFECT! Lay the points! 10* TOLEDO

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFB Game #302 Tuesday CFB 10* Buffalo Bulls (-) vs Miami-OH Redhawks @ 8 ET - First off, lets talk about the current injury report here. The Bulls have no one listed while the 3 guys for the Redhawks all quite important and all 3 are seniors. Of course WR James Gardner has been out since earlier this season but that was a crushing blow as he was the leader of the receiving group. The other two players are on defense and are both listed as questionable for this week. Liinebacker Junior McMullen is the middle linebacker and certainly a crucial piece of the LB corps. The defensive back is Deondre Daniels and he was the top returning cornerback. Now even without all this I still love Buffalo here. They had won 4 straight in this series but now have lost back to back games to Miami-Ohio (Bulls were down to 3rd string QB in last year's meeting). So this is a double-revenge situation and Buffalo is at home and they are laying a TD. Good value here. The Bulls are 7-1 this season and Miami-OH is just 3-5. Granted the Redhawks have played better since MAC play began but the Bulls have been playing even better (on both sides of the ball) and have the home field edge and high motivation factor here. In terms of technical support, the Redhawks are on a 1-3 ATS run in Tuesday games while the Bulls are on a 6-3 ATS run in Tuesday games. Buffalo is also 4-1 ATS as a favorite in a range of 3.5 to 10 points and 6-1 ATS when they enter a game on a winning streak of 2 or more games. Also, the Bulls are 8-1 ATS when they are off B2B SU wins and facing an opponent off a SU loss. Buffalo is also 7-1 ATS when they are a home favorite of more than 2 points and are playing with revenge! 10* BUFFALO

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #509 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:35 ET - Kawhi Leonard sat for the Raptors last night (just for rest) but that is no excuse for getting blown out at Milwaukee as the Bucks were without their star player as well as Giannis Antetokounmpo did end up going in concussion protocol. Also, the Sixers Joel Embiid did play in Philly's first back to back this season and I expect he will do so again here after Philadelphia blew out the Hawks in the 2nd half last night and they were able to rest starters in the 4th quarter. Embiid clearly was "saving up" for this game as he had his lowest point total and rebound total of the season in last night's game. Milwaukee, Toronto, Detroit, and Boston are the top 4 teams in the NBA East right now based on records. Why do I bring that up? Because the Sixers have already lost to Boston, Detroit (in OT thriller), and the Bucks. Philadelphia has this game at Toronto circled in blood as a result! The 76ers know they need to prove they can be a quality team in the East as so far they have looked like the weakest of all the aforementioned teams and Philly is supposed to be a legit contender in the East this season. With Ben Simmons playing very well, Markelle Fultz off a strong game, and Embiid having (in my opinion) saved up for this one, I am expecting a Sixers upset tonight but certainly like the value with the points. By the way, Raptors only had 2 players score 11 points or more last night while the 76ers had 6 players score at least 11 points last night. Balanced scoring certainly is an important factor and Philly was all over the boards last night too. They are hungry and in need of a statement win. The Raptors are on an 8-18 ATS run in Tuesday games while the Sixers are on a 13-7 ATS run in Tuesday games. Also, the 76'ers are 46-24 ATS their last 70 games versus teams that score an average of 106 points or more per game. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Game #276 Monday 10* Top Play Buffalo Bills (+) vs New England Patriots @ 8:15 ET - This one falls under the old "ugly home dog" theory but it fits well. The team nobody wants, Buffalo, is at home in a divisional game and down to their 2nd string quarterback, and they're hosting the almighty Patriots - a public team that people love to bet. You can see where I am going with this as, in typical contrarian fashion, I am backing the unpopular team. Of course this is not without good reason. For one thing, I fully expect the Bills to get a much better game from back-up QB Derek Anderson as he now makes his 2nd start. Additionally, Buffalo's defense has played much better than many realize. Looking at their points allowed this season (25 per game and similar to Patriots) you'd probably be surprised to hear that the Bills defense is allowing only 321 yards per game while the Pats are allowing 390 yards per game. Of course the Patriots are the much better offense but I love the fact we're getting the Bills plus two touchdowns now as a divisional home dog in their only primetime game of the season and they are at home. Having a rough start to the season, this a rare chance for Buffalo to truly shine with the ESPN cameras rolling and facing Tom Brady and Co. You know the Bills are going to bring a huge effort here and are highly motivated. The Bills are 10-0 ATS when they are off B2B SU losses and facing a team with a winning record. Remember that game at Minnesota this season? The Vikings were 1-0-1 at the time and the Bills were off B2B SU losses. That was the 10th straight ATS win for Buffalo in this situation and I look it go to 11-0 ATS tonight as the Bills keep this one much closer than many are expecting. By the way, in addition to the 10-0 ATS factor tonight, there are two other perfect ones worth noting! The Patriots are 0-6 ATS as divisional road favorite of more than 8 points. Also, NE head coach Bill Belichick is 0-7 ATS in road games versus a divisional opponent when that divisional foe is off a double digit loss and playing with revenge. Of course that system fits perfectly here as Buffalo got blasted by 32 at Indianapolis last week and have revenge against the Pats as they got swept by them last season. Combined edges above are 23-0 / 100% for the ugly road dog! Grab the points. 10* BUFFALO

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NFL Game #271 Sunday NFL 8* Green Bay Packers (+) @ Los Angeles Rams @ 4:25 ET - Of course the public will be enticed to grab the undefeated team at home here but the contrarian viewpoint is to back the dog that has a great shot at the upset and yet is catching more than a TD here. To go on the road and beat a streaking team like the Packers, you need to be strong at the QB position. That said, a team led by Aaron Rodgers at QB plus coming off a bye week is certainly a strong underdog. The Rams are finally back home but keep in mind this was preceded by 3 straight road games so Los Angeles isn't exactly "rested" at this point in time. Also, last week's big win at San Francisco was the first cover for the Rams in their last 4 games. That was a blowout win on the scoreboard but note it was fueled by turnovers. The yardage was very nearly equal in that game but the 49ers were simply done in by turnovers. Hence the line value this week. Also this is the first time this season that LA is facing a team with a winning record entering the game and that is noteworthy as the Rams are 4-8 ATS their last 12 in games against teams with a winning record. Green Bay is a long-term 22-11 SU when coming off a bye week. Also, the Packers are 8-3 ATS when a road dog of 7.5 to 10 points. Statistically these teams are not much different and yet when you look at the records it looks like the Rams are so much better than the Pack. That is simply not the case and the result is huge value here. 8* GREEN BAY

Ultra Early Smash - Rickenbach NFL Game #251 Sunday NFL 8* Philadelphia Eagles (+) vs Jacksonville Jaguars @ 9:30 AM ET (game played in London, UK) - I am going to list four names that tells you why you should play the Eagles here. Carson Wentz, Nick Foles, Blake Bortles, Cody Kessler. The fact is that the Jaguars would take EITHER of the Eagles top two quarterbacks over their TOP quarterback. There is just no comparison and though you certainly can't base a play on just one position on the field, the fact is that QB is definitely the most important position and the Jaguars offense is a mess right now. They have struggled to the ball in each of their past two games plus have turned the ball over an average of 3.3 times per game their last 4 games. Compounding the potential QB issues here, this is a road game for both teams which certainly favors the Eagles. Philadelphia can play anytime anywhere and has turned the ball over a total of just ONE time in their past two road games. The Jaguars have turned the ball over 7 times in their past road games. Also, Jacksonville has been held to 14 points or less in 4 of their last 5 games. It is hard to win when you're not scoring points. As for the Jaguars defense, they have allowed an average of 35 points and 401 yards per game in their past two road games. The Jags are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games against NFC teams. Remember when the Eagles blasted the Giants two weeks ago? That win improved Philly to 11-1 ATS when, in Game 5 through 8 of a season, they entered a game with a losing record and were facing a team that was off back to back SU losses. That system fits here too! 8* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #702 Saturday 8* Detroit Pistons (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 7:05 ET - You know the Celtics will be focused here as they made it all the way to the Eastern Finals last season and are now looking at a Pistons team that has a 4-0 record on the season and trying to prove they're going to make some noise this season. However, just because Boston is focused doesn't mean it is going to pay off here and I feel we're getting excellent line value in this one with Detroit getting a couple of buckets as a home dog here! The Celtics have shot the ball very poorly this season. Boston is only hitting 40.7% from the field this season. The Pistons, on other hand, are hitting 45.4% from the field and Detroit's 3-point shooting % is only 3 percentage points behind the Celtics overall shooting percentage! Additionally, the Pistons are crashing the boards hard and dominating when it comes to rebounds and overall play in the paint. Yes, Boston is the better team on defense and also has played the tougher schedule early this season. However, the Pistons are very confident thanks to their hot start to the season and with Cleveland no longer a threat in the East, Detroit knows they are now hosting the team that would have represented the East in the NBA Finals last season were LeBron already in LA like he is now. The point is that the Pistons are fully charged up for this opportunity to take on one of the best teams in the East and, the way they're playing, I don't see Detroit being denied here. While I fully expect an upset with the Pistons, I am grabbing the added "insurance" available with the points. 8* DETROIT

CFL Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFL Game #663 Saturday 10* Top Play BC Lions (+) @ Saskatchewan Roughriders @ 7 ET - Saskatchewan is known for being a tough place to play for the visitors. However, there is also a lot of pressure on the Roughriders here. Both BC and the Riders are in the playoffs already. However, while the Lions are able to play loose here because they've clinched a spot and are unlikely to change their playoff positioning in any greatly significant manner, the situation for Saskatchewan is much different. This is the Roughriders final game of the season and, with a win, they have a shot at the West Division title! If Calgary would lose at BC (ironically) next week than the Riders would win the division. Again, that is IF the Roughriders can win tonight in what is their final game of the season. That said, the Lions are playing their best football of the season and I love the value we're getting with them here as a sizable dog. BC has won 6 of its last 7 games SU and is also on a 5-2 ATS run. The Riders, conversely, enter this game on a 2-4 ATS run. Also, the Lions are 7-2 SU (and ATS) in their last 9 games with the Roughriders. In meetings at Saskatchewan, the Lions are 5-1 ATS the last 6. This should be a close battle all the way through and the loose and more relaxed team truly makes for a dangerous dog. All the pressure on Saskatchewan here, give me the confident road dog that also has a rest edge of an additional day. The Lions are 4-0 ATS in games against teams with a winning record and the Riders are 2-6 ATS their last 8 as a favorite in a range of 3.5 to 9.5 points. 10* BC LIONS

Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFB Game #166 Saturday 10* Top Play California Golden Bears (+) vs Washington Huskies @ 6:30 ET - Simply too many points here. You know California head coach Justin Wilcox (formerly a defensive coordinator at Washington in 2012-13) wants this game badly. The Huskies are having a solid season in Pac-12 action while Cal has been struggling but the Golden Bears can make a statement right here right now by getting revenge for beatdowns taken at the hands of Washington each of the past two seasons. This year's defense is much improved and I don't see the Huskies enjoying the success they have in past match-ups. Coach Wilcox is doing a great job with the D this season and California is allowing 24 points per game on average on the season and has held all but 2 of 7 opponents to 24 points or less this season. The Huskies have been held to 27 points or less in 5 of their 7 games against FBS foes this season and Washington has not scored more than 35 points against an FBS school this season. Based on Cal's improvements on D and the fact that the Huskies O has not been a powerhouse, I expect Washington to struggle just to win this game let alone cover the big spread. The Huskies only big road win (@ Utah by 14) was fueled by turnovers. Washington's other road games included a win by 7 and a loss at Oregon. Look for a tight one here as the Golden Bears struggles this season have been fueled by turnovers but they are off a game at Oregon State where they played a complete game on both sides of the ball. Look for that huge win over the Beavers to provide the confidence boost this team needed and the defense, solid, is already there. Now with the offense playing a complete game and building off last week's strong effort, the Bears are a dangerous home dog in this spot. In fact, the Golden Bears are 12-1 ATS when they are double digit dog and are coming off a SU win that was also an ATS cover. The system fits here and this is a superb value spot. 10* CALIFORNIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CFB Game #185 Saturday 8* Iowa Hawkeyes (+) @ Penn State Nittany Lions @ 3:30 ET - Being a contrarian has been a key to my long-term success in this industry and, of course, most of the betting market will be looking hard at Penn State here laying less than a touchdown which would seem like a bargain since they are on their home field. I feel strongly that Iowa is going to prove to be the right side of this physical Big Ten match-up. In fact the physical nature is what I feel strongly favors the Hawkeyes here as the Nittany Lions have gotten soft far too often including the game they blew against Ohio State earlier this season. That was inexcusable and says a lot about this Nittany Lions team which has since lost as a double digit favorite versus Michigan State and barely got by Indiana last week! PSU was outgained by the Spartans and then followed that up by getting outgained by over 100 yards by the Hoosiers! The team, plain and simple, is just not clicking now as the loss to the Buckeyes really seemed to take the wind out of their sails for this season. Now they face a revenge-minded Iowa team that has the vastly superior defense. The Hawkeyes are allowing just 14 points and only 258 yards per game. The Nittany Lions have allowed at least 21 points in 4 straight games while Iowa has held 5 of 7 opponents to just 16 points or less! Upset alert here so I certainly am happy to grab the available points in this one. 8* IOWA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CFB Game #131 Friday 10* Top Play Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (+) @ Florida Atlantic Owls @ 6:30 ET - The Owls, in essence, have lost their leader on each side of the ball. Florida Atlantic's LB Azeez Al-Shaair was the Defensive Player of the Year for Conference USA and he is out for the year with a torn ACL. Owls QB Chris Robison is questionable for this game with an ankle injury but he was actually benched in Florida Atlantic's 31-7 loss at Marshall last week which was also the first Owls game without Al-Shaair. The point is that even if Robison was healthy there is already confidence lost in him due to poor play. The Owls are facing a Louisiana Tech team that is hell bent on revenge here. Last season the Bulldogs got embarrassed at home 48-23 by Florida Atlantic even though Louisiana Tech outgained them 512 to 415. You read that right...the Bulldogs outgained the Owls by nearly 100 yards but lost by 25 points on the scoreboard. Indeed it is payback time tonight and, with Florida Atlantic having issues with arguably the most important player on each side of the ball, this one should be a road rout for Louisiana Tech and I am happy to grab the points. The Bulldogs are 5-1 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 10 points and also 7-1 ATS when they enter a game on a winning streak of 2 or more games. The Owls are 2-5 ATS in home games with a posted total between 56.5 and 63 points and Florida Atlantic is also 1-8 ATS as a home favorite in a range of 3.5 to 7 points. The line has been moving toward the Owls and in true contrarian fashion I am going the other way and grabbing the Bulldogs! 10* LOUISIANA TECH

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Game #104 Thursday NFL 10* Houston Texans (-) vs Miami Dolphins @ 8:20 ET - The Dolphins are going with Brock Osweiler at QB as Ryan Tannehill is still dealing with his shoulder injury. Though Osweiler has done fairly well since stepping in, both of his starts were at home in Miami. Now he and the Dolphins are in the road and in what will be a very hostile environment for Osweiler and his teammates. Osweiler is a former Texan that had a huge contract and failed in Houston and his relationship with Texans head coach Bill O'Brien was not good to say the least. Suffice to say O'Brien and the entire Houston team are "amped up" for this game. It is a primetime weeknight game and they will make the most of it. The Texans defense is fierce including great pass rush abilities and this will force Osweiler into mistakes. Being without their two top wide receivers is also a detriment to the Dolphins offense for this one. Note that Miami is averaging a paltry 14.7 points per game on 242 yards per game on the road this season. The Texans offense is averaging 22.1 points per game on 372 yards per game this season. Houston has won 4 straight games while the Dolphins have lost 3 of their last 4 games including each of their last two road games. Miami is on a 5-9 ATS run in games against teams with a winning record and the Dolphins also are on a 3-8 ATS run as an away dog. The Texans have won 7 of the 8 meetings between these teams including all 4 at home and there is some -7 out there as of early Thursday morning. Grab it and look for a home blowout here as DeShaun Watson has a big game at QB for the Texans. Miami has allowed an average of 467 yards per game their past two games. 10* HOUSTON

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Game #114 Thursday 10* Top Play West Virginia Mountaineers (-) vs Baylor Bears @ 7 ET - The Bears, as a big dog here, could have used some help from mother nature to help limit the potent West Virginia offense. Had this game been Friday night instead of Thursday night they would likely get it as rain is expected. However, Thursday night is expected to have spectacular weather conditions with no rain and light winds and this angry Mountaineers teams won't hesitate to run up the score on Baylor. West Virginia is coming off their first loss of the season, a dismal loss at Iowa State two weeks ago. The Mountaineers have been fired up to get back on the field but had to wait an extra week because of their bye week. Don't be surprised if West Virginia looks like they've been shot out of a cannon when this game gets going. They are fired up and a primetime weeknight game is going to have Morgantown rocking tonight! The Bears are 3-3 this season but the 3 wins were against Abilene Christian, UTSA, and Kansas State. Every time that Baylor has faced tougher competition they've lost. The 3 losses have come by an average of 17.3 points per game and the Mountaineers 5 wins this season have come by an average margin of 22.8 points per game. In fact, all except a road win have come by at least a 16 point margin. With this line dropping down from 14 to 13.5 and, considering the highly motivated situation for the Mountaineers, I won't hesitate to go to my top play rating for this one. The Bears are 1-4 ATS in road games with a total between 63.5 and 70 points. The Mountaineers improve to 4-1 ATS in games played on turf this season. 10* WEST VIRGINIA

NBA Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #511 Wednesday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz (+) @ Houston Rockets @ 8:05 ET - This play is contrarian from the standpoint that, on the surface, it looks real easy to take the Rockets at home off a loss and lay a very small number in doing so. However, the problem with Houston right now is they have a cluster of injuries impacting them and also Chris Paul is suspended for one more game and not returning until Friday's match-up with the Clippers. Also, the Rockets are catching the Jazz at the wrong time. Not only does Utah have playoff revenge from last season, the Jazz also enter this game off back to back losses and very fired up for this game. They blew their recent game against the defending champion Warriors and then, after that debacle in the Warriors game, they clearly looked right past Memphis as they were looking ahead to this opportunity for post-season revenge. Now the day has arrived and it is time to "put up or shut up" and I expect the Jazz to "put up" here! Utah has stayed mostly static with their roster and that particularly helps them in a situation like this where the Rockets are having to mix and match pieces. Also note that the Jazz have only failed to cover 24 of their last 67 games when facing a team that allows 106 points or more per game. As for Houston, they are on a 10-18 ATS run when playing with 2 days of rest between games. 10* UTAH

Rare Tuesday CFB Top Play - Rickenbach CFB Game #101 Tuesday 10* Top Play Troy Trojans (-) @ South Alabama Jaguars @ 8 ET - The Trojans lost starting QB Kaleb Barker for the season (ACL) but Sawyer Smith had already had some experience this season and had performed quite well. The fact that he had some struggles in his first start, on the road at Liberty, is actually leading to some line value here. Look for Smith to perform much better after getting that road start out of the way and he has had extra time to prepare since Troy is off a bye. It certainly will help that Smith and the powerful Trojans are going up against a weak defense. The Jaguars defense ranks in the BOTTOM 20 out of all 130 teams in FBS for defensive efficiency. Overall, South Alabama has allowed 446 yards per game this season. The Jags run defense is particularly poor and the Trojans powerful ground game can take advantage. Troy is on a 6-0 ATS run in Tuesday games. The Trojans enter this game having allowed just 19.7 points per game their last 6 games. South Alabama enters this game off a rare big win and previously had allowed an average of 47 points per game in their first 6 games this season. The Jaguars are on a 5-13 ATS run in conference action and will prove to be outclassed again by the class of the conference as the Trojans get revenge for last year's loss. Last year the Jags caught Troy after their big upset of LSU. South Alabama is not so lucky this season in terms of the situational set-up and the Trojans roll big here! Lay the big points even though they are on the road. 10* TROY

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - Detroit is 2-0 SU but 0-2 ATS on the season. They've squeaked by Brooklyn and Chicago. Neither the Nets or Bulls are expected to post much of a threat in terms of NBA supremacy this season! The point is that the Pistons are now finally facing a strong team and Philly has some confidence back after back to back wins have followed an opening game disaster versus the Celtics. Yes, the 76ers have also faced a weak schedule since that game one loss but the fact that they've at least, unlike the Pistons, faced one quality opponent, is reason enough to believe that they've got a better shot at getting into the win column in this one. The Pistons have yet to truly be battle tested. Even though Simmons (back) is an issue for the Sixers, they played most of the last game without him which allowed for a good "test run" and they'll be even better prepared tonight after JJ Redick went off in his absence and had a huge game. Keep in mind too that Detroit big man Andre Drummond is dealing with the flu which certainly won't help the Pistons as they try to contain Joel Embiid inside! Philly won all 4 meetings last season and each win came by at least 5 points. The 76ers are on a 21-9 ATS run when playing with 2 days of rest between games and this is their first such opportunity this season. The Sixers will make the most of it! The Pistons have a divisional game on deck (Cavs) and also are off a divisional win (Bulls) and Detroit is 11-20 ATS their last 31 when off a divisional game. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Game #475 Monday 10* Top Play New York Giants (+) @ Atlanta Falcons @ 8:15 ET - This line looked funny to many when it first was posted as, even though the Falcons have had a rather tough start this season, they are still at home here and Atlanta was in the Super Bowl two seasons ago and made the playoffs last season. Considering those factors as well as the fact that the Giants went 3-13 last year and have started this year 1-5, it is no wonder why Atlanta is getting plenty of love from the public in this one. Don't be fooled ladies and gentlemen as this game was priced this way for a reason and the sharp money is on the Giants. On Thursday night football the G-men were embarrassed by the division rival Eagles but their season is not over yet. Both Philly and the Cowboys lost yesterday and now have losing records on the season. The Giants have a shot at the NFC East first-place Redskins next week. In other words, New York knows that it just takes back to back wins to be right back in the thick of things in their divisional race. After getting embarrassed in the game against the Eagles last Thursday, the Giants D is undoubtedly going to bring a huge effort this week and they do have the better defense in this match-up with the Falcons. Although Atlanta has a bye on deck, they are actually just 1-5 ATS when playing the week before a bye. The Giants, when a road dog in non-divisional action, are on a 5-1 ATS run. The Giants are also on an incredible 9-0-1 ATS run when they are off a Thursday game. The Falcons are off a key win versus the Buccaneers are Atlanta is on an 0-7 ATS run after facing Tampa Bay. That means we have a combined 16-0 / 100% PERFECT edge here in favor of the road dog! 10* NEW YORK GIANTS

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Sunday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (+) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 6:05 ET - The Cavaliers burned me on Friday night but I'll get it back here. I had the Timberwolves (-8 or -8.5) and they blew a 21-point lead and won the game by only 8 for a loss or push for my clients. Now we get a chance to fade a line move here as everyone is piling on Cleveland for their home opener. This is not a very good Cavs team. Now I am certainly not saying that the Hawks are anything special either but they are now getting a lot more points than they should be considering they are 0-2 SU just like the Cavaliers are so they will be every bit as hungry. Keep in mind they have a history of playing very well here too as they've covered each of their last 8 trips to Cleveland. Coming into this season, Atlanta's projected win total was very close to that of the Cavaliers and there is just not a huge difference right now between these two teams. I also like the fact that the Cavs have covered (to the closing line) each of their first two games but each by just half a point. Their luck runs out here as they will be doing good just to win this game let alone cover the inflated spread. The Cavaliers are on a 61-84 ATS run as a favorite. Cleveland is also 39-58 ATS in home games. Also, when off a non-conference games, the Cavs are an ugly 25-42 ATS. 10* ATLANTA

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NFL Game #469 Sunday 10* Top Play New Orleans Saints (+) @ Baltimore Ravens @ 4:05 ET - A pair of hot teams matched up here but I like the value with the road dog that also has the better offense. The Saints have won 4 straight games and also are on an 8-0 ATS run in October games. The Ravens have played well this season but are still just 3-2 SU their last 5 games and they have a knack for falling into slumps as we get closer to the mid-point of the season. Baltimore is on a 3-8 ATS run in October games. The Ravens are also 2-6 ATS in non-conference games. When the Saints enter a game on a wining streak of 2 or more SU games, they have gone 9-4 ATS. Keep in mind New Orleans just had that huge MNF performance from Drew Brees and are now off their bye week. They are rested and ready while the Ravens have expended a lot of effort the past 3 weeks as all 3 games were on the road. Baltimore has defeated the Saints each of the last 3 meetings including in the Superdome against Brees and Company in 2014. That said, this triple-revenge game goes to the hungry rested road dog. 10* NEW ORLEANS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NFL Game #466 Sunday 8* New York Jets (+) vs Minnesota Vikings @ 1 ET - The Viking are off back to back wins against NFC foes and have a big game on deck hosting another NFC foe as the Saints are up next for Minnesota. That said, a road trip to face an AFC foe that doesn't come across as "overly imposing" is unlikely to bring out the best in the Vikings. I love grabbing "ugly home dogs" in situations like this and the Jets should bring home the cash for us. New York enters off back to back wins and, with each victory, confidence is growing. That said, unlike the Vikings, the Jets do not have a big game on deck as they face the Bears next. In other words, New York is fully focused on this game especially because they won't be home again until mid-November. Look for the Jets to bring their "A game" and they are on a 10-2 ATS run in games played in weeks 5 through 9 of a season plus the Jets are on a 6-1 ATS run as a home dog in a range of 3.5 to 7 points. The Vikings are on a long-term run of 10-20 ATS as a road favorite of 3.5 to 7 points. This is a contrarian, anti-public play as you know they'll be on the Vikings and you know what usually happens when the public has an enticing game like this to grab hold of...they usually go down in flames. Make the sharp play here. 8* NEW YORK JETS

Ultra Early Smash - Rickenbach NFL Game #451 Sunday 8* Tennessee Titans (+) vs Los Angeles Chargers @ 9:30 *AM* ET in London, UK - The Titans are off an embarrassing 21-0 shellacking that they took at the hands of the Ravens in Baltimore last week. Tennessee has now lost back to back games and a change of scenery is absolutely the best thing that can happen for a team that is struggling at the present time. For the Chargers, the last thing they needed was a trip to London, UK as Los Angeles had been rolling with 3 straight wins and demolished Cleveland last Sunday. Now LA tries to maintain focus and momentum heading across the pond. The Titans are 4-0 ATS when they enter a game off consecutive losses. The Chargers are facing a revenge-minded Tennessee team that lost by 8 two seasons ago when these teams met in San Diego. Payback time in London is on tap Sunday but I'll gladly grab the generous points being offered. Los Angeles is 0-4 ATS the week before a bye. Also, in games 5 through 9 of a season, the Chargers are 0-7 ATS when off a game where they scored more than 35 points and now facing team that does NOT have a winning record. Look for the 3-3 Titans to come up with at least the cover here. Combined edges of 15-0 ATS here in favor of the underdog! I'll take it! 8* TENNESSEE

Game of the Week - Rickenbach CFB Game #368 Saturday 10* Top Play Oregon Ducks (+) @ Washington State Cougars @ 7:30 ET - People will shy away from Oregon here since they're off the big win at Washington last week and it was a revenge game. However, those same people may have forgotten that the Ducks are on a mission right now thanks to a healthy Justin Herbert at QB and they have big-time revenge on their minds this week because they've been beaten badly by the Cougars each of the past two seasons! Look for Oregon to roll here as the Ducks, in my opinion, have faced tougher Pac-12 match-ups than Washington State has thus far. As a result, Oregon is the more battle-tested team in this match-up and their only loss this season (to Stanford) was truly a game the Ducks never should have lost. They've showed great resilience ever since then. I also like the fact that Washington State is 6-0 ATS this season so they're falling into public favor as a result and they're getting some extra shading in this match-up they really don't deserve. The Cougars luck at the betting window runs out this week in my opinion! The Cougars are 1-3 ATS off a bye week and 5-8 ATS as a home favorite of 3 or less points. Oregon is 46-23 in games with a line between +3 and -3. The Ducks are also 16-6 ATS in a road game with posted total between 63.5 and 70 points. 10* OREGON

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CFB Game #353 Saturday 8* UL Lafayette Ragin Cajuns (+) @ Appalachian State Mountaineers @ 3:30 ET - The Mountaineers are an amazing 5-0 ATS this season but that has them over-valued in this spot. Appalachian State is laying nearly 4 touchdowns here even though they're facing a UL-Lafayette team that has only struggled twice this season and those tough performances were against SEC teams. App St is a good team but they're certainly not on the level of SEC teams like the Mississippi State Bulldogs or Alabama Crimson Tide teams that beat the Ragin Cajuns. Note that in UL-Lafayette's other 4 games this season they are 3-1 and the lone loss came by just 2 points! The Ragin Cajuns have averaged 46.3 points per game in their 4 games that were against non-SEC competition. UL-Lafayette was beaten badly by App State the past two seasons but they've closed the gap this season and that has not been properly factored into this line because, right now, the betting markets are enamored with the 100% ATS Mountaineers. Appalachian State is a long-term 1-5 ATS as a favorite in a range of 21.5 to 31 points. The Ragin Cajuns are a long-term 6-3 ATS in games played in weeks 5 through 9 of a season. 8* UL LAFAYETTE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CFB Game #383 Saturday 8* Oklahoma Sooners (-) @ TCU Horned Frogs @ Noon ET - The Sooners have averaged 48 points this season. So what's the problem in Norman? A defense that got scorched back to back weeks before their bye week. It culminated with a loss to Texas in that final game before the OU bye and that led to the firing of their defensive coordinator. The guy stepping in as in the interim, Ruffin McNeil, is a players coach and they are going to fight like hell for him on Saturday. Look for Oklahoma to put forth a huge effort on defense while the offense simply continues to roll. The Sooners are an offensive machine and TCU, now 3-3 on the season, is down some this year. The result is a road rout of huge proportions here. A little uncomfortable if you have to lay more than a TD here? Sure that is understandable but Oklahoma should win this game by at least 17 points as the Horned Frogs are averaging just 15.7 points per game their last 3 games. Texas Christian University is on a 2-16 ATS run in home games. Look for the Sooners to improve to 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings with TCU. 8* OKLAHOMA

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Game #710 Friday 10* Top Play Minnesota Timberwolves (-) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:05 ET - Both the Cavs and Wolves were outscored at the 3-point line in their season opening losses. The difference tonight in terms of whom bounces back in Game Two of the new season has a lot to do with the home floor. The Cavaliers are unlikely to fix their outside shooting woes here. Their problems were evident in a bit of a disjointed game at Toronto where they found themselves down 20 points. As for Minnesota's game at San Antonio, they got very little from Karl-Anthony Towns and Jimmy Butler didn't contribute a lot until he was involved with all of the Timberwolves last 14 points. So if Towns doesn't foul out, Butler carries over momentum from his late game play at SA, and the Wolves also don't get outscored by 15 points from beyond the arc then what happens? I'll tell you what happens. This game should turn into an absolute home blowout. We're getting extra line value here because the Cavs snuck in the back door for a late cover or push while the Wolves just missed covering their first game. Now this line is down from where it should be. Keep in mind the Wolves crushed the Cavs here by 28 points last year and Cleveland comes into this season projected to finish the year 20 games under .500 (sans LeBron James) while the Timberwolves are projected to be a winning team in the tougher Western Conference (per win totals from odds makers before the season). The Wolves are 9-4 ATS in home games with a posted total of 220 points or more. The Cavs are 11-33 ATS when off a loss by a double digit margin! Blowout time here. 10* MINNESOTA

Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach NFL Game #302 Thursday 10* Top Play Arizona Cardinals (+) vs Denver Broncos @ 8:20 ET - The Cardinals are 12-1 ATS as a home dog of less than 7 points when playing a non-divisional opponent. Arizona is also a perfect 4-0 ATS in home games with a posted total between 38.5 and 42 points. As for the Broncos, under head coach Vance Joseph, they are 1-9 ATS in road games. Also, in games 5 through 8 of a season, Denver is 2-12 ATS when they are a favorite against a team that is off a SU loss by a double digit margin and that also is playing with revenge. That system fits the Cards perfectly here. Combining all the edges here and you have a 37-4 (90%) spot in favor of the hungry home dog here. Yes, both teams have been struggling this season but the Cardinals view this game as a rare chance to shine at home in prime-time action with all eyes of the football world watching. The Cards will be ready to go in a big way here. 10* ARIZONA

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #502 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Chicago Bulls @ 8:05 ET - The Sixers go from playing the best team in the Eastern Conference to now facing one of the worst. Philly also goes from playing on the road in a tough venue in Boston to playing at home for their own rowdy fans. Especially with this game being their home opener, this game has blowout written all over it after the 76ers had such a tough game from the 2nd quarter on in their opening night loss Tuesday. Philadelphia is 27-15 ATS when off of a loss by a double digit margin in their prior game. Also, the 76ers are a long-term 56-30 ATS in home games. The Bulls are on a 28-57 SU run in road games and when the Sixers win as a favorite they normally cover. The 76ers are on a 47-19 SU run as a favorite and they've gotten the cash in 38 of those 47 wins. With advantages all over the floor (especially with Bulls missing Lauri Markkanen) this one turns into a home blowout. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach MLB Game #955 Thursday 8* Boston Red Sox Run Line (+) @ Houston Astros @ 8:05 ET - I am well aware of the fact that the games in this series have been high-scoring and that last night's 2-run margin of victory was the smallest one yet in this series. However, I have a strong inclination that today's game, being the first elimination game setting of this series, is going to be very tight all the way. Justin Verlander, of course, is a dominating pitcher. However, David Price had allowed just 7 hits while striking out 17 in his two prior starts versus the Astros before he struggled earlier in this series. I am aware of his post-season struggles as a reputation but I believe that Houston is going to be squeezing the sticks a little too tight at the plate in this one in this elimination game. It sets up to be a tight one run game in my opinion. Note that the Red Sox, at +1.5 runs, are 12-1 (92%) in their last 13 road games! I'll take it. Lay the small price to get the BoSox at +1.5 runs in this one. 8* BOSTON Run Line

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFB Game #304 Thursday 8* Arkansas State Red Wolves (-) vs Georgia State Panthers @ 7:30 ET - At first glance this line looks a little on the high side. Of course you know what that means and long-time followers also know that I have had plenty of success through the years by being a contrarian. That is what I am doing here as I lay the big points but certainly it is not without good reason. The Panthers defense has been absolutely awful this season and the Red Wolves should roll. Arkansas State is 12-2 ATS as a favorite of less than 20 points when they are facing an opponent that is off a SU loss by a double digit margin. Also, the Red Wolves are on a 7-1 ATS run in October games and a 3-0 ATS run in Thursday games. Georgia State is on a 1-4-1 ATS run in SunBelt Conference games. Combined edges here are 26-4 (87%) in favor of a home blowout in this one. 8* ARKANSAS STATE

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #52 Wednesday 8* Washington Capitals Puck Line -1.5 vs New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - The Stanley Cup Champion Capitals are off back to back losses and have been off since Saturday. Washington has gotten back to the basics in recent practices and they're rested and ready to take advantage of a Rangers team playing the 2nd game of a back to back here. The Rangers got a shootout win versus Colorado last night but that now means that goalie Henrik Lunqvist either has to play in back to back games or New York turns to their back-up netminder. Either option spells trouble considering how fired up the Caps are after back to back losses. Of course that is why the Capitals are a huge favorite here on the money line but we can get them at even money on the puck line (laying the 1.5 goals) and that is the way to go here as this should be a home blowout given the situation. The Rangers are 0-2 on the road this season and each loss came by a multiple goal margin. The Caps are off a home loss but faced a highly motivated and talented Maple Leafs team. Prior to that, the Capitals were 2-0 at home with the wins coming by a combined margin of 12-2. Look for another home blowout win here. 8* WASHINGTON -1.5 goals

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 8:05 ET - The Celtics won 7 of 9 meetings with the Sixers last year. Boston has also won 9 straight home games against Philly. Yet the line on this season opening game opened up at just a 5. You know where I am going here as this is a perfect example of what my contrarian picks are all about. While Boston at home looks enticing it should prove out that Philly was the right side in this one! Keep in mind, Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward are back for Boston but are returning from injuries. Also, the 76ers Markelle Fultz worked hard on his shot in the off-season. He adds value to a team loaded with talent including Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and JJ Redick. Look for the highly motivated Sixers to prove to be the much hungrier team in this one and they are making some changes on defense in this one that should help them be stronger in the paint against the Celtics. Only time will tell but I feel an upset looms tonight and, keep in mind, the last 4 meetings between these teams featured a 76ers win and 3 Sixers losses but all of those Philly defeats came by a margin of 5 or less points. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Game #276 Sunday 8* New England Patriots (-) vs Kansas City Chiefs @ 8:20 ET - The set up here is perfect. The Chiefs are 5-0 this season. Kansas City is also off of a "phony final" where they beat the Jaguars by 16 but were outgained by 78 yards. Patriots QB Tom Brady will be in "attack mode" all night on Sunday as the Chiefs pass defense is allowing a ridiculous 343 passing yards per game this season. New England has revenge here as they lost by 15 points to KC here in Foxboro to open up the 2017 NFL season. That is a loss that Bill Belichick certainly hasn't forgot and he rates a significant edge over Andy Reid in my opinion. Just like when he was with the Eagles, Reid has done a good job in most regular season games and then struggles in the post-season. Of course this is not a post-season game but it will play out like one as this is a big game in terms of vying for early season AFC supremacy. I don't see Belichick and Brady losing this game! The Chiefs are a long-term 22-37 ATS against AFC East teams. The Patriots are 7-1 ATS as a home favorite of 3.5 to 7 points and also 11-2 ATS in games where their posted total is 49.5 points or higher. Of course this game has a total much higher than that so that angle is definitely in play here and in a high-scoring game I'll take the veteran QB and the better head coach over the dynamic (but still inexperienced) Pat Mahomes and a head coach that is not known for winning games like this. Week 1 of last season was an aberration. 8* NEW ENGLAND

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NFL Game #271 Sunday 10* Top Play Jacksonville Jaguars (-) @ Dallas Cowboys @ 4:25 ET - The Jaguars are off a 16 point loss at Kansas City but Jacksonville actually outgained the Chiefs by 78 yards! The Jags were simply done in by turnovers but that is unlikely to be an issue today. Jacksonville turned the ball over 5 times last week but the Cowboys have forced only 4 turnovers TOTAL in their 5 games this season. Dallas only lost by 3 at Houston last week but it was a deceiving final score. The Cowboys got the push ATS in that game but were very fortunate for that as the Texans failed many times in the red zone. Houston outgained Dallas by 170 yards in the game and should have the game by about two TDs. Last week's "false final" results involving both of these teams is what is leading to solid line value here. Keep in mind the Jaguars should have beat the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game last season but blew a big lead inexplicably. In other words this is a team that was one step away from the Super Bowl last season and we're getting them off a loss here. As for the Cowboys, this is a team that continues to be in disarray and just can't find any solid footing or consistency. Their offensive line is not near what it use to be and this will be an issue as they face the attacking Jaguars defense. Dallas has just 1 ATS win in their 5 games this season. The Jaguars appear poised to improve to 10-5 SU and ATS in their last 15 games against teams with a losing record. 10* JACKSONVILLE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NFL Game #264 Sunday 8* Atlanta Falcons (-) vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ 1 ET - The Falcons have lost 3 straight games and the Buccaneers have lost back to back games so certainly something has to give here! Look for Atlanta to be the team to get back on track as they take advantage of home field and they catch Tampa Bay sluggish coming out of the bye week. Sometimes teams need a bye but when you get blasted like the Buccaneers did two weeks ago (48-10) at Chicago, it is actually better to have a chance to play the next week and get back on track. Instead TB is left wondering why they can't stop anybody as they've allowed an average of 358 passing yards per game this season! That creates a complete mismatch here with the Falcons having Matt Ryan at QB and able to take advantage of this glaring Bucs weakness. Atlanta has won each of the last 3 meetings between these teams and the average margin has been 10.7 points per game. Tampa Bay is 2-6 SU and ATS in their last 8 games played in domes. While the Falcons defense has struggled too, the Bucs defense has been even worse and the TB offense is starting to come back down to earth after a surprisingly successful start to this season. As for the Falcons offense, it remains a consistent threat week in and week out and that will prove to be the difference here as well. 8* ATLANTA

Game of the Week - Rickenbach CFB Game #176 Saturday 10* Top Play Iowa State Cyclones (+) vs West Virginia Mountaineers @ 7 ET - The Mountaineers are a ranked team and an undefeated team and so when they opened up as a rather small favorite here of course the betting masses jumped all over them. This has led to even more value here with an Iowa State team that is much better than their 2-3 record indicates! The key to that value is that the Cyclones have played a much tougher schedule than West Virginia has so far this season. That is why West Virginia has been a double digit favorite in 4 of their 5 games this season while Iowa State has been an underdog in 4 of their 5 games and that includes being a double digit underdog each of the last 3 times the Cyclones were a dog. Iowa State enters this game with added confidence after the big win at Oklahoma State last week. While some may expect them to now fall flat at home, this is the Cyclones only home game in a span of 5 weeks as they've been on the road for back to back weeks plus they have a bye week on deck. That said, Iowa State is going to make the most of this opportunity to host a ranked and undefeated Big 12 foe! As for the Mountaineers, they also have a bye on deck but that situation can play out much different mentally when you are an undefeated team. West Virginia is likely already thinking about their bye and could look right past a Cyclones team they have enjoyed plenty of success against in recent meetings. The Mountaineers, in fact, are known for this is in recent seasons as they are 1-4 ATS their last 5 against teams with a losing record while the Cyclones are known for stepping up against tougher competition as they are 11-2 ATS their last 13 games against teams with a winning record! 10* IOWA STATE

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CFB Game #184 Saturday 8* Memphis Tigers (+) vs Central Florida Golden Knights @ 3:30 ET - Central Florida is ranked in the top 10 and is undefeated on the season. Of course the Golden Knights are getting plenty of attention in this spot as a result. However, 4-2 Memphis is playing this game with double revenge from last season as they lost in the regular season and in the conference championship game. Finally the Tigers get UCF in Memphis and I expect them to make the most of this opportunity. The Tigers statistically compare well to the Golden Knights and the home team has been the SU winner in each of the last 9 games Memphis has played (not including the bowl game of course). The Tigers are 16-2 ATS as a home dog of more than 3 points when facing an opponent with a winning percentage greater than .750 on the year. Also, the visitor in this series is on an 0-5 ATS run. In other words, it is a great time to fade Central Florida in this one as the angles are 21-2 ATS in favor of the Tigers in the home dog role here. 8* MEMPHIS

Game of the Week - Rickenbach CFL Game #664 Saturday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Blue Bombers (-) vs Saskatchewan Roughriders @ 2 ET - The Blue Bombers have lost both match-ups with the Riders this season and that is despite holding the yardage edge in each game! In other words it is payback time Saturday in Winnipeg and the situation is perfect. The Bombers are looking up in the standings at the Roughriders and are highly motivated as they still need to secure a post-season spot. Winnipeg also has a big rest edge here as they're OT win at Ottawa was on Friday last week while Saskatchewan is coming off of a hard-fought home win versus Edmonton that was played on Monday! The Roughriders are on an 8-15 ATS run in Saturday games and are on short rest here too. The Blue Bombers are 12-6 ATS in Saturday games, 16-8 ATS when playing with revenge, and 14-6 ATS when facing a team with a winning record. Combined edges of 57-28 (67%) in favor of the home favorite here. Lay it! 10* WINNIPEG 

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CFB Game #193 Saturday 8* Oklahoma State Cowboys (-) @ Kansas State Wildcats @ Noon ET - After the home loss to Iowa State, Oklahoma State will be in full-on bounce-back mode at Kansas State Saturday. The Cowboys also have the add motivation of revenge here as they suffered an outright upset loss as a home favorite of nearly 3 TDs in their game versus the Wildcats in Stillwater last year. Suffice to say it is now payback time! Kansas State has lost 3 straight games and their only two SU wins this season came when they were favorites in the 3 TD range. The Cowboys are 8-1-1 ATS when they are playing with revenge and facing a team that has a losing record on the season. Kansas State has been a home dog in a range of 3.5 to 7.5 points just twice in recent seasons but they lost both games and were blown out by an average margin of 12.5 points per game in those two contests. I expect another home loss by double digits here as the Cowboys get revenge. OSU is averaging 44 points per game this season while Kansas State is averaging exactly half as much. Indeed the Wildcats are averaging only 22 points per game. The Cats offense simply won't be able to keep up with the 'Boys in this one! 8* OKLAHOMA STATE

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFB Game #110 Friday 10* Top Play Tulsa Golden Hurricane (+) vs South Florida Bulls @ 7 ET - From mid-September to late-October, this is the only home game for Tulsa. The fact that they are getting to host a conference foe that is currently a Top 25 team and it is a weeknight game with the ESPN cameras rolling just adds to the factor that the Golden Hurricane are going to be sky high for this game. Yes Tulsa's record looks bad but they've played a much tougher schedule than South Florida has and the Golden Hurricane have been done in by turnovers. Each of the last two games for Tulsa have been "phony finals" where the final score has not been commensurate with the yardage for the game. Also, the Golden Hurricane lost by just 7 points at Texas earlier this season. As for the Bulls, they won by 16 at UMass last week but allowed nearly 500 yards to the Minutemen. 5 turnovers is what led to the big win for South Florida. Their two prior wins were both by 7 points or less and those were teams they were favored to beat by 2 or 3 TDs. In other words, the Bulls are coming into this game over-valued while the Golden Hurricane are certainly under-valued at this point in the season. Look for redshirt freshman Seth Boomer to play much better in his 2nd start at home after having to play on the road last week. Tulsa was a 17 point dog at Houston in that game and led the game outright by 9 points in the 4th quarter before things came unraveled due to turnovers. This Golden Hurricane team is so hungry and has proven they can hang with teams like Houston and Texas on the road. In other words, facing USF at home is certainly not going to be as tough as a task as those games were and Tulsa covered both of those games. The Golden Hurricane are 8-2 ATS when facing a team with a winning record. South Florida is 2-6 ATS in a road game with a posted total in the range of 56.5 to 63 points. 10* TULSA

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Game #103 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Eagles (-) @ New York Giants @ 8:20 ET - The Eagles have won 3 straight SU in this series. With this number dropping back down to a -2.5 on Philly, there is great value with the small road favorite in this one. Philadelphia has lost back to back games SU and has failed to 4 straight games but that has led to line value in this spot. Home field has not meant a lot in this series and, that said, laying less than Field Goal with the super bowl champs is excellent line value. Yes the Eagles are banged up at RB but they still have plenty of talent at the skill positions plus a powerful offensive line and one of the better defensive lines in the league. The Giants are just 1-4 SU this season and off a disheartening late loss at Carolina after rallying back for a shot at the victory. That is a tough loss to bounce back from and this is particularly true on a short week. Look for Eagles QB Carson Wentz to deliver a huge game here and look for Philly to dominate in the trenches as Philadelphia improves to 5-2 ATS the last 7 times they've entered a game off 2 or more consecutive SU losses. The Eagles are 3-0 SU and ATS their last 3 Thursday games. The Giants are 0-2 SU and ATS their last 2 Thursday games. 10* PHILADELPHIA 

Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach CFB Game #105 Thursday 8* Texas Tech Red Raiders @ 7:30 ET - Though QB Alan Bowman is now listed as doubtful for this game for Texas Tech, the Red Raiders are expected to have McLane Carter available as well as Jeff Duffey. The latter is very athletic and could give the TCU defense some trouble with his running ability. Keep in mind, the Red Raiders have been piling up yardage (as usual) this season no matter whom has been under center. Texas Tech enters this game having averaged 48.4 points and 591.4 yards per game on the year! While the Horned Frogs have a solid defense, it is certainly not as strong as we've seen in years past with TCU. The Red Raiders are getting as much as 7.5 here as of early game day morning and Texas Tech is seeking revenge for a 27-3 loss at home in Lubbock last season! Note that the Red Raiders did outgain the Horned Frogs in that one so the final score is truly not commensurate with the way the game played out. Also, Texas Tech won their most recent to TCU. Additionally, while the Red Raiders have perennially bad Kansas on deck, the Horned Frogs might be peeking ahead to their huge game against Oklahoma coming up next week. The Red Raiders are 6-3 their last 9 as an underdog in a range of 3.5 to 10 points. The Horned Frogs are on an ugly 2-14 ATS run in home games! 8* TEXAS TECH

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFB Game #102 Tuesday 8* Arkansas State Red Wolves (+) vs Appalachian State Mountaineers @ 8 ET - The Mountaineers look very impressive this season but other than their season opener versus Penn State, Appalachian State has faced a very weak schedule. The Red Wolves had to face Alabama, the best team in the nation, but also have faced tougher teams than the Mountaineers in their other games. That said, the betting markets are enamored with Appalachian State here because they have a balanced offense, have put up a ton of points this season, and the Mountaineers have the better record. However, strength of schedule is super important in analyzing college football and with Appalachian State climbing all the way up to a 10 point favorite the value is with the home dog in a big way here. Consider that the Red Wolves, other than versus the Crimson Tide, have allowed an average of only 22.3 points per game in their other 4 games. Also, Arkansas State is off of a loss to Georgia Southern but they did outgain the Eagles by over 100 yards in that defeat and the Red Wolves got their offense going in a big way. A home dog in a rare primetime game nationally televised on ESPN2, you can bet that Arkansas State is ready to go here! As a home dog of 7.5 to 10 points, the Red Wolves are 4-0 ATS and they also are on a 7-0 ATS run in October games! Give me the big home dog in this one! 8* ARKANSAS STATE

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NFL Game #478 Monday 10* Top Play New Orleans Saints (-) vs Washington Redskins @ 8:15 ET - The Redskins are coming off of their bye week but are just 2-8 ATS their last 10 after a bye. The Saints have a bye week on deck and are 7-3 ATS when playing the week before a bye. We also have good value here in that Washington has overachieved early this season while the Saints have underachieved early this season. Yes New Orleans is 3-1 on the season but everyone remembers their opening game loss at home versus Tampa Bay and then how the Saints barely beat the Browns in Week 2. This is why New Orleans is less than a TD favorite hosting the Redskins here while last season they were favored by nearly double digits when they hosted Washington! Certainly one could argue that the Redskins have the better defense in this match-up but the Saints are the better team on offense and I expect Washington will not be able to keep up here. Keep in mind, this is just the 2nd time this season that the Redskins are on the road. Their first road game was against an Arizona team that is 1-4 on the year and playing at New Orleans is certainly a much tougher draw than facing the Cardinals at Arizona! The Saints are also 7-0 ATS in their last 8 October games while Washington is 0-4 ATS their last 4 games on Monday night football. That is an 11-0 / 100% perfect situation favoring the home team in this one! 10* NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Game #476 Sunday 8* Houston Texans (-) vs Dallas Cowboys @ 8:20 ET - After an 0-3 start the Texans got a key win on a last second field goal last week at Indianapolis. That is the type of victory that can really get a team going with momentum. If you haven't lived in Texas in recent years you wouldn't understand how important this match-up is to the Texans. They truly feel like they always play 'second fiddle" to the Cowboys fans in the state of Texas. After the Oilers left Houston and went to Tennessee to become the Titans even more and more fans in Texas pledged their allegiance to the Cowboys. Sure the Texans have a huge following in the Houston area but they really do get tired of being the "ugly step-sibling" to the Cowboys. That is why a non-conference match-up like this is actually a huge game for Houston especially with it being in primetime under the Sunday night lights! The Texans are averaging 336 passing yards per game the past 3 weeks. The Cowboys have averaged just 137.5 passing yards per game on the road this season. Dallas is an ugly 1-3 ATS this season. The Texans are on a 6-3 ATS run in October games. 8* HOUSTON

Game of the Week - Rickenbach MLB Game #958 Sunday 10* Top Play Atlanta Braves Run Line +1.5 runs (+) vs Los Angeles Dodgers @ 8:05 ET - This is a ton of value here. The Braves are looking to avoid elimination and, even on the run line at +1.5 runs, they are available at plus money on their home field. Even if Atlanta loses a tight one by a single run, you can still cash a ticket on the run line at +1.5 runs in this one. The Braves Sean Newcomb very nearly no-hit the Dodgers here in Atlanta in late July. Yes the Dodgers Walker Buehler has been pitching well but, just like Newcomb, he does not have post-season experience. I also like having the Braves sticks at home and the Dodgers are on a winning streak but are still just 13-16 (-$14,400) this season when they enter a game on a winning run of 3 or more consecutive games. Also, Los Angeles is 38-45 (-$24,400) in road games with a posted total of 8 or 8.5 runs. The Braves are 9-5 this season when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. Also, Atlanta is 17-7 in Sunday games this season. With their backs against the wall, the Braves bounce back here and get at least the "cover" in a game where I just don't see the Dodgers ever being able to establish a big lead. 10* ATLANTA BRAVES Run Line +1.5 runs

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NFL Game #474 Sunday 8* Seattle Seahawks (+) vs Los Angeles Rams @ 4:25 ET - The Rams are undefeated on the season and I am not saying they necessarily lose outright here but I do feel strongly that this is going to be a very tough game for them. Of course the Seahawks are truly a shell of the team they once were but the Rams crushed the Hawks at Seattle last year 42-7. That was the worst defeat in 8 years with Carroll at head coach for the Seahawks and it came on their home field too! You know Seattle is going to be rocking for this game and motivation, emotion, home field edge are all things that can go a long way in a game like this. Seattle would love nothing more than to avenge that embarrassing loss and put the first loss into the ledger of a division rival. As strong as the Rams offense has been, they did allow nearly 400 passing yards to the Vikings last week! The week before that LA allowed 141 rushing yards. The point is that this Rams defense has certainly shown a few holes in recent games and Russell Wilson and company will be looking to take advantage. At the same time, the Seahawks defense will bring their A game. Yes they are not what they once were but the entire team will be up for this one especially after the ugly incident with safety Earl Thomas last week. Teams really "come together" after incidents like that and this team is going to rally this week. The Seahawks have won 13 of the last 18 home meetings with the Rams SU and here they're getting 7 plus the hook which is good value as Los Angeles is a great team but is a little too over-valued by the markets right now. 8* SEATTLE 

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NFL Game #453 Sunday 10* Top Play Jacksonville Jaguars (+) @ Kansas City Chiefs @ 1 ET - The Chiefs are undefeated on the season but coming off of a short week and a last minute win at division rival Denver on Monday night. Kansas City also has a big game on deck with the Patriots! KC has won each of the last 3 meetings with Jaguars so this is a triple revenge spot for Jacksonville. Keep in mind, none of the 4 teams that KC has beaten currently have a wining record. As for the Jags, they've beaten the Patriots (3-2 and arguably better than that record indicates of course) and they lost to a Titans team that is now 3-1 on the season. The Jaguars were one of the top teams in the AFC last season and they are well aware of the undefeated record of the Chiefs here. Public bettors will be enamored with backing a home team laying just a field goal considering they haven't lost a game yet this season. The fact is that the road dog is the way to go here as Jacksonville it highly motivated and the Chiefs are truly in a tough scheduling spot. Also, as good as Patrick Mahomes and the KC offense has been, the Kansas City defense is one of the worst in the league right now while the Jaguars are one of the best teams in the league on defense. 10* JACKSONVILLE

Game of the Week - Rickenbach CFB Game #382 Saturday 10* Top Play Texas A & M Aggies (-) vs Kentucky Wildcats @ 7 ET - The Wildcats are 5-0 this season and the Aggies are just 3-2 and yet opened up as nearly a TD favorite. Long-time followers know where I am going with this one! Texas A & M has played the tougher schedule and also is very tough at home. The odds makers know this too and that is why this line is priced like this. The Aggies have had time to adjust now under new head coach Jimbo Fisher and, keep in mind, the two losses that Texas A & M has on its ledger came against Clemson and Alabama! The Aggies put up nearly 400 yards against the Crimson Tide and did reach 500 yards against the Tigers! Those are very impressive numbers for any offense going against a defense like each of those teams possess. That said, there is great value here because I don't believe the Wildcats offense can keep with the Aggies here. Kentucky has averaged just 313.5 yards per game on offense the past two weeks. Texas A & M is averaging over 500 yards per game this season despite having to play Clemson and Alabama this year! The Wildcats are off of a huge win versus South Carolina last week but 4 Gamecocks turnovers were the key to the victory as the yardage was nearly equal. This is a high value spot for a play because right now the betting markets are enamored with the Wildcats but the unranked Aggies are favored at home for a reason and they prove that to everyone here. As a road dog of 3.5 to 7 points, Kentucky is a long-term 7-15 ATS. The Aggies are already 4-1 ATS this season and are coming off of their first non-cover this season. That makes this the perfect time to back them! 10* TEXAS A & M

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFB Game #355 Saturday 8* Arizona State Sun Devils (+) @ Colorado Buffaloes @ 4 ET - Of course this line looks ultra favorable to the public in terms of backing the home team. After all, Colorado is the team off to a hot start and Arizona State already has a couple blemishes on its record. The key here though, as per usual, is what you find when you dig a little deeper. The Sun Devils have played a much tougher schedule so far this season in comparison with the Buffaloes. Also, Arizona State is still hungry for that first road win under coach Herm Edwards I must admit Edwards has done a better job with ASU than I expected. One of the keys has been the assistant coaches he brought in. That has helped speed the growth under Edwards and the Sun Devils are undervalued in this spot. The Buffaloes are over-rated because of their flashy record which certainly has been helped by playing a weak schedule. Look for the hungry road dog to get the job done here and get their first win away from home under Edwards. Remember they did beat a quality Michigan State team earlier this season. Upset alert here. 8* ARIZONA STATE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CFB Game #336 Saturday 8* South Carolina Gamecocks (+) vs Missouri Tigers @ Noon ET - The Gamecocks QB situation is actually adding to the value here. Jake Bentley is listed as doubtful for this game but many believe he needed to benched anyway. The Gamecocks last last week's game versus Kentucky largely due to 4 turnovers and it has not been a good start to the season for Bentley. Looking at South Carolina's stats they would certainly be in much better shape if not for the sub-par play of Bentley. That has led to value in this spot. The Gamecocks are at home and hungry for a win and yet are now a home dog in this spot. Will be a huge effort from the Gamecocks against an over-rated Missouri Tigers team in this one. 8* SOUTH CAROLINA

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFB Game #309 Friday 8* Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (-) @ Louisville Cardinals @ 7 ET - The big key here is the triple option attack of Georgia Tech. This is something Louisville is not familiar with and it is going to give this defense all sorts of trouble in this one. The strength of this factor is compounded by the fact that the Cardinals have to face it on a short week too since this is a Friday game. Louisville did play well against Florida State last week but still came up just short on the scoreboard and that just adds to the frustration of this campaign for the Cardinals. Conversely, Georgia Tech comes into this game rolling with confidence after their blowout win versus Bowling Green. The Yellow Jackets have already lost outright twice in this price range (laying about 4) on the road this season but that is the same line range they are in here. Of course the odds makers know what they're doing. In other words, look for the "third time is the charm" to hold true in this case as Georgia Tech goes out and proves why they are a road favorite here. The Yellow Jackets have turned the ball over a total of just 3 times in their last 3 games. Conversely, the mistake-prone Cardinals have turned the ball over 3 times in each of their past 2 games! The Cards are on a 2-4 ATS run as an underdog and Louisville is also on a 1-4 ATS run in home games with a posted total between 56.5 and 63 points. In weeks 5 through 9 of a season, the Yellow Jackets are on a 6-2 ATS run and last week's big win is a sign that, once again, as per usual they are hitting their mid-season stride again. The option shreds the Cards defense. 8* GEORGIA TECH

Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach CFB Game #303 Thursday 8* Tulsa Golden Hurricane (+) @ Houston Cougars @ 8 ET - This is a revenge game for Houston and Tulsa certainly hasn't looked good so far this season so that explains the huge number posted on the Cougars as the favorite in this one over the Golden Hurricane. The reason I am going the other direction and going with Tulsa here is because they truly needed that bye week last week and I expect them to come out and play much "cleaner" football this week as they've been done in by turnovers this season. As for the Cougars, they've been killing their own defense because of their fast-paced offense. It seems to be wearing down the Houston defense and they've truly been fortunate this season as statistically they have not been as impressive as some of their final scores would indicate. The Cougars beat Rice by 18 but they allowed 439 yards in that game! They beat Arizona by 27 but only outgained the Wildcats by 20 yards! Houston also lost by 14 at Texas Tech and allowed over 700 yards in that game. The point being that, even though the Cougars are likely to put up big yards in this game, I don't expect Houston to be able to get enough stops to win this game by more than about 10 points. Tulsa will be fired up off of the bye as this a team that inexplicably went 2-10 last season and then has started slow this season. Keep in mind the Golden Hurricane outgained the Owls by over 100 yards at Temple two weeks ago and yet lost the game by 14 points. Don't be surprised if this game is much closer than many are anticipating. Tulsa is 5-0 ATS when playing the 2nd of back to back road games. The Golden Hurricane are on a 7-2 ATS run in games against teams with a winning record. Houston is 0-4 ATS when off of a bye week and the Cougars are 0-3 ATS as a favorite in a range of 10.5 to 21 points. 8* TULSA

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Game #277 Monday 8* Kansas City Chiefs (-) @ Denver Broncos @ 8:15 ET - The Chiefs are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 meetings with the Broncos. Adding even more value to this spot though is that Denver has gone from Super Bowl champs to 9 wins to 5 wins the last 3 seasons! While the Broncos are clearly on the way down, the Chiefs have been on an upward trajectory with double digit wins totals in each of the last 3 seasons! Kansas City could be ascending even higher this season thanks to the play of Patrick Mahomes. He currently ranks as the #1 QB in the NFL based on passer rating and Mahomes has thrown for 13 TDs without a pick on the season. As for the Broncos Case Keenum, he ranks among the league worst in QB's so far this season and he has thrown for just 3 TDs while also throwing 5 INTs. Though the Chiefs defense has struggled this season their offense has absolutely been a machine moving up and down the field. Also, Kansas City's biggest weakness (defense) is unlikely to be exposed by a Broncos offense that has had issues with drives stalling out due to turnovers and simply being inept at crucial times. That is why Denver's yardage stats look quite good on offense but they are averaging only 20 points per game. The Chiefs are nearly double that as they are averaging 39 points per game. Simply put, the Broncos just won't be able to keep up here. KC is 12-6 SU and ATS in road games and, in addition to covering 5 in a row against Denver, the Chiefs are on an overall 7-0 ATS run in regular season games. The Broncos are 0-6 ATS the last 6 times they've been an underdog of at least 3 points. That means this is a triple perfect play with angles combining for 18-0 / 100% PERFECT ATS. Monday 8* KANSAS CITY

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NFL Game #276 Sunday 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Steelers (-) vs Baltimore Ravens @ 8:20 ET - The Steelers have defeated the Ravens three straight times. Pittsburgh lost their only home game this season so you know they're going to be ready to go here and make up for the defeat versus Kansas City two weeks ago. As for their other two games, the Steelers did have to settle for a tie versus Cleveland but that was truly a crazy finish after Pittsburgh did lead 21-7 in the 4th quarter. As for their other game (a win last week versus the Bucs), the final score was tight but the Steelers were up huge in that game. You can bet that after these disappointing finishes (blown big leads) and having lost their only game at Heinz Field so far this season, Pittsburgh is going to go a full 60 versus their hated rival, the Ravens, in this one. Of course the betting markets focus on Baltimore's big win last week and the fact that the Steelers let some leads slip away and so now the market has made the move toward Baltimore here. More often than not I like to fade the popular choice and the Ravens are attracting the money in this one. Again, Steelers will not let up against Baltimore like they did against the Browns and Lions. Also, I prefer having Ben Roethlisberger as my QB here rather than Joe Flacco as the latter tends to be turnover prone in the biggest of situations. Note also that, per the injury reports, the Ravens are the more banged up team. Baltimore is only 3-10 SU and 5-7-1 ATS the last 13 times they've been an underdog. The Steelers are 10-3 SU (9-4 ATS) the last 13 times in games their line ranges from +3 to -3. Pittsburgh is 10-2 ATS when they are off of a non-divisional games and facing a divisional foe that has double revenge against them. Steelers haven't lost B2B home games since early in the 2016 season and I don't expect them to drop to 0-2 at home on the season. 10* PITTSBURGH

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NFL Game #253 Sunday 8* Houston Texans (+) @ Indianapolis Colts @ 1 ET - The Texans are still searching for that elusive first win so definitely extra hunger here for the road team. Though Houston suffered a home loss last week versus the Giants they did outgain New York and that was also the case in the Texans prior game. Houston outgained Tennessee the prior week by over 150 yards but lost. The Texans season opening loss was at New England. The point is that based on schedule (trip to Foxboro) and a few bad bounces (past two weeks) Houston is 0-3 despite playing better than their record shows. As a result, we have great value here in going against a Colts team that was very fortunate to get a cover last week at Philadelphia. The Eagles actually outgained Indianapolis 170 yards but you wouldn't know it by looking at the final score. Again, this is leading to more value here in terms of going against the Colts with the hungry Texans. In terms of technical value, the Colts are just 1-5 SU and ATS as a home dog of 3 points or less. The Texans are 11-2 ATS in divisional action when they enter a game with a losing record, off of a loss, and they're facing a team with a losing record. Indianapolis is 1-10 ATS when they are facing a team with a sub-.400 record that is also off of a SU and ATS loss in their prior game. Combined edges here of 26-4 (87%) ATS in favor of the small road dog. 8* HOUSTON

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NFL Game #265 Sunday 8* Philadelphia Eagles (+) @ Tennessee Titans @ 1 ET - The Eagles got the SU win versus the Colts last week but certainly should have had the ATS win as well. Philadelphia outgained Indianapolis by 170 yards but QB Carson Wentz was a little rusty and the Eagles won the game by only 4 despite the yardage domination. This week look for Wentz to be much more sharp and the set-up is perfect here for Philly as they catch Tennessee off of a big upset win at Jacksonville. The Titans are just 1-7 ATS when they enter a game off 2 or more consecutive wins. The Eagles are on a 21-9 ATS run in games played on grass. Off back to back divisional wins, Tennessee certainly could be "out of gas" for this one especially after the big upset win as a double digit dog at Jacksonville. The Titans offense struggles with the pass and relies on the run and that plays right into the hands of the Eagles who currently rank #1 in the league against the run. The Philly defense also is ready to make up for the poor effort they gave in their first road game at Tampa Bay. That loss and poor effort on the defensive end in that game plus with Wentz now back for this road game and having a game under his belt, this is the ideal spot for a huge effort from the Eagles. Considering those factors as well as the small line, look for a road rout in this one. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFB Game #162 Saturday 10* Top Play Penn State Nittany Lions (+) vs Ohio State Buckeyes @ 7:30 ET - Though Ohio State has been getting the SU wins in recent meetings between these teams, Penn State has covered 3 of the last 4 meetings between these rivals. Also, neither one of these teams has faced a tough schedule so far this season. That said, while one could argue that the Nittany Lions are unproven so far, one should also consider that the Buckeyes have played an easy schedule thus far. That said, what sticks out in the minds of most in the betting markets is that Ohio State has dominated every single week while the Nittany Lions struggled to get past Appalachian State in week one. The key though is that PSU has responded since then with 3 straight blowout wins and they get this game at home plus they are an underdog of more than 3 points. I feel we're getting excellent line value here as a result. While it is true that Penn State has struggled at Ohio State for many years now, it is also true that they give the Buckeyes all they can handle when they meet at State College. The Nittany Lions have covered all but 4 of the last 12 meetings in Happy Valley and and they've won half of the dozen games straight-up. The public is enamored with Ohio State right now (as per usual) but they truly struggled to get past TCU and that is the same Horned Frogs team that just lost badly to Texas. The Frogs lost by 15 points and turned the ball over 4 times in that game. The point is that Ohio State may be just a little over-rated right now. The Nittany Lions are a superb 16-2 SU (and 17-1 ATS!) when they enter a game off of 2 or more consecutive SU wins. In recent seasons Penn State is 5-1 ATS as an underdog. Also, long-term as a home dog of 3.5 to 7 points, the Nittany Lions are also 5-1 ATS! Ohio State is just 1-3 ATS their last 4 on grass. Also, the Buckeyes are 2-4 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points. The last two match-ups have been decided by a TOTAL of just 4 points! Grab the value with the home dog points in this one. 10* PENN STATE

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFB Game #182 Saturday 8* Kansas State Wildcats (+) vs Texas Longhorns @ 3:30 ET - Very tough spot for Texas and the perfect time to fade them as the betting markets generally have a tendency toward a short term memory. The Longhorns have been hot and are off of back to back wins over USC and TCU but keep in mind this is a bad spot for them. The Horns are off B2B big wins plus have their annual huge match-up with Oklahoma on deck. At the same time as Texas is over-hyped and in a bad scheduling spot, you have a Kansas State team coming in as a dangerous home underdog. Under head coach Bill Snyder, the Wildcats are known for performing well as an underdog but that hasn't been the case so far this season. That said, off of a bad loss at West Virginia where they were outgained by 146 yards but lost the game by 29 points, there is additional value with the Cats at home and hungry off of an embarrassing road loss. You can bet they'll be ready to go against Texas this week. The home team has won each of the last 6 meetings SU (and is 5-1 ATS) and Kansas State is also 5-0 SU and ATS the last 5 times they've faced the Longhorns in Manhattan. The Wildcats offense returned 8 starts on offense this season including all 5 on the offensive line and, after scoring just 6 points last week, this Kansas State team comes out with a fire lit under them this week. Look for the Wildcats to improve to 4-1 ATS the last 5 times they've been a home dog in a range of 7.5 to 10 points. 8* KANSAS STATE

Afternoon Thrasher - Rickenbach CFB Game #139 Saturday 8* Pittsburgh Panthers (+) @ Central Florida Golden Knights @ 3:30 ET - Central Florida has rolled so far this season but they have played a very weak schedule. Pittsburgh has played a Big Ten team and a pair of ACC teams the last 3 weeks. After falling just short at North Carolina last week, the highly motivated Panthers are likely to give the Golden Knights all they can handle here. UCF is a huge favorite but is only 2-4 ATS in home games with a posted total between 63.5 and 70 points. A lot of points expected here and that means the back door cover option is also open here should we need it. Central Florida has been susceptible to the ground attack this season and gave up over 300 yards rushing to Florida Atlantic last week. The Panthers have run for over 225 yards in three of their four games this season. Pittsburgh is a solid 7-2 in their last 9 games against teams with a winning record. Long-term the Panthers are 11-4 ATS when they are a road dog in a range of 10.5 to 14 points. Look for the big points to prove well worth having in this match-up as the Golden Knights finally are matched up with a tougher foe. 8* PITTSBURGH

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Game #101 Thursday 10* Top Play Minnesota Vikings (+) @ Los Angeles Rams @ 8:20 ET - The betting markets often operate on a short-term memory and, as a result, there can be excellent line value in situations like this. As of early game day morning, the line on this game has been driven up to as high as a 7.5 as many just can't stop thinking about that embarrassing home loss the Vikings just had against the Bills on Sunday. The keys to the value here are that, prior to that game, Minnesota had a tough early season schedule as the Niners (with Garappolo at QB) were certainly a formidable match-up and then the Vikings went to Lambeau Field. After having to settle for a tie at division rival Green Bay and then knowing that this big match-up with the Rams was on deck, it is not a huge surprise that he Vikes were flat against Buffalo. Of course an outright loss was not expected but some struggles were expected. The fact that Minnesota did lose outright (and bad) actually only strengthens the power of this situation here. The Vikings will be ready to go and they're taking on a Rams team that has beaten the Raiders, Cardinals, and Chargers. Those 3 teams have a combined record of 1-8 this season! I do respect the Rams but they are truly getting too much respect from the betting markets here and the fact that we can now get 7 plus the hook in this one has me raising it to a top play. In terms of long-term technical data, the Vikings are 8-4 ATS their last 12 games against the Rams and Los Angeles is on a 2-8 ATS run in Thursday games. The Vikes should improve to 4-0 ATS their last 4 games versus NFC West opponents. 10* MINNESOTA

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Game #489 Monday 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Steelers (+) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ 8:15 ET - The winless Steelers are at the 2-0 Buccaneers and the earliers lines on this game had Pittsburgh as nearly a field goal favorite. Now the Steelers are the underdog in this match-up as of early Monday morning and I love the value we're getting here with the road team. While it is true that Tampa Bay is 2-0 this season, it is also true that the Bucs have allowed an average of 376.5 passing yards per game. That porous pass defense will be trying to stop Big Ben and Company and note that the Steelers passing attack is averaging 377.5 passing yards per game thus far. Look for that match-up to be the key to this game. Yes I know that the Pittsburgh run defense has not been good so far this season but they'll be fired up in the trenches and ready to go here as a winless team on the road under the Monday Night lights. Big opportunity for the Steelers here and note that Tampa Bay managed less than 2 yards per carry in their win last week. In games with a line between +3 and -3, the Steelers are on a 9-3 SU run. Pittsburgh also is a long-term 31-10 SU in Monday night games! In games with a total of 49.5 points or more, Tampa Bay is a long-term 4-12 SU! You can see that a lot of points are expected here and I don't expect the Buccaneers to be able to keep up. Under Mike Tomlin, the Steelers are 11-2 ATS when they are a road dog and facing an opponent that is off of back to back straight up wins. Of course that system is in effect here and I am grabbing the very hungry road dog in this one. 10* PITTSBURGH

PA Insider - Rickenbach NFL Game #462 Sunday 8* Philadelphia Eagles (-) vs Indianapolis Colts @ 1 ET - The Eagles should dominate this game. Yes they have some injury issues at running back but they're getting some healthy bodies back at WR and, most importantly in terms of injuries, QB Carson Wentz is back this week. However, he is actually not even the biggest key to this play. The most significant edge the Eagles have is in the trenches because they are so strong on both the offensive line and defensive line. With the Colts having a glaring weakness in terms of their offensive line, the Eagles D can exploit this and I expect this to be a huge mismatch all game long. In truth it won't even be fair to compare Indy QB Andrew Luck to Wentz in this game because I expect the latter to have a huge edge in terms of time in the pocket and the ability to make throws after plays develop. As for Luck, he is going to need some "luck" just to evade the Eagles aggressive pass rush. Philly is at home and off of a loss and they are fired up. The fact this line is currently available at 6.5 (in a number of shops) as of Saturday afternoon is an added edge. Lay the points with the Eagles and look for a blowout as the set-up is perfect with Indianapolis off of a big road win where they are actually outgained and the Eagles off of a road loss and returning home where they have been so tough under coach Doug Pederson. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NFL Game #473 Sunday 8* Oakland Raiders (+) @ Miami Dolphins @ 1 ET - This is the ultimate in "line metrics" that fools the betting markets but that should take care of us very nicely. The fact is that many are looking at this match-up wondering how the 2-0 Dolphins at home are laying only 3 (or 3.5 in some spots) against an 0-2 Raiders team. Of course the reason is because the odds makers know exactly what they're doing here and I firmly believe that this will be Oakland's first SU win this season but certainly am glad to grab the extra value of at least a field goal in this match-up. The Dolphins beat the Jets at New York last week but they were outgained significantly in that contest. Keep in mind that Miami's season-opening win came at home against Tennessee and the Titans yardage was roughly equal with the Dolphins in that game and plus the Titans are certainly no powerhouse. I like the fact that the Raiders have had to play the Rams and also visit Denver to open the season (and covered and should have won outright over the Broncos) while the Dolphins have played two teams that many consider to be two of the weaker teams in the NFL. We're getting a lot of line value here as a result and Oakland, statistically has been stronger than Miami so far this season but that just hasn't translated to SU wins and losses yet. Look for that to change this week! The last 18 times that the Raiders have had a line between +3 and -3, they've only failed to cover 5 times! The Dolphins have covered just 3 times in their last 11 games when off of a divisional game. Not only are they off of one, Miami has one on deck too - at New England! Perfect set up here for the road dog. 8* OAKLAND

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CFB Game #392 Saturday 8* Utah State Aggies (-) vs Air Force Falcons @ 10:15 ET - Utah State blew a double digit lead against the Falcons last season but that game was at Air Force. That was the 3rd straight loss for the Aggies in this series and they're certainly ready for payback. Utah State is on a 7-2 ATS run as a home favorite and they are the much stronger team in comparison with Air Force this season. The Falcons have lost many key players to graduation the last two seasons while the Aggies have have one of the most veteran groups of players they've ever had. The past two seasons Air Force is 2-0 against Utah State. However, against the rest of the Mountain West, the Falcons are 2-12 ATS! You see my point? The Falcons struggle to compete against conference competition at the betting window and, in a season that is likely to be another down year for them, I feel there is great value here in going against them in this triple revenge spot! Utah State is 8-1 SU the last 9 times they've been a home favorite of 10.5 to 14 points. The reason that holds significance here is because the Falcons entered this season on a 7-13 ATS run and their only "big board" game so far this season was two weeks ago against Florida Atlantic. They were fortunate to get the cover as their defense was a disaster and I expect the Aggies to fully exploit that weak pass defense here. 8* UTAH STATE

Game of the Week - Rickenbach CFB Game #397 Saturday 10* Top Play Troy Trojans (-) @ UL-Monroe Warhawks @ 7 ET - I am well aware that there are some weather concerns in the Monroe area for Saturday. However, this side play is such a fantastic situation that I am not going to shy away from it. The hope is that any weather in the area happens earlier in the day and does not interrupt this game. UL Monroe's home stadium is FieldTurf which helps in term of drainage and avoiding a super muddy field as can be the problem on natural surfaces should there be rain in Monroe on Saturday. In my opinion Troy is still the class of the SunBelt Conference and to get them at this low of a number against a Warhawks team that has not won more than 4 games in a year since the 2013 seasons, is a great bargain! Some may be concerned about the Trojans being off the big upset win at Nebraska last week but, keep in mind, two years ago, Troy was nearly a double digit dog at Southern Miss and got the upset win over the Golden Eagles and then turned around won their next game by a 46 point margin. The Trojans last year had the huge upset of LSU and then faltered the next week as they lost outright as a nearly 20 point favorite. Trust me, lesson learned and this Trojans team is fully focused on the task at hand this week. That "task" is that this is their conference opener and Troy will be ready to go here in a big way. Also note that UL-Monroe is actually 1-7 ATS the last 8 times they've faced a team that is off of an outright win as an underdog! Of course that system fits with the Trojans off the upset of the Corhuskers as a double digit dog last week. Also, the Warhawks lost big to Texas A & M last week and failed to cover. That is noteworthy here as UL-Monroe is 1-6 ATS the last 7 times they were off of a SU loss that was also an ATS loss in non-conference action. This is the Warhawks SunBelt opener too and it is time to get serous in conference action. That favors the more talented and stronger Trojans and I am happy to lay the short number. We just need to keep the storms away from the Monroe area as much as possible. They are expected to move away during the evening hours. 10* TROY

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CFB Game #340 Saturday 8* Cincinnati Bearcats (-) vs Ohio University Bobcats @ Noon ET - The Bearcats are 3-0 SU and ATS on the season and have played well on both sides of the ball. The Bobcats are 1-1 SU but 0-2 ATS and have played an even weaker schedule than Cincinnati has. Ohio U had their season opener versus Howard and they were favored by 30 but only won by 6. The Bobcats have underachieved thus far and are allowing nearly 600 yards per game! The Bearcats are off of a confidence building blowout win over Alabama A & M last week. While that skewed their offensive stats in a positive fashion, there is no doubt the Cincy defense has played well all season as they are allowing an average of just 8 points per game and they've held the opposition under an average of 230 yards per game. Ohio U is 2-5 ATS as a road underdog in a range of 7.5 to 10 points. The Bobcats are also 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games against AAC teams. Keep in mind this game is more important than a "typical" non-conference match-up. That's because these teams are located only about 150 miles apart but haven't met in over 35 years. That said, there is recruiting "turf" at stake here and Cincinnati is out to encourage future signees in the region to be a Bearcat and not a Bobcat. Take the rolling home team as the Ohio U defense continues to struggle. 8* CINCINNATI

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CFB Game #309 Friday 8* Washington State Cougars (+) @ USC Trojans @ 10:30 ET - The whole world seems to be lining up on the Trojans here and, in typical contrarian fashion, I am grabbing the value on the other side. The fact is that USC is, of course, seeking revenge here. However, that doesn't make this game any less important to Washington State. For the Cougars, this is their Pac-12 opener this season. Now, I am well aware of the fact that Washington State has played a much weaker schedule than USC has so far this season. However, the Cougars certainly were impressive in their lone "challenging" game thus far as they won by 22 as a 3-point favorite at Wyoming in Week 1. The fact is that Washington State's 3 straight blowout wins (the other two against weak opponents) has served well as a confidence builder for this team. As for the Trojans, they just can't stop the bleeding. That game at Texas should have been "the game" for them as they needed a bounce back effort after Stanford and yet they got pushed around by a Longhorns team that lost at Maryland to open up this season. The point is that there are some internal issues right now with this Trojans team and I am going to challenge them to snap out of it here because I feel they won't. USC continues to have issues on both sides of the ball and, keep in mind, the Cougars win over the Trojans last season was no fluke. Washington State outgained Southern Cal by 135 yards. USC is 0-3 ATS this season while the Cougars are 3-0 ATS. Washington State is on a 5-0 ATS run when they have Utah on deck and that is the case here. USC is on a 3-12 ATS dating back to early last season. Maybe they snap the skid and get a win here but if they do I expect it to be by a field goal or less and I like my chances with the Cougars rolling with confidence right now while USC filling up with self-doubt. The Cougars are a long-term 17-9 ATS as a road dog in a range of 3.5 to 7 points. 8* WASHINGTON STATE

Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFL Game #651 Friday 10* Top Play Montreal Alouettes (+) @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ 8:30 ET - Last week's final score would indicate that Montreal got blown out but that was a fluke final score fueled by late defensive touchdowns for Hamilton. That sets this one up well for some additional value on the Alouettes. Even though the Blue Bombers are off of a bye week they can't help but be looking ahead to a big showdown with Edmonton next week as that is a divisional foe. Winnipeg also might be a victim of over-confidence here and look right past the Als as the Bombers have defeated Montreal 4 straight times. I love the value with the road dog in this one as it has been a road-dominated series ATS and we're able to get double digits here. The road team is 5-0 ATS in the last 5 meetings which includes the Alouettes losing their last last visit to Winnipeg by just a single point! The visit before that Montreal won by 8 points as an underdog. We're getting great line value here as the Blue Bombers have allowed an average of 36.5 points per game in going 0-4 SU in their last 4 games! The Alouettes are 4-0 ATS as a road dog of 10.5 to 14 points. The Als are also 4-0 ATS in road games with a posted total of 52 points or more. Winnipeg is 0-4 ATS the past 4 weeks. That means we have a combined 12-0 / 100% perfect ATS mark in support of Montreal in this one. Look for Alouettes QB Johnny Manziel to be much better in his return as the starting QB here. 10* MONTREAL  

Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach NFL Game #301 Thursday 10* Top Play New York Jets (+)  Cleveland Browns @ 8:20 ET - I understand the line completely as many experts feel the Jets and Browns are equal teams and therefore Cleveland is merely favored for home field edge here. However, the fact that we can get +3 or even +3.5 with New York in some shops as of Tuesday night is a big value in this one when you consider that Browns have not won a single game since Week 16 of the 2016 season! I really like the fact that the Jets outgained the Dolphins by over 100 yards last week but yet came up on the wrong end of the scoreboard. This also helped add line value this week because, keep in mind, the Jets blasted the Lions in Week 1. As for Cleveland in Week 1, yes they did tie Pittsburgh but the Steelers gave that game away late as they blew a 21-7 lead. Pittsburgh actually outgained the Browns by 145 yards in Week 1. The Browns tie with the Steelers and their close battle with the Saints last week become less impressive when you consider both of those teams have plenty of issues as they each are still seeking their first win of the season. That said, I am certainly not saying that the Jets are not without some issues too but you can absolutely see why, per all of the above as well as New York's stat edges early this season, I am happy to back the road dog here and fade a team that hasn't even won a game since 2016. The Jets have failed to cover just once in their last five versus AFC North opponents. Cleveland was 7-4 SU through game 11 in the 2014 season. Since then the Browns are 4-49 SU! Will I fade a team that is laying 3 plus the hook in some spots and has won just 4 of its last 53 games? Yes indeed and I will elevate this to a Top Play too. 10* NEW YORK JETS

Run Line Rout - Rickenbach MLB Game #978 Wednesday 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Pirates Run Line -1.5 runs vs Kansas City Royals @ 7:05 ET - The Pirates, though mathematically still alive, certainly have slim hopes of a Wild Card berth at this point in the season. However, that hasn't stopped them from playing hard. Last night's win was their 4th straight and Pittsburgh is now 10-3 in their last 13 games. Keep in mind, the Bucs are hosting one of the worst teams in baseball in this interleague match-up and last night's loss dropped Kansas City to 22-52 on the road this season. Even though Pirates starter Chris Archer gave up some big hits versus the Brewers early in his most recent start, he settled down and pitched quite well overall. I like the fact that Archer has allowed only 13 hits in his last 17 innings while striking out 19 during this span. Also, in his last two starts versus the Royals, Archer has held them to just 3 earned runs on only 11 hits while striking out 17 over 15 and 1/3 innings. KC sends Heath Fillmyer to the mound and the Royals are 0-4 in his road starts this season as he has been rocked to the tune of a 12.40 ERA in his starts away from home. More of the same expected tonight. The Royals are 5-24 in their last 29 games versus a team with a winning record. Of course I would never lay huge juice on a money line but I love the value of the run line here with the Pirates available as low as even money by laying the 1.5 runs. Pittsburgh has won 14 of 19 interleague games this season while Kansas City has lost 13 of 17 against NL teams. 72 of the Royals 99 losses have come by 2 or more runs this season. 49 of the Pirates 76 wins have come by 2 or more runs this year. I like the odds on a home blowout in this one with Archer over Fillmyer! 10* PITTSBURGH Run Line

Run Line Rout - Rickenbach MLB Game #902 Tuesday 8* Philadelphia Phillies Run Line -1.5 runs +125 vs New York Mets @ 7:05 ET - The Phillies lost a tough one to the Mets yesterday but the Braves also lost so Philadelphia still has plenty of life in the NL East as they chase Atlanta. They now turn to their staff ace Tuesday and I expect the result to be a huge win. As you would expect, Aaron Nola is a very pricey favorite on the money line in this game but, by taking Philadelphia on the run line we actually get a nice comeback price on the Phillies in this one. Nola has allowed just 7 hits while striking out 29 in the 21 innings spanning his last 3 starts versus the Mets. As for New York starter Steven Matz, he was rocked for 4 earned runs in just 2 innings in his last visit to Philly. Matz has given up 4 homers in 12 innings in his last 3 starts versus the Phillies. This season Philadelphia is 9-3 when they are a home favorite in a money line range of -175 to -250. Matz is 0-2 versus the Phillies in his 4 career starts against them. Nola is 6-1 in his 8 career starts against the Mets. Take advantage of the value on the run line here and look for the Phillies to bounce back and win this one by 2 runs or more as Nola's mastery of the Mets lineup continues. 8* PHILADELPHIA Run Line -1.5 runs +125

MNF Annihilation - Rickenbach NFL Game #289 Monday 8* Seattle Seahawks (+) @ Chicago Bears @ 8:15 ET - Yes the Seahawks have a few injuries but that is factored into this line. We're getting great value with road dog Seattle as we go against a Chicago team that is just 1-6 ATS the last 7 times they've been a home favorite. Also, the Bears QB is Mitch Trubisky while the Seahawks QB is Russell Wilson. You can't base a play on one position but, one thing is for certain, the QB position is an extremely critical one and Seattle has a huge edge there in this match-up. Also, while Seattle's D did struggle at Denver last week they did garner 3 interceptions in that game and hung tough in a 3-point loss. As for the Bears, it is tough to come back after an extremely deflating defeat to the division rival Packers. Chicago blew a huge lead at Lambeau Field last Sunday night and now feels the pressure of another primetime game on Monday night. While Bears head coach Matt Nagy is in his first year with Chicago, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is a long-time veteran. When Seattle is on the road against an NFC foe following a game against an AFC foe in the prior week, they are on an 8-1 ATS run. I also like backing the Seahawks off of a loss. Seattle is 11-2 ATS when they are off of a SU loss outside of their division and are facing a team that has a losing record. The Bears are 0-16 ATS when they are a home favorite against an NFC foe that is off of a SU loss. The Seahawks are 4-0 ATS in their last 5 road games (one push) against NFC opponents. That means this play is supported, in addition to a number of solid angles, by a pair of angles that are a combined 20-0 / 100% perfect. 8* SEATTLE

Run Line Rout - Rickenbach MLB Game #958 Monday 8* Milwaukee Brewers Run Line -1.5 runs +120 vs Cincinnati Reds @ 7:40 ET - Wade Miley has allowed 2 earned runs or less in 12 of his 13 Brewers starts. The Milwaukee southpaw also has dominated the Reds as he has allowed just 1 earned run in each of his last 3 starts versus Cincinnati and two of those were this season. As for the Reds Anthony DeSclafani, he has allowed at least 4 earned runs in each of this last 3 starts versus the Brewers and 2 of those were this season. Also, the Cincinnati right-hander enter this start having allowed 10 runs (9 earned) in his last two starts and those have spanned less than 9 innings of work! The Brewers are off of a tight loss yesterday but still are 19-7 this season in games where they are a home favorite in a money line range of -125 to -175. That said, I like the added value offered here with the run line. By laying the 1.5 runs with Milwaukee, we get a +120 comeback price on the home favorite. Keep in mind, prior to their upset win yesterday at Wrigley Field, Cincinnati was 5-20 in their previous 25 road games. That is a horrible two month run and I expect it to resume here and this home win for the Brewers should come in blowout fashion. 8* MILWAUKEE

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NFL Game #285 Sunday 8* Oakland Raiders (+) @ Denver Broncos @ 4:25 ET - The Broncos hung on to beat the Seahawks by 3 points last week despite 3 interceptions thrown by Case Keenum. This created a perfect set up this week because there is a false confidence in the Broncos because of the win and some impressive yardage totals for Denver last week. So most of the marketplace is pro-Denver right now and anti-Oakland because, of course, everyone saw the Raiders collapse against the Rams in the 2nd half of that game. However, note that the yardage in that game was roughly equal and note that Derek Carr threw 3 interceptions. However, I still would pick Carr over Keenum to quarterback my team any day of the week. I also prefer a veteran coach like the Raiders Jon Gruden over the Broncos Vance Joseph. So, in this match-up, I have the better QB and the more experienced coach and I am getting nearly a full touchdown even though my team is undoubtedly the hungrier team. I'll take it! The Raiders are ticked off after what happened on Monday night while Denver is feeling a little too good about themselves after beating Seattle in week one. The Broncos are just 3-8-1 ATS in their last 12 divisional games. Also, Denver is a long-term 2-10 ATS when they are at home in a divisional game and favored by less than 17 points and their opponent is off a SU loss. Again, hunger and motivation so important and I expect a lot of fight from the Raiders after what happened Monday and they should be in this one all the way and have a great shot at the upset. 8* OAKLAND

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NFL Game #283 Sunday 10* Top Play Jacksonville Jaguars (+) vs New England Patriots @ 4:25 ET - Don't underestimate that Jags win over the Giants last week in New York. The Giants have some solid talent at the skill positions with Odell Beckham, Jr back in the mix and now Saquan Barkley running very well already in his rookie campaign for New York. That said, the Patriots were somewhat fortunate to sneak past the Texans last week and that was at home. Now they play in very high heat and high humidity in Jacksonville Sunday and they face a team that should have beat them in the AFC Conference Championship Game last year and that one was in Foxboro! In other words, I like my chances with the Jaguars as they won't blow a big lead against the Pats in Jacksonville in September like they did in New England in January. The Jags outgained the Patriots in that big playoff game and also dominated time of possession but they were done in by penalties. They are going to make the most of this opportunity for revenge. Of course the Patriots have been a covering machine in recent years and that is priced into this line. In other words, the wrong team is favored here but that is to satisfy the masses and, as long-time followers of my program know, I like to fade the masses. Keep in mind, since this line has Jax as a dog we can talk about their SU streaks as they do apply here and Jacksonville has won 6 in a row SU at home. As strong as the Pats have been overall ATS they have covered just 2 of their last 5 away from home and I like the Jags in the stifling oppressive heat of Florida in this one. 10* JACKSONVILLE

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NFL Game #263 Sunday 8* Carolina Panthers (+) @ Atlanta Falcons @ 1 ET - First off let me start by saying that I am well aware that Carolina has some injury issues head into this game. However, the key factor is the Panthers have some solid depth at those positions (in particular, the offensive line) and I really like the big dog value being offered here. That was not a bad Cowboys that the Panthers thoroughly dominated in Week 1. At the same time the Falcons faced an Eagles team whose offense was totally out of rhythm and had questionable play-calling and never really could get in sync and yet Atlanta still lost. This is why I am going contrarian this week because most are expecting the Panthers to fall short after a big win over Dallas while the Falcons bounce back after a tough loss to the Eagles. It is the old "zig zag" theory. This is helping to give us a lot of line value here because Carolina's defense looked great last week while the Falcons traditional red zone struggles on offense continued. As a result, getting close to a TD here is a big value because there is no way the Panthers will be flat here. They are up for this game as they've had a history of struggles against Atlanta in recent meetings and it is payback time. The Panthers are a very cohesive group right now where everybody is pulling even closer together because of some of the injuries they've had. I really like what I am reading out of Carolina and, in terms of technical edges, the Panthers are a long-term 24-12 ATS in road games with a posted total between 42.5 and 45 points while also having gone 9-4 ATS as an underdog the past two seasons combined. 8* CAROLINA

Game of the Week - Rickenbach CFB Game #210 Saturday 10* Top Play San Diego State Aztecs (+) vs Arizona State Sun Devils @ 10:30 ET - The Sun Devils rallied for a home win against Michigan State last week. As a result, Arizona State was able to sneak by a ranked Spartans team even thought they allowed nearly 400 yards in that game. Now the Sun Devils are on the road for the first time this season and facing arguably their toughest challenge yet (first away game and hosted weak UTSA team in Week 1) and yet ASU is favored by nearly a full TD here. The markets are not grading this team properly. Head coach Herm Edwards was considered by many to be the most questionable (and possibly worst) off-season hire and now after just two games they're laying nearly a full TD on the road. I just don't see it and yes I am aware of the Aztecs QB being out for this game. Keep in mind San Diego State is a run dominated team. Also, a big key to this play is that Edwards plucked away their defensive coordinator from the Aztecs. Do you think long-time veteran head coach Rocky Long wants this game? This match-up certainly has special importance to him. He has been coaching in some capacity ever since his playing career ended in the mid-70s and he is known as a defensive specialist. He does not want to get out-witted by his pupil (the ASU DC) on the opposite sidelines. This will be Long's 230th games as an NCAA head coach while Aztecs coach Edwards does have NFL coaching experience but will be coaching his first ever road game in college action. I love the home dog here as the running game of the Aztecs and a huge edge with coach Long on our side of this play proving to be keys to victory. It also certainly is important to mention the scheduling situation here heavily favors San Diego State. While the Aztecs are at home and off of an easy win over an FCS team and with a MAC team on deck, the Sun Devils are off of a grueling upset win over a ranked Big Ten team plus they have their PAC-12 opener on deck. I'll gladly grab all the points I can get here. 10* SAN DIEGO STATE

Friday Annihilation - Rickenbach CFL Game #660 Friday 8* Montreal Alouettes (+) vs BC Lions @ 7:30 ET - BC has certainly had the upper hand in this series with 5 straight wins in this series and a 5-0 ATS run. However, the Lions have yet to prove they can win on the road this season. They've gone 0-5 away from home and they now take on a revenge-minded Montreal team that is coming off of a bye week. The Alouettes have a definite rest edge as well as home field edge. I also like the fact that the Als are off of back to back SU wins and they are on a 4-0 ATS run. While Montreal is settled at the QB spot finally with Antonio Pipkin playing well, the Lions have a concern with Travis Lulay currently dealing with concussion issues. The home team is 9-1 this season in BC games and I look for that trend to continue. I will, however, gladly grab the points with the Alouettes as some added insurance here. 8* MONTREAL

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Game #916 Friday 7* New York Yankees Run Line -1.5 runs -140 vs Toronto Blue Jays @ 7:05 ET - The Yankees are nearly 3 to 1 favorites on the money line and while I would never advise laying that much juice I do like the value here with New York on the run line. Look for the Yankees to dominate in this one and get a big win by a margin of 2 runs or more and our price range here is about -140 on the run line. So I am reducing my rating on this one from a "normal" 8* to a 7* but have no hesitation in laying this price range considering the situation. The Blue Jays Marco Estrada is winless with a 9.49 ERA in his last 3 starts. Also, he has given up 5 homers in his 3 starts versus the Yankees this season. As for Masahiro Tanaka, he has allowed just 1 earned run on only 6 hits in the 13 innings spanning his last two starts versus Toronto. The Yankees right-hander enters this start having allowed only 1 earned run in 15 innings (with 16 strikeouts) in his last two starts. This is a pitching mismatch and the Yankees (losers of 2 straight) have had a losing streak of 3 or more games only ONCE since late JUNE! In other words, a bounce back for the Yankees is quite likely tonight. The Blue Jays have lost 3 straight games and also are 13-25 in their last 38 games against teams with a winning record while the Yankees are 14-5 when playing after a day off. 7* New York Yankees Run Line -1.5 runs -140

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Game #101 Thursday 8* Baltimore Ravens (+) @ Cincinnati Bengals @ 8:20 ET - The very first number that popped on this one was the Ravens -3 and now Baltimore is in a pick'em range and even a small dog in some books as of Wednesday evening. This is offering great line value to the revenge-minded Ravens. Baltimore, as many may recall, missed out on the post-season last year because of an unbelievable late-game loss to the Bengals in the final week of the regular season last year. Of course revenge tends to be over-played so I am always careful when getting involved in situations with avenging teams. In this case it absolutely looks like the right play. The Ravens have seemed like a team on a mission ever since pre-season kicked off. They went 5-0 in the preseason and then began the regular season with a thumping of Buffalo. Certainly the Bills are expected to be a bad team this season but that games wasn't even close and Baltimore was dominant on both sides of the ball. On the other side of the equation, the Bengals faced a Colts team with a suspect offensive line and a rusty Andrew Luck under center and yet still needed a late rally for the win. Don't be impressed by the final score as Cincinnati scored the final 17 points and the fact is the yardage was roughly equal in that game. Look for the Ravens to improve on a 7-3 ATS run in road openers. The Bengals, in divisional games, are 0-7 ATS if they are facing an opponent whom is playing with revenge and whom scored more than 35 points in their prior game. This perfect system fits perfectly here and Baltimore is ready to roll! The road team was the SU and ATS winner in both match-ups last season and that trend continues here. 8* BALTIMORE

No Doubt Blowout Rout - Rickenbach MLB Game #955 Thursday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Dodgers Run Line -1.5 runs (-) @ St Louis Cardinals @ 7:15 ET - This one has the makings of a road rout. The Cardinals haven't faced Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw in awhile and the lack of repetition certainly won't help them. The LA southpaw has dominated the Cards to the tune of allowing just 1 earned run on only 4 hits in 17 innings spanning his last two starts against them. Kershaw has struck out 30 in 23 innings spanning his last 3 starts versus St Louis. He also enters this start in superb form as the lefty hasn't allowed more than 2 earned runs in a start in nearly two months. The Cards are also going with a southpaw here. Austin Gomber, whom beat the Dodgers on August 20th in Los Angeles, gets the call here. I realize that he has a low ERA and some impressive numbers on the season. However, Gomber allowed 10 hits in 7 innings in his most recent home start and that was the only time he has had to make a 2nd start against a team this season. The point is that he got hit harder the 2nd time around and now the Dodgers are getting a second look at Gomber. LA has gone 9-3 in Kershaw's last 12 starts and 9 of their last 11 wins with Kershaw on the mound have come by a margin of 2 or more runs. The Cardinals have lost 3 of their last 5 home games and also each of their two games this month versus left-handed starters. Kershaw dominates and Gomber struggles. 10* Los Angeles Dodgers Run Line -1.5 runs

ESPN Smash Pass #1 Side - Rickenbach CFB Game #104 Thursday 8* Wake Forest Demon Deacons (+) vs Boston College Eagles @ 5:30 ET - The road team has dominated this series of late with four straight wins. Also, Boston College is seeking revenge for last year's home loss where they got drilled 34-10 despite the yardage being roughly equal. The Eagles were done in by 4 turnovers in that game. The over-play of the revenge angle in sports is leading to nice value for us here in fading the betting markets. There has been a big push toward Boston College in this one as their line has risen higher early this week. I am happy to fade this because at least the Demon Deacons have faced one semi-tough test this season. Wake Forest was favored by a little shy of a TD in their win at Tulane in Week 1. As for the Eagles, both their games have been at home and they were huge favorites in both games because of the weak competition they faced. As a result, Wake Forest is the more battle tested team early this season as they had to battle hard for their win over the Green Wave two weeks ago. As for the Eagles, both their games were easy blowout wins. Keep in mind, when BC won at WF last season it was by just 3 points and in their previous visit two years prior it was by just 6 points. I expect Wake Forest to be in this game all the way and to have a great shot at the outright upset. The Demon Deacons are on an 11-2 ATS run as an underdog. Look for Boston College to drop to 7-13 ATS long-term as a road favorite of 3.5 to 7 points. Yes I am well aware that Wake Forest QB Kendall Hinton is still out for Wake Forest. However, Demon Deacons QB Sam Hartman has done a respectable job for them and now has two games under is belt as the replacement for the suspended Hinton. 8* Wake Forest

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Game #478 Sunday 8* Green Bay Packers (-) vs Chicago Bears @ 8:20 ET - The Bears have a new head coach in Matt Nagy while the Packers Mike McCarthy is in his 13th year with the Packers. Chicago is still resting their hopes on a QB by the name of Mitch Trubisky while Green Bay has a healthy Aaron Rodgers returning as the signal-caller for The Pack in this one. So far I have listed for you a coaching edge and a huge edge at arguably the most important position. Now add in the fact that the Packers have one of the biggest home field edges in the NFL and the fact that this line is down to a 7 and you can see why I am happy to back Green Bay in this one. Keep in mind Chicago has a combined record of 8-24 the past two seasons. In terms of ATS stats the Bears have gotten the cash just twice in their last nine games. Also, for those of you whom like technical trends: Chicago is 0-5 ATS when they have a Monday night game on deck. Last year the Packers season was impacted greatly by injury but do not forget that this team, including playoffs, averaged 12 wins per game the 3 prior seasons. Green Bay knows how to win and with Rodgers back under center this game is a complete mismatch and with the line at -7 it is "go time" for this one. The Packers are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 games against the Bears! As a home favorite in a range of 3.5 to 7 points, GB is on a 7-2 ATS run. The Bears are on a 4-12 ATS run in road games the past two seasons and I am happy to take advantage of the downward line move here. 8* GREEN BAY PACKERS

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NFL Game #471 Sunday 10* Top Play Seattle Seahawks (+) @ Denver Broncos @ 4:25 ET - The Broncos, based on the markets, appear to be a popular choice this week. This is understandable from the anti-Seahawks sentiment as certainly Seattle has lost some key components from the team that took the field last season. However, I have to wonder if people heavily betting Denver stop and think about this interesting factoid: the Broncos win totals keep decreasing! They won 12 games 3 years ago, 9 games two years ago, and only were victories 5 times in 16 games last season! Is this a team you want to lay points with against a Seahawks team that still has plenty of professional pride and has been a top team for many years now. Also, do you want Case Keenum at QB or Russell Wilson? Of course most everyone would take the Hawks signal-caller give the choice! The point is just the simple fact that a little too much respect has gone the way of the Broncos in my strong opinion. We can now get a full field goal with the team, that in my opinion, is still the better team. Sure there is the important factor of home field but the Broncos have covered just once the last five times they've been a home favorite of 3 points or less. Overall, Denver's home field has been nothing special the last two seasons as they've barely played above .500 in the Mile High City. The Seahawks are 6-2 SU against AFC teams the past two seasons. The Broncos are on an overall 2-10 ATS run. You still have to score points to win games and so, while I respect the Denver defense, I think their offense is still going to have growing pains with Keenum at the helm. Seattle averaged scoring 5 points per game more than the Broncos last season plus the Seahawks D - even after personnel changes - is still a solid unit. The Hawks are also on a 4-0 ATS run when playing the first of back to back road games. Also, head coach Pete Carroll is in his 9th year with the Seahawks while Vance Joseph is in his just his 2nd with the Broncos. That difference in experience is worth something too. 10* SEATTLE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NFL Game #455 Sunday 8* San Francisco 49ers (+) @ Minnesota Vikings @ 1 ET - The 49ers were a different team late last season with Garoppolo under center and I expect the San Francisco QB to stay hot early this season. Keep in mind, the Viking are going through a lot of transition on offense in terms of the QB position as well as their offensive cooridinator. That said, the upstart Niners could surprise the Vikes here. Sure, Minnesota has been excited too re-take the field after that embarrassing post-season loss to the Eagles. However, the 49ers have been just as eager to get back on the field after their strong start finish to last season. This San Francisco team is an up and coming unit with a great mixture of talent and experience on both sides of the ball. With this line climbing up to as high as a +7 as of Saturday evening it is go time with this dangerous underdog. Both these teams have been covering machines of late as the Niners covered 5 straight to end last season while the Vikings finished up the regular season covering 10 of their last 11. However, the key to the value here is the transition taking place with the Minny offense as well as the fact that they are the public team so that is why the money flow has gone their way and the line has moved accordingly. I am grabbing the value on the underdog side with this one and look for the 49ers to improve to 9-4 ATS in their last 13 road openers. 8* SAN FRANCISCO

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CFL Game #655 Saskatchewan Roughriders (+) @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ 4 ET - These teams were in a fierce battle last week in Saskatchewan and the Riders prevailed. As a result now the masses will jump to back to Winnipeg this week in an opportunity for revenge. Guys, it is never that simple. Doesn't mean that "system" won't work this week but the fact it is that the "revenge angle" tends to be over-used in in all sports when it comes to sports wagering. The CFL is no different.  The Roughriders are a hot team right now and they certainly won the special teams battle last week versus the Bombers and, keep in mind, special teams should not be overlooked when you're doing your handicapping. Saskatchewan has covered 4 of the last 6 meetings between these teams and the Riders certainly had the more impressive aerial attack last week. Yes, Winnipeg ran the ball well last week but it is still the aerial attack that wins more games in the 3-down league known as CFL! The Riders are the hotter team right now and they are 6-1 SU and ATS the last 7 times they've been off of a win over a division rival. Winnipeg still has not defeated a team with a winning record this season as they are 0-3 SU and ATS in games when they've met a winning team this season.  The fact that we're getting a handful of points here is simply an added bonus and I will take it as we fade market perception (revenge) of those bettors whom are following CFL. Give me the road dog here as they have a non-divisional game on deck and so they'll certainly leave it all on the field Saturday afternoon. 8* SASKATCHEWAN