Game of the Week - Rickenbach CFB Game #347 Saturday 10* Top Play Georgia Bulldogs (-) @ South Carolina Gamecocks @ 3:30 ET - This is the year for the Gamecocks. That is what most everyone is saying at least. I know my choice here will be an unpopular one because just about everywhere you look in terms of thoughts on this match-up you're going to read about the value on South Carolina. Ladies and gentlemen, the odds makers don't make many mistakes. That is a fact. While most of the sports betting world scratches their heads and wonders how the Bulldogs can be a double digit favorite on the road in this match-up I am here to tell you that the likelihood is going to be domination in the trenches. I know the Gamecocks are improved and I know the Bulldogs lost some key players from last year's team. But Georgia simply "reloads" and they have a huge talent pool where their best players are coming from. The fact is that they've outgained South Carolina by a combined total of 578 to 73 in rushing yardage in the past two meetings between these teams. That is absolute domination in the trenches but we're getting line value here because they won each of those two games by only 14 points each despite dominating the ground game. I expect Saturday's win to again feature domination and this time it translates even better to the scoreboard with the win to come by 21 points. The Bulldogs have had this game circled because they know that this is one of their toughest games of the season up until they travel to LSU in mid-October. The point is that one of the top teams in the nation here, Georgia, is absolutely going to be ready and up to the South Carolina challenge. The Bulldogs are 6-1 SU (and 5-2 ATS) in their last 7 games as a road favorite. Also, in road games with a posted total between 49.5 and 56 points, the Bulldogs are an incredible long-term 21-6 SU and ATS! South Carolina, as a home dog of 7.5 to 10 points is 1-6-1 SU and 2-6 ATS! Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart and Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp are each in their third years with their respective teams. The vast improvement that Georgia showed from year one to year two tells me that, despite the experience returning on offense for the Gamecocks (both teams lost a lot on defense), the systems and the buy-ins from the players into those systems are having much more success for the Bulldogs than the Gamecocks and we'll see that again on Saturday in my opinion. Lay the big points on the road. 10* GEORGIA BULLDOGS

Game of the Week - Rickenbach MLB Game #968 Friday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Rays Run Line -1.5 runs vs Baltimore Orioles @ 7:10 ET - The Rays are 41-24 at home this season. The Orioles are 17-55 on the road this year. Of course I am not going to lay the huge odds (over 2 to 1) with the Rays on the money line here. However, I do see fantastic line value in laying a very small price with Tampa Bay and expecting them to win this game by 2 or more runs. Hence the value here with the run line as Blake Snell gets the rematch against Dylan Bundy that he wanted. Keep in mind that Snell has pitched infinitely better than Bundy all season long but when they matched up in Baltimore back in May. In that start Bundy had a rare gem while Snell had a rare sub-par performance. Payback is on order today and Snell is 8-1 with a 1.06 ERA in his home starts this season. As for Bundy, the Orioles are 3-9 in his road starts and he enters this start with an 8.79 ERA in his last 3 starts. Laying the 1.5 runs here is certainly supportable by the fact that 15 of the Rays last 17 wins have come by 2 or more runs and 11 of Baltimore's last 13 losses have come by a margin of defeat of two or more runs. Expecting more of the same here on Friday. 10* TAMPA BAY Run Line -1.5 runs

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFB Game #220 Monday 8* Florida State Seminoles (-) vs Virginia Tech Hokies @ 8 ET - Both teams have inexperienced defenses. That said, I like the advantage that FSU has by being at home for this one. Florida State is going to be loaded with energy with the new coaching regime and also feeding off the energy of the how crowd. The Seminoles, though a bit inexperienced on defense, are still loaded with athleticism on that side of the ball and are going to give the Hokies offense trouble. Keep in mind, Virginia Tech really struggled to establish the run last season. When teams can't do that, it bogs down the offense. I also like the fact that the Noles are returning a ton of talent on the offensive side of the ball plus they get back QB Deondre Francois whom got hurt right away in Week 1 last year. Simply put there is a "buzz" around this FSU program right now and with the home field, the energy and enthusiasm that followed the coaching changes, and the fact that Florida State fell far short of expectations last year, we are going to see a massive effort from the Seminoles in this one. There is a reason this line is holding around a touchdown even though these teams are right next to each other in the rankings right now! In terms of technical trends, the Hokies went 0-3 as a dog last season, and also are a long-term 1-8 ATS in road games with a posted total in the 52.5 to 56 range. The Seminoles are 8-2 SU the last 10 times they've been a favorite in a range of 3.5 to 10 points and so, of course, a SU win is expected here. The reason this one also translates to a cover is simply a big difference between the status of these two offensive units right now. FSU is loaded on that side of the ball much moreso than the Hokies and the Noles also certainly have some new "wrinkles" under the sleeve of head coach Willie Taggart and they're going to surprise Virginia Tech early and often in this one. 8* FLORIDA STATE

Game of the Week - Rickenbach CFL Game #647 Monday 10* Top Play Toronto Argonauts (+) @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ 6:30 ET - Toronto lost at Montreal last week. As a result, they have no chance at Hamilton this week. Of course I jest but you get my point! We've seen a major market move toward the Tiger-Cats here and, simply put, there has been an over-reaction to last week's results. Keep in mind, the Alouettes team that beat the Argonauts last week certainly has been playing much better in recent weeks. Also, does Hamilton really merit being this large of a favorite in this divisional match-up? Keep in mind, the Ti-Cats not only are on a 1-4-1 ATS run, they're only 2-4 SU in their last 6 games. From my point of view, Hamilton will be doing good just to win this game let alone cover a spread that has now crept up to 9 as of game day morning. This is why I waited to release this pick until game day because I felt we'd get extra value based on market perception. Sure enough, ladies and gentlemen, here it is! Grab the big points with Toronto! The Argos have won 3 of the last 4 meetings between these teams and the lone loss came by just two points. Hamilton is only 1-3 ATS in home games this season. Also, the Argonauts are on a 5-2 SU and ATS run when off of a loss to a division rival. Look for the Argos McLeod Bethel-Thompson to trade blows with Tiger-Cats QB Jeramiah Masoli throughout this game and I just don't see Hamilton as being able to pull away from a fired up Argonauts team ready to fight hard after last week's unexpected loss. This is the Argos chance to pull even with Hamilton in the standings! 10* TORONTO

Game of the Week - Rickenbach MLB Game #927 Sunday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Angeles Run Line +1.5 runs @ Houston Astros @ 8:05 ET - Even though Shohei Ohtani will be on a limited pitch count here the Angels bullpen (yesterday's results notwithstanding) is quite solid. They also do have fresh arms in the pen as they only went 1 inning yesterday and, in the prior two games in this series, the starters went 6 innings in each game. So the Angels should be solid with Ohtani backed by a rather rested bullpen. The Angels are 7-2 in Ohtani's starts this season and while certainly the big dog comeback price is enticing here, I like the added "insurance" of having the +1.5 runs in this one. Prior to yesterday's ugly late-game loss the Angels, at +1.5 runs, were 15-8 their 23 previous games. As for the Astros, at -1.5 runs, they had gone 11-21 their 32 prior games. Gerrit Cole gets the start for Houston here and the Astros are only 5-6 in his last 11 starts but yet Houston is priced at nearly 2 to 1 on the money line in this game. I feel we're getting excellent line value here as Cole gave up 4 earned runs in his most recent start plus, prior to that, he had allowed 24 hits in 23 and 1/3 innings spanning his 4 prior starts. The Astros have been fantastic on the road this season but are barely above .500 at home on the year. Great line value here. 10* LOS ANGELES ANGELS Run Line +1.5 runs

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach CFB Game #218 Sunday 8* LSU Tigers (+) vs Miami Hurricanes @ 7:30 ET @ AT & T Stadium in Arlington, TX - When you're good people want you to fail. Where I am going with this is a play on LSU. Part of the reason is there is an early season move by the betting markets that is anti-SEC. I heard it here at the sports books in Vegas yesterday too. Many people rooting against the SEC. The fact is that the SEC, for the most part, rolled in their games yesterday and I am not talking about the games that were expected to be mismatches. Vanderbilt won their game by 28, Ole Miss won by 20, and Auburn hung on to beat higher-ranked Washington. The lines on all 3 of those game were tight and yet there were two blowouts plus the Tigers proved themselves against the doubters as there were a lot of Huskies backers for sure in that one. The point being that now we get a very solid football program, LSU at +3.5 in a "neutral" site game where the location certainly favors them. Of course I am well aware that Miami returns more starters than LSU but that is not some magic system that works for all early season games. You can't just take the team with more returning starters. The fact is that Hurricanes QB Malik Rosier struggled in closing out last season and I like what QB Joe Burrow brings to the table for the Tigers. The Ohio State transfer (and the Buckeyes know a thing or two about recruiting!) is a perfect fit for what LSU is wanting to do on offense this season (remember that OC Matt Canada clashed with head coach Ed Orgeron last season). That is why Canada is now with Maryland and Orgeron has a new system in place for 2018 on offense. That said, lets not forget that LSU is annually a very tough defense too. Those who like technical trends will be glad to know that the Tigers are 7-3 ATS (and 9-1 SU!) in neutral site games with a posted total between 45.5 and 49 points. Miami, with those same parameters, is an ugly 1-4 ATS and SU! Getting the Tigers as a dog of more than a field goal here is truly offering superb line value. 8* LSU

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CFB Game #194 Saturday 8* Auburn Tigers (-) vs Washington Huskies @ 3:30 ET @ Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA - This is a contrarian play because the Huskies are ranked higher in the polls, have QB Jake Browning at the controls, and are getting points in this match-up. Don't be be fooled ladies and gentlemen. When a lower ranked team is favored over a higher ranked team it is usually with good reason. This one will prove to be no different. For one thing, though this is a "neutral" site game, the location strongly favors Auburn. I am not just saying that because the game is being played in the southeastern part of the country. I am also saying it because this will be the 3rd straight time that the Tigers are playing in this stadium. Keep in mind they played the SEC Title game here then the Peach Bowl here and now they open up their 2018 season here. This is a big edge for Auburn in this match-up as there is a lot of familiarity for the Tigers while this is certainly a challenging road trip for Washington. The Huskies are 0-2 SU and ATS the past two seasons when they've been an underdog. Also, they are 0-3 SU in their last 3 meetings with SEC foes. Now I know this is not a "true" home game for the Tigers the location still heavily favors them and that is why I will mention the fact that Auburn is 33-1 SU in non-conference home games the past dozen years. Washington has rarely been tested with a non-conference road game that is as tough as this one will be and I do not expect this to go well at all. 8* AUBURN

Game of the Week - Rickenbach CFB Game #205 Saturday 10* Top Play Washington State Cougars (-) @ Wyoming Cowboys @ 3:30 ET - Everyone seems to love Wyoming here. They are the more experience team, they have a game under their belt, and they won big at New Mexico State last week. However, that same Aggies team then went to Minnesota last night and got absolutely blasted by a Golden Gophers team that normally doesn't score a lot of points. That blowout loss put bullet holes into a couple of those aforementioned theories. One is about having a game under your belt (NM St had that edge over Minny) and the other is that the Cowboys win over the Aggies even matters! Here are the facts that do matter. Experienced or not Wyoming is still a Mountain West team and think about it ladies and gentlemen, how many kids grow up thinking I want to play football at Wyoming? This is not some football powerhouse. Now they're hosting a Pac-12 team that early this summer was laying a TD against them. Now Washington State is down into the pick'em price range and is available at a pick'em price on the money line in a number of books as of mid-day Friday. I am happy to back the Cougars here at a fantastic discount as the markets have done what they usually do - they overreact to one game! Keep in mind Washington State has a couple of easier non-conference home games on deck. In other words, the Cougars have been fully focused on this road challenge all summer long as they know this will be their toughest game before Pac-12 action gets underway for them. They'll be ready...and so am I! 10* WASHINGTON STATE

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFB Game #197 Saturday 8* Ole Miss Rebels (+) vs Texas Tech Red Raiders @ Noon ET @ NRG Stadium in Houston, TX - Both of these teams last season were defined by their offense and had struggles on defense. I watched the Red Raiders struggle time and time again to convert chances in opponents red zones though. I also know that Texas Tech is very inexperienced on offense this season while Ole Miss is absolutely loaded. That said, even though the Red Raiders are returning more starters on defense than the Rebels are, I love Mississippi in this spot. They are not getting near the respect they should in a game that is on a neutral field and, of course, I also love having the SEC over the Big 12 in this match-up. I just feel that Ole Miss is going to be so far head of Texas Tech in terms of offensive production in this one that the Red Raiders won't be able to keep up. With this line moving all the way up to a +3 now the value is even greater with the underdog as of mid-day Friday and I am pulling the trigger right now and grabbing the great value. 8* OLE MISS

Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFB Game #144 Friday 10* Top Play Western Michigan Broncos (+) vs Syracuse Orange @ 6 ET - I know this is a MAC team that Syracuse is facing but the Orange sure are getting an awful lot of respect from the betting markets when you consider that they are 2-8 SU in road game the past two seasons. Simply put, Syracuse is not known for traveling well and they're taking on a Western Michigan team that is 10-2 SU in home games the past two seasons. I am well aware of the fact that the Broncos have a game at Michigan on deck next week but they are not looking ahead to that. This is their home opener and this is an important game to win and they know of course that a win next week against the Wolverines would be nothing short of a miracle. In other words the Broncos are most certainly focused on the task at hand here. I also like the fact that Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester was the offensive coordinator with Syracuse as recent as just a few years ago. He has some insight into the Orange (including their players) that others don't have. Also, Lester is going to be resuming play-calling duties again this season which I feel will bring out the best in this Western Michigan offense. The Broncos are anxious to get back on the field after an ugly season-ending loss at Toledo last year. Prior to that defeat Western Michigan had won 6 of their 9 prior games and none of the 3 losses came by more than 7 points. The average margin of defeat for the Broncos was just 4 points in those 3 losses. Syracuse lost a ton of talent from last season's wide receiver corps and in their linebacker unit. Keep in mind the Broncos, by the end of the year, had lost 21 players to season-ending injuries last year. That has created a roster this season that is much deeper and much more experienced (others forced into action last year) than first meets the eye and, of course they are healthier right now too. Add it all up and you have great "hidden value" with the home dog here! 10* WESTERN MICHIGAN

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach CFB Game #139 Thursday 8* Wake Forest Demon Deacons (-) @ Tulane Green Wave @ 8 ET - The very first number that popped up for Wake Forest in this game was a 13 and now it is as a low as a 5.5 as of Tuesday evening. Of course I am aware of the fact that Demon Deacons QB Kendall Hinton is suspended. The fact is that Wake Forest has a pair of solid options behind him. Also, these guys are going to be functioning behind a very strong offensive line that is a cohesive group in terms of returning starters from last year. On the other side of the ball WF will have to deal with facing the option of Tulane. However, that is also an added edge here being the first game of the season as Wake Forest has plenty of time through August to get prepared for it. That has been a big focus for the Demon Deacons heading into this game. Keep in mind Wake Forest returns a ton of talent on the offensive line and they're going up against a Green Wave defensive line that lost all but one starter from last year's team. I am looking for Tulane to drop to 5-10 ATS in their last 15 as a home dog while the Demon Deacons improve to 8-3 ATS in their last 11 road games. The mismatch in the trenches coupled with the big downward line move on this one past the key number of 7 made it a definite play for me for Thursday. 8* WAKE FOREST

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NFLX Game #111 Thursday 10* Top Play Washington Redskins (+) @ Baltimore Ravens @ 7:30 ET - With the Ravens RG III having a shot to go against his former Redskins teammates and with Baltimore having a chance at an undefeated preseason of course they are going to go all out here and play most all of the starters for most all of the game in an attempt to blow away Washington. Of course I am being facetious here but this is truly an absolutely insane line move that has taken place here. This is week 4 of the preseason. No one cares about this week. Yes there are a few final roster battles going on but, at the end of the day, this is a very unimportant game. That said, where is the drive and the motivation for the Ravens to win this game by a full TD or more? It truly is not there. Of course RG III will want to play well here but what about the supporting cast. Also, how much motivation is it really when it is still preseason? Also, you don't think the Redskins want to contain Griffin too no matter whom is on the field? This line, going from -1.5 all the way up to as high as a -7 as of Tuesday, is simply out of whack. In fact, there is another key element here that also is to the advantage of the undervalued underdog. That factor is that the Ravens, by virtue of having played in the NFL Hall of Fame Game, will be playing their 5th game of the preseason. The last 8 teams in that situation have 0 ATS wins to show for it. One was a push (line was 3), one had their final game cancelled (Dallas/Houston last year) and the other 6 all failed to cover! You can see why I feel there is great value in the big points (biggest offering on the board) being offered in an otherwise meaningless Thursday preseason finale. Yes I understand about preseason QB rotations too and how these guys have played thusfar in the preseason but also keep in mind the Redskins did outscore the Broncos in the 2nd half last week. That said it is those same reserves that will play a critical role this week as well. 10* WASHINGTON

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFLX Game #281 Sunday 10* Top Play Arizona Cardinals @ Dallas Cowboys @ 8 ET - There is a common practice in preseason wagering of backing winless teams and fading undefeated teams. However, most of this week's action is already in the books and note that Baltimore (4-0) won again this week, Miami (0-3) lost again this week, Tennessee (0-3) lost again this week, Philadelphia (0-3) lost again this week, Carolina (3-0) won again this week, Atlanta (0-3) lost again this week, Seattle (0-3) lost again this week. As you can see, not only is the undefeated/winless system worthy of being questioned, there is also merit to the fact that playing on the streaks is the better way to go. Of course the reality is that what matters the most in preseason is the coaches approach to the game and how much they care about winning. That is what ends up being a factor at the betting window too. While the Cardinals Steve Wilks is already 2-0 SU and ATS in his preseason debut, the Cowboys Jason Garrett (even with a rare cover in this preseason) is still an ugly long-term 11-20 ATS in preseason games. Based on the coaching factor as well as what I am hearing/seeing in reports from EACH of these camps on how they're going to play this one, I am backing the small road favorite here. Look for the goose egg to stay on the board in the loss column for Arizona and the win column for Dallas. Remember guys, preseason is a different animal compared to betting the NFL regular season. It is with very good reason that there has been a big move toward the Cardinals here with this line! 10* ARIZONA

Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFL Game #366 Saturday 10* Top Play Calgary Stampeders (-) vs Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ 3:30 ET - The Stampeders entered last week's action 7-0 on the season and then ran into a buzzsaw at Saskatchewan and got drilled by the Roughriders. Of course Calgary is seeking payback against anyone in their path this week and that means the Blue Bombers are absolutely in trouble here. Simply put, Winnipeg is in the wrong place at the wrong time. If the Stampeders were on the road again this week a bounce back would be tougher but, at home, I just don't see them being denied. Couple that with the fact that there is major difference in terms of these defenses and you have a blowout game likely here. While the Blue Bombers are allowing 24 points per game this season, the Stampeders were allowing just 12 points per game in their 7 game winning streak. One game doesn't change everything for Calgary. This is still the best team in the CFL and another key I like about their "edge" here is that the Stamps are 9-4 in divisional games since the start of last season while Winnipeg is just 1-2 in divisional games this season plus got knocked out of the post-season last year by another divisional foe, Edmonton. In other words the Blue Bombers are just 1-3 their last 4 divisional games while Calgary (including last year's post-season win over Edmonton) is 10-4 their last 14 divisional games. Big difference as the West is the tough division and the Stampeders continue to prove they are the best in the west! Situational edge, home field edge, and edge on defense all add up to a home rout here. 10* CALGARY

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CFL Game #363 Friday 8* Toronto Argonauts (-) @ Montreal Alouettes @ 7:30 ET - Teams from the West are 15-6 against teams from the East this season. Why am I mentioning that in a game that features two East Division teams? It is simply because Toronto has faced a brutal early season schedule. The Argonauts have played only ONE divisional game this season. That means they've been batting tougher West Division teams for almost this entire season thusfar. Now, after possibly salvaging their season with a late rally for a win over BC last week, the Argos will take advantage of finally facing a divisional foe (and the worst one at that). Though this game is at Montreal, the Alouettes are 0-4 this season at home. Toronto has momentum from last week's win and also has rejuvenated confidence about making a move up the East Division standings thanks to last week's exciting win. That said, the Argonauts know they must take advantage of facing a weak Montreal team that is dealing with a plethora of uncertainty at the QB position. Look for the Argos to take advantage and crush the Als. The Alouettes hung on for the cover last week as a massive underdog on Saturday but they are still just 6-16 ATS in their last 22 games when playing with 6 or less days of rest between contests. While Montreal is reeling the Argonauts appear ready to go on a bit of a surge! 8* TORONTO

PA Insider - Rickenbach NFLX Game #251 Thursday 8* Philadelphia Eagles (+) @ Cleveland Browns @ 8 ET - Contrarian as per usual. The very first numbers that came out on this game actually had the Eagles favored by 2. The line not only moved to the Browns but even as a high as a 4 point favorite. Of course this is a 6-point swing and I love the value on the other side of moves like this. I wanted to wait and make sure the movement settled out before releasing my pick on this one. As of Wednesday mid-day it appears quite settled in the 3-point range and I am going with the Eagles plus the points here. Yes their first-team offense has failed to score a TD yet but you're going to see a different effort this week from the Eagles. This is a dress rehearsal week for NFL teams as the starters are seeing their most action of the preseason this week and likely won't touch the field next week. That said, we're getting the Super Bowl champion Eagles plus a field goal and we're fading a Browns team that is perennially the worst team in the NFL. That said, and with week 3 of the NFL preseason being the one that most closely resembles a regular season game, I like the value with winless Philadelphia plus the points. Yes the Browns went 4-0 last year in the preseason but they also went 0-4 EACH of the prior two years. Keep in mind, even though it is only preseason the Eagles did have to face the Steelers and Patriots in their first two preseason games. Those are two of the top teams in the NFL that certainly are much deeper and talented than the Browns are. The point is that even when the 2nd and 3rd stringers come into this game, the Eagles hold a big edge over the Browns. Doug Pederson entered this year with a 6-2 record in preseason games with Philly. They've already lost 2 games this preseason. In other words, don't look for them to lose another...at least not this week...of course next week is always a "proceed with extreme caution" week! 8* PHILADELPHIA

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Game #952 Wednesday 8* Milwaukee Brewers Run Line -1.5 runs (-) vs Cincinnati Reds @ 2:10 ET - The Brewers jumped on top of the Reds 4-0 in the first inning yesterday but they ended up on the wrong end of a 9-7 final. Look for Milwaukee to bounce back in a big way Wednesday as, unlike yesterday, the Brewers have a big pitching edge in this one. Robert Stephenson gets the call for the Reds and he has been dreadful in his two starts since moving into the rotation.  He has compiled a 7.94 ERA in these two outings and that easily could be even worse as he has an unsightly 2.47 WHIP. Too many walks have been an issue for Stephenson as he has struggling to command his pitches. That spells trouble against a Brewers lineup that has crushed Reds pitching this season. Another key to a big Milwaukee win this afternoon is that starting pitcher Freddy Peralta has been much better than his 4.48 ERA would indicate. Opponents are hitting only .171 against him this season! He has been particularly tough at home where he is 3-1 with a 3.60 ERA and a minuscule 0.80 WHIP! Look for Peralta to come up huge on his home mound as Milwaukee bounces back from last night's defeat. Of course I don't lay big prices so no money line play here but the value on the run line (-1.5 runs at about a -115 price) is exceptional! 51 of the Reds 70 losses this season have come by 2 or more runs. 46 of the Brewers 70 wins this season have come by 2 or more runs. 8* MILWAUKEE Run Line -1.5 runs

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NFLX Game #432 Monday 10* Top Play Indianapolis Colts (+) vs Baltimore Ravens @ 8 ET - The Colts opened up as a 1.5 point favorite for this game but now are as much as a 1.5 point dog as of early game day morning. Of course the betting markets are jumping all over the Ravens here due to Baltimore's success in the preseason. Indeed Jim Harbaugh has a great record in preseason action but do you really think the odds makers aren't aware of this when they set these lines? The fact is that the betting markets are ignoring the fact that the Colts are very hungry right now with new head coach Frank Reich. They got the win at Seattle last week and, keep in mind, Indianapolis did score 5 times against the Seahawks. The reason for "only" 19 points was 4 field goals and just 1 touchdowns but there is no argument about the fact that the Colts played quite well last week. Now Indy makes their home debut under coach Reich and it is on Monday Night with ESPN cameras rolling. Of course it is still "just" preseason but I have no doubt that, given this situation, the Colts are going to "bring it" tonight. Conversely, the Ravens are off of a blowout win versus the Rams last week (33-7) and teams oftentimes fall short after big rout wins like that. Give me the more motivated team, the hungrier team, the home dog, in this one! 10* INDIANAPOLIS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Game #960 Monday 8* Toronto Blue Jays Run Line -1.5 runs (+) vs Baltimore Orioles @ 7:05 ET - The Blue Jays are a pricey favorite in this match-up on the money line. However, by laying the 1.5 runs (utilizing the run line), we avoid laying juice and plus are offered a plus money return. Of course Toronto now must win the game by two or more runs for us to cash our ticket but, ladies and gentleman, this Orioles team is just plain awful. We saw that again yesterday when they lost 8-0 to the Indians. As loyal followers know, we had the over in that game but lost our play on over 8.5 despite an 8-0 score through 4 innings. Thanks for nothing Baltimore! But, the fact is, we should get our money back (and then some) by facing the Orioles here and getting a plus money return. This O's team is an unbelievably bad 16-47 in road games this season. 10 of the Orioles last 13 losses have come by a margin of 2 or more runs. The Blue Jays are happy to be back home and will be ready to bounce back after getting crushed by the Yankees in the Bronx yesterday. 11 of Toronto's last 16 wins have had a victory margin of 2 or more runs. Marco Estrada is 2-0 and has struck out 16 Orioles in 11 innings in his two most recent home starts versus the O's. Baltimore is 0-3 in Andrew Cashner's last 3 starts versus the Jays. In his last two starts at Toronto, Cashner has struck out just 6 batters while giving up 15 hits in less than 12 innings of work. He has been fortunate the damage wasn't worse in those two starts but tonight he is unlikely to be so fortunate. The Blue Jays are 9-1 versus the Orioles this season. More of the same here. 8* TORONTO Run Line -1.5 runs (+)

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFL Game #374 Saturday 8* Toronto Argonauts (+) vs BC Lions @ 4 ET - The Lions are off of a big home win versus Edmonton and have another key divisional game, hosting Saskatchewan, on deck. As for the Argonauts, they are coming off of a much needed bye week and, on deck, they have a match-up with the "trash can fire" that is Montreal. In other words, Toronto is certainly in a much better scheduling situation in terms of the rest factor and the lookahead factor. Other keys to this play are the fact that this line has gone from a pick'em to BC now being favored by a full field goal. This has led to great line value here. Keep in mind, the Lions are an ugly 0-4 SU on the road this season! The Argonauts are 3-1 (both SU and ATS) when playing with 2 or more weeks of rest between games. 8* TORONTO

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NFLX Game #412 Friday 8* Carolina Panthers (-) vs Miami Dolphins @ 7:30 ET - There is a common misconception that beating NFLX is just about fading a team that won the prior week or going against a team that lost the prior week. However, take a look at the results so far this preseason with that theory. The Bears lost the Hall of Fame Game and then also lost in Week 1. The Ravens won the Hall of Game and then also won in Week 1. Now, week 2 got underway last night and the Eagles lost again (just like in Week 1) to the Patriots (whom had also won in Week 1). The Packers and Steelers each had won in Week 1 so their match-up last night didn't fit the system. As for the Jets and Redskins, yes theirs fit the system with Jets off of a win and Redskins off of a loss and it did cash as Washington won. However, the Redskins won that game by the slimmest of margins on a game ending field goal. The point being that this system is already just 1-3 with the one win (Washington) certainly unimpressive while the losses with this system (Bears loss was tight) did include Ravens blasting their foe in Week 2 and the Patriots crushing the Eagles tonight. Now you can see why I am fading the public misconception (and the market move here) and going against the 0-1 Dolphins with the 1-0 Panthers in Week 2. This line opened up at a 4 in a number of the big shops earlier this week. Now it is down to a 3 as of game day morning and I am grabbing the extra value here. The odds makers had this at 4 earlier this week with plenty of good reason. The Dolphins have allowed 26 points or more in 3 of their last 4 preseason games dating back to last season. Overall, Miami has allowed an average of 24.5 points per game in their 4 preseason road games the past two seasons. Carolina has allowed 19 points or less in all 4 of their preseason home games the past two seasons. The Panthers have allowed an average of just 14.8 points per game in those 4 preseason home games. Given those numbers and knowing Carolina is the better and deeper team and has the home/road edge here and you can plainly see why I am backing the Panthers here and laying the small number. 8* CAROLINA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Game #902 Friday 8* Philadelphia Phillies Run Line -1.5 runs (+) vs New York Mets @ 6:05 ET - The money line on this match-up is currently as high as a -170 but by taking the Phillies on the run line we can lay the 1.5 runs and get a comeback payout as high as a +140 with this play as of the time of this posting. Of course the benefit is no big juice to lay plus an extra sweet payout. The drawback is that Philadelphia must win the game by 2 or more runs. However, how unlikely is that anyway if they do win? Certainly one has to like the chance of a Phillies win here with staff ace (and All-Star) Aaron Nola on the mound. That said, note that Philadelphia's last 15 wins have featured 0, that's right, ZERO wins by less than a 2-run margin. As for the Mets, 26 of their last 34 losses have come by 2 or more runs. Note that, although Noah Syndergaard is certainly a solid pitcher, the Mets are a long-term 80-116 in games against teams with a winning record. The Phillies are a perfect 4-0 in home games with a posted total of 7 runs or less this season. Also, the Phils are a fantastic 14-6 this season as a home favorite in a range of -125 to -175. Grab the value with the run line here. 8* PHILADELPHIA -1.5 runs (+)

PA Insider - Rickenbach NFLX Game #405 Thursday 8* Pittsburgh Steelers (+) @ Green Bay Packers @ 8 ET - Everyone is lining up on Green Bay in this game as the line on the Packers has moved from a 2.5 all the way up to a 5.5 as of game day morning. Of course I am grabbing the value on the other side of the move here. Both teams had big wins last week and I feel that sets this one up to play out as a very close game. With the Steelers win last week at Philly, the road team is now 7-2 SU in Pittsburgh's last 9 preseason games. Also, one of the two losses for the traveling team came by just 4 points. In other words, if you took the road team and had +5.5 points in each of the Steelers last 9 preseason games, you would have an 8-1 (89%) ATS record! Hence the value here with the big points on the road and grabbing the Steelers. I am well aware of the fact that Green Bay has had a great preseason record in recent seasons and has performed well at home but there has been an over-reaction by the markets here and so many preseason games are decided by small margins. That is why you see the vast majority of lines set in the pick'em to 3 point range nearly every single game and every single week in the preseason. Now that we know the Packers have to beat us by 6 or more to lose this bet, I am stepping in as Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has a reputation, even in preseason, of being quite competitive. I just don't see this game being decided by more than 3 or 4 points. 8* PITTSBURGH

Game of the Week - Rickenbach MLB Game #974 Tuesday 10* Top Play Texas Rangers Run Line +1.5 runs vs Arizona Diamondbacks @ 8:05 ET - The Diamondbacks struggles to hit on the road continue to give them trouble. Yesterday they faced 45 year old Bartolo Colon and finished the game with only 6 hits. The Diamondbacks .230 batting average on the road this season ties them with the Rockies for DEAD LAST in the National League. Tonight Arizona faces a pitcher who has been red hot of late. Yovani Gallardo is 4-0 with a 2.78 ERA in his last 4 starts while holding the opposition to a .213 batting average in those outings. He also is a superb 8-2 with a 2.21 ERA in his 15 starts against the Dbacks in his career. He'll be opposed by Arizona southpaw Patrick Corbin. While the lefty does have good numbers on the season, he is facing a Rangers team whose .446 slugging percentage in home games ranks them 5th out of all 30 MLB teams. Two more big homers led the way for Texas yesterday and they have averaged scoring 8.4 runs per game in going 6-2 in their last 8 home games. We're getting great market value here because the markets overemphasize pitching and that includes looking a lot at long-term numbers and they don't give enough weight to hitting. The summation, Gallardo has pitched just as well as Corbin of late and the Rangers hitting at home is much better than the Diamondbacks hitting on the road. In the last ten home games for Texas at +1.5 runs they have a record of 9-1, 90%! That's right...only one home loss by more than one run in their last ten home games! As for Arizona, at -1.5 runs in road games, they're 3-6 their last 9 games. The Rangers price at +1.5 runs is right around even money which is a true bargain as you can see per the above. I'll take it! 10* TEXAS +1.5 runs

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CFL Game #353 Friday 10* Top Play Hamilton Tiger-Cats (+) @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ 8:30 ET - Everyone has been piling on to the Blue Bombers here and I am going contrarian and grabbing the Tiger-Cats in this one. Hamilton is not only 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games at Winnipeg, the Ti-Cats are also 5-1 SU in those last 6 visits! Overall, Hamilton has earned a well-deserved reputation as  "road warriors" at the betting window as they are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 road games overall! Winnipeg opened up as a 4-point choice here but is now as high as a -5.5 early in the week but this is a Blue Bombers team that has lost 10 of its last 14 games against Hamilton SU. The Tiger-Cats beat them at home in June and certainly Winnipeg would like revenge but the Ti-Cats outgained the Blue Bombers by 200 yards in that beatdown. Prior to that game the road team had a yardage edge over the home team in each of the 3 prior meetings and I would not be surprised to see that trend resume here as Hamilton's road warrior efforts continue. Even though the Blue Bombers have been hot they've played a lot of weaker teams and the Tiger-Cats have a bye week on deck so they're going hard all game in this one. 10* HAMILTON

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFLX Game #275 Friday 8* Atlanta Falcons (+) @ New York Jets @ 7:30 ET - Similar to last night's play (Steelers OVER which went OVER before halftime) I am looking to take advantage of what the markets are creating off of long-term trending. The market is making a big move toward the Jets here in part because New York head coach Todd Bowles has an 8-4 ATS mark in preseason while Falcons coach Dan Quinn has a 4-8 ATS mark in preseason. However, lets take a closer look at just how their preseason games have unfolded because the fact is the Jets are only 6-6 SU under Bowles while the Falcons are just "a tick" behind at 5-7 under Quinn. This line was very close to a pick'em when it first came out and now is all the way up to a -4 on New York in some books as of early game day morning. The fact is that the Jets only have one win by more than 4 points in preseason action under Bowles the past two seasons. Other than a crazy 32-31 loss to the Giants last year in preseason, the Jets have averaged scoring only 13 points per game in their other 7 preseason games under Bowles the past two seasons. As for the Falcons, they've held their opponent to 17 points or less in 6 of their 8 preseason games under Quinn the past two years. As you can see, the Jets are unlikely to score a whole lot here and it is tough to cover more than a field goal spread when you're not scoring many points! Also, the Falcons have averaged scoring 19 points per game in their last 3 preseason road games with a posted total of 40 or less. The O/U on this game is in the mid-30s and I am happy to grab the value here with the undervalued dog. Yes it is "only" preseason but I don't foresee the Falcons again going 0-4 like they did last season. Look for a very tight game in New York tonight and grab the points! 8* ATLANTA

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Game #910 Thursday 8* Cleveland Indians Run Line -1.5 runs vs Minnesota Twins @ 1:10 ET - While I certainly respect the Twins Jose Berrios the numbers don't lie. He has struggled this season in day games. Berrios is 8-2 in night games but just 3-6 in day games with a 4.50 ERA. Also, the Minnesota right-hander is 8-2 in home games this season but only 3-6 in road games with a 4.30 ERA. Not only is this Thursday match-up a road game and a day game, he also is matched up with Corey Kluber whom has phenomenal numbers in day games! Kluber is not only 8-3 with a 2.01 ERA in home games this season, he also is a PERFECT 8-0 with a minuscule 1.66 ERA in his 10 day game starts! Those of you thinking that might be a one year thing or just a "fluke", note that Kluber went 10-2 with a 1.81 ERA in his home games last season plus a phenomenal 7-1 with a 1.89 ERA in his day game starts in 2017! He loves pitching at home and he loves pitching in day games. The proof is in the numbers. Of course I am not going to lay a 2 to 1 favorite on the money line but note that the Indians are at even money right now on the run line at -1.5 runs and this is offering superb line value! Cleveland is 9-4 in their last 13 games and 9 of the Indians last 10 wins have come by a victory margin of 2 or more runs. Minnesota, on the other hand, is 3-9 in their last 12 games. Also, 8 of the Twins last 9 losses have come by at least 2 runs. This one shapes up to be a home blowout. 8* CLEVELAND Run Line

RL Annihilation - Rickenbach MLB Game #959 Monday 8* Minnesota Twins Run Line +1.5 runs @ Cleveland Indians @ 7:10 ET - The Indians Trevor Bauer has a well-deserved stellar reputation. However, he is over-priced here considering his current form plus his history versus the Twins plus the fact that Minnesota's Kyle Gibson has pitched very well in his own right this season! Bauer has walked 11 batters in his last 3 starts and his most recent start was versus the Twins and he had more walks than strikeouts versus Minnesota. Some struggles against the Twins isn't a big surprise as he actually has given up 14 runs (9 earned) in the 18 and 2/3 innings spanning his last 3 starts versus Minnesota. Also, in the last 2 outings he has walked 7 in 12 innings. As for the Twins Gibson, he has a 2.89 ERA in his last 3 starts versus the Indians. Also, though Minnesota is only 4-5 in his last 9 road starts, 4 of the 5 defeats came by a single run. In other words, at +1.5 runs the Twins are 8-1 in Gibson's last 9 road starts. Hence the huge value here with Minnesota available at a "pick'em" price on the run line in this match-up. The Twins right-hander has a stellar 2.94 ERA on the road this season! Also, the Indians enter this game off of back to back wins and they've managed to win 3 straight wins only ONCE the past 4 weeks. In other words, an outright upset here would not surprise but certainly I like the additional value here should the road team lose this one by a single run. At -1.5 runs, the Indians are just 3-4 in Bauer's last 7 starts. 8* MINNESOTA Run Line +1.5 runs

Game of the Year - Rickenbach CFL Game #376 Friday 10* Top Play Montreal Alouettes (+) vs Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ 7:30 ET - The Tiger-Cats went 6-12 last season and they are 2-4 so far this season. The Alouettes went 3-15 last season and are 1-5 so far this season. The point is that both teams are on track to have similar seasons to last year and there is not a lot that separates these two teams and yet Hamilton is laying a solid 7 on the road here at Montreal. The last time these two teams met in Quebec the Ti-Cats were favored in the 3 range. This means we're getting solid line value with the "ugly home dog" in this one. The key for the Als here is that one of their weaknesses has certainly been the play of the offensive line this season. However, Johnny Manziel gets the start at QB for Montreal here and certainly his running ability adds a factor that favors the Als in this match-up. Manziel as a run threat will keep the Hamilton defense off balance and, keep in mind, they're rushing defense is last in the league in terms of yards allowed per carry. That also makes RB Tyrell Sutton a threat to the Tiger-Cats defense as he may get more than his typical number of carries in this match-up. Additionally, Sutton has become a bigger threat in the passing game this season and that means Manziel and Sutton will both be dual threats in this match-up. This is a double revenge spot for the Als too as they lost badly in both games last season against Hamilton after previously covering each of the prior two meetings. Payback here. As strong as Ti-Cats QB Jeremiah Masoli's passing numbers are this season he has thrown more picks than touchdowns on the year! Hamilton continues to be over-rated and this could be their 4th straight SU loss and, at the very least, I am projecting this one to be an ATS loss for the stumbling Tiger-Cats. Hamilton is 1-5 ATS (and SU!) as a road favorite of 3.5 to 7 points. Look for the Alouettes to improve to a long-term 6-3 ATS as a home dog in a range of 3.5 to 7 points as Manziel and Sutton shine! The hungry Als are gunning hard for their first home win of the season as they won't get another chance at home until 3 weeks from now. 10* MONTREAL

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NFL Game #241 Thursday 8* Chicago Bears (+) @ Baltimore Ravens @ 8 ET - The odds makers are well aware of the success Ravens coach John Harbaugh has displayed in the preseason. He is a long-term 28-12 SU and 26-13-1 ATS. However, this line still was set in very nearly the "pick'em" range when lines first came out on the Hall of Fame game. Of course the betting markets jumped all over Baltimore and drove the line all the way up to very nearly a full field goal here. It has settled in at a 2.5 and my point is that the odds makers don't make a lot of mistakes. The line was originally set at a pick'em on a neutral field with good reason. The fact is that the Bears have a new head coach, Matt Nagy, and certainly are hungry for some success right away. In terms of stats last year in the regular season, the Bears were just as good as the Ravens in terms of defense. Also, in terms of evaluating the offenses based on yardage, Chicago's struggling offense was very close to Baltimore's in terms of full season production. With all that said, I like having the points here in what is likely to be a defensive struggle with points at a premium. Look for the Bears to prove to be a little hungrier in the Hall of Fame game opener keeping in mind that this is the first of five games for these two teams in the pre-season! Motivation will be an important factor and, off of a 5-11 season, the underdog should prove to be the more motivated team all the way around in this one. 8* CHICAGO

PA Insider - Rickenbach MLB Game #954 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Phillies Run Line -1.5 runs (+) vs Miami Marlins @ 7:05 ET - The Marlins Pablo Lopez was slated to go last night at Atlanta but that game got rained out. The delays and waiting around in Atlanta last night won't do any favors for the Marlins here. It also doesn't help that they are 0-11 in Thursday games this season! Miami right-hander Lopez has only made 5 starts and he has been roughed up in 3 of the last 4. Lopez has given up 5 earned runs twice and 4 earned runs once in his last 4 starts. None of his starts this season have gone more than 6 innings. That also holds significance here as the Miami bullpen is one of the worst in the majors. The Phillies certainly have an edge in the bullpen department and they also hold a huge edge in terms of the starting pitchers here. Nick Pivetta gets the start for Philadelphia. He shut out the Marlins for 5 and 2/3 innings while striking out 9 in his scoreless outing versus Miami early this season. Pivetta enters this start having struck out 133 in his 106 and 2/3 innings on the season. These are fantastic numbers and the key for Pivetta is avoiding occasional mistake pitches and he has progressed in this department as the season has gone on. The Phils are 9-3 in Thursday games and 9-4 this season when playing after a day off. In home games with a posted total of 8 or 8.5 runs the Phillies are 21-11 this season. 11 of the Phillies last 13 wins have come by 2 or more runs. Each of Miami's last 9 losses have come by 2 or more runs! That said, of course I am avoiding laying big juice here on the money line as plus money is being offered on the run line. Value! 10* PHILADELPHIA Run Line -1.5 runs

Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach CFL Game #372 Thursday 10* Top Play Toronto Argonauts (+) vs Ottawa Redblacks @ 7 ET - Simply put this is an inflated line and it has resulted in great value on the other side. Ottawa opened up at a 3.5 point road favorite in this one and is now up to a 6.5 in most spots. Yes the Redblacks are having a much better start to this season than the Argonauts but let's not forget that Toronto is at home here plus coming off of a bad loss last week while the Redblacks are on the road plus off of a huge win last week. From a situational standpoint this spot favors the Argos in a big way and the more time back-up QB James Franklin adjusting to his starting role in the absence of the injured Ricky Ray, the more improvement we should see from him. Not only are the Argonauts a sizable dog here they have won 7 of their last 9 meetings with the Redblacks SU. Also, the Argos are 9-1 SU the last ten times they've faced Ottawa at home in Toronto! The Redblacks are 3-9 ATS as a favorite in a range of 3.5 to 9.5 points. Also, Ottawa is 2-9 ATS when off of a win against a division rival. Look for the Argonauts to improve to 3-0 ATS the last 3 times they were at home with a posted total in range of 45.5 to 49 points. 10* TORONTO

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach CFL Game #368 Saturday 10* Top Play Saskatchewan Roughriders (+) vs Calgary Stampeders @ 9 ET - Nice scheduling situation for the Roughriders here. They come into this game with plenty of momentum. Saskatchewan is off of back to back wins versus the Tiger-Cats which including rallying for a win by a double digit margin at Hamilton last week. Additionally, the Riders had a bye week in between the two victories over the Ti-Cats and they also hold a rest edge over the Stampeders this week. That is because Calgary is off of a Saturday win over Montreal while Saskatchewan's win at Hamilton was a Thursday game. Two extra days of rest, home field edge with arguably the most passionate fans in the CFL, and a chance to upset the a division rival who remains undefeated on the season. There is no question the Roughriders are going to be ready to go and I love the home dog value in this one. Keep in mind the Riders had a huge game on the ground last week and that balanced offensive attack (most CFL teams are pass-happy) is going to keep the Stampeders defense off-balance in this match-up. I am well aware of the fact that the Stamps have held the upper hand in recent meetings between these teams but Calgary has average just 25.3 points per game their past 3 games and their being asked to win this tough road game by 7 or more. That's a big ask and I love the home dog in this match-up. 10* SASKATCHEWAN

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFL Game #365 Saturday 8* Ottawa Redblacks (+) @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ 4 ET - The Tiger-Cats blew their game last week versus Saskatchewan and continue to struggle on the defensive end. The Redblacks are off of a win versus BC and have certainly played well against teams not named the Stampeders this season! The fact is that Calgary has been a few notches above everyone else this season but Ottawa has done well other than when facing the Stamps. The Redblacks also have a history of doing well versus the Ti-Cats as they've won 6 of the last 8 meetings. Additionally, Ottawa has covered 4 of its last 5 visits to Hamilton. This line has consistently moved toward the home team so far this week (as of Thursday night) and that has led to additional value with the road dog in this one. Look for the Redblacks to stay inside the generous number in this day game Saturday. 8* OTTAWA

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach MLB Game #914 Thursday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Angels Run Line -1.5 runs vs Chicago White Sox @ 4:05 ET - If you like the Angels to win this game you can certainly feel a comfort level playing them on the run line (1.5 runs) at a plus money price (+110 at time of this posting) rather than laying a huge money line price. All three games in this 4-game series so far have been decided by 2 or more runs. The Angels blasted the White Sox last night and I expect a repeat of that in this afternoon affair. Chicago's Dylan Covey, from 2015 to 2017, went 0-6 with a 9.58 ERA in road games as teams hit .349 against him. This season hasn't been much better as he is 2-4 with a 6.06 ERA in road games. Look for Covey to get pounded here as the Angels bats are showing signs of a turnaround in recent games. Los Angeles has averaged scoring 7.5 runs per game their last 4 games. The White Sox, on the other hand, have been slumping at the plate on this road trip as they're averaging just 3.3 runs per game in the first 6 games of this 7-game trip. Their likely to struggle against Nick Tropeano as this will be his first start against them in 3 years. Tropeano, from 2015 to 2017, compiled a 2.58 ERA in his 8 day game appearances (7 starts). This season, though he is 1-3 with a modest 4.50 ERA in afternoon action, Tropeano is holding the opposition to a .184 batting average in 4 starts. Some guys fare better under the sun than under the lights and Tropeano is one of those guys. Look for that trend to continue here. Also, the White Sox are a horrific 11-35 in day games this season while the Angels are a superb 8-2 this season as a home favorite in a money line range of -175 to -250. As long-time followers know, I don't lay big prices but I certainly like the value (currently +110) by laying the 1.5 runs with LA on the run line in this one. 30 of the Angels last 38 games have been decided by 2 or more runs. 26 of Chicago's last 31 losses have come by 2 or more runs. 10* LOS ANGELES ANGELS Run Line -1.5 runs

Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach CFL Game #372 Thursday 8* Hamilton Tigercats (-) vs Sasktachewan Roughriders @ 7:30 ET - These teams had a bye last week. The week prior, they played each other and the Riders got the win at home. However, there is no denying the Saskatchewan passing game has major issues right now and the Ti-cats rate a big edge in that department. Hamilton's Masoli ranks 2nd in the league for passing yardage and he and his teammates are ready for revenge here. Look for the Tigercats rush defense to be a point of emphasis here after the Roughriders rushing attack helped lead to their upset win two weeks ago. Time for payback here and these Ti-cats had big wins over Winnipeg and Edmonton in their two prior games before losing to the Riders. Of course that is why Hamilton is priced high here but don't let the big points scare you. The last 6 times that the Tigercats were off of a straight-up loss they have covered their next game all six times! Look for that streak to make it 7-0 ATS with a blowout revenge win in this match-up. 8* HAMILTON

Run Line Rout - Rickenbach MLB Game #922 Sunday 7* Houston Astros Run Line -1.5 runs -160 vs Detroit Tigers @ 2:10 ET - Normally I don't lay big prices and that is why I am reducing the rating on this one so that it is a 7 star play. Of course -160 is not a huge price but it is still a higher price than I generally lay. The reason I am involved here is because this is such a unique situation and one that is so strong that I do not want to pass up on this opportunity. The Astros Justin Verlander, a long-time Tiger, will be making his first appearance against his former team since being dealt from Detroit to Houston last summer. Not only do the Tigers hitters have no experience against him, he also has been one of the most dominating hurlers in the game as a member of the Astros. He went 5-0 with a 1.06 ERA in his 5 regular season starts with the Astros last season. In the post-season, at home he went 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA in his 3 starts. This season in all of his starts on the year he has gone 9-4 with a 2.05 ERA! The Tigers are one of the worst teams in baseball and will prove to be no match for the defending World Series champs here. Detroit is starting Francisco Liriano and the southpaw is 0-2 with an 8.16 ERA in his last 3 starts. On the season the Tigers are 1-8 in his road starts. He has started against the Astros twice in recent seasons and he has compiled a 6.17 ERA in those two outings while getting hit hard in both. The Tigers have lost 6 straight and 9 of their last 11 games and only 1 of those 9 losses has come by less than 2 runs. The Astros have won 8 of their last 11 games and the average margin of victory has been 4.3 runs in their last 6 victories! 7* HOUSTON Run Line -1.5 runs -160

Canadian Connection - Rickenbach CFL Game #366 Saturday 10* Top Play BC Lions (+) vs Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ 10 ET - The Lions got thoroughly embarrassed last week in a 41-19 loss at Winnipeg. Look for BC to make up for that ugly defeat here at home this week. The Lions had won 3 of their 4 prior meetings with the Blue Bombers previous to last week's ugly loss. Payback time here. From a situational perspective this spot favors BC in a big way. Not only are they getting a shot at quick revenge (after last week's ugly loss), the Lions also have a non-conference match-up on deck. Although the Blue Bombers also have a match-up with an Eastern Conference foe on deck, their game is against the defending Grey Cup champion Argonauts. Look for Saturday's game to prove to be one of those where one team simply wants it more. Yes, Winnipeg is the better overall team but the situational aspect of this one is likely to leave the Blue Bombers a little flat while BC comes in fired up and hungry. Long-term the Lions are a fantastic 56-33 ATS when they are an underdog in a range of 3.5 to 9.5 points and they get the job done again here. 10* BC Lions 

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFL Game #363 Friday 10* Top Play Edmonton Eskimos vs Toronto Argonauts @ 9 ET - The Eskimos will be in a foul mood after they let last week's game get away from them. Certainly some credit is due to the Argonauts for getting the "close out" score on that game but the fact is Edmonton put up a ton of yardage in the game. The Eskimos just didn't finish their drives and so they ended up short on the scoreboard. Look for them to make up for that here. Not only will Edmonton take advantage of being back at home this week, they also have a bye week on deck so they can go "all out here" and I don't foresee them taking their foot off the gas after what happened last week against this same Toronto team. The Eskimos had won 4 of their last 5 meetings with the Argonauts before last week's loss. At home Edmonton has won 6 of the last 7 meetings SU. Now, of course, the number here is a sizable one so the Eskimos don't just need a SU win, they need a blowout. But that is precisely what I feel occurs here as Edmonton has revenge and has a bye week on deck. The D will be fired up after giving up the late score last week and the offense will be too after they scored far too few points last week considering the way they moved the ball down the field all game long. That means both units for the Eskimos are bringing their "A game" this week. The Argos are just 8-17 ATS in non-conference games and 10-17 ATS last 27 times they've been an underdog. In other words, blowout time here! 10* EDMONTON

Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach CFL Game #362 Thursday 8* Ottawa Redblacks (+) vs Calgary Stampeders @ 7:30 ET - While it is true that Calgary is the only undefeated team remaining in the CFL this season, it is also true that Ottawa is the only other team that does not have multiple losses. The Stampeders certainly rank as the better team and have proven to be the class of the CFL early this season. However, the Redblacks are at home and with this line opening up with Calgary as only a 3-point favorite, something looks a little "fishy" here. Sure enough the majority of the tickets are coming in on the Stampeders and this line has already moved to a 3.5 in almost all shops as of mid-day Wednesday. Following along with the expression of "seems too good to be true" I am absolutely going contrarian here and going with the Redblacks as a hungry home dog while the masses jump on undefeated Calgary. Look for Ottawa, off of a double digit loss to these Stampeders two weeks ago, to prove to be the hungrier team in this one. Keep in mind, motivation in football goes a long way! In terms of technical support for this play, Calgary is 0-3 ATS in their last 3 visits to Ottawa. The Redblacks are a stellar 14-5 ATS their last 19 as an underdog! Also, even though the Stampeders have the rest edge (bye last week), the Redblacks are a super 13-7 ATS when playing with 6 or less days of rest between games! 8* OTTAWA

Run Line Rout - Rickenbach MLB Game #966 Tuesday 10* Top Play Boston Red Sox Money Line -1.5 runs vs Texas Rangers @ 7:10 ET - The Red Sox rolled 5-0 last night as the Rangers struggles continue. Texas has lost 6 of its last 8 games and they've scored an average of only 1.5 runs per game their last 4 games! Boston, on the other hand, is rolling and has won 7 straight and 14 of their last 17 games! The Red Sox have averaged scoring 7 runs per game their last 13 games! Boston is using Hector Velazquez for a spot start here. Though he is mostly used as a long reliever, Velazquez has been solid nonetheless in his MLB career as this is his 2nd season and so far he has compiled a 9-1 record with a 2.82 ERA in the majors. Texas is not familiar with him and is likely to struggle. Speaking of struggles, the Rangers Yovani Gallardo has incredibly gone 3-0 as a starter for Texas even though he has a 5.87 ERA in his 4 starts. Keep in mind he has not had an ERA below 5.42 since the 2015 season! Gallardo has a 2.13 WHIP in his last two starts versus the Red Sox as both walks and hits allowed have been an issue. This one has the makings of a complete mismatch on the mound and we can get a great number on this game by laying the 1.5 runs with Boston on the run line. The Red Sox last 37 victories have featured 34 wins by 2 or more runs. In other words, when they win they almost always win by a multiple run margin. As for the Rangers, only 10 of their 52 losses this season have been one-run defeats. Great odds on a home blowout here! 10* BOSTON Run Line -1.5 runs

Run Line Rout - Rickenbach MLB Game #903 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Phillies Run Line -1.5 runs -110 @ New York Mets @ 7:40 ET (Game 2 of double header) - This should be a dominating road win for the Phillies but, of course, I am not going to lay nearly 2 to 1 odds on the money line. The value here is on the run line where we get the Phillies at a pick'em price in a game that should prove to be a complete mismatch. Note that the Mets are 0-8 this season in home games where they are an underdog in a range of +125 to +175. Overall at home this season, New York enters Monday with one of the worst records in MLB at 15-28 on the year. The Phillies Aaron Nola has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this season and Philadelphia has won each of his last 5 starts and 12 of his last 14 overall. In terms of "comfort level" with laying the 1.5 runs with the Phillies here, note that 16 of the Mets last 17 losses have come by a margin of 2 runs or more. While Nola has been dominant this season, a struggling Corey Oswalt gets the start for the Mets here. The young right-hander has a 10.79 ERA in his two starts this season and 2018 is the first year that Oswalt has pitched any higher than the AA level in the minors. The fact is that it has not gone well. Even at AAA Las Vegas, Oswalt has compiled a 5.32 ERA in his 10 starts. He'll be in trouble here trying to match Nola in putting up zeros on the scoreboard. 10* PHILADELPHIA Run Line -1.5 runs (Game 2 of double header)

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFL Game #355 Saturday 10* Top Play Edmonton Eskimos (-) @ Toronto Argonauts @ 5:30 ET - The Argonauts are off of their bye week while the Eskimos are off of a rather satisfying blowout win over the Lions. As a result, 0-2 Toronto is getting a lot of respect from the betting markets here and this line has been coming down all week on road favorite Edmonton. The fact is that it was practically a miracle that the Argos won the Grey Cup last year and they are still being held up too high in the eyes of the markets. Yes, they are at home and rested and hungry but they're just not a very good football team. Even last year when they won it all, the Argonauts went only 3-7 in the regular season in games against the West Division. The West is simply superior to the East and it has been this way for multiple seasons now. As for the Eskimos, they went 7-1 in regular season games against the East Division. So here we have a team in an 88% winning spot laying just 3 points against a team in a 30% winning spot. I'll gladly take advantage of the line movement here and lay the small number with the road favorite. The Eskimos are 10-6 SU and ATS in games where their line ranges from -3 to +3. As for Toronto, they are 6-10 SU and 5-11 ATS with those same parameters. Also, just because the Argonauts have lost 2 in a row it does not mean they're going to bounce back. In fact, the Argos are 4-8 SU and 3-9 ATS the last dozen times they've entered a game on a losing streak of 2 or more games! 10* EDMONTON

Game of the Week - Rickenbach CFL Game #354 Friday 10* Top Play Montreal Alouettes (+) vs Ottawa RedBlacks @ 7:30 ET - Nice set up for the home dog here. Montreal is off of a confidence-boosting win at Saskatchewan last week. Yes QB Drew Lilly got hurt and may not be available this week but they've got two capable back-ups at the ready this week. The Alouettes are now back home where they are looking to make up for an absolutely disgusting home opener two weeks ago. Not only that but the Als have a bye on deck as they are not in action last week. Their situation is much better than that of the RedBlacks. Ottawa is on the road again for a 2nd straight week and, though this is a divisional game, it is "only" Montreal. As a result, the RedBlacks - whom lost at Calgary last week - could get caught looking ahead to a home rematch with the Stampeders coming up on Thursday. You can see why this scheduling situation favors Montreal and the fact is that Ottawa would love to be the first team to hand undefeated Calgary a loss. That said, the fact this line has moved all the way up to a 7.5 is offering exceptional underdog value on the Alouettes. The Als are a long-term 3-1 ATS as a home dog of 7.5 to 10 points and all 3 of those wins were outright upset victories! As for Ottawa, they've gone an ugly 2-8 ATS (and only 3-7 SU!) the last 10 times they've been favored in a range of 3.5 to 9.5 points. Look for the home dog to have plenty of fight in this one as Coach Mike Sherman has rallied the troops with last week's win and has this team believing. They certainly won't "lay an egg" like they did in their first home game this season. Alouettes battle hard here and, even if they fall short of the outright upset, they get the all-important cover. 10* MONTREAL

Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach CFL Game #352 Thursday 8* Saskatchewan Roughriders (+) vs Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ 9 ET - There is a little something called "professional pride" that absolutely does mean quite a lot. The reason I bring that up here is because Sasktachewan is off of an embarrassing home loss to Montreal last week where their two back-up quarterbacks combined to throw 4 interceptions. I am well aware of the fact that QB Zach Collaros is still out for the Roughriders but you'd better believe this fired up team is going to bring a better effort at home in Week 4 after laying an egg in Week 3. Perhaps guilty of overlooking an Alouettes team last week that was winless on the season, there is no way that Saskatchewan is overlooking a Hamilton team that is making plenty of noise early this season in the CFL. Both teams are off next week so there is certainly no lookahead here. However, while the Roughriders are very hungry here, the Tiger-Cats could get caught feeling a little too good about themselves after back to back wins over West Division foes. Now 2-1 against the West already this season but, keep in mind, Hamilton went just 2-8 against the West last season! As for Saskatchewan, they are only 1-2 against East Division foes after going a rock solid 6-2 against the East last year. The point is that, considering all of the above, with the line move from an opener of 5.5 all the way up to a 7.5 as of Wednesday afternoon we are getting a ton of line value with the home dog in this game. The Roughriders have covered 5 of the last 6 times they've hosted the Ti-Cats and they get the cash again here! 8* SASKATCHEWAN

ESPN Smash Pass *Afternoon* - Rickenbach MLB Game #972 Wednesday 8* Philadelphia Phillies Run Line (-1.5 runs) vs Baltimore Orioles @ 4:05 ET - The Phillies are a large money line favorite in this one and, of course, this makes perfect sense given the big difference between these teams as well as these two starting pitchers. However, I don't lay big money line prices but this is where value with the run line comes into play as we can get a very manageable price here by taking the Phillies at -1.5 runs in this match-up. The Orioles lost 3-2 to the Phils last night and the O's have now lost 8 of their last 9 games. Baltimore currently has the worst record in all of baseball. They will start young right-hander Yefry Ramirez here and he should be completely out-pitched by Philadelphia staff ace Aaron Nola here. Ramirez will be making just his 2nd MLB start and last year he was still pitching at the AA level of the minors. That said, even though he has had some success at the AAA level this season there is always an adjustment phase when coming up to the bigs and Ramirez is truly a still quite "raw" pitcher. As for the Phillies Nola, the right-hander has truly been nothing short of spectacular this season. The Phillies have won 11 of his last 13 starts and he has allowed 2 earned runs or less in 13 of his 17 starts this season! Philadelphia has won 5 of its last 6 games and is happy to welcome a softer portion of schedule now. The Phillies, despite multiple weeks of tough opposition has "hung in there" near the top of the National League standings and now they should pound a much weaker foe than what they've been facing. The Phillies have won a number of recent games by just a single run but this one is set up to be a mismatch and note that the Orioles 60 losses this season have featured 46 by 2 or more runs. In other words, with an Orioles loss likely today there is added value here considering that 77% of the time when Baltimore losses they lose by a multiple run margin. 8* Philadelphia Phillies Run line -1.5 runs

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Game #926 Sunday 10* Top Play Seattle Mariners Run Line -1.5 runs vs Kansas City Royals @ 4:10 ET - The Royals, surprisingly, did notch 9 hits yesterday. However, not surprisingly, only 1 of Kansas City's 9 hits went for extra bases. The fact is that, after that 3-run homer in the first inning for KC yesterday they were quite quiet the rest of the way. The Royals are simply a very bad team and they are totally out-classed here based on the pitching match-up Sunday. Seattle, as a result, is a huge money line favorite in this match-up. However, by utilizing the run line we get a very fair price on the Mariners in a game they should easily win by a margin of 2 or more runs. Note that James Paxton is a superb 7-2 with a 3.56 ERA this season. The M's southpaw has struck out 19 in the 12 innings spanning his last two starts and the Royals sub-par lineup will struggle here. Paxton has a 2.54 ERA in his 5 career starts versus Kansas City and he has struck out 17 Royals in his last 12 innings against them. The Royals counter with Brad Keller and he is off of his first career MLB winner as a starter. Off a gem like he just threw (albeit at home) look for him to quickly come crashing back down on the road against a tough Mariners lineup. Keller's two prior starts had seen him allow 14 hits and 7 walks in just 11 and 1/3 innings. Seattle has won 6 straight games and 7 of their last 8. Six of those eight games were decided by 2 or more runs. The Royals have lost 20 of their last 24 games. Also, Kansas City's has seen 13 of its last 16 defeats come by 2 or more runs! Run Line Rout here! 10* SEATTLE -1.5 runs

Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFL Game #378 Saturday 10* Top Play Saskatchewan Roughriders (-) vs Montreal Alouettes @ 9 ET - The big story out of Saskatchewan this week is the loss of QB Zach Collaros to injury. He got hurt in last week's action and now has put on the 6-game list so he is going to be out for awhile. This line had opened up at 10 and moved up to as high as a 12 and now, after the injury news was confirmed Tuesday afternoon, it has dropped down to as low as a -10 again. The fact is that Brandon Bridge is a very capable back-up and his athleticism (behind a suspect Roughriders offensive line) is an added plus. Speaking of suspect offensive lines, the Alouettes have been awful in the trenches and that certainly has played a role in Montreal scoring just 10 points in each of their first two games. Once again, just like last week, the Als are "saying all the right things" heading into this game but that didn't help them in Week 2 and it won't help them this week either. The fact is that if Montreal couldn't get their house in order for their home opener last week they're really going to struggle on the road this week. That's because Saskatchewan is angry off of a loss last week and will be ready to respond. The Roughriders had beaten the Grey Cup Champion Argonauts in Week 1 and, not surprisingly, came out flat at Ottawa last week and got drilled. Now, off of a 40-17 loss, the Riders will respond at home this week. Last season they went 6-2 against East Division teams and Montreal is now 3-17 since the start of last season. Too many penalties, an inability to score points, a questionable secondary...the list goes on for the trouble Alouettes. On Saturday night they are in the wrong place at the wrong time and this gets ugly! 10* SASKATCHEWAN

Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach CFL Game #371 Thursday 8* Calgary Stampeders (-) vs Ottawa Redblacks @ 9 ET - The Stampeders have a bye week on deck and then face the Redblacks again, at Ottawa, the following week. In other words, Calgary will be fully focused here and that is bad news for the Redblacks because the Stampeders defense is firing on all cylinders right now. Calgary is allowing just 10.5 points per game so far this season. Even though the Stampeders got some revenge last season (a win and a tie in June versus Ottawa) for losing the Grey Cup to the Redblacks in 2016, this game still carries extra meaning for Calgary. They never put the good beating on Ottawa that they wanted to in 2017. Now, after waiting a full year for another opportunity I sense a home blowout is forthcoming for the Stamps Thursday. They have been so strong on both sides of the ball. The Redblacks are in a tough situation with their first divisional game on deck while Calgary is off next week. Also, Ottawa took advantage of a Saskatchewan team last week that was off of a big week 1 win. Even though one could argue that the Stampeders are also off of a big revenging win last week too, the fact is that the recent history guarantees there is no way the Stamps will overlook the Redblacks. They call all out here thanks to having a bye on deck and, indeed, this will be a home blowout. 8* CALGARY

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Game #972 Tuesday 8* Tampa Bay Rays Run Line +1.5 runs +115 vs Washington Nationals @ 12:10 ET - The Rays won yesterday's game 11-0 and have now won 4 straight games and have given up a total of just 7 runs in those 4 victories! Their pitching should stay hot here as Nathan Eovaldi takes the mound for Tampa Bay. Don't be fooled by his rather unimpressive ERA. The TB right-hander has held opponents to a .211 batting average in his 5 starts this season and he is facing a Nationals team that only has had one strong game at the plate in their last 6 games. Washington scored 8 runs in the Sunday night game when they rallied for a win over the Phillies but, other than that, they averaged scoring only 1.8 runs per game in the other 5 games. This is a rare "plus plus" situation on a home team as we can take the Rays +1.5 runs and we don't even have to lay juice as they offer a plus money return on the run line. Though Max Scherzer is a fantastic pitcher, the Rays are the much hotter team right now and we expect Eovaldi to continue to prove tough to hit as well. Tampa has won 10 of its last 16 games and, overall, looking at their last 18 games the Rays only have only had 3 losses by 2 or more runs in their last 18 games. That equates to a 15-3 / 83% mark in this spot on the run line! The slumping Nationals have won just 4 of their last 14 games and one of those victories came by just a single run. Tremendous line value here on the home dog. 8* Tampa Bay Rays Run Line +1.5 runs +115

Game of the Week - Rickenbach CFL Game #367 Saturday 10* Top Play Calgary Stampeders (-) @ Toronto Argonauts @ 7 ET - There was only 1 upset in Week 1 of CFL action and I expect that to be the case again when Week 2 is in the books. That upset happened last night when Hamilton won at Edmonton. As for the other games this week, favored Ottawa rolled Saskatchewan Thursday and favored Winnipeg crushed Montreal yesterday. Look for another one 3-1 SU week for the favorites as Calgary gets the win at Toronto tonight. This is a revenge spot for the Stampeders as they lost the Grey Cup game (for the 2nd straight season!) in November and that defeat came at the hands of the Argonauts. Calgary's defense looked like they are jelling quicker than expected the way the played in Week 1. Also, the Stampeders showed a very balanced attack on offense. Keep in mind Toronto had only 5 points through the first three quarters in their Week 1 loss and this one truly does have road rout written all over it. The East/West dichotomy continues to show the strength of West Division teams compared to those from the East Division. Toronto went just 3-7 against teams from the West last season while the Stamps were a solid 6-1-1 against teams from the East last season. The Stampeders also have gone 14-2 SU (11-5 ATS) the past two seasons against teams with a losing record. The Argonauts have gone 6-10 SU (and ATS) versus teams with a winning record the past two season. 10* CALGARY

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFL Game #364 Friday 10* Top Play Montreal Alouettes (+) vs Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ 7 ET - Certainly this qualifies as a contrarian play but trends have a funny way of reversing after being hugely "off" in one year. Last season the Alouettes were the worst ATS team in the league as they went 4-14 ATS. The Blue Bombers were the best ATS team in the league as they went 13-5 ATS. Winnipeg did get the cover in week one but it was a painful SU loss for them as they gave up a late TD pass at Edmonton which tied the game and then, soon after that, allowed the game-winning field goal. That is a heart-breaking gut-wrenching road loss that is tough to get over. Keep in mind the Blue Bombers were eliminated from the post-season by the Eskimos last year so they wanted that game badly. This makes the situation even tougher to deal with. Adding another element to the value with Montreal here is that the Blue Bombers have had so much success against them in recent meetings that it is easy for Winnipeg to overlook the Alouettes. Last week's game the Blue Bombers were fully focused and yet still lost (toughest type of loss in final minutes) and now Winnipeg is facing a team they normally overlook. This is a very tricky and tough situation for the road team and the Blue Bombers are still wishing they had a healthy Matt Nichols at QB. Everyone will be looking at the small road fave in this one but the highly-motivated home team playing their home opener will be ready to go here. The Alouettes hung in until the 4th quarter at BC last week and that was a great opportunity to work in changes in term of personnel and coaching. They'll be better for it (and still hungry) here in Week Two and now at home. 10* MONTREAL

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFL Game #374 Friday 8* Saskatchewan Roughriders (+) vs Toronto Argonauts @ 9 ET - The Roughriders were ousted from the playoffs by the Argonauts last season and are looking forward to this opportunity for revenge. Saskatchewan is also known for having a great home crowd and they're certainly fired up to open up the Roughriders new season at home. The West is known for being the stronger division in recent seasons and so it comes as no surprise that the Argonauts are only 7-15 SU versus the West the past two seasons while Saskatchewan is a respectable 11-7 SU versus the East the past two seasons. The Argos also have a "target" on their backs this season since they are the defending Grey Cup champs after their improbable run to the championship last season. The Roughriders have won 3 straight regular season match-ups with the Argonauts and will get their payback for the loss in the post-season at Toronto last year. As a home dog of 3 points or less Saskatchewan is a long-term 20-4 ATS - and SU! The Roughriders are also 8-3 ATS in Friday games while Toronto is on an 0-5 ATS run in Friday games. 8* SASKATCHEWAN

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFL Game #371 Thursday 8* Edmonton Eskimos (-) @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ 8:30 ET - On the one hand, this is a revenge game for the Blue Bombers since they were knocked out of the post-season by Edmonton last season. On the other hand, the Eskimos finished behind Winnipeg in the standings and they certainly weren't happy about that as that forced them to play both of their post-season games on the road last year. Though Edmonton won the first one (at Winnipeg) they lost the second one and this is now an Eskimos team on a mission this season. Not only do they have a huge QB edge here (more on that in a moment) the road team is 5-1 SU in the last 6 meetings between these teams. Overall, Edmonton is on a 5-2 ATS run in recent meetings with the Blue Bombers. Now, about that QB edge, the Eskimos Mike Reilly was the leader in both TD passes and passing yardage last season! Though not on par with Edmonton's passing game (no one is!) Winnipeg at least looked "set" coming into this season with Matt Nichols at the helm. However, he is out for the season opener with a knee injury and this greatly weakens the Blue Bombers offense as the CFL is a league dominated by the passing attack. Huge edge for the Eskimos here and they are 5-2 ATS in road games with a posted total between 49.5 and 52 points. Winnipeg is 1-3 ATS in home games with a posted total between 49.5 and 52 points. Don't be "fooled" by this line. The Eskimos are a sizable road favorite with plenty of good reason! Lay it! 8* EDMONTON

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach MLB Game #963 Thursday 10* Top Play Houston Astros Run Line -1.5 runs -110 @ Oakland A's @ 3:35 ET - Frankie Montas gets the start for the Athletics here and his numbers are impressive so far in his first 3 starts at the MLB level. However, his first start was at home against the Diamondbacks and Arizona has a batting average of .225 in road games which ranks them 14th out of the 15 NL teams. Then, the next two starts for Montas were each against the Royals and Kansas City has a slugging percentage of .377 this season which ranks them 14th out of the 15 AL teams. As you can see, Montas really hasn't been tested yet and he now is facing the World Champion Astros. After yesterday's 13-5 win, Houston has won 7 straight games and 5 of the 7 victories have come by a margin of 2 runs or more. The Astros have averaged scoring 7.1 runs per game during this 7-game stretch. The A's, on the other hand, have lost 6 of their last 10 games and Oakland has averaged scoring only 3.7 runs per game during this 10-game stretch. With Justin Verlander on the mound for Houston, things are highly unlikely to improve for the Athletics here. The Houston right-hander is 6-1 with a 0.96 ERA in his 7 road starts this season! The Astros have won 9 of Verlander's starts this season and all 9 victories came by a margin of 2 or more runs. This looks like a great spot for another one! 10* Houston Astros Run Line -1.5 runs -110

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach MLB Game #979 Sunday 10* Top Play New York Yankees Run Line -1.5 runs @ New York Mets @ 8:05 ET - The Mets have lost 10 straight home games after losing again yesterday! Of course I am not going to lay -250 with the Yankees on the run line but there is sufficient value to justify laying the -140 price on the run line in this one. Of course that means the Yankees have to win this game by 2 runs or more but that is quite likely given the dominance that Luis Severino has displayed both last season and this season as well. So far in 2018, Severino has allowed 2 earned runs or less in 10 of his 13 starts. The Yankees are 12-1 in his 13 starts this season and only 3 of the 13 starts resulted in a 1-run game. I know Seth Lugo has good numbers on the season but that has mostly come out of the bullpen. He is being used as a spot starter here and he has only made 1 start this season and that lasted just 4 innings. The Yankees are 9-1 their last 10 games and have averaged scoring 5 runs per game. The Mets have averaged only 1.4 runs per game during their current 8-game losing streak. This one has the makings of a 5-1 or 6-2 type game as Severino gave up 0 earned runs while striking out 9 in 6 and 1/3 innings in his lone career start versus the Mets (last season). The Mets are a long-term 1-5 as a home dog of +175 or more and the Yankees 42 wins this season have featured 29 by 2 runs or more. That means roughly 70% of Yanks wins do come by 2 runs or more and I love the value here with the run line as the Mets slump should continue and the big road fave should dominate. 10* NEW YORK YANKEES Run Line 

Easy as ABC - Rickenbach NBA Friday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) vs Golden State Warriors @ 9:05 ET - In Cavaliers games the home team has covered 8 of the last 11. Also, Cleveland is off of 3 straight losses but hasn't lost 4 straight games since a losing streak in early to mid-January. So you have to go back nearly 5 months to find the last time the Cavs have lost 4 in a row. I don't expect that to happen here either but am happy to grab the value with the points should Cleveland fall just short here. The Cavaliers, since the calendar turned from April to May, have shot much better when on their home floor EXCEPT for Game 3. Entering that Game 3, Cleveland had shot at least 47% from the field in all 5 games and the Cavs had averaged 113.8 points per game in their 5 prior home games. The Warriors have averaged only 102.5 points per game in their last 4 road games. Golden State is on a 15-27 ATS run against teams with a winning record and the Warriors are 10-23 ATS this season when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 or more games. The Cavaliers are 37-14 SU when at home this season and also they've gone 5-3 SU in this post-season when trailing in a playoff series. Even though the Cavaliers are down 3-0 in this series, the Game 1 loss was in OT and the Game 3 defeat was a tie game very late. That said, the available points here in a game that the Cavaliers will be desperate for - at home and looking to avoid an embarrassing sweep - I like the value of LeBron James and Company as a home dog. 10* CLEVELAND

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) vs Golden State Warriors @ 9:05 ET - In Cavaliers games the home team has covered 8 of the last 10. Also, Cleveland is off of back to back losses but hasn't lost 3 straight games since a losing streak in early to mid-January. So you have to go back nearly 5 months to find the last time the Cavs have lost 3 in a row. I don't expect that to happen here either but am happy to grab the value with the points should Cleveland fall just short here. The Cavaliers, since the calendar turned from April to May, have shot much better when on their home floor. Cleveland has shot at least 47% from the field in all 5 games and the Cavs have averaged 113.8 points per game in their last 5 home games. The Warriors have averaged only 100 points per game in their last 3 road games and were held to 45.9% or less in 6 of their last 10 road games before a strong shooting effort to close out the Rockets at Houston in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. Golden State is on a 14-27 ATS run against teams with a winning record and the Warriors are 9-23 this season when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 or more games. The Cavaliers are 37-13 SU when at home this season and also they've gone 5-2 in this post-season when trailing in a playoff series. With 2 days of rest between games and coming back home and having been so close to the upset win in Game 1, look for a huge effort from the Cavaliers at home in this one as they get back into the series with a great performance. 10* CLEVELAND

Run Line Rout - Rickenbach MLB Game #915 Friday 10* Top Play New York Yankees Run Line (-1.5 runs) @ Baltimore Orioles @ 7:05 ET - The Yankees have won 26 of their last 33 games and 17 of those 26 wins have come by at least 2 runs. Of course I don't lay big money line prices so that is why I am utilizing the run line here to get the Yankees at a pick'em price. They should win big here as the Orioles are having a miserable season and 29 of their 39 losses on the year have come by 2 or more runs. I know that the Yankees Sonny Gray has been up and down this season but he is a groundball pitcher and he got a bunch of groudball outs in his most recent road start (4 hits in 8 innings at Kansas City) and in his only start against these Orioles this season (4 hits in 6 innings). Couple that with the fact that Baltimore is 3-9 their last 12 games and has been to 3 runs or less in 11 of those 12 games and you can see why I am expecting Gray to have a good start here. As for the O's Andrew Cashner, he is in trouble against the Bronx Bombers. He has had success against the Yankees in recent meetings but his current form suggests this is going to be a very tough outing for him. Cashner has given up 24 hits plus walked 10 in the less than 16 innings spanning his last 3 starts. The Orioles have lost 8 of the 11 starts Cashner has made this season and 7 of those 8 defeats have come by at least 2 runs. 10* Top Play New York Yankees Run Line (-1.5 runs)

Easy as ABC - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Thursday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) @ Golden State Warriors @ 9:05 ET - Of course this game is televised on ABC so that is where the play title comes from but truly the hope is that this cover is indeed as "Easy as ABC" tonight. The fact is that the Warriors barely got by a Rockets team sans Chris Paul in the final two games of the series and that also short horrific from three point land. Of course Houston relies heavily on the 3-ball so the nearly unbelievably poor shooting from downtown was ultimately the nail in the coffin for the Rockets. Now, after winning by only 9 at Houston in Game 7 despite the Rockets being without Paul and unable to "throw the ball in the ocean" (their shooting was so OFF!), the Warriors are as high as a 13 point favorite against a Cavaliers team that is starting to believe they can pull off the unthinkable. Keep in mind, Boston is VERY well-coached and yet the Cavaliers still managed to get past the Celtics in Boston in Game 7 with a valiant effort by LeBron James and Company. The Warriors, in the Rockets series, certainly haven't looked as invincible as they have in the past and the Cavs are well aware of the fact that they are being given absolutely "no chance" in this series. Highly motivated and well rested, LeBron and his eager teammates are absolutely going to hang around in this game one and put up a big challenge to the Warriors. Simply put, I just don't see this game being decided by more than single digits. Cavs are 17-10 ATS as an underdog this season and the Warriors are 5-9 ATS as a home favorite of 12.5 or more points this season. 10* Top Play CLEVELAND

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #512 Monday 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (+) vs Golden State Warriors @ 9:05 ET - I will not be surprised if Chris Paul plays tonight and if he is also very effective. However, even if he doesn't, one should not forget that the Rockets (sans Paul) led the Warriors by double digits at the half on Saturday and that game was at Golden State. Yes they got blown out in the second half but Houston certainly garnered some confidence from that first half performance and now they get Game 7 at home. The Rockets are 41-9 SU at home this season and 21-6 SU when playing with revenge and 15-3 SU when off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. The Houston offense has certainly struggled for long stretches on the road in these playoffs but the Rockets have averaged 112 points per game in their last 7 home games and I expect a huge performance tonight. The Warriors are a long-term 6-10 SU when tied in a playoff series and that includes 2-3 SU and ATS the last 3 seasons combined. In other words they are far from "automatic" in a spot like this and the fact is that these points are very generous. The Warriors have covered only 22 of their last 60 versus teams with a winning record! Golden State is 9-16 (36%) ATS their last 25 road games. I am expecting the upset here but am grabbing the points because if the Rockets do fall short it is likely to be by just a bucket or two. They are not going down without a fight here whether Paul plays or not. 10* HOUSTON

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Game #711 Sunday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 8:35 ET - Well aware of the fact that the Celtics are 10-0 at home in the post-season. Also well aware of the fact that the Cavaliers are without Kevin Love for this game. However, after he went out in Game 6 (head injury), the Cavs were "off and running" thanks in large part to LeBron James. The fact is I simply can not play against him in a Game 7. While it is true that one man does not make a team, he is also a leader for this Cavaliers team and the fact is that his team has a 5-0 record in his last 5 Game 7's. The last loss was all the way back in 2008 and, ironically, that defeat came at the hands of the Celtics. However, this is LeBron's 15th season and that game was 10 years ago! James has matured, of course, a ton since then and I look for his team record in Game 7 match-ups to make it 6 in a row on Sunday night! I know venue has had a lot do with it but lets also not forget that the Celtics have lost 3 of the last 4 games in this series. It is hard to believe that with coaching adjustments at half-time (Brad Stevens is a fantastic coach) and with Love being out of the game, the Celtics still couldn't close this out in Game 6. Boston has had so many chances to really truly take a stranglehold on this series (after being up 2-0) and they just never did it. Now they pay the ultimate price for that in my opinion. It is VERY rare for a 7-game series to go 7 games and have the home team win every single game and I look for this one to avoid that rare exception in the record books too. Remember James and Company won Game 7 of the NBA Finals in 2016 at Golden State! I am calling for the upset but will grab the points being offered! 10* CLEVELAND

Run Line Rout - Rickenbach MLB Game #928 Saturday 8* Philadelphia Phillies Run Line -1.5 runs +110 vs Toronto Blue Jays @ 4:05 ET - The Phillies lost a tight game yesterday but will bounce back big on Saturday as they have a huge pitching edge on the mound. Aaron Nola has had a devastating change up to his already phenomenal curveball and the Blue Jays will struggle at the plate. Nola is a perfect 5-0 at home this season and all 5 wins have come by 2 runs or more. Of course I am playing the run line here because I don't lay big money line prices but it is not without justification in terms of the expectation of a win by 2 or more runs. The Blue Jays Jaime Garcia has struggled this season (6.75 ERA including 9.68 ERA on the road) and all 8 of his starts have been games decided by 2 runs or more. Overall, 15 of the Jays last 17 losses have come by 2 runs or more. 13 of the last 14 Phillies wins have come by a margin of 2 runs or more. The Phillies were hot before yesterday's loss while the Blue Jays were cold. Look for "normalcy" to return Saturday afternoon. 8* PHILADELPHIA Run Line -1.5 runs +110

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Game #709 Friday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (+) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:35 ET - The way I see it the Cavs had their chance in this series and blew it in Game 5. Cleveland had all the momentum after winning big in Games 3 and 4 at home but then went and laid an egg on the road Wednesday. Knowing that Game 7 would also be on the road and that Boston is a perfect 10-0 at home in the post-season, this is in the back of the minds of the Cavaliers whether they admit to it or not. The fact is that the Celtics now have the Cavs on the ropes and if Cleveland does somehow pull this one out I expect it to be a very tight win. Keep in mind, prior to the blowout wins in Games 3 and 4 of this series and finishing off the Raptors in Game 4 in a rout, the Cavaliers 6 prior home wins had all come by a margin of 6 points or less! In fact they are known this season for just squeaking by in games. That is why the Cavaliers are 23-49 ATS as a favorite this season and 16-33 ATS in home games! Boston is 23-10 ATS as an underdog this season. The last 5 times the Cavs were off of a double digit loss they've actually gone only 3-2 SU. In other words, even bouncing back for a SU win here is not a given and also 2 of those 3 SU wins came by 4 points or less. In other words, laying 7 points off of a double digit loss would have resulted in a 1-4 ATS record for the Cavs since April 1st. I am grabbing the big dog value with the Celtics in this one as finally we see a road team cover in this series! 10* BOSTON

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #707 Wednesday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 8:35 ET - The Celtics didn't just lose Game 3 in Cleveland, they got crushed. Boston followed that up with a better effort in Game 4 but they still were down by double digits nearly the entire game. The points is that the Cavaliers didn't just beat them, they destroyed them. As much as I respect the coaching of Brad Stevens, the head man for Boston can only do so much and the veteran edge the Cavs roster has is paying dividends as this series has gone on. The fact that the Cavaliers didn't just win but won huge in Cleveland means they now have all the momentum plus a ton of confidence as this series goes back to Boston for Game 5. Keep in mind, Boston has gone 9-0 on their home floor in the post-season but this game is priced this way for a reason and it is certainly no mistake. Look for the Cavs to get the upset win Wednesday and take a stranglehold on this series. LeBron James is back in the zone and what people don't realize is their hot shooting has been there since before this series started. It is not as if the Cavs are just getting "lucky" with their shots. They've been on fire dating back to the Raptors series. Yes they had one very poor shooting effort (Game 1 of this series) but in their other 6 games the past 3 weeks they've hit a combined 52.2% from the field. That is NOT one game, that is a combined average for SIX games! That is HOT shooting that Boston only wishes they could achieve. The Celtics have been held under 44.8% in 5 of their last 6 games. Big difference here and the Cavs have the best player on the floor, the momentum, the experience edge, and the confidence factor. The Cavaliers are a long-term 17-6 SU their last 23 games versus the Celtics and that includes 8-4 SU and ATS their last 12 in Boston. Yes, the Celtics took it to them in Game 1 here but the Cavs were up 7 points at the half in Game 2 on this floor. With the way the tide has turned in this series, look for LeBron and Company to again jump on the Celtics early with a big first half in Boston and, this time, they hang on for the win over a dejected Celtics team that is now (though they wouldn't admit it) doubting themselves. 10* CLEVELAND

Run Line Rout - Rickenbach MLB Game #975 Saturday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Rays Run Line +1.5 runs (-130) @ Los Angeles Angels @ 9:05 ET - We have to lay a little bit of juice to have the run line here but that could prove key should the Rays fall just short here and lose by a run. The fact is that Tampa Bay (5 in a row) has the longest winning streak in the majors right now while Los Angeles (4 in a row) has the longest losing streak in MLB currently. The Rays are hitting and the Angels are not. TB has averaged 6.5 runs and 12 hits per game their last 4 games. LA has averaged just 2.3 runs per game their last 8 games. The Angels are just 2-6 during this stretch and both wins came by a single run. That said, this is a great spot to have the +1.5 as playing against LA with a +1.5 would have delivered 8 straight wins at the sports books! The Angels are averaging just 5.7 hits per game their last 7 games. While it is true that Andrew Heaney has been pitching well for Los Angeles, the Rays are a very confident team right now at the plate and loaded with right-handed lumber. Though Sergio Romo has been a reliever throughout his career, the Tampa Bay right-hander will not be asked to pitch deep into this game. He'll quickly be relieved by rookie southpaw Ryan Yarbrough and he has pitched very well this season. Also, the Angels are ranked 12th out of 15 teams in the AL in terms of batting average versus lefties and Yarbrough is likely to get the majority of the innings today. As for the Rays facing lefty Heaney, Tampa Bay ranks 5th out of all 30 teams in MLB in terms of batting average versus southpaws. Ride the hot team and currently the better hitting team as well. One more key stat here. The Angels are 2-9 SU their last 11 home games with a posted total of 8 or 8.5 runs. Both wins came by a single run. That means if you just took the +1.5 runs against the Angels in each of their last 11 home games with an O/U posted at 8 or 8.5 runs, you are a PERFECT 11-0! I like the sounds of that! 10* Tampa Bay Rays Run line +1.5 runs

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Game #703 Saturday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (+) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:35 ET - Tremendous value here as everyone expects the Cavaliers to bounce back since they are at home and they have dug an 0-2 hole in this series. There are many problems with that theory however. First off, this is LeBron James weakest supporting cast in his tenure with the Cavs. Secondly, the Cavaliers best shot for a blowout home win would be to get hot from the outside and start draining shot after shot. The long layoff in this series won't help in that regard. These teams haven't played since Tuesday and Boston is 5-1 SU and ATS this season when playing with 3 or more days of rest this season while Cleveland is 0-4 SU and ATS with those same parameters this season! The issue for the Cavs is that generally when they are shooting cold (and certainly the Celtics are tough defensively) they stay cold. The Cavaliers this season are an ugly 1-6 ATS when they enter a game having been held under 100 points in each of their 2 prior games. In other words, don't look for the Cavs to start suddenly draining all kinds of shots in this game. In fact, with their loss in Game 2 (scored 94) after scoring just 83 in Game 1, Cleveland is now 4-17 ATS this season when off of a game where they were held under 100 points! Should the Cavs find a way to get a home win and crawl back into this series don't be surprised if it is a non-covering win. Cleveland is only 8-6 SU in their last 14 games and 6 of those 8 wins have come by a margin of 4 points or less! Look for the Cavaliers to drop to 0-5 ATS on the season when they are playing with 3 or more days of rest. 10* BOSTON

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #56 Sunday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Puck Line -1.5 goals +155 vs Washington Capitals @ 8:05 ET - The Lighting are going to respond in a huge way after the Game 1 loss. Of course I am not going to lay 2 to 1 odds with the Bolts on the money line. I don't play big priced money line faves in NHL or MLB. However, I am expecting a blowout out here and that is why I am grabbing the huge value with Tampa Bay as high as a +155 return on investment on the puck line. Of course one can't just blindly lay the -1.5 goals but there is certainly ample support here for doing just that. The last 14 times that Tampa Bay has notched a win off of a loss, 13 of the 14 victories have come by 2 goals or more! Also, 14 of the Capitals 21 road losses this season have come by 2 goals or more. This includes EACH of Washington's last 5 losses away from home. All 5 of those road defeats have come by a multiple goal margin. The fact is that I look for a huge response from Tampa Bay here as they even up the series on home ice and you can see why recent trending like the 13-1 and 5-0 above fully support that this victory should come by at least a 2-goal margin! The Bolts are a long-term 23-10 when trailing in a playoff series. TB is also 23-9 when playing with revenge this season and that includes a razor sharp 11-3 when it is home loss revenge! After losing a game by a margin of 2 goals or more, the Lightning have bounced back - 14-5 this season! More of the same here in an expected home blowout! 10* TAMPA BAY Puck Line -1.5 goals +155

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #734 Sunday 8* Boston Celtics (+) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 3:35 ET - Some shops actually opened this one up with the Celtics as a favorite in Game 1. Of course the markets love the Cavaliers and have already pushed Cleveland to the favorite in this match-up as of Thursday evening. Rest is a good thing but sometimes too much rest can be a bad thing. In this case, the Cavs could have too much. While the Celtics will have last played on Wednesday, the Cavaliers will have had nearly a full week off as they wrapped up their sweep of the Raptors on Monday. That could be a significant factor here because what allowed the Cavs to steamroll Toronto was, in part, the fact that Cleveland's shooting got red hot after having struggled at times in the series with Indiana. The Celtics have arguably the top coach in the league and don't sell Philly short either. That was a very good Sixers team that Boston just got past. That said, Brad Stevens gives the Celtics the X-factor here as he definitely gives the Celtics the coaching edge in this series. In terms of the Game 1 match-up, I like the fact that Boston is at home and Cleveland could be rusty. Note that the Celtics have been an incredible ATS team all season and they certainly have not cooled off. Boston is 12-1 ATS in their last 13 home games. As for the Cavaliers, they got a dominating cover over Toronto in Game 4 to complete the sweep but they entered that game on a 4-8 ATS run. The Cavs went 1-2 ATS versus the Celtics in the regular season and Cleveland is a mediocre 8-7 SU in their last 15 road games. Celtics are 11-1 SU L12 home games. 8* BOSTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Game #916 Saturday 8* New York Yankees Run Line -1.5 +115 vs Oakland A's @ 1:05 ET - With yesterday's 10-5 loss, the Yankees have now lost back to back games and I am expecting a big bounce back early Saturday. Of course I am not laying the big money line price but I am fully comfortable looking for the Yankees to win this by 2 runs or more and so we'll lay the -1.5 runs to get a plus money return on the price! The fact is that the A's had averaged scoring only 2.3 runs per game their last 11 games prior to their offensive explosion yesterday. Oakland took advantage of facing former A - Sonny Gray - as I had predicted here yesterday with my play on the over. But today the A's face a red hot Domingo German who has gone 10 scoreless innings (4 in relief of Jordan Montgomery and then 6 more in his first start replacing the injured hurler). The key for German being he is not allowing hard contact so he has truly looked great and his numbers don't lie. As for the A's Andrew Triggs, I know he has good numbers early this season but he has faced the Rangers twice and the Orioles once. Those two teams have two of the worst team batting averages in the American League. When you look at what he has done in his other 4 starts this season it equates to a 7.56 ERA and Triggs is facing an ultra-dangerous Yankees lineup today. Oakland is 19-19 on the season. Their first loss of the season was a 1-run loss. Since then, 18 straight A's defeats have come by 2 or more runs! Lay it! 8* NEW YORK YANKEES Run Line

THE Game of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Game #711 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 8 ET - Most all of you have likely heard the expression "let sleeping dogs lie". It is an old saying that essentially means this: avoid interfering in a situation that is currently causing no problems but might do so as a result of such interference. Here is the problem with the Celtics and what they did in Game 4 at Philly. Certainly entering the game the 76ers were dogs and Boston would have been better off not doing anything to provoke them. Instead the game became quite "testy" and at one point Philly native Marcus Morris (Celtics player) flashed a 3-0 signal with his hands to remind the Sixers what the series score was. Needless to say that is like twisting a stick into the belly of a sleeping dog. Philly head coach Brett Brown made a great move by starting TJ McConnell in Game 4 and he had a career game for the 76ers as it paid off huge for Philly. Lets not forget the Celtics are extremely well coached but still would be a much better team if they had Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward on the floor. The more talented team in this series (with those two guys missing for Boston) is Philadelphia. They are plenty alive and awake now and remember they lost Game 3 in OT and also the Game 2 loss at Boston was a narrow one. No team has ever come back from a 3-0 series deficit in the NBA but the Sixers are well aware that they just need one win here to send this series back to Philly with a chance to tie it up. They are rejuvenated and ironically one of the few times in the NHL in which a team won a series after being down 3-0 was when the Philadelphia (Flyers) rallied against the Boston (Bruins) in 2010. Boston had the home ice edge there just like the Celtics do in this series. This Sixers team is absolutely rejuvenated and revitalized after the Game 4 win and they carry extra motivation after some of what went on in Game 4 on the court. I also like the fact that at one point the line on this game was 76ers -1.5 but the markets are loving the Celtics here and now it is Boston that is much as a -1.5 point favorite as of early game day morning. I love fading line moves like this and look for Boston to drop to 5-8 SU the last 13 times they've been leading in a playoff series as the Sixers improve to 24-11 SU the last 35 times they were off of a win by a double digit margin. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #505 Tuesday 8* Utah Jazz (+) @ Houston Rockets @ 8:05 ET - Much is being made of the Rockets defense (and they do deserve some credit) but the Jazz certainly missed a lot of shots they should have made in the past two games. There have only been 3 other times this season that Utah was held to 41.7% or less in 2 consecutive games. The result in that next game was 3-0 SU/ATS with an average SU margin of 14 points per win. Also, two of the victories were wins versus Cleveland and Golden State where the Jazz were a dog in each and won the games outright including blasting the Warriors by 30 points. Now I am certainly not suggesting that type of road rout happens here but what I am absolutely expecting is Utah to hang tough in this elimination game! Look for the Jazz take their record to a perfect 4-0 ATS mark in this situation. There have only been 6 other times this season that the Rockets have held the opposition to 42.6% or less in back to back games. The ATS result in that next game for Houston was 1-5 ATS. Utah is 19-7 SU (and 17-9 ATS) their last 26 versus teams that average 106 points or more per game. Even with Rubio still out and Exum now out as well, the Jazz are not going to go down without a fight here. Houston is a long-term 20-45 ATS as a home favorite of 12.5 points or more and that includes an ugly 2-11 ATS this season. The Jazz perfect ATS record in this situation this season seals it for me! 8* UTAH 

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Monday 10* Top Play Toronto Raptors (+) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:35 ET - Most will be looking for the Cavaliers, up 3-0 in this series, to close it out on their home floor Monday. However, even if Cleveland does that, it would not be too surprising if the Cavs fall short of the cover. After all, with Game 3's non-covering win, the Cavaliers are now 20-49 ATS as a favorite this season and also 13-33 ATS in home games! The loss for the Raptors marked the first time this season that they've lost 3 straight games. That is certainly noteworthy as Toronto is 5-2 ATS in recent seasons when they enter a game on a SU losing streak of 3 or more games. Also, the Raptors are 5-0 ATS (100% PERFECT) this season when they are an underdog of 4 or more points. As of very early game day morning, Toronto is catching a half-dozen points here and this is offering great value with the hungry underdog. The Raptors, with their cover Saturday, are now 6-1 ATS this season when they enter a game on a SU losing streak of 2 or more games. I expect Toronto to gut out a win and stay alive in this series. However, if they do fall short, look for it to be by 4 points or less. 6 of Cleveland's 7 playoff wins in this post-season have come by 4 points or less. 10* TORONTO

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #706 Sunday 8* New Orleans Pelicans (+) vs Golden State Warriors @ 3:35 ET - The markets, as expected, are all over the Warriors here after they lost Game 3 at New Orleans. This has driven the Golden State line from a -4.5 up to a -6 as of early game day morning. Keep in mind the Warriors are on a 1-4 ATS run their last 5 games and they continue to be over-valued. Golden State is also 8-22 ATS their last 28 games versus teams with a winning record. The Pelicans are 6-1 ATS in this post-season and I don't expect them to fall flat here even though Game 3 was such a big win. Playing again Sunday on their home floor certainly helps and New Orleans is 14-6 SU / 13-7 ATS this season when off of a win by a double digit margin. Also, the Pelicans are 4-0 SU and ATS when they are at home and the posted total on a game is 230 points or more. In Game 1 of this series Golden State attempted 32 free throws. New Orleans, through the first three games of this series have TOTALED only 32 free throw attempts. Even with this disparity at the charity stripe, the Pelicans have covered 2 of the 3 games and I feel we're getting excellent home dog line value here. I won't hesitate to take it. 8* NEW ORLEANS

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #703 Saturday 10* Top Play Toronto Raptors (+) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:35 ET - This line doesn't make sense which is precisely why I am backing the dog here. The Cavs just finished up winning both games at Toronto including demolishing the Raptors in convincing fashion in Game 2 and yet now they are at home and opened up as only a 3.5 point favorite. Of course markets jumped all over that and have driven the line all the way up to as high as a 5 as of early game day morning. Going contrarian as per usual I am on the other side of this move. The Cavaliers only turned the ball over a total of 8 times in the first two games. This is ridiculous and will change. The Cavs averaged 14 turnovers per game in their prior 8 games before averaging just 4 turnovers per game their last 2. As for the Raptors they had forced an average of 13 turnovers per game in their 4 games previous to allowing an average of only 4 in the last two games versus the Cavs. Also, Cleveland is not going to shoot 59.5% from the field again in Game 3 like they did in Game 2. It didn't matter what they were throwing up Thursday night it was going in. That is helping to lead to value here for the hungry Raptors. Toronto is 14-4 SU off of an upset loss as a favorite this season and they also are 16-5 SU after allowing 115 points or more. The Cavaliers are just 20-47 ATS as a favorite and only 13-31 ATS in home games this season. Cleveland also is 2-10 ATS in Saturday games this season. More of the same here. 10* TORONTO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #702 Saturday 8* Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Boston Celtics @ 5:05 ET - This number looks big, doesn't it? Of course that is why the Celtics have been a popular choice and the spread on this one has dropped from double digits down to as low as 8.5 as of early game day morning. Don't be fooled. The fact is that the fired up 76ers are going to be full of intensity and fire for this critical Game 3 match-up in Philly. Down 0-2 in the series and with their backs against the wall, look for full-on intensity from the Sixers at both ends of the floor and they won't take their foot off of the gas the entire game. Since the calendar turned to 2018, the 76ers have been at home off of a loss 4 times. In those 4 games Philadelphia is a perfect 4-0 both SU and ATS and I look for another home blowout here by a double digit margin. The Celtics haven't played a road game in over a week and they are 10-17 ATS when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games at home. The 76ers are 32-11 SU (and 29-14 ATS) in home games this season and they will not be denied in this must-win spot. The Sixers are 10-1 SU (and 9-2 ATS) in their last 11 home games. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #516 Friday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz (+) vs Houston Rockets @ 10:35 ET - 3-point shooting comes and goes. The Rockets were the hot team in Game 1 and the Jazz were the hot team in Game 2 from beyond the arc. However, lets talk about what is going on inside the arc so far in this series. Houston has made 48 of 108 shots from 2-point land for a 44% shooting percentage while Utah has made a ridiculous 59 of 105 shots from inside the arc for a stellar 56% shooting percentage. You can tell who is getting the higher percentage shots / better looks at the basket so far in this series. Also, the Jazz have a shot 59.6% from the free throw line so far in this series. That is unusual and certainly won't continue based on their full season mark of 77.9% from the charity stripe. The Rockets defense has been subpar and they are 3-7 ATS this season when they enter a game on a streak of 3 or more consecutive overs. The point is that when Houston is not playing good defense and games are flying over the total, they generally don't cover spreads either! Also, the Rockets are a long-term 6-11 SU (and ATS) when tied in a playoff series. Utah is 3-1 SU (and ATS) when tied in a playoff series and they'll ride the momentum of the big Game 2 win plus returning to their home floor tonight. Note that the Jazz are 16-6 SU after scoring 115 points or more in a game this season and also 19-5 SU in their last 24 games against teams that average 106 points or more per game. 10* UTAH

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #514 Friday 8* New Orleans Pelicans (+) vs Golden State Warriors @ 8:05 ET - The Warriors took the first two games of this series on their home floor and are now on a 3-game winning streak. Golden State, when on a winning streak of 3 or more games this season, has gone just 8-19 ATS. The Warriors are also on just an 8-21 ATS run versus teams with a winning record. When playing with two days of rest between games, Golden State is 6-10 ATS this season while New Orleans is 8-4 ATS (and SU!) in that situation this season. I am expecting the upset here with the Pelicans but certainly am going to grab the generous points being offered. New Orleans is 5-1 ATS in this post-season and they also went 3-0 SU this season in home games with a posted total of 230 points or more. The Pelicans did not suffer an ATS loss in any of those 3 games. As you can see from the huge O/U on this, a lot of points are expected and I look for the home team to prevail at the betting window as Golden State drops to 7-11 ATS this season in games with a posted total of 230 points or more. The Pelicans have had only 20 free throw attempts so far in this series while the Warriors have had 59 attempts from the charity stripe! That disparity will not continue now that the series shifts to the Smoothie King Center! 8* NEW ORLEANS

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #509 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Boston Celtics @ 8:35 ET - The Celtics won Game 1 and that is perfect for setting up insane value here. Don't be surprised if that is the only game that Boston wins in this series. The scene will shift to Philly for Games 3 and 4 after tonight's game and I just don't see the Celtics winning again here. Did the 76ers perhaps come in overconfident Monday? One thing is for certainly Philadelphia head coach Brett Brown will have his team ready to go here and Boston is NOT going to make 17 of 36 three pointers again! Keep in mind, the Celtics outscored the Sixers by 36 points from three point land! If the teams were just "even" from beyond the arc, Philadelphia wins Game 1 by a 20 point margin! The 76ers dominated the boards in Game 1 and also did a better job of getting to the free throw line as they had very nearly twice as many attempts as Boston. Additionally, from inside the arc, Philly made 30 shots while the Celtics made only 24. There is an old saying about "live by the three die by the three" and the fact is that Boston only won Game 1 because of 3-point shooting and that is certainly not expected to continue here. In their 5 prior games, the Celtics were held to 34.6% or less in all 5 games! Boston is also banged up and the Sixers certainly hold the "health edge" here. When playing with 2 days of rest between games the 76ers went 12-4 ATS this season while the Celtics went 6-8 SU. Look for Boston to drop to 3-7 SU the last 10 times they have held a lead in a playoff series. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Early Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Game #512 Thursday 8* Toronto Raptors (-) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 6:05 ET - The Raptors let one get away in Game 1. Off of that disappointing loss I do expect a huge response here. Yes the Cavaliers showed great resiliency in coming back Tuesday but it was more than just being purely resilient. They also made 14 three pointers while the Raptors made just 9. That is a 15 point difference. In other words, without that disparity from beyond the arc, Toronto wins the game by 14 points. I am happy to lay the half-dozen points here as the Raptors are 14-3 SU when off of an upset loss as a favorite this season. The Cavaliers just got what was only their 2nd cover in 8 games so far this in this post-season. Also, the Cavs have a losing record ATS when off of an upset win as an underdog this season. Cleveland is still just 12-19 ATS in their last 31 games versus teams with a winning record. The Raptors are also 6-2 SU when playing with home loss revenge this season. 22 of the Cavs last 26 SU losses have come by a margin of 7 or more points! Each of the Raptors last 8 SU wins have come by a margin of 8 points or more. 8* TORONTO

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Wednesday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz (+) @ Houston Rockets @ 8:05 ET - There are some statistical outliers from Game 1 of this series that make this a fantastic spot to grab the big dog. Keep in mind, the Jazz lost Game 1 by only 14 points even though the Rockets hit a ridiculous 17 of 32 from three point land and Utah made only 13 of 22 free throws! Yes, Houston is known for their 3-point shooting but they hit only 36.2% on the season. The Jazz actually hit 36.5% of their threes on the season! As for that unusual free throw shooting, Utah made 77% of their shots from the charity stripe on the season. The point is that, given normal shooting of free throws and three pointers, the JAZZ would have WON Game 1 by 8 points! That's right, Utah would have made 1 more three and 4 more free throws while the Rockets would have made 5 less threes. The result is a 22 point swing from a 14 point win for Houston to a win for Utah by a margin of 8 points. The beauty here is we don't need the Jazz to win, we just need them to cover and, as you can see, Game 1 had some crazy shooting results and yet the Rockets still barely covered! I am all over the value with big dog Utah in Game 2. The Jazz are 18-5 SU their last 23 game against team that average 106 points or more per game and they are also 10-6 SU/ATS when playing with 2 days of rest between games. The Rockets are 5-10 ATS when playing with 2 days of rest between games. Certainly the extra time off sometimes effects the shooting stroke of Houston's outside shooters. 10* UTAH 

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #709 Tuesday 10* Top Play New Orleans Pelicans (+) @ Golden State Warriors @ 10:35 ET - Steph Curry is expected back for tonight's game. Of course this has resulted in a jump in this line. However, will he be 100%? Will he be ready to step right in without disrupting the current flow of the Warriors? The fact is that he has hardly played in the past two months. Will there be an adjustment phase for both Curry and for Golden State in terms of working him back into the mix? I absolutely believe so and there is excellent value with a hungry Pelicans team off of an embarrassing loss in Game 1 and catching huge points in Game 2. Keep in mind Golden State was just "making everything" in the first half of that Game 1 victory and that got New Orleans into a big hole early. That will not be the case tonight and you're going to see the Pelicans playing with plenty of resolve and determination after the embarrassment of Game 1's result. Keep in mind, New Orleans entered this series on a 9-0 SU and ATS run their last 9 games. The Pelicans have averaged 116.5 points per game their last 10 games. New Orleans is 7-4 ATS (and 8-3 SU) when playing with 2 days of rest between games. Also, the Pelicans are 28-16 ATS in road games this season. The Warriors are only 6-9 ATS when playing with 2 days of rest between games and also are 1-8 ATS in Tuesday games this season. Golden State is on an 8-20 ATS run against teams with a winning record and they are over-priced here. 10* NEW ORLEANS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #558 Tuesday 8* Toronto Raptors (-) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:05 ET - The Raptors come into this series with some extra rest while the Cavaliers are off of a grueling 7-game series with the Pacers. Not only did Indiana push Cleveland to the brink, the Pacers also outplayed the Cavs for much of the series. The Cavaliers were held under 45% from the field in 6 of the 7 games! The Pacers actually shot 48.1% in the series and that included making at least 45% of their shots in all 7 games against Cleveland. Of course the Cavaliers defense has been under fire for much of this season as they have allowed 109.2 points per game in their 89 games (including 1st round of these playoffs). Toronto got into "playoff mode" as their series got deeper versus the Wizards. The Raptors won the final two games and, over the last 3 games Toronto held Washington to only 42.5% from the field. The Raptors were swept out of the post-season by the Cavs last year in the 2nd round. This season certainly will play out much differently and Toronto should take Game 1 in convincing fashion. The Raptors are 37-7 SU at home this season (including playoffs) and the Cavaliers have covered just 1 of their 7 post-season games. Also, Cleveland is on an 11-19 ATS run versus teams with a winning record! 8* TORONTO

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #553 Sunday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz (+) @ Houston Rockets @ 3:35 ET - The Jazz are without point guard Ricky Rubio and the line has really jumped on this game as a result. Utah is approaching being a dog by a dozen points here. Keep in mind, they lost Rubio to a strained hamstring very early in their series clinching win over Oklahoma City Friday. In other words, they played just fine without him. Sure Rubio contributes in a lot of ways but it certainly hadn't been his shooting in the Thunder series. He was in an awful slump and the time out with the hamstring injury may not be such a bad thing for Rubio (to get back on track) or for the Jazz as they'll compensate well for his absence here. Utah has multiple ways to modify their lineup sans Rubio and they'll be just fine here so I am glad to contrarian and grab the extra value here as everyone jumps on the Rockets at home. Houston struggled to find their rhythm on offense for long stretches in their series with the Timberwolves. They did not shoot the ball particularly well until the Game 5 victory. Now the Rockets will have to contend with a much tougher defense than what Minnesota presented. The Jazz use their defense to take down better offensive teams. That is why Utah is on an 18-4 SU run (16-6 ATS) versus teams that average 106 points or more per game. Also, the Jazz are 6-2 ATS in Sunday games this season. The Rockets are just 4-8 ATS their last 12 games. Also, when Houston enters a game on a totals streak of 3 or more consecutive overs, they've gone 2-6 ATS this season. Look for the Jazz defense to be the difference maker here. 10* UTAH

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #705 Sunday 8* Indiana Pacers (+) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 1:05 ET - Pacers are 13-4 SU and ATS in Sunday games this season. Indiana 37-19 ATS in games versus divisional opponents. Pacers 11-4 ATS in playoff games after demolishing the Cavaliers in Game 6 to force this Game 7 in Cleveland. Versus teams that allow an average of 106 points or more per game, the Pacers are 27-13 ATS. The Cavs have home court edge in Game 7 but that certainly has not proven to be an edge at the betting window! Cleveland is 13-31 ATS in home games this season! The Cavaliers are only 4-8 ATS in first round playoff games. While one would expect them to bounce back off of the ugly loss in Game 6, the Cavs are actually 13-36 ATS (including 5-16 ATS this season) when off of a loss by a double digit margin. No bounce back here and, in fact, I expect the Pacers to ride the momentum of the Game 6 win to an upset victory in Game 7. Certainly I am grabbing the generous points though just in case. Indiana's 3 losses in this series have all come by 4 points or less. Also, the Pacers are 4-0 ATS last 4 road games and Cleveland is 0-5 ATS last 5 home games. Combined 9-0 ATS run favoring the road dog here. 8* INDIANA

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Game #551 Saturday 10* Top Play New Orleans Pelicans (+) @ Golden State Warriors @ 10:35 ET - Stephen Curry is likely coming back for the Warriors in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals. That has caused this line to jump up to a 9 as of early game day morning. The fact is that he is unlikely to be 100% right out of the gate and his shooting is also unlikely to be as sharp as usually. Keep in mind, Curry has hardly seen any game action since very early March. Golden State is hosting a red hot Pelicans team that also has added confidence from winning on this very floor in early April. That victory is part of the red hot 9-0 SU/ATS run that the Pelicans are bringing into this game. It is no fluke either as New Orleans is 9-3 SU/ATS their last 12 road games! When a team is that hot and winning like that away from home, they are a force to be reckoned with and I like the added line value here of this one now approaching double digits! The Pelicans are 13-7 ATS this season in road games with a posted total of 220 points or more. The Warriors are 5-10 ATS in their last 15 home games and that long-term stretch dates all the way back to the All Star break. The Pelicans are shooting 52.8% from the field in their last 7 games. Golden State has been held under 44.7% from the field in 2 straight and 3 of their last 6 games. The Pelicans are geared up for the upset here and if they do fall short I expect the generous points offered here to prove to be more than enough. 10* NEW ORLEANS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Saturday 8* Milwaukee Bucks (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 8:05 ET - The home team has won every game in this series so naturally the popular choice here will be the Celtics. Everyone knows that I stay away from the popular choice as much as possible but it is never without good reason. In this case I absolutely feel that the Bucks are the better team. I know it has been a tight series, including an OT win for the Celtics early on, but I still feel Milwaukee is the better team and will take this game even though they're on the road. The Bucks have only shot poorly in one game in this series. In the other 5 games they've shot at least 48.2% from the field in all five games. Conversely, the Celtics have only shot well in one game this season. They've shot poorly in the other 5 games as they've been held to 42% or less from the field in all but one game in this series. Truly it is borderline amazing that the Celtics are even still alive in this playoffs given those numbers and I expect that good fortune Boston has had in this series to run out today. Look for the Bucks to improve to 5-2 SU/ATS this season when off of a game where they held their opponent to 90 points or less as the Celtics drop to 5-8 SU their last 13 games as their season ends. Though I do expect the Bucks to win outright I am grabbing the points here just in case they fall short in a heart-breaker. 8* MILWAUKEE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #509 Friday 8* Toronto Raptors (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - The Raptors turned up the heat on defense in their crucial Game 5 win. Look for that to be the turning point in the series as they are now up 3-2 in the series and would certainly like to close it out Friday and avoid the pressure of a Game 7. Toronto is as high as a 2.5 point dog as of very early game day morning and the Raptors are 25-9 SU this season when coming off of a win by a double digit margin. On the season Toronto is also 31-11 SU against teams that allow 106 points or more per game. Washington is 19-34 ATS as a favorite this season and also 6-11 ATS in Friday games. The Raptors are 15-4 SU in Friday games! Look for the Toronto defense to again be the difference maker in Friday's game as they close this series out and drop the Wizards to 7-12 ATS in their last 19 playoff games. The Raptors held the Wizards to 37 of 90 from the field in Game 5. More of the same here. 8* TORONTO

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #502 Thursday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (-) vs Boston Celtics @ 8:05 ET - This line was as high as a -5.5 and is now down to a 4.5 (with reduced juice too) as of early game day morning. I like the value we're seeing here with the Bucks on their home floor considering they had 89 shots from the field (compared to just 69 for the Celtics) in the 5-point loss at Boston on Tuesday. Prior to that game Milwaukee was hitting over 52% in this series so the likelihood of a bounce back (particularly since they are back home) is quite high. The Bucks are 33-17 SU as a favorite this season and I like them to cover the small number in the process of another SU win here. At home, Milwaukee will be the better shooting team tonight and the Celtics may struggle a bit as they feel the pressure of trying to close it out and avoid a winner takes all Game 7. Keep in mind there is some history with this as Boston is only 3-5 SU when leading in a playoff series in recent seasons. They've haven't played well in this situation but they truly have been getting a number of fortunate covers. This is why the Celtics have such a strong ATS record and are becoming a public favorite...they've been getting the cash. But tonight the public will be burned on this one because the Bucks roll at home. Remember 87 to 69 field goal attempts in Game 5 on the road at Boston. You know what is coming tonight from the hungry Bucks. 10* MILWAUKEE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #710 Wednesday 8* Toronto Raptors (-) vs Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - The Wizards rallied and got the win in Game 4 in DC on Sunday but the Raptors should roar back here. Toronto lost their shooting touch in Washington but are now back home where they've shot 50% or better in 3 straight games. The Raptors are 7-1 SU in their last 8 home games and are perfect 5-0 ATS in their last 5 played north of the border. The Wizards are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 road games and Washington has lost 8 straight games SU away from home. The Raptors let a big lead get away from them in Game 4 and even were in good shape late in the game before a surprising collapse. They'll be ready to roll here on Wednesday. The Wizards are 4-11 SU and ATS when off of an upset win as an underdog. Toronto is 7-2 SU when tied in a playoff series and also 13-3 SU when off of an upset loss as a favorite. The Raptors get the win here and, as far as the cover, the SU winner has also been the ATS winner in each of their last 11 games! 8* TORONTO

Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Tuesday 8* Milwaukee Bucks (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 7:05 ET - The public is going to be enamored with grabbing Boston minus the short number at home considering that the home team has won all 4 games in this series. However, the issue with that is two-fold. One problem is that the luck of the Irish is likely to run out soon. Remember they had the miracle cover in Game 1 they didn't deserve as the game only went to OT because of a miracle long 3-point shot with a tenth of the second left on the clock. That was Game 1 of this series and the Bucks were catching at least +3.5 in that. Then, in Game 4, the Celtics charged back from way way down to sneak inside the number. Certainly they deserve some credit for that but, at the same time, lesson learned for Milwaukee as they let that huge lead slip away and the reality is that many were inclined to tear up Celtics tickets when they were down by 20 pretty far along in that one! Now the real key, in addition to the swing of the "lucky bounces pendulum" is the fact that the Celtics have been held to 41.5% or less from the field in 3 of the 4 games this series. Not only have the Bucks shot a ridiculous 54.2% in this series, the Celtics have never held them below 48.2% in any of the 3 games! From my viewpoint, Milwaukee is the better team in this series and should win the series. To do that they're going to have win once in Boston. This certainly looks like the best spot for that as they roll in off of those big back to back home wins and are loaded with momentum. In a situation like this, the points should prove to just be an added bonus. Grab the points  but look for the outright upset. 8* MILWAUKEE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #509 Monday 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (-) @ Minnesota Timberwolves @ 8:05 ET - The Rockets will be in bounce back mod here after getting destroyed in Game 3. Keep in mind, even though Houston won Game 1 it was far too close of a call and they responded in Game 2 and won by a margin of 20 points. The Rockets are 18-3 SU (15-6 ATS) versus Northwest Division opposition this season. Houston is also 17-6 SU when playing with revenge this season. That said, I also like my chances of a SU win equating to an ATS win as 11 of the Timberwolves last 13 losses have come by 8 or more points. Minnesota is also an ugly 18-34 ATS (including 9-16 ATS this season) when off of a game where they scored 115 or more points. Minnesota is also just 1-7 ATS the last 8 times they were off of a game where they shot 40% or better from three point land. The Wolves 15 of 27 shooting performance from beyond the arc certainly had a lot to do with their Game 3 win but they are not known as a 3 point shooting team and averaged only 8 per game so far this season. In other words, that 1-7 ATS stat makes perfect sense because Minny usually comes right back down to earth after a rare standout shooting performance like that. 10* HOUSTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach MLB Game #961 Monday 8* Cleveland Indians Run Line -1.5 runs -115 @ Baltimore Orioles @ 7:05 ET - The Indians opened up as a -230 favorite on the money line and the Orioles have attracted quite a bit of attention. Why? Because Kevin Gausman is coming off of a quality start. However, just how "quality" was it. Yes he went 6 innings and allowed 3 earned runs or less so it earns the definition in that regard. However, Gausman allowed 9 hits including 2 homers in just 6 innings so he was fortunate the 2 bombs were solo shots! Now he faces an Indians team that gave him so trouble in his lone start against them last season. Also, the Tribe come into this game having averaged 11.3 hits per game in their last 8 games. Keep in mind the Orioles have been held to 7 hits or less in 6 of their last 7 games. Also, Baltimore has been held to 3 runs or less in 7 of its last 9 games. The Indians will have Carlos Carrasco on the mound and he is 3-0 on the season and also 2-0 in his last 3 starts while compiling a superb 1.23 ERA in those outings. Carrasco shut out the Orioles over 6 innings last season while piling up 10 strikeouts. More of the same here. Of course I am not going to lay a huge price on the money line but that is why I see so much value with the run line available at a low price here. 13 of the Orioles 16 losses this season have come by 2 or more runs. 7 of the Indians last 8 wins have come by 2 or more runs. 8* CLEVELAND

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Sunday 8* Boston Celtics (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 1:05 ET - Even though the Celtics lost by 24 in Game 3 there are some interesting stats that tell you why that was a bit of a fluke win. Certainly Milwaukee deserved to win that game but I am talking about the margin of the game. The Bucks outscored Boston by, coincidentally, 24 points as they made 16 three pointers compared to just 8 for the Celtics. It is highly unlikely that Milwaukee is going to again shoot nearly 50% from three point land again! Also, Boston lost the turnover battle in Game 3 but had won that battle in each of the first two games. The Celtics did dominate the glass Friday and they also did a better job of getting to the free throw line than the Bucks. The point is there are a lot of signs pointing to today's game being a tight one decided by a single possession. I expect the Celtics to respond and get the road win here but, if they do fall short, look for it to be by 3 or less. Boston is 19-6 ATS as an underdog this season. Also, the Celtics are 17-5 ATS when playing with revenge this season plus a stellar 8-1 SU and 6-1 ATS when off of a loss by a double digit margin. Milwaukee is only 8-16 ATS in their last 24 games against teams with a winning record and also went just 13-25-3 ATS in home games in the regular season. 8* BOSTON

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #719 Saturday 8* Portland Trail Blazers (+) @ New Orleans Pelicans @ 5:05 ET - Now the Blazers are left for dead because they're down 3-0 in this series. However, with a big upset win on the road they can send this series back to Portland knowing that 2 of the last 3 games would be home if they can keep winning. To come all the way back is certainly improbable but not impossible and it is a game by game approach right now for the Blazers. What I particularly like about his play is the over-reaction of the markets. Thursday's Game 3 match-up opened up at a -3. Now, Saturday's Game 4 match-up is up as high as a 7.5 as of early game day morning. This is the true definition of value because there is no way Portland is laying down here and now we're getting 7.5 points instead of 3. Taking a closer look at the losses. The Blazers lost Game 3 because of 24 turnovers. They lost Game 2 because the Pelicans made 12 of 24 three pointers. They lost Game 1 because they couldn't throw it in the ocean as the saying goes as they took 98 shots but only made 38%. They lost that game by 2 and if they lose Game 4 I also expect it to be by just a single possession. The Trail Blazers are 6-2 ATS this season when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. 8* PORTLAND

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach MLB Game #961 Thursday 8* Houston Astros Run Line -1.5 runs @ Seattle Mariners @ 3:40 ET - Of course the Astros are a big favorite on the money line in this one but we can get line value by grabbing them on the run line. The price on Houston at -1.5 runs is in the pick'em range and this is a bargain considering Charlie Morton has been dominant for the Astros while Marco Gonzales has struggled badly for the Mariners. Morton has nasty stuff and he has struck out 25 in his 18 innings of work this season while compiling a 1.00 ERA. As for Gonzales, he has an 8.26 ERA this season and has particularly struggled in his last two starts. The Mariners have scored just 5 runs in their last 4 games so, although Gonzales has received favorable run support this season, that is unlikely to continue here. The Astros have averaged scoring 5 runs per game in their last 4 road games. Seattle has averaged only 4 hits per game in their last 4 games while Houston has pounded out 21 hits in their last two games. The Astros are 5-2 in day games and 5-2 versus left-handed starters this season. 5 of the Mariners last 6 losses have come by 2 runs or more and I look for another multi-run defeat here. 8* HOUSTON Run Line -1.5 runs

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #519 Wednesday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz (+) @ Oklahoma City Thunder @ 8:05 ET - Paul George hit 8 of 11 three pointers in Game 1 for the Thunder. Many of those were contested. Sometimes guys go off in a game and that is what happened Sunday. Even with that ridiculous shooting performance by George in Game 1, Oklahoma City still only won the game by single digits. Look for this one to be either a Jazz upset or a loss by a single possession because Utah is going to shoot better than they did from three point land in Game 1. Odds favor that as well as the fact that George is certainly unlikely to again hit 73% of his threes. Coming into this series I felt the Jazz offer great value and I still feel that way despite the ATS loss in Game 1. Utah has allowed 99 points or less in 16 of their last 21 games. The Thunder have allowed an average of 109 points per game in their last 9 games. Despite the Sunday result, the Jazz are still 14-3 SU and 13-4 ATS in their last 17 games versus teams that average 106 points or more per game. Also, Oklahoma City is still just 6-11 SU (and 3-14 ATS!) in games against divisional opponents this season. 10* UTAH

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #707 Tuesday NBA 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 8:05 ET - Certainly I won't hesitate to come right back with the Bucks for Game 2 of this series after a true brutally bad beat on Milwaukee in Game 1. Undoubtedly the Bucks were the right side in Game 1 as we all saw. The game only went to OT because of a miracle long 3-pointer for the Bucks with a tenth of a second left on the clock. Of course everyone with a Bucks ticket had at least 3.5, many had 4, and some even had 4.5 to the plus side with Milwaukee. The fact that the Bucks outscored the Celtics by a dozen points in the final 3 quarters of that game says a lot about the adjustments there were able to make. I also like the fact that they barely lost Game 1 despite 10 more fouls than Boston and despite the fact that the Celtics shot above their season averages from the free throw line and from beyond the arc. Boston also had the added benefit of nobody totaling more than 4 fouls. The Bucks had two starters foul out and another starter ended up with 5 fouls. Those things effect players mentally. Look for staying out of foul trouble in Game 2 to result in an even better effort from the Bucks and, keep in mind, they pushed the Celtics to the brink in Game 1. If Boston had Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving on the floor this would be a different story but, without Irving particularly (I know Hayward was lost immediately this season), the fact is that the Celtics were very fortunate to win Game 1. They won't be so fortunate tonight against the hungry and determined Bucks. 10* MILWAUKEE

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #702 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Miami Heat @ 8:05 ET - While both teams shot exceptionally well from 3-point land in Game 1, that certainly is unlikely to continue in Game 2. So lets take a closer look at the stats that do matter. The Sixers had 17 more field goal attempts in the game. Why? Because they won the rebounding battle by 10 caroms, had 5 more steals which helped lead to a turnover edge of 7, and had 10 more points in the paint. The point is that Philadelphia did the things that win playoff basketball games and I don't see any reason for that not to continue in Game 2. The 76ers had 5 guys score at least 17 points, the Heat only had one big scorer as Olynyk had 26 points. Keep in mind, it also certainly doesn't hurt that Philly has won 17 straight games. Their confidence is sky high and this is huge for a young team. Also, about that "young" team, 4 of the Sixers 7 players who logged the most minutes in Game 1 are 30 or older. That's right, the majority of the core playing rotation in that first game was comprised of guys who are at least 30 and the 76ers top two scorers in the game, Belinelli and Redick are 32 and 33, respectively. This team is a little more balanced with veteran leadership than what casual followers realize. That said, I'll gladly take the Sixers again at home in Game 2 as they are laying a small number despite the fact they are on their own court and going for 18 wins in a row. I'll take it! Lay the points with the red hot Sixers! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #513 Sunday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz (+) @ Oklahoma City Thunder @ 6:35 ET - A line that had been as low as a -3 on the Thunder is now all the way up to as high as a 4.5 in some spots as of Sunday morning. I like the value with the underdog Jazz. Oklahoma City was only 16-26 ATS in the regular season in games against teams with a winning record. Utah finished up the regular season on a 13-7 ATS run in games against teams with a winning record. The Thunder also were a horrific 2-14 ATS in games against divisional opponents this season. While Oklahoma City has the more prolific offensive production, I love defensive-minded dogs and certainly the Jazz are the better team on that end of the floor. Oftentimes good defense trumps offensive powerhouses and, that is especially true in crunch time like the playoffs or latter stages of the regular season. Sure enough, Utah is 14-2 SU (and 13-3 ATS) in their last 16 games against teams that average 106 or more points per game. The Jazz are 18-7 ATS in Sunday games including 6-1 ATS this season. Before a loss in their regular season finale, the Jazz were on a 17-3 SU run and the 3 losses were by 3, 4, and 5 points. Hence the value with the points in a game today where the road dog certainly has a great shot at the outright upset. The Thunder have covered just ONCE in their last SEVEN home games! 10* UTAH JAZZ