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

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #509 Sunday 8* Milwaukee Bucks (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 1:05 ET - The very first numbers, the earliest, that popped up on this match-up had Boston as only a 2 point favorite. Now, as of about 4 hours before tipoff Sunday morning we're seeing lines up to 4.5 in some spots. I'll take the value with the underdog here. I know the Celtics are very well coached but there is only so much talent level from a team that can get put on the shelf and yet still perform at an ultra high level. Look at the Spurs yesterday, they've lost so much (particularly with Kawhi Leonard being out) but they are well coached with Gregg Popovich at the helm and they still got destroyed. The point is that talent is a key element in NBA match-ups and the Bucks are the much healthier team and certainly have plenty of talent. I am not saying they're going to prevail in this series but I am saying they have a great shot at an outright upset in Game 1 which means we're getting great value with the 4.5 points being offered here. Milwaukee went 11-4 SU after a loss by 10 points or more this season. They're also 3-0 SU and ATS after a game in which they allowed 130 or more points. The Bucks went 6-2 ATS on Sunday games in the regular season. Boston covered only 4 of their 11 Sunday games this season and, keep in mind, some teams do respond better to early starts like this. I like the dog here! 8* MILWAUKEE BUCKS

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Saturday 10* Top Play New Orleans Pelicans (+) @ Portland Trail Blazers @ 10:35 ET - The Pelicans are rolling into the post-season with 5 straight wins both SU and ATS. New Orleans has averaged 121.2 points per game during this 5-game winning streak. The Pelicans also have been dialing up some defense as they've allowed 103 points or less in 4 of their last 5 games. The Trail Blazers have been at the other end of the spectrum with a 1-4 SU run their last 5 games. Portland is only 2-4 SU in their last 6 games versus the Pelicans and one of those 2 wins came by just 4 points. The Blazers also are just 5-10 SU in their last 15 playoff games. New Orleans is simply "feeling it" right now and playing with a ton of confidence and shooting the ball very well. There are only 4 teams in the NBA that had more road wins than the Pelicans (24) this season. Those are the Warriors, Rockets, Celtics, and Raptors. Needless to say that is pretty elite company and the point is that this team can travel and win and I like getting the points here in Game 1 as they ride their momentum right into this post-season match-up. 10* NEW ORLEANS

Philly Special - Rickenbach NBA Game #506 Saturday 8* Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Miami Heat @ 8:05 ET - The 76ers have won 16 straight games but we're getting a low line here due to the Joel Embiid injury. Yes the games between Philadelphia and Miami were tight ones this season and yes the Heat won the most recent game (March 8th in Florida). However, the Sixers are playing their best basketball of the season, are at home, and are now as low as a 6-point favorite in this one. That is offering huge line value and Philly has gone 9-4 ATS this season when playing with 2 days of rest between games while Miami has gone 4-9 ATS in this same situation. Also, though the Heat have a good ATS record on the road for the season, Miami has actually covered just 2 of their last 8 games away from home! The 76ers went 27-13 ATS at home this season and they get another big home win and cover here. You know the atmosphere in Philly will be electric. Flyers won last night over the hated Penguins (Philly big hockey fans too) AND the Eagles won the Super Bowl AND Villanova won the National Championship in hoops AND the Phillies have actually won 4 straight games! Now the rabid Philly fans get their first home playoff game in 6 years! 8* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET - The Hawks are wrapping up their season here and would love to finish up with a home win. However, Atlanta has the worst record in the Eastern Conference. Yes they are off of back to back wins but they are 0-3 ATS this season when off of back to back wins. Also, they now face a very "interested" opponent compared to the last two they faced. The Sixers would like to get the 3 seed in the East and they are in the drivers seat for that but they must keep winning. They need a win at Atlanta tonight and then home against the Bucks tomorrow night. In other words, they are very focused and on a mission and they also are encouraged by the fact that Joel Embiid very well could be back in time for the post-season. More good news for an already thriving franchise. Another key variable to this game, because depth is also important in late season games, is that the Sixers have two players in their rotation now that were dumped by the Hawks during this season. Don't be surprised if they come up with some big plays in this game tonight. The 76ers have won 14 straight and they've covered 10 of their last 12. The Sixers are also 16-5 ATS in their last 21 games against teams that allow 106 points or more per game. Atlanta is 5-13 ATS in their last 18 games versus opponents that averaged 106 or more points per game. The Hawks are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 home games and their hot shooting the last two games is an aberration that won't continue and has provided some extra value here. Sixers in a road rout! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #708 Monday 10* NBA Top Play Miami Heat (+) vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 7:35 ET - The Thunder still need to win to clinch a spot in the post-season. The Heat are already in. However, Miami doesn't want to go into the post-season playing bad basketball and they enter this game off of a 24 point loss at New York as a sizable road favorite! Note that Miami is 27-12 ATS (including 8-3 ATS this season) when off of an upset loss as a favorite. Their SU record in those 11 games this season is 10-1. As for the Thunder, they enter this game off of an upset win at Houston. Prior to upsetting the Rockets, Oklahoma City had lost 4 of their 5 prior games. Also, OKC is an ugly 2-6 SU (and 1-7 ATS) this season when off of an upset win as an underdog. With this line climbing all the way to a -4 on the Thunder (after opening up at a pick'em) I love the value here with the home dog. The Heat are not going to lay down at home in this one. They don't want to be playing poorly heading into the playoffs and they will respond after the abysmal performance at New York. 10* MIAMI HEAT

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Sunday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (-) @ Memphis Grizzlies @ 3:35 ET - The Pistons can still finish with a .500 mark this season if they win out and they're really not showing any signs of quitting on the season even though they've been eliminated from post-season contention. As for Grizzlies, the story is much different. Memphis has won only 3 games since late January! With that said, the odds of a Detroit win here are pretty high! As for the cover, note that only 5 of the Grizzlies last 25 losses have come by less than 6 points! The Pistons are 8-1-1 ATS in their last 10 games and are a much healthier team than the Grizzlies whom are missing a number of players and now just trying to wrap up on a disastrous season and look forward to next season. Look for Pistons to improve to 20-10 their last 30 non-conference games while Memphis drops to 3-27 SU (and 9-21 ATS) their last 30 games against Eastern Conference foes. 10* DETROIT

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Saturday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Puck Line -1.5 goals +120 vs New York Rangers @ 3:05 ET - The Flyers need to win to clinch a playoff spot. The Rangers, a division rival, would love to prevent that of course but they just don't have the right personnel to knock off the hungry Flyers in a spot like this. The Rangers have already begun building for next season and have been playing younger plays and their defense has been exposed often in recent weeks. The Flyers got goalie Brian Elliott back and, after a shaky start, he really got back into a groove and played well. Now, after shaking the rust off, look for a gem from him today while the Flyers continue to play very well in the offensive zone. Philadelphia has scored 4 or more goals in 8 of their last 10 games! The Rangers have been held to 2 goals or less in 5 of their last 6 games. The Blueshirts lost by just a single goal to the Islanders Thursday but, prior to that, 4 of their last 6 losses were by at least a 2-goal margin. These teams met in late March and it was a 1-goal game but, prior to that 4 of the last 5 meetings between these teams were decided by a multiple goal margin. Of course I am not going to lay a huge money line price with the Flyers but you can certainly see why I like them at -1.5 goals and getting plus money odds! 8* PHILADELPHIA FLYERS money line -1.5 goals +120

Run Line Rout - Rickenbach MLB Game #918 Friday 8* Houston Astros Run Line -1.5 runs -130 vs San Diego Padres @ 8:10 ET - Of course the line could climb higher but, as of early Friday morning we're looking at a -130 on the Astros run line at -1.5 runs. That said, this is great value considering this should be an absolute rout. The Padres lost 3 to 1 to the Rockies yesterday and, other than one big day at the plate this season, San Diego has been held to an average of 6.7 hits per game in their other 6 games. The Padres are 1-6 on the season and each of their last 5 losses have come by 2 runs or more. The Astros enter this game 6-1 on the season and, though their most recent win was a tight one, each of their first 5 victories this season came by a multiple run margin. Combining these factors with a complete mound mismatch and you have the recipe for a blowout here. Luis Perdomo struggled badly in his first start this season and that continued a disturbing carryover trend from last season. Overall, this is a guy who has a 5.24 ERA and has been hit at a .298 clip at the big league level. Now he faces the World Champs in their house. This is unlikely to go well. On the flip side, you will see a struggling Padres lineup trying to connect against Lance McCullers whom has great stuff! He struck out 10 in 5 and 1/3 innings in his first start this season and he is a phenomenal 13-4 with a 2.39 ERA in home starts the past 3 seasons combined! Look for a blowout here. 8* HOUSTON ASTROS Run Line -1.5 runs -130

Puck Line Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Game #4 Friday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5 goals -110 vs Buffalo Sabres @ 7:35 ET - The Bruins loss last night at Florida kept the door open for Tampa Bay to have a shot at the #1 seed in the east. Boston has now lost 3 straight games and the Bolts can take advantage here with a late season push. The Lightning, surprisingly, are playing this game with double revenge against the lowly Sabres. TB lost when they most recent met in Tampa and also lost their most recent visit to Buffalo. That said they have payback on their minds and the Sabres are unlikely to be able to do much about it. Buffalo is very banged up and also has injuries at the goalie position. That should turn this into a home blowout as the Sabres last 8 losses have all come by at least 2 goals. In fact, 7 of those 8 Buffalo losses have come by 3 or more goals! As for the Lightning, 8 of their last 11 games have been decided by 2 or more goals. In other words, don't look for a 1 goal game here and of course I am not laying big money lines. Never have and never will. That said, the -110 price range available on the -1.5 goals here is offering great value. Buffalo has lost 27 of 38 games against teams with a winning record this season. The Lightning have won 9 of 12 this season when playing with home loss revenge. 10* TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING Puck Line -1.5 goals -110

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #508 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:05 ET - The 76ers have won 12 games in a row. They also have covered 10 in a row. The Cavaliers are in a back to back situation and had to use a lot of energy to come up with the late win versus the Wizards last night. This game has become even more important because of the battle for the #3 seed. If the Sixers win out (3 more games after this) they get the #3 seed. The key with the #3 seed is that the 2nd round match-up (should that team advance) would face the winner of the #2/#7 series rather than a #4 seed facing the winner of the #1/#8 series. Why is that so important? Because the #1 seed is Toronto (whom everyone wants to avoid) while the #2 seed, Boston, is further weakened by the loss of Kyrie Irving for the season. Philadelphia has proven extremely tough to beat at home as they've won 20 of 21 games played on their home floor since the calendar turned to 2018. The big difference between these teams is the 76ers play much better defense than the Cavaliers. With Cleveland also having tired legs in the 2nd game of a back to back, look for Philly to prevail here. The Cavs are 8-14 ATS in road games with a posted total of 220 or more this season and also a long-term 11-18 ATS when playing with home loss revenge. Keep in mind, not only did the Sixers win on the Cavs floor recently, Philly was blasted by 22 at home by LeBron and Company much earlier this season. Time for payback here. The 76'ers are 25-7 ATS in games with a posted total of 220 or more. Look for the Sixers overall 10-0 ATS streak to make it 11 in a row with another win and cover here. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Puck Line Game of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Game #54 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Puck Line (-1.5 goals +160) vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers still are not officially in the post-season. They're also coming off of an inexcusable game versus the Islanders where they fell behind 4-1. Philly rallied back to tie it at 4-4 in the 3rd period but then immediately allowed the game winning goal to the Isles and so the Flyers didn't even pick up a point in the standings. They are steamed about their performance and now, at home, they are poised to give one of their best efforts of the season. The Flyers are fired up and of course I am never fond of laying big prices so I am going with the puck line in a big way here. Philadelphia has a comeback price in the +160 range at -1.5 goals and I am forecasting a blowout win here. Carolina would love to play the role of spoiler here but they really wanted to play that role in their most recent game (versus Florida) and they couldn't get it done Tuesday. They've now lost 3 of their last 4 and the Flyers (though they recently won 4-2 at Carolina) still owe the Hurricanes for a 4-1 drubbing on home ice in early March. The Flyers didn't show up that night and this is their first opportunity to host the Canes since the ugly effort on home ice. Trust me, the Flyers are showing up tonight and with goalie Brian Elliott also poised to return Philly is filled with a lot of positive energy tonight whether Elliott is between the pipes or not. The Hurricanes have lost 9 of their last 11 April games. 14 of Carolina's last 21 losses have come by 2 or more goals. Another one here! 10* PHILADELPHIA FLYERS Puck Line -1.5 goals +160

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Wednesday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (-) @ Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET - The Hawks gave a valiant effort last night at Miami and very nearly got the upset win that would have prevented their division rivals from clinching a playoff spot. That said, it may seem like after losing by just a single possession on the road last night that Atlanta would definitely be the play now as a sizable dog at home. However, the Hawks not only gave a huge effort last night, they did it short-handed. Atlanta is not going to have much left in the tank tonight after, for the most part, playing a 6-man rotation yesterday. The Hawks had 6 guys who each played at least 33 minutes. Miami made full utilization of 9 guys last night as all 9 who played logged at least 20 minutes. Atlanta is simply a wounded team right now and the Heat will take advantage tonight. Miami still is seeking to improve their playoff seeding as right now they could finish as high as 6th or as low as 8th so they certainly won't lay down tonight. Look for the Heat to take advantage of tired Hawks as Atlanta plays their 3rd game in 4 nights while Miami had two days off before yesterday's win. The Heat non-covering win last night was just their 5th ATS loss in 15 divisional games this season! The Hawks are 1-12 SU (and 2-11 ATS) when they enter a game on a steak of 3 or more consecutive unders. 10* MIAMI

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #703 Tuesday 8* Toronto Raptors @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:05 ET - The Raptors were knocked out of the post-season by the Cavaliers last season. Toronto was able to get some revenge with a huge home win in their first meeting with the Cavs this season. However, in the next meeting they lost at Cleveland after blowing a 15 point halftime lead. Not only does that make today a revenge game for Toronto, it also is a key game as the Raptors work toward their goal of securing the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference for the playoffs. Toronto is 9-3 ATS this season as an underdog. Cleveland is 17-42 ATS as a favorite this season. I also like the fact that the Raptors enter this game off of a loss and they haven't lost back to back games since mid-January. The Cavaliers recent run looks very impressive but, keep in mind, they've played a lot of bad teams the past few weeks. Now it is payback time for this road dog! 8* TORONTO

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #602 Monday 10* Top Play Villanova Wildcats (-) vs Michigan Wolverines @ 9:20 ET - After both favorites covered in the Final Four, don't be surprised if there is a lot of support for the underdog in this one. However, in typical contrarian fashion, I am backing the favorite here. Lets not forget Michigan's path to get here. They beat low seeded teams (Montana and Loyola), only beat Houston because the Cougars couldn't make free throws late, did blowout Texas A & M but barely got by a Florida State team that (for this season at least) has a photo of its likeness next to the word inconsistent in the dictionary. In all seriousness though, the Wolverines have not been nearly as impressive as the Wildcats have. I have said it before and I'll say it again, Villanova is a team on a mission ever since, after winning it all in 2016, they were bounced early from the tourney by Wisconsin last year. The Wildcats haven't been just beating teams, they've been dominating them. How many people felt good about Michigan winning the game yesterday (against an 11 seed!) when they were down 7 at the half? Or still down 5 past the midway point of the 2nd half? Give the Wolverines credit for the comeback win (and a cover that did burn me as I had the Ramblers) but Villanova is not Loyola and this one will likely be close for awhile (Michigan is strong defensively) but the Wildcats will ultimately pull away in convincing fashion. Villanova has not only won 10 straight games, they are on an 8-1 ATS run. Also, the Wildcats last 9 wins have all come by double digit margins. Look for this to be another one. 10* VILLANOVA

ESPN Game of the Week - Rickenbach MLB Game #920 Monday 10* Top Play Houston Astros Run Line -1.5 runs vs Baltimore Orioles @ 7:10 ET - The Orioles are known as a team that loves fastballs and they struggle badly against off-speed stuff. That makes a match-up with Charlie Morton quite possibly a nightmare. He has developed a devastating curveball and uses it plenty as everyone saw in full display in the World Series versus the Yankees. Now, in Houston's home opener, the Astros home opener will celebrate the World Series victory and will have Morton on full display again with his arsenal of off-speed stuff. He should dominate the Orioles who will have hardly anyone in their lineup whom has any experience against them. This will make it even tougher on the O's to try and get good wood on Morton's stuff. As for the Baltimore starting pitcher in this one, Chris Tillman gets the call and he was 1-7 with a 7.84 ERA last season. He has struggled the last couple times he has faced the Astros. Also, looking at Tillman's numbers from last season's awful campaign, the bad news was that he was even worse on the road and worse in night games. Welcome to Houston Chris. Road game at night! This looks like a home blowout. Of course I don't lay big money lines. That's why my play here is the run line which is available at about a -120 price. Astros in a rout. 10* HOUSTON Run Line -1.5 runs 

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Sunday 8* Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 1:05 ET - While it is true that the 76ers are without Joel Embiid, it is also true that this team is about much more than just Embiid. Philadelphia is not only a 9-game winning streak, they've also covered 7 straight games! That said, the Sixers at this low number (as low as 1.5 as of Saturday) are even an option on the money line (priced as low as -125) to simply win this game and make it 10 in a row. Charlotte is at home and has a respectable home record this season but what do they really have to play for here? That said, looking at Philadelphia's remaining schedule, they know a #3 seed is certainly possible as they could pass Cleveland in the standings. In the month of March, Charlotte went 1-5 ATS at home! The Hornets also in a tough back to back spot here as they were at Washington yesterday. That ugly defeat was Charlotte's 3rd straight overall ATS loss. The Hornets are 2-9 ATS in the 2nd game of a back to back their last 11 occurrences. 8* PHILADELPHIA

THE College Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Game #814 Saturday 10* Top Play Villanova Wildcats (-) vs Kansas Jayhawks @ 8:45 ET - Kansas just beat Duke in overtime. That was a huge win and it took OT to get it. Now, of course, the Jayhawks have had ample time to hit reset and get ready for Villanova but the Wildcats have been the much more impressive team. Keep in mind Kansas has allowed about 44% from the field in their last 3 games. The Wildcats, on the other hand, have allowed 61 points or less in 3 of their last 4 games and Villanova has held their last 5 opponents to a combined 37% from the field. The Wildcats defense is simply fantastic and, on offense they have 6 key cogs in the rotation that all handle the ball very well and can score well which creates a match-up nightmare for the opposition. Having already faced the two toughest defenses (including uniqueness of Mountaineers) of the Big 12 (Texas Tech and West Virginia), Villanova is more than ready to take on the Jayhawks. Jay Wright is a helluva strong coach and this team has been on a mission ever since winning it all in 2016 but then getting bounced early by Wisconsin in last year's Big Dance. Villanova will not be denied and we're getting great line value here with the low number on this one. The Wildcats are a long-term 39-2 SU when they enter off of a game in which they allowed 60 points or less. They are locked in on D right now and most all of their wins have come by at least a half dozen points this season. In other words, you can be very comfortable laying this! All 7 of the Jayhawks losses this season came by at least 5 points. 10* VILLANOVA 

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #811 Saturday 10* Top Play Loyola-Chicago Ramblers (+) vs Michigan Wolverines @ 6:05 ET - The other match-up in the Final Four has a #1 seed matched up with another #1 seed and the line is the same as this line. Do you see my point? Here we have a #3 seed Michigan facing a #11 seed Loyola and we have the exact same line. So this is basically an invitation from the betting markets to take the much higher seed and lay a very small line. I am not buying it! The fact is that the odds makers (always very sharp and on top of their game) realize that this Loyola team is damn good and playing their best, most cohesive basketball of the season right now. The fact is that the odds makers had to put the line like this because they know they're going to have to keep the Michigan line low to balance the sharp money that will come in on the Ramblers. They fact is that Loyola has proven they can play with some top quality teams and if Michigan does defeat them I expect it to be by a single possession. Loyala has simply gone toe to toe with everyone they've faced. Michigan's record looks great but they haven't shot well in 2 of their last 3 games and also haven't shot well from beyond the arc in 3 of their 4 NCAA Tourney games. The Ramblers make a high percentage because they take quality shots and create good looks and high percentage chances. Loyola faced a tougher road to get this point and they've truly proven themselves. Michigan beat Houston by a single point and only because the Cougars didn't make free throws. The Wolverines beat the Aggies because of torrid hot shooting. But in their other game they faced Montana (much lower competition) and Florida State (a fragile, inconsistent team all season). This Ramblers team is anything but fragile or inconsistent! I'll gladly take the points and an outright upset will not surprise me in the least.  10* LOYOLA-CHICAGO

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Friday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (+) @ Oklahoma City Thunder @ 8:05 ET - The Nuggets still fighting hard for a playoff spot. I know Denver enters off of back to back losses but they faced two of the hottest teams in the East - Philly and Toronto. Prior to those defeats the Nuggets had won back to back games and they enter this one on a 3-1 ATS run. Denver also has a rest edge here as they've been off since Tuesday while the Thunder are playing the 2nd game of a back to back as they will be coming into this one off of a game at San Antonio Thursday night. Oklahoma City is playing this game with revenge but they are 9-22 ATS this season when playing with revenge. Also, OKC is an ugly 2-13 ATS in divisional games this season. The Nuggets are 8-4 in divisional games this season. Combined edges of 43-15 (74%) favoring the road dog in this one. 10* DENVER

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #781 Friday 10* Top Play Illinois-Chicago Flames (+) @ Northern Colorado Bears @ 7 ET - The Bears are at home for this one but they are still over-priced in my opinion. Many will look at Illinois-Chicago's travel situation and Northern Colorado's hot ATS streak and they'll be all over the Bears here. I am going contrarian and grabbing the points with the hungry road dog in this Championship Game. The Flames have played a tougher schedule on the season and Illinois-Chicago has defended very well this season. UIC also have shut down the 3-ball very well in their last two games and this is what Northern Colorado has been relying on to achieve their blowout wins. The Bears aren't going to hit 17 of 30 threes in this one like they did against Sam Houston State Wednesday. Also, Northern Colorado has allowed 79.5 points per game their last 4 games. Teams can get spoiled when winning with offense. Subconsciously there is a tendency to let up on defense when things are going so well on the offensive end. This will prove to be the undoing of the Bears because they now face a Flames team that has allowed 61 points or less (and 33.3% or less from the field) in 2 of their last 3 games. From a technical aspect, I like the fact that UIC is 20-8 ATS in recent seasons (including 7-2 ATS and SU) this season in games with a posted total in the 150s. Look for the Flames defense to be the difference here. As a home fave of 6.5 to 9 points, Northern Colorado is on an 11-16 ATS run including 2-4 ATS in recent seasons. The Bears are over-priced here. 10* ILLINOIS-CHICAGO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #7 Thursday 8* Florida Panthers Puck Line (-1.5 goals +187) @ Ottawa Senators @ 7:35 ET - I coming right back with Florida here after they let me down last night. However, with the money line price in the -160 range and my lack of fondness for laying big prices, I am recommending taking the Panthers on the puck line here. Yes that means they have to win by 2 goals but there is plenty of reasoning to support that happening and of course I love getting a nearly +200 return on my money! Florida desperately needs points as they are fighting for a playoff spot and Ottawa has long since forgotten about any post-season hopes. The Panthers have made the most of facing weaker opponents in their push for the playoffs as they've won 13 of their last 15 games against teams with a losing record. As for the Senators, they've lost 9 of 10 home games with a posted total of 6 or more goals. Now that we've established the high likelihood of a Panthers win (especially after digging themselves a 3-0 hole last night they could never fully recover from) what about whether they win this one by a margin? Florida demolished the Senators 7-2 last week and that was the 4th straight time that these two teams have met in Ottawa and the result was a decision by at least 2 goals. Prior to a 4-3 loss to the Islanders Tuesday, the Sens previous 4 losses ALL came by THREE or more goals. As for the Panthers, 8 of their last 9 wins have come by 2 or more goals. Look for a big plus money payback here and lay the 1.5 goals! 8* FLORIDA Puck Line (-1.5 goals +187)

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #723 Wednesday 10* Top Play Illinois-Chicago Flames (+) @ Liberty Flames @ 7 ET - Even though UIC is without leading scorer Dikembe Dixson, they've been without him for both games of this tournament already and are adjusting just fine by going guard-heavier with their lineup. The fact is that Dixson wasn't a high percentage shooter and Illinois-Chicago has clearly picked up the slack. Yes, Liberty is home for this game but I feel they are getting far too much respect here. The line has gone from Liberty -5 to as high as a -6.5 as of early gameday morning. The fact is that UIC played a tougher schedule than Liberty and Illinois-Chicago is also a solid team defensively just like Liberty is. In fact, UIC is allowing only 32.8% from three point land while Liberty has allowed 36.6% from beyond the arc this season. With that said, I feel we're getting excellent line value here with the big points. UIC is a long-term 46-26 ATS when playing with 5 or 6 days of rest between games and that includes 5-1 ATS (and SU) this season. Liberty is a long-term 3-8 ATS when they are off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. They're now going from facing a Central Michigan defense that played very little defense to facing a UIC team that is absolutely going to challenge their shots here. That said, Liberty is facing a much tougher test here and is over-priced. 10* ILLINOIS-CHICAGO

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #762 Tuesday 10* Top Play Washington Wizards (+) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 7:05 ET - The Wizards are off of 3 straight losses and that is certainly worthy of note here as Washington has not lost 4 straight games this entire season! The Wizards are a long-term 9-3 SU (and 10-2 ATS) when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. Washington also is playing this game with quadruple revenge as they've lost 4 straight versus the Spurs. This includes a loss last week at San Antonio where the Wizards gave up a big 3rd quarter run. Washington is 17-10 ATS as an underdog this season and I expect them to get revenge here. The Spurs are 14-23 SU on the road this season and have lost 8 of their last 9 away from San Antonio. 10* WASHINGTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #777 Tuesday 10* Top Play Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (-) vs Utah Utes @ 7 ET - This line, as of early gameday morning, has the Hilltoppers as a very small favorite. As a result, you can play the money line in the -120 range on this one and that is what I am recommending here. The Utes are the bigger name school and will attract some attention here as a small dog as a result. However, this Hilltoppers team is extremely talented and playing extremely well. As a result, we're getting fantastic line value in this one with the ability to just take Western Kentucky to win. The Hilltoppers have been ultra impressive on both ends of the floor. They are off of a 92-84 win at Oklahoma State and are 12-2 ATS this season when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. They've shot the ball very well in the NIT and have averaged 83.3 points on 54% shooting from the field. Also, Western Kentucky has allowed 38.9% or less from the field in 4 of their last 5 games. Utah is on a long-term 4-8 ATS run in tournament semi-final games and, in recent seasons the Utes have compiled a 6-10 ATS run in games played on a neutral court. 10* WESTERN KENTUCKY

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #742 Monday 10* Top Play San Francisco Dons (-) vs North Texas Mean Green @ 10 ET - Both teams faced a relatively easy path to reach this Championship Series of the CBI. However, don't be fooled by all the big points that North Texas has been putting up. They're facing a much tougher defensive test here. San Francisco played the tougher strength of schedule as their conference includes quality teams like San Diego and BYU and very strong teams like St Mary's and Gonzaga. I feel these tests during the season will help the Dons in terms of being ready to take down the Mean Green here. At home, San Francisco went 15-6 SU this season and that makes me very comfortable laying the short number here with the Dons. The Mean Green went just 6-11 SU in games away from home this season. 11 of their 17 losses this season came by 5 points or more. Also, long-term North Texas is 8-33 SU in road games and an incredibly poor 9-40 SU versus teams with a winning record. Look for the Dons to defend home court in Game 1 of this best of 3 series. 10* SAN FRANCISCO

Divisional Game of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Game #713 Sunday 10* Top Play Portland Trail Blazers (+) @ Oklahoma City Thunder @ 7:05 ET - Portland is off of rare back to back losses at home. The Trail Blazers had been one of the hottest teams in the league and I look for them to bounce right back here. Portland is a PERFECT 5-0 SU their L5 games away from home. Overall, in their last 18 games, the Trail Blazers have lost ATS only 3 times! In their match-ups with the Thunder this season they are a PERFECT 3-0 SU and ATS. Oklahoma City enters this game quite hot also but if you look closely at what they've done, the Thunder just don't win against playoff level teams very often at all. A big part of the reason they've been on a hot streak is because of facing a weak schedule. Most all of their wins have come against teams that wouldn't be in the playoffs if the season ended today. In fact, the Thunder are just 4-8 SU their last 12 games against teams that are currently in a playoff position or just one game out (Denver). The point is that Oklahoma City has struggled when facing better teams and they're certainly facing one of those today. It is also noteworthy that the Thunder are just 9-21 ATS when playing with revenge this season and also an ugly 2-12 ATS in divisional games. Look for the Blazers to win outright for the 6th time in their last 6 road games and for the 4th time in their last 4 meetings with OKC. Grab the points but you shouldn't need them. 10* PORTLAND 

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #719 Sunday 8* Villanova Wildcats (-) vs Texas Tech Red Raiders @ 2:20 ET - The Red Raiders deserve credit for getting here no doubt but this is where it ends. Texas Tech was on an 0-8 ATS run before back to back ATS wins versus Florida and Purdue. That said, I am not sold on this team taking down a Wildcats team that is very hungry. After winning it all in 2016, Villanova was upset in the 2nd round by Wisconsin last year. They haven't stopped working toward their goal ever since and the way they rallied against a quality West Virginia team whose defense can be very tough to beat says a lot about this team. Keep in mind, that Mountaineers team beat this same Red Raiders team twice in the past month. Now is the time to fade Texas Tech as they are a bit over-rated and Villanova's 33 wins have only included 2 by less than 7 points. When the Cats win, they win by a solid margin more often than not and we're getting good line value with a small number here. Texas Tech is 1-9 SU and ATS versus Big East opponents long-term. The Wildcats are 10-1 SU and 9-2 ATS in NCAA Tournament games and get the cash again here. 8* VILLANOVA

Philly Special - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Saturday 8* Minnesota Timberwolves (+) @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 6:05 ET - Many are looking at the Sixers here since this is a back to back spot for the Timberwolves. However, Philly has been playing quite a few weak teams leading into this match-up and I expect the 76ers to struggle with a solid Western Conference foe here. Keep in mind, Minnesota is playing this game with double revenge. They lost their last game at Philadelphia and also got upset at home by the Sixers earlier this season. The Timberwolves allowed some big runs versus the Knicks last night but they clearly were looking ahead to this game and they did hang on for the all important win. Keep in mind, the Wolves have games on deck with Memphis, Atlanta, and Dallas. In other words, out of the 5-game stretch that began at New York last night, Phlly was on the only quality team on the slate for Minny. As a result, bank on the Wolves bringing their "A game" tonight. The Timberwolves are 6-3 SU and ATS when playing with home loss revenge this season. A lot of points expected here and the 76ers are 6-14 SU in home games with a posted total of 220 or more. 8* MINNESOTA

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #518 Saturday 8* Liberty Flames (-) vs Central Michigan Chippewas @ 2 ET - Classic match-up of offense versus defense and, as a general in the post-season, defense wins. The Flames have allowed just 58.7 ppg on only 38.8% shooting from the field in their home games this season. The Chippewas have allowed 79.2 ppg on 47.0% shooting from the field on the road this season. Also, after the long layoff for both teams heading into this one, it will likely prove tough on the shooters in terms of having their usual "in-season" rhythm. With that said, this is another edge for Liberty since they're playing this game on their home floor. The Flames are a long-term 6-1 ATS when playing with 7 or more days of rest between games. Central Michigan is a long-term 4-13 SU (and 6-11 ATS) in road games with a posted total in a range of 140 to 144.5 points. 8* LIBERTY

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #872 Friday 10* Top Play Villanova Wildcats (-) vs West Virginia Mountaineers @ 7:25 ET - The Wildcats beat Alabama by 23 points despite hitting only 39.7% from the field. That certainly says a lot about just how good this Villanova team is. The Wildcats are 9-2 ATS in neutral court games this season and also 8-2 ATS in all NCAA Tournament games the past 3 tourneys combined. West Virginia has won and covered both their games so far in the tourney but they faced an Ohio Valley team and a Conference USA team. This is certainly a much stiffer challenge here and, keep in mind, the Mountaineers were only 9-9 SU their last 18 games prior to the Big Dance. As for Nova, they faced an SEC team Sunday and that is at least a tougher challenge than what West Virginia has faced so far. Also, the Mountaineers are 5-10 SU their last 15 as an underdog and 30 of the Wildcats 32 wins this season have come by a margin of 7 points or more. As you can, odds truly favoring a win for Nova by 7 or more and that gets us the cash here! We'll take it! 10* VILLANOVA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #878 Friday 8* Kansas Jayhawks (-) vs Clemson Tigers @ 7:05 ET - Yesterday when I used Michigan in their blowout win over Texas A & M my analysis mentioned how the Aggies had basically played the "perfect game" versus North Carolina in their prior game and how that tends to be followed by a team falling flat in their next game. That is exactly what happened and the Wolverines dominated them last night. I look for a similar result here. Clemson played their "perfect game" versus Auburn in a blowout win Sunday and I expect them to come crashing down to earth big-time in this one. The loss of forward Donte Grantham (ACL) is going to be felt here as the Jayhawks frontcourt holds a big edge in this one in my opinion. The Tigers have shot the ball very well so far in this tourney but they certainly face a much bigger test Friday and, keep in mind, Clemson had been held to 58 points or less in 4 of their 7 games prior the Big Dance. As for the Jayhawks, they've scored at least 74 points in 10 of their last 11 games. Before allowing Seton Hall to shoot 45.3% Sunday, Kansas had held 5 of their last 7 opponents to 42.9% or less from the field. The Jayhawks are 8-2 SU (7-3 ATS) last 10 NCAA Tourney games while the Tigers are a long-term 3-5 SU and ATS in the Big Dance. Also, Clemson is 0-4 ATS last 4 versus Big 12 opponents. 8* KANSAS

Early NBA TV Blowout - Rickenbach NBA Game #853 Friday 8* Denver Nuggets (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - The Nuggets are in a fight for a final playoff spot in the West. They also have revenge in this spot as they lost at home to the Wizards early this season. Denver has a poor season record on the road but they've actually won 5 of their last 9 road games and one of those losses was that tough recent multiple-OT loss at Miami. In other words, the Nuggets are a much better road team now than they were earlier this season. The Wizards have covered only 12 of their 35 home games this season. Also, Washington has lost 6 of their last 10 games overall and 4 of those 6 losses have come on their home floor. Look for the Nuggets to improve to 7-3 ATS this season when playing with home loss revenge. 8* DENVER

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #818 Thursday 10* Top Play Michigan Wolverines vs Texas A & M Aggies @ 7:35 ET - The Aggies played the perfect game versus North Carolina and now the public is so enamored with Texas A & M that the line on Michigan in this game is being driven down from as high as a -4 to where it is now seems headed for a -2. Sure the Aggies looked great but everything was falling in for them and coming up roses while the Tar Heels couldn't buy a bucket. It was just one of those nights but now everyone over-reacts and you know where the value is now. Keep in mind, the Aggies beat a Providence team in round one that is certainly a good team but not great. Now A & M faces a Michigan team that has won 11 straight games and has allowed less than 35% from the field so far in this tourney. The Wolverines had a very tough shooting effort in their tight win over Houston in the 2nd round but Michigan had previously shot 44% or better in 8 straight games! Keep in mind, the Aggies (prior to getting hot in the first two games of this tourney) were held under 39.4% from the field in 3 straight games. I am not sold on this Aggies team but the world is and that has created value that is truly off the charts here with a Wolverines team that was seeded #3 with good reason! Big value here. 10* MICHIGAN

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #801 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) @ Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - The 76ers are in a back to back spot here but they got up huge last night versus Memphis and were able to rest up for tonight's game at Orlando. Also, the Sixers first two back to backs this season have seen them win both and average 115 points per game. The Magic just don't have the offense to keep up here. Orlando has lost 7 of their last 8 games. The Magic were held to 88 points or less in 5 of those 7 defeats. To put that in proper perspective, Philly has been held to 88 points or less just once this entire season. In fact, the 76ers have scored 98 points or more in 12 straight games. That's why odds are high that another Philly victory by a double digit margin is on tap here. The Sixers have won both meetings with the Magic this season by double digits and the average margin of those games was 15 points. Another rout here. Orlando 4-10 SU and ATS versus Atlantic Division opponents this season. The 76ers are 10-4 SU and ATS versus Southeast Division opponents this season. Philly is 16-10 SU and 17-9 ATS this season when off of a non-conference game. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #761 Wednesday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (-) @ Chicago Bulls @ 8:05 ET - Yesterday this line was as high as double digits but as of early this morning it has settled in at -9 in most spots. Of course the majority are looking at this game and find it hard to justify laying this big of a spread on the road but, trust me, the odds makers knew what they were doing setting this line this high. This one has road rout written all over it. Denver is fighting for their playoff lives but off of back to back losses and that is why they will take out their frustration on a Bulls team that has nothing to play for at this point in the season. Also, helping our cause here is the fact that Chicago is quite banged up right now. Denver is 4-1 SU and ATS their last 5 meetings with the Bulls but only won by a single point in their non-covering win over the Bulls at home earlier this season. Chicago shot unusually well in that game and that won't happen again here. The Bulls have been held 45.1% or less from the field in 6 of their last 8 games. After the epic multiple-overtime loss at Miami Monday, Denver is fired up about responding huge here at Chicago. The Nuggets are a long-term 20-10 ATS after a game in which they allowed 130 points or more. The Bulls have lost 10 of their last 14 games and the Nuggets are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 wins. In other words, odds favor a big win and cover for the road fave in this one. 10* DENVER

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #765 Wednesday 10* Top Play Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (+) @ Oklahoma State Cowboys @ 8 ET - Even though the Cowboys had a shot at the cover versus Stanford Wednesday, they certainly were fortunate to even have that end-game opportunity as they were unimpressive again. For the 4th straight game Oklahoma State was held under 41% from the field. I look for the cold shooting to catch up with them here because Western Kentucky comes into this game red hot. The Hilltoppers have shot better than 53.5% in each of their two games in this tournament and it is not like they played push-overs. Western Kentucky faced Boston College and USC. Also, prior to allowing 46.8% from the field against the Trojans, the Hilltoppers had held each of their 3 prior opponents to 38.5% or less from the field. Western Kentucky allowed just 59.3 points per game in those 3 contests. The Hilltoppers are 6-1 ATS as an underdog this season and also are 6-2 SU and 7-1 ATS in all tournament games this season. The Cowboys are 2-9 ATS this season in games with a posted total in the 140s. Also, Oklahoma State has gone 0-3 ATS this season when playing with 1 day or less of rest between games. 10* WESTERN KENTUCKY 

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #665 Tuesday 10* Top Play Penn State Nittany Lions (+) @ Marquette Golden Eagles @ 7 ET - Yes Marquette has home court edge but there is a reason they opened at nearly a pick'em in this game. Now that the line is all the way up to a 2.5 as of early gameday morning it is "go time" with this one. The big edge the Nittany Lions have here is on the defensive end. Additionally, Penn State is loaded with confidence because they've notched a number of significant victories away from home this season. PSU just got a big win at Notre Dame here in the NIT and, previous to this, the Nittany Lions defeated Ohio State 3 times this season (including on a neutral floor and in Columbus) and they also lost at Purdue by just 3 points! Penn State has proven multiple times that they can raise their level away from home against top quality competition. The Golden Eagles shoot the 3-ball well but so too do the Nittany Lions. The key is on the defensive end where Penn State has allowed less than 30.9% from beyond the arc in 4 of their last 6 games. By comparison, Marquette has given up 35% or more from three point land in 8 of their last 11 games! On the season the Golden Eagles are allowing a dozen points more per game than PSU is. The Nittany Lions are 10-4 ATS in tournament games and 7-2 ATS their last 9 games versus teams that averaged 77 points or more per game. Marquette is 6-12 ATS this season after allowing 80 points or more in their prior game. 10* PENN STATE

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #618 Monday 10* Top Play Oklahoma State Cowboys (-) vs Stanford Cardinal @ 7 ET - This is a #2 vs #3 match-up in the NIT and the line may seem high given the small difference in seeding between these teams. However, don't be fooled, the Cowboys should absolutely win this game by double digits. Oklahoma State shot very poorly versus Florida Gulf Coast in the opening round but still won that game by double digits. Given that the Cowboys are again at home and off of a rare poor shooting performance, I expect a big game from Oklahoma State on the offensive end. As for the other end of the floor, the Cowboys have been playing much better than the Cardinal. OSU has held 6 of their last 7 opponents to 41.7% or less from the field. Stanford, on the other hand, has allowed 44.7% or more in 5 of their last 6 games. The Cardinal have allowed 83 points or more in 4 of their last 6 games. The Cowboys have given up 68 points or less in 4 of their last 6 games. Oklahoma State has covered 6 of their last 7 games. Stanford is 2-4 ATS in their last 6 true road games. The Cardinal are 3-11 ATS their last 14 non-conference games. The Cowboys are 9-5 ATS this season in games with a posted total in the 150s and they get the job done again here. 10* OKLAHOMA STATE

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #719 Sunday 10* Top Play Florida State Seminoles (+) vs Xavier Musketeers @ 8:40 ET - Here we go again. The odds makers, in the eyes of the public and therefore the betting markets, don't know what they're doing. After all, why would they make #1 seed Xavier only a 4 point favorite over the #9 seed Florida State? Guys I have said it many times before and I'll say it again. The odds makers are sharp. They know what they're doing. That doesn't mean that a method like this works all the time (because crazy things do happen in games from time to time as we all know) but the point is that this method does work quite often. That method is being contrarian and, of course, everyone has pounded on the #1 seed Musketeers here and driven this line all the way up to a 6 as of gameday morning. I'll gladly grab the other side and take the generous points. The Seminoles have more than enough to make up for the potential absence of Terance Mann and played Friday's game looking like the team they were early this season. Remember the Noles were 12-2 in early January after a win over North Carolina. This is a talented team that is very dangerous when they raise their game to another level and they proved that to be true again with their dominating effort versus Missouri in round one. Xavier is just 1-3 ATS in neutral court games this season and FSU is a long-term 6-1 ATS as a neutral court dog of 3.5 to 6 points AND all 6 of those wins were OUTRIGHT wins! Another potential upset here but at least a cover the way I handicap this one! 10* FLORIDA STATE

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #710 Sunday 8* North Carolina Tar Heels (-) vs Texas A & M Aggies @ 5:15 ET - The Aggies shot the ball surprisingly well and still barely covered versus Providence in their round one win. I am not sold on Texas A & M just yet. Keep in mind they had been held under 39.4% from the field in each of their 3 games prior to the win over the Friars. Also, the Aggies had been held to 30% or less from 3-point land in 5 of their 7 prior games. Now Texas A & M faces a Tar Heels team that averages 82 points per game and is shooting 36.6% from beyond the arc on the season. UNC didn't cover against Lipscomb in the opening round but of course they didn't care, that was just a "win and move on" game and they were looking ahead to this tougher game that would be against Providence or the Aggies. Enter Texas A & M and North Carolina will be ready. They're playing their best basketball of the season and have won 10 of their last 13 games. The Heels non-cover versus Lipscomb was just their 4th ATS loss in those 13 games. Aggies 10-16 ATS as an underdog. UNC 18-3 SU and 15-6 ATS in March games. This is the time of year when the Tar Heels kick things up a notch and I really like them to make a run in this year's post-season as their entire starting five is made up of upperclassmen. 8* NORTH CAROLINA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #713 Sunday 8* Butler Bulldogs (+) vs Purdue Boilermakers @ 12:10 ET - The Bulldogs lost by 15 to Purdue in mid-December despite a huge edge in offensive rebounds and despite having 18 more field goal attempts. Butler is a long-term 26-9 ATS in NCAA Tournament games and that includes 5-1 ATS in recent seasons. Purdue is 5-12 ATS in games with a posted total in the 140s this season. Don't you find it interesting that the #2 seed Boilermakers opened as only a 3.5 point favorite over a #10 seed Bulldogs team? Precisely! You know where I am going with this. It is the type of contrarian play I love. The masses will be lining up on the small favorite and I am grabbing the points! 8* BUTLER

NCAA 2nd Round Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Game #533 Saturday 10* Top Play Florida Gators (+) vs Texas Tech Red Raiders @ 8:40 ET - The Gators had some slip-ups this season but when they come to play they can play with anybody. That said, their performance against St Bonaventure in Round 1 showed me they're ready to go here in the Big Dance. Keep in mind, Florida beat Cincinnati, Kentucky, and Texas A & M in the regular season plus also beat Gonzaga by 6 and lost to Duke by just 3 points! Texas Tech's 10 point win over Stephen F Austin is the perfect example of a deceiving final score as the Lumberjacks were really in that game most of the way against the Red Raiders. It was the 8th straight Texas Tech game where the Red Raiders did not cover and I expect this one to make it 9 in a row. Keep in mind, TT entered that game on a 2-5 SU run and that included losses to West Virginia twice and Kansas as well. The point is that the Red Raiders have had trouble against the top teams in the nation and they're in trouble again here in my opinion. Texas Tech is on a 5-13 ATS run against teams with a winning record! The Gators are a long-term 9-4 SU and 10-3 ATS versus Big 12 opponents and also an overall 12-4 ATS in games on a neutral court with a line between pick'em and +3. They get the job done again here! 10* FLORIDA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #527 Saturday 10* Top Play Seton Hall Pirates (+) vs Kansas Jayhawks @ 7:10 ET - The #1 seed Jayhawks are laying a very small number against the #8 seed Pirates. Of course you know what that means for a contrarian guy like me. When something looks "off" or "too easy" you know where I'll be more often than not...on the other side! Many will be lining up to lay a very small number with a top-seeded Kansas team but I believe the odds makers were very sharp in the way they set this line because Seton Hall is built well for an upset here. If the Pirates do fall short look for it to be by just a single possession (3 points or less). Seton Hall is loaded with upper classmen, is solid both in the frontcourt and backcourt, and they are hungry after first round exits from the tourney each of the past two seasons. Now, after getting past NC State in the first game, look for the Pirates to make some noise in this tourney. The Jayhawks have been hot but Seton Hall is on a 6-0 ATS run. Also, Kansas only got 4 points from their bench in the win over Penn Thursday. The Quakers hung around with the Jayhawks until midway through the 2nd half. The Pirates can do more than just "hang around" here and the thin bench of Kansas could do them in here especially with 7-footer Udoka Azubuike still dealing with a knee injury for the Jayhawks. The Pirates are a long-term 26-11 ATS as an underdog and Kansas is 0-3 ATS the last 3 times they've held an opponent to 66 points or less. They held Pennsylvania to 60 points Thursday. 10* SETON HALL

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #538 Saturday 8* Kentucky Wildcats (-) vs Buffalo Bulls @ 5:15 ET - With all due respect to the Bulls for a strong season and an upset win over Arizona Thursday, this is not the MAC! Yes, I know they just beat a Pac-12 team and certainly deserve credit for that but they shot lights out while Arizona made only 11% of their three pointers in that game! Now Buffalo faces an SEC school known for being a basketball powerhouse. I know it has been a "down season" by Wildcats standards but Kentucky is now playing their best basketball of the season. UK has won 8 of their last 9 games both SU and ATS and they're ready to make a run here in the Big Dance. Look for Buffalo to drop to 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS in games versus SEC opponents. As for the Wildcats, they are peaking at the right time and are 15-2 SU (and 13-4 ATS) in tournament games. 8* KENTUCKY

NCAA 1st Round Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Game #875 Friday 10* Top Play Syracuse Orange (+) vs TCU Horned Frogs @ 9:40 ET - TCU started the season 12-0 and then wrapped up the season going 9-11. The Horned Frogs numbers on offense are impressive but they leave a lot to be desired on the defensive end. Facing Syracuse is going to be a problem as the Orange play a unique style that is tough to prepare for when you're not use to seeing it. This games has a low total posted on it because the odds makers are expecting Syracuse to dictate the tempo. That said, it is certainly noteworthy that TCU is an ugly 4-7 SU in neutral court games with a posted total in the 135 to 139.5 range. Also, as a neutral court favorite of 3.5 to 6 points, the Horned Frogs have gone 2-6 ATS and all 6 of those losses were upset defeats which is what I am expecting here. It actually helps that the Orange had the play-in game on Wednesday and they certainly impressed in their ability to slow down a high-powered Arizona State offense. Syracuse should do the same thing to TCU here. The Orange will take advantage of a Horned Frogs team that will struggle with its shooting after the long layoff. Syracuse is 11-2 ATS (including 4-0 ATS in recent seasons) when they are a neutral court dog of 3.5 to 6 points. TCU went 1-4 SU this season when held to 68 points or less in a game and the Orange allowed 68 points or less in 22 of their 34 games this season. 10* SYRACUSE

Philly Special - Rickenbach NBA Game #804 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:05 ET - Though this is a back to back spot for Philadelphia, there is no shortage of motivation here and clearly the 76ers are the better team of course. This is the first time that the Sixers are hosting the Nets since Brooklyn thoroughly embarrassed them in a 141-118 loss last April. Philly owes it to their home fans to get payback for that one here and, of course, the Sixers need every win they can get right now as they battle for playoff positioning. The line on this one opened up at 11.5 but is all the way down to an 8.5 as of early Friday morning. Of course that has added to the value here and the Sixers are 20-10 ATS at home this season and 8-3 ATS their last 11 games versus teams that allow 106 points or more per game. Brooklyn is 1-11 SU (and 4-8 ATS) in divisional games this season and the 76ers avenge last season's embarrassing home loss and, though this is a back to back spot, they still crush the Nets. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #865 Friday 10* Top Play Kansas State Wildcats (+) vs Creighton Bluejays @ 6:50 ET - Creighton's overall numbers on the season look impressive but they rely heavily on outside shooting and that has not traveled well for them this season. The Bluejays are strong at home but on the road they've knocked down a more modest 34.8% of their threes while allowing 39.1% three-point shooting to their opponents. Creighton averages 77.2 ppg on the road while allowing 82.3 ppg away from home! While most all teams have a home/road dichotomy the Bluejays is at the far end of the spectrum and I will take advantage by backing Kansas State here. The Wildcats were no match for Kansas in the Big 12 tournament but, prior to that, the Cats had held 7 of their last 9 opponents to 67 points or less. That holds significance here as the Bluejays (prior to a tight loss in the Big East tournament) had allowed 83 points or more in 4 of their last 5 games. Creighton is 2-8 ATS their last 10 lined games. The Wildcats were 5-3 ATS their last 8 games away from home prior to the ugly loss to the Jayhawks. The Cats are 4-0 SU the last 4 times they've played with 5 or 6 days of rest between games while the Bluejays are just 2-2 SU as their shooting tends to go cold after a layoff. Also, Creighton is on an ugly 3-9 ATS run versus teams with a winning record. Going contrarian here. Give me the lower seed! 10* KANSAS STATE

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #887 Thursday 8* Murray State Racers (+) vs West Virginia Mountaineers @ 4 ET - Plenty of veteran leadership in the form of upperclassmen on this Murray State team. Yes they come from the Ohio Valley Conference but these guys can play and they are loaded with confidence right now. That makes for a dangerous combination for West Virginia to contend with here. Sure, the Mountaineers played the tougher schedule on the season but the Racers enter this game having won 13 games in a row. Murray State has covered 4 games in a row and only 1 of their 5 losses this season came by more than 5 points. Keep in mind, West Virginia is only 9-9 SU since starting the season 15-1. The Mountaineers have allowed 50% from the field in their last 4 games. The Racers have only allowed about 40% from the field in their last 10 games! Murray State went 3-1 SU and ATS versus teams that average 77 points or more per game this season. West Virginia went 3-7 ATS this season versus teams that average 77 points or more per game. This could be one of the upsets many have been looking for and if the Racers do fall short I still expect it to be a game in which they keep it within single digits. 8* MURRAY STATE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #867 Friday 8* Providence Friars (+) vs Texas A & M Aggies @ 12:15 ET - Friars 32-18 ATS L50 as an underdog. Providence covered 10 of last 15 games versus teams with a winning record. Overall, Friars covered 5 of last 6 games and the lone ATS loss narrowly missed covering. Providence has been playing very well on the defensive end. Aggies enter this game on just a 3-4 SU (and 2-5 ATS run!) and are over-rated in my opinion. After yesterday was nearly devoid of upsets, you're going to see a few more today on Friday and though this is only a "mild one" (10 seed over a 7 seed) it is an upset I am expecting. Grab the points just in case but Texas A & M likely to struggle again here. Aggies only 2-7 ATS (and 2-7 SU!) when off of a loss in conference action and Friars have played the tougher competition in recent games which has them battle-ready here! 8* PROVIDENCE

Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #722 Thursday 10* Top Play Virginia Tech Hokies (-) vs Alabama Crimson Tide @ 9:20 ET - Time and time again when Alabama faced a big game it seems they tensed up and could not make shots. The Crimson Tide shooting performance to close out the season was abysmal and I don't foresee any reason that should change here as Bama faces the pressure of a "win or go home" situation. The Tide were held under 38% from the field in 3 of their last 5 games. Alabama averaged just 60.3 points per game in those 3 games. The Hokies certainly haven't been lighting up the scoreboard of late but they faced a slew of tough opponents and Virginia Tech at least shot 44% or better until they were held to 42% in their loss to Notre Dame in the ACC Tournament. The Hokies have wins over Duke, North Carolina, and Virginia this season. They have proven they can beat the best teams in the nation and I think they step up here and crush Alabama. The Crimson Tide have lost 6 of their last 8 games and Donta Hall is listed as questionable here. Hall leads the team in rebounds and blocked shots and is 2nd in scoring. Alabama is 0-4 ATS this season after allowing 80 points or more in their prior game. The Hokies are 14-5 ATS in first round tournament games and also went 7-2 ATS this season in non-conference games. Compared to the Crimson Tide, the Hokies are the much better shooting team including from three point land. 10* VIRGINIA TECH

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #732 Thursday 10* Top Play Houston Cougars (-) vs San Diego State Aztecs @ 7:20 ET - On the surface, it would seem logical to grab the points with the team that has won 9 straight games and gone 8-1 ATS in the process. Of course, defying logic is a big part of being a contrarian and the fact is that the Aztecs are going to have their hands full with a Cougars team that is also playing their best basketball of the season. Houston, prior to losing by a single point to a quality Cincinnati team in their conference tournament, had won 10 of their 11 previous games. Both these teams play solid defense but the Cougars numbers are even better and, again, they face a tougher schedule than San Diego State does. Also, Houston is the much better shooting team from three point land in comparison with the Aztecs. San Diego State is a long-term 7-11 ATS (and 6-12 SU) as an underdog and only 3 of Houston's 27 wins this season came by less than 4 points. Only 2 of San Diego State's 10 losses came by less than 4 points. The Cougars are 5-1 ATS when off of a game where they were held under 60 points and they are also a perfect 4-0 ATS this season when off of a loss to a conference foe. 10* HOUSTON

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #735 Thursday 8* Loyola (IL) Ramblers vs Miami (FL) Hurricanes @ 3:10 ET - Miami played the much tougher schedule but this Loyola team is a very strong one on both ends of the floor. The concern for the Hurricanes is not only that they went just 4-4 SU in their last 8 games (Ramblers lost only 5 games all season), but it is also the fact that the Canes allowed 52.8% or higher from the field in 3 of the 4 wins! A lack of defense kills a team come tournament time and I like the way Loyola has played on that end of the floor. The Ramblers enter this game on a 10-game winning streak and have won 17 of their last 18. The lone loss came by just 2 points. By the way, the Hurricanes recent wins in their unimpressive 4-4 SU run their last 8 games have come by an average margin of just 2 points per game. That is why there is certainly some additional value by having the points in this one even though they're small. The Ramblers have allowed an average of just 54 points per game their last 5 games! Loyola is 15-1 SU their last 16 games against teams with a winning record. Miami is 4-10 ATS their last 14 games against teams with a winning record. This has the makings of an upset (11 seed over 6 seed) and that is why this line is where it is! Grab the small dog in this one! 8* LOYOLA (IL)

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #723 Thursday 8* Oklahoma Sooners (+) vs Rhode Island Rams @ 12:15 ET - The Rams have the better record by far, they are the higher seed, and this line is an enticing to the markets to take Rhode Island and lay the small number. Of course you know what that means where there appears to be an enticement on the board. It means it usually doesn't pan out and it certainly is something that bears digging deeper into. In this case, a huge key is that Oklahoma played a much tougher schedule than the Rams did. The strength of schedule edge that the Sooners had this season will serve them well in crunch time in this game. Though I don't expect it to last throughout the tournament, I do expect freshman phenom Trae Young to have a huge game here. Oklahoma is 9-3 SU in their last 12 March games and they went 10-2 SU in non-conference games this season. Though the Rams have the better defensive stats by far, Rhode Island is actually 2-5 ATS when facing a team that allows 77 points or more per game. Also, the Rams are 6-11 ATS when off of a loss in conference action. 8* OKLAHOMA

Philly Special - Rickenbach CBB Game #617 Wednesday 10* Top Play Temple Owls (+) @ Penn State Nittany Lions @ 8 ET - Yes the Nittany Lions are home and yes they won 20 games this season. However, Penn State displayed awful shooting in the Big Ten Tournament. The Nittany Lions averaged 36% from the field in their 3 Big Ten Tourney games. Now PSU hosts a Temple team that relishes the role of underdog and that shot very well in their conference tournament. The Owls shot 48% from the field and that included a match-up with Wichita State! Temple comes into this game with plenty of confidence after the way they battled with the Shockers and 6 of their last 10 losses have come by 8 points or less. On the season the majority of their losses were by 8 points or less and I love the big dog value we're being offered here in a game for Pennsylvania pride. As a road dog of 9.5 to 12 points Temple is 3-1 ATS and all 3 victories were SU upset wins! Also, the Owls are 11-3 ATS in tournament games the last 3 seasons combined. Yes PSU is definitely improved and they are at home here. But still are they truly 10 points better in this situation? I don't believe so. They've won only half of their last 4 home meetings with Temple. The Owls have won the other 6 meetings. So the point is that the Nittany Lions are only 2-8 SU their last 10 games versus Temple and I know that Penn State is improved and the Owls are down a little overall this season. But when you look at the way these teams shot in the conference tourneys too and how that is likely to carry over here, the road dog has some big scoring runs in them here. 10* TEMPLE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #610 Wednesday 8* Texas Southern Tigers (-) vs North Carolina Central Eagles @ 6:40 ET - After starting the season 0-13, the Tigers finished up the campaign going 15-6 their last 21 games. Of course Texas Southern had a brutal non-conference schedule filled with road games against top quality programs. I believe this will serve the Tigers well here and their strength of schedule was much tougher than that of North Carolina Central. Have to give the Eagles credit for getting here of course but they did get a rather favorable string of match-ups through their conference tourney with the only truly tough opponent coming in the Championship Game when they got by Hampton. Keep in mind, prior to their conference tourney, in their last 5 road games of the regular season, NC Central went 0-5 SU and ATS in road games. Of course this is a neutral site game but the point is that the Eagles couldn't do anything away from home and they'll have their hands full with taking a big step up in class (don't be fooled by Texas Southern's overall season record) and the Tigers should roll in this one. 8* TEXAS SOUTHERN

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #547 Tuesday 10* Top Play Louisville Cardinals (-) vs Northern Kentucky Norse @ 7 ET - Big line move toward Northern Kentucky here based on the fact that Louisville certainly had higher hopes than the NIT and, of course, the Norse would love nothing more than to knock off a big in-state school. However, even if Northern Kentucky is up at the half here I would foresee Louisville crushing them in the 2nd half. The Cardinals can approach the NIT two different ways. Make a run at winning the whole thing or just lay down because they're disappointed about not being in the Big Dance. I am confident that the former not the latter will be the case and, once again, even if down at the half, these guys would wake up at halftime and crush the Norse in the 2nd half. They don't want to lose to a much smaller in-state foe. Of course the Cardinals have played a much tougher schedule than the Norse. Also, the Cards have the home court edge here. As a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points, Louisville has gone 8-1 SU and they only failed to cover twice in those 9 games! Before getting knocked out of the ACC Tourney in a game in which Virginia started on fire and the Cardinals hit a bad stretch of shooting in the first half, the Cards had gone 13-6 ATS in their 19 prior games. They bounce right back here. 10* LOUISVILLE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #543 Tuesday 8* LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds vs Radford Highlanders @ 6:40 ET - Big move toward Radford in this one and I understand based on their defensive numbers on the season. The Highlanders also played a slightly tougher schedule than LIU Brooklyn. However, the key to the value with the Blackbirds here is they have a veteran backcourt that is not going to be rattled by Radford's style of defense. In fact, I like Brooklyn's chances of breaking down the defense and getting some easy buckets in transition. The Blackbirds are loaded with confidence now after finishing the regular season strong and then making a big run through the conference tourney. LIU Brooklyn has won 5 straight games and they are shooting the ball very well. The Blackbirds have held 3 of their last 5 opponents under 35% from the field! Radford has not been shooting the ball well at all as they've been held to 36.2% or less from the field in 3 straight games. On the other end of the floor the Highlanders have allowed 39.5% or more in 5 of their last 6 games. The Blackbirds are 6-2 ATS (and SU!) their last 8 games as an underdog and are relishing that role again here! Radford is a long-term 4-12 ATS as a favorite and I love fading the masses here as the Highlanders are getting plenty of attention. Grab the generous points! 8* LIU BROOKLYN

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #505 Monday 10* Top Play San Antonio Spurs (+) @ Houston Rockets @ 8:05 ET - The Spurs have been left for dead by many but they are still battling for their playoff lives and received some encouraging news about the impending return of Kawhi Leonard. That said, even though Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge are out for this game, San Antonio is going to put up a fight at Houston. The Spurs knocked the Rockets out of the playoffs last year but, of course, this season is entirely different and the fact is that Houston has already gotten revenge (twice) on SA during this season. That has the Spurs actually as arguably the more motivated team here and they will put up a helluva fight. San Antonio certainly has been in a slump but only 2 of their last 17 losses have come by more than a dozen points. With the Rockets James Harden wanting to take care of his ailing knee, I see Houston being careful not to over-exert themselves in this back to back spot. After blasting the Mavericks at Dallas last night, that led to extra value here. 15 of the Rockets last 22 wins, prior to crushing the Mavs, had come by a dozen points or less. The Spurs are 8-4 ATS (and SU!) this season when off of a loss by a double digit margin. The Rockets are a long-term 2-4 ATS (and SU!) when off of a game where they allowed 85 points or less. 10* SAN ANTONIO

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #513 Monday 8* North Carolina AT & T Aggies @ Liberty Flames @ 6 ET - I know that Liberty has the home court edge and that the play a tougher schedule than North Carolina AT & T does. However, the Flames missed out on a chance to go to the Big Dance because of a last second deep three-pointer at Radford in the conference tourney championship. That type of loss is very difficult to get over as Liberty had visions of the NCAA Tourney dancing in their heads before that gut-wrenching last second shot. I feel this opens up the door for the scrappy Aggies to make a good push early on in this game. That said, even if the Flames are able to recover and get the win I feel they'll struggle to win this by more than single digits. NC AT & T comes into this game having shot very well and averaging 78 points per game in their last two games. On the season they do average 75.6 points per game and Liberty is averaging just 71.2 points per game. Certainly the Flames are the better team defensively but I doubt they're going to be on top of their game after that disappointing loss at Radford. Keep in mind that Liberty had gone on a 5-8 SU run from mid-January through late February and they are simply over-priced here given the situation. 8* NORTH CAROLINA AT & T 

Philly Special - Rickenbach NBA Game #815 Sunday 8* Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - Revenge game for the Sixers as they lost their only other game with the Nets this season in Brooklyn back on January 31st. Philly was an 8 point favorite for that one but lost the game by 8. Now, even though this situation is a much better one for the 76ers and even though they have revenge, they are only favored by a half-dozen in the rematch. I won't hesitate to lay the points here. The Sixers are off of a rare loss while Brooklyn is off of a rare win. Philly is likely to bounce back as, dating all the way back to Christmas, they have only had a losing streak of more than 1 game twice. The 76ers are 9-2 ATS the last 11 times when off of a loss. As for Brooklyn, they have only managed back to back wins 4 times this entire season! The Nets have allowed 118.6 points per game their last 5 games. The 76ers have allowed 107.2 points per game their last 5 games. Of course this is a difference of 11.4 points and I do expect the Sixers to take this game by double digits. When, in the 2nd half of a season, Philly faces a team that is averaging 106 points or more per game on the season, the Sixers have gone an incredible 25-5 ATS. Also, when entering a game off of 3 or more road games, Philly has gone 8-2 ATS this season. When, in the 2nd half of a season, Brooklyn faces a team that is averaging 106 points or more per game on the season, the Nets have gone an awful 5-24 SU. That certainly holds significance here because when the 76ers win they cover - 32-3 ATS in their 35 SU wins this season! 8* PHILADELPHIA 

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #827 Sunday 10* Top Play Houston Cougars (+) vs Cincinnati Bearcats @ 3:30 ET - Of course it goes without saying that the Wichita State team that Houston beat yesterday is certainly a much stronger team than the Memphis team that Cincinnati knocked off. The key to the value here is that the Bearcats expended a lot of energy in the 2nd half to beat the Tigers after a dismal first half effort that was truly inexcusable. For Cincinnati to have a first half like that in a semi-final game truly says a lot about whether or not the Bearcats can be trusted and the answer right now is a no. After back to back non-covering wins for Cincy, they are now 3-5 ATS in their last 8 games and, though they have revenge here they were held to 39% in their last meeting with the Cougars and they have not been shooting well recently either. After yesterday's performance, the Bearcats have been held to 41% from the field in their last 3 games combined. Houston has been at the other end of the spectrum. After scoring 77 against Wichita State yesterday, the Cougars have scored 77 points or more in 6 of their last 7 games. Houston is on a 7-2 ATS run and they've shot 40% or better from three point land in both meetings with the Bearcats this season. The Cougars are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games against teams with a winning record and I'll grab the points here as they are 4-2 ATS (and SU!) this season as an underdog. Upset potential certainly looms here! 10* HOUSTON

Philly Special - Rickenbach CBB Game #519 Saturday 8* St Joseph's Hawks (+) vs Rhode Island Rams @ 1 ET - The Rams actually were losing outright to VCU yesterday with about 5 minutes to go but rallied for the 9 point win. As for the Hawks, they dominated George Mason yesterday by holding their shooting under 30% overall from the field. St Joseph's has now held each of their last 3 opponents under 37% from the field and that included a big win at Rhode Island a week and a half ago. Of course the Rams are looking to avenge that loss here but the Hawks also certainly weren't happy about getting swept by Rhode Island in last year's series and are looking to return the favor this season by delivering an upset here in conference tourney action. St Joseph's is 9-5 ATS as an underdog this season and the Hawks are also a long-term 7-2 ATS in tournament semi-final games. The Rams didn't cover yesterday's game unless you played them very late in the 30 minutes are so leading up to tip-off. I played against them with VCU and the Rams were +10 and held in the +9.5 range for much of the morning. The point is that Rhode Island failed to cover yesterday for the 5th time in their last 6 games (1-5 ATS run) and I am going to go against them again right here as the Hawks stay hot! The ATS runs above combine for a 21-8 run! 8* St Joseph's 

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #549 Saturday 8* UMBC Retrievers (+) @ Vermont Catamounts @ 11 AM ET - Of course the Catamounts have all the history on their side in their match-up with the Retrievers and they also have the home court edge here. However, UMBC lost badly in both games with Vermont in the regular season and that has led to line value here. The Retrievers lost the two games by an average margin of 21.5 points even though they actually took a combined 5 more shots from the field in the 2 games. The point is that, just with hitting some more shots, the end results would have been much different and UMBC comes into this game as hot as they've been all season. They've won 10 of their last 12 games SU and covered both of their tourney games. Of course the Catamounts are also hot, as usual, as they've won 5 straight but they are just 1-1 ATS in tournament action and this will be, by far, their toughest match-up yet. I like the fact that the Retrievers are a long-term 8-2 ATS in tournament action while Vermont is a long-term 4-9 ATS in their games against teams with a winning record. This will be a much closer game than many are expecting. 8* UMBC

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #858 Friday 10* Top Play Xavier Musketeers (-) vs Providence Friars @ 6:30 ET - The Friars are off of a hard-fought OT win over Creighton while Xavier blew right past St John's. That sets up the Musketeers well for pushing the pace and blowing right past Providence here. Xavier now on a 15-5 ATS run in neutral court games. 4 of the last 5 wins for the red hot Musketeers have come by a double digit margin. 10 of Providence's 12 losses this season have been by 9 points or more so, when they lose, they tend to lose big and of course I am not expecting a Friars upset here. In other words, this one has blowout written all over it. Providence is 0-4 ATS in a neutral court game with a posted total between 150 and 154.5 points. Each of the last 5 meetings between these teams has been decided by 9 or more points and I expect another one here. 10* XAVIER

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #829 Friday 8* Virginia Commonwealth Rams (+) vs Rhode Island Rams @ Noon ET - VCU lost the regular season match-up and failed to cover with a big key being the fact they got dominated on the glass. However, when you look at how these two teams rebounded during the season that edge doesn't make sense at all. In other words, don't look for a repeat of that here. Also, Virginia Commonwealth has triple revenge here including the fact they were knocked out of the conference tourney by Rhode Island last March after losing to them in February of last year as well. RI 5-11 ATS when off of a loss in conference action. VCU now 5-2 SU and ATS L7 conference tourney games. Payback time! 8* VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #653 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Miami Heat @ 7:35 ET - The Sixers are available at +1 in some spots as of early gameday morning but the bottom line is that this game is roughly a pick'em so I am going to talk about some SU stats here. The fact is that the 76ers are playing this game with revenge for a loss in Miami that should never have happened and they know it. Though all the games had been close this season, Philly let that one get away and they know it never should have happened. Had they not blown the big lead Sixers would be 3-0 against the Heat this season. Close games or not, the 76ers have had the upper hand through most of the playing time between these two teams this season and it is not "old news" either as all of their meetings were in February. With that said, the Sixers are offering great line value here because their loss at Miami is one of only 3 losses they've had in their last 13 games. As for the Heat, their numbers have been nowhere close to that as they've won only 5 of their last 15 games! Sixers 9-3 SU and ATS versus Southeast Division teams this season. Miami is 1-9 SU last 10 versus teams that average 106 points or more per game. Combined stat of 18-4 SU favoring the 76ers here! I'll take it! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #719 Thursday 10* Top Play San Diego State Aztecs (-) vs Fresno State Bulldogs @ Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, NV @ 5:30 ET - Not only is San Diego State playing this game with double revenge from the regular season, they also hold a huge edge because of a key injury for Fresno State. The Bulldogs recently lost senior guard Jaron Hopkins to injury. In the game he got hurt he had only played 12 minutes and Fresno State lost that game by double digits. In the games since, the Bulldogs scored only 54 points against Air Force and then they lost at New Mexico in OT. When Hopkins was rolling the Bulldogs were rolling - 5 straight wins and he averaged 17.6 points per game. Included in that stretch was a huge 20-point performance from him in the most recent win versus San Diego State. I look for his absence to make a huge difference in this rematch. The Aztecs come in red hot on a 6-0 SU and 5-1 ATS run and that continues here as Fresno State remains winless ATS since the Hopkins injury. 10* SAN DIEGO STATE

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #663 Thursday 8* Boston College Eagles (+) vs Clemson Tigers @ Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY @ 2:30 ET - At first glance this line might seem "off" to the casual observer as Clemson is ranked, well-rested, and went 22-8 this season and they're only laying 4 points to a Boston College team that was barely above .500 for the regular season and is now playing a 3rd game in 3 days. Don't be fooled though. The Eagles are now officially "in the zone" after they proved they could remain hot a 2nd straight day. Sometimes teams can get that first win but they don't really have the moxie to put together a run but this Eagles team is really starting to believe in themselves after wins over Georgia Tech and NC State in this tourney. Now, here is the biggest key of all though. The Tigers went 16-3 in the 19 games Donte Grantham played. Clemson is only 6-5 in the 11 games since he was lost for the season (ACL). Also, 2 of those wins came against Georgia Tech, 1 against Pittsburgh, and 1 against Wake Forest. Those are the 3 worst teams in the ACC. Yes, the Tigers got one big win (over NC) after Grantham got hurt but their other win was against Florida State which again showed their true disappointing selves in yesterday's loss to these Eagles. The point is that the Tigers (other than the win over the Tar Heels) really don't have a lot to show for their efforts since Grantham was lost for the season. His absence will loom large in today's game too with the way the upstart Eagles have been playing. Clemson 1-4 ATS last 5 games and I am grabbing the points but expecting the upset here! 8* BOSTON COLLEGE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #661 Thursday 8* Louisville Cardinals (+) @ Virginia Cavaliers @ Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY @ Noon ET - The Cardinals get their shot at revenge against the Cavaliers. Not only did Virginia win both games this season, they won the 2nd game in one of the craziest finishes of the season that resulted in a 1-point last second win at Louisville. The Cards enter this game on a 13-6 ATS run and, just as they showed again yesterday, they can get wicked hot with their outside shooting. That is a key to success against the Cavs stifling defense and the Cardinals were down only 5 in the final minutes of their loss at Virginia this season too. In summary, it was a rather tight road loss and a home defeat in the final second for the Cardinals and that is why I am grabbing the generous points being offered in this one on a neutral floor. 8* LOUISVILLE

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Game #568 Wednesday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (+) vs Toronto Raptors @ 8:05 ET - This is a very nice set up for the home dog to get the outright win which means certainly I love having the generous points being offered here. Toronto is in a back to back spot and off of a game they had no business covering last night. I know this all too well as I had Atlanta +13 last night. The Hawks were ahead OUTRIGHT at the end of each of the three quarters and then the fourth quarter so virtual insanity take place over the final 6+ minutes when Atlanta went from 3 down to losing by 16. In the books it looks like a blowout but of course it was anything but and is helping to give nice value here. When the Raptors are not in a back to back this season they have gone 41-13 SU. However, in the 2nd game of a B2B this season they are just 5-4 SU. You can see the huge variance there and the Pistons are seeking revenge for getting blown out by 29 at Toronto last week. Detroit is also hungry because they just ran into a buzzsaw in Cleveland when they faced the Cavaliers right after the Cavs had allowed 126 points in their prior game. Though the Pistons recent numbers don't look that great they have been on the road a lot. Now they're back home where they've won 7 of their last 10 games. Also, prior to the blowout defeat at Toronto, 3 of the 4 prior meetings between these teams had been decided by 5 or less points. Pistons payback here. 10* DETROIT

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #578 Wednesday 8* NC State Wolfpack (-) vs Boston College Eagles @ 2:30 ET - The Eagles got the early win yesterday over Georgia Tech but the Yellow Jackets got plenty of good looks at the basket and open shots. The problem for GT was just an inability to knock down shots and Boston College won't have that same luxury against a Wolfpack team that averages 81 points a game. NC State was particularly hot over the last 5 weeks of the season. In their 9 games since the calendar turned to February North Carolina State shot a combined 50% from the field. The Wolfpack are not great defensively but, keep in mind, the Eagles just don't have the offensive firepower to keep up with NC State and they're will be some tired legs after yesterday's game. BC just doesn't have much of a bench. Yesterday they only got a total of 22 minutes from the bench. That means the 5 starters averaged about 36 of the 40 minutes! The Wolfpack will run Boston College right out of the building in this one. 8* NC STATE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #505 Tuesday 8* Atlanta Hawks (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:05 ET - The Raptors have won all 3 meetings with the Hawks this season. Toronto truly not even worried about this game as a result. That, of course, is when dogs can be at their most dangerous and Atlanta has been scrappy on the road the past two months. They only have a 5-4 ATS record to show for it but note that the Hawks loss by 23 at Indiana in their most recent away game was the only road loss by more than 11 points that Atlanta has suffered in their past 9 games. The scrappy Hawks are getting 13 in this spot and the disinterested Raptors have what they view as a much tougher game (Pistons) on deck for tomorrow. Toronto is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games but only 1 of the 5 was a win by more than 13 points. Also, this is an odd stat to put a lot of weight into but yet it has been consistent and supports this play: Raptors 11-21 ATS in Tuesday games including 2-6 ATS this season. Atlanta is 14-8 ATS on Tuesdays in recent seasons including perfect 3-0 ATS this season. Hawks are also 10-6 ATS playing with home loss revenge this season. 8* ATLANTA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #521 Tuesday 10* Top Play Wake Forest Demon Deacons (+) vs Syracuse Orange @ 7 ET - This line has gone from a -3 to a -5 on Syracuse as the markets feel the odds makers have made some type of egregious error by having the 19-12 Orange as only a 3 point favorite over an 11-19 Demon Deacons team. It's never that easy guys and the odds makers knew what they were doing with this one. Wake Forest plays Syracuse tough. The Demon Deacons are only 1-2 in the last 3 meetings but all 3 games were close ones and the Orange have really struggled to knock down shots this season. Syracuse is averaging 67.6 points per game on just 41.9% shooting this season. The Demon Deacons are hitting 38.2% of their threes this season while the Orange are hitting only 32.3% from three point land. While it is true that, on the season, Syracuse has the better numbers on defense than Wake Forest, the Demon Deacons finished up the season strong and allowed an average of just 39% from the field in their last 3 games. The Orange defense really struggled more as the season went on and, prior to allowing just 40% in their regular season finale, Syracuse had allowed 44% or more from the field in 6 of their previous 8 games. Look for the Orange to drop to 1-5 ATS on the season in games against teams with a losing record. 10* WAKE FOREST

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #517 Tuesday 8* Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+) vs Boston College Eagles @ Noon ET - After standing by to let the markets do their thing they've now driven this line all the way up from Boston College being about a pick'em all the way up to a 4 point favorite. It is now "go time" with Georgia Tech here! The Yellow Jackets are 12-4 ATS in March games and 3-0 ATS in first round tournament games. The Eagles are 1-8 ATS in tournament games. The Yellow Jackets also looking to avenge an 8 point loss at Boston College early last month where they were outscored by 16 points in the 2nd half. The difference is the game was the Eagles hitting 11 of 23 three-pointers and it is highly unlikely they do that here in a neutral court game. Grab the generous points here. 8* GEORGIA TECH

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #715 Monday 10* Top Play Bowling Green Falcons (+) @ Central Michigan Chippewas @ 7:05 ET - I had my eyes on Bowling Green for their first round game in the MAC Tournament since they got blasted on their home floor by Buffalo in their regular season finale. Of course the Bulls are in a class of their own this season as they dominated the MAC East but the fact is that anytime a team gives up 100 on their home floor, especially in their final game of the season, you know they're going to be geared up for a bounce back performance in their next game. The fact that this game is on the road means extra line value for the home shading factored in plus the fact that odds makers had to over-adjust some after the Falcons got blasted. Bowling Green did lose at home to Central Michigan in their regular season match-up but the Falcons led the Chippewas at the half in that game. Also, Central Michigan just had to play on Saturday due to a shooting on campus that moved their game from Friday to Saturday and from on-campus to another location 30 miles away. While they did win that game the Chips are now on short rest and have gone just 2-4 ATS the last 6 times they've played with 1 day of rest or less between games. Central Michigan is also 2-4 ATS as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points and all 4 of those losses have been outright upset defeats! Another one wouldn't surprise here but I am grabbing the generous points with the Falcons. They are 5-0 SU and ATS this season when playing with home loss revenge. 10* BOWLING GREEN

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #802 Sunday 8* Atlanta Hawks (-) vs Phoenix Suns @ 3:35 ET - The Hawks were leading the Suns by 10 points with under 3 minutes to go in the game in Phoenix in early January. Atlanta ended up losing that game by a single point. Suffice to say it is time for some payback here! The Hawks are 17-6 ATS in non-conference games this season. Also, Atlanta is at least a respectable 4-4 SU in their last 8 home games plus they're on a 5-2 ATS run their last 7 games overall. The Suns are on a horrific 2-16 SU run their last 18 games. Also, many of those losses were blowout losses for Phoenix and they're certainly facing a motivated Hawks team here. The home team is 6-0 SU in the last 6 meetings between these teams and with the low number on this game any SU Hawks win is highly like to be also be an ATS Win. Lay it! 8* ATLANTA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #815 Sunday 8* Cincinnati Bearcats (+) @ Wichita State Shockers @ Noon ET - After opening up at a pick'em, this line has gone all the way up to a 3. Of course everyone is jumping on Wichita State at home and that is leading to great line value with the revenge-minded Bearcats. Cincinnati wants this game badly after losing to the Shockers at home two weeks ago. That loss ended a long home winning streak for the Bearcats and they're hungry to avenge that loss early Sunday. Cincinnati is allowing just 57.2 points and 36.9% from the field this season. Wichita State allowing 71.1 points and 41.7% from the field. Look for the edge on defense and the high motivation factor to lead to a road win for the revenge-minded team here. The Bearcats have a straight-up mark of 13-1, 93% when off of a win in conference action this season. 8* CINCINNATI

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #504 Saturday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (-) vs Denver Nuggets @ 7:35 ET - The Cavaliers have done so poorly ATS this season (particularly at home) that you know a turnaround is coming and we're also getting line value as a result. This line was around a half-dozen points but has already dropped to a 4.5 as of early gameday morning and this is offering great line value on a Cleveland team that will be hungry. After losing at home to the 76ers Thursday night, the Cavs need a bounce back game and they're catching Denver at the perfect time to take advantage. The Nuggets are off of a win at Memphis last night so Denver is in a back to back spot here. Also, speaking of ATS struggles, the Nuggets have failed to cover 4 in a row but this is not the spot to rectify the situation. Denver is 6-11 ATS this season in games with a posted total of 220 or more. Cleveland is 17-7 SU in home games with a posted total of 220 or more and 39-21 SU long-term when off of an upset loss as a favorite. With those solid SU stats and the fact that this line is down to a 4.5 I feel very comfortable about an ATS win here as the Cavs are fired up to get back on track! 10* CLEVELAND

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NCAAB Game #564 Saturday 10* Top Play Virginia Cavaliers (-) vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ 4 ET - Here is what people are talking about: Virginia is off of a miraculous last second win at Louisville. Notre Dame has Bonzie Colson back. Here what people are not talking about: The Cavaliers were knocked out of the ACC Tournament last spring by the Fighting Irish. It was the first time that Notre Dame had beaten the Cavaliers since joining the ACC. Also, Colson was good but not great in his first game back and that was against a very bad Pittsburgh team. So here is the takeaway: there is tremendous line value here with the Cavaliers in their home finale. They have revenge on their minds after what happened in the ACC Tourney last year. To put that game in proper perspective, the Cavaliers haven't allowed that many points (71) this entire season. The Cavs defense is going to bring their "A game" here. The Irish are smart enough to know this not a game to push Colson too hard in. They need him for the upcoming tournament games not for this one final regular season games. For the Cavaliers they are a very hard-working team and they want to send the seniors off the right way in their final home game. They'll be able to dominate defensively and the Cavaliers offensive production this season is much better than last year. Of course this is a big reason they're now the #1 ranked team in the nation and they're not getting the respect they should here. I'll gladly step in and take advantage. Notre Dame is just 4-8 ATS their last 12 games. The Cavaliers win at Louisville was a non-covering win and the Cavs haven't had 2 straight ATS losses this entire season. In other words, an ATS win for the home team as they avenge last season's loss. 10* VIRGINIA

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #545 Saturday 8* Boston College Eagles (+) @ Florida State Seminoles @ 2 ET - The Eagles beat the Seminoles earlier this season at Boston College. As a result, the Seminoles will be seeking revenge here. However, BC lost at Florida State by 32 points here last February and were knocked out of the ACC Tournament in a 22-point loss the prior year. In other words, Boston College still has some unfinished business in terms of dealing with FSU. The Eagles are off of a dominating home win versus Syracuse and only lost by a single point (for an easy cover) at Miami in their most recent road game. A recent 23-point blowout road win at Pittsburgh (as well as that gritty performance against the Hurricanes) gives the Eagles plenty of confidence heading to Florida State. Simply put, the Noles have been a disappointment as this season has gone on. They've now lost 4 of their last 6 games and Boston College can actually finish with a higher seeding in the ACC tournament than FSU by getting the upset win today. Florida State is on an 0-6 ATS run and though the Seminoles are a very lengthy team on defense they've still been giving up high shooting percentages and big points. Florida State has allowed 81.2 points per game their last 5 games! FSU is 3-8 ATS when they enter a game on an ATS losing streak of 3 or more games. The Eagles are 10-6 ATS in conference games this season. 8* BOSTON COLLEGE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #519 Saturday 8* St John's Red Storm (+) @ Providence Friars @ Noon ET - The Red Storm may be without Big East leading scorer Shamorie Ponds again. However, they just beat Butler in double OT Wednesday without him. They used a lineup that was long on length and defensive skill and St John's got another big win. They are as hot as they've been all season as they've won 5 of of their last 7 games including 3 wins over tournament teams. Those 3 wins included Wednesday's win over the Bulldogs and victories over Duke and Villanova! The Red Storm are on the road for this one but that hasn't mattered in the series with Providence. The last 4 meetings have not only been covers for the road team they've also been outright wins. Those four victories have come by an average margin of 13 points per game. Way back in late December the Friars handed the Red Storm what would end up being their worst home loss of the season! St John's hasn't forgotten that 22 point embarrassment on their home floor and they're seeking redemption today! The Red Storm are 3-1 ATS this season when seeking revenge for a blowout loss of 20 points or more. Providence is 3-10 ATS as a favorite this season! I'll gladly take all the points I can get in this one but we likely won't need them. 8* ST JOHN'S

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #860 Friday 10* Top Play Southern Illinois Salukis (+) vs Missouri State Bears @ 7 ET - Missouri State hung on for the win versus Valparaiso despite the Bears allowing 79 points on 45.5% from the field including 52.6% from three point land. Their luck runs out here as the Bears defense has been garbage for 3 straight games and, keep in mind, they had lost 4 straight games before getting past the Crusaders yesterday. Now they face a Salukis team that is ticked off of after a sub-par ending to the regular season. Southern Illinois is the healthier team and they are the more rested team here. Also, there is no shame in the fact that they lost to Loyola (top team in MVC) two games ago and then they definitely just threw in the towel in the season finale on the road. That said, lets not forget that before these two losses, the Salukis had won 8 of their last 9 games! Missouri State is on a 2-9 ATS run against teams with a winning record. They also are 1-6 ATS when playing with road loss revenge. Also, after scoring 80 points or more in a game, the Bears are 4-12 ATS the past 3 seasons. Look for the Salukis to improve to 4-1 ATS when playing with 5 or 6 days of rest between games. 10* SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

Hidden Gem - Rickenbach CBB Game #876 Friday 8* Rider Broncs (-) vs St Peters Peacocks @ 7 ET - This one is real simple guys. I got burned by St Peters yesterday. They got very fortunate, caught lightning in a bottle, and rallied late to win against Monmouth. The Peacocks are not a very good basketball team. Sometimes crazy thing happens and that was the key to St Peters truly miracle win over the Hawks yesterday. They won't be so fortunate against the Broncs! Rider's defensive numbers sure don't impress but the reason they went 22-8 this season is because of their firepower on offense. Simply put, the Peacocks won't be able to keep up. Also, unlike Monmouth, the Broncs are loaded with scorers so they'll be able to get the big buckets they need during the stretch run. St Peters is 1-9 SU (and 3-7 ATS) when playing against a team with a winning record this season. Also, the Peacocks are 2-5 SU the last 7 times they've played a game with 1 day of rest or less between games. As for Rider, they are 14-3 SU (and 12-5 ATS) this season against teams with a losing record. Also, the Broncs are a long-term 15-8 ATS after a game in which they allowed 80 points or more. 8* RIDER

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #565 Thursday 10* Top Play Valparaiso Crusaders (+) vs Missouri State Bears @ 9:30 ET - The whole world is jumping on the Bears here. That is a Missouri State team that has lost 8 of its 10 games since Reggie Scurry has been out. Also, the Bears could be without another player that is part of their regular playing rotation as guard Ronnie Rousseau is questionable with an illness. Another key here is that it is hard to beat a team 3 times in one season. The Bears have knocked off the Crusaders in each of the first two meetings in the regular season and you can bet that Valparaiso loves the fact that they are getting this opportunity at revenge in the conference tourney. The Crusaders have picked up some momentum with 3 wins in their final 5 games of the regular season and are definitely playing their top basketball of the season right now. One of those two losses came to the MVC top team too as it was a loss at Loyola-Chicago. Valparaiso actually was down only 3 points on the road against the Ramblers with less than 4 and 1/2 minutes to go in that game. A valiant effort and the Crusaders will have no trouble with a similar effort in a "win or go home" game against the Bears. Simply put, a wounded and bad Missouri State team is getting too much respect here. The Crusaders are 3-1 SU and ATS when playing with road loss revenge this season and the Bears are 1-9 ATS when off of a loss in conference action. 10* VALPARAISO

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:05 ET - The 76ers are off a tough loss at Miami Tuesday and they know they had no business losing the game. The way the 4th quarter played out late was absolutely unacceptable and they'll come out with plenty of fire here at Cleveland. Keep in mind the Sixers are off of back to back losses but had previously won 7 straight games. The Cavaliers have a long winning streak (SU) against Philadelphia and the 76ers are tired of hearing about it. The Sixers now have the horses to compete with LeBron James and Company and the Cavs haven't exactly lit the world on fire in home games this season. In fact, the Cavaliers are 6-23 ATS in home games this season and 10-35 ATS as a favorite. Philly is 9-2 ATS in road games with a posted total of 220 points or more. Also, in the 2nd half of a season, when the 76ers face a team that scores an average of 106 points or more per game, the Sixers have gone 22-5 ATS their last 27. More of the same here and an outright upset would not surprise but if they lose I expect it to again be on a final shot and that means value with the points! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Thursday 8* Los Angeles Lakers (+) @ Miami Heat @ 7:35 ET - The Lakers have won 3 straight games and confidence is building as 4 of their last 5 wins have come by blowout margins of 19 points or more. Los Angeles is also on an 8-2 ATS run. The Heat come into this game off of a very fortunate last second win over Philadelphia Tuesday. Miami simply had no business winning that game and it those types of victories that often leave a team flat in their next game. Look for the Lakers to roll right into Miami and take advantage. Keep in mind, even with that win over the 76ers, the Heat are on a 3-8 SU run their last 11. Miami is on a 9-19 ATS run in home games! The Lakers are 10-2 ATS this season when off of a win by a double digit margin. 8* LOS ANGELES

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #580 Thursday 8* Monmouth Hawks vs St Peters Peacocks @ 5 ET - This is a neutral site game and the Hawks are favored with good reason. Monmouth actually stood up to top competition at times during the season and I feel that gives them a significant edge in a tourney setting like this. The Peacocks closed the regular season with back to back wins but those came against two of the worst teams in the MAAC. You have to look long and hard to find a game where St Peters actually stepped up against top competition and I feel they'll once again struggle in a big-game setting. Monmouth is on a 6-3 ATS run in neutral court games while St Peter's is on an 0-3 ATS run in conference tournament games. The Hawks are the better shooting team from the field including from 3-point land and I expect that to be a key difference maker in this match-up. 8* MONMOUTH 

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #713 Wednesday 10* Top Play New Orleans Pelicans (+) @ San Antonio Spurs @ 8:35 ET - The Spurs are off of an upset win at Cleveland over LeBron James and the Cavaliers. That makes this the perfect spot to fade San Antonio as the Spurs had lost 4 straight and 6 of 7 prior to that win. Also, the Spurs are only 2-8 ATS in divisional games this season. Though they have revenge on their side here against the Pelicans, San Antonio is 5-11 SU when playing with revenge this season. New Orleans has won 2 of the last 3 meetings between these teams and the Pelicans enter this game on a 6-game winning streak! Look for the road dog to stay hot on Wednesday! 10* NEW ORLEANS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #719 Wednesday 8* Providence Friars (+) @ Xavier Musketeers @ 6:30 ET - Xavier is seeking revenge here for a loss at Providence in early January. However, the Musketeers entered that game also seeking revenge and it still didn't matter as the Friars beat them for a 2nd straight time. Yes, it is true that the Musketeers have home court edge here but that has also been factored in this line and Xavier is a very sizable favorite considering they've lost the turnover battle 32-17 in their last two meetings with Providence! Also, the Musketeers defense just isn't what it use to be. Even in home games Xavier has allowed about 50% from the field in their last 5 games! The Musketeers are allowing 75.4 points per game this season and in the Big East only one other team, Marquette, is allowing a higher ppg average. Only 4 of the last 16 wins that Xaviers has have come by more than 10 points. The Musketeers tend to let teams hang around I like the value here with a Friars team that is a long-term 28-18 ATS as an underdog. Look for Xavier to drop to 3-6 ATS the last 9 times they've been a home favorite in a range of 9.5 to 12 points. 8* PROVIDENCE

Early TNT Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Game #508 Tuesday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (-) vs Washington Wizards @ 8:05 ET - The Bucks are off of a tight home loss to New Orleans and that certainly holds significance here because Milwaukee hasn't lost back to back games in 5 weeks. The Bucks were on a 9-3 SU run prior to the loss to the Pelicans. Milwaukee is catching the Wizards at the right time to get right back on track. Washington is off of a big home win versus the 76ers but the Wizards had previously lost 3 of their 6 prior games. Washington is a long-term 40-63 SU when they are an underdog and this is a very small number to lay on the Bucks at home. Milwaukee is a long-term 65-33 SU when they are a favorite. The Bucks are 8-2 ATS this season when off of an upset loss as a favorite and they are also 10-4 SU and ATS when they are off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. The icing on the cake for motivating the home team here is that the Wizards have won their last two visits here. Payback time. 10* MILWAUKEE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #513 Tuesday 8* Miami-Ohio RedHawks (+) @ Kent State Golden Flashes @ 7 ET - This is one of those games (line opened up at just 1.5 on Kent State) where it simply looks too easy to just take the revenging team on their home floor and lay a small number. Of course we all know what happens more often than not when something looks too easy. The fact is that the RedHawks are offering solid line value here as this line has already climbed up to a 3 and could even go a little higher. Miami-Ohio has seen their last 6 games decided by an average margin of just 3.5 points per game. They're use to playing tight low-scoring games and they're the better team defensively in comparison with Kent State. These two teams are currently tied for 2nd place in the East Division of the MAC and I look for the RedHawks to ride the momentum of back to back wins. Kent State is off of a win but it came by just a single point and they entered that game having lost 5 of their 6 prior games. In other words, the Golden Flashes last 7 games have featured just 1 win by more than a single point! Also, prior to the tight win over Bowling Green, Kent State had allowed 48% or more from the field in 4 of their 5 prior games! The RedHawks are 10-4 ATS on the road this season and 14-6 ATS as an underdog! Kent State is 9-24 ATS in home games with a posted total between 135 and 139.5 points. 8* MIAMI-OHIO

Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #526 Tuesday 10* Top Play Alabama Crimson Tide (-) vs Florida Gators @ 7 ET - Florida, of course, has the long-term reputation in basketball while Alabama is all about football. However, it is no mistake that the Crimson Tide are favored here. This basketball program has come a long way under coach Avery Johnson and, on Senior Night, I look for a huge game from Alabama here. They've suffered 3 straight losses but 2 of those were on the road. Off of a rare home loss in their most recent game, look for the Crimson Tide to bounce back huge here. Alabama is still 12-3 SU at home this season and, with this line having fallen to just a -2 this morning, any SU win is likely to equate to an ATS win for the Tide as well. Alabama is 49-28 SU long-term when they enter a game on an ATS losing streak of 3 or more games. Also, in home games with a posted total between 135 and 139.5 points, the Crimson Tide are a long-term 26-11 SU. They are the better defensive team in this match-up and also shoot better than the Gators. So why are people backing Florida here? Long-term reputation and the revenge angle since the Gators lost to the Tide earlier this season. However, the reason not to buy into all that is that prior to a tight win versus Auburn in their most recent game, Florida had lost 5 of their last 7 games and had just 1 ATS win in those 7 games! The Gators are 0-4 SU and ATS this season in games with a posted total in the 130s. 10* ALABAMA

Game of the Month NBA Game #710 Monday 10* Top Play New York Knicks (+) vs Golden State Warriors @ 7:35 ET - The Warriors are off of a huge win versus Oklahoma City so this one sets up perfectly. Yes, I know that the Knicks have an unimpressive record and in the midst of a 1-9 SU run but this chance to host star-studded Golden State only comes around once a year. New York will absolutely be "up" for this game while the Warriors are still relishing in the after-effects of having enjoyed a big win over Kevin Durant's former team. That's because Russell Westbrook and Company had become a bit of a nemesis for the Warriors in recent meetings so GS could absolutely be a little flat for this game. Plus this will be their first game after traveling all the way from coast to coast and they just faced the Thunder on Saturday. Golden State is known for a "ho-hum approach" to a game like this as they've gone just 1-7 ATS versus Atlantic Division teams this season and 7-19 ATS the last 3 seasons combined. Also, after a game in which they allowed 90 points or less this season, the Warriors have gone 1-3 ATS. The Knicks are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games against teams that allow 106 points or more per game on the season. New York has gone 6-1 ATS against teams from the Pacific Division this season. The Knicks also are a perfect 4-0 ATS this season in games with posted total of 220 points or more. The Warriors likely find a way to gut out a win here but the "amped up" home dog keeps this one within a single digit margin. 10* NEW YORK

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Game #809 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 8:05 ET - The 76ers are in a back to back spot here but they are so hot it doesn't matter. They led Orlando by about 20 in yesterday's game before the Magic closed the gap late. The Sixers hung on for the cover but truly coasted at the end and the final score doesn't do justice to the domination that Philly had in that game. They've won 7 straight and have covered 5 of those 7 games and I am happy to take a hot 76ers team plus get a few points here at Washington. The Wizards are off of a home loss but actually have lost 2 straight home games and now and their defense has allowed 49.5% in their two games since the All Star break. As for the Sixers, their D has allowed 45.5% or less in NINE straight games! Washington is 13-24 ATS as a favorite and the Wizards are also just 10-18 ATS at home this season. Philadelphia is 10-5 SU and ATS when off of a win by a double digit margin and also 7-1 SU and 6-2 ATS against Southeast Division opponents this season. More of the same here! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #820 Sunday 8* Temple Owls (-) vs Central Florida Golden Knights @ 2 ET - The Owls got embarrassed 60-39 in a very ugly loss at UCF earlier this season. Temple hasn't forgotten that defeat and they're out for revenge in a big way here. While the Owls are a healthy team, the Golden Knights are quite banged up and Temple will take advantage of this. Central Florida is on a 1-5 ATS run in road games while the Owls had covered 6 in a row before an embarrassing home loss to Houston last Sunday. That sets this one up well and I expect Temple to roll. The Owls are 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS in a home game with a posted total in the 120s and also a long-term 4-2 ATS as a home favorite in a range of 3.5 to 6 points. The Golden Knights are a long-term 7-18 ATS as a road dog of 3.5 to 6 points. Payback time here for the Owls! 8* TEMPLE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #801 Sunday 8* Detroit Pistons (+) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 1:05 ET - The Pistons are off of a home loss to Boston on Sunday. Detroit is now on an 0-6 ATS streak but, keep in mind, the Pistons were on a 6-3 SU run prior to falling short to the Celtics. Also, Detroit has revenge on their mind here as they lost to the Hornets in mid-January. Prior to that defeat, the Pistons had won 3 straight over Charlotte and they are certainly catching them at the right time to exact revenge. The Hornets are off of a big divisional win at Washington and now have won 3 straight games. When Charlotte is on a SU winning streak of 3 or more wins, they've gone 9-16 SU and ATS. The Hornets are on a long-term 7-13 ATS run in Sunday games while the Pistons are on a 16-11 ATS run on Sundays and are 16-10 ATS this season as an underdog. 8* DETROIT

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Saturday 8* New York Knicks (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 7:35 ET - The Celtics got the win by a dozen point last night at Detroit but look for that to leave the tank close to empty for tonight's game at New York. Keep in mind, these teams just enjoyed a long layoff so it is tough to come back and right away face short rest situations. As for the Knicks, they are rested here as they faced the Magic at Orlando on Thursday. New York will be ready to go here as they were embarrassed by a 30 point margin at Boston last month. Payback is on order here! The Knicks had won 2 of the 4 prior meetings and they're catching them at the right time to get another W here. When the Celtics are in the 2nd game of a back to back and are facing an Eastern Conference foe, they are 0-4 ATS their last 4. Look for the Knicks, with some extra confidence after winning their first game back from the break, to improve to 5-2 ATS in Saturday games this season. 8* NEW YORK

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #593 Saturday 8* Kansas Jayhawks (+) @ Texas Tech Red Raiders @ 4:15 ET - The Red Raiders are 16-0 SU at home this season, ranked higher than the Jayhawks, already beat Kansas, and yet they are very nearly a "pick'em" in this match-up. Don't be fooled! The Jayhawks are the play. Kansas is going for a national record 14th straight regular season conference title and, to do it, they need to avenge a rare home loss to Texas Tech which was suffered last month. The Jayhawks are playing so much better now than they were then as they've reeled off 3 straight wins and these were, by no means, easy match-ups. Kansas got a hard-fought road win at Iowa State plus key victories over quality Big 12 opponents Oklahoma and West Virginia. While the Jayhawks have been shooting lights out of late, the Red Raiders confidence is shaken after demoralizing road losses at Baylor and Oklahoma State where poor shooting certainly played a role. Expecting Texas Tech to bounce back off of a loss? The fact is that the Red Raiders are 0-4 ATS this season when off of a loss in Big 12 action. Kansas is 7-1 SU in road games with a posted total between 140 and 144.5 points while Texas Tech is 2-4 ATS in home games with a posted total between 140 and 144.5 points this season. Look for the Jayhawks to improve to 5-1 SU the last 6 times they've played with home loss revenge. 8* KANSAS

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #555 Saturday 8* Boston College Eagles (+) @ Miami-Florida Hurricanes @ 2 ET - The absence of Bruce Brown is significant for the Hurricanes. Since the guard got hurt, Miami has won just 4 of 7 games and, in those 7 games, only 1 was a victory by double digits for the Canes. In other words, there is huge value here with the big road dog Eagles. Yes, this is a revenge game for Miami as they lost at Boston College two weeks ago and are seeking to avenge that defeat. However, the Hurricanes are off of a big upset road win at Notre Dame and the Canes had entered that game on an 0-3 SU run and 2-9 ATS run! Miami is just 1-6 ATS in home games this season and also just 1-6 ATS this season when off of a win in ACC action. The Eagles are off of back to back losses (SU and ATS) but had previously gone 9-4 ATS in conference action this season and they resume their winning ways (at least in terms of a cover) at Miami early Saturday afternoon. 8* BOSTON COLLEGE