Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #532 Saturday 8* Maryland Terrapins (+) vs Michigan Wolverines @ Noon ET - It looks too easy to simply take the ranked team that is 12-5 in Big Ten games over the unranked team that is 8-9 in Big Ten games. Of course whenever something looks too easy on the surface, you know what that means. Nothing is ever that easy and that is when it is time to dig a little deeper. What you will find upon further digging here is that Maryland is 15-2 SU at home this season and also playing their best basketball in a long time. The Terrapins are off of back to back wins, have won 4 of their last 6, and they've shot better than 50% combined from the field in their last 6 games! The Wolverines are also coming into this game hot but are off of a road win at Penn State that was preceded by Michigan losing 3 of their 4 prior road games. In road games with a line ranging anywhere from +3 to -3 the Wolverines have gone 4-9 ATS and SU! The Terps are 9-3 SU when playing with road loss revenge and also a perfect 5-0 SU in Saturday games this season. 8* MARYLAND

Early Smash Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #802 Friday 10* Detroit Pistons (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 7:05 ET - Both these teams were struggling prior to the All Star Break but what was very disconcerting about the Celtics performances was a lack of defense. Boston allowed 50% or more from the field in 3 of their 5 games prior to the break. The Pistons, on the other hand, held 4 of their final 6 opponents prior to the break to just 44% or less from the field. Detroit has also gone 9 straight games without allowing an opponent to hit better than 48.7% from the field. On the other end of the floor, the Celtics have been held under 100 points in 4 of their last 6 games. Conversely, the Pistons have won 6 of their last 9 games and have averaged 109.2 points per game during this stretch. Only 1 time in their last 11 games has Detroit been held below 103 points! Look for Boston to drop to 1-4 SU and ATS on the season when they are off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. As for the Pistons, they are 16-9 ATS this season as an underdog and I also expect them to improve to 4-1 SU and ATS when they enter a game with 3 or more days of rest between games. The hungry home dog (revenge from home loss in most recent meeting - in December) gets their payback here. 10* DETROIT

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #553 Thursday 8* New York Knicks (+) @ Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - This line is practically inviting you to take Orlando as the Magic are such a small home favorite in this match-up and the Knicks have lost 8 straight games. However, as usual, I am going contrarian here and I love New York in this match-up. Oftentimes the best thing that can happen for a team that is struggling is to have a break in the action and that is exactly what the Knicks just benefited from with the All Star break. New York is playing this game with home loss revenge and that is a situation that has seen the Knicks go 8-4 ATS this season. Also, home court has not meant much in recent meetings in his series as the road team is 4-1 SU and ATS in the last 5 meetings! Orlando has a penchant for playing down to the level of competition they face as the Magic have gone 5-14 SU (and 6-13 ATS) in games against teams with a losing record this season! More of the same in this one as I am forecasting Orlando to drop to 3-8 ATS as a favorite this season. Grab the points! 8* NEW YORK

Earliest Cash Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #705 Wednesday 10* Georgia Bulldogs (+) @ South Carolina Gamecocks @ 6:30 ET - The first lines that popped up on this game had South Carolina as nearly a pick'em on their home floor. Keep in mind, this is even though the Gamecocks are 39-11 SU in home games the past 2+ seasons and the Bulldogs are 12-23 SU in road games the past 2+ seasons. Wow...must be a gift from the odds makers, right? It is never that easy folks and yet sure enough the markets have jumped all over South Carolina here and Georgia is now available at as high as a +3.5 and I'll gladly go contrarian and grab the dog here. I love to fade the line moves in situations like this and the Bulldogs are playing with home loss revenge here as they lost despite holding the Gamecocks to just 27% from the field last month at Georgia. The Bulldogs are 7-1 ATS (including 2-0 this season) when playing with home loss revenge. Georgia enters this game with plenty of confidence as they are off of back to back wins and have played very well on both ends of the floor in those victories. The Gamecocks are off of a big upset win as a sizable underdog but previously had lost 6 straight games. In those 6 games South Carolina averaged only 62 points per game. The Bulldogs are the better shooting team on the season and also have the better defense in terms of field goal percentage allowed. The Gamecocks are 1-3 SU and ATS this season when off of a win in SEC action. Also, South Carolina is a long-term 13-27 ATS as a home favorite of 3 points or less. Bulldogs payback time. 10* GEORGIA

Early Annihilation Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #509 Tuesday 10* Creighton Bluejays (+) @ Butler Bulldogs @ 7 ET - Even though this is a revenge game for Butler (lost at Creighton last month), there is a history of success for the Bluejays in their meetings with the Bulldogs. Creighton has won and covered 3 straight in this series and the Bluejays are 7-2 ATS in their 9 meetings with the Bulldogs. I also like the fact that Creighton is off of a loss here as they are 7-0 SU this season when off of a loss. You read that right, the Bluejays have not lost back to back games this entire season. As for Butler, they are off of a win which adds to the line value here because, prior to that win, the Bulldogs had lost 3 straight ATS and SU! Butler allowed 56% shooting from the field in those 3 games as their defense has struggled. As for Creighton, they had played solid defense (particularly defending the perimeter and 3 point shots) prior to their home loss to Marquette. Creighton is on a 21-4 SU run (including 7-1 SU this season) when off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. The Bulldogs won't be able to keep up here. Butler is 3-7 SU and ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a winning record plus 2-6 SU and ATS in their last 8 games against teams that average 77 points or more per game. The Bluejays come into this angry and improve to 8-0 SU this season when off of a loss but I'll grab the generous points in case they fall just short. 10* CREIGHTON

Situational Slaughter Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #706 Monday 10* Northwestern Wildcats (+) vs Maryland Terrapins @ 7 ET - The Wildcats led by as many as 27 points in the first half versus Michigan State Saturday. Northwestern was still up by 22 points at the half. The Cats ended up losing the game. After scoring just 11 points in the 2nd half against the Spartans Saturday, there is no doubt the Wildcats are going to give a huge effort here! Even though Bryant McIntosh missed the game versus Michigan State, Anthony Gaines did a great job in his absence. McIntosh could be back here but whether he is or not should not prove to be a factor against the Terrapins given the way Gaines played. This line is roughly a pick'em and Maryland is 0-10 SU this season when they are not favored. Also, the Terrapins are 1-5 SU when off of a win in Big Ten action and also just 1-8 SU in road games this season! The Wildcats are on a 39-12 SU run in home games including 11-4 SU this season. Also, the Cats are 4-2 SU and ATS this season when revenging a road loss. Off of a loss at Maryland earlier this season, payback is on order for the very angry home team here as the Wildcats look to redeem themselves after giving top-ranked Michigan State a run for their money but then letting it slip away. 10* NORTHWESTERN 

Contrarian Crusher Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #856 Sunday 10* Temple Owls (+) vs Houston Cougars @ 4 ET - Everyone just watched Houston knock off Cincinnati in a big win Thursday so they'll be the popular choice here. The line has already moved the way of the Cougars in this one as the markets are pushing that way early on gameday. The fact is that the Owls are very quietly playing solid basketball and are flying under the radar right now. This is the perfect spot to back Temple (off of a tight loss at Wichita State) and to fade Houston after their upset win at home versus the Bearcats. The Cougars are only 3-4 SU in their last 7 true road games and the Owls are 4-0 SU in their last 4 home games. Prior to that, Temple's two most recent home losses came by just 2 and 3 points respectively and both of those teams were quality opponents. The Owls can play with anyone with the way their playing right now and they are catching Houston at the right time for a mild upset win at home. Temple has covered 6 straight games and is playing as well as they have all season long. The Owls are shooting the ball very well and will also rally around the home crowd here. Houston is a long-term 5-9 ATS as a road fave of 3 points or less. Also, the Cougars are 3-6 ATS this season when they are off of a win in conference action. Temple is 6-1 SU and ATS after a game in which they scored 80 points or more. The Owls are 11-3 ATS this season off of a conference game. They are "all in" on this one and primed for the upset! 10* TEMPLE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #845 Saturday 8* DePaul Blue Demons (+) @ Seton Hall Pirates @ 1 ET - The odds makers must have made a mistake, right? If Seton Hall was favored by 6.5 at DePaul 3 weeks ago wouldn't the Pirates be favored by at least 12.5 at home (factoring in at least 3 points for home court edge)? Instead Seton Hall opened up as low as a 10 and the markets are jumping on the Pirates and the line has been driven to as high as an 11 as of about 4 hours before game time. The key to the value here (and the reason the odds makers handled this one the way they did) is because DePaul is playing their best basketball of the season and Seton Hall is playing their worst ball of the season. I don't see that changing here. The Blue Demons are at the bottom of the Big East standings so it is hard for the Pirates to get excited for this game. Seton Hall just faced one of the top teams (Xavier) in the standings and they have Providence on deck. That holds some significance here because the Pirates are looking up in the standings at the Friars. Should the Pirates find a way to win this game today? Yes but I don't see it being a blowout. Seton Hall has allowed at least 48% from the field in 4 straight games and DePaul is 1-2 SU (but 3-0 ATS) in their last 3 games as they've scored at least 75 points in all 3 games and the two losses each came by just a single point! The Pirates are 1-6 ATS (and 2-5 SU!) after allowing 80 points or more in their prior game. This could be a huge upset but certainly the big points should prove to be enough even if the Blue Demons don't pull off the shocker. 8* DEPAUL 

Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #634 Saturday 10* Top Play Louisville Cardinals (-) vs North Carolina Tar Heels @ 8:15 ET - After missing two games, Cardinals forward (and leading scorer) Deng Adel is expected back for this one. That should help key a Louisville signature win which is much needed at this time of year as teams need to impress the tournament committee. The fact that the Tar Heels are a ranked team and have won 4 straight games and yet are installed as a dog should tell you a lot here. It is no mistake...the odds makers know what they're doing...and the home team is the play in this one. Louisville will prove to be the hungrier team. Also, the home team has dominated this series as 6 of the last 10 games were not neutral floor games. In those 6 games, the home team won every game. North Carolina is 0-7 SU and ATS the last 7 times they've been an underdog. While the Tar Heels have won 4 straight games, their defense has been sketchy at times with sub-par efforts versus NC State and Duke included in that winning streak. The Cardinals have won back to back games heading into this one and they really put the clamps down on defense in those two games. That return to solid D was much needed and resembled how the Cards were playing earlier this season when they were on top of their game. Couple this resurgence with Deng's return and the fact that Louisville is playing their biggest game of the season and you have a great set up here. The Cardinals are on a 9-3 ATS run and are 6-1 ATS this season when off of a win in conference action and are 48-5 SU at home the last 3 seasons. 10* LOUISVILLE

Daytime Dominator Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #513 Saturday 10* Missouri Tigers (+) @ LSU Tigers @ 2 ET - Missouri is red hot right now, playing solid defense, and they have revenge here. LSU of course has the home court edge here but their defense has been missing in most all of their recent games and the odds makers have this one priced this way for a reason! As you can see it looks inviting to just take LSU at home in a game that opened up at a -1 but the fact is that Missouri's mediocre road record is poised to add another W today. Even though LSU is 10-4 at home this season they come into this game having lost 7 of their last 10 games. Also, in 6 of their last 8 games, LSU has allowed their opponent to hit at least 51% from the field. Missouri's defense, on the other hand, has been rock solid as they've held 4 of their last 5 opponents to 69 points or less and 40% or less from the field. Missouri is 4-0 SU this month and on a long-term 16-5 ATS run in February games. This team is playing with a ton of confidence right now and the fact they lost at home to LSU last season and have lost all 3 visits to LSU is what strengthens this play as there is plenty of motivation. As for the home team here, they are on a 6-14 SU run in February games and also are 2-6 SU and ATS their last 8 games against teams with a winning record. 10* MISSOURI

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #502 Saturday 8* UCF Golden Knights (-) vs SMU Mustangs @ 11 AM ET - The Golden Knights want this game badly as the Mustangs have held the upper hand in this series in recent years. This includes SMU winning their first match-up this season as well as knocking them out of the conference tourney last spring! Suffice to say, UCF hasn't forgotten this and they're ready to exact revenge today. Central Florida is going to take advantage of home floor as well as the fact that the Mustangs are dealing with a ton of injuries. Having already lost a couple of scholarship players in Everett Ray and Jarrey Foster, things went from bad to worse when star Shake Milton was injured earlier this month. UCF has a boost of confidence heading into this one as they've shot the ball very well and won each of their last two games. As for SMU, they haven't shot the ball well in any of their past four games. All 4 were losses! The Mustangs are 1-4 ATS this season in games with a posted total in the 120s. The Golden Knights are a long-term 23-9 ATS as a favorite including 7-2 ATS this season! 8* CENTRAL FLORIDA

Contrarian Crusher Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #827 Friday 10* Bowling Green Falcons (+) @ Buffalo Bulls @ 7 ET - Perfect spot for a huge upset but, at the very least, the Falcons should at least keep this one in single digits. Buffalo only lost 2 games in conference action this season. One was at Northern Illinois but they had beat the Huskies in the 1st meeting. The other defeat was at Kent State and then the Bulls badly wanted revenge in the next meeting. They got it and that was Buffalo's most recent game as they are off of a huge revenging win versus the Golden Flashes. Look for that to leave the Bulls a little flat in this one. The fact is that Buffalo has owned this series recently with Bowling Green so they may not be as focused on the Falcons as you would otherwise think. That is going to allow a quality BG team to give the Bulls a run for their money in this one. Before Buffalo's strong effort on defense versus Kent State, they had allowed 85 points per game on 46% shooting from the field. As for the Falcons, before allowing 81 points in a high-scoring win versus Western Michigan, they had held their last 4 opponents to 58.5 points per game on 38.5% shooting! The Falcons are playing their best basketball of the season and are fully focused on this game and on a 5-0 ATS run. The Bulls are off of a big revenging win and could be in for a letdown here. That said, the big points should prove to be more than enough in this one! Buffalo is 0-5-1 ATS in their last 6 games. The Falcons are 5-1 ATS this season when off of a win in MAC action. 10* BOWLING GREEN

Earliest Cash Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Thursday 10* Denver Nuggets (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 8:05 ET - The Bucks are 19-9 SU at home this season while the Nuggets are 8-19 SU on the road this season. Why then is Milwaukee such a small home favorite here? Precisely! As usual there is more than meets the eye at first glance here. The key in this match-up is that the Bucks defense has improved but in recent games but their offense has not impressed of late. As a result, simply put, Milwaukee won't be able to keep up with this high-powered Denver team in this one. The Bucks have averaged only 98 points per game in their last 7 games. By comparison, the Nuggets have averaged 115.1 points per game in their last 8 games. Yes, Milwaukee has the better defense in comparison with Denver but the Nuggets certainly aren't going to be "sleeping' on D with this being their final game before the All Star break. The Nuggets are on a 15-8 ATS run against Central Division opponents. The Bucks have covered just 10 of their 28 home games this season! 10* DENVER

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #510 Thursday 10* Top Play Houston Cougars (+) vs Cincinnati Bearcats @ 7 ET - Everyone will want the small road fave here that is undefeated in conference games this season. Hence the title of Contrarian Crusher on this one. Houston is being overlooked by most in this match-up because Cincinnati is so highly ranked and because the Bearcats are 12-0 SU in AAC action. The key to the value here on the Cougars is that many have forgotten they led the Cats by 18 on the road in their first match-up this season. Yes, that big lead did get away from the Cougars and they ended up losing the game by double digits. However, that is unlikely to happen at home. In other words, don't be surprised if Houston again gets a sizable lead but, the difference this time is that they'll hold onto it! This is why I see great value with grabbing the points here. Cincinnati is only 9-15 ATS in games against teams that average 77 points or more. Also, the Bearcats are off of a big win at SMU and they have a showdown with Wichita State on deck. The Cougars have quietly gone 12-0 at home this season and are "flying under the radar" which makes them a very dangerous home dog here. Houston is also 10-4 ATS (and 11-3 SU!) when playing with road loss revenge. Having gone 6-2 ATS in lined home games this season and coming into this game having allowed just 49.8 points per game in their last 4 games, the Cougars are going to be extremely tough as they eye their 20th win of the season and a big upset. 10* HOUSTON

Earliest Cash Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #703 Wednesday 10* Miami Heat (+) @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:05 ET - The Heat are in a back to back spot here but have actually gone 4-1 ATS the last 5 times they've played the 2nd game of a back to back. Also, with last night's cover at Toronto, Miami is 5-1 ATS their last 6 games against teams with a winning record. Even though they've endured a bit of a slump recently, so many of their losses have been very tight. That is why the Heat getting significant points here is certainly a solid line value. Miami is only 12-10 SU their last 22 games but the average margin of those 10 defeats was 4.9 points. NONE of the 10 losses came by double digits. In other words, getting big points here is indeed a solid value. I know Philadelphia has been hot but this is the final game before the All-Star break for both of these teams and the Heat want it just as bad. In fact, having lost at Philly (by 6) less than two weeks ago strengthens their resolve here. The Sixers are having a great season but they are 0-3 SU and ATS this season when they enter a game on a streak of 3 or more unders. Also, the long-term numbers in that situation are 6-11 ATS and 2-15 SU! Also, when Philadelphia enters a game having played each of their 3 prior games at home, they are 2-4 ATS this season and 4-21 SU the last 3 seasons combined. This one has upset written all over it and certainly there is value with grabbing the points which is what I am recommending for a top play here. 10* MIAMI

Early Blowout Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #519 Tuesday 10* Boston College Eagles (-) @ Pittsburgh Panthers @ 7 ET - When you are laying close to a half-dozen points on the road you better have the decided edge and it also helps to have a motivational edge. In this specific case we can certainly "check the box" on both of those important factors. The Panthers are having a horrific season that honestly can't end soon enough! Pittsburgh is on a 13-game losing streak! The Panthers aren't just losing either, they're getting blasted! Pitt's 13 losses have included 11 defeats coming by a dozen points or more! Here is the problem though...will the Eagles be motivated? Of course they will! They lost at home to the Panthers last January by double digits! That game was tied at the half but Boston College had half as many field goal attempts even though they were the home team in that one. In other words, payback is in order here. The Eagles are 5-0 SU as a favorite this season so, even though they've had some SU losses of late they've been playing a very tough schedule and now will take full advantage of facing a weaker foe. As for the Panthers, they are 5-13 ATS in games with a posted total in the 130s. Also, Pittsburgh is 1-5 ATS when they enter a game on an ATS losing streak of 3 or more games! 10* BOSTON COLLEGE

NBA TV Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #702 Monday 10* Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs New York Knicks @ 7:05 ET - The Knicks have lost 6 straight games. I know the line seems steep here but is justified as the loss of Kristaps Porzingis is a huge one for New York. The game he got hurt was at home against Milwaukee and the Knicks have played 2 games since. In those 3 games the Knicks lost by an average margin of 15.7 points per game. Another blowout loss is likely here as the Sixers are at home and rolling. The 76ers have won 3 straight games and all of them were blowout wins. In fact, 6 of Philadelphia's last 7 wins have come by more than a dozen points. The average margin of victory in those 6 easy wins has been 16.7 points. The Sixers have allowed just 41% from the field in their last 6 games combined. The Knicks are allowing 109.1 points per game on the road this season and, without Kristaps Porzingis, New York is likely to struggle to be competitive in this one. The Knicks are 5-21 SU (and 7-19 ATS) in February games. The Sixers are 16-9 SU (and 17-8 ATS) in home games this season! This is a classic case of hot versus not and facing a hated division rival insures that the 76ers won't take their foot off of the gas in this one! 10* PHILADELPHIA 

ESPN Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #831 Sunday 10* Top Play Cincinnati Bearcats (-) @ SMU Mustangs @ 4 ET - Even though the Mustangs have revenge from a 20 point loss at Cincinnati earlier this season, the Bearcats still have revenge on their minds too. Why? Because SMU knocked them out of the conference tourney last March AND also because the Mustangs have dominated Cincinnati in recent meetings at SMU. With that said, there will be no shortage of emotion from the road team in this one. Though their line may seem high, keep in mind the odds maker is factoring in the same key factors as what I noted above plus the fact that the Mustangs are down to just 7 scholarship players right now. SMU is currently without a couple of key players too as both Shake Milton and Jarrey Foster are expected to miss this game. The Mustangs are 1-3 ATS in games with a posted total in the 120s this season and the Bearcats stifling defense will frustrate them. SMU is also 5-9 ATS in games against teams with a winning record. Cincinnati is on a 6-0 ATS run against teams with a winning record. Also, the Bearcats are 11-0 SU and 8-3 ATS in conference action this season. This play has the makings of a road rout. 10* CINCINNATI

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #801 Sunday 8* Toronto Raptors (-) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 1:05 ET - The Raptors have won both meetings with the Hornets this season and both victories have come by double digits. A similar result is likely today as Charlotte comes into this one on a 3-game losing streak while Toronto is on a 4-game winning streak. The Hornets are an ugly 6-17 ATS this season as an underdog. Also, in games against Atlantic Division opponents, Charlotte is a long-term 13-27 ATS! The Hornets are playing this game with home loss revenge but have gone 3-9 ATS in that situation. The red hot Raptors are 5-2 SU and ATS in Sunday games and are very use to playing these early starts as they have a number of them each season on weekends. Also, Toronto is an incredible 20-5 SU (and 16-9 ATS) when facing a team with a losing record. The Raptors are battling for the top spot in the Atlantic Division as the Celtics are right there with them and this added motivation leads to the road team making it 5 in a row as they take advantage of a struggling foe. 8* TORONTO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #820 Sunday 8* Wisconsin Badgers (+) vs Michigan Wolverines @ 1 ET - First reaction will be to play the ranked team laying a small number against a team that has had a very rough season. Of course that is why there has already been a major line move toward the Wolverines in this one. However, this truly looks like a great spot for an upset win at home for the Badgers which makes having the points a great option in this one. Wisconsin is coming off of a road trip where they were very competitive at Maryland and then smashed Illinois. This gives Wisconsin some extra confidence returning home to take on Michigan. This is always a big game for the Badgers and they have some added incentive this season after being bounced from the Big Ten tourney by the Wolverines last season. The Badgers are 13-3 SU at home in their last 16 meetings as the host versus Michigan. Also, Wisconsin is 5-2 SU and ATS in home games with a posted total in the 120s. You can see from the total in this one that a low-scoring grinder of a game is expected here and that certainly favors the Badgers whose confidence has grown with better play in recent games. Michigan is off of a loss at Northwestern is now just 11-19 SU in their last 30 road games. 8* WISCONSIN

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #502 Saturday 8* Brooklyn Nets (+) vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 6:05 ET - While it may seem inviting to take the Pelicans and lay the short number after they got demolished last night at Philly, the fact is that New Orleans is 3-7 SU and ATS when off of a game where they were held to 85 points or less. Also, the Pelicans are 12-30 SU when playing the 2nd game of a back to back. When facing a team with a losing record this season, New Orleans is 1-5 SU its last 6. Brooklyn is a surprising 15-5 ATS when facing a team that averages 106 points or more this season. Also, the Nets have plenty of motivation here as they lost at New Orleans earlier this season and they also lost the last time they hosted Brooklyn. The Nets have lost 4 straight games but are 8-3 ATS when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. They have a significant rest edge here as well as the home court edge. Grab the generous points. 8* BROOKLYN

Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #621 Saturday 10* Top Play Purdue Boilermakers (+) @ Michigan State Spartans @ 4 ET - The Boilermakers are off of a loss by a single point. Not only was that just their 3rd loss of the season, the 3 defeats have come by an average margin of just 2.7 points per game! Purdue has not lost a game by more than 4 points this season. There is certainly value here as they are getting 3.5 points in this match-up and they've defeated the Spartans 3 of the last 4 games including a sweep last season (with both wins by double digits). These teams have identical records but Michigan State's 3 losses have come by an average margin of 11 points per game. Those were 3 of the Spartans most challenging games of the season too in terms of the match-up and this is certainly another one. That is why there is great line value here with the underdog Boilermakers. Purdue is 7-0 SU on the road this season and 7-0 SU on Saturdays. Michigan State is 1-8 ATS when off of a win in conference action. Also, the Spartans are the much younger team while the Boilermakers start 4 seniors who certainly know how to handle playing on the road. 10* PURDUE

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #531 Saturday 8* Mississippi State Bulldogs (+) @ Missouri Tigers @ 2 ET - This is a revenge game for the Tigers since they lost at Mississippi State in late January. However, the Bulldogs have had Missouri's number as they have won each of the last 3 meetings and all 3 meetings came by a double digit margin. Another issue for the Tigers here is that their leading scorer, Kassius Robertson, has shot much better on the road than at home. He has had enough bad performances at home this season to prove that it is certainly no fluke. Something gets in Robertson's head when at home. The only other Tigers player averaging double digits this season is Jordan Barnett and he is stuck in a shooting slump that has seen him go just 9 for 31 in his last 4 games! The Bulldogs enter this game having won 4 straight while Missouri has won 3 straight. There is no question that both teams have been hot but the information above as well as the fact that Mississippi State is a sizable underdog here has me eagerly backing the road dog in this one! The Bulldogs are on a 12-6 ATS run in February games. Missouri is improved this season but this is still a team that is only 3-8 SU the last 11 times they're off of a win in conference action. I expect their 3-game run ends here as this is a big game for both teams and an outright win by the Bulldogs wouldn't surprise me in the least. Grab the generous points! 8* MISSISSIPPI STATE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #527 Saturday 8* Florida Gators (-) @ South Carolina Gamecocks @ Noon ET - The Gamecocks knocked the Gators out of the SEC Tournament and then won again at Florida on January 24th. Since that victory last month, South Carolina has gone 0-4 SU and ATS. The Gators, playing with double revenge here, are 6-0 ATS as a road favorite of 3 points or less. The Gamecocks are also 0-2 ATS this season when off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. South Carolina has been playing poorly on both ends of the floor while Florida is back on track after a home win versus LSU. The angles above combined for a 12-0 ATS spot favoring the Gators. 8* FLORIDA

ESPN Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #803 Friday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Clippers (+) @ Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - Big revenge game for the Clippers here. Many will be looking at the revenge angle for Blake Griffin as the Pistons star gets a shot at the team that traded him away. However, the Clippers also appear to be fortified after the trade and they were the better team to begin with as well. That said, market perception has driven this line up from a 2.5 to as high as a 4 as of early gameday morning. This has led to fantastic line value for Los Angeles in this spot. The Clippers lost to the Pistons at home very early this season and the Clips also lost in their most recent visit to Detroit. That said, the Clippers have revenge on their minds here and are well rested and fully focused on making this a successful road trip. Coach Doc Rivers even said that it was a great time for the Clips to get away from home as they look to make a move up the standings and get away from any distractions at home. This is the first of seven straight road games for the Clippers. They've been off since Monday and they are not home again until the 28th. They know this road trip is critical. The Clippers come into this game having won 4 of their last 5 overall and they also have victories in 5 of their last 6 road games. They are 23-12 ATS when playing with home loss revenge and 8-3 ATS when playing with 3 or more days of rest between games. The Pistons have won 5 straight games but are 7-14 ATS when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 or more games. Detroit is 11-17 ATS as a favorite this season. Take advantage of the line move and grab the points here with the revenge-minded road team. 10* LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

Earliest Cash Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #836 Friday 10* Top Play Miami (OH) Redhawks (+) vs Toledo Rockets @ 6:00 ET - The Rockets will be a popular choice here as they are leading the MAC West Division and because they have had their way for many years now in match-ups with the Redhawks. Of course that makes this a big revenge game for Miami (OH) and I love the fact that the Redhawks are off of a tight road loss that was decided very late while Toledo is off of a very tight home win where they barely hung on for victory against upset-minded Northern Illinois. The Rockets are facing another upset-minded team today and this time it is on the road. That certainly holds significance here because Miami's home record is nearly identical to Toledo's road record this season. Additionally, the Redhawks are allowing only 64.2 points per game and just 40.6% FG shooting in home games this season. For comparison's sake, the Rockets are allowing 77.1 points per game and a lofty 45.5% FG shooting in their road games this season! Toledo is a long term 13-23 ATS in Friday games and I look for the Rockets to drop to 5-9 ATS on the season in games where they are a favorite. Miami is an incredible 11-4-1 ATS as an underdog this season. Also, the Redhawks are 6-2-1 ATS this season against teams that average 77 points or more per game. 10* MIAMI-OHIO

TNT Early Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #505 Thursday 10* Boston Celtics (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 8:05 ET - These teams have only met once this season and Washington got the win on Christmas Day at Boston. Of course the Wizards wanted that game badly as they were eliminated from the post-season by the Celtics in May. Now the revenge angle lies with Boston. With both teams entering this game off of losses that followed hot streaks, I am happy to be back the team with the extra motivation as well as with the much better defense. The Celtics are allowing just 43.2% from the field this season while the Wizards are allowing 45.7% from the field. Boston is also 10-2 ATS as an underdog this season and 12-2 ATS when playing with revenge (including 4-0 ATS with home loss revenge) this season. Washington is an ugly 3-6 ATS this season when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games on the road. The Wizards are also a poor 11-23 ATS this season when they are an underdog. Celtics roll on the road in this one. 10* BOSTON

ESPN Dominator Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #550 Thursday 10* North Carolina Tar Heels (+) vs Duke Blue Devils @ 8 ET - Both teams have under-performed compared to expectations. Of course Duke is ultra-talented but they are a very young team certainly as they start 4 freshmen. North Carolina is the much more experienced team and, of course, they have the home court edge here. With Duke as the higher-ranked team and with the Tar Heels having lost 3 of their last 4 games, there has been a line move from a pick'em to as high as a 2.5 on this game. This is offering up exceptional line value on the home dog. UNC is 6-3 ATS in home games this season. Duke is on a 6-11 ATS run in February games. In regular season meetings the home team has won 3 of the last 5 and in the 2 home losses one came by just 4 points and the other by just a single point. I'll gladly take the more veteran team at home and getting points. Remember that the Tar Heels are also seeking revenge for last season's loss to Duke in the ACC tournament. 10* NORTH CAROLINA

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Game #704 Wednesday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) vs Houston Rockets @ 7:35 ET - The Rockets are off of a big win last night at Brooklyn but, don't be fooled by the final score, it was quite a battle and took a lot out of Houston. Now they are in the 2nd game of a back to back and this is a situation that has seen them go only 1-5 ATS this season. The Rockets are 1-5 ATS when playing the 2nd night of a back to back. Going from Brooklyn to Miami makes the travel situation even tougher. The Heat are in the midst of a 4-game losing streak but they truly have been "right there" in those games. In fact, Miami's last 5 losses have come by an average margin of just 3 points per game. With that said, there is substantial line value here with the generous points being offered on the home dog. Keep in mind, the Heat have played just 4 of their last 15 games at home so all the time away from home definitely caught up with them. Now, off of a home game and with another home game on deck, look for Miami to come up with a big performance here. The Heat lost the first match-up between these teams this season but they had swept them last season. Also, Miami is 25-10 ATS and SU when off of an upset loss as a favorite and they got upset at home by Orlando on Monday. Within that long-term run, note that this season's stats are 6-1 ATS and 7-0 SU in that situation! In other words, look for the Heat to bounce back huge in this spot. 10* MIAMI

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #713 Wednesday 10* Top Play Maryland Terrapins (+) @ Penn State Nittany Lions @ 6:30 ET - While it is true that the Terrapins defeated the Nittany Lions in Maryland early last month, it is also true that Penn State is still a game ahead of them in the Big Ten standings entering this contest. The Terps have been tough-luck losers in a number of their games and are a much better team than their Big Ten record indicates. Keep in mind, Maryland went 11-2 in non-conference action and they've faced some very tough teams in their Big Ten schedule thusfar. The Nittany Lions are entering this game off of a huge win where seemingly everything went right for them while everything went wrong for their opponents. This resulted in a PSU win by a score of 82-58 versus Iowa. The last 4 times that the Nittany Lions have held their opponent to 65 points or less, they are 0-4 SU in those games. The Terrapins are 5-1 SU against Penn State. The Terps are off of a win but had previously lost 6 of their 8 prior games. The key there was they faced Michigan State twice, Purdue, Michigan, and Ohio State. The other of the 6 losses was a 3-point loss at Indiana. In fact, Maryland's last 4 losses have come by an average of 4.5 points per game which also happens to be the line on this game. However, Penn State is not in the class of those teams that the Terrapins lost to. In other words, big value here. The Terps are on an 18-8 ATS run as an underdog and get the cash again here! The Nittany Lions are a long-term 5-15 ATS when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. 10* MARYLAND

TNT Early Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #512 Tuesday 10* Philadelphia 76'ers (-) vs Washington Wizards @ 8:05 ET - The Wizards are off of a big win last night at Indiana as they took advantage of the Pacers being without their entire starting backcourt. Both Victor Oladipo (illness) and Darren Collison (knee) missed last night's game versus Washington while both guards did play in the Pacers win versus the 76ers Saturday. This is helping drive some value here as the markets may not fully pick up on this and the fact is that these teams just faced the same team but at entirely different strength levels. Additionally, in terms of the set up here, the Sixers are off of a loss plus playing with 2 days off between games while the Wizards are off of a win and playing in a back to back. The rest edge plus motivating factor plus home court factor all in favor of Philadelphia here. Washington is a long-term 39-69 SU (and 45-63 ATS) the last 108 times they've faced a team that is averaging 106 points or more per game. The 76ers are 4-1 SU and ATS when facing a team from the Southeast Division this season. Also, Philadelphia is 19-4 ATS when, in the 2nd half of a season, they are facing a team this is averaging 106 points or more per game on the season. Wizards are playing 5th game in 8 nights. Sixers playing just 3rd game in 6 nights. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #532 Tuesday 10* Top Play Northwestern Wildcats (+) vs Michigan Wolverines @ 7 ET - The Wildcats seek revenge for a double digit loss at Michigan a week ago in a game in which turnovers were the difference. On the season there is only a small difference between these teams in terms of turnovers so that is unlikely to be an issue again. Look for Northwestern to come up big at home. They won their most recent home game versus the Wolverines. Also, they still remember being knocked out of the Big Ten tourney by Michigan two years ago as well. Payback time here and the Wildcats come into this game playing excellent defense. The Cats are catching the Wolverines off of a high-scoring OT win versus Minnesota. In road games in Big Ten action this season, Michigan is allowing opponents to hit 52% from the field! As for the Wildcats, they have allowed just 43.3% from the field in Big Ten action and also have allowed only 62.7 points per game on 40.7% shooting in home games this season. The Wolverines are 2-4 SU and ATS as a road favorite of 3 points or less. Also, Michigan is 3-4 SU (and 2-5 ATS) when off of a win versus a conference opponent. Northwestern thrives in games projected to be low-scoring as the Wildcats have gone 7-1 SU in games with a posted total in the 120s the past 2+ seasons. 10* NORTHWESTERN

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #519 Tuesday 8* Xavier Musketeers (+) @ Butler Bulldogs @ 6:30 ET - With an excellent home record and a chance to host one of the nation's top teams, I can understand why Butler is favored here and why they are also getting some attention from the markets. However, the Bulldogs have a key glaring issue here that is not being factored into this line properly. Xavier is a 21-win team and there is no questioning their deserving status as one of the top teams in the nation. While the Musketeers are 9-2 in the Big East, Butler is 7-4 in conference action. Other than their shocking upset of Villanova (thanks to ridiculously hot shooting on Dec. 30th) the other 6 wins that the Bulldogs have all have come against the bottom teams of the Big East. Butler has two wins against DePaul (2-8) and two wins against Marquette (4-7). The other Big East wins that the Bulldogs have were against Georgetown (3-8) and St John's (0-11). With that said, I am happy to challenge Butler to not only win this game but to cover a spread that is being inflated by the markets. Look for the Bulldogs to drop to 2-5 SU and ATS in their last 7 games against teams with a winning record. As for the Musketeers, they are 13-2 SU (and 10-5 ATS) when they are off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. 8* XAVIER

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #717 Monday 8* Syracuse Orange (+) @ Louisville Cardinals @ 7 ET - The Orange won't be a popular choice here after everyone watched them struggle badly to score points against Virginia Saturday. However, the Louisville defense has allowed 70 points per game while the Cavaliers are allowing 52 points per game. In other words, look for things to open up for Syracuse on the offensive end in this one. The Orange have lost back to back games but previously won 3 straight games. Also, in this 5 game stretch Syracuse is allowing only 55.4 points per game and now they're catching more than a half-dozen points here against a Louisville team that is allowing 77.4 points per game in their last 7 games. Of course I know the Cardinals are at home here and they have the better numbers on the offensive end of the court this season but the hungry, defensive-minded road dog is the way to go here! Also, the Cardinals have won each of the last 3 meetings between these teams and the average margin here in Louisville has been 17 points. In other words, revenge payback here! The Cards are a long-term 23-40 after allowing 80 points or more. Louisville is also 13-25 ATS as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points. The Orange improve to 5-2 ATS this season when off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less! 8* SYRACUSE

The NFL Game of the Year - Rickenbach NFL Game #101 February 4th Sunday 10* Philadelphia Eagles (+) vs New England Patriots @ 6:30 ET @ U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN - Defense wins championships. The Patriots defense is ranked #29 in the NFL out of the 32 teams. New England is a sizable favorite here only because of their pedigree. The Pats will get plenty of attention from bettors because, let's face it, it is a "been there, done that" mentality when it comes to the Patriots. However, New England was very fortunate in last year's Super Bowl as anyone with a pulse surely remembers! I had Atlanta and the under in that game for the ultimate double whammy with the ridiculous finish to that game as the Falcons blew what looked like an insurmountable lead. Give credit to New England for that miracle comeback last season but at the same time, they're not going to be so fortunate this time around. The Eagles are the much better team defensively plus have a great ground game thanks to arguably having the best offensive lines and defensive lines in football. Anyone who has followed my analysis for all these years knows that I consider the battle in the trenches to be extremely important to the outcome of football games. In this case, the Eagles certainly hold the edge both when they have the ball and when they're on defense. Philly also has a great running back trio with Ajayi, Blount, and Clement. All 3 of those guys are capable of pounding away at a vulnerable Pats defense. With that said, the Eagles will use their ground game as well as a rejuvenated Nick Foles at QB to go only plenty of clock-eating drives that will help limit the number of possessions Tom Brady and Company get. While the Patriots certainly deserve all the respect in the world for their many years of success this is not their year. They are fortunate to be here as they barely got by Jacksonville and they got a fortunate draw by facing Tennessee in the prior round. The point is that the Pats avoided the Steelers and then, arguably, did have significant help in their comeback win over the Jags in the AFC Championship. That was in Foxboro and they won't be so fortunate here in Minnesota as the Eagles appear to be a team of destiny with all the right pieces in place. Make no mistake about it, the NFC was the tougher conference this season with teams like the Saints, Panthers, Falcons, Rams, and Vikings. In the AFC playoffs you had the Bills get in via a miracle, the Chiefs were on a huge second half fade and the Titans certainly were at nobody's top of the list in terms of powerhouse. The point is that the Patriots should have lost to the Jaguars team they faced and certainly would have been challenged by the Steelers had they faced them as Pittsburgh also should have won the regular season match-up with the Pats. New England's luck runs out here as the Eagles earned this spot out of a very tough NFC and they did it in impressive fashion with last week's manhandling of the Vikings. The Patriots certainly have the edge in Super Bowl experience but note that they are 5-4 in 9 appearances and 4 of the 5 wins have come by 4 points or less. The only one that didn't was last year's ridiculous 6-point win over the Falcons (in OT) and the point is that New England - in 9 super bowl appearances - has never blown anyone out. If they do somehow manage a win here I would expect it to be another tight victory for the Pats but the Eagles have a great shot at the upset and certainly are a value play with the generous points! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Game #811 Sunday 10* Top Play Charlotte Hornets (-) @ Phoenix Suns @ 3:05 ET - The Hornets lost their last visit to Phoenix so they won't overlook the Suns here. That is bad news for the home dog because Phoenix has lost 11 of its last 14 games and only 1 of their last 14 losses has come by less than 7 points. In other words, a Charlotte victory here is likely to equate to a Charlotte cover as well! The Hornets have won 4 of their last 6 road games and they are 8-3 ATS this season when they are off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. The past 2+ seasons combined Charlotte is 27-13 ATS in this situation. The Suns have lost 19 of their last 23 February games. Also, Phoenix is 15-47 SU in games against teams that are averaging 106 points or more per game. Considering those SU stats as well as the fact that 9 of the Hornets last 10 wins have come by 7 points or more, I'll gladly lay the number with the road fave in this one. Look for a road rout. 10* CHARLOTTE

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #827 Sunday 10* Top Play Temple Owls (-) @ Tulane Green Wave @ 3 ET - Many may look to fade Temple here since they are off of the big upset win versus Wichita State in their most recent game as they delivered the "shock" to the Shockers! However, the Owls are still right behind the Green Wave in the American Athletic Conference standings. In other words, it is very unlikely that that Temple will overlook Tulane here! Also, the Owls were a 10 point home dog versus the Green Wave in late December and yet lost the game outright by 10 points. This was after having notched 5 straight victories in this series. Again, given the above factors, there is no way Temple isn't focused on the task at hand in this one. On the season, the Owls have played a tougher schedule than the Green Wave have. That also adds value here. Look for the Owls to improve to 4-1 SU and ATS this season when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. Keep in mind, Tulane is just 12-37 SU in AAC games and 11-37 SU in games against teams with a winning record. Lay the short number in what should turn into a road rout. It's payback revenge time. 10* TEMPLE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #821 Sunday 8* Wisconsin Badgers (+) @ Maryland Terrapins @ 1 ET - The Badgers are having a tough season but their 8-15 ATS mark shows that the odds maker need to adjust and I feel they have here. Wisconsin is getting more points than they should in this spot as even though they have had their share of issues this season and are thin in the backcourt, Maryland also has dealt with a spate of injuries. The Terrapins lost two members of their playing rotation - Justin Jackson and Ivan Bender - early this season. For today's game center Michal Cekovsky is doubtful. He also plays significant minutes. Then, leading scorer Anthony Cowan and another member of the playing rotation Dion Wiley are both likely to play today but neither is 100%. Cowan is bothered by a thumb injury and that certainly could effect the leading scorer's shooting while Wiley is currently dealing with an ankle injury. After two straight losses at home look for the change of scenery to help the Badgers as they certainly won't be over-confident here...not with the way they've been playing. So it's back to basics for Wisconsin on the road and that should prove to be a good thing while the Terrapins struggle as a big fave here. Maryland has lost 5 of their last 6 games and the lone win came by only 11 points even though they shot 20 percentage points higher than their opponent in that won! 8* WISCONSIN

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #807 Sunday 8* Portland Trail Blazers (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 12:05 ET - The Trail Blazers are off of an embarrassing loss at Toronto where they were crushed by 25 points. Prior to that game, Portland was 7-1 SU and 6-1-1 ATS in their previous 8 games. Look for the Blazers to bounce back as they are 4-0 SU the last 4 times they've lost a game by a double digit margin. Boston has been winning but the first two games of this homestand were against sub-par opponents. The Celtics are going to be challenged here which is why this line is set the way it is. Don't fall into a trap here. Boston at home to just win the game will entice the markets but the Celtics are 17-27 ATS when off of a game where they scored 115 points or more and I expect them to fall flat here as they absence of Kyrie Irving certainly hurts as well. Also, the road team won both meetings last season and the Trail Blazers make it 5 in a row SU when off of a loss by double digits. 8* PORTLAND

Contrarian Crusher Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Saturday 10* Miami Heat (+) @ Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - The Pistons will be a popular choice here since they are at home and they were off yesterday while the Heat are in the 2nd game of a back to back. Also adding to the appeal of Detroit here is the fact that they now have Blake Griffin and they won their first game with him in the lineup. However, in that win over Memphis, the Grizzlies actually attempted 20 more field goals than the Pistons. In other words, Detroit was quite fortunate to escape with the two point win. The Pistons had lost 8 straight games before the back to back wins and they now face a Miami team that is very hungry off of back to back losses. Only one time this entire season have the Heat lost 3 straight games SU. Also, they have an ATS mark of 5-0 this season when they enter a game off of exactly 2 straight SU losses. The Pistons are on a 2-8 ATS run and they've allowed 111.3 points per game in their last 7 games. By comparison, the Heat have allowed just 92.4 points per game in their last 5 games. Miami is on a 15-8 ATS run in February games and the Heat are 24-16 ATS when playing the 2nd game of a back to back. Look for the Pistons to drop to 4-8 ATS this season when facing an opponent from the Southeast Division. 10* MIAMI

Daytime Dominator Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #552 Saturday 10* Missouri Tigers (-) vs Kentucky Wildcats @ 2 ET - The very earliest lines on this one had the Tigers favored by as much as 3.5 points. The line, as of early gameday morning, is now down to as low as a 1.5 as everyone is jumping on the Wildcats. Of course that doesn't surprise me as Kentucky is ranked and has won 3 straight while Missouri is unranked and, prior to winning their most recent game, had lost 3 straight. I will gladly fade the market perception here and fade the Wildcats. The fact is that Kentucky starts five freshmen and had to put together back to back 2nd half rallies to come back from 17 down against West Virginia and 14 down against Vanderbilt. The big 2nd half deficits finally catch up with Kentucky here on the road. Missouri is a very talented team and much stronger than their record would lead you to believe. Before an embarrassing home loss by double digits versus Auburn, the Tigers were 9-1 at home this season with the only loss by just 2 points versus Florida. Missouri has held 6 of its last 10 opponents to 39.1% or less from the field and they'll turn up the heat on defense here. The Wildcats have allowed 75 points per game in their last 7 games played away from home. The Tigers, prior to the loss to Auburn, allowed 62 points or less in 7 of their 10 home games this season! Kentucky is only 2-6 ATS in SEC action this season and the Wildcats are 2-5 SU the last 7 times they've been an underdog! Missouri is 20-5 SU the last 25 times they've been a favorite and I'll gladly lay the small number here. Also, the Tigers are 13-4 ATS in February games the past two years. 10* MISSOURI

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #520 Saturday 8* St John's Red Storm (+) vs Duke Blue Devils @ Noon ET - Even though the Red Storm have lost 11 straight games, I expect them to be highly competitive here at Madison Square Garden. St John's is one of the top teams in the nation for steals and turnover margin and you know they're going to bring an intense effort here with a chance to knock off a highly ranked foe. For Duke, though they are likely to find a way to get a SU win here, it is hard not to get caught looking ahead to the big game with North Carolina on Thursday. The fact is that this game is a break in the rigorous ACC schedule for the Blue Devils. The fact that the Tar Heels are on deck makes this an even tougher match-up for Duke. The Red Storm have seen 8 of their last 10 losses come by 7 points or less. The point is that, in most games, St John's has been very competitive and yet they end up falling just short. That is the type of game I expect here. Duke has a long-term mark of 14-27 ATS versus Big East teams. Also, the Blue Devils are on a 10-21 ATS run in Saturday games and that includes an ugly 1-6 ATS this season. The Red Storm are 34-20 ATS when they enter a game on an ATS losing streak of 3 or more games. I look for them to improve to 4-1 ATS when they are a home dog in a range of 9.5 to 12 points. 8* ST JOHN'S

ESPN Smash Pass Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #810 Friday 10* Philadelphia 76ers (-) vs Miami Heat @ 8:05 ET - The 76ers are happy to be back home after a 4-game road trip that ended with 3 straight losses. The Sixers have won 5 straight home games and all five victories have come by a margin of 6 points or more. Philadelphia is also 19-10 ATS including 6-2 ATS this season when they enter game having played each of their 3 prior games on the road. JJ Redick did return for the 76ers Wednesday and he scored 20 points in the loss at Brooklyn. He had missed 7 straight games so the Sixers are certainly happy to have him back on the floor. Jerryd Bayless is also back for Philly and he had made missed 6 straight games. Bayless is averaging 25 minutes per game this season so he and Redick being back certainly strengthens the 76ers. The home team has won each of the last 4 meetings between these teams and all 4 of those wins came by at least 7 points. The Heat come into this one having lost 5 of their last 9 games. Miami will struggle to keep up here as they are 6-12 SU this season in games against teams that average scoring 106 points or more per game. The Heat come into this one having averaged only 91.4 points per game their last 5 games. The Sixers are averaging 109.9 points in home games this season. Also, though the 76ers full season numbers on defense do not impress, they Heat are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games against teams that allow 106 points or more per game. Again, the high-scoring games just don't suit Miami and Philly takes advantage! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Ranked Rout Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #820 Friday 10* Virginia Commonwealth Rams (+) vs Rhode Island Rams @ 7 ET - Rhode Island has won 13 games in a row and is 10-0 in conference action. With Virginia Commonwealth in 2nd place in the Atlantic 10 conference with a 6-3 record this game clearly means much more to the home dog. Yes, Rhode Island would love to keep their streak going. However, VCU is relishing this opportunity to host a ranked team that is at the top of their conference in a primetime nationally televised game. It will be a great atmosphere for the home team in this one and Virginia Commonwealth is the better rebounding team and is 40-6 SU in home games the past 3 seasons combined. Also, VCU is 12-2 SU in home games with a posted total between 150 and 154.5 points while RI is 5-12 SU in road games with a posted total between 150 and 154.5 points. Overall, in all games with a posted total in the 150s in the last 2.5 seasons, Rhode Island is 2-5 SU and this is a very challenging spot for them. RI is off of a pair of grueling wins and VCU is 6-2 ATS when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. From a situational standpoint, this spot favors the home dog in a big way! 10* VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH

ESPN Smash Pass Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #514 Thursday 10* Temple Owls (+) vs Wichita State Shockers @ 7 ET - Temple is a very talented, well-coached team. The Owls had high hopes coming into this season but have fallen short of expectations. Truly this is one of the toughest road tests a team can face. Wichita State is a ranked team going into an underachieving teams house. What that means is the Shockers are going to get the Owls "best shot" and that is why there is extreme value here because Temple has the talent to win a game like this! They simply have under-achieved but when they're up emotionally (as they surely will be tonight) they can be a very tough team to beat. The Owls enter this game off of their 4th win in 6 games and one of those two losses came by just 3 points. With the line on this one going from a very early line of just 5 all the way up to a 7.5 there is great home dog value. Wichita State, of course, is a quality basketball program. However, they have allowed 69 points or more in 4 of their last 5 games. That holds some significance here because the Owls have held the opposition to 64 points or less in 6 of their last 8 games. Temple has been playing solid D in most of their recent games and it will be tough for Wichita State to get much of a margin, if any, in this game. One of the Shockers best outside shooters has gone cold and the Owls are 8-1 ATS in recent seasons, when in Game 15 or later in a season they are facing a team that averages 77 points or more per game. 10* TEMPLE

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #731 Wednesday 10* Top Play Duquesne Dukes (+) @ George Washington Colonials @ 7 ET - The Dukes play defense and the Colonials don't and that will again prove to be the difference here. In 8 conference games, George Washington has a 2-6 SU record and has allowed opponents to hit 49.8% from the field. In 9 conference games, Duquesne has a 5-4 SU record and has held opponents to only 41.7% from the field. Both teams enter this game off of back to back losses but the Colonials are reeling with 6 losses in their last 7 games and all defeats coming by double digits. The Dukes back to back losses each came by 4 points or less. Duquesne is 3-0 ATS this season when off of a loss in conference action. George Washington is 2-8 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. The Colonials have the long-term reputation but the Dukes are the better team this season and finally getting some payback for years of dominance at the hands of the Colonials. Having already taken the first match-up as the host this season, look for the Dukes to get the job done again in the road match-up. Grab the points! 10* DUQUESNE

TNT Early Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #508 Tuesday 10* Detroit Pistons (+) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:05 ET - The Pistons just made the big trade for Blake Griffin and even though he won't be playing tonight it is already going to do wonders for Detroit in terms of their mental state here. Also, even though the final score from Sunday's match-up looks ugly (17 point loss), the Pistons were tied with the Cavaliers with only 7.5 minutes to go and that game was at Cleveland. With that said, and with the revitalized feelings after the trade, I expect a full 48-minute effort from Detroit here. Also, keep in mind, the Pistons had faced the Thunder the night before when they then faced the division rival Cavs on Sunday. This scheduling situation is a much better one for Detroit back at home. The Pistons are 15-9 ATS as an underdog this season. The Cavaliers are only 8-29 ATS as a favorite this season. Also, Cleveland is only 1-6 ATS this season when they won their prior game by a double digit margin. Long-term the Cavs are 34-66 ATS when facing a team with a losing record and that includes an ugly 4-18 ATS this season. 10* DETROIT

ESPN Early Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #523 Tuesday 10* North Carolina Tar Heels (-) @ Clemson Tigers @ 7 ET - The Tar Heels are off of back to back losses and they have not lost 3 straight conference games since the very beginning of their ACC schedule back in 2014. In other words, this is a great spot to back them and it is certainly helped by Clemson's situation here. The Tigers are off of a Sunday night game and it was quite a battle as they fought off the Yellow Jackets for a 2 point win at Georgia Tech. UNC already defeated Clemson two weeks ago at North Carolina and the rematch will be even tougher for the Tigers because they are without Donte Graham. The starting forward is out for the season due to an ACL injury. Clemson is only 2-5-1 ATS in their last 8 games and the Tar Heels are a long-term 12-4 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. Also, there are three 100% perfect angles in our favor here that combine for 18-0. The Tar Heels are 9-0 SU in Tuesday games, 5-0 SU in games with a posted total in the 140s, and the Tigers are 0-4 ATS this season when off of a win in ACC action. I'll gladly test this triple perfect situation here. 10* NORTH CAROLINA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #710 Monday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks (+) vs Miami Heat @ 8:35 ET - The Mavericks have lost 3 straight but are in a good spot for a big home win. Couple that with the fact that the markets are backing the Heat early - line moved from a pick'em to a -2 on Miami - and you have a good set up for backing Dallas in this one. The Mavericks are hitting the road after this game (next home game not until February 10th) so they definitely will go "all out" tonight. As for the Heat, they're in the opposite type of situation because their focus is unlikely to be on this game. Miami is off of a divisional win over Charlotte and they have a big game on deck against LeBron James and Company in Cleveland on Wednesday. The Heat had lost 4 of 6 before Saturday's home win versus Charlotte. Also, Miami is only 8-14 ATS as a favorite this season. The Mavericks are 21-10 ATS when they enter a game having stayed under the total in each of their 3 prior games. That's because solid defense generally does lead to wins and the Mavs have held their last 4 opponents to 41.3% from the field. Also, the Mavericks are 20-11 ATS against teams with a winning record this season and they're sure to be at their best again tonight given the situation. 10* DALLAS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #714 Monday 8* Michigan Wolverines (-) vs Northwestern Wildcats @ 7 ET - The Wolverines are off of a tough loss versus Purdue but they still have plenty to play for. They want good seeding in the conference tourney and Michigan also wants to make a big push and be playing their best basketball in the final month of the regular season coming up. That said, they'll respond at home off of the loss to a highly ranked Boilermakers team. Yes, Northwestern is off of a win versus Minnesota but the Golden Gophers are one of the worst teams in the Big Ten and certainly are filled with issues and distractions this season. The Wildcats, even with that win, are still just 2-5 SU on the road this season and now they face a Wolverines team that is 11-1 SU at home this season and on a long-term 39-8 SU run in home games. The teams are roughly "equal" in terms of defensive numbers this season but Michigan certainly holds a big edge in terms of offensive production and they also have the home court edge here! Look for the Wildcats long layoff to hurt them in this one as Northwestern is 11-24 ATS when they enter a game having had 5 or 6 days off between games. The Wolverines are 3-0 SU and ATS this season when they come into a game off of a loss against a conference opponent. 8* MICHIGAN

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Game #811 Sunday 8* Philadelphia 76ers (+) @ Oklahoma City Thunder @ 6:05 ET - The Thunder are off of a huge win yesterday at Detroit. However, not only is this a back to back spot for Oklahoma City, they're also playing their 3rd game in 4 days. Philadelphia is the much more rested team as they haven't played a back to back game yet this month. In fact today's game is the first game of their first back to back since the calendar hit 2018 as the 76ers do visit Milwaukee tomorrow. The Sixers are 9-3 SU and ATS in their last 12 games and they've been playing great defense. Philadelphia has held 12 of their last 15 opponents to 42.3% or less from the field. The Thunder, on the other hand, have allowed 46.4% or more in five straight games. Also, OKC is only 2-5 ATS in their last 7 home games and only 15-27 ATS as a favorite this season. Philly is 7-3 ATS after a win by a double digit margin. The 76ers are also on a long-term 55-27 ATS run in non-conference action. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #825 Sunday 8* Oakland Golden Grizzlies @ Wright State Raiders @ 2 ET - Revenge game for the Golden Grizzlies as they lost at home to the Raiders three weeks ago. The difference in the game was shooting as Oakland shot an uncharacteristic 35.7% from the field in that game. The Golden Grizzlies also lost at Wright State by 21 points when they met last January. The last time these teams met in the conference tourney (2016), the Raiders also prevailed with a tight 4 point win over Oakland. In other words, this game will be played with plenty of emotion from the road team and I feel the line is a "trap line". Wright State is 10-1 at home this season and Oakland is 6-5 on the road this season and yet the game opened up at a pick'em. As expected, the betting markets are hammering the home team and you know where that puts a contrarian like me. I love the Golden Grizzlies here as they are 18-8 ATS when they are on the road and their line ranges anywhere from +3 to -3. Also, Oakland is 10-1 SU and 8-3 ATS when playing with home loss revenge! Wright State is only 1-3 ATS in conference home games this season and this will be their toughest test yet from a revenge-minded Golden Grizzlies team. 8* OAKLAND

Hidden Gem - Rickenbach CBB Game #717 Saturday 10* Top Play North Dakota Fighting Hawks (+) @ Idaho Vandals @ 10 ET - The Fighting Hawks had won 3 straight games with the last of the 3 being a win over rival North Dakota State. Not surprisingly, they then fell flat and lost their next game on the road in OT. Then, off the curse of an OT loss that always makes the next game ultra tough to bounce back in, North Dakota had another road loss in their next game. This is now the finale of a two week stretch where all of the Fighting Hawks games have been on the road. They started the trip with a win and desperately want to end it with a win. Also, this is a revenge game as North Dakota was embarrassed at home by the Vandals in late December when Idaho had a great shooting night and the Fighting Hawks had a rare off night. That is the worst home loss that North Dakota has suffered so far this season and they want payback tonight. Prior to that defeat, the last 3 match-ups between these teams saw the Fighting Hawks take 2 games by an average margin of 14 points per game plus lose the other one (here in Idaho) by only a single point. That said, there is great line value with the big points being offered here. Though the Vandals are looking to bounce back off of a home loss, they are only 3-6 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. North Dakota is 20-10 SU and 22-8 ATS in games with a posted total in the 140s. Also, when playing with home loss revenge, the Fighting Hawks are 14-7 ATS. When playing in game 15 or later in a season, and facing a team that has a winning record, ND has gone 13-3 ATS! 10* NORTH DAKOTA

Rickenbach NBA Game #504 Saturday 8* Indiana Pacers (-) vs Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - The Magic, though off of a home loss as a favorite, have been playing much better overall. However, Orlando is in the wrong place at the wrong time here. Indiana is at home and angry after a loss to Cleveland last night. The Pacers are 9-1 SU and ATS in their last 10 games versus the Magic and Indiana's last 6 wins have come by an average margin of 12.8 points per game with not a single victory by less than 8 points. With that said, I'll gladly lay the half-dozen points here. The Magic are on a 6-22 SU run and 8-20 ATS run in Saturday games. Orlando is also 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS when off of an upset loss as a favorite. The Pacers are 13-7 ATS as a favorite this season and 12-6 ATS when facing a team that allows 106 points or more per game. 8* INDIANA

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #590 Saturday 8* Kansas Jayhawks (-) vs Texas A & M Aggies @ 4:30 ET - The Jayhawks are flying under the radar now due to some choppiness in their early season play. That has afforded excellent line value opportunity in a situation like this. The Jayhawks are 18-1 SU against the Aggies and are being asked to cover a moderate, but certainly manageable, number here. Keep in mind that, as talented as Texas A & M is they have struggled with consistency and they enter this game on a 2-6 SU run. 4 of those 6 losses have been by a dozen points or more. The Jayhawks, despite unimpressive ATS numbers, are starting to play better and have won 9 of their last 11 games. Kansas however is off of a loss at Oklahoma and they are fired up to make up for that here. The Jayhawks are 7-0 SU (and 5-2 ATS) when off of a loss in Big 12 action. Also, Kansas is 15-2 SU (and 11-6 ATS) when off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. The Jayhawks are also 46-2 SU in home games with a posted total between 140 and 144.5 points. With Aggies losses showing a tendency to come by double digits and with the home favorite in a foul mood here, I look for a blowout win! 8* KANSAS

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #550 Saturday 8* Alabama Crimson Tide (+) vs Oklahoma Sooners @ 2:15 ET - Everyone jumping on the Sooners with freshman star Trae Young. However, in his last two road games he has shot a combined 22 of 60 from the field! Also, Young has averaged 8.3 turnovers per game in his last 4 games. Alabama head coach Avery Johnson lives for games like this. The highly competitive former NBA player (won an NBA championship with the Spurs in the late 90s) will have his troops ready here as they relish the opportunity of a marquee match-up against a ranked foe in this Saturday matinee affair. The Crimson Tide are making great progress under Johnson (now in his 3rd season) and they are allowing just 69.9 points per game this season while the Sooners are allowing an average of 81.5 points per game. Yes, I know that Oklahoma has the more impressive numbers on offense but don't be surprised if Young has some struggles again on the road. Also, the Sooners are 0-4 ATS as a road favorite of 3 points or less and also 7-15 ATS when off of a win in Big 12 action. Alabama is 9-1 SU at home this season and a long-term 24-4 SU when they face a team that is allowing 77 points or more per game. That means there are angles combining for 52-12 (81%) that favor the home dog Crimson Tide in this one. 8* ALABAMA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #519 Saturday 8* Texas Tech Red Raiders (-) @ South Carolina Gamecocks @ Noon ET - Ever since their big road win at Kansas in early January, Texas Tech has struggled away from home. The Red Raiders are sick of hearing about it too and I expect them to do something about that here. Texas Tech is off of a non-covering home win versus Oklahoma State and is now 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games including 0-3 SU/ATS in road games. 13-0 at home this season but sub-.500 on the road, this is helping to give some line value here as no one wants to lay any points with the Red Raiders away from home. The fact is that South Carolina is a poor shooting team and they've been struggling badly. On the season the Gamecocks are hitting only 40.8% from the field (Texas Tech is hitting 47.1%) and also South Carolina has hit only 36.1% of their shots in their last 5 games. The Gamecocks are 0-3 ATS in home games with a posted total between 130 and 134.5 points. Texas Tech is 3-0 ATS in games where they are favored and the posted total is in the 130s this season. In other words, we have double perfect angles here favoring the Red Raiders in this one and they are 34-7 SU as a favorite which bodes well for a cover here considering the small line. 8* TEXAS TECH

Rickenbach NBA Game #814 Friday 8* Chicago Bulls (-) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 8:05 ET - The Lakers have won 3 straight games but all of those victories came in Los Angeles. Now LA is back on the road where they've lost 5 of their last 6. All 5 of those defeats came by at least 6 points and I like the hungry home team here to get the win and cover. Chicago is coming off of a disappointing road effort at Philly and should bounce right back here after back to back losses at New Orleans and Philadelphia to wrap up a 3-game road trip. That road trip began with a double digit win for the Bulls at Atlanta and that brought Chicago to 4-1 SU in their last 5 games. Also, prior to the loss to the Sixers, Chicago had covered 6 straight games. The Bulls are happy to be back home and have covered 10 of their last 13 games at the United Center. When off of a loss by 10 points or more, the Bulls are on an 8-3 ATS run. Also, Chicago is 5-2 ATS as a favorite this season. The Bulls are 7-2 ATS in Friday games this season. The Lakers are 9-22 SU (and 11-20 ATS) when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games at home. Los Angeles may be making improvements but don't lose sight of the fact that the Lakers are on a 20-83 SU run in road games including losing 15 of 21 this season. 8* CHICAGO

Rickenbach NBA Game #801 Friday 8* Atlanta Hawks (+) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - The Hornets recently lost a heartbreaker at home by a single point to the Heat. They have a shot at revenge tomorrow at Miami and, as a result, may not be giving the 14-33 Hawks their full attention. Atlanta will certainly be fully focused here as they lost by 18 points at Charlotte earliest this season and also are entering this game off of a home loss to Toronto. Prior to falling short versus the Raptors, the Hawks had won 4 of their last 6 SU and 5 of their last 7 ATS. Atlanta is 14-8 ATS when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games at home. The Hornets enter this game having failed to cover 3 straight games and they are 17-26 ATS when they enter a game off of an upset loss as a favorite. Charlotte also is only 4-9 SU in Friday games this season and the Hawks plus the big points are the way to go here. 8* ATLANTA

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #836 Friday 8* St Francis (PA) Red Flash vs Wagner Seahawks @ 5 ET - Revenge game for the Red Flash as they lost at Wagner last week after blowing a 32-25 half-time lead. St Francis came into the season expected by many to end up in the top spot in the Northeast Conference. That said, solid line value is available here with the Red Flash at home and laying a very small number in this revenge spot. St Francis is only 1 game behind the Seahawks in the conference standings and Wagner is tied at the top of the NEC. With that said, this game is even that much bigger for the Red Flash in terms of staying alive in the race for the top spot in the conference. St Francis is the better team offensively. Even though the Seahawks hold the edge in rebounding and on defense as well, look for the Red Flash offense to lead the way on their home floor at the DeGol Arena in Loretto, PA Friday. Payback time. 8* ST FRANCIS (PA)

Rickenbach CBB Game #537 Thursday 8* Youngstown State Penguins (+) @ Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers @ 8 ET - The Panthers are off of a huge upset win over Wright State. That snapped an 8-game winning streak for the Raiders and for UW-Milwaukee it means they took down one of the top teams in the Horizon League. Keep in mind that Wisconsin-Milwaukee had lost 4 straight games prior to that win and the upset victory is also likely to leave them very flat here! The fact is that it is hard to get up for taking on a Youngstown State team that annually is one of the weaker teams in the league. Of course that, coupled with the Panthers big win over Wright State, is what makes this such a dangerous spot for UW-Milwaukee. The big dog Penguins are the play here as the Panthers Jeremy Johnson (illness) and August Hass (ankle) are both questionable tonight. Each of those guys average more than 20 minutes a game and certainly they are key cogs in the rotation that could be limited tonight. Youngstown State did defeat the Panthers 3 weeks ago but the revenge angle (after the big win over the Raiders) is tough to pull the trigger on here. That's because UWM is an ugly 12-26 ATS as a favorite (including 3-9 ATS this season) and also is 2-7 ATS in conference games this season. Youngstown State is 7-1 ATS in Horizon League action this season. Look for the Penguins to improve to 5-2 ATS as a road dog in a range of 6.5 to 9 points. 8* YOUNGSTOWN STATE

Rickenbach CBB Game #520 Thursday 10* Top Play Connecticut Huskies (+) vs SMU Mustangs @ 7 ET - SMU is only 2-5 SU in games played away from home this season. Connecticut has played the tougher schedule this season in comparison with the Mustangs. Also, the Huskies are 8-2 SU at home this season. Southern Methodist is off of back to back wins but previously had lost 3 straight. Connecticut is off of back to back losses but previously had won 3 straight games. Also, the Huskies have held opponents under 41.9% from the field in 8 of their 10 home games. Hungry off of back to back losses and playing at home where their defense will be kicked up a notch, Connecticut will prove to be a tough "out" for SMU in this one! The Mustangs are 4-7 ATS against teams with a winning record this season. The Huskies are 9-1 (90%) SU in home games with a posted total between 130 and 134.5 and another upset here would not surprise. Certainly there is value in grabbing the half-dozen points with the hungry home dog here. 10* CONNECTICUT

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Wednesday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (+) @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:05 ET - The Bulls full season record does not look good but they have gone 15-9 SU the past month and a half. Also, Chicago enters this game having gone 20-5 ATS their last 25 games. The Bulls are off of a loss but have gone 8-3 ATS this season when off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. Chicago also has fared very well versus the 76ers in recent years and that includes a 4-0 SU mark in their last 4 visits to Philadelphia. Though the Sixers have also been playing well, they are without JJ Redick and TJ McConnell for this one plus Jerryd Bayless is listed as questionable. The short-handed rotation also has a big road trip on deck featuring 4 games in 6 days. The Sixers take on a Bulls team missing just one player, Kris Dunn, for this one. Chicago has covered 6 straight games and catch Philly off of an upset loss. While that may seem like a good spot to back the 76ers, Philadelphia is actually an ugly 1-8 ATS (2-7 SU) this season when off of an upset loss as a favorite. The Bulls are an incredible 11-2 ATS in their last 13 road games and get the job done again here. 10* CHICAGO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA 8* Sacramento Kings (+) @ Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - Orlando is off of a huge upset win at Boston Sunday. Now they host a poor Kings team which makes this the perfect spot to expect a letdown. It is hard to imagine the Magic being very hyped up for this game and their win over the Celtics was only the 3rd time in their last 34 games that they have won a game by more than 6 points. In other words, the odds of a big win and cover for Orlando are quite slim here. I know the Kings have underachieved and may seem like a tough team to back but, keep in mind, the Magic are 2-6 ATS when off of an upset win as an underdog. Also, the big key is Orlando is 2-12 ATS when facing a team with a losing record this season. As you can see, the Magic are already known for underestimating opponents with poor records. That said, off of an exciting win and with another Eastern Conference opponent (the Pacers) on deck, Orlando looks right past Sacramento tonight. The Kings are 15-10 ATS (and a surprising 14-11 SU) in Tuesday games the past 2+ seasons combined. They may not get the outright win here but they at least get the cover in this perfect spot for an upset! 8* SACRAMENTO

Top Play Special - Rickenbach CBB Game #513 Tuesday 10* Arkansas Razorbacks (+) @ Georgia Bulldogs @ 6:30 ET - With the Razorbacks still winless (ATS) in SEC games, the Bulldogs look "too easy" here as a home team at nearly a pick'em price. Of course you know what happens most of the time when something looks "too easy". The fact is that Arkansas is the play here as they are the much better team offensively and Georgia won't be able to keep up. The Razorbacks are averaging 85.1 points per game this season while the Bulldogs are averaging 69.9 points a game. Arkansas is knocking down 49.3% of their shots from the field including 39.6% from three point land. In games with a posted total in the 140s the Razorbacks are 15-7 ATS including 2-0 ATS this season. Arkansas is also 4-1 ATS in games where they are a road dog of 3 points or less. Arky also is 13-5 SU (and 11-5 ATS) in Tuesday night games. The Hogs are 8-3 SU this season when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. At game 15 or later in a season, when the Bulldogs face a team that is averaging 77 points or more per game, they've gone 8-14 SU. As I said above, Georgia struggles to keep up with high scoring, better shooting teams. Yes the Dogs have the better defense but the Razorbacks have too many scoring options! 10* ARKANSAS

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Sunday Game #314 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Eagles (+) vs Minnesota Vikings @ 6:40 ET - Truth be told the Vikings don't even belong here. I am not taking away from their great regular season but, as everyone saw last week, they truly won the game on a miracle. The Vikings benefited in the first half from two Saints turnovers. Keep in mind, prior to the final-play 61 yard miracle TD pass, Minnesota was outgained by New Orleans and losing on the scoreboard DESPITE the two Saints turnovers. As for the Eagles, sure their game was a nail-biter too but Philly (like New Orleans) was also done in by turnovers last week. It's just that the Eagles defense stood so tall that they managed to weather the storm of an early fumble by RB Jay Ajayi and the "fluke" fumble (bad break) on a punt return. This led to the Falcons 10 points and otherwise we could be talking about a 15-0 shutout win for the Eagles last week. Again Philadelphia is getting no respect this week despite home field edge, continued fantastic defense, and the fact that QB Nick Foles grew more and more in confidence as last week's game went on. He overthrew some guys early but ended up with a solid overall performance and looked more and more comfortable as the game went on. Keep in mind this guy is no rookie. Foles has enjoyed plenty of success before at the NFL level and the Eagles can again play the "no respect" card this week. Two great defenses matched up here but the Vikes may have used up their "get out of jail" card already for this post-season with last week's miracle win. The Vikings have kept the dream alive of becoming the first team ever to host a Super Bowl but this Eagles team is now 8-1 at home this season with the only loss being in a season finale game against the Cowboys that meant nothing. Also, the Philly defense has allowed a TOTAL of only 29 points in their last 4 home games! The Vikings shut out the Packers (without Aaron Rodgers of course) in their final road game of the regular season but, prior to this, the Vikes allowed an AVERAGE of 23 points per game in their 6 true road games this season. In road games with a posted total between 38.5 and 42 points, Minnesota is 2-6 ATS. This line currently sits at a 3.5 in a lot of books as of Noon ET on Tuesday (the time I am posting this) but there are some 3's out there and it wouldn't surprise me if the line moves down to a solid 3 as the week goes on. The point is that you should play it now but it also brings another key stat to the forefront here. Philly has thrived in games like this all season long. In games with a line on the Eagles between -3 and +3 they are not only 5-0 ATS but also 5-0 SU. I expect a home dog upset here but also very happy to have the +3.5 points as an added bonus. Look for that stat to improve to a perfect 6-0 ATS on the season! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #802 Sunday 8* Boston Celtics (-) vs Orlando Magic @ 1:05 ET - The Celtics are playing their final home game before embarking on a 4-game West Coast road trip. Boston is off of rare back to back home losses as they just didn't seem to recover after the trip across the pond to London where they defeated the division rival Sixers. Boston now hosts an Orlando team that was down huge at Cleveland Thursday but then rallied late in the 1-point loss. That is offering some line value here because, simply put, the Magic are not a very good team. The Celtics, off of an upset loss as a favorite, will respond big here against Orlando. 4 of the last 5 times they've faced the Magic they've won by 15 points or more including a pair of blowout wins by 30 points. At home, Boston is an incredible 35-12 ATS versus Orlando! The Magic are only 11-19 ATS when playing with revenge this season. Overall, the Magic are 2-6 ATS in divisional games. The Celtics are 6-2 ATS this season when off of an upset loss as a favorite. Boston is also 37-22 ATS long-term against Southeast Division opponents. The Celtics roll here and cover the big number as they need a home win here as this will be their last time playing as a host until the final day of January. 8* BOSTON

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Saturday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (+) @ Atlanta Hawks @ 5:05 ET - When something looks too easy it usually is anything but that. This is a prime example of that as Atlanta opened up at a pick'em at home and is now a 2-point favorite as people jump on board to fade a Chicago team that is just 6-16 SU on the road. The key to the value here is the Bulls have been red hot but yet are off of a SU loss. Chicago fell short against the defending champion Warriors Wednesday but the Bulls did the cover. It is now a perfect 4-0 ATS run for Chicago. Speaking of perfect runs, the Bulls are also 9-0 ATS this season in games against Southeast Division opponents. The Hawks are an ugly 1-7 SU against Southeast Division foes. While the Bulls are hungry off of a loss, Atlanta is off of back to back wins and feeling a little too good about themselves. This is the type of game where upsets happen and lets not forget that the Hawks had lost 5 of 6 before notching those back to back victories. The Bulls have had some recent success versus the Hawks as a host but they've fallen short in recent visits to Atlanta so there is plenty of motivation for Chicago here. The Hawks are an ugly 2-6 SU when off of an upset win as an underdog. The double perfect edges for the Bulls, noted above, combine for a 13-0 ATS mark. 10* CHICAGO

Big 12 Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Game #562 Saturday 10* Top Play Oklahoma State Cowboys (+) vs Oklahoma Sooners @ 2 ET - The Cowboys lost badly at Oklahoma early this month but Oklahoma State was simply done in by ridiculously hot shooting by the Sooners. I certainly don't expect a repeat of that on the road in Stillwater and the home dog Cowboys have a great shot at the upset here. For Oklahoma State, this is truly their "Game of the Year" as they host their biggest rival as a highly ranked foe in this one plus the Cowboys seek revenge. Keep in mind OSU had won each of the prior two meetings and 1 of their 2 prior losses had come by just 2 points. The Sooners hit a ridiculous 15 of 27 three-pointers in the January 3rd win and that won't be repeated here. OU, from Game 15 onward in a season, is on a 12-23 ATS run in games against teams with a winning record. Also, Oklahoma is on a 19-31 ATS run as a favorite. As for Oklahoma State, they have a long-term mark of 10-5 SU (and 11-4 ATS) when playing with a revenge from a blowout loss of 20 points or more. Keep in mind, in that bad loss at Norman, the Cowboys took 25% more shots from the field than did the Sooners. OSU had 80 field goal attempts in the game while the Sooners had 64. I know the phenom for Oklahoma needs a bounce back game but he has been exposed a bit in losses to West Virginia and Kansas State. Both those losses were on the road and this is another tough venue to play in. Give me the home dog BIG in this one. 10* OKLAHOMA STATE

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Game #803 Friday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (-) @ Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 - The Heat are seeking revenge here for an embarrassing home loss to the Nets just 3 weeks ago. Miami was blown out by 24 in that ugly defeat versus Brooklyn and payback is on order here. Prior to that loss the Heat were 7-1 SU and ATS in their last 8 meetings with the Nets so they've certainly had their number. Also, Miami is 15-5 SU their last 20 games while Brooklyn has lost 14 of their last 19 games so you can clearly see this is a case of two teams going opposite directions. Also, the Nets have been held under 42.5% from the field in 6 of their last 7 games while the Heat have shot at least 46% from the field in 7 of their last 9 games. Miami is on an incredible 30-13 ATS run when playing with home loss revenge. Also, the Heat are 15-3 SU when facing a team with a losing record. That is a key here as this line is very small so there is a high percentage chance that any SU win is also an ATS win in this one! The Nets are 25-40 ATS when they enter a game on a SU losing streak of 3 or more games. Brooklyn is also on an ugly 23-86 SU run in games against teams with a winning record. 10* MIAMI

Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #540 Thursday 10* Top Play Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+) vs Virginia Cavaliers @ 8 ET - Virginia has been stellar this season and is certainly a tough team to play against due to their stout defense. However, another solid defense in the Atlantic Coast Conference is certainly that of Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets are allowing just 62.8 points per game on the season. This is a big number for the Cavaliers to cover on the road considering Georgia Tech has a penchant for getting into low-scoring grinder-type games just like Virginia does. With that said, the Cavs are in for a real battle here. The Yellow Jackets are on a 5-1 SU run and also a 5-0 ATS run. GT is allowing only 58.5 points per game in their last 6 games. In recent seasons the Cavaliers are only 14-12 SU in road games so it won't be a surprise to see this one turn into a bit of a dogfight. The Jackets are on an incredible 16-3 ATS run in January games. Also, Georgia Tech is 28-14 ATS in conference games. When facing a team with a winning record after the midway point in a season (game 15 or later), the Yellow Jackets have gone 25-11 ATS. 10* GEORGIA TECH

Rickenbach CBB Game #513 Thursday 8* Illinois-Chicago Flames (-) @ Youngstown State Penguins @ 7 ET - The Flames are off of a home loss to Oakland which snapped a 3-game win streak for UIC. As a result, Illinois-Chicago is in a great "play on" situation here as they travel to Youngstown State. We're getting line value with a low number on this game since the Flames are on the road. That fact is that Illinois-Chicago is 5-2 SU (and 4-1 ATS) in games against teams with a losing record this season. Youngstown State has been awful on the defensive end this season. The Penguins are allowing 82.9 points per game on 51.3% shooting from the field including 37.9% from beyond the arc. UIC is the much better team on the defensive end. Also, Youngstown State has lost 12 of its last 15 games. All but one of those dozen losses have come by at least a 7-point margin. The strength of the Flames is their frontcout while that same area is the biggest weakness of the Penguins. UIC has arguably the top frontcourt in the Horizon League. In other words, this is a mismatch. Lay the small number. 8* ILLINOIS-CHICAGO

Rickenbach CBB Game #600 Thursday 8* Tennessee State Tigers (-) vs Austin Peay Governors @ 6 ET - This line is right around a pick'em which has opened up fantastic line value on the Tigers to just win at home. Tennessee State played very well in a tight loss at SIU-Edwardsville Saturday so they are extra hungry to bounce back here at home The Tigers are 4-3 in home games this season while the Governors are just 1-6 in road games. Of course the line is where it is because when you look at the overall records of these teams it would be easy to assume that Austin Peay is the better team. That is simply not the case and I look for Tennessee State to win big at home here. This is the first time the Tigers have hosted the Governors since they knocked them out of the Ohio Valley Conference tournament two years ago. Payback time here. Austin Peay lost all 5 starters from last year's team and has a new head coach this season. It is early in conference action so don't be surprised if the Governors start to slip while the Tigers move their way up the conference standings. That begins here. Austin Peay is 12-26 SU in road game in recent seasons while Tennessee State is 23-11 SU in home games. Also, as a home favorite in a range of 3 points down to a pick'em, the Tigers are 6-1 SU and ATS! 8* TENNESSEE STATE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Wednesday 8* Washington Wizards (+) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - I like catching the Wizards beginning a 5-game road trip and focusing on this as a chance to bounce back after a loss on Monday. I like fading the Hornets as they "let up" here knowing that this is the beginning of a 5-game homestand. Charlotte could get caught feeling a little too good about themselves after their big win Monday. The Hornets are 3-8 SU this season when off of a win by a double digit margin. Charlotte has lost 3 of 4 this season when off of an upset win as an underdog. The Wizards are 11-3 ATS as an underdog this season but one of those losses was a 5-point defeat at Charlotte in their only match-up with the Hornets so far this season. Time for payback here. 8* WASHINGTON

Ultra Early Blowout - Rickenbach CBB Game #726 Wednesday 10* Top Play Dayton Flyers (+) @ St Joseph's Hawks @ 6:30 ET - Of course the Hawks wish they had Charlie Brown but he never even played a game this season. The same holds true for Lamarr Kimble but he only played 1 game and is now out for the season. While those are known "issues" for St Joseph's, they certainly are also further weakened here by the fact that 6'8 Pierfrancesco Oliva is currently dealing with the flu. He leads the team in rebounds and is 2nd in assists. Though he may indeed play tonight I expect him to be at less than 100%. With that said, there is value here with a Dayton team that still is seeking some revenge here. Yes the Flyers beat the Hawks in their match-up last season but they did lose their last visit to St Joseph's and also were eliminated from the Conference Tourney by the Hawks in March of 2016. While St Joe's is hitting only 41% of their shots this season, the Flyers are hitting 48% from the field this season. Also, Dayton allows 5 points per game less than the Hawks do. In games with a posted total in the 150s the Flyers are on a 5-1 SU run. Also, when it is game 15 or later in the season, and Dayton faces a team with a losing record, the Flyers are a perfect 10-0 SU. The Hawks are 1-4 ATS as a favorite this season. Also, St Joseph's is 3-6 SU this season in games against teams with a winning record. As a home fave of 3 points or less in recent seasons, the Hawks have gone 2-5 ATS. 10* DAYTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #525 Tuesday 10* Top Play Louisville Cardinals (+) @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ 7 ET - After this line opened up at a 1.5 on the Irish it has already moved up to a -3. Of course that is the power of home court in the betting markets' eyes and it would seem justified here. That's because Notre Dame is on a 6-0 SU and ATS run in home games versus Louisville. However, this is one of those cases where there is more than meets the eye at first glance. The fact is that the Irish have built much of their 13-3 start on the backs of Bonzie Colson and Matt Farrell. Notre Dame now enters this game off of back to back losses and Colson (leading rebounder and leading scorer) is out with a foot injury. Farrell (leads teams in assists and second in scoring) is questionable tonight with an ankle injury. Though he may indeed play tonight he is not 100% and these two players are key guys for ND no doubt. Another key to the value with this play is that the Cardinals have played the tougher schedule in comparison with the Fighting Irish so far this season. As a road dog of 3 points or less the Cards are a long-term 19-10 ATS. The Cardinals enter this game on a 4-game ATS win streak while the Irish, not including true road games, are on a 2-4 ATS run. In other words home court hasn't been overly favorable to Notre Dame of late. 10* LOUISVILLE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #753 Monday 8* New Hampshire Wildcats @ UMass-Lowell River Hawks @ 2:30 ET - The Wildcats returned all 5 starters from last season's team and even though they are winless away from home this season, don't be fooled by that here. UMass-Lowell is in its first year of full eligibility as a Division 1 program and they are still going through a transition phase. They are winless so far in America East Conference action and just got blasted at home by the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) on Saturday. That makes this a short rest spot for the River Hawks and they're facing a New Hampshire team that is 2-1 so far in conference action. The Wildcats lone loss was also to UMBC but they lost that game by only 4 points on the road while UMass-Lowell lost to the Retrievers by 27 points even though the River Hawks were at home for that game. 8* NEW HAMPSHIRE

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #705 Monday 8* Milwaukee Bucks (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 2:05 ET - The Bucks had their worst shooting performance in 5 years yesterday at Miami. After that game ended up an ugly loss, Milwaukee will respond in a big way today. Though the Wizards were off yesterday they are coming off of a crazy overtime win versus Brooklyn Saturday where they blew a 20+ point lead. The fact Washington hung on for the win in overtime while the Bucks are fired up off of a rare game where they were held under 80 points means my money is on Milwaukee is in this one! The Wizards are on an 0-5 ATS run. Washington is also an ugly 8-21 ATS as a favorite this season. 8* MILWAUKEE

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #822 Sunday 10* Top Play Rutgers Scarlet Knights (+) vs Ohio State Buckeyes @ 7 ET - Ohio State is off of a huge win versus Maryland where everything went right for the Buckeyes and everything went wrong for the Terrapins. The Buckeyes have been shooting the ball very well but most of those games have been at home. Now they are on the road and they're facing a scrappy Scarlet Knights team that is looking to bounce back off of a tight 4-point loss at Michigan State. Keep in mind, prior to that game Rutgers fought hard for a home win versus Wisconsin. Certainly the Scarlet Knights were not expected to follow that up with playing so well against the Spartans as a 22 point underdog but that is precisely what they did. The fact is that Rutgers, particularly on their home floor and playing with a lot of confidence, will be tough for the Buckeyes to "put away" in this one. With the way the Scarlet Knights have been playing, they have a great shot at the upset here which makes the points very valuable here. This is particularly true with the markets backing the Buckeyes heavily as this line has been driven all the way up to a 7. The Scarlet Knights are 6-0 ATS at home this season. The Buckeyes are 0-3 ATS in their last 3 match-ups with Rutgers. That means we have a combined 9-0 ATS spot here favoring the Scarlet Knights over Ohio State. I'll take it as the public is backing them in this revenge spot but the home dog is going to bring plenty of fight to this one! 10* RUTGERS

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NFL Game #307 Sunday 10* Top Play New Orleans Saints (+) @ Minnesota Vikings @ 4:40 ET - A big money move toward the Vikings throughout this week but one must keep in mind, their competition in the NFC North this season was Detroit (horrible defense), Green Bay (lost QB Rodgers to injury) and Chicago (the bad news Bears). As for the Saints, they did battle with Carolina and Atlanta this season and while every other NFL division (there are 8) finished with only 1 team with double digits in wins, the NFC South had THREE of them - New Orleans and the Panthers and Falcons. Another key comparison here is at QB where the Saints have Drew Brees  and the Vikings have Case Keenum. I know the Vikes have a fantastic defense but I still don't trust Keenum and this Minnesota offense and lets not forget that the Saints defense did improve a lot this season. The Vikings played 5 December games and never totaled more than 356 yards of offense. The Saints have totaled at least 400 yards of offense in 7 of their last 12 games. This game is being played indoors which further favors the better offense and New Orleans is certainly used to playing in domed stadiums. The Saints have revenge from losing at Minnesota to open up this season and they are 12-3 ATS when playing with revenge and also 10-3 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points. The Vikings recent playoff history is not good with a 6-15 SU mark their last 21 games. With the line move here from an opener of 3.5 up to a 5.5, Minnesota is particularly over-valued here. 10* NEW ORLEANS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #801 Sunday 8* Milwaukee Bucks (+) @ Miami Heat @ 1:05 ET - The Bucks are fired up off of a double digit home loss to Golden State. The Heat are coming off of a 3-day break but had won 6 straight games prior to the time off. When a team is as hot as Miami was, time off is actually not helpful. Look for the break to cost the Heat their momentum and they are back home where they are just 5-13 ATS this season. Also, Miami is just 2-6 ATS against Central Division opponents, 3-7 ATS off of an upset win as an underdog, and 1-5 ATS in Sunday games. Milwaukee is 12-4 ATS when they enter a game off of 3 or more consecutive unders. Also, the Bucks are 6-2 SU this season when off of a double digit loss. After losing to the defending champs at home by 14 points they resume their hot shooting here and get back on track on the road. 8* MILWAUKEE

Saturday Night Special - Rickenbach NFL Game #303 Saturday 8* Tennessee Titans (+) @ New England Patriots @ 8:15 ET - The Patriots have incredible success both SU and ATS so I know it seems tough to fade them in a spot like this. They are at home and have had two weeks of rest and are laying less than two TDs in most spots as of Friday afternoon. However, the key to the value here is that the Titans play exactly the kind of style that can have them hanging around in this game. Tennessee loves to try and move the ball on the ground and control the clock and the one glaring weakness the Patriots do have is that their defense is not that great. They do have a rather low points per game total and certainly deserve credit for that but this New England team is allowing 366 yards per game on the season. The Patriots D allows more passing yards than the Titans do and also New England gives up 30 more rushing yards per game. That is even more impressive when you consider all the games where the Pats had a big lead and then teams are forced to throw the ball to come back. In fact, the Patriots did allow 4.7 rushing yards per carry and that is a very telling stat. The Titans ran for 202 yards in last week's upset win at Kansas City. New England is such a popular team that the odds maker simply have to over value them at times and that is the case here. The Titans are 10-7 (including last week's win) and only 2 of those 7 losses came by more than 10 points. I expect the Patriots to win this game but only by a single score. The Titans ground game and a respectable defense keeps them much more competitive in this game than many expect. Also, the upset win on the road last week does wonders for this team's confidence. They are going to be ultra competitive in Foxboro. 8* TENNESSEE

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Game #508 Saturday 8* Washington Wizards (-) vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:05 ET - The Nets rallied for a big upset win at Atlanta last night. Brooklyn wanted that game badly as there is some history there for coach Kenny Atkinson. Now the Nets go into the opposite situation. They are now the hunted instead of the hunter as the Wizards have revenge on their minds here. Washington has not only lost two straight to Brooklyn, the Wizards were thoroughly embarrassed in a 35 point loss in their most recent meeting which was just a few days before Christmas. The Wizards certainly have payback on their minds here and Washington has won their last two home meetings with the Nets by an average margin of 22 points per game! Brooklyn, prior to their upset win over the Hawks yesterday, had shot a combined 36.5% from the field in their 3 prior games! That said, I expect the hot-shooting Wizards to win this one in a rout tonight! Washington has averaged 116.8 points per game in their last 8 home games. The Nets had been held to 98 points or less in 4 of their last 5 games prior to last night's upset win. The Wizards are a long-term 26-13 (67%) ATS versus the Nets. Brooklyn is on a 13-25 ATS run in January games even though they've had some success so far this month. The Nets run into a brick wall tonight! 8* WASHINGTON

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NFL Game #302 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Eagles (+) vs Atlanta Falcons @ 4:35 ET - Nick Foles instead of Carson Wentz at QB is why this line is where it is and I won't hesitate to step in and take advantage. Everyone is giving Foles a bad rap coming into this game but people have to remember that he threw 4 TDs and 0 INTs in his first start after replacing Wentz. Then, in his next start the game did not matter at all (plus was played on Christmas Day) and ladies and gentlemen when your teammates aren't going "all out" that also effects you. That Christmas Day game against the Raiders didn't mean a thing and of course the season finale against the Cowboys was also a meaningless game in which he only threw 11 passes. Now in this game you will see every teammate going hard. The offensive line blocking like it is the last game of their career, the running backs hitting holes as hard as they can, receivers running routes crisp and sharp, etc. You get my point...THIS ONE COUNTS! The Eagles have had two weeks to get ready for this game and they are at home and mother nature has cooperated as well. The cold air is moving into Philly just in time for this game and no matter what anyone says a dome team like Atlanta is effected in a game like this. In fact their long-term history supports that as well. But I am not big on history. I am big on match-ups and the Eagles running game is going to be a big difference maker here. They run the ball better than the Falcons and also stop the run better than Atlanta does. In fact, the overall defense of Philly makes a big difference here. They are allowing just 13.4 ppg at home this season while the Falcons are allowing 21.6 ppg on the road this season. While the whole world lines up on Atlanta here, the sharp money will be on a disrespected team that should win this one handily. I am glad to have the 3 points but shouldn't need them. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #526 Saturday 8* Minnesota Golden Gophers (+) vs Purdue Boilermakers @ Noon ET - The Golden Gophers are off of an embarrassing loss at Northwestern. They certainly were still adjusting without Amir Coffey and Reggie Lynch. Rest assured, the Golden Gophers will play much better at home in this one even though those two players are still out. Minnesota shot an unreal 30% from the field plus allowed 83 points. The Golden Gophers are 3-1 SU when they are off of a game this season where they allowed 80 or more points. Also, Minnesota is 7-2 ATS when, after the midway point of a season, they face a team that averages 77 points or more per game. In other words, look for the Golden Gophers to "D up" here at home after that embarrassing loss. Last season Minnesota won at Purdue and the Golden Gophers home loss in this series came by just 4 points in the prior season. I expect another tight one here as Minny wants to make up for their effort against the Wildcats and they're relishing this opportunity to knock off a highly ranked Big Ten foe at home. Purdue is off of a tight win at Michigan and they are 1-3 ATS this season when off of a win in conference action. 8* MINNESOTA

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #820 Friday 8* Yale Bulldogs (-) vs Brown Bears @ 5:30 ET - The Bears have the better record so far this season but the Bulldogs have played the much tougher non-conference schedule. Now that Ivy League action gets underway, Yale is going to benefit from all those tough non-conference match-ups they endured. The Bulldogs are without forward Jordan Bruner and guard Makai Mason. However, they were without those players most of last season too and yet they still finished 3rd in the conference. As for Brown, they were at the bottom of the Ivy League standings last season with a 4-10 conference record and a similar result is expected this season. Yale is 3-0 SU (and 2-0 ATS) when off of a game where they were held to 66 points or less this season. That said, with the Bulldogs off of a 74-60 loss at Georgia Tech Saturday, look for another big win here. Brown is off of a win but it came against New Jersey Tech and the game was played in Providence and that was over a week ago. In other words, don't be surprised if the Bears are very rusty here as this is their first game in nearly a week and a half. The home team is offering great line value here and I'll lay the points with the battle-tested Bulldogs. 8* YALE

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #513 Thursday 10* Top Play Maryland Terrapins (+) @ Ohio State Buckeyes @ 7 ET - The Terrapins are already without Justin Jackson and Ivan Bender and now they lost Dion Wiley for this game. Certainly this has impacted the depth of the Terps but they didn't have Wiley in the 2nd half of their big win over Iowa and it was the 2nd half where Maryland made their big run against the Hawkeyes. That said, the fact this game is on regular rest (haven't played since Sunday) and the fact the Buckeyes are off of a huge upset win over Michigan State, this is a great spot to back the road dog. Maryland has won 4 straight meetings with Ohio State and Maryland lost by 30 points to the same Spartans team that the Buckeyes just rolled by 18 points. You can bet that the Terrapins are well aware of all this and are looking to make a statement against a Buckeyes team that is likely to get caught still celebrating this win. The Terps are on a 13-6 ATS run as an underdog and certainly this is their preferred role at the betting window! Ohio State is 11-19 ATS (including 2-4 ATS this season) in games with a posted total in the 140s. The Buckeyes will be caught back on their heels in this one as the Terrapins look to make up for the ugly loss at Michigan State in their most recent road game. 10* MARYLAND

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #902 Thursday 8* Philadelphia 76ers (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 3:05 ET (Game played in London) - This is a neutral site game even though the Sixers are listed as the home team. That said, why are the 33-10 Celtics listed as such a small favorite against a Philadelphia team that is improved but still only playing .500 ball on the season? Precisely! As you know, when something looks too good to be true it usually is and, in this case, the Celtics are priced this way with good reason! The 76ers are the play here! Though Boston has won 6 straight games Philly has won 4 straight games and 5 of their last 6. The Sixers blew out Detroit by 36 points in their most recent game. Philadelphia is 6-1 ATS this season when off of a win by a double digit margin. Also, the 76ers are 22-9 ATS in January games the past 2+ seasons. The Celtics are 17-23 ATS in divisional games the past 2+ seasons and I expect Boston to drop to 0-3 ATS this season when off of a game where they allowed 85 points or less. Off of a tight 2-point win at Brooklyn, look for the Celtics to fall short here as the Sixers have been shooting the ball much better than Boston has in recent games. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #611 Thursday 8* Lafayette Leopards (+) @ Army Black Knights @ Noon ET - Lafayette played the tougher non-conference schedule in comparison with Army and it has helped the Leopards to be ready for for conference play. Though they're coming off of an OT loss, Lafayette has been ultra-competitive and were going for their 3rd straight win before succumbing to Bucknell in overtime. 5 of the Leopards 7 losses since Thanksgiving have come by 5 points or less. Army is off of a win at American but the Black Knights turned the ball over 25 times in that game. Army is only 4-4 SU in their last 8 games and 2 of their last 5 wins have been by 7 points or less. With more sloppy guard play expected here (25 team turnovers versus the Eagles), I look for the Black Knights to struggle to pull away in this one and it is likely to be a tight game all the way. Teams in the Patriot League don't get a lot of "lined" games but the Leopards are 4-1 ATS their last 5 in conference action. Army is 0-2 ATS as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points. Combined 6-1 (86%) ATS spot favoring the road dog in this one. 8* LAFAYETTE

TV Big East Beast - Rickenbach CBB Game #763 Wednesday 10* Top Play Xavier Musketeers (+) @ Villanova Wildcats @ 8 ET - Xavier is off of a poor performance at Providence but it was not a huge surprise as they were clearly looking ahead to this showdown with the Wildcats at Villanova. Also, the Musketeers did play better in the 2nd half against the Friars and the difference tonight is that they'll be ready from the opening tip! Xavier had won 10 straight before the loss at Providence and were 15-1 overall on the season. The Wildcats are the #1 team in the nation and certainly should get this win at home but they are over-priced with a very challenging team coming to the Main Line to pay them a visit in Philly. The Musketeers are 82-30 SU when off of a loss against a conference rival. The Wildcats are 14-23 ATS when off of a win against a conference rival. A lot of points expected here and I look for Xavier to improve to 4-1 ATS this season in their games with a posted total in the 160s. Keep in mind, the Wildcats had trouble stopping the 3-ball in their recent games against Marquette and Butler. That said, the Musketeers are another dangerous team from three point land. 10* XAVIER

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Wednesday 8* Miami Heat (+) @ Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - On the surface this seems like a bad spot for the Heat. However, upon closer inspection it is the Pacers in a "sandwich" spot in terms of their schedule while Miami is going to be highly motivated here. Even though this is a back to back spot for the Heat they are still charged up after their win in Toronto last night where the Raptors seemed more interested in picking fights than playing basketball. Ultimately Miami prevailed and now they are looking to avenge one of their worst home losses of the season. The Pacers took it to the Heat (thanks to red hot shooting) in Miami in November when they won by 25 points. Keep in mind this type of result is certainly the exception rather than the norm as the Heat had won 3 of the 4 prior meetings and the lone loss came by just 4 points. The Pacers "sandwich" spot is because this is a non-divisional game sandwiched between two big divisional games. First off Indiana beat Milwaukee (a team right above them in the division) Monday. Secondly, the Pacers have a home date with Cleveland (defending Eastern Conference champs and currently in 1st place in the division) on deck for Friday. The Pacers are 4-7 ATS this season when off of a win by double digits. The Heat are a long-term 29-13 ATS when playing a game with home loss revenge and, again, that home loss was ugly! Payback here. 8* MIAMI

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Tuesday 8* Miami Heat (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:35 ET - Not only is this a back to back spot for the Raptors, not only did last night's win come in OT on the road at Brooklyn, Toronto also saw Kyle Lowry get hurt and exit the game very late. Early indications are back spasms but, even if the plays tonight, he won't be 100%. The Raptors are vulnerable here in the 2nd game of a back to back and, though Toronto has been hot, Miami has been very hot too and are definitely the more rested team here. The Heat have won 4 straight games and 11 of their last 15. This will be only the 4th game in the last 10 days for Miami. For Toronto, this is their 5th game in 9 days. The Raptors have held the upper hand in this series in recent meetings and that is particularly true in games played in Toronto. With that said, look for the Heat to take advantage of the situation here and get some revenge! The Raptors are just 1-2 in their last 3 back to backs and the lone win came by only 5 points. Strong shooting performances by Miami has helped lead the way to 4 straight overs. That holds significance here as the Heat have gone 9-3 SU when they enter a game on an over streak of 3 games or more. Toronto is 10-18 ATS (including 1-3 ATS this season) in Tuesday games. More of the same here. 8* MIAMI

Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #529 Tuesday 10* Top Play Texas Tech Red Raiders (+) @ Oklahoma Sooners @ 7 ET - Of course the money came in early on the Sooners here as they are at home and playing with revenge and opened up as a very small favorite in this one even though the game is being played in Norman. The fact is that the Red Raiders are still highly doubted by many but this is a very good Texas Tech team that plays fantastic defense, has a deep bench, and gets key contributions by using a deeper player rotation than many other teams. That is a key variable that helps them greatly here against a Sooners team that relies so heavily on their freshman phenom at point guard. The Red Raiders are allowing just 59 points per game on the season. Texas Tech is off of another strong effort versus Kansas State in their most recent game and the Red Raiders are 5-1 ATS this season after allowing 60 points or less in their prior game. Also, Texas Tech is 8-1 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. Oklahoma is 8-14 ATS when, after the midway point of a season, they face a team averaging 77 points or more per game. The Sooners are also just 18-29 ATS as a favorite and the Red Raiders rebounding margin, defensive stats, and bench depth speak volumes here in a game where I am projecting the outright win but certainly am happy to grab the points being offered. 10* TEXAS TECH

Rickenbach CBB Game #509 Tuesday 8* Georgetown Hoyas (+) @ St John's Red Storm @ 6:30 ET - Everyone who has followed me early this season certainly knows I am anything but enamored with Georgetown. However, this is a great spot to back the Hoyas. They are 17-7 ATS as a road dog of 6.5 to 9 points and this is a key revenge game for them. The Red Storm knocked Georgetown out of the conference tourney by a single point last March. Also, in their last regular season meeting St John's prevailed by 6 points at home. While the Red Storm have those back to back wins in this series, both wins were tight and the Hoyas had previously won 3 straight in this series by a margin of 20 points or more. This is an unusual price range for the Red Storm and they have covered just 1 time the last 5 times they've been a home favorite in a range of 6.5 to 9 points. Also, when St John's enters a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games, the Red Storm have gone 3-19 SU. Marcus LoVett is out for St John's this evening and the Hoyas are hungry to get back on the floor after an embarrassing home loss to Creighton Saturday. Revenge time for the road dog in this one. 8* GEORGETOWN

Bowl Game of the Year - Rickenbach CFB Game #152 Monday 10* Top Play Georgia Bulldogs (+) vs Alabama Crimson Tide in National Championship Game @ Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA @ 8:10 ET - Alabama got their big W last week with the much wanted revenge game victory over Clemson. Certainly I am not saying the Crimson Tide don't want this game because, of course they do as winning the Championship is the ultimate goal. However, what I am saying is that Alabama played their ideal game last week (at least defensively) and I don't think they're going to have enough left in the tank to do it again this week. The Bulldogs are going to pound away with their potent ground game and, keep in mind, Alabama only gained 264 yards of offense last week. Just like Clemson, Georgia has a fantastic defense. Additionally, the Bulldogs offense has the added confidence of piling up 517 yards of offense and 54 points in last week's OT win over Oklahoma. This is one of those situations where the whole world is basically ready to hand the trophy over to Alabama before the game is even played. Let's not forget that Georgia head coach Smart was a defensive coordinator under Crimson Tide head coach Saban for 8 years. The Bulldogs did get blown out by Alabama when they met 2 seasons ago but that was a turnover-fueled loss. Georgia has done a great job of not turning the ball over and QB Fromm was very efficient and effective in last week's win over Oklahoma. Winning a pressure-filled game like that (and also winning the SEC Title Game over Auburn in dominating fashion) has done wonders for the confidence of this team. The Bulldogs are absolutely ready and capable of becoming national champs and, if they don't, I expect the loss to be by 3 points or less so grab the value with the points being offered. Look for the Crimson Tide to finish the season with a 3-6 ATS mark against SEC foes. The Bulldogs are 6-2 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record and they've played just as tough of a schedule as Alabama has and yet they don't get near the respect that the Crimson Tide do. I'll gladly step in and take advantage. 10* GEORGIA 

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #717 Monday 10* Top Play Navy Midshipmen (+) @ Colgate Raiders @ 5 ET - The Midshipmen have won 10 of their last 13 games. Just like Colgate, Navy returned 4 starters this season. The difference is that the Midshipmen have proven they do play up to their potential while the Raiders continue to underperform. On paper, Colgate looks good but they just continue to fall short on the court. The Raiders are 2-1 in Patriot League action but their two wins came against American and Holy Cross. Those two teams are two of the three weakest teams in the conference. Colgate's 2 prior wins came against Pitt-Bradford and New Jersey Tech - not exactly powerhouses! Prior to that the Raiders had lost 4 straight and they do enter this game off of a loss to Lafayette and the Leopards are projected to finish dead last in the Patriot League. With that said, Colgate is being priced here based on home court edge but that would be home court edge if they were the better team. They truly are NOT the better team and that means we are getting a favorable line here with the much better team. The Midshipmen are 15-4 SU in January games. The Raiders are 8-20 SU in games against teams with a winning record. 10* NAVY

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #843 Sunday 10* Top Play Arizona State Sun Devils (-) @ Utah Utes @ 8 ET - The Sun Devils started the season 12-0 and then lost by 6 at Arizona. Of course this let the wind out of their sails and it wasn't a complete surprise when they then fell flat at Colorado and lost by 9 as a 9-point favorite. Now, after getting that game out of the way where they suffered "unbeaten letdown" after the loss to the Wildcats, the Sun Devils should come roaring back here. Enough is enough and this is a team that certainly proved themselves in early season wins over Kansas and Xavier. Now it is time to get rolling in conference action and a win at Utah is what ASU needs (and gets!) tonight. The Utes have been a nemesis for the Sun Devils in recent seasons and Arizona State lost at home last season plus got embarrassed two years ago in their most recent visit to Utah. The Sun Devils lost that game by 35 points and were down 44-10 at halftime. You can bet that ASU has revenge on their minds here and yet we are getting a low line here because of the back to back losses that Arizona State just suffered after their 12-0 start. Keep in mind, ASU is 9-0 ATS this season when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. Utah, in home games with a posted total between 155 and 159.5 points, is 0-3 ATS in recent seasons. That means we have a combined 12-0, 100% ATS stat working in our favor here and I love this situation for the under-valued Sun Devils as they respond after B2B losses. 10* ARIZONA STATE

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NFL Game #107 Sunday 10* Top Play Carolina Panthers (+) @ New Orleans Saints @ 4:30 ET - It is very hard to beat a division rival 3 times in one season. I am well aware of the fact that New Orleans won each of the first two meetings by double digits but Carolina had won 3 of the 4 meetings between these teams with the lone loss coming by only 3 points. The fact is that this line has now climbed all the way up to a full 7 points as of gameday morning and I feel we're getting great line value here. The Saints defense has shown great improvement this season but, keep in mind, the Panthers defense still rates as the better defense in this match-up. Also, Carolina rates a particular edge in the ground game as they are the stronger D against the rush and, even though the Saints have the better overall offense, the Panthers also outgain New Orleans on the ground. Against a divisional foe, when at home and off of a SU loss as a favorite and facing an opponent off of a SU loss, the Saints are 1-8 ATS! Carolina is 8-2 ATS when they are an underdog of greater than +1 against a divisional foe and they are playing with revenge. The Panthers are also 3-0 SU and ATS in the Wild Card round of the playoffs while the Saints are a long-term 9-12 ATS in January games. 10* CAROLINA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #801 Sunday 8* Utah Jazz (+) @ Miami Heat @ 3:35 ET - The Jazz were held to just 74 points in their home loss to Miami two months ago. Shockingly, they had a 49-37 lead at halftime in that game! Scoring just 25 points at home in the entire second half of a game is something a team does not forget and payback is on order here! The 74 points that Utah scored against the Heat remains their season low and, after this game, the Jazz won't see Miami again until next season. In other words, Sunday "it is on!" and I expect a huge game from the road dog in this one. The road team has covered 4 of the last 5 meetings between these teams. Also, Miami is just 5-12 ATS at home this season plus the Heat are only 1-4 ATS in Sunday games this season. The Jazz are off of a loss at Denver but are 27-15 SU the past 3 seasons when off of a divisional game. 8* UTAH

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NFL Game #105 Sunday 8* Buffalo Bills (+) @ Jacksonville Jaguars @ 1 ET - The Bills are riding the emotion of a 4-2 run to end the season that vaulted them into the playoffs thanks to the Bengals miracle last win versus the Ravens in their season finale. There is a lot of positive vibe flowing in the Buffalo locker-room right now and the stumbling Jaguars aren't going to shut that off. Jacksonville lost their final two games of the regular season. The Bills are 4-2 SU (and 5-1 ATS) in their last 6 visits to Jacksonville. Buffalo running back LeSean McCoy is now listed as probable for this game. The Bills are a huge dog here but have allowed only 18 points per game their last 6 games of the season. Keep in mind, that 6-game stretch included facing the Patriots twice! The Jaguars allowed 24 points or more 3 times in their final 6 games and none of those 3 teams are in the playoffs. That says a lot right there. The only 2 times the Bills allowed more than 16 points in their 6-game stretch it was to the Patriots and of course New England is the super bowl favorite. The Bills are a "bend but don't break" defense so their yardage stats are not as impressive as the Jaguars but truly Buffalo is playing better, more confident football, than Jacksonville coming into this one. Look for the Bills to improve to 3-0 ATS as a road dog of 7.5 to 10 points while Jacksonville drops to 8-14 ATS long-term as a home favorite of 7.5 to 10 points. 8* BUFFALO