Game of the Month - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 10* Top Play Arizona Cardinals (+) vs Los Angeles Rams @ 4:25 ET - This is a very tough spot for the Rams and great spot for the Cardinals and that is why I am unloading on this big dog with a big play. Los Angeles is off of a huge win last week versus the red hot Saints. On deck for the Rams is a huge game with the red hot Eagles. In other words, even though this is a divisional game, this is a truly tough spot for LA to remain focused. Not only are the Cards only 5-6 on the season but the Rams blasted them 33-0 in London in late October. That makes this the perfect "flat spot" for Los Angeles (off New Orleans and with Philadelphia on deck) and yet you've got a highly motivated home dog on the other side of the field. I love having Arizona plus a full TD here as their defense has been particularly strong of late. The Cardinals have allowed an average of just 298 yards per game their last 4 games. Of course the Rams defense has been strong too but how much will they have left in the tank for a "trap game" like this? I feel certain it won't be enough! The Cardinals last 2 wins versus the Rams have come by an average margin of 31 points per game while their 2 losses to the Rams, prior to that ugly one in London, each came by 4 points or less. Entering this season, Los Angeles was 1-11 ATS when facing an opponent off of a SU win as an underdog. That is the case here with the Cardinals as they upset the Jaguars last week as a 6-point dog. That gives the Cards extra confidence as they fight to remain alive in the wild card race. Arizona coach Bruce Arians, with last week's win versus Jacksonville, has led his team to a 10-2 ATS record when they are at home and facing an opponent off of a SU and ATS win in their prior game. Perfect spot to upset the Rams here. Whether the Cards win outright or not, I am certainly comfortable with having them plus the big points here! 10* ARIZONA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 8* Detroit Lions (+) @ Baltimore Ravens @ 1 ET - The Ravens are off of a hard-fought win versus the Texans on Monday night. Baltimore also has a game at division rival Pittsburgh on deck. This is not a good spot for the Ravens. While Baltimore comes in on short rest, the Lions come in with extra rest as they played on Thanksgiving Day versus the Vikings. Red hot Minnesota got the better of Detroit and that has the hungry Lions ready to go here. Detroit is 4-1 SU on the road this season. Also, they haven't faced the Ravens since 2013 but that was a home loss and the Lions are 8-1 ATS as a revenging road dog of less than 6 points. Baltimore is 3-8 SU and 2-8-1 ATS in non-conference games! Also, the Ravens are off of back to back wins but they faced two teams (Packers and Texans) that are each without their starting QBs. When Baltimore enters a game on a streak of 2 or more consecutive wins, the Ravens have gone 1-5 SU and 1-4-1 ATS. Additionally, Baltimore is 1-5 ATS after a Monday night game and also 0-7 ATS in their game prior to facing the Steelers. Remember the Ravens got crushed in this role earlier this season when they had a home game versus Pittsburgh on deck and they went to London and got demolished by the Jaguars. 8* DETROIT

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 8* Kansas City Chiefs (-) @ New York Jets @ 1 ET - The Chiefs have struggled recently so the Jets are getting a lot of action in this one. But have those people who are jumping on New York actually watched the Jets play recently? This Jets team is bad. The way they handled situations last week versus Carolina was deplorable and that is a game they never should have lost. It just shows how bad the Jets truly are. Now certainly the Chiefs, losers of 3 straight and 5 of 6, have not played well of late but this Kansas City team is still far superior to the Jets. Keep in mind, the Chiefs have allowed an average of just 14 points per game their past two games. Also, KC has held 7 of their last 10 opponents to 20 points or less. By comparison, the Jets have allowed 24 points or more in 4 of their last 6 games. Also, New York has allowed an average of 25 points per game in their last 5 home games. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has led his team to an 11-2 ATS mark when they are off of SU loss as a favorite and facing a team with a losing record that is off of a SU loss. Kansas City is 7-1 ATS as a fave of less than 6 points when facing a team with a winning percentage under .400 and the Jets are 4-7, .364 on the season. The Chiefs also are on an 8-2 ATS run as a favorite of 3 points or less. The Jets have already begun another one of their typical ugly late season stretches and are now 2-7 SU and 2-6-1 ATS in games played in weeks 10 through 13. The Chiefs are also 12-2 ATS when they are a road fave of less than 7 points against an AFC opponent. KC is the better team and has played the tougher schedule this season in comparison with the Jets and one of these teams today will snap their slump. I'll gladly take the stronger team laying the small number in a case like this. Fade the masses who have brought the Chiefs down to a 3-point fave here. I'll take it! 8* KANSAS CITY

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #592 Saturday 10* Arizona State Sun Devils (-) vs San Francisco Dons @ 9 ET - Not only is Arizona State 6-0 SU and undefeated ATS on the season, the Sun Devils have scored at least 90 points in all 6 games. They were down by 15 points in the 1st half against Xavier last Friday and yet stormed back won the game by 16 points. Keep in mind that is a quality Musketeers team and that says an awful lot about just how explosive this Sun Devils offense is this season! As for San Francisco, they are averaging 70.7 points per game in lined games. Right away, just from pure numbers alone, you can see why ASU should win this game by at least 20 points! But what is also concerning for the Dons is that, when you take out their non-lined games against sub-par competition (Sonoma State and St. Francis, PA) they have been held under 37.4% from the field in all three of their lined games! That kind of shooting performance just isn't going to get it done against a Sun Devils team that is averaging 95.7 points per game on the season and has shot over 50% from the field in all 6 games! Also, ASU has played the much tougher schedule and all 6 of their games have been lined games! San Francisco is 1-6 ATS in games with a posted total in the 150s. The Sun Devils have too much depth, too much scoring from all over the floor, and they will dominate the paint in this game too. 10* ARIZONA STATE

Contrarian Crusher Top Play - Rickenbach CFB Game #325 Saturday 10* Miami Hurricanes (+) @ Clemson Tigers @ 8 ET - It is hard to repeat as champions in any sport at any level - pro or college. It is also difficult to go undefeated in any sport at any level - pro or college. What does that mean for us here? The loss that Miami suffered at Pittsburgh last week was the best possible thing that could have happened to them. Instead of coming into this game 11-0 and with a target on their backs, they are now a hungry 1-loss team. The Tigers also have 1 loss this season but now they again are the "hunted" in this match-up as it is Clemson with the target on their backs. Ranked #1 in the country and the defending national champs, the Tigers are over-hyped and the Hurricanes are getting absolutely zero respect here. Mark Richt is a helluva strong coach and this turnaround at Miami with the Hurricanes football program is no fluke. While Clemson and head coach Dabo Swinney certainly merit plenty of respect, the 58-0 blowout win over Miami in 2015 is something the Canes program is ready to atone for here. That was before Richt got here but he now has this team firing on all cylinders and don't let last week's result fool you. The Hurricanes, sure they made a mistake, but the fact is they were looking ahead to this game. They knew they had the ACC Championship Game on deck no matter what and they'll be ready to go on Saturday night! Miami is 13-1 (93%) ATS as a dog of no more than 14.5 points when they are off of a straight-up loss by 10 or more points!  Off of last week's embarrassing loss by a double digit margin at Pittsburgh and now a big dog against Clemson, that system fits perfectly. Revenge from the 58-0 beating is on tap here and Clemson is an ugly 0-4 ATS as a fave when they are opposed by a revenge-seeking team that is coming off of a straight-up loss as a fave. Combined 17-1 (94%) ATS systems here! 10* MIAMI

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 8* Detroit Pistons (+) @ Philadelphia 76'ers @ 7:35 ET - The Sixers are off of a loss and they catch the Pistons playing the 2nd night of a back to back. That said, on the surface, this looks like a great spot to back Philly. However, digging deeper shows there is actually great value with Detroit in this match-up. The Pistons are fired up after what happened last night. They were up by 6 points at the half at Washington but then began the 2nd half like they already had the game won. No energy, little effort, and Detroit got outscored by 20 points in the 3rd quarter. Of course that was the difference in the game and the Pistons now come into this game angry and ticked off. Remember they also already had extra motivation for this game because the 76ers beat them in Detroit early this season in a late October match-up. Now the Pistons get a shot at revenge and, keep in mind, the Pistons have won each of their last 3 visits to Philly. In fact the road team has won 3 of the last 4 meetings between these teams and the average margin in the last 4 games has been 19 points. With that said, don't be surprised if this one turns into a road rout! Before last night's loss, the Pistons had won 12 of 16 since the home loss to the Sixers earlier this season. Detroit is 7-2 ATS as an underdog this season. Philadelphia is just 7-23 SU (and has covered just 33%) in their last 30 December games. 8* DETROIT

Afternoon Annihilation Top Play - Rickenbach CFB Game #322 Saturday 10* Auburn Tigers (+) vs Georgia Bulldogs @ 4 ET - In a normal, regular-season situation, with Auburn off of a huge win over the best team in the nation, you would fade them. However, that is what the betting markets are doing here even though this is not even close to being a normal situation! The winner of this game goes to the 4-team playoff. There is no way, absolutely zero chance, that the Tigers come out flat for this game. They've gone from being as a high as a 3 point favorite to now being a dog in this game. I know the location of this game (Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta) certainly favors Georgia. However, the Tigers absolutely dominated the Bulldogs 3 weeks ago and that was after playing 3 straight road games! Now Auburn comes into this one off of 3 straight home games and their physicality in the trenches will continue to be the difference in this match-up. The fact that RB Kerryon Johnson is now listed as probable for this game (shoulder) is also a big plus for the Tigers. Look for Auburn to again dominate in the ground game (both sides of the ball) in this match-up. Remember they also hold a big edge at QB with Stidham over Fromm. The Tigers Stidham is much more experienced and the Bulldogs Fromm struggled with all the pressure from Auburn in the first meeting. Nothing changes my mind about that again being an issue in the rematch. Also, in terms of technical support, Georgia is 1-8 ATS when off of back to back SU wins and facing an opponent that is also off of back to back SU wins! As for Auburn, they only failed to cover once in eight SEC games this season! Also, the Tigers are a perfect 5-0 SU in games played on a neutral field with a total between 45.5 and 49 points! 10* AUBURN

Contrarian Crusher Top Play - Rickenbach CBB #725 Friday 10* Boise State Broncos (+) @ Oregon Ducks @ 9:30 ET - The Ducks have been a fantastic team in recent seasons but Oregon did lose 4 of 5 starters entering this season. After starting this season 4-0 SU and 3-0 ATS against weaker competition, the Ducks have struggled with an 0-3 ATS mark their last 3 games as the foes they faced were tougher opponents. They certainly face a tough one in this match-up as you know Boise State will be up for this opportunity to knock off a Pac-12 foe from a neighboring state. The Broncos schedule has been just as strong, if not stronger, than the Ducks and Boise State is rolling with confidence right now. They have won 6 of 7 games this season including two straight by an average margin of 27 points even though their average line in those two games was just a 6.5 point favorite! I look for another huge cover here as they either win this one outright or lose by just a single possession. The Broncos returned 3 starters from last season. As for the Ducks, they just lost starter Troy Brown to a concussion (out for tonight's game) and he is their leading rebounder and one of their top scorers. The forward will be sorely missed tonight as Boise State's weakness is their frontcourt but Brown's absence hurts the Ducks ability to take advantage of that. The Broncos beat the Ducks at home two years ago and then last season easily covered in a 5 point loss at Oregon. The Ducks have covered just once in their last six games versus Mountain West Conference opponents. The Broncos are 8-4 SU and ATS when off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. 10* BOISE STATE BRONCOS

ESPN Smash Pass Top Play - Rickenbach CFB 10* Stanford Cardinal (+) vs USC Trojans @ 8 ET Friday @ Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA - Even though the Cardinal played last week and USC was off, the location of this game helps mitigate any edge the Trojans would have had in this situation because it is only about 15 miles from Stanford's home stadium in Palo Alto. Also, Southern Cal is the more banged up team even though they had last week off. They've lost a number of starters during this season and that includes 2 on the defensive line. A third one, Rasheem Green, is listed as probable for this one but he is dealing with a shoulder injury. The Cardinal have lost only one game this entire season by more than a field goal and that was against USC earlier this season in an absolutely embarrassing loss. In other words, payback is on order here! The Trojans defense has allowed 797 passing yards in their past two games. Prior to that, they had poor efforts against the ground attacks of Notre Dame and Arizona as those teams gashed USC for a combined 611 rushing yards. In other words, look for RB Bryce Love (probable) and Company to move the ball quite well in this one. The Cardinal defense has allowed an average of just 17 points per game their last 6 games and they've held their opponents to 24 points or less in 8 straight games. In stark contrast to these numbers, the Trojans defense has allowed an average of 29 points per game their last 6 games. Stanford is 15-1 ATS when off of a non-conference game and facing a conference foe that has at least 1 loss on the season. USC is 1-6 ATS when away from home and facing an opponent with a winning percentage under .850 that is off of a SU dog win. The Cardinal were a 3 point dog versus Notre Dame last week and upset the Irish 38-20. I wouldn't be surprised to see another upset here and certainly am happy to grab the generous points being offered in this one. 10* STANFORD

Rickenbach CBB Game #524 Thursday 10* Top Play Central Florida Golden Knights (+) vs Missouri Tigers @ 9 ET - This line has jumped strong toward Missouri today. Of course that is often what happens when you have a team averaging 80 points per game laying a very small number against a team averaging 64.5 points per game. However, here you have a Central Florida team off of back to back dreadful shooting performances and they catch the Tigers off of a very tight loss to West Virginia that is absolutely going to leave Missouri emotionally spent here. Off their only other loss this season they followed it up with a 5 point win over a team called Emporia State. Not exactly an impressive response against a Division II basketball team that has had only 1 winning season the past 6 seasons under Shaun Vandiver. Now the Tigers take on an angry UCF team that is anxious to erase the bitter taste of averaging just 44 points per game their past 2 games! This game is played at the CFE Arena in Orlando and Missouri is an incredible 0-21 SU in road games the past 2+ seasons. The Tigers are also 4-17 SU in games with a posted total in the 130s while the Golden Knights are 21-9 ATS in games with a posted total in the 130s. Already 3-0 SU at home this season and on a 10-2 ATS run in November games the past 2+ seasons. 10* CENTRAL FLORIDA

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Thursday 8* Dallas Cowboys (+) vs Washington Redskins @ 8:25 ET - Everyone is down on Dallas right now and that is understandable. However, with money pouring in on the Redskins here and the line moving from Cowboys being favored to now Washington being the favorite at -2 as of early gameday morning, you can almost sense what is about to happen here. I expect Dallas to bounce back big and continue their recent string of success against the Redskins. The public is very anti-Cowboys right now and there are grumblings from Dallas fans everywhere about firing Jason Garrett. It is most often, when a team is in a dire situation like this, that they step up and pull it together and surprise everyone and that is exactly what I expect here. Yes the Redskins are off of a 20-10 win but that was against an awful Giants team and that game was tied at 10 apiece very late in the fourth quarter. Prior to that victory the Redskins had lost 4 of 5 and their lone win came by just 3 points in a game in which Washington was actually outgained by nearly 200 yards! In other words, a fortunate win for the Redskins just like last week was a fortunate cover for Washington too! Both teams have injury issues but left tackle Tyron Smith is listed as probable for this game for the Cowboys and certainly they miss Ezekiel Elliott but Alfred Morris has averaged 5.8 yards per carry on the season and I expect Dallas to use him even more in this match-up. Plus Dak Prescott is ready for a bounce back game after recent poor performances. Yes, the Cowboys looked bad against the Chargers no doubt but, prior to that, the first two games they lost without Elliott were to Atlanta and Philadelphia and those are two of the top teams in the NFC! The Redskins are a decent team but certainly not at the same level of the Falcons or Eagles. That said, the Cowboys are ready to respond off of 3 straight blowout losses and they'll do just that against their most storied rival. They've beaten the Redskins 3 straight times and Washington has only covered 7 of 22 (32%) as a road favorite of 3 points or less. I am fading the masses here and going with a contrarian play because the Cowboys are angry and ready to respond on national TV tonight! 8* DALLAS

Earliest Cash Top Play - Rickenbach NBA 10* Atlanta Hawks (+) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:35 ET - The Cavaliers are a popular choice here because they have revenge from a tight home loss versus the Hawks earlier this season. However, Atlanta is always up for facing LeBron James and Company because they got swept out of the playoffs by the Cavs in the 2015 Eastern Conference finals and then again were swept in the 2016 Eastern Conference semifinals. Of course when it is playoff time and every game is critical things are different. However, in a regular season situation lets not forget all the distractions for road teams in Atlanta. Yes, this is a city known for its nightlife catering to visiting players! In other words it is much different from a road game in say, Salt Lake City Utah! The point is that maybe it should come as no surprise that the Hawks have played the Cavs tough including here at home. The last two meetings here saw Atlanta win one outright and lose the other one by just 5 points. Also, the Hawks have won each of their last 3 visits to Cleveland so there is something about facing Atlanta that seems to bring down the Cavs level of play a notch or two in regular season action! I know this Hawks team is a bad team this season but, off of a total beatdown at home against the Raptors, they will respond here. Atlanta had previously won 2 of its last 4 home games and the home game prior to that was a loss by just 3 points to the Celtics! After losing by 34 points to Toronto, the angry Hawks are going to hang around in this one and they are expected to have forward Luke Babbitt back for this one. The Cavaliers are on a winning streak of 9 games but they have gone just 3-12 ATS as a favorite this season and Cleveland is also only 2-7 ATS this season against teams with a losing record. This is the Hawks finale of a 4-game homestand and they are 11-6 (SU and ATS) when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games at home. 10* ATLANTA

Rickenbach CBB Game #529 Thursday 8* Texas Tech Red Raiders (+) @ Seton Hall Pirates @ 6:30 ET - Seton Hall has played the tougher schedule and are at home and yet they opened up as a dog here. Of course the markets jumped all over the Pirates here and you know what I am doing. In typical contrarian fashion here I am rolling with a Red Raiders team that is 6-0 SU this season and also 13-4 ATS the past 3 seasons combined when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. Seton Hall is a long-term 0-6 SU against Big 12 opponents! 8* TEXAS TECH

Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #759 Wednesday 10* Top Play Evansville Purple Aces (+) @ New Mexico Lobos @ 9 ET - Do people really think the odds makers are stupid? The very first "soft" number that was posted on this game was the Lobos -2. The line has since been driven all the way up to a -7! I'll gladly grab the value here on the underdog side. Of course Evansville is not a great team but they're solid and also have a tendency to play fundamentally sound basketball. As for the Lobos, what has driven this line is they have so much positive history at home. Yes indeed New Mexico is tough to play at "The Pit" but, keep in mind, this team has a new coach and has undergone major changes from last season. Many preseason pundits have them slated to finish dead last in the MWC. 4 straight losses entering this contest certainly have done little to squash those predictions. The point is that the Runnin' Rebels, even though they did face some tough competition, have underachieved as it is an 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS run. The Purple Aces schedule has been very nearly as tough as UNLV's and yet Evansville enters this game with a 5-1 SU and 4-0 ATS mark on the young season. The Purple Aces are off of their first loss of the season and that defeat came by just a bucket. I am happy to grab the big points being offered here. Evansville is without Ryan Taylor (foot) but it's not like the cupboard is bare for the Purple Aces. They also are 5-1 ATS against MWC opposition. New Mexico is 0-3 SU this season against teams with a winning record. 10* EVANSVILLE

Rickenbach CBB Game #746 Wednesday 8* Northern Iowa Panthers (+) vs UNLV Runnin' Rebels @ 8 ET - As a general rule, I always like to investigate games like this where the team that opened up as the favorite is now the dog and that is what we have here with Northern Iowa. I completely understand the move as UNLV is a perfect 6-0 this season so everyone loved the undefeated Panthers getting points in this match-up. It seemed too easy of course so everyone grabbed it. As you know, it's never that easy! Yes UNLV is off to a great start but Northern Iowa has played the much tougher schedule. This is a big part of the reason UNLV is 6-0 on the season and Northern Iowa is "only" 5-2 and, as a result, we are getting exceptional value with the battle-tested Panthers here. UNI, in home games with a posted total between 140 and 144.5 points, have gone 8-3 ATS and an incredible 10-1 SU! I look for another huge win here on Wednesday! UNLV is 5-15 ATS and 4-19 SU in road games. 8* NORTHERN IOWA

Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 8* Miami Heat (-) @ New York Knicks @ 7:35 ET - The Heat got beaten so badly in the first half in Cleveland last night that their starters were able to get quite a bit of rest. That said, this is a good spot to back an angry Miami team as they're fired up off of that loss and the 5 starters averaged only 24 minutes of playing time against the Cavaliers. The Knicks have lost 3 straight games. The Heat had won 3 straight games before losing to the Cavs. The road team has won 6 of the last 7 meetings between these teams SU and ATS. Even though New York looks better this season they have still gone just 3-5 against teams with a winning record. The past 3 seasons combined the Knicks are an ugly 27-65 against teams with a winning record. 8* MIAMI

Rickenbach CBB Game #739 Wednesday 8* Clemson Tigers (+) @ Ohio State Buckeyes @ 7:15 ET - The Buckeyes are at home and getting a ton of attention here as the money move has been Ohio State early on in this one. That said, I love the value in fading the Buckeyes as they have a huge game on deck with Wisconsin Saturday - the same day OSU and the Badgers also meet in Football. Suffice to say that is the talk on campus right now rather than this match-up with an ACC foe in the ACC/Big 10 challenge. The result here is solid underdog line value with Clemson. The Tigers have only UNC-Asheville on deck and they'll most certainly be "all in" for the upset tonight in Columbus. Clemson really got rolling on offense in their most recent win and they have shot well in most all of their games this season. The Tigers are 13-4 SU when coming off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. Ohio State is only 10-17 ATS in games with a posted total in the 140 to 149.5 range. 8* CLEMSON

Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 8* Oklahoma City Thunder (-) @ Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - After the huge highly coveted win for Russell Westbrook's Thunder over Kevin Durant's Warriors last week, Oklahoma City fell flat versus Detroit and lost outright as an 8.5 point favorite. That wasn't a huge surprise. What was a huge surprise is that OKC followed it up by shooting just 36.2% at Dallas and losing to the Mavericks as a 6 point favorite. Now, after that ugly performance made it back to back losses for the Thunder, you can expect a huge response tonight! The road team covered both meetings between these teams last year and Oklahoma City has covered each of their last two trips to Orlando. I look for the road dominance to continue here. The Magic come into this game having lost 9 straight games. The average margin of defeat has been 15 points and none of those 9 losses came by less than 5 points. That makes this small road chalk the way to go in this one! Orlando is 18-27 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. The Thunder are 19-10 ATS when off of a loss by a double digit margin. 8* OKLAHOMA CITY 

NBA TV Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 8* Miami Heat (+) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:05 ET - A lot of line value here as the Cavaliers are in a back to back spot. Even though Cleveland has won 8 straight games, their schedule has been quite friendly of late. Now the Cavs are in what is their 4th back to back spot so far this season. In the first 3 they have not only lost all 3, they were favored by an average margin of 10 points and yet they lost each game outright by an average margin of 15 points! That means the Cavs are 0-3 ATS in this spot this season with an average cover for the opposition by a 25 point margin! As you can see, the Heat not only have a great shot at the cover here but also an outright victory by a sizable margin. Cleveland is off of a huge win at Philly last night but the 76ers did outrebound them and had 10 more shots from the field in the game. Philadelphia just simply couldn't hit their shots last night while the Cavaliers rolled. Cleveland is 0-9 ATS at home this season and 2-12 ATS as a favorite. Eventually some of these numbers will certainly start to reverse but this isn't the time for any changes to begin. It is a back to back spot with travel involved for the Cavs and this is the same situation they have struggled in all 3 times this season. Miami comes into this game off of a day of rest yesterday and they've won 3 straight games heading into this match-up. Also, the Heat have won each of their last 3 meetings with Cleveland as well. Miami is 16-9 ATS when on a winning streak of 3 games or more and the Heat get the job done again here. 8* MIAMI

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #550 Monday 8* Ohio University Bobcats (-) vs Iona Gaels @ 7 ET - The Gaels haven't played since the 19th. Rest can lead to rust and it certainly hasn't treated Iona well through the years. When the Gaels enter a game on rest of 7 days or more, they have a SU record of 8-19. Though Iona is still projected to be at the top of the MAAC this season, they have lost some key players the past two seasons and aren't quite at the level they were in recent seasons. The Gaels are near the bottom of the rankings so far this season in terms of shooting percentage allowed (49.1%) and their rebounding margin (-8.6 per game). That certainly doesn't bode well for a rusty Iona team coming off of a long layoff and going on the road and knocking off a revenge-minded Ohio U. team. The Bobcats led the Gaels at half at the Hynes Athletic Center in New Rochelle, NY last season but ended up losing a tight game. It is time for payback here and Ohio University is happy to have this contest at home. The Bobcats are on a 30-7 SU run in home games and also 22-3 SU in their last 25 games against teams with a losing record. The Bobcats are "feeling it" right now after their hot shooting effort versus Mount Saint Mary's Friday and they are 19-7 SU and 16-7 ATS when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. 8* OHIO UNIVERSITY

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #511 Monday 8* Baylor Bears (+) @ Xavier Musketeers @ 6:30 ET - I love fading streaks like this. The Musketeers have won 33 straight non-conference home games. However, here they are hosting a Bears team that is just as strong as they are. Also, Xavier has a huge game on deck as their annual Crosstown Shootout versus Cincinnati is on tap for Saturday. The Musketeers are also off of a loss to Arizona State this past weekend in the Las Vegas Classic and the 102 points allowed to the Sun Devils certainly exposed the weakness of the Xavier defense. The fact is that, under coach Chris Mack, there is a history of teams that struggle early in the season but then are extremely tough outs late in the season. This looks like a repeat of that and I love the value being offered here with Baylor getting sizable points. The Musketeers would like to avenge last season's loss in Waco but the Bears did beat them by 15 points in that game and I feel that Xavier still has not closed the gap all the way. In other words, even home court isn't enough to necessarily get the Musketeers the win here (especially with the Bearcats on deck) and Baylor getting significant points is the way to go here. Xavier is 6-11 ATS after a game in which they allowed 80 points or more. The Musketeers also are 1-6 ATS in home games with a posted total in a range of 140 to 144.5 points. The Bears are 7-3 ATS against Big East opponents. 8* BAYLOR

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach Game #725 Monday 8* Wisconsin Badgers (+) @ Virginia Cavaliers @ 9 ET - The Badgers are certainly a "step down" from where they have been but they will get better as the season goes on and a big win over UW-Milwaukee helps get some positive momentum going for a Wisconsin team that had lost 3 straight games by an average margin of just 5.7 points per game. Virginia, of course, is the better team and they are at home but this game (as you can tell from the total) is projected to be a rather low-scoring affair and I expect the Badgers to be able to hang around in the type of game they generally thrive in - a low-scoring grinder! We are getting extra value here because the Cavaliers are 6-0 on the season and also have covered 5 straight ATS. In my opinion, this is the toughest match-up they have faced this season and yet the line is inching higher. I won't hesitate to step in on the big dog side. The Badgers are 20-12 ATS after allowing 60 points or less in their prior game. Wisconsin also is a long-term 20-10 ATS against ACC opponents. The Badgers additionally are 7-3 ATS when facing solid defensive teams (allowing 64 points or less per game). Virginia is a long-term 11-19 ATS as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points including 1-3 ATS the past 2 seasons. The Cavs win but don't cover here! 8* WISCONSIN

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Monday 8* Baltimore Ravens (-) vs Houston Texans @ 8:30 ET - The Ravens have been a great team in primetime games and they are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 MNF appearances. I also like the fact that the Ravens bye was earlier this month so this is just their 2nd game since the bye and they've got fresh legs and are healthier than a Texans team whose bye was 5 weeks ago. Also, Houston sorely misses QB DeShaun Watson. I know Tom Savage played well at QB for the Texans last week but now he faces a ball-hawking Ravens defense that forced 5 turnovers at Green Bay last week when they faced another back-up QB. Also, in each of their last two home games Baltimore has forced a pair of turnovers. This is the Ravens first home game in a month and they are fired up to make the most of it on Monday Night! Remember that Baltimore destroyed Miami 40-0 in a Thursday night game to wrap up October as their primetime success continues. As for the Texans, they are an awful 1-9 ATS in their last 10 MNF appearances. Also, Houston is just 2-7 ATS when they are a dog of more than 3 points in the first of back to back road games and they do have a divisional game on deck at Tennessee on Sunday! The Texans are just 3-10 ATS when they have the Titans on deck. Houston won by 10 last week against Arizona but they are 2-8 ATS under coach Bill O'Brien when they are an underdog and coming off of a SU win by a double digit margin. The Texans, if they had Watson under center, would have the offensive edge but they don't and I am expecting a big game from Ravens QB Joe Flacco here as he takes advantage of a weak Houston pass defense. Comparing the defenses here, the Ravens have a huge edge (especially with no Brian Cushing or JJ Watt for the Texans). Of course Baltimore also have the home field edge and rest edge since they had that recent bye. The Ravens D has produced shutouts in 2 of their last 3 games. The Houston D has given up an average of 36.8 points per game in their last 3 road games. Now you can see why I am calling for a home rout here! 8* BALTIMORE

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Monday 8* Brooklyn Nets (+) @ Houston Rockets @ 8:05 ET - Just too many points here. The Rockets, of course, are the better team and are at home but the Nets are quietly playing extremely competitive basketball. Brooklyn won at Memphis last season and, despite playing a number of quality teams like Portland (twice), Cleveland, Golden State, and Denver, the Nets are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games. Also, Brooklyn has only lost 1 game this entire season by more than 13 points and that was exactly a month ago to the day in October and now the Nets are getting 17 here. It's just too much. The Rockets don't have any incentive to run up the score here. If anything, Brooklyn is the more motivated team as they lost at home by 25 to Houston when they most recently met (back in January). Note that the Nets had covered each of the prior 3 meetings. Also, yesterday was just the 2nd time in 5 games that Brooklyn didn't shoot over 50% from the field. The Nets held the Grizzlies to just 88 points and they are 5-1 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 90 points or less. Also, Brooklyn is a perfect 7-0 ATS this season in games against teams that score 106 points or more per game. The Nets also are 7-1 ATS in games against teams with a winning record. The Rockets are just 1-4 ATS against Atlantic Division teams this season (again, the motivation just isn't there against a non-Western Conference foe). Also, Houston is just 17-31 ATS as a home fave of 12.5 to 18 points. 8* BROOKLYN

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #531 Sunday 8* Missouri Tigers (+) vs West Virginia Mountaineers in Advocare Championship Game at HP Field House in Orlando, FL - The Tigers have the experience, depth, and backcourt to properly deal with "Press Virginia". Of course the Mountaineers are off of a blowout win over Central Florida but that is part of what is driving the crazy value here as this line is way over-priced when you consider what Missouri brings to the hardwood here and the fact that this is a neutral court game. Keep in mind the Tigers returned 4 starters and they are much better than what last season's record would lead you to believe. New head coach Cuonzo Martin already has this team believing! Remember that he was hired in early March and the Tigers had one of the best recruiting classes in the entire nation for this season! West Virginia is certainly a great team and that is why they're ranked of course but Missouri is still flying under the radar a bit. This is a Tigers team that is hitting 37% of their threes this season and the Mountaineers were allowing 42.3% three pointers before holding UCF to a ridiculous 1 of 12 performance in that insane blowout win over the Golden Knights Saturday which has resulted in an inflated market perception of West Virginia here. The Mountaineers are 0-3 ATS against SEC opponents. The Tigers are 15-4 ATS in neutral court games with a posted total between 145 and 149.5 points. That's a combined 18-4 (82%) ATS spot favoring the dog here. 8* MISSOURI

Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFL Sunday 10* Top Play Calgary Stampeders (-) vs Toronto Argonauts @ 6 ET in CFL Grey Cup in Ottawa - Both teams off of tight wins last week but the Stampeders are 6-1-1 against East Division teams this year while the Argonauts only went 3-7 against West Division teams in the regular season. Also, Calgary is playing with a chip on their shoulder after what happened last season when they lost, ironically, in the Grey Cup at Toronto versus Ottawa. Now the Stampeders face Toronto but at Ottawa! After the OT loss last season, I don't see Calgary being denied here. Yes the price is a little "lofty" on the Stampeders here but their average point differential was about 10 points a game and that included late season match-ups where Calgary was merely coasting into the post-season. As for the Argonauts their point differential was only 1.4 points per game this season and, as noted above, they struggled badly against the West. The Stampeders knocked off Edmonton last week and are 20-5-1 SU (and 18-8 ATS) when off of a win over a divisional foe. Toronto is an ugly 8-16 SU (and 7-17 ATS!) when facing a team with a winning record. The Argonauts last 5 games versus the Stampeders have all been losses by a dozen points or more! The average margin of defeat in those games was 18.2 points per game. More of the same here! 10* CALGARY

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* Brooklyn Nets (+) @ Memphis Grizzlies @ 6:05 ET - Considering Brooklyn is only 2-7 on the road it looks almost "too easy" to take Memphis at home laying a rather small number here. However, you know looks can be deceiving and that is what my contrarian crusher plays are all about! In this case, upon closer inspection, you'll see why the Nets are actually a great play here! Not only has Memphis lost 7 straight games (SU and ATS!), the Grizzlies are 4-11 in their last 15 games with only 2 wins by more than 5 points! In other words, Memphis would have to do something they've only done TWICE in their last 15 games to beat us here. I like my chances with a Nets team that has covered 7 of its last 9 games while truly playing competitive basketball versus the likes of the Cavaliers, Warriors, Celtics, Nuggets, and Blazers. Brooklyn enters this game off of a high-scoring loss versus Portland. That is significant here as the Nets are 5-0 ATS this season when off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. The Grizzlies have trouble matching up with teams like Brooklyn that are consistently involved in high-scoring games. Sure the Nets defensive numbers will impress no one but check this out: Memphis has gone 0-6 ATS this season when facing a team that allows 106 or more points per game! That means we have an 11-0 ATS combined spot here that favors the road dog. 8* BROOKLYN

NFC West Game of the Year - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 10* Top Play Seattle Seahawks (-) @ San Francisco 49ers @ 4:05 ET - Had the 49ers NOT beaten the Giants before enjoying their bye week last week this situation would be different as San Francisco would have been coming out of the bye with a winless record. However, since the Niners did beat the G-men before the bye, there is not the same hunger with San Fran that we would have otherwise seen. With that said, the hunger here actually lies with a Seahawks team that is off of a home loss to Atlanta on Monday night and is ready to take out their frustrations on a weaker foe. I know that the Seahawks barely got by the Niners in Seattle earlier this season but the 'hawks offense has been playing much better now compared to how they were playing then. Also, the Seahawks are 12-3 ATS when they are off of a non-divisional SU loss and facing a team with a losing record. That is the case here and it is a beautiful set-up with San Francisco off of a rare win. Also, the 49ers are on an 0-5 ATS run with rest. The Niners are also on a 1-7 ATS run as a home dog of 3.5 to 7 points. San Francisco also entered this season 2-13 ATS when they enter a game with a losing record and are facing an opponent off of a SU loss at home. The Seahawks come into this one angry and they impose their will here! Before beating a poor Giants team, the Niners had scored just 10 points in EACH of their three prior contests. Seattle is averaging 27.7 points per game their last 7 games! Of course the absence of Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor hurts the Seahawks defense but they still held Atlanta to 279 yards last week. Prior to the home loss to Atlanta, the 'hawks had allowed 18 points or less in 7 of their 9 games this season. This is a complete mismatch and I'll grab the highly motivated road fave that is fighting to remain in the playoff race with a tough game versus the Eagles on deck. The Seahawks know this is a must win game with what is in front of them. 10* SEATTLE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 8* New York Jets (+) @ Carolina Panthers @ 1 ET - The worst loss the Panthers suffered this season was to division rival New Orleans. Two months ago in Carolina the Panthers were soundly defeated by the Saints by a margin of 3 TDs. Why do I mention that here? Carolina has a trip to New Orleans on deck after facing the Jets in New York! This week's game is a horrific spot for the Panthers as they try to maintain their focus with a huge divisional revenge game on deck. The game holds extra meaning too because the Panthers are only one game behind the Saints in the division. As for the Jets they are much more desperate about today's game than any future game! New York needs a win to hang around in the playoff race. Both the Jets and Panthers are off of a bye week so their situation is equal in that regard. However, the value lies with the hungrier home dog that is fully focused on today's game. I also love the fact that the Jets, since starting the season 0-2, have gone 4-4 and the 4 losses have all come by a single possession. In other words, the Jets have been in every single game since late September and I fully expect that to be the case again here. New York is 6-1-1 ATS their last 8 games and are 5-0 ATS this season as a home dog. The Panthers are on a 1-7-1 ATS mark as an away favorite. The Jets are also 10-5 ATS after a bye week. 8* NEW YORK JETS

Blowout Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFB Game #188 Saturday 10* Top Play Utah Utes (-) vs Colorado Buffaloes @ 10 PM ET - This is a battle for bowl eligibility and it also is a revenge game for the Utes who lost at Colorado last year. The fact that Utah gave up 10 late points to lose to the Huskies last week strengthens this play as the Utes are angry and hungry! Utah is 6-2 ATS in this series and the Buffaloes are an ugly 1-3 (SU and ATS) in road games this season. Each of the Buffaloes last 3 losses have come by double digits. The Utes not only have the home field edge here, they also have the much better defense as they allow 90 yards less per game than the Buffs do. Colorado is 6-11 ATS as a road dog of 10.5 to 14 points. Even though the Buffaloes are off of a bye and the Utes are on regular rest, Utah is 14-8 ATS when on rest of 6 days or less. Colorado is 0-5 ATS when playing with rest and is off of their last season bye week. After playing 10 straight weeks and then having a bye, the Buffaloes are unlikely to be sharp and certainly lost any continuity they had going. The Utes are on a revenge mission, home finale mission, and will be the ones to earn bowl eligibility with a win in this one. 10* UTAH

Hidden Gem - Rickenbach CBB Game #799 Saturday 8* Southern Utah Thunderbirds (+) @ UNLV Rebels @ 10 ET - Southern Utah head coach Todd Simon was an assistant at UNLV. He is now entering his 2nd season with the Thunderbirds and last year they lost to the Rebels by only 8 points. Simon certainly knows the program well and now he also has a player, Jamal Aytes, who used to play for UNLV as well and will be up for a huge game here. A lot of "inside edges" here and, of course, the Runnin' Rebels are the better team but coach Simon has a number of returning starters plus transfer players and incoming freshmen that are already contributing significantly early this season. Last year, the Thunderbirds had Randy Onwuasor who has since transferred out but the Southern Utah leading scorer last season actually did not shoot well in the game against UNLV while his teammates shot 50% and contributed most of the key scoring. Both the Thunderbirds and Runnin' Rebels have played soft schedules early this season. UNLV is certainly the superior team but will they be fully focused here? I doubt it! Coming off of the Thanksgiving Holiday and with a tougher match-up on deck (Northern Iowa) and then a huge game (Arizona) after that, I don't expect UNLV to be in "shutdown mode" here and Southern Utah hangs around as a result. The Thunderbirds are 6-3 ATS in games with a posted total in the 160s. UNLV is on an 8-16 ATS run in Saturday games. 8* SOUTHERN UTAH

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 8* New Orleans Pelicans (+) @ Golden State Warriors @ 8:35 ET - With the Warriors off of a 49-point home win over the Bulls last night this one is a no-brainer, right? Actually it is anything but because Kevin Durant (ankle) is listed as doubtful for tonight's game and the Pelicans big men will take advantage. New Orleans is on the road again but with their blowout win at Phoenix last night they were able to rest guys. The Pelicans are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 road games and New Orleans is also 5-0 ATS against Pacific Division opponents this season. The Warriors are 3-8 ATS off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. The Warriors won all 4 meetings last season and the first meeting this season with New Orleans but the Pelicans have only lost 1 of those games by more than 10 points. Couple that with the fact that Durant is hurting and you have the makings of a much closer game than many are expecting here. 8* NEW ORLEANS

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFB Game #194 Saturday 8* Minnesota Golden Gophers (+) vs Wisconsin Badgers @ 3:30 ET - On paper, the Badgers should crush the Gophers. But, of course, they don't play the game on paper and despite all the edges that Wisconsin has here, this line is truly over-priced. Situational analysis is one of the most important elements of handicapping. That said, even though Minnesota has struggled with physical teams and is a one-dimensional team, the Badgers can't help but be peeking ahead to their Big Ten Title game with Ohio State. Yes, Wisconsin wants to remain perfect on the season and I am sure they will. But, they don't need to blowout Minnesota to do that and I know the Golden Gophers are going to go hard on Senior Day in Minneapolis and with Paul Bunyan's Axe up for grabs. The Badgers have won this game 13 straight times BUT the Golden Gophers are a perfect 8-0 ATS their last 8 as a double digit home dog. Also, Wisconsin has gone 1-6 ATS as a road favorite of more than 17 points against a team with a losing record. The Badgers lost (ATS) in this role at Illinois (and the game was even closer than the final score indicated) in late October and I expect another failed cover for Wisconsin here. 8* MINNESOTA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CFB Game #154 Saturday 8* Michigan Wolverines (+) vs Ohio State Buckeyes @ Noon ET - The only other time the Buckeyes have played a tough defense on the road this season, QB JT Barrett threw 4 picks at Iowa and Ohio State got demolished 55-24 by the Hawkeyes. I am not saying the same thing happens here but I am saying a few mistakes by Barrett would not surprise as the Wolverines are one of the top defenses in the nation. Also, I am well aware of the injury situation with Michigan QB Brandon Peters but this line has the Buckeyes extremely over-priced on the road. The fact the line has continued to climb higher has me in play on this one. Though it is only an outside shot, the Buckeyes still have a shot at a playoff spot and that gives the Wolverines even more incentive in this heated rivalry. Ohio State is only 8-13 ATS (including 2-4 ATS this season) when off of a win in Big Ten action. The Wolverines are 10-0 SU in home games with a posted total between 49.5 and 56 points and also 5-1 SU when off of a loss against a Big Ten foe. With Michigan getting beaten at Wisconsin last week and Ohio State off of a blowout win versus Illinois, this line has become inflated and there is significant line value with the big dog Wolverines at home. 8* MICHIGAN

Situational Slam - Rickenbach NBA Friday 10* Phoenix Suns (+) vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 9:05 ET - The Suns may not be a very good basketball team but they are catching the Pelicans at the perfect time for an upset. Combining that with the fact that Phoenix is at home and also catching a half-dozen points and you have a great value spot for a home dog. New Orleans is in a horrible scheduling spot as they are off of their huge upset win over San Antonio and the Pelicans now have Golden State on deck. That said, it is certainly a difficult spot for New Orleans to be too concerned with Phoenix. As for the Suns, they are hungry off of a home loss to the Bucks and this the final home game for Phoenix until December 7th so they want to make the most of it! The Pelicans game against the Warriors is tomorrow at Golden State so the situation truly couldn't be much worse after they also dominated the Spurs Wednesday. New Orleans is 5-10 ATS (and 4-11 SU) when off of a game where they allowed 90 points or less. The last 4 games between these teams have been decided by an average margin of just 2.25 points per game. Tremendous home dog value here. 10* PHOENIX

ESPN Top Game - Rickenbach CBB Game #580 Friday 10* Texas Longhorns (+) vs Duke Blue Devils @ 5:30 ET @ Phil Knight Invitational in Portland, OR - The Longhorns had a very disappointing campaign last season but they are a different team this season with Mohamed Bamba on board. The 6'11 center is a freshman and sure NBA draft pick. He combines with junior Dylan Osetkowski (6'9 - 250) to give the Longhorns some solid size in the paint this season. Osetkowski had to sit out last season after transferring from Tulane. Matt Coleman has proven to be a great find at point guard and he joins scorers Kerwin Roach and Andrew Jones to give the Horns a solid backcourt. Of course Duke is the #1 team in the country but this is a lot of points for a young Blue Devils team to lay against a Texas team that had 3 straight seasons of 20 or more wins before last season's disappointment. The Longhorns are already 4-0 this season. Duke is 6-0 but the strength of schedule for each of these undefeated teams is about the same and I love the line value of the big dog here. Duke is still a young team, as they showed in yesterday's disappointing first half versus Portland State and when the Blue Devils were tested earlier this season the final score was a bit of a phony final. Duke beat Michigan State by 7 points but the Spartans shot 50.8% from the field while the Blue Devils were held to 39.5% shooting! The Horns are 6-3 ATS as a neutral court dog of 6.5 to 9 points and also on a 13-7 ATS run after a game in which they held their opponent to 60 points or less. Duke is over-valued often and is on a 7-10 ATS run in tournament games. That means we have a 29-17 ATS spot favoring the Longhorns here. 10* TEXAS

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #527 Friday 8* Eastern Michigan Eagles (+) @ Indiana Hoosiers @ 4:30 ET - With Eastern Michigan having a lot of newcomers (including a handful that already had at least 2 years of Division 1 ball under their belts) it was hard to say how the Eagles would perform early this season. Although the competition certainly has been rather soft, the fact that Eastern Michigan is 4-0 and has won every game by double digits plus their defense has held their opponent under 41% shooting in all 4 games certainly says a lot. These Eagles are jelling quicker than expected. Also, it's not like 3-2 Indiana has played a contingent of heavyweights either early this season. In fact, 2 of the 3 wins that the Hoosiers have came against the same team and by virtually identical margins as 2 of the Eagles 4 wins. The point is that we're getting a lot of line value here with the big dog Eagles as this game means a ton to Eastern Michigan. As for Indiana, they have got a huge game with Duke in less than a week plus then Big Ten conference action begins after that. The Eagles defense has been impressive early this season and they are the much more rested team as they have been off since Sunday while the Hoosiers just played Wednesday. Eastern Michigan is 2-0 ATS as a road dog of 6.5 to 9 points and 2-0 ATS when playing with 5 or 6 days of rest between games. The Hoosiers are 3-6 ATS when playing with 1 day or less of rest between games and 2-5 ATS on Fridays. That means we have angles of a combined 15-5 (75%) favoring the Eagles. 8* EASTERN MICHIGAN

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFB Game #126 Friday 8* Arkansas Razorbacks (+) vs Missouri Tigers @ 2:30 ET - Arkansas is seeking revenge and this also could very well be head coach Brett Bielema's last game and it is also Senior Day in Fayetteville. With no bowl game for the Razorbacks this is their bowl game and they would love nothing more than to knock off the upstart Tigers. I am well aware that Missouri has won 5 straight and covered 7 straight but the Tigers still are only 3-4 in SEC action and only 1 of those wins (versus Florida) has come against a foe that actually has an SEC win. Two of the Missouri victories came against Tennessee and Vanderbilt (both 0-7) in SEC action. I realize Arkansas has been a disappointment this season and, for that matter, truly disappointing throughout the majority of Bielema's tenure. However, this is the spot where they step up and an outright upset would not surprise. That said, I'll gladly take the huge home dog points and fade an SEC opponent that is highly over-rated right now! The Hogs are 9-4 ATS when off of a loss in conference action. Missouri is 2-4 ATS when they are a favorite in a range of 3.5 to 10 points! Grab the generous points here. 8* ARKANSAS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CFB Game #118 Friday 8* Toledo Rockets (-) vs Western Michigan Broncos @ 11:30 AM ET - Toledo is off of a blowout road win at Bowling Green last week. That holds extra significance here because the Rockets are a PERFECT 10-0 ATS when they are a home favorite of more than 8 points after a SU win that covered the spread by double digits! After blowing out the Falcons on the road last week, Toledo blows out the Broncos at home this week. The Rockets have plenty of motivation here as they had won 5 straight in this series but have now lost to Western Michigan each of the last two seasons. It is time for payback and they have a huge advantage on the offensive side of the ball as the Broncos have been a different team without Jon Wassink at QB. Western Michigan is also very banged up at the RB position and the Rockets are averaging 513 yards per game on offense. The Broncos average only 400 yards per game on offense. Also, Toledo has played the tougher schedule this season. The Rockets also are on a 7-1 ATS run after facing Bowling Green. Western Michigan already has the 6th win they needed for bowl eligibility while the Rockets are highly motivated here in a double-revenge spot and with needing a win to guarantee a spot in the MAC title game. 8* TOLEDO

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Thursday 8* New York Giants (+) @ Washington Redskins @ 8:30 ET - Both teams are banged up but the Redskins have so many injuries they decided against even running a regular practice of 11 on 11 leading into this game. Washington also is a full TD favorite here. With that said, I see great line value with an underdog Giants team that is still playing for pride. New York proved last week they could still rise up as they did just that against the Chiefs and got the tight win. There will be no shortage of motivation here either as they of course detest the division rival Redskins. While one could argue that the Giants will be emotionally flat after a big upset win over Kansas City, keep in mind the Redskins also have emotional issues after letting one slip away against New Orleans last week. Washington put a lot of energy and effort into that game against the Saints and then they ended up walking away empty-handed. That is a very tough on a team and the Redskins have had disappointment as a common theme so far this season with so many blown games. The Giants ended the Skins post-season hopes last year with a late-season win in Washington. They are motivated to do it again here. Yes, it is not quite so late in the season but if the Redskins are dropped to 4-7, the glimmer of hope for the post-season certainly dims! The Giants are 3-1 ATS on grass this season and also a long-term 7-2 ATS in Thursday games. Washington is 2-6 ATS on grass and also a long-term 13-28 ATS as a home favorite in a range of 3.5 to 7 points. The Giants are also 10-1 ATS as a road dog of more than 3 points when facing a team off of a SU loss. New York is also 7-2 ATS as a divisional dog of more than 4 points. The Giants also are 10-0 ATS when they are dogs off of SU win that covered the spread by double digits! Last week's win rejuvenated the Giants while the Redskins entered this season 0-9 ATS when at home and facing an NFC opponent with a winning percentage of .249 or less. 8* NEW YORK GIANTS

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFB Thursday 8* Mississippi State Bulldogs vs Ole Miss Rebels @ 7:30 ET - Just in time for their biggest game of the season, the Rebels did something Saturday versus Texas A & M that was the last thing they wanted to do. Ole Miss showed Mississippi State the blueprint for how to shutdown their offense as they went scoreless in the 2nd half versus the Aggies after scoring 24 points in the first half. That horrific effort for the Rebels tells the Bulldogs all they need to know and Mississippi State is "out for blood" here. Yes, the Bulldogs did crush the Rebels last season at Ole Miss but they also were crushed at home by double digits two years ago. In that game Ole Miss was up 28 to 3 at halftime of what ended up being a 38-27 home loss that Mississippi State has not forgotten. I know that the new Rebels QB Te'amu has had some solid moments but I also watched him falter badly in last week's loss to the Aggies. The Bulldogs will take advantage of not having to face injured QB starter Shea Patterson and it will be Mississippi State's QB, Nick Fitzgerald, whom shines brightly in this one. With the line dropping down to 13.5 as of T-day morning, I am now pulling the trigger on a match-up I expect will be a blowout. The Bulldogs are 5-1 ATS at home this season. The Rebels are 1-3 ATS as an underdog this season and also had gone 0-3 ATS at Mississippi State in their last 3 visits before that big win two years ago. Now it is payback time for the Bulldogs. 8* MISSISSIPPI STATE

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #729 Thursday 8* Vanderbilt Commodores (+) vs Virginia Cavaliers @ Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY @ 4 ET - The Commodores have yet to cover a game this season but that is helping to give some extra line value here and Vanderbilt is 3-0 ATS the past two seasons when they have entered a game on an ATS losing streak of 3 games or more. Also, this is a low total which tells you of course that this game will be played with points at a premium and Vandy is 33-20 ATS long-term in games with a posted total in the 120s. The Cavaliers are on a long-term run of 33-47 ATS in all tournament games and I look for Virginia to drop to 1-4 ATS when they are a neutral court favorite in a range of 6.5 to 9 points. The Commodores lost by just 4 points to USC in their most recent game and the Cavs have a huge game on deck with Wisconsin. Truly the set up here and the motivational factors are largely in favor of the sizable road dog. I am grabbing all the points I can get but an outright upset would not be a complete surprise! 8* VANDERBILT

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NFL Thursday 8* Detroit Lions (+) vs Minnesota Vikings @ 12:30 ET - The Vikings are off of a big win over the Rams! While the Vikings certainly have been hot, they are now traveling on a short week and facing a division rival that knows this game is critical if they have hopes of catching the Vikes in the NFC North. The Lions have also been hot with wins in 3 straight games. Detroit was only 3-4 before the 3-game winning streak but 3 of those losses were by 5 points or less and the 5-point loss to the Steelers saw the Lions outgain Pittsburgh by 90 yards! The lone ugly loss was to New Orleans but the Saints outgained Detroit by a very slim margin in that game. The point is that the Lions have been playing quite well, perhaps even better than their record shows and I feel Minnesota is very over-rated at this point. Everyone is jumping on the Vikes here because they just saw them shut down the Rams last week. However, that was the first win in this 6-game winning streak for the Vikings that has come against a team that currently has a winning record. I am not sold on a Minnesota team with Case Keenum at QB. I know he has played well recently but we all know his past. I'd much rather have Matthew Stafford on my side at QB and that is also a big part of the reason the Lions are my "side" in this one! The Lions have averaged 314.6 passing yards per game their last 5 games. The Vikings have had only one true road game in their last 5 games and that has helped them build this win streak. In true road games this season Minnesota has been held to 146 passing yards or less in 2 of 3 games. 8* DETROIT

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #529 Wednesday 10* Top Play Appalachian State Mountaineers (+) @ James Madison Dukes @ 4 ET - Even though the Mountaineers and Dukes are both returning from tournaments, the Dukes were in the Bahamas and lost their final game while the Mountaineers Puerto Rico tourney was relocated and so their final game was in South Carolina. Also, that final game was a win for Appalachian State and the 3-2 Mountaineers have looked much better than the 1-4 Dukes early this season. We're getting line value because this game is at James Madison and because the Dukes are seeking revenge. The reason they won't get revenge is that the Mountaineers are the superior team that has also shown great resiliency with the strong second half performance against UTEP keying that win. I expect another such effort here. I also like the fact that Appalachian State had tough match-ups with Western Michigan and Iowa State prior to that game. As for James Madison, ever since their game against an overmatched foe in their season opener, they've shot very poorly and their defense has not impressed either. This will be the Dukes 4th game in 6 days too. For the Mountaineers they have the rest edge and also are riding the momentum of their win over UTEP! James Madison is on a 5-17 ATS run in non-conference games. 10* APPALACHIAN STATE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #550 Wednesday 8* Purdue Boilermakers (-) vs Tennessee Volunteers @ Noon ET in Bahamas (Battle for Atlantis) - The Boilermakers have more games under their belt than the Volunteers. Purdue already 4-0 on the season and Tennessee is only 2-0 and the Vols have played a weaker schedule. At least Purdue has faced Marquette. Also, the Volunteers have been off for over a week and that could effect their play here. As for the Boilermakers, they just played on Saturday and are shooting the ball very well now and should maintain their hot shooting considering it is just a short break. Also Purdue's summer trip to Taiwan for the World University games really benefited them as well. Tennessee is 0-4 ATS as a neutral court underdog of 6.5 to 9 points. The Boilermakers are 3-0 ATS against SEC competition in recent seasons. Double perfect 7-0 ATS spot working in our favor here. I'll take it! 8* PURDUE

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Monday 8* Atlanta Falcons (+) @ Seattle Seahawks @ 8:30 ET - Of course Seattle has revenge from last year's post-season loss to Atlanta. However, the Falcons are looking up at the Seahawks in the overall NFC standings and Atlanta is very hungry to get back to the post-season after the Super Bowl debacle versus the Patriots. A couple of keys to this play include the fact Atlanta has faced the tougher schedule and also the fact that Seattle has more key injuries. Of course at this point in the season teams are going to be banged up but the Seahawks losing Richard Sherman on defense is huge. Then, on offense, even if left tackle Duane Brown is able to play, he won't be 100% and that spells trouble against the Falcons pass rush. I am aware of the fact that Atlanta is without RB Devonta Freeman but they have decent depth in the running game and of course QB Matt Ryan and company are going to attack the Seahawks through the air. Seattle's defense has been further weakened by the loss of safety Kam Chancellor to injury. Back to the strength of schedule I noted above, Seattle's wins have included victories over the Colts, Niners, and Giants and those teams are a combined 6-24 on the season. Also, the Seahawks have beaten the Cardinals and Texans but both those teams have losing records and they faced Houston without QB Deshaun Watson. The only "impressive win" Seattle has would be that they beat the Rams but note that Los Angeles actually outgained them by 136 yards in that game! Only 2 of Atlanta's 5 wins have come against teams that currently have a losing record. Also, the Falcons losses included tough opponents like New England and Carolina. Atlanta is on a 5-1 ATS run against NFC West teams and also on a 10-5 ATS run as an underdog. Seattle is on a 34-50 ATS run when off of a win in divisional action and also on a 1-6 ATS run against NFC South teams. There is a reason this line is so low even though the Seahawks have the better record, are playing with revenge, and are at home. Don't be fooled. The road dog gets it done here. 8* ATLANTA 

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #749 Monday 8* Richmond Spiders (+) vs UAB Blazers @ 5 ET @ John Gray Gymnasium in George Town, Cayman Islands - The Spiders did burn me but I won't hesitate to come right back with them in this match-up in the Cayman Islands Classic. Richmond has simply been done in by unbelievably hot shooting by their opponent in their first two games. That is why the Spiders sit at 0-2 on the season. The Blazers are a perfect 3-0 on the season but have faced a very weak schedule. This line opened around a 5 and is now as high as a 7.5 as of early Monday morning. The result is great line value here. Richmond is not only 0-2 to the start the season but it was an embarrassing home loss that opened up their season. Under head coach Chris Mooney, the Spiders had been 10-1 in season openers. Suffice to say, you are going to see an angry Richmond team take the floor early Monday evening after their losses to Delaware and Jacksonville State to begin the season. Even though the Spiders are a notch down from last season's team, they are still projected to finish in the middle of the pack in the Atlantic 10. Even though guard Khwan Fore is out for the Spiders, they still have a very talented backcourt which is the strength of their team. Look for that to be the difference in this game as Richmond responds after an embarrassing start to the season. The Spiders are 6-2 SU when playing with 5 or 6 days of rest between games. The Blazers are 2-6 SU and 1-7 ATS in all neutral court games. 8* RICHMOND

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 8* Philadelphia Eagles (-) @ Dallas Cowboys @ 8:30 ET - The Cowboys were rolling with 3 straight wins prior to last week's loss at Atlanta but it is amazing how quickly things can change in the NFL. First off, Ezekiel Elliott's suspension finally was enforced beginning last week. Then, LB Sean Lee and OL Tyron Smith got hurt. Elliott, of course, is out again this week while Lee also is listed as out due to his hamstring while Smith is listed as doubtful due to his back injury. These aren't just role players, these are KEY players for Dallas as the Cowboys have fared very poorly on defense when Lee is not out there and the absence of Smith really hurts the offensive line. Also, with no Elliott, the 'Boys run game has also been impacted greatly. Now bundle all that together and consider that the Cowboys must host an Eagles team that is rested off of a bye week, has the #1 record in the league, and that hates them with a passion. You truly have the makings of a road rout here because the Eagles won't take their foot off of the gas and they have the ability to get up big here as their offense has been so balanced. QB Carson Wentz has been phenomenal this season but defenses can't just focus on stopping him because Philly has one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL and they are loaded at running back after now also adding Jay Ajayi to the group! The Eagles did lose their last visit to Dallas but they also blasted the Cowboys by 14 in the most recent meeting. Also, prior to the loss at Dallas, the 2013, 2014, 2015 seasons saw the road team in this match-up go 6-0 SU and 5-1 ATS. The home field simply hasn't meant much and also Philadelphia is 6-0 ATS their last 6 off of a bye week. Dallas has covered just 2 of their last 11 in the 2nd half of a season when they're facing a team with a winning record. The Eagles have covered 6 straight games overall and they stay hot here! 8* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* Chicago Bulls (+) @ Phoenix Suns @ 8:05 ET - The Bulls are 3-10 this season and the Suns are 6-11 and yet Phoenix is only favored by 3 at home? Looks "funny" doesn't it? Long-time followers know how I feel about "strange" lines and the fact is that the Suns being favored only by the home court edge should tell you something since Phoenix has twice as many wins as Chicago so far this season! The moral of the story is don't fall for the trap! I am looking for the Bulls to get the outright upset here but happy to grab the points. Chicago has failed to cover only twice in seven road games this season and they also have momentum off of a win. The Suns are on a 15-27 ATS run as a favorite and also are just 10-25 SU when off of an upset win as an underdog. After winning as a sizable dog versus the Lakers at Los Angeles Friday, Phoenix will fall flat in this one! 8* CHICAGO

FTM Blowout Rout - Rickenbach CBB Game #771 Sunday 8* Fordham Rams (+) @ Tulane Green Wave @ 7:30 ET - The Rams just couldn't hit shots versus Florida State's defense Friday but they face a much weaker foe in Tulane Sunday evening! The Green Wave are 3-0 and Fordham is 1-2 but the Rams have played the tougher schedule. That is why this line is much smaller than many would expect. As usual, I like to "Fade The Masses" which is what the FTM stands for and I'll grab the 1-2 Rams getting only a handful of points. Look for their tenacious defense to be the difference and they are angry off of their loss to the Seminoles. Tulane is 1-12 SU and 1-10 ATS in games against teams that are allowing 64 points or less per game! 8* FORDHAM

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CFL Sunday 10* Top Play Calgary Stampeders (-) vs Edmonton Eskimos @ 4:30 ET - Calgary has been a team on a mission all season long after losing in the Grey Cup to Ottawa last season. That was a huge upset loss for the Stampeders and they are fully geared up to get back to the big game this season. They are rested here and hosting an Eskimos team they have defeated by 21 points each of the last two times they've hosted them. Also, Calgary had won each of the last two meetings in Edmonton before losing there last month. Suffice to say, payback is on order here. Both these teams have dynamic offenses but the key value here is not only that the Stampeders have the home field edge here, it is also the fact that they have the much better defense. They've allowed 11 points less per game than the Eskimos have this season. Calgary is 6-0 SU (and 5-1 ATS) their last 6 off of a bye and I expect a home rout here. Stampeders roll and get their chance again in the Grey Cup. 10* CALGARY

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CFL Sunday 8* Saskatchewan Roughriders @ Toronto Argonauts @ 1 ET - The Roughriders, with their win at Ottawa last week to advance to face the Argos today, are now 7-2 against teams from the East Division this season. Toronto is rested and at home for this game but they went 3-7 against teams from the West Division this season. This East versus West dichotomy is being overlooked here because everyone and their brother seems to be jumping on the small home fave. The Roughriders are all the way up to a 3 point dog now! I'll take it! 8* SASKATCHEWAN

FTM Blowout Rout - Rickenbach CBB Game #527 Saturday 8* Texas-Arlington Mavericks (+) @ Brigham Young Cougars @ 9:30 ET - UT-Arlington upset the Cougars in March so this is a revenge game for BYU. As a result, everyone is lining up on Brigham Young here and I am happy to FTM here which means Fade The Masses! Even though the Mavericks lost some star power from last season's team, the Mavs still have the inside-outside combo of Kevin Hervey and Erick Neal. Also, BYU's Nick Emery left the team. The Cougars are certainly a quality team but the Mavericks are a dangerous and well-coached underdog as Scott Cross does a great job with this program. Texas-Arlington is again projected to be near the top of the SunBelt Conference. Though Brigham Young comes from the tougher West Coast Conference, the losses of Eric Mika and Emery are big for this team. Also, BYU is 1-6 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. The Mavericks are an incredible 46-22 ATS as an underdog! Grab the points! 8* TEXAS-ARLINGTON

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 8* Dallas Mavericks (+) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 9:05 ET - The Mavs were up big on the Timberwolves at the half yesterday but then blew the game and ended up losing big. The key though is that Dallas was able to get a lot of rest in the 2nd half of the game because Minnesota pulled away. That means that, even with this being a back to back spot for the Mavericks, it is not a bad spot to back the hungry home dog. Milwaukee comes in hot on a 4-game winning streak but they could look right past this non-conference foe that sports an ugly record. Also, the Bucks are just 1-3 in their last 4 road games. With this being the Bucks only road game in a span of nearly a dozen days, this match-up has "trap game" written all over it. 8* DALLAS

Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFB Game #382 Saturday 10* Top Play Vanderbilt Commodores (+) vs Missouri Tigers @ 7:30 ET - Missouri looks great, don't they? They've won 4 straight games and have been piling up points. They must be ready to join the SEC's elite, right? Far from it! This Tigers team is one of the most over-rated I have ever seen and they are getting way too much respect here on the road. I don't blame the odds makers because they knew everyone would be crazy about Missouri here so they had to set this number high. The point is that the betting markets are fooled and that is why the Tigers are still favored by more than a touchdown as of gameday morning even though they're on the road and their last 4 wins have been against, get this, NO ONE! The Tigers have faced Florida and Tennessee programs in disarray this season (both have fired their coaches this season) and Missouri also faced a pair of non-conference teams that are a combined 6-13 this season. Keep in mind that, prior to this easy stretch of schedule, the Tigers were on the SEC road and lost both games and gave up 93 points! Now certainly I am not saying that Vanderbilt is a powerhouse because they are definitely far from it but what I am saying is that the Commodores are coming to play Saturday and they are a big home dog that absolutely win this game outright! Vandy is off of an embarrassing home loss but they turned the ball over 4 times. This is their home finale and their next game is at dysfunctional Tennessee and the Commodores are sitting on 4 wins. You can bet their going to "bring it" in their home finale as they still have hopes of becoming bowl eligible and certainly a win over the Volunteers is plausible next week. Look for the Tigers to drop to 1-5 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points while the Commodores improve to 4-1 ATS as a home dog of 7.5 to 10 points. Value is off the charts here because Vandy has played a tougher schedule than Missouri and this particularly true in recent weeks. Even with the Tigers road covers this season they are still just 4-9 ATS in road games the last 3 seasons and they are over-priced here. 10* VANDERBILT

Big Ten Game of the Year - Rickenbach CFB Game #415 Saturday 10* Top Play Michigan Wolverines (+) @ Wisconsin Badgers @ Noon ET - The Badgers deserve plenty of credit for their 10-0 start but they've had a lot of help from the schedule-makers this season. This will prove to be their toughest test yet and, though they've clinched a spot in the Big Ten title game, Wisconsin is playing with unbeaten pressure as they're hoping to keep their CFB playoff hopes alive. The Badgers schedule has been so favorable that this is the first time this season that they are not favored by double digits! Keep in mind, this is even though they are at home for this game so that tells you a lot right there. The Badgers did beat Northwestern but they did not cover and only totaled 306 yards of offense in that game. Wisconsin also beat Iowa last week but they were fortunate as the Hawkeyes had just had the huge upset win of Ohio State the prior week and, as expected, Iowa came out completely flat against Wiscy last week. While the Badgers offense certainly rates better than the Wolverines, the defenses of Michigan is just as good as that of Wisconsin. Also, the Wolverines have faced a slightly tougher schedule than the Badgers this season. The pressure is on Wisconsin here and I am expecting the upset win for Michigan but will certainly grab the generous points. Even though this is the 2nd of B2B road games for the Wolverines, they are actually 5-1 ATS L6 in that situation. Also, Michigan is 6-1 ATS as a dog off of an ATS win by a double digit margin. Also, the Badgers are off of B2B ATS wins for the first time this season. The Wolverines also enter off of B2B ATS wins. That puts into play another solid system here as Wisconsin is 0-7 ATS when off of back to back SU/ATS wins and facing an opponent off of back to back SU/ATS wins! Also, the Badgers are only 1-7 ATS when they are favored by more than 5 points in Big Ten action against a team that has a winning percentage of .601 or more. 10* MICHIGAN 

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach Friday CFB 8* Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (+) vs Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders @ 8 ET - Both teams need a win to become bowl eligible but, while the Blue Raiders have an easy home game on deck versus Old Dominion, the Hilltoppers have a very tough road game at Florida International on deck. In other words, Western Kentucky knows they need to get the job tonight at home and I'll gladly grab them as a home dog here. The Hilltoppers have won 6 straight home finales. Also, even though QB Stockstill is back for MTSU, he is only 31 of 61 in his first two games since coming back. Making those numbers even more concerning is the fact that he faced UTEP and Charlotte and those two teams are a combined 1-19 and certainly are the bottom feeders of CUSA. As for Western Kentucky, their passing attack has been rolling for many weeks now. Over their last 5 games, the Hilltoppers have completed 66% of their passes and averaged 381.8 passing yards per game! I am well aware of the fact that WKU has lost 3 straight but they faced a pair of CUSA teams that are a combined 10-2 in conference action this season and their other game was against Vanderbilt, an SEC foe! Even with a tough season the Hilltoppers are still 20-4 SU and 16-8 ATS in conference action the past 3 seasons combined and they'll bounce back big in this crucial game tonight. As for the Blue Raiders, they are 2-7 ATS (and 1-8 SU) in games with a line between +3 and -3 the past three seasons combined. Middle Tennessee laying a field goal here is simply a case of them being over-valued! I'll look for the home dog to notch their 7 straight home finale victory. 8* WESTERN KENTUCKY

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #775 Friday 8* Fordham Rams (+) @ Florida State Seminoles @ 6 ET - The Rams are a different team since Jeff Neubauer took over as head coach. Now in his 3rd season at Fordham, there has been a big transition with an emphasis on defense. Even though the Rams have played a couple of teams that are not on par with FSU to start this season, their defense has nonetheless been impressive. Fordham is allowing just 36% from the field and they are 1-1 with their lone loss coming by a single point. Even though Florida State is the better team and certainly highly likely to get the win here, the points are simply too much in my opinion. The Seminoles lost 4 starters from last season's team and also could get caught looking ahead to a much tougher match-up as they have Colorado State on deck for Sunday. The Noles are only 4-11 ATS in games with a posted total in the 140s. Also, Florida State is 5-10 ATS in all neutral court games and in those where they are favored by 12.5 points or more they are 0-4 ATS. 8* FORDHAM

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #515 Thursday 8* Xavier Musketeers (+) @ Wisconsin Badgers @ 8:30 ET - A lot of books opened this one up at -1 on the Badgers. The line has driven all the way up to a -3.5 and of course everyone is liking Wisconsin on their home floor and with a big frontcourt edge. However, how healthy is Ethan Happ? One of the best players in the nation is definitely expected to play tonight but his knee is bothering him and it will be interesting to see how he fairs in Wisconsin's first big game of the new season. Keep in mind, the Badgers are a fantastic basketball program but they are replacing the majority of their starters from last season. Also, Xavier comes into this game not just with revenge but MAJOR revenge as they lost to the Badgers on a last-second shot in tourney time in March of 2016. The Musketeers have waited a long time for this rematch and they'll make the most of it. They have key returning talent from last season's team and of course they are ranked in the top 20 for a reason. We are simply getting line value here because the Badgers have an incredible reputation especially on their home floor. I'll grab the generous points being offered to Xavier. The Musketeers are on a 21-11 ATS run in non-conference games and also are 12-6 ATS in road games with a posted total between 145 and 149.5 points. The Badgers are on a 4-9 ATS run in all games with a posted total between 140 and 149.5 points. 8* XAVIER

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Thursday 8* Pittsburgh Steelers (-) vs Tennessee Titans @ 8:25 ET - The Steelers have a number of edges here. With this being a short week it certainly helps to have the home field edge. Pittsburgh also has played a tougher strength of schedule here. I also am not convinced that Titans QB Mariota is in great shape just yet in terms of his injuries. The concern for Tennessee here is that the Steelers pass rush could definitely wreak havoc on him. The play in the trenches is a big key as to why I am willing to lay the full TD with Pittsburgh here. The Titans are the worst team in the league in terms of generating sacks. Tennessee also rates only in the middle of the pack in terms of pass protection. As for the Steelers, they are up near the top of the NFL for both generating QB pressure and for pass protection. Overall, the Pittsburgh defense is up among the best squads in the NFL. The Titans D ranks only in the middle of the pack. Certainly the Steelers under-performed at Indianapolis last week but they were likely peeking ahead to this match-up with a fellow division leader. Pittsburgh is on a 10-4 ATS run as a non-divisional home favorite while Tennessee is on a 7-15 ATS run as a road dog. The Titans are coached by Mike Mularkey and, as a dog off of a SU win he has a 2-9 ATS record versus a non-division opponent. As a home favorite of 3.5 to 7 points the Steelers have excelled historically as they have gone 63-17 SU and 50-30 (63%) ATS! 8* PITTSBURGH

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #735 Wednesday 8* Creighton Bluejays (+) @ Northwestern Wildcats @ 9 ET - Let's see...the Wildcats are ranked and they are at home and they returned 4 starters from last season's team AND yet they opened up as low as a 3 point favorite in most books! Yes indeed Northwestern looks like an easy choice given all the above plus the fact that the Bluejays lost some key pieces from last season's team. You guys know it is NEVER that easy and I smell an upset here. The line has already bolted up to a 4.5 in most spots and I am happy to grab Creighton as a contrarian pick. These typically work well throughout the season. I have had a RARE rough start to the season but, rest assured, it will turn and when it does it will be in a big way! Creighton is known for hot shooting and they've hit 41.4% of their threes this season and Northwestern has allowed 41.9% of three this season. At the same time the Wildcats have hit only 29.7% of their threes while the Bluejays are allowing just 29.4% from beyond the arc this season. The Jays hot shooting and the fact that it is now the Wildcats with a target on their back will be all the difference here. Keep in mind, Northwestern had NEVER been in a preseason Top 25 poll in school history until this season and this is the Cats first tough test. I don't expect it to go well and, of course, the Bluejays are very well coached under Greg McDermott who turned down an offer from Ohio State to remain at Creighton. Do you think he did that aimlessly? Of course not! The Bluejays will continue to impress. 8* CREIGHTON

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 10* Memphis Grizzlies (-) vs Indiana Pacers @ 8:05 ET - This line keeps dropping and I'll gladly step in. Memphis is all the way down to a 4 point favorite as of early game day morning. The only edge that the Pacers truly have is on the offensive end but the problem with that angle here is that they been held to average of only 99 points per game their last 3 games as they've shot under 45% in 2 of their last 3 games. The fact is that the Grizzlies have the far superior defense and also, of course, have the home court edge. The home team is actually a fantastic long-term 26-14 (65%) ATS in the last 40 meetings between these teams. Also the Pacers have allowed 47.8% or better from the field in 6 of their last 7 games including 5 straight games of at least 50%. Conversely, the Grizzlies are allowing just 43.1% shooting on the season! Also, Memphis has been better on the offensive end of late as well. The Grizzlies have shot over 47.5% from the field in 5 of their last 6 games and the one game they didn't reach that mark they shot a solid 46% from the field. The Grizzlies are 56-37 SU run in home games and the Pacers are on a 36-59 SU run in road games. With this line all the way down to a -4 I like my odds of not only the home win but also the cover. Additionally, Indiana is 0-3 SU and ATS this season when off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. 10* MEMPHIS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Wednesday CFB 8* Eastern Michigan Eagles (+) @ Miami-Ohio Redhawks @ 7 ET - Long-time followers know I am a contrarian. The key reason to be a contrarian is because one must recognize and respect that the odds makers are smart. This game is a text book example of that because, remember, the goal of the odds maker is to balance the action. That said, the very first lines that game out on this game were pick'ems. Since then the line has been driven all the way up to a 3.5 in most spots as of early game day morning. Considering that Miami-Ohio is at home and needs to win out to become bowl eligible and also has defeated Eastern Michigan NINE straight times by an average margin of a DOZEN points per game, isn't it strange that the line opened up a pick'em? Exactly! The odds makers set it this way because they knew the public money would come in on the Redhawks here and they wanted to balance the sharp money coming in on the Eagles. You and I will be part of that sharp money. The Eagles have played the tougher schedule. They lost by double digits last week but that was a turnover-driven loss. The yardage stats were very nearly equal! Eastern Michigan has one of the best defenses in the MAC. Again, last week's ugly loss at Central Michigan was keyed by 5 turnovers. Each of the Eagles 3 prior losses were by 3 points or less and the loss to the Chippewas was their first loss this season by more than 7 points. The Eagles are highly motivated here because the Redhawks have had series dominance in this match-up and Eastern Michigan's viewpoint is that if the Eagles aren't going to a bowl than Miami-Ohio isn't going either! I am grabbing the points here but fully expect the upset win. 8* EASTERN MICHIGAN

NBA TV Top Play - Rickenbach Tuesday NBA 10* Toronto Raptors (+) @ Houston Rockets @ 8:05 ET - This line looks a little "funny" at first glance and you know what that generally leads to! The fact is that this may be a bit of a contrarian play as most will want to back a red hot Houston team at home and laying a small number against a Raptors team that is only playing .500 ball in their last 10 games. The key to the advantage here is that Toronto has not played back to back games a single time this entire season. In fact, the Raptors enter this game having played just 7 games in the last 17 days! Conversely, the Rockets are playing for the 3rd time in 4 days and their 4th game in the last 6 days! The road team has won 3 of the last 4 meetings between these teams (SU and ATS). Toronto was favored at Boston Sunday but lost by a single point. The Raptors are 24-12 SU when off of an upset loss as a favorite. Whether or not Toronto gets the outright win here, I do expect them to drop the Rockets to 28-40 ATS in non-conference action! The Raptors have the fresher legs and they've faced the tougher schedule so far this season. 10* TORONTO

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach Tuesday CFB 8* Akron Zips (+) vs Ohio University Bobcats @ 7 ET - The Zips are still alive in the MAC East race and take on the leader in the standings in this huge game. Not only that, Akron still needs a win to become bowl eligible and their season finale is next Tuesday. Suffice to say this is an ultra-important game for the Zips and coach Terry Bowden has said his team has been fired up from the start of the very first practices for the new "football week" heading into this match-up. Akron is excited to host the MAC East leader and we're getting line value here due to the Zips QB situation. I am well aware of the disciplinary issues against QB Thomas Woodson and the resulting suspension. However, even though he may be out again tonight, back-up QB Kato Nelson actually played quite well despite being under constant pressure last week at Miami-Ohio. The Redhawks have a solid defense (one of the best in the MAC based on yardage allowed) and Nelson did complete 19 of 38 for over 200 yards and a touchdown while battling through six sacks. Look for a better effort from the Zips offensive line in this one and, for that matter, from the entire team as they are fired up about hosting Ohio University with the ESPN cameras rolling tonight. No doubt the Bobcats are the better team here but they truly are over-priced and the Zips are catching them off of that massive win over Toledo (Rockets were last undefeated team in conference action in MAC). Akron has the edge here too in terms of facing an overall tougher schedule this season. Also, short week for Ohio U as they played on Wednesday last week while the Zips played last Tuesday. The dog is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings between these teams. Also, the Bobcats are 2-9 ATS when off of back to back SU wins and facing an opponent off of a SU loss. Ohio University is 3-8 ATS when favored by more than 3 points after scoring more than 35 points the prior week. That means we have combined angles of 21-6 ATS in favor of the Zips. 8* AKRON

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach CBB #527 Tuesday 8* Michigan State Spartans (+) vs Duke Blue Devils @ 7 ET @ Chicago, IL (Champions Classic) - First off I generally like to play the #2 team in a match-up of #1 versus #2 but, of course, the key is if the value is there. In this case the value most certainly appears to be there with the #2 ranked Spartans. While Michigan State returned 4 starters this season, the Blue Devils are starting 4 freshmen! Also, even though this is a neutral site it certainly favors the Spartans in terms of proximity to their campus. I also like the fact that Duke is such a small favorite here even though they've beaten Michigan State 6 times. Remember, it is NEVER that easy. In other words, many will play the Blue Devils here and lay the short number just banking on the fact that Duke has won 6 straight over the Spartans. However, the reason the line is so low is because the experience factor and revenge factor certainly favors Michigan State in a big way. In terms of technical factors, the Spartans are 13-7 ATS (and 15-5 SU!) when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. Duke is 8-12 ATS on a neutral court and I look for the Blue Devils to drop to 0-3 ATS (and SU!) when they are a favorite of 3 points or less neutral court. Duke is also only 3-6 ATS when playing on a Tuesday. When these teams met two years ago the Blue Devils were favored by double digits. Don't be fooled by this line. Look for the Spartans to win outright but grab any points you can get (some 2.5 out there at time of this posting). 8* MICHIGAN STATE

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Monday 8* Carolina Panthers (-) vs Miami Dolphins @ 8:30 ET - The Dolphins did have a recent road win (at Atlanta) when the Falcons were clearly caught looking ahead to their Super Bowl rematch game with the Patriots. Other than that win (which was attributable to Atlanta's lookahead), Miami has struggled badly on the road. In the Dolphins other 3 games played away from home since late September, they lost all 3 by a combined score of 60 to 6 - an average margin of defeat of 18 points per game. They lost 20-6 to the Jets in New York, 20-0 to the Saints in London, and 40-0 to the Ravens in Baltimore. Suffice to say the Dolphins have been consistent away from home and it certainly has been a negative consistency. Both teams have played many weeks in a row but the Panthers do have their bye week on deck while the Dolphins lost their bye week do to the hurricane canceling their season opener this year. With that said, even though Carolina is off of a big win over division rival Atlanta, the Panthers are going to go hard here in their final game before the bye week. Carolina's most recent primetime game was that Thursday night loss versus the front-running Eagles last month. They now take on a much lesser foe in primetime action and they look to atone for that defeat. The Panthers are also certainly well aware of the fact that both the Saints and Falcons won yesterday so every win that Carolina can get right now is critical to stay in the hunt in the NFC South. The Panthers have home field edge here and they are the #1 defense in the league taking on the league's worst offense. The Dolphins will find points tough to come by in this one and Carolina, though not an offensive juggernaut, has scored 17 or more in 5 of their last 6 games. The Dolphins are averaging 2 (just TWO) points per game in their last 3 games away from home. That said, the Panthers, thanks to their tremendous defense, shouldn't have to score much to get the cover here even though this is a big number. Look for Carolina to win this by double digits. Remember that the Dolphins had a VERY fortunate ATS push last week when they scored a TD and a 2 point conversion VERY late to lose by just 3 as a 3-point dog versus Oakland. The Panthers are 10-3 ATS off of a divisional game and 12-4 ATS as a home favorite of 7.5 to 10 points. Look for the Dolphins to drop to 5-9 ATS as a road dog of 7.5 to 10 points. 8* CAROLINA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #750 Monday 8* Richmond Spiders (-) vs Jacksonville State Gamecocks @ Noon ET - Richmond is off of an embarrassing home loss to open their season. They lost to the Delaware Friday and allowed the Fightin' Blue Hens to build a 33-point lead in that game. It was a sell-out home opener for the Spiders and, though they rallied in the 2nd half, Richmond still lost 76-63 when the final horn sounded. Under head coach Chris Mooney, the Spiders had been 10-1 in season openers. Suffice to say, you are going to see an angry Richmond team take the floor early Monday to host Jacksonville State. Even though the Spiders are a notch down from last season's team, they are still projected to finish in the middle of the pack in the Atlantic 10. As for the Gamecocks, they play in the weaker Ohio Valley Conference. Certainly the OVC is not without merit but it still is not on par with the A-10. Although Jacksonville State rolled in their opener, it had a lot to do with playing a team they were far superior to as they faced Tennessee Wesleyan in their season opener. Even though guard Khwan Fore is out for the Spiders, they still have a very talented backcourt which is the strength of their team. Conversely, Jacksonville State's weakest link is arguably the backcourt. Look for that to be the difference in this game as Richmond responds after an embarrassing home opener. The Gamecocks are 9-27 SU in games where they are an underdog and this is a very small number to lay with Richmond. The Spiders are 20-11 SU in games where they are a favorite. 8* RICHMOND 

Dominator Special - Rickenbach CBB Game #521 Sunday 8* Yale Bulldogs (+) @ Wisconsin Badgers @ 6 ET - The Badgers are off of a huge win over South Carolina State but that is a team from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference that is actually projected to finish toward the bottom of that weak conference. Now Wisconsin hosts a Yale team that is projected to be at the top of the Ivy League standings when all is said and done this season. I am aware of the fact that the Bulldogs are without guard Makai Mason but they did play better than the final score indicates in their season opening loss at Creighton. Of course the Bluejays are a solid team and tough to play in Nebraska but also Yale was simply done in by red-hot shooting from Creighton in that game! As for Wisconsin, they actually only led SC State by 11 points mid-way through the 2nd half before they went on a big 10-0 run that sealed the game in the eventual blowout win. Now the Badgers (whom lost 4 starters from last year) face a much tougher test Sunday. Wisconsin, of course, is still a far superior program to that of Yale but the Bulldogs can absolutely hang around in this game and have enough size and length inside to not be totally overwhelmed by the Badgers here. I expect Wiscy to win of course but I expect that win to be by 10 or less. Wisconsin is 4-9 ATS in games with a posted total in the 140s and the Badgers are 3-9 ATS in November games. Yale is a long-term 30-14 ATS when they are off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. Also, the Bulldogs are 31-20 ATS as a road dog of 12.5 or more points. 8* YALE

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CFL Sunday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Blue Bombers (+) vs Edmonton Eskimos @ 4:30 ET - The Blue Bombers lost by a single point in this round of the playoffs last season while the Eskimos made it one round further but lost to the eventual Grey Cup Champion Ottawa Redblacks. With that said, both teams come into this match-up hungry but I think the big line move toward Edmonton here has opened up great line value with home dog Winnipeg. Yes, the Eskimos have a great passing attack led by Reilly but the Blue Bombers aerial attack under the direction of Nichols ranks right up there as well. This line is still just a 3 in some spots and the Eskimos are on a 7-18 ATS run as a road fave of 3 points or less although certainly I am happy getting even more than 3 and this line has headed up to the 3.5 mark as of early gameday morning. Overall, Edmonton has not done well in the favorite role as they are 2-8 ATS this season. The Blue Bombers have been at their best in games like this as they are 6-1 ATS when playing against a team with a winning record this season. Also, the past 3 seasons combined, when past the midway point of the season (game 10 onward), Winnipeg is an incredible 10-1 ATS against teams with a winning record. The Blue Bombers are continuing to be under-valued by the betting markets and I would not be surprised to see an outright upset here but certainly am glad to grab the generous points being offered to a team that went 7-2 ATS as an underdog this season. 10* WINNIPEG

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 10* Top Play Atlanta Falcons (-) vs Dallas Cowboys @ 4:25 ET - The Ezekiel Elliott situation was a huge distraction for the Cowboys but at least he ended up playing. Now, this week, it's different! It looks like the situation finally is resolved and, not only is he not playing this week, he is likely out until Christmas Eve. This is casting a dark cloud over the Cowboys right now and the last thing they need is to be on the road and facing the defending NFC champs who are angry as they come off of a stretch that has seen them lose 4 of their last 5. The Falcons are on an 0-5 ATS run but this is a great spot to back them. They ougained the Panthers in their loss at Carolina last week and they have plenty of confidence when it comes to facing the Cowboys. In their last meeting, in Dallas, the Cowboys were up 28-17 at the half but the Falcons won the 2nd half 22-0. Between October 15th and November 26th, this is Atlanta's one and only home game! In other words, you can absolutely bank on a strong effort from the Falcons here especially since they are off of rare back to back losses in their two most recent home games (even though Atlanta ougained the opposition in each game). The Cowboys are on an 0-5 ATS run against NFC South teams the past two seasons. Dallas is also on a 9-18 ATS run in games played on turf. The Falcons are 4-1 SU against NFC East opposition the past two years and laying just 3 here is a great value! The Cowboys running game will be hurt by Elliott's absence and the Falcons have the much better passing game! 10* ATLANTA

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) @ Detroit Pistons @ 4:05 ET - The Heat have faced a tougher schedule than the Pistons but they aren't getting much respect here as early indicators are that the public is all over Detroit in this match-up. I love getting teams like Miami plus the points. The Heat have been a different teams since Hassan Whiteside returned to the lineup and their defense is far superior to that of the Pistons. Detroit has allowed opponents to hit 49.6% from the field in their last 6 games. Miami has allowed opponents to hit only 41.1% from the field in their last 8 games! The key to the value here is the Pistons are 4-0 their last 4 games and 7-1 their last 8 games but that is taking attention away from a Heat team that is a solid 4-2 SU their last 6 and 4-1 ATS their last 5. Miami is off of an upset win at Utah but the Heat are actually a fantastic 24-10 ATS when coming off of an outright win as an underdog. The Pistons are 4-11 ATS (including 0-2 ATS already this season) when they are on a winning streak of 3 games or more. Grab the points here! 10* MIAMI

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Sunday CFL 8* Saskatchewan Roughriders (+) @ Ottawa Redblacks @ 1 ET - No matter the sport it is hard to repeat as champions and, of course, the Redblacks must win today to have a chance to do that. I just don't see it happening. Other than last year's magical playoff run, Ottawa has truly been just a mediocre .500 team this season and last year. That said, note that Saskatchewan went 6-2 SU against the East Division this season while Ottawa went just 3-6-1 SU against the West Division this season. Also, when off of a loss against a division rival, the Roughriders went 4-1 ATS (and 5-0 SU!) this season! Additionally, as a home favorite of 3 points or less, Ottawa is 2-4 ATS the last 3 seasons combined. Grab all the points you can get here but you likely won't need them! 8* SASKATCHEWAN

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 8* Cincinnati Bengals (+) vs Tennessee Titans @ 1 ET - The Titans have won 3 straight games but they've been outgained in each of the last two games (each of those being wins by just 3 points apiece). Also, Tennessee is off of a tough game versus the physical Ravens and has another tough match-up (with the physical Steelers) on deck. There is no sugarcoating anything about Cincinnati. The Bengals have not been playing well and they've failed to cover 3 straight games. However, Cincy had won 3 of 4 prior to the loss at Jacksonville last week and that still gives them enough confidence to bounce back after the loss to the Jaguars and I feel they will do just that. The Bengals only scored 7 points in last week's defeat at the hand of the Jags and Cincinnati is 6-1 (86%) ATS when off of a game where they were held to less than 10 points. Tennessee, entering this season, was 1-10 ATS when facing a non-divisional opponent off of a SU loss by more than 10 points. That system fits here as the Bengals were crushed by 16 points last week. The Titans upcoming game against the Steelers is on Thursday night and that is also significant here as Tennessee knows they have a short week to prepare for another physical, tough match-up. I would not be surprised to see the Titans overlook the Bengals given this situation and, in fact, Tennessee is 0-8 ATS in their game before a Thursday game! 8* CINCINNATI

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 10* Los Angeles Chargers (+) @ Jacksonville Jaguars @ 1 ET - The Jaguars are off of back to back wins but they faced a pair of teams (Bengals and Colts) that are a combined 6-11 this season. I know the Chargers also have a similar unimpressive record but Los Angeles comes into this game off of their bye week and they had won 3 of 4 games heading into their bye. Also, the Chargers first 4 losses this season featured 3 by a field goal or less! Another big difference in terms of the challenge the Jaguars will face today is at the QB position. They faced Indianapolis without Luck and they faced a Cincinnati team that has been having major issues at the signal-caller position. Now they face a Rivers-led Chargers team that has a much better passing attack than those two teams. I am aware that Jacksonville's pass defense has been rock solid this season but Rivers and company come back from the bye week with fresh legs and ready to attack. The Chargers are averaging 244 passing yards per game and are 6-0 SU and ATS in their last 6 meetings with the Jags. Jacksonville is an ugly 4-14 ATS when they are a home favorite against a non-divisional foe. The Chargers are on a 6-2 ATS run when on the road and facing a non-divisional opponent with a winning percentage above .600 and that system fits here. Also, the Jaguars are 0-10 ATS when they are at home, playing with revenge, and off of a double digit ATS cover. That system fits here as well! 10* LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach CFB Game #172 Saturday 10* Northwestern Wildcats (-) vs Purdue Boilermakers @ 7 ET - Purdue's starting QB David Blough got hurt in the win versus Illinois last weekend and is out for the season. Boilermakers back-up signal-caller Elijah Sindelar will be under center today and the sophomore has 3 interceptions and no touchdowns in his two Big 10 road games this season and one of those was against Rutgers! That doesn't bode well for Sindelar here as he faces a Wildcats team that is rolling with momentum right now. Conventional wisdom says to fade a team off of an OT win but Northwestern is simply on fire right now as they've won 4 straight games and each of the last 3 have been in overtime! The Wildcats are a team on a mission right now and they've blasted Purdue by a combined 66-31 the last two years! Northwestern and the Boilermakers have each faced Wisconsin and Nebraska and if you look at the stats from those two games you will see that the Wildcats fared much better than Purdue. They are truly an under-valued home fave here and I am not about to get in front of the freight train especially with Sindelar getting the start for the Boilermakers here. Look for the Cats to take this one by double digits. 10* NORTHWESTERN

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #727 Saturday 8* St Joseph's Hawks (-) @ Toledo Rockets @ 7 ET - The Hawks are returning all their starters from last season but I am aware of Shavar Newkirk and Charlie Brown being out for this game. The key is they are still in far better shape than a Rockets team that lost 3 starters. Also, Toledo was counting on production from Willie Jackson and he is out due to eligibility issues. The Rockets may improve as the season goes on but, early on, they're counting on too many new pieces. That is why this line is a pick'em even though it is a revenge game for the Rockets (lost last year by a single point). Another key to the value though is that Toledo was down by 5 late in that game (line was St Joe's -2.5) so it was a bit of a tough beat that the Hawks lost that game. St Joseph's backers who lost that game will get some payback here. St Joe's is on a 17-7 ATS run in road games. The Hawks roll here. 8* ST JOSEPHS 

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFB Game #163 Saturday 8* Virginia Cavaliers (+) @ Louisville Cardinals @ 3:30 ET - All 3 meetings between these teams have been decided by 7 points or less - average margin of 5.3 points. With the Cardinals opening up as a double digit fave and then moving even higher (now favored by a dozen) I'll gladly get involved with the Cavaliers here. Simply put, it just wasn't the Cardinals season. Yes they are off of their bye week but no matter what they do the rest of the way they know they will have underachieved expectations. Conversely, Virginia is making good strides in Bronco Mendenhall's 2nd season and there is also some solid technical support for this play. The Cavaliers are 7-1 ATS when they are on the road off of a game where they allowed more than 35 points. That lone loss in that system just happened when they got annihilated by Pittsburgh by a final score of 31-14 but that one truly was a "phony final" as the Cavs actually outgained the Panthers in that game. Riding the momentum of last week's win over Georgia Tech, QB Benkert and company can have another big game here. The Cardinals defense has struggled this season including allowing a ridiculous 519.5 yards per game in conference action. With just a 2-4 record in ACC action, Louisville is mentally fatigued at this point in the season while the Cavaliers are riding the momentum of their best season since 2011 (which is also their last bowl appearance). Give me the big points in this one! 8* VIRGINIA 

ESPN Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #518 Friday 8* West Virginia Mountaineers (-) vs Texas A & M Aggies @ 6 ET - Give the Aggies a few games and they're going to be a much better team but, right now, they are without 6'10 forward Robert Williams and 6'1 point guard J.J. Caldwell. Williams is a tremendous front court player that was projected to a first round NBA draft pick had he not decided to return to the school. Caldwell redshirt freshman but the Aggies are counting on him greatly as a distributor on the offensive end and a key defender on the perimeter. Williams is suspended for two games to start the season and Caldwell is suspended for 4 games to begin this season. Even though the Mountaineers are without forward Esa Ahmad for the first semester due to eligibility issues, his loss is much less impacting than what the Aggies are dealing with their first few games. With that said, there is great line value here with the Mountaineers laying only a half-dozen points. They are among the top ten teams in the nation and they take on a short-handed Aggies team that arguably shouldn't even be ranked in the top 25. This game is being played on a neutral floor at Rammstein Air Force Base in Germany. In this Armed Forces Classic on a neutral floor the defense of 'Press Virginia' is likely to be even more troublesome for the Aggies. Texas A & M turned the ball over 23 times last season in their loss to the Mountaineers. In that game West Virginia won by only 4 points but they blew a 20 point lead in the game. They won't make the same mistake here. Look for the Mountaineers to again get up big and this time they'll stay up big. The Mountaineers are 6-1 ATS in November games. The Aggies are 5-11 ATS as an underdog. Also, Texas A & M is 5-14 ATS in games where the total is posted in a range of 130 to 139.5 points. 8* WEST VIRGINIA

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Monday 8* Seattle Seahawks (-) @ Arizona Cardinals @ 8:25 ET - The Seahawks are fired up after a home loss to the Redskins. Seattle did outgain Washington by 193 yards in the defeat! Arizona is off of a win but it came against the 0-9 Niners. In fact, two of the Cardinals 4 wins have come against win-less San Francisco and the other two wins came against the 2-6 Buccaneers and 3-6 Colts! Seattle is 6-2 ATS in games played between weeks 10 and 13 the past two seasons combined. Arizona is on a 3-7 ATS run as an underdog and 3-13 ATS run in games against teams with a winning record. The Cardinals are also on an 0-10 ATS run when they are off of a game where they allowed 10 points or less! Arizona is also 0-6 ATS in Thursday games versus teams with a winning record. Seattle is on a 7-0 ATS run in Thursday games. That means we have a combined edge of 23-0 ATS favoring the revenge-minded Seahawks in this one. They lost at home to the Cardinals in their most recent meeting on Christmas Eve last year. Time for payback Thursday. 8* SEATTLE

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach Thursday NHL 10* St Louis Blues Puck Line -1.5 goals (+) vs Arizona Coyotes @ 8:05 ET - Not only have the Coyotes lost 15 of 17 games this season, 9 of the last 13 defeats have come by 2 goals or more! That means we're getting excellent line value here with the Blues offering a solid plus money return at -1.5 goals. St Louis has been one of the best teams in the NHL this season and they are off of a non-conference game and have another non-conference game on deck. In other words, Arizona will have their full attention and that is bad news for the Coyotes as they have lost all 12 meetings with the Blues the last 4 seasons. 11 of those 12 wins have come by 2 goals or more including each of the last 9 games! That means the odds heavily favor the Blues dominating the Coyotes again tonight. 7 of the last 9 St Louis victories - in what has been a fantastic start to this season - have come by 2 goals or more. 10* ST LOUIS on the puck line -1.5 goals

Rickenbach NBA Thursday 8* New Orleans Pelicans (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:35 ET - The Raptors have failed to cover 3 of their last 4 games and also won't be fully focused on New Orleans as Toronto has a big game at Boston on deck. For the Pelicans, they have won and covered each of their first 3 games on this 4-game road trip and they are eager to complete the perfect run with one more win tonight. New Orleans is the team with the motivation tonight as they have lost each of their last 4 meetings with the Raptors including losing by just 2 points in their most recent visit to Toronto. New Orleans has a powerful front court and should dominate the paint and the glass in this match-up. Also, the Pelicans are 3-1 (SU and ATS) in non-conference games this season. The Raptors historically have struggled against teams that can really "fill it up". Against teams that average 106 points or more per game, Toronto has gone 15-22 SU in recent season and is an ugly 26-64 SU long-term! I'll gladly take the points here! 8* NEW ORLEANS 

Rickenbach Thursday NBA 8* Washington Wizards (-) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 7:05 ET - The Wizards are off of a 14 point home loss to Dallas. That means they missed the spread by nearly 25 points in that game as they were favored by close to double digits in that one! Washington will be ready to make amends for that horrific effort and they'll do it by getting revenge over a Lakers team that snuck out a 3-point win over the Wizards two weeks ago in Los Angeles. The Lakers lost by double digits at Boston but the 11 point loss could have been much worse as the Celtics scored 107 points even though they only shot 38.8% from the field in that game. That says a lot right there! The Lakers are on a 36-50 ATS run in road games. The Wizards are 52-35 ATS when playing with revenge and also 17-10 ATS when off of an upset loss as a favorite. This home team is angry and ready to initiate a beating on a LA team in the 2nd night of a back to back. The Wizards won't take their foot off of the gas here. 8* WASHINGTON

Earliest Cash Wednesday - Rickenbach NBA 8* New York Knicks (+) @ Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - The Knicks are in a back to back spot here but the key is that New York has a ton of momentum right now and their starters really didn't play a ton of minutes last night. That is always a key to look at when analyzing a back to back situation and the Knicks 5 starters averaged just 29 minutes each and not a single player in the 9 man rotation played more than 36 minutes. New York's shooting has been on fire and, riding the momentum of last night's come from behind win, the Knicks head to Orlando with a ton of confidence. New York has won (and covered) 6 of its last 7 games. The Knicks have averaged 111.4 points per game during this 7-game stretch. The Magic have been at the other end of the spectrum of late. Orlando is off of back to back losses and have averaged just 85.5 points per game in those two defeats. While it is true that the Magic will be the more rested team here, the fact is that when a team needs to get it's shooting touch back not playing games actually can be a detriment. Orlando hasn't had a good shooting game since LAST Wednesday! As for the Knicks, they are so hot right now with their shooting that the best thing for them is to keep playing and, keep in mind, Kristaps Porzingis was held under 30 points last night for just the 3rd time in 10 games this season and yet New York still got the win. The 7'3 Knick is averaging 30 points per game this season and shooting the ball very well and that hot shooting continued last night though he finished with 28 points. The road team has won and covered each of the last 3 meetings between these teams and the Knicks overall went 3-1 SU and ATS versus the Magic last season. New York is 4-0 SU and ATS against teams that allow 106 points or more per game this season. The Magic are 0-3 SU and ATS against Atlantic Division opponents. Look for those trends to remain perfect here as the Knicks continue to be an early season surprise! 8* NEW YORK KNICKS

Wednesday Watch-n-Win - Rickenbach CFB 8* Toledo Rockets (-) @ Ohio University Bobcats @ 7 ET - The Rockets had won 12 in a row over the Bobcats before being upset as a two-TD favorite at home last season. Toledo hasn't forgotten that loss and is ready to avenge it here. Both of these teams have been winning this season but the Rockets have played the tougher schedule. Also, Toledo is averaging 100+ yards more in the passing game than the Bobcats are there will be light winds with no precipitation on a chilly evening in Athens tonight. That means the passing game can excel and Ohio U, other than games against Hampton (FCS team) and Kent State (worst offense in FBS), has allowed an average of 305 passing yards per game this season! Though the Bobcats beat Miami-Ohio last week the Redhawks were still without QB Gus Ragland. As for the other 3 wins Ohio U has in MAC action, they came against teams that are a combined 7-20 this season! Now the Bobcats take a big step up in terms of level of competition and 3 of the Rockets 5 wins in MAC games have come against teams that currently have an overall winning record. Those 3 wins all came by double digit margins too and averaged a 19 point margin of victory! Toledo is on an 8-1 ATS run as a road fave. This line has dropped all the way down to 3.5 and, as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points, the Rockets are a long-term 31-16 ATS! As for Ohio U., prior to back to back home covers against the wounded Redhawks and deplorable Golden Flashes, they had been on a 2-5 ATS run in home games versus FBS foes. They are again being over-valued here and I'll gladly fade the line move here as this line had opened up in the 7 range! 8* TOLEDO ROCKETS 

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach Tuesday NBA 10* Charlotte Hornets (+) @ New York Knicks @ 7:35 ET - Charlotte opened up as a -2 here even though the Hornets are only 1-4 (both SU and ATS) in road games this season and the Knicks are 4-2 (both SU and ATS) in home games this season. Must be some kind of mistake here, right? Of course that's why there has been a big early move toward New York here but, as I have stated many times before, the odds makers know what they are doing! In other words, the Hornets opened up as a favorite here for a reason and, after the move that has taken Charlotte from a -2 to a +1 here, I have no hesitation in going with a top play here. Keep in mind, the Knicks are off of a huge come from behind win versus the Pacers where New York rallied from a huge deficit in the 2nd half. Also, the Hornets have revenge here from losing both games at New York last season with each defeat coming by 3 points or less. The Knicks have a game at Orlando on deck for tomorrow while the Hornets, after yesterday's off-day, have two more days off after this game. Charlotte is off of back to back losses and the last one was by 18 points. Look for the Hornets to improve to 3-0 (SU and ATS) this season when off of a loss by a double digit margin. The Knicks are 10-26 SU when off of an upset win as an underdog and New York won't have enough left in the tank after that surprising rally against the Pacers Sunday. 10* CHARLOTTE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 8* New Orleans Pelicans (+) @ Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - The Pacers are hoping to bounce back after consecutive losses. However, the concern for Indiana is they've allowed their opponents to shoot 50% from the field in 3 straight games! As for the Pelicans, they've been at the other end of the spectrum as they have been playing fantastic defense and have held each of their last two opponents under 39% from the field. Couple that with the fact that the New Orleans big men down low are going to cause all sorts of trouble for the Pacers and you have a fantastic value spot to back the Pelicans in this one. Indiana is toward the end of a 6 games in 9 days stretch while New Orleans comes into this one rested after back to back days off the past two days. The Pelicans are on a 14-7 ATS run versus Central Division opponents and they are also 4-2 (SU and ATS) on the road this season. The Pacers are on a 27-38 ATS run in non-conference games and have a big divisional game against the Central Division leading Pistons tomorrow at Detroit! Tough spot for Indiana and a great spot to fade them with the Pelicans as they continue to be "road warriors" early this season. 8* NEW ORLEANS

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 8* Oakland Raiders (-) @ Miami Dolphins @ 8:30 ET - This is the time of the season where it generally pays to invest in teams that have under-achieved but are still poised to make a move. The Raiders certainly fit the bill as that type of team. Oakland already beat Kansas City this season and they still have another game against the Chiefs coming up so the Raiders are still very much "alive" in the AFC West. While it looks like Oakland just got blasted at Buffalo last week, the Raiders actually outgained the Bills but were done in by turnovers in the 34-14 loss. Oakland has a bye week on deck so they're certainly going to go "all out" here and I'll take Derek Carr over Jay Cutler any day of the week! Yes, Cutler is due back for the Dolphins this week but the QB has aveaged 136 passing yards in his last 4 starts. Carr worked out the kinks in his first start back from injury when he faced the Chiefs a few weeks ago. Since that start he has had two more starts and has averaged 365 passing yards per game! You can see that's nearly triple what Cutler has produced. The Dolphins have the worst offense in the NFL and they simply won't be able to keep up here. I know Miami has a solid defense but the Raiders defense, for the most part, has played well this season. They had 2 sub-par efforts - against the Redskins and Chiefs - but the Dolphins offense is not comparable to those two offenses. That said, in Oakland's other 6 games this season they have allowed an average of just 326 yards per game! The Dolphins poor performance on offense last week was the 4th time in their last 6 games that they have been held to 225 yards or less of TOTAL offense! The Raiders are 5-2 ATS in road games with a posted total between 42.5 and 45 points. The Dolphins are 1-7 ATS in home games with a posted total between 42.5 and 45 points. 8* OAKLAND

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach NFL Sunday 10* Top Play Washington Redskins (+) @ Seattle Seahawks @ 4:05 ET - The Redskins are only 3-4 on the season but 2 of the losses came to the NFL's hottest team, the Eagles. The other two losses came against the Cowboys and Chiefs. That means the 3 teams the Skins have lost to have a combined record of 16-6. As for the Seahawks, yes they are an impressive 5-2 on the season but 3 of the 5 wins came against the Niners, Giants, and Colts. Those teams are a combined 3-20 this season! Seattle's other two wins came against the Texans and Rams. Houston actually has a losing record this season and the Rams only lost to the Seahawks because of 5 turnovers. LA actually outgained Seattle by 134 yards in that game! The point is that this match-up is set up perfectly this week in terms of value because, right now, the Redskins are vastly under-valued and the Seahawks are greatly over-valued. Seattle gave up over 500 yards to Houston last week. This is not the same Seahawks teams of their dominant years. Yes they are 5-2 this season but the schedule has been kind to them and now they face a much tougher test. The Redskins know that if they're going to make a push it must start now. Washington lost to Seattle in Jay Gruden's first season here as head coach, in 2014. Payback is on order here and the Redskins are 18-8 ATS when on rest of 6 days or less between games. Seahawks off of the emotional late fourth quarter win over the Texans last week where they expended a ton of energy in a valiant effort. In front of them, Seattle also has a short week to prepare for a divisional match-up Thursday at Arizona. 10* WASHINGTON

Rickenbach NFL Sunday 8* New York Giants (+) vs Los Angeles Rams @ 1 ET - The Giants are coming off of their bye week and, prior to that, they did lose to Seattle as a 4 point home dog. However, previous to that defeat, the Giants were on a 5-0 ATS run as a home dog of 4 points or more. Now, fresh off of a bye week and hosting a Rams team that, though also off of a bye week, is off of a big divisional win over the Cardinals in London, New York is in a good situational spot here. Los Angeles is 2-5 SU (and ATS) when off of a win over a division rival. While it is true that the Giants already have 6 losses on the season, they haven't thrown in the towel yet! They have some injury issues but the bye week certainly did them some good and the Giants know that, with a win, it means every potential wild card team in the NFC would already have at least 3 losses. Also, New York has another winnable game (facing win-less San Francisco) on deck. So don't count out the Giants just yet. They've gone 6-2 ATS in November games the past two seasons and they are looking to make a push here in the 2nd half of their season. This is a perfect spot to back them against an over-confident Rams team that is likely to overlook them. 8* NEW YORK GIANTS 

Rickenbach NFL Sunday 8* Baltimore Ravens (+) @ Tennessee Titans @ 1 ET - The Ravens Joe Flacco is now listed as probable for this game and Baltimore's spirits have also been bolstered by the 40-0 win over Miami last week. Statistically that win was not as impressive as the final score but the fact is that Ravens defense certainly answered the call. Keep in mind, Baltimore has now allowed an average of only 285 yards per game their last 4 games. Even though the Titans are off of their bye week, the Ravens game last week was on Thursday so they're well-rested too. Also, the concern for Tennessee here is that they are facing a tough defense and the Titans offense has been rather anemic of late. Yes, Tennessee had a big game against Indianapolis but the Colts are one of the worst defensive teams in the league. Other than destroying Indy, the Titans other 3 games since September went into the books have seen Tennessee average only 217.3 yards of total offense per game! The Titans are on a 2-7 ATS run in November games and also Tennessee is on a 1-5 ATS run as a favorite in a range of 3.5 to 9.5 points. Baltimore is 4-2 ATS against AFC teams this season and 6-2 SU in November games the past two years. More of the same here! 8* BALTIMORE

Rickenbach NFL Sunday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+) @ New Orleans Saints @ 1 ET - At first glance this looks like a mismatch as the 2-5 Bucs are on the road at the 5-2 Saints. New Orleans has won 5 straight games (both SU and ATS) while Tampa has lost 4 straight games (SU) and is on a win-less (0-5-1) stretch ATS! As the saying goes...on any given Sunday...and in this case it looks like an upset could be in the offing here! The Saints defense looks much improved but, keep in mind, 3 of their last 4 games have been against offensively-challenged opponents! Miami and Chicago are two of the worst teams in the league on offense. Also New Orleans faced the Packers after Aaron Rodgers was hurt. Everyone knows Green Bay's offense is hurting badly without Rodgers! So what has the Saints D done in their other 4 games this season? They've allowed 29 points per game and 415 yards per game! In other words, I am not sold on the Saints D just yet! Now that New Orleans D faces a Bucs passing attack that is averaging nearly 300 yards passing per game. Certainly Tampa Bay's defense has struggled at times this season but turnovers by the offense certainly has put the Bucs D in bad spots at times. The fact is that the Saints have forced opponents into more than 1 turnover in just 2 of their 7 games. I don't expect the Buccaneers to be impacted by turnovers here. In fact they may end up on the right side of the turnover battle here as they've forced 6 turnovers in their last 4 games and the Saints have turned the ball over 7 times in their last 3 games. Each of the last 6 meetings have been decided by no more than 7 points and we're getting great line value with this one at 7 points. Also, the Bucs lost 17-3 versus Carolina last week and that is noteworthy here as TB is 11-0 ATS as a dog of more than 4 points when they're off of a games where they were held under 10 points! Also, Saints head coach Sean Payton has a 2-13 ATS mark when favored off of a non-divisional game and now facing a divisional opponent playing with revenge. The Bucs are looking at avenge December's loss at New Orleans! Also, the Saints are an ugly 2-16 ATS when they are at home in divisional action and facing an opponent that lost their prior game by double digits compared to the spread. That system is also in play here and I look for the Buccaneers to be in this one all the way and to either spring the upset or lose by 6 or less. 10* TAMPA BAY

Game of the Week - Rickenbach Saturday CFL 10* Top Play BC Lions (+) vs Toronto Argonauts @ 10 PM ET - As long-time followers know I am a contrarian. This is a classic case of line value being afforded to a contrarian. The Argonauts need to win this game to win the East Division and have a home playoff game. The Lions are relegated to the role of spoiler here. The road team has won and covered each of the last 7 meetings in this East-West match-up. As you can see, it would seem like Toronto would be the play here but guys it's just not that easy and I love taking a solid West team at home that is ticked off about missing the post-season and will take their role of spoiler and use it as motivation here. With BC knowing they are out of it and the Argos are in it, the Lions want to at least enjoy knowing they made things a little more difficult for Toronto by taking away their division title and costing them a home game in the post-season. Keep in mind the West generally dominates the East in the CFL and we also have the home field edge with the Lions here. BC is 4-3 against the East this season and Toronto is is 2-7 against the West this season. The Lions close the season with a home win. The Argos are 6-14 ATS with a line between -3 and +3. BC is 14-9 SU and ATS in non-conference games. 10* BC Lions

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach CFB Game #421 Saturday 10* Stanford Cardinal (+) @ Washington State Cougars @ 3:30 ET - This is a big-time revenge game for the Cardinal as they were embarrassed 42-16 at Stanford by the Cougars last season. The weather for this one in Pullman, WA actually favors the Cardinal. Washington State likes to throw the ball a lot (84 pass attempts last week!) and the weather is expected to be right around freezing with light snow showers this afternoon. That means the physical Stanford ground game could certainly be the key. The Cardinal are known for being physical on both sides of the ball and having RB Bryce Love (listed as probable now) back for this game is a big plus. The Cougars allowed 310 rushing yards (and 9.1 yards per carry!) at Arizona last week. Washington State also is playing a 10th straight week! They finally have a bye after this game but, from a physicality standpoint, the Cougars are likely to struggle to match Stanford here. The Cardinal just had their bye two weeks ago and, in fact, seemed to "sleep-walk" out of their bye as they struggled (and were actually fortunate) to get by Oregon State last week! However, the Cardinal also were clearly looking ahead to this big revenge game and they'll take advantage of a Washington State team that is suddenly having issues at QB. Falk got benched but his back-up, Hilinksi, threw for a ton of yardage but threw 4 picks! Hilinski makes too many mistakes and Falk is an "over-thinker" and "perfectionist" which is the type of QB that is unlikely to respond well off of a benching. In other words, the Cougars recent struggles (have lost 2 of 3) continue here against a Cardinal team that has won 5 straight games! Washington State is 1-7 ATS as a home fave of less than 10 points when facing an opponent with revenge. Cougars also are 0-5 ATS as a favorite when they are off of a game where they scored more than 30 points and are now facing a team with a winning record. Combined 12-1 ATS spot favoring the Cardinal here. 10* STANFORD

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CFB Game #348 Saturday 8* Virginia Cavaliers (+) vs Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ 3 PM ET - We're getting solid line value here because the Cavaliers are off of back to back ugly losses and the Yellow Jackets have been a covering machine this season. Also, Georgia Tech is off of a loss so many expect that they will bounce back here. However, this is truly a "sandwich spot" for the Jackets as they're off of a big game at Clemson and they have another big game, hosting Virginia Tech, on deck. That said, Georgia Tech may not be fully focused on this Cavaliers team and I am expecting Virginia to give them plenty of trouble here. Keep in mind that the last time the Cavs hosted the Jackets (in 2015) they got the outright upset win at home. Then, even though the Cavaliers lost last season's meeting at Georgia Tech, the Cavs actually outgained the Yellow Jackets by 88 yards and had a 25-8 edge in first downs! Suffice to say the 14 points loss for Virginia was a "phony final" and I expect the Cavaliers to again play very tough versus the Yellow Jackets. Part of the reason they fared so well against the Jackets (statistically) in last year's match-up is the fact that the Cavs are coached by Bronco Mendenhall who faced the option plenty of times during his tenure at BYU. that said, and with solid defensive personnel on hand this season, look for the Cavaliers to again enjoy success in slowing the Jackets run game. Last season Georgia Tech was held under 200 yards of rushing which is an accomplishment as, for example, this season GT averages 348 rushing yards per game. The Yellow Jackets are 0-3 ATS (and SU!) as a road favorite in recent seasons and an outright upset here would not surprise. However, I am certainly grabbing the generous points being offered. The Cavaliers are on a 6-2 ATS run as an underdog of 3.5 to 10 points. Also, the host in this series with Georgia Tech is on a 7-0 ATS run. Additionally, the Cavs are 5-0 ATS when off of back to back losses (SU and ATS) and facing an opponent who is off of a SU loss! That system is in play here and means we have angles that are a combined 12-0 ATS in favor of the home dog here! 8* VIRGINIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Friday CFL 8* Winnipeg Blue Bombers (+) @ Calgary Stampeders @ 9:30 ET - The temperature is going to be in the single digits for this game at Calgary. The snow will have diminished by kickoff and also the winds will be light but there is no denying it is going to be very cold conditions for this one. That can make the ball tough to grip, tough to throw, and overall it tends to give the edge to the underdog because big points can be very valuable in conditions like this. After opening up at a 9.5 this line has now climbed as high as an 11 in some spots and I am happy to be a contrarian and fade the move here. The fact is that double digit points in conditions like this are a great value and this is especially true when you consider that this game is truly meaningless to the Stampeders. Sure, Calgary is off of a couple losses and may want to get a W just to get back into the win column before the post-season starts but they really do not need to win this game and that's why they're giving the start to back-up QB Andrew Buckley. He'll be making his first career CFL start. The Blue Bombers are also going with a back-up QB here but he has a lot more experience than Buckley and the reason that Dan LeFevour is getting the start is because starting QB Matt Nichols is injured and can't go here. LeFevour has much more CFL experience than Buckley. I know Buckley is a Calgary native and therefore use to playing in cold conditions like this but, keep in mind, LeFevour played his college ball at Central Michigan which is not exactly a balmy paradise! The fact is he has played in plenty of cold weather throughout his career. Winnipeg needs this game to lock up home field edge for a post-season game. Whether they get the outright win or not I certainly expect the Blue Bombers to be in this game all the way and that should be more than enough to stay inside this generous number. Winnipeg is 7-1 ATS in road games this season and they have a long-term mark of 7-3 ATS when the Blue Bombers enter a game on SU losing streak of 2 or more games. Look for the road team to improve to 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings between these teams as the Blue Bombers get it done for us in the "ice box" at Calgary tonight! 8* WINNIPEG

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach Friday NBA 10* Houston Rockets (-) @ Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET - The key with laying sizable points in basketball is that motivation is a key. Of course the Rockets are the much better team than the Hawks as that is why they opened up as 8-point favorites here even though this game is at Atlanta. That said, is the motivation there for a blowout win? In this case it is there to the 7th power! Ironically, the Hawks have lost 7 straight games this season as they prepare for this match-up and the Rockets have lost 7 straight games to Atlanta! That includes sweeps each of the past two seasons where the Hawks got the ATS cover in all 4 games too! As you would expect with these results, Houston has plenty of motivation here. The Rockets got their shooters rolling in their huge 22 point win at New York on Wednesday and now they take on an Atlanta team that just doesn't have the firepower to keep up with them. This Hawks team is absolutely a shell of the former Atlanta teams that used to give the Rockets trouble. Atlanta's 7-game losing streak has featured 5 defeats by double digit margins and I expect another one here. The Hawks just got blasted by the 76ers by 10 points on Wednesday and Atlanta is 0-4 SU and 0-4 ATS when off of a loss by double digits this season. Long-term the Hawks are 18-27 (40%) ATS in this situation. Atlanta is allowing 109 points per game this season and the Rockets are 28-19 ATS and 39-8 SU the L3 seasons combined when they are facing a poor defensive team (allowing 106 points or more per game). The Rockets are seeking revenge here so they won't let up and they blast the Hawks by double digits in this one! 10* HOUSTON

Early Dominator - Rickenbach Friday CFB 8* Florida Atlantic Owls (-) vs Marshall Thundering Herd @ 6 ET - Of course the Thundering Herd would love nothing more than to knock off the last undefeated team in Conference USA action. However, the Owls have played a much tougher schedule than the Herd and this is what the betting markets appear to be overlooking as they continue to pound Marshall in this one. As of very early gameday morning this line has dropped all the way down from as high as double digits earlier in the week to just 6.5 in many spots. I am happy to lay the points here considering that Marshall's 3 wins in CUSA action came against teams that are a combined 6-17. When the Thundering Herd finally stepped up and faced tougher competition they lost by double digits to a Florida International team that is now 5-2 overall on the season. Also, that game against the Golden Panthers was at Marshall! Now the Herd are at a 5-3 Florida Atlantic team that is 5-3 overall on the season and 4-0 in CUSA action. Owls non-conference action included facing Wisconsin and in terms of CUSA games they've faced (and defeated) North Texas and Western Kentucky - each of those teams are 5-3 this season. Certainly Marshall has the better numbers on defense this season but, again, strength of schedule must be factored in. Also, in addition to the home field edge here, the Owls certainly have the much stronger offense in this match-up. Florida Atlantic is averaging 47.2 points per game their last 6 games. Marshall has won all 4 meetings with the Owls so payback is certainly on order here! The Thundering Herd are on a 2-5 ATS run in November games and could run out of gas here on a short week and playing their 4th road game in the past 6 weeks and dealing with the heat and humidity of South Florida. Payback time for the Owls! 8* FLORIDA ATLANTIC

Early Dominator - Rickenbach Thursday CFB 8* Toledo Rockets (-) vs Northern Illinois Huskies @ 6 ET - Both these teams come into this game at 4-0 in conference action. However, the key is that the teams the Huskies have played entered this week with a combined overall record of 8-25 on the season! The Rockets have faced a couple of weak teams too but they also have faced two teams with overall winning records, Akron and Central Michigan, and Toledo won those games by a combined score of 78-31. Of course the betting markets are seeing a pair of teams undefeated in conference action and that have played to tight finishes in recent seasons and they're jumping all over the big dog here. That is why a game where the very first numbers to come up were double digits has been driven down to a 7.5 as of early gameday morning. I love to fade the masses and I think the Huskies are in for a "rude awakening" here as they finally are facing a tough MAC foe for the first time this season. The Rockets last 3 wins have all come by a margin of at least 20 points and Toledo is a long-term 30-16 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points. Northern Illinois had defeated the Rockets 6 straight times prior to last season's loss in this series. However, the Rockets aren't done getting revenge as they haven't beaten the Huskies in Toledo since the 2009 season! Payback is on order here and the Rockets offense (40.5 ppg, 520.6 ypg) will prove to be too much for the Huskies (27.9 ppg, 398.0 ypg). 8* TOLEDO

Contrarian Dominator - Rickenbach Wednesday NBA 8* Milwaukee Bucks (+) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - This is a contrarian play because many will look at this as a bad spot for the Bucks since they were in action versus Oklahoma City last night and now are traveling plus losing an hour due to going to the East Coast. However, the fact is that Milwaukee is playing their 3rd game in 4 nights (just like Charlotte is) and the Bucks (just like the Hornets) actually got some rest last night! What do I mean by that? Milwaukee's key players did not have to log a lot of minutes because the Bucks got blasted by the Thunder yesterday. Milwaukee was down by double digits early and was down by 20+ going to the 4th quarter. That type of game means the starters got plenty of rest and it also means it is going to be a fired up and angry Bucks team that takes on the Hornets tonight. Milwaukee has won each of its last 3 meetings with the Hornets and the Bucks also are a perfect 3-0 ATS in the last 3 meetings in Charlotte. The Hornets enter this game off of back to back wins and I am glad to challenge them to win their 3rd straight as they're also playing their 4th game in 6 nights. It may surprise some people to see who actually ends up tiring as this game goes on! As for the Bucks, they are off of a loss and they haven't lost back to back games yet this season! Also, Milwaukee is 2-0 SU and ATS against the Southeast Division this season while Charlotte is 0-2 SU and ATS against the Central Division. Grab the generous points here but I don't expect to need them. 8* MILWAUKEE