Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach Thursday CFL 10* Top Play Winnipeg Blue Bombers (+) @ Saskatchewan Roughriders @ 4 ET - Saskatchewan certainly has improved this season but last week they took advantage of an Edmonton team that was looking ahead to a big showdown with Calgary this week. The result of the Roughriders big win over the Eskimos is helping to give us some line value here as we can get a solid Blue Bombers team at a full +3 in this one. Keep in mind, a lot of points are expected in this one (O/U posted at 61) and Winnipeg is on an 11-1 ATS run in road games with a posted total of 52 points or more! The Blue Bombers are also a perfect 5-0 ATS in road games this season! As for Saskatchewan, they are a dismal 3-10 ATS in games where they are a favorite. Grab the underdog value here! 10* WINNIPEG

TV Top Game - Rickenbach Saturday NCAAF Game #203 - 10* Top Play Vanderbilt Commodores (-) @ Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders @ 8 ET - Sure Middle Tennessee State is seeking revenge but this line drop from an opener of Vanderbilt -6 to now just a 3 point favorite as of gameday morning is a huge value for the Commodores. Vandy has come a long way in recent seasons and returns a solid starting group. This is still a case of an SEC team versus a CUSA team and the Commodores are also no longer the SEC's doormat! Yes the Blue Raiders threw the ball very well versus Vandy last season but the Commodores improvement on defense came as the season went on. They allowed an average of only 20.8 points per game in their final 8 regulars season games. The MTSU defense is a concern here. Not only are you talking about Conference USA talent but also the Blue Raiders are replacing their entire defensive line. Keep in mind that is part of the same front seven that Vandy ran all over for 234 rushing yards per game in the last two meetings. The Commodores are on a 7-1-1 ATS run against Conference USA opponents. Also, Middle Tennessee State is a long-term 0-4 ATS as a home dog of 3.5 to 7 points and now this line is all the way down to a +3 and giving the Blue Raiders even less value here. Look for the road fave to roll again. 10* VANDERBILT

ABC Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach Saturday NCAAF Game #202 - 8* Florida Gators (+) vs Michigan Wolverines @ 3:30 ET - The big story here is all the suspensions for Florida. The key is that this has opened up even greater line value for the Gators. Keep in mind, Michigan comes into this season with only 5 returning starters. The point is that the Gators losing some players for this game just means that the rosters are a little more evened out! Florida is still loaded with talent and this is an even match-up even with the suspensions. The Gators football program also certainly hasn't forgotten the 41-7 beatdown they were handed on New Years Day 2016. Time for a little payback here and the Florida suspensions made a lot of headline but if you look at which of those players were starters (not many) and the other depth the Gators have at those spots, you will find those suspensions are not as impacting as you would think. Florida's New Years Day loss is still etched in their memories but that is one of just 6 times the Gators have failed to cover in their last 21 neutral site games. Also, the Wolverines wrapped up last season covering just 1 of the last 6 games in which they were a favorite! The Gators are on a 6-1 ATS run in neutral site games with a posted total between 42.5 and 45 points. Michigan is 0-4 ATS the last 4 times they've been a neutral field favorite in a range of 3.5 to 7 points. 8* FLORIDA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NCAAF Saturday Game #177 - 8* California Golden Bears (+) @ North Carolina Tar Heels @ 12:20 ET - With both teams going through significant changes from last season, I am happy to back the big dog in this match-up. The Tar Heels have a huge game on deck with conference rival Louisville while the Golden Bears have only Weber State on deck. Also, California is on a fantastic 7-0 ATS as a non-conference road dog of more than 3 points. Look for defensive-minded head coach Justin Wilcox to have the Golden Bears playing a completely different brand of football early this season compared to the all offense, no defense style of his predecessor Sonny Dykes. While both teams are undergoing changes at the QB position, Cal returned more starting firepower at the surrounding skill positions and I expect this to be a difference-maker Saturday as well. Also really like the coordinator hires that were made for the Golden Bears in support of Wilcox. He and his OC and DC will have the troops ready to go in this one and the points are generous here! The Bears are on a 5-2 SU and ATS run in September games and also are a long-term 10-3 ATS in games where they are a road dog in a range of 10.5 to 14 points. 8* CALIFORNIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Friday NCAAF 8* Colorado Buffaloes (-) vs Colorado State Rams @ 8 ET - The Rams absolutely crushed Oregon State last week. Or wait...did they really? Yes I know the final scored shows a 59-27 shellacking in favor of Colorado State. However, the Beavers were only outgained by 30 yards through the air and 39 yards on the ground. For the game Oregon State actually gained over 450 yards of offense but the difference in the game was 5 Beavers turnovers. Certainly not taking anything away from what the Rams did in that game but the fact is that there has now been an over-reaction in the betting markets. Colorado State opened up as an 8.5 point dog here and now the line is just 3.5 as of gameday morning. Given me the small favorite in this one as we take advantage of the huge value offered by this line move. Yes it is a revenge spot for the Rams but Colorado is now a PAC-12 team that annually plays a much tougher schedule than Colorado State does. Also, the Buffaloes have held the upper hand in this series recently with the Rams getting the cash only 3 times in the last 10 meetings! Certainly Colorado lost key personnel from last year's defense but there was certainly some talent waiting in the wings too. The Rams are 0-4 SU and 0-3-1 ATS the past two seasons in games played on a neutral field. Also, Colorado State is 5-12 SU (and 6-10-1 ATS) long-term in games played against PAC-12 foes while the Buffaloes are 14-9 SU against Mountain West Conference opponents. Additionally as a neutral site favorite of 3.5 to 7 points, the Buffs are 7-3 SU (and 7-3 ATS) as all 7 wins have covered. I expect the same result here. 8* COLORADO

Game of the Year - Rickenbach NFLX 10* Top Play Oakland Raiders (+) vs Seattle Seahawks @ 10 PM ET - Seattle is 3-0, 100% perfect this preseason campaign. However, going 4-0 is never easy - it does not happen often. Additionally, going 0-4 is not that likely either and the Raiders enter this one 0-3. The fact is that this is a perfect set up. The very first number on this game that came out was Oakland -2.5 and they then have moved to has high as a +2.5 in some books as of early Tuesday. The line has settled in around 1 or 1.5 since then (as of later Tuesday) but the fact remains this is a significant move toward the Seahawks. I am not surprised given the long-term numbers on Seattle that there has been such a significant move here. But the fact remains this is opening up line value on an Oakland team that is not without some solid depth. Remember that this team did go 12-4 and win their division last season. Their playoff fortunes changed with the loss of their star QB to injury and that certainly has this Oakland team hungry heading into the new year. Even though it's only preseason, I just don't see the Raiders going 0-4 and note that the #2 QB for Seattle, Trevone Boykin threw 7 passes in last week's game with the only "completion" being an interception for his opponent! The fact is that the Seahawks are getting a lot of respect here considering that even though they've beaten Oakland the past few preseasons in the finale, the Raiders have actually held the edge in first downs in each match-up. These teams are not that far apart in terms of talent level and depth and I like the hungrier team at home getting points! Remember even just getting 1.5 points is significant because in preseason teams play for the win as they don't want to tie and go to OT. So if Oakland is ahead by 7 and Seattle scores a TD late they're likely to be going for 2 and a 1-point win. Speaking of tight wins, 5 of the Seahawks 8 preseason games the past 2 seasons were decided by a COMBINED 7 points. 0-4 preseasons for the Raiders are rare and I am grabbing the value with the hungry home dog. Back-up QBs for Oakland get revenge over Seattle's back-up signal-callers for this one after losing the Week 4 preseason match-up last year. 10* OAKLAND 

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Thursday NCAAF 8* UL-Monroe Warhawks (+) @ Memphis Tigers @ 9 ET - While it may seem "scary" to back a 4-8 team from the Sun Belt Conference against an American Athletic Conference team that has gone bowling each of the last 3 seasons, the fact is there is tremendous value here with UL-Monroe. Traditionally, one of the big neutralizers when a game has the potential to be a mismatch is the weather. That said, I expect that to be fully in play here as the epic storm that is Harvey is now meandering through the southeastern part of the country after ravaging Texas with horrific weather. With very significant rainfall and windy conditions expect throughout this game, it will be tough for Memphis to get a huge margin of victory. Also, the Warhawks are in their 2nd year under head coach Matt Viator and they did show improvement under him last season. As for Memphis, their win total dropped again last season as the Tigers have gone from 10 to 9 to 8 wins successively the last 3 seasons. Also, while UL-Monroe has another non-winnable non-conference game on deck (at Florida State), the Tigers do have their conference opener on deck as they play Central Florida next week. With Memphis in a lookahead spot and just trying to survive the elements tonight, I feel there is great line value with the big underdog. Also the Warhawks are on a 4-2 ATS run as a road dog of 21.5 or more points. Look for Memphis to drop to 1-3 ATS as a favorite of 21.5 to 31 points. 8* UL-MONROE

Game of the Month Run Line - Rickenbach MLB 10* Top Play Minnesota Twins Run Line -1.5 runs vs Chicago White Sox @ 8:10 ET - The Twins got the 6-4 win yesterday and Minnesota is now 9-4 in their last 13 games with all 9 wins coming by a margin of 2 runs or more. That said, though Minny on the money line is a prohibitive favorite here, there is good value with the Twins on the run line laying the 1.5 runs while also laying a very small price. The fact that the White Sox Derek Holland bested the Twins Jose Berrios in last week's match-up in Chicago simply adds even more value here. Both Holland and Berrios allowed 7 baserunners apiece in that start but Holland only struck out 5 in 6 innings while Berrios struck out 9 in just 5 and 1/3 innings. Look for payback here as Berrios is 7-1 with a 2.87 ERA in his home starts this season. Conversely, Holland is 3-6 with a 7.82 ERA in his road starts this season. Also, Berrios still has a solid 2.95 ERA in his 3 starts versus the ChiSox in his career while Holland, prior to last week's start, allowed 14 runs (10 earned) in less than 8 innings of work spanning his two previous starts versus the Twins. Each of the White Sox last 5 wins have come by 2 runs or more. The ChiSox were on a 3-15 run in Holland's starts before he got a rare win last week. Berrios has won 6 straight home starts and only 1 victory came by less than 2 runs. That said, grab the value with the Twins on the run line in this one as they stay hot at the plate while the ChiSox (averaging 7.2 hits per game their last 9 games) see their struggles resume this evening. 10* MINNESOTA -1.5 runs

Rickenbach Monday MLB 8* Miami Marlins Run Line (+1.5 runs) @ Washington Nationals @ 7:05 ET - The Nats Max Scherzer is certainly a fantastic pitcher. However, the veteran right-hander is coming off of the disabled list and may not be 100% here. Also, the Marlins have seen plenty of him this season. As for Miami starter Jose Urena, he is a phenomenal 8-0 on the road this season! Also, he shut down the Nationals in his only start against them in late July. Urena was a tough-luck loser when he took the 1-run loss versus Washington in that start. Speaking of 1-run losses, the Marlins are 9-1 in Urena's road starts this season and the lone loss came by a single run. That means that at +1.5 runs on the road this season in Urena's starts the Marlins are a perfect 10-0. That said, one has to like the line value here of having Miami at +1.5 in this game and not having to lay any juice as they go for 11-0 in this situation. The fact Scherzer may not be his dominant self here means there is even more value in this spot. Both of Washington's games yesterday (they had a double header) were one run games. The Nationals split the double-header and though they are 7-5 their last 12 games, 4 of the 7 wins have come by just a single run. That means that the Nats, on the run line at -1.5 runs, are only 3-9 their last 12 games. Grab the value here! 8* MIAMI on the run line

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NFLX Sunday 10* Top Play San Francisco 49'ers (+) @ Minnesota Vikings @ 8 ET - Both teams are 1-1 but San Francisco got blasted last week, embarrassed at home, thanks to 5 turnovers! The 49'ers had 4 fumbles and threw 1 interception versus the Broncos. Suffice to say, the Niners are fired up about responding this week. The Vikings are off of a road loss at Seattle. In regular season action the Vikes would be the play here of course. But this isn't the regular season and motivation is a little tougher to come by. Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer does have a good track record in preseason but the Vikes certainly haven't impressed this season. They've been substantially outgained in each of their first two games of this preseason. Even though Minnesota went 4-0 in last year's preseason, 2 of the wins came by 2 points or less. The Niners, with a new head coach, are looking for some positives after a dreadful season last year. With that said, look for a little extra hunger from San Francisco to be a difference maker here as last week's sloppy home loss has the 49'ers fired up. With the move up into the 5 and 5.5 point range on this one, there is a lot of value with the big road dog. 10* SAN FRANCISCO Sunday evening

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NCAAF Saturday 8* Hawaii Warriors (+) @ Massachusetts Minutemen @ 6 ET - Many are looking at Massachusetts in this one since they have revenge from losing last year's season finale at Hawaii. However, out of all 130 FBS schools, the Minutemen very well may be the worst team in the nation. That said, I certainly see value in fading them here with a Hawaii team that made significant strides last season and got back to a bowl game. UMass is laying a full field goal here even though they are just 9-39 SU the last 4 seasons. Also note that the Minutemen are only 1-8 ATS when playing with revenge! The fact is that revenge certainly has a tendency to be "over-played" and this is particularly true when the team seeking revenge is a very poor team. The Warriors responded well under head coach Nick Rolovich last season and the fact they opened the season at Australia plus had to play Michigan at The Big House plus went to (and won!) a bowl game has this Hawaii team well prepared for this long road trip to open up the new season. Hawaii has tremendous talent on offense and the Minutemen don't have the firepower to keep up. The Warriors are a long-term 5-1 ATS in August games while UMass is 0-3 ATS in August games. Hawaii also is 3-1 ATS the past 2 seasons in road games with a posted total between 56.5 and 63 points. The Minutemen are getting attention here in the revenge spot but the value is with the road dog. 8* HAWAII

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach Friday CFL 10* Top Play Edmonton Eskimos (-) vs Saskatchewan Roughriders @ 9:30 ET - On the one hand, the Roughriders have an edge here since they are off of their bye week. Also, Saskatchewan blasted BC prior to their bye week but the thing is they were catching the Lions at the perfect time to get the big win. BC was clearly looking ahead to their showdown with Calgary. Even though the Eskimos also now have Calgary on deck, there is no doubt Edmonton is fully focused here as they lost at Winnipeg just last week and the Blue Bombers are nipping at their heels at the top of the West Division. That defeat last week was the first of the season for the Eskimos. That is not the only thing that has Edmonton fired up either as they also are seeking revenge here for a rare loss to Saskatchewan when these teams last met (late last season). The Roughriders are 0-3 on the road this season and just 3-18 away from home the last 3 seasons. There are some dismal ATS numbers for Saskatchewan as well as they are on an 8-15 ATS run in divisional games. As for the Eskimos, they are 4-0 at home this season and, in terms of ATS numbers, they are 4-2 ATS when off of a loss in divisional action and they are also 6-2 ATS as a home favorite of 3.5 to 7 points. 10* EDMONTON

CBS Network Smash - Rickenbach Friday NFLX 8* Kansas City Chiefs (+) @ Seattle Seahawks @ 8 ET - The points should prove to be quite valuable here. While the Seahawks are 2-0 (both SU and ATS) and the Chiefs are only 1-1 (both SU and ATS), it is noteworthy that the Chiefs have only failed to cover 1 game in each of the last 2 preseasons while Seattle did fail to cover a home game in each of the last 2 preseasons. In other words, this looks like the perfect spot (literally!) for the Seahawks to get their first blemish of this preseason. Seattle head coach Pete Carroll has great long term numbers in preseason but the Seahawks, in the prior 2 preseasons, only had 1 win by more than 2 points in each preseason. In other words, there is a lot of value in having the points and fading Seattle. As for KC, the past 2 preseasons they went a combined 6-2 ATS and the only two SU losses they had each came by a single point. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid will have his troops ready to go here in the "dress rehearsal" game for the regular season and I like the value with the points being offered here. 8* KANSAS CITY

Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach CFL 10* Top Play Montreal Alouettes (+) vs Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ 7:30 ET - The Blue Bombers are off of a huge win last week as they knocked off the previously unbeaten Eskimos. Following that big win versus Edmonton, look for Winnipeg to be flat here. That's bad news for Bombers fans because Montreal will be ready to go after an embarrassing 38-6 loss at Toronto where anything that could do wrong did go wrong for the Als. Look for the Alouettes to respond in a big way here. Though their overall season record does not impress, Montreal is a solid 3-1 at home this season. Also, in home games with a posted total of 52 points or more, the Alouettes have a long-term SU mark of 73-26 (74%)! The Blue Bombers, as a road favorite of 3 points or less, have a long-term mark of 2-10 (17%) both SU and ATS! Huge situational edge for the Als here. 10* MONTREAL

NFL Network Smash - Rickenbach Thursday NFLX 8* Philadelphia Eagles (-) vs Miami Dolphins @ 7 ET - Even though the Dolphins put up 23 points in week one, their offense did not impress as they only managed 12 first downs for the game. Also 99 of their 312 yards for the game came on a late game long TD pass. Miami struggled again on offense last week as they were blown out 31-7. Certainly the Dolphins would love to bounce back this week but they're in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Eagles won 20-16 last week and are now 5-1 (both SU and ATS) in NFLX games under head coach Doug Pederson. More of the same expected this week in the final "dress rehearsal" game for most of the veterans as next week's games (week 4) will not see many of the veterans playing. This is the week where the games are most like the regular season and the Eagles at home are the play in this one as the Dolphins are still reeling from the injury to QB Ryan Tannehill. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Rickenbach Monday MLB 8* Los Angeles Dodgers Run Line -1.5 runs @ Pittsburgh Pirates @ 7:05 ET - The Pirates got the win last night and surprisingly the bullpen actually hung on for a win. However, they'll prove to be no match for the Dodgers tonight. This is a pitching mismatch and Pittsburgh is catching the Dodgers at the wrong time as Los Angeles is off of a loss yesterday that ended their 6-game winning streak. Of course, as long-time followers know, I don't like to lay big juice so my play here is on the run line. By taking LA at -1.5 runs we don't have to lay any juice to have the superior team and merely ask them to win by 2 runs or more. Note that the Dodgers, since mid-June, are 8-1 when off of a loss and 6 of the 8 wins have come by 2 runs or more. Overall, Los Angeles was on a 12-2 run in their 14 games prior to yesterday's loss. Also, 10 of the 12 wins came by 2 runs or more. The odds are in our favor in terms of any Dodgers win today coming by at least 2 runs. That said, the pitching match-up here certainly should lead to a win. Alex Wood is a phenomenal 13-1 with a 2.41 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP on the season and showing no signs of slowing down. The Dodgers southpaw will be opposed by Gerrit Cole and the Pirates right-hander has a mediocre 4.50 ERA in his last 3 starts. Also, Wood has a 2.50 ERA in his 6 starts versus Pittsburgh in his career while Cole has a 5.22 ERA in his 5 starts versus LA in his career. 8* Los Angeles Dodgers Run Line -1.5 runs early Monday evening.

Contrarian Crusher - Sunday NFLX 8* New Orleans Saints (+) @ Los Angeles Chargers @ 8 ET - Everyone is looking to the Chargers this week after they got blasted 48-14 at home versus Seattle last week. Los Angeles has moved from a 2.5 point favorite to a 3.5 point choice as of Saturday evening. I will gladly fade the line move here and grab the Saints. The Chargers had no reason to be flat last week against the Seahawks. That said, even though LA hung around early in that game all of the issues with the 2nd and 3rd stringers getting completely manhandled is a concern for this week's action. Even though starters play more in Week 2, these preseason games are often decided by the back-ups and, in this case, I certainly like much more from what I saw from the Saints win Week 1. While the Chargers were outscored 38-3 in the final 3 quarters versus the Hawks last week, New Orleans did hold a 14-7 fourth quarter lead at Cleveland before giving up the final 13 points at Cleveland. The fact that the Saints didn't "finish" last week versus the Browns is going to lead to a much stronger effort this week in the latter stages. Also New Orleans has the rest edge here as they have had 3 extra days (compared to the Chargers) coming into this one. The Saints have struggled in recent preseasons and I am well aware of that AS IS the football team. After losing against the beleaguered Browns (preseason or not!) the Saints will be ready to go here after a poor finish at Cleveland. The concern for the Chargers is they allowed well over 400 yards last week. The Saints QBs combined to complete 25 of 36 last week with no picks while the Chargers QBs combined for just 15 of 31 with two interceptions versus Seattle. A lot of line value here with the dog as the Chargers have only 2 wins by more than 3 points in their last 9 preseason games and Week 1 shows there is still a lot that this LA team has to work on! 8* NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach Saturday CFL 8* Toronto Argonauts (-) vs Montreal Alouettes @ 4 ET - The Argos had nearly equal yardage with the Als at Montreal last week but lost 21-9 on the scoreboard. Toronto held a huge edge in the ground game last week and could get a big boost with the return of Ricky Ray at QB this week. Even though the Alouettes have held the upper hand in this series of late, the fact is that last week was just the 3rd time this season that Montreal has scored more than 20 points in a game. Toronto's loss to the Als last week was their first defeat in divisional action this season. Look for them to bounce back this week and there is great line value with this line available as low as a -1.5 at the time of this posting. Montreal is 1-4 ATS (and 0-5 SU) when off of a win over a division rival the past two seasons and I don't see them winning back to back games over the hungry Argonauts here. 8* TORONTO minus the short number Saturday afternoon.

Game of the Week - Rickenbach Friday CFL 10* Top Play Calgary Stampeders (-) @ BC Lions @ 10:30 ET - Many are likely to back BC here as they are at home and have revenge from getting blasted out of the postseason 42-15 by Calgary in November. However, the Lions are loaded with issues here. Not only did they just play on the road Saturday (making this a short rest situation), BC also has issues at QB. Jonathan Jennings returned last week but he was simply awful at Saskatchewan and he will be facing a much tougher D this week. Adding to the disadvantage for the Lions here is the fact that the Stampeders have extra rest since they are off of their by week. Also, Calgary has been firing on all cylinders with a perfect 3-0 SU and ATS run heading into this one while the Lions have lost 2 of 3 SU and 3 of 4 ATS as they prepare for the Stampeders here. Calgary has covered 4 of the last 6 meetings and also has dominated to the tune of an 8-1 SU record in the last 9 meetings. There is simply a lot for BC to overcome here and I don't see that happening. The fact the Stampeders opened up as a 5 point road favorite tells you a lot about this match-up. Look for the better team to comfortably pull away as this game goes on. The Stampeders are 4-0 SU and ATS when off of a bye week and also are on a 7-1 ATS run in road games with a posted total of 52 points or more. Look for them to roll here as the Lions, no matter how motivated, just aren't playing very good football right now and have QB concerns which is a huge factor in any football league but of particular concern in the pass-happy CFL. 10* CALGARY

NFL Network Smash - Rickenbach Friday NFLX 8* Minnesota Vikings (+) @ Seattle Seahawks @ 10 PM ET - The Seahawks won in an absolute blowout Sunday at Los Angeles versus the Chargers. They deserve credit for a big win and certainly they've had good long-term success in preseason under head coach Pete Carroll. However, the Vikings certainly have not been slouches in recent seasons either. With Thursday's win at Buffalo, Minnesota is now on a 12-2 (86%) Run both SU and ATS. That said, I love the line value here with the Vikes as they have an extra 3 days of rest compared to the Seahawks for this one and plus this line has moved up from a 3 to a 4 which has afforded even more value to a road dog team that has enjoyed much success in the preseason. The two ATS losses that Seattle has had the past two years in preseason both came at home and one was a loss by a TD to Minnesota last year. In games between the HOF Game and Week 3 of Preseason action, the Vikings are now on a perfect 8-0 ATS run after their win over the Bills as a road fave last week. We're getting line value here because of the Seahawks huge win last week (and their long-term NFLX success) overshadowing the scheduling edge (and the fact the Vikes have been a preseason juggernaut). Huge underdog value. 8* MINNESOTA 

Game of the Month - Rickenbach Sunday CFL 10* Top Play Saskatchewan Roughriders (+) vs BC Lions @ 8 ET - The Roughriders were done in by turnovers in last week's match-up at BC and dug a 30-0 hole. Though the points came late in the game, look for the 15 points scored late in the 4th quarter to build some momentum and confidence for Saskatchewan coming into this game. Also, with the Lions on a long winning streak versus the Riders, it is rather easy for BC to look right past Saskatchewan to a huge game on deck with Calgary. The Stampeders are just ahead of the Lions in the standings while the Roughriders are dead last in the division. As a result, I smell an upset here. Adding to the value with Saskatchewan in this spot is some very powerful history in spots like this. As a home dog of 3 points or less, the Riders are an incredible 19-4 ATS (and SU) their last 23. This is a rare Sunday game (BC's first of the season) and they went 0-4 ATS the past two seasons in Sunday games. Also, the Roughriders have a bye on deck so this home game is HUGE for them and, unlike the Lions, the Riders are not distracted in the least. In fact, they're fully focused on this match-up. Upset alert! 10* SASKATCHEWAN

Friday Night Lights - Rickenbach CFL 8* Toronto Argonauts (+) @ Montreal Alouettes @ 7:30 ET - With the Ricky Ray injury for the Argos, there has been a significant line adjustment made here. Certainly the injury is impacting for Toronto but this is an East Division that is up for grabs and the Argonauts are going to battle hard to maintain the top spot. Toronto is 3-0 this season in divisional action while Montreal has only played one game in the division thusfar and they lost that game. Another key about fading the Alouettes here is they generally don't score well. Prior to scoring 40 points in a loss prior to their bye week last week, the Als had averaged only 20.2 points per game this season! It's difficult to cover a big spread when you're not scoring a lot of points and that certainly could be an issue for Montreal here because the Toronto defense is fired up about bouncing back. The Argonauts have lost two straight games in ugly fashion as they've allowed 39.5 points per game in the two defeats. Prior to those ugly losses the Argonauts were allowing a more respectable 25 points per game on the season and they should bounce back here now that they're back inside the East Division where they've compiled that perfect record this season. The Argos got embarrassed here in October in an ugly defeat fueled by turnovers and penalties. Time for a little payback here no matter who is under center for the Argonauts. 8* TORONTO

NFL Network Smash - Rickenbach Friday NFLX 8* Pittsburgh Steelers (+) @ New York Giants @ 7 ET - As long-time followers know, contrarian angles are key for me. While the Giants are the popular choice here, I like the value with the underdog Steelers. While it is true that Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin has a history of not performing well ATS in the preseason, he is still a winner long-term with a straight-up record of 25-20 in preseason. Lets not forget the Giants only went 1-3 ATS in preseason last year under coach Ben McAdoo. Looking at the QB rotation and expected playing time in this game I certainly don't see enough to justify the big move toward New York in terms of the line on this game. The Giants only averaged 13.5 points per game in their two preseason home games last year. The Steelers have scored 19 points or more in 3 of their last 4 true road games in preseason action. The Giants are only 4-4 SU in preseason action the past 2 years and 2 of the 4 wins came by 3 points or less. That means laying 3.5 or more (as they are here) the Giants would be on a 2-6 ATS run and I am happy to grab the generous underdog line value in this one. 8* PITTSBURGH

Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach CFL 8* Edmonton Eskimos (+) @ Ottawa Redblacks @ 7:30 ET - This line has made a huge move from an opener of Edmonton -2.5 to where the Eskimos are now a 2.5 point dog as of early gameday morning. Of course there is a reason for this big move. The Eskimos have injury issues. However, they've had issues for weeks now and they continue to find a way to win. Meanwhile, the Redblacks continue to find ways to implode. That said, I am happy to challenge Ottawa here with an undefeated Edmonton team that is on a mission. Remember they lost to the Redblacks in the playoffs last season. That said, even though they got some measure of revenge with a win in Edmonton last month, the Eskimos still need to prove they can win in Ottawa. They have lost their last two games played here including that key post-season loss last year. Edmonton is 6-0 on the season including 4-0 against teams from the East as the West dominance continues in non-divisional match-ups. The Reblacks are winless in 4 games against teams from the West. Both these teams were in action Friday so this week's game is on short rest. The Eskimos are a long-term 20-4 when playing on short rest of 6 days or less while Ottawa is just 1-3 with short rest of 6 days or less this season. All the above records I mentioned are straight-up and, that said, I'll gladly take the +2.5 points here as an added bonus with the undefeated Eskimos. Yes they have injuries but they continue to find ways to win and that continues this week. 8* EDMONTON

NFL Network Smash Pass - Rickenbach Wednesday NFLX 8* Carolina Panthers (-) vs Houston Texans @ 7:30 ET - The Texans were a perfect 4-0 SU and ATS in pre-season last year under head coach Bill O'Brien and that has helped to make them a popular choice here. O'Brien now has an 8-4 SU and ATS mark in NFLX action but, keep in mind, that means of course that he was just 2-2 SU and ATS in each of his first two seasons with Houston. That said, I feel there has been a significant over-reaction to last season's NFLX result for the Texans as well as the fact that starting QB Cam Newton is not going to play for Carolina here. In Week 1 of the pre-season the starters play very sparingly anyway and so this is truly a very insignificant factor and yet it has played a role in driving this line down from Carolina -3 to where the Panthers (as of Tuesday night) are basically a pick'em price on the money line in this game! I'll grab the added value here as I expect Carolina to show some extra hunger on the field in this one. Sure there are some rookies and some new faces (that is how pre-season always is) but there are plenty of guys who will see playing time Wednesday night at home that will also have extra pep in their step for this one. Why? Because when a team goes from 15-1 and a Super Bowl appearance to 6-10 in the next season, you tend to have a little extra hunger burning in your belly for the new season. The Panthers (including depth which is of course very important in pre-season) improved on both sides of the ball in the off-season and I like the value here that is being offered right off the bat in Week One so I won't hesitate to step in. 8* CAROLINA PANTHERS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Friday CFL 10* Top Play Ottawa Redblacks (-) vs Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ 7 ET - The defending Grey Cup Champion Redblacks have had a tough start to the season but this is the ideal spot for them to get back on track. Ottawa is coming off of a much needed bye week and they are 4-2 (both SU and ATS) when off of a bye week in recent seasons. Also, the Redblacks are playing with revenge here as the Blue Bombers handed them a home loss in their most recent meeting late last season. Ottawa is on a 13-7 ATS run in their games against teams with a winning record while Winnipeg is on a 4-10 ATS run in their games against teams with a losing record. The Blue Bombers are allowing 35.8 points per game this season and the Redblacks (after having to face ultra potent Calgary the first two weeks) has seen their defense settle in nicely with only 23.8 points allowed in their last 4 games. The combination of the defensive edge, the rest edge, home field edge, and the revenge angle set this one up perfectly for a big Ottawa win. The Redblacks had won 3 straight (by an average of 7.7 points per game) in this series before that loss late last season. Look for another win by at least 7 points in this one! 10* OTTAWA

Rickenbach Tuesday MLB 8* Detroit Tigers Run Line +1.5 runs @ New York Yankees @ 7:05 ET - Despite outhitting the Yankees yesterday the Tigers ended up on the wrong end of a 7-3 final. I'll come right back with Detroit on the run line again today. The Tigers are available at very nearly a pick'em price on the run line and having the +1.5 runs is a huge value. Anibal Sanchez gets the start for the Tigers and, simply put, C.C. Sabathia and the Yankees are over-priced here! Though Sabathia has the lower ERA on the season, Sanchez has a WHIP that is every bit as good as Sabathia's. Sanchez has had limited action this season but he is back now and stronger than ever and offers great line value in this spot. Sanchez is off of a bad start versus red hot Kansas City but previously he had allowed only 26 hits in his last 30 innings of work. The Tigers had won each of his 4 starts prior to the loss to the Royals. The Detroit right-hander is 4-1 with a 3.25 ERA in his 6 starts versus the Yankees in his career. Also, Sanchez has a solid 3.24 ERA on the road this season while Sabathia has a 5.64 ERA at home this year. The Yankees left-hander has allowed 4 earned runs or more in 4 of his last 6 home starts and I look for another rough one for Sabathia here. The Tigers are 4-1 in their last 5 road games versus left-handed starters and look for the Yankees to drop to 6-9 in Tuesday games on the season. Though I expect the upset here I am grabbing the extra insurance of the run line in this one. 8* Detroit Tigers Run Line +1.5 runs

Rickenbach Monday MLB 8* Detroit Tigers Run Line +1.5 runs @ New York Yankees @ 7:05 ET - The Yankees Luis Severino certainly has been pitching well this season. However, the Tigers Michael Fullmer is truly "right there" with him! That said, with no decided pitching edge and the ability to have the Tigers at +1.5 runs AND a pick'em price, the value is too strong to ignore here. Fullmer shut out the Yankees over 6 innings in his lone career start versus them last season. Severino has one career start against the Tigers (also last season) and he allowed 10 hits in just 5 innings of work! Fullmer has a 2.91 ERA on the road this season while Severino has a 3.41 ERA at home on the year. Looking at Fullmer's last 15 starts, only 4 of the 15 have resulted in a Tigers loss by 2 runs or more. The Yankees are only 5-5 in Severino's last 10 starts. Should they really be a 2 to 1 favorite here on the money line? The Yanks are truly over-priced here and the line value is off the charts with the run line here! The Yankees are only 21-22 (DOWN $9,100) in their games against teams with a losing record this season. 8* DETROIT TIGERS Run Line +1.5 runs

CFL Game of the Month - Rickenbach Saturday CFL 10* Top Play Hamilton Tiger-Cats (+) @ Calgary Stampeders @ 9:30 ET - Though Calgary is on normal rest (played exactly one week ago), it certainly helps Hamilton that they've had a couple extra days to prepare for this game. The hungry winless Tiger-Cats haven't played since last Thursday. That was a tight 3-point home loss to the undefeated Edmonton Eskimos and I foresee the Ti-Cats given the equally challenging Stampeders all they can handle in this one as well. Not only does Hamilton have a rest edge here, Calgary has a quick turnaround to look ahead to as well as they have a Thursday match-up at Toronto. The Argonauts are the top team in the East Division standings while the Tiger-Cats are winless and in dead last in the standings. That said, the Stampeders could look right past the Ti-Cats here and who could blame the Stamps? They've won 10 straight meetings between the teams. Even though Calgary has dominated straight-up, Hamilton is 7-3 ATS when off of a 2 or more consecutive losses. Also, the Tiger-Cats have gone 8-2 ATS in weeks 5 through 9 the past 3 seasons combined. In road games with a total of 56 points or more, the Ti-Cats are on a 14-8 ATS run. Also, the Tiger-Cats are 14-7 ATS when they are a road dog in a range of +10.5 to +14 points. The Stampeders are 0-3 ATS against East Division foes this season. Also, in home games with a posted total of 56 points or more, Calgary is on a 14-21 ATS run. Look for this one to be much closer than many are expecting. 10* HAMILTON

***NOTE: Rick Porcello is now the starting pitcher instead of David Price for the Red Sox. This is just as strong of a play with Porcello now getting the nod to start this game. The right-hander is 4-13 this season and opponents are hitting .293 against him. Porcello was hit at a .329 clip in May and .323 clip in June. I know he has been better in July but he still gave up 9 hits in 6 innings in his only home start and he allowed 3 homers in his most recent road start! Fade the Red Sox here and go with the Royals on the Run Line. The original full write-up follows.*** Game of the Month Run Line: Rickenbach Friday MLB 10* Top Play Kansas City Royals Run Line (+1.5) @ Boston Red Sox @ 7:10 ET - The Royals have won 8 straight games and yet they're getting absolutely no respect here. Yes, I know that Jason Vargas has struggled recently on the mound but he bounced back in his most recent start for a win. That will help him get his confidence back up as he allowed just 2 earned runs to a White Sox team that hits lefties very well. Now Vargas faces a Red Sox team that has lost 3 of its last 4 against left-handed starters and the lone win came by just a single run for Boston. That is significant here because the Royals are available at a very low price on the run line at +1.5 runs and that is a huge value. The Red Sox are only 1-4 in their last 5 games and they've averaged just 2.8 runs per game during this stretch. Kansas City has averaged 7.9 runs per game during their current 8-game winning streak. David Price gets the start for Boston here and, though he had been pitching well, he gave up 5 earned runs in 5 innings in his most recent start. That was on the West Coast and, even though the Red Sox were off yesterday, the first game at home for an East Coast team after a trip out west always seems to be the toughest. Tremendous line value with the red hot Royals here especially when you are able to grab the extra insurance at such a fair price! 10* KANSAS CITY ROYALS Run Line +1.5 runs

Monday Night Football - Rickenbach CFL 8* Ottawa Redblacks (+) @ Toronto Argonauts @ 7:30 ET - The Argos have gotten plenty of attention here as the line has moved heavily toward Toronto. Of course that is not only because they're at home; it is also because the Argonauts are catching the Redblacks on short rest as they just played on Wednesday! In my opinion, this has created exceptional line value with Ottawa in this spot. Keep in mind they are the defending CFL champs and they have revenge on their minds here after suffering a home loss by a single point earlier this month. In that game the Redblacks were up by 11 at the half plus ended the game with a 25-16 edge in first downs and yet they still fell short on the scoreboard. It will be payback time here! Keep in mind, Toronto is on a 6-12 SU run in home games with a 4-14 ATS record! Ottawa is on a 14-5 ATS run in road games. The Redblacks are also on a 19-6 ATS run as an underdog and, about that rest factor, they are actually a stellar 16-6 ATS when playing with 6 days of rest or less between games. Look for the Redblacks to improve to 13-6 ATS when playing with revenge! 8* OTTAWA

Bulldog's Best - Rickenbach Friday CFL 10* Top Play BC Lions (-) vs Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ 10 PM ET - After opening up the season with a bye, Winnipeg barely got by Saskatchewan (in overtime) and then got absolutely crushed by Calgary before getting past Toronto. The Roughriders and Argonauts were the two worst teams in the CFL last season. That said, the Blue Bombers two victories this season are not necessarily that impressive. What does stand out is how they got hammered by the Stampeders and now they are again stepping up in class and facing another top divisional foe as they travel to BC to face the Lions. British Columbia is 3-1 on the season but their lone defeat came in their only home game and they have yet another road game on deck. In other words, the Lions are putting full emphasis on this game as they want to get into the win column at home after a tight loss to Edmonton all the way back in Week 1. BC had a successful road trip to the East - perfect 3-0 - and they don't want to lose that momentum here. The Lions have been the top team in the CFL for points allowed per game this season while the Blue Bombers have been the worst team in the West Division for points allowed per game. I realize Winnipeg has a rest edge here since they played 2 days earlier than BC last week. However, the Lions have performed well on short rest this season. Of course the Blue Bombers are seeking revenge for last season's playoff exit at the hands of the Lions but revenge will only take you so far in terms of how games play out on the field. In other words, I love the value of having BC after the big downward line move here as great line value is being offered on the Lions as a small home fave. Winnipeg has covered 5 straight in this series and has won 4 straight regular season meetings. The Lions, even though they won the playoff match-up in November, still have a little payback on their minds based on all the recent regular season outcomes. Couple that with the fact BC is hungry for that first home win of the season and you have a nice set-up here with the added line value after the downward move. 10* BC LIONS Friday

Wednesday Annihilation - Rickenbach CFL 10* Top Play Ottawa Redblacks (-) vs Montreal Alouettes @ 7:30 ET - The defending Grey Cup champions, Ottawa, still is in search of their first win of the season. Needless to say the Redblacks are fired up and ready to respond as their first four games have been decided by a total of just 7 points and yet they still haven't punched one into the win column. Ottawa is catching a division rival at the perfect time to right the ship. Montreal is off of a big upset win over previously undefeated Calgary last week. That makes the Alouettes ripe for the picking here. I know Montreal is solid defensively but Ottawa is not that far behind on that side of the ball and the Redblacks also certainly are the better team offensively. Ottawa has the worst turnover margin, by far, of any team in the CFL so far this season and this is why I feel there is line value in this spot. The Redblacks are certainly a better team than their record would indicate and there are also some strong trends that support them here. Both teams are on short rest here since they were each in action Friday. Montreal is 9-14 ATS when playing with rest of 6 days or less while Ottawa is a fantastic 16-6 ATS when playing with rest of 6 days or less between games! The Redblacks are also 13-5 ATS (and 12-6 SU) in divisional games while the Alouettes are on a 6-10 SU run in divisional games. Also, when the Redblacks enter a game on a losing streak of 2 games or more, they are on a 5-0 ATS run! More of the same expected here on Wednesday! 10* OTTAWA

Saturday Slaughter - Rickenbach CFL 10* Top Play British Columbia Lions (-) @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ 7:30 ET Saturday - The Lions lost their home opener to Edmonton in a tight defeat. As a result, they viewed this road trip east as an early-season opportunity to 'right the ship". They've done just that with back to back wins at Toronto and Montreal. Both victories came by 7 points or more for British Columbia and I look for BC to get the job done again by at least that margin at Hamilton on Saturday. The Tiger-Cats are not only winless on the season, both losses came by a 17 point margin. The Ti-Cats had an opportunity last week, off of a bye week, to "right the ship" at Saskatchewan. Hamilton failed against a much weaker non-divisional foe than the one they are facing this week and that is bad news for Tiger-Cats fans as there is already significant concern with the Terrence Tolliver injury and a banged up secondary. With Hamilton's All-Star corners hurting, they will struggle to stop BC's aerial attack. That's because the Lions ground game is also a legitimate threat. British Columbia is averaging 95 yards per game on the ground and the Hamilton defense must respect the ground game and that makes BC's passing game even more dangerous! As for the Hamilton ground game, the Ti-Cats have averaged only 21.5 rushing yards per game and this gives a huge edge to a Lions defense that is at the top of the league with only 20.3 points allowed per game. The West has been stronger than the East in recent seasons and BC has exemplified that with a 12-6 mark (both SU and ATS) versus East Division teams. Also, the Lions are 10-6 ATS in Saturday games while Hamilton is 3-7 (both SU and ATS) in Saturday games. Look for these trends to continue this weekend. I know the Tiger-Cats are desperate as they are the only team in the league without a single point in the standings BUT the Lions are just too superior all over the field and the Ti-Cats injuries have exasperated their current situation. 10* BC Lions minus the short number Saturday evening.

Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach CFL 8* Winnipeg Blue Bombers (-) vs Toronto Argonauts @ 8:30 ET Thursday - The Blue Bombers laid an egg last week in their home opener though they did face a top CFL team as they hosted Calgary. This week they take a step down in competition as they face Toronto. I know the Argonauts are 2-1 this season but they were one of the league's worst teams last season and Winnipeg won both match-ups with the Argos. Considering that the Blue Bombers are off of an ugly divisional loss and Toronto is off of a one-point come from behind divisional win on the road, the set-up here is perfect for Winnipeg to get the big home win. The Blue Bombers are on a 10-6 ATS run against teams with a winning record and a 7-4 ATS run when off of a loss in divisional action. The Argonauts are on a 3-10 SU (and ATS) run in games where their line is between +3 and -3. Toronto also is 1-6 SU (and ATS) when off of a win over a division rival. 8* WINNIPEG minus the short number Thursday.

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach Saturday CFL 10* Top Play Hamilton Tiger-Cats (+) @ Saskatchewan Roughriders @ 10 ET - The Roughriders are off of back to back tough losses. They lost in Week 1 by a single point and then lost in overtime in Week 2. After the heartbreak last Saturday followed that tough loss the prior week, it will be tough for Saskatchewan to bounce back here. Making the task even tougher is the fact that they're hosting a Hamilton team that has had two weeks to prepare for this game. The Tiger-Cats lost in Week 1 by 17 points at Toronto so they will not be in a good mood here! Hamilton watched the Argonauts make some huge catches (even on a number of poorly thrown balls) and, basically, everything seemed to go the Argos way in that Week 1 match-up. That said, the Ti-Cats are fired up and they can't wait to get back on the field after the early season bye week! Hamilton, the past 2 seasons, went 5-2 SU and ATS when off of a loss against a division rival. Also, the Ti-Cats straight-up road record (4-5) was better than Saskatchewan's straight-up home record (3-6) last season. Additionally, the past three seasons combined, the Roughriders are 2-10 SU and ATS as a favorite! July has been a horrible month for Saskatchewan (1-9 SU) while the Tiger-Cats actually have a winning record (both SU and ATS) in July games the past two seasons combined. Two of the weaker teams in the CFL matched up here but the scheduling situation and emotional status of these two teams right now means the value is clearly with the dog in this one! 10* HAMILTON

Triple Perfect Smash - Rickenbach CFL Friday 8* Winnipeg Blue Bombers (+) vs Calgary Stampeders @ 8:30 ET - The Stampeders are the better team overall but always remember that value and situational factors BOTH carry extreme importance in handicapping. In this case, though on the one hand Calgary has a 2-day rest edge over the Blue Bombers, do not forget that Winnipeg did not play in Week 1. Not only that, this is the Blue Bombers home opener so they will be fired up and certainly still have fresh legs for this one considering it is just their 2nd game of the season. For the Stampeders, not only is it their 3rd game of the season but their 1st two games were huge one. Calgary faced the Redblacks in a rematch of the Grey Cup Championship last season and the Stampeders had to settle for a tie in Ottawa in Week 1 but then got the W out west in Week 2. That truly makes this a "flat spot" for Calgary as they are off of a big revenging win. Couple that with the fact that the Blue Bombers are a sizable home dog here (currently +4 at the time of this write up) and you have true value in this spot. The Stampeders have had Winnipeg's number in recent meetings and that further intensifies the importance of this game for the Blue Bombers. Winnipeg is 10-5 ATS the past two seasons combined when facing teams with a winning record. Calgary is a long-term 35-47 ATS in July games and they are already 0-2 ATS this season! 8* WINNIPEG plus the points Friday evening

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFL Thursday 10* Top Play BC Lions (-) @ Montreal Alouettes @ 7:30 ET - As I wrote in Friday's Game of the Month write-up, the Lions would be hungry last week after BC lost a tight one at home to Edmonton in the opening week. The Lions are now a stellar 10-2 ATS the last 2+ seasons when they are off of a loss to a division rival. BC is a good team. Montreal is certainly still a question mark. The Alouettes barely got by Saskatchewan in Week 1 and then lost at Edmonton last week. The Als just don't have the offensive and, long-term, BC is known for their offensive production! Already this season BC has scored at least 27 points in each of their two games while Montreal has yet to crack the 20-point barrier. I am well aware of the fact that the dogs are 8-0 ATS this season in CFL but there is a reason that, despite that fact, this line has risen from -2.5 to -3.5 on BC in this game. The Lions are the much better team and their viewing this Eastern road trip (Toronto last week and Hamilton next week) as an opportunity to get back on track after that tough, disappointing loss in their home opener. The superior (and fully focused) team is the play here and the Lions have won 3 straight meetings with the Alouettes and all 3 wins came by a margin of at least 9 points. The Lions are on an 11-6 ATS run in non-conference games while Montreal is on a 6-13 ATS run in home games. More of the same here. 10* BC LIONS minus the points early Thursday evening

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CFL Saturday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Blue Bombers (+) @ Saskatchewan Roughriders @ 9 ET - Amazingly the underdogs are a perfect 7-0 ATS so far this CFL season after yesterday's results saw two more underdogs cash in. Looking at this Saturday night match-up I like the fact that the Blue Bombers opened up as a favorite but are now the underdog here. Winnipeg has revamped their offense coming into this season and they had a bye in week one action. While the Blue Bombers are excited about unveiling their new, more dangerous attack on offense, the Roughriders are already the team feeling pressure in this one. Keep in mind, Saskatchewan only won five games last season. Now they got this season off to a familiar start with a loss and it was a frustrating one coming by a single point at Montreal last week. The Roughriders offense did not look good and, as for their defensive production, yes they held the Alouettes to just 17 points but Montreal only scored 19 points last night. The point is that the Riders benefited from facing an Alouettes offense that is having some issues early this season. I really like what Winnipeg has done to bolster both their ground game and aerial attack coming into this season and we're getting great line value here as the Blue Bombers have all the positive energy having waited extra time for the season opener. Conversely, the Roughriders feel the added pressure of already being 0-1 and now playing in Saskatchewan with the pressure of trying not to suffer a home loss and drop to a quick 0-2 on the season. The Riders will be playing not to lose while Winnipeg will be playing to win and you know how these types of situations tend to play out! Also, the Blue Bombers have won 4 of the last 5 meetings between these teams. Look for another underdog W in this one as the dogs improve to 8-0 this CFL season! 10* WINNIPEG plus the points Saturday night

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Saturday MLB 8* Toronto Blue Jays Run Line +1.5 runs (-105) vs Boston Red Sox @ 1:05 ET - The Blue Jays lost a tough one in extra innings yesterday and I look for them to bounce back today even though they're facing Chris Sale of the Red Sox. This could certainly end up being a pitchers duel though and that is why I am grabbing the extra line value being offered with the run line here. There is tremendous value with the Blue Jays at +1.5 runs in this one as Toronto is 5-1 in Francisco Liriano's 6 home starts this season and the the lone loss came by just a single run. Overall, in all Liriano starts, the Jays are on an 8-3 run in his last 11 starts and 2 of the 3 losses came by only 1 run! Sale and Liriano have both been good about limiting the long ball this season but note that the Blue Jays, versus left-handed pitching, have hit nearly twice as many homers this season as have the Red Sox. In this battle of southpaws that could certainly prove to be a difference. As strong as Sale has been this season, Boston is only 5-3 in his 8 road starts. Also, in Sale's last 3 road starts against American League foes he has compiled an unimpressive 5.12 ERA. Grab the value with the home dog in this one. 8* TORONTO BLUE JAYS on the run line at +1.5 runs early Saturday afternoon

Game of the Month - Rickenbach CFL Friday 10* Top Play BC Lions (+) @ Toronto Argonauts @ 7 ET - The Argonauts had the biggest win in Week 1 as they demolished Hamilton by 17 points. In that game truly everything seemed to fall into place for Toronto. Now they face a fired up BC team that lost a tight one at home to Edmonton. The Lions have gone a stellar 9-2 ATS the last two seasons when they are off of a loss to a division rival. BC is a good team. Toronto is still a question mark. I know the Argos had a great week one performance but there has already been an over-reaction to that by the betting markets as this line went from a pick'em to a -3 on Toronto. We're getting tremendous line value on the Lions, off of a loss, and getting +3 in this one. Long-term, BC is known for their offensive production and the Argos caught the Tiger-Cats off-guard in Week 1. The Lions are well aware of how that game went and the Argonauts won't catch hungry BC asleep coming into this game. Toronto is 1-5 SU and ATS when off of a win against a division rival. Also, the Argos, even with last week's win included, are still just 4-13 ATS in home games the past 2+ seasons. Lastly, the Lions also have the rest edge here as they played on Saturday last week while the Argos played on Sunday. Now playing on Friday, it's an extra short week for Toronto here. The road team is also 4-0 SU and ATS in the last 4 meetings between these teams. More of the same here. 10* BC LIONS plus the points early Friday evening

Game of the Week - Rickenbach Sunday CFL 10* Top Play Hamilton Tiger-Cats (-) @ Toronto Argonauts @ 4 ET - The Tiger-Cats are the much better team and, after their long winning streak versus the Argonauts ended in Toronto in September last season, payback is in order here. The Argos have issues on both sides of the ball as their concern on offense is a question about the level of receiving talent on hand for the passing game. On the other side of the ball Toronto was the worst defense in the league last season so that unit has a long way to go to get to where it should be. Even though Toronto is at home for this one, they went just 2-7 at home last season. The Argos, like much the rest of the East Division last season, was better on the road than at home. That's why there is no questioning the fact that Hamilton is a sizable road favorite here. It is absolutely justified as they seek revenge for the September loss that ended their 6-0 run (both SU and ATS) in their rivalry series with the Argos. The Ti-Cats are a long-term 14-8 ATS in road games with a posted total of 56 or more. The Argonauts are on a 3-13 ATS run in home games and a 5-12 ATS run in divisional games. The Ti-Cats are the better team on both sides of the ball and the revenge factor is what 'sweetens the deal" on this one and has me going to my top play rating here. 10* HAMILTON TIGER-CATS minus the points Sunday afternoon

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach Thursday CFL 8* Montreal Alouettes (-) vs Saskatchewan Roughriders @ 6:30 ET - This is the biggest line on the board in Week 1 but the big number is absolutely justified. Don't be fooled just because the Roughriders had a late season winning streak last year. Saskatchewan is still a team in rebuilding mode and let's not forget they allowed 530 points last season! By comparison, Montreal only allowed 415 points on the season. The fact that the Alouettes only went 3-6 at home last season but opened up as a 6 point favorite here tells you all you need to know. The odds makers know what they're doing and this is certainly no mistake. The Als are the much better team on defense and they also rate the big QB edge here as the Roughriders Kevin Glenn is 38 and certainly his better years are long gone. Montreal has Darian Durant at the pivot and he is 34 but he definitely still has more left in the tank than Glenn. Also, Durant lost some weight heading into this season and he is moving well in the pocket. The Riders are going to struggle to contain Durant and the Montreal offense. Remember the Alouettes thrashed them here last year by a 41-3 count. The O/U on this game opened up at 50.5 and Saskatchewan is 1-8 SU (and 2-7 ATS) the past 2 seasons in road games with a posted total between 49.5 and 52 points. More of the same to open up the 2017 season and the Als make the most of hosting the opening night game. 8* MONTREAL minus the points Thursday evening

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Tuesday MLB 10* Top Play Los Angeles Angels +1.5 runs +115 @ New York Yankees @ 7:05 ET - The Yankees just got swept in a 4-game set at Oakland and they ended up losing 6 straight games overall to finish their West Coast road trip. Even though they were off yesterday, the Yankees are still likely to struggle Tuesday night as it is usually the first game back that it toughest on a East Coast team after returning from out west. The Angels were also off yesterday and, though they lost their game Sunday, they've only lost back to back games once since June 3rd. In other words, expect a bounce back and a win from the Angels here. However, should they fall short in a tight, low-scoring game, look for the run line to be all the insurance we need there. Even at +1.5 runs the Angels are getting some plus money odds here and I'll gladly take it. Michael Pineda gets the start for the Yankees and he has allowed 5 earned runs on 10 hits in two of his last three starts. That's made for two ugly outings for Pineda recently and I look for another one here as one of those tough starts was against these Angels in Anaheim. Pineda now has a 7.50 ERA in the 3 starts he has made against the Angels in his career. As for Parker Bridwell of the Angels, he has only had limited action at the MLB level but his lone start this season was a quality start and I expect another one here. At AAA in the Pacific Coast League this season he has held hitters to just a .248 batting average. Though Bridwell struggled out of the bullpen recently against the Yankees, look for him to get some payback here as the Yanks come out with a bit of a West Coast "hang-over" as they bring the 6-game losing streak into tonight's action. 10* LOS ANGELES ANGELS Run Line +1.5 runs

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 10* Top Play Texas Rangers Run Line (-1.5 runs) vs Seattle Mariners @ 3:05 ET - This is a bit of a "contrarian" play for me because, as long-time followers know, I like to play underdogs or small faves in MLB. However, even though the Rangers are a big favorite here, line value is available by grabbing them at a great price on the run line in a game they should easily win by 2 or more runs. Simply put, the Rangers are hot and the Mariners are not! With yesterday's 10-4 win, Texas is now 8-2 in their last 10 games and all 8 victories have come by at least 2 runs. Seattle is now 2-6 in their last 8 games and all 6 losses have come by 2 runs or more. The Mariners are sending Christian Bergman to the mound and he is now 1-3 in his 4 road starts this season with a ridiculous 10.61 ERA and 2.14 WHIP! He should prove to be no match for the Rangers Yu Darvish. The fire-balling Texas right-hander has led Texas to an 8-4 mark in his last 12 starts. Only 1 of the 8 wins came by less than 2 runs. Darvish has a stellar 2.93 ERA and 1.09 WHIP on the season. The Mariners are now 13-24 on the road this season after back to back 10-4 losses. The Rangers are 17-3 (85%) the last 3 seasons combined as a home fave in a range of -175 to -250. That's a high percentage chance of victory here and, as noted above, there is a high percentage chance that any Rangers win does come by 2 runs or more. 10* TEXAS Run Line -1.5 runs Sunday afternoon

Game of the Month - Rickenbach Monday NBA 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) @ Golden State Warriors @ 9 ET - After getting embarrassed by 21 points in Game 4 at Cleveland on Friday the Warriors have to bounce back here, right? Not necessarily! In fact, Golden State is laying a sizable number here even though they are 1-5 ATS this season when off of a loss by 10 points or more. While it is likely that the Warriors close out the series tonight, it would not be a complete shock if the Cavs got the upset win. They've done it before here at Golden State in spots very similar to this one. However, the real key is the line value because lets not forget that Cleveland, at halftime, was only down by 8 to the Warriors in Game One and just 3 to the Warriors in Game Two here. Then the Cavs should have won Game Three were it not for blowing a sizable lead very late. Now, with the added confidence of having won Game Four, look for the Cavs to be able to stay close with Golden State all the way in this one. As you can see, they've "been right there" with the Warriors for much more of this series than what the final scores would lead you to believe but the odds makers simply have to keep this number big on Golden State because the public is likely to be all over them in "bounce back mode" here. In addition to that 1-5 ATS mark for the Warriors off of a double digits loss, also note that the Cavs are 22-10 SU (and have had just 12 ATS losses in those 32 games) when off of a win by a margin of 10 points or more. Momentum is huge when it comes to ATS covers and the Cavaliers have it and will seize the moment here. 10* CLEVELAND plus the big points Monday night.

ABC Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) @ Golden State Warriors @ 8 ET - The Cavaliers have no chance in this series. At least that is prevailing public opinion after the way Game 1 played out. Of course we all know how it usually plays out after the public gets one-sided about things after one game. The point is that the value is clearly with the road dog in this one. The opening line on this game was a 7 and it is now up to a 9. The Warriors turned the ball over just 4 times in Game 1 while the Cavaliers turned it over 20 times. Do you really think that the Cavs are again going to lose the turnover battle 20-4? Do you really think that a LeBron James Cleveland team that also has Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love is just going to lay down in Game 2 after getting embarrassed in Game 1? The Cavaliers were on an 8-0 ATS run away from home before the ugly loss Thursday at Golden State. That was their first non-cover away from Cleveland since in nearly TWO MONTHS - April 9th! Look for the Warriors to drop to 3-10 ATS on the season in Sunday games! They've been feeling a little too good about themselves with their perfect record in this post-season and don't you think beautiful Saturdays in California have a little something to do with that ugly Sunday ATS record for the Warriors? Trust me the Cavaliers certainly have been all business after what happened in Game 1. They'll make some adjustments. Grab the big points. 10* CLEVELAND

THE Game of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) @ Golden State Warriors @ 9 ET - Both teams have had a long layoff but the Warriors layoff has been particularly long heading into this one. Also, the Cavaliers have responded extremely well after a long layoff in this post-season as they blew out the Raptors and Celtics in Game 1 of each of those series. Certainly this is to take nothing away from Golden State. They definitely have proven they are more than capable of blowing teams out but even though they have revenge from last year's Finals loss to the Cavs, Cleveland comes into Game 1 very hungry here as LeBron James and Company are tired of all the talk about being such a huge dog in this match-up. That is tremendous motivation for the defending champs and, even if they do fall short in Game 1 I would expect it to only be by a bucket or two. I know the Cavaliers got the benefit of facing the Celtics with Isaiah Thomas getting hurt in the series but the Warriors faced the Spurs without Kawhi Leonard after the midway point in Game 1 AND then San Antonio ALSO lost Tony Parker to injury. San Antonio just didn't have anybody left (let's not forget Tim Duncan of course was already retired and SA just not what they once were). The point is that the Cavs faced arguably a tougher test to get here than the Warriors. For all the talk of all the weapons that Golden State has (certainly formidable) let's not forget that LeBron James has a healthier cast around him this season and they've got Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love (healthy!) for star power plus plenty of tremendous role players. They're just not even being given a shot here and remember the Spurs were up HUGE here in GS in Game 1 before Leonard got hurt. LeBron and Company are well aware of the +7 that has been assigned to them here and they'd love nothing more than to make a statement here in Game 1. The Cavaliers are going to bring a ferocious attitude to the floor for this game and I expect Game 1 goes to the wire with an outright upset not surprising me in the least. 10* CLEVELAND

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (+) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:30 ET - I know Kyrie Irving is going to play and his ankle is not "that" big of a deal. However, there is no denying that if the Cavaliers are fortunate enough to have a big lead late in this game they have to start thinking about the Warriors and making sure nobody gets hurt or, in the case of Irving, injures something further. With that said, this is a lot of points for Cavs on the road and I see this game being decided by single digits. Keep in mind, Boston was thoroughly embarrassed on their home floor in this series and, that said, even if they are unable to extend the series by getting an upset win at home tonight, they damn sure want to at least put on a respectable showing for their home fans. Without Isaiah Thomas, the Celtics have looked like a different team and Cleveland even admitted they are still having trouble adjusting to the way Boston is playing sans Thomas. Of course the Cavs don't have to even admit that as it has truly been apparent. The Celtics rallied for the big upset win on the road in Game 3 and for much of Game 4 (even into the 4th quarter) appeared to have a great shot at another upset Tuesday. The fact is that everyone (including bettors) are anxious for the NBA Finals between Cleveland and Golden State to start and many are looking for a close-out game here for the Cavs. That is reflected in this line going from an 8.5 to as high as an 11 and while the Cavaliers may indeed get the close-out win here, I just don't see it coming at a big margin. These series has looked much different since Brad Stevens (a good coach) has made some key adjustments to make things much more competitive after abhorrent performances early in this series in Boston. The Celtics are 11-5 ATS (and SU) this season when off of a loss by 10 points or more and the Game 4 final score does not properly reflect how close that game was. The result is tremendous line value here and, as a result, I am going with my highest rating in this one! 10* BOSTON

TNT Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (+) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:30 ET - Boston made significant adjustments in Game 3 and guys stepped up with Isaiah Thomas out. The Celtics not only covered that game but also got the huge upset win. Now most everyone will be running to the Cavaliers here expecting LeBron James and company to respond in a huge way here. However, while Cleveland is certainly likely to respond and get a W here are they really going to win this one in complete blowout fashion? To me this line is far too high when you consider that Boston has their sights set on making a series out of this. Keep in mind, they're already guaranteed of getting a Game 5 on their game floor so they know they can still battle and make something out of this series. Also, once the mighty has fallen once it can cast a little bit of doubt upon a team. In other words, the Cavs don't have the same "unbeatable" aura flowing around them the way they did before getting upset in Game 3 Sunday. In terms of ATS stats, since the All Star break, the Cavs only once have had a single ATS standalone loss. In other words, when they are off of a defeat at the betting window, it almost always has started a streak of ATS losses and I expect that to be the case here as well. The Cavs were on a 6-0-2 ATS run before Sunday's loss but prior to this ATS hot streak, the Cavaliers were on a long-term 9-18-1 ATS run. Could this be the start of their next big decline at the betting window. I certainly am glad to test that theory with the big points being offered here. The Celtics are on a long-term 16-6 ATS run as a road dog of 12.5 or more points. Cleveland is on a 15-25 ATS run when playing with home loss revenge. 10* BOSTON plus the big points Tuesday evening

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach Sunday MLB 8* Atlanta Braves Run Line +1.5 runs vs Washington Nationals @ 1:35 ET - The Nationals are trying to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Braves but the Nats simply are not playing well at all right now. Washington has lost 4 straight games and 8 of their last 12. The surging Braves have won 7 of their last 9 games but I do respect the Nationals Stephen Strasburg and that is why I am playing this one on the run line. It would not surprise me to see the Braves win this game behind another respectable outing from left-hander Jaime Garcia but if they do fall short look for it to be a one-run game as the Nats just are not hitting well - average of 6 hits per game during their 0-4 run. Garcia has allowed 12 hits in his last 17 and 1/3 innings on the mound while Strasburg has given up 8 earned runs in his last 12 innings! In their last 12 games at -1.5 runs the Nationals would be 2-12 as 2 of their last 4 wins have come by just a single run. The Nats are averaging just 4.3 runs per game in their games against left-handed starters this season while the Braves have averaged 6.5 runs per game in their last 6 games. 8* ATLANTA Run Line +1.5 runs

Contrarian Special - Rickenbach Saturday NBA 8* San Antonio Spurs (+) vs Golden State Warriors @ 9 ET - The Spurs, under coach Gregg Popovich, have long been known as a "character team" in the NBA. The way San Antonio lost on Tuesday (got down huge early and never recovered) totally threw "character" out the window. The Spurs, without Kawhi Leonard, seemed to have self-doubt from the opening tip and they gave a horrific effort in that game. That, of course, is unacceptable to coach Pop and the Spurs and you can bank on a huge effort Saturday night in front of a raucous home crowd in San Antonio. The ugly loss Tuesday was bad enough but the fact that SA has had to wait so long for their next game to try and get rid of the bad taste in their mouth from Game 2 means you're going to see an extremely intense and focused effort from the Spurs in Game 3 Saturday night. There is no doubt the Warriors are loaded with talent and certainly are the healthier team but, after the 36 point shellacking the Spurs were handed Tuesday night, look for this game to be decided by only a bucket or two as San Antonio is far too proud to go away without a fight under coach Popovich. The Spurs had everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, called into question after their effort Tuesday. That is the kind of embarrassing loss that will bring out the best in a team in the next game especially given the circumstances here. In our favor is the extra time off for the Spurs to regroup, the fact they are down 2-0 in the series, and the fact they are now back home. Look for SA to improve to 9-3 ATS this season as an underdog while the Warriors drop to 2-5 ATS when playing with 3 or more days of rest this season. 8* SAN ANTONIO

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Friday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (+) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:30 ET - The Celtics didn't come this far and battle so hard for home court edge only to get trampled in both games on their home floor to open up this series. In other words, after a "wake up call" in Game 1 on Wednesday, look for Boston to respond in a big way on Friday in Game 2. The Celtics were on a 9-2 ATS run before getting blown out by double digits Wednesday. Boston is 10-4 ATS (and SU!) when off of a loss by 10 points or more this season. While I do indeed expect that the Celtics will win this one outright, I am absolutely going to grab the generous points being offered. Boston is 77-52 ATS the last 3 seasons combined when playing with revenge. As for the mighty Cavaliers, they managed to win Game 1 despite making only 35.5% of their three pointers. That is significant because that type of shooting performance has been an ominous sign for the Cavs in recent months. When Cleveland is held under 38% from three point land in their prior game they have a 2-9 ATS record in their next game! The Celtics will turn up the heat on defense in this game and make the proper adjustments and I look for this game to go right down to the wire which means excellent line value with the generous points being offered here. 10* BOSTON

TNT No Doubt ATS Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (+) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:30 ET - The Cavaliers have been off for a week and a half. I know the Cavs were off for a week before they met Toronto and yet they still blasted the Raptors by double digits in that game. However, the Celtics are not the Raptors AND this game is on the road! Look for Cleveland to struggle to put away the top-seeded Celtics here. I do expect Boston to win this game outright but I'll gladly grab the generous points being offered. The Celtics might be a little sore and/or tired after their 7-game battle with the Wizards. However, Boston unless comes into this game with momentum and should play crisp basketball tonight while the Cavaliers could be a little disjointed after the long lay-off. Cleveland is facing one of the higher-scoring teams in the league and, interestingly, the Cavs are 10-13 ATS (and SU!) in games this season against teams that are averaging 106 points or more per game. The Celtics are playing this game with home loss revenge from an embarrassing loss in Boston in early April. This season the Celtics are 23-13 SU and 21-13 ATS when playing with revenge! Ton of respect for the Cavs but they opened up as a 3-point favorite here with good reason and yet everyone has jumped all over them and pushed this line higher. Boston coach Brad Stevens is an excellent coach and the Celtics fought hard to earn the #1 seed and home court edge in the East. They certainly aren't going to easily relinquish it. Look for the Celtics to come out very strong here as the Cavaliers struggle to get back into proper game flow. 10* BOSTON

PA Insider - Rickenbach NHL Monday 8* Pittsburgh Penguins Puck Line (-1.5 goals) vs Ottawa Senators @ 8 ET - In their 2-1 OT loss in Game 1 Saturday, the Penguins saw numerous shots hit iron and there certainly were some other missed scoring chances for Pittsburgh that should have been buried. In fact the Pens head coach is telling his team they've got to shoot the puck more in Game 2. In Game 1 on Saturday Pittsburgh was guilty of holding onto the puck too long at times or making too many passes instead of just getting the puck on net. Look for an effort in that regard to pay dividends with plenty of goals here for the Penguins in Game 2 on Monday. Of course, as long-time followers know, I am not a proponent of laying big juice but I certainly like getting big plus money paybacks. That said, I am grabbing the Pens on the puck line in this one. By laying the -1.5 goals we get a healthy payback in the +155 range for this one and I look for the fired up Penguins to win this one in a home rout. Pittsburgh won 9 of 13 games this season when playing with home loss revenge. The Senators have lost 8 of 13 games when they are on a winning streak of 3 games or more. Also, 7 of the Sens last 11 losses have come by 2 goals or more. In fact, Ottawa's average margin of defeat in those 11 losses was 2 goals per game. As for the Penguins, 35 of their last 52 wins have come by a margin of at least 2 goals. In other words, when the Pens wins, odds are strong they win big and I look for them to come out strong in this home loss revenge situation and they won't take their foot off of the gas after what happened in Game 1. In other words, expect the blowout here! 8* PITTSBURGH on the puck line -1.5 goals

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Golden State Warriors vs San Antonio Spurs @ 3:30 ET - Even though the Warriors won the most recent meeting between these teams (by 12 at San Antonio in late March), Golden State still has revenge on their minds heading into this one. The only time this season that the Warriors hosted the Spurs this season, it was Golden State's home opener and they got embarrassed in a 29 point loss. Home loss revenge is a pretty strong motivator and there is another reason to expect the Warriors to show no mercy here. They want to set the tone for this series. Golden State wants to flex their muscles in Game 1 and not give the big dog Spurs any chance to get any momentum going early in this series. This line may look big at -10 but the odds makers opened this one up at double digits with good reason. The Warriors are 8-0 in the post-season and 7 of the 8 wins have come by a double digit margin! As for the Spurs, each of their 6 games with the Rockets was decided by double digits except for the lone OT game. It was that OT loss for Houston that took the wind out of their sails and left them dead in Game 6. No excuse really for that but the Rockets were no match for SA in Game 6 and that helped to create some line value because everyone watched the Spurs blowout the Rockets in that series-clinching road win. The Spurs are 2-4 ATS this season when off of an upset win as an underdog. San Antonio is also 5-9 ATS when off of 2 days or more of rest. The Warriors are on a powerful 14-7 ATS run in games against teams with a winning record and, after what happened at Oracle Arena on October 25th, the Spurs have their full attention! 10* GOLDEN STATE

Texas Insider - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 10* Top Play San Antonio Spurs (+) @ Houston Rockets @ 8 ET - Even though the Rockets are at home and should have won Game 5 outright (rather than just covering in OT), the fact is that the emotional and physical drain on Houston is big right now. That loss in Game 5 really strung the Rockets emotionally. From a physical standpoint Houston went with just a 7-man rotation Tuesday and 6 of those players combined to average 40 minutes in the grueling overtime affair. In fact 4 of the 5 starters did log 40 minutes or more. It's starting to take a toll on the Rockets and I look for this to once again be another tight match-up that could go either way late in the fourth quarter. That said, there is huge line value with the big points being offered in this one and the word here in San Antonio (I have resided in this area for many years) is that Kawhi Leonard's ankle is not an issue at all. The Spurs are 7-2 ATS as an underdog this season. The Rockets are on a 2-7 ATS run in home games. Fade the line move and grab the big points being offered in this one! 10* SAN ANTONIO

Texas Insider - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (+) @ San Antonio Spurs @ 8 ET - The Rockets got their transition game going in Game 4 and they also got their three point shooting back on track. Both teams have each won on their opponents home court but the difference now is that the Spurs being without Tony Parker is absolutely a big deal. San Antonio managed to rise up in Game 3, their first game after he got hurt. But the Rockets then made the proper adjustments on how to attack the Spurs without Parker and, of course, Game 4 was a full display of just how successful those adjustments can be. Of course it's a bit of cat and mouse here as SA coach Gregg Popovich will most certainly have his team ready to go here and will make some adjustments after getting blown out in Game 4. However, one thing is for certain, Pop's ability to truly "replace" his floor leader Parker is just not there. This is a glaring hole for the Spurs and yet this line is set right near where it was in Games 1 and 2 here in San Antonio. How can that be? It's because the betting public likes to play the "zig zag" theory and many will be backing the Spurs here to bounce back off of the ugly Game 4 loss. The fact that the dynamics surrounding Game 5 are much bigger than anything a "zig zag" can properly address is why we're getting amazing line value with the Rockets here. I'll take it! Grab the points as Houston is 12-5 ATS as an underdog this season. By the way, the Spurs are only 4-6 ATS this season and 10-15 ATS the past 3 seasons combined when they are off of a loss by a double digit margin. San Antonio will certainly be looking to bounce back but I just don't see it sans Parker and with the Rockets fully prepared to maintain the momentum. Keep in mind they blasted the Spurs in SA in Game 1 to start this series. 10* HOUSTON ROCKETS

Primetime Punisher - NBA Monday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz (+) vs Golden State Warriors @ 9 ET - The Jazz are going to fight hard (just like the Raptors did yesterday) as they look to avoid the series sweep on their home floor. Even though Toronto did fall short yesterday, they got the cover for some and pushed for others. In this case Utah is being given an even bigger number in comparison with the Raptors and there is solid line value here with this hungry home dog. The Warriors managed to pull away very late in Game 3 but that has also created line value for Game 4 because this line is a bucket higher even though the Jazz were "right there" with Golden State in the fourth quarter before a late run for the Warriors sealed Utah's fate. The Jazz are 39-16 ATS the last 3 seasons when playing with home loss revenge and they are still 7-3 ATS in all playoff games this season. Also, Utah is 8-4 ATS (and SU!) when off of a loss by a double digit margin this season. The Jazz are definitely going to go hard tonight and look to notch that highly sought home win to extend this series and avoid the sweep. Even with Saturday's win, Golden State is only 3-6 ATS this season in games against teams that allow an average of 98 points or less per game. The Warriors very well could stamp their ticket to the Western Conference finals tonight but the points are simply too much here as I anticipate this one going to the final horn. 10* UTAH JAZZ

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (-) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 9 ET - Surprisingly the Spurs were able to get an upset win on the road at Houston in Game 3 even without Tony Parker and even after a huge fourth quarter in Game 2 had propelled them to a massive home court win. Sometimes teams are able to rise up in the first game after a star goes down as everyone is so highly motivated to perform huge and make up for the star's absence. However, those teams then often fall flat in the 2nd game. That is not the only thing going in our favor here however as the other big key is the Rockets are still at home and they are coming off of a dreadful shooting performance and a 2nd straight blowout loss. Sometime a good team will lose bad once but when they lose bad in back to back games there is no doubt about the effort their going to bring in Game 3 of such a scenario. Houston is 9-3 ATS this season when playing with home loss revenge. The Rockets are also 14-4 SU (and 12-6 ATS) when off of an upset loss as a favorite. Harden needs some help from his teammates after he was the only big scorer for the Rockets in Game 3. Similar to how others stepped up for the Spurs in the first game without Parker, look for others to step up for the Rockets to help provide more balanced scoring in a must win scenario in Game 4. Houston can ill afford to go back to SA down 3-1 in this series. Keep in mind, this is not the Spurs of the "Dynasty Years" and I look for San Antonio to drop to 4-8 ATS their last 12 games when leading in a playoff series. 10* HOUSTON

TNT Early Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* Boston Celtics (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 6:30 ET - After making only 35% of their shots and getting thoroughly blown out in Game 3 (thanks to a 22-0 1st quarter run for the Wizards), look for the Celtics to respond in a big way here. They just couldn't make any shots Thursday but Boston is 9-3 SU and ATS this season when off of a loss by 10 points or more. Look for Isaiah Thomas to get back on track after a very tough performance for him in Game 3. He's been so hot in the post-season and he'll be ready to be aggressive again as the Celtics make some adjustments to counteract what the Wizards were successful in putting together in Thursday's win. I am well aware of Washington's 4-0 home record so far in this post-season but the Wizards don't exactly have a storied playoff history in 2nd round playoff games. Their long-term runs included 5-14 SU in 2nd round playoff games (including 3-6 in recent seasons) and 8-17 SU when trailing in a playoff series. The Celtics are the better team defensively and they'll bounce back in Game 4. Even with that Game 3 loss, Boston is still 31-15 SU the last 3 seasons combined in games against teams that allow 106 points or more per game. The physicality is on the increase in this series and the Celtics will come out strong and have gone 21-12 SU this season when playing with revenge. 8* BOSTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* Toronto Raptors (+) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 3:30 ET - With professional pride on the line, the Raptors are going to do everything in their power to avoid the sweep and get a W Sunday. The beauty of this situation though is in terms of the line value. The Raptors don't have to get an outright win for us to get the cash and the fact is that this line is truly inflated as it has moved as high as +7 as of Saturday evening. Keep in mind the Raptors were only down 2 heading to the 4th quarter of Game 3 on Friday. So how in the world did Toronto end up losing that game by 21 points? The explanation is really quite simple and it also is a reason that we're getting tremendous line value in Game 4 because the unusual results are highly unlikely to be repeated. The Raptors Tucker made 1 of his 2 three pointers and the rest of the team was 1 of 16 from beyond the arc. For the Cavs, Irving made only 1 of 5 from beyond the arc but the rest of the team was an absolutely insane 12 of 18 from three point land. When a team gets outscored by 33 points from beyond the arc, they are going to have trouble to say the least! Those ridiculous results are leading to big-time line value here. I'll take it! The Cavaliers have covered just 3 of 10 Sunday games this season and this is a rather early start. The Raptors are 30-15 SU at home this season and I expect them to respond here even if Lowry is out again. 8* TORONTO

ABC Blowout ATS Rout - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz (+) vs Golden State Warriors @ 8:30 ET - The Jazz went 29-12 at home in the regular season. Though they're down 0-2 in this series they certainly showed plenty of fight at Golden State and did get the cover in each game. Some of the adjustments that Utah made in the 2nd half of that game certainly paid off and the Jazz were able to close within as close as 6 in the fourth quarter. Grabbing some momentum from those adjustments as well as the fact that they now get a game on their home floor, I would not be surprised to see Utah get the outright upset here but certainly there is value with the generous points being offered. Even though he's listed as probable, Draymond Green's knee injury is something that the Warriors can afford to be careful with and rest him some as they are working toward a long playoff march. As for the Jazz, there is no time to waste and, though George Hill is questionable for this game, I would be surprised if he is not back out there running the offense for Utah in this one and that will be a big plus. Either way, I am grabbing the home dog here. The Jazz are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games versus the Warriors. Also, Utah is 8-3 ATS (and SU!) this season when off of a loss by a margin of 10 points or more. Tonight I look for the Jazz to improve to an incredible 8-2 ATS in this post-season. Look for the Warriors to drop to 2-7 ATS this season in games played against teams that allow an average of 98 points or less per game. 10* UTAH JAZZ plus the points Saturday evening.

Western Conf Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (-) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 9:30 ET - After getting embarrassed in the 4th quarter at San Antonio Wednesday night, the Rockets will be ready to respond here. The Spurs found that their small ball lineup worked well even without Tony Parker on the floor after he got hurt early in the 4th quarter. Even though Parker is now out for the post-season, the Spurs still have others that can step in and maintain the small ball attack in Game 3. However, what is unlikely to happen is for the Spurs to again shoot 54.5% from the field. That said, the Spurs could be in trouble willing to play a game where the winning team is in the 120s. The fact is that even though this series is 1-1, the way it's being played thusfar certainly favors the Rockets. Houston loves to get involved in high-scoring shootouts and they'll hold the upper hand in this one at home. The Rockets had won 6 of 7 before the loss Wednesday. The Spurs barely got by a Memphis team that was without Tony Allen in round one and then San Antonio got pounded in Game 1 of this series before responding in Game 2. One game certainly does not sure all that ailed the Spurs and there will be points in this game where they'll certainly miss the veteran leadership of their floor general, Tony Parker. The Spurs were on a 5-8 ATS run before the big win in Game 2. The Rockets are 25-7 SU (and 21-11 ATS) this season when off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. Bounce back time for the Rockets here. 10* HOUSTON

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Friday 8* Toronto Raptors (+) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7 ET - After getting embarrassed on the road in each of the first two games in this series the Raptors respond big here. Toronto has won 8 of its past 10 home games. The Cavaliers aren't going to be able to maintain the ridiculously high clip at which they hit three pointers in the first two games of this series now that the Cavs are on the road. Late in the season Cleveland had some very tough shooting nights from beyond the arc when on the road. The Cavaliers are 6-0 in the playoffs but only 2 of those wins came on the road. Also, the Cavs went only 4-9 SU on the road in their last 13 regular season games away from home. Look for Cleveland to fall to 18-26 ATS in road games this season as the Raptors respond large here. Toronto has only had one home game since the 18th. The 18th was a 6 point win over the Bucks and the the Raptors destroyed Milwaukee at the Air Canada Centre on the 24th by 25 points. In other words, Toronto is thrilled to be back home and will make the most of this opportunity with LeBron James and company in town. In last year's post-season series between these teams the home team won each of the first 5 games before the Cavs then blew out the Raptors for the series-clinching Game 6 victory. The Raptors haven't forgotten that defeat and, for the 8th time in the last 9 post-season games between these foes, I look for the home team to get the job done. 8* TORONTO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 8* Boston Celtics (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 8 ET - Once again fading what is likely to be public perception here. Most everyone is likely to load up on Washington because they are down 2 games to 0 and now back home and basically in 'must win' mode. Of course we all know that the pressure can actually be nearly insurmountable when a team truly 'must win' and I don't expect the Wizards to react well here. They never should have lost Game 2 but they blew a big early lead and then lost ugly in OT. That is a tough loss to bounce back from and Washington doesn't exactly have a good pedigree of recent success. The Wizards are 2-6 in 2nd round playoff games in recent seasons and 4-14 long-term! As for the Celtics, they simply seem to be riding high no matter the scenario they are faced with and are already 6-2 (SU and ATS) in this post-season despite the tough times Isaiah Thomas has dealt with because of his sister's passing. The Wizards are simply an awful team on defense and this includes being bad at defending the 3-point ball. They have allowed 49.4% or more from the field in 9 of their last 18 games. It is truly no wonder that Washington is on a 6-10 ATS run. As for the Celtics, since dropping the first two games to the Bulls they've responded with a 6-0 SU and ATS run! Boston is 26-16 ATS on the road this season. Versus team that average 106 points or more per game, the Wizards have a history of having trouble. They've gone 28-59 SU and 34-51 ATS in those games. More of the same here as the Wizards deficiencies on the defensive end continue to be an issue. 8* BOSTON

TNT Blowout ATS Rout - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (+) @ San Antonio Spurs @ 9:35 ET - Again, the "zig zag" theory is in effect here and yet I'll gladly be a contrarian and step in on the other side of it. Many will be looking to back the Spurs after the ugly loss in Game One. However, I rode the Rockets to victory there and, as I mentioned in my write-up for Monday's game, San Antonio is just not the team they use to be. I firmly believe that had the Grizzlies had Tony Allen available for that first round series, the Spurs would not have even got past Memphis! Now the Spurs have quickly found out they have their hands full with this uber-talented scoring machine filled with lethal three point shooters. The Rockets simply are too much for the Spurs and, though San Antonio will surely make adjustments and will look to respond here on their home floor, that still is no guarantee of victory and certainly no guarantee of a cover. Let's face it, the Rockets are better than they use to be, and the Spurs are just not the same team they were a few short years ago. Kawhi Leonard is an amazing player for San Antonio but just look at the production the Spurs have gotten from the key that is supposed to be their 2nd best player, LaMarcus Aldridge. He hasn't scored more than 20 points in a game since March 23rd and had a very poor Game One performance. The Rockets are relishing the underdog role they are in for this series and they are 12-4 ATS an underdog this season. Houston is also 6-2 SU in recent seasons when leading in a playoff series. The Spurs are on a 2-5 (SU and ATS) run in 2nd round playoff games. After a loss by 10 points or more San Antonio went just 3-6 ATS this season. After allowing 115 points or more the last 3 seasons combined the Spurs are only 4-6 SU! They aren't necessarily going to bounce back here like many expect them to. The last 5 games between the Rockets and Spurs have featured only one Spurs win by more than 2 points and that one came by just 6. I'll take the points with a team that gives SA some major "match-up issues". 10* HOUSTON 

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 8* Cleveland Cavaliers (-) vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:05 ET - As usual the "zig zag" theory will be played here by most and, as a result, many will go running to the Raptors and looking for them to bounce back here. The problem with that theory? Toronto is just not that at the same level that this Cavaliers team is and, the last time I checked, this game is still being played at Cleveland. In other words, it's a tough spot for the Raptors to bounce back considering they aren't playing the Bucks anymore. These are the defending champs and Toronto put just enough of a scare into Cleveland (with some big scoring runs in Game One) that there is no way the Cavs aren't going to keep the pedal to the metal tonight. Overall, the Cavaliers had huge leads multiple times in the win on Monday and ultimately settled for an 11 point win and I expect another double digit win here. Toronto is 4-7 ATS when trailing in a playoff series. Overall, after getting blown out in Game One, the Raptors are 10-21 ATS in all playoff games. Cleveland is an incredible 18-3 SU when leading in a playoff series and taking a look at the Cavaliers last 25 SU wins they have covered 20 of them! That's an 80% ATS clip in Cavs victories dating back to late January. The Raptors are an insane 2-28 ATS in their last 30 losses so, as you can see, when Toronto loses SU they tend to lose ATS as well! In other words, unless you think the Raptors are winning this outright, better not be backing them and I'll back a Cavs team that is clicking on all cylinders again and has gone 17-2 SU against Atlantic Division opponents this season. 8* CLEVELAND

Top Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz (+) @ Golden State Warriors @ 10:30 ET - The Warriors are, of course, the superior team. But that doesn't mean they're going to crush the Jazz in Game One. After having more than a week off there is just no way that Golden State is going to be clicking on all cylinders here in Game One on Tuesday night. At the same time, the Jazz are riding the momentum of their series win over the Clippers where they got the big Game 7 victory on the road on Tuesday. In fact, that was the 8th time in the last 9 Utah games that the road team has gotten the cash. The road team has also been a big money winner in Golden State's recent games with the away team getting the cash in 9 of their last 13 games. Look for the fact that the Jazz have been playing consistently while the Warriors are off of a long layoff to be a huge difference maker here. Also, Golden State is only 2-4 ATS this season when facing a team that allows 98 points or less per game and the Utah D is rock solid. I look for the Jazz to improve to 6-2 ATS in the post-season with this one decided by single digits as they keep this one much closer than many people are expecting. The Warriors rely so heavily on their outside shooting and I just don't see them being strong in that department after the long lay-off. 10* UTAH JAZZ

Rickenbach MLB Tuesday 8* Boston Red Sox Run Line -1.5 runs vs Baltimore Orioles @ 7:10 ET - Look for the Red Sox to pound the Orioles here. Chris Sale has been absolutely dominant and has been piling up the strikeouts. His biggest problem this season has been run support but he should get plenty of that tonight as Boston does a number on the Orioles Alec Asher. Even though Asher had a good first start this season. His recent bullpen performance shows this young pitcher still has plenty of adjusting to do at the big league level. That said, a start at Fenway Park on a night when the weather conditions are likely to help the hitters could be absolute disaster for you the inexperienced hurler. As for Boston's Sale, he has 52 strikeouts in less than 38 innings this season and the Orioles hitters have long been known for their "free swinging" ways as they pile up strikeouts while swinging for the fences. Speaking of home runs, Sales has allowed just 1 this entire season. Of course, as long-time followers know, I don't lay big juice. That said, I'll gladly lay the -1.5 runs here in a situation that should be a huge mismatch. The Orioles are off of back to back wins but previously had lost 4 of their last 6 games and all 4 defeats (average margin of 4 runs) came by at least 2 runs apiece. The Red Sox had averaged 5 runs per game in their 3 games prior to yesterday's loss and I expect the bats to get right back on track here against Asher. The O's have 8 losses this season and 7 of the 8 have come by 2 runs or more. The Red Sox have seen 8 of their 13 wins come by at least 2 runs. Look for the BoSox to improve to 9-3 this season when off of a loss while the Orioles drop to 0-4 this season in Tuesday games. 8* BOSTON RED SOX Run Line -1.5 runs

TNT Blowout ATS Rout - Rickenbach NBA Monday 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (+) @ San Antonio Spurs @ 9:35 ET - The Spurs barely got by a Memphis team that was without their top defender Tony Allen. My strong opinion is that the Spurs would not have advanced if Allen had not been hurt for the Grizzlies. Memphis played them tough in the regular season and then gave them hell in the post-season even without Allen! I have said it before and I'll say it again, because I reside in the San Antonio area and I follow this team closely. The Spurs are not what they use to be. Certainly they are still a talented, solid team that is well coached but I don't believe they have what it takes to go far in the post-season. Now the Spurs go from facing a short-handed Grizzlies team that barely got into the playoffs to facing one of the best in the west as they host the Rockets. The road team won 3 of the 4 meetings straight-up in the regular season and the road team did go a perfect 4-0 ATS in the season series! One meeting was decided by 6 points and the other three were each decided by only 2 points! You can see why I like having the points in this one and I also like the fact that the Spurs lost 4-2 in their most recent trip to the 2nd round and they also went just 2-4 ATS in that series. With Tim Duncan retired and Manu Giinobili no longer the X factor he once was, too much is expected of Kawhi Leonard. The Rockets weaponry will prove to be too much (at least in Game 1) and I'll gladly fade the line move as the betting markets have pushed this line higher! The Rockets won their most recent 2nd round playoff series, are 4-1 (SU and ATS) when playing with 3 or more days of rest between games and I look for them to improve to a fantastic 13-4 ATS as an underdog this season as they continue to thrive in that role! 10* HOUSTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Monday 8* Cleveland Cavaliers (-) vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:05 ET - Sometimes too much rest can lead to rust. Will that be that the case for the veteran Cavaliers here? I don't think so! The defending NBA champs are certainly accustomed to all sorts of scenarios and how to handle them. You don't become the champions of the league if you don't have the ability to adjust and to adapt. That said, the extra rest won't be rust for the Cavs. Instead, look for their fresh legs to have benefited greatly from the time off. The past 3 seasons combined the Cavaliers have gone 14-4 SU (and 11-7 ATS) when playing with 3 or more days of rest between games. Also, Cleveland knocked Toronto out of the post-season last year and all 4 Cavs wins came by at least 19 points per game! In fact, the Cavaliers average margin of victory in that series was 28.5 points per win! Cleveland will want to set the tone early in this series and that means a very aggressive and relentless approach in Game One and I see them winning this one by double digits to make a statement. Toronto got by the Bucks in round one but Milwaukee was lacking in playoff experience. In round two the Raptors get a reality check about the caliber of opponents they're really supposed to face in the playoffs and I expect it to take Toronto so some time to adjust going from facing a team that had a losing record in the regular season to facing one of the elite teams in the league. With the Cavs rested and raring to go, look for the Raptors to drop to 10-21 ATS in playoff games the past 3 seasons combined. 8* CLEVELAND

Run Line Rout - Rickenbach MLB Sunday 8* Philadelphia Phillies Run Line +1.5 runs @ Los Angeles Dodgers @ 4:10 ET - The Phillies lost a heartbreaker yesterday as they gave up 4 runs in the bottom of the 9th but this is not the kind of team that hangs their head. They'll be ready to bounce back here and they had won 6 straight games before the two losses to the Dodgers in this series. Los Angeles has won 3 straight games but previously lost 7 of their last 10. I am grabbing the run line here in case the Phillies fall short in another tight loss here. 6 of the Phillies last 9 losses have come by just a single run. With that said, having Philly at +1.5 their last 19 games would have resulted in a 16-3 record! The Phillies just don't get blown out often and I certainly don't see that happening here! The Phils have Nick Pivetta on the mound and he's been dominant at the AAA level early this season and he should get plenty of run support here. The Dodgers Hyun-Jin Ryu has not been the same since his injury. He's getting hit at a .289 clip this season and gave up 3 homers in his only home start so far. 2 of the Dodgers last 4 wins have come by a single run and there is value here with the Phillies available at small juice with the +1.5 runs in this one. The Dodgers have lost 8 of 12 when off of a win this season and I expect that trend to continue here. 8* PHILADELPHIA +1.5 runs

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* Washington Wizards (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 1:05 ET - Washington's first round opponent was a tough Atlanta team. Boston's first round opponent was a Chicago team that had the Celtics in an 0-2 hole (at home no less!) before the Bulls lost Rajon Rondo to injury for the series. Chicago's loss of a key contributor ended up being the key to Boston winning 4 straight games. The point is that I am more impressed with how the Wizards got here in comparison with how the Celtics got here. The road team got the cover in 5 of the 6 first round games in the Boston series and in each of the last two games in the Washington series. Look for those trends to continue here as the Celtics are 3-15 ATS this season when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more. The Wizards are 8-3 ATS when off of an upset win as an underdog. 8* WASHINGTON

Run Line Rout - Rickenbach MLB Saturday 8* Seattle Mariners Run Line +1.5 runs @ Cleveland Indians @ 4:10 ET - Look for Nelson Cruz to be back in the lineup for the Mariners this afternoon. However, even without Cruz last night the M's got the 3-1 win over the Indians. I had Seattle as a big dog yesterday but today I am going to back them on the run line. This could be a tight low-scoring game again where the +1.5  could certainly come in handy and the -120 price on it is certainly worth it! The Mariners will have Yovani Gallardo on the mound and he is coming off of a fantastic road start at Oakland and has a 3.18 ERA away from home this season. It also helps that the Indians aren't very familiar with him as the Seattle right-hander hasn't made a start against them since 2009. Danny Salazar gets this start for the Indians and he allowed 4 earned runs on 7 hits in just 5 innings of work against the White Sox in his most recent start. The righty has started twice against the Mariners in the past 2 seasons so they have some familiarity with him. On a chilly damp afternoon in Cleveland with the wind blowing in from right center, I expect a tight low-scoring game which gives extra line value to the +1.5 runs for sure. If Cleveland had laid 1.5 runs in each of their past 5 games they'd be 0-5 as they've lost 3 of their last 5 games and the two wins each came by just a single run. The Indians are averaging 7 hits per game in their last 7 games. The Mariners have averaged 11 hits per game in going 4-1 in their last 5 games. The Indians are 0-3 and -$6,400 as a home fave in a range of -175 to -225 this season! The Mariners are 5-2 +$3,500 in day games this season. 8* SEATTLE Run Line +1.5 runs Saturday afternoon

Playoff Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Friday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 8:05 ET - The Bulls lost the turnover battle big in Wednesday's Game 5 and that certainly was a factor in them ending up on the wrong end of a 11-point game. Chicago knocked down 50% of their shots but they could not overcome the turnover differential and they'll need to play a much cleaner game tonight. With the Celtics not shooting well - 19 off 77 from three point land the last 2 games - they are fortunate to still be up in this series. The poor shooting catches up with Boston here. The Bulls will go "all out" at home in hopes of forcing a Game 7 and Chicago plays solid defense when fully focused. Full focus will certainly be at the forefront for the Bulls in this one and they are 7-2 SU and ATS this season (and 16-5 ATS and 15-6 SU the last 3 seasons combined) when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 games or more. The Celtics are a horrible 2-15 ATS this season when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more. Also, Boston is 6-11 ATS this season when off of a win by a double digit margin. The Bulls have shot well in each of their last two road games with the Celtics but, surprisingly shot poorly in the 2 home games in this series. That has led to line value here as the Bulls are actually a home dog now in this one. Even with Rajon Rondo still out, the Bulls have more than enough weapons to force a Game 7 with a big home W tonight. 10* CHICAGO BULLS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Friday 8* Atlanta Hawks (-) vs Washington Wizards @ 7:35 ET - The home team has won all 5 games in this series and I see no reason for that trend to stop here. The Hawks have actually out-rebounded the Wizards in 4 of the 5 games in this series. The only reason Atlanta lost Game 5 on the road at Washington was because the Hawks shot only 41% from the field. The Hawks have shot 48.3% in their last 5 home games and outscored by double digits in each game in Atlanta while losing only by single digits in each of their losses at Washington. In many respects, the Hawks have deserved a better fate than being down 3-2 in this series but, in any event, that is helping to keep this line lower than it should be and I look for Atlanta to roll at home and force a Game 7. The Hawks are on a 9-4 ATS run while the Wizards have slumped to a 5-8 ATS mark their last 13 games. Washington is 11-23 SU the last 34 times they've been an underdog and I look for another loss in that role here. With the low number on the Hawks, that SU Wizards loss should also equate to a solid ATS cover for the home team. 8* ATLANTA

TNT Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies (+) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 9:35 ET - I lost a tough one Tuesday when the Spurs pulled away late to get the cover as a double digit fave over the Grizzlies in Game 5 of this series. However, the Spurs finally got some points from Manu Ginobili and they shot a ridiculous 14 of 28 from three point land. Memphis responded at home in both Games 3 and 4 after losing Games 1 and 2 and I expect the Grizzlies to again come up big on their home floor in Game 6 after coming up short in Game 5. Each of the last 3 games in this series have gone over the total and the Grizzles are 19-10 SU (and 18-11 ATS) the last 3 seasons combined when they enter a game on an "over streak" of 3 games or more. The Spurs are only 4-6 SU (and 3-7 ATS) the last 3 seasons combined when they are leading in a playoff series. Spurs had lost 5 of their last 7 (SU and ATS) before getting the big win in Game 5 that was largely attributable to red hot three point shooting. The odds of that continuing here just are not that good and the Grizzlies have been fired up ever since their head coach's tirade about the officiating after Game 2. There is no way that Memphis is going to stop fighting in Game 6 as it's "win or the season is over" for the Grizzlies. Dating back to the regular season and including this series so far, the home team has a perfect 7-0 ATS mark in the Spurs last 7 games. Look for more of the same Thursday as San Antonio has not had a hot shooting night on the road since they shot 48% from the field at Minnesota over a month ago! The Grizzlies "D up" hard in this one. 10* MEMPHIS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 8* Toronto Raptors (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:05 ET - The Raptors are fired up about closing out a playoff series in Game 6. They're well aware of their poor history in this situation as they are 0-7 SU (and 1-6 ATS) when leading in a playoff series. Toronto is sick of hearing about that and doesn't want to let Milwaukee extend this to a 7th game. Luckily for the Raptors, this is the right team for Toronto to face to have a great shot at erasing the bitter taste of past defeats. The Bucks have lost 7 straight playoff series and the last 6 all have come in the first round with the final defeat in each of the last two appearances coming in a Game 6. That said, the Bucks aren't exactly loaded with post-season experience to fall back on. Look for the Raptors to improve to 12-3 SU (and 10-5 ATS) this season when playing with two days of rest. Also, Toronto is 19-8 SU (and 17-10 ATS) when off of a win by a double digit margin. The Bucks have been out-rebounded in this series and have now lost 3 of the last 4 games. Their only two wins came when the Raptors were held to 36% or less from the field. How likely is that here? Not too likely! The Raptors were held to 36% or less from the field 3 times in their 82 regular season games. Note also that the Bucks Khris Middleton was ill Wednesday and missed practice. If he's not 100% this further weakens a Milwaukee team that has been outscored by 36 points in the last two games! 8* TORONTO

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 8:30 ET - The Bulls aren't done yet. I know they just lost two straight at home to the Celtics and are still trying to adjust without Rajon Rondo, but the fact is Chicago won both games at Boston to open up this series. Additionally, the Bulls started out dominating the boards in this series and that domination has continued throughout. With just slightly better shooting, the Bulls just aren't going to lose this game by double digits. That said, there is tremendous line value with  the big number posted on this game. Keep in mind, Boston's Sunday win in Game 4 of this series was the 1st cover in the last 4 times the Celtics were off of a game where they allowed 100 points or less. I look for the Bulls to respond in a big way here after scoring under 100 in back to back home games. Look for Boston to drop to 1-4 ATS the last 5 times they've been off of a game where they held their team under the century mark. The Celtics are an ugly 4-10 ATS this season when playing with 2 days of rest between games. The Bulls are a fantastic 8-4 ATS this season when playing with 2 days of rest between games. Look for the Celtics to drop to 17-27 ATS in home games this season while the Bulls improve to 29-19 ATS as an underdog this season. Big dog value being offered here as the Bulls are off of back to back losses and haven't lost three straight games since early March. They'll make some adjustments here sans Rondo. 10* CHICAGO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 8* Atlanta Hawks (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 6 ET - The home team has won and covered all 4 games of this series but there is a reason the odds makers are holding this number right in line with where it was in the first two meetings in this series in Washington. The fact is that the home dominance in this series is likely to be busted in Game 5. The Hawks have now won the battle of the boards in 3 of the 4 games and they've also cut down on the turnover issues that plagued them earlier in this series. Atlanta is 81-58 ATS in their games against teams with a winning record and, overall, the Hawks come into this game having covered 8 of their last 12. The Wizards are on a 10-17 ATS run entering this game and I believe the fact that this line opened up right in line with Games 1 and 2 of this series is an open invitation to take Washington. We all know what happens when something looks too good to be true...it usually is and I see the Hawks turning this series on its ear with a big upset win on the road but I'll grab the points here just in case. 8* ATLANTA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies (+) @ San Antonio Spurs @ 9 ET - The Spurs are getting heavily played again as this line is already up to double digits. Do you remember the Big 3 of the Spurs? Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker. Why do I mention this? Duncan is now retired. Ginobili is 0 for 15 in the series and still hasn't scored a single point. As for Parker, he did bounce back to play his best game of the series in Game 4 but he was held scoreless in Game 3 and his assists are way down in the post-season. The reason I mention all this is because the Spurs true star now (and arguably their only star), Kawhi Leonard scored 43 points in Game 4 and, guess what, San Antonio still lost! This is bad news for the Spurs because they just aren't the team they use to be. I know they had a great regular season but it's playoff time and for a team like Memphis (without the defender - Tony Allen - that was going to be key in slowing down Leonard) to be as tough on SA as they have been, it shows just how far the Spurs have fallen. Making the situation even worse for San Antonio is that they've now given Memphis the confidence that comes with back to back wins. Ever since the Memphis coach went off on all the officials after Game 2 you've seen a different Grizzlies team and they won't stop on Tuesday night. Memphis is now 9-4 SU and ATS in games against teams that allow 98 points or less on the season. Also, the Grizzlies thrive on the underdog role and building momentum from it. They are 12-8 ATS (and 14-6 SU!) when off of an upset win as an underdog this season! The Spurs are just 4-9 ATS this season when playing with 2 days of rest between games and though they should get the home win tonight it's very likely to be an all out war decided by single digits. That said, grab the big points in this one. 10* MEMPHIS

TNT Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 8* Oklahoma City Thunder (+) @ Houston Rockets @ 8 ET - The Rockets blew out the Thunder by 31 points in Game 1 of this series. Since then, every single game has been tight with none of the last 3 games being decided by more than 4 points. I certainly don't see that changing here in what is a "win or go home for the summer" game for Oklahoma City. As strong as Houston is, the fact is that the Thunder (ever since the game 1 "reality check") have put up quite a fight in this series and I certainly don't see that stopping here! OKC shot better from the field than the Rockets in Games 3 and 4 and they've shot better from three point land in 3 of the 4 games in this series. Oklahoma City has proven to be that they're not going to go away quietly and these points are simply too much for Tuesday's Game 5. The Rockets were on a 1-10 ATS skid before covering both games at Oklahoma City. The Thunder are 7-2 ATS when playing with home loss revenge this season and they'll be looking to bounce back after coming up just short in Game 4. Also, the Rockets are 2-4 ATS this season (and 14-23 ATS the L3 seasons) when off of an upset win as an underdog. If Nene Hilario hadn't gone 12 for 12 from the field the Rockets would not have won that Game 4 and I look for them to struggle to put away this resilient Thunder team Tuesday as Russell Westbrook does everything he can to send this series back to OKC. 8* OKLAHOMA CITY

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Monday 8* Milwaukee Bucks (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7 ET - Off of an embarrassing home loss where the Bucks shot just 37% from the field and had 20 turnovers Sunday, look for Milwaukee to respond here. These teams have alternated wins and losses in this series and I wouldn't be surprised to see that trend continue. The Bucks are 9-2 ATS the last 11 times they are off of a loss by 6 points or more and they were drilled by 11 in Milwaukee on Sunday. That big Raptors road win was their first ATS cover in this series and Toronto is still just 3-12 ATS in 1st round playoff games the last 3 seasons combined. As usual, look for the Raptors to have trouble with developing consistent success. Not only has playoff success been elusive for Toronto but, over the last 4 weeks, they've only had back to back covers once. Even if the Raptors do get the SU win here look for the half dozen points they're laying to prove to be too much! 8* MILWAUKEE

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 6:30 ET - The Rajon Rondo injury is certainly impacting to the Bulls but it is also far from being insurmountable. I look for Chicago to bounce back in a big way at home after getting embarrassed at home on Friday. Certainly that final score looks ugly as the Bulls fell by 17 points to the Celtics but Boston knocked down 46% of their three pointers and outscored Chicago by 33 points from beyond the arc. That's your ballgame right there and that is highly unlikely to be repeated on Sunday. The Celtics won big in Game 3 despite being outrebounded (they've lost badly on boards in this series) and despite attempting just 7 free throws! Now you can see why I am expecting Chicago to prevail in Game 4. They will respond at home after the embarrassing home loss. Keep in mind, the Bulls had covered 4 straight and 12 of their last 16 before losing Friday. Also, the Celtics had failed to cover 9 of their last 12 before the big win in Game 3. The Bulls are 28-18 ATS as an underdog this season. The Celtics are 5-12 ATS this season when off of a win by 10 points or more. Even with the win Friday, Boston is still just 3-10 SU in playoff games the last 3 seasons combined. Look for the Bulls to improve to 7-3 SU and ATS in their last 10 playoff games as they are poised to bounce back and win outright here but certainly I will grab the points being offered. 10* CHICAGO

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (+) @ Oklahoma City Thunder @ 3:30 ET - The Rockets don't want to give the Thunder any hope in this series and that means they certainly can't afford to lose another tight one at Oklahoma City. Houston can't allow the Thunder to tie it up and I like the Rockets chances to take the 3-1 lead here. Keep in mind, the Thunder shot 55.4% from the field (including 47.4% from three point land) and the Rockets were held under 46% from the field plus misfired on 25 of their 35 three pointers and yet Houston still only lost Game 3 by a bucket! That says a lot right there and I expect a more "normal" shooting performance tonight. The noteworthy aspect of that is the fact that OKC had been held to 43.5% or less from the field in 10 of their last 12 games before the offensive explosion on Friday night. As for the Rockets, they haven't been held below 45.8% from the field in any of their last 4 games. Also, on the season, Houston is the better three point shooting team so the Game 3 result certainly was a bit of an aberration. The Rockets are 10-4 ATS this season as an underdog. Houston is also 19-11 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. OKC is 7-14 ATS this season (and 17-35 ATS the L3 seasons combined) in games with a posted total of 220 points or more. The Thunder also are 22-37 (SU and ATS) the last 3 seasons combined in games against teams that average 106 points or more per game. 10* HOUSTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* Indiana Pacers (+) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 1 ET - Devastating loss for sure the way the Pacers lost Game 3 to the incredible Cavs comeback. However, a closer look at the boxscore reveals why I won't hesitate to back the home dog in Game 4 as I expect Indiana to fight incredibly hard to avoid getting swept out of the post-season. The Pacers don't want this to happen on their home floor and now, about that boxscore. Cleveland's comeback was keyed by the fact they made a ridiculous 21 of 44 three pointers! Simply put, that's not happening again and, even with that insane shooting performance the Cavaliers only won the game by 5 points. Note that Indiana outrebounded the Cavs, made more shots from inside the arc, and made more free throws. The fact that Cleveland made 21 three pointers was the difference in the game and the likelihood of that happening again rests somewhere between slim and nil. Keep in mind the Pacers had covered 8 straight games before that ATS loss. Also, the Cavaliers had covered just 5 of their last 18 games before that miracle win and cover. The Cavs are 7-13 ATS this season when on a winning streak of 3 games or more. The Pacers are 6-3 ATS this season when they are on a losing streak of 3 or more games. 8* INDIANA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (-) vs Washington Wizards @ 5:30 ET - The Hawks lost the turnover battle in each of the first two games and that proved to be the difference maker in the two losses, each by single digits. They truly had a great shot at winning the 2nd game outright but lost the game and the cover late in that one. Look for Atlanta to respond now that they're back home where they've won 4 straight games and also covered 3 straight. The home team has won 6 of the last 7 meetings between these teams and all the games have been decided by at least 3 points. The low line here makes sense considering the Wizards were favored by about 5 or 6 at home but the fact is the low number gives great line value to a solid home team. Atlanta is 93-43 SU in home games the last 3 seasons combined. The Wizards are 11-21 SU the last 32 times they've been a dog. That said, any SU loss is likely to also result in an ATS loss for Washington here considering the low number posted on this game. The Hawks are 3-1 ATS the last 4 times they've been held to 40.5% or less from the field. After a poor shooting performance in Game 2, and hungry and highly motivated for a win to get back in this series and avoid the 'death wish' of a 3-0 hole, look for thee Hawks to respond and get the big home win here. 10* ATLANTA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 8* Toronto Raptors (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 3 ET - The last 6 times the Raptors have been held under 40% from the field they've responded every single time with a win, a perfect 6-0 SU mark. Toronto did win the battle of the boards again in Game Three and I look for them to be even more aggressive tonight after the embarrassing loss at Milwaukee by 27 points in Game 3. The Raptors are 6-3 SU this season when off of a loss by a double digit margin. The Bucks are 7-18 ATS the last 3 seasons when they are off of a game where they allowed 85 points or less. The Raptors are known for "ups and downs" in playoff series but, as they've done in the past, they'll make the proper adjustments and come up huge in Game Four after that embarrassing Game 3 loss. Look for the Raptors to improve to 7-0 SU the L7 times they've been held under 40% from the field but I'll also gladly grab the couple points being offered here in case they fall just short in a heart-breaker. 8* TORONTO

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Friday 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (+) @ Oklahoma City Thunder @ 9:30 ET - Oklahoma City took 19 more shots from the field in Game Two compared to the Rockets and also had fewer turnovers and won the battle of the boards. However, the end result was a loss for the Thunder and that certainly doesn't bode well for Game Three for OKC. The problem for Oklahoma City is they're just not shooting well at all right now. The Thunder have been held to 43.5% or less from the field in 7 straight games and 10 of their last 12. The Rockets are at 49% so far in this series and even though Houston has been held under their season average of 36% from three point land, the Rockets have still managed to win both games. You know a big game from Houston's outside shooters is coming and, that said, when the markets zig I am glad to zag as most everyone is likely to be backing the Thunder here at home since they're in an 0-2 hole and now back home. This ignores the fact that, sans Durant, the Thunder are just 1-5 and the lone OKC win came by just 2 points. That said, giving the Rockets the 2.5 or 3 points they're getting in this match-up, Houston would be on a 6-0 ATS run their last 6 versus Oklahoma City. In fact, the Rockets are on a 10-3 ATS run the last 3 seasons combined versus OKC and that includes 5-1 ATS in games played at Oklahoma City. The Thunder are 5-15 SU this season in games with a posted total of 220 points or more and I again expect the Rockets offensive potency to prove to be took much for OKC here. Westbrook is simply being asked to do too much with this team. Look for the Rockets to improve to 11-4 ATS as an underdog this season. 10* HOUSTON

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies (+) @ San Antonio Spurs @ 9:30 ET - Of course the Memphis head coach made some headlines with his comments about the officiating after Game Two and got fined $30K for said comments. One could argue it may end up being the best $30K he's ever spent! I jest of course but there is some truth to my statement. The Grizzlies are fired up, they are back home, they should get some calls tonight, and let's not forget that Memphis split the season series with the Spurs as they won both games at home. In fact, including regular season and post-season, the home team has now won 6 straight match-ups between these teams! Of course the absence of Tony Allen has hurt the Grizzlies here against the Spurs in this series but this is the do or die game for Memphis as they have chance to either make the series "interesting" tonight or they fall into a 3-0 hole. I believe the former will prove true but I am grabbing the points in case the Grizzlies fall just short and lose a close one. The fact is that Memphis is going to go "all out" tonight and the Spurs, even with the win in Game 2, are still just 4-4 SU (and 3-5 ATS) when leading in a playoff series. The Grizzlies respond big here and I do like for the free throw disparity gap to be closing in a big way in tonight's game. That had a big role in the Spurs only attempting 61 field goals compared to 82 for the Grizzlies and yet San Antonio still won the game by a double digit margin. Big changes coming tonight. 10* MEMPHIS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 8* Toronto Raptors (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 8 ET - Give the Bucks credit, not only did they win Game 1 but they kept battling back in Game 2. The telling statistic though is that the Bucks biggest lead in the entire game was 3 points. The Raptors led most of the way and led the game by as much as 13 points. Toronto kept pulling away but then the Bucks would battle back each time. However, while the Raptors shot 48% from the three point line and from inside the arc, the Bucks made 47% of their threes but only 39% from inside the arc. Toronto, after being challenged by Milwaukee with the loss in Game One, came out with a much stronger game in Game Two and neither team is likely to be so hot from three point land in this one. In other words, advantage Raptors as they've made some adjustments that paid off with easier 2-point buckets for them and tougher shots for the Bucks. Of course it looks easy to back the Bucks here at home since they're laying such a short number and had a solid home record this season but, keep in mind, the Raptors road record was just as strong as the Bucks record in Milwaukee. Also, Toronto is 6-1 SU when tied in a playoff series in recent seasons while Milwaukee has a long-term mark of 3-9 SU in the playoffs when they are tied in a playoff series and truly they don't have the recent experience level in post-season that the Raptors have. Toronto also has been red hot long-term with 13 wins in their last 16 games while the Bucks have lost 5 of their last 8. The home team will be the popular choice tonight and long-time followers know how I feel about "popular" choices! 8* TORONTO

Eastern Conference Game of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 7 ET - The Hawks, after losing game one despite outrebounding the Wizards and earning 22 more free throw attempts and having the stronger bench play, will make the proper adjustments in game two. The two day break should favor Atlanta and they're plenty familiar with John Wall and company and can't let them run wild like they did in the 3rd quarter on Sunday. That was the difference maker in the game as the Hawks looked strong in the first half. Atlanta is 27-11 SU when playing with 2 days of rest between games. Also, prior to the game one result, the dog had gotten the cash in 5 of the last 7 meetings between these teams. The Hawks 4 prior visits to Washington had resulted in 1 outright win and two losses by 4 or less points. Good value with the points here considering that Atlanta, before a meaningless season finale, had gone 6-2 SU with one of the 2 losses by just a bucket. Washington had gone just 8-9 SU to wrap up the regular season and 5 of their last 9 wins this season came by 5 points or less. The defense of the Wizards let them down late in the season while the Hawks defense had tightened things up to close out the season. In other words, don't overreact to the Game 1 result. The Wizards took Game 1 but I certainly would not be surprised to see the Hawks even this up with an outright win and there is definitely added value with the generous points being offered. Looking at the last 14 games between these teams there has not been a single occurrence where one has beaten the other by more than 4 points in back to back games. I like those odds! 10* ATLANTA HAWKS

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 8 ET - The normal reaction here would be to back the Celtics at home and looking to avoid going into an 0-2 hole in this series. However, Boston showed some very concerning signs in Game One and even if Chicago doesn't again get the upset here, the points should prove to be enough for the cover. Boston got dominated on the glass on Sunday and they've been losing the battle of the boards far too often of late while the Bulls are on a streak where they've been a rebounding machine the past few weeks. Chicago also has been playing rock solid defense with only 89.4 points allowed per game in their last 5 games. Boston has struggled at times on the defensive end late in the season and that was expected to potentially change come playoff time but perhaps the added distraction of Isaiah Thomas' sister having passed away in a car accident is impacting the team. In any event, the Bulls certainly look like the hungrier, fresher team and Chicago is on a 9-4 ATS run in playoff games while the Celtics are on a 2-9 SU run in playoff games! The Bulls are 27-17 ATS as an underdog this season while Boston is 2-7 ATS this season when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games at home. Look for the hungry road dog to be in this one all the way. They're aggressive, they've got some key veteran players, and they're confident as they've won 8 of their last 10 games. 10* CHICAGO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 8* Toronto Raptors (-) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7 ET - The last 5 times the Raptors have been held under 40% from the field they've responded every single time with a win and cover, a perfect 5-0 ATS mark. Toronto did win the battle of the boards in Game One and I look for them to be even more aggressive tonight after losing at home by double digits Saturday. The Raptors are 9-4 ATS this season when playing with 2 days of rest between games. The Bucks are 6-18 ATS the last 3 seasons when they are off of a game where they allowed 85 points or less. The Raptors are known for Game One struggles in playoff series but, as they've done in the past, they'll make the proper adjustments and come up huge in Game Two. 8* TORONTO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Monday 8* Indiana Pacers (+) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7 ET - With the Pacers one point loss at Cleveland on Saturday, Indiana is now a perfect 7-0 ATS in the month of April. I see no reason to not keep riding the Pacers and their ATS streak. The Cavaliers are at the other end of the spectrum as they're currently on a 5-12 ATS run. Keep in mind, Cleveland failed to cover Game One of this series despite shooting 54% from the field and that says a lot right there. The Cavs are highly unlikely to again shoot that well tonight. Cleveland is now 6-11 ATS this season (and 20-39 ATS the last 3 seasons) in divisional games. The Pacers are 6-2 ATS in all playoff games in recent seasons. Indiana is also 2-0 SU and ATS when trailing in a playoff series and long-term the Pacers are 27-15 ATS when trailing in a playoff series. After coming up just short in Game One, Indiana will go even harder in Game Two and should the Pacers again fall short of the upset, the points should prove to be more than enough here. 8* INDIANA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (-) vs Chicago Bulls @ 6:30 ET - The markets reacted, as expected, to the news that Isaiah Thomas' sister tragically passed away in a car accident early Saturday morning. Now a line that was as high as a -8 has dropped to a -6. This is as if bettors have intimate knowledge of the family, how close knit they are or are not, and how Thomas will react to this. News flash: they really don't know any of this. That said, Thomas is going to play Sunday and I expect his teammates to also rally around him and I also can tell you that when looking at some of the historical events with this family and Thomas being on the East Coast and his sister on the West Coast I think it is evident that this is not going to be nearly as impacting as many think it would be. In any event, I would have been fine laying 8 here but am even happier to lay just 6. By the way, I don't mean to make light of the passing of someone in the Thomas family. I express my condolences on that. I am just saying it's unlikely to be anywhere as impacting to Thomas as some think it may be. If anything it is likely to drive he and his Celtics teammates (on his behalf) to play even harder on Sunday evening. I know the Bulls made a nice late season push and have some playoff veterans. However, I also know that the Celtics earned this #1 seed and are now being severely undervalued even though they have the home court edge. The Celtics went 11-6 ATS against Central Division opponents this season. The Bulls went 3-8 SU (and 4-7 ATS) this season when off of a game where they allowed 90 points or less. The home team has won each of the last 7 meetings between these teams and the average margin of victory has been 8 points. Look for the home team to get it done again and 11 of the Celtics last 14 wins have been by 7 points or more. 12 of the Bulls last 15 losses have come by 7 points or more. 10* BOSTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* Atlanta Hawks (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 1 ET - Look for defense to be the difference maker here. The Wizards big weakness is defense and they allowed their opponents to hit at least 49.4% from the field in 15 of their last 23 games! As for the Hawks, they have held their opponents to less than 46.3% from the field in 18 of their last 26 games. Washington finished up the season on an 8-9 run and 4 of the 8 wins came by 5 points or less. Atlanta, before a meaningless season finale where they benched their starts, won 6 of their last 8 games and one of the two losses came by just a bucket. Even though the Wizards took 3 of the 4 regular season meetings, two of the three wins came by 4 points or less. Also, they've met only once since late January and the Hawks truly have turned things up a notch on defense during their late season run while the Wizards defensive shortcomings became even more apparent in their late season fade. Grab the value with the dangerous, defensive-minded road dog here. 8* ATLANTA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 10* Top Play San Antonio Spurs (-) vs Memphis Grizzlies @ 8 ET - Memphis gave the Spurs some trouble in the regular season and, as a result, we're being given some line value here. Let's not forget that in the post-season last year San Antonio ripped the Grizzlies by an average margin of 22 points per game in an absolute shellacking of Memphis. While the Spurs are not necessarily the same team as last year, they are still unquestionably one of the league's best teams and, in game one, they host a Grizzlies team that relies on physical play and defense to overcome it's offensive shortcomings. That said, Memphis has a major problem here as they lost Tony Allen to injury in their final regular season game. He is a veteran defensive stalwart that the Grizzlies absolutely had to have to have a real shot at slowing down Kawhi Leonard. With Allen out, Leonard is going to run roughshod over the Grizzlies and let's also not forget the Spurs are one of the top three point shooting teams in the league. This one is likely to quickly turn into a home rout as San Antonio takes advantage of an Allen-less Grizz team that lost 9 of its last 12 games. Memphis went 1-11 SU (and ATS!) when playing with 2 days of rest this season. The Spurs are 9-2 in the last 11 meetings with the Grizzlies and the average margin of victory in those 9 games was 15.7 points per win! Look for another home rout here! 10* SAN ANTONIO

Puck Line Punisher - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Chicago Blackhawks Puck Line -1.5 goals +180 vs Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET Saturday - I know it may seem a little "scary" to lay the 1.5 goals with the Blackhawks here, this is a huge plus money return being offered and Chicago needs to bounce back at home after dropping game one of this series. The Hawks simply can't afford to go down 0-2 to the Preds and they are fired up about responding here. Should we expect them to respond? You bet! They went 7-1 the past 2 seasons when they were trailing in a playoff series. 4 of Nashville's last 6 losses have come by a margin of 2 goals or more. 13 of the Blackhawks last 17 wins have been decided by a margin of 2 goals or more. As you can see from those stats, if you're expecting Chicago to win here, there are strong odds that point toward the win coming by at least two goals. The Blackhawks are so fired up after last year's first round exit versus St Louis that I am certain they are going to respond in a huge way here against the Predators. By the way, 5 of the Hawks last 7 wins have come by a margin of at least 2 goals.  Also, the Preds went 0-4 this season when off of a shutout win. When on the road after a shutout win, the Predators lost the 2 games by a combined score of 10 to 3 with one loss by 3 goals and the other defeat by 4 goals. I look for a another blowout loss here. 10* CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS puck line -1.5 goals