Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Thursday Washington Capitals Puck Line -1.5 goals +145 vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:05 ET - Braden Holtby will be between the pipes for the Caps tonight. The last time he faced the Maple Leafs he got pulled after allowing 3 goals on 8 shots in early January. The Capitals went on to win that game in OT. They have only faced the Leafs once since then and that game was a blowout 4-1 win at Toronto with Philipp Grubauer in goal. That means tonight is Holtby's first opportunity for revenge since he had that early exit 3 months ago. Not only is Holtby likely to get payback here but the Maple Leafs simply can't stop the Capitals. The Caps scored 10 goals in their last 2 games against Toronto and the Leafs limped into the playoffs with 3 losses in their last 4 games. That's what dropped them in the playoff seedings and forced them to face Washington in this first round series. Bad news for the Maple Leafs and they get blown out here. The money line on this game opened up at less than -200 and is now up as high as a -260 but the puck line has hardly moved. Of course I would never lay that type of money line anyway on a game but what I will tell you is there is great value with the Capitals in a significant plus money range at -1.5 goals. 6 of the Leafs last 9 losses have come by a multiple goal margin! 8 of the Caps last 11 wins have come by 2 goals or more. Lay the goal and a half here and let's look to collect plus money in this one! 8* Washington Capitals on the PUCK LINE at -1.5 goals early Thursday evening

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks (+) @ Memphis Grizzlies @ 8:05 ET - The Mavericks will likely play without Dirk Nowitzki and Jose Juan Barea tonight and, as a result, this line has jumped tremendously. This is even though Memphis has no concern about this game whatsoever and the Grizzlies head coach admitted he is spending zero time worrying about the Mavericks and all of his focus is going into their upcoming playoff opponent, the Spurs. The hungry role players that will be on the floor tonight for Dallas are playing their final game of the the season. Conversely, the Grizzlies players (including the bench) are excited about the upcoming post-season and are just trying to stay sharp in tonight's game. I give the Mavericks a great shot at winning this game outright as the players who are on the floor tonight will be giving it their all and looking to close out the season with a win while the Grizzlies only concern is staying healthy for a big match-up with the Spurs coming up. By the way, Memphis has lost 8 of their last 11 games and have gone 1-10 SU and ATS this season when playing with two days of rest between games. The Mavericks are 15-10 ATS this season when off of a double digit loss and they'll be the more focused team in tonight's game. Grab the big dog value in a game where distracted Memphis just isn't likely to score enough to get a big cover no matter who the Mavs have on the floor. The Grizzlies have only reached triple digits 4 times in their last 11 games! This should be an ugly game where there is solid line value with the big points! 10* DALLAS plus the points Wednesday evening

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach MLB Wednesday 8* St Louis Cardinals Run Line +1.5 runs (-) @ Washington Nationals @ 4:05 ET - The total on this game is only 7.5 and a tight, low-scoring ballgame can be expected. The wind is blowing in from left field and runs could be tough to come by in this one. That has created excellent line value here with the Cardinals on the run line. The Cards Mike Leake only needed 92 pitches to go 8 innings in his first start this season. This built on a strong spring for the right-hander whom is showing improved command of his pitches. Leake took a 2-1 loss at Washington in his most recent start here but was solid as he allowed just 2 solo homers in a 7-inning stint. As for the Nationals, Max Scherzer, he does seem recovered from a finger injury that had bothered him through the off-season and in spring training. However, he did struggle with command and allowed 5 earned runs in his most recent home start versus the Cardinals. This is the finale of a 3-game set and, after being blasted in their last 3 games (including the first 2 of this series), the Cards will be ready to respond here. Don't be surprised if the Cardinals avoid the sweep but, if they do fall short, I expect it to be by just a single run and this is a very fair price being offered on the run line with the Cards. Scherzer's last 3 starts (dating back to last October) have all been one run games. 8* St Louis Cardinals RUN LINE +1.5 runs Wednesday afternoon

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (+) @ Dallas Mavericks @ 8:35 ET - The Nuggets playoff hopes got dashed by a last second super long three pointer against the Thunder and, as disappointing as that is, Denver knew their post-season chances were slim. The fact is, the way they lost to OKC is going to have the Nuggets fired up here. That was their final home game of the season and Oklahoma City ruined it for them. What is the only thing that Denver can do now to make up for it per se? They can beat the Mavericks in their home finale and at least ruin someone else's. You can bet (literally!) that the Nuggets are geared up to do just that here. Look for a strong effort from the road team here as they look to avenge a 20 point loss in their only other visit to Dallas this season. It's time for redemption and they want to do to the Mavs what the Thunder just did to them. The Nuggets had covered 4 straight and 11 of 15 before that loss. Conversely, the Mavericks come into this game having lost 4 straight and 8 of their last 9. The Mavs have seen each of their last 3 games go over the total as they've allowed an average of 113 points per game with some sub-par defense included! The past 3 seasons combined, when the Mavericks are on a 3-0 run to the over, they have gone 8-16 ATS! The D is just not there for the Mavs right now, and the Nuggets will bring their D in the Big D tonight as they look to let out some frustration. Look for the Nuggets to improve to 15-7 ATS in their last 22 games against teams with a losing record. 10* DENVER

NBA TV Blowout ATS Rout - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 8* Oklahoma City Thunder (+) @ Minnesota Timberwolves @ 8:05 ET - The Timberwolves have lost 11 of 14 games. Granted the Thunder got Russell Westbrook his record and also are locked into their seeding for the post-season so they have little to play for here. However, the T-wolves only have 3 wins in their last 14 games and 2 of those wins came by only a single point. Also, Minny just lost to the Lakers as a 6 point favorite. Even with OKC resting some guys and letting back-ups get plenty of minutes here, think of how bad the Lakers are and how many of them would actually beat out guys that are on the Thunder roster. The point is that this line is inflated given the talent of depth of Oklahoma City as well as the fact that they're motivated by a 10 point loss in their last meeting with the Timberwolves. OKC is 10-3 ATS when off of a divisional game and 6-3 ATS when off of an upset win as an underdog. The Thunder also are 10-5 ATS in their last 15 games against teams that allow 106 points or more per game. The Timberwolves are 13-22 ATS as a favorite this season and 25-42 ATS the last 3 seasons combined. They are a young team that has trouble closing teams out and the Thunder will surprise here as they get revenge even with guys sitting and resting. The bench steps up. 8* OKLAHOMA CITY

Rickenbach NBA Monday 8* Washington Wizards (+) @ Detroit Pistons @ 8 ET - I realize that the Pistons are closing out The Palace of Auburn Hills. However, Detroit is also closing out another disappointing campaign where they've fallen short of the post-season. That said, even though the Wizards are going to rest some guys as they're preparing for the playoffs and are locked into position, Washington also wants to get some momentum back and strengthen it's bench play as it prepares for the first round of playoff action. That being the case, 4 losses in their last 6 games is not going to cut it and the Wizards know they must start playing better. I look for a strong effort from the road team here and the fact that Washington has gone from a 3.5 point favorite to a 3.5 point dog in this match-up is huge in terms of the line value. The Pistons are in a back to back here and have gone 5-11 ATS (and 3-13 SU) in the 2nd game of a back to back this season. The Wizards are 22-14 SU (and 23-13 ATS) when playing with revenge this season and, unlike Detroit, they were off yesterday. 8* WASHINGTON

Rickenbach NBA Monday 10* Top Play Charlotte Hornets (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 8:05 ET - The Bucks just clinched a playoff spot and I know they have some motivation to win here because of seeding for the playoffs but I also know they're laying big points here considering the Hornets just got eliminated from the post-season over the weekend and would love nothing more than to upset the Bucks tonight. Charlotte will be motivated by the opportunity to push the Bucks down a little in the standings. Keep in mind, this is a unique situation as Milwaukee just got in this past weekend and Charlotte just got knocked out over the weekend. That makes this a bit of a revenge spot for the Hornets who also do have true revenge here because they lost at home to the Bucks two weeks ago. The road team has covered 6 straight meetings in this series and the away team has notched the outright SU win on the road in 5 straight meetings. Even though the Bucks are expected to have Malcolm Brogdon back tonight his back may flare up on him again and he is truly not 100% and, also, Giannis Antetokounmpo is still dealing with an illness. That is why, even though Kemba Walker of the Hornets may not play tonight, I still like the road dog to put up one helluva fight in this game and that should be enough for the road cash even if they fall short of the upset win. It's payback time here. 10* CHARLOTTE

Rickenbach NBA 8* Monday Philadelphia 76'ers (+) vs Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - The Pacers need to win as they still haven't locked up a post-season spot while the 76'ers have been eliminated for a long time. That said, Indiana just has to be the play here, right? As usual, the old "must win" scenario is very over-priced and the market has pushed it even higher. The Pacers are now laying 9 points on the road and, keep in mind, Indiana is only 12-28 in road games this season and the 76'ers have gone 17-23 at home. Also, this is Philly's home finale so they are certainly are not going to just "lay down" for this game. Give me the big home dog here! The Sixers are 21-12 ATS (including a perfect 3-0 this season) when off of a game where they scored 85 points or less. The Pacers are 6-11 ATS in games against Atlantic Division opponents and, as noted above, the home/road dichotomy is huge here as Indiana has gone just 15-25 ATS in road games this season while the 76'ers have gone 26-14 ATS in home games this season. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks (+) @ Phoenix Suns @ 6:05 ET - The first numbers posted on this one had Dallas as a 2.5 point favorite and they are now a 1.5 point underdog as of early Sunday morning. With a full 4 point move here we are even getting more line value in a game where the Mavs are highly motivated and catching the Suns at the right time for a big win. Keep in mind, Phoenix is off of their huge win over Russell Westbrook and company as they knocked off the Thunder by a 120-99 final on Friday night. Prior to that win the Suns had lost 13 straight and they could definitely come out a little flat here. Dallas has lost two home match-ups with Phoenix this season as they Mavericks only win over the Suns was a victory in a neutral site game played in Mexico. Phoenix is 2-11 SU in Sunday games this season while the Mavericks are 9-1 SU (and 10-0 ATS!) in Sunday games this season. I don't use a lot of "day of the week" trends but the Sunday trends are worth paying attention too because the Sunday games involves two key factors. That is, how a team handles things the night before (being that it is a Saturday night) and then how they prep for what is generally an earlier than usual tip-off the next day. As you can see from those numbers above, Dallas has handled it well this season and Phoenix certainly has not. Also, going further back, the last 3 seasons combined Dallas is 24-11 SU in Sunday games while Phoenix is 11-27 SU! The Mavs will be hungry to bounce back after their home loss to the Spurs Friday and the Mavericks are 14-8 ATS this when off of a loss by a double digit margin. The Suns are off the huge win over the Thunder and Phoenix has gone 8-13 ATS (and 5-16 SU) this season when off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. I'll gladly fade them in this spot as the Mavericks are out for revenge. 10* DALLAS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* Denver Nuggets (-) vs Oklahoma City Thunder @ 5:05 ET - Denver is still alive in the playoff race and the team they're chasing, Portland, is off until tomorrow. That means nothing is going to change the mindset of the Nuggets here. They're going to go hard and try to stay alive as they know their playoff hopes, though slim, are still there. They could be catching the right team at the right time. The Thunder would like to help Russell Westbrook get his triple double record but, other than that, the main concern of Oklahoma City right now is to just stay healthy. That was evident in the 21 point beating that they just took at Phoenix on Friday night. Now the Thunder face a motivated Nuggets team and Denver has a long losing streak in this series and are highly motivated by that as well as the playoff implications. The Nuggets have covered 4 straight games and the Thunder are on a 4-6 ATS run overall and have failed to cover 9 of their last 14 road games as well. OKC is 4-12 SU (and 5-11 ATS) in games with a posted total of 220 or more this season. The Nuggets are 23-15 ATS in games with a posted total of 220 or more this season. Denver is off of a big win over New Orleans Friday and they are 13-8 ATS when off of a win by a margin of 10 points or more this season. Look for the Nuggets to improve to 7-2 ATS in Sunday games this season. 8* DENVER

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 8* Miami Heat (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - I am well aware of the fact that this is a tough back to back spot for the Heat. But these things must be treated differently late in the season. A back to back at this time of the year is not the same as one early in the season or mid-season. In this case for Miami, after falling just short at Toronto last night, it's do or die time. The Heat need to win and keep their playoff hopes alive. Until their playoff chances are pronounced dead they are not going to stop fighting. That said, I see great line value here. Washington's defensive inadequacies continue to do them in. The Wizards are off of a non-covering win at New York and are now on a 6-14 ATS run. Even if they win this game versus Miami (and certainly the Heat are the more motivated team) they may not cover this inflated number. The Wizards are 14-10 in their last 24 games but only 4 of the 24 games was a Wizards win by double digits. They just don't blow teams out very often and Miami is a dog by half a dozen here and that's a sizable spread for them. Even though the Heat have cooled off and are only 10-7 in their last 17 games, only 2 of those 17 games resulted in a Miami loss by more than 4 points. The Heat are 12-2 ATS in the 2nd game of a back to back this season. They're also on an 11-1 ATS run in games against teams with a winning record. Look for the Wizards long-term ATS woes to continue here as the Heat are once again playing their "game of the year" as wins are so critical for them right now. 8* MIAMI

PA Insider - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76'ers (+) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:05 ET - The Sixers were held to a ridiculous 36.3% from the field in Thursday's home game versus the Bulls and still only lost the game by 12 points. I expect Philly to bounce back and shoot much better here and that's bad news for a Bucks team that is simply playing pathetic and inexcusable basketball right now. Milwaukee hasn't even managed to punch their ticket to the playoffs just yet because they've lost 3 straight games. Overall it's an 0-4 ATS run for the Bucks and they've averaged just 84 points per game in their last two games and yet they've allowed 106.4 points per game in their last 7 games. It looks like Milwaukee is falling back into old habits and the Sixers are a dangerous home dog when they're motivated. That said, the Bucks have had the 76'ers number in recent meetings in Philly and the Sixers will be out for some payback here. This is especially true with Philadelphia coming off of back to back embarrassing performances at home. The 76'ers played awful defense in one game and had awful offense in the next. They still have covered 11 of their last 14 games against teams with a winning record and are 20-8 ATS this season when playing with home loss revenge. Also, the Sixers are 19-8 ATS when off of a loss by a double digit margin. The Bucks are an ugly 5-11 ATS against Atlantic Division foes this season. Also, Milwaukee is 16-27 ATS in their games against teams with a losing record this season. The Bucks underestimate the 76'ers here and I smell an upset but will certainly grab the generous points. 10* PHILADELPHIA

NBA TV Blowout ATS Rout - Rickenbach NBA Friday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (+) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:35 ET - The very first number that came out on this game was a -9 for Cleveland and now the Cavaliers are all the way up to being a 12 point choice in this game. I'll gladly grab the value on the other side with the Hawks plus the big points. Atlanta is likely to be without Paul Millsap but, keep in mind, the Cavs are expected to be without Tristan Thompson and that hurts since they don't have Andrew Bogut whom they had high hopes for before he got hurt a month ago. The interior defense of the Cavaliers is going to be impacted here and I look for Dwight Howard and company to take advantage. This game has meaning for both teams so I expect plenty of intensity from both teams and a much closer game than many are expecting here. Keep in mind, the road team has won 4 straight meetings between these teams. Atlanta is seeking revenge for a hard-fought 5-point home loss to the Cavaliers in their most recent meeting. The Cavs are suddenly receiving a lot of love because they just trounced Boston but the Hawks are also coming off of a win over the Celtics. Also, let's not forget that Cleveland had lost 11 of their last 18 games before their recent 4-game winning streak. By the way the 4 victories have included wins over the Magic and 76'ers (2 very poor teams) as well as a 5-point win over Indiana. This is simply too many points in a game that means a lot to Atlanta. The Hawks have won 3 of 5 after a tough recent stretch and one of the two losses came by just a bucket. The point is they should hang tough in this one throughout. The Hawks are 16-10 ATS as an underdog this season and 11-4 ATS in divisional games. The Cavaliers are 7-12 ATS this season when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more. 10* ATLANTA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Friday 8* Miami Heat (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:35 ET - Toronto has Kyle Lowry back but is beating a Pistons team that has lost 10 of 12 games really that great of a sign for the Raptors? Toronto had to rally just to get the win and the Pistons had been in an awful slump. Now the Raptors host a Heat team that is desperately hanging on to it's post-season hopes and that means they'll be very tough for Toronto to put away here. I would not be surprised to see Miami get the outright upset win they need but certainly there is value with the points being offered here. The Heat have been at their best in spots like this as they are on a 10-1 ATS run against teams with a winning record. Miami got an upset win at Charlotte Wednesday that they desperately needed. While that may seem like it makes this a good spot to fade them, the fact is that in a late-season spot like this with their playoff lives on the line, there is no way the Heat are going to come out flat here. Also, when off of an upset win as an underdog this season, Miami has gone 13-5 ATS this season! The Raptors are on an 11-18 ATS run in April games and, although Toronto still has some home court playoff seeding implications at stake here, they won't be able to match the intensity and will of a Heat team that is playing for their lives right now. That makes the dangerous, revenge minded dog the play here and the Heat are 10-5 ATS this season when playing with home loss revenge. 8* MIAMI early Friday evening

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 8* Brooklyn Nets (+) @ Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - Both teams are eliminated from post-season contention but the comparison ends there because Brooklyn is still playing hard but Orlando certainly is not. The Nets have won 3 straight and covered 13 of their last 17 games. The Magic have lost 5 straight and they've covered just 3 of their last 13 games. Orlando does have a home game on deck with Indiana and they may "rise up" in a game like that since they may be able to hurt the Pacers post-season chances. However, in a game like this, there is simply no reason for the Magic to be excited as they host a team they've beaten in 5 of the last 6 meetings. As for the Nets, not only are they still giving some strong effort on the floor, they are motivated by the late-season visit here last year where the Magic pummeled them 139-105 in a game where Orlando did not seem to let up. Look for the Nets to return the favor on the road this time around. The Magic have failed to cover 12 of their last 13 games against teams that allow 106 points or more per game. Also, on the season, Orlando is 1-7 (SU and ATS) in games with a posted total of 220 points or more. The Nets are 10-5 ATS in their last 15 games with a posted total of 219 points or more and I look for a road upset in this one but will grab the available points. 8* BROOKLYN NETS early Thursday evening

PA Insider - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (-) @ Philadelphia 76'ers @ 7:05 ET - The Sixers beat the Bulls in Chicago two weeks ago but much has changed since then. Philly is showing that they have officially thrown in the towel on the season. Yes, the lack of a shot at post-season has long been determined but at least Philadelphia was playing with some pride. However, they enter this game having lost 4 straight and the 76'ers have allowed a ridiculous shooting percentage of 56.5% from the field in their last 3 games. They now face a Bulls team seeking revenge and still alive in the playoff race. I highly doubt that Philadelphia is going to be able to match the intensity of Chicago in this one. The Bulls had won 4 straight before the loss to the Knicks and Chicago will bounce back here. They know they have 4 very winnable games to wrap up the regular season and they know it's basically a "win and your in" situation for them. The Bulls only shot 38% at New York Tuesday and they are 3-0 ATS the last 3 times they've been held under 41% from the field. Also, Philly is unlikely to shoot 55% like they did at Chicago two weeks ago. The 76'ers last 9 games featured the aberration that was the win at Chicago and, other than that, the 8 games saw the Sixers shoot a combined 42.7% from the field. Philadelphia is 8-15 ATS (and 3-20 SU) when they enter a game off of 3 more consecutive overs. The 76'ers also are now 1-15 SU in April games the past 3 seasons combined. The Bulls get the win here and I look for a big cover too as they improve upon a 31-20 ATS mark in their last 51 games against Atlantic Division opponents. Revenge time here. 10* CHICAGO early Thursday evening.

Rickenbach MLB Wednesday 8* Pittsburgh Pirates Run Line +1.5 runs (-) @ Boston Red Sox @ 7:10 ET - The Red Sox are priced very high here considering the Pirates arguably may have the better hurler on the mound in this one. Now certainly I still respect Boston, especially at home, and would not be surprised to see them tough out a one run win here. However, that is why I am laying a small price to have the Pirates at +1.5 runs here on the run line. Pittsburgh is a stellar 40-25 on the money line against left-handed starters the past two seasons combined. Of course some of those losses have come by a single run too so you can see the extra line value here with the run line. I know Chris Sale has fantastic long-term numbers but this is still a guy who had a 4.85 ERA in July last year, went 1-3 in August, then had a combined 4.39 ERA in September and October to wrap up last season. The point is that he is being given a little too much respect here. This is especially true when you consider that Jameson Taillon got stronger as the season went on last year in his rookie campaign. Sale will feel the pressure in his Red Sox debut while Taillon continues his strong run in a carry-over from last year's post-All Star break success. Boston is only 18-17 when playing with a day off the past two seasons while the Pirates are 25-15 and they'll be ready to respond after the 5-3 loss Monday. Grab that extra +1.5 in this one. 8* PITTSBURGH Run Line +1.5 runs

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 8* Charlotte Hornets (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - This is a classic case of "hot versus not" and, at the same time, it is also a game that means much more to the Hornets than the Wizards. Sure, Washington would like to get back on track after a disappointing finish to their road trip. But the first game back after a West Coast road trip is often the toughest one on an East Coast team and the Wizards just wrapped up playing 4 games in 6 days out West by getting blasted by 24 points at Golden State. Washington has now lost 3 straight games and they're playoff positioning at this point is really not giving them any huge motivation for winning games. Conversely, Charlotte has been playing "desperate" basketball of late as they are fighting hard for a playoff berth. The Hornets have won 3 straight games and 7 of their last 9. Also, Charlotte has gone 10-3 SU and ATS in divisional games this season. Off of an upset win at Oklahoma City many may want to fade the Hornets here but Charlotte is actually a perfect 3-0 SU this season when off of an upset win as an underdog. Also, the Wizards have covered only 5 games in their last 18 so it's not like their streak of sub-par play is only short-term. The fact is that Washington continues to be over-valued and they've covered only 1 home game since February 28th. The Hornets have not enjoyed success in recent trips to DC so there is no shortage of motivation here as they continue to fight for a playoff spot. The hungrier hot team catches the Wizards still reeling and needing more time to recover from their west coast road trip. 8* CHARLOTTE

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Monday 10* Top Play Portland Trail Blazers (+) @ Minnesota Timberwolves @ 7 ET - The Trail Blazers opened up as the favorite here but are now a 2 point dog. Of course many are looking at the fact that Minnesota is seeking revenge and would love to play the role of spoiler here. However, the Timberwolves just don't play enough defense to get the stops necessary to stay in front of the Trailblazers. The Blazers have won 6 straight games and 14 of their last 17. The Wolves have lost 7 of their last 9 games. Minny has only won 1 game in it last 7 meetings with Portland and that victory came by a single point. In other words, give the Blazers +2 (the line on this game as of early gameday morning) and they would be on a 7-0 ATS run in games against the T-wolves. The other reason people are likely fading Portland has to do with Jusuf Nurkic being out but Noah Vonleh got extra minutes against Phoenix as a result of Nurkic's absence and he scored 14 points and had 13 rebounds. The Blazers still have enough firepower to get past a Wolves team that has allowed a ridiculous 54% from the field during their current 2-7 streak their last 9 games. Look for more of the same Monday. The Trailblazers are 9-3 SU (and 8-4 ATS) in divisional games this season and 4-0 SU and ATS the last 4 times they've been off of a game where they scored 130 points or more. The Timberwolves are 4-8 SU in divisional games this season and 4-10 ATS when off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. 10* PORTLAND

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach Sunday NBA 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 3:35 ET - This line looks "funny" to me and long-time followers know how I feel about "strange" lines. They are usually set that way for a reason. In this case, the line on this game opened up with the Bucks as "only" a 5.5 point favorite even though Milwaukee has won 14 of 17 games and are at home hosting a Mavericks team that has lost 4 straight games and 8 of its last 11. The line appears even more "questionable" when one considers that not only are the Bucks the much hotter team but Dallas has gone 9-26 in road games this season. That said, in typical contrarian fashion, I am on the Mavs here. Now, as always, there is support for the contrarian decision. Even though the Bucks are motivated to improve their position in the playoff standings, the Mavericks are even more motivated to make sure they stay alive in the race for a post-season spot. Certainly things are looking bleak for Dallas but I don't see them stopping the fight until the final bell on their season has been rung. The Mavericks have gone 10-6 ATS their last 16 games against teams with a winning record. Also, the Mavs are a phenomenal 9-0 ATS (and 8-1 SU) in Sunday games this season! Could an outright upset be in the offing here? The Bucks are just 2-5 SU (and an ugly 1-6 ATS) in Sunday games this season. Milwaukee also is only 16-25 ATS in their games against teams with a losing record this season. Additionally, the Bucks are 6-16 ATS in recent season (and 52-93 ATS long-term) when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more. Grab the points! 10* MILWAUKEE plus the points Sunday.

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Saturday 10* Top Play North Carolina Tar Heels (-) vs Oregon Ducks @ 8:35 ET - Off of a blowout win versus Kansas where everything seemed to fall into place for the Ducks, it is the perfect time to fade them. Lets not forget Oregon won their three prior games in the tourney as follows: Faced a weak MAAC team (Iona) in the opener, beat Rhode Island by only 3 as 4.5 point choice, and rallied late to beat Michigan by a single point. Give credit to the Ducks for their hard work and effort but they now face their first truly tough test of the tourney as they face a North Carolina team that has a ton of experience in situations like this. The Tar Heels have faced a tougher schedule than the Ducks this season and UNC just beat a very strong Kentucky team. I know I was in the minority on this but I had the Wildcats winning the whole thing this season. Would not have surprised me in the least. The key to the value here is the Tar Heels beat the Wildcats despite making only 3 of 20 three pointers and they also had some issues with turnovers. In Oregon's win over the Jayhawks the Ducks knocked down 11 threes while Kansas made only 5 of 25 from downtown. So Oregon outscored Kansas by 18 points from downtown while UNC got outscored by 12 points from three point land yet both are off of wins. By taking the 3's out of the equation the Tar Heels would have beat Kentucky by 14 while the Ducks would have lost to Kansas by 4. I don't expect UNC to again shoot so poorly from three point land and the Ducks hot shooting is unlikely to continue as the long layoff between games doesn't help. Also, prior to the Wildcats hitting 36.8% of their threes against UNC, the Tar Heels had held 6 of their last 10 opponents under 29.3% from three point land. The Heels are 5-2 ATS as a neutral court fave of 3.5 to 6 points. The Ducks are 2-10 ATS long-term in neutral court games with a posted total in the 150 to 154.5 range. 10* NORTH CAROLINA

NBA TV Blowout ATS Rout - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (+) @ Chicago Bulls @ 5:05 ET - The Bulls are still fighting for a playoff spot but the Hawks haven't clinched theirs either. That said, I am backing an Atlanta team that is rejuvenated and got a little bit of their swagger back thanks to back to back wins. Yes, it is true that the wins came against bad teams (Suns and Sixers) but sometimes that's all it takes for a team to get back into rhythm. Keep in mind, the Bulls are off of back to back wins but, prior to that had been struggling just like the Hawks had. Also, Chicago's most recent win was a big one as they knocked off the defending champs (and division rival) Cavaliers. When off of an upset win as an underdog the Bulls have gone 7-12 SU this season and 16-28 ATS the L3 seasons combined. Even though Chicago is playing this game with home loss revenge the Bulls have gone 4-8 ATS (and 3-9 SU) this season when they are looking to avenge a home defeat. Against southeast division opponents the last 3 seasons Chicago is a combined 17-35 ATS. The Hawks are 10-4 ATS against central division opponents this season and, even though they come into this game with their offense still struggling a bit, Atlanta has been very impressive on the defensive end. The Hawks have held teams to a combined 41% from the field in their last 6 games! By comparison, the Bulls haven't held a team below 44% in any of their past 5 games. Don't be surprised if this is an upset win but certainly I am grabbing the generous points available in this one. 10* ATLANTA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 8* Los Angeles Lakers (+) @ Los Angeles Clippers @ 3:35 ET - When you have the worst record in your conference and the season is almost over, there are very few games that will motivate you. That is why when motivation does come up it is very often a very strong "play on" situation as the team very often will have plenty of mental energy for the game and will outwork their unsuspecting foe. That is is the case here with the Lakers as their face their LA rivals one last time for the season. Keep in mind the Lakers have been the "punching bag" of the Clips for some time now in recent seasons but they did get an upset win over the Clippers on Christmas Day. Since then though, the Lakers lost twice to the Clippers and a little payback is on order here. Now I am certainly not saying the Lakers are going to upset the Clips here but the generous points should be plenty for us to get the cover in a game that is likely to be decided by single digits. Tough spot for the Clippers here as they are playing their 3rd game in 4 days. Also, what has been unimpressive about the Clips recently is that their defense has allowed 49.4% shooting from the field in their last 3 games. Now they face a Lakers team that has knocked down at least 46.7% from the field in 5 of their last 6 games. In 3 of those 5 solid shooting efforts the Lakers shot better than 50.5% from the field. With their shots continuing to fall and the Clippers guilty of being lackadaisical on defense once again (who can blame them for being disinterested in this one), look for the Lakers to hang around in this game. The Clips are 4-12 ATS in their last 16 games against teams with a losing record while the Lakers are going to go all out in one of their last games of the season that really carries much meaning for them. The early start likely to make it that much more difficult for the Clips to pull away in a game that is their 3rd in 4 days. 8* LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Friday 10* Top Play Texas A & M Corpus Christi Islanders (+) vs Saint Peter's Peacocks @ 9 ET - As I wrote in my selection involving the Islanders Wednesday over Maryland - Baltimore County and the "funny line", the reality is that TXAMCC is the better team. I respect UMBC especially their star guard but the Islanders have a little better inside-out game going with their two top scorers and I look for that to be a difference maker here. Also, the Isles have held 5 of their last 6 opponents under 42.5% from the field. This is in stark contrast to a UMBC team that has allowed 13 of their last 17 opponents to hit over 45% from the field. Defense and, in my opinion, a little better balanced offense, will prove to be the difference makers in this one. Now, St Peter's certainly has better numbers on defense in comparison with UMBC. However, prior to an ugly 49-44 win over Texas State where the Peacocks made just 31.8% of their shots from the field, their defense in their two previous games away from home saw them allow over 45.6% from the field in each game. Overall, in 3 of their last 4 games, St Peter's has allowed over 34.7% from three point land. Texas A & M Corpus Christi is 16-1 at home this season and 41-6 at home the last 3 seasons combined. Those are SU records and I love the fact that his line opened up at St Peter's -1.5 but the Peacocks already are up to a 4.5 point choice in this game as of early gameday morning. Even though St Peter's just throttled Furman Wednesday, the Paladins were without their head coach as he abruptly took another job over the weekend and that threw the team into disarray. Give the Peacocks credit for taking advantage of Furman's bad situation but St Peter's now face an Islanders team that seems to be a team of destiny in this tournament. The Isles have won their last 4 games by an average margin of 15 points per game even though they were a dog in 3 of those games and only a 2 point fave in the other. Their peeking at the right time and have the right mix of guys (and leadership) to take home the prize tonight. That said, I'll gladly grab the line value with the points being offered here. The Peacocks have gone 22-27 on the road the L3 seasons combined. Look for the Islanders to finish the season 17-1 at home but grab the available points. The Isles only have one loss by more than 3 points in the last 2 months! 10* TEXAS A & M CORPUS CHRISTI

Rickenbach Friday NBA 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 8:05 ET - The Pistons, though their playoff hopes are slim, certainly aren't going to quit on the season as long as they still have a mathematical shot at the post-season. That said, last night's win (albeit a non-cover) was a big one for Detroit and they aren't going to slow down tonight. Couple that with the fact that this line has been consistently moving up since it first came out (we're now getting double digits with the Pistons) and you have a great value spot for a big dog play. Detroit has lost their last two games against the Bucks by a combined 38 points so revenge is on order here. Even though this is a 4th game in 5 nights situation for the Pistons they can worry about rest later. They have 4 days off coming up after tonight's game and they know this game is basically their season when it comes to playoff chances. That said, this can't be looked at as a "normal" 4 games in 5 nights situation. When teams playoff hopes are on the line this isn't treated in the same way as a "4th in 5" situation played in December or January, as an example. Also, as hot as the Bucks have been they've not made a good home favorite when in this price range. In fact, Milwaukee is 1-8 ATS their last 9 home games where they are favored by more than 4 points. Look for the Bucks to drop to 5-12 ATS in Friday games this season as the division rival Pistons come into this game with their season on line and knowing they don't play again until Wednesday. It's now or never for the hungry road dog in this one. 10* DETROIT

Rickenbach NBA Friday 8* Charlotte Hornets (+) vs Denver Nuggets @ 7:05 ET - Though both teams have slim post-season hopes at this point in the season, the key to the value here is the home court factor as well as how each of these teams is current playing. Momentum is certainly on the side of the Hornets who have won 5 of their last 7 games to keep their shot at a playoff berth alive. As for the Nuggets, they are off of a second straight loss and it was of the back-breaker variety at Portland. Denver trails the Blazers in the playoff race at that was a key game and the defeat was the Nuggets 4th in their last 6 games. I expect this to lead to the demise of Denver down the stretch run as that demoralizing loss really took a lot out of this Nuggets team. Charlotte won in Colorado earlier this month and now I expect them to again come up big here at home as the Hornets improve to 7-2 ATS against Northwest Division opponents this season. As for the Nuggets, though they play this game with home loss revenge, they are only 5-10 ATS (and an awful 2-13 SU) when playing with home loss revenge this season! 8* CHARLOTTE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Friday 8* Coastal Carolina Chanticleers @ Wyoming Cowboys @ 7 ET - I went with the Cowboys in Game 2 of this series and, as expected, the Chanticleers had trouble adjusting their game in Wyoming. Coastal Carolina shot very poorly and also got out-hustled as the Cowboys were very hungry after losing Game 1. Now, in the winner takes all Game 3, look for the Chanticleers to play much better as they have adjusted to playing here. I am not saying their going to win the championship but I am saying they should stay easily inside this inflated number. Keep in mind, so far in this series the Chanticleers have taken 21 more field goal attempts than the Cowboys. Simply put, Coastal Carolina just needs to shoot better in Game 3 and also rebound better like they did in Game 1. Coastal Carolina does have 10 less turnovers than Wyoming in this series and I look for them to be in Game 3 all the way. Grab the big points! The Chanticleers are 4-0 ATS when revenging a road loss this season. The Cowboys are only 3-3 SU this season when they are off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. Also, all 3 of those Wyoming wins came by 6 points ore less and the average margin of victory was just 3 points! 8* COASTAL CAROLINA

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Thursday 10* Top Play Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+) vs TCU Horned Frogs @ 8 ET - Impressive win for TCU over Central Florida Tuesday. However, prior to that game, the Horned Frogs had allowed opponents to shoot 49% or better from the field in 3 of their last 4 games. By comparison, Georgia Tech's win over Cal State Bakersfield was the 5th straight game (and 10th out of last 13) where the Yellow Jackets have held their opponent under 39.8% from the field. A hard-working hustling team that plays solid defense and is also getting a handful of points in this match-up is absolutely the play here. Georgia Tech is on a 14-3 ATS run in their last 17 games against teams with a winning record. Also, the Yellow Jackets are now 11-4 ATS in March games the past 3 seasons combined. Very well coached and the players have bought into the system at Georgia Tech and their performance on the court has proven that. The Horned Frogs are on a 7-12 ATS run in their last 19 games against teams with a winning record this season and TCU's defense is simply not on par with that of the Yellow Jackets and that will prove to be a big difference maker in this match-up. 10* GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (-) vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - The Pistons are on a losing streak but most of those defeats came on enemy hardwood. Detroit did lose their most recent home game but only by a single point to Miami and this is a Pistons team that is still 23-15 in home game this season. Thursday they host Brooklyn and the Nets are an ugly 6-30 on the road this season. We're getting line value here because of Detroit's recent losing streak and the fact that the Nets have played a little better of late. Even with Brooklyn having won 3 of their last 5 games should a team that has won only 16.7% of its road games this season really be only a +6 in this spot. This line was as high as a +7 in some spots yesterday but has come down as of very early Thursday morning and this has led to great line value with the hungry Pistons on their home floor. Detroit has been given a little extra life in terms of their playoff hopes because Indiana has lost two straight games. In other words, the Pistons certainly aren't going to stop fighting at this point and I look for them to get back on track at home in a big way Thursday after the tough one point loss to the Heat Tuesday. Detroit also plays this game with double revenge as they lost both games with the Nets this season but both of those games were in Brooklyn. The home team has now taken 5 of the last 6 meetings between these teams and I expect more of the same here. The average margin of victory in the Pistons victories the last two times they've hosted the Nets was 14 points and I expect a similar result here which is why this play is getting my Top Play rating. Brooklyn is 8-13 ATS when off of an upset loss as a favorite and they just got upset by the 76'ers Tuesday. The Pistons are 8-3 ATS this season when they are on a SU losing streak of 3 games or more and I look for them to "stop the bleeding" in a big way Thursday night. 10* DETROIT PISTONS

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Wednesday 8* Wyoming Cowboys (-) vs Coastal Carolina Chanticleers @9 ET - The Chanticleers won game one of this Best out of Three series. Even though guard Shivaughn Wiggins has already missed half the season, there is no doubt that his absence hurts Coastal Carolina's depth and things have gone from bad to worse in the injury department for the Chanticleers. In addition to Wiggins (season-ending knee injury), guard Colton Ray St-Cyr is expected to miss tonight's game and forward Demario Beck is listed as questionable for this match-up at Wyoming. St-Cyr and Beck are both dealing with knee injuries. Depth is important for the Chanticleers as they head to revenge-minded Wyoming for this one and Coastal Carolina just doesn't have it for this one. I expect them to get down by double digits in this one and then, because they know they still have a Game 3 to look forward to, look for the Chanticleers to start to rest up bodies for that game and this one will likely remain a blowout rather than Coastal Carolina inching closer late. Look for the Chanticleers to drop to 1-4 ATS as a road dog of 6.5 to 9 points while the Cowboys improve to 10-0 SU (and 7-3 ATS) in home games where they are a fave of 6.5 to 9 points. When Wyoming is at home off of a loss they have won 7 of 8 games this season and I look for the Cowboys to add another W to that mark Wednesday! 8* WYOMING

Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Charlotte Hornets (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:35 ET - The Hornets are off of a tough home loss to Milwaukee as the Bucks simply shot lights out including hitting a ridiculous percentage of their threes. Charlotte played a clean game with only 4 team turnovers and the Hornets allowed just 2 fast break points. But its hard to win when a team hits 14 of 30 three pointers plus hits 73% from inside the arc. Needless to say everything was falling the Bucks way last night and Charlotte is a little under-valued tonight as a result. The Hornets are trying to stay alive in the playoff race and had won 4 of 5 before last night's disappointing results. Though the Raptors have won 4 of the last 6 meetings between these teams, 3 of the 4 wins came by a margin of 6 points or less. Toronto has allowed 48% shooting from the field in their last 4 home games while the Hornets have allowed 45.5% or less in 3 of their last 4 road games. Over the past 5 weeks Charlotte has gone 6-2 ATS when off of a loss and, coming off of an ATS loss last night, note that only 2 times this entire season have the Hornets failed to cover both games of a back to back situation. Look for the road team to prove to be the hungrier team as Raptors 6 straight wins will have them looking right past the Hornets here. 10* CHARLOTTE

Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 8* Boston Celtics (-) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:35 ET - The Bucks are off of a rather "crazy" road win at Charlotte last night as Milwaukee simply shot lights out including hitting a ridiculous percentage of their threes. Note that the Hornets played a clean game with only 4 team turnovers and the Bucks scored just 2 fast break points in the game. In other words Milwaukee certainly wasn't forcing turnovers nor scoring in transition. But the fact is that its hard to lose a game when your team hits 14 of 30 three pointers plus hits 73% from inside the arc and that what Milwaukee did last night. Needless to say everything was falling the Bucks way last night and I feel that Boston may remain a little under-valued tonight as a result. After all, the Celtics are currently holding the top record in the Eastern Conference and they are at home and rested with only a bad Orlando team on deck. Boston has won 7 of its last 8 games and are 11-4 ATS against Central Division opponents this season. The Bucks were on a 3-5 ATS skid before last night's insane shooting performance and Milwaukee had been held under 44.4% from the field in 5 of their last 6 games before the big win at Charlotte yesterday. The Bucks are 4-11 ATS against Atlantic Division opponents this season and I look for Milwaukee to drop to 6-11 ATS on the season when off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. The Celtics have won 3 straight meetings with the Bucks including a blowout win by 15 the last time they hosted Milwaukee. 8* BOSTON 

Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 8* Charlotte Hornets (-) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:05 ET - This seems to be a popular revenge spot but, honestly, does it really matter that Milwaukee has revenge here? The Hornets have won 3 straight times over the Bucks and all 3 of those games were in Milwaukee and the Bucks couldn't get their revenge there either. Milwaukee is on a 3-13 ATS run in games against Southeast Division opponents. Also, the Bucks defense has been on the decline again of late as they've allowed 49% from the field in their last 5 games. The Hornets defense has struggled in their last 2 games but previously had held their opponents under 46% from the field in 8 of their 10 prior games. Charlotte is off of a big win over Phoenix, scoring 120 in the victory, and they are a stellar 8-3 ATS this season when off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. Though the Hornets playoff chances are slim, they're not dead yet and I look for them to improve to 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games with a big home win here. 8* CHARLOTTE

Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 8* Minnesota Timberwolves (+) @ Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - From late January through early February, the Pacers were hot and won 7 straight games. However, from then until March 24th, Indiana lost 14 of 21 games! Now, coming off of another rare win (albeit against the lowly Sixers), the Pacers appear to be in the perfect spot to fade them! This is a team that hasn't won back to back games in 7 WEEKS! They are laying a short number here but don't be fooled. The road team has covered each of the last 5 meetings between these teams. The Timberwolves do come into this one on a losing streak (6 games both SU and ATS) but they are looking to avenge a home loss to the Pacers in January and Minnesota is 47-33 ATS when playing with home loss revenge. Indiana is 7-11 ATS this season when off of a win by a double digit margin. Also, the Pacers are an ugly 15-24 ATS when facing teams with a losing record this season. The Indiana bench has been thinned with Robinson and Jefferson out plus Stuckey unlikely to play tonight. With the Pacers playing again tomorrow night and this being part of a stretch of 7 games in 11 days for Indiana, I look for the Timberwolves to wear them down in this one. 8* MINNESOTA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Tuesday 8* Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners (+) vs Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ 7 ET - Out of the NIT Final Four teams it is Bakersfield that is the most obscure. The other semi-final game matches up TCU and Central Florida and certainly everyone is familiar with Georgia Tech as well. The key though is that sometimes the least known commodity is the strongest commodity and I believe that is precisely the case here with the Roadrunners. Cal State Bakersfield has the highest RPI of the 4 remaining teams in the NIT Tournament. Also, the Runners are the only team remaining that has the same coach, Rod Barnes, that they had last season. There is some continuity here with the Bakersfield program that the other teams are still trying to build up to. Barnes is in his 6th season with the Roadrunners and the veteran coach has led Cal State Bakersfield to a combined 49-17 record the past two seasons. The Runners are surging in this tournament with three straight road wins to get to this huge opportunity at Madison Square Garden in New York. While the Yellow Jackets have also been impressive in getting here (I used them at Ole Miss in their most recent game), Georgia Tech had 2 home games in the NIT before having to face the Rebels on the road. Also, the three teams that the Jackets faced to get to this point are all weak defensive teams. That helped the Yellow Jackets offense get back on track but they now face a stout defense and I do not expect this to go well for Georgia Tech. Look for the Jackets long-term scoring problems to resume here as Bakersfield has held 6 of its last 7 opponents to 35.5% or less from the field. The Roadrunners are 9-3 ATS in neutral court games while GT is 4-8 ATS (and SU) in neutral court games where they are a fave of 3 points or less. 8* CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD

TNT Blowout ATS Rout - Rickenbach NBA Monday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) @ San Antonio Spurs @ 8 ET - The Cavaliers seek revenge for a home loss to the Spurs two months ago. Cleveland comes into this game off of a home loss to Washington. That is significant because the regular season is almost over and yet there have been only 4 times this entire season that the Cavaliers have had a losing streak of 2 games or more. In other words, look for the Cavs to respond here. Cleveland was off yesterday and they have two days off after tonight's game so you can bet that LeBron James and company are going to go 'all out' in terms of the effort for tonight's revenge game. Though the Spurs certainly won't overlook the Cavs, San Antonio does have big games against Western Conference foes Golden State, Oklahoma City, Utah and Memphis on deck. The Warriors are up next on Wednesday and the Spurs are still hopeful of catching them for the #1 seeding in the West so that is a huge game. San Antonio has been hot but, keep in mind, they are only 11-18 ATS this season when they enter a match-up on a winning streak of 3 games or more. The Cavs are 8-3 SU this season when off of a loss by a margin of 10 points or more. The Cavaliers are also 61-31 SU the last 3 seasons combined when they are playing with revenge. I won't be surprised if they get the upset win on the road here and they are 37-18 SU when off of an upset loss as a favorite. That said, after the loss to the Wizards, look for the Cavs to bounce back here. Grab the points for the added "insurance" as I don't see the Spurs winning this by more than one possession if they even win it all! 10* CLEVELAND

No Doubt Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (-) vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 8:05 ET - Some teams handle playoff pressure well and others handle it poorly. This season, the Nuggets certainly fall into the first category! Denver has won 6 of its last 8 games as they look to secure a post-season berth in the West and the Nuggets have also been a covering machine as they are on a 11-4 ATS run their last 15 games. Look for Denver to take advantage here of facing a Pelicans team that is in a tough scheduling spot. While the Nuggets are fully focused on this game as it is their only home game between March 22nd and April 7th, New Orleans is in a much different situation here. The Pelicans are off of a divisional loss (at Houston) Friday and they have a game at Utah tomorrow night. So New Orleans is in the midst of a 3 games in 4 night stretch and tonight's game and tomorrow's game are both played in high altitude. In other words, rather than gasping for air tonight as the game goes on, if the Pelicans are down big the smarter thing to do is to conserve energy and save it for tomorrow night's game at Utah. I just don't see the Pelicans staying within the rather small number here given the situation. Keep in mind, New Orleans is going to have to "run and gun" to keep up with the Nuggets here and the Pelicans are 2-6 SU their last 8 road games with a posted total of 220 points or more while Denver is 11-6 SU (and ATS) in home games with a posted total of 220 points or more. The Pelicans have lost 4 of their last 6 road games and are also 5-9 SU (and ATS) when off of a divisional game this season. The Nuggets are on an 11-4 ATS run in games against teams with a losing record and will take advantage of facing a Pelicans team that has gone just 11-24 SU on the road this season. 10* DENVER

PA Insider - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* Philadelphia 76'ers (+) @ Indiana Pacers @ 6:05 ET - The 76'ers are on an incredible 17-4 ATS run after a big upset win at Chicago Friday. While the first though would be to fade Philadelphia off of an upset win like that, the Sixers have proven time and time again this season that you simply should not fade them in a spot like this! Philly is 18-7 ATS off of an upset win as an underdog this season. Also, the 76'ers are 5-1 (ATS and SU!) when off of a win by a double digit margin this season and 9-2 ATS when they are off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. While Philly is playing loose and relaxed at this late juncture of the season, the Pacers have been feeling the pressures of playoff positioning. Indiana is an ugly 7-14 SU their last 21 games! Also, the Pacers come into this game on a 2-6 ATS run and they'll be doing good just to win this game let alone cover the spread! Versus teams that allow 106 points or more on the season, Indiana has gone 8-18 ATS. Also, the Pacers are an ugly 4-10 ATS in games against the Atlantic Division this season. Wins have been few and far between for Indiana for quite some time now and, in the entire month of March, the Pacers have had just 2 wins of more than 7 points. That said, I like my chances with the Sixers continuing to relish their underdog role and the opportunity to play spoiler. The 76'ers should again be in this one all the way! 8* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Saturday 10* Top Play Florida Gators (-) vs South Carolina Gamecocks - These teams split their two regular season meetings but the game that the Gamecocks won at home saw the Gators go 0 for 17 from three point land. Of course that is not going to happen again here and South Carolina only won that game by 4 points despite that ridiculous result from beyond the arc for Florida. The Gators got revenge with a home win by 15 points and I like Florida's chances of another big win here. The Gamecocks are here because they faced a "no defense, no rebounding" Marquette team early on in the tourney and then, later on, a Baylor team that was known for choking in big games this season. Certainly South Carolina still deserves credit for being here and for knocking off Duke. However, any team can occasionally really rise up for one big game and get the big upset win. It happens. What I see in the Gamecocks though is a team that had lost 6 of 9 games and gone 1-9 ATS in its 10 games prior to the Big Dance. What I see in the Gators is a strong, consistent team that played a tougher schedule than South Carolina this season and that has won 13 of its last 16 games and covered 11 of those 16 games! The Gamecocks are 23-36 ATS against SEC foes the last 3 seasons combined and, though they have road loss revenge here, they are 0-2 ATS in that situation this season. The Gators have struggled in the underdog role this season but they are 19-8 ATS as a favorite this season and they get the job done again on Sunday! 10* FLORIDA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* Brooklyn Nets (+) @ Atlanta Hawks @ 1:05 ET - The Hawks will most assuredly be a "public play" here and, as long-time followers know, I love to fade the "popular" choice. The key here is this line just "jumped off the page" today because when you see a playoff-caliber team with a winning record at home and facing a team that is 42 games under .500 (Nets are 15-57) and yet only laying 6.5 points you have to wonder what is going on. I can tell you what is going on though! The Hawks are in a massive funk and feeling the pressure of really taking a plunge in the playoff picture. That is why Atlanta has been shooting poorly and they've now lost 6 straight games. Here they are hosting a Brooklyn team that has not had to worry about the post-season for a long time and they are simply playing loose and relaxed basketball. Though they lost at Washington Friday, the Nets did shoot 52.4% from the field and they also shot well it was just a 5 point loss here at Atlanta less than 3 weeks ago and that was back when the Hawks were playing a little better. Now Brooklyn can take advantage of a slumping Hawks team that just got back from a road trip and is 1-4 (SU and ATS) this season when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. Keep in mind, the Nets had covered 8 of their last 10 games prior to the ugly loss to the Wizards. They'll bounce back here against a floundering Atlanta team. 8* BROOKLYN

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Saturday 10* Top Play Oregon Ducks (+) vs Kansas Jayhawks @ 8:45 ET - Everyone is likely to be lining up on Kansas here and you know what that means. In typical contrarian style I'll grab the generous points with Oregon here. Riding the momentum of a tight hard-fought win over one of the hottest teams in the country (Michigan), look for the Ducks to give the Jayhawks all they can handle here. Oregon is not only 32-5 on the season, 3 of the Ducks last 4 losses have come by 4 points or less. This team just doesn't get blown out. While I certainly do respect Kansas, they got an easy draw with Cal Davis in the opening round. Then, their win over Michigan State looks great on paper (20 point margin) but that game was much closer than that throughout the first half and all the way through about the mid-point of the 2nd half before the Jayhawks pulled away. Keep in mind too, that wasn't a "typical" Spartans team either as it was definitely a down year for Michigan State basketball. Now, after a blowout win over Purdue, the fact that Kansas truly hasn't been tested for a full 40 minutes in the tourney could actually hurt them here. What is going to happen when the shots aren't falling so easily for the Jayhawks? Keep in mind they've shot 53% or better from the field (and 40% or better from three point land) in all 3 games of the Big Dance. The last time the Jayhawks had a more "normal" shooting performance they lost to TCU in the Big 12 tourney. Look for Kansas to "come back down to earth" in this one as their other-worldly shooting comes to an end against a solid defensive team. I know the Ducks defense is not the same without Chris Boucher but they've done an admirable job in this tourney and will certainly be fired up and dialed in for an opportunity against a #1 seed. While Kansas could get caught peeking ahead to what they feel would be a showdown with another #1 seed (Gonzaga) unless an upset occurs prior to this game, the fact is that the Jayhawks may underestimate just how strong this Oregon team is. The Ducks are 11-3 ATS this season (and 25-12 ATS the L3 seasons combined) in games against teams that average 77 points or more per game. The Jayhawks are 5-8 ATS this season in games with a posted total in the 150s. Too many points here in my opinion and the dog will be a "tough out" for Kansas! 10* OREGON

No Doubt Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 10* Top Play Toronto Raptors (+) @ Dallas Mavericks @ 8:35 ET - Even though this is a revenge spot for the Mavericks (lost ugly at Toronto two weeks ago), the Raptors simply are too dominant on the glass for the Mavs. In the last two meetings Dallas has been outrebounded by a combined 42 boards. Also, Toronto comes into this game having won 4 straight games and they've outrebounded their opponents by a combined 56 rebounds in their last 3 games. The Mavericks are off of a win but they failed to cover 5 of their 7 prior games and they've been outrebounded by 85 caroms in their last 6 games. Look for the rebounding edge to again be a key here as the Raptors dominate the boards. Toronto has been shooting the ball better than Dallas of late as the Mavericks seem to be wilting under the playoff pressure quite often while the Raptors (truly quite secure in their playoff position) are playing relaxed and confident and shooting the ball quite well again as they've rebounded from a recent slump. Toronto is 5-2 SU and ATS this season when off of an upset win as an underdog. The Raptors are also 14-7 ATS (and 15-6 SU) when off of a game where they won by a double digit margin. As for the Mavericks, they are 3-6 ATS against Atlantic Division opponents this season. Also, the Mavs are only 11-19 SU against teams with a winning record this season. 10* TORONTO

Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Friday 10* Top Play Kentucky Wildcats (+) vs UCLA Bruins @ 9:35 ET - Kentucky has lost back to back games to UCLA - December of 2016 and December of 2015 - and this is even though the Wildcats took 14 more shots from the field in this season's match-up and 13 more shots from the field in last season's match-up. What happened? The Bruins simply shot "lights out" in each game. I don't expect a repeat of that here. The Cats have really dialed things up a notch on defense as the season has gone on and they've held 8 of their last 11 opponents under 41.9% from the field. While both teams have improved since they met in early December this season, the young Wildcats really needed the extra time to mature and that will pay huge dividends in this rematch. Also, unlike Kentucky, UCLA hasn't exactly been "dialed in" on defense. Conversely, the Bruins have allowed at least 43.7% from the field in 3 straight games and UCLA also has not been defending the 3-ball nearly as well as Kentucky has. The Bruins have allowed an average of 78 points per game in their last 3 games. The Wildcats haven't allowed 78 points in game in ANY of their last 12 games. Kentucky has, in fact, allowed 67 points or less in 9 of its last 12 games. UCLA has all the glitzy offensive stats so they are a popular choice but defense wins games like this at this point in the season and the Wildcats have truly come along way and definitely defend the perimeter much better than the Bruins do. UCLA is 11-8 SU in tournament games the past 3 seasons but UK is 17-2 SU in this same stretch and the Wildcats have greatly matured as this season has gone on. This is a double revenge spot for the Cats and I don't see them being denied. Lets not forget they obliterated the Bruins 83-44 three years ago and, after suffering tight losses in each of the last two meetings, though this won't be that type of blowout I do see the Wildcats winning this one large as they get their revenge when it counts the most! 10* KENTUCKY

Rickenbach NBA Friday 8* Orlando Magic (+) vs Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - The Magic had a bad fourth quarter and lost to the Hornets Wednesday. Now this line has gone from an opener of 2.5 on the Pistons all the way up to a -4 as of mid-morning on gameday. Detroit has lost (and failed to cover) 5 of its last 6 games. The Pistons shots just aren't falling and, as a result, they're feeling all the pressure here. Conversely, the Magic come into this game loose and relaxed and playing with nothing to lose as they certainly don't have to worry about any playoff pressure! That makes for an ultra dangerous home dog in a spot like this and I like the fact that the Magic had won 4 of their last 7 home games before falling apart late against Charlotte Wednesday. Look for Orlando to bounce back and take advantage of a Pistons team that's been held to 44.3% or less from the field in 6 straight games! Detroit is 3-6 SU (and ATS) when off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. Also, on the season, the Pistons are an ugly 12-23 ATS in road games. I smell an upset here but I am happy to grab all the points I can get. 8* ORLANDO

Rickenbach NBA Friday 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (+) @ Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - Both teams dealing with playoff pressure right now as they work hard to secure a post-season berth. However, the Nuggets are dealing with the pressure much better than the Pacers and that's why you shouldn't be "fooled" by the interesting line that was posted on this game. Considering Denver is only 13-20 SU in road games this season and Indiana is 25-10 SU in home games this season, why would the Pacers have opened up at very close to the "pick'em range" in this game? Of course it is with good reason but many will feel the odds makers made a mistake here or simply "giving this one away" for the Pacers. It just doesn't work that way folks and I actually like to look for games like this for the sole intention of playing the other side. Here are the "real" keys for this one. Indiana is on a long-term 7-13 (35%) straight-up run their last 20 games. The Nuggets are 8-4 SU (and 9-3 ATS!) in their last 12 games. This is a classic case of two teams going in opposite directions but the betting markets, as usual, are likely to be slow to adjust. That is when you can find significant value which is what I believe we have here. The Pacers have been held under 44.7% from the field in 6 of their last 7 games. The hot-shooting Nuggets have knocked down over 48.7% from the field in 9 of their last 12 games! Denver is also on a 4-0 ATS run against the Pacers and a long-term 19-8 ATS run against Central Division opponents. Even though the Nuggets full season numbers are not impressive (in terms of defense), note that Indiana is 8-17 ATS (32%) in their games this season against teams that are allowing 106 points or more per game! The Pacers offense simply won't be able to keep up with the hot shooting Nuggets in this one. 10* DENVER

Rickenbach NHL 8* Thursday Chicago Blackhawks Puck Line -1.5 goals (+130) vs Dallas Stars @ 8:35 ET - I rarely use the puck line but this spot is set up beautifully for Chicago and, of course, there is no way I would lay big juice on a money line. Long-time followers know that. So, instead of laying about -230 on the money line we're able to get +130 with the Blackhawks -1.5 goals. I'll take it! Chicago is off of a loss and they had previously won 17 of their last 20 games! Look for the Hawks to respond in a big way tonight and 11 of their last 14 wins have come by a multiple goal margin. The Blackhawks are catching the Stars at the perfect time to dominate them. Dallas is off of a 1-0 shutout win over San Jose but the Stars had lost 4 of their 5 prior games and were outshot by a 30-20 mark in that game. Also, 8 of the last 9 losses for Dallas have come by a multiple goal margin. Chicago is hungry and trying to inch closer to clinching the top spot in the Western Conference. The Stars are simply "playing out the season" and, off of a big upset win, they're likely to fall flat here. By the way, Dallas has lost 23 of 32 games against teams with a winning record this season while Chicago has won 27 of 39 games against teams with a losing record. Couple that with the recent trends favoring a multiple goal margin here and you can see why I am willing to "lay it" with the Blackhawks in this one. 8* CHICAGO on the puck line -1.5 goals +130.

TBS Early Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Thursday 10* Top Play Gonzaga Bulldogs (-) vs West Virginia Mountaineers @ 7:35 ET - In their first game of the tourney Gonzaga simply underestimated South Dakota State (who could blame them?) and they ended up having a poor first half. The Bulldogs responded by blowing out the Jackrabbits by 16 in the 2nd half. That momentum carried right into the game against Northwestern where Gonzaga blew out the Wildcats by 18 points but then, with big lead in hand, really let up in the 2nd half and failed to cover again as a big favorite. Now, certainly West Virginia is better than both of these teams, but for Gonzaga to be laying only 3 here definitely relates to them coming off of back to back non-covers. Now we can get a 34-1 team that basically needs to just win the game to get the cover and, keep in mind, this is a Bulldogs team that outscored its opponent by a combined 34 points over 40 minutes between the 2nd half of their first game and the first half of their second game in this tourney. Look for Gonzaga to put it all together as they will be fully focused and they know they were in for a war with the Mountaineers. The Bulldogs defense will be ready to play a full forty in this one and West Virginia allowed Iowa State to shoot 54% in the Big 12 championship game and then followed that by allowing Bucknell (yes, Bucknell!) to score 80 in the first round of the Big Dance. Had the Mountaineers not shot "lights out" against Notre Dame they wouldn't even be here for this game. Of course West Virginia has played the tougher schedule than Gonzaga on the season but the Bulldogs have the strength of a winning mindset that has been built by a 34-1 season and by being very well coached under Mark Few. The Mountaineers were on a 1-6 ATS run before the win and cover over the Fighting Irish and I feel West Virginia is again being over-valued here. The Bulldogs defense has allowed 41.3% or less in 19 of its last 20 games. The Mountaineers defense had allowed 43.5% or more in 6 of their last 9 games before holding Notre Dame to 40.7% from the field on Saturday. Have not been as impressed this season, as I typically am, with a Bob Huggins coached defense and I see them getting knocked out of the tournament tonight. Mountaineers are 4-10 ATS in games with a posted total in the 140s this season while the Bulldogs are 14-4 ATS with the same parameters this season. 10* GONZAGA 

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Toronto Raptors (+) @ Miami Heat @ 7:35 ET - While I successfully played against the Raptors Tuesday because their playoff seeding is highly unlikely to change a great deal, that doesn't mean there are not going to be games that Toronto will be "up for" as the regular season winds down and this is one of those! The Raptors lost at Miami by 15 points a little less than 2 weeks ago and that sets this rematch up perfectly for revenge. Even though the final margin looked ugly it had a lot do with Toronto getting outscored by 27 points from three point land as they had a horrific night shooting the 3-ball. The Raptors did win the battle of the boards in that game and had 16 more field goal attempts than the Heat in that one. Even though Serge Ibaka is likely to miss tonight's game he shot very poorly against Miami two weeks ago and was also not a big factor on the boards. With that said, his absence from tonight's game is unlikely to have the impact that many are expecting. With this line having already moved from a 3 up to a 4.5 excellent line value is being offered with the road dog. The Raptors have a SU record of 24-13 this season (and 86-34 the L3 seasons combined) in their games against teams with a losing record. The Heat are 12-21 SU this season (and 49-74 the L3 seasons combined) in their games against teams with a winning record. Miami also has a big game at Boston on deck while the Raptors have a non-conference foe up next. 10* TORONTO

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 8:05 ET - Both these teams have been struggling with recent losses but, as a result, that means we are getting extra line value with the revenging team that is on the road and therefore catching inflated points here. The Hawks lost by 26 points versus the Wizards in late January and that game was at Atlanta! Needless to say some home loss revenge is on order here and now they're being given points against a division rival that has covered just TWICE in their last 11 games! Though Atlanta is also in a slump I question whether Washington should really be this big of a favorite against a tough division rival whose road record this season is just as good as their home record (Hawks 2 games over .500 both away from home and at home). The Hawks have some injury issues but not enough to justify the Wizards being priced in the way they are tonight. This is not an uncommon time of year for Washington to be struggling. The Wizards are now 15-26 ATS in March games the past 3 seasons combined. The Hawks are 25-16 ATS the L3 seasons combined when they are playing with home loss revenge. Also, Atlanta is off of a loss at Charlotte and the Hawks are 9-4 ATS (and 10-3 SU!) this season when they are off of a divisional game. 10* ATLANTA HAWKS Wednesday evening

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 8* Orlando Magic (+) vs Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - The Magic lost by 40 points at Charlotte a little less than 2 weeks ago. Even though Orlando's post-season aspirations are long gone, as professionals, players will get up for a game like this. Not only do the Magic have a chance to play spoiler here and put a major dent in the last bit of playoff hopes that the Hornets still have, this game also comes against a division rival. Couple that with the embarrassing 121-81 defeat at Charlotte on the 10th of the month and you have the perfect ingredients for a huge effort from Orlando in this one. Also, Charlotte has a big home game on deck as the defending champs will be in town as LeBron James and company pay a visit. The Hornets will certainly be up for that game against the Cavs but it would not surprise me to see them a little flat tonight as they face the Magic. Charlotte is on a 3-11 ATS run against teams with a losing record. Also, the Hornets are off of back to back big divisional wins over Washington and Atlanta and Charlotte is only 3-8 ATS this season when off of a divisional game. Also, the Hornets are an ugly 3-8 ATS this season when they are off of a game where they held their opponent to 90 points or less. I am grabbing the classic "ugly dog" in a highly motivated spot! 8* ORLANDO MAGIC early Wednesday

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Wednesday 8* Illinois Illini (+) @ Central Florida Golden Knights @ 7 ET - Central Florida rallied for the win at Illinois State Monday after being down big. Now, after expending a lot of energy for that road win over the Redbirds, it will be interesting to see how the Golden Knights respond here. I expect them to struggle against a Big Ten foe that, as you would expect, has a tougher strength of schedule than UCF has faced this season. Even with some recent wins, Central Florida is only 9-7 their last 16 games and more than half of those wins came by 5 points or less. Couple that with the fact that the Golden Knights are taking a step up in class to face the Illini here and I like the value being offered to underdog Illinois. The Illini have won and covered 7 of their last 10 games. Though they lost their most recent game as an underdog that defeat came at the hands of a Michigan team that is one of the hottest teams in the country! Note that prior to losing to the Wolverines, Illinois was not only 4-0 ATS (but also 4-0 SU!) the last 4 times they were an underdog. Don't be surprised if the Illini pull off another upset here as they certainly are playing their best basketball of the season and they're catching the Knights off of an exhausting road win. Illinois has the added confidence of winning their last two games by an average margin of victory of 20 points per game. The Illini are 4-1 SU this season when off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. Also, they are 7-3 SU the L3 seasons combined when playing with 1 day or less of rest between games. Central Florida is 3-6 SU with those same parameters. Look for the Illini to advance but grab the points. 8* ILLINOIS early Wednesday evening

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Tuesday 10* Top Play Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+) @ Ole Miss Rebels @ 9 ET - This line opened up at a -4.5 for Ole Miss and the Rebels have quickly moved up to being a -5.5 point favorite. The line on this one may look a little "funny" considering that Ole Miss has covered 5 straight games and the Rebels straight-up records at home are 13-5 this season and 34-14 the last 3 seasons combined. Georgia Tech has awful straight-up records on the road of 2-10 this season and 9-27 the last 3 seasons combined. That said, how could Ole Miss be such a short favorite here? As long-time followers would expect I am on the contrarian side here and grabbing the Yellow Jackets but certainly it is a selection that is not without strong merit! Georgia Tech is on a 12-3 ATS run against teams with a winning record. Also, the Jackets are on an 8-2 ATS run against teams that average 80 points or more per game. Georgia Tech comes into this game on an 8-2 ATS run overall and, looking at their last 11 games, defense has certainly played a key role. The Yellow Jackets have held 8 of their last 11 opponents under 39% from the field! As for the Rebels, they are off of a big upset win at Syracuse but allowed 80 points and are allowing an average of 78 points per game over their last 13 games. By comparison, Georgia Tech has allowed 65 points or less in 8 of their last 11 games. Look for the Yellow Jackets to drop the Rebels to 16-22 SU when they are off of a game where they scored 80 points or more but I am grabbing all the points I can get in this one should the Jackets fall just short of the outright upset. 10* Top Play GEORGIA TECH Tuesday night

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 8* Chicago Bulls (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:05 ET - While the Raptors are very nearly locked into their playoff position - unlikely to catch Boston and unlikely to drop below Indiana - the Bulls are fighting for their playoff lives right now. Chicago is part of a grouping of 4 teams in the East - currently seeded from 7th to 10th - that are all only separated by 1.5 games in the standings. That makes this game critical for the Bulls and they are catching Toronto at a good time as the Raptors are off of a big win over the Pacers (the closest team to them in the standings). Chicago has certainly had the Raptors number with 11 straight wins over Toronto and an 11-0 ATS run for the Bulls in their match-ups. Chicago has had the past two days off and is 7-3 SU and ATS this season when they enter a game with two days of rest between games. The Bulls are also 24-14 ATS (and 27-11 ATS) the L3 seasons combined when playing with 2 days of rest between games. Chicago also now has a few games under their belt without Dwyane Wade as they adjust to life without the veteran player who is now out for the season with a fractured elbow. The Raptors are known for playing down to their level of competition and, off of that big win over Indiana, and with a strong Miami team on deck, don't be surprised if Toronto again falls short here. The Raptors are 6-11 ATS in their last 17 games against teams with a losing record. 8* CHICAGO BULLS Tuesday evening

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Monday 8* Philadelphia 76'ers (+) @ Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - The 76'ers just keep on covering. They won versus Boston yesterday and, even though this is a back to back spot for Philly, yesterday's game was an early afternoon start so the travel situation is truly not bad. Also, the Sixers have been a covering machine in the 2nd game of back to backs too with a 6-1 ATS mark in their last 7. Overall it's been an incredible 31-9 ATS run for the 76'ers. Philadelphia is also on a 6-0 ATS run against teams that allow 106 points or more per game while Orlando is on a 1-8 ATS run against teams that give up 106 points or more per game on average. Even though Jahlil Okafor hurt his knee in yesterday's game and is questionable tonight, the Sixers were -11 in the 12 minutes he was on the floor versus the Celtics. That means they were +17 with their "small ball" lineup and that should bode well for success against the Magic as well. Orlando is back from a west coast road trip and east coast teams often struggle in the first game back after traveling out west. Also, Nikola Vucevic is having issues with his achilles and that is likely to impact him if he plays tonight. The Magic are on a 10-18 ATS run overall and Orlando is off of an upset win as an underdog (at Phoenix Friday) and they are 5-10 ATS and 1-14 SU this when off of an outright win as a dog. Since Orlando is the fave here we can include SU stats in the equation and combining that 1-14 mark with the Sixers 6-0 ATS run noted above and Orlando's 1-8 ATS run noted above (both against poor defensive teams) we have a combined 28-2 (93%) mark favoring the 76'ers here! 8* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Monday 8* Illinois State Redbirds (-) vs Central Florida Golden Knights @ 7 ET - Tough spot for Central Florida away from home. As a road dog of 3.5 to 6 points the Golden Knights are on a long-term 6-16 ATS run. Illinois State is a perfect 16-0 SU at home this season. The Redbirds shook off a long layoff by shooting the ball extremely well against Cal-Irvine last week. Illinois State will now be playing just its 2nd game in the last 2 weeks while UCF will be playing for the 4th time in the last week and a half. Certainly not a brutal schedule for the Golden Knights but, at the same time, no one could argue the strong point that Redbirds have the fresher legs and certainly shook off the rust well against the Anteaters Wednesday. Central Florida has only covered 4 road games in 12 tries this season and the Golden Knights last 5 road losses have come by an average margin of 11.8 points per defeat. In 4 of their last 5 road games, UCF has been held to 40% or less from the field. The Redbirds shoot the ball very well in home game, including from three point land. Illinois State is riding an overall 21-2 winning run and Central Florida has a SU record of 19-34 the past 3 seasons combined when facing a team with a winning record. The Redbirds have won 14 of 18 games against teams with a winning record. Not enough value being given to the Birds home court here and they should win this one going away! 8* ILLINOIS STATE

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach CBB Sunday 10* Top Play Cincinnati Bearcats (+) vs UCLA Bruins @ 9:40 ET - The Bearcats are allowing just 61 points per game on the season. That tough defense coupled with the resolve of a team not happy about again having to go west for tourney time (despite a fantastic season) makes Cincinnati a very tough team to face in this spot. UCLA will have its hands full with a team that is 23-3 in its last 26 games. The Bearcats have allowed just 38.5% shooting on the season. The Bruins have played a tougher schedule this season (but not by a big margin) and UCLA has allowed at least 43.7% from the field in 3 of their last 6 games. Their D may not be ready for the grudge match that Cincy can turn this game into because the Bruins certainly did not impress in their win over Kent State. Had they not shot the ball ridiculously well, UCLA likely would not have pulled away from the Golden Flashes the way they did. Of course Cincy will present a much more difficult challenge and the Bearcats were fantastic (against a much more formidable foe than Kent State) when they won huge Friday over Kansas State. That was a quality Wildcats team that Cincinnati knocked off and coach Mick Cronin is doing a fantastic job with this team. The Bruins are a little banged up and that has this one set up perfectly for an upset. The Bearcats are a long-term 7-3 ATS as a neutral court dog in a range of a 3.5 to 6 points and all 7 of those wins were OUTRIGHT victories. Could this be another upset? I am grabbing all the points I can get my hands on but an outright win for Cincy is the expectation. In terms of the cover if the Cats fall short, note that UCLA is only 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games against teams with a winning record. Also, the Bruins are 3-7 ATS in games with a posted total in the 150s this season and UCLA is 3-8 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. Look for the Bruins to drop to 6-16 ATS in their last 22 games. 10* CINCINNATI

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Sunday 8* Michigan State Spartans (+) vs Kansas Jayhawks @ 5:15 ET - Most will be lining up on top-seeded, experience-laden Kansas here. But how can you discount a Tom Izzo coached team that, though loaded with freshmen, has now had a full season to mature those players? The Spartans looked fantastic in knocking off a Miami team that was quite solid this season. The Hurricanes even had a win over Duke this season and the fact that Sparty came back from an early 12 point deficit against the Canes says even more about this Michigan State team. The Spartans may be young but they are uber-talented and, even though they are only 4-3 in their last 7 games, those 3 losses all came by 5 points or less. Now they are getting 8 points against a Kansas team that certainly is a high-quality team but that also benefited from (in my opinion) a down year in the Big 12. In terms of the better Big 12 teams, note that Kansas did go a combined 3-1 against Baylor and West Virginia but all 3 wins came by 5 points or less. Overall, the Jayhawks have struggled as a favorite this season (10-17 ATS) and they are on a 1-5 ATS run the last three seasons combined in neutral court games with a posted total in a range of 145 to 149.5 points. In a neutral court game with a posted total in the 145 to 149.5 range, the Spartans have an incredible long-term mark of 13-5 ATS. Also, this season, Michigan State has gone 9-3 ATS in their games against teams that average 77 points or more per game. These teams are actually quite similar and, though the Jayhawks have an experience edge, the Spartans are about as dangerous of a young dog as a team could have to face. Sparty is maturing quickly and that makes them extra tough in a spot like this where everyone is counting them out and they are so talented and playing with nothing to lose. I love well-coached dogs in spots like this. Grab the big points! 8* MICHIGAN STATE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Sunday 8* Kentucky Wildcats (-) vs Wichita State Shockers @ 2:40 ET - With all due respect to Wichita State, their strength of schedule is just not on par with that of Kentucky's. That is why, when I hear the talking heads discussing all the metrics and why Wichita State is poised for the upset I just shake my head. Level of competition is perhaps more important than any other stat when looking at how teams match up. That's not to say the Shockers can't pull off the upset here because, as we all know, anything can happen in any given game. However, the point is that the odds of that are actually rather slim. The Wildcats have played a far tougher schedule and come into this game having won 12 straight games. Also, taking a look at Kentucky's 30 wins this season, all but one have come by at least 5 points. The lone exception (out of 30!) was a 3-point win over North Carolina. Again, no disrespect to Wichita State, but the Shockers are not the Tar Heels! The concern for Wichita State in this match-up is they're going to have to shoot very well to keep up with the potent Wildcats offense. Causing concern in that regard is that the Shockers have been held under 40% in 3 of their last 4 games. The Shockers had a big rebounding edge over Dayton Friday and that was a key to their victory. They won't have that same edge over a 'stacked' Kentucky team. Also, the Wildcats are 21-2 SU in their games against teams that allow 64 points or less per game so, as good as the Shockers defensive stats are, don't look for Wichita State to hold this team down for very long stretches! Wichita State is on a 7-16 ATS run in all tournament games. 8* KENTUCKY

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach CBB Saturday 8* Purdue Boilermakers (+) vs Iowa State Cyclones @ 9:40 PM ET - Iowa State is an athletic team that scores a lot of points but isn't known for hard nosed defense or the ability to get a lot of key stops. That said, I like Purdue, able to be physical and strong in the paint, to dictate the flow of this one. If the Cyclones struggle to hit outside shots in this one they're in trouble because they won't find many open lanes to the bucket nor much space in the paint against a Boilermakers team that will also have a huge edge on the glass in this match-up. With a big rebounding edge, physical defense, and the confidence of a team that has lost to no one other than red hot Michigan since January, this Purdue team is going to be a tough out in this match-up and I don't see the softer team from the Big 12 as being able to get it done here. The Cyclones red hot current run has been keyed by hot shooting but they'll face the toughest defense they've seen since West Virginia early this month and that was a loss for Iowa State. Keep in mind, the Boilermakers offense is not too shabby either! The Boilers average 80 points per game and that is noteworthy because Iowa State, when past the midway point of a season and facing a team that averages 77 points or more per game, has a long-term record of 39-71 straight-up! The Boilermakers are a stellar 11-1 SU (and 9-1 ATS) in their games this season against teams that are averaging 77 points or more per game. 8* PURDUE

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 8* Utah Jazz (-) @ Chicago Bulls @ 9:05 ET - Though it may seem a little uncomfortable laying sizable points on the road, is the perfect spot to do just that. Utah is fired up off of a loss and they catch the Bulls playing the 2nd game of a back to back and also it's the 5th game in 7 days for a Chicago team that used a lot of energy trying to rally from a big deficit at Washington last night. The Bulls have lost 7 of their last 8 games. The Jazz had won 6 of their last 7 before the loss at Cleveland Thursday. Utah is playing this game with home loss revenge and that is a situation that has seen them go 37-13 (74%) ATS the last 3 seasons combined! Also, the Bulls are an ugly 14-27 ATS in Saturday games the past 3 seasons combined and also 10-19 ATS in games against Northwest Division opponents. Road rout should result here. 8* UTAH

Bulldog's Best - Rickenbach CBB Saturday 8* Butler Bulldogs (-) vs Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders @ 7:10 ET - MTSU would be fun to root for. They are the lowest remaining seed in the tourney (#12) and it's always fun to root for the underdog. However, sports betting isn't about having fun or rooting for the "fun choice" it's about finding value and making money. In this case, I feel the Blue Raiders are getting way too much respect. I know they are veteran team. I know they are a battle-tested team. But this is still a Middle Tennessee State team whose home is Conference USA and that is a conference that is loaded with weak teams. The schedule for the Blue Raiders is nothing like what Butler faces and I look for the Bulldogs to win this one going away. MTSU's points allowed average of 63.6 on the season certainly is impressive but keep in mind the level of competition and also keep in mind this fact: Butler, a defensive powerhouse in their own right as well, has excelled against other top defending teams. The Bulldogs are 17-5 ATS the last 3 season (including a perfect 6-0 ATS this season) when they are facing an opponent who allows an average of 64 points or less per game. The Bulldogs also are 5-0 ATS the past 3 seasons combined in NCAA Tournament games. With the markets favoring MTSU in this game (and a downward line move as a result) the small fave is offering extreme line value here. I'll take it with a solid Big East foe and fade a CUSA foe that is highly unlikely to again hit 54% from three point land like they did against Minnesota Thursday! 8* BUTLER

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 8* Portland Trail Blazers (+) @ Atlanta Hawks @ 6:05 ET - The Blazers are off of a huge win over the Spurs at San Antonio but that was back on Wednesday so they'll have no problem being ready to go here. The motivational factor helps as they lost at home versus the Hawks last month. Since that loss the Trail Blazers went 3-1 at home. Portland is also 3-1 in their last 4 road games and I like their chances here against a slumping Hawks team. Off of a home loss the Hawks have now failed to cover 10 of their last 13 games since knocking off the Blazers in Portland. As you can see, Atlanta has been in a downward spiral since the very game that is creating this nice revenge spot for the Blazers here. While many will likely look to fade the Trail Blazers since they are off of an upset of the Spurs, Portland is actually 23-11 SU (and 21-13 ATS) the L3 seasons combined when off of an upset win as an underdog. The Hawks are only 18-28 ATS as a favorite this season and their recent 3-10 ATS slump continues here. 8* PORTLAND

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Saturday 8* Northwestern Wildcats (+) vs Gonzaga Bulldogs @ 5:15 ET - The Wildcats have only lost 3 games by more than 10 points this entire season. Even though Gonzaga is the #2 team in the nation, Northwestern has faced the tougher schedule this season (by far) because of playing in the Big Ten. Now the Bulldogs go from facing an overmatched South Dakota State team (remember that team wasn't even strong in its own weak conference - Summit League) to facing a Wildcats team that has wins over Big Ten teams like Michigan and Wisconsin this season. Keep in mind, we don't need Northwestern to win this game either we just need them to keep it to single digits and I don't see the Cats getting blown out here. Thursday's final score versus Vandy was close but Northwestern showed a lot of moxie in hanging on after giving up a 15 point lead. As for Gonzaga's win over the Jackrabbits, the Bulldog's trailed for nearly the entire first half against a team that had no business even being in the Big Dance. This game will be much closer than many are expecting and the Wildcats are dangerous as their confidence grows with each big step they step. Finally in the Big Dance, the win over Vanderbilt was huge. The Cats are 9-2 ATS this season (and 22-8 ATS the L3 seasons combined) in non-conference action. This will be the 12th time in the last 20 years that Gonzaga has been a neutral court favorite of 9.5 to 12 points and they've had just 4 covers so far. Look for them to be 4-8 ATS after today's game is in the books! Too many points here! 8* NORTHWESTERN

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Saturday 8* Wisconsin Badgers (+) vs Villanova Wildcats @ 2:40 ET - Tough match-up for Villanova and that is why you see the #1 team in the nation priced as such a small favorite in this spot. Don't be surprised if the Badgers pull off the upset here and that is where there certainly is great value with grabbing all the points you can get in this one. Wisconsin has experience, size, and shooters. They're playing with a chip on their shoulders after losing the Big Ten Tourney to Michigan. The Badgers have all the right ingredients, including recent trips to the Sweet Sixteen, to spring to the upset here. It is so tough to repeat as champs and that is the challenge facing the Wildcats right now. They just don't have the same fire burning inside them that they did last year and, as strong as coach Jay Wright is, he's struggling to get this team to play with the sense of urgency they need to at this time of year. They managed to survive the 1st round as they woke up in the 2nd half but but the Badgers are a tough draw for the Cats and certainly won't be as forgiving in the 2nd half as 16th seeded Mount Saint Mary's was. Villanova enters this game on a 6-10 ATS run while Wisconsin has covered 4 of its last 5 with the only non-cover being the loss to Michigan and the Wolverines are simply in the midst of a magical run right now. Athletic and talented big men with good size plus the experience factor and the hot shooting of Koenig all make the Badgers a dangerous underdog here. Look for the Wildcats to drop to 1-5 ATS this season when facing an opponent that is allowing an average of 64 points or less per game on the season. Look for tough D from the Badgers here. 8* WISCONSIN

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Friday 8* Detroit Pistons (-) vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:35 ET - The Raptors are off of a home loss to the Thunder and are now back on the road where they are on a 2-6 ATS skid. Making matters worse for Toronto is the fact that they are likely in the wrong place at the wrong time. Detroit is coming off of embarrassing back to back losses at Cleveland and then versus Utah and the Pistons are fired up about a bounce back effort here. Detroit got a 1 point win at Toronto last month but revenge has not played out well at all for the Raptors this season. Toronto has gone 2-9 SU and 3-7-1 ATS this season when playing with home loss revenge. The Pistons are a solid 13-8 ATS when off of a loss by a double digit margin this season. Also, the past 3 seasons combined, Detroit is a strong 15-8 ATS when they are off of a game where they were held to 85 points or less. The Pistons were on a 10-2 (SU and ATS!) run in home games before the embarrassing loss to the Jazz Wednesday. Look for a big bounce back here as the Raptors road misery continues! 8* DETROIT

First Round Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Friday 10* Top Play Creighton Bluejays (+) vs Rhode Island Rams @ 4:30 ET - Creighton has gone from being a 2 point fave here to a 1.5 point dog as of early gameday morning. Of course the Blue Jays are not the same team without Mo Watson BUT the key is that they've had plenty of time to adjust to life without their point guard and they've actually started to gel without their floor leader. They made it all the way to the Big East Championship before losing to Villanova, the defending champs. Getting wins over Providence and Xavier to earn the right to play the Wildcats was big for the confidence of this Bluejays team heading into the Big Dance. Creighton has played a tougher schedule than has Rhode Island but the betting markets are basically saying the committee was wrong in making the Bluejays a 6 seed and the Rams an 11 see and that the odds makers were wrong in making Creighton the favorite in this match-up. As long-time followers know, I'd rather side against the public and this Rhode Island team may have already used up its good fortune in winning the A-10 championship. They certainly caught a break with Dayton getting knocked out of that tourney and they beat VCU for the championship as Virginia Commonwealth simply had a horrific shooting performance and still only lost the game by 7 points. I am not sold on Rhode Island being at quite the same level as Creighton based on level of competition faced and I look for the Rams to drop to 0-4 SU and ATS in their last 4 against Big East teams. Look for the Bluejays 7-footer to also enjoy success against a smaller RI frontcourt. By the way, the Blue Jays are 13-0 SU in non-conference action this season. I expect that record to go to 14-0 here as Rhode Island used up their "mojo" in winning the A-10 Tourney. 10* CREIGHTON BLUEJAYS

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Friday 8* Louisville Cardinals (-) vs Jacksonville State Gamecocks @ 2:45 ET - I am well aware of the fact that Jacksonville State head coach Ray Harper was previously with Western Kentucky and, as a result, has some familiarity with Louisville and head coach Rick Pitino. However, even with a more talented team (Hilltoppers) from a more talented conference (SunBelt) coach Harper and company still got crushed in their meetings with the Cardinals and I don't see Louisville taking their foot off of the gas in this one. Off of a disappointing loss to Duke in the ACC tourney, the Cardinals are anxious to get rid of the taste of that bitter defeat and march onward in their next opportunity, the Big Dance, after a one-year hiatus last year due to a self-imposed ban. As you can see, there are multiple reasons for Pitino and company to bring a ton of energy, effort, and motivation to this game. Making this play even stronger is the fact that the Cardinals have performed very well as a large favorite this season. This line has dropped from the low twenties down to under 20 and that is offering even more line value here too. Louisville, as a favorite of 14 points or more, has gone 7-1 ATS this season! The Gamecocks just don't have the talent level to compete for a full 40 minutes here and the Cardinals won't hesitate to give them a full dose of their pressure defense. Jacksonville State did lose by 26 points in games against Missouri State and Maryland this season. The Cards are 4-1 ATS when they are off of a loss to a conference rival and 9-2 ATS in non-conference games this season. Huge talent disparity here. 8* LOUISVILLE

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Thursday 8* Minnesota Golden Gophers (+) vs Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders @ 4 ET - The Blue Raiders upset Michigan State last March in a #15 versus #2 match-up in one of the biggest upsets ever. As a result, in my opinion, Middle Tennessee State is getting way too much respect here! This is #12 versus #5 match-up and the 12th seeded Blue Raiders are now a favorite after the very earliest of lines had Minnesota a 3 point choice. Keep in mind, the Golden Gophers are playing close to home and are use to traveling to Wisconsin to face the Badgers in Madison. This game is in Milwaukee and Golden Gophers have battled in the strong Big Ten all season long. Conversely, the Blue Raiders have toiled away in the abyss that is otherwise known as Conference USA. Over the past 5 weeks, UAB (one game over .500 on the season) is the only team with a winning record (other than Marshall) that MTSU has faced. Minnesota has been doing battle with teams like Wisconsin, Maryland, Michigan State, Michigan...you get my point! I know Middle Tennessee State returned a lot of talent from last year's team but after what happened in March with Michigan State last year, you can bet that Minnesota is fully focused on MTSU and will not overlook this team. That's bad news for the Blue Raiders because the Golden Gophers play very solid defense and they'll be ready to bounce back after a rare poor effort versus a red hot Michigan team Saturday. The Gophers have a long-term mark of 10-3 SU and ATS against CUSA opponents. Middle Tennessee State has only covered 4 of 10 games this season when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. The Blue Raiders 30 wins look great on paper but strength of schedule is a big difference maker in this match-up. The Golden Gophers will be ready! 8* MINNESOTA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Thursday 8* Princeton Tigers (+) vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ 12:15 PM ET - A 12th seeded Ivy League team has upset a 5th seed in 2 of the past 3 years with Yale over Baylor last year and Harvard over Cincinnati three years ago. Of course we don't need an upset to get the cash here but the point is that the Ivy League is often underestimated in terms of their ability to step up on a stage like this. Notre Dame coach Mike Brey has said this is the best defensive team he has had in his tenure with the Fighting Irish but they allowed 51% to Florida State and 61% to Duke in their last two games of the ACC Tourney. I know the Tigers are certainly not the Seminoles or the Blue Devils but Princeton certainly also has the confidence of a team that has won 19 straight games and that rallied from a double digit second half deficit to get by Penn in OT and have a chance to win the Ivy League title, which they did, with a win over Yale. Princeton coach Mitch Henderson played on Tigers teams that notched big wins in the Big Dance and he has this team playing extremely well. They won't be intimidated in this situation and don't be surprised if their solid defense, determination, grit, and fearlessness go a long way in this one. The Tigers have a long-term mark of 12-6 ATS against ACC teams. The Fighting Irish have a long-term mark of 4-10 ATS (and 3-11 SU!) in neutral court games with posted total in the 130 to 134.5 range. 8* PRINCETON

First Four Best Bet - Rickenbach CBB Wednesday 10* Top Play Providence Friars (+) vs USC Trojans @ 9:10 ET - This line opened up at a pick'em and has moved to USC -3 and, of course, much of this has to do with revenge as the Trojans lost to the Friars in the Big Dance last year. Of course revenge is important in handicapping but sometimes it has a tendency to be overplayed and this results in value on the other side. That is precisely the case here. This isn't a "normal" in-season revenge situation. This is a "win or go home" game and just because the Trojans have motivation to avenge last year's loss it does not mean the Friars aren't also motivated. They want to advance! Providence has unfinished business from last year's Big Dance and they are ready to roll in this tourney. Keep in mind, 7 of the 10 Big East teams made the tournament and the reality is that the Friars played just as tough of a schedule as USC did this season. Also, even though Providence won by just a single point in last year's tourney meeting with the Trojans, they actually took 10 more shots from the field and 11 more shots from the free throw line. The point is that the Friars would have won much more easily had they shot better than 40% and had USC not shot a ridiculous 54% from the field and 46% from three point land. The Trojans are only 3-6 ATS (and 2-7 SU!) in their last 9 games against teams with a winning record. This is in stark contrast to a Friars team that is a solid 13-9 SU (and stellar 17-5 ATS!) in their games against teams with a winning record. This is a classic case where revenge has been over-played and resulted in value on the other side. I'll take it! Grab all the points you can get but the Friars do have a great shot at the outright "upset" here. 10* PROVIDENCE

Double Burial - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 8* Detroit Pistons (+) vs Utah Jazz @ 7:35 ET - Calling his a rare Double Burial situation as the Pistons not only got crushed by the Cavaliers last night (128 to 96), they also lost at Utah 110 to 77 in mid-January. Those two ugly losses make this the perfect spot to back Detroit in revenge mode. I am well aware of the fact that this is a back to back spot for the Pistons but their most recent back to back saw them upset the Cavaliers (also as a home dog) back on Thursday. Now they are a home dog to a Jazz team that is off of a huge win versus the Clippers and also has a big game on deck at Cleveland to face the defending champion Cavaliers tomorrow night. Detroit is on a 10-2 (SU and ATS) run since January 1st in home games. Going a little further back it is a 13-3 SU run for the Pistons in home games. The Jazz, prior to their big win over the Clips, had failed to cover 8 of their last 13 games. Utah also has failed to cover 3 of its last 4 road games. The Pistons are 7-2 (SU and ATS) against Northwest Division opponents this season but one of those losses was the aforementioned burial at Utah in January. Couple that with last night's burial at Cleveland and the Pistons are in double burial bounce back mode here. They'll be hungry and I look for them to get revenge at home but will gladly grab the generous available points. 8* DETROIT

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Wednesday 8* UC-Davis Aggies (+) vs North Carolina Central Eagles @ 6:40 ET - Similar to my play on Kansas State last night, this is another situation where I feel like we have the coaching edge with Jim Les and the Aggies. Coach Les led Bradley, his alma mater, to the Sweet 16 ten years ago and the veteran coach has done a great job with UC-Davis this season. The Aggies have played a tougher schedule on the season then have the Aggies. I know North Carolina Central got hot at the right time to make it through their conference tourney and earn this bid. However, they play in a very weak conference and the Eagles, prior to the conference tournament, suffered a loss to Savannah State and then one of the nation's worst teams, North Carolina AT & T, to wrap up the regular season. Give the Eagles credit for then getting the job done when they had to in the conference tourney but those 2 losses definitely show a few "chinks in the armor" heading into this one. I know LeVelle Moton was coach of the year for the MEAC this season but it truly is a weak conference and getting Cal-Davis plus some points here is an added bonus. The Big West Conference, though certainly not a powerhouse, is stronger than the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and the Aggies faced tougher competition to get here. The Eagles have the better record and that is what is impacting this line and giving us some solid line value. 8* UC-DAVIS

First Four Best Bet - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Kansas State Wildcats (+) vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons @ 9:10 ET - No disrespect intended to the Demon Deacons Danny Manning but, in my opinion, the Wildcats (with Bruce Weber at the helm) have a significant coaching edge in this match-up. Weber will be coaching in his 3rd Big Dance in 5 seasons with Kansas State. They're taking on a Wake Forest team that is a combined 43-51 (and only 16-38 in ACC) since Manning took over as the head coach. The Demon Deacons allowed at least 47.5% from the field in 5 of their last 7 games and, keep in mind, this was all during a crucial stretch for Wake Forest as they were trying to get to 20 wins. They know they were somewhat fortunate to even make the Big Dance as they finished with 19 wins. The point about the above though is that they needed strong D and it just wasn't there that often down the stretch. That doesn't bode well for their chances here as they now take on a Kansas State team that allowed only 54.3 points per game over their last 3 games as they really turned up the heat on defense. The Wildcats won 3 of their last 4 games (and went 4-0 ATS) with the lone SU loss coming by just a single point versus West Virginia. Wake Forest also finished the season on a hot run thanks to some strong shooting but they've been off since Wednesday and that very well could have cooled their hot shooting touch. Not only that but if the Wildcats continue to play defense like they have been, the Demon Deacons will really struggle to regain any type of offensive flow in this one. 10* KANSAS STATE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA 8* Detroit Pistons (+) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:05 ET - This is a revenge spot for the Cavaliers but, of course, the odds makers know that too and they had to put an over-inflated number on Cleveland just to get balanced action on this game. We'll take advantage by grabbing the under-valued Pistons on the other side. Detroit comes into this game having won and covered 12 of their last 18 games. The Cavs have been at the other end of the spectrum of late as they are on a 3-6 SU and ATS run their last 9 games. Over their last 6 games the Cavaliers have been outrebounded by an average of 5 boards per game and they've turned the ball over 79 times while forcing just 49 turnovers. The Pistons have outrebounded their opponent in 6 straight games and, in their last 7 games, they've forced 99 turnovers while they've had just 52 turnovers of their own! The Cavaliers are just 19-36 ATS in divisional games the past 3 seasons and this season they are 6-12 ATS when they are off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. The Pistons have the rest edge here and they are 8-1 SU (and 7-2 ATS) when playing with 2 days of rest between games. Detroit also is on an 8-2 ATS run against teams that are allowing 106 points or more per game on the season. The Pistons are still in search of securing a playoff spot as they have a ways to go so there certainly will be no let up here. Look for the road dog to remain red hot Tuesday. 8* DETROIT

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Tuesday 8* Mount Saint Mary's Mountaineers (+) vs New Orleans Privateers @ 6:40 ET - I like the fact that the Mountaineers had to battle adversity after a 1-11 start this season. Mount Saint Mary's loaded their early season schedule with tough competition and it put them in an ugly spot early this season but it also made them stronger for their conference run. The Mountaineers finished the season on an 18-4 run and earned this spot in the big dance by virtue of winning the Northeast Conference tourney. Solid D down the stretch run was a key for Mount Saint Mary's and I like the fact that New Orleans allowed 46% or better from the field in 2 of their last 3 games against teams with a winning record. The Privateers got hot at the right time but the Mountaineers also hold an experience edge as they've been to Dayton in recent seasons for the First Four experience. Mount Saint Mary's won here in 2008 but lost here in 2014 (and Jamion Christian was their coach then too). Christian and company are ready to make amends for that 2014 loss today. History is certainly not on the side of the Privateers here as they are a long-term 14-26 SU (and 12-28 ATS) in all tournament games. Neither team plays in a powerhouse conference but the Southland Conference was particularly weak this season in my opinion. As a result, I like the fact that New Orleans is a bit "surprised" to be here after their run through the conference tourney while the Mountaineers should prove to be a little more focused on the task at hand. The Privateers were not expected by many to get by both Sam Houston State and Texas A & M Corpus Christi to get here .8* MOUNT SAINT MARY'S

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA 8* Chicago Bulls (+) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - Everyone saw the Bulls take a beating yesterday at Boston because they simply couldn't buy a bucket throughout the first half of that game. For Chicago, it was extremely ugly and I look for the Bulls to redeem themselves tonight at Charlotte. Not surprisingly, the Hornets are already up to a 7 point favorite after opening up at a -5 for this game. Of course much of that has to to with the beating that Chicago took yesterday at Boston. I'll grab the extra value with the Bulls here as Chicago still has playoff hopes alive (actually sitting a little in front of the Hornets right now) and they certainly aren't going to lay down in Charlotte! Adding to the value for this play is the fact that Chicago just scored a season-low in points with just 80 yesterday and they are 6-2 ATS this season when off of a game where they scored 90 points or less. By the way, the only two ATS losses in those record were a 2 point win and a 2 point loss. That said, had the Bulls been at the number they are for tonight's game in those two contests, the record would be a perfect 8-0 ATS on the season. The point is, expect a bounce back from Chicago here! Also, the Bulls are 3-2 SU in the 2nd game of back to backs since the calendar turned to 2017 and both losses came by 5 points or less. Working with the number on tonight's game, the Bulls would be 5-0 ATS in the 2nd game of back to backs on the year. Even though Charlotte has revenge from a loss at Chicago in early January, the Hornets are only 12-18 ATS when playing with revenge this season. Charlotte is also an ugly 6-10 SU and ATS when off of an upset loss as a favorite and they suffered a home loss versus New Orleans Saturday. The Bulls may not wow you with their record and current losing streak but the Hornets aren't exactly known for taking care of business when they're supposed to. In fact, Charlotte is 11-20 ATS on the season (including 3-10 ATS their last 13) when they are facing a team with a losing record. 8* CHICAGO BULLS 

NBA TV Blowout ATS Rout - Rickenbach NBA Game #873 Sunday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) @ Indiana Pacers @ 6:05 ET - The Pacers are a popular choice today and that's understandable based on the situation involving Miami. On the surface, Indiana looks like the play. But when you look further into this situation, the Heat won so easily versus Toronto yesterday that key players were able to get significant rest and did not have to log big minutes. Also, Miami had two days off prior to that win over the Raptors. The Heat also have the added benefit of having two days off after this game. In other words, the situation is not nearly as bad as a "normal" back to back and, by the way, Miami has gone 10-2 ATS this season when playing the 2nd game of a back to back. Also, the Heat come into this one having won and covered 4 straight games and, of course, Miami has been one of the hottest teams in the league now for quite some time. They're taking on an Indiana team they've beaten 4 straight times and one of their two losses against the Pacers that preceded that run came by just three points. Also, Indiana comes into this game having lost 10 of their last 14 games. The Pacers are off of a loss to the division rival Bucks and are only 5-8 ATS when off of a divisional game this season. The Heat are 8-0 SU and ATS in their last 8 games played against teams with a winning record and they'll stay red hot here. 10* Top Play MIAMI

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #871 Sunday 8* Chicago Bulls (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 3:35 ET - Chicago has lost and failed to cover 4 straight games. However, Boston just got back from a west coast road trip and that first game back is often the toughest. The Celtics have been struggling too as they have lost 3 of their last 4 and overall have won just 4 of their last 10 games. Only twice in their last ten games has Boston won by a margin of more than 6 points. That said, there is good value here with a hungry Bulls team. Chicago gets fired up after a losing streak like they've been on. In fact, the Bulls are 6-1 ATS this season (and 15-4 ATS the L3 seasons) when on a losing streak of 3 games or more. The Celtics are only 2-6 ATS this season when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games on the road. Grab the ugly dog in this one. 8* CHICAGO

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #891 Sunday 8* Cincinnati Bearcats (+) vs SMU Mustangs @ 3:15 ET - Many will look at this game and recall that the Mustangs, currently on a 25-1 run, suffered their lone loss during that streak at the hands of the Bearcats. However, one should not forget that Cincinnati is actually the team seeking revenge here as SMU avenged the January 12th loss at Cincy with a February 12th home win. Now, ironically, the teams again meet on the 12th of the month and this time it's in March for the AAC Championship Game. The Bearcats are off of a foul-filled win over the Huskies yesterday while the Mustangs pulled away from the Golden Knights yesterday despite not being able to get point production in the paint. That will be a difference maker here because the Bearcats are going to turn up the heat on defense and if SMU again struggles to get points in the paint and also face tough perimeter defense from Cincinnati, points will be tough to come by for SMU. The Mustangs hot shooting run ended yesterday as they had been red hot from the field in their 3 prior games but, though they did knock down threes very well yesterday they finally were held "in check" inside the arc by Central Florida. That is significant here because the 37% that the Bearcats allowed from three point land yesterday was the first time in 6 games that they've allowed better than 33% from beyond the arc. Cincy will be focused on closing out on the three point shooters for SMU in this one and the biggest key of all is the depth advantage of the Bearcats. Considering this is a 3rd game in 3 days scenario, the fact that SMU only played 6 players in yesterday's win over UCF and got 0 points from their bench, the Bearcats deeper rotation gives them an edge in this tourney finale. 8* CINCINNATI

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #884 Sunday 8* Virginia Commonwealth Rams (pick'em) vs Rhode Island Rams @ 12:30 PM ET - Rhode Island knocked off Virginia Commonwealth by double digits in a home game two weeks ago. One look at the box score shows you there were some strange results in that game unlikely to be repeated and VCU should get their revenge here. VCU only made 1 of 15 three pointers! They also got severely outrebounded and these teams are actually equal in terms of the quality of their rebounding game on the season. Rhode Island also made 80% of their free throws as they went 31 of 39 even though they're only hitting 65% on the season. VCU did do a good job of forcing turnovers and has won the turnover battle 30 to 16 in the past two meetings. The point is that, simply with a return to the norms for shooting and rebounding, VCU would easily win a rematch at Rhode Island and yet here we are getting them at a pick'em price on a neutral floor. I'll take it! RI, with their win and cover yesterday, is still only 7-7 ATS in tournament games the past 3 seasons combined. VCU, with their win and cover yesterday, is now 14-5 ATS in tournament games the past 3 seasons combined. Payback time Sunday! 8* VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #750 Saturday 10* Top Play West Virginia Mountaineers (-) vs Iowa State Cyclones @ 6 ET - The Mountaineers barely got by Kansas State yesterday in an ugly game. Now they have an opportunity today to do what they've not yet done and that is earn a Big 12 Title. West Virginia last won a conference title back in 2010 when they were in the Big East. Look for the Mountaineers to make the most of this opportunity and a key edge here is that we are getting extra line value based on yesterday's results. The tight West Virginia win coupled with Iowa State's blowout win over an out-classed TCU team has definitely impacted the betting markets for this game. The fact is that the Mountaineers present a match-up issue for the Cyclones and they have won and covered 4 straight in this series. West Virginia has dominated the boards in recent meetings and they certainly have the edge on defense and on the glass when you compare these teams. The Mountaineers are off of back to back non-covering wins and only once this entire season have they failed to cover in 3 straight games. The Cyclones have been on a strong ATS run and that has forced the odds makers to adjust the number here as Iowa State will get a lot of public support here. The result is exceptional line value for a Mountaineers team hungry for their first-ever Big 12 title. West Virginia is 13-4 SU when playing with 1 day or less of rest between games the past 3 seasons combined as their style is conducive to success as their pressure defense wears down teams in short rest situations. The Mountaineers are also 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games against teams that average 77 points or more per game. Again, their defense being the key in that regard and I look for Iowa State to drop to 0-5 SU and ATS in their last 5 meetings with the Mountaineers as the match-up troubles haven't gone away! 10* WEST VIRGINIA

Early ATS Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #706 Saturday 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (-) vs New York Knicks @ 5:05 ET - This looks like a typical spot where one would want to fade Detroit. They are off of a big win versus the defending NBA Champs and it is a trip to Cleveland that is on deck for the Pistons so they are truly in a division rival sandwich her involving the Cavaliers. However, one should not overlook the fact that the Pistons are currently fighting for their playoff lives so truly I just see no way possible that Detroit is going to overlook the Knicks here. That is especially true when they know it will be very tough to win at Cleveland Tuesday. Also, the fact that the Pistons have two days off after this means they can certainly put all energy and focus and attention into this game. The Knicks are having another "train wreck" season and, besides the enticement of fading a bad team here, it is certainly also worth noting that the home team has won each of the last 5 meetings between these teams. The Pistons are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games against teams that allow 106 points or more per game. Also, the Knicks are on a surprising 3-7 ATS run against teams with a losing record. The Pistons are hungry to get back to .500 and continue to make strides toward a playoff berth. 10* DETROIT

Afternoon ATS Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #741 Saturday 10* Top Play Central Florida Golden Knights (+) vs Southern Methodist Mustangs @ 3 ET - SMU has had a fantastic season but, not only has won an amazing 24 of 25 games, the Mustangs also were 20-5 ATS this season before falling short in yesterday's non-covering win. Southern Methodist blew a huge lead in that game and, even though they hung on for the win, the self-doubt will be in the back of their minds here as they now take on a team fully capable of upsetting them. That said, I'll gladly grab the big points here. The Golden Knights nearly upset the Mustangs in a 5-point home loss in their regular season meeting and they are strong inside including big man 7'6 300 pound Tacko Fall. The fact he was able to play just limited minutes in yesterday's huge win for the Knights means fresh legs here for him in this big game with SMU. The Golden Knights shot the ball very well yesterday but their defense and rebounding is a key to their success. That will also be a key to keeping this game much closer than many are expecting. The Mustangs incredible ATS record is helping to inflate their line for a game like this and I'll take advantage on the other side. UCF, after yesterday's blowout win, is a perfect 6-0 ATS in tournament games the past 3 seasons combined. SMU is now a long-term 6-15 ATS in conference tournament games after losing the killer instinct in yesterday's game. It will be hard for the Mustangs to get that killer instinct back against a Golden Knights team that could very easily grind out an upset win here. That said, give me the big points in this one! 10* CENTRAL FLORIDA

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #733 Saturday 8* Davidson Wildcats (+) vs Rhode Island Rams @ 1 ET - With the Wildcats off of an upset of top-seeded Dayton yesterday, everyone will be looking to play the Rams here. However, oftentimes when there is an upset there can be something "flukey" about the game like an insane hot shooting night overall or a big night from three point land or a turnover filled game. That was not the case yesterday and, simply put, Davidson is playing fantastic basketball right now. The Wildcats opened up as only a 3-points dog here for a reason and, as expect, the public is all over Rhode Island here and has driven the line up to a 4 as of early gameday morning. Give me the value with a Davidson team that knows it is only 2 wins away from punching their ticket to the big dance. The Wildcats are playing with a ton of confidence and they won't stop giving 110% effort today and the fact that it is their 3rd game in 3 days is actually part of what is fueling their fire. This team could have folded when the Flyers made a big comeback on them yesterday and put them at a 3-point deficit late but the Wildcats proved their resiliency. Having lost both regular season match-ups with Rhode Island, Davidson is highly motivated by revenge here too and only fell short by 3 points when these met a week ago and that game was at Rhode Island. The Rams have not been shooting well from three point land in recent games and were horrible at the free throw line today. Both items could be significant factors in this game Saturday. Fade the masses! 8* DAVIDSON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Friday 8* Orlando Magic (+) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - Ugly dog theory in full effect here. I know the Magic may not appear overly attractive on the surface but there is value here because the Hornets are laying big points even though they had lost 6 of their last 7 home games prior to a win over Indiana Monday. Charlotte promptly followed up that rare home win with a loss at Miami Wednesday and this is a Hornets team that has covered the spread just 6 times in their last 21 games. Also, when off of a divisional game (just faced Heat), the Hornets have gone 2-6 SU (and 1-7 ATS) this season. Also, Charlotte has gone 10-20 ATS this season in their games against teams with a losing record. In other words, the Hornets are known for playing down to the level of competition. Orlando is off of a home win versus Chicago and the Magic have been playing much better, after a tough stretch, as the Magic have now covered 4 of their last 6 games. Orlando has lost each of the 2 prior meetings with the Hornets by an average margin of defeat of 20 points per game so a little payback is on order here. While Charlotte is playing with playoff pressure as they look to stay alive, the Magic are playing loose and relaxed. Also, if the Hornets are able to get a big lead in this game don't be surprised if they allow a backdoor cover as they will be wanting to save their legs for tomorrow's match-up with New Orleans. Simply no incentive for a blowout on the part of the Hornets here while the Magic do have revenge incentive in this match-up. That is why this should prove to simply be too many points! 8* ORLANDO

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #555 Friday 10* Top Play Alabama Crimson Tide (+) vs South Carolina Gamecocks @ 3:30 ET - Alabama is coming off of a blowout win versus Mississippi State yesterday and is playing very well on both ends of the floor. Of course the Crimson Tide have been known for their defensive play in SEC action under coach Avery Johnson this season and that allows them to "grind it out" and win a game like this against the Gamecocks. Alabama already won at South Carolina in an epic 4-OT battle earlier this season and the Crimson Tide are now playing even more competitively than they were then. Bama has covered 4 of their last 6 games and they held Mississippi State to 39% from the field yesterday and this was after holding each of their three prior opponents to shooting percentages of 32% or less! The Gamecocks have lost 4 of their last 6 games and have failed to cover 8 of their last 9 games. Even though they play solid defense, South Carolina struggles on the offensive end and that could spell trouble against a Bama team that is getting more and more confident on the offensive end with strong performances in recent games. The Tide catch the Gamecocks in a spot where too much rest could actually be a factor and cause some rust. South Carolina is 0-2 ATS the past 3 seasons and 12-24 ATS long-term when they enter a game having been off for 5 or 6 days prior. That is a long-time to not play and stay sharp and it could be an issue here with a team that is already known for it's struggles shooting the ball. Look for the Crimson Tide to improve to 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings with South Carolina. 10* ALABAMA

Daytime Rout - Rickenbach CBB Game #520 Friday 8* Minnesota Golden Gophers (+) vs Michigan State Spartans @ 2:30 ET - Of course Michigan State will be a popular choice here based on their storied history of successes in college basketball and certainly, in recent seasons the Spartans also have a big post-season edge in comparison with Minnesota. However, there was a change that took place for the Golden Gophers this season. This team has shown a lot of resilience as, after a great 15-2 start to the season, they got tripped up by these same Spartans and that started a 5-game losing streak for Minnesota. As that losing streak wore on it looked like that would be it for Minny but they responded by then winning 8 straight games. Though they lost at Wisconsin in their season finale, the Golden Gophers were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time as the Badgers, given the situation, were in a foul mood and desperate for a home win. Prior to that loss, the Gophers had won 3 straight road games and, looking at the season as a whole, they've certainly played better away from home (6-5) then has Michigan State (5-11). The Spartans are also 2-4 (SU and ATS) in neutral court games this season. The Gophers are 8-1 SU (and 7-2 ATS) when playing with road loss revenge this season. After getting embarrassed at Michigan State by an 18 point margin in January (after also losing by a single point to Sparty in Minny in December), look for the Golden Gophers to respond in a big way here. The Spartans are off of an easy win over Penn State yesterday but they previously had lost 7 of their last 8 away from home and now get challenged in a back to back. 8* MINNESOTA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #517 Friday 8* Michigan Wolverines (+) vs Purdue Boilermakers @ Noon ET - Everyone jumping on Purdue early here as the line has already moved from a 2 to a 3.5 as of early gameday morning. However, the Wolverines showed just how resilient they are (and simply how well this team is playing right now) with their win over Illinois yesterday after some significant travel troubles just to get to DC yesterday. Now, with the Wolverines in a back to back spot and with Purdue playing with revenge from a loss at Michigan just 2 weeks ago, the ranked (#13) Boilermakers opened up as only a 2 point choice over the Wolverines on a neutral floor. Of course the odds makers know what they're doing and the reason this line opened so small has a lot to do with how well Michigan has been playing as well as the fact that Purdue has only played 1 game in the month of March and could be a little rusty here. Last, but certainly not least, the Wolverines do have revenge on their minds here as they were knocked out of the Big Ten tourney convincingly in a 17-point loss to the Boilermakers last March. Time for a little payback here and Michigan, after yesterday's easy win over the Illini, is now 10-4 ATS in all tournament games the last 3 seasons combined. Purdue, like the Wolverines, relies heavily on the 3-ball and they have been held to 33.3% or less from three point land in 5 of their last 7 games so the Boilermakers shooting has tailed off. Having played only once in the first 9 days of March isn't doing Purdue any favors here in terms of getting their gameday stroke back either. The Wolverines are shooting the ball very well in recent games and playing with a ton of confidence. Look for that to carry into this game as well. 8* MICHIGAN

No Doubt Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NBA Game #705 Thursday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Clippers (+) @ Memphis Grizzlies @ 8:05 ET - Memphis is seeking revenge for a loss at LA in early January. However, each of the two prior meetings were taken by the road team and there is actually plenty of reason to expect the "road edge" to return here. The fact is that the Grizzlies are struggling as they are currently on a 3-6 run (both SU and ATS). Also, even though the Clippers are in a back to back here and Memphis is playing with rest, the Grizzlies are a surprising 1-7 (SU and ATS) when they enter a game with 2 days of rest between games. Additionally, the fact that the Clips lost by 16 at Minnesota last night will have them fired up here. The Clippers were on a modest 7-4 winning run prior to the loss to the Timberwolves. Also, when playing the 2nd game of a back to back, the Clips are actually 34-19 SU the past 3 seasons combined. In 2017, when off of a loss where the Clippers have been held to less than 100 points (as they were last night at Minny), they have won their next game all 4 times. I look for that SU mark to improve to 5-0 here and that means the added points we are getting here should prove to just be a bonus. 10* LA CLIPPERS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #702 Thursday 8* Detroit Pistons (+) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:35 ET - "Everybody and their brother", as the saying goes, will be piling on Cleveland here since they are off back to back losses. Of course that is why this line has been driven from as low as the Cavaliers -3.5 all the way up to now as a high as Cavs -6 as of gameday morning. This has opened up exceptional line value on the Pistons here because, keep in mind, it's about more than back to back losses for Cleveland here. The fact is that the Cavaliers are in the midst of a 2-4 stretch that has seen them go 1-5 ATS at the betting window! This team is simply struggling right now and they are on the road and facing a division rival who is off of a loss and has not lost back to back games since January! The Pistons were on an 11-5 ATS streak before their ugly 17 point loss at Indiana last night. Look for Detroit, even though this is a back to back spot, to get right back on track here as they have gone 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games against teams that allow 106 points or more per game. Also, the Pistons are 12-7 ATS this season when off of a loss by a double digit margin. The Cavaliers are only 11-19 ATS against teams with a losing record on the season. Also, even when off of an upset loss as a favorite, the Cavs have gone 4-7 ATS this season. The Cavs knocked Detroit out of the post-season last April and so these games always have extra meaning for the Pistons. The home team has easily covered each of the first two match-ups this season and I look for that trend to continue here. 8* DETROIT

Situational Shocker - Rickenbach CBB Game #801 Thursday 10* Top Play Tulane Green Wave (+) vs Tulsa Golden Hurricane @ 6 ET - If you operate under the theory that the sports books make huge mistakes and give away money it doesn't take long to get crushed in this business. That said, there are certainly no "sure things" in this industry but, at the same time, when something looks too good to be true I will definitely look to fade it. That is certainly the case here when you look at the American Athletic Conference Tourney action for Thursday. UConn (added benefit of home edge and 9-9 in AAC this season) is favored by 14 over SFla (1-9 in AAC this season). Makes sense based on records and home court. Temple, slightly better than East Carolina, is a small favorite of about 5 points. Another one that makes sense looking at records. Then, you have this game where Tulsa (seeking 'right back' revenge for a home loss just days ago), was only a -4.5 point favorite when lines came out yesterday even though Tulane was 2-15 in AAC action and had only 5 wins on the entire season before the Green Wave upset the Golden Hurricane Sunday. Keep in mind Tulsa is nearly a .500 team on the season and Tulane is regarded as one of the worst teams in CBB. So, did the sports books decide to give away money here with Tulsa? Why are they favored in the same price range as Temple even though they're facing the cellar dweller of the AAC and also playing with home loss revenge? I'll gladly play my often-used role of contrarian in this match-up as I look for an upset. Keep in mind, Tulsa really faded down the stretch with 8 losses in 10 games and I would not be surprised to see them still come out flat here because they simply "don't have it" this season. Frustrating season for them after starting 12-8 before the poor ending. The only Golden Hurricane wins since January came against East Carolina and South Florida (two of the worst teams in the AAC). That doesn't give Tulsa a big boost of confidence here considering they're facing a team that has proven it has some match-up edges over them. Over their last 9 games combined Tulsa is allowing a very high shooting percentage as their defense has seemingly quit as the season has gone one and become very disappointing. As for the Green Wave, they are rejuvenated after the win over Tulsa Sunday and will come in relaxed and confident as nothing is expected of them and that often makes for the most dangerous of underdogs! The Green Wave are 5-3 ATS this season against teams with a losing record while the Golden Hurricane are on a horrific 1-10 ATS run in March games. Fade the masses in this one! 10* TULANE

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #785 Thursday 8* New Mexico Lobos (+) vs Fresno State Bulldogs @ 5:30 ET - This is similar to my play on Air Force yesterday. The line really made no sense on the Falcons and Cowboys yesterday and so I faded what looked like a "sure thing" by playing against Wyoming. This one is a similar situation because the Lobos come into the tourney off of a win but had previously lost three in a row while the Bulldogs come into the tourney red hot as they are winners of five straight games. Couple that with the fact that New Mexico is 2-9 ATS in all tournament games the last 3 seasons combined and Fresno State is 13-4 ATS against teams with a winning record this season and today's line truly doesn't make sense. So how can we back the Lobos here? For one thing they did have a tougher strength of schedule than did the Bulldogs on the season. Also, the Lobos are playing this game with road loss revenge and that is a situation that has seen them go 3-1 (both SU and ATS) this season. New Mexico is the stronger team at the free throw line and that can be a key in tourney action where there is more emphasis on earning buckets inside and drawing fouls in the paint. Also, the Bulldogs are just 2-5 SU in their last 7 neutral court games and they did not play at UNLV this season while the Lobos did play at the Thomas & Mack Center earlier this season and they did shoot well in that game. Some interesting edges here for the underdog in this one and that will prove to be the difference with another contrarian play. 8* NEW MEXICO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #720 Thursday 8* Michigan Wolverines (-) vs Illinois Illini @ Noon ET - Michigan has dropped down from an opener of -6.5 to a -4.5 as of very early gameday morning. I like the value with, in my opinion, the far superior team that is also battle tested. The Wolverines are 9-4 ATS in tournament games the past 3 seasons including 2-0 SU and ATS in a regular season tourney early in the season. The Illini have a losing record (both SU and ATS) in tournament games the past 3 seasons and that includes an 0-2 mark straight-up and against the spread in an regular season tournament early this season. Illinois had been playing well late this season but lose all momentum with an inexcusable effort at Rutgers in their regular season finale. The Wolverines come into this one flying high with wins in 6 of their last 8 games and Michigan has been shooting "lights out" in recent games. Of course, this is nothing new as the Wolverines are averaging 48% on the season including 39% from three point land and, while Michigan's numbers hardly drop off on the road, note that Illinois is only hitting 42% from the field and 33% from beyond the arc in road games this season. As an underdog the past three seasons combined, the Illini have gone 16-30 ATS and 11-35 SU. The Wolverines have gone 41-13 the past 3 seasons when they are favored and are laying a very manageable number. Even though Illinois plays this game with road loss revenge, the Illini are an ugly 2-6 (SU and ATS) when in that situation this season. More of the same expected very early Thursday. 8* MICHIGAN

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #549 Wednesday 8* Air Force Falcons (+) vs Wyoming Cowboys @ 4:30 ET - The opening number on this game was only 4.5 and this this is despite the Cowboys finishing with a much better overall record and conference record than the Falcons. Also, Wyoming did defeat Air Force in both regular season meetings. That said, it's no surprise that the action of the betting markets has already moved this to a 6.5 as of early gameday morning. In typical contrarian fashion, I am on the other side of this line move. The original line may have looked a little "off" but the fact is that the Falcons can win this game. Though Air Force lost the two regular season match-ups with the Cowboys, they did attempt 9 more shots from the field in each game. Simply put, Wyoming shot better than the Falcons did in the two meetings but I expect that to change here. This game is being played at Las Vegas in the home arena of UNLV and it is at this location that Wyoming lost to the Rebels and shot just 19% from three point land. The Falcons also lost at UNLV but only by a 2 point margin and Air Force shot 36% from beyond the arc in that game. With the Falcons not winning a single road game this season, no one will want them here and that is just how I like it as we are getting solid line value with a team that matches up quite well with Wyoming. The Cowboys, other than the win at Air Force, only went 1-7 SU in their other 8 MWC road games. Wyoming is 10-18 ATS when off of a win in conference action, 6-16 ATS against teams with a losing record, and a long-term 3-12 ATS in first round tournament games. Air Force is 5-2 ATS this season after 3 or more consecutive losses and the Falcons are 6-2 ATS this season when off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. 8* AIR FORCE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #553 Wednesday 8* Stanford Cardinal (-) vs Arizona State Sun Devils @ 3 ET - With the Cardinal having lost both regular season match-ups with the Sun Devils the set-up here is already quite nice but when you dig deeper into what happened in those two games you have to like the odds of Stanford avoiding a 3-0 sweep even more! Arizona State outscored the Cardinal by a total of 42 points from the 3 point line in the 2 games and yet the Sun Devils only won each game by a margin of 6 points or less. Come tourney time (and in this case playing in an unfamiliar arena), the 3 point shot often doesn't fall as well and that could significantly hurt ASU because they rely so heavily on it. Another key match-up note here is that Stanford completely dominated the boards (49-27) in the 2nd meeting between these teams this season and that game was at Arizona State! The Cardinal, in comparison with the Sun Devils, are definitely the far superior team when it comes to rebounding. Arizona State is an ugly 1-9 ATS the L3 seasons combined in games played on a neutral court and that includes 0-5 ATS this season. The Cardinal are 10-5 straight-up in all tournament games the last 3 seasons combined. Stanford does come into this game having lost 3 straight games but that is a situation that has seen the Cardinal go 3-0 ATS this season and, though below ASU in the standings, Stanford is favored here by the odds makers with plenty of good reasoning! Look for the Cardinal roll big and get their revenge. 8* STANFORD

Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Monday 8* Miami Heat (+) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:05 ET - Cleveland lost by 28 at Miami on Saturday so now, automatically, the Cavaliers are the play here in the eyes of most people. Being a contrarian, I am not "most people" and the fact is that the Cavs are not the same team without Kevin Love. The Cavaliers enter this game on a 2-3 SU (1-4 ATS) run and the 2 wins each came by 7 points or less. That said, the Heat would be on an 0-5 ATS run at the price range they are being bet up to in this game. This line, after being as low as a 7.5 yesterday, is already up to a 9 on gameday morning and this is offering fantastic line value with a Miami team that is fighting for their playoff lives and certainly won't let up here! The Heat are 18-4 SU their last 22 games and only 1 of the 4 losses have come by double digits (just barely, defeated by 11 at Orlando). With that said, the value we are getting here with a hungry Miami team against a Cavs team that is still suffering from a bit of "World Champion hangover" is simply too good to pass up on. The World Champs are only 14-11 SU their last 25 games. They'll certainly pick up the intensity in the post-season but, until then, spots like this are perfect to fade them. Even when playing with revenge this season, the Cavs are just 6-6 ATS and an uninspiring 7-5 SU. Against teams with a losing record, the Cavaliers are 11-18 ATS this season. Cleveland is also an ugly 6-11 ATS this season when off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. The Heat are 7-1 ATS when they are off of a game where they scored 115 points or more and they've covered 6 straight games against teams with a winning record. The Heat lost by 30 in their last visit here (early this season) and they haven't forgotten that beating either. 8* MIAMI plus the big points Monday

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #836 Sunday 10* Top Play Wisconsin Badgers (-) vs Minnesota Golden Gophers @ 6 ET - This is another classic contrarian situation for me. In a game that certainly means a lot to both teams, many will be grabbing what appears to be generous points with the team that certainly has been the hotter team. Minnesota has won 8 straight games and has gone 7-1 ATS during this red hot run and yet the Golden Gophers are as much as a 7.5 point dog in this one as of early gameday morning? This is even though the Badgers have lost 5 of their last 6 and are on a 1-7 ATS run! It is 'head-scratchers' like these that tend to most bettors up and I fully believe the sharp money here will prove to be on the Badgers. Already we're seeing some early line movement toward Wiscy even though most of the bets are coming in on Minny. Of course that tells you where the big money is flowing and I like the fact this game means a ton for Wisconsin in addition to being Senior Day in their regular season finale. The Gophers haven't won here in Madison in nearly a decade and I don't see that changing today. As far as the Badgers covering the spread here, they actually led Iowa by 9 very late in their most recent game before an unusual late-game implosion led to them losing outright to the Hawkeyes. Prior to this defeat, Wiscy was 14-1 at home this season and they'll be ready to get back on track Sunday evening. The Badgers are allowing just 56 points per game at home this season. The Golden Gophers, by comparison, have allowed 71 points or more in 9 of their last 11 games! Even with their win and cover versus Nebraska Thursday, Minnesota is still just 2-6 SU and ATS in their last 8 March games. By comparison, the Badgers had won 13 of their last 16 March games before the ridiculous loss to the Hawkeyes. Look for a huge response from the home team here as the Badgers add to a perfect 6-0 mark (SU) and 5-1 ATS record this season in home games with a posted total in the 130 to 134.5 point range. 10* WISCONSIN BADGERS minus the points Sunday evening.

March Madness - Rickenbach CBB Game #857 Sunday 8* Illinois-Chicago Flames (+) @ Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix @ 5 ET - The Phoenix have beaten the Flames both times this season, both times last season, and 3 times the prior season when they also knocked them out of the Horizon League tourney. Now these teams are matched up again in the conference tourney and, even though Wisconsin-Green Bay has won 14 of its last 20 and Illinois-Chicago has lost 9 of its last 12, the Phoenix were favored by as little as 5 points in the first lines that were out yesterday. Something looks 'suspicious' doesn't it? The fact is that the Flames have a great shot at the upset here. UIC is off of a horrible shooting performance at Wright State in their final regular season game and scored just 49 points. This season, when the Flames are off of a game where they been held under 70 points, they have gone 6-1 ATS in their next game. Illinois-Chicago is 23-10 ATS long-term in conference tournament games. The Phoenix are only 15-18 ATS in their last 33 conference tourney games. After getting embarrassed by 38 points last Sunday at Wright State (and being 7-3 ATS when they enter a game off of 5 or 6 days of rest between games), the Flames bounce back strong here today. UIC has the revenge angle working strongly in their favor and, in each of the last 5 meetings between these teams the Flames have never trailed by more than 2 points at halftime. They've had some 2nd half collapses but with the backcourt depth of UWGB hurt by the absence of Trevor Anderson (4-5 ATS in L9 games without him), look for the Flames to finally get over the hump in this match-up. If they do fall short look for it to be only by a bucket or two. 8* ILLINOIS-CHICAGO FLAMES plus the points Sunday

March Madness - Rickenbach CBB Game #664 Saturday 10* Top Play Santa Clara Broncos (+) vs San Francisco Dons @ 6:30 ET - At first glance this line looks a little off. The Dons have 20 wins on the seasons and the Broncos are only a game over .500 on the season! However, the reason the line is so low (and likely to encourage "action" on San Francisco here) is because both these teams are 10-8 in their conference games this season. The "tipping point" for me in terms of backing the Broncos in this match-up is more than just the 3 point loss at San Francisco last month resulting in a "revenge factor" here. The fact is that the Broncos have been very hot with their shooting touch of late while the Dons have truly been ice cold in many of their recent games. Couple that with the fact that this game is played at a neutral site (Orleans Arena in Las Vegas) and you have the makings of a strong edge toward the Broncos here. Retaining shooting touch is tough for teams to do when away from home and that will exasperate an already tenuous situation for San Francisco in this one. The Dons shot a more "reasonable" 43% from the field in their final regular season game but that was against league-worst Pepperdine. In their previous 4 games, San Francisco was held between 24.7% and 37.5% from the field in all 4 games. The Don't haven't truly shot the ball well in the past 4 weeks as their last hot shooting game was all the way back on February 4th. As for the Broncos, they have shot between 46.5% and 63.9% in 4 of their last 5 games. Santa Clara had won 3 of its last 4 games before running into St Mary's (one of the top teams in the conference) and I look for them to get rolling again after that loss to the Gaels. The Broncos won the first match-up between these teams by 14 points this season. Then, despite being down by 20 points at half-time at San Francisco, the Broncos came all the way back in the eventual 3-point loss to the Dons. It is evident they match up well with SF. More of the same here. 10* SANTA CLARA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Saturday 8* Detroit Pistons (-) @ Philadelphia 76'ers @ 6:05 ET - Philadelphia, though truly starting to tank the season, is off of a win last night versus the Knicks. That victory snapped a 3-game losing streak for the Sixers. Overall, the 76'ers had lost 11 of their last 16 games prior to last night's win. Now, in a tough back to back scheduling spot, Philly hosts a Detroit team that is well-rested (off since Wednesday) and also fired up (off of a 23 point loss). The Pistons had won 8 of 12 before that ugly loss at New Orleans and that was a strange loss for Detroit as they took 25 more shots from the field than the Pelicans and yet still managed to lose ugly. Poor shooting from three point land and insanely bad shooting from the free throw line were big difference-makers in the game. Look for the Pistons to take advantage of facing a weak foe today as they bounce back on Saturday. Detroit is 5-1 in their last 6 games against the 76'ers and all 6 games were decided by a margin of at least a dozen points! The Pistons are 7-1 SU and 6-2 ATS when playing with 2 days of rest between games this season. 8* DETROIT