Rickenbach NFL 8* Jacksonville Jaguars (+) vs Tennessee Titans @ 1 ET Saturday - The Jaguars made news for firing their head coach after the 21-20 loss at Houston last week that was actually much uglier than the final score indicates. Even though that was another ugly loss for the Jags, I look for Jacksonville to respond after the firing and give a huge effort for interim coach Doug Marrone in what is the Jaguars final home game of the season. The Titans, of course, have plenty to play for and have won 3 straight games. Tennessee also is a very balance team with a solid offense and respectable defense. However, this is a bit of a "trap game" for the Titans because it's a divisional rival on the road and it is in front of a divisional showdown game with the Texans on deck for next week. Also, Jacksonville has simply been done in by turnovers and mistakes throughout this season. With Marrone taking over the reins and the players feeling some responsibility for Gus Bradley's firing right before Christmas, look for the Jaguars to give one helluva strong effort in this one. The key point about the turnovers and mistakes being a big issue for the Jags is further evidenced by the fact that their defense (321.4 ypg) ranks ahead of the Titans defense (358.4 ypg) but you would never know that by looking at the standings. Tennessee may indeed gut out a win here but I expect this to be a fiercely contested battle decided by 3 points or less. The Jaguars are going to go hard. Also, the Titans are on a 2-13 ATS run in divisional action, 3-17 ATS in games against teams with a losing record, and 28-49 ATS long-term when a favorite in a range of 3.5 to 9.5 points. The Jaguars are on a 6-3 ATS run in Saturday games and also 6-3 ATS when off of a loss to a division rival. 8* JACKSONVILLE

NBA Game #712 Friday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks (-) vs Washington Wizards @ 8:05 ET - This is a perfect set-up. The Bucks have revenge here for a December 10th loss at Washington. The Wizards ended that game on a ridiculous 11-0 run and Milwaukee certainly hasn't forgotten about it. The Bucks are entering this game on a 2-game losing streak but the losses came against Cleveland and Milwaukee played the Cavaliers very tough in both of those games. This is the front end of a home and home between these teams so the Bucks are now fully focused on the Wizards and they catch them off of a big road win at Chicago. That sets this one up nicely and the home team has won each of the past four meetings between these clubs by 5 points or more. Even though Washington has fared surprisingly well this season (3-0 ATS) when off of an upset win as an underdog that is traditionally the type of victory that leaves a team flat in the next game. The Wizards entered this season having gone 9-17 ATS the past two seasons when off of an upset win as an underdog. The Bucks will be the hungrier and more motivated team as they seek revenge tonight. Milwaukee is 11-4 SU and ATS in home games with a posted total of 210 points or more and the odds makers are calling for another high-scoring one here as you can see. I'll gladly lay the small number with the Bucks who have also gone 3-1 SU and ATS this season as home fave of 3 points or less. 10* Top Play MILWAUKEE

Dollar General Bowl - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Troy Trojans (-) vs Ohio Bobcats @ Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile, AL @ 8 ET Friday - Even though Ohio University could be said to have the coaching edge here since Solich has so much experience and this will be Brown's first bowl game as a head coach, Solich's 7 trips to bowls with the Bobcats have resulted in only a 2-5 record. Certainly this venue favors Brown's Trojans as this game is being played down south and was a short trip for Troy. The biggest edge of all is the offense of the Trojans. While both teams have been solid on defense this season I am forecasting Troy to pull away in this one as their offense has been vastly superior to that of the Bobcats this season. Ohio University turned the ball over 7 times in their last 2 games played away from home while Troy State did not turn the ball over a single time in their final two road games of the season. Ohio U averaged just 302.3 yards per game in their last 3 games of the season while the Trojans averaged 438.6 yards per game on the season. Troy even put up 386 yards at Clemson earlier this season in a 6 point loss as a 5 TD underdog! The Trojans only other two losses were a turnover fueled loss to Arkansas State - whom, by the way, crushed Central Florida Saturday in bowl action - and a loss to Georgia Southern by just 4 points in their regular season finale. That loss cost the Trojans a share of their conference title and further motivates them to come up HUGE in this bowl game with a big win. Troy is on an 8-2 ATS run when off of a loss against a conference rival and the Trojans potent offense will prove to be too much for an Ohio U team that was held to 23 points or less in 7 of their last 11 games. 10* Top Play TROY minus the points in the Dollar General Bowl

NBA Game #705 Friday - Rickenbach 8* Golden State Warriors (-) @ Detroit Pistons @ 7:35 ET - Even though this is a back to back spot for the Warriors I don't expect any let-up here. Golden State's win at Brooklyn last night made it 6 straight wins for the Warriors. Even though they have a date with Cleveland (NBA Finals rematch) on deck, the Pistons also have the Cavaliers on deck and that is a big division rival for Detroit. The problem for the Pistons here is that they beat Golden State in their last visit to the Motor City. That 18 point win in January for Detroit certainly has not been forgotten by the Warriors and it is payback time on Friday. The most concerning thing for the Pistons is not the fact that they have lost 4 straight games but the fact that they've lost those games by an average of 18.5 points per game and all 4 were decided by a double digit margin! 5 of the last 6 wins for the Warriors were decided by 8 points or more and their average margin of victory has been 19.3 points per game. You can see why I am expecting a blowout here and, again, the Warriors having the Cavs on deck is certainly a factor BUT Golden State has revenge on the Pistons and that will prove to be the most important factor tonight. The Warriors are 16-1 this season after a win by double digits and 13-1 in their games against teams with a losing record. Those are SU marks but you can see, from the numbers above, why I am expecting the Warriors to take this one by close to 20 points. Blowout time here. 8* GOLDEN STATE

NBA Game #701 Friday - Rickenbach 8* Chicago Bulls (+) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - The Hornets will be the popular choice here as they had 2 full days off prior to this game and they have 2 full days off after this game. However, a scheduling situation like that (especially when coming off of back to back wins) can also lead to complacency and I look for the Bulls to be the far hungrier team in this one. Chicago is off of a loss and also has double revenge working in the favor here as they suffered a home loss to the Hornets in their most recent match-up also suffered a loss in their last visit to Charlotte too. The Hornets are on a 1-5 ATS skid and had lost 4 straight games before the aforementioned back to back wins. Look for the hungry and motivated Bulls to improve to 7-3 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. 8* CHICAGO

Contrarian Crusher - CBB Game #742 Friday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Oakland Grizzlies (+) vs Georgia Bulldogs @ 7 ET - Nice situational aspects to this one. Oakland is off of a tough loss to in-state rival Michigan State. The Bulldogs are off of an easy win over in-state rival Georgia Tech. Georgia has had to travel. Oakland has stayed in their home state. The situational advantage is clearly in favor of the Grizzlies here and they also have revenge for a tight loss to Georgia in last year's meeting which also took place in December. The past three seasons combined the Bulldogs are an ugly 5-13 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. Long-term that run is an ugly 48-77 ATS with those same parameters so, as you can see, it's no fluke. As for Oakland, the Grizzlies have gone 22-8 ATS the past three seasons combined when they are an underdog. In their games against teams with a winning record, Oakland has gone 27-13 ATS. The Grizzlies have shot surprisingly poor in back to back games that occurred on back to back days. Now, after a day of rest, Oakland will be ready with fresh legs and I look for their hot shooting (in the high 40's with FG % their first 10 games this year) to resume tonight at home. Note that the Bulldogs have been held to 64 points or less in 3 of their 4 games played away from Georgia this season. More of the same here. 10* Top Play OAKLAND

CBB Game #531 Thursday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play LSU Tigers (+) @ Wake Forest Demon Deacons @ 9 ET - This line has gone from 8 to now double digits and the situation is offering exceptional value on the big dog. LSU only lost by 6 points to Wake Forest last season and yes this game is now on the road rather than at home but the fact is that the Tigers were outscored by 18 points on 3 pointers and that was the difference in the game. The Demon Deacons knocked down 8 threes in last season's match-up while LSU was held to an uncharacteristic 2 of 14 performance from three point land. Both teams come into this season's match-up with 8 wins but the Demon Deacons are off of a disheartening loss to Xavier in a game Wake Forest badly wanted. The fact is that Wake Forest is still a young team and that shows a lot of promise for the future but they still have struggled this season in games where they've had a chance to make a statement. They got the cover at Xavier but they lost the other two games both SU and ATS in which they've been dogs this season. Now, of course I realize Wake Forest is not a dog here but the point I am making is that they truly don't have a "signature win" yet this season as they also lost to Villanova and Northwestern. Now certainly LSU has had it's share of issues, including last year's frustrating finish but the fact is this is still a solid SEC program and I am going to challenge Wake Forest to not only win this game but to blow out the Tigers. I just don't see that happening. The Demon Deacons haven't proven capable of dismantling an opponent on the level of LSU yet this season and the Tigers have some added confidence from an 8-2 start this season and I expect them to stay within single digits all the way in this one. Overall, LSU has shot the ball just as well as Wake Forest this season and their defense has been even slightly better than that of the Demon Deacons. LSU is on a long-term run of 19-11 ATS as a road dog of 6.5 to 9 points and now this line has even moved up into double digits! A lot of points expected here and Wake Forest is 9-16 ATS (and 7-18 SU) in games with a posted total in the 150s. The Tigers are in this one all the way. 10* LSU TIGERS

CBB Game #561 Thursday - Rickenbach 8* DePaul Blue Demons (+) vs Wyoming Cowboys in Las Vegas Classic @ Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, NV @ 8:30 ET - The Cowboys burned me recently when they had a surprising blowout win over Cornell but quickly came back down to earth with a non-covering win over Troy in their next game. Not including the blowout win over the Big Red, Wyoming's other 3 recent wins have come by an average margin of victory of just 5 points per game. The 2 opponents, besides Troy, were Montana and Colorado Christian. The point is that Wyoming is not exactly a dominant team and yet they sit at 9-2 on the season and are now laying points in a neutral site game against a quality DePaul team. The Blue Demons, though annually near the bottom of their conference, come from the Big East which is loaded with basketball talent. DePaul struggles in conference action as a result but non-conference action is a different story. The Blue Demons have a winning record in non-conference games the past 3 seasons combined and that includes a 7-4 mark so far this season. Wyoming is on a 13-22 ATS run as a favorite and the Blue Demons have seen forward Tre'Darius McCallum continue to "step up" this season and the backcourt tandem of Eli Cain and Billy Garrett, Jr (both 6'6 guards) will give the Cowboys some match-up issues. Cain has been shooting very well while Garrett continues to get to the free throw line with great regularity and this has given defenses problems trying to stop the drive but respect the perimeter shooting of DePaul's outside shooters. The Cowboys strong early start (albeit against weak competition) is masking the fact that this is still a team in rebuild mode. 8* DEPAUL BLUE DEMONS 

CBB Game #528 Thursday - Rickenbach 8* North Texas Mean Green (-) vs San Diego Toreros @ 8 ET - San Diego has won 4 straight games and they have covered 3 straight games. However, the Toreros schedule has been weak this month. On the season, when a dog of 5 points or more, San Diego has lost all 3 games and all were double digit defeats with an average margin of defeat of 17 points per loss. The Mean Green are 6-2 SU at home this season and, like the Toreros, have played mostly a weak early season schedule. However, I like the fact that North Texas is catching San Diego in their first trip east of Arizona. The point is that this won't be an easy travel spot (especially right before Christmas) for a Toreros team that has only won 6 of 27 road games the past 3 seasons combined. The Mean Green, in home games with a posted total in the 135 to 139.5 range, are on a 3-1 SU (and ATS) run. North Texas won, but was disappointed with their effort on defense, Tuesday and the Mean Green will respond Thursday with a huge effort in what is their final game until New Year's Eve. 8* NORTH TEXAS

Eastern Conference Game of the Month - NBA Game #501 Thursday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Orlando Magic (+) @ New York Knicks @ 7:35 ET - The Knicks were down 8 to the Pacers at home on Tuesday and then finished the game on an insane 27-12 run to sneak out a 7 point win as, coincidentally, a 5.5 point favorite at home. New York is in the same point spread range for this one on Thursday and I see value in fading them after their miracle cover over Indiana Tuesday. The Knicks had lost 3 straight prior to that win. Also prior to that victory, 6 of New York's last 10 wins had been decided by 4 points or less. The point is that even when the Knicks do win it is often by the slimmest of margins and they're going to have their hands full with Orlando here. The Magic have won 2 of their last 3 meetings with the Knicks and that includes a visit to New York. However, Orlando enters this game with revenge on their mind after losing their most recent visit to New York - in February. The Magic are off of a confidence-boosting win at Miami Tuesday and that outright upset win brought them to 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games away from home as they truly have been road warriors over the past 5 weeks! The Knicks are on a long-term 13-28 SU run against teams from the Southeast Division and they'll have trouble just winning - let alone covering - in this battle with a motivated underdog. New York is in a bit of a sandwich spot here as they are off of the big comeback win over Indiana and then have a big division rivalry game with Boston on deck for Christmas Day. Great spot for the dangerous dog and I'll take it. 10* Top Play ORLANDO MAGIC

Potato Bowl ATS Crusher Thursday - CFB Game #219 - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Colorado State Rams (-) vs Idaho Vandals in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl @ Albertsons Stadium in Boise, ID @ 7 ET - Snow is on the way but not until Friday morning. The Vandals could have used that Thursday night to possibly help them hang around in this game. While I expect both teams to score plenty with light winds and clear conditions expected in Boise tonight, I look for the Rams to pull away in the second half of this game. The points look to be asking a lot in terms of the cover here but, keep in mind, Idaho not only played a weak schedule but also their 8 wins did not include a victory over a single team with a winning record. The Vandals are on an 0-7 SU (and 1-5 ATS) run against teams with a winning record the past 3 seasons. They played one of the weakest schedules in the nation this season and I expect them to be exposed for that here. Colorado State's schedule this season was only moderately tough but they did go a perfect 4-0 ATS against teams with a winning record. Also, the Rams are 7-0 SU (and 5-2 ATS) the past three seasons combined when they are a favorite in a range of 10.5 to 21 points. Colorado State has the much stronger rushing attack in comparing these two teams and also has the better pass defense. That said, once the Rams get a big lead they'll keep pounding away on the ground to wear down the Vandals defense and Idaho will struggle to keep up as they'll be forced to turn to the air against a respectable Rams pass defense. Colorado State head coach Bobo has enjoyed a rejuvenating season with the Rams and they're fired up for this bowl game after losing in last year's Arizona Bowl. With QB nick Stevens having a phenomenal season since replacing the injured Collin Hill, the Rams will put pressure on the Vandals defense all game long as the Colorado State offense is one of the best and most balanced units in the nation. Idaho, against the better teams they faced, gave up an average of 46.5 points per game. That was against Washington, Washington State, Troy, and Appalachian State. Look for Colorado State to pummel the Vandals D in this one and win this one by at least 3 TDs. Lay the big points. 10* COLORADO STATE

Poinsettia Bowl Wednesday - CFB Game #218 - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Wyoming Cowboys (+) vs Brigham Young Cougars @ 9 ET - BYU has been pounded up to being a double digit favorite in this game and that is offering exceptional line value here. The Cougars have lost 3 straight bowl games and are playing in a bowl game for the 12th straight season. As for the Cowboys, the situation is much different and that has them much hungrier than Brigham Young for this game. Wyoming is playing in just their 3rd bowl game in the last 22 years! It is the Cowboys first bowl invite since 2011 and that has the entire program fired up about this opportunity. Wyoming head coach Bohl ended up being named the Mountain West coach of the year. He has done a fantastic job this season and though the bowl history is minimal for the Cowboys, head coach Bohl has gone 14-1 in FCS playoff games and led the way to 3 national titles at the FCS level. The man can coach and, keep in mind, of BYU's 8 victories on the year, only 1 came against a team that ended up having a winning record on the season. That was Toledo and the Rockets already lost their bowl game (to Appalachian State!) so that further adds fuel to the fire here in terms of what strong program has BYU actually beaten this season? The Cowboys have gone 6-1 ATS as an underdog this season and, though the Cougars have the better D in this match-up, Wyoming has the edge on offense and that will keep them in this game throughout and it is quite possible that the Cowboys even spring the upset here. That 6-1 ATS mark as a dog included 5 outright upset wins. Dangerous dog here going against a BYU team that is on a 1-5 ATS run when playing with extra rest and the Cougars have not played since November 26th while the Cowboys were in action on December 3rd. Too many points here. 10* WYOMING

NBA Game #711 Wednesday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (-) @ Phoenix Suns @ 9:05 ET - The Rockets are off of a brutally bad beat last night at home against the rival Spurs. Houston led the game by 13 points with under 5 minutes to go and yet still lost the game. Amazingly San Antonio hit 12 of 23 three pointers while Houston hit an insanely bad 6 of 38 three pointers last night. Needless to say the Rockets are ticked off about the loss last night as they know they let one get away that they should have easily won despite the statistical anomaly on three point shooting. Houston is facing the right team to get back on track as the Suns are only 8-20 on the season. Also, only 4 of the 20 losses that Phoenix has had this season have come by less than 6 points. Blowout defeats are normal for the Suns and they're hosting a Rockets team that is 11-3 ATS this season in road games with a posted total of 210 points or more. Houston is also 11-3 ATS this season in their games against teams with a losing record. Also, even though this is a back to back spot for Houston, the Rockets have gone 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS when playing the 2nd night of a back to back. The Suns have covered just 3 of their last 12 games! Also, the road teams has won 6 of the last 7 meetings between these teams so home court has meant very little. That said, this is also a revenge game for the Rockets as they lost at home to the Suns in April in their most recent meeting. 10* Top Play HOUSTON

NBA Game #707 Wednesday - Rickenbach 8* Washington Wizards (+) @ Chicago Bulls @ 8:05 ET - The Bulls are off of a 113-82 win over the Pistons but Chicago hit a ridiculous 60% from the field in that game. Prior to that insane shooting performance the Bulls had lost 3 straight games averaged only 87 points per game. As for the Wizards, they are coming off of a loss but previously had won 3 straight games and averaged 116 points per contest. That sets this one up perfectly as we get extra line value with the hotter team as the markets tend to have short-term memory and will be looking more at what just happened in the most recent game. Washington has revenge here for a loss at Chicago earlier this season and the Wizards had won 2 of the 3 prior meetings including a big road win at Chicago last season. Washington is 10-6 ATS this season when playing with revenge while the Bulls are 5-8 ATS when playing against teams with a losing record this season. Also, against Southeast Division opponents, Chicago is on a long-term 12-29 ATS run and they are off of that big win inside their division against Detroit. That makes this a flat spot for the Bulls while, conversely, the Wizards are coming in hungry off of a loss and plus playing with revenge! 8* WASHINGTON

CBB Game #728 Wednesday - 10* Top Play Michigan State Spartans (-) vs Oakland (Mich) Grizzlies @ 7 ET - The Grizzlies are 9-2 on the season and the Spartans are only 7-5. However, Michigan State has played a very tough early season schedule while Oakland has played a very weak early season schedule. That is skewing the market in this one and it has led to exceptional value with the Big Ten team who is far too proud to not bring a huge effort tonight against this Horizon League team. This is an in-state match-up and the Spartans have won all 13 meetings the past 20 years. That said, we're getting exceptional line value here with this one dropping all the way down to a -6 on Michigan State. Take a look at the last two meetings as an example of the disparity between these teams in terms of talent level and how that translates to how the games play out on the floor. In last season's meeting the Grizzlies actually led by 13 at the half. However, the Spartans then outscored them by 19 points the rest of the way. In the prior season's meeting Michigan State was up by 13 points at half and then outscored them by another 13 in the 2nd half in the 26 point win. The fact is that, even if one perceives this to be a "down season" for the Spartans, they have dominated the Grizzlies in the past and they don't have to be truly "dominant" for us to get the cash in this one. That has me raising this one to Top Play level. The Spartans are 4-2 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. Michigan State will be ready to respond off of a loss to Northeastern Sunday and they have the rest edge over Oakland here as the Grizzlies just did battle with Northeastern yesterday! Plus the Grizzlies have another game on deck before Christmas (versus Georgia Friday) while this is the Spartans only chance (before the Christmas break) to respond off of a disappointing loss. 10* MICHIGAN STATE

CBB Game #721 Wednesday - Rickenbach 8* St John's Red Storm (+) @ Syracuse Orange @ 7 ET - Syracuse just absolutely demolished Eastern Michigan on Monday 105-57. However, so often, after a blowout win like that where everything breaks your way, things can be come so much tougher in the next game. That said, tonight's game is truly the perfect set-up for such struggles as the Orange are facing a Red Storm team that has been a bit of a nemesis for them. That means Syracuse has two battles to fight tonight. One is fatigue as the Orange will be playing their 3rd game in 5 nights. The other battle is in trying to knock off a St John's team that has defeated them by 12 points in each of the last two meetings. As for Syracuse being able to absolutely dominate tonight and cover this large spread, note that the Red Storm have covered 9 of the last 11 meetings between these teams. Also, the Orange have Tyler Lydon listed as questionable for tonight's game. Syracuse is only 4-8 ATS when they are off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. Also, St John's has been at their best in their toughest games this season as they have already covered 4 of 6 against teams with a winning record. More of the same for the Red Storm this evening. 8* ST JOHN'S

CBB Game #771 Wednesday - Rickenbach 8* Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks (+) @ Pittsburgh Panthers @ 7 ET - Those who follow my CBB closely know there are two key reasons why I am fading the Panthers here. One is that Pittsburgh absolutely burned me badly this past weekend against Rice. Those who played it late got a win with Rice at +10.5 but it was a loss in my books for certain as I released it at +9.5 and what a burner it was. The Owls were in the game all the way and then Pitt did pull away late but still it was an 8 point game with about 30 seconds to go when Rice then missed BOTH free throws and Pitt followed by making BOTH free throws. It was the only way I could lose that play and I'll be damned if it didn't happen. Anyway, the other reason I am involved as followers know is that I do like taking high-scoring big dogs and Nebraska-Omaha certainly fits that description as they were top 5 in the nation for pace last year and are averaging 83 points per game so far this year. This gives us two chances to win a play like this essentially because part of it is that the Mavericks can score well enough to hang around all game long. However, part two is that even if the Mavs do get down by 15 to 20 points there is that opportunity for late scoring runs to get them in the backdoor. I expect Omaha to hang around in this game as Pittsburgh shot a ridiculous 64.4% from the field against Rice and yet still only won by 10 points. It is no fluke either as the Panthers also shot 54.5% from Buffalo a few games back and yet only beat the Bulls by 5 points. Of course the reason is that the Panthers D just isn't what it use to be and they will have their hands full with the Mavericks here. Omaha thrives in games like this with an 11-5 ATS mark in road games with a posted total in the 160s. The Panthers are on a 14-31 ATS run as a favorite and they are again over-priced here. 8* NEBRASKA-OMAHA 

TV Top Play - CBB Game #541 Tuesday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Creighton Blue Jays (-) @ Arizona State Sun Devils @ 9 ET - Laying 8 on the road against a Pac-12 team with a good reputation may seem a little "scary" on the surface but this is the perfect spot for the Blue Jays. They just survived a scare at home (against Oral Roberts) and snuck out a 1-point victory. Creighton doesn't play again until after Christmas and you can be sure that they learned the lesson in their tight win over Oral Roberts and now will be be prepared to blowout the Sun Devils in this one. Arizona State beat the Blue Jays at Creighton by a bucket last December so this is a revenge game for the road fave here. Creighton is the better team on defense and an inconsistent Sun Devils team went from bad to worse as their starting small forward recently left the team. The Blue Jays only scored 66 points against Oral Roberts Saturday and the only other two times they have been held under 80 points this season they responded with big wins in their next game and scored over 100 points in each contest. This included a big win over another Pac-12 team, Washington State, and that certainly is an indication of what to expect for Creighton tonight at Arizona State. The Blue Jays have covered 5 of 7 this season against teams with a winning record. The Sun Devils have gone an ugly 2-5 ATS against teams with a winning record. Revenge is on order tonight at Arizona State as the dangerous Blue Jays offense (53.8% from the field, 89.3 points per game, 44.4% from beyond the arc) responds off of a rare, poor performance. 10* Top Play CREIGHTON

NBA TV Blowout Smash - NBA Game #516 - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (+) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 8:05 ET - The Spurs are off of a huge win over the Pelicans on Sunday on a night in which Tim Duncan's jersey was retired. San Antonio now travels the short distance to face Houston and I don't think they'll have enough left in the tank to get past a Rockets team that has its sight set on revenge. The Rockets lost to San Antonio in early November and that was the 4th time in 5 games that the Spurs have defeated Houston. The Rockets will have something to say about that tonight as they come into this game having won 10 straight games and they are fired up about the fact that they haven't defeated the Spurs in Houston since Christmas of last year. The Rockets have played a tougher schedule than San Antonio so far this season and Houston is 9-2 ATS (and 10-1 SU) when playing with revenge this season. Also, the Rockets are 13-1 SU (and 12-2 ATS) when they are off of a game where they allowed 105 points or more. I am aware of the Clint Capela injury for Houston but they are so highly motivated for this game and so well-rested (2 days off between games) that they'll make up for the absence of this gritty "hustle" player. The Spurs have covered 4 straight games but they've faced some weak opposition during this stretch and, prior to that, San Antonio had failed to cover 9 of its 13 prior games. The value here is with the home team as the line has now moved the other way to increase the value on a team that has revenge and a 10-game winning streak and home court all on their side! 10* Top Play HOUSTON

Early Contrarian Crusher - NBA Game #509 Tuesday - Rickenbach 8* Indiana Pacers (+) @ New York Knicks @ 7:35 ET - The Pacers don't even have to win this game for us to cash our ticket. That said, it is certainly noteworthy that Indiana comes into this match-up having won 7 straight games against the Knicks. The Pacers are likely catching New York at the right time too because the Knicks have lost 3 straight games and just returned home from a grueling 5-game trip out west. Coming back east after a lengthy road trip to the west is often very tough on teams in the first game back home and I fully expect that to be the case with the Knicks tonight. New York's defense is fading of late as they have allowed 47% or better from the field in 4 of their last 6 games. As for the Pacers, they have allowed just 40.3% from the field in their last 5 games combined. Look for Indiana to continue to rely on solid D as they look to make it 8 straight over the Knicks tonight. New York is 5-13 SU (including 0-2 this season) when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. 8* INDIANA

Boca Raton Bowl - CFB Game #215 Tuesday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Memphis Tigers (+) vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers @ FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida @ 7 ET - Waiting has paid off here as a line that was as low as a 3.5 when the bowl lines came out has now moved to as high as a 7 in many spots as of early morning on gameday. That makes it "go time" with the underdog here as I'll gladly take advantage of the generous points being offered. Both of these teams have dynamic offenses (especially through the air) so the key comes down to the better pass defense. Memphis has the better secondary and their pass defense has been solid with a 17-15 ratio this season. Additionally, the Tigers have the edges at head coach as Memphis will be going with their defensive coordinator (Holt) as the interim head coach here since Brohm was hired by Purdue. We already saw what happened in this bowl season with another team that was going through a head coaching transition (Houston going with Applewhite) and that resulted in the biggest blowout loss on the opening Saturday of bowl season. The Cougars went off the board as a 5 point favorite there but still got pummeled by San Diego State. I am not saying that this one will play out exactly the same but the point is that there is certainly value with the underdog here catching a full 7 points. This is especially true when you consider that is an additional motivating factor for Memphis. The Tigers come from the bigger conference and they are well aware that they are sizable dogs against "only" a CUSA team. That is additional motivation and certainly the Tigers played the tougher strength of schedule this year too. All signs point to the stronger team from the stronger conference (AAC) in this one. 10* Top Play MEMPHIS

MNF Primetime Punisher - NFL Game #331 - Rickenbach 8* Carolina Panthers (+) @ Washington Redskins @ 8:30 ET - I believe we're getting exceptional line value here because of Panthers QB Cam Newton's shoulder injury. Keep in mind, the Carolina defense has forced 10 turnovers in their last 4 games. By comparison, the Redskins have forced just 2 turnovers in their last 3 games. Statistically both of these defenses rank in the bottom third of the league but the Panthers held San Diego to just 278 yards last week plus forced 5 turnovers. Of course Carolina has had a frustrating season but, off of a win last week and knowing that this is truly their last chance to shine this season because of no post-season and no other prime-time games left for them, look for the Panthers to absolutely "bring it" on Monday Night Football tonight. The Redskins are over-rated in my opinion. Not only do they have a poor defense but their 7 wins and 1 tie have included Philadelphia (5-9 record) TWICE, the Browns (0-14), the Vikings (7-7), and the Bengals (5-8-1). Against the rest of the league Washington went just 3-5. I know the Panthers have a poor record on the season but this is still a team that went to the Super Bowl last season and will still "go hard" based on "professional pride" and the fact that the Monday Night lights are shining tonight. The fact this line is all the way up to a full +7 is what is truly adding great line value here. Keep in mind the Redskins didn't defeat the floundering Eagles until they got a TD with less than 2 minutes to go last week. Also, Washington lost their two games prior to beating Philly. Carolina has won each of its last 4 meetings with the Skins and the average margin of victory has been double digits! The Panthers are on a 14-6 ATS run as a road dog. Also, as a road dog of 3.5 to 7 points, Carolina is 4-1 ATS the past three seasons. As a home favorite of 3.5 to 7 points, the Redskins are a long-term 13-27 ATS. Grab the generous points in this one. 8* CAROLINA

Watch-n-Win Crusher - CBB Game #711 Monday - Rickenbach 8* Eastern Michigan Eagles (+) @ Syracuse Orange @ 7 ET - As always, Syracuse is a "dangerous" team but they lost a lot of firepower (to say the least!) from an Orange team that was in the Final Four last season. The key to the value here is that last year's team is still fresh in the memory of the marketplace and Syracuse continues to have a tendency of being over-priced. I believe that is precisely the case here as the Orange are priced at more than a dozen in this one against an Eastern Michigan team that is one of the top teams in MAC. Yes, of course, the MAC is not the ACC but the point is that this Eagles team has a veteran-laden roster with strong guard play and a key to being competitive against a Jim Boeheim coached team is having veteran floor leaders and a solid backcourt. The Eagles have that covered and I look for them to be a tough "out" for the Orange tonight. Even though Syracuse is off of a loss this is a tough scheduling spot as they just played on Saturday. Yes it is true that Eastern Michigan also just played on Saturday as well but, keep in mind, the Eagles aren't the ones being asked to cover a large number in this game! Eastern Michigan is shooting 47% on the season and averaging 85 points per game. Certainly the Eagles defense is not on par with that of the Orange but their offense is dangerous and they can trade buckets with the Orange throughout this game. I look for Syracuse, off of a loss, to be content to "grind out a win" here and I don't see them covering this large number against a talented Eagles team. Also, the Orange have another game (St John's) on deck for Wednesday so this is part of a 3 games in 5 days stretch for Syracuse and Boeheim will manage the players' minutes accordingly. Conversely, Eastern Michigan has a small school on deck and that game is not until Thursday so the Eagles are "all in" for this game tonight! The Orange are 0-3 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record while the Eagles are already 3-1 ATS on the season. Those trends continue here. 8* EASTERN MICHIGAN

Primetime Punisher - NFL Game #305 Sunday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+) @ Dallas Cowboys @ 8:30 ET - The Cowboys only two straight-up losses this season are to the Giants after last week's loss at New York. However, last week's defeat did mark the 3rd straight ATS loss that Dallas has suffered and it is clear that rookie QB Dak Prescott has regressed a bit over the last couple weeks. Keep in mind that the pressure is more intense now too because Dallas still needs a win to clinch the NFC East and this is true even if the Giants lose to the Lions earlier in the day Sunday. I expect the pressure to start to catch up with "The Boys" here and the Dallas D was helped by facing a struggling Giants offense last week. Prior to that, Dallas allowed 1.347 passing yards their prior 4 games. That is an average of 336.8 passing yards given up per game for the Cowboys secondary. Tampa Bay's passing attack didn't have to do much last week as the Buccaneers defense did most of the "heavy lifting" to defeat the Saints last week. However, prior to that win over the Saints, the TB passing attack produced 1,417 yards in 5 games. That's an average of 283.4 passing yards per game for the Bucs offense. Don't be surprised if the Bucs (in a huge battle for the top spot in the NFC South) give the Cowboys all they can handle in this one! The Buccaneers are on a 5-1 ATS run as a road dog and all 5 wins were outright wins by an average margin of 7 points per game! That said, I'll certainly take the 7 points that are being offered here in a game where Tampa Bay could very well get the upset over the over-rated Cowboys who are starting to come back down to earth. At the very least, look for Dallas to suffer their 4th straight ATS loss. The Cowboys are on a 1-4 SU and ATS run against NFC South opponents. The Bucs are on a long-term 18-6 ATS run in road games where the posted total is between 45.5 and 49 points. More of the same Sunday night. 10* TAMPA BAY

Contrarian Crusher - CBB Game #531 Sunday - Rickenbach 8* Western Michigan Broncos (+) @ Washington Huskies @ 8 ET - The Broncos and Huskies both are below .500 so far this season and certainly the Huskies are the better team from the bigger conference. However, I view this as a very difficult spot for Washington to cover a large impost. They've been off for over a week. So too have the Broncos but they're not being asked to cover a big number like the Huskies are. The last time Washington had a week of rest they then got blasted by 27 against Gonzaga as they had their worst shooting night of the season. They're a rather young team which can make the time off even more difficult. As for Western Michigan, they returned four starters from last season's team and they're early season schedule has been just as difficult as the Huskies so don't underestimate them here. Both teams lack in terms of defense but the Broncos can put up big points and that will allow them to trade buckets with the Huskies throughout this game in my opinion. The points are simply too much here for Washington in what is a challenging situation for an offense to be in rhythm. The Broncos are 7-4 ATS in their games against teams averaging 77 points or more per game. Washington is on a 4-7 ATS run in games after having 5 or 6 days of rest between games. 8* WESTERN MICHIGAN

Divisional Dominator - NBA Game #513 Sunday - Rickenbach 8* New Orleans Pelicans (+) @ San Antonio Spurs @ 7:05 ET - Tonight the Spurs will have a retirement ceremony for Tim Duncan so certainly it will be a big night at the AT & T Center in San Antonio. Also, I am well aware of the Anthony Davis injury situation (currently listed as questionable) for the Pelicans. The fact is that the Spurs haven't been blowing teams out with any regularity at all this season and this line is inflated due to both of the reasons noted above. Also, the Spurs do have a huge game on deck with the rival Rockets in Houston and New Orleans did not have Jrue Holiday available in the first match-up between these teams earlier this season. The Spurs won that game by 19 points and that is one of only 2 home wins by more than 10 points that San Antonio has this entire season. They've struggled to pull away in many of their wins and they're going to face an angry Pelicans team here. New Orleans is not happy about their blowout loss at Houston Friday (Davis was pulled half-way through 3rd quarter as a precaution) and they'll be fired up to get back on track tonight. New Orleans is 14-5 ATS in Sunday games the past three seasons. The Spurs are a different team without Duncan and San Antonio has gone only 4-7 ATS at home this season and just 1-3 ATS when playing with 2 days of rest. The Spurs want this win badly because of Duncan tonight and that pressure could lead to an "off" shooting night. Don't be surprised if the Pelicans keep this game much closer than many are expecting. 8* NEW ORLEANS

Game of the Month - NFL Game #326 Sunday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Denver Broncos (+) vs New England Patriots @ 4:25 ET - The Broncos are one of the few teams that has given the Patriots some trouble in recent years. Certainly I am well aware of the fact that the Broncos offense is a weakness but their defense is a tremendous strength and they have fared well against Tom Brady and Company in recent years. Yes, this is a revenge game for the Patriots (since the Broncos knocked the Pats out of the post-season in January), but the fact is this is a tough spot for New England. The Patriots are on a short week and just faced a very physical Ravens defense and now have to face another tough, physical defense in the form of the Broncos. Also, the short week issue is magnified by having to travel plus now play in the thin air of Colorado. By the way, that air is extra thin when a strong cold front has just moved through. Conditions certainly aren't expected to be brutal but it is unlikely the temperature gets above freezing today in Denver and the "Mile High" air could wear down the Pats as the game goes on. The Patriots are only 1-5 ATS (and SU!) as a road fave of 3 points or less the past three seasons. Also, the home team has won each of the last 3 meetings between these teams. The Pats are a ridiculous 10-3 ATS this season but most of their wins since Brady returned have come against losing teams. The toughest AFC team the Patriots faced was the Steelers but Pittsburgh was without Ben Roethlisberger in that game. The toughest NFC team the Pats faced was Seattle and that was the lone game that the Patriots have lost since Brady returned. This could be loss #2 since Brady's return as the Broncos are fighting for their playoff lives and they are off of a tough, tight loss at Tennessee last week where their rally fell short. The Broncos are 4-0 ATS as a home dog of 3 points or less and all 4 wins were outright victories. Grab the points! 10* DENVER

NFL Game #307 Sunday - Rickenbach 8* Detroit Lions (+) @ New York Giants @ 1 ET - The Lions are catching the Giants off of a huge Sunday night win over the division rival Cowboys. That sets this one up nicely as, even though Detroit is off of a divisional win also, the Lions victory came against a 3-10 Bears team. The Giants offense has been held under 300 yards now for three straight games! The Lions are coming off of a non-covering win last week but that was their 5th straight SU win and Detroit brought a 7-1 ATS run in that game versus Chicago. Last week's game against the Bears marked the 7th straight time that the Lions have allowed 20 points or less as their defense continues to improve. Looking at the Giants 10 games prior to beating Dallas last week, their defense dominated the Browns, Bears, and Rams but those teams are a combined 7-32 on the seasons! In the other 7 games the Giants allowed at least 20 points in all 7 games and the average points allowed was 23.7 points per game. The Lions and the Giants have more in common than their 9-4 records, Detroit is just as good (if not better) than New York and you can see by the defensive numbers above and the Giants recent futility on offense, that there is no reason for the Giants to be favored by 4.5 points in this game. The value is with the points especially with the G-men off of such a big win. 8* DETROIT

NFL Game #313 Sunday - Rickenbach 8* Indianapolis Colts (+) @ Minnesota Vikings @ 1 ET - Andrew Luck or Sam Bradford? Who would you rather have at QB? This game is being played indoors and Luck and Company are off of a turnover-plagued home to the division rival Texans last week. The Colts are still alive in the playoff race but this a must-win for them and I look for Luck to respond in a big way after last week's disappointing defeat. As for the Vikings, yes they won last but they only had a small yardage edge and that was against a 2-11 Jacksonville team. The Vikes certainly face a much tougher test this week. The Colts have won and covered three straight road games! Amazingly, Indianapolis has played 6 games away from home this season and they've averaged 29.7 points per game in those 6 games. Certainly I respect the Vikings defense but this is a dangerous Colts offense and Minnesota had lost 6 of their last 7 games before defeating the Jaguars last week. Indy is 10-5 SU and ATS when off of a divisional game and also the Colts have gone 8-4 ATS as a road dog of 3.5 to 9.5 points the past three seasons combined. More of the same here. 8* INDIANAPOLIS

NFL Game #317 Sunday - Rickenbach 8* Tennessee Titans (+) @ Kansas City Chiefs @ 1 ET - The Chiefs have been fortunate this season in terms of turnovers and they also have been excellent in special teams play. That has been the key to a 10-3 record despite, based on yardage, ranking 24th on offense and 27th on defense this season. Truly the Chiefs have to be one of the "worst good teams" ever based on the stats they've produced this season. Certainly one must give credit to Kansas City for "finding a way" week in and week out but the point is that this is still an over-rated football team. That is helping to drive this line higher than it should be as KC actually comes into this game on a 2-7 ATS run in home games and yet this line is up near a full TD. It will be very cold in Kansas City Sunday afternoon and I look for the Titans to hold the edge here as the ground game could be key. Tennessee is one of the top teams in the league with their ground attack on offense AND in terms of defending the run on defense. The Titans offense struggled last week but that was against Denver and the Broncos have one of the best defenses in the league. Tennessee will find the going a little easier this week! The Titans also have an edge in catching the Chiefs off of a huge divisional win over the Raiders last week that was a battle of teams at the top of the AFC West. Kansas City has only covered 2 of their last 7 games as a home favorite of 3.5 to 7 points and I look for that trend to chalk up another ATS loss this week. 8* TENNESSEE

Opening Day Top Play - CFB Game #211 Saturday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (-) vs UL-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns in the New Orleans Bowl in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome @ 9 ET - In looking at all the Saturday bowl match-ups this is the one that is the biggest mismatch in terms of ATS records this season. That disparity helps to give line value here because Southern Miss only went 3-9 ATS this season while Louisiana went 8-4 ATS on the season. The result is extra line value here toward the Golden Eagles and, yes, I am of course well aware of the fact that there has already been significant upward movement on the Eagles in this match-up but there is still great value here. Southern Mississippi's numbers are a bit skewed this season due to some injury issues with star senior QB Nick Mullens. When he is on the field, this is simply a different team and the Golden Eagles rolled Louisiana Tech in their final regular season game to become bowl eligible. Mullens had a huge game against the Bulldogs and I expect nothing less in this bowl game from the senior QB as he is a true "gamer". Mullens is a leader and he'll go hard here to get this bowl win as a senior. Southern Miss lost the two games he didn't play in and they also had a loss to LSU but that is a tough SEC team of course. The point is that they went 6-3 in the other 9 games that Mullens started and they now take on a rather weak Sun Belt Conference team. I know UL-Lafayette won big over rival UL-Monroe in their season finale to become bowl eligible but the Ragin' Cajuns were actually quite fortunate that game was played in a rainstorm. It benefited Louisiana in the form of them being the beneficiary of 5 UL-Monroe turnovers. However, there certainly won't be any rainstorm in this one as it is being played in a dome and I don't seee anything stopping Mullens and a strong Southern Miss offense in this one. I am aware of the Ragin' Cajuns solid bowl history but the Golden Eagles lost their bowl game last season and Mullens and company want to make up for that in a big way this season. Also, Louisiana has gone 0-2 ATS in recent seasons (and 5-15 SU) long-term in their match-ups with Conference USA opponents. The Golden Eagles are the stronger team with the better offense. Mullens has a 60-22 TD-INT ratio in his junior and senior year combined. The Ragin' Cajuns Anthony Jennings has thrown 12 picks against just 11 TDs this season! 10* Top Play SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI GOLDEN EAGLES Saturday night

Never Lost Top Play - NBA Game #704 Saturday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Detroit Pistons (-) vs Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - The Pistons lost at Washington last night but the Wizards simply shot lights out as they hit a ridiculous 57% of their shots including 48% (12 of 25) from beyond the arc. Detroit, even though this is a back to back, is happy to be back home tonight. On the season they are 5-0, 100% ATS was a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points. The Pistons will have extra fire and motivation for this game because they did lose their last home game (by 18 points) to the lowly Sixers so Detroit will bring a huge effort for the home fans tonight. The Pistons are hosting a Pacers team that is only 3-10 ATS on the road this season. The home team has taken each of the last three meetings between these teams and the average margin of victory in the last four meetings has been 13.5 points. I am very comfortable laying the small number with the home team in this one! 10* Top Play DETROIT PISTONS Saturday

Non-Conf Game of the Month - CBB Game #747 Saturday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Rice Owls (+) @ Pittsburgh Panthers @ 7 ET - There is no doubt about it that even though these teams are both 8-2 on the season, the Panthers have played the much tougher schedule. However, with winning comes a lot of confidence and the Owls are filled with confidence right now. Keep in mind, this is a Rice team that returned their top five scorers from last season's team plus they brought back Marcus Jackson who had missed all of last season. So, essentially, the Owls brought back 6 top scorers as in the 2014-15 season, Jackson had averaged 14.5 points per game. Even though the Panthers have a decided edge in the frontcourt in this match-up, the weakness of Pittsburgh is that they do have some vulnerability to athletic backcourts and the Owls are certainly 'stacked' in that department! Not only is Rice full of confidence with an 8-2 record, note that their two losses came by a TOTAL of just three points! The Panthers are coming off of a full week off as they have not played since last Saturday when they defeated Penn State. That makes this a tough spot for Pittsburgh because it is tough to just hit the court and be firing on all cylinders after a long layoff and so being asked to win by 10 points or more here is asking a lot! 5 of the Panthers 8 wins this season have come by 8 points or less. They're not known for blowing teams out and lost key personnel from last season's team. Pittsburgh is actually on an ugly 12-23 ATS run in home games and poor 14-30 ATS run as a favorite. The Owls are a perfect 3-0 ATS as an underdog this season and head coach Mike Rhoades is in his 3rd season now and this team is starting to put it together as many teams often do when in the 3rd campaign of a coaching transition. 10* RICE OWLS plus the points Saturday evening

Contrarian Crusher - CBB Game #739 Saturday - Rickenbach 8* Cornell Big Red (+) @ Wyoming Cowboys @ 6 ET - The Cowboys will likely be a popular choice Saturday because Cornell has not played since November 30th! However, this is the "annual exam break" that the Big Red have and so it is not something they are completely unfamiliar with. Also, Cornell returned 97% of their statistical contributors from last season's team in terms of minutes, points, assists, and rebounds. The point is that this is more of a veteran team and they are familiar with having this long layoff between games. The Big Red have won 2 of their last 4 games and in the 0-3 stretch that started their season they lost those games by an average margin of just 7 points. That is significant here because Wyoming has not been blowing out teams this season. The Cowboys, though 7-2 on the season and though having played an easier schedule than Cornell, have seen their last 6 wins come by an average margin of only 6.7 points per game and NONE of the wins came by more than a dozen points. Also, it is hard to blowout an opponent when a team has had extra rest and the Cowboys have been off since playing last Saturday. When Wyoming enters a game having had 5 or 6 days of rest between games they have gone 0-5 ATS! Also, speaking of a failure to blowout lesser foes, the Cowboys are known for overlooking teams as they are 4-15 ATS the past three seasons in their games against teams with a losing record. First year Cornell coach Brian Earl (a star player at Princeton not too long ago) has brought a new energy and new attitude to this Big Red team and a trip to Spain in August (went 3-0) helped this team bond quicker with its new coaching staff. I know the Big Red record does not look good so far this season but they are starting to turn the corner and this team will not quit and that makes for a dangerous dog in a spot like this with Wyoming likely coming in sluggish. The Big Red are 28-14 ATS long-term in December games and they add another W to that record here. 8* CORNELL BIG RED early Saturday evening

Cure Bowl ATS Crusher - CFB Game #207 Saturday - Rickenbach 8* Arkansas State Red Wolves (+) vs Central Florida Knights in the Cure Bowl @ Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida @ 5:30 ET - Certainly the location of this game favors the Knights as this is essentially a home game for Central Florida. However, the Knights faded some as the season went on and I believe they're just "happy to be here" considering they went 0-12 last season! Additionally, UCF could be a little "complacent" here considering that they didn't even have to travel for what is now their 4th bowl in the last 5 years. For the Red Wolves, they certainly are fired up about this opportunity as, even though this is their 6th straight bowl game, head coach Anderson has gone 0-2 SU and ATS in his two appearances and each loss came by a 19 point margin. He'll have his team ready and, unlike the Knights, the Red Wolves were getting stronger as the season went on. In fact, Arkansas State had a horrible start to the season but then rattled off 7 of 8 wins (6-2 ATS) in 8 games against conference opponents. That was good enough for a share of the Sun Belt Conference title and they even dismantled a ranked SBC foe, Troy, 35-3 as a dog of more than a TD. In this bowl match-up the Red Wolves are again under-valued as they are catching nearly a full TD and Arkansas State is 14-5 SU (and 13-6 ATS) when they enter a game off of a win against a conference rival. Central Florida is 0-3 SU and ATS when they enter a match-up with two or more weeks of rest between games. The Knights only averaged 88 rushing yards per game this season while the Red Wolves had a balanced attack with 158 rushing yards and 184 passing yards per game. Central Florida enters this game off of back to back losses to finish the season while the Red Wolves responded to the ending of a 6 game winning streak by blowing out Texas State in the 2nd half of their season finale and that game was on the road. Look for another key in this game to be turnovers. Looking at what each team did over its last 5 games, the Red Wolves turned the ball over just 3 times while the Knights turned it over 11 times. A "running dog" that takes care of the ball is a "dangerous dog" and I'll grab the points in this one. 8* ARKANSAS STATE early Saturday evening

New Mexico Bowl ATS Smash - CFB Game #202 Saturday - Rickenbach 8* New Mexico Lobos (-) vs UTSA Roadrunners @ 2 ET - Texas-San Antonio (preferably referred to as UTSA) is definitely a "feel good story" for head coach Frank Wilson (in his first season) and the Roadrunners (in their first bowl game in their short history as a football program). However, the situation here couldn't be much tougher. Not only are they having to face New Mexico in Albuquerque but the weather conditions are going to be very favorable for the Lobos. Very gusty winds at 25-35 MPH with gusts over 40 MPH possible is what is in the forecast for the new Mexico Bowl. This favors the Lobos in a huge way because they are ground-oriented offense and the passing game will simply be challenging in these weather conditions Saturday afternoon. New Mexico is averaging 310 rushing yards per game this season compared to just 133 rushing yards per game for the Roadrunners. The unique triple option offense of the Lobos is likely to keep the Runners defense off-balance throughout this game and I expect New Mexico to run away with it. Off a bowl loss last year, the Lobos will certainly be focused this year and the last time they were in a bowl ('07) after the losing the prior year ('06), they won the game by a final score of 23 to zip! I am not necessarily expecting that type of domination here but I am expecting a win by double digits and the ground game is going to be the key in this game. As a road dog of 7.5 to 10 points UTSA is 1-4 SU and ATS the past three seasons combined. The Lobos have a long-term mark of 23-14 ATS when playing with two or more weeks of rest between games. 8* NEW MEXICO LOBOS Saturday

High Noon Showdown - CBB Game #767 Saturday - Rickenbach 8* Arizona Wildcats (+) vs Texas A & M Aggies @ Lone Star Shootout @ Honda Center in Houston, Texas @ Noon ET - Even though this neutral site location certainly favors the Aggies in their home state, it still is not Texas A & M's home court. Don't be surprised if that ends up being an issue for A & M because they'll be facing arguably the toughest defense they've seen all season and I look for the Aggies to struggle to knock down shots in this one. After this line opened up at a pick'em it has now gone as high as a -3.5 on the Aggies and I see huge value on the underdog Wildcats as a result. Arizona, under Sean Miller, is well-coached and coming off of an easier portion of their schedule that allowed them to rest up some after a grueling start to the year. Though they are young, Arizona is playing extremely well and also has good size to match-up well with the Aggies solid frontcourt. That is another key to this match-up and is an area that the Cats should enjoy success in. The Wildcats have held 7 of their last 9 opponents to 40% or less from the field. The Aggies just allowed South Carolina State (!) to hit 43.8% from the field and, in their most recent game against a tougher team (ULCA), Texas A & M allowed the Bruins to hit 47.5% from the field. The Wildcats also are the better three point shooting team in comparison with the Aggies and Arizona defends the 3-point shot much better than A & M as well. The Wildcats are 3-0 SU and ATS against the SEC the past three seasons. Texas A & M is only on a 5-5 ATS run in December games while the Wildcats have dominated with an 11-6 ATS mark and 15-2 SU mark in the month of December. 8* ARIZONA WILDCATS early Saturday

Dam City Classic - CBB Game #525 Friday - 10* Top Play South Dakota Coyotes (+) vs Portland Pilots @ Moda Center in Portland, OR @ 8:30 ET - The Pilots returned much of their playing rotation from last season's team but they have a rookie head coach in former NBA player Terry Porter. The Coyotes lost all 5 starters from last year but are a bit of a "hidden gem" as coach Craig Smith (in his 6th season) brought in 3 Division 1 transfers prior to this season. That is a big edge for South Dakota as they brought in Matt Mooney (from Air Force), Carlton Hurst (from Colorado State), and Trey Dickerson (from Iowa). Keep in mind those guys are from much bigger programs than the Summit League that the Coyotes play in and even bigger schools than the West Coast Conference where Portland resides. That said, I am not surprised that South Dakota is already 7-2 ATS this season and I would also not be surprised to see them upset Portland in this game. Even though this game is being played in Portland it is not the Pilots home venue. That said, don't expect the Pilots offense to necessarily light it up here from downtown and they do rely heavily on their three point shooting. The Coyotes thrive in games projected to be higher scoring. In games with a posted total in the 140 to 149.5 range, South Dakota has gone 12-5 ATS the past three seasons while the Pilots have a 4-12 SU record in games with a posted total in that same range over the same time period. Also, both of these teams come in with extra rest and the Coyotes are 4-1 ATS when playing with 5 or 6 days of rest. The Pilots are on a 6-12 ATS run when playing with 7 or more days of rest. Also, when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more, Portland has gone 0-2 ATS this season and an ugly 4-13 ATS the past three seasons combined. The Pilots are off of a big win but previously had lost 3 of their last 4 games. The Coyotes come into this game having covered three straight games. Look for them to make it 4 straight as they are playing very well (and with confidence) under coach Smith who just celebrated his birthday with the team and now this will be the proverbial "icing on the cake" here. 10* SOUTH DAKOTA Friday night

ESPN Blowout Rout - NBA Game #516 Friday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76'ers (-) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 8:05 ET - The Lakers have lost (and failed to cover!) all 8 of their games so far this month. There is no reason for that to change here. Yes, it is "only" the Sixers Friday night so, on the surface, it looks like this would be an ideal spot for the Lakers to snap their streak. However, the Sixers were playing quite well until coming up just short of the cover Wednesday. Admittedly, the 76'ers didn't deserve to cover that game as their defense allowed the Raptors to hit 47.1% from the field. However, prior to that ATS loss, the Sixers had covered 3 straight games and held all 4 opponents under 39.4% from the field. Unlike Philadelphia, Los Angeles has not been playing good defense. Prior to holding Brooklyn to 38.4% from the field on Wednesday, the Lakers had allowed their last 7 opponents to average a combined 50% from the field. It is no wonder that LA has been struggling badly and the home team did win both match-ups between these teams last year and the Sixers are hungry. Philly had enjoyed back to back road wins before the home loss to Toronto so they look to make up for that defeat Friday night. Philadelphia is 9-5 ATS this season when off of a game where they allowed 105 points or more. Also, the Sixers have gone 6-3 ATS against teams with a losing record this season. The Lakers have played 4 games against Atlantic Division opponents this season and they have not gotten the cash in a single game. Look for that trend to continue tonight. The Lakers are playing their 4th game in 6 nights while the Sixers are playing just their 3rd game in 8 nights. The fresh legs get the cash on their home floor tonight. 10* Top Play PHILADELPHIA 76'ers Friday night

Thursday Thrasher - NFL Game #301 Thursday - Rickenbach 8* Los Angeles Rams (+) @ Seattle Seahawks @ 8:25 ET - The Rams fired head coach Fisher and Fassel (special teams coordinator) takes over as coach for this one. If that didn't get the attention of the Los Angeles players, nothing will. The fact is that I do expect a strong effort from LA tonight and that will go a long way toward the Rams staying inside this inflated number. Yes, I am well aware of the fact that Seattle is off of a blowout loss at Green Bay (and will be looking to respond) as I actually had the Packers as my Game of the Year in that spot. However, the Seahawks did have 6 turnovers in that game including 5 interceptions. Though winds will be light and no precipitation is expected tonight, it will be quite chilly with temperatures likely dipping into the 20s during this one. The point is that Seattle will want to focus on a ground game that has been bolstered with the return of Lou Rawls and I expect the Seahawks to pound with their rushing attack throughout this game after the 5 picks thrown by Russell Wilson in last week's game. Overall, Wilson simply had a poor game with a number of overthrown receivers too. After this rough effort, and facing a Rams team that has played them tough in recent meetings and will be fired up for this game, look for Seattle to be willing to grind out a win rather than go for the gusto of a huge win by more than two TDs. Simply put, the Seahawks "just need a W" here and that's what I expect to see as the focus of their game plan for this one. With the Rams players ready to step up and play with intensity (especially knowing that everyone is watching since its the lone game on a Thursday night) I look for this game to stay much more competitive than many are expecting. I know it's an ugly dog scenario but it is the right play in this spot the way I expect this one to play out. I know this is a revenge game for Seattle but the points are too big and the Rams have won 4 of the last 5 meetings (SU and ATS) between these clubs. The Seahawks are only 3-6 ATS as a favorite this season. Interestingly, in games 13 through 16 of the season, the Rams have gone 9-1 ATS when they are off of a non-divisional home game and are facing a winning team who is playing with revenge! Seattle, after their non-covering win over Atlanta earlier this season, dropped to 1-6 ATS when they have the Cardinals on deck. Up next for Seattle is Arizona and so I'll gladly test these two trends which combine for a 15-2 (88%) ATS spot favoring the big road dog. 8* LOS ANGELES RAMS Thursday

Earliest Cash - CBB Game #712 Thursday - Rickenbach 8* George Washington Colonials (-) vs Central Florida Knights @ 7 ET - The Knights were already worried about a thin bench coming into the season and now the injuries to B.J. Taylor (#1 scorer) and Chance McSpadden (solid reserve) have exasperated the situation. Central Florida is off to a surprisingly strong start this season but they are coming off of a loss where they scored just 49 points and that could be a sign of things to come with Taylor out. Making this situation even worse for the Knights thin rotation is the fact that this will be their 3rd game in 5 days. UCF got blasted at home by the Colonials last December and now they have to face them at George Washington this December. The Colonials have won 4 of their last 5 games (including a big upset win of Temple). The only loss during this stretch was to Florida State and George Washington was a double digit dog for that game so it was expected. This is the Colonials "time of year" and they are proving it once again with their high level of play this month. They are 15-3 SU (and 10-6 ATS) in December games the past three seasons combined. The Knights are on a 5-8 ATS run in December games and they're really hurting without B.J. Taylor. George Washington won by 17 at Central Florida last season and while I expect this game to be closer, the margin should still be plenty for the cover. 7'6 300 lb Tacko Fall has certainly emerged in his sophomore season for the Knights but the Colonials have good size all over the floor and they did a great job against Fall in last season's match-up too. 8* GEORGE WASHINGTON Thursday

100% Never Lost System - NBA Game #514 Wednesday - Rickenbach 8* Houston Rockets (-) vs Sacramento Kings @ 8:05 ET - The Rockets are off of a non-covering win versus Brooklyn Monday. The significance in this is the fact that it was the 25th game for Houston this season and they have yet to have back to back ATS losses. Every time the Rockets have come off of an ATS loss they have covered their next game and I look for that trend to improve on the 7-0, 100% ATS mark on the season with another cover tonight. Houston is 9-2 ATS against teams with a losing record this season and they also have gone 11-2 ATS this season when they are off of a game where they allowed 105 points or more. The Kings are off of a rare win as they had lost 5 of their 6 prior games. The rare victory sets Sacramento up perfectly to get blown out here. When the Kings are off of a win by 10 points or more this season, they have gone 0-4 ATS! Also, in December games the past 3 seasons, Sacramento is on a combined 9-23 ATS run. Note the perfect trends above combine to make this an 11-0, 100% perfect ATS spot to play on the Rockets and against the Kings. 8* HOUSTON

Earliest Cash - CBB Game #525 Wednesday - Rickenbach 8* St Joseph's Hawks (+) @ Princeton Tigers @ 5 ET - Both teams are 4-4 so far this season. Although Princeton is at home for this one and the Tigers have the better defensive stats on the season, they have played the easier schedule. In other words, St Joseph's is undervalued here. They are getting significant points even though they've faced some tough competition and have gone 14-5 ATS in game with a posted total in the 130 to 139.5 range the past 3 seasons combined. Certainly the Hawks are in rebuilding mode after losing their 3 leading scorers from last season's team. However, St Joseph's turned the corner with their win at Drexel Sunday and that helps build confidence for this "still developing" team that is certainly well-coached under Phil Martelli who is in his 22nd year with the Hawks in Philly. The fact that St Joseph's has failed to cover 5 straight games is helping to inflate this line. Princeton has struggled every time they've stepped up in level of competition this season. The Tigers only wins are against Liberty, Hawaii, Rowan, and Lafayette. You may think Hawaii was a "big win" but Princeton was a double digit favorite for a reason in that one. Hawaii is only 4-5 on the season and their wins were against weak teams. The Tigers did return their full rotation from last year's team and that certainly helps them but this is still "Ivy League basketball" and the boys from Philly will have something to say about that in this ultra early game Wednesday. Princeton is on a 6-12 ATS run in non-conference action the past 3 seasons combined and they again appear to be over-priced here. 8* ST JOSEPH'S

ESPN Best Bet 10* - NBA Game #706 Tuesday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (-) vs Minnesota Timberwolves @ 8:05 ET - The Bulls have had two full off days leading into this game so they are rested and ready physically. They lost both match-ups with the Timberwolves last season so they certainly are ready psychologically as well. The motivation is there, the fresh legs are there, and Minnesota is struggling badly. Not only are the T-wolves just 6-18 on the season, they have lost 8 of their last 9 games heading into this one. Also, Minnesota is on a 6-31 SU (11-26 ATS) run in December games. They're facing a Bulls team that is off of back to back wins but just had their first non-covering win of the season. Chicago's first 12 wins this season all were covers as well but they were a big home favorite versus Miami on Saturday and fell short of the cover. The Bulls are 22-8 SU (and 19-11 ATS) the past 3 seasons when they are playing with 2 days of rest between games. They have won and covered in this situation both times this year (2-0 SU and ATS) and Minnesota has gone 0-3 (SU and ATS) in road games with a posted total between 205 and 209.5 points this season. So here were are testing a combined 5-0, 100% ATS spot this season and certainly the situational factors are there for a Bulls blowout win. 10* Top Play CHICAGO BULLS Monday evening

PA Insider 10* - CBB Game #713 Tuesday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Temple Owls (+) @ Villanova Wildcats @ 7 ET - This is one of those Big Five games in Philly and this one is being played on the Main Line as Villanova does battle with Temple. With those not from the area or not familiar with the "Big Five" series it certainly is a big deal in the Philadelphia area. This is why, even though Villanova is currently ranked #1 in the nation and also are the reigning NCAA Champs, I have no qualms about backing the Owls in this spot. Temple won't be intimidated all in this big game and the points are simply too much here as I expect the Owls to be able to stay within single digits throughout this game. They recently welcomed back senior guard Josh Brown and he's gradually been increasing his minutes (and his overall production) in each of the four games since returning from the injury to his left Achilles. In his absence, Shizz Alston has done a great job with the ball handling and that has made the rotation even deeper in the backcourt. Daniel Dingle is a solid swingman who is a great defender and then big man Obi Enechionyia is having a huge season with big scoring (including knocking down big threes) and his rebounding and shot blocking. The point is that, while Temple is certainly not on the same level as Villanova (of course!), they definitely are a well-rounded team with good inside-out balance and they are very well coached under Fran Dunphy who is in the 28th year of his career. The Owls play solid defense and they also (just like Villanova) are knocking down 39% of their threes so far this season. The 3-ball also helps big dogs to "hang around" in a game and I like the balanced attack of Temple to make them a dangerous dog in this one. The Owls are already 5-0 ATS as an underdog this season and they've gone 9-2 ATS the last 3 seasons combined in their games against teams that are averaging 77 points or more per game. The Wildcats are 1-4 ATS this season as a favorite of 14 points or more. 10* Top Play TEMPLE OWLS Tuesday evening

Bulldog's Best - CBB Game #520 Monday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Seton Hall Pirates (-) vs South Carolina Gamecocks @ 9 ET - The Gamecocks rallied, as teams often do, in their first game without star player, forward Sindarius Thornwell, who is current suspended. South Carolina "rallied the troops" and everyone was anxious to "pick up the slack" and the Gamecocks won 70-54 in their first game without him. That brings South Carolina to a perfect 8-0 on the season. However, that win came against Florida International and it was over a week ago. Not only could there be some "rust" here for the Gamecocks, they also are facing a much tougher foe in what will be just their 2nd game without Thornwell. Seton Hall is a solid 7-2 on the season and the Pirates brought most everybody back from the team that knocked off Villanova in the Big East tourney last spring. The point is that this is a solid Big East team that also, unlike South Carolina, has all hands on deck! Seton Hall will be playing their 4th game so far this month so, unlike the Gamecocks, there will be no rust for the Pirates. Seton Hall wrapped up a Hawaii trip on Wednesday so they've had ample time to come back and adjust their body clocks as they've had the ideal amount of rest leading into this game. Enough time off to be rested but not so much that they're not game-ready! The Pirates are amped up about an opportunity to knock off a ranked, undefeated foe. They'll be the hungrier team tonight in a game where South Carolina will really miss Thornwell. The Gamecocks have a long-term mark of 5-14 ATS when playing with 7 or more days of rest. The Pirates are 13-3 ATS when they are off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. 10* Top Play SETON HALL PIRATES Monday night

Bulldog's Best - NFL Game #133 Monday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Baltimore Ravens (+) @ New England Patriots @ 8:30 ET - The Ravens are playing this game with revenge as they lost at New England by 4 points on January 10, 2015 in the divisional round of the playoffs. That was after a hard-fought win at Pittsburgh in the Wild Card round the week before. The situation is a little better this time around for Baltimore as they come into this game with extra rest and off of an easy home blowout win over the Dolphins. Also, the Pats are certainly going to miss TE Rob Gronkowski who is out with a back injury. The Ravens are on a 5-0 ATS run in Monday Night Football. Long-term the Ravens have an amazing 15-6 ATS mark on Monday Night Football. Baltimore is on a 5-1 ATS run against AFC East foes and their long-term mark against the division is a stellar 29-16 ATS. The Patriots are on an 0-3 ATS run in Monday Night Football games. Couple that with the Ravens mark and you have an 8-0 ATS spot favoring Baltimore in this one. Look for them to keep this game very close and I still feel the Patriots are over-rated. Yes, they've been great since QB Tom Brady returned but 6 of their wins came against teams with a losing record on the season and they went just 1-1 against teams with a winning record. The combined record of those 6 losing teams that Brady defeated is 20-57-1. Still impressed by the Pats? The Patriots only went 1-1 against quality teams (beating Pittsburgh without QB Ben Roethlisberger) and losing to the Seahawks and New England was outgained in BOTH of those games. The Ravens should win this one outright but grabbing the points is the way to go as I look for the 8-0 ATS spot to remain perfect. 10* Top Play BALTIMORE RAVENS plus the points Monday Night

Situational Slaughter - NBA Game #504 Monday - 10* Top Play Toronto Raptors (-) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:35 ET - The Raptors have been a "covering machine" this season and, at some point, there is sure to be a correction. However, this is not likely to be that point. Toronto has had two full off days leading into this one and they have the "lowly" Sixers on deck. The Raptors are 4-1 SU and ATS when playing with two days of rest this season. The Bucks situation is quite different as they are off of a loss at Washington that was a hard fought defeat and Milwaukee will now be playing their 3rd game in 4 nights. Also, on deck for the Bucks is a home and home set with the Bulls and Chicago is a key division rival of Milwaukee. The Bucks are 25-65 SU in their last 90 games against teams with a winning record and this line has crept down to a 7.5 and, of course, the lower it gets the more likely any SU win will also be an ATS win. Many of the Raptors recent wins have been blowout wins so I am very comfortable stepping in at this level. Toronto's last 8 wins have come by an average margin of victory of 20 points per game! Most of the Bucks losses this season have been close but the rested Raptors have the fresh legs in this one and 8 of the Raptors 9 home wins this season have come by at least 9 points. Lay it! 10* Top Play TORONTO RAPTORS early Monday evening

Earliest Cash - CBB Game #518 Monday - Rickenbach 8* Boston College Eagles (+) vs Auburn Tigers @ 6:30 ET - The Tigers certainly are the better team but they've been off since December 3rd and, in fact, this will be just the 2nd game for Auburn since they played on November 29th. This is the kind of "lull" in the action that can lead to "rust" and that certainly makes it difficult to win by a double digit margin in a neutral site game against an ACC foe. Boston College is definitely one of the worst teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference but they have an edge here in that they are a 3-point shooting team (39% on the season) and they are playing their 4th game in the past 10 days. The Eagles, unlike the Tigers, are in a good playing "rhythm" and I expect them to hang tough in this game. After this one Boston College has a weak team on deck and that game is almost a full week away so they certainly want to make this one count. The Eagles have lost two straight but both defeats came by 8 points or less. Auburn has won 3 of their last 4 but all 3 wins came by a margin of 7 points or less. In games with a posted total in the 140s the Tigers have gone 9-16 (36%) ATS. The Eagles are a long-term 7-3 (70%) ATS in neutral court games with a posted total between 145 and 149.5 points. 8* BOSTON COLLEGE early Monday evening

NFL Sunday Night Best Bet - NFL Game #132 Sunday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play New York Giants (+) vs Dallas Cowboys @ 8:30 ET - One could look at this game and say all the pressure is on the Giants in this one but truly Dallas knows how important this game is and has to be feeling pressure too. The Cowboys have had a phenomenal season but they also keep winning with some "smoke and mirrors" too as they have had so many close victories and games where a key bounce or key momentum shift always seems to go their way. They were outgained by the Vikings in last week's non-covering win and the reason I mention the importance of this game is that the Boys have the Buccaneers and Lions on deck. Each of those teams enter this week having won 4 straight games. Then the Eagles will host the Cowboys in the final week of the regular season and you know they'd love nothing more than to knock off Dallas if that was a game the Cowboys still needed to lock up the division. The point is that the real pressure is on Dallas here who needs this win to nail down the division. The Giants already beat the Cowboys earlier this season so another win clinches the tie-breaker edge and New York would stay alive in the NFC East race. As it is, the Giants would be content just to make the post-season and they are currently in good position for that so, again, I contend the real pressure here is on Dallas. The Cowboys are starting to feel it as every team is gunning for them every week and after a ridiculous ATS run where everything was breaking their way, they've failed to cover in back to back weeks. Look for this one to make it 3 in a row. The Giants are fired up off of a loss at Pittsburgh and New York had won 6 straight before that loss. The Giants are 3-1 ATS in their last 4 games as a home dog of 3.5 to 7 points. The Cowboys fade has begun and they are 4-7 ATS their last 11 when, in the 2nd half of a season, they are facing a team with a winning record. Dallas is also on an ugly 1-10-1 ATS run as a favorite when facing an NFC foe with a winning percentage of .666 or greater. That makes this a 10-1 (91%) spot to play on the home dog in this one! 10* Top Play NEW YORK GIANTS plus the points Sunday night.

Contrarian Crusher - CBB Game #735 Sunday - Rickenbach 8* UC-Irvine Anteaters (+) @ St Mary's Gaels @ 8 ET - Clearly the Gaels - ranked team from a bigger conference - are the better team in this match-up. However, I am using the same premise I used earlier this week when Colorado upset Xavier and that's "unbeaten letdown". The Musketeers had just suffered their first loss of the season and while many looked for them to bounce back, Xavier was sluggish and ended up losing outright to the Buffaloes. Now, in this case, I certainly don't expect an outright upset, but I do expect this game to be much closer than many expected. Keep in mind, St Mary's just lost by 14 points as a 15 point favorite so the Gaels were way off the mark. That was on Thursday and now this will be just their 2nd game this month so it's not completely surprising that St Mary's is having some issues with being a little "rusty" so far in December. They're taking on a Cal-Irvine team that is off of a game against a weak foe but the blowout win still helps in terms of confidence-building and the Anteaters shot the ball very well in that game. UC-Irvine is actually playing better defense (in terms of FG % allowed) so far this season in comparison with the Gaels. Also, the Anteaters have lost the last two match-ups with St Mary's by a TOTAL of only 13 points and here they are getting more than that in this game. With the low O/U number posted on this game you can see that a low-scoring game is expected here and I just don't see the Gaels getting the margin they need to cover this. Note that St Mary's is already 0-2 ATS a home fave of 12.5 points or more this season. The Anteaters thrive at the betting window in games like this as they are 8-2 ATS in games against teams that are allowing less than 64 points per game. Look for a tight, low-scoring battle to make the big points the way to go in this one. 8* UC-IRVINE ANTEATERS Sunday evening

Half Off Special - NBA Game #703 Sunday - Rickenbach 8* Boston Celtics (+) @ Oklahoma City Thunder @ 7:05 ET - The Thunder are off of a loss and another loss is likely here as the Thunder have been one of the streakiest teams in the NBA this season. Oklahoma City has not had a 1 game winning "streak" this season. Also, the Thunder have had just one 1 game losing "streak" this season. OKC has been a very "patterned" team with 4 winnings streaks of at least 2 games and 2 losing streaks of at least 3 games. The Thunder are off of a loss Thursday versus Houston and, while many may look for the bounce back here, it is likely that another streak is building. Oklahoma City will face an angry Boston team as the Celtics are off of a loss two. Even though they will again be without Isaiah Thomas, Boston has played quite well even though he's been out. The Celtics simply shot the ball very poorly in Thursday's loss to the Raptors and that was the difference in the game. Boston is 9-4 ATS on the road this season and 11-3 ATS as a road dog of 3.5 to 6 points the last 3 seasons combined. Oklahoma City is 2-4 (SU and ATS) in their games against teams with a winning record this season and they are 7-17 ATS the past three seasons combined in their games against Atlantic Division opponents. 8* BOSTON CELTICS plus the points Sunday

NFL Game of the Year - NFL Game #128 Sunday - Rickenbach 10* NFL Top Play Green Bay Packers (+) vs Seattle Seahawks @ 4:25 ET - Most of the snow (up to 6 inches expected) will have already fallen by the time this game kicks off but it will still be a "Green Bay" kind of day which certainly favors the home team. In fact, dating back to 2008, the Packers have won 15 of their last 16 home games! Green Bay is known for thriving on the frozen tundra at this time of year and this is a must win game for them. They are catching Seattle at the ideal time to spring the upset here as a field goal underdog. The Seahawks are off of a huge revenging win versus Carolina last week. The Hawks wanted that game badly as the Panthers knocked them out of the post-season in January. Now Seattle has to try and come up with another big game in back to back weeks and I just don't see that happening on the road against a much hungrier Green Bay team that is fighting for their playoff lives. The Packers, after a rough stretch, have gotten a little healthier and they've settled back in for solid wins in back to back weeks as they have allowed just 13 points each game.  Keep in mind, the Seahawks haven't exactly been lighting up the scoreboard on the road this season. In fact, against NFC competition, the Seahawks have averaged only 8.5 points per game in 4 road games! In addition to the 15-1 stat noted above which favors the Packers. We also have a 7-0 spot facing the Seahawks here. Seattle is 0-7 ATS when they are playing with revenge, are off of a double digit cover, and their opponent has a winning percentage of .400 or greater. The Packers beat Seattle last season so this is a revenge spot. The Seahawks covered by 25+ points against the Panthers like week so that piece is in effect too and, also, the Packers are 6-6 on the year so certainly they are above .400 on the season. Green Bay is also 10-1 ATS when they are at home and off of a non-conference game. Lastly, the Packers are 6-1 ATS as dogs of more than 2 points when facing an opponent whose winning percentage is greater than .666 on the season. Combining the angles above (15-1, 7-0, 10-1, 6-1) we have a fantastic 38-3 (93%) ATS spot favoring the Packers. Yes I know the 15-1 angle is a SU angle but Green Bay is the dog here so any SU win will serve as an ATS win for the Packers. Look for them to get this key win in the playoff race as they catch the Seahawks at the perfect time. 10* GREEN BAY PACKERS plus the points on Sunday afternoon

NFL Game #112 Sunday - Rickenbach 8* Cleveland Browns (+) vs Cincinnati Bengals @ 1 ET - The Browns certainly are a bad team but not many teams go 0-16 on a season. That said, if they're going to get 1 win this season, this certainly looks like the most likely spot for it to happen. Cleveland's remaining games feature two road games and a tough home match-up with a feisty San Diego team. With that said, the Browns have had this game circled as "the" opportunity. Cleveland is off of their bye week, they're catching the Bengals off of a big win over the Eagles last week, and the Browns get RG III back under center for this one. The situation simply doesn't get much better than that. Of course we don't need an outright win to get the cash here and, with snow likely during this game, accumulating snow and cold weather conditions should make for exactly the type of "ugly game" where it is nice to have those points with the sizable home dog! The Bengals are on a poor 1-6 ATS run as a road favorite in divisional action. Keep in mind that Cincinnati's home win over the Eagles last week was fueled by 3 Philadelphia interceptions and it was just the 2nd win for the Bengals since September. 8* CLEVELAND BROWNS plus the points early Sunday

NFL Game #114 Sunday - Rickenbach 8* Buffalo Bills (+) vs Pittsburgh Steelers @ 1 ET - Another one of the many "snow games" scheduled for Sunday as we are likely to see snow in Cleveland, Green Bay, and Buffalo in this week's NFL action. The snow certainly favors the Bills as, not only are they a home dog here, Buffalo is the #1 rushing team in the league. If they establish their ground game in these conditions then the Steelers could struggle to keep up as Pittsburgh relies so heavily on their vaunted passing attack. Even though the Steelers enter this one on a 3-game winning streak, note that Pittsburgh has gone just 5-9 SU (and covered only 4 of 14 games!) when they enter a game on a winning streak of 2 games or more. Also, the Bills come into this one as the hungrier team as their 2-game winning streak was snapped in a loss at Oakland last week. Buffalo blew a big lead in that game! The Bills are on a 7-3 ATS run when they face a winning team in the 2nd half of a season. Also, Buffalo is on a 14-8 ATS run as an underdog. The Steelers are on a 1-4 (SU and ATS) run against AFC East foes. This is a bit of a "trap game" for Pittsburgh as they got a key win over a Giants team that was 8-3 on the season and the Steelers then close the regular season with three straight games against divisional foes! Tough spot here for Pittsburgh and I love fading the line move too as this one has been on the rise all week and we're now able to get a full +3 with the home dog. 8* BUFFALO BILLS plus the points early Sunday

NFL Game #120 Sunday - Rickenbach 8* Jacksonville Jaguars (+) vs Minnesota Vikings @ 1 ET - Jacksonville outgained Denver by over 100 yards last week but lost because they badly lost the turnover battle 3 to 0. The Jaguars have been doing themselves in with turnovers but they continue to statistically outpeform their opponents in most games. Jacksonville hasn't been significantly outgained in a game since October! Yes, I know there is more to a game than just the yardage but, the point is, we're now getting significant line value in fading a Vikings team that certainly has issues of its own. Minnesota is now favored by more than 3 on the road in this game even though the Vikings have lost 6 of their last 7 games and have won of the worst offenses in the league. Minnesota also is 1-4 SU and ATS in road games with a posted total between 38.5 and 42 points. The Vikes are also 1-11 ATS in Games 13 through 16 of a season when they are a road favorite! The Vikings, also in Games 13 through 16 of a season, are 1-11 ATS on the road when facing a team that is off of a SU loss by double digits and that is playing with revenge (Jacksonville lost most recent meeting with Vikes). After playing on a Thursday, Minnesota (even with last week's cover versus Dallas) is just 2-6 ATS the last 8 times. 8* JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS plus the points early Sunday.

Contrarian Smash - NBA Game #503 Saturday - Rickenbach 8* Milwaukee Bucks (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - Even though this is a back to back spot for the Bucks they are still in a "play on" situation here. That's because Milwaukee blew a 20 point half-time lead at home against the Hawks last night. The Bucks players will be fired up after the way they let that game get away from them in the 3rd and 4th quarters and most everyone logged less than 30 minutes in the game so Milwaukee will be a little fresher here than you might expect for a back to back. Also, the Wizards are off of a comeback win Thursday and with the Bucks off of a big blown lead last night, they'll be hungry to get revenge against a Wizards team that has given them trouble in recent meetings. Milwaukee will be looking to avenge 4 straight losses at Washington. The Wizards are only 2-5 ATS against teams with a winning record this season and also only 2-5 ATS in games with a posted total of 210 points or more this season. Even though this is a back to back for Milwaukee it is the first one they've had since mid-November so they should still have "fresh legs" tonight. Also, the Bucks are 5-2 ATS in games with a posted total of 210 points or more this season. 8* MILWAUKEE BUCKS plus the points in early evening action Saturday

Top Play Smash - CBB Game #564 Saturday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Ohio State Buckeyes (-) vs Connecticut Huskies @ 6 ET - Big revenge game for OSU as they got embarrassed in a 20-point loss to Connecticut last season. The Huskies simply shot "lights out" in that game and that was the difference as the Buckeyes only made 35.7% of their shots and UConn topped 60% which, of course, is very unusual. The set up for this game Saturday is perfect because there is much more to it than just the revenge angle. The Buckeyes are off of an embarrassing home loss to Florida Atlantic. Ohio State lost that game by a bucket and they were a 20-point favorite in the game! The Buckeyes were clearly looking ahead to this game. As for the Huskies, they are off of a huge upset win over Syracuse. That makes Connecticut ripe for a letdown here and that was the 2nd straight game that the Huskies have shot poorly and have been held under 53 points. Both of these clubs are solid defensively but Ohio State is the much better team on offense with better shooters and better overall point production. In road games with a posted total of 130 to 134.5 points, the Huskies have gone 5-18 ATS. With the low total posted on this game you can see that the odds maker are expecting a bit of a grudge match here and Connecticut simply won't be able to keep up with Ohio State on the score board. The Buckeyes are 7-1 SU (and 46-7 SU long-term) in home games with a posted total in a range of 130 to 134.5 points and OSU is fired up for revenge here. That said, I am forecasting not only the SU win but a big, dominating revenge win by double digits. 10* Top Play OHIO STATE BUCKEYES for a Smash of the spread in this one early Saturday evening

Army/Navy Top Play - Rickenbach CFB Game #104 Saturday - 10* Top Play Navy Midshipmen (-) vs Army Black Knights @ Baltimore, Maryland @ 3 ET - I am well aware of the injury issues that Navy just suffered with, amazingly, both Will Worth and Toneo Gulley getting hurt on the same play in the AAC Championship Game against Temple. However, this is still the biggest game of the season for the Midshipmen. In fact, it means so much that Worth even postponed surgery on the broken foot he suffered so that he could be more available to provide as much help as possible to the sophomore QB who will now be stepping in and taking his place for this game. After getting rolled by the Owls last week, Navy is extra fired up for this season's contest. Also, even though they had not rest between games, note that the Midshipmen have been preparing for Army all season long. Their head coach said as much and the team has indeed devoted some time to preparing for the Black Knights each and every week through the season. Also, Army has had so much time off that they actually could be rusty here. Their last game was 3 weeks ago and Army didn't even get tested in that one because it was against Morgan State. Prior to that, the Black Knights allowed 75 points in their two prior games. Note that Army is an ugly 14-35 ATS when they enter a game off of 2 or more weeks of rest. Navy is 103-68 ATS when playing with 6 days or less of rest between games. In other words, much has been made of the rest factor favoring the Black Knights here but there is more than meets the eye here. The Midshipmen step right into this one "game ready" while Army could be rusty. Navy has played a much tougher schedule than Army this season and that is not being factored into this line as much as it should be. The line could easily be 17 if the injuries were not a factor. Even with those the line could be 10 points and that is what this game opened up at in a lot of spots and the line has now moved all the way down to below a TD which is offering great line value considering Navy's long history of winning in recent meetings in this annual match-up. Don't be fooled by Army's defensive stats. That was helped by playing a weak schedule. They will struggle to stop the Midshipmen triple option attack in this one. Keep in mind that Navy had scored 42 points or more in 6 of their last 7 games before losing ugly to the Owls last weekend. Look for the Midshipmen to bounce right back here and put up big points in their biggest game of the season. Army won't be able to keep up. The Black Knights had been held to 21 points in 6 of their last 7 games before blowing away Morgan State. 10* Top Play NAVY MIDSHIPMEN minus the points Saturday

Rivalry Rout - CBB Game #537 Saturday - Rickenbach 8* Wisconsin Badgers (-) @ Marquette Golden Eagles @ 2 PM ET - Revenge game for the Badgers as they lost a tight one to the Golden Eagles last December. Wisconsin attempted 20 more shots than did Marquette in that game but the Eagles simply shot lights out and that was the difference in the victory - albeit just a two point margin. The Badgers are the more experienced team in this year's match-up and they come in shooting the ball very well as Wisconsin has made at least 49% from the field in 4 straight games. Marquette has also shot the ball well but the Badgers have faced the tougher competition. In the Golden Eagles three most recent games against tougher competition they were held to 46% against Georgia and 40% in each of their games against Pittsburgh and Michigan. Note that Wisconsin's recent hot streak shooting has included games against Oklahoma and Syracuse. The Badgers also should hold a big rebounding edge in this match-up. Wisconsin is 5-1 SU (and 4-2 ATS) as a favorite this season. The Golden Eagles are on a 13-27 ATS run in home games and are an ugly 5-11 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. 8* WISCONSIN BADGERS minus the short number Saturday

Southeast Divisional Game of the Month - NBA Game #701 Friday - 10* Top Play Orlando Magic (+) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - The Magic are off of one of the worst performances as they lost by 30 points at Boston. That is the kind of performance that absolutely fires up a team for their next game and, keep in mind, Orlando had been playing very competitive basketball prior to the beatdown at the hands of the Celtics. The Magic had won and covered 4 of their 5 prior games. Also, looking further back, Orlando had gone 6-5 in their 11 prior games and the average margin of defeat in the 5 losses was just 4.2 points. The fact is that Orlando had been in every game their past 11 and I fully expect them to be in this one too after the embarrassing blowout loss at Boston. Note that Orlando is a perfect 3-0 ATS this season in road games with a posted total between 200 and 204.5 points. Also, the Magic failed to cover in their last visit to Charlotte but, prior to that, Orlando had covered each of their prior visits. This has been a road-dominated series at the betting window with the road team getting the cash 6 of the last 8 games. The Hornets are off of a double digit win but they pulled away late for the 10 point victory and the final score certainly is deceiving in terms of how the game truly played out. Charlotte is now off of back to back wins and covers but previously had covered only 2 of their 9 prior games. The Hornets only sank 34% of their shots against Detroit Wednesday. As a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points, Charlotte has gone just 5-8 ATS and they've also covered just 3 of 8 games against teams with a losing record this season. 10* Top Play ORLANDO MAGIC plus the points Friday

RARE TNT Top - NBA Game #512 Thursday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (+) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 9:35 ET - The Spurs still get a ton of respect from the odds makers and the betting markets and are certainly still one of the top teams in the NBA. However, this team is clearly not the same team since Tim Duncan retired and Manu Ginoboli and Tony Parker arent' getting any younger. Also, coach Gregg Popovich has lost a little bit of his "fire" since Duncan retired and the result is that the Spurs just aren't dominating the way they use to. In fact their having to scratch and claw their way to many of their wins and now they're in the wrong place at the wrong time. The home team has swept the season series between the Bulls and Spurs each of the last two years and Chicago comes into this game fired up off of 3 straight SU and ATS losses. This was preceded by an 8-2 ATS run for the Bulls. For the Spurs, they are off of a rare big win (by 14 at Minnesota) Tuesday as they had previously gone just 3-8 ATS in their 11 prior games. With San Antonio off of a big double digit win and Chicago off of three straight losses, look for the Bulls to be the hungrier team here. Chicago has gone 9-4 SU (and 10-3 ATS) the last 3 seasons when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 games or more. 10* Top Play CHICAGO BULLS plus the points Thursday night

RARE Thursday Top - NFL Game #101 Thursday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Oakland Raiders (+) @ Kansas City Chiefs @ 8:25 ET - The Chiefs continue to win in amazing ways as they won at Atlanta last week despite the Falcons having 32 first downs compared to just 17 for Kansas City. This is a revenge game for Oakland as they lost at home to the Chiefs 26-10 back in mid-October. The Raiders come into this game off of a 38-24 home win versus the Bills but the road team is still 9-2 ATS in Oakland's games this season and my money is on the road dog in this one tonight. The Chiefs are an ugly 3-15 ATS as a home favorite in divisional action. The Raiders are on a 22-8 ATS run as a road dog in divisional action. In games this season where the Oakland line is anywhere between -3 and +3 they have gone 7-1 ATS. Also, in road games with a posted total in a range of 45.5 to 49 points the past three seasons, the Raiders have gone 7-1 ATS. In road games this season Oakland is 5-0 ATS and in their games against teams with a winning record this season the Raiders are 4-0 ATS. The Chiefs are 1-3 ATS at home this season and 1-3 ATS in home games with a posted total in a range of 45.5 to 49 points the past three seasons. Even though the Kansas City defense looks strong based on points allowed this season, keep in mind their yardage allowed ranks them just as low as the Raiders. That said, no true D edge to KC in this one and the edge on offense clearly belongs to Oakland as the Raiders are stronger on the ground and through the air in comparison with the Chiefs. Revenge time in a key AFC West showdown. 10* Top Play OAKLAND RAIDERS plus the points Thursday night

Rivalry Rout - CBB Game #520 Thursday - Rickenbach 8* Iowa Hawkeyes (+) vs Iowa State Cyclones @ 8 ET - How can Iowa possibly make up for last season when they blew a 20 point lead at Iowa State? As the saying goes, turnabout is fair play! The Hawkeyes are again the unranked team, but they are now at home, and battling their ranked in-state rival. Iowa State comes into this game with the better record and certainly (on paper) would seem to be the play in this game. However, as the Cyclones well know, the game isn't played "on paper" and just like they rallied for an improbable win over the Hawkeyes last season, don't be surprised if underdog Iowa is the one getting the last laugh this season. That crazy win (came with 9 seconds left) last season was the 3rd straight win for the Cyclones in this series. Iowa State has never won 4 straight in the series. Also, although the Cyclones have certainly been the better team on defense so far this season, the Hawkeyes can put up big points (just like Iowa State does) and you can bet that Iowa is going to bring their most intense defensive effort so far this season in tonight's huge rivalry game. Certainly the Hawkeyes are very well coached under veteran Fran McCaffery. Iowa State has gone 3-7 ATS in road games with a posted total of 155 to 159.5 points. The Cyclones are also 1-4 ATS against teams with a losing record and, surprisingly, are also a long-term 6-13 ATS when they face a poor defensive team (allowing an average of 77 points or more per game). Iowa is 12-6 ATS as a home dog of 3.5 to 6 points and also is 31-8 SU in home games the last 2+ seasons. Revenge time. 8* IOWA HAWKEYES plus the points Thursday 

Earliest Cash - NBA Game #501 Thursday - Rickenbach 8* Denver Nuggets (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - The Nuggets overlooked the Nets last night and didn't start "playing" until it was too late. Denver did come all the way back from a huge deficit and had the ball with a chance to tie it late but they turned it over and blew that opportunity. Overall, they know they let a game get away last night that they had no business losing. Teams respond strong after games like that and that means the Wizards are going to get Denver's best effort tonight because the Nuggets know they can't afford another slow start. Look for Denver to jump on the Wizards from the opening tip. The Nuggets are still 8-3 ATS on the road this season and 21-11 ATS the last 3 seasons combined when they are on the road and the posted total on the game is 210 points or more. The Wizards are 1-5 ATS this season in games with a posted total of 210 points or more. Also, Washington is off of a divisional game (home loss to Orlando) and they are 1-4 SU and ATS when off of a divisional game this season. The fact is that a Northwest Division foe is not going to get the same attention an Atlantic Division foe will get from the Wizards and, in fact, Washington is on a 7-14 ATS run in games against teams from the Northwest Division the past three seasons combined. 8* DENVER NUGGETS

Rivalry Rout - CBB Game #745 Wednesday - Rickenbach 8* Creighton Blue Jays (-) @ Nebraska Cornhuskers @ 9 ET - The Blue Jays are undefeated so far this season and they undoubtedly will get tripped up soon but I don't see that happening tonight and will take advantage of the downward line move that has occurred on this one. Creighton has held the upper hand in this series with Nebraska for many years. Currently the run for the Blue Jays is 15-5 ATS the last 20. Certainly the Cornhuskers would love nothing more than to be the ones to put the first blemish on Creighton's unbeaten season record thusfar. However, this Huskers team does not even look as strong as others that the Blue Jays have dominated in recent meetings. The Cornhuskers lost their two best players from last season, Andrew White and Shavon Shields, and are truly a young team in terms of scholarship players. The way Creighton has been shooting the ball this season, and the fact they're use to playing at Nebraska every other season, means another night of "raining threes" is quite likely as the Blue Jays are knocking down an average of 10 three pointers a game so far this season! Creighton's 3-point shooting has cooled off of late but they're still on fire inside the arc and, amazingly, have made at least 50% of their shots from the field in all 8 of their games this season. For comparison sake note that the Huskers have been held under 42.5% from the field in 4 straight games! The Cornhuskers are also 14-39 SU and 17-33 ATS the past three seasons combined in their games against teams with a winning record. Creighton is off of a non-covering win against Akron but, with the small number on this game, and with a 15-5 SU mark in this series with Nebraska too, I look for the Blue Jays to get right back into the ATS win column here. 8* CREIGHTON BLUE JAYS minus the short number Wednesday night

Contrarian Crusher - CBB Game #748 Wednesday - Rickenbach 8* Colorado Buffaloes (+) vs Xavier Musketeers @ 9 ET - After opening up right around a pick'em this line has shot all the way up to -3 on Xavier. I will take the contrarian role in this one as I expect Xavier to suffer from "unbeaten letdown" in this one. Before their loss (by 15 points at Baylor) Saturday, the Musketeers were off to a 7-0 start and flying high. However, other than against Northern Iowa (whom they played twice and whom is fine playing methodical basketball) and Buffalo (who was over-matched), the Musketeers defense truly has not been all that impressive this season. In 4 of the 5 "other games" not played against the Panthers or Bulls, the Musketeers allowed at least 76 points. Also, in all 5 of those games, Xavier did allow at least 41.5% shooting from the field. For comparison sake, note that the Buffaloes have allowed just 37.6% from the field on the season. Coach Tad Boyle is doing a fantastic job with the recruiting and player development he has done at Colorado and, keep in mind, they returned most everyone from last year's NCAA Tourney team. As for Xavier, they certainly are still hurting some without the services of senior guard Myles Davis. Certainly the Musketeers want to bounce back off the loss they just suffered but that is tough to do on the road and facing a quality Pac-12 team. Colorado is looking for that "marquee" early season win and this is easily their biggest home game prior to conference play getting underway. In other words, the Buffaloes are fully focused on the task at hand here and I look for the Musketeers to drop to 2-5 ATS the L7 times they've been a road favorite of 3 points or less. The Buffaloes have an 18-7 ATS mark as a home dog of 3 points or less and all 18 wins were outright wins! 8* COLORADO BUFFALOES plus the small number Wednesday night

Top Play Annihilation - NBA Game #705 Wednesday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Denver Nuggets (-) @ Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - The Nets have lost 10 of their last 11 games. The key thing about Brooklyn is they often don't just lose, they get annihilated. 7 of the Nets 10 losses have come by a margin of at least 17 points which is actually quite incredible when you think about it. They're just not even in a lot of their games. All 10 of the losses during this 1-10 stretch have come by at least 5 points which is what makes Denver even a more attractive play here since they are a short favorite of less than 5 points at the time of this posting. The Nuggets have done well as travelers for their backers as Denver is 8-2 ATS away from home this season! Also, the Nuggets have fared particularly well in games that are projected to be high-scoring as they are 4-0 ATS this season in road games with a posted total of 210 or more. This total is well above that as the Nets are one of the worst defensive clubs in the league. Denver is also a perfect 4-0 ATS against Atlantic Division opponents this season. The Nuggets results of late don't look that great but keep in mind that was against some tough opponents. They have taken care of business against weaker foes like recent road games at Philadelphia and Phoenix. The last key here to this pick is that the Nets have swept the home and home season series from the Nuggets each of the past two seasons and last year's two Brooklyn wins each came by only a single point. Teams don't forget tight losses like that and that ensures proper focus from the road fave here and a big revenge win can be expected. 10* Top Play DENVER NUGGETS minus the short number Wednesday evening

Earliest Cash - NBA Game #701 Wednesday - Rickenbach 8* Detroit Pistons (+) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - The Pistons are off of a big divisional win over Chicago yesterday so many will be looking to fade them here. However, Detroit is actually 26-10 ATS the past 3 seasons when they are off of a divisional game so it truly has not slowed them down. Also, the Pistons are 4-1 SU and ATS against Southeast Division opponents this season and Detroit has played a tougher schedule than Charlotte so far this season. The Pistons come into this game on a 6-2 run (both SU and ATS) and they're facing a Hornets team that is off of a win and cover at Dallas but that had previously gone just 3-6 SU and 2-7 ATS their last 9 games. Clearly this match-up is a case of two teams heading in opposite directions and Charlotte has not fared well in this role either. As a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points, the Hornets are on an 8-15 ATS run including 0-4 ATS this season! Grab the line value here with the road dog. 8* DETROIT PISTONS plus the points early Wednesday evening

Contrarian Crusher - NBA Game #507 Tuesday - Rickenbach 8* Philadelphia 76'ers (+) @ Memphis Grizzlies @ 8:05 ET - Many will look at the Grizzlies here because of the Sixers perennial losing, the 76'ers current losing streak, and the fact that Joel Embiid will likely not play tonight after playing last night in Philadelphia. That is why this is a contrarian play but the fact is that Philly is in a better "position" here than the Grizzlies are and plus their getting a good number of points as well so there is great underdog value. Memphis got a 110-108 win at New Orleans but it certainly did not come without a price. The Grizzlies had to go to double-overtime to get it and they were already short-handed. That said, a Memphis team that only dressed 10 players last night and that had 5 players log 40 minutes or more in last night's game is not in a good spot here. The Grizzlies will be tired and also could get caught being complacent here too. After all, they're at home now and hosting a 4-17 Sixers team so what's there to worry about? Of course that is where the trouble starts and I would not be surprised to see the 76'ers spring the upset here but certainly the value here is in grabbing the big points. Philadelphia is 40-25 ATS in non-conference games the past three seasons and the 76'ers are 7-4 ATS this season when playing with home loss revenge. Memphis is 4-7 ATS the past three seasons as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points and the Grizzlies are 0-3 ATS against Atlantic Division opponents this season. Add it all up and you have a 57-33 (63%) ATS spot in favor of the road dog in this one. 8* PHILADELPHIA 76'ers Tuesday

Earliest Cash - CBB Game #529 Tuesday - 8* East Carolina Pirates (+) @ Virginia Cavaliers @ 7 ET - I am well aware of the fact that the 7-2 Pirates have played an easy schedule so far this season and that the 7-1 Cavaliers are off of their first loss of the season and that it was also a rare home loss for Virginia. However, one can not ignore the fact that East Carolina knew they had to improve their defense coming into the season and they have done just that. The Pirates are allowing only 59.2 points per game and have held opponents to 34.7% from the field which, coincidentally, is the exact same percentage as the vaunted Cavaliers defense has allowed. Now, once again, I am certainly mindful of the fact that East Carolina has not played the level of competition that the Cavs have. Also, I know that the Pirates certainly are not nearly the level of team that Virginia is. However, East Carolina is playing solid defense, they are one of the nation's leading teams in rebounding, and they are getting 20+ points here as a big dog that could very well play out as an ugly, low-scoring grudge match (note the low O/U posted on this game). The Cavaliers offense has been held to 63 points or less in 3 straight games and the Pirates can absolutely hang around in this one. East Carolina has gone 9-2 ATS as a road dog of 18.5 to 24 points. Virginia has gone 4-7 ATS as a home favorite of 18.5 to 24 points. This number is simply too big and it's offering great line value on a scrappy underdog that is hustling this season (note the numbers on defense and on the boards). 8* EAST CAROLINA plus the big points Tuesday

Contrarian Top Play - CBB Game #527 Tuesday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Old Dominion Monarchs (+) @ Rhode Island Rams @ 7 ET - Old Dominion is known for playing solid defense and crashing the boards. Those two variables tend to make the Monarchs a dangerous dog and, in this case, Old Dominion is the benefactor of too many points. The Rams are off of a loss at Providence Saturday and that is inflating this line as Rhode Island is in a bounce back spot here. The problem with the "bounce back" angle on the Rams here is the fact that the Friars are a huge rival of theirs and to again lose (and it was a tight loss) to their in-state rival is a bitter pill to swallow. Rhode Island will be doing good just to muster enough energy just to win this game, let alone cover it, after they truly "gave it their all" Saturday at Providence. Keep in mind the Rams are on a 1-5 ATS run as they've only gone 3-3 SU in their last 6 games and, by the way, Rhode Island did not have a single win by more than 9 points in this stretch and the average margin of those 6 games was just 6 points. Old Dominion is allowing only 58.6 points per game this season and their two losses were to LSU and Louisville. Both defeats came by only 6 points and they were a huge dog against the Cardinals. The Monarchs won't be intimidated here - just like they weren't against Louisville) and Rhode Island is not only off of the tough loss to the Friars, they also have a solid 7-1 Houston team on deck. This is a definite flat spot in the schedule for the Rams. Yes, I know Old Dominion beat Rhode Island last year so there is a revenge factor here for the Rams but, trust me, Saturday's game meant a ton to Rhode Island and they are a deflated team which makes it difficult to cover a big spread. Even if the Rams win here it will likely be a tight win. Look for Rhode Island to drop to 4-10 ATS in Tuesday games while the Monarchs improve to a perfect 5-0 ATS as an underdog. 10* Top Play OLD DOMINION MONARCHS plus the big points Tuesday.

Situational Slaughter - NBA Game #710 Monday - Rickenbach 8* New Orleans Pelicans (-) vs Memphis Grizzlies @ 8:05 ET - It looks funny to see a 13-8 Grizzlies team open up as a 6.5 point dog against a 7-14 Pelicans team, doesn't it? Of course the whole world jumped all over Memphis in this match-up and the line quickly dropped to as low as a 3.5 in some spot. I am 'fading the masses' as usual in this one as the line has settled in right around a -4 on New Orleans and I see great line value for the Pelicans in this situation. The Grizzlies are off of a very late win (and 1/2 point cover) that they rallied to get against the Lakers Saturday night. Memphis is still hurting without the services of Mike Conley at point guard. Now the Grizzlies face an angry Pelicans team that is off of back to back losses. The consecutive defeats included one at home where New Orleans had won 5 straight. Speaking of 5 straight, the Grizzlies won all 4 match-ups with the Pelicans last season and also won the first match-up this season. In other words, payback is on the minds of New Orleans in this one as they also look to start their next big home winning streak. The Pelicans are 10-5 ATS when playing with revenge this season and the Grizzlies defense has regressed recently as they have allowed 105 points per game in their last 5 games. New Orleans did lose at Oklahoma City yesterday but they simply had an "off" shooting night at 36.7% from the field. When the Pelicans are off of a shooting performance under 40% this season (4 times) they have averaged 110.5 points per game in their next game. That' significant here because the Grizzlies, sans Conley, are unlikely to be able to score enough to keep up in this one. Lay the short number with the Pelicans. 8* NEW ORLEANS PELICANS Monday evening

Primetime Punisher - NFL Game #375 Sunday - Rickenbach 8* Carolina Panthers (+) @ Seattle Seahawks @ 8:30 ET - This is a revenge spot for Seattle since the Seahawks didn't get a shot at the Super Bowl last season because they lost to the Panthers at Carolina in January. However, revenge can be over-valued and I feel strongly that is precisely the case here. The Seahawks schedule has been brutal over the past 5 weeks. They were home against Buffalo to start November but then went all the way to the east coast to face New England, then flew across the country to host the Eagles, then flew back to the east coast again to face Tampa Bay and then came back across the country again to host Carolina this week. This is catching up with the Seahawks and I know that last week's loss to the Buccaneers certainly had a lot to with this being a lookahead spot. But it also had to do with all the travel and big games likely catching up with Seattle and it was the 3rd time in the last 6 games that their total offense has been held to 278 yards or less! Now Seattle has to deal with a Carolina defense that, prior to last week's poor effort at Oakland, had allowed 20 points or less in 4 straight games! The Panthers are fired up after rallying back to take the lead on the Raiders only to lose late and though it is the Seahawks with revenge in this match-up, keep in mind it is Carolina who is fighting hard right now to stay alive in the playoff race in the NFC. The Panthers are on a 17-8 ATS run as a road dog and I love having them at more than 7 in this match-up. In games 9 through 12 of a season, the Panthers have gone 8-1 ATS when they are off of a game where they allowed 35 points or more. The Seahawks may get their revenge but I expect this game to be decided by a single possession as it should be an absolutely dogfight given the situation for both clubs. 8* CAROLINA

Non-Conf Game of the Month - NFL Game #370 Sunday - Rickenbach 10* Top Play San Diego Chargers (-) vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ 4:25 ET - Make no mistake about it, that was a huge win for the Bucs last week as they beat Seattle. However, it's important to consider that the Seahawks were clearly flat for that game. Not only were the Hawks off of a big win over the Eagles (and upset of the Patriots the prior week), they also had a huge game on deck. Seattle was clearly looking ahead to their game this week (an opportunity for playoff revenge) against Carolina. With that said, one can't totally take everything away from the Buccaneers win over the Seahawks last week but, the point is, one should definitely keep it in perspective. Now Tampa Bay is clearly the one that is in a flat spot here as they are off of a huge upset win at home and now had to travel coast to coast to take on a tough Chargers team that is clearly better than their 5-6 record on the season. San Diego has had some tough, tight losses so many are reluctant to back them and that is helping to give late season line value to the Bolts in a spot like this as the line has held at 3.5 in most spots. While both teams have been "up and down" on defense this season, the offensive edge in this match-up clearly belongs to Philip Rivers and company and the Chargers have averaged 32 points per game at home this season while the Bucs are averaging only 21.6 points per game on the road this year. San Diego is 4-1 ATS in their games against teams with a winning record this season and Tampa Bay's recent "surge" on defense has been helped by catching Seattle in a flat spot (and Seahawks offense has struggled at times this season) and facing the the Chiefs and Bears (both have struggled on offense this season). Prior to that, the Bucs allowed 73 points in their two prior games (against Oakland and Atlanta) and those games were in Tampa Bay. In other words, don't be surprised if the Chargers put up a bunch of points on the over-rated Bucs Sunday! 10* Top Play SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

Early System Smash - NFL Game #351 Sunday - Rickenbach 8* Denver Broncos (-) @ Jacksonville Jaguars @ 1 ET - The Broncos are fired up after losing in overtime to the Chiefs last week despite having a yardage edge of 464-273 in that game. Even though QB Trevor Siemian is likely to miss this game, Paxton Lynch has already logged some NFL time and he'll do just fine here. The Jaguars have lost 6 straight games and 5 of the 6 defeats have come by at least 5 points. 5 of Denver's 7 wins have come by at least 8 points so if you're expecting the Broncos to win this you should also be expecting them to cover the short number. That said, I definitely like Denver off of a loss and facing a Jacksonville team that is only 2-9 on the season plus has suffered 6 straight losses. The Broncos have won all 3 of their non-divisional road games this season and have gone 3-0 ATS in those games. Denver is also on an 11-5 ATS run when off of a SU loss. The Jaguars are on a long-term ugly 10-24 ATS run as a home dog. Jacksonville is 0-4 SU and ATS in their home games this season. The Broncos are 6-0 ATS when they are on the road and facing a team with a winning percentage under the .250 mark. Combining the above perfect marks in favor of Denver and those against the Jags and you have a 13-0 ATS mark in favor of the Broncos. I'll take it! 8* DENVER

Top Play Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Game #711 Saturday - 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (-) @ Dallas Mavericks @ 8:35 ET - This line went all the way from an opener of -7 down to as low as a -3 and this is offering tremendous line value on the Bulls. Yes I know Chicago is off of a big win at Cleveland and this is a back to back spot. However, they did lose BOTH games with the Mavericks last season so a little payback is on order tonight. Even though Wade is out for the Bulls, the Mavs are still without Nowitzki. Also, we're still talking about a Dallas team that is only 3-15 on the season and only 1 of their 18 games has been decided by less than 5 points! In other words, the odds are certainly in our favor that the Bulls not only win this game but also win it by 5 points or more. Chicago is currently on a red hot 8-2 ATS run and they've covered 2 of 3 this season when off of an upset win as an underdog while Dallas is 2-5 ATS when off of a loss by double digits. In other words, a Mavericks bounce back here is unlikely and that is why I expect the Bulls to get their revenge even though they are off of the big win over the Cavs. 10* Top Play CHICAGO BULLS

Big Ten Game of the Year - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CFB Game #333 Saturday - 10* Top Play Penn State Nittany Lions (+) vs Wisconsin Badgers in Big Ten Championship Game @ Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN @ 8 ET - Amazingly this is already the 4th time the Badgers have been in the Big Ten Championship Game and this is only the 6th such game as these started in 2011. The Nittany Lions are full of hunger as this is their first appearance ever in this game. The favorite has only gone 1-4 ATS in these games and I like the value here with the Nittany Lions (the better team in my opinion) getting a full field goal on a neutral field. Yes the Badgers have the better defense but Penn State certainly has the better offense and they are on fire and full of momentum right now. PSU has won 8 straight games and their offense has averaged 46.4 points per game in their last 5 games. The Badgers have won 6 straight games but their offense has been held to 23 points or less in 7 of their 12 games this season. The Nittany Lions defense has held 3 of their last 4 opponents to 14 points or less - an average of 8.7 points per game in those 3 games. The big win over Ohio State earlier this season gives Penn State the confidence to take this game over the Badgers. Penn State's rushing defense has been very strong the last 5 games with an average of only 68.8 yards allowed per game! That should help force the Badgers to the air in this one and Wiscy's passing attack has averaged only 115.4 passing yards per game their last 5 games. Look for the Lions to win this one through the air as that aspect of the PSU offense has gotten stronger as the season has gone on. The Nittany Lions are averaging 284.4 passing yards per game their last 5 games. 10* Top Play PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NBA Game #709 Saturday - 8* Los Angeles Lakers (+) @ Memphis Grizzlies @ 8:05 ET - The Lakers got blasted 113-80 at Toronto last night. The Grizzlies are off of a hard-fought come from behind win over the Magic Thursday. One could argue that the Lakers will have more "left in the tank" than Memphis even though it is LA that is in a back to back spot. Los Angeles certainly is highly motivated after last night's embarrassing result and they've gone 4-2 straight-up this season when off of a loss by 10 points or more. The Lakers have only failed to cover once in those six games! The Grizzlies have been hurt by injuries (especially the loss of point guard Mike Conley) and they have a divisional opponent (New Orleans) on deck. This line was a pick'em and then moved all the way up as high as a -3 on the Grizz. This line looked funny, didn't it? Don't be fooled. Fade the move and grab the hungry underdog that is ready to respond off of last night's embarrassment where, keep in mind, only two players logged more than 25 minutes and no one logged more than 35 minutes. 8* LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Top Ten Top Play - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Game #787 Saturday - 10* Top Play Akron Zips (+) @ Creighton Blue Jays @ 8 ET - The Blue Jays are off to such a fantastic start (7-0 SU, 6-1 ATS, 46.5% 3-pointers) that the odds makers have had to over-adjust. The result is fantastic line value in this spot. Akron certainly has played a weaker schedule than has Creighton. However, the Zips were one of the top teams in the MAC last season and they will be again this season. We are getting extra line value here because, even though Akron is 6-1 SU on the season they are only 1-3 ATS. The fact is that the Zips match up very well with the Blue Jays and that means this game is likely to play out much closer than many are expecting. Akron, like Creighton, loves the 3-ball. The Zips, like the Blue Jays have great size in the paint. Also, both teams have deep rotations. The result will be a very evenly matched contest and the kicker is that Creighton has a big game with in-state rival Nebraska on deck while Akron has an unexciting match-up with Coppin State up next. The result will be the Zips definitely "leaving it all on the floor" tonight and they're excited about this opportunity against a Top Ten and I expect them to make the most of it. Creighton snuck out a cover over Buffalo Tuesday but they face a much tougher MAC team in this match-up and the Blue Jays are simply over-priced here. 10* Top Play AKRON ZIPS

Situational Smash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CFB Game #320 Saturday - 8* Texas State Bobcats (+) vs Arkansas State Red Wolves @ 7:30 ET - Nothing I can say about Texas State is going to help you to get excited about making a wager on a team that is 2-9 this season and has gone only 4-7 ATS. However, what I will tell you is that is there are some key situational edges working in their favor here. Of course it is the final home game of the careers for a number of Bobcats seniors including their QB. They are undoubtedly going to bring a strong effort tonight as they look to go out a winner. Of course the chances of an upset win are slim as you can tell by the number posted on this game but Texas State is getting some help from mother nature today. I reside in the south central Texas area and it has been raining heavily since yesterday and this is expected to be an all-weekend event with the rain. This weather is very likely to limit the Arkansas State offense and bad weather almost always favors a big underdog who is just trying to "hang around" in a game and I expect that to be the case here with the Bobcats. They are catching the Red Wolves in a flat spot. While it is true that Arkansas State can still get a share of the SBC Title with a win here, they would have had a shot at the outright conference title if they had just won last week at UL-Lafayette. That loss to the Ragin' Cajuns really let the air out of the sails of Arky State and they will likely be a little flat here. It's hard to get up for a game after the disappointment of blowing your shot at an outright title. Also, the home team has won and covered all 3 all-time meetings between these schools. The points are huge here when you consider that the Red Wolves are only averaging 26.2 points per game this season. This is not an offensive juggernaut, this is not good weather, and this is not a good situation for Arkansas State after last week's disappointment. Add it all up and you have the perfect spot (literally) for the ugly dog to get the job done here as the home team improves to 4-0 ATS all-time in this series. 8* TEXAS STATE Saturday evening

Rivalry Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CBB Game #765 Saturday - 8* Rhode Island Rams (-) @ Providence Friars @ 4:30 ET - Big revenge game for Rhode Island. This is a huge rivalry but Providence has certainly held the upper hand in recent meetings. That is a key as to why the Rams are the play here. Not only are they highly motivated, they also are the deeper team with more experience and depth in comparison with the Friars. Look for star guard E.C. Matthews to have a big game as he has been "streaky" with his shooting so far this season as he is still recovering from a torn ACL early last season. Certainly they Rams have been holding him back a bit to save him for the upcoming conference schedule but they will take the reins off of him for this huge rivalry game and I expect a strong effort from him. Certainly the Rams have plenty of other scoring options as they returned most of their key contributors from last season and already have 5 guys averaging double digits (or close to it) this season. By contrast the Friars rely heavily on Rodney Bullock (22 ppg) and you can bet he will be the focus of the RI defense. As a team Providence is shooting 43.2% from the field while the Rams are at 49.3% from the field. The Rams are 12-6 ATS in games with a posted total in the 120s while the Friars are 8-19 ATS in games where they are a home dog of 3 points or less. 8* RHODE ISLAND RAMS

Contrarian Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach CFB Game #307 Saturday - 8* Baylor Bears (+) @ West Virginia Mountaineers @ 3:30 ET - This is simply a case of a revenging team getting over-valued. This line was closer to just two touchdowns earlier this week but has now climbed up above the 17 mark as everyone looks for West Virginia to get revenge in a big way for last season's 62-38 loss at Baylor. While I certainly do expect the Mountaineers to get their revenge, I expect a strong effort from the Bears here as they look to finish the regular season on the right foot under interim head coach Jim Grobe who is a West Virginia native. He'll have his team ready to go here and what is being under-valued about Baylor is the fact that QB Zach Smith is off of a big game last week as he threw for nearly 400 yards with 3 TDs against just 1 pick. The West Virginia defense has honestly been atrocious in recent games. Looking at their last 4 games, the Mountaineers have given up an average of 506 yards per game even though two of those games were against the two worst offenses in the Big 12: Kansas and Iowa State. The point is that even if West Virginia does pile up big points in this game, their defense has shown no signs that would indicate that they are going to shut down a Bears offense that, even with Smith at QB, is plenty capable of moving the ball very well. It's been an ugly season for Baylor but the Bears are 8-3 SU and ATS in December games and Grobe and Company want this game badly. The Mountaineers are on a 6-11 ATS run in December games and also 6-11 ATS their last 17 games against teams with a winning record. 8* BAYLOR BEARS Saturday afternoon

PAC-12 Championship Best Bet - Rickenbach CFB Game #305 Friday - 10* Top Play Colorado Buffaloes (+) vs Washington Huskies @ Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA @ 9 ET - It is has been an amazing season for both of these teams but, since it wasn't expected for the Buffaloes and was expected for the Huskies, Colorado is clearly being under-rated in this match-up with Washington for the PAC-12 Championship. The Buffaloes are a TD+ underdog even though these teams are statistically very nearly equal and even though Colorado played arguably the tougher schedule. As the favorite, all the pressure is on the Huskies in this one and I expect the Buffaloes to be the more relaxed team and the result will be Colorado playing their "A game" in this one which certainly should be enough for at least the cover. Much has changed since the last time these two teams met but it is still noteworthy that the 15 point margin of victory for Washington also is help influencing market perception for this one and, keep in mind, the Huskies were actually outgained by the Buffaloes in that game! Washington is off of a big blowout win over rival Washington State in the battle for the Apple Cup last week. However, prior to that win the Huskies had failed to cover 6 of their last 9. The Buffaloes are off of a non-covering win versus Utah but previously had cover 10 of 11 games on the season. Also, Colorado is a perfect 4-0 ATS this season as an underdog. Last but certainly not least, here is another stat you will like. This line is currently as high as an 8 in some spots and when the Huskies are favored by 8 points or more against a team with a winning record after Game 5 of a season, Washington has gone 0-12 ATS (including 0-2 ATS this season). The Huskies already suffered an ATS loss in this role against Utah this season and they also suffered a SU and ATS loss in this role against USC as well. They are in for a dogfight here with a fired up Buffaloes team that is a very confident punch and would love nothing more than to spoil any playoff hopes the Huskies had. 10* COLORADO BUFFALOES plus the big points on Friday night

Contrarian Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #508 Friday - 8* New York Knicks (-) vs Minnesota Timberwolves @ 7:35 ET - The very first lines that popped up on this game when released yesterday showed the Knicks at -4.5 and they've quickly come down from there and are now all the way down to a -2 as of early Friday morning. I understand the move because this is a chance for "right back revenge" for the Timberwolves as they just lost to the Knicks in Minnesota on Wednesday. However, just because I understand the move doesn't mean that I agree with it. The fact is that the Knicks are 7-3 SU and ATS in home games so far this season while the T-wolves are 2-7 SU and ATS in road games so far this season. Couple that with the fact that the Knicks have "only" another Western Conference foe on deck and you have the makings of some solid small home fave line value with New York in this game. Keep in mind the Knicks strength of schedule has been tougher than Minnesota's has so far this season and also New York beat the Timberwolves Wednesday despite a huge disparity in free throws as the T-wolves got all the calls on their home floor. New York has now won 3 straight match-ups with Minny and the Timberwolves are 2-6 ATS an underdog this season while the Knicks are 5-1 ATS as a favorite. The "revenge angle" on the T-wolves has ended up giving us line value on the Knicks and, keep in mind, even with playing with revenge Minnesota has a SU record of 36-91 the past 3 seasons and this line is so small that any NY win should also end up being a cover. 8* NEW YORK KNICKS Friday evening

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #519 Friday - 8* Duquesne Dukes (+) vs Pittsburgh Panthers @ PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh @ 7 ET - This is a city rivalry game and, although the Panthers have certainly dominated the series, that doesn't make it any less important for the Dukes players. Rest assure, Duquesne wants this game badly. The chance to beat their "big brother" is always a huge game for the Dukes and though I feel they will fall short of the outright win here, I do expect Duquesne to keep this one to a margin of single digits. The Dukes are catching the Panthers at an ideal time as Pitt can't help but to be "still celebrating" their big upset win over Maryland in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Now the Panthers come into this game as a large favorite and the early line move has seen this one jump from 13.5 to 15 points. I like the extra value that is giving us with the big dog here. Duquesne is seeing Nebraska-transfer Tarin Smith run the floor and handle point-guard duties. Also, even though they lost 4 starters from last season's team, the Dukes have seen other guys step up this season including a number of newcomers. Granted, Duquesne is still certainly not on the level that Pitt us but they are going to bring their "game of the year" effort to this one tonight and that should be more than enough for he cover. Keep in mind, Pitt has a new head coach in Kevin Stallings and, though the Panthers are a solid 6-1 on the season, they haven't shown a penchant for absolutely murdering over-matched foes. The Panthers only beat Yale by 5 and Eastern Michigan by 3. Also, they certainly took their foot off of the gas against a clearly out-classed Gardner Webb team which, by the way, that 19 point win was the only win that Pitt has by more than 14 points this season. Off the huge win over the Terrapins, look for Pittsburgh to fall a little flat here. The Panthers are on a 13-28 ATS run as a favorite, 2-12 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less, and on a 1-8 ATS run in their games against teams with a losing record. Duquesne is off of an embarrassing loss to UMBC but they are 13-8 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more and the Dukes only loss by a double digit margin this season was against Kentucky and, of course, the Dukes were expected to get hammered in that game. This rivalry game plays out tighter than expected tonight. 8* DUQUESNE DUKES early Friday evening

Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach NFL Game #302 Thursday - 10* Top Play Minnesota Vikings (+) @ Dallas Cowboys @ 8:25 ET - The Cowboys bubble is about to burst and I am going to be along for the ride. Their long ATS streak (some miracle covers in there for sure) finally ended on Thanksgiving Day and now I expect their SU winning streak to end this Thursday. Certainly I will grab the available points with the Vikings but I fully expect the outright win. The Cowboys defense ranks 6th for points allowed but 20th for yardage allowed. Stating that differently, the Dallas defense has been lucky! No two ways about it the Cowboys weakness is their defense and the Boys were outgained by a 505-353 margin in last week's non-covering win over the Redskins. The Vikings defense ranks #3 for yardage and #2 for points this season. Minnesota's D is going to "bring it" on Thursday night after hearing all week about the Cowboys and how great of a team they are. The Vikes are relishing this opportunity to get after Dak Prescott and to also stuff Ezekiel Elliott. The Cowboys are one of the worst teams in the league at getting pressure on the quarterback and, when Sam Bradford is not pressured, the Vikings QB can run a decent offense for Minnesota. Certainly they can get the job done against an over-confident and porous Dallas D that is one of the worst in the league against the pass. The Vikes are on a 9-3 ATS run as a home dog and are fired up after the way they lost at Detroit on Thanksgiving Day with a late INT by Bradford in the wrong end of the field. It was an egregious error that he and the Vikes want to atone for here. Dallas is on a 1-6 ATS run in Thursday games. Minnesota is 11-3 ATS when off of a divisional game. The Vikings are also 12-4 ATS when they are a dog facing a team with a winning record. The Vikes are also 13-2 ATS as dogs of less than 6 points when facing a team that is off of a SU win. 10* Top Play MINNESOTA VIKINGS Thursday Night

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #708 Thursday - 8* Memphis Grizzlies (+) vs Orlando Magic @ 8:05 ET - This is a contrarian play as many will likely be looking to fade Memphis since they are in a back to back spot and were in Canada last night battling with the Raptors in Toronto. Also, the Grizzlies are very short-handed right now due to injuries including, most important, point guard Mike Conley. However, no one played excessive minutes for Memphis last night and I liked what I saw from this hungry team in a tough environment. Now, back home and facing a much weaker foe, the Grizzlies should get back into the win column tonight. Memphis catches Orlando off of a big upset win at San Antonio Tuesday. The Spurs had a rare off-night shooting as they knocked down only 36.8% from the field. By the way, that is another key edge here because the Magic are off of an unusual result defensively while the Grizzlies were victims of a night where Toronto knocked down 14 of 28 three-pointers and hit a ridiculous 55.1% from the field. Trust me that was not all on the defense and the fact is that the Grizzlies are a solid club defensively and the unusual results from each of these teams most recent game is what is leading to line value here with Orlando as a road favorite. Note that the Magic have covered only 1 of 8 games when favored this season! The Grizzlies are a fantastic 4-0 (both SU and ATS) when playing the 2nd game of a back to back. 8* MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES Thursday Night

MAAC Attack - Rickenbach CBB Game #731 Thursday - 8* Monmouth Hawks (-) @ Quinnipiac Bobcats @ 7 ET - Perfect set-up here. Monmouth was at the top of the MAAC last season and should end up there again this season as they returned 4 starters and the majority of their key reserves from last season's team that reached the 2nd round of the NIT Tourney after just missing out on the Big Dance. As for Quinnipiac, they are known more for their ice hockey than basketball and, the Bobcats finished near the bottom of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference last season and and are likely to end up in a similar position this season. The key to the set-up here is that, even though the Hawks are off of a win, they had their worst defensive performance so far this season and they'll be ready to respond tonight with conference action getting underway. The Hawks are allowing only 67.7 points per game (and just 39.7% shooting from the field) and this is in stark contrast with a Bobcats team that is off of a shocking upset win over Indiana State. Don't put too much into that win over the Sycamores. Indiana State was in a flat spot and ended up getting beat by the hungrier team. The fact is that it was the first win of the season for a Quinnipiac team that doesn't play good defense. The Bobcats have allowed 85.8 points per game (and 50.2% shooting from the field). The Hawks won both match-ups with the Bobcats last season by at least 14 points in each game and we're getting line value here because of Quinnipiac's upset win which actually makes them "ripe for the picking" here as the better team, the Hawks, are fully capable of again dominating this match-up and Monmouth certainly is going to be hungry for the conference opener after a poor defensive effort. Hawks coach King Rice will have his team ready to go here. The Hawks are on a 22-11 ATS run in road games. The Bobcats are 10-20 ATS when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. 8* MONMOUTH Thursday evening

Top Play Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #577 Wednesday - 10* Top Play Cal-Irvine Anteaters (+) @ Santa Clara Broncos @ 10 ET - This line has moved from as low as a 1 on Santa Clara all the way up to where even a few postings at 4 were popping up. In any event, this line move has opened up some great line value on UC-Irvine. The Anteaters are looking to move to 4-0 in this series and the Broncos are over-valued. Even though both teams are 3-4 on the season, Cal-Irvine has played the tougher overall schedule. Also, even though Anteaters are without star guard Luke Nelson, others have certainly picked up the slack in his absence. The injury to KJ Feagin of the Broncos might be the bigger story here anyway. He was a key for the Broncos coming into the season as the top point guard and off of a surprisingly strong freshman campaign. Though new coach Herb Sendek has an impressive resume and will do a great job at Santa Clara, it always takes time to get the right pieces in place and, right now, he's just trying to manage some improvement on a team that lost 20 games last season. UC-Irvine went 28-10 last season and, though they lost a lot of key contributors from last season's team, they did return a number of key reserves plus they are getting a boost with the newcomers that coach Russell Turner brought in. The big edge the Anteaters have here is in the paint and the Broncos are known for their struggles with interior defense and rebounding in recent years. That weakness will again be a glaring one in tonight's game as I expect Santa Clara to drop their 4th straight in this series. The Anteaters are 19-8 ATS in road games with a posted total in a range of 120 to 129.5 points. The Broncos are 1-4 ATS (and SU!) as a home fave of 3 points or less and that is where this line has settled out. 10* Top Play CAL-IRVINE

Rickenbach NBA Game #514 Wednesday - 8* Dallas Mavericks (+) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 8:35 ET - The Spurs just aren't the same team they use to be. Yes, I know they are 10-0 on the road to start this season but last night's home loss dropped them to 4-4 in San Antonio this season and the big key here is this line. Note that the Spurs last 8 wins have only included 1 that came by a margin of more than 9 points. As you can see, there is great value in this line. Looking at the Spurs last 14 games, they have gone 10-4 and if you were to have a +9 in those 14 games you would have a record of 10-3-1 ATS in fading the Spurs. Certainly Dallas has had some issues so far this season and they will be without Dirk Nowitzki tonight. However, Deron Williams is back and getting healthier and the Mavs got a big win versus New Orleans Sunday that helps give them some confidence as they look to make it two straight at home. While the Mavericks are rested and at home, the Spurs are in a back to back spot and on the road. Also, the San Antonio defense just has not been anything close to what it use to be in recent seasons. Last night the offense also got bogged down against Orlando's defense and you know the Mavericks D will "bring it" tonight against one of their most hated rivals. The Mavs have won 2 of the last 4 home games with SA and one of the two losses came by just 5 points. 2 of the last 3 meetings in San Antonio also have been decided by just 5 points. These teams are known for getting into tight, hard-fought battles when they meet and the Spurs have only covered 2 of 6 games against teams with a losing record so far this season. 8* DALLAS

Rickenbach NBA Game #507 Wednesday - 8* Washington Wizards (+) @ Oklahoma City Thunder @ 8:05 ET - The line may seem a little low here but the "smallish" number is absolutely justified here as Wizards head coach, Scott Brooks, certainly remembers being fired by the Thunder not that long ago. There is extra motivation here for Brooks and he will have Washington to ready to go in this one. They face a Thunder team that is led by the all-everything Russell Westbrook who has truly taken over since Kevin Durant went to the Warriors. However, this will be the 6th game for Oklahoma City in the past 9 days and you have to wonder how much Westbrook and the Thunder have left in the tank. He was completely exhausted after Monday's win over the Knicks in New York. Even though the Thunder have won 3 straight, the scheduling situation favors the Wizards as they are playing just their 4th game in the last 9 days. Also, Washington has won 4 of their last 6 and, after a sloppy win over Sacramento (far too many turnovers) look for point guard John Wall to be up for the challenge of facing Westbrook tonight. When off of a non-conference game the Thunder have gone just 2-6 ATS this season and 26-41 ATS the past three seasons combined. The Wizards are 3-1 ATS this season when off of a non-conference game. 8* WASHINGTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #525 Wednesday - 8* James Madison Dukes @ Charlotte 49ers @ 7 ET - This line has gone from a 4.5 to a 7 in favor of Charlotte and I completely understand the line move (James Madison is winless on the season). However, this is a classic case where we are getting extra line value because of "going against the grain" and it is absolutely justified here. The 0-6 Dukes have played a tougher schedule so far this season in comparison with the 49ers who are 4-2 so far this season. Also, Charlotte plays in Conference USA and is projected to end up in about the 10th or 11th spot in the 14-team conference this season. The significance in that from my perspective is that I have resided in the San Antonio area for many years now and am quite familiar with the level of play of the UTSA Roadrunners and they are projected to finish "neck and neck" in that 10th/11th spot in the conference this season. The quality of UTSA basketball has not been that strong in recent seasons and so, the point is, we are getting excellent line value here in fading this move. Keep in mind, James Madison is projected to finish near the top of the Colonial Athletic Association this season and, though certainly not a powerhouse conference, the Dukes are off of a 21-11 year and hungry for more this season. They are adjusting to the coaching change but did return the majority of their team (including 4 of the 5 starters) from last season's team. After getting blown out by Rice and losing a tight one to Old Dominion (both are more talented C-USA teams in comparison with Charlotte) look for the Dukes to take advantage of the step down in level of competition here. James Madison is on a 20-7 ATS run in road games while Charlotte has gone 28-40 ATS when playing with one day or less of rest and this is also the 49ers 3rd game in 5 days. Big rest edge to the Dukes in this one. 8* JAMES MADISON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Tuesday - 8* Detroit Pistons (+) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - Though is has been a tough start to the season for the Pistons in their road games (1-8 SU and ATS), this is the perfect spot to change all that. Detroit has had two days off since an ugly road loss followed solid back to back home wins. While the Pistons are rested for this game, the Hornets are off of a big road win at Memphis last night and tonight's game is not only a back to back for Charlotte, it is their 4th game in 5 nights! It is also the Hornets 8th game in 12 days so this has truly been a tough part of the schedule for Charlotte. The Hornets are 0-3 ATS when in the 2nd game of a back to back this season. The Pistons are already a perfect 2-0 SU and ATS against Southeast Division opponents this season. Before the ugly loss at Oklahoma City, the Pistons had gone "only" 4-4 in their 8 prior games but 3 of the 4 losses were by 3 points or less. Detroit has certainly been "on the cusp" of late and they "break through" tonight in this very advantageous scheduling spot. 8* DETROIT

ESPN2 Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #713 Tuesday - 8* Pittsburgh Panthers (+) @ Maryland Terrapins @ 7 ET - The Terrapins are undefeated (7-0 on the season), at home, and they opened as only a 4-point favorite in this one. Something definitely looks "funny" here and you know where that had me looking of course, right? The other side! The fact is that Maryland lost so much from last season and, outside of Melo Trimble there certainly is a ton of talent but it is going to take awhile to piece everything together. That said, the reason the Terps are undefeated this season is they've faced an easier schedule than Pittsburgh has and Maryland has managed to win some tight games. 5 of their 7 wins have come by an average margin of victory of only 3.8 points! Keep in mind, this is even though the Terrapins early-season schedule certainly has not been overly tough. Now the Terps have to deal with a hungry Panthers team that is looking to establish themselves under new head coach Kevin Stallings - a 24-year veteran coach in his first year with Pittsburgh. The Panthers only loss so far this season was to a strong SMU team and Pitt has shot the ball well (at least 44% from the field) in 5 straight games. The Terrapins have been held under 40.5% from the field in 3 of their 7 games. Maryland is on an 11-19 ATS run in non-conference games, 12-22 ATS run in home games, and the Terps are already 0-3 ATS as a favorite this season. The Panthers as a dangerous dog with plenty of returning talent from last season are offering significant line value here. 8* PITTSBURGH

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NFL Game #276 Monday - 8* Philadelphia Eagles (-) vs Green Bay Packers @ 8:30 ET - The Packers are struggling badly with 4 straight losses as Green Bay has given up an average of 38.3 points per game. Traveling to face an Eagles team that is off of a road loss but is 4-0 SU and ATS at home this season isn't going to help matters for the Pack. Philadelphia has allowed a TOTAL of only 38 points in their 4 home games this season whereas Green Bay is allowing an AVERAGE of 38 points per game in their last 4 games. As you can see, this is a case of two teams that, though close in the standings, are truly in two different places right now. As an away dog, the Packers are on a 2-9 ATS run. As a non-divisional home favorite, the Eagles are on a 7-3 ATS run. Philadelphia also has revenge from a 53-20 loss at Green Bay two years ago. That was a turnover-fueled defeat as the Eagles were actually only outgained by 46 yards in that game. Green Bay comes into this game having not forced a single turnover in 3 of their last 4 games. Conversely, the Eagles are off of a rare game at Seattle where they did not force a turnover but they forced an average of 2 per game in their 4 prior games. Look for Philly to improve to 5-1 (SU and ATS) in Monday Night games as they take advantage of hosting a reeling Packers team whose defense has a yard per point average of only 12.9 which ranks them near the very bottom of the league. Eagles D is near the top with an 18.0 ypp. 8* PHILADELPHIA

THE Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Game #510 Monday - 10* Top Play Minnesota Timberwolves (+) vs Utah Jazz @ 8:05 ET - This line has gone from a pick'em to a -2.5 with Utah and that is adding to the value here with home dog Minnesota. The Timberwolves will be ultra hungry tonight as they are off of a loss at Golden State Saturday and also have triple revenge against the division rival Jazz as they lost each of the final 3 meetings last season. Minny is happy to be back home where they have been a much tougher team. Though the T-wolves are only 3-4 at home, all 3 wins came by at least a 24 point margin while 3 of their 4 home losses came by 7 points or less. Minnesota appears to be catching Utah at the right time to exact revenge. The Jazz are off of back to back win and covers but this has happened 3 times already this season and, every single time, Utah has lost their next game and failed to cover (an 0-3 SU and ATS mark this season in this situation). As you would expect with a young team, the Timberwolves tend to perform better when they are at home with the support of the home fans. As for the Jazz, they are playing with two days of rest here but sometimes rest can lead to rust and, in fact, Utah has failed to cover 20 of the last 32 times they have entered a game with 2 days of rest between games. The home team has won 3 of the last 4 meetings between these teams and those 3 home wins each came by at least 13 points. Look for "home cooking" to once again be the key in this one and I'll gladly fade the early line move here. 10* Top Play MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

Sunday Night Game of the Year - Rickenbach NFL Game #272 Sunday - 10* Top Play Denver Broncos (-) vs Kansas City Chiefs @ 8:30 ET - The Chiefs are not nearly as good as their record shows. In fact, I am kicking myself a bit for not playing against them last week but I felt so strongly about this fantastic situation that was coming up that I decided to hold off. But the fact is that, of the 32 NFL teams, the Chiefs rank a solid 5th for points allowed but 25th for yardage allowed. As you can see from those numbers, the Kansas City defense has been fortunate - to put it mildly! I expect the fade that started with last week's home loss to Tampa Bay (KC was outgained by nearly 100 yards) to continue through the remainder of this season. The Chiefs are taking on a Denver defense that ranks 5th in the league for yardage allowed and also the Broncos are well-rested as they are off of their bye week last week. To top it off - in terms of how strong this situation is - Denver also big-time revenge for the home loss to the Chiefs last November. The Broncos now will be facing Kansas City twice in a span of 5 weeks but they had to wait over a year to get this opportunity at revenge. The Broncos are known for dominating the Chiefs and had won 7 straight in the series (average margin of victory was 9 points) before last year's November home loss to Kansas City. The Broncos are 18-4 ATS when playing with at least 2 weeks of rest between games. The Chiefs are 1-9 ATS when they are off of an outright loss as a favorite and are then facing an opponent with revenge. That puts a 27-5 ATS (84%) mark in favor of the home fave in this one. The Broncos have been able to heal up over the bye week while the Chiefs have some significant injuries on both sides of the ball that are impacting them for this game. Look for a home rout in this one as the revenge angle is a big one here. 10* Top Play DENVER BRONCOS minus the points on Sunday night

Contrarian Smash - Rickenbach NBA Game #712 Sunday - 8* Dallas Mavericks (+) vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 7:05 ET - New Orleans had been on a hot streak but after suffering a loss at Portland Friday it could be tough for the Pelicans to just shift right back into overdrive again. That said, no one will want Dallas here but that is precisely why I do. New Orleans is unlikely to get their momentum back until they get back home. This is still a Pelicans team that has only won 2 of its 8 road games. At the same time, they now face an angry Mavericks team that has been blown out in back to back games and will be ready to respond here. Yes, I know it's been an ugly season so far for the Mavericks but, after back to back thorough beatings, this is the point where professional pride kicks in. With the big line move toward New Orleans here, it has opened up even more value on the home dog in a spot where they will give their "A game" and that should be enough for the cover if not the outright upset. Look for the Mavs to improve to 3-0 ATS this season and 18-10 ATS the past three seasons combined in Sunday games. Note that the Pelicans are 0-3 ATS (and SU!!!) as a favorite this season. 8* DALLAS MAVERICKS plus the points Sunday evening

ATS Blowout - Rickenbach CBB Game #726 Sunday - 10* Top Play Washington State Cougars (-) vs San Jose State Spartans - Both of these clubs are projected to finish at the bottom of their respective conferences but that's where the key difference is in this match-up. Washington State plays in the tough PAC-12 while San Jose State is at the bottom of the Mountain West. The Cougars have a distinct size edge in this match-up and the last time these teams met, two years ago, Washington State rolled by 29 points. This one is unlikely to be quite that easy but I certainly expect the Cougars to get this by double digits and the line has dropped from a 10.5 to an 8.5 which is offering us even more line value with the big home fave here. Washington State will be fired up off of a loss as they had held 3 of their first 4 opponents to 39% or less from the field. Also, the Cougars have shot the ball very well on the other end of the floor with a 49.2% mark so far this season. The Spartans on the other hand have been held under 44% from the field in each of their last three games while allowing at least 50% from the field in 3 straight games. This is a mismatch and, though the Cougars may again struggle in PAC12 games this season, this is another non-conference match-up where they can absolutely dominate. The Cougars are 17-7 ATS as a home favorite of 9.5 to 12 points and now this number has dropped even lower offering more value! San Jose State is on a 7-13 ATS run in non-conference games. 10* WASHINGTON STATE minus the big points Sunday evening