Rickenbach NCAAB Game #606 - *8* St John's Red Storm +11 vs Butler @ 4:30 ET - Here is another classic case of an ugly dog providing solid line value. The Red Storm, with their poor record on the season, are flying under the radar right now and that's just how I like it. St John's has covered each of their last two games and each match-up was with a tough opponent. The Red Storm got the cash versus Villanova and then at Xavier. They played fantastic defense at home against the Wildcats and then got their offense rolling on the road against the Musketeers. This home game against Butler absolutely could be the game they put it all together with solid play on both ends of the floor. However, even with just being strong on one side of the floor in each of their last two games, the Red Storm have managed to cover each time. Don't blame the Bulldogs for being flat in this game either. Butler is off of a big win against Georgetown and has a big game at Seton Hall on deck. With that said, this is the perfect spot to back the Red Storm. It is a classic "sandwich spot" for Butler and I look for a sluggish game from the Bulldogs and a game that will therefore be much closer than many are expecting. Butler is an ugly 1-5 ATS on the road this season and the Bulldogs are on a long-term 4-14 ATS run as a road favorite of 9.5 to 12 points. St John's gets some payback for the ugly loss at Butler last month. This game will be highly competitive today.

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #553 - *8* Rutgers Scarlet Knights +18 @ Nebraska @ 2 ET - Rutgers showed a lot in their triple overtime loss to Illinois on Wednesday. Certainly that was a frustrating loss and ridiculous non-cover for the Scarlet Knights as they had the game covered as a dog (of course) at the end of regulation and at the end of each of the first two overtime periods. Inexplicably, the Knights lost the game by 9 points in the third overtime and failed to cover the spread. Their long losing streak in conference action coupled with that "shouldn't have been" non-cover on Wednesday is helping to drive some nice line value with Rutgers here. Rest assured, this team has some added confidence after the way they battle the Illini on Wednesday. Also, the Scarlet Knights have had an adequate recovery period since that grueling game. That means that Nebraska could be in for quite a dogfight here. The Cornhuskers are still licking their wounds after coming up just short in their home loss to Maryland on Wednesday. That was a big game for Nebraska and they also have a big game at Wisconsin on deck. That said, it will be very tough for the Huskers to focus completely on a 6-17 Rutgers team Saturday and that makes this a nice "big dog" spot for the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers was embarrassed by the Cornhuskers last month and the Knights are 6-3 ATS the past three seasons combined when they are revenging a blowout loss that came by 20 points or more. Nebraska is 2-5 ATS as a home favorite of 12.5 or more points. Overall, the Cornhuskers are on a 6-12 ATS run in Saturday games the past three seasons combined. Don't be surprised if Rutgers keeps this game to a single digit margin!

Rickenbach NBA *8* Boston Celtics +7 @ Cleveland @ 7:35 ET - The whole world is likely to line up on Cleveland here because they are off of a loss. However, the right side should absolutely be the Celtics plus the points in this one. Boston has been playing very well with 7 wins in their past 8 games. Going further back the run is 10 wins in their last 13 games. Also, even when the Celtics have lost they have been ultra-competitive. Since the calendar hit 2016 the Celtics have played 19 games and only one of those games was a loss by more than 6 points! That means if you had Boston +7 in every game since January 1st you would have an 18-1 ATS record! That's how competitive this team has been and they'll certainly be ready to go tonight. Not only did Boston suffer a home loss against Cleveland back in mid-December, the Celtics also were swept out of the playoffs by LeBron and Company last spring. Boston is playing much better basketball now than they were back in mid-December and back in the spring of last year. With that said, there is excellent line value here and I am grabbing the points with the highly motivated road dog in this one. In road games with a posted total of 210 or more, the Celtics are 5-0 ATS this season and a phenomenal 12-1 ATS the past three seasons combined. Though the Cavs defeated Boston earlier this season, Cleveland has a 3-8 ATS mark this season in their other games against Atlantic Division opponents.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play New York Knicks +4 vs Memphis @ 7:35 ET - The whole world is likely to line up on Memphis here because the Knicks are off of another loss last night and are now in a tough back to back spot. However, a few key factors are being overlooked here and are providing excellent line value for the Knicks. First off, Memphis has a big game on deck tomorrow night as they face the division rival Mavericks. Dallas enters tonight's action right behind the Grizzlies in the divisional standings. Second key factor is that the Knicks showed a tremendous amount of heart and resilience at Detroit last night. New York came all the way back from a 27 point deficit to actually take the lead in the latter stages of the game. The Pistons barely snuck out the win over the Knicks and New York showed they are going to play hard no matter what the score is. That said, look for a faster start from the Knicks at home tonight after struggling to hit shots early at Detroit last night. New York has suffered some recent losses at home but has faced a very tough schedule. Prior to this tough stretch the Knicks were 13-8 at home on the season. The Grizzlies are off of a win at New Orleans on Monday but previously had gone 3-8 in their 11 prior road games. The 3 wins away from home came against teams that currently have a combined home record of 29-45. In other words, the Grizzlies certainly have not proven to be road warriors and, with the lookahead to the game with the Mavs also proving to be a distraction, I expect Memphis to struggle just to win this game. If Grizzlies do win this game look for it to be by 3 or less as the Knicks will turn this one into a dogfight. Memphis is 3-6 ATS this season when off of a win by a margin of 10 points or more. New York lost to the Grizzlies last month on the road and now the Knicks should get revenge on their home floor as they are 22-11 ATS this season when playing with revenge.

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #713 - *8* Ohio State Buckeyes +6 @ Wisconsin @ 7 ET - The Buckeyes are off of their tight loss to Maryland and have had plenty of time now to rest up and recuperate as they now prepare for a huge revenge game. Undoubtedly Ohio State has not forgotten about the 72-48 beatdown they suffered at the hands of the Badgers in their most recent meeting. To top off the revenge factor that was a home game for the Buckeyes. That makes this the ideal spot to back Ohio State getting a half-dozen points at Madison. Yes, Wisconsin certainly is tough at home but the Badgers are off of a big home win over Illinois where they really had to buckle down on defense and yet Wisconsin still only own the game by 8 points. Though the Badgers have won four straight games the average margin of victory has been just 4.5 points per win. The Buckeyes are 3-0 ATS this season when they are off of a loss in conference action. Ohio State is on a long-term 21-12 ATS run as a road dog in a range of 3.5 to 6 points and that includes 3-1 ATS the past three seasons. Conversely, the Badgers have played 4 games the past two seasons as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points and they did not get the cash a single time as Wisconsin went 0-3-1 ATS in those games. Grab the points with the hungry, revenging road dog in this one.

Rickenbach NCAAB *10* Top Play Nebraska Cornhuskers +6 vs Maryland @ 8:30 PM ET - Nebraska is certainly not a basketball powerhouse but the Cornhuskers are catching the Terrapins at the perfect time for an upset. Maryland is coming off of a tight win at Ohio State on Sunday and now has a big game on deck Saturday as the Terps will be hosting Purdue. Maryland can't help but get caught looking ahead and the Terrapins have only gone 2-2 in their past four road games and the two road wins each came by five points or less. That means we have great line value here with the home dog Huskers. Look for Nebraska to make some adjustments as their problems on defense relate to not having a lot of size in the middle but I look for them to make some adjustments and it also helps that Maryland's 6'11 Diamond Stone has been struggling recently. He's totaled just 25 points on 35% shooting in his last three games. Should his struggles continue Nebraska could pull off the upset here. Even if Stone does have a bigger game against the Cornhuskers smallish post players I still look for Nebraska to do enough to stay inside the generous point spread being offered here. The Huskers are off of back to back non-covers but previously Nebraska had covered 5 in a row in Big Ten action. The Cornhuskers have been shooting the ball very well in conference action as they are hitting at a 48.7% clip compared to 45.5% from the floor for Maryland. This hot shooting of the Huskers makes them particularly dangerous as a home dog and last year's games were both close as each was decided by 4 points or less. The value with the home dog leads to a Wednesday *10* TOP!

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Boston Celtics -2.5 @ New York @ 7:35 ET Tuesday - This is a classic case of two teams heading in opposite directions and the situation is also strengthened by the fact that a revenge angle favors the team that has been hot. Boston had won five straight games (and 8 of their last 10) before they lost at Orlando on Sunday. The loss to the Magic this weekend coupled with the fact that the Celtics lost at New York in their most recent meeting on January 12th ensures that Boston is going to bring an extremely intense effort to this game on Tuesday. Look for the Celtics to take advantage of a Knicks team that has been playing sloppy basketball lately and has lost 5 of their past 6 games. Going further back it's a 3-7 run for New York since they got the win over the Celtics three weeks ago. New York has been held to 95 points or less in four of their past six games and they will not be able to keep up with a Boston team that has averaged 112.6 points per game in their last 12 games. The Celtics have scored at least 109 points in all but one of those dozen games. Boston is on a long-term 41-29 ATS run when they are off of a game where they scored 105 points or more. New York certainly would be looking to bounce back here after an ugly loss in their most recent game. However, the Knicks pattern in this situation in recent seasons has not been good. New York's straight-up records are 3-9 this season and 18-54 the past three seasons when they are off of a loss by a margin of 10 points or more. In other words, look for the Knicks recent struggles to continue tonight at home against Boston.

Rickenbach NCAAB *8* Georgetown Hoyas +5.5 @ Butler @ 7 ET Tuesday - People are certainly buying into the "revenge angle" here for Butler as the line has been driven up from a 4.5 to a 5.5 as of early Tuesday morning. That said, I see great value with the underdog Hoyas in this spot. Georgetown has won 5 of the past 6 meetings between the teams and they covered 4 of those 6 games. The only loss that the Hoyas had came by a margin of just 6 points and that was in a neutral floor game played during a Thanksgiving weekend. Butler is known for being strong on their home floor but that doesn't mean they get the cash here. In fact, the Bulldogs have only covered 1 of their past 9 games overall and three of the non-covering games were here on their home floor. Butler continues to be over-rated and, in their only two home games against quality Big East competition they lost each game. The Bulldogs lost home games to Villanova and Providence. As for Georgetown, they will be ultra-hungry for this game after a tight home loss to the Friars on Sunday. Speaking of tight losses, though the Hoyas 13-9 overall record on the season is not that impressive, 7 of Georgetown's 9 losses have come by a margin of 6 points or less. The Hoyas are playing ultra-competitive basketball right now and the Bulldogs have shown already that they are vulnerable on their home floor this season. Georgetown is 6-3 ATS in conference action this season and the Hoyas are 14-7 ATS when they are off of a loss to a conference foe. The Bulldogs are 1-6 ATS in conference games this season and Butler has a 2-7 ATS mark in games against teams with a winning record this season.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Chicago Bulls +4.5 @ Utah @ 9:05 ET - The Bulls got "blown out" at LA by the Clippers yesterday but a lot of it had to do with the Clips hitting a ridiculous 52% from three point land. In fact, the Bulls were outscored 51 to 15 from beyond the arc because the Clippers hit 17 of 32 threes. Chicago had won four of their past five road games before yesterday's disappointing result and I look for them to bounce right back at Utah tonight. The Jazz do have 4 wins in their past 7 games but they've beaten all the weak (or struggling) teams. The victories for Utah have come against Minnesota, Charlotte, Brooklyn, and the Lakers. None of those teams will be making the post-season come April. That said, Utah is certainly not on par with the recent opponents the Bulls have faced which has included all winning teams in their last eight games except for the Lakers. Look for battle tested Chicago to take advantage of an out-classed Jazz team that is over-priced here due to being on their home court. Even though Utah is playing with two days of rest they have only won 3 of 10 games this season in that spot and have a long-term 10-19 ATS mark with these parameters. As for the Bulls, they are 16-7 SU (and 14-9 ATS) in February games the past two seasons and they are focused on making the most of this lengthy road trip that began last week. The Bulls have excelled on long road trips in recent seasons and I would "chalk up" yesterday's game to insanely hot three point shooting for the Clippers. Chicago should bounce back tonight against a weaker foe that has struggled in recent games when stepping up in level of competition. The Jazz have feasted on weaker teams lately and this will lead to overconfidence tonight that shouldn't even be there for a Utah team with a losing record on the season. The Bulls jump on Utah early in this one and then hang on late is my prediction but I'll grab the points in case Chicago falls just short of the outright win I am predicting. 

Rickenbach NBA *8* Indiana Pacers +5 vs Cleveland @ 7:05 ET - The Cavs have been hot but the Pacers are offering a lot of line value here as a sizable home dog. Indiana is catching Cleveland at the right time to spring the upset as the Cavaliers are off back to back big wins. The Cavs last two games have come against a division rival and against one of the NBA's elite (San Antonio) in a revenge spot. With that said, it's difficult to maintain such a high emotional level in three straight games and I look for LeBron James and Company to fall short tonight. The Cavs are an ugly 7-14-1 ATS the past three seasons combined as a road favorite of 3.5 to 6 points. Cleveland is only 18-27 ATS against divisional foes the last three seasons combined as they are consistently overvalued in these spots. The Cavs also are 7-11 ATS this season when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more. Indiana is off of back to back home wins but has a two-game road trip on deck so they know how critical this game is and, of course, have plenty of hatred toward the division rival Cavs. The home team has won each of the last five meetings between these teams and even if the Cavaliers do pull off the road upset here, the last four meetings have been decided by an average of just 4.5 points per game. Cleveland will have trouble getting much of a margin on the Pacers in Indiana. The Pacers have been at their best against the better teams in the league and that has led to a 16-5 ATS record this season in games against teams with a winning record. In divisional action this season Indiana is 7-2 ATS and I look for another solid cover tonight. 

Rickenbach NCAAB *10* Top Play Virginia Tech Hokies +9 @ Pittsburgh @ 6:30 ET - The Panthers are off of a loss to Clemson so, certainly, they will be looking to bounce back. However, the Hokies are known for playing Pitt very tough and Virginia Tech, despite their recent straight-up losses, are on an ATS streak because the Hokies continue to play everyone tough. Certainly the tight losses can be tough on a team's moxie but Virginia Tech did beat Virginia earlier this month and they also won at Georgia Tech as a big dog two weeks ago. The point is that the Hokies have truly thrived at being competitive each and every game and have a few hard-fought upset wins to show for it as well. Virginia Tech is 7-1 ATS in the month of January and that means they have been giving headaches to ACC competition. Pittsburgh is just 1-5 ATS this season in games where the posted total is a range of 140 to 149.5 points. The Panthers may struggle to put away a Hokies team that has shot 45% or better from the field in 4 of their past 5 games. Also, Virginia Tech will take advantage of a Pittsburgh team that has lost two of three games and is starting to feel the pressure. You know the pressure is mounting when a team is putting too much pressure on itself and the shooting percentage falls. The Panthers have been held to 39.3% or less from the field in 3 straight games and 4 of their last 5 games. Also, the once vaunted Panthers defense has allowed 47% or better from the field in six of their past seven games. Pittsburgh is on a 12-28 ATS run in home games and they once again are over-priced on their home floor. We'll grab the generous points. 

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Orlando Magic +4.5 vs Boston @ 6:05 ET - This one definitely fits the description of an "ugly dog" theory as Orlando certainly is not attractive at all. The Magic have lost 12 of their past 13 games. Also, Orlando has failed to cover 12 of their past 14 games. Boston comes into this game having covered 7 of their past 10 games and the Celtics are riding an overall 5 game winning streak. The key to this play though is that no matter how hot one team has been and no matter how cold another one is, these are still professional and prideful athletes playing this game they love. That said, after getting embarrassed at Boston on Friday night, you can bet that the Magic are going to make the most of this opportunity to "return the favor" on their home floor on Sunday. The home teams have absolutely dominated in this series and, even if Orlando doesn't manage to get the outright win on their home floor, I look for them to lose by no more than one possession in this game. Even though the Magic have been losing games most of them have been ultra competitive and it is going to be hard for Boston to pull away in this game as they are going to face a fired up Orlando team. Prior to getting embarrassed by the Celtics, 7 of the prior 8 losses for the Magic had come by a single digit margin. They have been on the cusp of getting back into the winners' circle and I look for Orlando to do just that tonight in this revenge spot. But I recommend grabbing the points just in case the Magic do fall a little short of the upset win. Orlando is 8-3 ATS in divisional games this season. Boston is 2-4 ATS this season when they enter a game on a winning streak of three games or more. 

Rickenbach NBA *8* Chicago Bulls +5.5 @ LA Clippers @ 3:35 ET - E'Twaun Moore got the start as he took Tony Snell's spot at small forward in the lineup in Thursday's game. It was evident that Moore definitely played a role in speeding up Chicago's pace in their 114-91 blowout win over the Lakers. That was the beginning of a seven-game road trip for the Bulls and Chicago comes into this one well-rested as that Thursday game has been their only game in the past 5 days. With four off days in their last five and with "only Utah" on deck I look for the Bulls to push the tempo here against the Clippers. The Clips have been trying to get by on defense as they continue to deal with absence of Griffin. On offense the Clippers have relied on the hot shooting of Paul and Redick. The issue about that relating to today's game is that Bulls guard Jimmy Butler has done a great job defending Redick and that has limited Redick to some ugly shooting in recent meetings. Look for the solid defense of the Bulls to be a difference maker here as the Clips offense will struggle to score enough to put away a Bulls team that has been on a scoring surge in road games. Chicago has averaged 107.4 points in their past ten road games. The Bulls are a great value getting the big points here at LA. The Clippers are on an 8-17 ATS run as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points. Also, this season, when off of a win by a margin of 10 points or more, the Clippers have gone 4-9 ATS in their next game. Chicago has straight-up marks of 4-2 this season (and 23-10 the past three seasons) when they are playing with two days of rest. The rested Bulls are a great value as a sizable road dog in this spot. 

Rickenbach NCAAB *8* Ohio State Buckeyes +5 vs Maryland @ 1 ET - The Buckeyes are seeking revenge and they are catching the Terrapins at the perfect time to get it. Maryland is off of a key Big Ten win over Iowa on Thursday night and now face an Ohio State team that is ready to atone for an absolute beatdown (100-65) that the Buckeyes suffered at Maryland two weeks ago. As you can see from that score, nothing went right for the Buckeyes that night but they are now back home where they've gone 11-3 this season. Also, in terms of ATS records, the Buckeyes are a perfect 6-0 ATS in home games with a posted total in a range of 135 to 139.5 points so far this season. Going further back that record is 12-3 ATS the past three seasons and 38-17 ATS long-term. Also, when playing with revenge for a blowout loss of 20 points or more, Ohio State has an impressive long-term record of 8-2 ATS. Maryland's spread-covering victory over the Hawkeyes was just their 2nd ATS win in their past 6 games (the other was the blowout of the Buckeyes). With that said, the Terps haven't exactly been on top of their game of late and I see strong home dog value here with a Buckeyes team fully capable of turning up the heat on defense in this one. Ohio State is fired up about erasing the bad taste of giving up 100 points to the Terrapins two weeks ago and I look for a huge effort from the Buckeyes here and that means great line value with the home dog points.

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #659 - *10* Oregon State Beavers +13.5 @ Arizona @ 9:30 ET Saturday - The last time the Beavers faced the Wildcats the game was also in Arizona and Oregon State was thoroughly embarrassed as they scored just 34 points. The Beavers had split the prior two games with Arizona and both games were decided by 5 points or less. I look for another tight one on Saturday night. Not only is Oregon State looking to make amends for their prior visit to Arizona, the Beavers are also off of a game where they allowed Arizona State to shoot nearly 60% from the field. Prior to this atrocious effort defensively, the Beavers had actually been playing quite well on defense. holding 6 of their 8 prior opponents to 43.5% or less from the field. The Wildcats are hungry to get back on track at home after a home loss to Oregon. However, the Cats have lost two straight and four of their last seven games. Three of their last four opponents have shot 45% or better from the field. The coach is even questioning the leadership and hunger of his team after the recent back to back losses including rare home loss. Though that certainly makes this a bounce back spot for the Wildcats the problem is that they've been struggling recently despite shooting lights out from the field. Oregon State is capable of playing stifling defense and slowing this game down some. That's going to make it difficult for a frustrated Arizona team to get out and run the way they want to in this game. My money is on the Beavers being able to keep this one tight throughout as the Wildcats are really feeling the pressure right now and are unlikely to shoot as well as they had been as the pressure mounts as the losses mount. Oregon State has revenge on their minds here, they also are ticked off about the poor defensive effort against Arizona State, the Beavers have no pressure as they have "nothing to lose" here, and I look for them to go hard and remain competitive throughout this game. Prior to the ugly loss to the Sun Devils, four of the Beavers first six losses this season were by single digits. The Beavers are 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS when playing with one day of rest or less this season while Arizona is 2-3 SU and 2-3 ATS when playing with the same parameters. In other words, this one should be a dogfight and I'll gladly grab the generous points as Oregon State is off of a blowout loss which is much easier to recover from then the heartbreakers that Arizona has recently suffered.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers +2 vs San Antonio @ 8:35 ET  Saturday - In the first game after the coaching change the Cavaliers struggled as they shot an ugly 37.2% from the field. Since that tough first game Cleveland has responded by winning three straight and shooting 51% from the field in the three games combined. They beat a respectable Pistons team on the road last night and Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, and LeBron James all scored at least 20 points. The "Big Three" have only recently all been healthy and all playing together and the results are starting to show. Detroit's coach raved about how well the Cavs played last night and commented about the fact that he couldn't blame his team for last night's loss the Cavs were simply that good. I don't see any of that changing tonight for Cleveland either. The Cavaliers are at home and playing with revenge as they host a Spurs team that defeated them by four points down in San Antonio earlier this month. Payback is on order here and San Antonio's road games over the past five weeks that have come against winning teams have included Houston and Golden State. The Spurs lost both games and got absolutely annihilated by the Warriors. Of course Cleveland also was recently thoroughly embarrassed by Golden State but the way the Cavs are now playing with James, Love and Irving leading the way and complemented by others giving solid contributions, I see huge value with the small home dog here. The Spurs are 6-11 SU and ATS in their last 17 games as a road favorite of 3 points or less. Cleveland is 4-1 ATS as an underdog this season and 13-6 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. The Cavaliers are 18-3 at home this season and, as amazing as the Spurs have been at home this season, let's not forget they have already been beaten 7 times on enemy floors this season. That means in their stiffest road challenges they fall short quite often and I look for that to be the case again tonight.

Rickenbach NBA *8* Houston Rockets -3 vs Washington @ 8:05 ET Saturday - Even though Houston is in a back to back spot here the situation is actually quite positive for the Rockets. They faced a tough Thunder team in Oklahoma City last night and took the loss. Prior to that game Houston also lost against a very strong Spurs team in San Antonio. These two road losses against NBA elite were preceded by a stellar 9-3 run in the Rockets prior 12 games. The point is that the Rockets have proven this month that they have turned the corner and they are taking advantage of weaker foes. That said, the Wizards certainly fall into the category of weaker foe. Washington has been struggling of late and the Wizards simply are not playing fundamentally sound basketball. Washington has lost five of their past six games and they've given up 106 points or more in all five of those losses. The Wizards are showing no signs of turning things around and a road game in a tough venue against an angry foe is unlikely to help matters for Washington. The Wizards are 2-6 ATS this season in games with a posted total of 210 points or more and I look for Washington's faulty defense to let them down once again in this one. Houston is 13-7 ATS this season in games with a posted total of 210 points or more and the Rockets are also a solid 12-4 SU (and 10-6 SU) when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. Houston makes the most of the home court edge tonight.

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #623 - *8* Washington State Cougars +12 @ UCLA @ 7 ET Saturday - UCLA is seeking revenge here but there are many reasons to fade the Bruins in this spot. One is that the Cougars have matched up well with UCLA in recent meetings as Washington State has covered each of the last three meetings and got the outright upset in two of those! The Bruins are an ugly 3-11 ATS as a favorite this season and UCLA again appears to be overpriced in this spot. The Bruins have lost 6 of their past 10 games and, although this game is a revenge game for UCLA, they have a much bigger revenge game on deck. Up next for UCLA is their most hated rival (USC) and the Trojans did beat the Bruins earlier this season so it's hard for UCLA to keep their full focus on this game. The Bruins have not won a game by a double digit margin since before Christmas and that was against McNeese State! Washington State is no McNeese State and I look for them to continue their streak of playing very well against UCLA and the Cougars should keep this one to a single digit margin throughout. 7 of the 11 losses Washington State has this season have come by a margin of 11 points or less and their solid offense (48.6% from the field) will keep them in this game through the final whistle.

Rickenbach NBA *8* Cleveland Cavaliers -4 @ Detroit @ 7:35 ET Friday - The "knee-jerk reaction" here is to back the Pistons at home because the Cavaliers have a big game on deck with San Antonio tomorrow night. However, the fact that the Cavs lost at Detroit earlier this season (without Kyrie Irving that night) has me backing Cleveland in this revenge spot. LeBron James and Company don't like losing (as evidence by their 32-12 record on the season) and they are hungry about getting revenge against a divisional foe tonight. The Cavs are certainly "on the uptick" after a recent home loss at the hands of the Bulls. The Cavaliers simply had a horrific shooting night against Chicago but the Cavs have responded by shooting "lights out" in their next two games. In fact, the Cavaliers have scored at least 114 points and shot at least 50.5% from the field in three of their past four games. The Cavs, prior to their loss at Detroit early this season, had won each of the three prior match-ups with the Pistons and Cleveland won those games by an average margin of nearly 10 points per game. Look for Cleveland, highly motivated here (James also fired up because of the allegations relating to his involvement in the firing of their coach) to get an absolutely huge road win tonight. Detroit is off of an easy win over the Sixers but has gone 4-7 ATS this season when they are off of a win by a margin of 10 points or more. Cleveland is 12-6 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record and the Cavs will certainly bring their "A game" tonight in this revenge situation. *8* CLEVELAND

Rickenbach NCAAB *10* Top Play Brown Bears +8 vs Princeton @ 6 ET Friday - This is a tough spot for Princeton. Since January 9th, a tight win at Penn, the Tigers have played just one game. That was a win over a "cupcake opponent" as Princeton routed an over-matched Bryn Athyn team in non-conference action. This long layoff without any significant competition is really going to hurt the Tigers tonight as they return to Ivy League action. Further complicating the situation for Princeton is the fact that they are on the road tonight and have another road game (a big one) on deck for tomorrow. Saturday the Tigers will be at Yale and the Bulldogs are considered to be the "team to beat" in the League this season. With all of the above factors, it won't be a surprise when Princeton is not fully prepared to do battle with the Bears tonight. After all, Brown is easy for the Tigers to overlook since the Bears have a 5-11 record on the season and since Princeton has won each of the last four meetings between the teams. What I like about Brown in this spot is that they had to battle Yale last Friday and the Bears got thoroughly embarrassed on their home floor. Prior to that defeat though, Brown's last four losses (including another one against top Ivy team Yale), came by an average margin of just 4.8 points per defeat! The Bears went 2-4 in that six game stretch and all 4 losses were by a single digit margin. That said, look for Brown to take advantage of a very favorable situation tonight and, even if they don't spring the outright upset here, I do expect the Bears to keep this one very close. Brown is 4-2 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. Also, when off of a loss in conference action the past two seasons, the Bears had a 10-5 ATS mark. Princeton is 1-4 ATS this season when off of a non-conference game. The last three seasons combined, the Tigers are 0-4 ATS as a road favorite of 6.5 to 9 points. *10* Top Play BROWN 

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #736 - *10* Top Play Western Kentucky Hilltoppers +3.5 vs UAB @ 7:30 ET - First off, this line looks a little funny doesn't it? A 17-3 UAB team is a small favorite against a 10-10 WK team. Long-time followers know that I have a tendency to be a contrarian and, certainly, in this case, I believe that the Blazers are screaming to be played here and, of course, that means I am on the Hilltoppers! Why would Western Kentucky be such a small dog here against mighty UAB? It has a lot to do with the revenge angle for sure. The Blazers knocked the Hilltoppers out of the conference tourney last spring by a single point. Needless to say Western Kentucky will be rocking tonight in anticipation of a big home win to get their revenge. The Hilltoppers have an 8-1 straight-up record on their home floor this season and WK is a fantastic 34-8 in home games the past three seasons combined. UAB is an ugly 0-5 ATS this season in games with a posted total in the 140 to 149.5 point range. The Blazers also have struggled in the role of small road favorite in recent seasons with a combined 2-5 ATS mark the past three seasons as a road dog of 3.5 to 6 points and that record includes 4 outright losses! I would not be surprised to see another outright upset tonight. Western Kentucky is playing their first home game in nearly 3 weeks so, needless to say, the Hilltoppers are fired up and they have averaged 82 points per game on their home floor this season. The Blazers are the better team defensively but UAB will struggle to slow down the Hilltoppers on their home floor. Western Kentucky highly motivated here and fully capable of another big performance on their home floor!

Rickenbach NBA *8* Denver Nuggets +6.5 @ Washington @ 7:05 ET - The Nuggets have now covered 7 of their last 9 games as they snuck in for the cover at Boston last night. Though that game was very close to the spread I look for tonight's ATS win to come much easier for Denver as last night the Nuggets were flustered by the defense of the Celtics as evidenced by the 20 turnovers that Denver committed. Tonight the Nuggets will take advantage of facing a subpar Wizards defense that is certainly not known as being tenacious in the same manner that Boston was last night. Washington is struggling badly now with four losses in their past five games including four ATS losses in those five games. In a home game with a posted total between 205 and 209.5 points the Wizards are 1-5 ATS this season. The Nuggets are 8-3 ATS when they are off of a non-conference game and Denver has failed to cover the spread just once in their last four meetings with Washington.

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #719 - *8* Cincinnati Bearcats +2 @ Connecticut @ 7 ET - Cincinnati has been knocked out of the conference tourney each of the last two years by the Huskies. Do you think the Bearcats may have had this game at Connecticut highlighted on their calendars for awhile? Of course they did! This is a key revenge opportunity for Cincy and I expect them to make the most of it against UConn. The Bearcats come into this game surging with confidence because, although their strength is defense, Cincinnati is coming off of back to back hot shooting games that has seen the Cats average 86.5 points per game in winning their past two games. The Huskies come into this game off of three straight wins but they have shot the ball very poorly as UConn has been held to 36.2% or worse from the field in four of their past six games. The Huskies are 2-4 ATS in conference action this season and Connecticut has gone 0-2 SU and 0-2 ATS the past two seasons when they are at home in a price range of pick up to a -3. The Bearcats have done well with momentum in conference action as they are 3-1 ATS when off of a conference win this season and they have a 24-9 SU record when off of a conference win the past three seasons combined. Of course I am playing the Bearcats expecting the upset but will grab the small number available just in case we need the points but I don't expect to!

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Charlotte Hornets +5.5 @ Utah @ 9:05 ET - The Jazz are getting a lot of attention today but many are apparently losing sight of the fact that Utah has lost 5 of their past 7 games both straight-up and against the spread! The Hornets are certainly coming off of a hard-fought win at Sacramento but that victory over the Kings was on Monday so Charlotte has had some time to recuperate and get ready for tonight's battle at Utah. With that win the Hornets have now won 3 straight games and Charlotte also has covered the spread in 6 of their last 8 games. The Hornets are 5-2 ATS this season and 20-7 ATS the past three seasons as a road dog of 3.5 to 6 points which is where this line was before it started to move even higher offering even more value to Charlotte. It is hard to say where this line will settle but Utah is 8-23 straight-up (and has covered just 11 of the 31 games) when facing a team that is averaging 99 points or more per game this season. The Jazz seek revenge for a tight loss at Charlotte this month but don't overlook the fact that the Hornets scored just 66 points in an embarrassing loss at Utah in their most recent visit here. If that's not enough motivation for Charlotte to perform well tonight than nothing is! In all seriousness, the Hornets with significant underdog line value are the play here at Utah tonight. This is a case of two teams that have been trending in opposite directions in recent weeks and the Jazz will have to battle hard just to win this game let alone cover the sizable spread.

Rickenbach NHL *7* Philadelphia Flyers +1.5 -140 @ Washington @ 8:05 ET - This is a very reasonable price to play the Flyers on the puck line and have the +1.5 goals here. Of course the Capitals are a solid team but the Flyers goalie Michal Neuvirth started his career by spending six years in the Washington organization and he would love nothing more than to deliver a solid performance against his former team. He's fired up and he's being playing well in goal. Also, if you take a look at how Philadelphia has played of late, the losses they've had have come by one goal margins. The Flyers have split their last 10 games but the five defeats have all come by a single goal. That means if you had played Philadelphia at +1.5 goals in their past 10 games you are on a perfect 10-0 run! I look for Washington, as strong as they indeed are, to absolutely be 'hurt' here by the fact that they have not played a game in over a week. The snowstorm that crippled the DC area forced two cancellations impacting the Capitals schedule. Rest can lead to rust when it is too much and that is what I expect to see here for the Caps. The Flyers have won 15 of 24 games this season against teams with a winning record but, again, we don't need them to win this game as a one goal loss will get the cash just as easily although, considering the circumstances, I would not be surprised to see the Flyers score a huge upset here. Grab the +1.5 goals with Philly on the puck line.

Rickenbach NBA *8* Denver Nuggets +8.5 @ Boston @ 7:35 ET - Denver is off of an ugly 14 point home loss to Atlanta on Monday as the Hawks shot lights out while the Nuggets struggled. Simply put, it was just 'one of those nights' and I look for Denver to bounce back in a big way tonight as, prior to the Atlanta game, the Nuggets had covered four straight games and were on a 6-1 ATS run long-term. Boston is in a tough spot here. Not saying they won't win this game but the Celtics are now facing a Western Conference foe after back to back Eastern Conference foes on their two game road trip and they have a 'home and home' set with Orlando on deck. Boston is off of a big 25-point win over Washington and the Celtics could easily overlook the Nuggets with their 17-28 record on the season. Boston is off of three straight wins but they are 1-3 ATS this season when they enter a game on a winning streak of three games or more. As for the Nuggets, Denver is 7-3 ATS this season when they are off of a non-conference game and, after 'letting their guard down' at home against Atlanta, the Nuggets know they need to 'bring it' on the road at Boston if they want to get the win over the Celtics. Denver has revenge here as they lost both games to Boston last season and those defeats came by a combined margin of just five points. Look for another very close game here and that means huge line value with the big points and the Nuggets!

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #531 - *8* DePaul Blue Demons +14 @ Butler @ 7 ET - Ever since a couple of blowout losses in mid-December the Blue Demons have been a different team. The wins have still been tough to come by but DePaul has been playing much better and has been much more competitive. With that said, this line is over-inflated and I like the value here with the big dog. The Blue Demons are coming off of a tight road win at Marquette a week ago. Though this was preceded by a 1-7 stretch since mid-December only one of those 7 losses came by more than 12 points and that was against a highly-ranked Xavier team. The fact is that the Blue Demons have been battling hard with opponents with the other 6 losses coming by an average margin of 8.5 points per game. I look for DePaul to also keep this game to a single digit margin as they bring in some extra confidence thanks to the road win over the Golden Eagles. The Blue Demons are on a 5-1 ATS run as a road dog of 12.5 to 15 points. Also, DePaul is on a stellar 8-2 ATS run when they are off of a win in conference action. Butler is 1-5 ATS this season in conference action. Also, the Bulldogs have just one cover in their last seven games as they continue to be over-valued. Butler has only had two straight-up wins in those seven games! That said, they don't need a blowout win tonight; they just need a win and I look for the Bulldogs to grind out a win by a single-digit margin.

Rickenbach NCAAB *10* Top Play Wyoming Cowboys +7.5 @ Fresno State @ 10 ET - The Cowboys are expected to have their star, Josh Adams, back on the floor tonight after he served a one game suspension. Even without Adams, Wyoming battled hard against Boise State Saturday and it was a 4-point game late. The Cowboys (a 7 point dog in that one) lost by 10 but considering Adams was out it was a truly valiant effort. I like the heart and fight I see from this team and the hunger that stems from the type of head coach they have. He gets the most out of his players and I look for Adams to be "chomping at the bit" tonight to get back on the floor and he could lead them to an outright upset win on the road in this one. If the Cowboys do fall short the generous points should be plenty for the cover. Wyoming's last 9 losses (prior to the loss to the Broncos) had been decided by an average margin of 6.4 points per game. The Cowboys play very competitive basketball and are difficult to blowout. This is especially true in a spot like this where Wyoming is off of back to back home losses and now gets their best player back on the floor and ready to go. Fresno State is off of a tight one point win at Air Force in their most recent game. The Bulldogs have not shot the ball well in their past two games and three of their past four wins have come by an average margin of victory of just 3.7 points. Fresno State's struggling offense will struggle to put away an upstart Cowboys team that has averaged 70 points per game in their past three games. Also, Wyoming is 7-2 ATS as an underdog this season and 9-3 ATS in their games against teams with a winning record this season. Fresno State, the past three seasons, is 1-5 ATS as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points. Once again, the Bulldogs are overpriced here and the value is with a very hungry road dog ready to 'leave it all on the floor' tonight.

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #739 - *8* Texas Tech Red Raiders +14.5 @ Oklahoma @ 7 ET - The last time the Red Raiders visited Oklahoma it was one of the worst performances in Big 12 history as Texas Tech lost 81 to 36. Needless to say that performance a year ago nearly to the day has not been forgotten by the Red Raiders. 36 points! Texas Tech's other recent games with the Sooners the past two season featured an 8 point win at Oklahoma and two home losses by single digit margins. That said, I feel this spread is significantly inflated and there is big line value with the Red Raiders who will be highly motivated after what happened here last year. Texas Tech is 3-1 ATS the past three seasons in games with a posted total between 150 and 159.5 points. Also, the Red Raiders are a respectable 8-5 ATS in their games against teams with a winning record this season. The Sooners have covered just 2 of their 7 Big 12 games this season. Also, Oklahoma is an ugly 6-15 ATS long-term as a home favorite of 12.5 to 15 points. 

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #766 - *8* Wake Forest Demon Deacons +6.5 vs Virginia @ 7 ET - Something looks funny with this line, doesn't it? The Cavaliers are one of the top teams in the country and yet they are only laying about a half dozen points against a Demon Deacons team that has been struggling. Don't be fooled by the line as Wake Forest is the play here. The last time these teams met at Wake Forest the Demon Deacons were thoroughly embarrassed in a 70 to 34 loss. It was one of their worst performances in team history. Needless to say, this game has been circled on the calendar for Wake Forest for a long time and there is no better way to erase the bitter memory of that defeat than to come up with a huge upset win tonight. I am not necessarily predicting the outright win here but I am predicting a very tight game where there is huge value with these points. Remember that prior to the huge beatdown the Demon Deacons suffered at home, Wake Forest had gone into Virginia in February of last year and very nearly pulled off the outright upset as an 18 point dog! The Demon Deacons have won 12 of the last 14 when hosting Virginia. Wake Forest is 7-4 ATS as an underdog this season while the Cavaliers are 0-5 ATS on the road this season. Virginia is off of back to back key conference home wins but they have lost three straight games outright on the road. The Cavs were favored in each game and they lost each game. This could be deja vu but either way I do see the Demon Deacons getting the cash.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Detroit Pistons +2 @ Utah @ 9 ET - The Jazz are hosting the Pistons at the wrong time. Detroit is fired up after their Saturday loss at Denver as a 4.5 point favorite. The Pistons have responded well in this situation so far this season and I expect that to be the case again tonight as Detroit adds to an ATS mark of 8-1 this season when they are off of an upset loss as a favorite. While the Pistons are off of a loss the Jazz are actually off of a big win but it came against a horrible Nets team in Brooklyn. Prior to that victory for Utah on the road, the Jazz had lost four of their last five games. The Jazz have had two days off between games but often Western Conference teams struggle in the first game back home after a road trip to the East Coast. I look for that to be the case again tonight. Also, the Jazz are 11-17 ATS this season against strong offensive teams (those averaging 99 points or more per game). Utah also is 10-18 ATS the past three seasons when they enter a game with two or more days of rest between games. Once again holding true to the theory that sometimes rest = rust. The Pistons defeated the Jazz earlier this season in Detroit but they lost both match-ups last season and that included, of course, the lone match-up in Utah. That said, a little 'road revenge' is on order for Detroit tonight and, as they've done all season long, they respond when they are off of an upset loss in their prior game. *10* Top Play DETROIT

Rickenbach NCAAB *10* Top Play Kansas Jayhawks @ Iowa State @ 9 ET - Recently I made a big play on the Wildcats of Kentucky when they were on the road and needed a big win because they were hearing it from their critics. They got the job done and gave me an easy win. This circumstance here is quite similar. The Jayhawks have been hearing it from their critics after some recent struggles and they need to 'answer the call' by coming up with a big road win in a venue that is certainly known as 'not an easy place to play'. With all due respect to Iowa State, the Cyclones have knocked Kansas out of the Big 12 Tourney each of the past two seasons and the Jayhawks have had this game circled on their calendar for a long time. Kansas has won three of the four regular season meetings between these teams the past two seasons so, of course, that included a road win here at Iowa State and I look for another one tonight. With losses in two of their past four games and with failing to cover all four of those games, Kansas seeks a 'signature win' tonight and that means motivation will be very high as the Jayhawks also seek revenge for those two tournament defeats at the hands of the Cyclones the past two seasons. Iowa State is off of three straight victories as they enter this game but Iowa State has struggled defensively against better teams. In their games against Oklahoma (twice), Baylor and Texas the Cyclones allowed an average of 88 points per game! The Jayhawks have held 10 of their past 15 opponents to 67 points or less and they will be highly motivated to play one of their best defensive games of the season tonight at Iowa State. *10* Top Play KANSAS

Rickenbach NHL *6* Calgary Flames Puck Line +1.5 goals -155 @ Dallas @ 8:35 ET - As long-time follows and long-time clients know I don't often lay much in the way of juice in the money line sports of MLB and NHL. However, when I do there certainly is solid reasoning behind it and the support for the situation must justify it before I'll lay it. In this case, I really do like Calgary on the money line for a big upset win on the road tonight. However, I have been so snake-bit in the NHL lately with blown 2-goal leads and tight losses going against me late that I really like the puck line in this situation. Because of the high price on the money line for this game, we are able to actually get the puck line at a decent price on the Flames as Calgary is available at +1.5 goals and as low as -155 in some shops. The key with the +1.5 goals is that the Flames caught an earful from their coach after the poor effort yesterday at Carolina and I am sure that Calgary is going to be ready to go tonight. Meanwhile, the Stars head coach said he'd be happy to win a 1-0 or 2-1 type game as he feels this is what his team needs the most right now as Dallas has been struggling for many weeks. The Stars have lost 8 of their past 10 games and both of those wins came by just a single goal. That means if you had been able to play against Dallas with a +1.5 puck line each of the last ten games you'd be on a 10-0 ATS run! The Stars would be happy to play a tight, low-scoring game tonight and the Flames are looking for the same after a sloppy performance at Carolina last night. That said, Calgary is 10-5 this season when they are off of a loss by a margin of 2 goals or more and the Flames are also 5-1 this season when they enter a game on an "over streak" of 3 games or more. After allowing 5 goals last night, Calgary responds tonight. Even though Dallas is playing this game with home loss revenge, that situation has seen the Stars go just 2-4 this season. Calgary has won 3 straight games against Dallas and the prior two games were Stars victories that game by just a single goal each time. Grab the value with the Flames +1.5 goals on the puck line Monday.

Rickenbach NBA *8* Boston Celtics +2.5 @ Washington @ 7 ET - Having not played since Wednesday (due to the snow storm that paralyzed DC starting Friday evening), this is a tough spot for the Wizards. Washington is likely to not be as sharp as they normally would as there is a point where too much of a good thing can be a problem. In this case I am talking about too much rest. Having not played a game in five days, rest can oftentimes turn to rust for a team and that is what I expect from the Wizards tonight. The concern is magnified by the fact that Washington already had not been playing well at home because, before the win over the Heat Wednesday, the Wizards had lost five of their last six home games! Now Washington is hosting a confident and fresh Celtics team tonight. Yes, Boston did play yesterday but the game was in Philly against the hapless Sixers so the Celtics didn't have to work too hard in earning the victory by a 20 point margin over the 76'ers. Boston has won 5 of their past 7 games and the Celtics have averaged 112 points per game in their last 8 games. Look for the rusty Wizards to have trouble keeping up with a Celtics offense that has been putting up some big numbers on offense in recent games. Boston is 11-1 ATS the past three seasons in road games with a posted total of 210 points or more. The Celtics are also 33-14 ATS in the second game of back to backs the past three seasons. The Wizards are 2-4 ATS in games with a posted total of 210 or greater this season. Washington is also an ugly 2-6 ATS this season when they are off of a win by a margin of 10 points or more.

Rickenbach NCAAB *8* Penn State Nittany Lions +8.5 @ Ohio State @ 7 ET - As a road dog of 6.5 to 9 points the Nittany Lions have gone 6-2 ATS the past three seasons combined. Penn State is off of a tight home loss to Wisconsin where the Lions were held to just 60 points. The Nittany Lions are 3-1 straight-up and have just 1 ATS loss this season in the 4 occurrences this season where Penn State was off of a game where they were held to 60 points or less. Look for them to respond against the rival Buckeyes tonight as Ohio State's recent struggles continue. The Buckeyes have lost three of their past four games and they've given up an average of 82 points per game during this rough stretch. Look for Ohio State to drop to 0-3 ATS this season as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points. Two seasons ago Penn State won both match-ups with the Buckeyes but Ohio State then took both games against the Nittany Lions last season so a little payback is on order. Good line value here with the generous points being offered. 

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play Arizona Cardinals +3 @ Carolina @ 6:40 ET - While I have a ton of respect for Carolina (and successfully rode them to victory over Seattle last week), I firmly believe there is a reason this line is so small. It's enticing for bettors to back a Panthers team at home that is 9-0 SU and 7-2 ATS as a host this season. However, the Panthers did show a lot of vulnerability when they almost blew their game against Seattle last week and, make no mistake about it, getting past the Seahawks was a major hurdle for Carolina. The Panthers, invariably, are likely to have trouble coming up with a second straight huge effort both physically and mentally after knocking off a Seattle team that had beaten them three straight times. When a team finally shakes free of a nemesis like Carolina did by knocking off the Hawks last week, they often have trouble in the next game. Last week's game was very taxing both mentally and physically for the Panthers. Now, by no means and I am saying the Cardinals had an "easy" win over the Packers last week but the Pack certainly are not a nemesis of the Cards and Arizona rolls into this week's game with plenty of confidence as they have had a fantastic season. Let's not forget that last season was very promising for the Cardinals before the injury situation at the QB position and it was Ryan Lindley under center in the playoff loss to the Panthers last season. Now it's Carson Palmer back under center for this rematch and, just as Carolina finally got by a nemesis last week, I look for the Cardinals to get their revenge in this rematch of a playoff game from early January last year. In games with a line between +3 and -3 the Cardinals have gone 13-3 ATS the past three seasons. As a road dog of 3 points or less the past three season Arizona has gone a perfect 4-0 ATS. As strong as the Panthers have been, they have been outgained in three straight games and it catches up with them here as they took advantage of some fortuitous circumstances in the win over the Seahawks. Seattle was fortunate to even make it to Carolina as they really should not have gotten past Minnesota (the 27 yard field goal miss in the final seconds will never be forgotten by Vikings fans). The Panthers certainly face a much tougher challenge this week as unlike the case when the Seahawks traveled to Carolina last week, this week the Cardinals come to town with a rest edge (played Saturday) and also off of a home playoff game rather than a road game and also the Panthers don't have the extra added edge of a bye week like they had before hosting the Hawks. Look for Arizona to avenge last year's playoff defeat by getting revenge with a healthy Carson Palmer leading the way at QB on Sunday night!

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Toronto Raptors -1.5 vs LA Clippers @ 6:05 ET Sunday - The Clippers are playing their 3rd game in 4 nights and they have lost 2 of their past 4 games with the Blake Griffin injury definitely having an impact. That said, the play here is on a rested and healthier Raptors team that has won and covered each of the last three match-ups between these teams. Toronto brings a 7 game winning streak into this game and the Raptors have covered 6 of those 7 games. The Raptors are 12-7 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. While Toronto has been at their best against strong teams it is unlikely the Clips are going to "turn the corner" here as LA has gone 4-8 ATS when they are off of a game where they allowed 105 points or more. Look for the Raptors to stay hot here at home (where they are 14-6 this season) while the Clippers drop to 0-4 ATS in Sunday games this season. 

Rickenbach NCAAB *8* Fairfield Stags +4.5 vs Iona @ 3:30 ET Sunday - Line looks funny, doesn't it? Considering that Iona has won 5 straight games against Fairfield and has an average margin of victory of 15 points per win, this line does indeed look off. Don't fall for the trap. While it may look enticing to grab the Gaels here as a short road favorite, they are slumping miserably right now. Even though Jordan Washington is expected back for this game, Iona has struggled since the Monmouth debacle that resulted in his suspension. The Gaels are still trying to get their 'mojo' back and I don't see that happening on the road where they have won just 2 of 9 games this sesaon! Iona has just ONE cover in their past TEN games. The Gaels have not defended the 3-ball well at all in their past four games and the Stags have some sharpshooters than can take advantage from beyond the arc. Fairfield comes in with a 10-6 SU mark in their last 16 games and the winning is starting to breed some confidence for a Stags team that is ready to resume the winning on their home floor. They are 6-3 at home this season but lost their most recent home game and also have revenge on their minds here as they look to avenge the earlier loss at Iona in early December. The Stags are catching Iona at the right time to take advantage as the Gaels slumping ATS ways continue. Both teams have just one day of rest heading into this game but Fairfield has the homecourt edge plus the Stags will capitalize on Iona's struggles in this situation this season as the Gaels are 0-5 ATS when playing with one day or less of rest.

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play New England Patriots -3 @ Denver @ 3 ET - The Patriots are playing this game with revenge for two reasons. One is the ridiculous regular season loss this past season where the Pats were up 21-7 late in the 3rd quarter and then muffed a punt and went on to lose in overtime by a 30-24 score. The other reason for "playoff revenge" is that the Pats lost at Denver two years ago in the post-season. New England got some measure of revenge by winning huge in a regular season match-up in November of 2014 but the loss this past November (couple with this being their first playoff meeting since the January of 2014 loss) makes this revenge angle a huge one here. The Patriots are a fantastic 7-1 SU (and 6-2 ATS) when playing with revenge the past three seasons combined. By the way, this is not a short-term success story for the Patriots either. The long-term numbers show a 57-34 ATS mark when playing with revenge. The Pats also are 4-1 SU and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 playoff games and I'll take the current Tom Brady over the current Peyton Manning any day of the week. Manning certainly did not impress in last week's win over the injury-plagued Steelers and now he takes on a Patriots team that has gotten much healthier in recent weeks and the offense has what it takes (especially when healthy) to cause problems for the Denver defense. The Broncos have not covered a game since December 6th when they won big at San Diego. Look for this game to make it 6 straight games for Denver without a cover as I look for the Patriots to dominate this game on their way to another Super Bowl appearance.

Rickenbach NCAAB *8* Temple Owls +7 vs SMU @ Noon ET Sunday - I continue to capitalize on the fact that SMU is a little over-rated right now. Yes, the Mustangs are undefeated on the season but they have failed to cover 4 of their past 6 games. This is a tough road trip for them to the northeast and they face the hungry Owls who have revenge on their minds from losing all three match-ups with the Mustangs last year. That included getting knocked out of the AAC tourney in March by Southern Methodist. Temple is 6-2 ATS as an underdog this season and the Owls are 9-3 ATS in their games against teams with a winning record. SMU is 2-4 ATS this season when they are off of a win against a conference foe. The home dog Owls are completely capable of putting the first blemish on the Mustangs unblemished record but, even if they fall short, the generous points should be enough for the cover here. Ever since they got blasted by Houston in early January, the Owls have responded by playing stellar defense and they now have covered five straight games. Look for that ATS streak to reach a perfect 6-0 for Temple in snowy Philly on Sunday.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks +5.5 @ New Orleans @ 7:05 ET - The Bucks fell just short of the cover last night in Houston. Though this is a back to back spot for Milwaukee it involves only a short trip from Houston to New Orleans, the Bucks had two days off before facing the Rockets, and Milwaukee is a stellar 9-2 ATS this season when playing the second game of a back to back. Also, the Bucks are 9-1 ATS in road games with a posted total between 205 and 209.5 the past three seasons combined. Milwaukee is 11-6 ATS this season in their games against teams with a losing record and the Bucks are also 4-1 ATS this season when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. The Bucks will be hungry after last night's loss and they have been playing quite well. They catch the Pelicans at an ideal time as New Orleans is off of back to back wins but has a big game on deck with a division rival, Houston, on deck. That makes this a nice flat spot for the Pelicans and I plan to take advantage. As a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points the past three seasons, New Orleans has gone 3-12 ATS. Also, in non-conference action the Pelicans have gone 4-10 ATS this season. Look for New Orleans to get caught looking ahead to Monday's divisional game as they overlook this Eastern Conference opponent. Grab the road dog value with the Bucks and the points!

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #661 - *10* Top Play Maryland Terrapins +3.5 @ Michigan State @ 6:30 ET - Some will look at this game and say that Michigan State is in bounce back mode and they will bounce back due to the recent defeats and that the Spartans haven't looked this bad in a long time so coach Tom Izzo will have them ready to go and to get back on track. However, I see this game much differently and love the line value here with the road dog. There is tremendous pressure on the Spartans right now. Michigan State needs a win and they need it badly and this is putting a lot of stress on a team that hasn't exactly responded well to stress this season. Just look at all the tight losses the Spartans have had and you will see they don't do well in crunch time. That said, to be getting 3.5 points here with the better team and a team that is also seeking revenge is absolutely a huge value. Last year in the conference tourney the Terrapins lost to the Spartans and you can bet they had this rematch circled on their calendars. Maryland had won the two regular season meetings between the teams and that, of course, included a win at Michigan State so they certainly won't be intimidated by playing here on Saturday evening. The Terps look much improved since the last meeting between these teams while the Spartans continue to struggle and just haven't shown the same defensive skills and rebounding strength that prior Spartans teams have shown. That doesn't bode well for Michigan State getting by one of the top teams in the country Saturday evening. The past three seasons Maryland is 17-8 ATS in games with a posted total in a range of 140 to 149.5 points. The Terps are also 12-6 ATS in Saturday games the past three seasons. This season Maryland is 4-2 ATS in their games against teams with a winning record and I certainly expect them to be at their best in this huge Big 10 battle. The past three seasons Michigan State is 1-4 ATS as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points. Also, the Spartans are 2-5 ATS in Big 10 games this season and 0-3 ATS when off of a loss to a conference foe. In other words, don't look for the bounce back here as the struggles for Sparty are likely to continue. Grab the generous points with the Terrapins!

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #597 - *8* UCLA Bruins +8.5 @ Oregon @ 4 ET - Nice set up to back the big dog Bruins here. UCLA is off of a big win at Oregon State and scored very well for a 6th straight game. Even though this is a back to back road spot for the Bruins they had two days off between games which is always a plus and UCLA also showed a lot of resiliency in bouncing right back after a disappointing loss to their biggest rival, the USC Trojans back on the 13th. The Ducks don't have nearly the fresh legs that the Bruins do here and Oregon is off of a big home win against USC on Thursday. Today's game will mark the Ducks 2nd game in 3 days and I look for them to be a bit taxed here. Oregon is 7-16 ATS in January games the past three seasons combined. The Ducks, of course, are a solid team but the one type of team they have struggled against this season is those that can also put up big points. Just like Oregon, UCLA is a high-scoring team and the Ducks are 2-4 ATS this season against teams that average 77 points or more per game. UCLA is on a long-term 15-4 ATS run as a road dog of 6.5 to 9 points. Also, the Bruins are 19-10 ATS the past three seasons when coming off of a victory in a conference game. After knocking off the Beavers on Wednesday, look for UCLA to also get the cash against the Ducks Saturday.

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #537 - *8* Ball State Cardinals +7 @ Eastern Michigan @ 11:30 AM ET - A lot of line value for the road dog in this one. Ball State has the better record on the season and the Cardinals have revenge from a home loss to Eastern Michigan in their most recent meeting which was last March. Of course significant home court weighting is being added to this line and yet the road team has won three of the last four meetings between these teams. Even if the Cards fall short of the outright win here, the generous points should be more than enough for the cover. Ball State enters this game off of a loss but it was to one of the top teams in the MAC - Kent State. Prior to that defeat the Cardinals had won 5 of their last 6 games and the only loss came by a slim six point margin. The Eagles enter this game having lost four of their past six games and that includes defeats in two of their last three home games. Eastern Michigan is not playing as well on defense as Ball State has been and I look for that to be a key difference maker here. Couple that with the value of the points and the Cardinals being hungry off of a loss plus playing with revenge and you have the makings of a tight game at Eastern Michigan early Saturday. Ball State is 4-2 ATS this season as an underdog. The Eagles are 0-4 ATS in Saturday games this season and also 0-4 ATS this season when they are off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. That makes this a 'double perfect' go against situation! Grab the points with Ball State.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks +3 @ Houston @ 8:05 ET - The Rockets have lost two straight games and they are currently mired in a 1-4 ATS slump. Houston also has a big game on deck with the in-state rival Dallas Mavericks and Dwight Howard is expected to miss tonight's game in hopes of healing up his ankle. The Rockets are dealing with some other injury issues as well and just because they lost to Detroit Wednesday it does not mean you should expect a bounce back here. Houston is actually an ugly 1-11 ATS this season when they are off of an upset loss as a favorite this season. The Rockets are also 4-12 ATS in non-conference action this season and the impact of facing an Eastern Conference foe is magnified in strength here due to the big divisional game on deck as noted above. As for the Bucks, they are well-rested here and they enter this game having won three straight games. Also, Milwaukee has covered 6 of their past 7 games. The Bucks are 18-11 ATS this season when facing teams that are allowing 99 points or more per game this season. Milwaukee has lost both match-ups with Houston each of the past two seasons and, with these four straight losses in this series, there is no doubt the Bucks will be focused on getting a revenge win tonight. Look for the Bucks, who have been playing solid defense while also shooting well, to continue their big surge Friday.

Rickenbach NBA *8* Utah Jazz -5 or -5.5 @ Brooklyn @ 7:35 ET - A match-up of two struggling teams but the Nets are certainly in far worse shape than the Jazz. Utah comes into this game off of back to back losses. However, the Jazz are 33-17 (66%) ATS the past three seasons when they are off of a game where they allowed 105 points or more. The Nets are simply a huge mess and things have not improved even since they made the coaching change. Brooklyn is on a 1-9 (10%) run both straight-up and ATS. That makes me very comfortable in fading them tonight as they continue to not only lose but to get pounded! The Nets last ten games have all been decided by six points or more and most have been blowout losses by double digits margins of defeat. I look for another one of those tonight as the Jazz are hungry to get back on track and they'll leave it all on the floor tonight. That's because Utah's next game is scheduled at Washington Saturday but that game is likely to be postponed due to the expected blizzards conditions in DC. 

Rickenbach NCAAB *10* Top Play St. Peter's Peacocks +7.5 @ Iona @ 7 ET - Iona is a mess right now and I'll gladly challenge them to cover the inflated number here considering the circumstances. The Gaels 110-102 loss to Monmouth a week ago has Iona rattled. The Gaels lost to Rider as a four point favorite Sunday and that was the only loss they suffered. One of their top players, Jordan Washington, is still serving the final game of his two game suspension tonight. That resulted from his actions in the big game against Monmouth and, again, the entire Iona team seems to be a bit frazzled right now. St Peter's won the last match-up between these teams (last March) and the Peacocks also have covered each of the last two meetings at Iona. That said, St Peter's does bring confidence into this match-up. They won't be intimidated by Iona and that is even more true with the Gaels missing a key frontcourt player (Washington). St Peter's enters this game having won 5 of their last 7 games and the only two losses came by 3 points or less. The Peacocks have been playing better defense in comparison with Iona. St Peter's has held six of their past seven opponents to 37.3% or less from the field! Conversely, the Gaels are allowing an average of 90 points per game in their last three games! Iona is 0-4 ATS this season in games with a posted total in the 140s. St Peter's is 7-1 ATS as an underdog this season and the Peacocks are again undervalued here! Grab the points!

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies -1.5 @ Denver @ 9:05 ET - In a home game with a posted total between 190 and 194.5 the Nuggets have gone 0-3 ATS this season and 0-6 ATS the past three seasons combined. That doesn't bode well for this match-up with Memphis. The Grizzlies are a master at slowing games down to the tempo they want. Memphis comes into this game having won 5 of their past 6 games and they've covered the spread in four of those five victories. Also, the Grizzlies have limited four consecutive opponents to 77 shots or less from the field. The Nuggets, even though they are at home, have been struggled no matter the venue. Denver has lost six of their past nine home games. On Thursday, Denver is facing a Grizzlies team that has beaten them three straight times by an average margin of 16 points per victory! Memphis enters this game off of a six game homestand and the Grizzlies are a perfect 4-0 straight-up and solid 3-1 ATS when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games at home. On deck for Memphis is a match-up with the hapless Timberwolves so there certainly is no lookahead here. Also,the Grizzlies have the rest edge on the Nuggets here as Memphis had two days off between games and they've gone 26-8 straight-up (and tonight's line is only -1.5) when they enter a game having had two days of rest between games. 

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #725 - *10* Kentucky Wildcats -1.5 @ Arkansas @ 7 ET - The Wildcats need to get back on track after some recent poor efforts. All the talk about how "down" Kentucky is has really led to some nice line value here with the Cats as now this line is well below where it would have been a few weeks ago. While the downturn in level of play recently for the Wildcats is certainly "some" cause for concern, the fact is that Kentucky has an incredible level of talent and they can turn things back on in a hurry. Look for them to be ready Thursday night as it's the perfect venue for them to right the ship. The Wildcats want to silence all the doubters and here they are taking on an Arkansas team known for it's tough venue and also known for having given the Cats some trouble in the past. In other words, there is no way that Kentucky will overlook the Razorbacks and I look for them to have a huge game at Arkansas Thursday night. The Wildcats have gone 7-1 straight-up (and this line is only -1.5) when they are off of a loss to a conference foe. With the Wildcats off of a loss against Auburn, the situation is perfect for backing Kentucky as they get back on track off of a rare defeat. The Cats have bounced back to win after each of their first three losses this season and I look for them to take that record to 4-0 tonight. The Razorbacks are 2-4 ATS this season in games with a posted total in a range of 150 to 159.5 and they will struggle to keep up with a Wildcats team that will have the pedal to the metal throughout this game Thursday.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Detroit Pistons +3 @ Houston @ 8:05 ET - Great spot for the Pistons. They catch the Rockets just getting back from a two game road trip out west that featured back to back games in LA on Sunday and Monday. Detroit is off of a home loss to the Bulls and the Pistons, as you would expect on their home floor, were favored in that game. The significance in that is we should expect a bounce back from Detroit in this game and the Pistons have bounced back in this situation all season long. Detroit is 7-1 SU and 7-1 ATS when they are off on upset loss as a favorite. The Pistons are also 6-1-1 ATS when off of a divisional game and 7-3 SU and 7-3 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 105 points or more. The Rockets are an ugly 4-11 ATS in non-conference games this season. Houston has failed to cover in 4 of their last 6 home games and the first game back after a west coast road trip always tends to be the toughest. Before the Bulls shot a ridiculous percentage from the field at Detroit Monday, the Pistons had held 6 of their 8 prior opponents to 95 points or less. Contrast this with a Rockets team that has given up 104.5 points per game in their last 6 home games. Grab the line value here with the highly motivated, dangerous road dog in this one. Houston struggled to stop the Clippers in LA on Monday and that turned into an overtime battle that further strengthens this situation for Detroit to hold the edge here. The Rockets are an ugly 7-16 ATS after allowing 105 points or more. Houston also is an ugly 9-14 ATS in home games this season. 

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #543 - *10* Top Play Indiana State Sycamores +3 @ Southern Illinois @ 8 ET - The Salukis have been a surprise early this season but now we take advantage of the line value that has resulted from the early season success for Southern Illinois. The better team is a 3-point dog here and I see big value with the Sycamores in this spot. They are off of a loss at Wichita State that served as a bit of a wake up call and they can't wait to get back on the floor after that ugly loss on Sunday. Looking at the season stats you can see that Indiana State has been the much better team on defense in comparing with Southern Illinois - just look at FG % allowed - an edge of 41% compared to 44%. Also, the Sycamores come into this game having allowed 41.8% or less from the field in their last five games. Indiana State had covered 7 straight games before their loss to the Shockers and the Sycamores are again undervalued here. Conversely, the Salukis are over-valued due to their surprising early season results. They rely too heavily on their star player and that will catch up with them as they face tougher defenses in conference action - like they are facing tonight - that are fully focused on making sure they don't get beat by the one they know is the key weapon for the Salukis. Note that even though Southern Illinois has been winning that is creating a false sense of security because truly their defense has not been playing that well. Southern Illinois has allowed 46.6% or better from the field in 4 of their last 5 games. The only exception in the five game stretch was when they faced an awful Bradley team. In other words, look for the Salukis to be challenge by another solid team tonight and the defensive edge goes to the Sycamores in a large way in this match-up. Southern Illinois is off to a good start in conference action but they truly have taken advantage of facing the lower tier teams in the MVC (other than Wichita State who blasted them). With that said, there is now value created because this 16-3 Salukis team is not nearly as good as their record would lead you to believe and I look for the Sycamores to defeat them for a FIFTH straight time and improve to 11-2 ATS this season in games against teams with a winning record. 

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #749 - *10* Top Play Houston Cougars +13 @ SMU @ 9 ET Tuesday - The Mustangs Keith Frazier is now officially leaving the Mustangs but already, in the time since he's been out, his impact on some of the other key scorers for SMU has been evident. Their numbers are down and the Mustangs now enter this game off of an ATS cover that is helping to give us line value here. SMU won by 15 on the scoreboard at Tulane but the Mustangs had to pull away late in that game and it was not an impressive win as SMU was held to just 60 points in the game. Now, on Tuesday, the Mustangs take on a Houston defense that ranks nearly as highly as SMU's defense does. That said, this game is likely to be an all out war that truly could go either way and yet we're getting 13 points because SMU is off of another cover and remains undefeated on the season. Getting double digits with a 13-4 Cougars team that plays solid defense is a great line value. Everyone is gunning for the Mustangs right now and the Cougars have the talent level to get it done. Even in recent match-ups with SMU, Houston has been "right there" more often than not as four of the last five meetings have seen the Cougars either win the game outright or lose the game by 7 points or less. SMU continues to be overvalued at home and they are 1-5 ATS in home games so far this season. Houston is 5-2 ATS as a road dog between 12.5 and 15 points. The value here with the Cougars in this one should be evident from the opening tip as their tenacious defense and the Mustangs continued scoring struggles (without Frazier managed only 60 versus Tulane and 59 versus Cincinnati) are the perfect combo. 

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks +5.5 @ Miami @ 7:35 ET - This scheduling spot favors the Bucks in a big way as they had two days off prior to this game and Milwaukee has two days off after this game. Conversely, the Heat have yet to have two straight off days since the end of December. Whether it is the schedule or not that is causing it, the fact is that the Heat are wearing down. Miami has lost four of their last five games and the Heat have been held to 90 points or less in three of the five games. They now host a Bucks team heading the other direction as Milwaukee has won four of their past six games and the Bucks have covered five of those six games. The road has been kind to Bucks backers of late as Milwaukee has gotten the cash in 7 of their past 10 games away from home. While the Bucks next game is not until the 22nd and is against a non-conference foe, the Heat have a big game at Washington on deck tomorrow night. The Heat are 2-5 ATS against Central Division opponents this season and this scheduling situation is making it highly unlikely that they will be able to improve upon that tonight. Look for the Bucks recent surge to continue Tuesday and, in doing so, Milwaukee makes it five straight wins and ATS covers in their last five match-ups with Miami! 

Rickenbach NCAAB *10* Top Play Illinois-Chicago +10.5 @ Cleveland State @ 7 ET - Of course Illinois-Chicago has an ugly record so far this season but so too does Cleveland State. That said, the fact is that this is an awful big spread for the Vikings when you consider that each of these teams is playing their 3rd game in 5 days. I also like the fact that the Vikes are off of their first win in Horizon League action this season. Cleveland State had to battle hard against Northern Kentucky to get that win on Saturday. Conversely, the Flames are off of an ugly loss on Saturday that was one-sided enough that it really didn't take a lot out of Illinois-Chicago physically or mentally. In other words, look for the Flames to be hungry tonight and they will have the physical and mental energy necessary to compete with Cleveland State here. The Flames, before their loss to Milwaukee, had almost beaten Green Bay in their prior game. Look for the Vikings to get caught underestimating a Flames team that, despite their record, is showing improvement under new coach Steve McClain (formerly with Wyoming). Illinois-Chicago had a lot of new players brought in and they are adjusting better now to playing alongside each other. The Vikings wins (except against teams most have never heard of that were completely overmatched) have come by small margins and the double digit spread here is simply not justified. The Vikes lost a lot of key talent from last season's team and they have had trouble adjusting. This is nowhere close to the team they were last season. Also, as a road dog of 9.5 to 12 points, UIC has gone 25-14 ATS! In home games with a line posted, the Vikings have a straight-up record of 1-5 this season. Cleveland State could get upset here as the situation is perfect for that but, even if the Vikes pull it out, the Flames should be nipping at their heels all the way through and the big points are worth a *10* Illinois-Chicago Monday.

Rickenbach NBA *8* Portland Trail Blazers +4.5 @ Washington @ 2:05 ET - It doesn't get much more embarrassing than losing by a margin of 25 points to the hapless Sixers! Needless to say, the Trail Blazers will be ready to respond on Monday afternoon after Saturday's embarrassing 114-89 loss at Philadelphia. It was a strange game as Philly shot an uncharacteristically high 55% from the field while Portland only made 39% of their shots. That helps to make this the perfect bounce back spot for the Blazers who were able to rest mentally and physically because of how much of a blowout loss the game was at Philadelphia. As for Washington, there was no rest for the Wizards in their game Saturday as they were in a grueling game with the Celtics that ended up being a tough two-point loss to Boston. The Wizards are an ugly 9-17 ATS as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points the past three seasons combined. The Trail Blazers, off an upset loss as a favorite (in this case at Philly), are 4-2 ATS this season and have a straight-up record of 25-13 when off of an upset loss as a favorite the past three seasons combined. Portland will be hungry to bounce back off of one of the worst games of the season and the extra line value is here since they are a road dog. Odds makers are predicting a high scoring game tonight and the Trail Blazers are 4-1 ATS this season in games with a posted total of 210 or more while the Wizards this season are 2-4 ATS in games with a total set at 210 points or more. *8* Portland Monday

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play Pittsburgh Steelers +7 @ Denver @ 4:40 ET Sunday - Of course there are some injury concerns here with Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown of the Steelers but I just can't imagine Big Ben not being able to go in this game. Even if Brown is held out the Steelers still have plenty of weapons. Pittsburgh's offense really carved up the Broncos in their recent late season match-up and they can do it again here. Plus, think about his, why is Pittsburgh now +7 when they were -7 at home against the Broncos! Is home field really that huge? Of course it's not. Even though Manning is back for Denver he's been nowhere near the guy he once was. Why else was Osweiler playing? The fact is that this Broncos offense has had issues throughout this season and certainly padded their record with some fortunate wins. Now certainly my hat is off to the Broncos defense as they have been rock solid but the Steelers offense ranks among the most dynamic in the league and no offense was stronger than Pittsburgh in the latter half of the season as the Steelers were simply blowing defenses up. I think the Steelers defense comes into this game ready to roll again and already having knowledge of the Big Ben and Antonio situation. That said, the collapse we saw from the Pittsburgh D after Ben went down in the Cincy game won't be repeated here. Look for the Steelers D to give another stellar effort here but this time for the full sixty. With that said, there is certainly tremendous value being offered here with the big points. Pittsburgh is 12-4 ATS against teams with a winning record the past three seasons. Also, the Steelers are 6-3 ATS this season in games played on grass. Denver has failed to cover 3 of their last 4 playoff games and Manning is not what he once was and I certainly wouldn't trust Osweiler in this spot. That said, I'll gladly grab the big points here. 

Rickenbach NCAAB *8* Connecticut Huskies +1.5 @ Houston @ 2 ET - The Huskies lost by just a bucket in their last meeting with the Cougars in Houston. The prior match-up was a blowout win at Connecticut as the Huskies rolled by a margin of 37 points. While I don't expect that same type of dominance today I certainly do expect the Huskies to get revenge for the tight loss at Houston last February. Connecticut, the past three seasons, is a combined 4-0 (100%) ATS in road games with a posted total between 140 and 144.5 points. The Cougars are off of a loss by a double digit margin at Cincinnati but that doesn't mean they will bounce back. In fact, the past three seasons combined, when off of a loss in conference action, the Cougars have responded with a straight-up record of 6-18. That's losses in 18 of 24 such occurrences and I look for another one here as the Huskies are off of a loss at Tulsa but UConn has a history of responding off of a conference loss with a straight-up record of 11-6 the last three seasons combined. 

Rickenbach NFL *8* Carolina Panthers -2.5 vs Seattle @ 1:05 ET Sunday - This play from me is certainly not "out of spite" as I did easily win my pick on Minnesota plus the points against Seattle on Sunday; but, have you ever seen a team get as lucky as Seattle did in that game? The point is that the Seahawks were truly outplayed for most of that game and yet they still got the win over the Vikings thanks to a missed "chip shot" field goal with under a minute to go. The point is that Seattle truly doesn't belong here and they now face a much tougher situation than they did last week at Minnesota. Yes, I know that this is a revenge game for the Hawks because they had a home loss to the Panthers earlier this season. However, Carolina is no Minnesota and I don't like what I am seeing from this Seattle offense right now. You can bet the Panthers intense defense (especially on their home turf) is going to give Russell Wilson and Company all sorts of trouble in this one. Of course let's not forget that Carolina went 8-0 at home this season. They covered 6 of those 8 home games and the fact this line dropped from a -3 to a -2.5 is also giving us good odds on the Panthers covering this one should they keep that perfect SU home record intact. The Seahawks are 3-6 ATS in road games with a posted total between 42.5 and 45 points the past three seasons. Also, one could certainly argue that the Panthers revenge angle here is bigger than that of the Seahawks. Yes, Carolina did win at Seattle earlier this season but last year, despite a yardage edge for the game, the Panthers lost a playoff game at Seattle. Also, Carolina has lost each of their last two home games against Seattle. In other words, it's payback time and the set up here for a rested Panthers team against a Seahawks team off of tight, physical, fortunate victory in brutal cold last week absolutely favors Carolina in a huge way here. 

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play Green Bay Packers +7 @ Arizona @ 8:15 ET Saturday - On paper, the Cardinals should be able to crush the Packers and, in fact, that is just what they did when these teams met in Arizona just a few weeks ago and the Cards annihilated Green Bay. However, let's not forget that the Packers were in a very flat spot there. They were off of a key road win on the West Coast the week before as the Pack knocked off the Raiders in Oakland. Also, it was a true 'sandwich spot' in addition to being a flat spot as the Packers had a huge game on deck with Minnesota. Green Bay was, of course, battling the Vikings for the top spot in the NFC North Division. The Packers also had some key injury issues when they traveled to Arizona. With all that said, the only thing the 38-8 beating does (in my mind) is mean that this is a huge revenge game for a very talented Green Bay team that got their offense back on track in their big win at Washington last week AND that possesses a very talented, solid defense. Green Bay has been particularly strong against the pass this season and that is a key to slowing down Arizona. The Packers ugly loss at Arizona a few weeks ago had a lot to do with turnovers moreso than just domination in all facets of the game. In other words, and especially with team leader QB Aaron Rodgers back on track, the Packers can (and should) absolutely hang tough in this rematch. The Cardinals ugly season-ending loss to Seattle certainly has left a little doubt in their minds about just how good they really are and they also could be looking ahead to a potential rematch with their hated division rival as the Seahawks visit Carolina Sunday. If the Cards underestimate the Packers (and they just might) I would not be surprised to see GB win this outright but, even if the Cardinals don't underestimate the Pack, this is a game that should be very close all the way through. So there is excellent value with the big points here and Arizona only went 1-4 ATS this season against teams with a winning record. The Packers went 6-3 SU and ATS in road games this season also a perfect 2-0 SU and ATS this season when playing with revenge.

Rickenbach NFL *8* New England Patriots -5 vs Kansas City @ 4:35 ET Saturday - Revenge game for the Patriots after they were embarrassed last season in a Monday Night Football drubbing at the hands of the Chiefs 41-14 on September 29th of last year. The Pats have a big rest edge here as they were able to rest last week while the Chiefs were on the road putting a beating on the Texans in Houston. That shutout win for Kansas City actually doesn't bode well for what to expect from the Chiefs this week. Teams that are off of shutout win in the playoffs (rare) have gone 1-4 both SU and ATS in the only five occurrences the past twenty years. Hats off to the Chiefs for a big win last week but the key was the five Houston turnovers. Now Kansas City goes from facing Brian 'Turnover Machine' Hoyer at QB to Tom 'Hall of Famer' Brady. The fact is that this will prove to be a tough match-up for a Chiefs team whose recent road challenges have included bad teams and or bad quarterbacks or a combination of both. The only exception was the win over the Broncos when Peyton Manning was clearly not himself and threw four picks on November 15th. The Chiefs other road 'tests' this season against playoff competition (other than Houston) were at Minnesota, at Cincinnati, and at Green Bay. The Chiefs lost all three games and failed to cover any of the three with an average margin of defeat of 10 points per game in those losses. Granted, those games did occur rather early in the season but you can see (and understand) why I expect the Chiefs to struggle against a rested Patriots team that has extra fire in their belly headed into this one. The Pats are still fired up about a poor overall finish to the regular season and they certainly haven't forgotten the embarrassing loss at KC on national TV that occurred early in the 2014 season. The rest for the Pats last week gave them extra time to heal up and they should win this game in an absolute blowout. The Chiefs are 2-5 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 9 points the past three seasons and they also have a long-term futility mark of 2-10 ATS in playoff games! The Patriots are 7-2 ATS as a home favorite of 3.5 to 7 points and the Pats are on an overall 17-7 ATS run in home games. No mercy from Belichick's group after that MNF beatdown a year and a half ago. 

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #577 - *10* Top Play Kentucky Wildcats -12 @ Auburn @ 4 ET - The Wildcats are off of a mid-week win over Mississippi State but they were not happy about it. That's because they blew a huge lead in that game and allowed the Bulldogs to finish it out with a much closer result than expected. Kentucky softened up defensively and they know they must get better about simply keeping the hammer down once the hammer is down. In other words, look for a complete beatdown of this Tigers team in Auburn on Saturday afternoon. The Wildcats are focused on a huge effort for the full forty minutes. Also, the Tigers don't have the size to match up with Kentucky's big frontcourt. Additionally, the backcourt is also an area of concern for Auburn heading into this one as they have suffered some key injuries impacting both their talent level and depth on the current active roster. In other words, this one gets ugly in a hurry. The Tigers are 2-5 ATS as an underdog this season. The Wildcats are 5-1 ATS in Saturday games this season. Kentucky has won 9 of their last 10 against Auburn and the Cats have covered 7 of those 10 games. Their series dominance continues Saturday afternoon. 

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #529 - *8* Cincinnati Bearcats -3.5 @ Temple @ Noon ET - This is a revenge game for Cincy as they lost at home to Temple late last month. The Bearcats had 9 more shots from the field in that game but the Owls had 10 more free throw attempts plus Temple shot the ball very well from beyond the arc. Cincinnati is well aware of how (and why) that game played out the way it did and now it's time for a little payback. The Bearcats have lost two straight games to Temple but had won the prior three games by an average margin of 15 points per victory. Cincy has been a refocused team ever since the loss to the Owls as the Cats have won three of four since then and the only loss was by just a bucket to an undefeated SMU team and that game was at Southern Methodist University. In other words, the Bearcats have already proven they can play with anyone and they have proven that on the road. Temple's 50% shooting performance at Cincinnati truly was a a fluke as, since mid-December that was one of just TWO games out of SEVEN where the Owls have actually shot better than 39% from the floor. Their sub-par offense does them in again here against a Bearcats team that is the much better shooting team, plays even better defense than the Owls, and has revenge on their minds.

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #881 - *10* Top Play Akron Zips +1 @ Toledo @ 7 ET - The Zips are off of a loss at Central Michigan after having won ten straight games and that, undoubtedly, has Akron fired up for this game. However, it's not as if the Zips needed any extra motivation for this one. Akron has lost three straight meetings with the Rockets and that has them fired up about this visit to Toledo. The Zips are still 13-3 on the season, even after the loss to the Chippewas, and the Rockets are 10-6 on the season but off of a loss to a rather weak Northern Illinois team and that defeat was in Toledo so that doesn't bode well for the Rockets Friday. Of course that is why this line is only a 1 and that is also why I see great value here with the better team on the road. Akron is not only full of motivation for this one, the Zips returned seven players this season who started at least nine games last season. Akron also came into this season with 10 straight 20-plus win seasons. Even though they play in the same 'league' as the Rockets the Zips truly are in a different 'league' in terms of talent levels and experience on these teams. Toledo had to reload as they lost their three leading scorers from last season's team and the point guard production remains an area of key concern for the Rockets. The home loss to the Huskies says a lot about the current state of Toledo basketball while I look for the Zips to bounce back off of their road loss against a tough foe by taking advantage of a weaker one Friday. Toledo is 2-5 SU and ATS in their games against teams with a winning record this season. Akron is 5-1 SU and 4-1 ATS this season when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more and their offense stays hot here. 

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #548 - *10* Top Play Georgia Bulldogs -5.5 vs Tennessee @ 7 ET - The Bulldogs have been playing spectacular defense this season. They are allowing an average of just 66 points per game on the season while the Volunteers are allowing 76 points per game on average so far this season. Also, Georgia has won 8 of their 10 home games this season while Tennessee has lost all six of their games away from home. The Bulldogs will be fired up here as they are coming off of a 1 point road loss at Mississippi on Saturday. Georgia is catching the Vols at a good time as Tennessee's defense has been particularly porous of late. The Volunteers have allowed 83 points or more in two of their last three games and three of Tennessee's last four opponents have made at least 47% of their shots from the field and at least 41% from three point land! Contrast this with a stellar Georgia defense that has held 7 of their last 8 opponents to 39% or less from the field! Also, the Bulldogs have played solid D on the perimeter too as they have held 4 of their last 5 opponents to 30% or less from beyond the arc! Georgia is 6-3 ATS as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points the last 3 seasons and the Dawgs have also excelled in these mid-week affairs with an 11-2 SU and ATS mark in Wednesday games! Look for the Volunteers road woes to continue to here as they face a hungry home team that plays stifling defense.

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #737 - *10* Mississippi State Bulldogs +16.5 @ Kentucky @ 7 ET - The Bulldogs are in a prime bounce back spot here. Mississippi State had one of their worst shooting performances of the season (plus gave up 50% shooting) in their 82-68 loss at Arkansas on Saturday. The Bulldogs had previously covered three straight games and gone 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games. They'll be hungry after the ugly loss to the Razorbacks and Mississippi State has gone 8-1 ATS the past three seasons when they are off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more! Unlike the Bulldogs (solid ATS record prior to the loss to Arkansas), Kentucky continues to be over-valued. The Wildcats are 2-5 ATS this season as a home favorite of 12.5 points or more. Kentucky is off of a big road win at Alabama on Saturday and that is helping to add some line value with today's game as the Cats got some extra 'love' from the odds makers after knocking off the Crimson Tide handily. The Wildcats, of course, are the better team but this line is inflated and the situation is set up very nicely with the Bulldogs very hungry after a disappointing effort while the Cats come into this one a little too 'comfortable'. Kentucky was hungry on Saturday as they were off of a loss at LSU but now they are back home and 'feeling a little too good about themselves' after the big win at Alabama. Grab the value with the big dog for a *10* Top Play on Tuesday.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Washington Wizards +8 @ Chicago @ 8:05 ET - Even though one might look at the Bulls here and fully expect a bounce back since they are off of a loss, that definitely has NOT been the MO of Chicago the past six weeks. After winning two straight as of early December the Bulls then have had a pair of three game losing streaks and winning streaks of four games and six games. The point is that the Bulls have been quite streaky rather than the type of team that alternates wins and losses. Also, off of a loss like they had at Atlanta following a huge six game winning streak, it can be very tough to bounce back. Additionally, the Bulls have a game with a divisional foe on deck and, certainly, Chicago has struggled against some non-divisional foes. In fact, the Bulls are 0-5 ATS this season against Southeast Division foes. Also, as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points, Chicago has gone 3-6 ATS this season. The Wizards are 13-4 ATS the past three seasons as a road dog of 6.5 to 9 points. Also, Washington is 4-0 ATS this season with those parameters! Couple that with the 0-5 ATS that goes against the Bulls (noted above) and you have a combined perfect 9-0 ATS mark in support of the Wizards here whom, by the way, have been very strong against the Central Division as Washington this season has gone 5-1 ATS against those teams. Grab the line value with the hungry dog here as the road warrior Wizards have covered 6 of their last 8 away from home and will build off of Saturday's outright win at Orlando.

Rickenbach NCAAB *10* Top Play Monmouth Hawks -5.5 @ Fairfield @ 7 ET - Monmouth and Fairfield play in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. While you may not have heard about a lot of these teams, some of them can definitely play with 'the big boys' and that is what has impressed me so much about Monmouth this season. The Hawks already have wins over UCLA, Notre Dame, USC, and Georgetown this season. Also, Monmouth only lost by three points to Dayton. Although the Hawks are currently without Je'lon Hornbeak (suspended), they have played well without him in the two games since his suspension. Though he has some impressive overall numbers on the season, taking a look back at Monmouth's biggest wins, Hornbeak didn't contribute a whole lot other than one big game (15 of 16) at the free throw line in of the Hawks big wins. In other words, the depth of this Monmouth team more than makes up for his absence and I look for them to take it to the Stags tonight. Fairfield came into this season off of a 7-24 season last year and they again are projected to be among the weakest teams in the MAAC. Though the Stags have surprised a little so far this season (8 wins) they don't have near the 'signature win' status that Monmouth has put forth so far this season. Another to laying the points on the road in this one is that the Hawks are still so very hungry. Monmouth is still a relative newcomer to the MAAC but, after losing to Iona in the conference semi-finals last season, coach King Rice made some strong statements about the Hawks growth in the league and how the players are maturing and the fact that Monmouth would be back stronger than ever this season. Already, the Hawks aren't just 'talking the talk' as, indeed, they've been 'walking the walk'. Monmouth is 5-1 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. The Hawks also are 4-0, 100% perfect when playing with one day or less of rest this season. Conversely, the Stags have lost 19 of their last 25 games when playing with one day or less of rest the past three seasons combined. Monmouth has played the tougher schedule so far this season and they also are the better defensive team (allowing just 38% from the field while Fairfield allows 43.5% from the field). Good value spot for a hungry Hawks team to cover large on the road. Lay the points with Monmouth. 

Rickenbach NBA *8* Dallas Mavericks -4 @ Minnesota @ 5:05 ET - The Timberwolves have lost 17 of their last 21 games. Also, since December 1st, Minnesota has covered just 4 of their last 20 games. The Timberwolves bring an 0-5 ATS streak into this one and I look for the Mavericks to make it 6 in a row today. Even though Dallas has a game on deck with Cleveland, that is still a non-conference match-up with LeBron James and Company. Also, coming off of tight, frustrating late loss at Milwaukee, there is no way the Mavs are going to look past this very winnable game at Minnesota. Look for Dallas to improve to 7-3 in their last 10 games with another win today. The Mavs are 3-0 ATS in Sunday games this season and the Mavericks are 4-0 ATS against teams from the Northwest Division. The Timberwolves are an incredible 0-10 ATS in home games with a posted total between 200 and 204.5 points this season. That means that adding up all the perfect trends in favor of Dallas and all the perfect trends going against Minnesota, today we are testing a combined 22-0 ATS mark -> the 10-0 go against T-wolves plus the fact they have failed to cover 5 straight games (5-0 go against) and then the 4-0 and 3-0 trends in favor of Dallas. Look for Big D to roll on the road in this one. 

Rickenbach NFL *8* Minnesota Vikings +5 vs Seattle @ 1:05 ET - Brutal cold in Minnesota is going to help limit the production of what has been a red hot Seahawks offense. The Vikings have revenge here from a beatdown they took at home against Seattle five weeks ago. In that game Minnesota was outgained severely and ended up embarrassed on their home turf. You can bet that the Vikes are ready for redemption here. Let's not forget that in the Seahawks other games against teams with a winning record this season, Seattle only won 2 of the 6 games. The Vikings got a big boost with the return of some key personnel on the defensive side of the ball in Week 16 against the Giants. This helped the Vikings get big wins over the Giants and then the Packers in Week 17 to vault into ownership of the NFC North title. The Vikes allowed an average of just 14.3 points per game in their final three games of the season. Combining the solid defense (now healthy) of the Vikes with the NFL leading rusher (Peterson) leading the ground attack and a weather forecast of temperatures below 0 fahrenheit and you have the makings of a tough home dog to ouster out of the playoffs. I look for the Vikings to hang tough throughout this revenge grudge match. Look for Minnesota to improve to 7-1 ATS as an underdog this season.

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play Pittsburgh Steelers -2.5 vs Cincinnati @ 8:15 ET - Cincinnati's Andy Dalton is doubtful. The Bengals are likely to be led by QB A.J. McCarron. Dalton was knocked out of the game against the Steelers on December 13th. The Bengals enter the post-season now having lost 2 of their last 4 games. Because of being forced to go with McCarron at QB the Cincy passing attack has averaged just 169 points per game in their last three games. The Bengals are hosting a Steelers team that has a healthy Ben Roethlisberger under center. Note that the Steelers have thrown for at least 348 passing yards in five of their last seven games. That is more than double the passing yardage the Bengals have been averaging with McCarron under center. You can see why this is shaping up to be a mismatch! The Steelers are the healthier team and they are riding a wave of emotion after getting into the playoffs thanks to the Bills upset of the Jets in the final week of the regular season. This Steelers offense has been so hot that it is a team that no one wants to face right now, but particularly a division rival that is without their starting QB does not want to see this team to open up the playoffs. The Steelers are averaging 32 points per game in their last 8 games. The Benglas are averaging 21 points per game in their last 4 games. The Steelers have won 13 of their last 15 games at Cincinnati and are on an incredible long-term run of 19-6 ATS in games played at Cincy. Pittsburgh dominates the Bengals in their own house once again. 

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Philadelphia 76'ers +9.5 vs Toronto @ 7:35 ET - The Sixers showed some heart in the way they battled against Atlanta on Thursday. The final score ultimately was ugly but the 76'ers made some runs in the third quarter of that game and the final score is simply helping to give us some line value here. That's because I do fully expect the 76'ers to continue to fight hard and this time I don't expect them to be plagued by facing an opponent that ends up hitting a ridiculous percentage of outside shots. The Sixers are catching the Raptors at the perfect time to spring the upset. Toronto is off of a big win at Washington last night. Not only is the 2nd night of a back to back, it is also the Raptors 5th game in 7 nights. Look for a road-weary Toronto to take to the floor tonight in Philly. The Raptors are off of rare back to back covers as they had previously suffered ATS losses in 8 of their last 11 games! The Sixers have played better since they acquired point guard Ish Smith as they had won 3 of 6 (and covered 4 of 6) before the ugly loss to Atlanta. Look for Philly to bounce right back here. The 76'ers will improve to 3-0 ATS this season in home games with a posted total between 200 and 204.5 and I look for the Raptors to drop to 7-15 ATS when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. We will see a road-weary Toronto team tonight. Sixers are a good value plus the big points. 

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #601 - *10* Top Play Arizona State Sun Devils +5.5 @ UCLA @ 5 ET - After losing to their biggest rival (Arizona) on Sunday (a game that was closer than the final score would lead you to believe), the Sun Devils - not surprisingly - had trouble closing out their next game. The Sun Devils lost by 10 at USC and it was another game that was closer than the final score would lead you to believe. Now certainly there had to be some concern about how sloppy the Devils were in the late stages of that game as some ugly possessions helped lead to easy points for the Trojans the other way. However, the key is that the Sun Devils - in my opinion - were still reeling from the loss to the Wildcats and they didn't have the proper focus to finish the USC game properly. Now, interestingly enough, the 'shoe is on the other foot' Saturday! UCLA is in a very tricky spot here. The Bruins are off of an upset win over Arizona and UCLA has a game with their most hated rival (USC) on deck! That sets this game up perfectly to be a flat spot for the Bruins and yet, everyone having seen the Sun Devils back to back "fluke" losses by double digit margins is likely to back UCLA here. This is driving line value for a talented Arizona State team that comes into this game very, very hungry to get back into the win column. They catch the Bruins at the perfect time to do just that and UCLA is a horrible 2-9 ATS as a favorite this season. The Sun Devils were 6-1 (86%) ATS this SEASON in games against teams with a winning record before they then suffered the aforementioned back to back losses to Arizona and Southern Cal. In other words, Arizona State has proven how they can perform against teams with a winning record this season and they catch the Bruins still celebrating their win over Arizona plus looking ahead to USC. It is a PERFECT set-up!

Rickenbach NFL *8* Houston Texans +3.5 vs Kansas City @ 4:35 ET - The Texans lost their season opener at home against Kansas City and now it is payback time for Houston. Though the Chiefs come into this game having won 10 straight games, it is important to note that they have not faced a single winning team in their last 7 games. Also, on the season, Kansas City went just 3-4 SU and 3-4 ATS against teams with a winning record. I have been very impressed with the Texans this season as, thanks in part to a phenomenal defense, Houston was able to have a solid winning season even though they used 4 different starting QBs during the year. The Texans had one of the top defenses in the league in the regular season and Houston also held their opponents to 10 points or less in nearly half their games this season! Even though both these teams come into this Wild Card match-up red hot, I like the fact that the Texans can be grabbed at +3.5 as a home dog. Houston has impressed me as they have not been outgained in any of their last 9 games except for one (New England). As for the Chiefs, they have actually been outgained in four of their last six games. In my opinion, Kansas City has definitely been winning some games with smoke and mirrors. Look for the Chiefs to lose their ninth straight playoff game! Kansas City hasn't won a playoff game since their 1993 playoff run. As for the Texans, they have won each of their home playoff games (2011 and 2012) and I look for them to do it again here as all the pressure is on Kansas City where they haven't been able to get off the schneid in the post-season and they have the better record and are favored here on the road. A lot of pressure on the Chiefs.

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #573 - *8* Mississippi State Bulldogs +7.5 @ Arkansas @ 3:30 ET - The Razorbacks have won three straight games against the Bulldogs so, needless to say, Mississippi State has revenge on their minds in this one. The timing is ideal for the Bulldogs to get the upset as the Razorbacks are off of an upset win as they knocked off Vanderbilt as a home dog on Tuesday. A high-scoring game is expected here and Arkansas is just 1-4 ATS this season in games where the posted total is between 150 and 159.5 points. The Bulldogs are a stellar 8-2 ATS in all games this season but they do come into this game off of a straight-up loss as they fell short 61-60 to Texas A & M on Wednesday. Coming off of that defeat, the Bulldogs will be fired up to get right back into the win column and Mississippi State went a fantastic 17-8 ATS the past two seasons when off of a loss against a conference foe. The situation ensures the proper focus from a hungry underdog in this one. Grab the points with the big dog. 

Rickenbach NCAAB Game # 521 - *8* DePaul Blue Demons +9.5 @ Georgetown @ Noon ET - DePaul knocked Georgetown out of the Big East Tourney in March of 2014 and the Hoyas got revenge by taking both meetings last season and then also the first meeting this season which took place in DePaul. That makes this game a triple revenge spot for the Blue Demons and I look for them to hang tough against the Hoyas and easily stay inside this inflated number. DePaul has covered 4 of the last 6 meetings between these teams. The Blue Demons are also 4-2 ATS in their last six meetings in Georgetown. DePaul is 12-6 ATS in January games the past three years combined and they travel quite well with a 17-11 ATS mark on the road the past three seasons combined. The Hoyas are known for overlooking weaker foes and, the past three seasons combined, they have a 3-7 ATS record when facing teams with a losing record. In home games with a posted total in a range of 140 to 149.5 the Hoyas are an ugly 9-19 ATS. Georgetown also has failed to cover 3 of their last 4 when they are a home favorite of 9.5 to 12 points. They are once again overpriced here and we step in and take advantage with the hungry road dog.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks +1.5 @ Milwaukee @ 8:05 ET - The Mavericks are off of a big win at New Orleans on Wednesday. What made that win so impressive was that the Mavs were off of a double OT victory over the Kings the night before and so Dallas decided to rest four of their starters and yet they still knocked off the Pelicans in impressive fashion. What that means for tonight's game is that we get excellent line value with a well-rested Mavericks team paying a rare visit to Milwaukee. The Bucks come into this game with a 5-10 season mark against teams from the West. The Mavs come into this game having won 7 of their last 10 games overall. Dallas has won 6 straight meetings with Milwaukee and the Mavericks have covered 5 of the 6 meetings. The Bucks have been having trouble on the defensive end and there is no reason that won't continue against a Dallas team that has won 6 of their last 8 games overall, has been red hot on offense, and has a rested starting five ready to go hard in this one. 

Rickenbach NCAAB *10* Top Play Oakland Golden Grizzlies +3 vs Valparaiso @ 7 ET - The Golden Grizzlies are off of an embarrassing home loss to Youngstown State and the bucket that decided the game was debatable. That said, Oakland is very fired up about this big home game on ESPN2 Friday night as they host Valparaiso in the marquee event of the night. This is the big game in Friday's college hoops even though it comes from the Horizon League. These teams are expected to challenge for the league title this season and the Golden Grizzlies loss to the Penguins had a lot to do with getting caught looking ahead to this big game. If this game was at Valparaiso I'd have some concerns about backing Oakland here but the fact they have this game at home, have been the better shooting team (in comparison with the Crusaders) so far this season, and are coming off of a loss to Valparaiso the last time they faced them has be backing the Golden Grizzlies strong on Friday night. Oakland has won 16 of their last 20 home games overall. Also, the Golden Grizzlies have won 5 of their last 6 home games against the Crusaders. Oakland is on a perfect 5-0 ATS run against Valparaiso and I look for another cover tonight as the home court edge leads to another strong shooting night for Oakland while Valpo struggles to knock down shots on the road. 

Rickenbach NCAAB *10* Top Play Cincinnati Bearcats +7 @ SMU @ 7 ET - I had my eyes on this match-up for awhile and am very happy to see it arrive with SMU still having an undefeated record on the season. That sets this one up perfectly because it results in the Mustangs being overvalued. SMU should not be a favorite in this range. This is especially true with all the problems going on with the program and coach Larry Brown and now guard Keith Frazier (their fourth leading scorer) has left the team. The Bearcats are very strong defensively and, despite their 11-4 record on the season paling in comparison with Southern Methodist's perfect 13-0 record, this truly looks like the game where the Mustangs have met their match. Cincinnati matches up with SMU perfectly as they play very strong defense and they are also solid on the boards. A strong rebounding, defensive-minded, sizable underdog is the perfect match-up to give the Mustangs problems. In fact, this is why it's no surprise that Cincy has won 3 of the 4 meetings between these teams since American Athletic Conference was formed and that included the Bearcats winning at SMU last season. The tough Cincinnati defense has held the Mustangs to 57 points or less in 3 of the 4 meetings. SMU is only 1-3 ATS in their home games this season and they are overpriced again here in my opinion. The Bearcats have won an incredible 16 of their last 18 January games.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Toronto Raptors -6.5 @ Brooklyn @ 7:35 ET - Toronto is off of back to back losses but they simply ran into teams that would not miss! The shots were just falling from all over the floor for each of the Raptors' last two opponents and that included three pointers dropping in at an insane rate. Toronto hasn't lost three straight games since mid-November and I look for them to bounce back after a tight home loss to Chicago and then a 'strange' loss at Cleveland that saw the Cavaliers seemingly making 'everything' from the floor. The Raptors are 3-1 SU and 3-1 ATS in their divisional games this season. Also, Toronto has a straight-up record of 78-28 when facing teams with a losing record the past three seasons. Of course the 6.5 points must be covered here but the point is that Toronto normally takes care of business against weaker opposition as evidenced by this record. Brooklyn comes into this game with losses in 9 of their last 12 games. 5 of the Nets last 6 losses have been by at least 7 points. Brooklyn has lost 7 straight games at home so the home court 'edge' here certainly isn't much! That's why I like Toronto to win this road game by big margin. The Raptors have lost their last two meetings with the Nets and that ensures the proper focus here for the hungry road team!

Rickenbach NBA *8* Washington Wizards +7 vs Cleveland @ 7:05 ET - Cleveland is off of a big win over Toronto on Monday but the Cavs simply shot ridiculously well. The Cavaliers made over 50% of their three pointers and, overall shot 55.4% from the field. To put this in perspective in terms of how unlikely it was, Cleveland had been held to 41.5% or less from the field in four of their six prior games and this included three performances where the Cavaliers shot under 39% from the field. They will have trouble covering this big line on the road as the Wizards are a 'tough out' on their home floor and Washington comes into this one fired up. The Wizards are off of an embarrassing loss to Miami where Washington only managed 75 points on their home floor! With the Wizards off such a poor shooting night but at home again tonight and the Cavaliers off of such a great shooting night but now on the road again as they begin a six game road trip, there is tremendous line value with the hungry home dog in this one. Washington is 4-1 ATS against Central Division opponents this season and 4-2 ATS this season when playing with two or more days of rest. The Cavaliers are 3-11 ATS in their games against teams with a losing record this season and, just because Cleveland has been winning does not mean the ATS covers will continue. In fact, it means that the Cavs could be in a prime spot for an upset loss as they are 4-8 ATS when they enter a game on a winning streak of three games or more.

Rickenbach NCAAB *10* Top Play Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets +8 @ Pittsburgh @ 7 ET - Georgia Tech gave the Tar Heels all they could handle Saturday and that game was at North Carolina. The Yellow Jackets record on the season may not be as impressive as that of the Panthers but Georgia Tech has played the much tougher early season schedule in comparison with Pittsburgh. Also, the Jackets have led or at least been tied in the 2nd half of all their losses this season. In other words, Georgia Tech has been playing extremely competitive basketball and their record could certainly be much better than the current 10-4 mark they have on the season. What I love about this match-up is the fact that we're getting 8 points with such an ultra competitive team and the Panthers defense is not what it once was. I know the early season stats for Pitt are quite impressive but take a look at the schedule they faced and that easier schedule is certainly a factor in the numbers on defense. Georgia Tech has lost to Pitt each of the last two years but each loss came by 7 points or less and, after the way the Yellow Jackets competed with a top ten UNC team Saturday, I look for an ultra-competitive effort again from the road team in this one! Georgia Tech went 7-2 ATS in Wednesday games the past two seasons and they are well-rested here. The Panthers continue to be over-valued at home and are on a 11-26 ATS run in home games. Pittsburgh is also an ugly 5-15 ATS when they are off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. 

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks +8 @ Chicago @ 8:05 ET - The Bucks are in a back to back spot here but Milwaukee has gone 7-1 ATS in the second night of back to back games this season! Sure the Bucks got humiliated on their home floor last night but that was against one of the best teams in the league. The Bulls certainly not in the same high-ranking category that the Spurs are. Additionally, Chicago is hurting right now. Derrick Rose is doubtful for tonight's game as he deals with a hamstring injury. Also, the Bulls Joakim Noah has been dealing with a shoulder injury. The upstart Bucks had won two straight plus covered 4 of their last 6 before the ugly home loss against San Antonio last night. After that embarrassing loss, and knowing the success that the Bucks have had in back to back situations this season, Milwaukee is likely to respond in a huge way tonight at Chicago. The Bulls are off of an upset win at Toronto Sunday and Chicago is 0-4 ATS this season (and 10-22 ATS the last three seasons combined) when they are off of an upset win as an underdog! Also, the Bulls are 0-6 ATS in divisional games this season. As home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points this season, Chicago has gone 1-6 ATS. The Bucks are 3-1 ATS as a road dog of 6.5 to 9 points this season. As you can see, some real nice trending support for this game but particularly I like the two "go-against" angles relating to the Bulls (0-4 and 0-6) leading to a 10-0 perfect combined angle in support of the Bucks here!

Rickenbach NCAAB *10* Top Play Auburn Tigers +6 vs South Carolina @ 7 ET - The Tigers are known for giving the Gamecocks a lot of trouble and I expect that to be the case again in this early conference season match-up. The 7-5 Tigers would love nothing more than to knock off the undefeated 13-0 Gamecocks. South Carolina has benefited from playing a weaker schedule in comparison with Auburn early this season. The Tigers have won 3 of the last 4 match-ups  with the Gamecocks and that includes the most recent one last January. However, even though Auburn won the most recent meeting there is no shortage of motivation here. The Tigers not only want to put an end to South Carolina's unbeaten start to the season, Auburn also still hasn't forgotten their ugly loss to the Gamecocks in the SEC tourney in March of 2014. South Carolina won that game because of ridiculous success from the three point line (11 of 15). The Gamecocks have been an ATS money making machine early this season but their softer schedule hurts them here as they get into tougher games against SEC competition. The fade begins here in my opinion. South Carolina has covered just 17 of their last 42 games against conference foes. Auburn is 5-1 SU and ATS in home games this season and they get the job done again Tuesday night and drop the Gamecocks to 3-9 ATS in their last 12 Tuesday games.

Rickenbach NCAAB *10* Top Play Detroit Titans -7.5 vs Cleveland State @ 7:30 ET - This is a big revenge spot for Detroit. The Titans lost to the Vikings in the Horizon League tournament last spring and now it's payback time. The key in this match-up is that the Cleveland State offense is not going to be able to keep up with the Titans. Detroit is averaging 85 points per game this season while the Vikings are averaging just 61.4 points per game. The Titans have struggled on the road this season but they have won all 7 of their home games. As for any concern about laying big points here the fact that the Titans have been putting up big points and Cleveland State (who suffered big personnel losses in the off-season) simply does not have big offensive production is the key to why there should be no concern about the -7.5 line here. Versus teams averaging 77 points or more this season the Vikings have gone 1-4 ATS. The Titans are 4-1 ATS in home games this season and they are 10-5 ATS when they are off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. Detroit gets their revenge tonight.

Rickenbach NBA *8* Toronto Raptors +8 @ Cleveland @ 7:05 ET - The Raptors are fired up after blowing their game at home against Chicago yesterday. Toronto lost by a bucket at home to the Bulls and it was a game that the Raptors held the lead much of the way and then they let it get away late. Toronto will bring an extra 'edginess' to tonight's game as a result of what happened yesterday north of the border. The Raptors already defeated the Cavaliers at home in late November and Toronto stands a good chance at getting another ATS cover in this one. The road team had covered each of the four prior meetings between these teams. The Raptors are 9-3 ATS as an underdog this season. Also, the past three seasons combined, Toronto has gone 9-3 ATS when they are a road dog in a range of 6.5 to 9 points. The Raptors, even with the loss yesterday, are 10-5 ATS this season against teams with a winning record. The Cavaliers are 2-7 ATS against Atlantic Division opponents this season and could get caught peaking ahead to their big 6 game road trip that is on deck immediately after this game. The Cavs are 2-4 ATS as a home favorite in a range of 6.5 to 9 points this season. Also, Cleveland is 3-8 ATS this season when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more. Generous points being offered here considering the hunger of the Raptors entering this game. Grab the points!

Rickenbach NFL *8* Green Bay Packers -3 vs Minnesota @ 8:30 ET - The Eagles play a big part in this play! Why? Read on please. The Vikings are off of a huge blowout win over the Giants last Sunday night. New York simply laid a FAT EGG after they watched the Eagles also lay a FAT EGG the night before. That's right, Saturday night's Eagles loss to the Redskins was so monumental and unexpected (and it ended the Giants post-season hopes) that it not only cost Eagles coach Chip Kelly his job, it also led to one of the most uninspired efforts you'll ever see from a football team when the Giants got shellacked by the Vikings last week. Minnesota also had the benefit of facing New York without the suspended Odell Beckham, Jr. The point of all this is that the Vikings 49-17 smashing of the Giants has helped to keep this number at a -3. The Packers played an awful game at Arizona last week and lost 38-8 but you know they will now respond at home with the division title on the line! In Green Bay's last two home games they have averaged over 203 rushing yards per game. The Packers ground game will quickly open things back up for QB Rodgers to get back on track through the air. The Vikings barely outgained the Bears in their deceiving 38 to 17 win that preceded facing the lifeless Giants. Let's not forget that, prior to that, the Vikes had lost 3 of their last 4 with the only win coming against a Falcons team that was in the midst of a 9-game winning streak. I'll take Packers QB Rodgers over the Vikings QB Bridgewater in a big game any day of the week. Grab the line value with the small home fave here. Play Green Bay -3 as an *8* selection Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play Oakland Raiders +7.5 @ Kansas City @ 4:25 ET - If you played defense alongside the Raiders Woodson and you knew this was the last game of his illustrious 18 year career would you want to let him down? Of course not! The Raiders have been playing solid defense for many weeks now. They got the OT win over San Diego last week and held the Chargers to 20 points. Prior to that win the Raiders had given up 310 yards or less in each of their 4 prior games. Oakland is playing hard for Woodson and that will continue Sunday at Kansas City as the Raiders also aim to get 8-8 and avoid a losing record on the season. While technically the Chiefs have something to play for here, Kansas City also knows the likelihood of San Diego going into to Denver and knocking off the Broncos is slim. That said, the focus here for the Chiefs may not be as pinpoint as one would think. I look for a bit of a lackluster effort from Kansas City here while Oakland certainly goes all out in this one. We also got some line value here because the Chiefs beat the Raiders by a 34-20 score last month in Oakland. The Raiders led that game 20-14 in the 4th quarter before they had the ultimate of meltdowns. That won't be repeated here and an outright win for an emotional Raiders team would not surprise. Certainly though the best value is with grabbing the generous points. Play Oakland +7.5 as a *10* Top Play selection Sunday.

Rickenbach NCAAB *10* Top Play UTSA Roadrunners +6 vs Rice @ 4 ET - The Roadrunners got a wake up call a few weeks ago when they were thoroughly and utterly embarrassed in a loss to Texas. Even though UTSA's record has not improved much since then, you can see a difference in the way this team is playing. That type of effort will pay off in a game like this. UTSA has gone just 1-4 since the embarrassing loss to the Longhorns but the Roadrunners have lost by 6 in just one of those four defeats. In their most recent loss Friday, a four point loss to the Mean Green, the Roadrunners led by 15 points at the half. They know they let one get away there and they also know they are fully capable of knocking off this 5-9 Rice team. The 2-12 'Runners lost both games to the Owls last season but UTSA had won the two prior meetings and the only loss on the Roadrunners home floor against Rice came by a margin of just two points. The Owls are just 2-5 ATS as a favorite the last three seasons. Also, Rice comes into this game on a losing streak of three games and the Owls have gone 5-10 ATS the last three seasons combined when they enter a game on a losing streak of three games or more. Coming into this season Rice was counting heavily on guard Marcus Jackson. His absence (knee) has really hurt this Owls team and I look for the Roadrunners to take advantage as a hungry home dog in this spot! Play UTSA +6 as a *10* Top Play Sunday.

Rickenbach BOWL *10* Top Play TCU Horned Frogs +7 vs Oregon @ 6:45 ET - Of course everyone by now has heard of the suspension of TCU starting QB Trevone Boykin due to his late night drunken antics here in San Antonio just a few nights before the bowl game. While this has resulted in an incredible line move in favor of Oregon, it has in turn opened up fantastic line value on the Horned Frogs. I look for Texas Christian University to rally around the fact that Boykin and WR Josh Doctson (injury) are out for this game. What the market is failing to adjust for properly here is the fact that the Frogs do have a senior QB back-up ready to go for this game. When Boykin was out for the game against the Sooners earlier this season, senior QB Bram Kohlhausen did not get the start because his father had just passed away. However, Kohlhausen did end up playing in relief in that game and very nearly rallied the Horned Frogs back for the comeback win over Oklahoma. Look for the Horned Frogs to rally around Kohlhausen in this game and everyone Horned Frog player is likely to step up their game and their intensity level as they respond to the Boykin suspension. The Horned Frogs have the much better defense in this match-up. TCU allowed 21 points or less in 7 of their 12 games this season. Conversely, the over-rated Ducks allowed at least 28 points in 10 of their 12 games this season. Oregon's D is allowing nearly 100 yards more and 10 points more than the Horned Frogs. That plus the site location favoring TCU and the ability to get a full TD now with a dangerous underdog has me siding with the Horned Frogs in a BIG way on Saturday. Don't be surprised if this turns into a huge upset win for TCU but I am certainly grabbing the generous points. 

Rickenbach NHL *6* Philadelphia Flyers Puck Line +1.5 -145 @ Los Angeles @ 4:05 ET - Fantastic line value to only have to lay a reasonable juice price range to get the Flyers are +1.5 goals here on the puck line. Philadelphia is off back to back 4 to 2 road losses to open up this 3 game road trip. The Flyers were tied at 2 with Anaheim in the third period of the first loss and then were actually up 2-1 at San Jose in the third period of the second loss. In other words, the final scores were a bit deceiving to say the least and I feel that has helped lead to the solid line value here. When the Flyers hosted the Kings earlier this season they very nearly upset them as the Kings scored very late to send it to overtime in the eventual road win for LA. The Flyers are very hungry here for revenge and for a finish to this road trip that would see them pick up a pair of points. However, it's hard to trust the Flyers to get the outright win on the road here against a Kings team that has been playing well. I do however expect a huge effort from Philadelphia here to result in no worse than a loss by a margin of just one goal. The Kings are playing their first home game after a long road trip and those are often the toughest of games. The Flyers have won each of their last two visits to LA and, again, the loss at home for Philly against the Kings was a tough, tight late loss. The Flyers can absolutely pull the upset here but if they don't it is very likely to be a loss in overtime or the shootout which is a win for us here with the puck line play! The Kings are just 8-18 their last 26 games in January. The Flyers are 10-6 against teams with winning record this season and Philly is 6-3 in road games with a posted total of 5 goals so far this season.

Rickenbach NCAAB Game #541 - *10* Top Play Butler Bulldogs +4.5 @ Xavier @ 1 ET - Both teams are off of losses on New Years Eve but the games certainly played out differently. Xavier got absolutely blasted at Villanova while the Bulldogs actually had a great first half against Providence but just fell short in the second half with a subpar performance. The Musketeers glaringly bad performance against the Wildcats exposed some key concerns and, being that the loss was Xavier's first of the season, don't be surprised if they show a little "unbeaten letdown" in Saturday's game. Conversely, the Bulldogs come into this game with plenty of motivation and fight as they were eliminated from the Big East tourney by Xavier last March. That was the 4th time in the last 5 meetings between these teams that Butler has fallen short and you can bet that they aim to do something about it today. The Bulldogs went 10-5 ATS the past two seasons when playing with one day or less of rest. Butler is also 5-2 ATS in games with a posted total in the 150s. The Musketeers are 4-9 ATS when playing with one day or less of rest. Xavier also is an awful 2-9 ATS when they are off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. 

Rickenbach BOWL *10* Top Play Stanford Cardinal -6 vs Iowa @ 5 ET - Iowa narrowly missed an undefeated season but they were so fortunate overall. The Hawkeyes regular season schedule was kind as they avoided the Buckeyes, Spartans, and Wolverines. This helped Iowa to enjoy a big season until they ran into Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship and the Spartans put an end to their unbeaten season. Not only did this end the Hawkeyes chances at gunning for the National Championship, it also exposed their weaknesses as Iowa was outgained by nearly 100 yards by the Spartans. Yes, that's the same Spartans team that lost 38-0 to Alabama yesterday. In other words, Iowa may have trouble remaining competitive in this game against the Cardinal. Stanford comes into this game with an 11-2 mark on the season and, unlike Iowa, the Cardinal are coming into this game off of a win. Stanford knocked off Notre Dame this season and USC (twice) including in the Pac 12 Title game which Stanford took over the Trojans in dominating fashion with a 41-22 win. The Hawkeyes just don't have the offense to keep up here. Stanford, after a disappointing 16-6 loss to open up their season, averaged 40 points per game the rest of the season and the Cardinal scored at least 30 points in every single game! By comparison, Iowa was held to 31 points or less in 8 of their 13 games and only once did they score more than 40. Keep in mind Stanford AVERAGED 40. The powerful Cardinal have edges across the board on offense and they also have the special teams edge and played the tougher schedule in comparison with Iowa. Combining all these factors with the Hawkeyes suffering "unbeaten letdown" with the loss to the Spartans in the Big Ten Championship and you have the perfect spot for a blowout rout for Stanford who get the added benefit of playing this game in their home state.

Rickenbach BOWL *8* Ohio State Buckeyes -6 vs Notre Dame @ 1 ET - Ohio State certainly was disappointed that they were unable to make it to the playoffs. Notre Dame has only two losses on the year and those each came by a margin of just two points. That said, how can the Buckeyes by favored by nearly a TD here? Think about that for a minute...exactly! The reason is because Ohio State should roll here. Don't fall for the trap with this line. Ohio State already proved they would bounce back off of a disappointing situation when they blasted Michigan by 29 points after suffering the heart-breaking 3 point loss to Michigan State the prior week. The Buckeyes now will be out to prove that they did belong in the playoffs and so they will show no mercy against an over-matched Notre Dame team here. Keep in mind, all the Buckeyes wins this season came by at least 7 points. Even though the Fighting Irish have played well this season they did allow at least 24 points in 7 of their last 11 games. To put that in to perspective in terms of comparison with the Buckeyes, note that Ohio State allowed 17 points or less in 9 of their last 11 games. Of course a 24-17 Buckeyes final score gets the job done here but I am expecting an even bigger margin than that. Ohio State not only has the superior defense in this match-up, the Buckeyes also have averaged 40 points per bowl game under coach Urban Meyer. Combining his 3 bowls with Ohio State with his prior history, coach Meyer is 9-2 SU and ATS in bowl games. He also has 3 national titles! The Irish offense won't be able to do enough damage against this powerful Buckeyes defense to keep in this game. That turns this into an Ohio State rout!

Rickenbach BOWL *10* Top Play Alabama Crimson Tide -10 vs Michigan State @ 8 ET - This is a traditional "trap line" game and that's why I am unloading on the Crimson Tide here. It is a match-up of 12-1 teams and therefore many feel that Alabama certainly should not be a double digit fave against such a strong Big Ten foe. This is especially true since this SEC powerhouse lost last year to Ohio State in the Bowls as an 8 point favorite! However, the reasons above are precisely the reason you want to back Alabama here. The line is fooling the general public. The Crimson Tide are seeking to atone for last year's Sugar Bowl loss to he Buckeyes that kept Alabama out of the national championship game. Let's also not forget that Michigan State beat Oregon even though they were outgained by over 100 yards. Also, the Spartans beat Ohio State and Michigan on last second plays as Michigan State never held the lead in either one of those games and yet one each on the final play. They also beat Iowa on a TD with less than 30 seconds left in the game. They have led a 'charmed life' to say the least so far this season and I expect Alabama to dominate here. The Crimson Tide have seen 11 of their 12 victories this season come by a margin of at least 13 points. Alabama has allowed an average of just 12 points per game in their 12 wins. As solid as Michigan State's defense is, the Spartans allowed at least 21 points in 8 of their first 9 games this season. Look for the powerful Crimson Tide to impose their will here. Look for Alabama head coach Nick Saban to make the most of his first ever match-up with his old school as he was the head coach at MSU for 5 years in the last 90's. Lay the points as Alabama does what it's been doing all season long. Dominate on defense and win the game by a double digit margin!

Rickenbach BOWL *10* Top Play Clemson Tigers +4 vs Oklahoma @ 4 ET - Certainly I have a lot of respect for Oklahoma but the Sooners have overachieved this season. OU was fortunate that their match-ups with Baylor, TCU, and Oklahoma State featured major issues for their opponents at the QB position. Certainly QB injuries in the Big 12 (but Sooners QB Baker Mayfield staying healthy) helped Oklahoma reach the top spot. As I stated above, I certainly do respect the Sooners but the point of all this above is that I do question them being a 4 point favorite over an undefeated Clemson team. The Tigers are 13-0 on the season but certainly are getting no respect here as they opened up as a 3 point dog and now this line is up to a solid 4 points on this game. Clemson QB Deshaun Watson gives the Tigers a dual threat option and is the better talent at the QB position (especially from a dual threat perspective) although Mayfield has thrived this season in the "Air Raid offense" installed by offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley. The Sooners are running into a very tough pass defense here and the Tigers defense, overall, allowed just 17 points per game before they let up some late in the season. That let-up was inevitable after they knocked off Florida State and then were a huge favorite in the rest of their regular season games until they ran into North Carolina in the ACC title game. Even though the Tigers only beat the Tar Heels by 8 they did outgain them by 226 yards in the game. To summarize, the potent Tigers just aren't being given the respect they deserve here and Clemson is highly motivated by virtue of being ranked #1 and yet being installed as an underdog here. They will play extremely hard with a chip on their shoulder throughout the game as the Tigers look to scratch and claw their way to the national championship game. 

Rickenbach NCAAB *10* Top Play Providence Friars +8 @ Butler @ 2:30 PM ET - Of course with the tremendous reputation of Hinkle Fieldhouse it is not surprising to see significant line value is being offered here. Providence is led by the amazing talents of 'all-everything' point guard Kris Dunn. I look for him to lead the way again against Butler as the Friars are fully capable of challenging the Bulldogs all the way in this one. Providence has won 3 of the 4 meetings between these teams in recent seasons and the lone loss came by just four points. That Friars loss occurred in March and was in Providence. So a little home loss revenge is certainly on order for this one. In comparing the early season schedules of these two teams, the Friars have played the tougher schedule. With that said, there is big line value here with Providence as a sizable underdog. The Friars went 3-1 ATS the past two seasons as a road dog of 6.5 to 9 points and I look for them to get the job done again here as they have will have the best player on the floor in this game and, as a point guard, Dunn is helping to make all the teammates around him exponentially better as well. Look for Providence to possibly steal the outright upset here but certainly they should stay well within this inflated number.

Rickenbach BOWL *8* Houston Cougars +7 vs Florida State @ Noon ET - The Seminoles will be the popular choice here as an ACC team while the Cougars come in from the less highly regarded AAC. The fact is that this venue and the situation both strongly favor Houston. Florida State can't be too excited about this match-up after last year playing in the Rose Bowl in a Playoff Semi-Final. After an ugly loss to the Ducks in that game, the Noles were hoping for a big push this season and giving themselves another shot at a national championship. With that scenario not working out for the 10-2 Seminoles, look for them to struggle to match the intensity and motivation edges that 12-1 Houston brings into this game. The Cougars have the big advantages in those categories as well as at the QB position. On the fast track in a dome setting, look for QB Greg Ward to have an absolutely monster game here. Houston averaged 40.6 points per game this season and they roll into this match-up with plenty of momentum after getting a big win in the AAC Championship Game. Florida State comes into this game with disappointment as they lost 2 of their last 5 ACC games and the Noles certainly had higher hopes than facing the Houston Cougars to end the season. Motivation goes a long way in a game like this and the Cougars have the potent offense to give the Seminoles all sorts of trouble in this one. 

Rickenbach NCAAB *8* Xavier Musketeers +4.5 @ Villanova @ Noon ET - Xavier is a perfect 12-0 on the season and it certainly is no fluke. The Musketeers have played just as tough of an early season schedule as the Wildcats have. Villanova is getting some early money in this match-up but they've already faltered twice in big games. The Cats lost badly to Oklahoma on a neutral floor. Also, Nova lost at Virginia on the 19th of this month. The Wildcats are now facing another tough test here and, just because it is on their home floor, it is certainly far from being an automatic win. Xavier has simply been fantastic early this season and is getting very balanced contributions across the board with its' talented roster. Xavier has lost five straight match-ups with Villanova and that includes getting knocked out of the Big East tournament by the Wildcats in March. As a result, this is certainly a huge revenge spot for the Musketeers and their early season play shows me they will be up to the challenge here. The Wildcats will be in a dogfight just to try and win this game, let alone to cover by any sort of margin. Grab the generous points with Xavier.

Rickenbach BOWL *10* Top Play Wisconsin Badgers +3.5 vs USC @ 10:30 ET - The Trojans certainly have the eye-catching talent on the offensive side of the ball. However, defense wins football games and the Badgers had one of the best defensive units in the nation this season. I look for the Badgers to be up to the challenge of shutting down USC's offense. At the same time, USC has already begun cleaning house on the defensive side of the ball but getting rid of five defensive assistants right before a bowl game is unlikely to pay immediate dividends. Look for the Trojans defense to continue to show that it is in a state of flux and that will allow a mediocre Badgers offense to get plenty of points to support a prolific Wisconsin defense that should dominate once again. Keep in mind that USC seemed to struggled every time it was asked to step up against tougher competition this season. The Trojans lost to Stanford (twice!), Oregon, Notre Dame, and also to a mediocre Washington team. Other than the loss to the Huskies, the other four losses came by an average margin of 15 points per game. Conversely, the Badgers went 9-2 after the season-opening loss to Alabama and the two losses came by an average of just five points. Wiscy doesn't get blown out, the Trojans do, and that has me grabbing the available points here with a motivated underdog that is seeking it's 5th win in it's last 7 non-New Year's Day bowls. The Badgers will be ready here. Play Wisconsin +3.5 as a *10* Top Play Wednesday.

Rickenbach BOWL *8* NC State Wolfpack +7 vs Mississippi State @ 3:30 ET - The Bulldogs did not impress in the way the finished up the season and I like the motivated Wolfpack in this spot. Mississippi State lost two of their three final games and allowed an average of 40 points per game in those final three games. NC State also comes into this game having lost two of their last three games but they didn't come into the season with the same big aspirations that Mississippi State had. With that said, the Wolfpack are fired up about this opportunity to take on an SEC foe in the Belk Bowl in their home state. Look for NC State to make the most of it. The Wolfpack saw what happened to Bulldogs QB Dak Prescott when he faced a lot of pressure against Ole Miss in Mississippi State's season finale. That said, you can bet that NC State will have plenty of pressure dialed up for this match-up with Prescott and Company. The Bulldogs defense also took a blow late in the season as they lost two starters from their secondary including lockdown corner Will Redmond. Look for Wolfpack QB Jacoby Brissett (19 TDs against just 4 INTs) to take advantage. Even though NC State lost RB Matthew Dayes to a season ending injury in game 8 of the season, the Wolfpack still have a talented group of running backs fully capable of filling in. The powerful NC State running game will open things up for Brissett to take advantage with throws downfield and I look for the motivated Wolfpack to steal the upset here. If they do fall short it should be by a field goal or less. Play NC State +7 as an *8* selection Wednesday.