Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Philadelphia 76'ers +17 @ San Antonio @ 8:35 ET - The Spurs are 6-2 ATS and SU so far this season while the 76'ers are winless on the season. That said, I certainly understand where this line is coming from. But it is simply out of hand. The Spurs are laying 17 points here and they may not even have Kawhi Leonard available. Additionally, this is simply not the type of game in which Gregg Popovich and company are likely to go all out. San Antonio tries to protect their veteran cast of stars with adequate rest and, off of a game against Portland, and with the Trail Blazers again on deck for SA, I just can't see them being too excited about facing the Spurs here. The fact that San Antonio just got back from a West Coast road trip adds even more value for the underdog Sixers here. The 76'ers are on a 9-4 ATS run as a road dog of 15.5 to 18 points. Also, Philly is off a poor shooting night at Oklahoma City last night where they scored just 85 points. The Sixers are 17-11 ATS when off of a game where they were held to 85 points or less. The Spurs are an ugly 43-58 ATS in home games with a posted total between 195 and 199.5 points. Philly will play the Spurs surprisingly tough just like they did in their most recent meeting on December 1st when the Sixers lost by just a half dozen points. 

Rickenbach NCAAF *8* Temple Owls -2.5 @ South Florida @ 7 ET - The Owls are a very small road favorite here. Certainly Temple is off of a miracle cover last week at SMU but that's really not a reason to fade them in this spot. The Owls were expected to be flat last week when they faced the Mustangs as Temple was off of their huge game against Notre Dame. However, the Owls still managed to get the job done last week and now they are even a better spot to get another road win. The Owls are now 3 weeks away from the big game with Notre Dame. Also, Temple is catching South Florida off of a big upset win. The Bulls knocked off East Carolina last week even though they were a road underdog. Now look for USF to be a little flat after that big win. The Bulls are 2-7 ATS in home games with a posted total between 42.5 and 49 points. Temple is 12-5 ATS on the road the last three seasons combined including 4-1 ATS this season. The Owls stifling defense, after relaxing a bit against SMU (because of being off of the ND game), will be back in top form today and will be the difference maker here as they are far superior to the defensive unit of South Florida.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Buffalo Bills +2.5 @ New York Jets @ 8:25 ET - Bills head coach Rex Ryan goes against his former team. Also, the Bills defense goes against their former teammate, Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. Additionally, this game is big in terms of the wild card picture in the AFC as we're now past the halfway point of the season. I like the fact that the Bills are much healthier now and they certainly pack an explosive punch on offense when healthy. Buffalo has one of the top rushing offenses in the league and, with QB Tyrod Taylor growing in experience as the season has gone on, the dynamic rushing attack is opening things up for him to take some shots downfield. The Bills have scored at least 27 points in 5 of their 8 games this season. Buffalo has averaged 28 points per game in their last 3 games. The Jets have also put up some decent point totals in recent weeks but their offense truly does not have the same explosiveness that this Bills offensive unit has when healthy. That said, Buffalo is healthier than they've been in a long time. The Bills are on a 10-5 ATS run in divisional games. Buffalo also is 3-1 ATS as an underdog this season and all 3 wins have been outright victories. As a home favorite of 3 points or less the Jets are on a long-term 16-24 ATS run. The Jets are 2-6 ATS in November games the last three seasons combined. In games with a line in a range between a 3 point dog and a 3 point fave...the Jets have gone 6-10 ATS the last 3 seasons combined. Don't fall for the trap here with the ability to take a small home fave...the small road dog is the way to go. Play Buffalo +2.5 as an *8* selection Thursday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *8* South Alabama Jaguars -2.5 vs UL-Lafayette @ 7:30 ET Thursday - This is a big revenge game for the Jaguars. Last season these teams met at UL-Lafayette in November and the Jags were embarrassed as they were held to just 9 points in an ugly game for the South Alabama offense. Now it's payback time and what better place to do that than a weeknight game with the ESPN cameras rolling. The Jaguars are fired up and ready here and they come into this game off of a home win that got their confidence going again on offense as they rolled up over 270 yards on the ground again for the 2nd straight game. The Jags will take advantage of a UL-Lafayette team that has struggled to move the ball well quite frequently this season. The Ragin Cajuns have been held to 331 yards or less in 4 of their last 6 games. South Alabama has faced the tougher schedule so far this season as well. This is another key factor that I feel is being overlooked in this match-up. All in all, though UL-Lafayette has the better conference record so far this season and did open up as the favorite in this match-up when the lines first came out, this game did get steamed for all the right reasons and the short fave at home is the play in this one. Note that the Jaguars straight-up record in games where they are favored is 14-6. The long-term straight-up record for UL-Lafayette in games where they are a dog is 28-87. Look for the Jags to tie up the Ragin Cajuns in the Sun Belt Conference standings by getting the home win tonight. Play South Alabama -2.5 as an *8* selection Thursday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *8* Bowling Green Falcons -3 @ Western Michigan @ 8 ET Wednesday - The West is known for domination against the East in recent seasons in the MAC. That said, do you think the odds makers have made a mistake here by making the Falcons (from the East) a 3 point favorite over the Broncos (from the West)? You may especially think so because Western Michigan has defeated Bowling Green four straight times and all four victories have come by a margin of double digits. As I have stated many times in the past and will make the statement again right now...the odds makers don't make many mistakes. Do not fall for the "trap" here. The Falcons are favored with good reason despite the series dominance of the Broncos and the overall West dominance in the MAC. Bowling Green is so hungry and so confident and simply a much different team from last season. The locker room chemistry of this team is just different. You can feel it. The Falcons also are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 as an away favorite while Western Michigan is on a 4-8-1 ATS run as a home dog. Both teams have fantastic offenses but, in the end, the hunger and motivation of the Falcons (as well as the continued stellar play of QB Johnson) will be the difference maker in this one. Play Bowling Green minus the points as an *8* selection Wednesday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *8* Ohio University Bobcats -6.5 vs Kent State @ 8 ET Tuesday - Very nice spot for Ohio University and the fact this line dropped down below a -7 adds even more value. The Bobcats come into this game with plenty of motivation as they are off of three straight losses and they need a win for bowl eligibility and to get their season back on track. Even though the Bobcats have averaged scoring just 18.3 points per game in their last three games, their offensive production has been better than what the points on the scoreboard would lead you to believe. Ohio University has gained at least 354 yards in each of their last four games. They eclipsed the 400 yard mark in 3 of those games with one of the totals (in their most recent loss) eclipsing the 500 yard mark! The fact is that the Bobcats can move the ball and they have a solid offense. The same can not be said for the Golden Flashes. Kent State is averaging less than 300 yards per game this season and their anemic offense will simply be unable to keep up with the Bobcats in this tough road game for the Golden Flashes. Kent State is averaging less than 14 points per game in their last 7 games! Play Ohio University -6.5 as an *8* selection Tuesday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* San Diego Chargers -4 vs Chicago @ 8:30 ET - San Diego was 2-2 earlier this season and heading into a Monday Night Football match-up with the Pittsburgh Steelers sans Ben Roethlisberger. The Chargers failed to take advantage in that situation as they blew the late lead and lost the game outright to the Steelers with a back-up QB. That loss on MNF is helping to ensure that San Diego does not make the same mistake again here. This is a home game. It's MNF. It is again forcing a team to come out west. It is a nice situation for San Diego and I expect them to take full advantage. The Chargers defense has let them down recently but the Bears offense is not exactly among the most potent in the league. That said, I don't think Chicago will be able to keep up with Phillip Rivers and Company in this one. The Chargers offense (particularly through the air) has been among the most dangerous attacks in the league. San Diego has the top ranked passing offense in the league while the Bears overall offensive production ranks them among the league's worst. The Bears are on a 10-19 ATS run as an underdog. Also, Chicago is 3-10 ATS in games where the posted total is 49.5 or higher proving how, as noted above, they struggle to keep up when matched up with a high powered offense. The Chargers are the exact opposite as they are 7-3 ATS the last 3 years and 22-10 ATS long-term in game with a posted total of 49.5 or more. San Diego has gone 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games against NFC foes. Both teams are hungry for a win but the situation and the edges favor the Chargers here. Play San Diego minus the points as an *8* selection Monday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Philadelphia Eagles -3 @ Dallas @ 8:30 ET - Huge revenge game for the Eagles since they were embarrassed on their home field at the hands of the Cowboys early this season. The Eagles offense was a mess back then. But now the Eagles come into this game off of a bye week and their offense has performed much better in recent games. As for the Cowboys, they are still without Tony Romo and they still have not won a single game since, coincidentally, that win over the Eagles early this season. Philadelphia has averaged 434 yards of offense per game in their last 3 games. Dallas has been held to 347 yards or less of offense in 4 of their last 5 games. This includes the Cowboys being held to 264 yards or less of offense in 2 of their last 3 games. This is simply a classic case of two teams heading in opposite directions and the Eagles have the added advantage of coming off of a bye week. Philadelphia is 18-10 ATS and 23-5 straight-up when coming off of a bye week. The line here is only a -3 and I see great value with the low number and the rested Eagles very likely to get this road win. Series note: the road team has won each of the last five meetings between these teams. The Eagles are hungry for revenge here and I look for a huge game from DeMarco Murray who is now much more involved in the offense than he was earlier this season. Play Philadelphia -3 as an *8* selection Sunday. 

Rickenbach NBA *8* Toronto Raptors +2.5 @ Miami @ 6:05 ET - Toronto is ready to bounce back after suffering their first loss of the season. On Friday at Orlando, the Raptors had more shots from the field than the Magic, more rebounds, and less turnovers. So how did they lose? You guessed it! They shot just 35% from the field. Look for Toronto's high flying offense to get right back on track as they had not been held to less than 102 points in a single game this season until they scored just 87 points in the loss to Orlando. The Raptors will take advantage of a Heat team that has lost 2 of their last 3 games and been held to an average of just 92 points per game in their last 3 games. The Miami offense simply won't be able to keep up with Toronto here. The Raptors are 11-5 ATS the last three seasons and 70-44 ATS long-term in road games with a posted total between 190 and 194.5 points. Miami, when facing teams averaging 99+ points per game, has gone 37-54 ATS the last 3 seasons. As I stated above, the Heat simply won't be able to keep up with the Raptors potent offense in this one. Play Toronto plus the points as an *8* selection Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play Atlanta Falcons -7 @ San Francisco @ 4:05 ET - The 49'ers are simply a complete mess right now. They now have inner turmoil going on with the 'benching' of Colin Kaepernick in favor of Blaine Gabbert. Additionally, their run defense is now failing them and their pass defense was already a mess. The 49'ers have lost 6 of their last 7 games and 5 of those 6 losses have come by a margin of at least 14 points. That's why laying the 7 here with Atlanta on the road is really not that nerve-wracking. Consider also that the Falcons head coach, Dan Quinn, was the defensive coordinator at Niners division rival Seahawks. He knows all about shutting down this pedestrian San Francisco offense and, with Gabbert thrown into the fire, it just got that much easier. Adding to the strength of this play is the fact that the Falcons are off of a loss. They lost a tight one to the Buccaneers last week and that means we are certain to see an intense effort from Atlanta in this one. The Falcons won the yardage battle by 200+ yards last week and by over 100 yards the week before as well. Yet both games were tight. That is helping to give line value here because this game should absolutely turn into a road rout. The Falcons have bye on deck so they will go all out for the full sixty minutes in this one and they are on a 7-3 (70%) ATS run in games the week before their bye. Play Atlanta -7 as a *10* Top Play Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Washington Redskins +14 @ New England @ 1 ET - The Patriots, undefeated on the season, have become so popular with bettors that their lines are simply getting 'out of hand' now. The Pats are laying two TDs here against a Redskins team that is off of their bye week and fully capable of playing solid defense here to keep them in this game. Helped by the fact that they also have rested legs for this match-up, the Redskins pass defense does rank them in the top third of the league so far this season. A couple of rough efforts on defense heading into the bye week will have the Redskins fully focused on a bounce back performance here and their offense also should enjoy success in going toe to toe with the Pats. Washington got their aerial attack going before the bye week as the Skins threw for 305 yards against the Bucs and have now thrown for 290 yards or more in 3 of their last 5 games. The Patriots have allowed an average of 276 passing yards per game in their last 3 games. The blowout win that New England had over Miami last week is helping to add line value here. Keep in mind the Pats prior two victories each game by just a touchdown and I look for this one to be at least as tight as those games were. Play Washington +14 as an *8* selection Sunday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *10* Top Play LSU Tigers +7 @ Alabama @ 8 ET - I love the "me against the world" attitude that the Tigers have coming into this game. Even though LSU is the higher ranked and undefeated team coming into this match-up, Alabama is still "the team to beat" if you're one of Louisiana's top recruits and passed up on the chance to play for The Crimson Tide. With that said, for LSU, this game is all about earning that respect and getting the big signature win that has eluded them in recent match-ups with Nick Saban and Company. The fact the Tigers got fullback John David Moore back healthier for this game is a key. He will help open up even bigger holes for the fantastic running of LSU's Leonard Fournette. The Tigers running attack this season has been insanely strong all year and this will allow them to have an edge in time of possession and control the clock a bit against a dangerous Alabama team. LSU, of course, would like to wear down the defensive line of The Crimson Tide as well as keep the dangerous Alabama offense off of the field. I expect that they will do just that. The Tigers do have the more explosive offense of these two teams and the LSU defense ranks very close to the lofty level achieved by the Alabama defense. In a smash-mouth game with such huge implications, I love having a big dog that runs the ball extremely well plus plays solid defense. The Crimson Tide have benefited greatly from turnovers in couple of their games and that is unlikely to be a huge help for Alabama in this game. The Tigers have only turned the ball over TWICE this entire seasons. By comparison, The Crimson Tide have been averaging two turnovers per game! Play LSU plus the points as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *8* Nebraska +6.5 vs Michigan State @ 7 ET - The whole world, of course, seems to be lining up on undefeated Michigan State here. Of course that has driven the line all the way from a 4.5 up to as high as a 6.5 in some spots. The line is likely to start coming back down as some sharp money starts to come back in on the Nebraska side. For the Cornhuskers, this is truly their best shot at making some noise this season. They've had a tough year, they are down in the standings but they can certainly gain some notoriety by knocking off the undefeated Spartans this week. While that may seem far-fetched based on their poor straight-up record, do note just how close Nebraska has been in so many of their games this season. The Huskers SU record is 3-6 but 4 of the 6 losses have come by a field goal or less and a fifth loss came by just 5 points. Their only ugly loss this season came last week against Purdue but turnovers sure had a lot to do with that. With QB Tommy Armstrong expected back this week I expect the turnovers to be greatly reduced and I expect Lincoln Nebraska to be rocking for this huge opportunity Saturday that is allowing them to make some noise in the Big Ten. The Huskers, arguably, have the better offense in this match-up and their defense (last week notwithstanding) is certainly not that far off of the pace set by the Spartans. Michigan State is just 1-6 ATS as a favorite this season and those struggles continue here with an outright upset a distinct possibility as the Spartans come out a little sluggish after their bye week. Play Nebraska plus the points as an *8* selection.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Philadelphia 76'ers +4 vs Orlando @ 7:05 ET - In the Magic game last night a streak ended...and in the Magic game tonight look for a season opening streak to be ended as well. Last night Orlando knocked off Toronto to put an end to the Raptors perfect start to the season. Tonight the Magic now face a Sixers team that is winless so far this season and, the irony is, another streak is likely to end tonight. I am grabbing the points but I am expecting the 76'ers to win outright. Philadelphia is on a perfect 3-0 ATS run but still coming up short on the scoreboard. Each of the Sixers last three games have been decided by 7 points or less. Catching Orlando off of a big upset win, tonight looks like the perfect spot for the Sixers to break through. The Magic are a perfect 6-0 ATS this season but Orlando is just 2-4 SU on the season and this is their 4th game in 5 nights and 2nd back to back during the span. They lost the 2nd game of the first back to back and I look for an even tougher time in this one with Orlando growing weary of the tough scheduling situation. Also, the Magic are 32-48 ATS when playing a team with a losing record. The Sixers are 10-5 ATS in home games with a posted total between 190 and 194.5 points. Play Philadelphia plus the points as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *8* Duke Blue Devils +8 @ North Carolina @ Noon ET - The Tar Heels can always expect a fight from the Blue Devils when they meet as the rivals have plenty of emotion for this big game. However, this year's version of the battle for the Victory Bell is likely to have even higher emotions than usual for Duke. That's because after rallying for what looked like a sure win over Miami last week, the Blue Devils gave up a last second kickoff return for a TD. The deciding touchdown was truly questionable and Duke feels a bit jaded, to say the least, about the loss. Look for the Blue Devils to be playing with a little extra 'edge' in their game Saturday. This rivalry used to be confined to basketball due to the large talent gap between these schools in football. However, in recent years, the Blue Devils have closed that gap substantially and I would not be surprised if they spring the upset here. In comparing the two teams Duke has the better defense. The Blue Devils are on an incredible 12-1 SU (and 11-2 ATS) run in road games. North Carolina is on an ugly 2-6 ATS run in home games with a posted total between 56.5 and 63 points. Play on Duke plus the points as an *8* selection Saturday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *8* Missouri Tigers +8.5 vs Mississippi State @ 9:00 ET - The Tigers are a classic "ugly dog" in this spot. As bad as Missouri's offense has been this season, their defense certainly has been stellar and I look for that strong D to be the key to them staying inside this big number Thursday. The Tigers have had only one loss by more than 8 points this entire season. While the Bulldogs are allowing 375 yards per game this season, the Tigers are allowing nearly 100 yards less per game this season. Mississippi State certainly has the much more potent offense in this match-up but it's projected to be a low-scoring game and that type of grudge match does not bode well for the Bulldogs. They have gone 2-10 ATS in road games with a posted total between 42.5 and 45 points. The Tigers have gone 5-1 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 10 points the last 3 seasons. Missouri also is 8-0 ATS in games in the month of November the past two seasons. The Tigers are also 5-1 ATS when off of a bye week. Play Missouri plus the points as an *8* selection.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Cleveland Browns +11.5 @ Cincinnati @ 8:25 ET - Cincinnati QB Andy Dalton has a knack for having some tough performances under the lights and I look for the Browns to be a "tough out" for the Bengals in this one. Cleveland will have Johnny Manziel at QB for this one. Though he's seen limited action this season, he has been more productive and less turnover prone when he's been engineering the Browns offense. Cleveland does have some issues with injuries in the secondary but they still have some talent back there in including guys who read the QB well and can take advantage of errant throws which, again, Dalton has had a knack for in primetime games. The road team won each game last season and the Browns have revenge on their minds after getting embarrassed 30-0 the last time these teams met, in December in Cleveland. While the Bengals certainly look extremely impressive with their 7-0 SU record and undefeated ATS mark on the season, this is a tough spot for Cincy as it's a short week off of a huge road win over the Steelers. After having to rally in the fourth quarter for that win at Pittsburgh, I just don't expect the Bengals to have the focus or the energy to lay a blowout on the Browns here. Cleveland is hungry off of their poor second half versus Arizona and I look for the Browns to get a little spark with Manziel at the helm for the offense. Play Cleveland plus the big points as an *8* selection Thursday.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Oklahoma City Thunder +1 @ Chicago @ 8:05 ET - I am well aware of the fact that the Thunder are playing the second night of a back to back situation and that this will be their fourth game in five nights. However, I also am well aware of the fact that it is very early in the season and the Thunder have two very hungry All Stars who don't take kindly to losing and whom are capable of dominating in a game like this. Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook helped lead their team to an 8 point lead last night with only about 5 minutes to go in the game. The Thunder ended up blowing that game against Toronto and certainly this has some fire burning for Durant, Westbrook, and Company as they prepare for this match-up with the Bulls. Chicago has had very questionable defense at times this season and they now face an Oklahoma City team that is 68-38 ATS and 77-32 when off of an upset loss as a favorite. Also, the Thunder are 20-13 when playing on back to back days. The Bulls have lost the battle of the boards every game this season. Oklahoma City had won the battle of the boards in all of their games this season until last night. You can guess what will happen tonight as a result of this...yes, that's right...look for the Thunder to dominate the glass. Play Oklahoma City as a *10* Top Play Thursday.

Rickenbach NCAAF *10* Kansas State Wildcats +17.5 vs Baylor @ 7:30 ET - The powerhouse Baylor Bears are in trouble. The loss of quarterback Seth Russell is a huge blow. In steps Jarrett Stidham and as talented as the young man is he certainly can't step in and be a Seth Russell right off of the bat. His experience so far this season has come in blowout games that were already decided and this will be a lot of pressure for him to have on his shoulders tonight. Stidham is a true frosh and he's being asked to go on the road against a well-coached (Bill Snyder) Wildcats team that, like the Bears, is also off of a bye week and Kansas State will be fully prepared for the only game left on their schedule where they can truly make a statement on the national scene. Every one of the rest of the Wildcats games comes against teams with at least 4 losses on the season. Kansas State themselves also has four losses so this game is truly their "national championship" for the season. The Wildcats are 7-1 ATS when off of a bye week and Snyder will have his troops ready. You can bet on that...literally. Play Kansas State plus the points as a *10* Top Play Thursday.

Rickenbach NBA *8* Philadelphia 76'ers +13.5 vs Cleveland @ 7:05 ET Monday - The Cavs are 3-0 ATS to start the season. The Sixers are 0-2 SU and ATS to start the season. These are the type of early season disparities I like to hone in on and, as bad as the Sixers are, this line is simply getting "out of line" here. The Cavaliers are now favored by 13.5 points in this match-up and this game means a lot more to the 76'ers than it does to the Cavs. Cleveland is coming off of a big win over Miami, LeBron's former team. The Sixers are coming off of an embarrassing home loss to Utah. From a situational standpoint it sets up very nicely for the Sixers. Philly, in recent seasons, has certainly shown a tendency to "rise up" for games like this. Philadelphia has gone a stellar 8-2 ATS as a home dog of 12.5 or more points the past 3 seasons. This will be Cleveland's first game in the month of November, a month in which they've gone 9-20 ATS the past two seasons. The Sixers are the more motivated team here after the embarrassment they suffered at the hands of the Jazz in their home opener. I also can't see the Cavaliers being too interested in achieving a blowout margin in this game. This game should stay within a margin of single digits all the way. Play Philadelphia plus the points as an *8* selection Monday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Green Bay Packers -2.5 @ Denver @ 8:30 ET - While both of these teams come into this game undefeated I feel that the Broncos have truly lived a "charmed life" up to this point. Denver's defense definitely deserves a lot of praise for their performance so far this season but the offense is still a little shaky under Kubiak in my opinion. Combination of Kubiak's influence and Manning not getting any younger! This has led to the Broncos really winning by the skin of their teeth on a few occasions already this year. Unlike Denver's performances, Green Bay has mostly steam-rolled teams and the extra time of the bye week will certainly help them to adjust after giving up all that passing yardage to the Chargers when Phillip Rivers 'went off' on them before the bye week. To many it may seem surprising that the Packers are favored on the road when Denver is also undefeated on the season. This is one of those classic cases where it helps to remember that odds makers don't make many mistakes. In other words, the Packers are favored on the road against a 6-0 Broncos team for a reason. The "any given Sunday" adage certainly applies each and every week in the NFL but I do feel playing the Broncos as a home dog here would be the "trap play" side of this. The Packers are the much stronger offense in this match-up and that will prove to be the difference maker here. The Broncos finally have one close call too many and this one results in their first SU loss of the season. Play Green Bay minus the short number as an *8* play Sunday evening.

Rickenbach NBA *8* Chicago Bulls -7.5 vs Orlando @ 7:05 ET - Love grabbing the Bulls here off of a loss. Also, this line has been dropping all morning and that adds even more value for Chicago. While the Bulls are off a tough loss at Detroit they also catch Orlando at the perfect time to take out their frustration on a weaker foe. The Magic had the perfect scheduling opportunity to knock off Oklahoma City and Orlando very nearly did end up knocking off the Thunder but lost in double overtime. The Magic had an 18 point lead going to the 4th quarter of that game and they blew it. That's the type of brutally tough loss that is super tough to bounce back from and Orlando is truly in the wrong place at the wrong time tonight. The Magic are playing their first road game of the season and Orlando went 16-66 straight-up on the road the past two seasons with many of those losses getting ugly and being decided by double digits. That is what is on tap here as they are simply outclassed by a hungry Derrick Rose and company tonight. The Bulls are 133-77 SU and 116-91 when they are off of an upset loss as a favorite. They also are known to take care of business against lesser foes with a 60-34 straight-up record against teams with a losing record. Yes a straight-up win does not guarantee an ATS win but the Bulls are so fired up and ready to put a beating on someone I just don't see this game being decided by less than double digits. Play Chicago minus the points as an *8* selection Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play Cincinnati +1 @ Pittsburgh @ 1 ET - With Ben Roethlisberger coming back there has been a lot of attention on the Steelers in this match-up. I feel strongly that this is simply helping to give even more line value to the Bengals. Let's not forget that Roethlisberger is unlikely to come back and be 100% healthy and completely "in sync" in his first game back since the injury. Also, the Steelers have had trouble with pass protection so far this season. The Bengals are undefeated this season and coming off of a bye week. Cincinnati also plays this game with triple revenge because they have lost each of their last 3 meetings with Pittsburgh and this looks like the perfect spot for the rested Bengals to get their revenge and put an end to this streak. Cincinnati has the much better pass protection and, overall, the far superior offense in comparison with Pittsburgh. Roethlisberger will be challenged early and often by the Bengals defense and Cincy is ultra motivated as they seek their first win since September 2013 in this series. The Bengals have been an ATS machine this season and I expect that to continue here. Even though they are only a small dog in this match-up the motivation is large and I expect Big Ben to struggle at times in his first game back. The Bengals are on a 10-4 ATS run as an underdog. Play Cincinnati as a *10* Top Play Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Detroit Lions +3.5 -120 vs Kansas City @ 9:30 AM ET - Two teams that have had disappointing seasons are trying to get their seasons back on track. I see a lot of value in having the points in a match-up like this. The Lions have battled hard this season but truly have been done in by turnovers. With Stafford at the helm they do move the ball well and they just need to limit their mistakes and they can certainly hang tough with a 2-5 Chiefs team. I would not be surprised at all to see the Lions get the upset win in this one. Kansas City is 2-5 SU and ATS and they are already 0-3 SU and ATS against teams from the NFC North this season. The Chiefs are coming off of a rare win but it had a lot do with facing a Steelers team that was down to their third string QB. Turnovers were the difference in that game and that helped to drive the line value with this game in London. Play Detroit plus the points  as an *8* play early Sunday.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play New Orleans +4.5 vs Golden State @ 7:35 ET - The Pelicans were unceremoniously swept by the Warriors in last year's playoffs. New Orleans then lost on opening at Golden State by 16 points. However, this is the perfect spot for the Pelicans to now get some small measure of revenge. The Warriors are 2-0 this season but this is a back to back spot for Golden State and they were in Texas last night. New Orleans is 0-2 this season but they have been off each of the last two days. The well-rested non-traveling highly motivated home dog is going to be hard to put away tonight. New Orleans is 8-4 ATS the last 3 seasons when they are a home dog of 3.5 to 6 points. The Pelicans simply ran into some hot shooting at Portland in their most recent game. Now they catch the Warriors with some tired legs in their first back to back of the season and I expect Golden State to struggle to knock shots down with a raucous arena in a revenge situation and a home opener for the Pelicans. Play New Orleans plus the points as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach NCF *10* Top Play Miami Hurricanes +13 @ Duke @ 7 ET - I look for the Hurricanes to be sparked by both the coaching situation as well as the QB situation. The Canes are certainly fired up to perform better under their interim head coach after they suffered the worst defeat in school history last week with their 58-0 loss! After being thoroughly embarrassed, look for the Canes to respond in a huge way this week as nothing would be better for the university to forget about an ugly loss then to go and knock off an upstart Duke team. The Blue Devils, long known for their basketball prowess, have certainly improved greatly on the football field but you'd better believe this gets under the skin of the Hurricanes! Miami wants to resume their supremacy on the football field. The Canes did win by 12 last season at home against the Blue Devils but they lost by 18 the prior season at Duke. It's time for a little payback and note that the QB change now has them with a more mobile and athletic QB under center. This is a key because of the way the offensive line has struggled this season but I do look for a very physical game in the trenches on both sides of the ball for Miami. The Canes are fired up and can't wait to take the field after getting drilled 58 to 0 last week. An outright win would not surprise and certainly the Canes should stay inside this inflated number this week. Play Miami plus the points as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach NCF *8* Georgia Bulldogs +3 @ Florida @ 3:30 ET - After winning 3 in a row in this series the Bulldogs lost ugly to the Gators last year and they certainly haven't forgotten. Even though Georgia is now without running back Nick Chubb, do not forget they lost him early in the Tennessee game three weeks ago and yet they still moved the ball well in that game and put up 31 points on the Volunteers. The bye week has done wonders for the Bulldogs to adjust to a Chubb-less offense and they also carry momentum into this week from winning a tightly contested defensive struggle against Missouri two weeks ago. I feel that Georgia is largely undervalued here and that Florida has lived a charmed life so far this season. Look for the Gators to now suffer "unbeaten letdown" after having their undefeated season come to an end against LSU before the bye week. Play Georgia plus the points as an *8* selection Saturday.

Rickenbach NCF *8* Oklahoma State Cowboys -1.5 @ Texas Tech @ 3:30 ET - I certainly have a ton of respect for the Texas Tech offense and what they've been doing this season. However, their defense is simply dreadful and in what is projected to be a back and forth high-scoring affair I will gladly take a team at roughly a pick'em price that is certainly more likely than their opponent to get more defensive stops. The Red Raiders have allowed between 45 and 63 points in 4 of their 8 games this season! The most points the Cowboys have allowed this season is 34 and Oklahoma State has given up 13 points or less in 4 of their 7 games. The Cowboys have won 6 straight in this series and only failed to cover 1 of those 6 games. Here any win virtually guarantees the cash and I see the Cowboys better defense to absolutely be the difference maker in this contest. Oklahoma State has gone 17-11 ATS as a road favorite and I look for Texas Tech to be reeling here after getting thoroughly dominated by Oklahoma last week. Play Oklahoma State as an *8* selection Saturday.

Rickenbach NBA *10* Top Play Orlando Magic +8.5 vs Oklahoma City @ 7:05 ET Friday - Oklahoma City is off of a huge win in their season opener as they knocked off the rival Spurs in a very tightly contested game. Off of that big win and with a divisional game on deck with Denver, I just don't foresee the Thunder being highly motivated about this match-up with Orlando tonight. The Magic have plenty of motivation though. Not only did Orlando lose their home opener (despite a 100 to 84 edge in number of shots from the field), the Magic also were thoroughly embarrassed in their most recent game as a host to the Thunder. Orlando last faced OKC in Florida in January and the Magic lost at home by 28 points. The Magic also have extra motivation tonight because plenty of news about this game in Orlando has circulated around the fact that, back in 2007, Billy Donovan (new head coach for the Thunder) formally accept the Magic head coach job position only to end up turning it down and going through a legal battle to get out of the contract. It was a giant mess and adds even more intensity to this game from Orlando's perspective. The Magic will undoubtedly play inspired basketball from the opening tip to the final horn in this one. Orlando is 13-7 ATS in their last 20 games against Northwest Division opponents. Oklahoma City went just 45-46 straight-up in road games the last two seasons and here, in a spot that is a situational disadvantage, the Thunder are being asked to cover a large number on the road. I don't see that happening. Play Orlando +8.5 as a *10* Top Play Friday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Miami Dolphins +9 @ New England @ 8:25 ET - Miami is a rejuvenated team ever since the coaching change that occurred immediately after the London trip. The Dolphins have gone 2-0 since then and the 2 wins came by a combined margin of 46 points! While the Patriots are certainly one of the top teams in the league, I expect tonight's game to be a very tight one. New England barely got by the Jets last week as it took two late game TDs to pull out the win. While the Patriots 6-0 season record is certainly impressive, 4 of their 6 wins have come by a margin of 8 points or less. The Dolphins are 2-1 on the road this season and their lone loss away from home came by a margin of just 3 points. I like the physicality and intensity that this Miami team is bringing to the field since making the coaching change. They are up to the challenge here and catch the Pats off of a big come from behind win over a divisional rival. Miami is 7-4 ATS in Thursday games including 2-0 SU and ATS the past two seasons on Thursdays. The Patriots have covered just 5 of their last 14 games against divisional opponents. Also, the Pats have failed to cover any of their 3 Thursday games the last 2+ seasons. Statistically, the Dolphins weakness this season has been their rush D but, statistically, the Pats rush O is their weakness. In other words, those offset and I look for this to be a tight back and forth battle in Foxboro tonight. Play Miami plus the points as an *8* selection Thursday. 

Rickenbach NCF *8* West Virginia Mountaineers +14.5 @ TCU @ 7:30 ET - TCU is 7-0 on the season but certainly may be over-rated. The only teams that they've played this season that currently have a winning record on the year are Minnesota (4-3) and Texas Tech (5-3). By the way the Horned Frogs won those two games by a COMBINED 9 points! In other words, don't be surprised if this battle with West Virginia ends up being much closer than what the point spread would lead you to believe. The Mountaineers are only 3-3 on the season but they have played a much tougher schedule than TCU has. West Virginia's 3 losses have come against Oklahoma, Baylor, and Oklahoma State. The combined record of those 3 teams is 20-1 so far this season. By the way, the Horned Frogs do have undefeated Oklahoma State on deck so Thursday's game against the Mountaineers is definitely a lookahead spot for Texas Christian University! West Virginia and TCU have played very tight games against each other in recent seasons and I look for another one here. The Mountaineers really needed the bye week after the recent tough stretch they went through. TCU could have done without a bye week as they were rolling and had momentum. This situation, all the way around, definitely favors the big dog Mountaineers. Play West Virginia plus the points as an *8* selection Thursday. 

Rickenbach NBA *8* Detroit Pistons +6.5 @ Atlanta @ 8:05 PM ET - Simply put, this looks like a trap line. The Hawks finished the regular season with the #1 record in the Eastern Conference last year. Atlanta had a 35-6 record at home last season while the Pistons were 14-27 on the road. So, why the low line here? Things change from season to season and the Pistons are a team on the rise while Atlanta is likely to fall from their perch atop the Eastern Conference this season. Remember they got destroyed in last year's post-season when the Cavaliers swept them in the Eastern Conference finals. I look for the loss of the Hawks DeMarre Carroll to hurt this team more than many people realize. He was a key cog for Atlanta and a bit of a jack of all trades. The Pistons season record from last year looks bad but they did go 27-27 over their last 54 games of the season and I look what coach Stan Van Gundy is doing with this team. The players are buying into his system...and that is showing up in the way they've been playing on the floor. They are in this one all the way tonight and might even spring the outright upset on the road. Grab the points. Play Detroit plus the points as an *8* selection Tuesday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Philadelphia Eagles +3 @ Carolina @ 8:30 PM ET - The Panthers will look enticing to most bettors in this spot...and that's just how I like it. Fading the masses. Grab the "unseen" value on the other side. The fact is that anything can happen in any game any week. But when I see a 5-0 team hosting a 3-3 team and only laying a field goal at home, it certainly grabs my attention. Many will want to back said 5-0 team but I love the underdog in this spot. The Eagles are getting their offense going, they have a bye week on deck, and they are catching the Panthers at the perfect time. Carolina is off of a huge win last week as they knocked off the Seahawks. Every team in the NFL has any match-up with Seattle circled on their calendar. That said, eking out a tough win last week over the Hawks was a major even for the Panthers. They will have trouble being able to duplicate that same intensity this week and that will spell trouble against the Eagles. Note that Carolina has played teams that entered this week with a combined record of 9-20 on the year. The Panthers haven't played a single team yet (until this week) that has at least a .500 record on the season. I feel their 5-0 mark is somewhat "fools gold" as a result and I look for the Eagles offense to continue to move the ball very well this week (944 yards total the past two weeks) plus to cut down on their mistakes. Reducing turnovers has been an emphasis for Philly coming into this game and I look for a huge effort heading into their bye week. The Eagles have gone 4-0 SU and ATS as a road dog of 3 points or less the last 3 seasons. Another outright win here would not surprise but I am certainly grabbing the available points in this one. Play Philadelphia plus the points as an *8* selection Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play Dallas Cowboys +3.5 @ New York Giants @ 4:25 ET - I look for the Cowboys to respond well to the QB change as Matt Cassel takes over the reins this week. Many are looking at the Giants here since they have early season revenge for the loss at Dallas. Now the G-men get that shot at revenge on their home turf Sunday. However, from a situational perspective (revenge aside) this is a brutally bad spot for the Giants. While Dallas is off of their bye week (and fired up and ready to get after it following the 30-6 shellacking at the hands of the powerful Patriots) the Giants are on a short week off of their Monday night loss to the Eagles. The Giants continue to be plagued by their own mistakes as well as questionable decisions of coach Tom Coughlin. They are a team that simply can not be trusted right now and I like having the points with the underdog here. I know that Dallas is struggling and has lost three straight games but I believe the bye week coinciding with the QB change will do wonders for this team. Cassel has had a lot of extra time to prepare for this start with the bye week coming at an opportune time for the Cowboys as they continued to deal with some injury issues. The Cowboys are 12-5 ATS as an underdog and Dallas is on a long-term 20-10 ATS run with off of a bye week. The Giants are off of a MNF loss to the Eagles and they've gone 2-5 ATS when off of a loss to a division rival the last 3 seasons. Play Dallas plus the points as a *10* Top Play Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Tampa Bay Buccaneers +3.5 @ Washington @ 1 PM ET - The Buccaneers are off of their bye week and have been playing solid defense this season. Don't be fooled by the big point total they gave up in their game before the bye week. The Bucs only allowed 325 yards in that game. Also, the game the week before that definitely skewed the numbers as well. Thanks in large part to 5 Tampa Bay turnovers, the Buccaneers lost that game 37-23 even though they only allowed 244 yards! Of course all of these big points being allowed by Tampa Bay factors not only into the line but also public perception going forward. That is what helps drive line value for games like this and I see big value with Tampa Bay as an underdog in this one. TB will take advantage of a Washington defense that has allowed a total of nearly 900 yards of offense in their past two games! Also, the Redskins are just 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games against teams with a losing record. In home games with a posted total between 42.5 and 45 points, Washington has gone 1-5 ATS the last 3 years and an ugly 16-29 ATS long-term. I love the under-rated TB defense in this spot with the situational advantage of coming off of a bye week and facing a Washington team whose defense has been beaten up for two straight weeks. Play Tampa Bay plus the points as an *8* selection Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Jacksonville Jaguars +4.5 vs Buffalo @ 9:30 AM ET Sunday - The Jaguars got beaten badly in each of their two prior trips to London. That is a little extra added motivation for Jacksonville heading into this one. Even though the Jags lost last week it really had a lot do with turnovers. I was impressed with the way that Jacksonville moved the ball. The Jaguars outgained the Texans in last week's game but lost by double digits due to the turnovers. The Jags come into this game on a losing skid but they have faced some tough match-ups and I see the Bills as the perfect opponent for Jacksonville to get healthy against. Buffalo has been very inconsistent this season and they are 2-3 in their last five games with one of those two wins coming by just a single point. That said, I see value with the generous points being offered to Jacksonville here. The Jaguars, statistically, have numbers very similar to Buffalo and the large point totals they've allowed recently are a bit of a 'fluke' when compared to the yardage numbers they've allowed. The Bills are only averaging 15 points per game in their last three games and they also have some significant injuries on that side of the ball. The Bills are on a 2-6 ATS run in games played on a neutral field and Buffalo also is 1-4 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points the last 3 seasons combined. They struggle in the favorites role again on Sunday and the hungry Jaguars are in this one all the way and just might steal the mild upset as well. Play Jacksonville plus the points as an *8* selection early Sunday in London.

Rickenbach NCF Game #354 - *10* Top Play Mississippi Rebels -5 vs Texas A & M @ 7 PM ET - The Aggies haven't even been out of the state of Texas yet this entire season...until today. This is the first true road game for Texas A & M this season. That said...it's likely to be a tough one too because they're facing the wrong team at the wrong time. The Rebels are not in a good mood after they blew an early 14-0 lead at Memphis last week and lost to the Tigers by double digits. l think Ole Miss got that early lead and then made the mistake of starting to look ahead to their next big game (this one) in SEC action and the Rebels paid the ultimate price for that with a loss. Now Ole Miss takes out their frustration against the Aggies. The Rebels stellar offense is averaging 521 yards per game this season. Also, though Mississippi beat the Aggies last season, they haven't forgotten the most recent time they hosted Texas A & M. In that game the Rebels were dealt a home loss and they are still looking for some home payback here and they should certainly get it. The Rebels still remember the Aggies scoring the final 10 points of that 41-38 defeat. The Ole Miss defense has been stellar at home this season. The Aggies, like the Rebels, do have a strong offense as well but their defense has struggled against both the run and pass this season in SEC games. The Rebels head coach Freeze has led his teams to a 38-19 ATS run while the Aggies are just 1-6 when off of a SU loss. I don't seem them bouncing back this week and I look for the Rebels to roll huge at home. Lay the short number with Mississippi as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach NCF Game #381 - *8* Connecticut Huskies +13 @ Cincinnati @ 4:30 PM ET - I like taking defensive-minded dogs in the right situation and that's exactly what we have here. The Huskies possess a very solid defense and are giving up just 20 points per game this season and yet they are a double digit dog here. Adding even more value is that there is no shortage of motivation for Connecticut here as the Huskies are off of a loss to South Florida even though UConn put up over 500 yards of offense in that game. The Bearcats have allowed an average of nearly 300 passing yards per game in their last four games as their defense continues to be a question mark as the season has gone on. Cincinnati has also allowed nearly 200 rushing yards per game in their last five games. The "cherry on top" here is that Cincy embarrassed the Huskies 41-0 last year in Storrs. Payback time here and even if the Huskies do fall short they should certainly stay inside this inflated number. Play Connecticut plus the points as an *8* selection Saturday.

Rickenbach NCF Game #410 - *8* Nevada Wolf Pack -7 vs Hawaii @ 4 PM ET - Hawaii is 0-4 SU this season in road games. They didn't even score a single point in the first three of those four road games. The Warriors have lost 15 of their last 16 games and, with all of that said, I like my chances with a Nevada team to win this game by at least 7. The Wolf Pack are fired up after their road loss at Wyoming as a TD favorite. Look for Nevada to now get the job done at home as TD favorite. In home games with a posted total between 49.5 and 52 points, the Wolf Pack are a perfect 6-0 SU and ATS! When Nevada is a home favorite of 3.5 to 7 points they have gone 11-5 SU and 11-5 ATS. So, as you can see, when they win in this price range, they certainly have a good history (100%) of covering and I just don't see Hawaii, the poor travelers that they are, as having what it takes to get the upset on the road here. This is especially true when you know that the Wolf Pack will "bring it" in this game after last week's disappointing loss. Play Nevada -7 as an *8* selection Saturday.

Rickenbach NCF *8* Arkansas State -8 vs UL-Lafayette @ 8 ET - Big revenge spot for the Red Wolves and they have the edges to get the job done in a big way on Tuesday night. Arkansas State lost to the Ragin' Cajuns last year by 15 points at Louisiana. The prior year, the Red Wolves hosted UL Lafayette but also lost that game by 17 points. So why are they such a big favorite here? Because the tables have turned folks. The odds makers don't make many big mistakes guys. That said, even though Louisiana has had the upper hand in this series for a number of years now, the fact is that they don't have the offense to keep up with Arkansas State here. Yes, the Ragin' Cajuns did score 49 points last week but that was against the putrid defense of Texas State. The prior two weeks Louisiana was held to just 14 points each week and I expect a similar result tonight. As for the Red Wolves, they have averaged 44 points per game the last 4 weeks and their offense is ready to roll again here. A big problem for Arkansas State in recent match-ups with Louisiana has been their run defense but last week, against South Alabama, the Red Wolves allowed just 29 yards on 32 carries. Tough early season match-ups with teams like USC, Missouri, and Toledo (still undefeated on season at 6-0). The Red Wolves are ready to dominate here. Don't be fooled by this line! Play Arkansas State minus the points as an *8* selection Tuesday.

Rickenbach NFL *10*Top Play Philadelphia Eagles (-) vs New York Giants @ 8:30 ET - The Eagles finally got their offense on track last week at home against New Orleans. Philadelphia pounded out over 500 yards of offense in that game. Philly will build on that momentum here on the offensive side of the ball. Also, what is so often overlooked with the Eagles is how well their defense plays. Because of having a hurry-up offense on the other side of the ball, the Philadelphia defense has to spend a lot of time on the field. Even with all the time spent on the field, the Eagles defense has allowed 395 yards or less in all but one of their games this season. Contrast that with the Giants defense which has been shredded for an average of over 300 passing yards per game this season. The Eagles haven't even allowed 300 passing yards in a game yet this season. Overall, Philly also has the Giants number. Philadelphia has won 11 of the last 14 meetings between these NFC East rivals and, by the way, only one of those 14 games was decided by less than 6 points. Lay the points with the Eagles. Play Philadelphia minus the points as a *10* Top Play Monday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Kansas City Chiefs +4 @ Minnesota @ 1 ET - The Vikings may be rested off of their bye week but I still do not believe this is a good situation for them. They suffered a tight loss against undefeated Denver the prior week. It was a tough defeat for the Vikes and now Minnesota also has a pair of key NFC North battles on deck after this less important non-conference battle against the Chiefs. With that said, I think the hungrier more motivated team that you're going to see in this match-up Sunday is going to be the 1-4 Kansas City unit. Having "let one get away" last week versus Chicago and desperate to get back into the win column, look for a huge effort from KC here. Kansas City also is likely to rally after the injury to RB Charles last week. Often, in the first game after a key injury, you see all of the players really step up their game in an attempt to compensate for a key player's absence. With that said, huge effort coming from the Chiefs Sunday. Play Kansas City plus the points as an *8* selection Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play Cleveland Browns +4 vs Denver @ 1 ET - Denver is undefeated on the season and they certainly deserve accolades for how strong their defense has been this season. But, at the same time, they have certainly been fortunate to remain undefeated. Last week at Oakland the Broncos only managed 15 first downs while the Raiders had 20. It was the 3rd time this season that Denver has been held under 300 yards of offense. This week the Broncos have another tough road match-up as they visit Cleveland. The Browns have played quite well since their opening week loss and, last week, Cleveland picked up their 2nd win in their last 4 games. The Browns amassed more than 500 yards in their win at Baltimore last week. They have averaged 357 passing yards per game in their last 3 games. Even though that win at Baltimore was a big win over a hated rival, there of courese is no way the Browns are going to overlook this great opportunity afforded by hosting an undefeated team this week. Look for Cleveland to step up large in this game while Denver gets caught already thinking this is a win and looking forward to their bye week. I expect the Broncos to get upset here but certainly am grabbing the points withe the underdog Browns though I do expect an outright upset victory. In five games this season, last week marked the second time already this year that Denver did not score an offensive TD. The Broncos luck runs out this week. Play Cleveland plus the points as a *10* Top Play Sunday.

Rickenbach NCF *10* Top Play Alabama -3.5 @ Texas A & M @ 3:30 ET - These teams are next to each other in the rankings and the Aggies are at home here...yet it's Alabama that's favored by more than a field goal even though they are on the road. Looks like a trap, doesn't it? Don't fall for it. Lay the points with the Crimson Tide. Alabama has played the tougher schedule and they already have blemish on their record while Texas A & M comes into this game with an undefeated record. The Crimson Tide wants nothing more than to make sure the Aggies get their first blemish today and I expect them to do just that as they deliver a big road win. Alabama crushed Texas A & M 59-0 last year and they also knocked of the Aggies by a full TD in their last visit to College Station. The difference in today's match-up will be the Bama defense as they have continued to dominate on that side of the ball. The Aggies are allowing 110 points more per game than Alabama is this season. The Crimson Tide are 23-15 their last 38 times as an SEC favorite. The Aggies have covered just five times in their last eighteen games against SEC opponents. EVen though the Aggies are off of a bye, head coach Sumlin has led his team to a cover just once in this last seven times off of a bye. The Aggies and their porous defense finally get exposed here while the Crimson Tide defense dominates again. Play Alabama minus the points as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach NCF *8* BYU Cougars -6.5 vs Cincinnati @ 8 ET Friday - Look for turnovers to be a key factor in this one. The Cougars have forced a total of 13 turnovers this season while the Bearcats have only forced 4 turnovers this year! Though Cincinnati is coming in off of a bye week, they are actually only 2-4 SU and 2-4 ATS when coming off of a bye week the past two seasons. Also, the Bearcats were fortunate in their win over Miami before the bye week as they did allow 427 yards in that game. The Cincy D is a concern as they've allowed at least 427 yards in each of their last 3 games and that included match-ups with Miami of Ohio and Memphis. In my opinion, this Bearcats teams is really stepping up in class here and they will struggle to stay in this one. The Cougars, although off of a win, are fired up after almost letting one get away from them last week as they blew a late lead against East Carolina. Look for BYU to learn from that lesson and "keep the pedal to the metal" all the way through this game. The Cougars were 4-1 ATS on the season before the "blown cover" against the Pirates and I look for them to get right back on track here. It certainly helps Brigham Young that this is their third straight home game. Also, the Cougars are hosting an over-matched Cincinnati team that is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games against non-conference opposition. Play BYU as an *8* selection Friday.

Rickenbach MLB *8* New York Mets Run Line +1.5 -120 vs LA Dodgers @ 8:05 ET - Kershaw is pitching on short rest here and the ability get the Mets at home and +1.5 runs and basically in a pick'em price range all adds up to be a phenomenal value in this spot. I don't expect Kershaw to be at his best in this spot. The Dodgers only went 7-9 this season in his road starts and the Mets already beat him in LA in game one of this series. That certainly helps their confidence level here as they look to close out this series at home and avoid the trip west for a game five. I like the Mets' chances for that with Steven Matz at home. The Mets went 2-0 in his home starts and overall 5-1 in all 6 of his starts this season. Matz produced an overall 2.27 ERA and this included a phenomenal 1.98 ERA in his home outings. The lefty, back on July 5th, shut down the Dodgers in LA and I look for another strong performance from him here against Los Angeles. The Mets are 50-32 at home this season and, keep in mind, even a 1 run loss here would still cash our ticket. As for the Dodgers, they destroyed bettors as a road favorite this season as they went 16-25 when on the road and favored in the 125 to 175 range (as they are tonight). Play the New York Mets on the run line +1.5 runs as an *8* selection Tuesday.

Rickenbach MLB *8* New York Mets Run Line -1.5 +130 vs LA Dodgers @ 8:35 ET - Look for the Mets to win this one in a blowout and that's why I am taking them on the run line here. They should win by 2+ runs and the -1.5 is offering the opportunity for a solid plus money return. The Mets Matt Harvey is fully capable of a dominating effort here. He has a 1.02 ERA in his last three starts with 24 strikeouts in 17 and 2/3 innings. Harvey has gone 8-3 at home this season while the Dodgers Brett Anderson comes into this outing struggling. The Dodgers southpaw has a 7.16 ERA in his last three starts and he's been registering very few strikeouts in recent starts. Anderson also has allowed 3 homers in his last 16 and 1/3 innings of work. As a road dog of +150 to +175 the Dodgers are on a 4-8 run. The Mets, as a home fave of -150 to -175 are on a 22-12 run. As for laying the extra run here...the Mets last 37 victories have featured 31 by 2+ runs. In other words, when they win, they usually win big and that is what I am forecasting tonight as they have a huge edge on the mound in this one. By the way, 7 of the Dodgers last 8 losses have come by a margin of 2 runs or more. Play the New York Mets -1.5 on the run line as an *8* selection Monday.

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play Pittsburgh Steelers +4 @ San Diego @ 8:30 ET Monday - The Steelers blew a 20-7 lead against the Ravens last week and ended up losing 23-20. Needless to say that defeat has not sat well with Pittsburgh and they're going on the road with a full head of steam as a result. Pittsburgh had won back to back games before that loss and Michael Vick, taking the place of the injured Ben Roethlisberger, was more of a game manager but certainly did a decent enough job in that game. Look for him to do even more in his second start with Pittsburgh as the more time he's had since the Roethlisberger injury the more prepared he is to work a full game-plan with his teammates. The Chargers are coming off of a tight win over the Browns last week and certainly have not been overly impressive so far this season. The Chargers rallied to beat Detroit in week one but how impressive is that now? The horrible Lions still have not won a game this season. Then the Chargers lost two straight games and then they barely got by another weak team, the Browns, last week. I am just not impressed with what San Diego has done so far this season and I see good line value with the underdog Steelers coming in fired up after a tight loss in their last game. Pittsburgh also does have a rest edge since their game was on a Thursday. Also, the Steelers are known for performing well at this critical time of year. In games in weeks 5 through 9 the Steelers are on a 73-28 SU Run and 62-36-3 ATS run. The Steelers are 10-4 ATS their last 14 against San Diego and the Chargers have failed to cover three straight games. Look for that poor ATS streak to reach 4 in a row on Monday night. Play Pittsburgh plus the points as a *10* Top Play Monday.

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play Oakland Raiders +5.5 vs Denver @ 4:25 ET - This is a contrarian play and it's the type of play I love to make. The Broncos are undefeated on the season but have survived some very close calls so far on the year. They had to get a game-ending INT in the end zone to secure their week one win over Baltimore. They had to come back from a late deficit to defeat the Chiefs in week two it was very nearly a "miracle" win. Then in week four they barely hung on to beat the Vikings. Even in week three they had to come back from an early deficit against the Lions. To me, week five looks like the "slip up" spot for the Broncos as they've been "playing with fire" far too often this season and are now going to get burned. Denver, despite being 4-0 on the season, has only outgained their opponents by an average of 28 yards per game! I also like the angle here that Oakland head coach Jack Del Rio was the recent defensive coordinator for the Broncos for three seasons. Look for this to play a role in today's outcome and, off of a tight loss last week, I look for the Raiders to bounce back this week. Oakland has won 2 of 3 (and could easily be 3-0) since their opening week debacle against Cincy (the game that they lost their starting QB). I really like what I have been seeing from the Raiders and feel this is a trap game for a Broncos team that is 4-0 but hasn't really been playing like a dominant team. They've been "just getting by" and that catches up with them here because coach Del Rio and the Raiders want this divsional game in the worst way today. Nice home dog upset looms here. Play Oaklnad plus the points as a *10* Top Play Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Chicago Bears +10 -124 @ Kansas City @ 1 ET - The Bears had a rough start to the season but they truly played a hellacious schedule. Getting that first win on of the season last week against Oakland will do wonders for this team's confidence and I firmly believe that they will give the Chiefs all they can handle here. Kansas City is questioning themselves right now after they let one get away against Denver three weeks ago and then got embarrassed by Green Bay two weeks ago and then got trounced at Cincinnati last week. Having lost three straight and now facing a Bears team with a little momentum off a much needed win, the Chiefs are simply an overpriced favorite in this spot. Note that the Bears are on a 17-6-2 ATS run against the AFC West. The Chiefs have been scorched for over 440 yards EACH of the last two weeks and playing defense like that is going to make it difficult to cover this large number. Play Chicago plus the big points as an *8* Play Sunday.

Rickenbach NCF *10* Top Play Utah Utes -7.5 vs California @ 10 PM ET - While both teams are undefeated on the season, I see huge edges for Utah in this match-up. Of course the home field edge is a big one. Another big one here is the fact that the Utes are off of a bye week. Last, but not least, Utah has played a much tougher schedule than the Golden Bears. Normally you might look at fading a team when off of a big win such as the Utes huge win over Oregon two weeks ago. However, the "two weeks ago" part is the key. Utah has had plenty of time to get over the emotional high of knocking off the Ducks by a 62-20 count. Additionally, the Utes have had the extra time necessary to prep for California's potent offensive attack. A big edge here is that the Golden Bears defense is very questionable at best. Remember they have played a lot of easy opponents this season. When Cal did step up in class they allowed 389 yards through the air against Washington State and the Bears did allow over 600 yards of offense to Texas! Now they face a rested and fired up Utes defense. Utah is 3-0 ATS the past two years (and 30-12 ATS long-term) when they enter a game off of two or more weeks of rest. Rested and fully prepped off of the bye week, look for the Utes (and their much better defense in comparison with Cal) to be the story line in this one. Cal is on a 17-31 ATS run as an underdog and the Utes having played a much more formidable schedule so far this season are being given some exceptional line value here. Play Utah minus the points as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach NCF *10* Top Play Missouri Tigers +4.5 vs Florida @ 7:30 ET - Florida is undefeatedon the season and also only has 1 ATS loss. I expected the whole world to be jumping on the Gators here when the real line value lies with the Tigers who are very excited about the opportunity to knock off an undefeated SEC foe. There is extra line value here because Missouri is an ugly 1-4 ATS on the year. Despite that 1-4 ATS mark, the Tigers are built well to be a covering machine as an underdog. Missouri has been stellar on defense all season and is allowing just 264 yards per game this season. Look for the Tigers tough defense to put the Gators in a stranghold this week. Missouri is catching Florida at the perfect time to spring the upset. The Gators are off of their big upset win of Ole Miss and they have a huge game with LSU on deck. Look for Missouri to take advantage of the situational edges here. Since joining the SEC, the Tigers have gone 3-0 ATS against the Gators. Note that even though Florida won big over the Rebels last week, Mississippi actually had a 23-18 edge in first downs over the Gators. Needless to say turnovers played a big role in that win and this is also helping to drive line value here. Florida is only 2-4 straight-up in road games with a posted total of 42 or less and here the Gators aren't just being asked to win straight-up...they're laying more than 4 points! Missouri is 5-0 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 10 points the last 3 years. Going further back with those parameters the ATS run is a solid 28-15. The fact is that the Tigers relish this role and they relish the opportunity that is before them today. They (and we!) will take full advantage with the hungry home dog here. Play Missouri plus the points as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach MLB *7* New York Mets +1.5 -135 @ LA Dodgers @ 9:45 ET - I see a lot of line value here with the Mets on the run line in what is expected to be a tight, low-scoring game - as evidenced by the total of just 5.5 runs posted on this game. As strong as Kershaw has been in the regular season one can not ignore his 1-5 record and 5.12 career postseason ERA. That said, for the Dodgers to dominate the Mets here it would likely take a stellar effort from the Dodgers ace lefty and his career playoffs stats just don't lend a lot of confidence toward that. Couple that with the fact that the Mets Jacob deGrom should have a stellar outing here and you have the makings of a potential Mets upset here. Even if they fall short I look for it to be a one run defeat and, therefore, a winner for New York on the run line. DeGrom made one start against the Dodgers this season and dominated them by scattering two hits in nearly eight innings of work. Also, he had 4 shutout innings in his most recent "tune up" outing to get ready for the playoffs. He's ready to go and was absolutely dominate in his last two regular season outings with 1 run on 5 hits and 16 strikeouts in the 10 innings spanning his last two efforts. Play the New York Mets +1.5 on the run line as a *7* selection Friday.

Rickenbach NCF *10* Top Play Virginia Tech -1 vs NC State @ 8 ET - The Hokies are the much better defensive team in this match-up and they are off back to back losses. Note that Virginia Tech is 18-8 ATS when they enter a game off of two more consecutive straight-up losses. The Hokies are hosting an NC State team that could be suffering from "unbeaten letdown" as they lost last week after winning their first four games to start the season. The Wolf Pack had faced a very weak schedule to start the season (before running into Louisville last week) and I feel strength of schedule is another key factor here as to why we're getting such great line value wih the Hokies at home. Long-term trend guys will also like that fact that NC State has covered just 2 of the 10 prior meetings with Virginia Tech. This is the 3rd road game in 4 weeks for the Wolf Pack and I expect the home field and large crowd to play a factor in this Friday night match-up. Play Virginia Tech minus the points as a *10* Top Play Friday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Indianapolis Colts + points @ Houston @ 8:25 ET - Sure we would rather see Andrew Luck on the field than Matt Hasselbeck but here's one important, comforting thought to keep in mind. Two words. Ryan Mallett. I hate to sound so harsh. But I do find humor in the fact that Houston is getting a ton of backing here because it's now Hasselbeck against Mallett. Is Mallett really going to answer the call here? The Texans had four turnovers last week and the Colts have won 15 straight games against divisional foes. I fully comprehend they are a different team without Luck at the helm but it's hard to knock a 15-0 run...especially when you're trying to knock that run with a Texans team that is just 1-3 on the season. Houston is also an ugly 6-12 ATS in their last 18 home games. The Colts are 0-4 ATS on the season so, having burned their backers so far this season, the value pendulum is swinging more and more TOWARD them not away from them. I am happy to back them here knowing that the 2-2 Colts have won two straight games and Hasselbeck led them to the game-winning score last week. The Texans are just 1-3 this season and are questioning themselves. By the way the Colts are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games against teams with a losing record. Play Indianapolis plus the points as an *8* selection Thursday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* New Orleans -3 vs Dallas @ 8:30 ET - The struggles for Dallas will continue. The Cowboys currently have Weeden at QB and each of his last 9 starts (yes, 9 in a row) have resulted in losses. With the Cowboys without starting QB Romo as well as star WR Bryant, the going will continue to get tougher. Dallas blew their game against Atlanta last week as the Cowboys are showing they have a number of weaknesses in the defense that can be exploited. Couple that with an injury-depleted offense and you have a team that could be in for a rough stretch. Certainly the Cowboys, just like last week, appear to be in trouble this week. The Saints are an 0-3 team that, at home and winless, will have huge intensity and emotional edges at play for them and in their favor tonight. Once we knew Brees was pronounced as ready to go here we knew this would be a play. We've got Brees over Weeden. We've got the home field edge. We've got the hunger that an 0-3 start brings and we've got edges in the injury department with the key injuries belonging to the Cowboys in this one. Dallas is on a 14-21 ATS run in dome games. New Orleans is 5-2 ATS in October games the past two seasons and they are so hungry to get into the win column after their tough start to the season in the opening month. Play New Orleans -3 as an *8* selection Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play St Louis Rams +7.5 @ Arizona @ 4:25 ET - Arizona got a huge win for a 2nd straight week last week. St Louis, despite another strong defensive effort, suffered their 2nd straight loss last week after opening up with a big week one win over the Seahawks. With the Cardinals off of a divisional win last week (and now having to get geared up for another one) I see a big edge with the hungry dog in this match-up. St Louis has been playing solid defense while the Cardinals have been benefitting greatly from turnovers so far this season. This is helping to overinflate this line and the Cards do have back to back road games on deck and could get caught looking past the 1-2 Rams. Arizona has enjoyed so much success at home that it's easy to get overconfident and off back to back victories by huge margins the Cards intensity drops some here. The Rams have lost three straight to the Cardinals so there is no doubt that their intensity level will be high. St Louis has played the much tougher schedule so far this season and that has not been properly factored into this line. We step in and take advantage of that. Play St Louis plus the points as a *10* Top Play Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Chicago Bears +3.5 vs Oakland @ 1 ET - The Bears are a traditional ugly dog here. I love having an 0-3 team that is a home dog against a team that isn't your typical road favorite. Oakland certainly is not use to dominating foes and, in fact, they have a horrible road record in recent years. Let's not forget that the Bears have faced a very tough schedule to start this season and this has certainly factored into their tough start. Chicago has won 3 of their last 4 meetings with Oakland and they are getting more adjusted to the schemes of the new coaching staff with each week that goes by. The Bears have lost to the powerful Seahawks so far this season as well as to a pair of teams that are undefeated on the season, Arizona and Green Bay. Taking a big step down in class here and the Bears are so hungry for that first win and I'll grab the extra value here considering the Raiders are an over-inflated road fave in this one. Play Chicago +3.5 as an *8* selection Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Miami Dolphins +2 vs New York Jets @ 9:30 AM ET Sunday - Getting drilled 41 to 14 by Buffalo last week means there is no doubt the Dolphins will be ready for this one. The Jets may still have a false sense of security from their 2-0 start to the season. The loss last week (and the 4 turnovers that helped create it) are a sign of things to come for a Jets team that has benefitted early this season from being on the right side of turnovers. That catches up to the Jets here as the Dolpins are in a desperate spot having lost two straight and needing to get back on track with a key divisional win after after the loss to a divisional foe last week. The Dolphins did have nearly 400 yards of offense last week but they were done in by turnovers. Miami will get much more than the 14 points (scored last week) out of that type of yardage this week. Play Miami plus the points as an *8* selection very early Sunday.

Game #141 - Rickenbach NCF Top Play *10* Mississippi State Bulldogs +6 @ Texas A & M @ 7:30 ET - Beautiful spot for the Bulldogs here. They already have a blemish on their record this season as they lost to LSU (just by duece) in week 2 of the season. This week Mississippi State gets a chance to make sure another SEC foe gets their first loss of the season. You can bet the hungry Bulldogs are fired up to knock off the unbeaten Aggies today. Texas A & M is lucky to still be undefeated this season. The Aggies had to rallly to force overtime last week against Arkansas and then managed to knock off the Razorbacks in overtime. Texas A & M was outgained in that game. On the ground the disadvantage was 232 to 65 as the Aggies were dominated by Arkansas on the ground. That's not a good sign for A & M here as they now face a Bulldogs team that already has eclipsed 200 yards on the ground in two of their games this season. Mississippi State has a very balanced offensive attack as they are averaging over 300 yards per game through the air this season. The Bulldogs are 9-3 ATS as an underdog the last 3 years combined. Texas A & M is off to a fortunate 3-1 ATS start this season but the past two seasons went a combined 5-12 ATS as a favorite and I look for those struggles to resume today. The upset looms here but of course I am grabbing the points in case the Bulldogs do come up just short. The Aggies are really stepping up in class here and let's not forget that they have gone just 3-12 ATS in their last 15 games against teams with a winning record. Play Mississippi State +6 as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Game #161 - Rickenbach NCF *8* Mississippi Rebels -6 @ Florida @ 7 ET - Mississippi's win last week over Vanderbilt was unimpressive but that was to be expected. The Rebels had defeated Alabama the week before so, as expected, they were flat against Vandy. Ole Miss will now certainly be ready for facing a fellow undefeated team this week as they take on the Gators. Mississippi has covered five straight in this series and it's a bargain to get them laying less than a TD in this match-up. The Gators are fortunate to be undefeated as they rallied for two TD's late in last week's game against Tennessee. Florida is now off of back to back tight SEC wins as they snuck by Kentucky in the week prior to their miracle win over the Volunteers. The Gators are just 1-3 ATS in their last four as a home dog. While Mississippi only has New Mexico State on deck, Florida does have another SEC foe on deck as a road trip to Missouri looms large. The Gators could get caught looking ahead as the Tigers have crushed them by double digits each of the last two years while the Gators haven't faced the Rebels since 2008. Play Mississippi -6 as an *8* selection Saturday.

Game #160 - Rickenbach NCF *8* Georgia Bulldogs (pick) vs Alabama @ 3:30 ET - It was 3 years ago but you can bet that Georgia still remembers it well: the Bulldogs lost to the Crimson Tide in the SEC Title game in 2012. Defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt will be looking to shut down his alma mater. Yes he played and coached at Alabama and the Bulldogs are fired up about getting that signature SEC win today that has eluded them. I love the line move here as the Bulldogs have gone from being nearly a field goal favorite to now being a dog in some books. Fade the masses who are flocking to Alabama here. The Bulldogs are ready to make their mark in one of the most highly anticipated SEC games of the year. Georgia is 3-0 at home this season and 14-2 in home games the last 3 seasons combined. Alabama continues to be overvalued on the road as they are 2-6 ATS in road games the last three years. We can see again here that everyone is flocking to Alabama here giving them more credit that is due them and I again see them being an ATS money burner on the road this one. Play Georgia as an *8* selection Saturday.

Rickenbach NCF *8* South Florida Bulls +9 vs Memphis @ 7:00 ET - The Bulls are coming off of a bye week plus playing their first home game in nearly a month. Both of these factors are big edges for the hungry home dog in this one. Memphis is off of a fortunate win last week as the Tigers were outgained by 182 yards plus first downs were 38-22 NOT in their favor last week. This is helping to give even more line value to South Florida as the Memphis 7 point win last week certainly hides some glaring weaknesses. The Tigers defense (if you can even call it that right now) has allowed 1,331 yards in thei last TWO games! That is simply ridiculous and with the extra practice time to prepare as well as the fact that emotions will be running high for an ESPN2 home game, I look for South Florida to have a great shot at the upset in this one. The Bulls are 5-2 ATS in October games the past two seasons. The Tigers are 1-5 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points the last 3 years combined. Play South Florida plus the points as an *8* selection Friday. 

Rickenbach NFL *7* Baltimore Ravens -2.5 -125 @ Pittsburgh @ 8:25 ET - The Ravens are 0-3 on the season but the teams they have faced are a combined 8-1 so far this season. The Steelers are 2-1 this season but the teams they have faced are a combined 5-4 so far this season. Pittsburgh also has a big mess with the absence of Ben Roethlisberger who will be out for awhile. Though Michael Vick is a veteran QB, the 35 year old certainly has seen a decline in skills as he's aged. Additionally, he just hasn't played very much in recent seasons. Making matters even more difficult for him here is that he didn't even join the Steelers until late August. Simply put, this is a very tough situation for him to be thrust into. This is especially true since the Steelers will be facing a bitter division rival whose backs are against the wall with their 0-3 start. The Ravens tough defensive front seven will have their ears pinned back here ready to attack Vick and Company from the very first possession all the way to the final whistle. The Ravens are 0-3 for the first time in franchise history (nearly 20 years!) and they went into Heinz Field twice last year (once in regular season and once in playoffs) and they got the outright win each time. They can get another big road win here. Lay a little extra juice to get the -2.5 if you can and play Baltimore for a *7* selection Thursday night.

Rickenbach NCF *8* Miami Hurricanes -6.5 @ Cincinnati @ 7:30 ET - The Hurricanes are coming off of a bye week. Some will look at the fact that they have a big game on deck with Florida State and will feel that the Canes could be short on emotion here. I don't see that all. Last week, in their game prior to facing the Seminoles, Miami absolutely crushed North Carolina. Additionally, with the added benefit of coming in on a bye week here, the Hurricanes should absolutely crush the Bearcats. Cincinnati is certainly hurt by the absence of Gunner Kiel here. Sure the back-up QB Moore had a huge game last week but that was against the ultra-porous defense of Memphis. Miami's defense is certainly quite different from the Tigers. In fact, Cincinnati has faced a very weak schedule so far and facing this tough ACC foe is going to be a major step up in "class" for the Bearcats. Though Miami won by just three points the week before their bye they did have a late 33-10 lead in that game and the deceiving 36-33 final score has led to some additional line value on the Canes this week. The Hurricanes are a solid 7-3 ATS as a road favorite while the Bearcats, overall, are on a 1-5 ATS run. Play Miami -6.5 as an *8* selection Thursday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Kansas City Chiefs +6 @ Green Bay @ 8:30 ET - The Chiefs are ready to step up big here after they let one get away against Denver last week on Thursday night. Kansas City blasted the Patriots 41-14 on MNF last season and coach Andy Reid has a long history of performing well in primetime from his history with the Eagles. He'll have the Chiefs fully prepared here - especially by virtue of having the additional time since they haven't played since Thursday the 17th. While Kansas City is certainly going to be fired up to get back on track after last week's disappointment, the Packers may have trouble matching the Chiefs' intensity. Green Bay is off of a double revenge win last week over Seattle. That was a huge Sunday night win for the Packers over the Seahawks. Duplicating another big primetime performance in back to back weeks is a lot to ask of any team...but especially one still trying to move forward with the loss of Jordy Nelson causing some pain to say the least. It is early in the season for sure but worth noting that the two teams Green Bay has played this season are a combined 1-5 this year while the two teams Kansas City has played this season are a combined 4-2 so far. Look for Green Bay to drop to 0-3 ATS in their last 3 Monday night appearances while the Chiefs improve to 13-6 ATS in their last 19 road games and 16-8 ATS in their last 24 games against teams from the NFC North. Turnovers got the best of KC last week. I like backing them for a response after 5 turnovers killed them in last week's game. Play Kansas City plus the points as an *8* selection Monday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Denver Broncos -3 @ Detroit @ 8:30 ET - Normally I am the type of capper who takes an 0-2 team and goes against a 2-0 team. I am definitely a contrarian in my style overall. However, there are times like this where a team is just "clicking" and there is no way I would pick against them. That is the case with this Denver team. The Broncos defense has been superb so far this season and Denver is also seeming to gel a bit under coach Kubiak. That was a question mark for this team for this season but the defense has certainly responded well and the offense is also starting to "click" now. Peyton Manning and Company notched 3 TDs through the air in their win over KC last week and that divisional win (and the fact that the offense finally put it all together) has done wonders for the confidence of this team. The Broncos also benefit from extra rest here since they are off of the Thursday night game. Denver is 6-1 ATS their last 7 off of a Thursday game. Also, get the Lions out of their divisions and they certainly aren't powerful "lions" as Detroit is 9-19-1 ATS in their last 21 games outside of their own division. Detroit is 2-8 SU and 3-7 ATS in their last 10 as an underdog and their confidence (even if they get a lead here) is shaken by the early season meltdown at San Diego where they blew a huge lead. The loss by double digits to Minnesota last week certainly did not help the confidence level of the Lions. These are two teams going in opposite directions early this season and I look for that directional trend to continue here. Play Denver -3 as an *8* selection Sunday.

NFL *10* Top Play San Francisco +7/+6.5 @ Arizona @ 4:05 ET - The Cardinals are 2-0 SU and ATS this season and, as such, are getting a little bit too much respect from the betting markets here. Though they won huge last week (49-23) they were actually outgained 335 to 300. As for the 49'ers, after their big home win in week one, they did fall short last week on the road but it was also a deceiving final scored. San Francisco lost 43 to 18 last week at Pittsburgh but they were only outgained by 44 yards in that game. These 'false finals' from last week are helping to give some nice line vaue this week as this is a key divisional game where the 49'ers are seeing opportunity with the 0-2 start this season for the Seahawks. The NFC West lead can be shared by the Niners with a win over the Cards today. Motivation goes a long way in football and the Niners have plenty of it today and certainly seem rejuvenated by the off-season coaching changes. San Francisco has played better on both sides of the ball than many expected and, again, don't let last week's final score fool you. That was also a tough scheduling spot for the Niners as they had to head east on a short week after a late Monday night game. In road games with a posted total between 42.5 and 45 points the Niners are on a long-term 27-13 ATS run (including 4-0, 100% the last 3 years)! The Niners are also 5-1 ATS their last 6 in dome games. As a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points the Cardinals are just 22-32 ATS. Also, the Cards are on a long-term 25-34 ATS run when they enter a game off of two or more consecutive wins. Play San Francisco plus the big points as a *10* Top Play Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* New Orleans Saints +10 @ Carolina @ 1 ET Sunday - It sounds overly simplistic but, simply put, this line is just too big. The line on Carolina, of course, needed to be adjusted iwth Drew Brees being out for this game. However, for the Panthers to be a double digit favorite against a team that still has a plethora of talent, even without Brees, is "off" in my opinion. The Saints, with their 0-2 start, have their backs against the wall and I expect a huge effort from the entire team here as they all look to step up in the absence of Brees. Keep in mind, we don't need them to win this game to get the cash. We just need the Saints to keep it respectable and I certainly see them staying within one score of the over-rated Panthers. Carolina is 2-0 to start the season but they played a Jacksonville team that was 3-13 last year and a Houston team that was only one season removed from a 2-14 record. Give the Panthers credit for their two victories certainly but they are not some kind of juggernaut that merits this big line, in my opinion. Extreme line value here because of the Saints home loss to Tampa Bay last week. Perception is so against New Orleans right now that the value is with them. Look for them to put forth their best effort so far this season and hang tough with Carolina on Sunday. The Saints are 7-2 SU their last 9 on grass and the past two seasons they have gone 3-1 SU and ATS when they enter a game off of two or more consecutive losses. Play New Olreans plus the big points as an 8* selection Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Atlanta Falcons -1 @ Dallas @ 1 ET Sunday - Already without Dez Bryant, the Cowboys injury situation is now further magnified by the absence of Tony Romo. The Cowboys truly won a miracle game in week one against the Giants. Then Dallas went on the road (the game Romo got hurt in) and beat an Eagles team that looks totally "out of sorts" early this season. In other words, it's hard to put much value into either victory the Cowboys have so far this season. Now Dallas must contend with a Falcons team whose defense has been flying all over the field early this season. With the coaching change, as expected, the Atlanta D has been looking Seattle-esque early this season. This is going to give Cowboys QB Brandon Weeden and Co. all types of trouble in this one while, at the same time, the Falcons take advantage of  Cowboys defense that is off of a huge effort against Philly but was torched by the Giants in Dallas in week one. In fact, the Cowboys have been struggling in home games for quite some time. In a home game with a total between 42.5 and 45 points, Dallas is 12-18 ATS. Overall, Dallas is just 8-10 ATS in home games the last 2+ seasons and they just don't seem to play with the same overall intensity that they have been playing with on the road in recent years. The Falcons look like a completely rejuvenated team and their big comeback against the Giants last week also gives them added confidence this week. Play Atlanta -1 as an *8* selection Sunday.

*10* Mississippi State Bulldogs - Auburn not only got manhandled by LSU last week, let's not forget the Tigers were fortunate to get by Jacksonville State the prior week! Additionally, in week 1 of this season, Auburn was outgained by nearly a full football field in their fortunate win over Louisville. This Tigers team has simply not even come close to impressing in any of their games this season. This has many calling for "the turnaround" to be this week but I just don't see it. The Bulldogs are the much better team, playing much better football, and the confidence of Auburn has absolutely been shaken. The Tigers are being outgained by a huge margin on the year and the Bulldogs, conversely, are outgaining their opponents by an average of over 150 yards per game this season. Mississippi State did defeat Auburn by double digits last season but they're still looking to avenge a tough 24-20 loss in their last visit to Auburn (two years ago). The Bulldogs aerial attack has been impressive this season and that includes a big performance against LSU as well. Mississippi State is 8-3 ATS as an underdog the last 3 seasons combined. While many might be looking for Auburn to bounce back off of their loss to LSU, the Tigers have gone 1-4 ATS the past two seasons when off of a conference loss. Look for them to again struggle against a conference foe in this one as that ATS trend adds another loss for Auburn.

*8* Nevada - With Nevada head coach Poulian having been a assistant at Buffalo for 5 years earlier in his career, this games carries some extra meaning for his team. It's a rare trip east for Nevada and it will be all business for them in a game against, in my opinion, what will prove to be an outclassed foe. Buffalo plays in one of the weakest conferences in football and that is why you're seeing this line where it is at even though the Bulls are at home. Nevada, already battle teasted with games against the likes of Arizona and Texas A & M will take advantage of a Buffalo team whose only truly tough test this season has been Penn State. The Nittany Lions won that game by double digits by the way. The Bulls did win huge over Florida Atlantic last week but it was a deceiving final score as the Owls outgained Buffalo by 200 yards. That is helping to give some extra line value this week with going against the Bulls and I'll gladly grab that value with Nevada.

Rickenbach NCF *8* Virginia Cavaliers +3 (or +2.5) vs Boise State @ 8 ET Friday - This is not the Boise State of the "glory years" for the Broncos and they've also taken another step back because of losing QB Ryan Finley to injury. That makes this a very tough spot for the Broncos to be a road favorite and I look for the Cavaliers to spring the "mild upset" in this one. Virginia has already been "battle tested" this season with tough games against UCLA and Notre Dame. Having lost those two match-ups the Cavaliers are looking at this game as a "statement game" and I expect a huge effort from the home dog Cavs in this one. Virginia is 7-3 ATS in non-conference action the last 3 seasons and 11-6 ATS as an underdog the last 3 years. Boise State is 1-3 ATS in games played on grass the last three seasons. The Broncos already lost at BYU this season and Boise State barely got by Washington in their season opener. Play Virginia plus the points as an *8* selection Friday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* New York Giants -3 -120 vs Washington @ 8:25 ET - The Giants have suffered two tough losses to start the season as, in both games, they have blown late double digit leads. This is now the perfect spot to back the Giants and look for them to bounce back huge. They are hosting a Redskins team that is off of a win but also that has caught a scheduling break early this season. Washington started with a Miami team (who beat the Skins and then proceeded to lose at a poor Jacksonville team). The Redskins then hosted a St Louis team that got caught still celebrating their big win over the divison rival Seattle Seahawks. Tonight's game will prove to be a much tougher test for the Redskins as the Giants have their backs against the wall and they are ready to come out kicking and fighting and doing whatever it takes to win this. I feel the Redskins are not ready to match the emotional, physical, and psycholological intensity that the Giants will bring into this game. The line drop from -4 to -3 on the Giants is certainly an added value as well. Washington is just 4-23 SU (and 8-19 ATS) as an underdog the last 3 seasons. Also, the Redskins are 6-19 ATS in games with a posted total between 42.5 and 49 points the last 3 seasons. The Giants are 6-1 ATS on Thursday night football and have won and covered each of the last four meetings with the Skins. Play the New York Giants -3 as an *8* selection Thursday.

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play on Indianapolis Colts -7 vs NY Jets @ 8;30 ET - The Colts home opener on MNF should absolutely bring out the best in them. Indianapolis is 5-1 straight-up and 4-1-1 ATS as a home favorite in a range of 3.5 to 7 points the past two seasons. They are in a great spot here to add to that record. The Colts are off of a disappointing loss at Buffalo last week but they catch the Jets off of a big win - as a host to Cleveland last week - that was a deceiving final score. The Jets did win the game 31 to 10 but their yardage edge was only 333 to 321. The big edge was the 5 to 1 in turnovers and all of this is helping to give great line value to the Colts in a bounce back spot here. Indianapolis, overall, has gone 14-4 SU and 12-5-1 ATS in home games the prior two seasons. The Colts are fired up for their home opener tonight. The Jets are an atrocious 2-12-2 ATS when on the road in an underdog role against nondivisional foes. Outside of the AFC East and away from home, look for the Jets to again get blasted tonight. Andrew Luck and the Colts have treated me well in primetime games (Thurs Nt, Sun Nt, Mon Nt) and, in fact, are 16-6-2 ATS in their last 24 appearances under the lights. I look Indy to get the job done once again here. Play Indianapolis minus the points as a *10* Top Play Monday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Seattle +3.5 @ Green Bay @ 8:30 ET - Green Bay, of course, is seeking revenge for their two losses at Seattle last season and certainly the Packers are happy they are finally the host in this one. However, the loss of Jordy Nelson to a season-ending injury just before the season started was a tough blow for this Packers offense. Sure they moved the ball well against the Bears but now they are facing the stifling defense of the Seahawks and Seattle is fired up after their OT loss to the Rams featured way too many mistakes. The Hawks defense will be flying to the ball again today as they look to take advantage of the Nelson-less Packers. A big concern for Green Bay here is the fact that they allowed over 400 yards of offense to Chicago last week. The Packers sieve-like defense will face an even tougher test today with the Seahawks in town. Seattle is 13-6-1 ATS the last 4 years when they are off of a straight-up loss. You might expect the Seahawks to sometimes be "flat" off of a divisional game but they are actually 9-4 ATS and an amazing 13-0 straight-up the last 3 years when off of a divsional game. I do expect them to get the outright win here but certainly am grabbing the generous points being offered. Play Seattle plus the points as an *8* selection Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play Philadelphia -4.5 vs Dallas @ 4:25 ET Sunday - If you're not from the Philly area you can't even come close to comprehending the hatred that the Eagles NFL fans have for the Cowboys. It honestly defies comprehension. That said, today's game is essentially their "Game of the Year". Honestly. Hosting the Cowboys. Eagles off of a road loss...and a tough one at that. Philadelphia home opener. All the variables are in place for this to be a massive early season game for the Eagles. Philadelphia played the first half last week like they were still stuck in "preseason mode" and it ultimately cost them against the Falcons. Once the Eagles got rolling in the second half (on both sides of the ball) they were clearly the better team. This week, there is no way the Eagles come out flat to start this game like they did at Atlanta. With that said, the Eagles are absolutely going to take advantage of a Cowboys team missing Dez Bryant. Philadelphia lost by 11 the last time these teams met but the Eagles had won each of the two pior meetings. It's payback time here as the Eagles look to atone for that loss to Dallas back in December. The Cowboys lost a lot of talent from last year's team and one of those key defectors, DeMarco Murray, comes back to haunt them today. Play Philadelphia minus the points as a *10* Top Play Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Atlanta Falcons +2.5 @ NY Giants @ 1 ET Sunday - With the Falcons off of their upset win at home over the Eagles and now on the road coupled with the fact that the Giants are off of a road loss and now back home you the "knee jerk reaction" is to back the Giants in this one. However, that is also what is giving the Falcons so much line value here. The fact is that the Giants were poor in more aspects of the game than just clock management in Sunday night's loss at Dallas. The Giants allowed the Cowboys to torch them for 356 yards through the air. If it weren't for three Dallas turnovers the game would have turned out much differently. The Falcons are still known for the fact that they were one of the worst defenses in the league last season. However, with the coaching change, one can already see the huge difference in how Atlanta is playing on that side of the ball. They were flying all over the field against the Eagles highly talented offense and the Falcons D made many big plays in that game. I look for more of the same today and am backing Atlanta in a "mild upset" here. The Falcons are 12-6 ATS the week after Monday night football. The Giants are still licking their wounds after the heartbreaking divisional loss last week. Play Atlanta plus the points as an *8* selection Sunday.

Rickenbach NCAAF Game #167 - *10* Top Play Iowa State Cyclones +7.5 @ Toledo @ 8 ET - Iowa State lost to rival Iowa last week and will be hungry to respond this week. The final score was deceiving last week as the Cylcones were actually ahead at the half and, even late in the game, it was a very tight game until some late scoring came - including from a late turnover the Hawkeyes took advantage of. That deceiving helps give line value here in this match-up with a Toledo team that is off of a huge upset of Arkansas last week. Look for that to leave the Rockets flat here. Also, even though Toledo did get that huge win over the Razorbacks last week don't be fooled by the fact the Rockets only allowed 12 points in the game. Arkansas had an incredible 515 yards of offense in that game. It is truly insane that the Razorbacks only scored 12 points off of that but we take advantage by getting the extra value now offered in this week's match-up. Iowa State will not be flat off of the loss. The team chemsitry on this team is different from prior years and they are fired up about responding off of a loss and getting a road win in a game they see as a must-win for bowl purposes even though it's early in the season. The Cyclones know they have a tough schedule up ahead after their bye week next week. Of course their bye week being on deck is another reason to love Iowa State in this match-up. The full focus and energy of the Cyclones is going into this game while the Rockets get caught still celebrating their big win from last week. Play Iowa State +7.5 as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach NCAAF Game #146 - *8* Georgia Bulldogs -16 vs South Carolina @ 6 ET - Normally I don't lay big points. But this game has blowout written all over it. The Bulldogs are seeking revenge for a 38 to 35 loss at South Carolina last year. This is Georgia's biggest game in the month of September. They are off of match-ups with lesser foes UL Monroe and Vanderbilt and they only have Southern on deck. That means this THE GAME for the Bulldogs in the first month of the season. As for the Gamecocks it is a much different situation. South Carolina began the season with a in-state rival match-up with North Carolina and then had to battle a tough SEC foe last week (Kentucky) and they lost that game and also lost their starting QB in the process. Connor Mitch is out for this game and he had won the QB job in spring practice by playing with poise and solid command of the offense in the off-season work. Now the job is handed over to back-up QB Perry Orth, but not by choice of course. That means this could be ugly on both sides of the ball for South Carolina because the Bulldogs are absolutely stacked at the skill positions. Georgia won't take their foot off of the gas once the beating is underway because they still remember that loss at South Carolina last year. That makes me comfortable with laying the large points here. The Gamecocks are 6-11 ATS in SEC games the last 3 years combined. In the month of September South Carolina is 2-7 ATS the last 3 years. Play Georgia -16 as an *8* selection Saturday. 

Rickenbach NCAAF *8* Florida State Seminoles -7.5 @ Boston College @ 8 PM ET - Over the last 2+ seasons the Seminoles have been favored 29 times. They are 29-0 straight-up in those games. In other words, the odds are that they definitely get the straight win at Boston College Friday night. With that said, I certainly like having this line down right around near a single TD with the Seminoles. Boston College has great numbers so far this season but they have only played Maine and Howard. Florida State has also played a "soft" schedule thusfar but it certainly hasn't been as "cupcake easy" as the two teams the Eagles have faced. With that said, this is the game where BC gets exposed because they only returned 2 starters from offense and 5 staters from defense from last year's team. The Eagles are particularly week on the offensive line and, on the other side of the ball, in the secondary. Boston College lost at home to Pittsburgh, Clemson, and Louisville last year and those defeats came by an average margin of 11 points per loss. That said, this Eagles team is much weaker than last year's team. That said, even though Florida State certainly lost some key talent coming into this year, they are still a powerhouse and the Seminoles are loaded with talent at the WR spot, have tremendous depth at running back, and their defense is bolstered by one of the nation's best groups of corners and safeties. The Eagles will struggle to get the ball downfield on the Noles and their offensive line will be a proven weakness. On the other side of the ball, the Eagles defense will be broken down for big plays as the Noles athleticism at the skill positions keys a huge road win here. Look for the Noles to improve to 7-3 ATS in their last 10 road games with another big win and cover on the road. Play Florida State -7.5 as an *8* selection Friday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Denver Broncos +3 @ Kansas City @ 8:25 ET Thursday - The Broncos are certainly still in the process of adjusting to coach Gary Kubiak and trying to get the offense in sync with Peyton Manning and Company. However, one thing is for certain. The defense was fantastic in week one and I look for a repeat effort tonight. Conversely, the Chiefs defense struggled last week as they were outgained 396 to 330 in last week's game. Kansas City was fortunate to win the turnover battle 2 to 0 in that game and that has helped to result in some line value here. The Chiefs are a strong -3 in this game and I feel they are over-valued. Denver has won each of the last four meetings between these teams and I look for the Broncos to have some different "quick offense" options available after their offensive line did struggle in last week's game. They'll have some special play-calling in place to allow for Manning to have a much better game this week. Head coach Andy Reid has struggled often in big games since taking over the Chiefs and I look for that to be the case again here. The Broncos went 12-1 straight up (and 9-3-1 ATS) in divisional match-ups the last two seasons while the Chiefs have only gone 5-7 straight-up in divisional match-ups under coach Reid. It's generous that the Broncos are receiving a solid 3 here. Play Denver +3 as an *8* selection Thursday.

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play Philadelphia Eagles -3 @ Atlanta @ 7:10 ET - The Eagles uptempo offense is tough to stop. With Sam Bradford now at QB and DeMarco Murray at RB, it just became exponentially healthier. Chp Kelly has done some great things to shake up the rest of the league with his aggressive approach on offense. The Eagles, as long as Bradford stays healthy, are likely to again be a true juggernaut on offense again this season. Atlanta hasn't faced Philadelphia since 2012 so all the looks they will see will difficult to deal with. Watching it on film is one thing. Actually dealing with it on the field is another. The Eagles have been a Top Five offense each of the past two years while the Falcons were near the bottom of the league in defense last season. Though Quinn may prove to be a good hire who does some great things in Atlanta, it's going to take him some time to get things rolling here. With that said, the Eagles are completely capable of dominating the overmatched Falcons defense in this one. Philadelphia's defense also looks improved heading into this season as they continue to work Chip Kelly's "style" of players into the roster and they are building the units they want. Getting Kiko Alonso on board is a huge plus too. The last two years, under Chip Kelly, the Eagles are 3-0 straight up and ATS on Monday nights. Philly is also 4-1 straight up and ATS in games where they are a road favorite of 3 points or less. The Falcons have gone 4-10 ATS in games where their line ranges from +3 to -3 the last two seasons combined. Play Philadelphia minus the short number as a *10* Top Play Monday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* New York Giants +6.5 @ Dallas @ 8:30 ET - The Giants have lost each meeting with the Cowboys each of the last two years. However, three of the four losses came by five points or less and the average margin of the four defeats was just 5.25 points. The Giants also outgained Dallas in 3 of the 4 meetings. The Cowboys running back by committe methodology will be tested early this season as they try to adjust to life without DeMarco Murray at running back. Look for this to put extra pressure on Tony Romo and the passing game. It's tough to get a big margin in these division rivalry games and this is especially true when you've undergone some major offseason changes, as the Cowboys surely have with departure of Murray. The Giants will be highly motivated here as coach Coughlin knows he on the hot seat coming into this year. New York has had back to back losing season and the best way to put "the talk" on the back burners for awhile would be with a huge divisional win to kick off the season. I am not expecting an outright victory here but certainly would not be surprised should that occur. The key here though is the big points as Dallas is going to be challenged all the way just to win this game let alone cover it. The Cowboys took a big gamble on the defensive side of the ball too as they picked up Greg Hardy. He's already suspended for the first four games of the season and it looks like Dallas could be a little weaker on each side of the ball to start this season. With that said, the Cowboys don't merit being favored by nearly a full TD against a division rival that, unlike them, did improve in the off-season. The Giants hasd some solid pickups in free agency and also did well in the draft and that goes for both sides of the ball. Their depth has now improved and their chomping at the big to get this season started and end their losing streak against the Cowboys. Play the New York Giants +6.5 as an *8* selection Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *10* Top Play Baltimore Ravens +4.5 @ Denver @ 4:25 ET - The Broncos have some adjusting to do. Yes, Peyton Manning is still here but this team lost a lot of key cogs in the off-season. Additionally, they have to adjust to head coach Gary Kubiak. It's likely to be a tough adjustment phase for the Broncos and this is particularly true early this season. With that said, there is a lot of value here with a Ravens team that has a fanastic system in place under their GM Newsome. The Ravens simply have a "plug and play" system that continues to produce year in and year out. Their passing game took a few hits in the off-season but they re-stocked well in the off-season with the draft, etc. Additionally, the defense was once again "Ravens D" last year and outperformed expectations as they even looked like the Ravens D of old quite frequently last season. They can step up in big games like this for sure and it would not be surprising to see Kubiak and Manning not quite on the same page together right off the bat this season. This makes it even more likely that the Ravens can get revenge for a bad loss here at Denver in 2013. With revenge on their minds as well as with having a handful of points to work with, this one easily got the call as my top side play of the week. The outright upset would not surprise and I'll grab the points here. This Broncos team is not on par with prior years' versions. Play Baltimore +4.5 as a *10* Top Play Sunday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Indianapolis Colts -2.5 @ Buffalo @ 1 ET - Buffalo certainly has imrpoved recently as was evidenced by their 9-7 record last season. However, this line is still giving them way too much respect here as they host a team that very nearly made it to the Super Bowl last season. Much is being made of Buffalo's head coach Ryan and the fact that he had success in shutting down Andrew Luck back in 2012. The key flaw in that theory is that Luck has matured tremendously since then and there is no comparison between his NFL knowledge then compared to where he is now. The Colts will once again have one of the top offenses in the league this season and let's not forget that the Bills are going with their 4th defensive coordinator in as many seasons! In addition, the fact that Buffalo added LeSean McCoy at RB is certainly a postiive but this offense was among the worst in the league last season and McCoy will find it much tougher to function in this offense compared to what he enjoyed in Philadelphia's system. The Colts certainly made some noise in the off-season and now have even more weapons at their disposal on offense. The Colts are well worth the short price here on the road as their systems are intact whereas the Bills are still adjusting to all the changes. Buffalo will improve as the season goes on but this is a tough challenge for them in Week One. Play Indianapolis minus the points as an *8* selection Sunday. 

Rickenbach NCAAF Game #391 - *10* Top Play Oregon Ducks +4 @ Michigan State @ 8 ET - In their opening road game of the season the last 14 years the Ducks have gone 11-3. The line on this particular road opener for Oregon has been climbing all week and is now offering even more value with the underdog Ducks. Oregon has gone 7-1 straight up and ATS in their last 8 true road games against ranked opponents. Both teams are off rather easy wins last week and UO QB Vernon Adams was able to get in some "nice work" as the Ducks took adavntage of facing Eastern Washington, an FCS team, and piled up 731 yards of offense. Michigan State has revenge here because of their loss to the Ducks last season but I still think Oregon just has too much firepower all over the field for the Spartans to counter all their weapons. Michigan State's secondary is a concern because they lost so much talent from last year. As for the Ducks, they simply reloaded at the skill positions and they appear to be improved in the trenches too. That's bad news for a Spartans team that was up 27-18 on the Ducks last year but then allowed Oregon to score the final 28 points of the game. That comeback win gives Oregon plenty of confidence no matter how the early going plays out in this contest. Additionally, so many are looking at the revenge factor here for the Spartans but let's not forget that Oregon lost the National Championship to a Big Ten foe (Ohio State) in January. That is signficant for two reasons. 1) After coming so close to winning ti all last year Oregon knows this game today is one of those "big games" that will define their season chances in terms of getting back to the big one. 2) This is a revenge spot for the Ducks against another quality Big Ten foe. After what Ohio State did to them in January, the Ducks want some payback and they want it now. Play Oregon +4 as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach NCAAF Game #341 - *8* Massachusetts Minutemen +13 @ Colorado @ 2 PM ET - This one truly does have situational advantages that are off the charts. Colorado is off of a long road trip to Hawaiii in week one. The Minutemen, conversely, are completely rested and ready for this game because this is their first game of the season. UMass did not play in Week One. The Minutemen also have motivation here because they lost a tough one at home against the Buffaloes last season as they let a nice lead get away from them. UMass returns a ton of starters to this seasons team and they come into the new year with plenty of confidence that this can be "their year". Also, the Buffaloes scheduling situation (already poor due to the trip to Hawaii) is even worse because they have a huge rivalry game on deck with Colorado State up next. Colorado is just 3-6 in their last 9 home openers and I love having the big points here with a dangerous dog in an advantageous spot. Play Massachusetts +13 as an *8* selection Saturday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Pittsburgh Steelers +7 @ New England @ 8:30 ET Thursday - The contrarian way of looking at games when handicapping the NFL is something that has treated me well through the years. Indeed the contrarian vantage point is something I will use again not only on opening night this season but throughout the 2015 NFL season. Most are lining up to take Tom Brady and Company in this one because his suspension was lifted and he's now able to play right away in Game 1 of the Patriots season. With all the focus on Brady being able to play, a lot of focus has been taken away from other key factors and this has resulted in great line value with Pittsburgh available at a full +7 in this game. The Patriots don't have the quality or depth of receivers they use to. This situation is exasperated in Game 1 with the Brandon LeFell injury and the fact that Julian Edelman (though playing) is bothered by an ankle injury. The Patroits also have been severely distracted by the whole Deflategate saga and they are going to have their hands full with Pittsburgh on opening night. The Steelers will be without RB Le'Veon Bell and WR Martavis Bryant but I like their depth at the skill positions. The Steelers are without their center, Maurkice Pouncey, but the rest of the offensive line looks stronger then it has in recent seasons and the Steelers have had plenty of extra to prep for being without Pouncey (out till late season). Pittsburgh has allowed some veteran players to go from the defense and Polamalu has retired. But the Steelers (on both sides of the ball) are a team built on their systems and the right personnel is in place to execute those systems. The Pats are being asked a lot here as, of course, the defending Super Bowl champions will have a target on their back all season long and this line being in the 7 range certainly seems a bit inflated. The Steelers are in this one all the way and it would not suprise to see them pull off the upset. Play Pittsburgh +7 as an *8* selection Thursday.

Rickenbach NCAAF Game #201: *10* Top Play Wisconsin Badgers +14 (or as many points as you can get - it's been a line mover) @ Alabama @ 8:00 ET - Last year I lost a heart-breaker with the Badgers in their season opener. It was against LSU and Wisconsin actually led 24-7 in the 3rd quarter and they were dominating the ground game in that match-up with the Tigers. However, they then lost some defensive lineman to injuries and they didn't have RB Gordon in the fourth quarter. They ended up narrowly missing the cover in the 4 point loss to LSU. Not only do I remember that game but the Badgers do too! They certainly want to start off this season on a winning note but that's a tall order as a two TD underdog at mighty Alabama. The key here is that we have all those points to play with in terms of getting "our" win on this game! The Badgers can absolutely hang tough throughout this game. They beat Auburn in the Outback Bowl after last season and that's the same Tigers team that outgained Bama by nearly 100 yards in their match-up last season. The Badgers love to get physical in the trenches and, as proven with Auburn, it's that type of team that can give the Crimson Tide some fits. With that said, this game is likely to stay much closer throughout than what many are forecasting. This line has jumped all the way from Alabama -9.5 all the way to -14 as of the time of my selection and now it's crashing back down to -10.5 as of the time of this final posting of analysis. The Big Dog is the way to go in this one. The Crimson Tide are of course a stellar team once again but they will have an adjustment phase early this season considering they return just 11 starters and do have some question marks at QB as well. The Badgers are on a long-term 46-33 ATS run as an underdog and Alabama has gone 2-7 ATS in non-conference action the past two seasons. Play Wisconsin PLUS the big points as a *10* Top Play Saturday.

Rickenbach NCAAF Game #175: *8* Arizona State Sun Devils +3 @ Texas A & M @ 7:00 ET - Arizona State looks strong coming into this season as 9 returning starters on the defensive side of the ball means the Aggies are running into a solid defense to open up their season. Though this location Saturday certainly favors the Aggies it it still not their true home field as they are playing Houston instead of College Station. Texas A & M has a new DC with John Chavis now making the calls on defense and the Aggies could certainly have an adjustment phase to go through with Chavis early this season. As for the Sun Devils offense, I like what I am seeing from Todd Graham's team heading into this season and they won 4 of their 6 games against ranked teams last season and one of the two losses did come when they were without their starting QB (injury). Love having the hungry dog here as the two most powerful conferences in College Football square off Saturday evening. The Aggies are a money-burning 5-12 ATS as a favorite the past two seasons. The Sun Devils have won 17 of their last 21 Saturday games and get the job done to open the season. Play Arizona State +3 as an *8* selection Saturday.

Rickenbach NCAA-F *10* Top Play Michigan Wolverines +5 @ Utah @ 8:30 ET Thursday - One of the biggest stories heading into this season is, of course, the return of Jim Harbaugh to the Wolverines. You can bet this is going to return a lot of physicality to Michigan and that insures that they match-up perfectly with a Utes offense that loves to pound the ball on the ground. The Wolverines defense is still among the tops in the nation and the key here will be that the offense of Michigan should show immediate improvement under Harbaugh. That's thanks in part to the solid work he has put in with passing game coordinator Jedd Fisch and that will pay off immediately here as the Wolverines play with revenge in this one. They lost in Michigan to the Utes by a score of 26-10 last season. It's payback time tonight and I look for the Wolverines to take advantage of a Utes team breaking in two new coordinators. That's never easy to handle in the same season and Utah is trying to adjust to a new OC and a new DC as they head into this season. The Utes are without long-time coordinators Kalani Sitake (DC) and Dave Christensen (OC). I expect this to impact the Utes early in the season and there is big value with getting the handful of points with the revenging Wolverines who will be giving 110% effort for Harbaugh in his first game. There is no doubt about that. Love the cohesiveness and emotional energy that the Wolverines will bring to this game as Harbaugh has already rejuvenated this entire program and has these players believing in themselves and their teammates. This team is ready to produce right away in Week one! Play Michigan +5 as a *10* Top Play Thursday.

Rickenbach NCAA-F *8* North Carolina Tar Heels +3 vs South Carolina @ 6 ET Thursday - Steve Spurrier has been perfect (5-0) in his career against North Carolina. Of course, as the saying goes, that's why they play the games! In other words, I am calling for an upset here and I love the fact that this line has moved from around a pick'em to now having South Carolina favored by a full field goal. There is nice underdog value here with the Tar Heels as the Gamecocks are simply over-rated just because they play in the very tough SEC. The fact is South Carolina appears to be on a downward slide and there's no amount of coaching that Spurrier can provide that's going to change that anytime soon! The Gamecocks only return 4 starters on the offensive side of the ball this season and there is particular concern along the offensive line. Many games are won in the trenches and South Carolina has simply not had the continuity necessary for their offensive line to gel yet heading into this season. The Gamecocks saw some serious injuries in the spring carry over concern into the season in terms of production from this offensive line. As for the Tar Heels, they are certainly hungry to win this "Carolina Battle" and don't want to lose again to Spurrier. That insures the motivation factor here and while South Carolina has big games on deck with their SEC home opener next week and a visit to the Georgia Bulldogs the following week, the Tar Heels have a much lighter schedule in front of them. They don't open up ACC action until October and their next three games are against North Carolina AT & T, Illinois, and Delaware! Full focus from UNC in this one for sure! The Tar Heels have the better offense here (with 9 returning starters certainly helping the cause) and I look for swift improvement on the defensive side of the ball with the hiring of Gene Chizik. Play North Carolina +3 as an *8* selection Thursday.

Rickenbach NFLX *8* Tennessee Titans +5.5 @ Kansas City @ 8 ET - The Chiefs are 2-0 in the preseason but they failed to get the cover last week as they only got by Seattle by a single point. Kansas City is once again being asked to do too much here in pre-season action as this line has climbed to a 5.5 for their Week 3 match-up with Tennessee. The Titans were an ugly 2-14 in the regular season last year but pre-season is a different animal altogther and Tennessee is coming off of a big win in last week's action. They will carry that momentum into this week's game and note that Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is just 26-38-1 (41%) ATS in pre-season action in his career. Sure he would like for his team to get the win here but he's more concerned about getting out of the pre-season without any significant injuries. Conversely, the Titans are fully motivated here as the hunger a team has off of a 2-14 regular season is quite different from that of a 9-7 team - Chiefs went 9-7 last year. Led by QB Marcus Mariota (sharp in his Week 2 performance), I look for an even stronger (and longer) effort from the rookie QB in this one. Conversely, Alex Smith looked hurried in his throws in Week Two and you know that Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt will make sure they put some pressure on him early and often in this one to keep Smith uncomfortable in the pocket. Simply too many points here for the Chiefs who, in their last 6 pre-season games, have recorded only 1 win by more than 2 points! Play Tennessee +5.5 as an *8* selection Friday.

Rickenbach NFL *8* Cincinnati Bengals +3 @ Tampa Bay @ 8 ET - The Bengals rolled the Giants 23 to 10 last Friday and that makes them 6-3 SU and 6-2-1 ATS the last 2+ pre-seasons under HC Marvin Lewis. One of the those straight-up losses came by just two points and the line move here to a full field goal at +3 is gving us added value with the road dog in this one. Tampa Bay lost their pre-season opener by a 26-16 count at Minnesota last Saturday. The Buccaneers certainly may be looking to bounce back here under HC Lovie Smith tonight but bouncing back is not something they've been able to accomplish in recent pre-season efforts. The Bucs are now 2-7 SU and 2-7 ATS the last 2+ pre-seasons. Note also that one of those victories came by a single point. This is again showing why there is even more value added with the underdog Bengals moving to a full +3 in this game. Cincy is facing a Bucs team that has gone 0-4 SU and 0-4 ATS in pre-season home games the last two years and Tampa Bay has been outscored by a combined 118 to 52 in those games. That equates to an average of a 30 to 13 defeat in each pre-season home game the last two seasons. Look for more of the same here. Play Cincinnati +3 as an *8* selection in Monday night football.

Rickenbach NFLX *8* Indianapolis Colts -3 vs Chicago @ 7:30 ET - No team has given up more points in a game thusfar in the preseason than the Colts did in Week 1 against the Eagles. Indianapolis allowed 36 points in Philly and, even though it's 'only' presseason, you can bet that a big bounce back effort is coming from the Colts in this one. We get the advantage of not only catching the Colts off of a defeat by a margin of 26 points, we can also fade a Bears team that is off of a win by a margin of 17 points. It's often match-ups like these that produce the biggest winners as you have one team ready to bounce back off of a very ugly loss while at the same time you have an opponent who is in a spot where they are likely to get a little complacent. The Bears big win was at home last week but, on the road in the preseason they have gone 1-3 the last two seasons and allowed an average of 29 points per game in those 4 games. The Bears two road games last season saw them lose by an average margin of 24 points per game! Could another ugly loss be looming here? Absolutely and that is the beauty of only having to lay a field goal with the Colts. Indianapolis was winless in the preseason last year and now off an ugly win to start this preseason. Coach Chuck Pagano and company are ready to put forth a big effort to respond in a huge way in this one while the Bears road struggles continue. Play Indianapolis -3 as an *8* selection Saturday.

Rickenbach NFLX *8* Seattle Seahawks +3 @ Kansas City @ 8 ET - I successfully played on the Chiefs in Week One as they blew right past the Cardinals in Arizona. My write-up focused on Kansas City wanting to get off to a better start in this pre-season after struggling in each of their two pre-seasons under Coach Andy Reid. They certainly did just that but they are now in a perfect spot to faded. Let's not forget that the Chiefs went just 1-7 ATS in the prior two pre-seasons and that Andy Reid has a long-term penchant for not being too concerned with huge performances in pre-season. He entered this season's NFLX campaign with a career mark of 26-37-1 ATS in pre-season. Reid's Chiefs now take on a Seahawks team that not only lost in week 1 (22-20 hosting Denver) but that is coached by a very fiery and competitive man who doesn't like to lose, even in pre-season. Coach Carroll entered this season with a 22-13-2 ATS mark in pre-season games in his career. He will have his Seahawks ready to respond here and I love taking advantage of the big line move here that has seen Seattle go from a 1 point favorite to a 3 point dog! The Seahawks won their week 2 and 3 games in pre-season action by a combined score of 75 to 20 last year and, the year before they won these key "middle games" of the pre-season by a combined score of 57 to 20. Play Seattle +3 as an *8* selection Friday. 

Rickenbach NFL *8* Kansas City Chiefs +3 @ Arizona @ 9 PM ET - The Cardinals are led by #1 QB Carson Palmer but of course you won't see much of him in this week 1 pre-season match-up. Arizona did go 11-5 in last year's regular season but they were outgained by an average of 48 yards per game! That is helping to offer some line value here as, even though it's only pre-season, this line is inflated for the Cardinals. While the Cards were a "fortunate" 11-5 last season the Chiefs come into this season hungry off of a disappointing 9-7 performance last season. Again, it's "only" pre-season but there is a different attitude in Kansas City already this summer as they prepare to quickly put last season's disappointment behind them. The Chiefs went a poor 1-3 in pre-season last year and then stumbled out of the gate into the regular season as they lost their first two games to dig an early hole. Andy Reid wants to set a different tone early this season and that starts right here in the pre-season. The Cardinals, under coach Bruce Arians, are 2-2 in home pre-season games but they've been held to 13 points or less in 3 of those 4 games. With the Chiefs kicking up the intensity another notch on the defensive side of the ball in this one, look for Arizona to again struggle to score points at home where they averaged just 10.7 points per home game in those 3 aforementioned contests. Grab the value with a hungry underdog in this one. Play Kansas City +3 as an *8* selection Saturday. 

Rickenbach NFLX *8* New York Jets +4 @ Detroit @ 7:30 ET - Great line value here with this line moving from a 3 to a 4. Of course much of the reason for the line move is the injury to Jets QB Geno Smith who ended up with a broken jaw after being punched by a teammate. With this being the first game of the pre-season, the #1 QB on the depth chart wasn't likely to play a lot anyway. That said, with the Jets giving plenty of snaps to a 2nd stringer with 89 career NFL starts, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and 3rd stringer coming in as a rookie phenom from explosive Baylor, Bryce Petty, I like New York's chances of moving the ball quite well in this one. With a rookie head coach in Todd Bowles, the motivation is with the Jets in this one. Yes, it's only pre-season but these games do matter a little more to a new head coach who wants to immediately 'set the tone' with his club. Bowles, defensive coordinator for much of his career, is of course a defensive-minded coach and he's wanting to push his players hard on that side of the ball. That means a Lions team, which won't play QB Matthew Stafford much at all in this one, is likely to struggle with on offense with back-up QB's Kellen Moore and Dan Orlovsky battling for the #2 spot for Detroit. The Lions, 11-5 last season, have much less to "prove" in pre-season than a New York Jets team that went 4-12 last season and has gone through a head coaching change and wants to get off to a winning start whether it's pre-season or not. Even though Detroit went 3-1 in the pre-season last year 3 of their 4 games were decided by just a single point! There is great value with the 4 points being offered to the underdog in this one. Play the New York Jets +4 as an *8* selection Thursday.

Rickenbach NFLX *8* Pittsburgh Steelers +3.5 vs Minnesota in Canton, OH @ 8 PM ET Sunday, August 9th - Taking advantage of the line move here. With news of a number of Steelers players out for this game, the line has moved Minnesota's way. This is offering great value to Pittsburgh. The fact is Minnesota is going to sit a lot of players in this game too. That's how the preseason is and this is particularly true in the Hall of Fame game. With teams annually complaining about having 4 preseason games, having 5 is certainly not enticing and the early games and later games in preseason see the starters play very little. It is truly just the middle games of preseason that see the starters get some significant game time action. The point is that news of starters being out for this game should do very little to adjust the line and yet it does and that offers opportunities to take advantage by fading the line moves. Even with motivation for preseason games being called into question at times, this is still a nationally televised game and NFL teams have some pride to be a part of this annual season opener. With Steeler Jerome "The Bus" Bettis being inducted in this year's Hall of Fame class, one could argue that Pittsburgh has a little extra motivation for this one. However, the real motivation key is that of Landry Jones of the Steelers. The QB has disappointed so far in his time with the Steelers and he knows it. The former Oklahoma QB has come into camp with a different attitude and work ethic this summer and it's paying off. He's expected to get the majority of playing time at QB for the Steelers in this one and with the way he's looked so far in training camp, he can be expected to have a solid performance with no shortage of motivation as he looks to atone for some past poor performances in preseason action. Landry is out to earn his positioning on the Steelers depth chart at QB and I look for him to do just that. With the line move on this game from a 2.5 up to a 3.5 there has been even more value added for the underdog Steelers. Play Pittsburgh +3.5 as an *8* selection Sunday.