Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #519 Saturday 8* Texas Tech Red Raiders (-) @ South Carolina Gamecocks @ Noon ET - Ever since their big road win at Kansas in early January, Texas Tech has struggled away from home. The Red Raiders are sick of hearing about it too and I expect them to do something about that here. Texas Tech is off of a non-covering home win versus Oklahoma State and is now 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games including 0-3 SU/ATS in road games. 13-0 at home this season but sub-.500 on the road, this is helping to give some line value here as no one wants to lay any points with the Red Raiders away from home. The fact is that South Carolina is a poor shooting team and they've been struggling badly. On the season the Gamecocks are hitting only 40.8% from the field (Texas Tech is hitting 47.1%) and also South Carolina has hit only 36.1% of their shots in their last 5 games. The Gamecocks are 0-3 ATS in home games with a posted total between 130 and 134.5 points. Texas Tech is 3-0 ATS in games where they are favored and the posted total is in the 130s this season. In other words, we have double perfect angles here favoring the Red Raiders in this one and they are 34-7 SU as a favorite which bodes well for a cover here considering the small line. 8* TEXAS TECH

Rickenbach NBA Game #814 Friday 8* Chicago Bulls (-) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 8:05 ET - The Lakers have won 3 straight games but all of those victories came in Los Angeles. Now LA is back on the road where they've lost 5 of their last 6. All 5 of those defeats came by at least 6 points and I like the hungry home team here to get the win and cover. Chicago is coming off of a disappointing road effort at Philly and should bounce right back here after back to back losses at New Orleans and Philadelphia to wrap up a 3-game road trip. That road trip began with a double digit win for the Bulls at Atlanta and that brought Chicago to 4-1 SU in their last 5 games. Also, prior to the loss to the Sixers, Chicago had covered 6 straight games. The Bulls are happy to be back home and have covered 10 of their last 13 games at the United Center. When off of a loss by 10 points or more, the Bulls are on an 8-3 ATS run. Also, Chicago is 5-2 ATS as a favorite this season. The Bulls are 7-2 ATS in Friday games this season. The Lakers are 9-22 SU (and 11-20 ATS) when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games at home. Los Angeles may be making improvements but don't lose sight of the fact that the Lakers are on a 20-83 SU run in road games including losing 15 of 21 this season. 8* CHICAGO

Rickenbach NBA Game #801 Friday 8* Atlanta Hawks (+) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - The Hornets recently lost a heartbreaker at home by a single point to the Heat. They have a shot at revenge tomorrow at Miami and, as a result, may not be giving the 14-33 Hawks their full attention. Atlanta will certainly be fully focused here as they lost by 18 points at Charlotte earliest this season and also are entering this game off of a home loss to Toronto. Prior to falling short versus the Raptors, the Hawks had won 4 of their last 6 SU and 5 of their last 7 ATS. Atlanta is 14-8 ATS when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games at home. The Hornets enter this game having failed to cover 3 straight games and they are 17-26 ATS when they enter a game off of an upset loss as a favorite. Charlotte also is only 4-9 SU in Friday games this season and the Hawks plus the big points are the way to go here. 8* ATLANTA

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #836 Friday 8* St Francis (PA) Red Flash vs Wagner Seahawks @ 5 ET - Revenge game for the Red Flash as they lost at Wagner last week after blowing a 32-25 half-time lead. St Francis came into the season expected by many to end up in the top spot in the Northeast Conference. That said, solid line value is available here with the Red Flash at home and laying a very small number in this revenge spot. St Francis is only 1 game behind the Seahawks in the conference standings and Wagner is tied at the top of the NEC. With that said, this game is even that much bigger for the Red Flash in terms of staying alive in the race for the top spot in the conference. St Francis is the better team offensively. Even though the Seahawks hold the edge in rebounding and on defense as well, look for the Red Flash offense to lead the way on their home floor at the DeGol Arena in Loretto, PA Friday. Payback time. 8* ST FRANCIS (PA)

Rickenbach CBB Game #537 Thursday 8* Youngstown State Penguins (+) @ Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers @ 8 ET - The Panthers are off of a huge upset win over Wright State. That snapped an 8-game winning streak for the Raiders and for UW-Milwaukee it means they took down one of the top teams in the Horizon League. Keep in mind that Wisconsin-Milwaukee had lost 4 straight games prior to that win and the upset victory is also likely to leave them very flat here! The fact is that it is hard to get up for taking on a Youngstown State team that annually is one of the weaker teams in the league. Of course that, coupled with the Panthers big win over Wright State, is what makes this such a dangerous spot for UW-Milwaukee. The big dog Penguins are the play here as the Panthers Jeremy Johnson (illness) and August Hass (ankle) are both questionable tonight. Each of those guys average more than 20 minutes a game and certainly they are key cogs in the rotation that could be limited tonight. Youngstown State did defeat the Panthers 3 weeks ago but the revenge angle (after the big win over the Raiders) is tough to pull the trigger on here. That's because UWM is an ugly 12-26 ATS as a favorite (including 3-9 ATS this season) and also is 2-7 ATS in conference games this season. Youngstown State is 7-1 ATS in Horizon League action this season. Look for the Penguins to improve to 5-2 ATS as a road dog in a range of 6.5 to 9 points. 8* YOUNGSTOWN STATE

Rickenbach CBB Game #520 Thursday 10* Top Play Connecticut Huskies (+) vs SMU Mustangs @ 7 ET - SMU is only 2-5 SU in games played away from home this season. Connecticut has played the tougher schedule this season in comparison with the Mustangs. Also, the Huskies are 8-2 SU at home this season. Southern Methodist is off of back to back wins but previously had lost 3 straight. Connecticut is off of back to back losses but previously had won 3 straight games. Also, the Huskies have held opponents under 41.9% from the field in 8 of their 10 home games. Hungry off of back to back losses and playing at home where their defense will be kicked up a notch, Connecticut will prove to be a tough "out" for SMU in this one! The Mustangs are 4-7 ATS against teams with a winning record this season. The Huskies are 9-1 (90%) SU in home games with a posted total between 130 and 134.5 and another upset here would not surprise. Certainly there is value in grabbing the half-dozen points with the hungry home dog here. 10* CONNECTICUT

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Wednesday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (+) @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:05 ET - The Bulls full season record does not look good but they have gone 15-9 SU the past month and a half. Also, Chicago enters this game having gone 20-5 ATS their last 25 games. The Bulls are off of a loss but have gone 8-3 ATS this season when off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. Chicago also has fared very well versus the 76ers in recent years and that includes a 4-0 SU mark in their last 4 visits to Philadelphia. Though the Sixers have also been playing well, they are without JJ Redick and TJ McConnell for this one plus Jerryd Bayless is listed as questionable. The short-handed rotation also has a big road trip on deck featuring 4 games in 6 days. The Sixers take on a Bulls team missing just one player, Kris Dunn, for this one. Chicago has covered 6 straight games and catch Philly off of an upset loss. While that may seem like a good spot to back the 76ers, Philadelphia is actually an ugly 1-8 ATS (2-7 SU) this season when off of an upset loss as a favorite. The Bulls are an incredible 11-2 ATS in their last 13 road games and get the job done again here. 10* CHICAGO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA 8* Sacramento Kings (+) @ Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - Orlando is off of a huge upset win at Boston Sunday. Now they host a poor Kings team which makes this the perfect spot to expect a letdown. It is hard to imagine the Magic being very hyped up for this game and their win over the Celtics was only the 3rd time in their last 34 games that they have won a game by more than 6 points. In other words, the odds of a big win and cover for Orlando are quite slim here. I know the Kings have underachieved and may seem like a tough team to back but, keep in mind, the Magic are 2-6 ATS when off of an upset win as an underdog. Also, the big key is Orlando is 2-12 ATS when facing a team with a losing record this season. As you can see, the Magic are already known for underestimating opponents with poor records. That said, off of an exciting win and with another Eastern Conference opponent (the Pacers) on deck, Orlando looks right past Sacramento tonight. The Kings are 15-10 ATS (and a surprising 14-11 SU) in Tuesday games the past 2+ seasons combined. They may not get the outright win here but they at least get the cover in this perfect spot for an upset! 8* SACRAMENTO

Top Play Special - Rickenbach CBB Game #513 Tuesday 10* Arkansas Razorbacks (+) @ Georgia Bulldogs @ 6:30 ET - With the Razorbacks still winless (ATS) in SEC games, the Bulldogs look "too easy" here as a home team at nearly a pick'em price. Of course you know what happens most of the time when something looks "too easy". The fact is that Arkansas is the play here as they are the much better team offensively and Georgia won't be able to keep up. The Razorbacks are averaging 85.1 points per game this season while the Bulldogs are averaging 69.9 points a game. Arkansas is knocking down 49.3% of their shots from the field including 39.6% from three point land. In games with a posted total in the 140s the Razorbacks are 15-7 ATS including 2-0 ATS this season. Arkansas is also 4-1 ATS in games where they are a road dog of 3 points or less. Arky also is 13-5 SU (and 11-5 ATS) in Tuesday night games. The Hogs are 8-3 SU this season when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. At game 15 or later in a season, when the Bulldogs face a team that is averaging 77 points or more per game, they've gone 8-14 SU. As I said above, Georgia struggles to keep up with high scoring, better shooting teams. Yes the Dogs have the better defense but the Razorbacks have too many scoring options! 10* ARKANSAS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #802 Sunday 8* Boston Celtics (-) vs Orlando Magic @ 1:05 ET - The Celtics are playing their final home game before embarking on a 4-game West Coast road trip. Boston is off of rare back to back home losses as they just didn't seem to recover after the trip across the pond to London where they defeated the division rival Sixers. Boston now hosts an Orlando team that was down huge at Cleveland Thursday but then rallied late in the 1-point loss. That is offering some line value here because, simply put, the Magic are not a very good team. The Celtics, off of an upset loss as a favorite, will respond big here against Orlando. 4 of the last 5 times they've faced the Magic they've won by 15 points or more including a pair of blowout wins by 30 points. At home, Boston is an incredible 35-12 ATS versus Orlando! The Magic are only 11-19 ATS when playing with revenge this season. Overall, the Magic are 2-6 ATS in divisional games. The Celtics are 6-2 ATS this season when off of an upset loss as a favorite. Boston is also 37-22 ATS long-term against Southeast Division opponents. The Celtics roll here and cover the big number as they need a home win here as this will be their last time playing as a host until the final day of January. 8* BOSTON

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Saturday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (+) @ Atlanta Hawks @ 5:05 ET - When something looks too easy it usually is anything but that. This is a prime example of that as Atlanta opened up at a pick'em at home and is now a 2-point favorite as people jump on board to fade a Chicago team that is just 6-16 SU on the road. The key to the value here is the Bulls have been red hot but yet are off of a SU loss. Chicago fell short against the defending champion Warriors Wednesday but the Bulls did the cover. It is now a perfect 4-0 ATS run for Chicago. Speaking of perfect runs, the Bulls are also 9-0 ATS this season in games against Southeast Division opponents. The Hawks are an ugly 1-7 SU against Southeast Division foes. While the Bulls are hungry off of a loss, Atlanta is off of back to back wins and feeling a little too good about themselves. This is the type of game where upsets happen and lets not forget that the Hawks had lost 5 of 6 before notching those back to back victories. The Bulls have had some recent success versus the Hawks as a host but they've fallen short in recent visits to Atlanta so there is plenty of motivation for Chicago here. The Hawks are an ugly 2-6 SU when off of an upset win as an underdog. The double perfect edges for the Bulls, noted above, combine for a 13-0 ATS mark. 10* CHICAGO

Big 12 Game of the Year - Rickenbach CBB Game #562 Saturday 10* Top Play Oklahoma State Cowboys (+) vs Oklahoma Sooners @ 2 ET - The Cowboys lost badly at Oklahoma early this month but Oklahoma State was simply done in by ridiculously hot shooting by the Sooners. I certainly don't expect a repeat of that on the road in Stillwater and the home dog Cowboys have a great shot at the upset here. For Oklahoma State, this is truly their "Game of the Year" as they host their biggest rival as a highly ranked foe in this one plus the Cowboys seek revenge. Keep in mind OSU had won each of the prior two meetings and 1 of their 2 prior losses had come by just 2 points. The Sooners hit a ridiculous 15 of 27 three-pointers in the January 3rd win and that won't be repeated here. OU, from Game 15 onward in a season, is on a 12-23 ATS run in games against teams with a winning record. Also, Oklahoma is on a 19-31 ATS run as a favorite. As for Oklahoma State, they have a long-term mark of 10-5 SU (and 11-4 ATS) when playing with a revenge from a blowout loss of 20 points or more. Keep in mind, in that bad loss at Norman, the Cowboys took 25% more shots from the field than did the Sooners. OSU had 80 field goal attempts in the game while the Sooners had 64. I know the phenom for Oklahoma needs a bounce back game but he has been exposed a bit in losses to West Virginia and Kansas State. Both those losses were on the road and this is another tough venue to play in. Give me the home dog BIG in this one. 10* OKLAHOMA STATE

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Game #803 Friday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (-) @ Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 - The Heat are seeking revenge here for an embarrassing home loss to the Nets just 3 weeks ago. Miami was blown out by 24 in that ugly defeat versus Brooklyn and payback is on order here. Prior to that loss the Heat were 7-1 SU and ATS in their last 8 meetings with the Nets so they've certainly had their number. Also, Miami is 15-5 SU their last 20 games while Brooklyn has lost 14 of their last 19 games so you can clearly see this is a case of two teams going opposite directions. Also, the Nets have been held under 42.5% from the field in 6 of their last 7 games while the Heat have shot at least 46% from the field in 7 of their last 9 games. Miami is on an incredible 30-13 ATS run when playing with home loss revenge. Also, the Heat are 15-3 SU when facing a team with a losing record. That is a key here as this line is very small so there is a high percentage chance that any SU win is also an ATS win in this one! The Nets are 25-40 ATS when they enter a game on a SU losing streak of 3 or more games. Brooklyn is also on an ugly 23-86 SU run in games against teams with a winning record. 10* MIAMI

Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #540 Thursday 10* Top Play Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+) vs Virginia Cavaliers @ 8 ET - Virginia has been stellar this season and is certainly a tough team to play against due to their stout defense. However, another solid defense in the Atlantic Coast Conference is certainly that of Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets are allowing just 62.8 points per game on the season. This is a big number for the Cavaliers to cover on the road considering Georgia Tech has a penchant for getting into low-scoring grinder-type games just like Virginia does. With that said, the Cavs are in for a real battle here. The Yellow Jackets are on a 5-1 SU run and also a 5-0 ATS run. GT is allowing only 58.5 points per game in their last 6 games. In recent seasons the Cavaliers are only 14-12 SU in road games so it won't be a surprise to see this one turn into a bit of a dogfight. The Jackets are on an incredible 16-3 ATS run in January games. Also, Georgia Tech is 28-14 ATS in conference games. When facing a team with a winning record after the midway point in a season (game 15 or later), the Yellow Jackets have gone 25-11 ATS. 10* GEORGIA TECH

Rickenbach CBB Game #513 Thursday 8* Illinois-Chicago Flames (-) @ Youngstown State Penguins @ 7 ET - The Flames are off of a home loss to Oakland which snapped a 3-game win streak for UIC. As a result, Illinois-Chicago is in a great "play on" situation here as they travel to Youngstown State. We're getting line value with a low number on this game since the Flames are on the road. That fact is that Illinois-Chicago is 5-2 SU (and 4-1 ATS) in games against teams with a losing record this season. Youngstown State has been awful on the defensive end this season. The Penguins are allowing 82.9 points per game on 51.3% shooting from the field including 37.9% from beyond the arc. UIC is the much better team on the defensive end. Also, Youngstown State has lost 12 of its last 15 games. All but one of those dozen losses have come by at least a 7-point margin. The strength of the Flames is their frontcout while that same area is the biggest weakness of the Penguins. UIC has arguably the top frontcourt in the Horizon League. In other words, this is a mismatch. Lay the small number. 8* ILLINOIS-CHICAGO

Rickenbach CBB Game #600 Thursday 8* Tennessee State Tigers (-) vs Austin Peay Governors @ 6 ET - This line is right around a pick'em which has opened up fantastic line value on the Tigers to just win at home. Tennessee State played very well in a tight loss at SIU-Edwardsville Saturday so they are extra hungry to bounce back here at home The Tigers are 4-3 in home games this season while the Governors are just 1-6 in road games. Of course the line is where it is because when you look at the overall records of these teams it would be easy to assume that Austin Peay is the better team. That is simply not the case and I look for Tennessee State to win big at home here. This is the first time the Tigers have hosted the Governors since they knocked them out of the Ohio Valley Conference tournament two years ago. Payback time here. Austin Peay lost all 5 starters from last year's team and has a new head coach this season. It is early in conference action so don't be surprised if the Governors start to slip while the Tigers move their way up the conference standings. That begins here. Austin Peay is 12-26 SU in road game in recent seasons while Tennessee State is 23-11 SU in home games. Also, as a home favorite in a range of 3 points down to a pick'em, the Tigers are 6-1 SU and ATS! 8* TENNESSEE STATE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Wednesday 8* Washington Wizards (+) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - I like catching the Wizards beginning a 5-game road trip and focusing on this as a chance to bounce back after a loss on Monday. I like fading the Hornets as they "let up" here knowing that this is the beginning of a 5-game homestand. Charlotte could get caught feeling a little too good about themselves after their big win Monday. The Hornets are 3-8 SU this season when off of a win by a double digit margin. Charlotte has lost 3 of 4 this season when off of an upset win as an underdog. The Wizards are 11-3 ATS as an underdog this season but one of those losses was a 5-point defeat at Charlotte in their only match-up with the Hornets so far this season. Time for payback here. 8* WASHINGTON

Ultra Early Blowout - Rickenbach CBB Game #726 Wednesday 10* Top Play Dayton Flyers (+) @ St Joseph's Hawks @ 6:30 ET - Of course the Hawks wish they had Charlie Brown but he never even played a game this season. The same holds true for Lamarr Kimble but he only played 1 game and is now out for the season. While those are known "issues" for St Joseph's, they certainly are also further weakened here by the fact that 6'8 Pierfrancesco Oliva is currently dealing with the flu. He leads the team in rebounds and is 2nd in assists. Though he may indeed play tonight I expect him to be at less than 100%. With that said, there is value here with a Dayton team that still is seeking some revenge here. Yes the Flyers beat the Hawks in their match-up last season but they did lose their last visit to St Joseph's and also were eliminated from the Conference Tourney by the Hawks in March of 2016. While St Joe's is hitting only 41% of their shots this season, the Flyers are hitting 48% from the field this season. Also, Dayton allows 5 points per game less than the Hawks do. In games with a posted total in the 150s the Flyers are on a 5-1 SU run. Also, when it is game 15 or later in the season, and Dayton faces a team with a losing record, the Flyers are a perfect 10-0 SU. The Hawks are 1-4 ATS as a favorite this season. Also, St Joseph's is 3-6 SU this season in games against teams with a winning record. As a home fave of 3 points or less in recent seasons, the Hawks have gone 2-5 ATS. 10* DAYTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #525 Tuesday 10* Top Play Louisville Cardinals (+) @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ 7 ET - After this line opened up at a 1.5 on the Irish it has already moved up to a -3. Of course that is the power of home court in the betting markets' eyes and it would seem justified here. That's because Notre Dame is on a 6-0 SU and ATS run in home games versus Louisville. However, this is one of those cases where there is more than meets the eye at first glance. The fact is that the Irish have built much of their 13-3 start on the backs of Bonzie Colson and Matt Farrell. Notre Dame now enters this game off of back to back losses and Colson (leading rebounder and leading scorer) is out with a foot injury. Farrell (leads teams in assists and second in scoring) is questionable tonight with an ankle injury. Though he may indeed play tonight he is not 100% and these two players are key guys for ND no doubt. Another key to the value with this play is that the Cardinals have played the tougher schedule in comparison with the Fighting Irish so far this season. As a road dog of 3 points or less the Cards are a long-term 19-10 ATS. The Cardinals enter this game on a 4-game ATS win streak while the Irish, not including true road games, are on a 2-4 ATS run. In other words home court hasn't been overly favorable to Notre Dame of late. 10* LOUISVILLE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #753 Monday 8* New Hampshire Wildcats @ UMass-Lowell River Hawks @ 2:30 ET - The Wildcats returned all 5 starters from last season's team and even though they are winless away from home this season, don't be fooled by that here. UMass-Lowell is in its first year of full eligibility as a Division 1 program and they are still going through a transition phase. They are winless so far in America East Conference action and just got blasted at home by the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) on Saturday. That makes this a short rest spot for the River Hawks and they're facing a New Hampshire team that is 2-1 so far in conference action. The Wildcats lone loss was also to UMBC but they lost that game by only 4 points on the road while UMass-Lowell lost to the Retrievers by 27 points even though the River Hawks were at home for that game. 8* NEW HAMPSHIRE

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #705 Monday 8* Milwaukee Bucks (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 2:05 ET - The Bucks had their worst shooting performance in 5 years yesterday at Miami. After that game ended up an ugly loss, Milwaukee will respond in a big way today. Though the Wizards were off yesterday they are coming off of a crazy overtime win versus Brooklyn Saturday where they blew a 20+ point lead. The fact Washington hung on for the win in overtime while the Bucks are fired up off of a rare game where they were held under 80 points means my money is on Milwaukee is in this one! The Wizards are on an 0-5 ATS run. Washington is also an ugly 8-21 ATS as a favorite this season. 8* MILWAUKEE

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #822 Sunday 10* Top Play Rutgers Scarlet Knights (+) vs Ohio State Buckeyes @ 7 ET - Ohio State is off of a huge win versus Maryland where everything went right for the Buckeyes and everything went wrong for the Terrapins. The Buckeyes have been shooting the ball very well but most of those games have been at home. Now they are on the road and they're facing a scrappy Scarlet Knights team that is looking to bounce back off of a tight 4-point loss at Michigan State. Keep in mind, prior to that game Rutgers fought hard for a home win versus Wisconsin. Certainly the Scarlet Knights were not expected to follow that up with playing so well against the Spartans as a 22 point underdog but that is precisely what they did. The fact is that Rutgers, particularly on their home floor and playing with a lot of confidence, will be tough for the Buckeyes to "put away" in this one. With the way the Scarlet Knights have been playing, they have a great shot at the upset here which makes the points very valuable here. This is particularly true with the markets backing the Buckeyes heavily as this line has been driven all the way up to a 7. The Scarlet Knights are 6-0 ATS at home this season. The Buckeyes are 0-3 ATS in their last 3 match-ups with Rutgers. That means we have a combined 9-0 ATS spot here favoring the Scarlet Knights over Ohio State. I'll take it as the public is backing them in this revenge spot but the home dog is going to bring plenty of fight to this one! 10* RUTGERS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #801 Sunday 8* Milwaukee Bucks (+) @ Miami Heat @ 1:05 ET - The Bucks are fired up off of a double digit home loss to Golden State. The Heat are coming off of a 3-day break but had won 6 straight games prior to the time off. When a team is as hot as Miami was, time off is actually not helpful. Look for the break to cost the Heat their momentum and they are back home where they are just 5-13 ATS this season. Also, Miami is just 2-6 ATS against Central Division opponents, 3-7 ATS off of an upset win as an underdog, and 1-5 ATS in Sunday games. Milwaukee is 12-4 ATS when they enter a game off of 3 or more consecutive unders. Also, the Bucks are 6-2 SU this season when off of a double digit loss. After losing to the defending champs at home by 14 points they resume their hot shooting here and get back on track on the road. 8* MILWAUKEE

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NBA Game #508 Saturday 8* Washington Wizards (-) vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:05 ET - The Nets rallied for a big upset win at Atlanta last night. Brooklyn wanted that game badly as there is some history there for coach Kenny Atkinson. Now the Nets go into the opposite situation. They are now the hunted instead of the hunter as the Wizards have revenge on their minds here. Washington has not only lost two straight to Brooklyn, the Wizards were thoroughly embarrassed in a 35 point loss in their most recent meeting which was just a few days before Christmas. The Wizards certainly have payback on their minds here and Washington has won their last two home meetings with the Nets by an average margin of 22 points per game! Brooklyn, prior to their upset win over the Hawks yesterday, had shot a combined 36.5% from the field in their 3 prior games! That said, I expect the hot-shooting Wizards to win this one in a rout tonight! Washington has averaged 116.8 points per game in their last 8 home games. The Nets had been held to 98 points or less in 4 of their last 5 games prior to last night's upset win. The Wizards are a long-term 26-13 (67%) ATS versus the Nets. Brooklyn is on a 13-25 ATS run in January games even though they've had some success so far this month. The Nets run into a brick wall tonight! 8* WASHINGTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #526 Saturday 8* Minnesota Golden Gophers (+) vs Purdue Boilermakers @ Noon ET - The Golden Gophers are off of an embarrassing loss at Northwestern. They certainly were still adjusting without Amir Coffey and Reggie Lynch. Rest assured, the Golden Gophers will play much better at home in this one even though those two players are still out. Minnesota shot an unreal 30% from the field plus allowed 83 points. The Golden Gophers are 3-1 SU when they are off of a game this season where they allowed 80 or more points. Also, Minnesota is 7-2 ATS when, after the midway point of a season, they face a team that averages 77 points or more per game. In other words, look for the Golden Gophers to "D up" here at home after that embarrassing loss. Last season Minnesota won at Purdue and the Golden Gophers home loss in this series came by just 4 points in the prior season. I expect another tight one here as Minny wants to make up for their effort against the Wildcats and they're relishing this opportunity to knock off a highly ranked Big Ten foe at home. Purdue is off of a tight win at Michigan and they are 1-3 ATS this season when off of a win in conference action. 8* MINNESOTA

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #820 Friday 8* Yale Bulldogs (-) vs Brown Bears @ 5:30 ET - The Bears have the better record so far this season but the Bulldogs have played the much tougher non-conference schedule. Now that Ivy League action gets underway, Yale is going to benefit from all those tough non-conference match-ups they endured. The Bulldogs are without forward Jordan Bruner and guard Makai Mason. However, they were without those players most of last season too and yet they still finished 3rd in the conference. As for Brown, they were at the bottom of the Ivy League standings last season with a 4-10 conference record and a similar result is expected this season. Yale is 3-0 SU (and 2-0 ATS) when off of a game where they were held to 66 points or less this season. That said, with the Bulldogs off of a 74-60 loss at Georgia Tech Saturday, look for another big win here. Brown is off of a win but it came against New Jersey Tech and the game was played in Providence and that was over a week ago. In other words, don't be surprised if the Bears are very rusty here as this is their first game in nearly a week and a half. The home team is offering great line value here and I'll lay the points with the battle-tested Bulldogs. 8* YALE

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #513 Thursday 10* Top Play Maryland Terrapins (+) @ Ohio State Buckeyes @ 7 ET - The Terrapins are already without Justin Jackson and Ivan Bender and now they lost Dion Wiley for this game. Certainly this has impacted the depth of the Terps but they didn't have Wiley in the 2nd half of their big win over Iowa and it was the 2nd half where Maryland made their big run against the Hawkeyes. That said, the fact this game is on regular rest (haven't played since Sunday) and the fact the Buckeyes are off of a huge upset win over Michigan State, this is a great spot to back the road dog. Maryland has won 4 straight meetings with Ohio State and Maryland lost by 30 points to the same Spartans team that the Buckeyes just rolled by 18 points. You can bet that the Terrapins are well aware of all this and are looking to make a statement against a Buckeyes team that is likely to get caught still celebrating this win. The Terps are on a 13-6 ATS run as an underdog and certainly this is their preferred role at the betting window! Ohio State is 11-19 ATS (including 2-4 ATS this season) in games with a posted total in the 140s. The Buckeyes will be caught back on their heels in this one as the Terrapins look to make up for the ugly loss at Michigan State in their most recent road game. 10* MARYLAND

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #902 Thursday 8* Philadelphia 76ers (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 3:05 ET (Game played in London) - This is a neutral site game even though the Sixers are listed as the home team. That said, why are the 33-10 Celtics listed as such a small favorite against a Philadelphia team that is improved but still only playing .500 ball on the season? Precisely! As you know, when something looks too good to be true it usually is and, in this case, the Celtics are priced this way with good reason! The 76ers are the play here! Though Boston has won 6 straight games Philly has won 4 straight games and 5 of their last 6. The Sixers blew out Detroit by 36 points in their most recent game. Philadelphia is 6-1 ATS this season when off of a win by a double digit margin. Also, the 76ers are 22-9 ATS in January games the past 2+ seasons. The Celtics are 17-23 ATS in divisional games the past 2+ seasons and I expect Boston to drop to 0-3 ATS this season when off of a game where they allowed 85 points or less. Off of a tight 2-point win at Brooklyn, look for the Celtics to fall short here as the Sixers have been shooting the ball much better than Boston has in recent games. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #611 Thursday 8* Lafayette Leopards (+) @ Army Black Knights @ Noon ET - Lafayette played the tougher non-conference schedule in comparison with Army and it has helped the Leopards to be ready for for conference play. Though they're coming off of an OT loss, Lafayette has been ultra-competitive and were going for their 3rd straight win before succumbing to Bucknell in overtime. 5 of the Leopards 7 losses since Thanksgiving have come by 5 points or less. Army is off of a win at American but the Black Knights turned the ball over 25 times in that game. Army is only 4-4 SU in their last 8 games and 2 of their last 5 wins have been by 7 points or less. With more sloppy guard play expected here (25 team turnovers versus the Eagles), I look for the Black Knights to struggle to pull away in this one and it is likely to be a tight game all the way. Teams in the Patriot League don't get a lot of "lined" games but the Leopards are 4-1 ATS their last 5 in conference action. Army is 0-2 ATS as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points. Combined 6-1 (86%) ATS spot favoring the road dog in this one. 8* LAFAYETTE

TV Big East Beast - Rickenbach CBB Game #763 Wednesday 10* Top Play Xavier Musketeers (+) @ Villanova Wildcats @ 8 ET - Xavier is off of a poor performance at Providence but it was not a huge surprise as they were clearly looking ahead to this showdown with the Wildcats at Villanova. Also, the Musketeers did play better in the 2nd half against the Friars and the difference tonight is that they'll be ready from the opening tip! Xavier had won 10 straight before the loss at Providence and were 15-1 overall on the season. The Wildcats are the #1 team in the nation and certainly should get this win at home but they are over-priced with a very challenging team coming to the Main Line to pay them a visit in Philly. The Musketeers are 82-30 SU when off of a loss against a conference rival. The Wildcats are 14-23 ATS when off of a win against a conference rival. A lot of points expected here and I look for Xavier to improve to 4-1 ATS this season in their games with a posted total in the 160s. Keep in mind, the Wildcats had trouble stopping the 3-ball in their recent games against Marquette and Butler. That said, the Musketeers are another dangerous team from three point land. 10* XAVIER

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Wednesday 8* Miami Heat (+) @ Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - On the surface this seems like a bad spot for the Heat. However, upon closer inspection it is the Pacers in a "sandwich" spot in terms of their schedule while Miami is going to be highly motivated here. Even though this is a back to back spot for the Heat they are still charged up after their win in Toronto last night where the Raptors seemed more interested in picking fights than playing basketball. Ultimately Miami prevailed and now they are looking to avenge one of their worst home losses of the season. The Pacers took it to the Heat (thanks to red hot shooting) in Miami in November when they won by 25 points. Keep in mind this type of result is certainly the exception rather than the norm as the Heat had won 3 of the 4 prior meetings and the lone loss came by just 4 points. The Pacers "sandwich" spot is because this is a non-divisional game sandwiched between two big divisional games. First off Indiana beat Milwaukee (a team right above them in the division) Monday. Secondly, the Pacers have a home date with Cleveland (defending Eastern Conference champs and currently in 1st place in the division) on deck for Friday. The Pacers are 4-7 ATS this season when off of a win by double digits. The Heat are a long-term 29-13 ATS when playing a game with home loss revenge and, again, that home loss was ugly! Payback here. 8* MIAMI

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #501 Tuesday 8* Miami Heat (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:35 ET - Not only is this a back to back spot for the Raptors, not only did last night's win come in OT on the road at Brooklyn, Toronto also saw Kyle Lowry get hurt and exit the game very late. Early indications are back spasms but, even if the plays tonight, he won't be 100%. The Raptors are vulnerable here in the 2nd game of a back to back and, though Toronto has been hot, Miami has been very hot too and are definitely the more rested team here. The Heat have won 4 straight games and 11 of their last 15. This will be only the 4th game in the last 10 days for Miami. For Toronto, this is their 5th game in 9 days. The Raptors have held the upper hand in this series in recent meetings and that is particularly true in games played in Toronto. With that said, look for the Heat to take advantage of the situation here and get some revenge! The Raptors are just 1-2 in their last 3 back to backs and the lone win came by only 5 points. Strong shooting performances by Miami has helped lead the way to 4 straight overs. That holds significance here as the Heat have gone 9-3 SU when they enter a game on an over streak of 3 games or more. Toronto is 10-18 ATS (including 1-3 ATS this season) in Tuesday games. More of the same here. 8* MIAMI

Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #529 Tuesday 10* Top Play Texas Tech Red Raiders (+) @ Oklahoma Sooners @ 7 ET - Of course the money came in early on the Sooners here as they are at home and playing with revenge and opened up as a very small favorite in this one even though the game is being played in Norman. The fact is that the Red Raiders are still highly doubted by many but this is a very good Texas Tech team that plays fantastic defense, has a deep bench, and gets key contributions by using a deeper player rotation than many other teams. That is a key variable that helps them greatly here against a Sooners team that relies so heavily on their freshman phenom at point guard. The Red Raiders are allowing just 59 points per game on the season. Texas Tech is off of another strong effort versus Kansas State in their most recent game and the Red Raiders are 5-1 ATS this season after allowing 60 points or less in their prior game. Also, Texas Tech is 8-1 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. Oklahoma is 8-14 ATS when, after the midway point of a season, they face a team averaging 77 points or more per game. The Sooners are also just 18-29 ATS as a favorite and the Red Raiders rebounding margin, defensive stats, and bench depth speak volumes here in a game where I am projecting the outright win but certainly am happy to grab the points being offered. 10* TEXAS TECH

Rickenbach CBB Game #509 Tuesday 8* Georgetown Hoyas (+) @ St John's Red Storm @ 6:30 ET - Everyone who has followed me early this season certainly knows I am anything but enamored with Georgetown. However, this is a great spot to back the Hoyas. They are 17-7 ATS as a road dog of 6.5 to 9 points and this is a key revenge game for them. The Red Storm knocked Georgetown out of the conference tourney by a single point last March. Also, in their last regular season meeting St John's prevailed by 6 points at home. While the Red Storm have those back to back wins in this series, both wins were tight and the Hoyas had previously won 3 straight in this series by a margin of 20 points or more. This is an unusual price range for the Red Storm and they have covered just 1 time the last 5 times they've been a home favorite in a range of 6.5 to 9 points. Also, when St John's enters a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games, the Red Storm have gone 3-19 SU. Marcus LoVett is out for St John's this evening and the Hoyas are hungry to get back on the floor after an embarrassing home loss to Creighton Saturday. Revenge time for the road dog in this one. 8* GEORGETOWN

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #717 Monday 10* Top Play Navy Midshipmen (+) @ Colgate Raiders @ 5 ET - The Midshipmen have won 10 of their last 13 games. Just like Colgate, Navy returned 4 starters this season. The difference is that the Midshipmen have proven they do play up to their potential while the Raiders continue to underperform. On paper, Colgate looks good but they just continue to fall short on the court. The Raiders are 2-1 in Patriot League action but their two wins came against American and Holy Cross. Those two teams are two of the three weakest teams in the conference. Colgate's 2 prior wins came against Pitt-Bradford and New Jersey Tech - not exactly powerhouses! Prior to that the Raiders had lost 4 straight and they do enter this game off of a loss to Lafayette and the Leopards are projected to finish dead last in the Patriot League. With that said, Colgate is being priced here based on home court edge but that would be home court edge if they were the better team. They truly are NOT the better team and that means we are getting a favorable line here with the much better team. The Midshipmen are 15-4 SU in January games. The Raiders are 8-20 SU in games against teams with a winning record. 10* NAVY

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #843 Sunday 10* Top Play Arizona State Sun Devils (-) @ Utah Utes @ 8 ET - The Sun Devils started the season 12-0 and then lost by 6 at Arizona. Of course this let the wind out of their sails and it wasn't a complete surprise when they then fell flat at Colorado and lost by 9 as a 9-point favorite. Now, after getting that game out of the way where they suffered "unbeaten letdown" after the loss to the Wildcats, the Sun Devils should come roaring back here. Enough is enough and this is a team that certainly proved themselves in early season wins over Kansas and Xavier. Now it is time to get rolling in conference action and a win at Utah is what ASU needs (and gets!) tonight. The Utes have been a nemesis for the Sun Devils in recent seasons and Arizona State lost at home last season plus got embarrassed two years ago in their most recent visit to Utah. The Sun Devils lost that game by 35 points and were down 44-10 at halftime. You can bet that ASU has revenge on their minds here and yet we are getting a low line here because of the back to back losses that Arizona State just suffered after their 12-0 start. Keep in mind, ASU is 9-0 ATS this season when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. Utah, in home games with a posted total between 155 and 159.5 points, is 0-3 ATS in recent seasons. That means we have a combined 12-0, 100% ATS stat working in our favor here and I love this situation for the under-valued Sun Devils as they respond after B2B losses. 10* ARIZONA STATE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #801 Sunday 8* Utah Jazz (+) @ Miami Heat @ 3:35 ET - The Jazz were held to just 74 points in their home loss to Miami two months ago. Shockingly, they had a 49-37 lead at halftime in that game! Scoring just 25 points at home in the entire second half of a game is something a team does not forget and payback is on order here! The 74 points that Utah scored against the Heat remains their season low and, after this game, the Jazz won't see Miami again until next season. In other words, Sunday "it is on!" and I expect a huge game from the road dog in this one. The road team has covered 4 of the last 5 meetings between these teams. Also, Miami is just 5-12 ATS at home this season plus the Heat are only 1-4 ATS in Sunday games this season. The Jazz are off of a loss at Denver but are 27-15 SU the past 3 seasons when off of a divisional game. 8* UTAH

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #813 Sunday 8* Temple Owls (+) @ Central Florida Golden Knights @ Noon ET - This line opened up at a -3 and, of course, everyone jumped all over 11-4 Central Florida at home over 7-7 Temple on the road. In typical contrarian fashion I am on the other side here. The Owls were swept by the Golden Knights last season and it is time for revenge. Also, 3 of the last 4 meetings between these teams have been decided by just 2 points each! In other words, with this line having moved up to 4.5 there is a lot of value with the dog in this match-up. Yes, Central Florida has the better record but Temple has played the tougher schedule. The Owls enter this game on a losing streak of 4 straight games but the last two losses have each come by 3 points or less. Also, Temple is 4-0 ATS when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. 8* TEMPLE

Game of the Week - Rickenbach CBB Game #649 Saturday 10* Top Play Kansas Jayhawks (-) @ TCU Horned Frogs @ 9:15 ET - This is a huge revenge game for Kansas. They were knocked out of the Big 12 Tournament in the quarterfinals last year in a tight loss to TCU. The fact that this game is in Texas actually helps because it means the line is manageable. In fact, the line is basically a pick'em which is a great value. Yes the Jayhawks looked awful in their loss to Texas Tech but that was a wake-up call for this team and clearly Kansas was also likely peeking ahead to this game which was circled on their calendars. The Jayhawks are 57-12 SU (including 6-0 past 2 seasons) when they are off of a loss in Big 12 action. Also, Kansas is 75-15 SU when off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more! In recent seasons, the Jayhawks are 56-12 SU against teams with a winning record while the Horned Frogs are 24-36 SU. I fully realize that TCU is an improving basketball program but they're still catching a revenge-minded Jayhawks team at absolutely the wrong time and Kansas (and head coach Bill Self) will be ready to go here! The Horned Frogs are 12-31 SU in conference games in recent seasons. The Jayhawks are 35-7 SU over the same time period. 10* KANSAS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #805 Friday 8* Minnesota Timberwolves (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 7:05 ET - Perfect set up here with the Timberwolves off of a tight one point loss at Brooklyn on Wednesday while the Celtics are off of a huge double digit revenge win over the Cavaliers the very same night. Boston can't help but be a little flat here after that key victory while Minnesota comes into this one very hungry. Also, Minny is playing this game with double revenge as they lost both match-ups to the Celtics last season. Additionally, Minnesota has not lost back to back games since prior to Thanksgiving. This team has done a great job of bouncing back off of a loss and I expect them to do it again here. 11-3 SU is the Timberwolves record when off of a loss this season and here we are getting them plus a few points so I'll gladly take it. Boston is 8-13 ATS when they enter a game having played each of their prior games at home and this is definitely a spot in which they are likely to be complacent after the huge win over LeBron James and company. 8* MINNESOTA

TV Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #828 Friday 10* Rutgers Scarlet Knights (+) vs Wisconsin Badgers @ 7 ET - The Badgers are very banged up in the backcourt right now with three guards listed on their injury report. Wisconsin has won 5 of 6 meetings with Rutgers but it was no mistake when the oddsmakers opened up this game at very nearly a pick'em price. The betting markets have given us a lot of value here as they have driven this line all the way up to as high as a 3 as of early gameday morning. This offering solid home dog value to the Scarlet Knights. Admittedly the Badgers have played a tougher schedule than Rutgers has. However, the injury situation in the backcourt is certainly concerning for Wisconsin. Also, the Badgers are allowing 46% shooting from the field (including 36% from three point land). By comparison, Rutgers is allowing only 37.6% from the field (including a paltry 30.2% from beyond the arc). The point is that the Scarlet Knights have been more attentive to defense this season and the Badgers are still adjusting after losing a lot of key players coming into his season and now having some key injuries on top of that! Wisconsin is 3-8 ATS this season when playing against a team with a winning record. Also, the Badgers are a long-term 1-6 ATS in road games with a posted total in the 120s. Even though Rutgers is playing on short rest here, they are 5-2 ATS when playing with 1 day or less of rest between games. Also, the Scarlet Knights are a perfect 5-0 ATS this season in their home games! 10* RUTGERS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #572 Thursday 8* Morehead State Eagles (-) vs Eastern Illinois Panthers @ 6 ET - The Panthers are in a tough spot here. They've struggled badly on the road and are still trying to adjust to the fact that their most important player, Terrell Lewis, is out with an ankle injury. He is a point guard that led Eastern Illinois in minutes last season and was averaging 35.4 minutes per game this season before he got hurt. The Panthers miss their floor leader and, as noted above, they have been struggling badly on the road. Eastern Illinois is shooting only 36.5% from the field on the road with an awful 29.6% from three point land in away games. They now face a Morehead State team that, although rebuilding, is responding well to new head coach Preston Spradlin. The Eagles are shooting 50.8% in home games this season including 37.9% from three point land and, as a result, laying the small number on Morehead State here should prove well worth it. The Eagles are 9-3 ATS when off of a loss in Ohio Valley Conference action. The Panthers are 2-9 ATS (including 0-5 this season) when off of a game where they were held to 60 points or less. 8* MOREHEAD STATE

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #781 Wednesday 10* Top Play Oklahoma State Cowboys (+) @ Oklahoma Sooners @ 9 ET - Yes, this is a huge revenge game for the Sooners after getting swept by the Cowboys last season. Yes, Oklahoma returned more key players this season than Oklahoma State did. However, the key here is that Oklahoma State has responded very well to Mike Boynton whom has taken over the head coaching reigns from Brad Underwood. The Cowboys play with confidence, they're playing well on the defensive end, and they believe in themselves. Yes, Oklahoma State did lose at home to West Virginia and they blew a decent lead in doing so. However, that type of loss only makes them hungrier coming into a rivalry game like this. Though Oklahoma has the more impressive shooting stats and puts up big numbers on offense, Oklahoma State is the better team defensively. The Cowboys have allowed 12.7 points less per game plus they defend the 3-ball much better than OU does. The Sooners are 3-6 ATS as a favorite this season and, in my opinion, they are over-priced again here. Remember, revenge tends to get over-played and over-valued and I expect the Cowboys - off of a loss - to come up with a very strong effort here. Look for Oklahoma State to improve to 4-0 ATS in road games with a posted total in the 160s while Oklahoma drops to 4-8 ATS in games with a posted total in the 160s. The Sooners are 6-12 ATS when off of a win in conference action. Also, OU is on a long-term 17-29 ATS run as a favorite. 10* OKLAHOMA STATE

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #763 Wednesday 8* Indiana State Sycamores (+) @ Loyola Chicago Ramblers @ 8 ET - Since point guard Clayton Custer has been out with an ankle injury for the Ramblers, they've had 3 lined games and gone just 1-2 SU and the win came by only 7 points. There is good value here with the big dog Sycamores. While Loyola Chicago is off of a win, Indiana State is off of a tight 3-point loss thanks to hitting only 19% from three point land. The Sycamores are hungry as a result and they're also playing with revenge here as they have lost 3 straight to Loyola Chicago with both defeats last season coming by double digits. Suffice to say it is time for some payback here and Indiana State, though only 5-6 SU in their last 11 games, has seen 5 of those 6 losses come by 8 points or less. In other words, give the Sycamores +8 in each of their last 11 games and you would have only lost 1 bet! Look for Indiana State to improve to 4-1 ATS the last 5 times they've been a road dog of 6.5 to 9 points. Loyola Chicago drops to 1-4 ATS in games with a posted total in the 130s this season. 8* INDIANA STATE  

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #706 Wednesday 8* Orlando Magic (+) vs Houston Rockets @ 7:05 ET - The Rockets already were struggling and now things went from bad to worse with James Harden's hamstring injury. Houston had lost 5 straight games before their non-covering multiple overtime win over the Lakers on Sunday. That ATS loss dropped the Rockets to 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games. The Magic are off of a tough non-cover at Brooklyn Monday as they were as high as a 2-point dog but blew a late lead and lost the game by 3. Orlando actually had 14 more field goal attempts than the Nets in that game but poor shooting did them in. Look for them to bounce back here. The last 4 times that Orlando has been held under 41% from the field, only once have they lost their next game by more than 7 points. Look for the Magic to stay tight with the wounded Rockets tonight as it certainly helps that Orlando is at home for this one too. Also, Houston has a huge home game with Golden State on deck for tomorrow night! The Magic are a surprising 3-1 ATS and SU against Southwest Division opponents this season and certainly could catch the Rockets looking ahead here. Also, Houston is an ugly 6-12 ATS when off of a game where they scored 130 points or more. 8* ORLANDO

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #549 Tuesday 10* Top Play Arkansas Razorbacks (-) @ Mississippi State Bulldogs @ 9 ET - There has been a big move toward the Bulldogs here but I feel it will prove to be a big mistake. The Razorbacks have played a much tougher schedule than Mississippi State has this season. Even with that Arkansas is 9-4 ATS this season while the Bulldogs are 2-6 ATS on the young season. Also, the last time the Razorbacks played a true road game was exactly one month ago to the day. Arkansas lost that game by 26 points at Houston and they have been anxious to make amends for that defeat and prove what they can do on the road. They'll be ready to make a statement here in Starkville where they did lose their last visit in a blowout loss. The Razorbacks also lost at home to the Bulldogs last year in January so payback is on order in this one. Arkansas has earned their ranking and Mississippi State, despite one less loss, is not ranked for a reason. The Bulldogs schedule has been so weak and they just are not at the talent level that the Razorbacks are. Also, Arkansas is the better shooting team, including much better from 3-point land. The Razorbacks are 16-6 SU after a game in which they allowed 80 points or more. The Hogs are also 5-1 ATS (and SU) when they face a team that is allowing 64 points or less per game. The Bulldogs are 6-11 ATS after a game in which they scored 80 points or more. 10* ARKANSAS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #514 Tuesday 8* Xavier Musketeers vs Butler Bulldogs @ 7 ET - The Musketeeers catch the Bulldogs off of their huge upset win over Villanova Saturday. How did Butler pull it off? Insanely hot shooting as they shot 60% from the field and 68.2% from three point land. Keep in mind that game was at home though and now they are on the road and they shot just 14.3% from beyond the arc in their most recent game away from home. That is a big key here because Butler is making just 25.2% of their three pointers on the road this season and the Bulldogs are shooting just 39.9% from the field overall this season when on the road. Xavier is the much stronger shooting team given they have this game at home and the Musketeers are shooting 51.4% overall on the season and 37.2% from three point land on the season. Xavier knocked Butler out of the Big East tourney last season but the Bulldogs won both regular season games including the game at Xavier. That said, the Musketeers also have revenge on their minds here because they remember what happened the last time they hosted Butler. Couple that with the fact that the Bulldogs are off of that huge upset of #1 ranked Nova and you have the makings of a home rout in this one. 8* XAVIER

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #523 Tuesday 8* Indiana Hoosiers (+) @ Wisconsin Badgers @ 7 ET - Simply put, Wisconsin is not what they once were. The Badgers are a work in progress early this season and that means we have great underdog line value here. The last 4 regular season meetings between these teams have been decided by an average margin of just 4 points. Keep in mind, that was also when Wiscy was a much tougher team. Adding to the value here, the Badgers did knock the Hoosiers out of the Big Ten Tourney last March so Indiana has plenty of motivation for this one. Wisconsin has won 4 straight games SU but faced plenty of weak opposition. Their ATS numbers tell the full story this season as they are on a 4-9 ATS run. The Badgers also have been hurt by injuries that have impacted their backcourt. Indiana has failed to cover just once in their last six games. Their schedule this season has been slightly tougher than the Badgers thus far as well. Wisconsin is allowing an uncharacteristic 46% shooting from the field while the Hoosiers are holding opponents to 43.7% from the field. Indiana is 13-2 SU (and 10-5 ATS) when they are off of a game where they held their opponent to 60 points or less. The Badgers are just 3-7 SU (and 2-8 ATS) in their games against teams with a winning record this season. This has great potential for an upset and certainly grabbing the points is the way to go as they offer huge value. 8* INDIANA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Monday 8* Orlando Magic (+) @ Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - Both these teams are hungry as they are coming off losses. However, the big difference is that the Nets played yesterday while the Magic have been off since Saturday. That is certainly significant as Brooklyn is just 1-6 SU this season when in the 2nd game of a back to back and their record in this situation the past 3 seasons combined is 4-32 SU! Definitely not a good spot to lay the points with the Nets! Look for the rested Magic to get the W here as they also seek revenge for losses in each of their last two visits to Brooklyn. Look for the Nets to drop to 6-30 SU when off of a divisional game. 8* ORLANDO

Ranked Rout - Rickenbach CBB Game #712 Monday 10* Kansas State Wildcats (+) vs West Virginia Mountaineers @ 5 ET - The Mountaineers have won 12 straight games and got the better of me when they rallied to beat Oklahoma State at Stillwater on Friday. However, we'll get it back today on Monday. West Virginia allowed the Cowboys to hit 51% of their shots in that game and now face a red hot shooting Wildcats team. It is so hard to win road games in the Big 12 and especially back to back affairs in a tough situation. Kansas State will be ready and wants this game badly as the Mountaineers knocked them out of the Big 12 Tourney last March. The Wildcats have shot 50% or better from the field in 4 of their last 6 games. The Mountaineers, despite all their winning, have gone 10 straight games without a single game where they've knocked down half their field goal attempts. The schedule is starting to toughen for West Virginia and the Wildcats are going to own this game at home. Kansas State is on a 30-10 SU run in home games including 7-0 this season. Also, the Wildcats are 16-8 SU when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. The Mountaineers are only 6-6 ATS in games against good defensive teams (allowing 64 points or less per game). KSU was known to have plenty of scorers but the attention to defense has been a big surprise early this season and the Wildcats are riding that D to wins. They get their revenge here. 10* KANSAS STATE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #710 Monday 8* Cleveland State Vikings (-) vs Youngstown State Penguins @ 1 ET - The strength of Youngstown State coming into the season was the backcourt but the knee injury for Francisco Santiago changed all that. The only two wins the Penguins have this season were non-lined games and they were back when Santiago was on the floor. Currently Youngstown State is on a 9 games losing streak. Also, of their 11 losses this season the Penguins have 9 defeats by 13 points or more. That is why I am comfortable laying the points here with Cleveland State. Even though the Vikings have issues of their own, they are still at home and playing with revenge here and they'll take advantage of a Penguins team allowing 84.4 points per game on shooting of 52.6% from the field including 37.8% from three point land. Cleveland State is not only better defensively, they are the better team on offense as well with better shooting in all three categories in comparison with Youngstown State. The Penguins are 0-10 in lined games this season and have gone only 2-8 ATS in those games. The Vikings are 13-7 ATS when facing a team with a losing record and that includes a perfect 3-0 ATS this season. 8* CLEVELAND STATE

Non-Conf Game of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Game #815 Sunday 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns (+) vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 8:05 ET - Phoenix has been a different team since guard Devin Booker has returned. Overall, the Suns have won 5 of their last 7 games and they now host a 76ers team that is off of a big road win at Denver last night but that had previously lost 10 of its last 12 games. With Joel Embiid slated to play tonight for the Sixers and with this being a revenge game for Philly, the line has been skewed toward the 76ers here. However, the Suns as a solid home dog here is a great value. Phoenix has covered 10 of its last 14 games and they are playing just their 2nd game in 5 nights. The Suns will have very fresh legs here. The 76ers are on a 4-13 ATS run and are playing their 5th straight road game. Not only is this spot a back to back for Philadelphia, they also are playing their 3rd game in 4 nights. Philly is playing this game with home loss revenge but they are 15-55 SU in this situation the past 2+ seasons. Also, the Sixers are 0-4 SU and ATS this season when playing the 2nd night of a back to back. The past 2+ seasons the 76ers long-term record in this situation (2nd of B2B) is 6-35 SU! The Suns are 5-2 ATS when off of a divisional game and also 5-2 ATS this season versus Atlantic Division opponents. 10* PHOENIX

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #555 Saturday 10* Top Play Villanova Wildcats (-) @ Butler Bulldogs @ 4 ET - Butler expended a lot of energy in their double-overtime win at Georgetown on Wednesday. They were down huge at the half so really had to put in a lot of effort just to force overtime and then the game actually ended up going 2 extra stanzas! While it is true that the Bulldogs have had two days off since that win, it is also true that those are the types of wins that take a lot out of a team and top ranked 13-0 Villanova is coming in to this game as the much fresher team. Also, the Wildcats have revenge from losing both games to Butler last season. One could say that the Bulldogs have had the Cats number in recent meetings but one could also say that Butler certainly didn't impress in Wednesday's game versus the Hoyas as Georgetown had played a very soft schedule this season. Now the Bulldogs take on a Wildcats team that has played just as tough of a schedule as Butler has. The Bulldogs are 1-3 ATS as an underdog this season and also 2-7 ATS in recent seasons when they are off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. Villanova is 9-1 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. Also, the Wildcats are a long-term 22-11 ATS when they face teams that are averaging 77 points or more per game on the season. Keep in mind, Butler is averaging a solid 78.6 points per game this season but Nova shoots the ball much better and is averaging 87.8 points per game this season. Also, Butler's weakness on D is against the 3-ball (allowing 37%) and the Wildcats are hitting a ridiculous 42.2% of their threes this season! That will likely play out as a key factor in this one. 10* VILLANOVA

Big 12 Blowout - Rickenbach CBB Game #826 Friday 10* Top Play Oklahoma State Cowboys (+) vs West Virginia Mountaineers @ 7 ET - The Mountaineers come into this game having won 11 straight and they are highly ranked and yet they opened up as a very small favorite here. Don't fall for the trap! The fact is that, while "Press Virginia" is playing very good defense as usual, Oklahoma State has come a long way with their defense too. The Cowboys have been solid on that end of the floor and have done a great job of forcing turnovers and clogging passing lanes. The fact that this game is in Stillwater of course helps even more. Oklahoma State is 8-1 at home this season and they're hosting a West Virginia team that has played only one true road game this season. That was at Pittsburgh and the Mountaineers only beat the Panthers by single digits despite shooting 12 percentage points higher from the field. In other words, West Virginia is likely to be in trouble here in a much tougher road test. Oklahoma State's defense against the 3-ball has been better than that of the Mountaineers this season. Also, the Cowboys are 3-1 ATS this season in games with a posted total in the 150s. West Virginia is 1-3 ATS this season in a game with a posted total in the 150s. 10* OKLAHOMA STATE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #704 Wednesday 8* Indiana Pacers (-) vs Dallas Mavericks @ 7:05 ET - Nice set up here as the Pacers got blasted by 24 at Detroit last night while the Mavericks got a home dog upset win over the Raptors last night. Last night's results plus the fact that the Pacers lost at Dallas in their most recent meeting last December means that Indiana will prove to the be the hungrier team here. The Mavs had lost 9 of 11 prior to last night's win. The Pacers had won 7 of 10 prior to last night's loss. The Mavericks are 3-9 ATS this season in games against teams that score an average of 106 points or more per game. The Pacers are 11-2 SU and 9-4 ATS in games where they are the favorite. Lay it! 8* INDIANA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #721 Wednesday 8* Butler Bulldogs (-) @ Georgetown Hoyas @ 6:30 ET - The Hoyas have the better record (10-1 compared to 10-3) and they're at home here. So why are they the dog? Exactly! The fact is that Georgetown has played a weak schedule so don't be fooled here. Not only is Butler the better team, the Bulldogs also have revenge from a 4 point home loss to the Hoyas in their most recent meeting in late January. The road team has actually covered each of the last 3 meetings between these teams. The Hoyas are  2-5 ATS at home this season and an ugly 12-25 ATS in home games the last 2+ seasons! Butler is 9-4 ATS when playing with 5 or 6 days of rest between games. Also, the Bulldogs are a perfect 8-0 SU (and 6-2 ATS) as a favorite this season. They should easily cover the small number here. The difference in strength of schedule so far this season is the key. 8* BUTLER

Divisional Dominator Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 10* Utah Jazz (+) @ Denver Nuggets @ 9:05 ET - Of course this is a revenge spot for the Nuggets as they lost at Utah by 29 in late November. However, is Denver really thinking that much about that here? The fact is that the Nuggets are off of a win over the NBA Champion Warriors in their final game before the NBA break. Also, Denver has another revenge game (at Minnesota) for tomorrow night and the Nuggets most recent home loss was to the Timberwolves just last week. You can truly see why Denver may not be fully focused here and they are going to have their hands full with a Utah team coming off of home loss to Oklahoma City. The Jazz are fired up as they've endured a tough stretch recently that has seen them lose 8 of their last 10 games. The best thing that could have happened for Utah was a break in the action and I look for the Jazz to come out renewed and refreshed after the Christmas break. As for the Nuggets, they are 1-9 ATS this season when off of a win by a double digit margin and that was a huge road win at Golden State on Saturday. Also, Denver is 12-30 SU long-term when off of an upset win as an underdog! As for the Jazz, they are a long-term 27-13 SU when off of a divisional game and, the fact they lost that divisional match-up at home against the Thunder means extra hunger for the road dog in this one. 10* UTAH

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Tuesday 8* Indiana Pacers (+) @ Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - The Pistons are off of a win but previously they had lost 8 of their last 11 games. Detroit has failed to cover 8 of its last 12 games. The Pacers have been the much stronger team of late as they've won 7 of their last 10 games. Also, one of those 3 defeats was a home loss to the Pistons less than 2 weeks ago. Indiana will be ready to get revenge here against a division rival. The Pacers were on an 8-2 SU and ATS run in this series prior to that loss. In other words, Indiana has had Detroit's number in recent seasons and I look for that dominance to resume here. The Pistons have been held to 43.2% or less from the field in 8 of their last 10 games. The Pacers have shot 45.8% or better from the field in 10 of their last 15 games. Indiana is 9-4 ATS when playing with revenge this season including 4-1 ATS when playing with home loss revenge. Detroit is 6-10 SU this season in games against teams with a winning record. 8* INDIANA

Daytime Dominator Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #704 Monday 10* Golden State Warriors (-) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 3:05 ET - The Warriors are without Stephen Curry of course. However, the line has gone from as high as -7.5 to as low as -4.5 as of gameday morning and the betting markets are treating this as if the odds makers weren't aware that Curry was out when they set the line. The fact is that this is great line value on Golden State at home and laying a small number. The Warriors just had their 11 game winning streak snapped on Saturday and likely were caught looking ahead to this game. The fact is that Golden State has been playing better defense than Cleveland. The Warriors are allowing an average of just 98 points per game their last 8 games. The Cavaliers are allowing an average of 109 points per game their last 6 games. Opponents are shooting 49% from the field in the Cavs last 5 games. The Warriors are allowing just 41% from the field their last 8 games. Defense is a big deal in games like this. Yes the Cavs want revenge from last year's finals but Golden State will be up for this game on Christmas Day, particularly after being held to just 81 points on Saturday on their home floor! Cleveland is just 3-11 ATS after scoring 115 points or more in their prior game. The Warriors are 30-5 SU (including 6-0 SU this season) when off of an upset loss as a favorite. GS was embarrassed on Saturday and they'll respond BIG here. 10* GOLDEN STATE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #701 Monday 8* Philadelphia 76'ers (+) @ New York Knicks @ 12:05 ET - Horrible stretch for the Sixers has seen them lose 11 of 14. Also, Philadelphia is on an ugly 2-12 ATS run. That said, why did they open up such a small dog for this early Christmas match-up at New York? Exactly! Don't be fooled here as this has the makings of an upset. The Knicks are 15-5 SU and ATS in home games this season and yet they opened up as a 1 point favorite here even though the Sixers have endured their roughest stretch of the season! It doesn't make sense does it? Precisely! This is another example of when it pays to be a contrarian. The last 4 meetings between these teams have been decided by a total of just 6 points. In other words, even at only 3 points, this is a fantastic underdog value. The Sixers are ticked off and ready to respond here after their worst defeat in awhile. Most of the 76ers losses had been tight but they got blown out at Toronto on Saturday and they'll make up for it here. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - CBB Game #530 Saturday 8* George Washington Colonials (-) vs Harvard Crimson @ Noon ET - Crimson guard Bryce Aiken is questionable for this game with a knee injury and he is their leading scorer. Harvard forward Robert Baker is also questionable for this game and he is part of the regular rotation for the Crimson. Being short-handed and a little banged up is not good news for a Harvard team playing on short rest (they beat Boston University Thursday). As for the Colonials, they bounced back from a pair of poor shooting efforts to knock off New Hampshire on Wednesday. Certainly the win was not that impressive but getting that victory gets this team headed back in the right direction and George Washington has played a much tougher schedule than Harvard so that is a big plus here. The Crimson are 6-17 SU the last 23 times they've been an underdog. So odds point heavily toward the Colonials getting the SU win here and covering the small number should not be a problem. Harvard is 1-3 ATS in games with a postd total in the 120s. GW is 3-1 ATS in home games with a posted total in the 120s. The fave rolls here. 8* GEORGE WASHINGTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #819 Friday 8* Temple Owls (+) @ Georgia Bulldogs @ 1 ET - The Owls are the more rested team as they've been off since Saturday. The Bulldogs will be playing for the 2nd time since Saturday and they also are off of a huge, emotional win over Georgia Tech Tuesday. Of course beating the rival Yellow Jackets is always important to Georgia and they could be a little flat for this game as a result. The early start time won't help them either. As for Temple, they are 7-3 on the season with a pair of those losses coming by just 4 points each. Many of the Bulldogs wins this season have been tight ones and the 3 points here for the Owls is offering great value as I expect an outright upset but should Temple fall short I expect it to be by just a single possession. The well-rested Owls are 4-1 ATS when they enter a game with 5 or 6 days of rest between games. Also, Temple is 5-0 SU (and 3-0 ATS) when they enter a game having failed to cover the spread in each of their three prior lined games. The Bulldogs put forth a great effort on defense in their win over the Yellow Jackets and that could leave them a little spent here. Georgia is 4-11 ATS in recent seasons (and 51-80 ATS long-term) when off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. 8* TEMPLE

Earliest Cash Day Game - Rickenbach CBB Game #512 Thursday 8* Tulane Green Wave (-) vs South Alabama Jaguars @ 1 ET - I realize that the Jags are 7-1 ATS on the season but this line is double digits for a reason! South Alabama has lost all 4 of its road games and averaged just 63 points per game in those contests. The Green Wave have won all 6 of their home games and have averaged an impressive 87.2 points per game in those contests. Tulane also is rolling with momentum after outscoring Nicholls 48-24 in the 2nd half of their game on Monday evening. That was a big comeback win for the Green Wave and they'll be some carryover to this early afternoon game Thursday. Tulane is fully focused on remaining perfect on their home floor heading into the Christmas Break. The Jaguars just don't have the firepower to keep up. The Green Wave have proven difficult to defend early this season and this is a tough match-up for a South Alabama team projected to finish near the very bottom of the Sun Belt Conference this season. 8* TULANE

Earliest Cash Eve Game - Rickenbach CBB Game #735 Wednesday 8* North Texas Mean Green (+) @ Georgetown Hoyas @ 7 ET - The Hoyas are off of a tough OT loss to Syracuse Saturday and that was their first loss of the season. However, Georgetown is truly nothing special. They have simply played a very weak schedule. In fact, the Hoyas strength of schedule so far this season is weaker than that of the Mean Green. North Texas is rejuvenated under new head coach Grant McCastand. There were some early season growing pains but they've already gotten those out of the way and the Mean Green are off of a big OT win at San Diego on Saturday. While normally one may look to fade a team off of a game like that, keep in mind, this program is in an early growth phase under McCastand and this is their final game until after Christmas. The Mean Green are excited about the opportunity to take on Georgetown in the nation's capital and the points are too much here for the Hoyas. Yes, the home team may "hang on" for the win here but North Texas is very talented and the win at San Diego was a huge confidence builder for this team. The Hoyas schedule has been so weak that 3 games were non-lined and 4 games had them favored by 20 or more. Note that Georgetown's only two challenging games this season saw them lose by 7 and win by 6. This will be another "challenging" game here and I expect it to be decided by single digits. The Mean Green are 5-1 ATS this season. The Hoyas are on a 10-25 ATS run in home games including 0-5 ATS this season. 8* NORTH TEXAS

Daytime Dominator Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #747 Wednesday 10* St Joseph's Hawks (+) vs St John's Red Storm @ 4:30 ET @ Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT in Basketball Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase - The Red Storm are 9-2 this season but the 5-5 Hawks have played the tougher schedule so far this season. Also, St John's really misses guard Marcus LoVett in a game like this. The Red Storm have not been shooting the ball well at all. They've been held under 39.7% from the field in 3 straight games. It is hard to cover a big spread when the shots aren't falling and now this game is being played on a neutral floor. St Joseph's is not without their own issues but certainly they've been ultra-competitive this season and I feel they are being vastly undervalued by the betting markets in this one. 3 of the Hawks last 4 losses have come by 6 points or less. The only exception was a blowout loss versus Villanova and, of course, St John's is no Villanova! Look for scrappy St Joseph's to be in this one all the way and improve to 6-3 ATS when facing a team that allows 64 points or less per game. In the process the Hawks will improve to 21-12 ATS the last 33 times they've been an underdog. St John's is an ugly 3-10 SU and 3-9 ATS in games played on a neutral court! 10* ST JOSEPH'S

Earliest Cash Day Game - Rickenbach CBB Game #752 Wednesday 8* Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (+) vs Bradley Braves @ 2 ET - The Redhawks are seeking revenge for a tough loss at Bradley last season. Despite having 13 more shots from the field and winning the turnover battle 15-5, Southeast Missouri State lost to the Braves by 6. I expect payback here at home as Bradley had high hopes for Antoine Pittman coming into this campaign and he is now out for the season. Pittman often covered the opponents best player. Also, JoJo McGlaston (another starter) is currently out due to suspension. I know Bradley has the better record in comparing these two teams early this season but the Redhawks have played just as tough of a schedule as the Braves and Bradley continues to have trouble with turnovers. They are turning it over 17 times a game on the road this season while Southeast Missouri State is averaging just 11 turnovers a game at home. Also, the Redhawks got dominated on the boards by the Braves last season but 6'9 freshmen Justin Carpenter is already having a huge impact for the Hawks early this season and that continues here. Bradley is 5-10 ATS (and 4-11 SU!) in recent seasons in games against teams that average 77 points or more per game. A lot of points expected here and the Redhawks are 22-9 ATS (including 5-1 ATS this season) in games with a posted total in the 140s. 8* SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #523 Tuesday 10* Top Play Northern Kentucky (+) @ Texas A & M @ 8 ET - Not a lot of respect being given here to a Northern Kentucky team that made a huge run last March and returned most of that team this season. I realize the Norse have played a weaker schedule than the Aggies have. I also realize that Northern Kentucky is off of a disappointing loss at Maryland-Baltimore County. However, the Norse were likely looking ahead to this special opportunity tonight where they have a chance to knock off a top ten ranked team. Of course I am not forecasting an upset win here but I certainly do expect Northern Kentucky to stay within single digits in this one. Texas A & M has a size edge of course but the loss of guard Admon Gilder for this one is significant plus big man Robert Williams is questionable for this game. The Aggies still have enough depth to get the win here but I don't expect it to be a blowout. Keep in mind, the Norse loss to Kentucky in March came by just 9 points! In games with a posted total in the 140s Northern Kentucky is 5-1 ATS this season and 16-6 ATS all-time! As a road dog of 12.5 points or more, the Norse are 7-3 ATS all time! As a home fave of 12.5 points or more, the Aggies are 2-5 ATS in recent seasons and 18-28 ATS long-term. Too many points! Grab the value with the big dog for a big play. 10* NORTHERN KENTUCKY

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Tuesday 8* Sacramento Kings (+) @ Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:05 ET - Tough scheduling spot for the Sixers. Yes, Joel Embiid rested last night (he didn't even make the trip to Chicago) but the rest of his 76ers teammates gave all they could in a loss to the Bulls. Now off of back to back tight losses (lost in crazy multi-OT game to OKC Friday), Philadelphia is in a tough spot here. The Kings are playing for just the 2nd time since Thursday while the Sixers are playing for the 2nd time in 2 nights! Sacramento, like Philly, is off of back to back losses but the Kings are the more rested team and they haven't lost 3 straight in over a month. The Sixers have lost 6 of their last 7 and they are on a 2-9 ATS run! By the way, Philadelphia has not won a game by more than 6 points in over 3 weeks! I'll gladly grab the generous points being offered here. The Kings are 14-7 ATS in Tuesday games and, even though the Sixers are in bounce back mode, they are 0-6 ATS this season when off of an upset loss as a favorite. 8* SACRAMENTO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #704 Monday 8* Indiana Pacers (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 7:05 ET - The Pacers are in a back to back spot here but one could argue they have quite a few edges here, including scheduling. Even though it is a back to back for Indiana they are at home playing with revenge and they catch the Celtics playing their 6th game in 9 days. Also, Boston is off of a win but has not won back to back games the past two weeks. The Pacers have revenge from a 10 point loss to the Celtics in late November where Indiana blew a 13 point 3rd quarter lead. The key to the rematch is that the Pacers will have Victor Oladipo and they did not have him in the first meeting. Indiana is 8-4 SU and ATS when playing with revenge this season and 3-1 SU and ATS when playing with home loss revenge. Boston is off of a win and cover at Memphis but they have definitely cooled off since their red hot start to the season. Prior to the win over the Grizzlies, the Celtics had failed to cover 5 of their last 6 games. The Pacers have won and covered 11 of their last 16 games and they continue their hot run here! 8* INDIANA 

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Game #807 Sunday 8* Cleveland Cavaliers (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 6:05 ET - Everyone is taking Washington here as the line has made a big move. I understand this is a back to back for Cleveland but here is no denying that LeBron James and company are in the zone right now! The Cavaliers win versus the Jazz last night makes them 17-1 their last 18 games and I am happy to take them as a dog here after they opened up as the favorite. The Cavs are 4-1 SU and 5-0 ATS as an underdog this season! The Wizards are only 5-12 ATS as a favorite and I find it hard to trust a team that is only 6-5 SU against teams with a winning record this season. By comparison, the Cavaliers are 7-3 both SU and ATS against teams with a winning record on the season. Washington is only 4-9 ATS in home games this season and they are getting too much respect here. The Wizards are off of back to back wins but faced the struggling Grizzlies and Clippers. Prior to those two wins Washington had lost 8 of 13. Also, the Wizards are on a 6-9 ATS run and now taking on the hottest team in the league. 8* CLEVELAND

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #820 Sunday 8* Stanford Cardinal (-) vs San Francisco Dons @ 6 ET - The Dons are 6-3 on the season while the Cardinal have a losing record. However, Stanford has played a much tougher schedule. Couple that with the fact that Stanford is at home for this one and coming off of a win and I look for the Cardinal to get a big win here and build some momentum heading into much tougher games up ahead. Stanford is motivated to get back to .500 on the season before facing Kansas before Christmas and then starting their Pac-12 schedule immediately after the Christmas break. The Dons are 9-29 SU long-term when they are a road dog of 6.5 to 9 points while the Cardinal are 36-11 SU long-term when they are a home fave of 6.5 to 9 points. With that said, a home win is likely but, what about the cover? San Francisco's 3 losses this season have all come by 7 points or more with an average margin of defeat of 12.3 points. As for Stanford, all 6 of their wins this season have come by 9 points or more and only 1 of their 7 defeats came by less than 8 points. As you can see, odds favor a home win and a big margin. I'll take it. 8* STANFORD

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Game #508 Saturday 10* Miami Heat (-) vs Los Angeles Clippers @ 8:05 ET - The Heat and Clippers are both in a back to back spot here but Miami certainly has the advantage of being at home while the Clips are playing their 3rd straight road game and have a big Western Conference match-up with the Spurs at San Antonio on deck. The Clippers have covered 4 straight games but they've done it with some smoke and mirrors as they were held under 38.9% from the field for the 2nd time in 3 games yesterday. As for the Heat, they have shot 50.5% from the field in their last 5 games. The Clippers have a number of injury issues while the Heat have certainly had to grow use to playing without Hassan Whiteside so that adjustment has already taken place as he has missed a lot of time this season. The Heat have played the tougher schedule on the season which makes their superior record even that much better than the Clippers losing record. By the way, Miami is 9-0 SU (and 7-2 ATS) in games against teams with a losing record this season. Also, the Heat are on a 21-13 ATS run when playing the 2nd game of a back to back. Los Angeles is 0-4 SU (and 1-3 ATS) this season when playing the 2nd night of a back to back. The Clips are 3-11 SU as an underdog this season and that holds plenty of significance here as the Heat have failed to get the cover just ONCE (and that was by HALF A POINT) when they get a SU win. In other words, when the Heat have won, odds are strong they also cover. More of the same here. 10* MIAMI

Non-Conf Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #557 Saturday 10* Top Play Oregon Ducks (+) @ Fresno State Bulldogs @ 6 ET - The Bulldogs top player, Jaron Hopkins, is dealing with a back injury. Even if he plays he won't be as effective as usual and he led Fresno State in scoring, assists and steals last season plus he was on the MWC all-defensive team. Suffice to say he is a very important player. Even though Oregon has dropped off from last season's level they are still projected to rank among the top five teams in the Pac-12 when all is said and done. By comparison, Fresno State WITH a healthy Hopkins is projected to finish in the top five of the Mountain West Conference. Of course I'll take the Pac-12 over the MWC any day of the week and I also like the fact that the Ducks have been the much better team on defense early this season. Oregon is allowing only 37.8% from the field and 29.3% from three point land while the Bulldogs are allowing 43.5% from the field and 37.7% from beyond the arc. There have only been 3 games this season where Fresno State was "challenged". In the two games they were favored by less than 7 points they failed to cover each time plus lost one of them outright. In the one game where the Bulldogs were an underdog they lost by 8. The gap may have closed on these teams but, especially with Hopkins hurting, there is still a gap and the Ducks will prevail. 10* OREGON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #595 Saturday 8* Butler Bulldogs (+) @ Purdue Boilermakers @ Noon ET - A lot of pressure on the Boilermakers here as they haven't been able to get over the hump against the Bulldogs. Maybe this indeed will be the year they finally do it but this line is still a generous one that is offering great value on big dog Butler. In other words, a non-covering win for Purdue would not surprise. The Bulldogs shooting has been red hot in December and that makes for a very dangerous dog. Both teams have been hot but the Boilermakers have not been covering at the rate that Butler has. What says a lot about Purdue is that this will be their toughest challenge since they faced Maryland as a 3.5 point favorite. Though the Boilermakers did get the cover, they only won the game by 5 points despite shooting 51% from the field while the Terrapins shot just 35% from the field. That says a lot right there! Also, Purdue is on a 1-5 ATS and SU run versus Butler. The Bulldogs are an incredible 77-37 SU (and 73-37 ATS) long-term in neutral court games. 8* BUTLER

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #824 Friday 8* Illinois-Chicago Flames (-) vs Dartmouth Big Green @ 8 ET - Both teams have disappointed early this season but this looks like the perfect spot for the Flames to turn it around. The Big Green annually are one of the worst teams in the Ivy League and, once again, they are projected to finish dead last this season. On the other hand, the Flames are projected to be one of the top teams in the Horizon League this season. Though UIC is currently without point guard Tarkus Ferguson, they have a lot more depth than Dartmouth does. That is significant here because the Big Green being without forward Evan Boudreaux and guard Guilien Smith is absolutely a big deal. Illinois-Chicago has yet to cover a game this season but they certainly have played a tougher schedule than Dartmouth. In fact, nearly of the games for the Big Green have been non-lined match-ups. UIC is 6-2 ATS in recent seasons (and 41-25 ATS long-term) when they enter a game with rest of 5 or 6 days between games. Dartmouth is 2-10 ATS in recent seasons (and 6-18 ATS long-term) in games with a posted total in the 140s. The Big Green simply won't be able to keep with the hungry Flames here. 8* ILLINOIS-CHICAGO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #511 Thursday 8* Valparaiso Crusaders (+) @ Northwestern Wildcats @ 8 ET - Northwestern just absolutely destroyed Chicago State 96-31 Monday. As for Valparaiso, they started the season 8-0 but have now lost 2 straight including a blowout defeat at Purdue by 30 points. As a result, it is no surprise that the Wildcats have gone from an opener of -8 to as high as a -10.5 in most spots as of early Thursday morning. Even though the Crusaders are without Tevonn Walker, they still have plenty of firepower to hang around in this one against a Northwestern team that will be feeling a little too good about themselves after their win by a ridiculous 65 point margin to begin this week. Keep in mind, the Wildcats have played 10 games this season and only 1 of them was a lined game that was decided by more than 9 points. That being the blowout win over Chicago State this week. In other words (and especially with a game at DePaul on deck for Saturday), the Cats are getting way too much respect from the betting markets here. Northwestern is on a 6-10 ATS run in home games with a posted total between 140 and 144.5 points. Also, this season, the Wildcats are a poor 1-5 ATS when off of a non-conference game. Valparaiso is 5-2 ATS this season and certainly use to winning. Off of back to back losses I expect them to respond in a big way here! The Crusaders are 28-15 SU against teams with a winning record and I am glad to grab the double digits here! 8* VALPARAISO

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Game #709 Wednesday 10* Top Play Portland Trail Blazers (+) @ Miami Heat @ 7:35 ET - The Trail Blazers are hungry as they have lost 5 straight games. Portland has played better in their last 2 games and covered both of those. In fact, the Blazers are now 16-8 ATS when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. Miami is off of back to back SU wins but they are 0-4 ATS when they enter a game on a winning streak of 2 or more games this season. Also, the Heat are also 0-3 ATS this season when they enter a game on an ATS winning streak of 2 games or more. Miami has not fared well at home this season as they've covered just 2 of 11 games as a host this season! The Heat were a small dog at Memphis Monday and they got the outright win. Miami is 1-4 ATS this season when off of an upset win as an underdog. The Heat have covered only 3 of 10 as a favorite this season. Miami also has a divisional game on deck at Charlotte and could look right past this non-conference match-up. Portland will absolutely not look past the Heat here as the Blazers are hungry to end their longest losing streak of the season. The road team is 24-15 ATS long-term in the meetings between these teams and the hungry road dog gets the cash again here! 10* PORTLAND

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #705 Wednesday 8* Oklahoma City Thunder (+) @ Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - The Thunder have failed to cover 9 games in a row and are 3-10 SU away from home this season while Indiana is 10-4 SU at home. That said, how is that the odds makers opened this one up at Oklahoma City -1? Exactly! Don't be fooled ladies and gentlemen. The odds makers know what they are doing and yet the betting markets are already helping us with the line move now having the Pacers as the favorite by 1.5 points. Of course this is the return of Paul George to Indiana and you know Russell Westbrook and all of his Thunder teammates are going to do everything they can to help the return to be a victorious one! Even though OKC defeated Indiana in late October in the first meeting between these teams, George only played 19 minutes due to foul trouble and ended up fouling out in just 19 minutes of action. Even with that, the Thunder still won that game by 18 points and they are hungry again tonight for another big win due to having lost 7 of their last 12 games overall. The Pacers are off of a big win and that holds significance here as they are 2-5 ATS when off of a win by a double digit margin this season. Indiana is also on an 8-16 ATS run against Northwest Division opponents. OKC is off of an ugly loss and they are 20-11 SU and 19-12 ATS when off of a loss by double digits. Also, the Thunder are 3-0 SU this season (30-13 SU long-term) when off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. Look for the Thunder to improve to 5-1 SU against Central Division foes on the season. 8* OKLAHOMA CITY

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #728 Wednesday 8* UNC Greensboro Spartans (-) vs UNC Wilmington Seahawks @ 7 ET - Both these teams were projected to fall from their usual respective positions near the top of their conferences. However, the Seahawks returned just 1 starter and have clearly fallen even further than the Spartans who returned 3 starters from last season's team. UNC Wilmington has a little more name recognition since they play in the Colonial Athletic Association. That said, the odds makers certainly weren't stupid when they made UNC Greensboro, a Southern Conference opponent, a double digit fave in this one. Yet the markets have clearly over-reacted as they've been pounding the Seahawks and driving this line all the way down to as a low as a -7 for the Spartans as of early gameday morning. UNC Wilmington's defense has been atrocious this season with 92 points per game allowed on 50% shooting from the field. Conversely, UNC Greensboro is allowing only 59 points per game on 40% shooting from the field. Also, the Seahawks are allowing 41% three pointers while the Spartans are allowing only 28% from downtown! UNC Wilmington is 0-4 ATS this season overall. Also, as a road dog of 6.5 to 9 points, the Seahawks are a long-term 12-27 ATS! As for UNC Greensboro, they are 4-0 ATS overall this season plus on a 6-3 ATS run when off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. Also, in Spartans games with a posted total in the 160s, they are 4-1 ATS long-term. 8* UNC Greensboro

Philly Insider - Rickenbach CBB Game #720 Wednesday 10* Top Play Temple Owls (+) vs Villanova Wildcats @ 7 ET - The Owls returned 4 starters from last season's team. The Wildcats are currently the #1 team in the nation. Temple would love nothing more than to get the upset of a Philly rival and #1 ranked team tonight at home at the Liacouras Center. While I feel the Owls will likely fall short in terms of that endeavor, I expect their defeat to be by only a bucket or two. With that said, tremendous home dog value here. Keep in mind, Temple has played a tough early season schedule. In fact, their strength of schedule so far this season does rank higher than that of the Wildcats. Villanova has dominated this match-up recently, including winning by 18.5 points per game in the past two meetings. However, it is with good reason that the odds makers opened this one up at "only" a -7 and yet the markets are driving this one higher which means even more value as the Owls are now available as high as a +9 as of gameday morning. Temple's defense has been solid and that will prove to be a key here against the high-flying Wildcats. The Owls are actually on a 12-2 ATS run in their games against teams that average 77 points or more per game! The Owls are on an overall 20-11 ATS run as an underdog while Villanova is on a 4-10 ATS run in Wednesday games. While Temple has a Saturday game on deck, the Wildcats are off until NEXT Friday the 22nd after this game. Could the undefeated Cats get caught looking ahead to their long break that starts tomorrow? Absolutely! 10* TEMPLE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #503 Tuesday 8* Denver Nuggets (+) @ Detroit Pistons @ 7:05 ET - The Pistons have lost 6 straight games. Detroit is also an ugly 4-9 SU this season when facing teams with a winning record. We're getting line value here with the Nuggets because they haven't performed well on the road overall. I am glad to grab the big points being offered with a Denver team that is 8-4 SU in non-conference games this season. The Nuggets are also 5-1 SU this season after allowing 115 points or more and 7-1 SU this season when off of a loss by a double digit margin. Denver will be fired up after Sunday's loss at Indiana and the Nuggets have been shooting the ball much better than the Pistons. Detroit has been held under 44.4% from the field in 6 straight games and under 41.5% in four straight games! 8* DENVER

ESPN Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Game #505 Tuesday 10* Los Angeles Lakers (+) @ New York Knicks @ 7:05 ET - The Lakers are off of back to back wins plus playing for just the 3rd time in 9 days! Fresh legs and confidence are both on the side of Los Angeles in this one. They've had 2 full off days since winning by double digits at Charlotte Saturday. As for the Knicks, they barely hung on for a tight win Sunday versus Atlanta and they now will be playing for the 3rd time in just 4 days! Certainly New York's situation is much different than the favorable scheduling situation of LA here. Also, the Knicks have a divisional game against city rival Brooklyn on deck! NY is 1-4 ATS this month. Also, the Knicks are on a 26-44 SU run against Western Conference teams and also 13-33 SU run against teams that average 106 points or more per game. The Lakers are 42-29 ATS against Eastern Conference foes in recent seasons. Also, this season, Los Angeles is 3-0 ATS when off of a win by a double digit margin and LA is also 4-1 ATS when they enter a game on an under streak of 3 games or more. 10* LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #520 Tuesday 8* Boston College Eagles (-) vs Columbia Lions @ 7 ET - The knee-jerk reaction from most here will be to fade the Eagles since they just topped the #1 team in the nation (Duke) on Saturday. However, the key to the value here is the line has already been adjusted for that and the fact is that Columbia is annually one of the worst teams in the Ivy League. This is just their second season under coach Engles and he is a good coach but it is often not until the 3rd season that even a good, quality coach can get a poor team like the Lions turned around. Now, with their annual long Christmas break on deck, Columbia could get caught sleep-walking through this game. They are an ugly 1-9 on the season and the Eagles hot shooting against Duke is unlikely to cool here. Boston College has Central Connecticut State on deck so there is certainly no lookahead here. Look for the Eagles to build off the big win over the Blue Devils with another dominant win tonight. Columbia is 2-4 ATS in December games. The Eagles improve to 7-3 ATS in their last 10 lined Tuesday games. 8* BOSTON COLLEGE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Game #703 Monday 8* Miami Heat (+) @ Memphis Grizzlies @ 8:05 ET - Even though the Heat are off of a game at Mexico City Saturday, this will be just the 3rd game in the past 8 days for Miami. They do have fresh legs. As for Memphis, they will be playing their 3rd game in just 4 days and things have not been going well for the Grizzlies. Memphis has lost 3 straight games and 14 of their last 15 games! The Heat are a small dog here and that is certainly noteworthy as they are a PERFECT 7-0 SU this season in games against teams with a losing record. Memphis is 1-7 SU and ATS in their games against teams with a losing record this season. 8* MIAMI

Situational Slam - Rickenbach NBA Game #512 Sunday 10* Top Play New York Knicks (-) vs Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET - Both teams are in a back to back but the Knicks will prove to the be hungrier team. The Hawks are off of a home win (albeit against an Orlando team that doesn't travel well) while New York is off of a tight 2-point road loss at Chicago and will be ready to respond here. The Knicks also have additional motivation as they lost at Atlanta earlier this season. Also, New York lost each of the final 3 meetings versus the Hawks last season by an average margin of only 2.7 points per defeat. Time for payback here and Atlanta is 0-5 SU in the 2nd game of back to backs this season. Also, the Hawks are 0-4 SU this season when off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. The Knicks are 6-1 SU (and ATS!) as a favorite this season. Also, New York is 11-5 SU and 12-4 ATS in their home games this season. The Knicks are hungry after the way yesterday's game ended and we'll see the response here. 10* NEW YORK KNICKS

Dominator Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 10* Houston Rockets (-) @ Portland Trail Blazers @ 10:05 ET - The Rockets lost by 10 in their last visit to Portland so it is time for a little payback here. The Blazers are hurt (literally) by the ankle injury to Jusuf Nurkic here as he is likely to miss this game and he is tied for the team lead in rebounds, leads the team in blocked shots, and is also their 3rd leading scorer. Portland has lost 3 straight games and the average margin of defeat has been 11 points even though all 3 games were at home. That said, I don't see them shutting down a Rockets team that has won 14 of 15 games! What has been most impressive about this win streak for Houston is that only 1 of those 14 wins has come by less than 11 points. The Rockets aren't just winning, they are dominating teams! That is why this has been an 11-4 ATS run for Houston and I don't see them slowing down here. They remember what happened in their last visit to Portland. The Trail Blazers also have the defending champion Warriors on deck! Though the Blazers are off of an upset loss as a favorite that doesn't mean they'll bounce back here. In fact, Portland has just 1 cover in 7 games when playing in that situation. The Rockets are a stellar 9-3 ATS on the road this season. 10* HOUSTON

Rickenbach CBB Game #764 Saturday 8* Oklahoma State Cowboys (+) vs Wichita State Shockers @ 4 ET - The markets are making a push toward the Shockers here. The result is excellent line value with the underdog Cowboys. While it is true that this is a revenge spot for Wichita State and that they are a ranked team that has played a tougher schedule than Oklahoma State, it is also true that the Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater is not too friendly for visitors! Also, this O/U opened up in the 150s and the Shockers are 0-5 ATS the past 3 seasons in games with a posted total in the 150s. The Cowboys have a long-term mark of 15-4 SU in home games with a posted total between 150 and 154.5 points. Both teams are playing well early this season but the Cowboys have allowed just 40% from the field in their last 3 games combined while the Shockers have allowed 49% from the field in 2 of their past 4 games. Grab the value with the home dog here that is very fired up for this opportunity hosting a ranked foe on a Saturday afternoon. 8* OKLAHOMA STATE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 8* Los Angeles Clippers (+) vs Washington Wizards @ 3:35 ET - The Los Angeles Clippers have been struggling as they've been beaten by the injury bug (Patrick Beverley and Blake Griffin). However, they have a couple of key edges here against the Wizards. The Clips have the home court edge and they also catch Washington playing an early game after enjoying the Friday "night life" of LA. Even though the Wizards have won 2 of 3 on this road trip, those victories came against the slumping Blazers and a bad Suns team. With the Clippers playing just the 2nd time in 6 days and the Wizards playing for the 4th time in 6 days (each game in a different city), this is a big scheduling edge for LA. Of course we get line value here with the Clips as a home dog due to their recent struggles as well as the corresponding injury situation. The Clippers are 19-4 SU against Southeast Division opponents. The Wizards are 5-8 ATS as a favorite this season. 8* LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #521 Friday 8* St John's Red Storm (+) vs Arizona State Sun Devils @ 8 ET @ Staples Center in Los Angeles, California - This game is part of the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic. The Sun Devils are a ranked team. Even though this game is considered a neutral site game, the location certainly favors Arizona State. Also, the Red Storm are expected to still be without Marcus LoVett. With all that said, how can the Sun Devils have opened up as just a 4.5 point favorite? Exactly! You think the odds makers are stupid? They know that the aggressive defensive style that St John's plays is going to really test the high-powered Sun Devils offense here. Also, as nice as it would be for the Red Storm to have LoVett back on the floor for this one, the fact is that he had made only 9 of 34 shots in his past two games and, arguably, was hurting more than helping. So a ranked ASU team with the location edge for this game and an undefeated record on the season opens up as a very small favorite. I am not buying it! Going contrarian here and telling you that the Red Storm are going to surprise a lot of folks here. Looking for the upset but if St John's does fall short I expect it to be by a single possession. The Sun Devils are 1-4 ATS when playing with 5 or 6 days of rest between games, 4-8 ATS in neutral court games, 3-8 ATS against Big East foes, and 0-4 ATS in neutral court games with a posted total between 155 and 159.5 points. The Red Storm are 8-4 ATS in games with a posted total in the 150 to 159.5 point range. 8* ST JOHN'S

Earliest Cash Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Friday 10* Indiana Pacers (+) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:05 ET - The Pacers just played a Bulls team that has the longest losing streak in the NBA. Clearly Indiana was looking ahead to this match-up with the team that has the longest winning streak in the NBA. After barely getting by the Bulls (and with Myles Turner listed as questionable due to his knee) we are getting a nice home dog spot here on the Pacers. Indiana is 8-4 SU at home this season and 65-34 SU at home the past 3 seasons combined. Keep in mind, the Cavs (even with their current hot streak) have been money burners at the betting window as a fave. Cleveland is 4-15 ATS as a favorite this season! Also, the Cavaliers are on an ugly 16-28 ATS run versus division opponents. The Pacers are a fantastic 27-13 ATS their last 40 versus divisional foes. Indiana has failed to get the cash only ONCE in their last SIX games versus the Cavs. There is a reason the odds makers but such a low number on the favorite here even though they've won 13 in a row. Don't be fooled by it. Upset time here. 10* INDIANA

TNT Explosion Top Play - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76'ers (-) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 8:05 ET - The Lakers have lost 5 straight and 10 of their last 13. Also, 7 of those 10 losses have come by 8 or more points. When the Lakers lose (often) they generally lose big and the Sixers are in a good spot to take the Lakers behind the woodshed and lay the lumber on Los Angeles! Philadelphia is angry off of a home loss to Phoenix where they were lethargic from the opening tip onward. The 76'ers are 3-1 SU and ATS when off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more this season. Also, the past 3 seasons combined, Philly is 14-5 ATS in games with a posted total of 220 points or more and also 50-21 ATS in non-conference games including a fantastic 19-7 ATS in games against Pacific Division opponents. The Lakers are 2-8 SU and 3-7 ATS in road games this season. The Sixers, off of a loss and with a road trip on deck that will take them away from Philly for a week, are going to make the most of this home game. The 76ers have had two full off days since the loss to the Suns so anger and frustration has built up and is ready to be unleashed on the slumping Lakers. Lay it! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #710 Thursday 10* Purdue Boilermakers (-) vs Valparaiso Crusaders @ 6:30 ET - Long-time followers know I rarely lay big points in basketball. However, this play easily fits in as a rare exception. Purdue is ranked, at home, and loaded with veteran players. Valparaiso has their attention as an in-state foe with an undefeated record. The Crusaders are 8-0 but they are a young team as most of their minutes come from freshmen and sophomores whereas most of the Boilermakers minutes come from underclassmen. Not only has Valparaiso played a weak schedule, they now face a team that can not only match their size but exceed. Purdue is loaded with size in the paint including a 7'3 freshman that is one of the nation's top shot-blockers. One of the big keys here is that the Crusaders have not played in over a week. As I have always said, too much rest can lead to rust and Valparaiso is really not that great of a shooting team to begin with. I know some of their overall stats this season will lead you to believe otherwise but the fact is that Valpo has been held under 35.8% from three point land in 6 of their 8 games. By comparison, Purdue has shot 43% or better from three point land in half their games this season. The Boilermakers won't overlook the Crusaders because the 8-0 record means Purdue wants to make sure they hand this in-state foe their first loss and I expect them to do it in an emphatic way. I realize that Valparaiso has some impressive numbers on defense this season but they truly have not played anyone of real significance. They're going to be tested in a big way with this veteran Boilermakers team and I sense a huge blowout win. Purdue also has a 9-man rotation and their bench will do just fine when called upon in this game even if it is mop-up / garbage time late in the game which is another reason I am comfortable laying the big number here. The off-time for Valpo won't help their shooting and neither will playing at a tough venue, Mackey Arena. The Crusaders are 1-5 ATS when they enter a game after a lay-off of 7 or more days. Purdue is on a 16-1 SU run (and 13-3 ATS) in December games! Also, the Boilermakers are 13-4 ATS when facing a team that allows 64 points or less per game. Lay the big points in this one! 10* PURDUE

Contrarian Crusher Top Play - Rickenbach CBB Game #561 Wednesday 10* New Mexico Lobos (+) @ Colorado Buffaloes @ 9 ET - The Lobos haven't won a game away from home this season and the Buffaloes haven't lost a game at home this season. Couple that with the fact that Colorado is projected to move up some in the Pac-12 this season while New Mexico is projected to drop down some in the MWC this season and you can see why most will be enticed to back the Buffs here. I am going contrarian in this spot and would not be surprised to see the Lobos get the outright win which is why I certainly love them plus the big points here. Colorado is off of their first loss of the season and it was at rival Colorado State. Not only does that give the Buffaloes unbeaten letdown here it is also a flat spot scheduling-wise as they just faced the rival Rams and they have a huge game on deck with a highly-ranked Xavier team! Look for New Mexico to prove to be the hungrier team here. They just lost by double digits at UTEP Saturday but simply shot the ball very poorly. Overall, in comparison with the Buffaloes, the Lobos have played the tougher schedule this season. Also, New Mexico is 4-1 ATS as a road dog in a range of 6.5 to 9 points and the Lobos are 4-0 ATS in road games with a posted total in a range of 150 to 154.5 points. Colorado is 1-5 ATS against Mountain West opponents. 10* NEW MEXICO

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach NBA 10* San Antonio Spurs (-) vs Miami Heat @ 8:35 ET - The Spurs are always up for the Heat. Of course the back to back battles in 2013 and 2014 and the fact these non-conference foes only meet twice a season helps make these match-ups special. The Spurs are at home and getting healthier. The Heat are on the road and continuing to struggle without Hassan Whiteside. Miami has lost 3 of 4 SU and ATS while allowing opponents to hit a ridiculous 53.3% from the field. The Spurs have failed to cover their last 3 home games but the margin those 3 games failed to cover by was a COMBINED 2.5 points and San Antonio had started the season 8-2 ATS in home games! In other words, a big home win for the Spurs would not surprise in the least in terms of this match-up. Each of Miami's last 7 losses have come by at least 9 points and the average margin of those 7 defeats was 18.3 points. I sense another blowout here as the Heat also could be distracted by their Mexico City trip on deck as they face Brooklyn there on Saturday. The Spurs are a long-term 24-9 ATS in December games and 90-52 ATS in games against teams from the Southeast Division. Look for Miami to drop to 4-8 ATS this season in their games against teams with a winning record. 10* SAN ANTONIO

Rickenbach Wednesday NBA 8* Atlanta Hawks @ Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - Sure the Hawks have had their share of struggles this season but anytime I can get significant points like this and go against a team (Magic) that has lost 11 of 13 straight-up, I am in! Only ONE time in their last 13 games has Orlando won a game by more than 5 points. As for the Hawks, they are 8-2 ATS the last 10 times they have allowed more than 105 points in a game and they're angry again here as they are off of an ugly 110-90 loss to Brooklyn. The Magic were held by the Hornets to just 94 points in a 10 point loss on Monday. Orlando is on a 2-7 ATS run when they are off of a game where they were held to 105 points or less! Also, this is the 3rd game in 4 nights for the Magic while the Hawks are playing for just the third time this month. Atlanta does have revenge from a 19 point loss at Orlando in their most recent match-up. While it is true that the Hawks have not played well this season, the Magic aren't great either and are known for playing down to the level of their competition. Orlando is 18-31 ATS against teams allowing 106 points or more per game. Also, the Magic are 2-5 ATS (and SU!) this season against teams with a losing record. 8* ATLANTA

Rickenbach CBB Game #526 Wednesday 8* Temple Owls (-) vs Wisconsin Badgers @ 7 ET - The Badgers lost 4 starters from last season's team while the Owls return 4 starters. Temple's starters play a lot of minutes but that is not a problem in a scheduling situation like this where they are playing just their 2nd game this month. Also, the Owls are finally playing their first home game of the season and I expect them to make the most of it. They do have revenge here from an ugly loss at Wisconsin two years ago. The Badgers are a much different team now compared to that team of two years ago and the Owls veteran players will be the difference-maker in this match-up. Temple has shot 48% or better from the field in 3 straight games and 4 of their last 5. Keep in mind this is without having played on their home floor. Wisconsin is off of a very tight 1-point win at Penn State but that was preceded by losses in 5 of their 6 prior games. Prior to the win over the Nittany Lions the Badgers had been held to 41% or less from the field in 4 of their 6 previous games. As a road dog of 3.5 to 6 points Wisconsin has a SU record of 13-30. Given those strong odds of a Badgers loss here, I like my chances with the hungry Owls (off of a loss) in terms of covering this short number at home. Temple is 15-5 SU in games against teams with a losing record and also 18-10 ATS in games against non-conference opponents. 8* TEMPLE

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #728 Tuesday 10* Top Play Arizona Wildcats (+) vs Texas A & M Aggies @ 9 ET - Here you have the #7 ranked team in the country with a 7-0 record and a 4-2 ATS mark facing an unranked foe that is only 5-3 SU this season and also an ugly 2-6 ATS and yet the line opened up in the pick'em range. Even more remarkable about this opening number is that this isn't even a true home game for Arizona as it will be played at the same arena as the NBA's Phoenix Suns use. The point is that this is absolutely a "trap line" in my opinion. Now, when I say "trap line" I don't mean that the odds makers intentionally set trap lines, I just mean that public opinion can absolutely make a line a trap and that is the case here. Public players will look at this game and say "wow...I can get an undefeated highly ranked team that is undefeated and playing on a neutral floor and facing an unranked 3-loss foe". That will be the prevailing wisdom and, of course, I feel strongly that this mindset will prove to be wrong in a big way. That is what my contrarian plays are all about and it also why I am raising the level of this play to my highest level. The Wildcats are ticked off. They are fired up and starting to turn the corner after those 3 losses in the Thanksgiving Tourney. After those 3 straight losses they got the type of big win a team needs to get swagger back as they crushed Long Beach State. The Wildcats then faced UNLV and got a hard-fought OT win which is the type of win a team that has struggled early absolutely needs to get over the hump. Remember the Wildcats were highly touted coming into the season and they are extremely well coached. They are a bargain in this spot and I'll grab them as they get the marquee win they have needed to prove they are for real. Those 3 losses Thanksgiving Week will prove to be the best thing that could have happened to a team that many projected to be in the final four coming into this season. They'll start leaving up to the hype no doubt. 10* ARIZONA

Rickenbach CBB Game #711 Tuesday 8* Ball State Cardinals (+) @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ 7 ET - The Cardinals are the perfect type of team to play as a huge dog. They have a lot of depth. So that means that even when they're making use of their bench they can hang around in a game and that is precisely what I expect them to do in this spot. The Fighting Irish have a 7-1 record on the season but Ball State has actually played a tougher schedule on the season than Notre Dame. Also, the Cardinals did get embarrassed at Oklahoma and Oregon and they are ready to make up for those two ugly losses here. I expect this one to end much closer than many are expecting. The Cardinals have the added confidence of 3 straight wins and hot shooting coming into this game. The past 3 seasons combined the Cards are 20-11 ATS as an underdog. Also, as a road dog of 15.5 to 18 points, Ball State is 7-3 ATS long-term. As a home favorite of 12.5 or more points, Notre Dame is a long-term 27-45 ATS! Also, in a home game with a posted total in the 150 to 154.5 range, the Irish are an ugly 6-14 ATS long-term including 1-4 ATS the past 3 seasons. Against MAC opponents, the Fighting Irish are a long-term 3-9 ATS and I fully believe they'll again prove to be over-priced in this spot. 8* BALL STATE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Monday 8* Michigan Wolverines (+) @ Ohio State Buckeyes @ 6:30 PM ET - The Buckeyes upset the Wolverines as a 9 point dog in Michigan last season and they also defeated them when they most recently met at Ohio State 2 years ago. Payback is in order here and I love the fact that everyone is jumping on the home team (in early wagering action here) as if it is some type of gift that the odds makers opened with a line of very nearly a pick'em in this game even though the game is in the Buckeye State. Don't be fooled ladies and gentlemen, the Wolverines are the better team and are poised to get their revenge here. Early season projections have Michigan slated in the top five of this 14-team conference while Ohio State was projected to finish near the bottom. The fact that the Buckeyes are off of their huge win over Wisconsin Saturday where they shot a ridiculous 66% from the field including 54% from beyond the arc does not mean Ohio State is suddenly a top team. The Buckeyes had lost 3 of their 4 prior games and are now facing a 7-2 Michigan team with 1 of those 2 Wolverines losses coming by just 2 points. The Wolverines are off of a win versus Indiana but defense keyed that win and they've had the better overall defense in comparison with the Buckeyes so far this season. Also, Michigan is 10-4 ATS when playing with 1 day or less of rest while Ohio State is 2-4 ATS with 1 day or less of rest. The Buckeyes also are 6-13 ATS when off of a win against a conference rival. The Wolverines also are 13-2 SU in December games while Ohio State is 5-10 SU when facing teams that allowed 64 points or less per game! 8* MICHIGAN

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #592 Saturday 10* Arizona State Sun Devils (-) vs San Francisco Dons @ 9 ET - Not only is Arizona State 6-0 SU and undefeated ATS on the season, the Sun Devils have scored at least 90 points in all 6 games. They were down by 15 points in the 1st half against Xavier last Friday and yet stormed back won the game by 16 points. Keep in mind that is a quality Musketeers team and that says an awful lot about just how explosive this Sun Devils offense is this season! As for San Francisco, they are averaging 70.7 points per game in lined games. Right away, just from pure numbers alone, you can see why ASU should win this game by at least 20 points! But what is also concerning for the Dons is that, when you take out their non-lined games against sub-par competition (Sonoma State and St. Francis, PA) they have been held under 37.4% from the field in all three of their lined games! That kind of shooting performance just isn't going to get it done against a Sun Devils team that is averaging 95.7 points per game on the season and has shot over 50% from the field in all 6 games! Also, ASU has played the much tougher schedule and all 6 of their games have been lined games! San Francisco is 1-6 ATS in games with a posted total in the 150s. The Sun Devils have too much depth, too much scoring from all over the floor, and they will dominate the paint in this game too. 10* ARIZONA STATE