Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 8* Detroit Pistons (+) @ Philadelphia 76'ers @ 7:35 ET - The Sixers are off of a loss and they catch the Pistons playing the 2nd night of a back to back. That said, on the surface, this looks like a great spot to back Philly. However, digging deeper shows there is actually great value with Detroit in this match-up. The Pistons are fired up after what happened last night. They were up by 6 points at the half at Washington but then began the 2nd half like they already had the game won. No energy, little effort, and Detroit got outscored by 20 points in the 3rd quarter. Of course that was the difference in the game and the Pistons now come into this game angry and ticked off. Remember they also already had extra motivation for this game because the 76ers beat them in Detroit early this season in a late October match-up. Now the Pistons get a shot at revenge and, keep in mind, the Pistons have won each of their last 3 visits to Philly. In fact the road team has won 3 of the last 4 meetings between these teams and the average margin in the last 4 games has been 19 points. With that said, don't be surprised if this one turns into a road rout! Before last night's loss, the Pistons had won 12 of 16 since the home loss to the Sixers earlier this season. Detroit is 7-2 ATS as an underdog this season. Philadelphia is just 7-23 SU (and has covered just 33%) in their last 30 December games. 8* DETROIT

Contrarian Crusher Top Play - Rickenbach CBB #725 Friday 10* Boise State Broncos (+) @ Oregon Ducks @ 9:30 ET - The Ducks have been a fantastic team in recent seasons but Oregon did lose 4 of 5 starters entering this season. After starting this season 4-0 SU and 3-0 ATS against weaker competition, the Ducks have struggled with an 0-3 ATS mark their last 3 games as the foes they faced were tougher opponents. They certainly face a tough one in this match-up as you know Boise State will be up for this opportunity to knock off a Pac-12 foe from a neighboring state. The Broncos schedule has been just as strong, if not stronger, than the Ducks and Boise State is rolling with confidence right now. They have won 6 of 7 games this season including two straight by an average margin of 27 points even though their average line in those two games was just a 6.5 point favorite! I look for another huge cover here as they either win this one outright or lose by just a single possession. The Broncos returned 3 starters from last season. As for the Ducks, they just lost starter Troy Brown to a concussion (out for tonight's game) and he is their leading rebounder and one of their top scorers. The forward will be sorely missed tonight as Boise State's weakness is their frontcourt but Brown's absence hurts the Ducks ability to take advantage of that. The Broncos beat the Ducks at home two years ago and then last season easily covered in a 5 point loss at Oregon. The Ducks have covered just once in their last six games versus Mountain West Conference opponents. The Broncos are 8-4 SU and ATS when off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. 10* BOISE STATE BRONCOS

Rickenbach CBB Game #524 Thursday 10* Top Play Central Florida Golden Knights (+) vs Missouri Tigers @ 9 ET - This line has jumped strong toward Missouri today. Of course that is often what happens when you have a team averaging 80 points per game laying a very small number against a team averaging 64.5 points per game. However, here you have a Central Florida team off of back to back dreadful shooting performances and they catch the Tigers off of a very tight loss to West Virginia that is absolutely going to leave Missouri emotionally spent here. Off their only other loss this season they followed it up with a 5 point win over a team called Emporia State. Not exactly an impressive response against a Division II basketball team that has had only 1 winning season the past 6 seasons under Shaun Vandiver. Now the Tigers take on an angry UCF team that is anxious to erase the bitter taste of averaging just 44 points per game their past 2 games! This game is played at the CFE Arena in Orlando and Missouri is an incredible 0-21 SU in road games the past 2+ seasons. The Tigers are also 4-17 SU in games with a posted total in the 130s while the Golden Knights are 21-9 ATS in games with a posted total in the 130s. Already 3-0 SU at home this season and on a 10-2 ATS run in November games the past 2+ seasons. 10* CENTRAL FLORIDA

Earliest Cash Top Play - Rickenbach NBA 10* Atlanta Hawks (+) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:35 ET - The Cavaliers are a popular choice here because they have revenge from a tight home loss versus the Hawks earlier this season. However, Atlanta is always up for facing LeBron James and Company because they got swept out of the playoffs by the Cavs in the 2015 Eastern Conference finals and then again were swept in the 2016 Eastern Conference semifinals. Of course when it is playoff time and every game is critical things are different. However, in a regular season situation lets not forget all the distractions for road teams in Atlanta. Yes, this is a city known for its nightlife catering to visiting players! In other words it is much different from a road game in say, Salt Lake City Utah! The point is that maybe it should come as no surprise that the Hawks have played the Cavs tough including here at home. The last two meetings here saw Atlanta win one outright and lose the other one by just 5 points. Also, the Hawks have won each of their last 3 visits to Cleveland so there is something about facing Atlanta that seems to bring down the Cavs level of play a notch or two in regular season action! I know this Hawks team is a bad team this season but, off of a total beatdown at home against the Raptors, they will respond here. Atlanta had previously won 2 of its last 4 home games and the home game prior to that was a loss by just 3 points to the Celtics! After losing by 34 points to Toronto, the angry Hawks are going to hang around in this one and they are expected to have forward Luke Babbitt back for this one. The Cavaliers are on a winning streak of 9 games but they have gone just 3-12 ATS as a favorite this season and Cleveland is also only 2-7 ATS this season against teams with a losing record. This is the Hawks finale of a 4-game homestand and they are 11-6 (SU and ATS) when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games at home. 10* ATLANTA

Rickenbach CBB Game #529 Thursday 8* Texas Tech Red Raiders (+) @ Seton Hall Pirates @ 6:30 ET - Seton Hall has played the tougher schedule and are at home and yet they opened up as a dog here. Of course the markets jumped all over the Pirates here and you know what I am doing. In typical contrarian fashion here I am rolling with a Red Raiders team that is 6-0 SU this season and also 13-4 ATS the past 3 seasons combined when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. Seton Hall is a long-term 0-6 SU against Big 12 opponents! 8* TEXAS TECH

Game of the Month - Rickenbach CBB Game #759 Wednesday 10* Top Play Evansville Purple Aces (+) @ New Mexico Lobos @ 9 ET - Do people really think the odds makers are stupid? The very first "soft" number that was posted on this game was the Lobos -2. The line has since been driven all the way up to a -7! I'll gladly grab the value here on the underdog side. Of course Evansville is not a great team but they're solid and also have a tendency to play fundamentally sound basketball. As for the Lobos, what has driven this line is they have so much positive history at home. Yes indeed New Mexico is tough to play at "The Pit" but, keep in mind, this team has a new coach and has undergone major changes from last season. Many preseason pundits have them slated to finish dead last in the MWC. 4 straight losses entering this contest certainly have done little to squash those predictions. The point is that the Runnin' Rebels, even though they did face some tough competition, have underachieved as it is an 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS run. The Purple Aces schedule has been very nearly as tough as UNLV's and yet Evansville enters this game with a 5-1 SU and 4-0 ATS mark on the young season. The Purple Aces are off of their first loss of the season and that defeat came by just a bucket. I am happy to grab the big points being offered here. Evansville is without Ryan Taylor (foot) but it's not like the cupboard is bare for the Purple Aces. They also are 5-1 ATS against MWC opposition. New Mexico is 0-3 SU this season against teams with a winning record. 10* EVANSVILLE

Rickenbach CBB Game #746 Wednesday 8* Northern Iowa Panthers (+) vs UNLV Runnin' Rebels @ 8 ET - As a general rule, I always like to investigate games like this where the team that opened up as the favorite is now the dog and that is what we have here with Northern Iowa. I completely understand the move as UNLV is a perfect 6-0 this season so everyone loved the undefeated Panthers getting points in this match-up. It seemed too easy of course so everyone grabbed it. As you know, it's never that easy! Yes UNLV is off to a great start but Northern Iowa has played the much tougher schedule. This is a big part of the reason UNLV is 6-0 on the season and Northern Iowa is "only" 5-2 and, as a result, we are getting exceptional value with the battle-tested Panthers here. UNI, in home games with a posted total between 140 and 144.5 points, have gone 8-3 ATS and an incredible 10-1 SU! I look for another huge win here on Wednesday! UNLV is 5-15 ATS and 4-19 SU in road games. 8* NORTHERN IOWA

Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 8* Miami Heat (-) @ New York Knicks @ 7:35 ET - The Heat got beaten so badly in the first half in Cleveland last night that their starters were able to get quite a bit of rest. That said, this is a good spot to back an angry Miami team as they're fired up off of that loss and the 5 starters averaged only 24 minutes of playing time against the Cavaliers. The Knicks have lost 3 straight games. The Heat had won 3 straight games before losing to the Cavs. The road team has won 6 of the last 7 meetings between these teams SU and ATS. Even though New York looks better this season they have still gone just 3-5 against teams with a winning record. The past 3 seasons combined the Knicks are an ugly 27-65 against teams with a winning record. 8* MIAMI

Rickenbach CBB Game #739 Wednesday 8* Clemson Tigers (+) @ Ohio State Buckeyes @ 7:15 ET - The Buckeyes are at home and getting a ton of attention here as the money move has been Ohio State early on in this one. That said, I love the value in fading the Buckeyes as they have a huge game on deck with Wisconsin Saturday - the same day OSU and the Badgers also meet in Football. Suffice to say that is the talk on campus right now rather than this match-up with an ACC foe in the ACC/Big 10 challenge. The result here is solid underdog line value with Clemson. The Tigers have only UNC-Asheville on deck and they'll most certainly be "all in" for the upset tonight in Columbus. Clemson really got rolling on offense in their most recent win and they have shot well in most all of their games this season. The Tigers are 13-4 SU when coming off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. Ohio State is only 10-17 ATS in games with a posted total in the 140 to 149.5 range. 8* CLEMSON

Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 8* Oklahoma City Thunder (-) @ Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - After the huge highly coveted win for Russell Westbrook's Thunder over Kevin Durant's Warriors last week, Oklahoma City fell flat versus Detroit and lost outright as an 8.5 point favorite. That wasn't a huge surprise. What was a huge surprise is that OKC followed it up by shooting just 36.2% at Dallas and losing to the Mavericks as a 6 point favorite. Now, after that ugly performance made it back to back losses for the Thunder, you can expect a huge response tonight! The road team covered both meetings between these teams last year and Oklahoma City has covered each of their last two trips to Orlando. I look for the road dominance to continue here. The Magic come into this game having lost 9 straight games. The average margin of defeat has been 15 points and none of those 9 losses came by less than 5 points. That makes this small road chalk the way to go in this one! Orlando is 18-27 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. The Thunder are 19-10 ATS when off of a loss by a double digit margin. 8* OKLAHOMA CITY 

NBA TV Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 8* Miami Heat (+) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:05 ET - A lot of line value here as the Cavaliers are in a back to back spot. Even though Cleveland has won 8 straight games, their schedule has been quite friendly of late. Now the Cavs are in what is their 4th back to back spot so far this season. In the first 3 they have not only lost all 3, they were favored by an average margin of 10 points and yet they lost each game outright by an average margin of 15 points! That means the Cavs are 0-3 ATS in this spot this season with an average cover for the opposition by a 25 point margin! As you can see, the Heat not only have a great shot at the cover here but also an outright victory by a sizable margin. Cleveland is off of a huge win at Philly last night but the 76ers did outrebound them and had 10 more shots from the field in the game. Philadelphia just simply couldn't hit their shots last night while the Cavaliers rolled. Cleveland is 0-9 ATS at home this season and 2-12 ATS as a favorite. Eventually some of these numbers will certainly start to reverse but this isn't the time for any changes to begin. It is a back to back spot with travel involved for the Cavs and this is the same situation they have struggled in all 3 times this season. Miami comes into this game off of a day of rest yesterday and they've won 3 straight games heading into this match-up. Also, the Heat have won each of their last 3 meetings with Cleveland as well. Miami is 16-9 ATS when on a winning streak of 3 games or more and the Heat get the job done again here. 8* MIAMI

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #550 Monday 8* Ohio University Bobcats (-) vs Iona Gaels @ 7 ET - The Gaels haven't played since the 19th. Rest can lead to rust and it certainly hasn't treated Iona well through the years. When the Gaels enter a game on rest of 7 days or more, they have a SU record of 8-19. Though Iona is still projected to be at the top of the MAAC this season, they have lost some key players the past two seasons and aren't quite at the level they were in recent seasons. The Gaels are near the bottom of the rankings so far this season in terms of shooting percentage allowed (49.1%) and their rebounding margin (-8.6 per game). That certainly doesn't bode well for a rusty Iona team coming off of a long layoff and going on the road and knocking off a revenge-minded Ohio U. team. The Bobcats led the Gaels at half at the Hynes Athletic Center in New Rochelle, NY last season but ended up losing a tight game. It is time for payback here and Ohio University is happy to have this contest at home. The Bobcats are on a 30-7 SU run in home games and also 22-3 SU in their last 25 games against teams with a losing record. The Bobcats are "feeling it" right now after their hot shooting effort versus Mount Saint Mary's Friday and they are 19-7 SU and 16-7 ATS when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. 8* OHIO UNIVERSITY

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #511 Monday 8* Baylor Bears (+) @ Xavier Musketeers @ 6:30 ET - I love fading streaks like this. The Musketeers have won 33 straight non-conference home games. However, here they are hosting a Bears team that is just as strong as they are. Also, Xavier has a huge game on deck as their annual Crosstown Shootout versus Cincinnati is on tap for Saturday. The Musketeers are also off of a loss to Arizona State this past weekend in the Las Vegas Classic and the 102 points allowed to the Sun Devils certainly exposed the weakness of the Xavier defense. The fact is that, under coach Chris Mack, there is a history of teams that struggle early in the season but then are extremely tough outs late in the season. This looks like a repeat of that and I love the value being offered here with Baylor getting sizable points. The Musketeers would like to avenge last season's loss in Waco but the Bears did beat them by 15 points in that game and I feel that Xavier still has not closed the gap all the way. In other words, even home court isn't enough to necessarily get the Musketeers the win here (especially with the Bearcats on deck) and Baylor getting significant points is the way to go here. Xavier is 6-11 ATS after a game in which they allowed 80 points or more. The Musketeers also are 1-6 ATS in home games with a posted total in a range of 140 to 144.5 points. The Bears are 7-3 ATS against Big East opponents. 8* BAYLOR

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach Game #725 Monday 8* Wisconsin Badgers (+) @ Virginia Cavaliers @ 9 ET - The Badgers are certainly a "step down" from where they have been but they will get better as the season goes on and a big win over UW-Milwaukee helps get some positive momentum going for a Wisconsin team that had lost 3 straight games by an average margin of just 5.7 points per game. Virginia, of course, is the better team and they are at home but this game (as you can tell from the total) is projected to be a rather low-scoring affair and I expect the Badgers to be able to hang around in the type of game they generally thrive in - a low-scoring grinder! We are getting extra value here because the Cavaliers are 6-0 on the season and also have covered 5 straight ATS. In my opinion, this is the toughest match-up they have faced this season and yet the line is inching higher. I won't hesitate to step in on the big dog side. The Badgers are 20-12 ATS after allowing 60 points or less in their prior game. Wisconsin also is a long-term 20-10 ATS against ACC opponents. The Badgers additionally are 7-3 ATS when facing solid defensive teams (allowing 64 points or less per game). Virginia is a long-term 11-19 ATS as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points including 1-3 ATS the past 2 seasons. The Cavs win but don't cover here! 8* WISCONSIN

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Monday 8* Brooklyn Nets (+) @ Houston Rockets @ 8:05 ET - Just too many points here. The Rockets, of course, are the better team and are at home but the Nets are quietly playing extremely competitive basketball. Brooklyn won at Memphis last season and, despite playing a number of quality teams like Portland (twice), Cleveland, Golden State, and Denver, the Nets are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games. Also, Brooklyn has only lost 1 game this entire season by more than 13 points and that was exactly a month ago to the day in October and now the Nets are getting 17 here. It's just too much. The Rockets don't have any incentive to run up the score here. If anything, Brooklyn is the more motivated team as they lost at home by 25 to Houston when they most recently met (back in January). Note that the Nets had covered each of the prior 3 meetings. Also, yesterday was just the 2nd time in 5 games that Brooklyn didn't shoot over 50% from the field. The Nets held the Grizzlies to just 88 points and they are 5-1 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 90 points or less. Also, Brooklyn is a perfect 7-0 ATS this season in games against teams that score 106 points or more per game. The Nets also are 7-1 ATS in games against teams with a winning record. The Rockets are just 1-4 ATS against Atlantic Division teams this season (again, the motivation just isn't there against a non-Western Conference foe). Also, Houston is just 17-31 ATS as a home fave of 12.5 to 18 points. 8* BROOKLYN

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach CBB Game #531 Sunday 8* Missouri Tigers (+) vs West Virginia Mountaineers in Advocare Championship Game at HP Field House in Orlando, FL - The Tigers have the experience, depth, and backcourt to properly deal with "Press Virginia". Of course the Mountaineers are off of a blowout win over Central Florida but that is part of what is driving the crazy value here as this line is way over-priced when you consider what Missouri brings to the hardwood here and the fact that this is a neutral court game. Keep in mind the Tigers returned 4 starters and they are much better than what last season's record would lead you to believe. New head coach Cuonzo Martin already has this team believing! Remember that he was hired in early March and the Tigers had one of the best recruiting classes in the entire nation for this season! West Virginia is certainly a great team and that is why they're ranked of course but Missouri is still flying under the radar a bit. This is a Tigers team that is hitting 37% of their threes this season and the Mountaineers were allowing 42.3% three pointers before holding UCF to a ridiculous 1 of 12 performance in that insane blowout win over the Golden Knights Saturday which has resulted in an inflated market perception of West Virginia here. The Mountaineers are 0-3 ATS against SEC opponents. The Tigers are 15-4 ATS in neutral court games with a posted total between 145 and 149.5 points. That's a combined 18-4 (82%) ATS spot favoring the dog here. 8* MISSOURI

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* Brooklyn Nets (+) @ Memphis Grizzlies @ 6:05 ET - Considering Brooklyn is only 2-7 on the road it looks almost "too easy" to take Memphis at home laying a rather small number here. However, you know looks can be deceiving and that is what my contrarian crusher plays are all about! In this case, upon closer inspection, you'll see why the Nets are actually a great play here! Not only has Memphis lost 7 straight games (SU and ATS!), the Grizzlies are 4-11 in their last 15 games with only 2 wins by more than 5 points! In other words, Memphis would have to do something they've only done TWICE in their last 15 games to beat us here. I like my chances with a Nets team that has covered 7 of its last 9 games while truly playing competitive basketball versus the likes of the Cavaliers, Warriors, Celtics, Nuggets, and Blazers. Brooklyn enters this game off of a high-scoring loss versus Portland. That is significant here as the Nets are 5-0 ATS this season when off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. The Grizzlies have trouble matching up with teams like Brooklyn that are consistently involved in high-scoring games. Sure the Nets defensive numbers will impress no one but check this out: Memphis has gone 0-6 ATS this season when facing a team that allows 106 or more points per game! That means we have an 11-0 ATS combined spot here that favors the road dog. 8* BROOKLYN

Hidden Gem - Rickenbach CBB Game #799 Saturday 8* Southern Utah Thunderbirds (+) @ UNLV Rebels @ 10 ET - Southern Utah head coach Todd Simon was an assistant at UNLV. He is now entering his 2nd season with the Thunderbirds and last year they lost to the Rebels by only 8 points. Simon certainly knows the program well and now he also has a player, Jamal Aytes, who used to play for UNLV as well and will be up for a huge game here. A lot of "inside edges" here and, of course, the Runnin' Rebels are the better team but coach Simon has a number of returning starters plus transfer players and incoming freshmen that are already contributing significantly early this season. Last year, the Thunderbirds had Randy Onwuasor who has since transferred out but the Southern Utah leading scorer last season actually did not shoot well in the game against UNLV while his teammates shot 50% and contributed most of the key scoring. Both the Thunderbirds and Runnin' Rebels have played soft schedules early this season. UNLV is certainly the superior team but will they be fully focused here? I doubt it! Coming off of the Thanksgiving Holiday and with a tougher match-up on deck (Northern Iowa) and then a huge game (Arizona) after that, I don't expect UNLV to be in "shutdown mode" here and Southern Utah hangs around as a result. The Thunderbirds are 6-3 ATS in games with a posted total in the 160s. UNLV is on an 8-16 ATS run in Saturday games. 8* SOUTHERN UTAH

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 8* New Orleans Pelicans (+) @ Golden State Warriors @ 8:35 ET - With the Warriors off of a 49-point home win over the Bulls last night this one is a no-brainer, right? Actually it is anything but because Kevin Durant (ankle) is listed as doubtful for tonight's game and the Pelicans big men will take advantage. New Orleans is on the road again but with their blowout win at Phoenix last night they were able to rest guys. The Pelicans are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 road games and New Orleans is also 5-0 ATS against Pacific Division opponents this season. The Warriors are 3-8 ATS off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. The Warriors won all 4 meetings last season and the first meeting this season with New Orleans but the Pelicans have only lost 1 of those games by more than 10 points. Couple that with the fact that Durant is hurting and you have the makings of a much closer game than many are expecting here. 8* NEW ORLEANS

Situational Slam - Rickenbach NBA Friday 10* Phoenix Suns (+) vs New Orleans Pelicans @ 9:05 ET - The Suns may not be a very good basketball team but they are catching the Pelicans at the perfect time for an upset. Combining that with the fact that Phoenix is at home and also catching a half-dozen points and you have a great value spot for a home dog. New Orleans is in a horrible scheduling spot as they are off of their huge upset win over San Antonio and the Pelicans now have Golden State on deck. That said, it is certainly a difficult spot for New Orleans to be too concerned with Phoenix. As for the Suns, they are hungry off of a home loss to the Bucks and this the final home game for Phoenix until December 7th so they want to make the most of it! The Pelicans game against the Warriors is tomorrow at Golden State so the situation truly couldn't be much worse after they also dominated the Spurs Wednesday. New Orleans is 5-10 ATS (and 4-11 SU) when off of a game where they allowed 90 points or less. The last 4 games between these teams have been decided by an average margin of just 2.25 points per game. Tremendous home dog value here. 10* PHOENIX

ESPN Top Game - Rickenbach CBB Game #580 Friday 10* Texas Longhorns (+) vs Duke Blue Devils @ 5:30 ET @ Phil Knight Invitational in Portland, OR - The Longhorns had a very disappointing campaign last season but they are a different team this season with Mohamed Bamba on board. The 6'11 center is a freshman and sure NBA draft pick. He combines with junior Dylan Osetkowski (6'9 - 250) to give the Longhorns some solid size in the paint this season. Osetkowski had to sit out last season after transferring from Tulane. Matt Coleman has proven to be a great find at point guard and he joins scorers Kerwin Roach and Andrew Jones to give the Horns a solid backcourt. Of course Duke is the #1 team in the country but this is a lot of points for a young Blue Devils team to lay against a Texas team that had 3 straight seasons of 20 or more wins before last season's disappointment. The Longhorns are already 4-0 this season. Duke is 6-0 but the strength of schedule for each of these undefeated teams is about the same and I love the line value of the big dog here. Duke is still a young team, as they showed in yesterday's disappointing first half versus Portland State and when the Blue Devils were tested earlier this season the final score was a bit of a phony final. Duke beat Michigan State by 7 points but the Spartans shot 50.8% from the field while the Blue Devils were held to 39.5% shooting! The Horns are 6-3 ATS as a neutral court dog of 6.5 to 9 points and also on a 13-7 ATS run after a game in which they held their opponent to 60 points or less. Duke is over-valued often and is on a 7-10 ATS run in tournament games. That means we have a 29-17 ATS spot favoring the Longhorns here. 10* TEXAS

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #527 Friday 8* Eastern Michigan Eagles (+) @ Indiana Hoosiers @ 4:30 ET - With Eastern Michigan having a lot of newcomers (including a handful that already had at least 2 years of Division 1 ball under their belts) it was hard to say how the Eagles would perform early this season. Although the competition certainly has been rather soft, the fact that Eastern Michigan is 4-0 and has won every game by double digits plus their defense has held their opponent under 41% shooting in all 4 games certainly says a lot. These Eagles are jelling quicker than expected. Also, it's not like 3-2 Indiana has played a contingent of heavyweights either early this season. In fact, 2 of the 3 wins that the Hoosiers have came against the same team and by virtually identical margins as 2 of the Eagles 4 wins. The point is that we're getting a lot of line value here with the big dog Eagles as this game means a ton to Eastern Michigan. As for Indiana, they have got a huge game with Duke in less than a week plus then Big Ten conference action begins after that. The Eagles defense has been impressive early this season and they are the much more rested team as they have been off since Sunday while the Hoosiers just played Wednesday. Eastern Michigan is 2-0 ATS as a road dog of 6.5 to 9 points and 2-0 ATS when playing with 5 or 6 days of rest between games. The Hoosiers are 3-6 ATS when playing with 1 day or less of rest between games and 2-5 ATS on Fridays. That means we have angles of a combined 15-5 (75%) favoring the Eagles. 8* EASTERN MICHIGAN

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach CBB Game #729 Thursday 8* Vanderbilt Commodores (+) vs Virginia Cavaliers @ Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY @ 4 ET - The Commodores have yet to cover a game this season but that is helping to give some extra line value here and Vanderbilt is 3-0 ATS the past two seasons when they have entered a game on an ATS losing streak of 3 games or more. Also, this is a low total which tells you of course that this game will be played with points at a premium and Vandy is 33-20 ATS long-term in games with a posted total in the 120s. The Cavaliers are on a long-term run of 33-47 ATS in all tournament games and I look for Virginia to drop to 1-4 ATS when they are a neutral court favorite in a range of 6.5 to 9 points. The Commodores lost by just 4 points to USC in their most recent game and the Cavs have a huge game on deck with Wisconsin. Truly the set up here and the motivational factors are largely in favor of the sizable road dog. I am grabbing all the points I can get but an outright upset would not be a complete surprise! 8* VANDERBILT

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #529 Wednesday 10* Top Play Appalachian State Mountaineers (+) @ James Madison Dukes @ 4 ET - Even though the Mountaineers and Dukes are both returning from tournaments, the Dukes were in the Bahamas and lost their final game while the Mountaineers Puerto Rico tourney was relocated and so their final game was in South Carolina. Also, that final game was a win for Appalachian State and the 3-2 Mountaineers have looked much better than the 1-4 Dukes early this season. We're getting line value because this game is at James Madison and because the Dukes are seeking revenge. The reason they won't get revenge is that the Mountaineers are the superior team that has also shown great resiliency with the strong second half performance against UTEP keying that win. I expect another such effort here. I also like the fact that Appalachian State had tough match-ups with Western Michigan and Iowa State prior to that game. As for James Madison, ever since their game against an overmatched foe in their season opener, they've shot very poorly and their defense has not impressed either. This will be the Dukes 4th game in 6 days too. For the Mountaineers they have the rest edge and also are riding the momentum of their win over UTEP! James Madison is on a 5-17 ATS run in non-conference games. 10* APPALACHIAN STATE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #550 Wednesday 8* Purdue Boilermakers (-) vs Tennessee Volunteers @ Noon ET in Bahamas (Battle for Atlantis) - The Boilermakers have more games under their belt than the Volunteers. Purdue already 4-0 on the season and Tennessee is only 2-0 and the Vols have played a weaker schedule. At least Purdue has faced Marquette. Also, the Volunteers have been off for over a week and that could effect their play here. As for the Boilermakers, they just played on Saturday and are shooting the ball very well now and should maintain their hot shooting considering it is just a short break. Also Purdue's summer trip to Taiwan for the World University games really benefited them as well. Tennessee is 0-4 ATS as a neutral court underdog of 6.5 to 9 points. The Boilermakers are 3-0 ATS against SEC competition in recent seasons. Double perfect 7-0 ATS spot working in our favor here. I'll take it! 8* PURDUE

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #749 Monday 8* Richmond Spiders (+) vs UAB Blazers @ 5 ET @ John Gray Gymnasium in George Town, Cayman Islands - The Spiders did burn me but I won't hesitate to come right back with them in this match-up in the Cayman Islands Classic. Richmond has simply been done in by unbelievably hot shooting by their opponent in their first two games. That is why the Spiders sit at 0-2 on the season. The Blazers are a perfect 3-0 on the season but have faced a very weak schedule. This line opened around a 5 and is now as high as a 7.5 as of early Monday morning. The result is great line value here. Richmond is not only 0-2 to the start the season but it was an embarrassing home loss that opened up their season. Under head coach Chris Mooney, the Spiders had been 10-1 in season openers. Suffice to say, you are going to see an angry Richmond team take the floor early Monday evening after their losses to Delaware and Jacksonville State to begin the season. Even though the Spiders are a notch down from last season's team, they are still projected to finish in the middle of the pack in the Atlantic 10. Even though guard Khwan Fore is out for the Spiders, they still have a very talented backcourt which is the strength of their team. Look for that to be the difference in this game as Richmond responds after an embarrassing start to the season. The Spiders are 6-2 SU when playing with 5 or 6 days of rest between games. The Blazers are 2-6 SU and 1-7 ATS in all neutral court games. 8* RICHMOND

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* Chicago Bulls (+) @ Phoenix Suns @ 8:05 ET - The Bulls are 3-10 this season and the Suns are 6-11 and yet Phoenix is only favored by 3 at home? Looks "funny" doesn't it? Long-time followers know how I feel about "strange" lines and the fact is that the Suns being favored only by the home court edge should tell you something since Phoenix has twice as many wins as Chicago so far this season! The moral of the story is don't fall for the trap! I am looking for the Bulls to get the outright upset here but happy to grab the points. Chicago has failed to cover only twice in seven road games this season and they also have momentum off of a win. The Suns are on a 15-27 ATS run as a favorite and also are just 10-25 SU when off of an upset win as an underdog. After winning as a sizable dog versus the Lakers at Los Angeles Friday, Phoenix will fall flat in this one! 8* CHICAGO

FTM Blowout Rout - Rickenbach CBB Game #771 Sunday 8* Fordham Rams (+) @ Tulane Green Wave @ 7:30 ET - The Rams just couldn't hit shots versus Florida State's defense Friday but they face a much weaker foe in Tulane Sunday evening! The Green Wave are 3-0 and Fordham is 1-2 but the Rams have played the tougher schedule. That is why this line is much smaller than many would expect. As usual, I like to "Fade The Masses" which is what the FTM stands for and I'll grab the 1-2 Rams getting only a handful of points. Look for their tenacious defense to be the difference and they are angry off of their loss to the Seminoles. Tulane is 1-12 SU and 1-10 ATS in games against teams that are allowing 64 points or less per game! 8* FORDHAM

FTM Blowout Rout - Rickenbach CBB Game #527 Saturday 8* Texas-Arlington Mavericks (+) @ Brigham Young Cougars @ 9:30 ET - UT-Arlington upset the Cougars in March so this is a revenge game for BYU. As a result, everyone is lining up on Brigham Young here and I am happy to FTM here which means Fade The Masses! Even though the Mavericks lost some star power from last season's team, the Mavs still have the inside-outside combo of Kevin Hervey and Erick Neal. Also, BYU's Nick Emery left the team. The Cougars are certainly a quality team but the Mavericks are a dangerous and well-coached underdog as Scott Cross does a great job with this program. Texas-Arlington is again projected to be near the top of the SunBelt Conference. Though Brigham Young comes from the tougher West Coast Conference, the losses of Eric Mika and Emery are big for this team. Also, BYU is 1-6 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 60 points or less. The Mavericks are an incredible 46-22 ATS as an underdog! Grab the points! 8* TEXAS-ARLINGTON

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 8* Dallas Mavericks (+) vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 9:05 ET - The Mavs were up big on the Timberwolves at the half yesterday but then blew the game and ended up losing big. The key though is that Dallas was able to get a lot of rest in the 2nd half of the game because Minnesota pulled away. That means that, even with this being a back to back spot for the Mavericks, it is not a bad spot to back the hungry home dog. Milwaukee comes in hot on a 4-game winning streak but they could look right past this non-conference foe that sports an ugly record. Also, the Bucks are just 1-3 in their last 4 road games. With this being the Bucks only road game in a span of nearly a dozen days, this match-up has "trap game" written all over it. 8* DALLAS

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #775 Friday 8* Fordham Rams (+) @ Florida State Seminoles @ 6 ET - The Rams are a different team since Jeff Neubauer took over as head coach. Now in his 3rd season at Fordham, there has been a big transition with an emphasis on defense. Even though the Rams have played a couple of teams that are not on par with FSU to start this season, their defense has nonetheless been impressive. Fordham is allowing just 36% from the field and they are 1-1 with their lone loss coming by a single point. Even though Florida State is the better team and certainly highly likely to get the win here, the points are simply too much in my opinion. The Seminoles lost 4 starters from last season's team and also could get caught looking ahead to a much tougher match-up as they have Colorado State on deck for Sunday. The Noles are only 4-11 ATS in games with a posted total in the 140s. Also, Florida State is 5-10 ATS in all neutral court games and in those where they are favored by 12.5 points or more they are 0-4 ATS. 8* FORDHAM

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #515 Thursday 8* Xavier Musketeers (+) @ Wisconsin Badgers @ 8:30 ET - A lot of books opened this one up at -1 on the Badgers. The line has driven all the way up to a -3.5 and of course everyone is liking Wisconsin on their home floor and with a big frontcourt edge. However, how healthy is Ethan Happ? One of the best players in the nation is definitely expected to play tonight but his knee is bothering him and it will be interesting to see how he fairs in Wisconsin's first big game of the new season. Keep in mind, the Badgers are a fantastic basketball program but they are replacing the majority of their starters from last season. Also, Xavier comes into this game not just with revenge but MAJOR revenge as they lost to the Badgers on a last-second shot in tourney time in March of 2016. The Musketeers have waited a long time for this rematch and they'll make the most of it. They have key returning talent from last season's team and of course they are ranked in the top 20 for a reason. We are simply getting line value here because the Badgers have an incredible reputation especially on their home floor. I'll grab the generous points being offered to Xavier. The Musketeers are on a 21-11 ATS run in non-conference games and also are 12-6 ATS in road games with a posted total between 145 and 149.5 points. The Badgers are on a 4-9 ATS run in all games with a posted total between 140 and 149.5 points. 8* XAVIER

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach CBB Game #735 Wednesday 8* Creighton Bluejays (+) @ Northwestern Wildcats @ 9 ET - Let's see...the Wildcats are ranked and they are at home and they returned 4 starters from last season's team AND yet they opened up as low as a 3 point favorite in most books! Yes indeed Northwestern looks like an easy choice given all the above plus the fact that the Bluejays lost some key pieces from last season's team. You guys know it is NEVER that easy and I smell an upset here. The line has already bolted up to a 4.5 in most spots and I am happy to grab Creighton as a contrarian pick. These typically work well throughout the season. I have had a RARE rough start to the season but, rest assured, it will turn and when it does it will be in a big way! Creighton is known for hot shooting and they've hit 41.4% of their threes this season and Northwestern has allowed 41.9% of three this season. At the same time the Wildcats have hit only 29.7% of their threes while the Bluejays are allowing just 29.4% from beyond the arc this season. The Jays hot shooting and the fact that it is now the Wildcats with a target on their back will be all the difference here. Keep in mind, Northwestern had NEVER been in a preseason Top 25 poll in school history until this season and this is the Cats first tough test. I don't expect it to go well and, of course, the Bluejays are very well coached under Greg McDermott who turned down an offer from Ohio State to remain at Creighton. Do you think he did that aimlessly? Of course not! The Bluejays will continue to impress. 8* CREIGHTON

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 10* Memphis Grizzlies (-) vs Indiana Pacers @ 8:05 ET - This line keeps dropping and I'll gladly step in. Memphis is all the way down to a 4 point favorite as of early game day morning. The only edge that the Pacers truly have is on the offensive end but the problem with that angle here is that they been held to average of only 99 points per game their last 3 games as they've shot under 45% in 2 of their last 3 games. The fact is that the Grizzlies have the far superior defense and also, of course, have the home court edge. The home team is actually a fantastic long-term 26-14 (65%) ATS in the last 40 meetings between these teams. Also the Pacers have allowed 47.8% or better from the field in 6 of their last 7 games including 5 straight games of at least 50%. Conversely, the Grizzlies are allowing just 43.1% shooting on the season! Also, Memphis has been better on the offensive end of late as well. The Grizzlies have shot over 47.5% from the field in 5 of their last 6 games and the one game they didn't reach that mark they shot a solid 46% from the field. The Grizzlies are 56-37 SU run in home games and the Pacers are on a 36-59 SU run in road games. With this line all the way down to a -4 I like my odds of not only the home win but also the cover. Additionally, Indiana is 0-3 SU and ATS this season when off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. 10* MEMPHIS

NBA TV Top Play - Rickenbach Tuesday NBA 10* Toronto Raptors (+) @ Houston Rockets @ 8:05 ET - This line looks a little "funny" at first glance and you know what that generally leads to! The fact is that this may be a bit of a contrarian play as most will want to back a red hot Houston team at home and laying a small number against a Raptors team that is only playing .500 ball in their last 10 games. The key to the advantage here is that Toronto has not played back to back games a single time this entire season. In fact, the Raptors enter this game having played just 7 games in the last 17 days! Conversely, the Rockets are playing for the 3rd time in 4 days and their 4th game in the last 6 days! The road team has won 3 of the last 4 meetings between these teams (SU and ATS). Toronto was favored at Boston Sunday but lost by a single point. The Raptors are 24-12 SU when off of an upset loss as a favorite. Whether or not Toronto gets the outright win here, I do expect them to drop the Rockets to 28-40 ATS in non-conference action! The Raptors have the fresher legs and they've faced the tougher schedule so far this season. 10* TORONTO

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach CBB #527 Tuesday 8* Michigan State Spartans (+) vs Duke Blue Devils @ 7 ET @ Chicago, IL (Champions Classic) - First off I generally like to play the #2 team in a match-up of #1 versus #2 but, of course, the key is if the value is there. In this case the value most certainly appears to be there with the #2 ranked Spartans. While Michigan State returned 4 starters this season, the Blue Devils are starting 4 freshmen! Also, even though this is a neutral site it certainly favors the Spartans in terms of proximity to their campus. I also like the fact that Duke is such a small favorite here even though they've beaten Michigan State 6 times. Remember, it is NEVER that easy. In other words, many will play the Blue Devils here and lay the short number just banking on the fact that Duke has won 6 straight over the Spartans. However, the reason the line is so low is because the experience factor and revenge factor certainly favors Michigan State in a big way. In terms of technical factors, the Spartans are 13-7 ATS (and 15-5 SU!) when off of a game where they scored 80 points or more. Duke is 8-12 ATS on a neutral court and I look for the Blue Devils to drop to 0-3 ATS (and SU!) when they are a favorite of 3 points or less neutral court. Duke is also only 3-6 ATS when playing on a Tuesday. When these teams met two years ago the Blue Devils were favored by double digits. Don't be fooled by this line. Look for the Spartans to win outright but grab any points you can get (some 2.5 out there at time of this posting). 8* MICHIGAN STATE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #750 Monday 8* Richmond Spiders (-) vs Jacksonville State Gamecocks @ Noon ET - Richmond is off of an embarrassing home loss to open their season. They lost to the Delaware Friday and allowed the Fightin' Blue Hens to build a 33-point lead in that game. It was a sell-out home opener for the Spiders and, though they rallied in the 2nd half, Richmond still lost 76-63 when the final horn sounded. Under head coach Chris Mooney, the Spiders had been 10-1 in season openers. Suffice to say, you are going to see an angry Richmond team take the floor early Monday to host Jacksonville State. Even though the Spiders are a notch down from last season's team, they are still projected to finish in the middle of the pack in the Atlantic 10. As for the Gamecocks, they play in the weaker Ohio Valley Conference. Certainly the OVC is not without merit but it still is not on par with the A-10. Although Jacksonville State rolled in their opener, it had a lot to do with playing a team they were far superior to as they faced Tennessee Wesleyan in their season opener. Even though guard Khwan Fore is out for the Spiders, they still have a very talented backcourt which is the strength of their team. Conversely, Jacksonville State's weakest link is arguably the backcourt. Look for that to be the difference in this game as Richmond responds after an embarrassing home opener. The Gamecocks are 9-27 SU in games where they are an underdog and this is a very small number to lay with Richmond. The Spiders are 20-11 SU in games where they are a favorite. 8* RICHMOND 

Dominator Special - Rickenbach CBB Game #521 Sunday 8* Yale Bulldogs (+) @ Wisconsin Badgers @ 6 ET - The Badgers are off of a huge win over South Carolina State but that is a team from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference that is actually projected to finish toward the bottom of that weak conference. Now Wisconsin hosts a Yale team that is projected to be at the top of the Ivy League standings when all is said and done this season. I am aware of the fact that the Bulldogs are without guard Makai Mason but they did play better than the final score indicates in their season opening loss at Creighton. Of course the Bluejays are a solid team and tough to play in Nebraska but also Yale was simply done in by red-hot shooting from Creighton in that game! As for Wisconsin, they actually only led SC State by 11 points mid-way through the 2nd half before they went on a big 10-0 run that sealed the game in the eventual blowout win. Now the Badgers (whom lost 4 starters from last year) face a much tougher test Sunday. Wisconsin, of course, is still a far superior program to that of Yale but the Bulldogs can absolutely hang around in this game and have enough size and length inside to not be totally overwhelmed by the Badgers here. I expect Wiscy to win of course but I expect that win to be by 10 or less. Wisconsin is 4-9 ATS in games with a posted total in the 140s and the Badgers are 3-9 ATS in November games. Yale is a long-term 30-14 ATS when they are off of a game where they allowed 80 points or more. Also, the Bulldogs are 31-20 ATS as a road dog of 12.5 or more points. 8* YALE

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Miami Heat (+) @ Detroit Pistons @ 4:05 ET - The Heat have faced a tougher schedule than the Pistons but they aren't getting much respect here as early indicators are that the public is all over Detroit in this match-up. I love getting teams like Miami plus the points. The Heat have been a different teams since Hassan Whiteside returned to the lineup and their defense is far superior to that of the Pistons. Detroit has allowed opponents to hit 49.6% from the field in their last 6 games. Miami has allowed opponents to hit only 41.1% from the field in their last 8 games! The key to the value here is the Pistons are 4-0 their last 4 games and 7-1 their last 8 games but that is taking attention away from a Heat team that is a solid 4-2 SU their last 6 and 4-1 ATS their last 5. Miami is off of an upset win at Utah but the Heat are actually a fantastic 24-10 ATS when coming off of an outright win as an underdog. The Pistons are 4-11 ATS (including 0-2 ATS already this season) when they are on a winning streak of 3 games or more. Grab the points here! 10* MIAMI

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach CBB Game #727 Saturday 8* St Joseph's Hawks (-) @ Toledo Rockets @ 7 ET - The Hawks are returning all their starters from last season but I am aware of Shavar Newkirk and Charlie Brown being out for this game. The key is they are still in far better shape than a Rockets team that lost 3 starters. Also, Toledo was counting on production from Willie Jackson and he is out due to eligibility issues. The Rockets may improve as the season goes on but, early on, they're counting on too many new pieces. That is why this line is a pick'em even though it is a revenge game for the Rockets (lost last year by a single point). Another key to the value though is that Toledo was down by 5 late in that game (line was St Joe's -2.5) so it was a bit of a tough beat that the Hawks lost that game. St Joseph's backers who lost that game will get some payback here. St Joe's is on a 17-7 ATS run in road games. The Hawks roll here. 8* ST JOSEPHS 

ESPN Dominator - Rickenbach CBB Game #518 Friday 8* West Virginia Mountaineers (-) vs Texas A & M Aggies @ 6 ET - Give the Aggies a few games and they're going to be a much better team but, right now, they are without 6'10 forward Robert Williams and 6'1 point guard J.J. Caldwell. Williams is a tremendous front court player that was projected to a first round NBA draft pick had he not decided to return to the school. Caldwell redshirt freshman but the Aggies are counting on him greatly as a distributor on the offensive end and a key defender on the perimeter. Williams is suspended for two games to start the season and Caldwell is suspended for 4 games to begin this season. Even though the Mountaineers are without forward Esa Ahmad for the first semester due to eligibility issues, his loss is much less impacting than what the Aggies are dealing with their first few games. With that said, there is great line value here with the Mountaineers laying only a half-dozen points. They are among the top ten teams in the nation and they take on a short-handed Aggies team that arguably shouldn't even be ranked in the top 25. This game is being played on a neutral floor at Rammstein Air Force Base in Germany. In this Armed Forces Classic on a neutral floor the defense of 'Press Virginia' is likely to be even more troublesome for the Aggies. Texas A & M turned the ball over 23 times last season in their loss to the Mountaineers. In that game West Virginia won by only 4 points but they blew a 20 point lead in the game. They won't make the same mistake here. Look for the Mountaineers to again get up big and this time they'll stay up big. The Mountaineers are 6-1 ATS in November games. The Aggies are 5-11 ATS as an underdog. Also, Texas A & M is 5-14 ATS in games where the total is posted in a range of 130 to 139.5 points. 8* WEST VIRGINIA

Rickenbach NBA Thursday 8* New Orleans Pelicans (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:35 ET - The Raptors have failed to cover 3 of their last 4 games and also won't be fully focused on New Orleans as Toronto has a big game at Boston on deck. For the Pelicans, they have won and covered each of their first 3 games on this 4-game road trip and they are eager to complete the perfect run with one more win tonight. New Orleans is the team with the motivation tonight as they have lost each of their last 4 meetings with the Raptors including losing by just 2 points in their most recent visit to Toronto. New Orleans has a powerful front court and should dominate the paint and the glass in this match-up. Also, the Pelicans are 3-1 (SU and ATS) in non-conference games this season. The Raptors historically have struggled against teams that can really "fill it up". Against teams that average 106 points or more per game, Toronto has gone 15-22 SU in recent season and is an ugly 26-64 SU long-term! I'll gladly take the points here! 8* NEW ORLEANS 

Rickenbach Thursday NBA 8* Washington Wizards (-) vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 7:05 ET - The Wizards are off of a 14 point home loss to Dallas. That means they missed the spread by nearly 25 points in that game as they were favored by close to double digits in that one! Washington will be ready to make amends for that horrific effort and they'll do it by getting revenge over a Lakers team that snuck out a 3-point win over the Wizards two weeks ago in Los Angeles. The Lakers lost by double digits at Boston but the 11 point loss could have been much worse as the Celtics scored 107 points even though they only shot 38.8% from the field in that game. That says a lot right there! The Lakers are on a 36-50 ATS run in road games. The Wizards are 52-35 ATS when playing with revenge and also 17-10 ATS when off of an upset loss as a favorite. This home team is angry and ready to initiate a beating on a LA team in the 2nd night of a back to back. The Wizards won't take their foot off of the gas here. 8* WASHINGTON

Earliest Cash Wednesday - Rickenbach NBA 8* New York Knicks (+) @ Orlando Magic @ 7:05 ET - The Knicks are in a back to back spot here but the key is that New York has a ton of momentum right now and their starters really didn't play a ton of minutes last night. That is always a key to look at when analyzing a back to back situation and the Knicks 5 starters averaged just 29 minutes each and not a single player in the 9 man rotation played more than 36 minutes. New York's shooting has been on fire and, riding the momentum of last night's come from behind win, the Knicks head to Orlando with a ton of confidence. New York has won (and covered) 6 of its last 7 games. The Knicks have averaged 111.4 points per game during this 7-game stretch. The Magic have been at the other end of the spectrum of late. Orlando is off of back to back losses and have averaged just 85.5 points per game in those two defeats. While it is true that the Magic will be the more rested team here, the fact is that when a team needs to get it's shooting touch back not playing games actually can be a detriment. Orlando hasn't had a good shooting game since LAST Wednesday! As for the Knicks, they are so hot right now with their shooting that the best thing for them is to keep playing and, keep in mind, Kristaps Porzingis was held under 30 points last night for just the 3rd time in 10 games this season and yet New York still got the win. The 7'3 Knick is averaging 30 points per game this season and shooting the ball very well and that hot shooting continued last night though he finished with 28 points. The road team has won and covered each of the last 3 meetings between these teams and the Knicks overall went 3-1 SU and ATS versus the Magic last season. New York is 4-0 SU and ATS against teams that allow 106 points or more per game this season. The Magic are 0-3 SU and ATS against Atlantic Division opponents. Look for those trends to remain perfect here as the Knicks continue to be an early season surprise! 8* NEW YORK KNICKS

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach Tuesday NBA 10* Charlotte Hornets (+) @ New York Knicks @ 7:35 ET - Charlotte opened up as a -2 here even though the Hornets are only 1-4 (both SU and ATS) in road games this season and the Knicks are 4-2 (both SU and ATS) in home games this season. Must be some kind of mistake here, right? Of course that's why there has been a big early move toward New York here but, as I have stated many times before, the odds makers know what they are doing! In other words, the Hornets opened up as a favorite here for a reason and, after the move that has taken Charlotte from a -2 to a +1 here, I have no hesitation in going with a top play here. Keep in mind, the Knicks are off of a huge come from behind win versus the Pacers where New York rallied from a huge deficit in the 2nd half. Also, the Hornets have revenge here from losing both games at New York last season with each defeat coming by 3 points or less. The Knicks have a game at Orlando on deck for tomorrow while the Hornets, after yesterday's off-day, have two more days off after this game. Charlotte is off of back to back losses and the last one was by 18 points. Look for the Hornets to improve to 3-0 (SU and ATS) this season when off of a loss by a double digit margin. The Knicks are 10-26 SU when off of an upset win as an underdog and New York won't have enough left in the tank after that surprising rally against the Pacers Sunday. 10* CHARLOTTE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 8* New Orleans Pelicans (+) @ Indiana Pacers @ 7:05 ET - The Pacers are hoping to bounce back after consecutive losses. However, the concern for Indiana is they've allowed their opponents to shoot 50% from the field in 3 straight games! As for the Pelicans, they've been at the other end of the spectrum as they have been playing fantastic defense and have held each of their last two opponents under 39% from the field. Couple that with the fact that the New Orleans big men down low are going to cause all sorts of trouble for the Pacers and you have a fantastic value spot to back the Pelicans in this one. Indiana is toward the end of a 6 games in 9 days stretch while New Orleans comes into this one rested after back to back days off the past two days. The Pelicans are on a 14-7 ATS run versus Central Division opponents and they are also 4-2 (SU and ATS) on the road this season. The Pacers are on a 27-38 ATS run in non-conference games and have a big divisional game against the Central Division leading Pistons tomorrow at Detroit! Tough spot for Indiana and a great spot to fade them with the Pelicans as they continue to be "road warriors" early this season. 8* NEW ORLEANS

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach Friday NBA 10* Houston Rockets (-) @ Atlanta Hawks @ 7:35 ET - The key with laying sizable points in basketball is that motivation is a key. Of course the Rockets are the much better team than the Hawks as that is why they opened up as 8-point favorites here even though this game is at Atlanta. That said, is the motivation there for a blowout win? In this case it is there to the 7th power! Ironically, the Hawks have lost 7 straight games this season as they prepare for this match-up and the Rockets have lost 7 straight games to Atlanta! That includes sweeps each of the past two seasons where the Hawks got the ATS cover in all 4 games too! As you would expect with these results, Houston has plenty of motivation here. The Rockets got their shooters rolling in their huge 22 point win at New York on Wednesday and now they take on an Atlanta team that just doesn't have the firepower to keep up with them. This Hawks team is absolutely a shell of the former Atlanta teams that used to give the Rockets trouble. Atlanta's 7-game losing streak has featured 5 defeats by double digit margins and I expect another one here. The Hawks just got blasted by the 76ers by 10 points on Wednesday and Atlanta is 0-4 SU and 0-4 ATS when off of a loss by double digits this season. Long-term the Hawks are 18-27 (40%) ATS in this situation. Atlanta is allowing 109 points per game this season and the Rockets are 28-19 ATS and 39-8 SU the L3 seasons combined when they are facing a poor defensive team (allowing 106 points or more per game). The Rockets are seeking revenge here so they won't let up and they blast the Hawks by double digits in this one! 10* HOUSTON

Contrarian Dominator - Rickenbach Wednesday NBA 8* Milwaukee Bucks (+) @ Charlotte Hornets @ 7:05 ET - This is a contrarian play because many will look at this as a bad spot for the Bucks since they were in action versus Oklahoma City last night and now are traveling plus losing an hour due to going to the East Coast. However, the fact is that Milwaukee is playing their 3rd game in 4 nights (just like Charlotte is) and the Bucks (just like the Hornets) actually got some rest last night! What do I mean by that? Milwaukee's key players did not have to log a lot of minutes because the Bucks got blasted by the Thunder yesterday. Milwaukee was down by double digits early and was down by 20+ going to the 4th quarter. That type of game means the starters got plenty of rest and it also means it is going to be a fired up and angry Bucks team that takes on the Hornets tonight. Milwaukee has won each of its last 3 meetings with the Hornets and the Bucks also are a perfect 3-0 ATS in the last 3 meetings in Charlotte. The Hornets enter this game off of back to back wins and I am glad to challenge them to win their 3rd straight as they're also playing their 4th game in 6 nights. It may surprise some people to see who actually ends up tiring as this game goes on! As for the Bucks, they are off of a loss and they haven't lost back to back games yet this season! Also, Milwaukee is 2-0 SU and ATS against the Southeast Division this season while Charlotte is 0-2 SU and ATS against the Central Division. Grab the generous points here but I don't expect to need them. 8* MILWAUKEE

Contrarian Dominator - Rickenbach Tuesday NBA 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns (+) @ Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - The Suns have been a different team since the coaching change. They have covered 3 in a row and they were a dog in all 3 games and won 2 of the 3 outright. Phoenix is definitely putting more emphasis on defense and they've held their last 3 opponents to 43% from the field. The Nets are the same old no-defense Brooklyn team we're used to seeing. The Nets have allowed 5 of their 7 opponents to make at least 48% of their shots from the field! Brooklyn is allowing 118.3 points per game! While the Suns full season points allowed look nearly as bad as the Nets, keep in mind Phoenix has allowed only 105.7 points per game in their last 3 games which of course are the games since the coaching change. The Suns also have plenty of motivation here because they've been swept by Brooklyn each of the last two seasons and each loss last season came by at least 18 points. It's time for payback and Phoenix is well rested since they've been off since Saturday. Conversely, the Nets are playing their 5th game in 8 nights and have yet to have back to back off days this entire season (that finally happens after this game). Though the marketplace appears to be tempted to back Brooklyn here as they expect a response off of a bad loss, the Nets are actually 17-47 SU (26-38 ATS) when off of a loss by double digits! I am expecting the upset here but, should the Suns fall short, I expect it to be by no more than a bucket. 10* PHOENIX

NBA TV Dominator - Rickenbach Monday NBA 8* San Antonio Spurs (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 7:35 ET - The Spurs have won 10 straight meetings with the Celtics. San Antonio also has won each of their last 6 visits to Boston. The Spurs finally got a taste of their own medicine yesterday as they took control, as usual, in the 4th quarter and were up by 9 with under 7 minutes to go. However, this time San Antonio was on the wrong end of the late 4th quarter push and the Pacers ended up getting the 3 point win in Indiana. Even though this is a back to back spot for the Spurs it helps that yesterday's game was an afternoon game and it also helps that San Antonio has two days off after this game. Hungry from back to back losses, you can bet (literally!) that the Spurs are going to go very hard in this one. That said, I like the additional line value here as this line has been pushed higher as the morning has gone on. Boston has won 4 straight (both SU and ATS) but they are 11-27 ATS when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more. The Spurs, despite losing outright as a sizable road favorite yesterday, are still 46-25 ATS in game played in the first half of a season. They were again off to a fast start this season (prior to this 2-game skid) and I expect they'll get right back on track tonight. 8* SAN ANTONIO

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach Friday NBA 10* Top Play Brooklyn Nets (+) @ New York Knicks @ 7:35 ET - Brooklyn is averaging 121.2 points per game this season while the Knicks are averaging 93.3 points per game on the young season. Of course the Nets defense is a different story but that doesn't change the fact that the Knicks are winless both SU and ATS while Brooklyn is 4-1 ATS and 3-2 SU on the season. The Nets have lost both their road games this season but, of course, this isn't much of a "road game" here considering the game is in New York! Also, it is the first divisional game of the season for Brooklyn so there is no way they'll be flat here even though they're off of a win versus the Cavs on Wednesday. The Nets have covered 4 games in a row while the Knicks are still seeking their first cover. Also, Brooklyn has won each of its last two meetings with New York and the Knicks just are not getting good backcourt play. That is why, even though the Nets are without guard D'Angelo Russell tonight, the Knicks don't have the backcourt firepower to take advantage. This total is hovering around the 220 mark and New York is 0-7 ATS in home games with a posted total of 220 or more in recent seasons. The Nets are 4-0 ATS this season in games with a posted O/U equal to 220 or greater! 10* BROOKLYN

Earliest Cash Top Play - Rickenbach Thursday NBA 10* Memphis Grizzlies (-) vs Dallas Mavericks @ 8:05 ET - This line yesterday was a -4 and that game was at Dallas and now the rematch is in Memphis in this rare back to back same team, different city match-up. The fact that the Grizzlies are now available at -8 (at the time of this posting) is a bargain because that is saying that home court is only worth 2 points...Memphis being a -6 on a neutral floor...and that is not right. Home court is worth more than 2 points and the Grizzlies are hungry for revenge here. Last night's loss was their first of the season and the Dallas win was the Mavericks first of the season. There is also another little tidbit that, though not huge, certainly also carries some value here. The Grizzlies do not want to play Chandler Parsons on back to back nights as he hasn't been medically cleared for that so he DID not play last night and WILL play tonight. As for the Mavericks, Devin Harris played last night (first game since shooting death of brother) but was not expected to travel with the team for this game. This personnel variance for each team in the Thursday rematch certainly leads to more home fave line value! The Mavericks are allowing opponents to make 48.7% from the field and 36.1% from three point land while the Grizzlies are holding opponents to 41.7% from the field and 30.7% from beyond the arc! Memphis is 22-13 ATS when playing back to backs while the Mavericks are 13-20 SU in back to backs. Remember that all 3 of the Grizzlies wins this season have come by 8 points or more and that includes winning at Houston and also knocking off the defending champ Warriors here in Tennessee! 10* MEMPHIS

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach Wednesday NBA 10* Dallas Mavericks (+) vs Memphis Grizzlies @ 8:35 ET - Memphis is 3-0 SU and ATS this season. Dallas is 0-4 SU and ATS this season. Mavericks have no chance, right? Actually the inverse is true. The Mavs are extremely hungry for their first win of the season and they know it need to come against the Grizzlies because otherwise Dallas will be staring an 0-6 in the face. That's because tonight's game is followed by another match-up with the Grizz in Memphis tomorrow! While the Grizzlies rallied from a double digit 4th quarter deficit against the Rockets in Houston to get an improbable road win, the Mavs are off of an embarrassing home loss to Golden State. Dallas is 31-17 ATS when off of a loss by a double digit margin. The Grizzlies are 4-16 ATS when they enter a game on a streak of 3 or more consecutive unders. Also, Memphis is 14-27 (both SU and ATS) when off of a divisional game. Even though the Mavericks are also a divisional opponent the Grizzlies are justifiably more concerned with the Rockets than the Mavs and I see tonight's game as a flat spot for Memphis. Keep in mind, this is just the 2nd road game of the season for the Grizzlies and they were down by 10 points late in the game against the Rockets before their huge game-ending run. 10* DALLAS

Rickenbach Wednesday NBA 8* Miami Heat (+) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 8:05 ET - The Spurs continue to do the unthinkable and grind out wins (and tight covers) despite not having Kawhi Leonard or Tony Parker available. Now they also saw role player Joffrey Lauvergne get hurt and he provides a big body that gets key rebounds and gives LaMarcus Aldridge a rest. While Lauvergne is not a key player, you may be surprised at how he impact the playing rotation of San Antonio for tonight's game in terms of big men. Certainly this helps Miami as the Heat are still without the injured Hassan Whiteside. I really like the hungry home dog here hosting a Spurs team that has seemed to have everything break their way late in games this season. That changes tonight as the Heat look to win their 3rd straight. Good value spot here as the Heat have not covered a game yet while San Antonio has yet to suffer an ATS loss. The Spurs are 36-43 ATS when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more. The Heat are 13-7 (65%) ATS against teams from the Southwest Division and there certainly is "history" between the Heat and Spurs! 8* MIAMI

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach Tuesday NBA 10* Indiana Pacers (+) @ Minnesota Timberwolves @ 8:05 ET - The Timberwolves are over-priced here. I am well aware of the fact that the Pacers are still without Myles Turner but they've been without him since he got hurt in their season opener and Indiana is off of a tight 4-point loss in their most recent game. The Pacers are getting big scoring from Victor Oladipo. They can hang tight with a Timberwolves team that they certainly are catching at the right time. Minnesota is off of a huge win at Oklahoma City on Sunday. That was a big upset win for Minny and they are 10-21 SU when off of an outright upset win as an underdog. Also, the Wolves are 9-18 ATS short-term (and 46-73 ATS long-term) when off of a game where they scored 115 points or more. Also, Minnesota is known for playing down to the level of competition as they are 25-48 ATS in games against teams with a losing record. The Pacers are at the other end of the spectrum against teams with a winning record as they are on a 50-34 (60%) ATS run! Indiana also is 17-7 ATS when playing with 2 days of rest between games. The Pacers are 3-1 in their last 4 meetings with Minnesota and the road team is a perfect 4-0 ATS in those games! 10* INDIANA PACERS

Rickenbach Tuesday NBA 8* New York Knicks (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 7:35 ET - The Knicks were up by 21 points versus Detroit Saturday in the first half but blew the big lead and ended up losing by 4. They know they need to focus more on defense and rebounding and I like their chances to stay inside an inflated number here. The Celtics, without Gordon Hayward now for the season, are relying on a deep rotation of players and that may help them when they're facing a tired opponent. But, in this case, they're facing a New York team that has been off since Saturday and doesn't play again until Friday. The Knicks will go "all out" here and are hungry off of a loss. Also, the road team has won each of the last 3 games (both SU and ATS) between these two divisional rivals. That said, it is also hard to expect the Celtics to win this game by double digits when they're making only 41.8% of their field goal attempts early this season. Boston is on a 13-20 ATS run in divisional games and I it certainly appears they are again over-priced here. The Celtics also have a "revenge game" at Milwaukee on deck for Thursday. The Bucks beat the C's and ruined their home opener Wednesday. 8* NEW YORK KNICKS

Rickenbach Monday NBA 10* Top Play Toronto Raptors (+) @ San Antonio Spurs @ 8:35 ET - The Spurs are the popular choice here and I love to fade the masses. Yes, San Antonio is off to a 2-0 start but they pulled away very late to beat a Minnesota team that is still learning how to close out games and they then faced a Bulls team that is certainly having some issues and in-fighting right now. Now the Spurs take on a Raptors team that has had 48 or more wins each of the last 4 seasons and San Antonio is still without Tony Parker and, most importantly, Kawhi Leonard. Having won their first two games by a combined 51 points, abeit against weak competition (Bulls and Sixers), Toronto does roll into SA with plenty of confidence for this one. Keep in mind the Raptors are shooting better from the field (including from 3 point land) in comparison with San Antonio early this season. The Spurs are below .500 ATS (49-52 record) when facing a team with a winning record and the Raptors are fantastic 43-18 SU when off of a game they won by a double digit margin. Very confident and ready to make a statement in their first truly challenging game this season, the road team rolls in this one! 10* TORONTO

Rickenbach Monday NBA 8* Houston Rockets (-) vs Memphis Grizzlies @ 8:05 ET - Yes the Rockets are without Chris Paul but they were -13 with him on the floor in their upset win over the Warriors on opening night. Houston has also gone 2-0 without him as he has missed the past two games. Don't get me wrong, Paul is a fantastic player but the point is that others are filling in for very well. Look for the Rockets on Monday to take advantage of a Memphis team playing their first road game of the season. Also, the Grizzlies are coming off of a huge upset win over the Warriors on Saturday. Memphis has lost their last two games against the Rockets by an average margin of 19.5 points per game. The Grizzlies are on a 35-48 ATS run against teams with a winning record and I like the fact Houston is catching them off of an upset win over the defending champs. Keep in mind, the Rockets only non-cover this season was after they upset the Warriors at Golden State. 8* HOUSTON

Western Conf Dominator - Rickenbach Sunday NBA 8* New Orleans Pelicans (-) @ Los Angeles Lakers @ 9:35 ET - Another nice set up here for many reasons. First off the Pelicans are off of a loss but they faced the NBA Champion Warriors and they actually led Golden State by 15 points in the first half of that game. While New Orleans is coming into this one hungry off of a loss the Lakers are feeling satisfied off of a win Friday. That win, however, was at Phoenix, and the Suns don't play defense. Keep in mind, when Lonzo Ball and these Lakers faced the defensive-minded Clippers in their opener on Wednesday, the Lakers were dominated. The Clippers had too much size inside and Ball was out-classed by Patrick Beverley. This will prove to be another tough match-up for Ball and the Lakers because the Pelicans have another former UCLA star (Jrue Holiday) whom will match-up with Lonzo. Look for the highly motivated Holiday to win this battle. Also, in the paint, New Orleans has a huge edge with the big bodies of DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis. The early drop on this line also gives added value with the small road fave here. The Lakers are 2-6 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 130 points or more. Both these teams enter this game 1-1 but the Pelicans have played the much tougher schedule. Grab the line value here as the Pelicans get revenge for April's loss in the most recent meeting in Los Angeles. 8* NEW ORLEANS

Market Analytics - Rickenbach Saturday NBA 8* Chicago Bulls (+) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 8:05 ET - The Spurs got the win and cover versus the Timberwolves on Wednesday in San Antonio. However, that game was very tight until the final minutes and the final score is quite deceiving. This has resulted in some additional line value here because this is still an SA team that is without Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker right now. The Bulls are hungry off of their 17 point road loss at Toronto Thursday and definitely want to come up with a big effort in their home opener. What could be better than winning a home opener against a highly respected team like the Spurs? I am not saying that will happen but, you get my point! The Bulls want this one and SA is still a banged up team. By the way, the Spurs are only 3-5 SU when off of an upset win as an underdog and now, after a mild upset of Minnesota, San Antonio is laying nearly double digits on the road. Chicago is 64-51 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. 8* CHICAGO

Top Play Annihilation Friday - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play Minnesota Timberwolves (-) vs Utah Jazz @ 8:05 ET - The Timberwolves actually led the Spurs with 5 minutes to go in the 4th quarter. They also were down just 1 point with 4 minutes to go when they missed a 3-pointer that would have given them a 2 point lead. Anyway calling San Antonio an "easy win" Wednesday didn't watch the game very closely as it certainly could have gone either way in the final minutes. In any event, this Minnesota team is well coached and also has added a ton of talent. They've got much more of a veteran presence than the young teams they've had in recent seasons. The result is likely to be a solid season and while they're moving up the Jazz are on their way down. Yes Utah won 51 games last season but they also had Gordon Hayward. You're already seeing what is happening to Boston after they acquired Hayward but he got hurt just 6 minutes into the season opener. The Celtics have seen that no Hayward has left quite a hole. Certainly Utah will be a different team without him. The Jazz did win their home opener but that was against a Denver team projected to be dead last in the division this season. Now Utah is on the road and they've gone 18-50 SU and have covered just 28 of 68 ATS when they are an underdog. That said, I am very comfortable laying the small number with the Timberwolves in their home opener. Minny is on a 45-31 ATS run in games against teams with a winning record and the Wolves are looking for payback here as they've lost 3 of 4 to the Jazz each of the last two seasons. Utah has a home game with OKC tomorrow and they'll be looking ahead to that match-up as they get down by double digits in this one in my opinion. 10* MINNESOTA

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach Wednesday NBA 8* Philadelphia 76'ers (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 7:05 ET - The 76'ers were a sizable dog in all 3 match-ups with the Wizards last year. Not only did the Sixers cover 2 of the 3 games, they won the 2 games outright as a big dog each time. Also, in the lone loss, Philly was tied at Washington at half-time. The point is that the 76'ers did just fine "hanging with" the Wizards last season and now that they've substantially "closed the gap" this season and are likely to be a .500 team, this line seems very generous. The upstart Sixers are loaded with young talent and they are ready to go. Look for Philadelphia to immediately make a statement here in Game 1 with the ESPN cameras rolling. Joel Embiid is probable and he was only available for 31 games last season. Ben Simmons will also be on the floor after missing all of last season and he is considered a strong candidate for Rookie of the Year in the NBA this season. Additionally, Markelle Fultz is probable and he was a top draft choice in this year's draft. Yes indeed the Sixers are stacked and they are healthy and, with Gordon Hayward's injury last night being a devastating low for Boston, don't be surprised if the Sixers actually end up challenging the Raptors and Celtics for the top spot in the Atlantic this season. Philly has that much talent so the key will be remaining healthy. Also, coach Brett Brown is a strength as he came up as an assistant with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. Now Brown finally has the pieces intact. This team is going to surprise some people and, if they do fall short against the Wizards, look for it to be by only a bucket or two as the Sixers have a great shot at the upset here. I am grabbing the generous points. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Tuesday NBA 8* Boston Celtics (+) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:05 ET - Kyrie Irving, former Cav, now in a Celtics uniform. Isaiah Thomas, former Celtic, now in a Cavs uniform. The difference is that Thomas won't be playing tonight. He's out for possibly 2 months dealing with an ankle injury. Additionally, Cleveland's LeBron James is dealing with an ankle injury. I do expect James to play tonight but I don't expect him to be 100%. I know the Cavaliers will have Derrick Rose at point guard tonight but he's truly not quite the same player he was before the injury issues. Remember there was a span of 3 seasons there where played a total of only 49 games! I also look for the Gordon Hayward acquisition to pay off big dividends for Boston as he averaged 22 points a game for Utah last season. The road team has dominated at the betting window in match-ups between these teams in recent season. In last year's playoff series, won 4-1 by Cleveland (and giving Boston a revenge factor here), the road team covered all 5 games. Dating back to last April it is a perfect 6-0 ATS run for the road team in meetings between these teams. Look for 7 in a row tonight! 8* BOSTON

Game of the Month - Rickenbach Monday NBA 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) @ Golden State Warriors @ 9 ET - After getting embarrassed by 21 points in Game 4 at Cleveland on Friday the Warriors have to bounce back here, right? Not necessarily! In fact, Golden State is laying a sizable number here even though they are 1-5 ATS this season when off of a loss by 10 points or more. While it is likely that the Warriors close out the series tonight, it would not be a complete shock if the Cavs got the upset win. They've done it before here at Golden State in spots very similar to this one. However, the real key is the line value because lets not forget that Cleveland, at halftime, was only down by 8 to the Warriors in Game One and just 3 to the Warriors in Game Two here. Then the Cavs should have won Game Three were it not for blowing a sizable lead very late. Now, with the added confidence of having won Game Four, look for the Cavs to be able to stay close with Golden State all the way in this one. As you can see, they've "been right there" with the Warriors for much more of this series than what the final scores would lead you to believe but the odds makers simply have to keep this number big on Golden State because the public is likely to be all over them in "bounce back mode" here. In addition to that 1-5 ATS mark for the Warriors off of a double digits loss, also note that the Cavs are 22-10 SU (and have had just 12 ATS losses in those 32 games) when off of a win by a margin of 10 points or more. Momentum is huge when it comes to ATS covers and the Cavaliers have it and will seize the moment here. 10* CLEVELAND plus the big points Monday night.

ABC Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) @ Golden State Warriors @ 8 ET - The Cavaliers have no chance in this series. At least that is prevailing public opinion after the way Game 1 played out. Of course we all know how it usually plays out after the public gets one-sided about things after one game. The point is that the value is clearly with the road dog in this one. The opening line on this game was a 7 and it is now up to a 9. The Warriors turned the ball over just 4 times in Game 1 while the Cavaliers turned it over 20 times. Do you really think that the Cavs are again going to lose the turnover battle 20-4? Do you really think that a LeBron James Cleveland team that also has Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love is just going to lay down in Game 2 after getting embarrassed in Game 1? The Cavaliers were on an 8-0 ATS run away from home before the ugly loss Thursday at Golden State. That was their first non-cover away from Cleveland since in nearly TWO MONTHS - April 9th! Look for the Warriors to drop to 3-10 ATS on the season in Sunday games! They've been feeling a little too good about themselves with their perfect record in this post-season and don't you think beautiful Saturdays in California have a little something to do with that ugly Sunday ATS record for the Warriors? Trust me the Cavaliers certainly have been all business after what happened in Game 1. They'll make some adjustments. Grab the big points. 10* CLEVELAND

THE Game of the Year - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers (+) @ Golden State Warriors @ 9 ET - Both teams have had a long layoff but the Warriors layoff has been particularly long heading into this one. Also, the Cavaliers have responded extremely well after a long layoff in this post-season as they blew out the Raptors and Celtics in Game 1 of each of those series. Certainly this is to take nothing away from Golden State. They definitely have proven they are more than capable of blowing teams out but even though they have revenge from last year's Finals loss to the Cavs, Cleveland comes into Game 1 very hungry here as LeBron James and Company are tired of all the talk about being such a huge dog in this match-up. That is tremendous motivation for the defending champs and, even if they do fall short in Game 1 I would expect it to only be by a bucket or two. I know the Cavaliers got the benefit of facing the Celtics with Isaiah Thomas getting hurt in the series but the Warriors faced the Spurs without Kawhi Leonard after the midway point in Game 1 AND then San Antonio ALSO lost Tony Parker to injury. San Antonio just didn't have anybody left (let's not forget Tim Duncan of course was already retired and SA just not what they once were). The point is that the Cavs faced arguably a tougher test to get here than the Warriors. For all the talk of all the weapons that Golden State has (certainly formidable) let's not forget that LeBron James has a healthier cast around him this season and they've got Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love (healthy!) for star power plus plenty of tremendous role players. They're just not even being given a shot here and remember the Spurs were up HUGE here in GS in Game 1 before Leonard got hurt. LeBron and Company are well aware of the +7 that has been assigned to them here and they'd love nothing more than to make a statement here in Game 1. The Cavaliers are going to bring a ferocious attitude to the floor for this game and I expect Game 1 goes to the wire with an outright upset not surprising me in the least. 10* CLEVELAND

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (+) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:30 ET - I know Kyrie Irving is going to play and his ankle is not "that" big of a deal. However, there is no denying that if the Cavaliers are fortunate enough to have a big lead late in this game they have to start thinking about the Warriors and making sure nobody gets hurt or, in the case of Irving, injures something further. With that said, this is a lot of points for Cavs on the road and I see this game being decided by single digits. Keep in mind, Boston was thoroughly embarrassed on their home floor in this series and, that said, even if they are unable to extend the series by getting an upset win at home tonight, they damn sure want to at least put on a respectable showing for their home fans. Without Isaiah Thomas, the Celtics have looked like a different team and Cleveland even admitted they are still having trouble adjusting to the way Boston is playing sans Thomas. Of course the Cavs don't have to even admit that as it has truly been apparent. The Celtics rallied for the big upset win on the road in Game 3 and for much of Game 4 (even into the 4th quarter) appeared to have a great shot at another upset Tuesday. The fact is that everyone (including bettors) are anxious for the NBA Finals between Cleveland and Golden State to start and many are looking for a close-out game here for the Cavs. That is reflected in this line going from an 8.5 to as high as an 11 and while the Cavaliers may indeed get the close-out win here, I just don't see it coming at a big margin. These series has looked much different since Brad Stevens (a good coach) has made some key adjustments to make things much more competitive after abhorrent performances early in this series in Boston. The Celtics are 11-5 ATS (and SU) this season when off of a loss by 10 points or more and the Game 4 final score does not properly reflect how close that game was. The result is tremendous line value here and, as a result, I am going with my highest rating in this one! 10* BOSTON

TNT Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (+) @ Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:30 ET - Boston made significant adjustments in Game 3 and guys stepped up with Isaiah Thomas out. The Celtics not only covered that game but also got the huge upset win. Now most everyone will be running to the Cavaliers here expecting LeBron James and company to respond in a huge way here. However, while Cleveland is certainly likely to respond and get a W here are they really going to win this one in complete blowout fashion? To me this line is far too high when you consider that Boston has their sights set on making a series out of this. Keep in mind, they're already guaranteed of getting a Game 5 on their game floor so they know they can still battle and make something out of this series. Also, once the mighty has fallen once it can cast a little bit of doubt upon a team. In other words, the Cavs don't have the same "unbeatable" aura flowing around them the way they did before getting upset in Game 3 Sunday. In terms of ATS stats, since the All Star break, the Cavs only once have had a single ATS standalone loss. In other words, when they are off of a defeat at the betting window, it almost always has started a streak of ATS losses and I expect that to be the case here as well. The Cavs were on a 6-0-2 ATS run before Sunday's loss but prior to this ATS hot streak, the Cavaliers were on a long-term 9-18-1 ATS run. Could this be the start of their next big decline at the betting window. I certainly am glad to test that theory with the big points being offered here. The Celtics are on a long-term 16-6 ATS run as a road dog of 12.5 or more points. Cleveland is on a 15-25 ATS run when playing with home loss revenge. 10* BOSTON plus the big points Tuesday evening

Contrarian Special - Rickenbach Saturday NBA 8* San Antonio Spurs (+) vs Golden State Warriors @ 9 ET - The Spurs, under coach Gregg Popovich, have long been known as a "character team" in the NBA. The way San Antonio lost on Tuesday (got down huge early and never recovered) totally threw "character" out the window. The Spurs, without Kawhi Leonard, seemed to have self-doubt from the opening tip and they gave a horrific effort in that game. That, of course, is unacceptable to coach Pop and the Spurs and you can bank on a huge effort Saturday night in front of a raucous home crowd in San Antonio. The ugly loss Tuesday was bad enough but the fact that SA has had to wait so long for their next game to try and get rid of the bad taste in their mouth from Game 2 means you're going to see an extremely intense and focused effort from the Spurs in Game 3 Saturday night. There is no doubt the Warriors are loaded with talent and certainly are the healthier team but, after the 36 point shellacking the Spurs were handed Tuesday night, look for this game to be decided by only a bucket or two as San Antonio is far too proud to go away without a fight under coach Popovich. The Spurs had everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, called into question after their effort Tuesday. That is the kind of embarrassing loss that will bring out the best in a team in the next game especially given the circumstances here. In our favor is the extra time off for the Spurs to regroup, the fact they are down 2-0 in the series, and the fact they are now back home. Look for SA to improve to 9-3 ATS this season as an underdog while the Warriors drop to 2-5 ATS when playing with 3 or more days of rest this season. 8* SAN ANTONIO

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Friday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (+) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:30 ET - The Celtics didn't come this far and battle so hard for home court edge only to get trampled in both games on their home floor to open up this series. In other words, after a "wake up call" in Game 1 on Wednesday, look for Boston to respond in a big way on Friday in Game 2. The Celtics were on a 9-2 ATS run before getting blown out by double digits Wednesday. Boston is 10-4 ATS (and SU!) when off of a loss by 10 points or more this season. While I do indeed expect that the Celtics will win this one outright, I am absolutely going to grab the generous points being offered. Boston is 77-52 ATS the last 3 seasons combined when playing with revenge. As for the mighty Cavaliers, they managed to win Game 1 despite making only 35.5% of their three pointers. That is significant because that type of shooting performance has been an ominous sign for the Cavs in recent months. When Cleveland is held under 38% from three point land in their prior game they have a 2-9 ATS record in their next game! The Celtics will turn up the heat on defense in this game and make the proper adjustments and I look for this game to go right down to the wire which means excellent line value with the generous points being offered here. 10* BOSTON

TNT No Doubt ATS Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Boston Celtics (+) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 8:30 ET - The Cavaliers have been off for a week and a half. I know the Cavs were off for a week before they met Toronto and yet they still blasted the Raptors by double digits in that game. However, the Celtics are not the Raptors AND this game is on the road! Look for Cleveland to struggle to put away the top-seeded Celtics here. I do expect Boston to win this game outright but I'll gladly grab the generous points being offered. The Celtics might be a little sore and/or tired after their 7-game battle with the Wizards. However, Boston unless comes into this game with momentum and should play crisp basketball tonight while the Cavaliers could be a little disjointed after the long lay-off. Cleveland is facing one of the higher-scoring teams in the league and, interestingly, the Cavs are 10-13 ATS (and SU!) in games this season against teams that are averaging 106 points or more per game. The Celtics are playing this game with home loss revenge from an embarrassing loss in Boston in early April. This season the Celtics are 23-13 SU and 21-13 ATS when playing with revenge! Ton of respect for the Cavs but they opened up as a 3-point favorite here with good reason and yet everyone has jumped all over them and pushed this line higher. Boston coach Brad Stevens is an excellent coach and the Celtics fought hard to earn the #1 seed and home court edge in the East. They certainly aren't going to easily relinquish it. Look for the Celtics to come out very strong here as the Cavaliers struggle to get back into proper game flow. 10* BOSTON

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Golden State Warriors vs San Antonio Spurs @ 3:30 ET - Even though the Warriors won the most recent meeting between these teams (by 12 at San Antonio in late March), Golden State still has revenge on their minds heading into this one. The only time this season that the Warriors hosted the Spurs this season, it was Golden State's home opener and they got embarrassed in a 29 point loss. Home loss revenge is a pretty strong motivator and there is another reason to expect the Warriors to show no mercy here. They want to set the tone for this series. Golden State wants to flex their muscles in Game 1 and not give the big dog Spurs any chance to get any momentum going early in this series. This line may look big at -10 but the odds makers opened this one up at double digits with good reason. The Warriors are 8-0 in the post-season and 7 of the 8 wins have come by a double digit margin! As for the Spurs, each of their 6 games with the Rockets was decided by double digits except for the lone OT game. It was that OT loss for Houston that took the wind out of their sails and left them dead in Game 6. No excuse really for that but the Rockets were no match for SA in Game 6 and that helped to create some line value because everyone watched the Spurs blowout the Rockets in that series-clinching road win. The Spurs are 2-4 ATS this season when off of an upset win as an underdog. San Antonio is also 5-9 ATS when off of 2 days or more of rest. The Warriors are on a powerful 14-7 ATS run in games against teams with a winning record and, after what happened at Oracle Arena on October 25th, the Spurs have their full attention! 10* GOLDEN STATE

Texas Insider - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 10* Top Play San Antonio Spurs (+) @ Houston Rockets @ 8 ET - Even though the Rockets are at home and should have won Game 5 outright (rather than just covering in OT), the fact is that the emotional and physical drain on Houston is big right now. That loss in Game 5 really strung the Rockets emotionally. From a physical standpoint Houston went with just a 7-man rotation Tuesday and 6 of those players combined to average 40 minutes in the grueling overtime affair. In fact 4 of the 5 starters did log 40 minutes or more. It's starting to take a toll on the Rockets and I look for this to once again be another tight match-up that could go either way late in the fourth quarter. That said, there is huge line value with the big points being offered in this one and the word here in San Antonio (I have resided in this area for many years) is that Kawhi Leonard's ankle is not an issue at all. The Spurs are 7-2 ATS as an underdog this season. The Rockets are on a 2-7 ATS run in home games. Fade the line move and grab the big points being offered in this one! 10* SAN ANTONIO

Texas Insider - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (+) @ San Antonio Spurs @ 8 ET - The Rockets got their transition game going in Game 4 and they also got their three point shooting back on track. Both teams have each won on their opponents home court but the difference now is that the Spurs being without Tony Parker is absolutely a big deal. San Antonio managed to rise up in Game 3, their first game after he got hurt. But the Rockets then made the proper adjustments on how to attack the Spurs without Parker and, of course, Game 4 was a full display of just how successful those adjustments can be. Of course it's a bit of cat and mouse here as SA coach Gregg Popovich will most certainly have his team ready to go here and will make some adjustments after getting blown out in Game 4. However, one thing is for certain, Pop's ability to truly "replace" his floor leader Parker is just not there. This is a glaring hole for the Spurs and yet this line is set right near where it was in Games 1 and 2 here in San Antonio. How can that be? It's because the betting public likes to play the "zig zag" theory and many will be backing the Spurs here to bounce back off of the ugly Game 4 loss. The fact that the dynamics surrounding Game 5 are much bigger than anything a "zig zag" can properly address is why we're getting amazing line value with the Rockets here. I'll take it! Grab the points as Houston is 12-5 ATS as an underdog this season. By the way, the Spurs are only 4-6 ATS this season and 10-15 ATS the past 3 seasons combined when they are off of a loss by a double digit margin. San Antonio will certainly be looking to bounce back but I just don't see it sans Parker and with the Rockets fully prepared to maintain the momentum. Keep in mind they blasted the Spurs in SA in Game 1 to start this series. 10* HOUSTON ROCKETS

Primetime Punisher - NBA Monday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz (+) vs Golden State Warriors @ 9 ET - The Jazz are going to fight hard (just like the Raptors did yesterday) as they look to avoid the series sweep on their home floor. Even though Toronto did fall short yesterday, they got the cover for some and pushed for others. In this case Utah is being given an even bigger number in comparison with the Raptors and there is solid line value here with this hungry home dog. The Warriors managed to pull away very late in Game 3 but that has also created line value for Game 4 because this line is a bucket higher even though the Jazz were "right there" with Golden State in the fourth quarter before a late run for the Warriors sealed Utah's fate. The Jazz are 39-16 ATS the last 3 seasons when playing with home loss revenge and they are still 7-3 ATS in all playoff games this season. Also, Utah is 8-4 ATS (and SU!) when off of a loss by a double digit margin this season. The Jazz are definitely going to go hard tonight and look to notch that highly sought home win to extend this series and avoid the sweep. Even with Saturday's win, Golden State is only 3-6 ATS this season in games against teams that allow an average of 98 points or less per game. The Warriors very well could stamp their ticket to the Western Conference finals tonight but the points are simply too much here as I anticipate this one going to the final horn. 10* UTAH JAZZ

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (-) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 9 ET - Surprisingly the Spurs were able to get an upset win on the road at Houston in Game 3 even without Tony Parker and even after a huge fourth quarter in Game 2 had propelled them to a massive home court win. Sometimes teams are able to rise up in the first game after a star goes down as everyone is so highly motivated to perform huge and make up for the star's absence. However, those teams then often fall flat in the 2nd game. That is not the only thing going in our favor here however as the other big key is the Rockets are still at home and they are coming off of a dreadful shooting performance and a 2nd straight blowout loss. Sometime a good team will lose bad once but when they lose bad in back to back games there is no doubt about the effort their going to bring in Game 3 of such a scenario. Houston is 9-3 ATS this season when playing with home loss revenge. The Rockets are also 14-4 SU (and 12-6 ATS) when off of an upset loss as a favorite. Harden needs some help from his teammates after he was the only big scorer for the Rockets in Game 3. Similar to how others stepped up for the Spurs in the first game without Parker, look for others to step up for the Rockets to help provide more balanced scoring in a must win scenario in Game 4. Houston can ill afford to go back to SA down 3-1 in this series. Keep in mind, this is not the Spurs of the "Dynasty Years" and I look for San Antonio to drop to 4-8 ATS their last 12 games when leading in a playoff series. 10* HOUSTON

TNT Early Annihilation - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* Boston Celtics (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 6:30 ET - After making only 35% of their shots and getting thoroughly blown out in Game 3 (thanks to a 22-0 1st quarter run for the Wizards), look for the Celtics to respond in a big way here. They just couldn't make any shots Thursday but Boston is 9-3 SU and ATS this season when off of a loss by 10 points or more. Look for Isaiah Thomas to get back on track after a very tough performance for him in Game 3. He's been so hot in the post-season and he'll be ready to be aggressive again as the Celtics make some adjustments to counteract what the Wizards were successful in putting together in Thursday's win. I am well aware of Washington's 4-0 home record so far in this post-season but the Wizards don't exactly have a storied playoff history in 2nd round playoff games. Their long-term runs included 5-14 SU in 2nd round playoff games (including 3-6 in recent seasons) and 8-17 SU when trailing in a playoff series. The Celtics are the better team defensively and they'll bounce back in Game 4. Even with that Game 3 loss, Boston is still 31-15 SU the last 3 seasons combined in games against teams that allow 106 points or more per game. The physicality is on the increase in this series and the Celtics will come out strong and have gone 21-12 SU this season when playing with revenge. 8* BOSTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* Toronto Raptors (+) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 3:30 ET - With professional pride on the line, the Raptors are going to do everything in their power to avoid the sweep and get a W Sunday. The beauty of this situation though is in terms of the line value. The Raptors don't have to get an outright win for us to get the cash and the fact is that this line is truly inflated as it has moved as high as +7 as of Saturday evening. Keep in mind the Raptors were only down 2 heading to the 4th quarter of Game 3 on Friday. So how in the world did Toronto end up losing that game by 21 points? The explanation is really quite simple and it also is a reason that we're getting tremendous line value in Game 4 because the unusual results are highly unlikely to be repeated. The Raptors Tucker made 1 of his 2 three pointers and the rest of the team was 1 of 16 from beyond the arc. For the Cavs, Irving made only 1 of 5 from beyond the arc but the rest of the team was an absolutely insane 12 of 18 from three point land. When a team gets outscored by 33 points from beyond the arc, they are going to have trouble to say the least! Those ridiculous results are leading to big-time line value here. I'll take it! The Cavaliers have covered just 3 of 10 Sunday games this season and this is a rather early start. The Raptors are 30-15 SU at home this season and I expect them to respond here even if Lowry is out again. 8* TORONTO

ABC Blowout ATS Rout - Rickenbach NBA Saturday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz (+) vs Golden State Warriors @ 8:30 ET - The Jazz went 29-12 at home in the regular season. Though they're down 0-2 in this series they certainly showed plenty of fight at Golden State and did get the cover in each game. Some of the adjustments that Utah made in the 2nd half of that game certainly paid off and the Jazz were able to close within as close as 6 in the fourth quarter. Grabbing some momentum from those adjustments as well as the fact that they now get a game on their home floor, I would not be surprised to see Utah get the outright upset here but certainly there is value with the generous points being offered. Even though he's listed as probable, Draymond Green's knee injury is something that the Warriors can afford to be careful with and rest him some as they are working toward a long playoff march. As for the Jazz, there is no time to waste and, though George Hill is questionable for this game, I would be surprised if he is not back out there running the offense for Utah in this one and that will be a big plus. Either way, I am grabbing the home dog here. The Jazz are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games versus the Warriors. Also, Utah is 8-3 ATS (and SU!) this season when off of a loss by a margin of 10 points or more. Tonight I look for the Jazz to improve to an incredible 8-2 ATS in this post-season. Look for the Warriors to drop to 2-7 ATS this season in games played against teams that allow an average of 98 points or less per game. 10* UTAH JAZZ plus the points Saturday evening.

Western Conf Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (-) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 9:30 ET - After getting embarrassed in the 4th quarter at San Antonio Wednesday night, the Rockets will be ready to respond here. The Spurs found that their small ball lineup worked well even without Tony Parker on the floor after he got hurt early in the 4th quarter. Even though Parker is now out for the post-season, the Spurs still have others that can step in and maintain the small ball attack in Game 3. However, what is unlikely to happen is for the Spurs to again shoot 54.5% from the field. That said, the Spurs could be in trouble willing to play a game where the winning team is in the 120s. The fact is that even though this series is 1-1, the way it's being played thusfar certainly favors the Rockets. Houston loves to get involved in high-scoring shootouts and they'll hold the upper hand in this one at home. The Rockets had won 6 of 7 before the loss Wednesday. The Spurs barely got by a Memphis team that was without Tony Allen in round one and then San Antonio got pounded in Game 1 of this series before responding in Game 2. One game certainly does not sure all that ailed the Spurs and there will be points in this game where they'll certainly miss the veteran leadership of their floor general, Tony Parker. The Spurs were on a 5-8 ATS run before the big win in Game 2. The Rockets are 25-7 SU (and 21-11 ATS) this season when off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. Bounce back time for the Rockets here. 10* HOUSTON

ESPN Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Friday 8* Toronto Raptors (+) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7 ET - After getting embarrassed on the road in each of the first two games in this series the Raptors respond big here. Toronto has won 8 of its past 10 home games. The Cavaliers aren't going to be able to maintain the ridiculously high clip at which they hit three pointers in the first two games of this series now that the Cavs are on the road. Late in the season Cleveland had some very tough shooting nights from beyond the arc when on the road. The Cavaliers are 6-0 in the playoffs but only 2 of those wins came on the road. Also, the Cavs went only 4-9 SU on the road in their last 13 regular season games away from home. Look for Cleveland to fall to 18-26 ATS in road games this season as the Raptors respond large here. Toronto has only had one home game since the 18th. The 18th was a 6 point win over the Bucks and the the Raptors destroyed Milwaukee at the Air Canada Centre on the 24th by 25 points. In other words, Toronto is thrilled to be back home and will make the most of this opportunity with LeBron James and company in town. In last year's post-season series between these teams the home team won each of the first 5 games before the Cavs then blew out the Raptors for the series-clinching Game 6 victory. The Raptors haven't forgotten that defeat and, for the 8th time in the last 9 post-season games between these foes, I look for the home team to get the job done. 8* TORONTO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 8* Boston Celtics (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 8 ET - Once again fading what is likely to be public perception here. Most everyone is likely to load up on Washington because they are down 2 games to 0 and now back home and basically in 'must win' mode. Of course we all know that the pressure can actually be nearly insurmountable when a team truly 'must win' and I don't expect the Wizards to react well here. They never should have lost Game 2 but they blew a big early lead and then lost ugly in OT. That is a tough loss to bounce back from and Washington doesn't exactly have a good pedigree of recent success. The Wizards are 2-6 in 2nd round playoff games in recent seasons and 4-14 long-term! As for the Celtics, they simply seem to be riding high no matter the scenario they are faced with and are already 6-2 (SU and ATS) in this post-season despite the tough times Isaiah Thomas has dealt with because of his sister's passing. The Wizards are simply an awful team on defense and this includes being bad at defending the 3-point ball. They have allowed 49.4% or more from the field in 9 of their last 18 games. It is truly no wonder that Washington is on a 6-10 ATS run. As for the Celtics, since dropping the first two games to the Bulls they've responded with a 6-0 SU and ATS run! Boston is 26-16 ATS on the road this season. Versus team that average 106 points or more per game, the Wizards have a history of having trouble. They've gone 28-59 SU and 34-51 ATS in those games. More of the same here as the Wizards deficiencies on the defensive end continue to be an issue. 8* BOSTON

TNT Blowout ATS Rout - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (+) @ San Antonio Spurs @ 9:35 ET - Again, the "zig zag" theory is in effect here and yet I'll gladly be a contrarian and step in on the other side of it. Many will be looking to back the Spurs after the ugly loss in Game One. However, I rode the Rockets to victory there and, as I mentioned in my write-up for Monday's game, San Antonio is just not the team they use to be. I firmly believe that had the Grizzlies had Tony Allen available for that first round series, the Spurs would not have even got past Memphis! Now the Spurs have quickly found out they have their hands full with this uber-talented scoring machine filled with lethal three point shooters. The Rockets simply are too much for the Spurs and, though San Antonio will surely make adjustments and will look to respond here on their home floor, that still is no guarantee of victory and certainly no guarantee of a cover. Let's face it, the Rockets are better than they use to be, and the Spurs are just not the same team they were a few short years ago. Kawhi Leonard is an amazing player for San Antonio but just look at the production the Spurs have gotten from the key that is supposed to be their 2nd best player, LaMarcus Aldridge. He hasn't scored more than 20 points in a game since March 23rd and had a very poor Game One performance. The Rockets are relishing the underdog role they are in for this series and they are 12-4 ATS an underdog this season. Houston is also 6-2 SU in recent seasons when leading in a playoff series. The Spurs are on a 2-5 (SU and ATS) run in 2nd round playoff games. After a loss by 10 points or more San Antonio went just 3-6 ATS this season. After allowing 115 points or more the last 3 seasons combined the Spurs are only 4-6 SU! They aren't necessarily going to bounce back here like many expect them to. The last 5 games between the Rockets and Spurs have featured only one Spurs win by more than 2 points and that one came by just 6. I'll take the points with a team that gives SA some major "match-up issues". 10* HOUSTON 

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 8* Cleveland Cavaliers (-) vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:05 ET - As usual the "zig zag" theory will be played here by most and, as a result, many will go running to the Raptors and looking for them to bounce back here. The problem with that theory? Toronto is just not that at the same level that this Cavaliers team is and, the last time I checked, this game is still being played at Cleveland. In other words, it's a tough spot for the Raptors to bounce back considering they aren't playing the Bucks anymore. These are the defending champs and Toronto put just enough of a scare into Cleveland (with some big scoring runs in Game One) that there is no way the Cavs aren't going to keep the pedal to the metal tonight. Overall, the Cavaliers had huge leads multiple times in the win on Monday and ultimately settled for an 11 point win and I expect another double digit win here. Toronto is 4-7 ATS when trailing in a playoff series. Overall, after getting blown out in Game One, the Raptors are 10-21 ATS in all playoff games. Cleveland is an incredible 18-3 SU when leading in a playoff series and taking a look at the Cavaliers last 25 SU wins they have covered 20 of them! That's an 80% ATS clip in Cavs victories dating back to late January. The Raptors are an insane 2-28 ATS in their last 30 losses so, as you can see, when Toronto loses SU they tend to lose ATS as well! In other words, unless you think the Raptors are winning this outright, better not be backing them and I'll back a Cavs team that is clicking on all cylinders again and has gone 17-2 SU against Atlantic Division opponents this season. 8* CLEVELAND

Top Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Utah Jazz (+) @ Golden State Warriors @ 10:30 ET - The Warriors are, of course, the superior team. But that doesn't mean they're going to crush the Jazz in Game One. After having more than a week off there is just no way that Golden State is going to be clicking on all cylinders here in Game One on Tuesday night. At the same time, the Jazz are riding the momentum of their series win over the Clippers where they got the big Game 7 victory on the road on Tuesday. In fact, that was the 8th time in the last 9 Utah games that the road team has gotten the cash. The road team has also been a big money winner in Golden State's recent games with the away team getting the cash in 9 of their last 13 games. Look for the fact that the Jazz have been playing consistently while the Warriors are off of a long layoff to be a huge difference maker here. Also, Golden State is only 2-4 ATS this season when facing a team that allows 98 points or less per game and the Utah D is rock solid. I look for the Jazz to improve to 6-2 ATS in the post-season with this one decided by single digits as they keep this one much closer than many people are expecting. The Warriors rely so heavily on their outside shooting and I just don't see them being strong in that department after the long lay-off. 10* UTAH JAZZ

TNT Blowout ATS Rout - Rickenbach NBA Monday 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (+) @ San Antonio Spurs @ 9:35 ET - The Spurs barely got by a Memphis team that was without their top defender Tony Allen. My strong opinion is that the Spurs would not have advanced if Allen had not been hurt for the Grizzlies. Memphis played them tough in the regular season and then gave them hell in the post-season even without Allen! I have said it before and I'll say it again, because I reside in the San Antonio area and I follow this team closely. The Spurs are not what they use to be. Certainly they are still a talented, solid team that is well coached but I don't believe they have what it takes to go far in the post-season. Now the Spurs go from facing a short-handed Grizzlies team that barely got into the playoffs to facing one of the best in the west as they host the Rockets. The road team won 3 of the 4 meetings straight-up in the regular season and the road team did go a perfect 4-0 ATS in the season series! One meeting was decided by 6 points and the other three were each decided by only 2 points! You can see why I like having the points in this one and I also like the fact that the Spurs lost 4-2 in their most recent trip to the 2nd round and they also went just 2-4 ATS in that series. With Tim Duncan retired and Manu Giinobili no longer the X factor he once was, too much is expected of Kawhi Leonard. The Rockets weaponry will prove to be too much (at least in Game 1) and I'll gladly fade the line move as the betting markets have pushed this line higher! The Rockets won their most recent 2nd round playoff series, are 4-1 (SU and ATS) when playing with 3 or more days of rest between games and I look for them to improve to a fantastic 13-4 ATS as an underdog this season as they continue to thrive in that role! 10* HOUSTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Monday 8* Cleveland Cavaliers (-) vs Toronto Raptors @ 7:05 ET - Sometimes too much rest can lead to rust. Will that be that the case for the veteran Cavaliers here? I don't think so! The defending NBA champs are certainly accustomed to all sorts of scenarios and how to handle them. You don't become the champions of the league if you don't have the ability to adjust and to adapt. That said, the extra rest won't be rust for the Cavs. Instead, look for their fresh legs to have benefited greatly from the time off. The past 3 seasons combined the Cavaliers have gone 14-4 SU (and 11-7 ATS) when playing with 3 or more days of rest between games. Also, Cleveland knocked Toronto out of the post-season last year and all 4 Cavs wins came by at least 19 points per game! In fact, the Cavaliers average margin of victory in that series was 28.5 points per win! Cleveland will want to set the tone early in this series and that means a very aggressive and relentless approach in Game One and I see them winning this one by double digits to make a statement. Toronto got by the Bucks in round one but Milwaukee was lacking in playoff experience. In round two the Raptors get a reality check about the caliber of opponents they're really supposed to face in the playoffs and I expect it to take Toronto so some time to adjust going from facing a team that had a losing record in the regular season to facing one of the elite teams in the league. With the Cavs rested and raring to go, look for the Raptors to drop to 10-21 ATS in playoff games the past 3 seasons combined. 8* CLEVELAND

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* Washington Wizards (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 1:05 ET - Washington's first round opponent was a tough Atlanta team. Boston's first round opponent was a Chicago team that had the Celtics in an 0-2 hole (at home no less!) before the Bulls lost Rajon Rondo to injury for the series. Chicago's loss of a key contributor ended up being the key to Boston winning 4 straight games. The point is that I am more impressed with how the Wizards got here in comparison with how the Celtics got here. The road team got the cover in 5 of the 6 first round games in the Boston series and in each of the last two games in the Washington series. Look for those trends to continue here as the Celtics are 3-15 ATS this season when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more. The Wizards are 8-3 ATS when off of an upset win as an underdog. 8* WASHINGTON

Playoff Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Friday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 8:05 ET - The Bulls lost the turnover battle big in Wednesday's Game 5 and that certainly was a factor in them ending up on the wrong end of a 11-point game. Chicago knocked down 50% of their shots but they could not overcome the turnover differential and they'll need to play a much cleaner game tonight. With the Celtics not shooting well - 19 off 77 from three point land the last 2 games - they are fortunate to still be up in this series. The poor shooting catches up with Boston here. The Bulls will go "all out" at home in hopes of forcing a Game 7 and Chicago plays solid defense when fully focused. Full focus will certainly be at the forefront for the Bulls in this one and they are 7-2 SU and ATS this season (and 16-5 ATS and 15-6 SU the last 3 seasons combined) when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 games or more. The Celtics are a horrible 2-15 ATS this season when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more. Also, Boston is 6-11 ATS this season when off of a win by a double digit margin. The Bulls have shot well in each of their last two road games with the Celtics but, surprisingly shot poorly in the 2 home games in this series. That has led to line value here as the Bulls are actually a home dog now in this one. Even with Rajon Rondo still out, the Bulls have more than enough weapons to force a Game 7 with a big home W tonight. 10* CHICAGO BULLS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Friday 8* Atlanta Hawks (-) vs Washington Wizards @ 7:35 ET - The home team has won all 5 games in this series and I see no reason for that trend to stop here. The Hawks have actually out-rebounded the Wizards in 4 of the 5 games in this series. The only reason Atlanta lost Game 5 on the road at Washington was because the Hawks shot only 41% from the field. The Hawks have shot 48.3% in their last 5 home games and outscored by double digits in each game in Atlanta while losing only by single digits in each of their losses at Washington. In many respects, the Hawks have deserved a better fate than being down 3-2 in this series but, in any event, that is helping to keep this line lower than it should be and I look for Atlanta to roll at home and force a Game 7. The Hawks are on a 9-4 ATS run while the Wizards have slumped to a 5-8 ATS mark their last 13 games. Washington is 11-23 SU the last 34 times they've been an underdog and I look for another loss in that role here. With the low number on the Hawks, that SU Wizards loss should also equate to a solid ATS cover for the home team. 8* ATLANTA

TNT Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies (+) vs San Antonio Spurs @ 9:35 ET - I lost a tough one Tuesday when the Spurs pulled away late to get the cover as a double digit fave over the Grizzlies in Game 5 of this series. However, the Spurs finally got some points from Manu Ginobili and they shot a ridiculous 14 of 28 from three point land. Memphis responded at home in both Games 3 and 4 after losing Games 1 and 2 and I expect the Grizzlies to again come up big on their home floor in Game 6 after coming up short in Game 5. Each of the last 3 games in this series have gone over the total and the Grizzles are 19-10 SU (and 18-11 ATS) the last 3 seasons combined when they enter a game on an "over streak" of 3 games or more. The Spurs are only 4-6 SU (and 3-7 ATS) the last 3 seasons combined when they are leading in a playoff series. Spurs had lost 5 of their last 7 (SU and ATS) before getting the big win in Game 5 that was largely attributable to red hot three point shooting. The odds of that continuing here just are not that good and the Grizzlies have been fired up ever since their head coach's tirade about the officiating after Game 2. There is no way that Memphis is going to stop fighting in Game 6 as it's "win or the season is over" for the Grizzlies. Dating back to the regular season and including this series so far, the home team has a perfect 7-0 ATS mark in the Spurs last 7 games. Look for more of the same Thursday as San Antonio has not had a hot shooting night on the road since they shot 48% from the field at Minnesota over a month ago! The Grizzlies "D up" hard in this one. 10* MEMPHIS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Thursday 8* Toronto Raptors (+) @ Milwaukee Bucks @ 7:05 ET - The Raptors are fired up about closing out a playoff series in Game 6. They're well aware of their poor history in this situation as they are 0-7 SU (and 1-6 ATS) when leading in a playoff series. Toronto is sick of hearing about that and doesn't want to let Milwaukee extend this to a 7th game. Luckily for the Raptors, this is the right team for Toronto to face to have a great shot at erasing the bitter taste of past defeats. The Bucks have lost 7 straight playoff series and the last 6 all have come in the first round with the final defeat in each of the last two appearances coming in a Game 6. That said, the Bucks aren't exactly loaded with post-season experience to fall back on. Look for the Raptors to improve to 12-3 SU (and 10-5 ATS) this season when playing with two days of rest. Also, Toronto is 19-8 SU (and 17-10 ATS) when off of a win by a double digit margin. The Bucks have been out-rebounded in this series and have now lost 3 of the last 4 games. Their only two wins came when the Raptors were held to 36% or less from the field. How likely is that here? Not too likely! The Raptors were held to 36% or less from the field 3 times in their 82 regular season games. Note also that the Bucks Khris Middleton was ill Wednesday and missed practice. If he's not 100% this further weakens a Milwaukee team that has been outscored by 36 points in the last two games! 8* TORONTO

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (+) @ Boston Celtics @ 8:30 ET - The Bulls aren't done yet. I know they just lost two straight at home to the Celtics and are still trying to adjust without Rajon Rondo, but the fact is Chicago won both games at Boston to open up this series. Additionally, the Bulls started out dominating the boards in this series and that domination has continued throughout. With just slightly better shooting, the Bulls just aren't going to lose this game by double digits. That said, there is tremendous line value with  the big number posted on this game. Keep in mind, Boston's Sunday win in Game 4 of this series was the 1st cover in the last 4 times the Celtics were off of a game where they allowed 100 points or less. I look for the Bulls to respond in a big way here after scoring under 100 in back to back home games. Look for Boston to drop to 1-4 ATS the last 5 times they've been off of a game where they held their team under the century mark. The Celtics are an ugly 4-10 ATS this season when playing with 2 days of rest between games. The Bulls are a fantastic 8-4 ATS this season when playing with 2 days of rest between games. Look for the Celtics to drop to 17-27 ATS in home games this season while the Bulls improve to 29-19 ATS as an underdog this season. Big dog value being offered here as the Bulls are off of back to back losses and haven't lost three straight games since early March. They'll make some adjustments here sans Rondo. 10* CHICAGO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Wednesday 8* Atlanta Hawks (+) @ Washington Wizards @ 6 ET - The home team has won and covered all 4 games of this series but there is a reason the odds makers are holding this number right in line with where it was in the first two meetings in this series in Washington. The fact is that the home dominance in this series is likely to be busted in Game 5. The Hawks have now won the battle of the boards in 3 of the 4 games and they've also cut down on the turnover issues that plagued them earlier in this series. Atlanta is 81-58 ATS in their games against teams with a winning record and, overall, the Hawks come into this game having covered 8 of their last 12. The Wizards are on a 10-17 ATS run entering this game and I believe the fact that this line opened up right in line with Games 1 and 2 of this series is an open invitation to take Washington. We all know what happens when something looks too good to be true...it usually is and I see the Hawks turning this series on its ear with a big upset win on the road but I'll grab the points here just in case. 8* ATLANTA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies (+) @ San Antonio Spurs @ 9 ET - The Spurs are getting heavily played again as this line is already up to double digits. Do you remember the Big 3 of the Spurs? Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker. Why do I mention this? Duncan is now retired. Ginobili is 0 for 15 in the series and still hasn't scored a single point. As for Parker, he did bounce back to play his best game of the series in Game 4 but he was held scoreless in Game 3 and his assists are way down in the post-season. The reason I mention all this is because the Spurs true star now (and arguably their only star), Kawhi Leonard scored 43 points in Game 4 and, guess what, San Antonio still lost! This is bad news for the Spurs because they just aren't the team they use to be. I know they had a great regular season but it's playoff time and for a team like Memphis (without the defender - Tony Allen - that was going to be key in slowing down Leonard) to be as tough on SA as they have been, it shows just how far the Spurs have fallen. Making the situation even worse for San Antonio is that they've now given Memphis the confidence that comes with back to back wins. Ever since the Memphis coach went off on all the officials after Game 2 you've seen a different Grizzlies team and they won't stop on Tuesday night. Memphis is now 9-4 SU and ATS in games against teams that allow 98 points or less on the season. Also, the Grizzlies thrive on the underdog role and building momentum from it. They are 12-8 ATS (and 14-6 SU!) when off of an upset win as an underdog this season! The Spurs are just 4-9 ATS this season when playing with 2 days of rest between games and though they should get the home win tonight it's very likely to be an all out war decided by single digits. That said, grab the big points in this one. 10* MEMPHIS

TNT Smash Pass - Rickenbach NBA Tuesday 8* Oklahoma City Thunder (+) @ Houston Rockets @ 8 ET - The Rockets blew out the Thunder by 31 points in Game 1 of this series. Since then, every single game has been tight with none of the last 3 games being decided by more than 4 points. I certainly don't see that changing here in what is a "win or go home for the summer" game for Oklahoma City. As strong as Houston is, the fact is that the Thunder (ever since the game 1 "reality check") have put up quite a fight in this series and I certainly don't see that stopping here! OKC shot better from the field than the Rockets in Games 3 and 4 and they've shot better from three point land in 3 of the 4 games in this series. Oklahoma City has proven to be that they're not going to go away quietly and these points are simply too much for Tuesday's Game 5. The Rockets were on a 1-10 ATS skid before covering both games at Oklahoma City. The Thunder are 7-2 ATS when playing with home loss revenge this season and they'll be looking to bounce back after coming up just short in Game 4. Also, the Rockets are 2-4 ATS this season (and 14-23 ATS the L3 seasons) when off of an upset win as an underdog. If Nene Hilario hadn't gone 12 for 12 from the field the Rockets would not have won that Game 4 and I look for them to struggle to put away this resilient Thunder team Tuesday as Russell Westbrook does everything he can to send this series back to OKC. 8* OKLAHOMA CITY

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Monday 8* Milwaukee Bucks (+) @ Toronto Raptors @ 7 ET - Off of an embarrassing home loss where the Bucks shot just 37% from the field and had 20 turnovers Sunday, look for Milwaukee to respond here. These teams have alternated wins and losses in this series and I wouldn't be surprised to see that trend continue. The Bucks are 9-2 ATS the last 11 times they are off of a loss by 6 points or more and they were drilled by 11 in Milwaukee on Sunday. That big Raptors road win was their first ATS cover in this series and Toronto is still just 3-12 ATS in 1st round playoff games the last 3 seasons combined. As usual, look for the Raptors to have trouble with developing consistent success. Not only has playoff success been elusive for Toronto but, over the last 4 weeks, they've only had back to back covers once. Even if the Raptors do get the SU win here look for the half dozen points they're laying to prove to be too much! 8* MILWAUKEE

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Chicago Bulls (+) vs Boston Celtics @ 6:30 ET - The Rajon Rondo injury is certainly impacting to the Bulls but it is also far from being insurmountable. I look for Chicago to bounce back in a big way at home after getting embarrassed at home on Friday. Certainly that final score looks ugly as the Bulls fell by 17 points to the Celtics but Boston knocked down 46% of their three pointers and outscored Chicago by 33 points from beyond the arc. That's your ballgame right there and that is highly unlikely to be repeated on Sunday. The Celtics won big in Game 3 despite being outrebounded (they've lost badly on boards in this series) and despite attempting just 7 free throws! Now you can see why I am expecting Chicago to prevail in Game 4. They will respond at home after the embarrassing home loss. Keep in mind, the Bulls had covered 4 straight and 12 of their last 16 before losing Friday. Also, the Celtics had failed to cover 9 of their last 12 before the big win in Game 3. The Bulls are 28-18 ATS as an underdog this season. The Celtics are 5-12 ATS this season when off of a win by 10 points or more. Even with the win Friday, Boston is still just 3-10 SU in playoff games the last 3 seasons combined. Look for the Bulls to improve to 7-3 SU and ATS in their last 10 playoff games as they are poised to bounce back and win outright here but certainly I will grab the points being offered. 10* CHICAGO

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Houston Rockets (+) @ Oklahoma City Thunder @ 3:30 ET - The Rockets don't want to give the Thunder any hope in this series and that means they certainly can't afford to lose another tight one at Oklahoma City. Houston can't allow the Thunder to tie it up and I like the Rockets chances to take the 3-1 lead here. Keep in mind, the Thunder shot 55.4% from the field (including 47.4% from three point land) and the Rockets were held under 46% from the field plus misfired on 25 of their 35 three pointers and yet Houston still only lost Game 3 by a bucket! That says a lot right there and I expect a more "normal" shooting performance tonight. The noteworthy aspect of that is the fact that OKC had been held to 43.5% or less from the field in 10 of their last 12 games before the offensive explosion on Friday night. As for the Rockets, they haven't been held below 45.8% from the field in any of their last 4 games. Also, on the season, Houston is the better three point shooting team so the Game 3 result certainly was a bit of an aberration. The Rockets are 10-4 ATS this season as an underdog. Houston is also 19-11 ATS when off of a game where they allowed 115 points or more. OKC is 7-14 ATS this season (and 17-35 ATS the L3 seasons combined) in games with a posted total of 220 points or more. The Thunder also are 22-37 (SU and ATS) the last 3 seasons combined in games against teams that average 106 points or more per game. 10* HOUSTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NBA Sunday 8* Indiana Pacers (+) vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 1 ET - Devastating loss for sure the way the Pacers lost Game 3 to the incredible Cavs comeback. However, a closer look at the boxscore reveals why I won't hesitate to back the home dog in Game 4 as I expect Indiana to fight incredibly hard to avoid getting swept out of the post-season. The Pacers don't want this to happen on their home floor and now, about that boxscore. Cleveland's comeback was keyed by the fact they made a ridiculous 21 of 44 three pointers! Simply put, that's not happening again and, even with that insane shooting performance the Cavaliers only won the game by 5 points. Note that Indiana outrebounded the Cavs, made more shots from inside the arc, and made more free throws. The fact that Cleveland made 21 three pointers was the difference in the game and the likelihood of that happening again rests somewhere between slim and nil. Keep in mind the Pacers had covered 8 straight games before that ATS loss. Also, the Cavaliers had covered just 5 of their last 18 games before that miracle win and cover. The Cavs are 7-13 ATS this season when on a winning streak of 3 games or more. The Pacers are 6-3 ATS this season when they are on a losing streak of 3 or more games. 8* INDIANA